My name is Kasumi Yagami, the first child of Taichi and Sora Yagami, I am also the great-granddaughter of Yuushi and Hidokoro, two of the First Chosen. My partner is YukiAgumon, who can evolve to Allomon. Because of who my parents and grandparents were, I always just assumed I would be powerful, it kind of went to my head. Despite that, I always had a hard time generating the energy that Yuki needed to evolve. I was the last to have my partner evolve to Adult; Asami, Shiro, Akira, Kenji and Yasu were all able to do it way before me. I never admitted it, but I was so jealous of them. Still, I was always certain that I was the best. That kind of changed when I met Gabe. Out of all of us, he was probably the strongest, and I just really hated him for it. I hated him for being so strong, why could I be that way? Where was all of my power? Gabe, Shiro and Asami even got the Weapons of the First that we were able to find, Gabe was given the Power of Water and the Gauntlets, Shiro was given the Power of Darkness and the Lance, and Asami got the Power of Wind and the Claymore. I got the power of wind too, but I didn't have a weapon. The others were all so strong, and having those weapons just proved it, it was like a status symbol that I wasn't allowed to have!
But when I was forced to take the Gift of Demons from Shinji, Allomon was able to evolve to Orochimon, an eight-headed snake that had seven of my bad personality traits merged with the seven deadly sins. Even though I was forced, I think subconsciously I wanted that power, I wanted to be able to evolve, I want to prove I was better then everyone else. I went nuts, hurt a lot of people, but Gabe was able to save me…I never even thanked him for that.
Asami was captured by the Demon Generals because her father was a grandson of Juro, the First Chosen of Chance. Us kids went after her since our parents, and the rest of DATS, were ordered by the government to stay behind. While in Neodigital, Shinji tricked me into killing Ami, and me and Orochimon evolved together into Lucemon Satan Mode. The Demon Master fought us and…killed me.
Me and Yuki ended up in the Digital Underworld. We were joined by Maria, Catherine, Iduia and Keeya, the Daughters of the First that had been killed fifteen years ago. Me and Yuki went into a strange cave, where I faced each of my demons, and I realized that they were part of me, and as long I kept them in check, they couldn't control me anymore. The Gift of Demons was finally gone. We fought past GranDracmon's forces and me and Yuki were able to use the gate to return to Neodigital.
While we were gone, Gabe and Shiro had evolved to Mega and defeated Tsuragi and Shinji, rescuing Asami. But that took too much energy and they were unconscious. So they couldn't help when Neo and Rei came to take Asami. Instead, Eliane and Yasu were able to evolve their partners together in Jogressing, becoming Machgaogamon. Asami's Leormon even evolved to Grappleomon, but not with the power of Wind that Asami had, it was with the power of Chance!
They were holding their own against Rei and Lotusmon, but then me and Aero V-dramon arrived and finished her off. Then we started fighting Neo and Arkadimon, but he's a lot stronger. I can't give up now!
--
Rebirth
Chapter 4
--
Arkadimon began a quick series of punches and kicks, which Aero V-dramon had no hope of blocking. She was only just able to fly to safety. She shot into the air, only to watch as Arkadimon flew after. He grabbed her tail and swung her crashing into the ground.
"Oh no!" the girls gasped, while the partners stood ready.
"We'd better help her!" Grappleomon exclaimed.
"Right behind ya!" Machgaogamon nodded.
"Stop!" Aero shouted, "You're too injured, stay and heal!"
"Yeah, well, look at yourself…"
The dragon chuckled, "I'm fine, really."
The demon smirked, "A state you won't be enjoying for much longer! Exile Spear!" His hands once again changed into long spears. Before Aero V-dramon could react, Arkadimon slashed across her chest with his left blade, then slashed with his right blade before twisting around, using his momentum with his slash to send the dragon crashing into a tree. She struggled to her feet, but Arkadimon was in front of her in the blink of an eye. He gave her a deadly uppercut, sending her sailing into the sky. Arkadimon flew into the air as well, catching up with her easily. He grabbed her tightly, then twisted her around so her head was pointing to the ground. He let gravity take hold and they both smashed into the ground, sending a shower of rocks into the air. He continued his assault, grabbing her tail and swinging her around and around, her head skidding across the ground before he released his grip. Aero V-dramon skidded along the ground before coming to a stop next to Kasumi.
"Aero!" she screamed, "Aero!"
It was no use, the dragon was staring blankly into the air, her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth, and her eyes nothing but a swirling vortex.
"She's out cold!" Grappleomon shouted.
Arkadimon struggled to hold his laughter in check. "Don't you get it? Heh…I will complete my mission for my master! I will bring Asami Yamaki back to him, and there is nothing you can do to stop me!"
His laughter was heard throughout the entire forest.
Aero V-dramon put her hands on the side of her head, "Shut up! It's driving me crazy!"
Kasumi crossed her arms, "All bad guys laugh like that, must be part of being evil or something…"
Arkadimon pointed at the teenaged girl, "You think you're so superior to me, huh? Last time I heard, your head was so inflated you were lucky you didn't sail through the atmosphere!"
