Hey guys. School's back in session for me (yea, right?) and so I've been a tad bit busy but I finally finished the story. I just want to at least get one or two reviews before I update the next chapter, so plz review, even if it's just a short one. Hopefully you'll like this one and I'll see ya later!

Chapter 26: True Friends

AlforceVeedramon Zero and Cherubimon charged at Beelzemon, ready to destroy him so they could go after Daemon. Beelzemon was ready and eager to kill them while their friends were helpless to stop him.

"Alforce Saber!" AlforceVeedramon said.

He swung the sword at Beelzemon who blocked it with his hand, but couldn't block the upcoming attack.

"Lightning Spear!"

He screamed as the spears of lighting struck him, but didn't take him out. He chuckled and pulled out his guns.

"Double Impact!"

He fired his shots at the two digimon as they tried to dodge the oncoming bullets. They tried attacking him again, but this time he avoided both of their attacks and no damage was done to him. The other tamers watched fearfully on the sidelines of the battle.

"If only we could do something," Rika said.

Renamon had gone over to the others, so she was sitting beside Rika, watching the battle.

"There's nothing we can do, except hope that those two can defeat him," Renamon said.

Rika nodded, but looked at her frozen D-Arc in defeat.

"You think you can stop me," Beelzemon said as he jumped in the air. "But you have no idea what I'm capable of!"

"We'll see," AlforceVeedramon Zero said. "Shining V-Force!"

"Lightning Spear!"

He sliced through AlforceVeedramon's attack and dodged Cherubimon's attack with ease. He smirked at their expressions.

"I have an idea," Cherubimon said. "You distract him and I'll sneak up on him."

AlforceVeedramon Zero nodded. "Ok. Be careful."

Cherubimon went out of sight, but before Beelzemon could see where she was going, AlforceVeedramon Zero started to distract him.

"Hey Beelzemon! How about some Shining V-Force?"

Rapid fires of V attacks surrounded Beelzemon. He dodged some, but since they were randomly fired at him, some hit him. AlforceVeedramon Zero did all that he could until he saw Cherubimon up behind Beelzemon. He quickly stopped the attacks. Before Beelzemon could charge him, Cherubimon grabbed him from behind.

"….the heck?" he shouted.

"You won't hurt anyone anymore, Beelzemon," Cherubimon said. She started to glow a bright pink along with Beelzemon. "Holy Hug!"

Beelzemon tried to break free but Cherubimon held on tight. The light kept getting brighter and Beelzemon started to writhe and scream.

"Hey look! It looks like he's in pain," Masahiko said.

"Angel attacks do that to a virus type," said Mako.

Beelzemon kept screaming and trying to break free from Cherubimon's grasp.

"Come on Cherubimon! You can do it!" Ai cheered.

Cherubimon kept holding on tight to the squirming demon lord. Finally Beelzemon had enough.

"That's it!"

He reared back and used all his strength to throw Cherubimon off of him. The attack was broken and Cherubimon was still trying to recover when…

"Darkness Claw!"

Cherubimon screamed and landed on the ground. A bright light surrounded her and then she de-digivolved back into Suzie and Lopmon. Beelzemon landed, gasping for air.

"Oh no!" Nash said.

"Suzie! Lopmon!" Henry cried.

"This isn't over Beelzemon!" AlforceVeedramon Zero said.

He charged him at full speed, but that was a mistake.

"You think you can take me? I don't think so!" he yelled.

Beelzemon jumped at the oncoming digimon and attacked. "Darkness Claw!"

AlforceVeedramon Zero screamed and glowed brightly. Nash and Veemon separated and landed on the ground defeated. Beelzemon chuckled and the tamers all started to worry.

"Now what?" Takato asked.

"I…I'm not sure," Rika said.

"Well, we have to do something or we'll be fragments of data once he gets over here," Terriermon said.

Impmon growled. "Daemon…stop this."

"Why? It's very entertaining," said Daemon. "I think it's time for your friends to meet their end."

"Why? Why are you involving them?" he screamed. "It's me you want! It's always been me and the only reason they're in this mess is because of me! Just do it! Just destroy me and leave them alone! I'll make sure they don't get in your way! Just…just don't…don't hurt them."

Impmon was almost in tears now and started to breathe heavily from the energy he had used. He couldn't take anymore of this and he just wanted Daemon to stop the fighting. Daemon looked at Impmon, whose head was bowed down, and stepped towards him.

