I do not own Digimon.
ABC = Talking
ABC = Thoughts or Flashbacks
Chapter 28: Clashes of Darkness
"Oomph…ugh…dammit," a string of grunts and groans fell from the thunder warrior's mouth as he ascended up the canyon wall. His battle with Nishimura had certainly been grueling on him, but he to press on and didn't have room to complain…at least out loud.
"I wonder if the others are having as much fun as I am," J.P grumbled to himself. He reached up and grabbed the top ledge of the canyon. "Almost there," he pulled himself up enough so that he could throw his other arm up onto the ground above, then he was able to pull himself up and over the ledge even more. He was about halfway up onto the plain when he stopped to catch his breath.
"Phew," J.P huffed out as he leaned against the ledge. A sudden crack of thunder rang out then. J.P lifted his head up and the sky and his eyes narrowed.
"What is that?" he asked aloud. The dark clouds above swirled around now with unnatural shades of violet and blue. They also seemed to be moving about faster than any windstorm. The thunderous crack rang out again and J.P cocked his brow, "That's odd. I don't sense any storm," he thought. He had become pretty good at sensing oncoming storms after their first adventure in the digital world, obviously inherited from the spirit. Oddly enough though and despite what sounded like thunder, he couldn't sense a spark of lightning anywhere. A small patch of clouds parted above him, revealing the dark sky hiding behind them. The thunderous crack rang out again and this time, J.P's eyes widened in shock. At the same time, jagged cracks ran across the sky, looking like it was broken glass.
"The hell?!" J.P scrambled up onto the ground. His eyes remained glued to the sky. It happened again, the sound of a loud crack and those jagged lines ran across the sky. "Is that…the barrier?!" J.P thought, he felt his body shake and his heart thump against his chest. The barrier was being shattered before his eyes and there was nothing he could do about it.
"Damn bastard," he hissed. He then sharply turned towards the eastern horizon. Very faintly, in the far off distance, he could see the flashing light of battle. J.P sneered, "I'd better hurry," J.P thought as he took off running, "Before everything falls apart."
"Raargh!" Kouichi roared like a wild beast as he lunged at Duskmon. Duskmon brought his blades and deflected the dark warrior's onslaught of fast swipes and kicks. Kouichi's claws screeched against the steel with no chance of breaking through. Kouichi then flipped in the air to kick at the digimon's defense, but still did nothing could break through.
"That won't work boy!" Duskmon exclaimed. He slashed at the dark warrior. Kouichi leaped back and onto the ground a few feet away. He pulled out his silver pistols and pointed them at the digimon.
"EBONY BLAST!"
He fired multiple rounds at the digimon. Duskmon efficiently blocked most of them with his blades, however, a few manage to slip past his defense. One shot flew by his defense and grazed the side of his head. There was enough power behind the blow that it knocked the digimon off balance. Kouichi then pounced at his dazed prey. He punched him hard in the face and they were knocked to the ground, Kouichi on top and pinning the dark digimon down. He swiped his claws at Duskmon's head. The digimon craned his neck side to side to avoid the vicious attack. Kouichi swiped at him again, Duskmon brought his sword in front of him and stopped his onslaught.
"Rrgh!" Duskmon snarled and placed his feet against the teen's stomach. He rolled backward, taking the warrior with him, shoving the teen off of him and onto the ground away. Kouichi was quick to recover though and moved to pounce at him again. Duskmon had barely stood up when he saw the warrior coming at him. He rushed to bring up his sword and slashed at the warrior as Kouichi aimed his claws at the digimon. The two passed by each other in the blink of an eye. Kouichi landed on the ground. His claws dug into the dirt as he panted heavily.
"Ah!" Kouichi hissed and grabbed his arm. He looked down and saw a small trail of blood begin to drip down his armor. Duskmon chuckled behind him.
"Such a spry little kitten," Duskmon teased. Kouichi turned and snarled at him. Duskmon also turned to face him, "You're putting up a good fight though," Kouichi noticed two thin cuts under Duskmon's left eye with small droplets of blood running down his cheek. Duskmon wiped the blood away as he deathly glared at the teen. "I'm actually impressed."
"Stop mocking me," Kouichi hissed.
"But I'm not," Duskmon replied coldly, "You have a lot of power….if only you would use it to its fullest potential."
"Tch, you don't think I do?" Kouichi scoffed. Duskmon stared silently in response, "Well I think you're wrong!"
"Cleary," Duskmon commented, "Well if that's the case…then why am I still here?" he then asked.
"Because of a dumb mistake," Kouichi snapped back, "And I'm here to correct that!" Kouichi pulled out his pistols and rushed at the digimon. Duskmon thrust his blades in front of him as Kouichi aimed his guns. The swords collided against the pistols, pointing them away. One shot fired into the air past Duskmon's head and the other shot at the ground at their feet. The two once again found themselves locked in a stalemate.