Kasumi frowned, staring at the ground "I know that I haven't exactly been the nicest person, and I've got a lot to answer for…." She stared at Arkadimon, "But starting today, I'm gonna make it up to everyone!" She glanced over her shoulder to the three girls and their partners, "Starting with them!"
"That goes double for me!" Aero V-dramon declared, rising back to her feet. She clenched her fists and glared at her opponent.
Arkadimon snorted, "Fine, I already showed you how weak you are, but if you need more proof, then fine!"
He shot forward and slammed his knee deeply into Aero V-dramon's stomach. The dragon lurched forward, and Arkadimon followed with a powerful uppercut to her chin. The Demon executed a roundhouse, and when his foot connected with the dragon's head, it sent her crashing through a row of trees.
"Aero!" Kasumi shouted.
Arkadimon laughed. "Do you underst-" He was abruptly cut off when Aero V-dramon shot out of the forest and punched the Demon's face as hard as she could. Arkadimon stumbled backwards.
The dragon's fist began to glow with a bright red flame. "Take this, Magnum Crash!" Her fist connected with Arkadimon's jaw, and he twisted along the ground before regaining his footing. He glared at Aero V-dramon, panting.
"I'm out of breath, not bad…but not good enough!" He shot forward, slamming both of his feet into the dragon's chest, then grabbed her neck with his feet while placing both of his palms on the ground. He easily swung Aero V-dramon through the air and slammed her head into the ground.
"Aero!" Kasumi screamed.
"This is bad!" Yasu exclaimed, "She needs help! Get ready Machgaogamon…"
Her partner nodded, closing his fists, "I'm ready."
Masanori sat on his throne, tapping his finger against the armrest. "They're late!"
Araki, his Demon Priestess, stood beside him, "Yes, I know."
"How difficult was it to capture that girl?"
"Two of her protectors were able to defeat Shinji and Tsuragi…"
"Shinji was an opportunist and Tsuragi was a weakling-Neo and Rei are unstoppable! It should be a simple task for them to bring Asami Yamaki back here!"
A new voice sounded through the empty Demon's Base, a female voice, familiar, yet not familiar, "Rei is dead, and Neo is currently fighting against three Full Evolves."
Araki instantly went on the defensive, while Masanori curiously stared at the doorway. A figure draped in a yellow cloak slowly entered. "You wear the cloak of a Demon Lord," the Demon Master said with awe, "Who are you? Answer me now!"
The figure removed her hood, and the Demon Priestess gasped. "Kasumi Yagami?"
"No," Masanori said with a smile, "She is a Demon Lord, merely a physical manifestation of the negative qualities of Kasumi Yagami-she is Kasumi Yagami's dark side."
Araki crossed her arms, "If that were true, she would be morbidly obese…or a towering giant…"
The girl smirked, "Oh, a joke, yes…well…I am Sukami, the Demon Princess. I have been sent by my father, Cahiti, the King of Demons to aid you."
"Aid us?" Araki gasped, "We do not need aid!"
She gave a slight smile, "Your Demon Generals have been decimated. Your father's experiment to create a hybrid of Fate and Chance was a failure." She pointed at Masanori, "You have only Chance, while your brother has only Fate. Despite the creation of an army, you still failed to break the seal, the only way is to use the power in Asami Yamaki, yet you failed to keep her too. I think you need all the help you can…"
Araki growled, clenching her fists. "Does Father know of this?"
Sukami chuckled, "Do not worry, I'm here to aid you, not to control you, Lord Sentry is still the commander of the operation, which means I answer to him….and you," she added with a quick smile.
She mentioned with her hand, "But, our Emperor GranDracmon, is growing impatient, we must move forward at once. You, yourself, must now step onto the field…"
Araki growled, "You upstart! How dare you…"
"That's enough," Masanori sighed. He rose to his feet, "I think it's time I took matters into my own hands."
The Priestess bowed, "As you wish."
Sukami began to walk towards the door, "Come, I'll show you the way to their battle."
As they followed her, Masanori whispered to Araki, "The boss's daughter, this is all we need…
"Father won't be pleased…"
"Father is not stupid, he won't argue in the least…" He sighed, "Besides, we are the ones that have failed, not Father…" He smirked, "Still, it will be good to shed this 'Demon' personae and become Hunters once more."
"Yes," Araki nodded, "I agree."
Kenji's small group was still traversing through the dark forest. "Are we still going the right way?" Kenji asked.
Akira nodded. "Yeah, we're getting closer."
"How can you tell?" Lizzie asked.
"The feeling's getting more intense," he explained, "Light and Darkness are right this way…along with that other strange power…"
"The one you said was similar to mine?" Masa asked.
He nodded. "Yes."
"How far?" Kenji asked.
"I'm not really sure…I don't think it will take us a lot longer, but…." He shook his head, "I don't know…"
Kenji just nodded and stared forward, "Guys, just hang on as long as you can. We're coming…" He glanced at Masa, "And we're bringing a ringer…"
Aero V-dramon swung at Arkadimon's head, but he darted to the side and she swiped at empty air. She twisted around and slammed her tail into Arkadimon's side, but he grabbed hold of the appendage and began to swing her around over his head before smashing her into the ground. The dragon tried to rise, but the demon planted his foot firmly onto her back, trapping her on the ground.
