Yang-Yin
Chapter Thirty-four: "Ancient History"
It was rare when the Legendary Warriors and Ophanimon's Warriors could forget they were on opposite sides. The last time they had, it was to survive against the berserk Sakkakumon. However, this time, they were simply united in fear of the being above them.
"What do we do?" Zoë asked.
"Seriously, you're asking us?" Teppei demanded.
Takuya's D-tector began flashing and beeping, and Ophanimon's symbol appeared onscreen.
"Lady Ophanimon?" he asked in fright.
"Children, you must escape," she warned them. "Lucemon is too strong for you to fight—you must run!"
Takuya stole a glance at the Legendary Warriors. Though they were pale and shaking in terror, they still stood their ground, ready to fight. In particular, Teruo clenched his D-tector until his knuckles turned white.
"But, what about—" Takuya started.
"You must run," Ophanimon insisted. "Now!"
Momentarily, Takuya's and Katsuharu's eyes met. Soon, Katsuharu's eyes hardened, and he turned away as a globe of Fractal Code appeared on his hand.
"Everyone, now!" he ordered.
"Execute Beast Spirit Evolution!" shouted Chiaki, Koichi, and Teruo.
"Execute now! Fusion Evolution!" added Katsuharu and Teppei.
The flash of light from the evolution caught Lucemon's attention, and he looked directly at the Legendary Warriors as they recklessly charged. Realizing what they were doing for his team, Takuya reluctantly turned and led the retreat.
They could hear the explosions behind them as they made their way out of the castle, and the crumbling ruins began to collapse all around them. Tommy looked up in horror as a large stone came plummeting toward him, but in a burst of fire and light, Takuya evolved to BurningGreymon and shielded him.
Seeing the boy he'd come to think of as an older brother grimace in pain from the stone hitting him, Tommy insisted, "I could have…"
But BurningGreymon looked serious and scooped him up. "We need to get out of here, fast!"
Immediately, J.P. became Beetlemon and Zoë became Kazemon, but Koji was staring back to where they'd come from. He made no move to grab his D-tector, and he showed no concern for his life or the lives of his teammates.
"Koji!" Kazemon urged.
"Come on," Beetlemon insisted, grabbing Koji's arm. But the next thing he knew, Koji twisted out of his grip and turned to glare at him, holding his D-tector in an obvious threat.
"Don't touch me," he warned.
For a moment, everyone stared at Koji in disbelief. All the progress he'd made during their time here, the friendships he'd built with them—it was suddenly and inexplicably gone.
Remembering the one thing Koji seemed to respond to, BurningGreymon said, "Koji, please. For Lady Ophanimon."
Instantly, something softened in Koji's expression, and he swiftly evolved to KendoGarurumon. Inwardly, Takuya breathed a sigh of relief, but he knew it wasn't much to be relieved at. Something was horribly wrong with his best friend, and he couldn't do anything about it.
And it was beginning to make him question things.
"Let's move!" BurningGreymon insisted, taking to the sky.
---
"That gets them out of the way," Xolotlmon said as Ophanimon's Warriors ran.
"Yeah, last thing we need is another team-up to make us sympathize with each other again," Ymirmon deadpanned.
"Teruo, how you holding up?" Xolotlmon checked, glancing at Sakkakumon, whose spheres had moved in closer together to protect his central sphere.
"Okay for now," he answered. "Still a little weird, but I should be okay if we keep this fast."
"All right, you heard him," Xolotlmon ordered. "Let him have it!"
All at once, the Warriors charged. If an attack was ranged, it was used. Calmaramon and Xolotlmon teamed up from the side to launch Acid Ink and Xochitl toward Lucemon's flank while JagerLoewemon found a good sniping position higher to shoot Ebony Blasts toward his front. Their unrelenting attacks bought time for Ymirmon to drop Ragnarok on Lucemon, then fall back behind Sakkakumon.
"Come on, Teruo," he insisted. "You can't just sit here!"
"I can't do anything until he attacks," Sakkakumon warned. "That's the only way my powers will work."
"Great," Ymirmon groaned. "The most powerful Beast Spirit we have, and you're completely useless!" Sakkakumon laughed nervously in response.
Lucemon didn't move as the Warriors struck him with their attacks. A large explosion ensued, and Sakkakumon put his size to good use by circling his friends to shield them. They were on edge as they watched the smoke clear, and sure enough, Lucemon emerged from it unharmed.
"No way," Calmaramon denied.
"How can he be that powerful?" JagerLoewemon breathed. "Not even a scratch!"
"Hmm," Lucemon remarked, looking down upon them. "I suppose you consider yourselves powerful, if you thought this could do anything against me. Well, I'll just have to show you what true power is, then." He held his hands together as if in prayer, but then an image of the solar system appeared before his hands. The planets and sun became glowing spheres of golden energy before being released at them. "Grand Cross!"