"Dammit," Kouichi snarled.
Duskmon huffed, "So you still think you can get rid of me?" he questioned him with mock in his eyes.
"I don't think,"
"Cleary," Duskmon cut in.
"Shut it!" Kouichi pressed his weight harder against the digimon as his anger boiled, "I'm not going to let you remain and aid in the world's destruction!"
"Tch, enough of this!" Duskmon twisted his blades and knocked the pistols from Kouichi's grasp. The dark warrior shrunk back as his were cut by the blades. His pistols fell to the ground unnoticed as all of his attention was focused on his stinging hands. Suddenly, Duskmon kicked Kouichi's feet out from under him. Kouichi was thrown to the ground in an instant. Though his head pounded from the impact, he tried to get back up, only to be stopped by Duskmon's foot pressing down on his chest.
"There, stay down for a moment," Duskmon chided him. Kouichi struggled, but Duskmon pressed harder down on the teen. Duskmon chuckled, "Still so tenacious…even though it could all end right now," Duskmon stabbed his sword through Kouichi's bicep. Kouichi's struggling ceased. Surprise slowly formed on his face, followed by fear, then pain.
"Aaaahhhhh!" Kouichi opened his mouth and screamed. Blood quickly started to drip out from the wound. His hand twitch as every pain receptor in his arm was set ablaze. Above him, Duskmon watched the display in silent amusement.
"Do I have your attention now?" Duskmon asked him with a surprisingly snarky tone. Kouichi growled and stared back in silence. "Good," Duskmon chortled, "You know, you didn't answer my question before. Why am I still here, Kouichi?" Duskmon asked him again.
"I already told you," Kouichi replied raspily, "You're a mistake that I need to correct." Duskmon cocked his brow.
"…So you say," Duskmon twisted his blade slowly in Kouichi's arm. The teen contorted his lips in a silent scream at the agonizing pain. The sound of tearing flesh and muscle entered his ears. His body writhed, his legs spasmed and kicked at the ground, his fingernails dug into the dirt, and all the while Duskmon stared down at him with an unsettling calm. The digimon continued to twist his blade. Kouichi craned his neck as a small stream of blood spurted from the wound. The droplets splashed on his neck and he swallowed the thick wad of spit that had formed in his throat.
"You've said quite a lot actually," Duskmon spoke as meticulously as his blade moved, "Stating on how you would out an end to all things wicked and dark in your eyes. That's a bit hypocritical, considering the nature of the power you possess. So are you going to purge the world of that "unwelcomed" darkness for the sake of the worlds or for your own self-compensation?" Duskmon's condescending tone tore at Kouichi's heart. He didn't want to answer him, or maybe he couldn't answer him. Maybe he could blame that on the fact of Duskmon's sword still wedged painfully in his muscle or perhaps there was something buried deep inside him that couldn't bring himself to say anything at all. Either way, he chose to remain silent, staring up at his tormentor as hisses escaped between his clenched teeth. His body felt stiff under Duskmon's boot. His muscles were clenched and his chest rose and fell with a shaky breath as the digimon's weight pressed down into him. Duskmon cocked his head to the side at the display. He then let out and huff.
"You don't have answer…I already know," Duskmon snorted. He gave his blade one final twist before yanking it roughly from the teen's arm. Kouichi gasped and panted at the sudden relief. He glanced over at his arm and saw the dark stain against his armor. He gulped dryly and turned back to Duskmon. He held the crimson blade up before him. His blood had mixed perfectly against it that he couldn't tell it apart from the red steel.
"I see the guilt in your eyes," Duskmon stated then.
"Guilt?" Kouichi nervously sputtered.
Don't play innocent," Duskmon spat, "You may act like you've moved on, but I can see that you are still tortured by the past. The time when you first stepped foot into this world as a corrupted little puppet of darkness."
"No!" Kouichi cried.
"No?" Duskmon refuted, "Those memories don't torture you or keep you up at night? Are you saying that you've completely forgotten about how you hunted down your friends or how you tried to kill your own brother?" Duskmon questioned. Kouichi shrunk back. His eyes shifted down to the ground. Duskmon chuckled, "I guess not."
Kouichi growled and his eyes shot back up, "It wasn't of my own free will back then! That wasn't me! It was y –," Duskmon suddenly pointed his blade directly at the teen's face, shutting him up instantly. The tip of the blade was close to the center of his brow. A strong scent of iron wafted into his nose and Kouichi realized that this blade formally stuck in his arm, stained by his own blood. He gulped dryly and looked up at the digimon.
Duskmon laughed, "Are you sure it was only me, Kouichi?"
