The figure emerged from the bushes, panting heavily. He was large, approximately 9 feet tall. A thick crown of tawny blonde hair framed his masculine face, and as his muscular form came into view, looks of shock crossed Juri and Beelzebumon's faces. "Leomon……?" Juri was the first to find her voice. She couldn't believe her eyes. The glorious golden lion she'd practically fallen in love with and lost was now standing before her, after all of this time… Tears welled in her eyes as she stepped forward. "Leomon….?"
Leomon watched the young girl coming toward him with a look of warm relief and…. Something else… The closer she got, the faster his heart beat in his chest. He was overcome with a sudden urge to embrace her, and in a split second he went down on one knee and brought her into his arms. 'This girl…. Is she the one that was mentioned before….?' He pulled back to look her in the eyes.
Those eyes of hers… He remembered them. So full of kindness and loving warmth, a warmth he remembered from long ago….
His eyes widened.
He remembered…
Without having to ask any more questions, he suddenly remembered her. All of these feelings and emotions running through his body were familiar to him, all caused because of the presence of this little girl. He knew her. And he knew that long ago, he'd loved and protected her until his death.
"Juri….?" He said slowly. A smile spread across her face as she erupted into joyous tears, throwing herself into his chest and hugging him as tight as she could. "I've missed you so much, Juri…"
Beelzebumon felt a pang of guilt intermixed with happiness at the sight. After all, it was his own cruelty which had torn them apart long ago. He'd brought them back together, but he still didn't feel complete. He looked around warily; Chatsuramon and Makuramon could be anywhere at this point, and the idea of the two Devas following them was making him uneasy. He didn't want to take the chance of Juri getting hurt if they did find him; this was something he'd handle on his own, at least until Renamon arrived with reinforcements.
He felt himself being kept at a distance, however, as he looked upon the newly reunited friends. It wasn't so much that he didn't want to interrupt. It was the fact that he'd be interacting with Leomon after all this time, after murdering him and loading his data…
But his insecurity was something he'd have to push past.
Beelzebumon slowly made his way over to Leomon and Juri, placing a hand on Juri's shoulder. "Juri, I--"
Leomon's gaze met Beelzebumon's, and a look of fury suddenly flashed in his eyes. In one fluid movement, Leomon released his hold on Juri, drew his broadsword, and tackled Beelzebumon to the ground, holding the sword's gleaming edge dangerously close to his neck. Beelzebumon had barely even had time to blink. "YOU!!" Leomon roared, and then turned to look back at Juri. "Juri, has he hurt you? If he has…" Leomon harshly grabbed Beelzebumon by the neck, hoisting him into the air and glaring up at him. The demon Digimon struggled to catch his breath, only to have Leomon tighten his grip.
Juri was positively shocked by this sudden display. "Leomon, don't hurt him, please!! He hasn't hurt me at all; he's been looking after me!"
At the words of his tamer, Leomon begrudgingly dropped Beelzebumon to the ground and sheathed his sword. "Is this true?" His eyes still harbored the same hatred from before, and it was clear that he was keeping his vengeful feelings at bay.
Beelzebumon rubbed his neck. "I've got Chatsuramon and Makuramon after me an' her, why wouldn't it be true?"
Leomon's eyes narrowed as Juri walked over to the two of them. "Chatsuramon and Makuramon, you say? Why are they after you?"
Beelzebumon looked away. "I… Absorbed them, along with you… And when I got your data released from my body, they forced their way out as well… They found out how much I cared for her, so they're targeting her."
Leomon seemed to be contemplating something, and a new look dawned on him. "I recall…. You using my Fist of the Beast King to… Try and save Juri, correct…?" Beelzebumon only nodded, and Leomon knelt down next to him, almost studying his expression. His eyes were full of strife, fatigue, and exhaustion, but also held within them the warmth of virtue which they lacked before. "You… Have changed, my friend… I apologize for my previous aggression."
Beelzebumon shook his head, getting to his feet with Leomon's help. "I don't blame you for acting the way you did. I wouldn't trust myself either…" He felt a bit more at ease now; Leomon's eyes still held some emotional distance, but seemed a lot more accepting now than they were a few minutes ago. "But now ain't the time for warm and fuzzies. You gotta get her somewhere safe--"
It was only split seconds after Juri's shriek of terror that something heavy struck both Beelzebumon and Leomon with the force of a tank, sending them both tumbling across the terrain. "Agreed, Beelzebumon," Chatsuramon's voice came from the large object that had attacked them; it was a giant mallet, and in moments it transmogrified back to Chatsuramon's regular form. Beelzebumon sat up slightly with a growl; Renamon had been right… He'd led Chatsuramon and Makuramon right to the ones he was straining to protect. The dog Deva gave them a fanged grin, Makuramon walking up behind him with a confused yet intrigued look on his face. "Now is more or less time for you and your little friends here to die. Starting with those two." His beady eyes traveled to Leomon and Juri, who had rushed to her partner's aid.
Beelzebumon got to his feet and stood before the two of them, glaring death at Chatsuramon as he swiftly drew his twin Barenjenas. "Lay one paw on them," he said slowly, "I dare you. See what happens." He was deathly serious; he'd gone through enough trouble trying to get Leomon back, and seeing Juri as happy as she was proved to be more than enough reason for him to keep him alive and well. They weren't losing Leomon again. He wouldn't let her lose Leomon again. As for Juri… He was tired of causing her grief, whether it was direct or indirect. It would end here.
Chatsuramon let out a hearty laugh as Makuramon looked on, thoroughly confused. "You're quite gutsy for someone with half the power he should possess…" His tone took a vicious turn. "Especially against a Deva who possesses double the power a Deva should possess." He shot out a paw, grabbing Makuramon viciously by the neck and hoisting him into the air.