Shuffling his spheres around, Sakkakumon allowed his central sphere, the sphere of Light, to be exposed. The attack hit his sphere head-on, and he tried his hardest not to collapse in pain. Somehow or another, he managed to release the energy back at Lucemon, sending him flying backwards into the walls of the castle, before Teruo reverted to human form and fell backwards. The others turned in horror, only to see a pair of strong hands in white armor catch him. Surprised, Teruo looked up to see Dynasmon standing behind him.
"You've fought valiantly," Dynasmon said. "But the battle is over for you."
"Okay…" Teruo answered hesitantly as Dynasmon steadied him before joining Crusadermon to confront Lucemon.
"Legendary Warriors, stand down," Crusadermon insisted, her strong voice calm in the face of danger.
"We can handle him!" Calmaramon insisted.
"We think," Ymirmon immediately cut in.
"Don't endanger yourselves for our sake," Calmaramon continued, ignoring his interruption.
Crusadermon and Dynasmon exchanged glances. It was then that Lucemon turned to see the new challengers, and he smiled.
"My Royal Knights," he said. "I have missed you."
---
Ophanimon's Warriors didn't run far before stopping to devolve and catch their breath. It wasn't the first time they'd had to run from a significant threat, but it was definitely the worst.
"I can't believe it," Tommy said. "Lucemon's back."
Takuya nodded, and J.P. added, "Yeah. I actually feel kind of bad for leaving those guys back there to face him."
Before anyone could say anything, Koji came over to him and, ignoring the height and weight advantage J.P. had over him, grabbed his shirt and demanded, "How dare you say that? After everything Mother has done for us, how can you show any sympathy toward her enemies?"
Takuya immediately ran over to try and break up the impending fight. It was ironic; it used to be that J.P. or somebody would be breaking up a fight between him and Koji, not this. But as he tried to push them apart, he heard to his relief an authoritative voice declare, "Enough."
Koji suddenly let go of J.P. and looked over at the approaching Ophanimon. "Mother, they were…"
"I know, my child," she answered softly, and she put her hand against his cheek like he was a very young child who didn't understand. With her attention on him, she missed the confused and worried looks Takuya and J.P. shot one another. "But I can understand why they said such a thing. Lucemon is extremely powerful, and I too would regret leaving my enemies at his mercy." Reluctantly, Koji nodded.
"Isn't there anything we can do, Lady Ophanimon?" Tommy asked.
Ophanimon pursed her lips in worry. Finally, she said, "I may have a solution, but I will need you to trust me."
"Of course," Koji answered immediately.
Ophanimon gave him a soft smile. "Thank you." Then, looking to the others, she asked, "Children?"
Takuya noticed the brief glances the rest of his friends gave each other, but he also knew that they had no choice. As the others nodded, he said, "We trust you." And he hoped she didn't catch the "for now" they were all thinking.
"Very well," Ophanimon answered, nodding. "Takuya and Koji are the only ones I will need for this mission. Children, please pass your Spirits on to them."
Cautiously, Zoë asked, "Why?"
"You will see in a moment," Ophanimon promised, her hands glowing.
Takuya noticed a bright glow coming from his pocket, and he pulled out his D-tector. Before his eyes, it transformed into a slightly different design, and the colors inverted, taking on a red base color with black details. He snuck a peek at Koji's after seeing the glow coming from his too, and he saw it take on the same design, but in blue with black.
In a flash, streams of Fractal Code burst from the others' D-tectors and entered theirs, transferring the Spirits. Startled, Takuya looked at his friends, who couldn't quite hide the expressions of fear on their faces. The Spirits had been with them for so long, and they depended on them so thoroughly. If they'd simply been weapons, the kids would have just felt naked without them. With the deep emotional bond they'd built, the strength they'd drawn from becoming Warriors in the first place, it felt like they'd lost part of their souls.
"These new D-tectors will be able to store five sets of Spirits, to allow for a new form of evolution," Ophanimon explained. "This should be enough to destroy the Royal Knights."
"But what about Lucemon?" Takuya asked, looking at her in alarm.
"Leave him to me," she insisted as light shone around her body.
She flew off, with Koji close behind her. Takuya took one last look at his friends before following. He had a feeling that he'd just made a huge mistake by promising his trust, and he hoped they wouldn't have to pay for it.
---
The Warriors stared in horror, frozen to the spot at the revelation. The Knights dropped to one knee before Lucemon, who floated down and insisted, "Oh, there's no need for that. It appears I am no longer sovereign here, after all."
"That rule should never have been taken from you, my Lord," Crusadermon answered. "The order you brought to this world could never have survived without you."