"I…I…"
"You were chosen to bear the powers of Darkness…all sides of it," Duskmon stated coldly. Light pants and shaky whimpers came from the teen. He tried to lean his head back away from the blade as best he could, but Duskmon kept it steady at his brow. As it got closer, the smell of iron got stronger and he could see a small bead of blood form on the edge of the steel and travel down to the tip, "It's such a unique element, far more complex than the others. It is both essential and feared. It can be mild or it can be savage. No matter the case, it has two sides to it unlike fire, or water…or even the power of light…and it all depend on who wields it, this being you. You are the deciding factor on how darkness is used in the present, in the future, and in the past." the bead of blood then dropped from the blades tips and onto Kouichi's brow. Kouichi shivered as he felt the now cold liquid trail down the bridge of his nose, tracing the side of his nostril, and then slithering over his cheek. He kept his eyes fixated on the digimon though, keeping his gaze stern and defiant.
Duskmon chuckled with amusement, "I wasn't lying before; that your unwavering determination amused me. I guess that was one thing you picked up after your first time here in the digital world," Duskmon retracted his blade away from the dark warrior's face. Kouichi didn't relax at this. Every muscle in his body was rigid like a stone and his eyes were glued to the digimon's every movement. "Maybe is you had that in the past, you wouldn't have succumbed to the spirit's much darker influence?" Duskmon then said and Kouichi's anger rose again.
"Are you saying I was too weak? That's why you took over me!?" Kouichi exclaimed.
"I didn't take over you, you awakened me," Duskmon replied. Kouichi eyes widened at his response, "You had so many negative emotions dwelling in your heart that it awakened that far darker and crueler side. You see, the elements of light and dark are based on the pure emotion in our hearts. The spirits of darkness acted accordingly to your inner desires."
"I…don't understand," Kouichi stuttered.
"You were so filled with hatred and despair. You were shocked by the revelation of a brother. You saddened about how happy he look with your father and his stepmother compared to own life. You despised your father for abandoning you and your mother!" Duskmon exclaimed.
"That's not…"
"You were so jealous. You hated them so much."
"No!"
"You wanted them to suffer as you did!"
"No, I would never do that to them!" Kouichi shouted. Duskmon thrust his blade down into the teen's right thigh. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" the strength of the attack pierced right down into Kouichi's muscle without any resistance. His eyes were clenched shut and a single tear spilled out from one of them. His back arched off the ground, but Duskmon instantly pushed him back down.
"Don't you try to deny it?" Duskmon barked back, "Why would I be here if that weren't true? I am the corrupted form of darkness, one that is amalgamated from the feelings of dread, fear, and pure hatred! You are the one who was chosen to awaken the spirit of darkness and everything that happened with it was based on you! So logically, I was created by you and your own dark aura." Duskmon pulled his blade out roughly, causing the teen to grunt out inaudible curses. He slowly opened his eyes. His vision had become waterlogged through unshed tears, but he couldn't be sure if it was from the piercing of the blade or the piercing of the words.
"My own dark aura?" Kouichi couldn't completely deny it. That time in his life was horrible. He was lost, weak, and vulnerable, "No wonder I fell into darkness," Kouichi cursed himself for being so weak in those earlier years. He was different now though. He had grown stronger, both his body and mind. He moved his arms and grabbed onto Duskmon's foot. He started trying to lift it off of his chest. Duskmon cocked his brow at the teen's attempt.
"You're still going to resist it?" Duskmon chuckled.
"No…" Kouichi grunted, "I've grown from the past. All the mistakes I made…I'm going to pay for them in full…and that starts with you!"
"…So are you going to destroy me?" Duskmon leaned his body forward, his boot now painfully dug into Kouichi chest. The dark warrior groaned as he felt his ribs ache under the pressure. He fell then silent when he felt the cold blade being pressed against his neck. "I'll let you know something else, boy. No matter how hard you try I cannot be destroyed, because I am an extension of you! You may be rid of me for a moment, but I will be reborn again!" he moved the blade closer to the teen's neck. Kouichi quivered at the prickling sensation of its edge sinking slightly into his skin. "Face it, boy, you and I are part of the same whole," Duskmon stated. Silent whimpers were falling from the teen's throat. His neck pulsed where his skin met the blade and he could feel the thin amount of blood start to trickle out. What Duskmon had said, it was true. He was the chosen warrior of darkness, and he has control over the element and its form. If that's the case then it's true, Duskmon is the embodiment of his fear, of his despair, of his…Kouichi's eyes widened suddenly. He had realized something else just then. He firmed his gaze and looked back up at the digimon.
"If that's true, then…you can't kill me either, can you?" Kouichi inquired. Duskmon didn't respond or move an inch, but Kouichi could tell he had struck a chord within him, "I'm right aren't I? You're an extension of the spirit of darkness and in turn me, then you need me. So you can't kill me," Kouichi stated with an almost smug grin. Duskmon narrowed his gaze, obviously upset. For a moment, Kouichi worried that he had stepped too far out a line, especially with a blade at the ready to slit his throat. The two remained in this silent standstill for a few aching moment.