"Now, you understand, yes? You cannot defeat me." He growled, "And now, prepare to return to the afterlife!"
"Howling Blaster!"
Machgaogamon's attack struck Arkadimon, throwing him off of Aero V-dramon. He stumbled for a moment, but before he could regain his footing, Grappleomon began to assail him with punches from his muscular fists.
"Yeah!" Yasu and Eliane cheered, jumping into the air.
"Save her!" Asami shouted.
"Aero!" Kasumi screamed, "Get up and help them!"
Grappleomon's fist connected with Arkadimon's jaw. He jabbed his elbow into the lion man's stomach, then used the back of his fist to whack his nose. Before he could finish his move, Machgaogamon's kick threw him back.
Arkadimon clenches his fists as he stared at Grappleomon and Machgaogamon, "So, you two losers are back, huh? Well, I am going to kill you all!"
"You can't beat us!" Yasu said, sticking out her tongue, "'cause we're never gonna give up!"
"Howling Cannon!"
"Lion Beast Killing Wave!"
Both attacks struck Arkadimon on either side. He stumbled for a moment. Grappleomon leapt into the air, intending to tackle the Demon to the ground, but Arkadimon recovered and sent the lion man sailing back into the air with an uppercut to his chin.
"Grappleomon!" Asami shouted.
Arkadimon flew after him. He grabbed the beast man by the ankle and sent him dropping into the ground in an explosion of dirt and rocks. When the dust settled, they could see Leormon lying motionless in a crater.
Asami screamed out her partner's name. Yasu and Eliane were both quivering with anger. "Make him pay!" the French girl screamed.
Machgaogamon rushed at Arkadimon, but the Demon seemed to have found his second wind. He easily dispatched the wolf's charge with a quick roundhouse, sending him into the ground.
Arkadimon smirked and glanced at Aero V-dramon, "Well, ready for round two?"
"V-Breath Arrow!"
Arkadimon was able to grab the energy blast and fling it around, crashing into Aero V-dramon. Before she could plan a counter-attack, the Demon planted his foot firmly into the dragon's face. As the dragon fell backwards, Arkadimon kicked Aero V-dramon in the back, keeping her aloft for another moment before both of his fists into her chest sent her smashing through the ground.
"Aero!" Kasumi screamed.
She was given her response with an explosion of light, transforming the Fully Evolved dragon back into her white dinosaur Child form. "Yuki!" the teenage girl screamed.
"Kasumi!" Asami shouted, but it was too late. Black tendrils leapt from Arkadimon's arms and wrapped tightly around Yuki Agumon and Kasumi, hoisting them into the air. They both struggled to free themselves, from the demon's grasp was absolute.
Arkadimon chuckled as he stared at Kasumi, "So, where is your bravo now, huh? Where is your holier-then-though ego?" He narrowed his eyes, which began to glow red with rage, "You said I was nothing more then a pawn!" He tightened his grip, "No words now?"
Kasumi struggled to breath, "You're….going to…be…sorry…"
"And you'll be dead!"
Down below, the girls and their partners were in horror. "We've got to do something!" Yasu screamed.
"But when can we do?" Eliane asked, eying their partners, "Machgaogamon can barely stand, and Leormon iz once again a Child!"
"Kasumi….Kasumi!" Asami screamed, staring at her cousin, being crushed to death in Arkadimon's tendrils, "She can't get free, if only she was stronger…."
1
Outside, Raiamon had jumped up to Lucemon Satan Mode's neck, positioning his claw over what he assumed to be a major nerve. "Critical Strike!" His claw pricked through the thick scales, sending a shot of pain through the dragon's neck. He whipped from side to side, throwing Mystimon into the ground. Raiamon was flung into the air, but landed gracefully back on his feet.
The lion glanced around, all of the other DATS digimon were scattered. "Asami!" he shouted, "I'm the only one left, you've got to use the Claymore!"
The girl nodded nervously. She held out her hand and summoned the Claymore of Wind. As with each time she called for it, she could not hold the weapon, and it fell from her hands. She lifted it again, but the tip of the sword was still lying against the ground. She began to walk towards Lucemon Satan Mode, dragging the weighty sword behind her. She ignored Gabe's cries and continued forward. She was not aware of it, but the closer she moved to Lucemon Satan Mode, the lighter the sword became, easier to handle. She was able to actually lift the weapon! She swung it around, and it began to glow…right when it was pointing at the giant dragon!
"It's reacting to her," she thought, "Probably because I have to fight it, even my weapon wants me to fight her. My partner, the others…she's going to kill all of us, I have to stop her, but…she's my cousin…"
The brown-haired girl gasped loudly, "T…that's it! I thought the sword was reacting because it was trying to tell me to fight, but it wasn't reacting to me at all, it was reacting to her! She has Aleksey's power of Wind too, Aero V-dramon…a flying dragon!" She stared up at Kasumi, "This sword is her's!" She lifted the Claymore of Wind from the ground, holding it tightly within in her hands. She glanced to Yasu and Eliane's Jogressed partner. "Machgaogamon, I need you to do something."
The wolf man raised an eyebrow. "What?"