Everyone was stunned into silence. They'd known there was a possibility that the Royal Knights were enemies, but it hadn't quite sunk in for them until now. Somehow or another, Teruo found his voice, and he shouted, "How could you help him? You're heroes—you're supposed to fight for the people of this world, not for some tyrant!"
"Tyrant?" Lucemon repeated.
"Warrior of Steel, hold your tongue," Dynasmon ordered. "You know nothing of which you speak."
"No!" Teruo yelled. "I never stand up for myself, but this time, I'm going to stand up for the whole Digital World. It's already going through enough trouble because of Ophanimon. She brainwashed five of the best people we know to reshape the world the way she thinks it should be, and even though we're not as good as they were, we're the ones who have to stop them. And we're not going to stand by and just let you do the same thing!"
"He's right," Koichi agreed, devolving and standing by his friend. "You say you want order, but that's exactly what Ophanimon wants too. If there's one thing Cherubimon taught me, it's that you can't impose order on a chaotic world. Nature is chaotic and always changing, and so are people. Maybe we're not the best people to save the world, but if no one else is going to do it, why not us?"
"Ophanimon and her Warriors might be afraid of you, but we're not," Teruo affirmed.
"Speak for yourself," Ymirmon muttered, to Bokomon and Neemon's emphatic nods.
"Lovely speech," Lucemon noted.
"And this is the part where he says, 'Too bad it'll be your last,' right?" Ymirmon asked, tightening his grip on his mace.
"Not if we have anything to say about it," Xolotlmon insisted.
"No," Lucemon replied. "Descendants of the Legendary Ten, this battle is over."
Once again, the Warriors froze in shock. Xolotlmon looked at Lucemon, then at the Knights, and back again. "Really?"
"Lord Lucemon could destroy the lot of you with barely any effort," Dynasmon said.
"When you put it that way…" Xolotlmon muttered.
Fractal Code wrapped around the remaining three Warriors and then unraveled to reveal their human forms. Crusadermon tilted her head slightly. "I never would have imagined that the Legendary Ten would be reincarnated as humans."
"What's going on?" Katsuharu asked as they walked over to join their friends.
"It appears we have a misunderstanding," Lucemon explained.
Teppei snorted. "Oh, so you're not some power-hungry evil dictator who nearly destroyed the world maybe thousands of years ago?"
At this, the Knights exchanged glances again, and Lucemon raised an eyebrow. "No."
Teppei stood mutely, caught off-guard. Chiaki smirked. "How did you think he was going to answer that question?"
"Ha ha," Teppei answered.
"So, if you weren't a tyrant, what happened all those years ago?" Koichi asked.
"Is this how history repays our Lord?" Dynasmon asked. "He saved the world when the conflict between the Human-types and Beast-types threatened to rip it asunder!"
"Well, yes, the book does say that," Bokomon admitted, flipping through the chapters on the ancient wars. "But he eventually grew mad with power, and the Legendary Warriors were forced to depose him."
"No offense!" Neemon added hastily.
With a smirk, Lucemon answered, "None taken."
Crusadermon sniffed. "Of course. History is always rewritten by the victors."
"What do you mean?" Chiaki asked. "Are you saying the Legendary Warriors were the ones who nearly destroyed the world?"
Seeing the alarmed looks on the kids' faces as they all looked at Chiaki, Lucemon said, "I wouldn't go that far."
"The truth is that the Legendary Warriors were far from legendary," Dynasmon explained. "Admittedly, some of Lord Lucemon's policies were strict, but it was for the benefit of all Digimon, both Human-type and Beast-type. Peace reigned for generations. But a group of ten ancient, powerful Digimon grew frustrated with his policies and so banded together to overthrow him."
"Right," Teppei answered. "And we're supposed to believe that."
"Even history can't hide the fact that there was a time of unparalleled peace under Lord Lucemon's rule that disintegrated after the Legendary Ten defeated him," Crusadermon argued. "The Digital World was plunged into chaos once more, but everyone believed it was the aftermath of Lord Lucemon's reign and not the fault of these so-called saviors."
Koichi glanced down slowly. "So AncientSphinxmon and the others were just rebels with good PR."
"In essence, yes," Crusadermon replied.
Teppei put a hand on Koichi's shoulder. "Face it, man. You really are one in a million."
Katsuharu looked around at his friends. While Koichi looked disappointed, Teppei caught his eye and gave him a skeptical look. Chiaki, likewise, didn't look all that convinced, though Teruo looked like he was thinking hard about the revelations. Patamon and Lopmon looked confused, Neemon was hardly paying any attention, and Bokomon was looking at the pages of his precious book like it had betrayed him. And before them, Lucemon and the Royal Knights held themselves with authority and dignity, clearly not all that worried about the opinion of a bunch of children, no matter what kind of powers they had.