"Look at you, caring for humans and data and vaccine type digimon. You've gotten too soft for them. You shouldn't be called a pure virus type."

"I don't care," Impmon said softly looking up at Daemon. "I care for them, all of them. My tamers, my friends, they all were there for me when I wasn't. Now…I'm going to look out for them, even if I have to pay for it."

"Fine then."

Daemon blasted away the chains holding him and, before he could react, Daemon grabbed him by the throat and brought him to his face.

"You want to die for them?" He clenched his hands around Impmon's throat tighter. "Then you will."

Impmon tried to break free and gasped for air. His eyes were clenched shut, but when Daemon completely cut of the air supply, Impmon opened his eyes, pupils dilated, and closed them again. He struggled for a moment longer and then went completely limp. Daemon held him for a few moments longer and then threw him to the ground.

"You're such a waste," he said to Impmon's body. "I should've never saved you from those Goblimon, thinking that you would be a loyal servant. Your friends will die, you just were saved from watching them suffer."

Daemon left the room, leaving Impmon's body alone in the semi-dark room with the screens the only light source, besides the fiery torches, as fragments of data started to fall off of him.

Beelzemon looked at them and smiled evilly. Now he had the perfect opportunity to destroy all of them. He walked towards them gradually.

"Four down…" he said.

Everyone was getting nervous when Beelzemon walked towards them. Mako suddenly heard his D-Arc beep. Everyone looked at him and he stared at it, getting pale-faced.

"Mako? What's wrong?" Ai asked her twin.

"Impmon…"

"What about Impmon?"

"He's…he's been destroyed."

Everyone was silent and shocked. They looked at them and Mako kept staring at his D-Arc, the screen only showing static.

"That can't be true!" Ai shouted, tears brimming her eyes.

"Oh…but it is."

They all turned around to see Daemon in his super mega form, grinning down at them. Mako looked at him with anger in his eyes, already knowing what happened.

"I did the deed myself and it was fun watching him struggle. He wanted to protect all of you from me, but since he's dead, I guess he has no say in the matter."

Everyone stared at him, some showing fear and sadness, and others showing anger and revenge. Daemon looked at them and then turned his gaze to Beelzemon.

"Destroy them."

"As you wish, my lord," he said.

Daemon turned and left the hallway for Beelzemon to finish off the tamers.

Beelzemon charged at them, his sights already set on victory. Guilmon and Terriermon got up and were ready to attack.

"Wait! You can't fight him!" Takato told his partner.

Guilmon looked at his tamer, his usually playful yellow eyes that held anger. "Takato…he killed Impmon. Impmon tried to protect us and now we have to at least try to stop him."

"Terriermon!" Henry said.

"Guilmon's right. I never truly liked Impmon…not for a second. But what he tried to do for us…I think should be honored and the only way to do that is to give it our all."

Both Henry and Takato knew that they couldn't stop their partners from wanting to fight Beelzemon. They stood up and went behind their partners.

"I guess this time I'm not the one wanting to fight. But you're right Guilmon, we have to do it for Impmon," Takato said.

"I know I can't stop you Terriermon and I know that you're also right. So if you're going to battle, then I'll be right behind you," said Henry.

Rika looked at her two friends and their partners and then at Renamon. She saw the sadness in Renamon's eyes, but wondered if they should fight with Henry and Takato too.

"Renamon?"

Renamon looked at her and then at their friends. She lost Impmon, the only person she truly loved, and now her friends were going to fight for him. She knew he wouldn't want them to fight after he gave his life to try and protect them, but Impmon wouldn't want them to sit around and let Beelzemon destroy them either. She got up and looked at Beelzemon.

"Rika…" she said quietly.

Rika looked at her partner and listened to what she had to say.

"I loved Impmon…and now he's gone because of Daemon and anyone else who tried to destroy us. I won't let his death be in vain, but I don't want his sacrifice to be ignored either. My love for him will never be stopped. Rika…will you help me?"

She was shocked that Impmon and Renamon were together, but she didn't want to fight without Takato and let him be destroyed. After all, she loves him and couldn't imagine what Renamon was going through. She placed a hand on Renamon's shoulder.