The girl held up her weapon, "Give this to Kasumi."
"What?!" the others exclaimed.
"But your weapon…" Eliane said.
"She needs it more then me!"
Yasu nodded. "All right, Machgaogamon, do it."
"Right," the wolf man replied, taking the weapon from the girl.
Asami took a deep breath, then shouted, "Kasumi, you need the Claymore!"
"W…what?" the teenage girl managed to say, "I…it's y…yours…"
"You need it!"
Arkadimon chuckled, "Whatever you're planning, it won't work against me!"
"I can't wait until I don't have to hear his mouth again!" Yasu shouted, "Machgaogamon, go!"
Machgaogamon stared up, Kasumi and Yuki Agumon were being crushed to death by Arkadimon's tendrils right above their heads. He took a deep breath and flew into the air. The Demon noticed and more tendrils erupted from his arms, but the wolf man maneuvered through them. He flew into the sky, twisted around, and exhaled a blast of his Howling Cannon. The beam of energy tore through the tendrils and the teenage girl and her partner fell to the ground. The wolf man attempted to catch her, but the Demon's tendrils whacked him aside. Kasumi and Yuki Agumon landed with a thud on the ground and the Claymore fell to the side, imbedding into the soil.
"Get that sword, Kasumi!" Yasu shouted.
The girl and her dinosaur nodded at each other, and they ran for the weapon. Arkadimon's tendril swiped at the girl, buy Yuki Agumon turned it to ice with a hit from her Frozen Wind attack. They continued forward, Arkadimon's fist being blocked by Machgaogamon's body.
"No!" the Demon shouted. He swiped for them again, but the two girls dove through the air, catching the weapon in her hand.
"You don't scare me!" Arkadimon screamed.
Kasumi smirked, holding the weapon high. "Yeah, well we're about to!"
"Yuki Agumon warp evolve to…"
The Claymore of Wind exploded forth, showering Yuki Agumon and Kasumi. Both human and digimon began to rotate around a silhouette that appeared in the center. As they spun, their bodies merged together, first Kasumi's hand, then Yuki Agumon's hand, then a blue fist, first Kasumi's legs, then Yuki Agumon's legs, then legs covered with metal shin guards, first Kasumi's head, then Yuki Agumon's head, then a metal helmet with two large horns jutting from the back. The new figure caught the Claymore of Wind in its hand and attached it to the gauntlets on its left wrist. The figure landed on the ground with a mighty thud, flapping wings and whipping the sword in the shape of an X.
"Alforce V-dramon X!"
-
The new figure stood firmly on the ground, the wings fluttering behind like a cape. "Alforce V-dramon!" Asami said with awe.
Yasu and Eliane began cheering, while Leormon and Machgaogamon nodded slightly. "They were able to evolve after all," Leormon panted.
"Yeah," the wolf man nodded, "She looks really powerful."
"She?" Leormon asked. He narrowed his eyes, carefully studying the figure. This Alforce V-dramon X had a narrow waistline compared to the rest of the body-an hourglass figure, and the large V plaster to the chest plate was pushed forward slightly, indicating breasts. This was definitely a female.
Arkadimon snorted, "So you evolved, big deal! I'm still going to rip your hearts from your body…" He made a sound as if he was licking his lips, "….and I will enjoy feasting on your entrails!"
Eliane covered her mouth to keep from vomiting.
Alforce V-dramon X was not impressed. She kept her gaze firmly on Arkadimon. "If you think you're so strong, then why don't you come and get me?"
Arkadimon cracked his knuckles, "Fine, if that's what you want!" He punched at the open air, and the Royal Knight felt a burst of pain in her stomach, "Dot Matrix!" The Demon positioned himself in a stance, then shot forward, slashing with his bladed-arm. Alforce V-dramon X blocked with her wrist-based sword, swung Arkadimon's spear aside, then punched the side of his head. She dropped to the ground to avoid the Demon's swipe, then knocked her feet into his, sending him falling onto his back. He jumped to his feet, ready to continue the battle, only to find that his opponent had vanished.
He twisted around, looking everywhere. "Where the hell did you go, eh? Did you run away? Huh?!"
He was given his answer when the Knight's foot slammed into the back of his head. He spun around, only to see that she was not there. "Damn it!" he screamed, "Fight me for real!"
The Royal Knight suddenly appeared in front of him. Arkadimon screamed and slashed, only to have her move to the side in a fraction of a second. "What?" he gasped. He slashed again and again, and each time Alforce V-dramon X moved only slightly to avoid.
"Damn you!" he screamed, "I fucking hate you!"
"You only hate me because you can't beat me," the Royal Knight replied, speaking in a mixture of Kasumi and Yuki Agumon's voice, "It doesn't matter how powerful you think you are, you're just too slow, you'll never touch me."
The Demon smirked, "Oh really, you think so, huh? Take this! He swung with his left hand, but quickly whipped around his right hand, knocking into the side of her head. As she stumbled, he began to fire invisible blasts of energy, "Dot Matrix!" The Royal Knight struggled to flee, but the attacks were too powerful and too quick
"Alforce V-dramon!" the DATS team screamed.