Duskmon then huffed, "You're right. I can't kill you," Duskmon pulled his sword away from the teen's throat. Kouichi kept his guard up and anticipated what else the digimon was planning. His tone didn't exactly convey that he was going to let him go, that and he still hasn't removed his boot. Duskmon then turned sinister and he raised his blade, "But you know, you'd be surprised what you can live through," Kouichi's eyes widened his fright as he watched the blade come down at him.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Meanwhile, Kouji and Beelzemon were still locked in a heated standoff. Kouji was unarmed and tense observing the digimon across from him. His gaze would occasionally go past the digimon and towards his two lobo kendos that were laying on the ground, far out of his reach. Beelzemon seemed to be enjoying himself though. His lips were curled into twisted amusement and his gaze was baiting. His finger danced around the trigger and he cockily waved his barrel at the light warrior. Kouji could only sneer at his antics.
"Hey, you know you have the perfect chance to shoot me now right?" Kouji taunted.
"Aw, but where's the fun in that?" Beelzemon replied with a shrug, "I think I'm giving you a fair opportunity. Come on, come at me," the digimon said, waving his arms and gun around in a taunting manner. Kouji remained firm, cautiously watching his every move. Beelzemon belted out an amused laugh. "Haha! You're so serious about everything, light boy! You really are just like the Ancient Warrior. He didn't have a good sense of humor either."
"Or maybe you were just as annoying back then. Which I don't doubt," Kouji spat with a quivering smirk.
"Hmph," Beelzemon snorted, "You have a sharp tongue like him too. However, you're just wasting both of our time by stalling. Are you going to make a move or just stand there like a cornered rat?" Beelzemon barked. Kouji didn't move. He knew well enough that the digimon was egging him on, but he was in a dilemma. If he moved, he would be bombarded with gunfire. Yet, if he remained put, Beelzemon's patience would burn out and he'd be shot dead in an instant. Kouji gulped nervously.
"Dammit," Kouji really did feel like he was backed into a corner, "No, there has to be a way. Maybe if I had a distraction."
"Are you scared, light boy?" Kouji started at Beelzemon's sharp voice.
"Why would I be?!" Kouji exclaimed.
Beelzemon clicked his tongue, "Tch, are you afraid to die? No matter what choice you make, you're going to be faced with that outcome, even if you win. So why hesitate?"
"Maybe there are people waiting for me back home," Kouji replied.
"Ugghh!" Beelzemon threw his head back and groaned, "You humans are so corny! Always talking about family, or friendship, or some kind of self-sacrifice bullshit. I bet you're worrying about that kind of crap right now. Is it your brother battling that demon? Oooh, I know! It's that cute little girl who was with you back on earth. I'll admit, she's a keeper light boy," Beelzemon cackled in delight.
"Don't you ever shut up?" Kouji spat with a threatening scowl.
"Haha! Oh, I'm so right!" Beelzemon laughed, "That look on your face, oh it's so adorable. Though personally I'd like to puke!"
"Don't any digimon feel the same for the ones they love? Wouldn't they care? Wouldn't they do anything to protect them?" Kouji asked.
Beelzemon sniffed loudly, "The pathetic ones would. I've never seen a need for that kind of crap. Also, I still can't grasp as to why the Ancients chose a bunch of human runts as their vessels," Beelzemon spat, "They threw their lives away and called upon the help of children, ridiculous."
Kouji glared coldly at him for a second, "…I think you underestimate us humans," Kouji then stated.
"Heh, yeah?" Beelzemon laughed, "So far, you haven't impressed me."
"…Hmpf," Kouji huffed.
"What? Did that upset you? Too damn bad!" Beelzemon bellowed, "Look, I'm growing bored here. So you have one final chance to try and stop me. Else, I'm gonna blow your brains out and then move on to that little pyromaniac."
"Ha," Kouji's sudden abrupt laugh caught the digimon's attention.
"What?" Beelzemon cocked his head in question.
"…Even if you get past me, which you won't, there's no way in hell that you'd beat Takuya," Kouji chuckled.
"Hmmm, that so" Beelzemon hummed lowly with a single raised brow.
Kouji smiled then, "I've never known a guy as stubborn, brash…or strong-willed as him," he admitted, "I've seen him get beaten down over and over again, but he kept getting back up, even when he probably shouldn't have. Heh, he really is such a pain," Kouji chuckled softly.
"And your point is?" Beelzemon snapped, "Should I be afraid or something?"
Kouji closed his eyes and sighed. He opened them with a deathly glare, "You should, but not just of him," Kouji snarled, "I've become tired of creatures like you underestimating humans like me, simply because we don't have any super abilities or that we can break real easily with no powerful armor to protect us. Still, that doesn't hinder us. We don't like to just give up and die, we'd rather fight till our dying breath and that's what make us strong!"