"I'm happy that you found love, but I'm sad that you lost him. Impmon was everyone's friend and he was there for us in the end. I'll help you Renamon, but not just because you're my partner and he was your boyfriend, but because he was my friend as well."

"Thank you, Rika."

They stepped beside Henry, Terriermon, Takato, and Guilmon. Everyone watched Beelzemon coming toward them and the oncoming danger they were facing.

"Here we are again, charging into battle with just a tiny bit of hope," Henry said.

"But this time we're not just doing it for the city and our families…we're doing it for a friend as well," Takato said.

"I think I've been with you guys too long. I normally wouldn't rush into battle without a plan," Rika said.

They all forced a smile and got ready for what was to come.

"At least we're all together in the end," Takato bitterly said. "For Impmon!"

"For Impmon!" the rest chorused.

Just then, a bright light surrounded all six of them, making Beelzemon stop in his tracks and everyone else squint their eyes from the bright light. No one knew what was going on and the tamers didn't either until they felt familiar warmth inside of them.

"I think we have a breakthrough!" Terriermon said.

The three humans nodded and then said, "Bio-merge activate!"

BIO-MERGE DIGIVOLUTION

"Guilmon bio-merge to…Gallantmon!"

"Terriermon bio-merge to…MegaGargomon!"

"Renamon bio-merge to…Sakuyamon!"

The lights vanished and three megas stood, ready to battle. Beelzemon stared at them, shocked.

"How did you do that? I froze your D-Arcs! You wouldn't be able to digivolve!" Beelzemon yelled.

"That's true, Beelzemon," said the combined voices of Gallantmon. "You froze our only source of digivolution. You thought you had beaten us. You attacked our friends and Daemon took the life of one of them. We won't sit around and let you destroy anyone else, Beelzemon. We digivolved because of the love in our hearts and the tiny strands of hope in us. You thought we needed the D-Arcs, and so did we, until we felt the energy of the love we all share for each other."

"We'll destroy you Beelzemon and your master," MegaGargomon said.

"We won't fail anyone, not even Impmon. Your fate has been set," Sakuyamon said.

"Three megas won't stop me," he said. "Double Impact!"

They moved out of the way when the bullets were fired from Beelzemon's guns. The demon lord charged after them, ready to destroy the three of them.

"Gargo Missiles!"

The two giant missiles went directly to him, but he dodged them and watched when they exploded into the ground. The others shut their eyes from the impact and then Mako realized how high the danger level was.

"Ai! We have to get Suzie and Nash!"

She looked at the ground. "Impmon…"

Mako shook her sister lightly. "Come on, Ai! Snap out of it!"

When she wouldn't budge, Mako gave up and looked at Masahiko.

"Masahiko! You and Lucemon get Nash and Veemon over here! I'll go get Suzie and Lopmon!"

"Ok!"

They went off in opposite directions, leaving Ai behind. Masahiko and Lucemon got to Nash and Veemon, who were just starting to come around.

"Come on! It's too dangerous here!" he said.

They both nodded wearily and Masahiko picked up Veemon while Lucemon carried Nash back over to where Ai was.

Mako got over to Suzie and Lopmon, gently shaking Suzie. She groaned and opened her eyes.

"Mako…?"

"Come on. We have to go," he said.

Since she was now smaller than him, Mako was able to pick her up and she picked up Lopmon. Once they got to safety, they watched the battle with the ground rumbling beneath them.

Beelzemon wasn't about to give up, despite the damage he had received. The three mega digimon knew they had to keep fighting and destroy him.

"Let's attack our strongest attacks!" Gallantmon said.

"Ok! Mega Barrage!" MegaGargomon said.

"Spirit Strike!" Sakuyamon said.

Beelzemon groaned from the attacks and was sent backward. Gallantmon saw that this was his chance to finish it.

"Shield of the Just!" he yelled.

The attack hit Beelzemon and threw him against the wall. He made no sound when his body crumpled down to the floor. Silence was everywhere.

"Did we…do it?" Gallantmon asked.

Before anyone could say anything else, Beelzemon groaned and stood up. A lot of damage was done to him, but he wasn't going to give up.

"I'm…not finished yet…" he said.

"It ends here, Beelzemon," Gallantmon told him.

"No…not yet." He stood up and a black orb surrounded him. "Primal Orb!"

The black orb expanded and everyone screamed in pain and surprise. Everyone, even the bystanders, were thrown back into the darkness.