Arkadimon continued his assault, firing blasts again and again, her body shaking with each blast. The Demon chuckled, "You can't beat me, you can't! I will not fail my Master, I will not! You cannot stop me, you can't!" He paused to catch his breath, only momentarily, but that was enough for the speed of Alforce V-dramon X to gain the upper hand.
"Alforce Saber!"
The sword on her arm glowed brightly. She swung at the Demon, but he suddenly whipped up his hand, bocking with the blade on his arm. They began swinging at one another, their arm-based blades clashing again and again. Their blades caught and they each struggled to overpower, their determination to protect or apprehend fueling their attacks. Alforce V-dramon X was able to overpower Arkadimon's blade, then punched him with her fist before vanishing into the air.
Arkadimon twisted to try and follow the Royal Knight, but Alforce V-dramon X's kick sent him tumbling backwards. He recovered quicker then the Royal Knight expected, so she was not prepared when he rebounded and slammed his fist into her jaw.
"No!" the girls gasped.
The X-digimon counted with a punch of her own, then darted aside before Arkadimon's fist could connect with her head.
"She's so fast," Leormon gasped, "Faster then anyone I've ever seen!"
Arkadimon screamed so loudly that the forest began to shake. "Damn you!"
"You can't stand fighting someone faster then you, huh?" Alforce V-dramon X asked, suddenly appearing in front of the Demon. He swung, and swung, but she easily dodged each assault. "You're stronger then me, I think you've more then established that fact, but your strength doesn't matter if you can't touch me. You won't defeat me, you're just too slow."
Arkadimon gasped loudly, staring with hate at his opponent. "She…she's right…"
Alforce V-dramon X sighed, "Now that you realize you can't win, just go."
"What?"
"Just leave, get out of here, I'll let you do it if you promise not to hurt anyone again."
He was shaking with rage, "You humiliated me…and now you patronize me! I will kill you! Exile Spear!"
His blade dug into Alforce V-dramon X's shoulder, and the Royal Knight gasped in pain. Arkadimon chuckled, digging his spear even deeper, "There, how does that feel, huh? Heh…you thought you were better then me, eh? Well, you're nothing compared to me! I have the power of my Master flowing through me, I am invincible!"
Despite the pain, the Royal Knight managed to smile. "What?" Arkadimon screamed, "What?"
"You're so angry, so full of rage that you can't think clearly."
"Think clearly? What the fuck are you talking about!"
Alforce V-dramon X smirked, "You've left yourself wide open."
The Demon blinked, then gasped, realizing his mistake. When he had dug his spear into the Royal Knight's shoulder, he had completely exposed his entire body to her. Before he could react, Alforce V-dramon X screamed, "Shining V-force!" The giant V on her chest exploded into him, sending him crashing into a tree. He attempted to move, but Alforce V-dramon X appeared before him. She grabbed his neck with her left hand, while pointing the glowing saber of her right hand directly at his face.
"Oh, just to warn you, the afterlife you get's the one you deserve, trust me, I've been there." She pulled her arm back, "When you see GranDracmon, tell him I said hi! Alforce Saber!" She shot her fist forward, jamming her saber deep into his forehead. The Demon quivered for a moment before his body suddenly melted away, leaving nothing behind.
The Royal Knight turned to face the others, but as she did, her body exploded in light, and she returned to her previous forms of Kasumi and Yuki Agumon. The digimon, however, glowed once more, regressing even further to her Baby form of Koromon-just as Shiro's Psychemon and Gabe's Kotemon had regressed to Tsuonomon and Kapurimon. The girl was supporting herself with the Claymore of Wind, but she soon fell onto her back.
The girls and their partners charged to their sides. "Kasumi!" Asami screamed, embracing her cousin tightly, "Kasumi…"
Kasumi smiled and tried to hand the sword to her cousin. "H…here's your weapon, thanks for letting me borrow it…"
"Oh, Kasumi, I couldn't use it anyway, its yours, not mind."
The teenage girl only smiled before her eyes closed and she slipped into unconsciousness. "There she goes now!" Yasu sighed, "Is that what's gonna happen every time they evolve to Mega? Jeeze…"
On Earth, Reika blinked at her control consol, "I…I…"
"What?" Taichi demanded, "What?"
"The digital signal just vanished seconds before Kasumi's digital signal returned to her base state."
He blinked, "Like she de-evolved?"
"Yeah…"
Yamato looked to him, "She won that battle?"
"The only signals I'm reading belong to DATS members…"
"Damn it!" Taichi exclaimed, "How long before communication is restored?"
"We're working on it!" Megumi shouted from the other side of the room.
Taichi sighed deeply, "We don't have any idea what's going on down there!"
Asami and the others were just about to move the unconscious Kasumi and Koromon to where Gabe and Shiro were sleeping, when they became aware of movement in the area surrounding their small clearing.
"More Demons?" Eliane gasped.
"Just stay quiet," Asami whispered, "Maybe they'll just walk past."
"Yeah," Yasu whispered back, "And maybe we can bluff our way out."
They stood in front of their unconsciousness teammates, nervously staring into the darkness of the forest. The brush began to part and a group of figures entered the clearing. Yasu squealed with delight as she tackled a redheaded boy into the ground. "Akira!"