"It makes you stupid," Beelzemon retorted, "You're just throwing your measly little lives away!"
"Maybe to you, but that's not how we see it!" Kouji defended, "I don't ever expect you to understand, but it's a trait we humans have. No matter what is thrown at us, we will never give up! That's our determination to live."
"And do you think that will save anything!?" Beelzemon barked, "That this idiotic determination will help you?"
"Who knows," Kouji sighed, "Still if there's even the slightest chance that we could win, then I'll take it. Some goggle-headed idiot taught me that," he laughed, but then grew serious again. He glared defiantly at the demon digimon. Beelzemon felt his eyes widen and spine shiver suddenly at the gaze. There was such unyielding defiance behind those eyes that it seemed to awaken some dormant fear lying dormant inside him.
"They're the same. Their eyes, they're exactly the same," Beelzemon shuddered at the sudden thought.
"Beelzemon," Kouji called out to him and the digimon started, "I don't really care about what happened in the past with the Ancient Spirits. I don't care about any grudges or anything like that. As far as I'm concerned their war is done and has been for some time. All I care about is right now, defeating Solomon and making it back home to the people I love!" Kouji's voice grew stronger and so did the intimidating look in his eyes. Beelzemon's cold heart started to beat anxiously, but he still hadn't lowered his gun. He had the mind to shoot him now and shut up this nonsense, but his finger remained frozen above the trigger and Kouji continued raving, "Maybe the Ancient Spirits chose us not because of our strength, but because of our will. The human will is strong, almost unbreakable, and that's what drives us to keep fighting."
"…Hmph," Beelzemon huffed, "And that's what will help you win?"
"You never know," Kouji smirked, "We humans are also full of surprises."
"What are y-," Suddenly a burst of bright orange light shone from behind the light warrior, coming from the stone fortress. With the light, a sense of immense power came wafting over his sense. It felt like the burning of a scorching sun was radiating towards him. "What the hell? Was is this power?" Beelzemon's wide-eyed gaze was drawn to the light. This power felt familiar like he had witnessed it long ago. In his daze, he neglected to pay attention to the light warrior. Kouji saw his chance and rushed forward, straight for his blades. It wasn't until Kouji had passed the digimon when Beelzemon snapped back to reality.
"Shit!" Beelzemon spun around and clumsily aimed his gun at the warrior. Shots fired, but Kouji had already reached his first blade. Kouji quickly swung it around and blocked a few bullet before kicking off the ground towards his remaining sword. He reached it in no time, picked it up, then turned and pointed his blades at the stunned digimon.
"Well, that was impressive," Beelzemon chuckled, though a bit nervously this time, "Taking advantage of my distraction like that."
"Pay better attention to your opponents then," Kouji scoffed. Beelzemon snarled with boiling anger and fired more shots at the warrior. Kouji swiftly leaped back and forth, side to side, avoiding the shots with a new found vigor. When he got close enough he swung a blade at the digimon. Beelzemon jolted back in sudden fright. He felt the sword slice through the air mere inches from the skin of his neck, sending his hair bristling on edge. At the same time, Beelzemon locked his gaze with the light warrior. He barely resembled the hesitant and beaten punk from just a moment before. How could someone gain their second wind so fast?!
"Tsk, so what!" Beelzemon sneered, "I'm still not letting you win so easily!" Beelzemon shoved his gun between their bodies. The barrel was aimed right under the light warrior's chin. Kouji sucked in a sharp breath and tilted his head away from the barrel as heat and gunpowder exploded out from the barrel. His ears rung from the loud bang and his skin above his left eyebrow stung as the blazing bullet brushed over the flesh. A light cry left his throat and he leaped away from the digimon. Beelzemon wasn't done yet, he aimed his second gun at him and fired. Kouji barely had time to react. He saw the blast and jumped away again, but the attack still managed to graze his shoulder.
"Argh!" Kouji stumbled a bit but managed to stay on his feet. He quickly recovered and glared back at the digimon, holding his blades up at him.
"That was a cheap shot!" Kouji exclaimed, "I thought you wanted to play fair?"
"Yeah…I changed my mind!" Beelzemon rushed at him, trading in his guns for his sharpened claws, "I'm just going to rip you to pieces!" he swiped down at the warrior. Kouji jumped away. Beelzemon swung a kick at him then. Kouji ducked.
"Not gonna happen!" Kouji rammed the pommel of one blade into Beelzemon's stomach. The digimon sputtered and coughed violently. Then, with an enraged snarled, Beelzemon punched Kouji's head, throwing the teen away from him. Kouji landed on the ground, but hurriedly rose to his feet. His legs wobbled and his head spun for a moment. His swiped his hand across his forehead and felt a small trace a blood there. A cut had formed just above his left eyebrow and was seeping a small amount of the liquid. He didn't focus on that for long. A violent cough came from the demon digimon. Kouji spun around and saw him clutching his stomach and a thin trail of blood was crawling down from his snarling lips. Beelzemon's murderous gaze slowly turned towards the light warrior.