Beelzebumon, Leomon, and Juri looked on in fear as the monkey Deva struggled and squirmed in his superior's grip. "M-My lord, what are you doing?! I'm here to help you!!" He squealed.
"Don't worry, my friend," Chatsuramon grinned. "You're helping more than you know. After all," he said as a sinister look came across his face, "this is the true reason why I brought you along with me." He cast a haughty glance at Beelzebumon. "If there's one thing I've learned from you, my soldier… It is that you take what you must, when you must." His claws began closing in, and the three shocked spectators could hear the monkey Deva's skull cracking like brittle wood amidst his screams of protest and pleas for mercy. It was over in an instant, Makuramon's death signaled by a sick, abrupt crack as he exploded into shimmering bits of data.
Beelzebumon felt himself growing sick; Chatsuramon was just as much of a monster as he'd been when he did the same to Makuramon long ago… That sound…. Now that he wasn't blinded by his own gluttony for power, he realized just how savage, how brutal such an action was, and it filled him with an empty feeling in the pit of his gut. He wanted to throw up. "You…. You're….." Beelzebumon couldn't even find the words to express how disgusted he was, and whether it was disgust with himself or Chatsuramon, he didn't know, nor could he differentiate. Leomon had long since shielded Juri's eyes from the sight, though he knew full well that she'd heard it, and was now trembling in his arms.
Chatsuramon drew in a deep breath as Makuramon's data flooded into his own body, and at once, the power pouring off of him practically doubled. The aura around him pulsed, flattening a few small trees in the vicinity.
This feeling… It was indescribable…
He set his eyes on Beelzebumon with a hearty laugh. "So, this is the feeling you gorged yourself upon, my friend… You have exquisite taste, though it is unfortunate that it will be your downfall!"
Leomon didn't even have time to blink before Chatsuramon struck him at full force, knocking Juri out of his arms. She struck the ground hard and tumbled, finally coming to a violent stop when she slammed into a chain link fence. "Leo… mon….." The wind was knocked out of her body, and the sudden impact sent a shock through her entire system, rendering her temporarily immobile. She wanted to scream out; however, as she noticed Chatsuramon making his way over to Leomon as he was slowly coming out of his daze…
Chatsuramon's paw rose high, preparing to deliver another unforgiving blow…
"HANDS OFF, YOU MUTT!!" Beelzebumon took a running dash and threw all of his weight against the dog Deva, knocking him away from the downed lion Digimon. "GET OUT OF HERE, NOW!!" He bellowed, struggling to hold Chatsuramon down as Leomon shakily got to his feet. A frenzied look was in the demon Digimon's eyes now; while neither of them was any match against the newly powered up Deva, he could at least buy Leomon some time to get away…
At least one of them could get away safely for the moment…
"How dare you!!" Chatsuramon roared, shifting his weight so that he was pinning Beelzebumon down. A murderous glare shone in his eyes, one that made Beelzebumon's blood run cold. "Just as well that you go first… I've been meaning to take back the power I gave you for quite some time!"
Beelzebumon could feel his muscles straining to hold the enormous Deva back as his fangs edged closer and closer upon him. He was suffocating; with Chatsuramon's weight on his chest it was getting hard to breathe, and without constant air in his lungs, he was growing weaker and light-headed… Plus, holding onto his jaws, though it seemed to be a good idea at the time, was steadily becoming difficult. His fangs were sharp, and were cutting into his hands and arms as he pressed harder upon him. He let out a growl of exertion, straining with all of his might to hold Chatsuramon back… 'Good… He's focused on me, just like he should be… The sooner they get out of here, the better,' he thought.
Leomon was visibly shaken, only brought back to focus as he spotted Juri who was struggling to get to her feet not too far away from him. A sudden anxiety came over him; he had to get her out of here, and fast. In his dazed state, he'd seen the burning animosity in Chatsuramon's eyes; he was going to kill them if they gave him a chance, no matter how slim or short it was. His adrenaline blotted out the numbness in his legs as he sprinted over and grabbed Juri, but it swiftly ran out as Beelzebumon let out a scream of pain behind him. "Beelzebumon!!" He shot a glance in the demon Digimon's direction, greeted by the horrid sight of Chatsuramon's fangs clamped viciously upon his arm. The dog Deva's claws swung ferociously in an attempt to lacerate any inch of flesh which they could reach, and Beelzebumon's free hand was just barely keeping the large Deva at bay.
Beelzebumon grunted and wanted to curse; why the hell were they still there? "Are you deaf?! Get the hell out of here!" Strife was apparent in his voice as Chatsuramon continued to press his weight upon the pinned Digimon. Leomon was now torn between his duties; his loyalty to Juri's safety versus his desire to lend Beelzebumon a much needed hand. But before he could say anything in protest, Beelzebumon reached a hand down and drew one of his Barenjenas…
And aimed it directly at Leomon.
Shock illuminated Leomon's eyes, and he took a step back… It wasn't only the threatening position of the gun; it was the intensity in Beelzebumon's eyes… He wanted them to leave; he wanted Leomon to get Juri out of there, and now. It was a terrible way to show concern, but he got his point across. "I won't say it again, Leomon," Beelzebumon growled ferociously. He cocked the gun, and the telltale click let Leomon know he meant business.
Leomon took a few more steps back, not taking his eyes off of Beelzebumon's as Chatsuramon's weight continued bearing down upon him. With a frustrated growl, Leomon dashed away, shuddering as another scream of pain ripped through the night air.
He had to find help, and fast.