"Yasu…" he struggled to stand.
Kenji helped him to his feet. He smiled at the girls, "Thank god you're all okay." He stared at Asami, "It looks like they were able to rescue you, right?"
His Otamamon glanced at the damage: the destroyed trees, the craters in the ground, the smashed plants and shrubs, "What the hell happened here?"
"It's a long story," Asami replied.
Akira's eyes drifted away from Yasu to his sister, lying on the ground. "Oneechan!"
Lizzie had noticed Gabe lying on the ground as well. "No…Gabe!"
"They're okay," Asami said quickly, "They just need to…rest…I guess."
"Rest?" Kenji asked, kneeling down to examine them.
Yasu nodded quickly, "Yeah, Oniichan, Gabe and Kasumi…they all evolved to Mega!"
"Mega?" Akira gasped, staring at his sister. He gasped again, "Her hair…it's back to normal!" He glanced at the girls, "She's not a Demon anymore?"
"Something weird happened to her," Yasu continued, "She because this evil-looking drag…"
She stopped when she felt Asami's hand on her shoulder, "Kasumi can tell him when she's ready."
"Yeah…I guess."
Kenji stood up again, "Well, they're all okay, as near as I can tell, they're just unconscious."
"That's what Asami said," Yasu sighed.
The girls finally noticed the helmet-headed figure standing behind the others. "What's he doing here?!" Yasu exclaimed.
Lizzie smiled, "Hey, no need to worry, he's with us."
"He is?" Yasu's Labramon asked.
Kenji looked to the boy. "Well, introduce yourself."
He gasped, "Oh…y…yeah." He bowed, "My name is Masahiko, you can call me Masa. This is my partner, Dorumon."
The small digimon nodded, "Nice to formally meet all of you."
The girls stared at the others, "Are you sure?" Yasu asked Akira.
"Yeah," the redheaded boy nodded, "He helped us fight the Ancient Warriors."
"Ancient Warriors?" Asami asked.
"We can tell you on the way back to Earth," Kenji said with a smile, "And you can explain to us what happened here."
The brown-haired girl nodded. "Sure. Someone needs to carry…" She trailed off as her eyes looked past the others to the edge of the clearing. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped. The others twisted and felt a shiver of ice run up their spines as well. Standing at the edge of the clearing were Masanori, Araki and a cloaked figure. "Oh no," the girl whispered.
When the Demon Master saw the form of Kasumi and Koromon lying on the ground, with Gabe and Shiro lying inside the cavern, he only chuckled, "So, it seems that my two best Demons…my two remaining Demons…were defeated, eh?" He sighed, "Well, I guess it doesn't matter, right? After all, we're here to finish that job…"
Lizzie stared at the Demon Master, then over to Masa, "He…he does look…."
"Hmm?" Masanori questioned.
Masa slowly raised his arm to his helmet, his hand was shaking as he loosened it and let it drop to the ground. The others gasped when they saw his face; they looked to him, then to Masanori, then back to Masa again. They were silent as the ex-Hunter stepped forward.
Masanori chuckled, "Oh, it's you, I didn't think you'd be here."
"Who are you?" Masa demanded, "Why do you look like me?"
"I do? Maybe you look like me." He chuckled, "Well, I guess it's neither…or both, depending on how you look at it."
"What?"
"You and I, we are merely two sides of the same coin, we are opposites, yet, we aren't. Confusing, isn't it…brother…"
Masa suddenly tensed, grabbing his head. Images shot through his mind, strange images, and feelings, surreal and unworldly. There were two…two that were somewhere, together, they shared more then any other could share, then they were separated….
"Twins!" Masa gasped, "We're…twins?"
"Yes…we share the same father….and mother…."
"Who? Who's my father?"
"You mean you haven't guessed yet? Your father…is Lord Sentry."
He felt the color drain from his face, while his spine turned to ice. "No…no…!"
"Masa," Dorumon said, turning to him, "Lord Sentry's your father…?"
Masa looked to the ground, fists clenched tightly, "Mom….Mom, you knew all along!"
"What's going on?" Akira's Falcomon asked.
"I don't know," his partner replied.
Asami stepped forward, focusing on Masanori, "Y…you're father…is that who you inherited your Chance powers from? Is he…is he related to my father?"
"Yes," he said with a smile, "Your power came from your father, my power came from my father…and they both got their power from their grandfather….Juro!"
"You're related to Juro?" Lizzie gasped, "Asami, what's going on?!"
"That Lord Sentry guy?" Akira asked, mentioning to Yasu, "The one that our Dads fought is your father? And he's…he's got Chance power? Why didn't I sense that when we fought him?"
Yasu nodded slowly, "Yeah, my Mom didn't feel anything either."
Masa could only stare at Masanori, his cool, mature composure was shattered. "Mom…why didn't you tell me?"
The cloaked figure sighed deeply, "As interesting as this is…."
Masanori cast her a glance, but nodded. "Yes, you're right." He saw the questioning expressions on the DATS agents faces, "Yes, I should probably introduce my associates. For those of you that don't know, this is Araki, the Demon Priestess. As I was the head of the Decima Clan, Araki was head of the Uni Clan, it was from her, that they gained their Fate powers."