"Damn you," he half-growled, half-wheezed out. He took a shaky step towards the teen, "Do you think I'm going to let myself lose to some human half breed?!"
"I doubt you can last much longer. You're looking weaker with each attack I throw at you," Kouji berated, "I guess this was all just a waste for you. You'll go back to the pits of darkness where you came from."
"Little punk," Beelzemon spat, "You think that you humans are on par with a demon lord?! That you are equal to the Ancients?! Don't make me laugh!" Beelzemon pulled out both of his guns and pointed them both at the teen, "How 'bout to back up that up, you show me some pr-," Beelzemon stopped suddenly and his eyes widened for a second as though a ghost had passed through him. His eyes then shifted nervously and his head turned to the side to glance at the fortress. His arms slowly dropped to his side and his bottom twitched and curled into an uneasy sneer. It was silent. The digimon clicked his tongue. A moment passed. Beelzemon then let out a single huff.
"Well shit," Beelzemon snorted and he threw his weapons to the ground. Kouji blinked in surprise.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Kouji exclaimed. The digimon turned back to him. An unnerving pause hung between them for a moment. Then, Beelzemon's lips started twitching into a sadistic smirk.
"As fun as it would be to simply blow your brains out. I'd think I'd rather savor the feeling of my claws digging into your flesh," Beelzemon charged forward. He slashed his claws at him, but Kouji easily dodged the attack.
"Is that your best?" Kouji taunted. He swung his sword up and in one quick swipe, he sliced off Beelzemon's left hand, from his forearm up. The limb quickly disintegrated into thousands of data fractals and disappeared in the air above them. "That was pretty pathetic," Kouji spat.
"Wrong," Beelzemon quipped, "That was a sacrifice," Kouji eyed him curiously when suddenly Beelzemon kneed him harshly in his abdomen. Kouji grunted then snarled and swung his other blade down at the demon. The sword wedged itself deep into digimon's shoulder, but it didn't seem to faze him much. Beelzemon brought his hand down on the teen's arm. His claws slashed at the flesh of his right arm. Kouji recoiled suddenly with a pain filled wail, letting go of the blade handles. Beelzemon grabbed ahold of the teen's head and roughly shoved away, back down onto the dirt. Kouji was slammed to the ground. The grip on his remaining blade weakened only slightly upon impact. He could still brush his fingers against the handle but couldn't find the strength to grab it firmly. A large shadow then covered him. He looked up and was met with Beelzemon's murderous gaze. His sword was still stuck in his shoulder, his dark red blood was starting to ooze and stain the steel. Beelzemon paid no mind to this and instead moved to pressed his foot into the teen's chest. His other foot unconsciously knocked against Kouji blade, moving it just outside his fingertips. Kouji groaned and Beelzemon sneered.
"You're starting to disappoint me again," Beelzemon stated.
"Really?" Kouji grunted, "From my position, you don't look too good." Beelzemon cocked his brow and looked down at his handless arm.
"It's not so bad and neither is this," Beelzemon grabbed the embedded blade and yanked it out of his shoulder in one strong pull. He hissed loudly as the sword slid out of his shoulder. The blood spattered out across the dirt and a few drops landed on the light warrior, causing him to flinch slightly. Beelzemon tossed the sword behind him and grabbed his shoulder with a weak smirk. "A little lower and that would have been it," Beelzemon chuckled lowly.
"I still don't get why you're so eager to die," Kouji said.
"I told you before, I'm not eager to bite it," Beelzemon replied. He let out another chuckle, "But if I do wind up dead again, I wanna go out knowing that I went out fighting against someone giving their all, pushing me to my limits." Beelzemon wobbled a bit and clutched his wounded shoulder harder, hissing and panting all the way. Kouji tried to take the advantage and grasped at Beelzemon's leg. Beelzemon snorted down at him, "Heh, you sure are a hyper one. That's good. You'll need to be if you want to survive against that man."
"Like you would care," Kouji barked, "You've been trying to kill me since we met."
"True…and that hasn't changed," Beelzemon then reached down and grabbed the light warrior's throat. Koji immediately choked and gasped as he felt the pressure on his windpipe. His hands moved from the digimon's leg to his wrist and tugged desperately, but Beelzemon's grip was unbreakable. He heard the digimon's maniacal chuckle above him. "Well, this brings back some memories. The time I spent spreading chaos during the war. I remember the same look on a strong digimon warrior's face as the struggled to free themselves from the claws of death. Heh, their desperate struggles excited me to no end."
"Sicko," Kouji coughed.
"Call me whatever ya want," Beelzemon sneered and leaned down closer to the teen. Kouji wheezed as the weight from the demon pressed down on his chest and lungs. One hand fell from the digimon's wrist and starting desperately clawing at the ground. "That's it keep struggling! Go on and show that human perseverance you were bragging about before!" Beelzemon tightened his grip. Kouji's face was starting to become red and sweat was beading down his forehead. He was beginning to feel himself fade. His vision was becoming distorted. Beelzemon's face was being framed by blurring colors. His fingers continued their weak assault on the ground.
"If you're going to give up now, how could you ever hope to stand up to that man?" Beelzemon taunted, though his voice was being muffled by the pounding of his frantic heart. He was close to passing out when he suddenly felt his fingers brush against something. It was his sword's handle!
"Believe me, I've been hesitant in killing you, but he won't waste a second!" Beelzemon continued on. He hadn't noticed the teen now reaching and clawing for his blade. His fingers kept hitting at the handle. His heart jolted as he felt it twist and rock back and forth on the ground. It was just barely within his reach. "Are you afraid? Afraid that you've run out of time? Newsflash! You already are! The barrier will shatter and your world will be plunged into darkness!" Kouji wheezed and groaned in frustration. His fingers frantically flicked across the blade's handle until finally he felt it being knocked an inch closer to his hand. He stretched every muscle he could, bringing it closer into his grasp.
"It's sad," Beelzemon hissed, "The Ancient's sacrificed themselves to save the world, you children risked everything to save both worlds, and now it's going to be all in vain all because you couldn't stop a single man. Heh, oh well, third time's a bitch. Am I right?"
"W…wrong," Kouji finally grasp his blade and with his last ounce of strength thrust it up and the blade pierced right through Beelzemon's chest. A startled gasp came from the digimon and he released Kouji's throat and latched onto the warrior's arm. A huge breath of air filled Kouji's lungs. He panted slowly to ease the burn of his throat and chest. His face started to cool down and his vision returned, though his eyes were water from the stress and pain. He looked up at the digimon who was frozen in place, shaking and staring down in shock at his impaled chest. Kouji reached up with his free hand and started pushing the digimon off of him. Beelzemon slowly fell from the warrior and onto the ground beside the warrior as Kouji's sword slid out of his chest. Kouji was finally free, the weight was gone. He rolled onto his side. Coughs erupted from him hurting his aching chest with every fit. He could feel his strength starting to return and very cautiously starting lifting himself up, but stop when he heard Beelzemon speak.
"D-Dammit," Kouji sharply turned his head at the stuttered curse, afraid that the bastard got gotten back up. Beelzemon was just lying there though, his hand gripped his chest and his gaze set on the sky. After some time, he let out a disgruntled sigh and his hand flopped down on the ground. Then, more surprisingly, he let out a small low chuckle, "Heh, looks like I lose again….ah shit…heheheh," a string a low, pathetic chuckles fell from the digimon's mouth. Uneasy by this, Kouji silently rose to his feet and trotted closer to the digimon. Beelzemon's gaze crawled over towards the approaching warrior and a thin smile appeared on his face.
"Well good job, light boy," Beelzemon huffed, "You wanna gloat now? Go on, savor the victory. You've earned that much," he snickered. Kouji kept quiet and glanced over the fallen digimon and noticed something strange.
"No data stream?" Kouji muttered. It was true there was no circling data stream around the fallen digimon. Instead, Kouji saw tiny fragments of Beelzemon's body break off and float into the air then disappear.
"Pfft," Beelzemon spat, "Of course not you dumbass. I told you before, I'm a puppet that was pieced together by the leftover fragments scrounged up by that man. My actual code was destroyed by the Ancient Warrior long ago. Heh, you really need to pay better attention. What if there was a quiz later," he chortled.
"You're still going to heckle me after you've lost!" Kouji barked at him.
"Oh lighten up," Beelzemon joked. Kouji sneered down at him unamused. Beelzemon clicked his tongue, "Tch, still a stiff. I'm serious though, dance around and enjoy this little victory before you get thrown back into the war zone. You don't have much time left after all."
"Is that so?" Kouji spat.
Beelzemon snorted, "See for yourself," Beelzemon tilted his head up to the sky. Kouji did so as well and froze. Numerous fluorescent cracks lined the sky and they were growing more and more by the second.
"That's…" Kouji hesitated.
"Yep, the barrier is close to being shattered. Soon the worlds will collide," Beelzemon spoke up, only his voice sounded weaker and like he was running out of breath. "And when that happens, that man will unleash all of his rage on your home."
"We'll stop him," Kouji stated. He looked down at the digimon. Beelzemon's body was already halfway gone. His legs and pelvis had broken off and disintegrated into data particles. Despite that, Beelzemon was still grinning like a madman.