"Who is she?" Asami demanded, "How does she have Fate power?"
"Did you get it through that Gift thing, like my sister?" Akira added.
The Priestess gave a slight bow, smiling, "No, my power is not second-handed, my power comes directly from the source."
"Ahh!" Lizzie exclaimed, clutching her head, "I can't that this bullshit! Just say what the hell you're trying to say!"
The others gave her a surprised glance. "Sorry," her Alruamon bowed, "I think the stress is getting to her."
"Damn right!" Lizzie shouted, "I've nearly drowned, been frozen to death, blown to bits, I haven't showered in over a week, my hair's a mess, and my legs are so hairy I feel like a monkey!" She stared at Araki, "So if you want to say something, just say it!"
The Demon Priestess blinked for a moment. "Y…yes, well, um…uh, I have the power of Fate because I share the same blood with the Priestess Miayag, I am her clone."
"Clone?" Dorumon gasped. He quickly looked to Masa, but it seemed that revelation was too much for him. The boy's eyes had glossed over, he was completely lost in his own thoughts.
"This is getting too weird for me," Kenji gasped.
Masanori laughed, "If you liked that you are going to love this." He mentioned to the cloaked figure, "Why don't you show yourself?"
She nodded and removed her hood, revealing her face. The DATS team all gasped, loudly, with Akira looking to his sister, then to the figure. "What the hell is going on now?"
"I am Sukami," the figure bowed, "And I am the negative qualities of Kasumi Yagami, I am a Demon Lord, born in the same fashion as the other Great Lords of the Demon Chosen. I am the Demon Princess, my father is the Demon King Cahiti, my mother, the Demon Queen Asro!" She smirked as she stared at Akira, "And once I kill you, your negative qualities will form into a Demon Lord as well, and the royal family of the Demon Chosen will be complete…Otouto."
"I'm not your little brother!" he shouted, "My older sister is lying on the ground! You bitch!"
Masanori smirked, "You had best watch yourself. She is a Demon Lord, not a petty, pathetic Demon General"
"Pathetic?" Eliane asked, "Weren't zey your soldiers?"
"They were nothing more then failed experiments, a way to create a legion of beings with the powers of Fate and Chance. All for the hopes of generating enough energy…but it seems that won't be enough. Twenty Demon Generals…even twenty thousand Demon Generals, and it wouldn't have mattered-what we need is the perfect mixture of Fate and Chance, that is held by only three people, myself, my twin brother there, and the girl."
Asami felt a chill run up her spine, "Me?"
"Yes," he nodded, holding out his hand, "I will take that energy, Father won't allow for another failure!"
"Wait wait, let me get this straight," Kenji said, "The Demon Generals and the Hunters…are working together?"
"Of course, you moron," Araki answered, "I am the Demon Priestess, but I am also the Hunter known as Aspalis!"
Masanori gave a slight bow, "And though I have been called the Demon Master, I am the Hunter Nimrod!"
He stepped forward, "Now, Asami Yamaki, will you give up your power, or must we extract it forcibly from your body?"
"Not good!" Yasu gasped, "Oniichan, Gabe, Kasumi and their partners are unconscious! There go our Megas!"
Eliane nodded, "And our partners are too weak to fight!"
Akira glared at the trio of evil and clenched his fists, "Ready Falcomon?"
Sukami's eyes twitched and the ground suddenly exploded as massive snake heads erupted from the ground. The DATS team was thrown onto their backs while the Demon Princess stood firmly on the center head.
"Orochimon!" they exclaimed.
"The dark side of Oneesan, all right," Akira glared, clenching his fists even tighter, "Falcomon, tear her apart!"
"Right," his partner nodded, "Falcomon evolve to Diatrymon!"
Kenji's Otamamon and Lizzie's Alraumon evolved to Grademon and Blossomon and joined the Ancient Bird. Dorumon pulled on Masa's pant leg with his mouth, "Masa! Masa!" But it was no use, the once calm, secure person was now crumbling inside.
Diatrymon stood firmly on the ground and screamed as loud as he could, "Destruction Roar!"
The sound wave simply bounced off of the Demon Dragon's scaly hide. She grabbed the Ancient Bird aside with her left most head. Blossomon attempted her Spiral Flower attack, but Orochimon easily countered by trapping the flower woman within one of her giant mouths. Grademon charged at her, blades crossed, "Cross Slash!"
Orochimon's head whipped to him and exhaled a blast of rotten air, "Sake Breath!"
Grademon had to cover his mouth, which left him open for Orochimon's head, wrapping him tightly in her teeth. With her prey securely trapped, she began to close her jaws. "That's it," Sakumi snickered, "Enjoy your dinner."
"Let them go!" Lizzie shouted, "If my brother were awake, you'd be sorry!"
Dorumon watched as the three digimon were being crushed by Orochimon's sharp teeth, "Masa, they need our help!"
However, the boy was still staring motionlessly into the distance.
Asami was watching it as well. Those three, about to be eaten alive, Kasumi, Gabe, Shiro and their partners….all because of her….
"Stop it!" she screamed.
Sakumi raised an eyebrow, "Hmm?"
The teenage girl stared at Masanori, "Stop this right now! If you let them go, then I'll do whatever you want."
The other DATS agents stared at her, but it was her partner who spoke first. "Asami, you can't!" Leormon exclaimed, "I won't let you!"
She stared at him, "I don't want you, or anyone else hurt because of me!" She stared once again at Masanori, "Just do it, and leave me and my friends alone!"
Araki snickered, "It looks like someone has gotten a bit of a backbone…"
Asami stared at her, and a moment of recognition passed over her eyes, but it was lost just as quickly.
"Asami," her partner said again, "Please don't do this…"
"I have to! N one else is getting hurt because of me! Please understand…"
The lion sighed deeply, "All right…"
"Asami, are you out of your mind?!" Lizzie screamed.
"Don't give him what he wants!" Yasu shouted.
She ignored her friends and walked forward. Masanori and Araki both reached into their cloaks to remove a diamond-shaped crystal. His was silver, hers was gold. "This device is similar to the Soul Catcher that was used to siphon the Daughters of the First. It is a crude design, so this may hurt…"
They placed their crystals together, and a blast of light struck ASami. Her body began to quiver before a strange colored light erupted from her chest. This color was a muddle of gold and silver-Fate and Chance. The beam returned to the two crystals and they began to glow. Asami fell to the ground, but was caught by Yasu and Eliane. Masanori stared at his crystal, glowing brightly. "Success! At long last, success! The path to god will now be opened!"
Why are you still here?" Sakumi shouted, "Get going!"
"She's right," Araki sneered.
He gave a slight grin and followed her into the darkness of the forest. The Demon Princess smirked at the DATS team, "I would love to stay here and feast on your flesh, but I think it'd be best to report to Lord Sentry. Farewell."
Orochimon spit out the three digimon. Once freed, they prepared to continue the battle, but the Demoness and her partner were gone.
Kenji glanced around, Asami, Kasumi, Shiro and Gabe were all unconscious, Masa seemed catatonic, Yasu and Eliane's partners were too weak to fight, that left only his Grademon, Lizzie's Blossomon and Akira's Diatrymon. He had only one thing to say, "We need to get back to Earth, now!"
"Great idea!" Grademon replied, "I would never have thought of that one!"
He was silent for a moment. "Shut up…"
"But how are we gonna get back?" Lizzie questioned, "Why don't have access to a gate, right?"
"Yeah, since DATS got shut down…"
Then, almost as if a prayer had been answered, each of their D-terminals began to buzz. They eagerly ripped them front their pockets and their eyes almost watered at the sight, communication between Earth and Neodigital had been restored. In half-an-hour, DATS would be coming for them.
"All of us," Kenji said, eying Masa.
"No," the teenage boy finally spoke, "No."
"What?" Grademon exclaimed.
"I can't go with you back to Earth."
"Why not?" Lizzie gasped.
He stared at her, "I told you, I need to save my mother. Come on Dorumon." They turned to leave, but Akira called out to them.
"Wait!" the redhead shouted, "If you're going to save her, then we're coming with you."
He shook his head, "No, I can't let you get involved."
"Masa," Dorumon sighed, "Aren't you tired of doing everything yourself?"
"What?" he snapped.
His partner fidgeted for a moment, but pushed past his hesitation. "They can help you, you can't fight the Hunters yourself, as strong as we are, we're no where near strong enough!"
He was silent, his eyes focused on the ground.
"Come on, I don't understand why you insist on us doing everything ourselves…."
He sighed deeply, "All right, fine."
"Wait," Akira called, running over to him, "Where are we going? I'll call my father to meet us there."
"My Dad too," Yasu added, running to Akira's side.
"I guess that would be a good idea," he answered, "But if they're not there, I'm going in."
"I'll wait here," Kenji spoke up, "When my Dad gets here, he'll need help bringing them…" He mentioned to the unconscious agents, "Back to Earth."
Lizzie sighed, "Maybe I should give you a hand."
Masa began running to the edge of the clearing, "Let's go! You can contact your parents over the D-terminal on the way!"
"Good luck guys," Lizzie said as she watched Akira, Yasu and Eliane vanish into the night.
Taichi and Yamato received their children's message and quickly ran towards the, once again, activated Digital Gate. "All right," Agumon X said, "Let me get this straight, the Demons are just clones?"
"Yeah, or something like that," Taichi replied, "You can't really send a detailed e-mail over the D-terminals."
"Yeah…yeah…"
"But let's think about this," Yamato said, "Those kids got their powers through some kind of…DNA….energy or something, that changed them into Demon Chosen. They're working with the Hunters, who are super-powered cyborgs so strong that only Megas are on their level. We're talking about genetic manipulation. Who's the only one that could possibly be behind this?"
Taichi shot him a glance, "You mean…"
Yamato nodded, "Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if when we get to that Hunter's base, we find Kurata waiting for us."
Taichi's eyes narrowed as they ran entered the room that housed the Digital Gate. The doorway was already open and waiting. He took a deep breath, "All right, ready?"
The others nodded.
The group paused for a moment, then the strongest DATS agents jumped through the gate.
To be continued….
Author's Note: Expect a lot next chapter.
As always, please read and review.