"Still so confident," he mocked.
"I was able to beat you!" Kouji snapped.
"Yeah, Yeah you did," Beelzemon sighed, "And I'll admit it. I lost. As much as it pains me to say, I lost…again," he chuckled halfheartedly, "You know, you kids actual surprised me…and I hate surprises."
"Yeah?" Kouji muttered. Beelzemon then turned his head towards the fortress.
"Your friend, the little pyromaniac, he must be pretty strong," Beelzemon said. Kouji shot him a confused look then turned towards the fortress too, "A moment ago…I felt a great surge of energy come from there. I didn't have to guess what it was. I'd had felt something similar before…in my distant memories." Kouji turned back to him. Beelzemon looked as if he was staring off into the distant past. His body was nearly gone now, only his lower neck and head remained and even they were nearly gone as well. What stood out the most though to Kouji was the smile on his smile. For the first time, there was no malice or insanity behind that grin. For the first time, he had a sincere smile, almost like he was finally at peace.
"Beelzemon," Kouji spoke surprisingly soft. The digimon blinked up at him and smiled broader.
"You know what, even though you beat me, all of that dark data used to reincarnate me will return back to where it came from. The dark ocean," Beelzemon laughed bitterly, "And that man will get a little stronger because of that. So I guess, you still lose in a sense. That's a shame." Kouji turned his head away and gazed at the ground. Beelzemon laughed at him.
"Don't look so down though," he then said and Kouji looked back to him curiously. Beelzemon was almost completely faded, only his head was there and would disappear in another moment. With a peaceful look, he breathed out his last word, "You kids might still have a chance. But I warn you if you want to win then don't hold back. Use what the Ancients left you…then you can destroy him. Heh, good luck…warrior…of light," those last words hung in the air as the final few particles faded up into the air. Beelzemon was gone. All that was left was the rumbling of storm clouds above and Kouji could only stand in silence and stare at the empty space on the ground. After a moment, he released a deep sigh.
"Even in his last breaths, I still couldn't fully understand him." He thought as he walked over to his dropped blade. He picked it up and looked at his reflection in the blade. The blank stare on his face couldn't really represent the bittersweet ache he felt on the inside.
'All of that dark data used to reincarnate me will return back to where it came from…you still lose in a sense'
"Bastard!" he grunted angrily and kicked at the ground, "Is doesn't matter what he says anymore." Kouji trotted up to and picked up his other blade. He turned to the fortress. He eyed it curiously while biting his lower lip. Beelzemon had mentioned a surge of energy coming from the inside. Was it really from Takuya? He knew Takuya could be powerful at times, but enough to make Beelzemon react like that?
"Something from his distant memories…from the war?" Kouji pondered over some of Beelzemon's final words. He wondered if he was referring to the Ancients then. He did fight with them before, in his first life, so he probably knew more about them than him and his friends. He knew more about who they were and the power they possessed.
'Use what the Ancients left you…'
"…What the Ancients left us," Kouji looked down at the symbol on his shoulder. He narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw with frustration, "Haven't we used everything we have? What more could there possibly be?" the questions ran through his mind. Damn demon, why were his words affecting him so. He shook his head, thinking on it more would just be a waste of time and give him a migraine. On cue, a thunderous crack sounded above him. He looked up at the shattering sky, sweating at how they were growing.
"Forget what he said," Kouji told himself, "All that should matter now is stopping Solomon before it gets worse." Kouji started running towards the fortress. After a few steps though, a sudden shock ran through his chest and stopped him instantly. He gasped and clutched at his chest in surprise and horror. It stopped as soon as it occurred and Kouji was left dumbfounded. He stared down at his chest. It didn't really hurt, but there was a strange ache similar to when he would sense something bad. Like an omen. On a hunch, he begrudgingly turned around. He stared out into the barren landscape before him, where he knew his brother was fighting alone.
"Kouichi," he muttered with a worry laced tone. The ache grew as he felt his heart clench. Something was wrong, he just knew it. His brother…what's happening with his broth against that…monster?
'It's always been my burden…so I need to stop him.'
"I can understand how he feels," Kouji knew. He had seen the pain on his brother's face over those horrible memories. Hell, he could understand he felt the need to face his literal demons alone, but…
'I'm telling you to stay out of it!'
Kouji bit his lip with utter frustration. His heart ached and his head hurt, all of it melding together just to make him confused and angered. He looked back at the fortress. Takuya could be fighting Solomon alone. He turned back to the distant plains. His brother could in trouble. With a desperate groan, he tossed his head back to gaze at the sky. The world is falling apart before his very eyes.
What was he supposed to do?
Phew, finally done with another semester. With class and these productions I've been working on, I've barely had the time to focus solely on my stories. But I survived so here's another chapter.
Please review.
Until the next chapter my lovely peeps