A burst of colored light suddenly blasted into the chamber, further separating the Warriors and Lucemon's forces. With a sudden sense of dread, Chiaki turned to the entrance, the others quickly following suit.
"No, no," she whispered.
"What is it?" Teruo asked.
The light faded just enough for everyone inside to see the silhouette of a winged figure holding a javelin. It didn't take long for the Warriors to realize who it had to be, and Teppei said, "I think that answers the question."
"Ophanimon," Koichi half-growled.
Katsuharu glanced over at the Royal Knights and Lucemon, who were bracing themselves for a fight. "I don't know if we can believe them or not, but at least we know we've got the same enemy, and that's good enough for me. Ready?"
Everyone raised their D-tectors once more, globes of Fractal Code forming around their hands. But Ophanimon saw them and held out her hands as a pattern of crystals formed. Though they didn't recognize the specific attack, the Royal Knights at least recognized the danger and turned to the Warriors.
"Human Warriors!" Dynasmon shouted.
"Sephirot Crystals!" Ophanimon declared.
Any warning came too late. The crystals were blasted directly at the Warriors, and the energy within them detonated. The kids were thrown back from the explosion, their Spirits ripped from them by the force of power. Ophanimon collected the Spirits and watched with satisfaction as the children skidded across the floor, unconscious, with Fractal Code rings circling their bodies.
All except Koichi, however, who landed near Crusadermon, unconscious but otherwise appearing unharmed.
"How is this…" she started, but Koichi groaned and began to awaken.
"What was that?" he muttered, holding his head as he managed to sit up.
"Koichi, are you all right?" Bokomon asked frantically, as the Digimon tried to get a response out of the others.
"Yeah, I think so," he answered.
Ophanimon had a smug little smile. "You won't be for long, Warrior of Darkness." The Spirits hovered over her hands before breaking down into streams of Fractal Code and disappearing behind her. "Someone still wants to finish what you've started."
Takuya and Koji stepped out from behind her, each carrying a new D-tector. Koichi got to his feet unsteadily and stared in horror.
"Koji…"
A glyph of a square within a hexagon appeared on both D-tectors, one in red and one in blue. The boys held out their left hands as a globe of Fractal Code surrounded by a ring formed around their hands.
"Unity, execute!" they shouted. "Unified Spirit Evolution!"
Koichi shielded himself from the burst of light before it could blind him. It took a few moments for the light to fade to a bearable level, and he gasped in shock to see the two Digimon standing beside Ophanimon, easily the same height as the impressive Royal Knights. One stood proudly in red and gold armor, wielding a massive sword, while the other was in bright blue and armed to the teeth. The red one was armored too fully to see his face clearly, but his helm had a draconic shape. The blue one was lupine and stood tall underneath his heavy breastplate and enormous blaster. Seeing the new threat, Koichi immediately forgot his fear of Ophanimon.
"EmperorGreymon!"
"MagnaGarurumon!"
This had gone far beyond a simple nightmare now. Koichi couldn't help but take a couple of steps backward in fear, but the Royal Knights and Lucemon remained unperturbed, glaring at the three attackers with calmness forged from the fires of many battlefields. Still, they didn't like what they saw.
"The power of all ten elements," Lucemon noted. "Not quite what imprisoned me, but impressive all the same."
"My Lord, orders?" Dynasmon asked.
Lucemon's hands began to glow. "She has created two swords that can cut through any defense."
"We're far stronger than those humans!" Dynasmon insisted.
"We have been asleep for far too long," Crusadermon reminded him. "And the other humans and their companions would not survive a battle here."
"Agreed," Lucemon replied. "Crusadermon, help evacuate the children. Dynasmon and I will fight these three until you return."
"My Lord, will you be strong enough?" Crusadermon asked. "With all due respect, if anyone's powers have been weakened by these long years' sleep, it will have been yours!"
Lucemon smirked. "Then we must hope that these children will become the unbreakable shields against this force, should we fall."
Grimly, Crusadermon crossed an arm over her chest and bowed her head. "Understood, my lord." Turning to Koichi, she asked, "Young Warrior, are you strong enough to carry one of your comrades?"
"I…I think so," he answered.
"Then take the smaller one," she insisted, scooping up Katsuharu, Teruo, and Chiaki before running farther deeper into the castle. Nodding, Koichi managed to pick up Teppei piggy-back style and followed after her, the Digimon way ahead of him.
As they ran, the battle began. MagnaGarurumon began to take chase after Crusadermon and Koichi, but a blast from Dynasmon sent him crashing into the wall.
"Your fight is with us," Dynasmon reminded him. "If you still wish to battle my companion when she returns, I'm sure she will gladly oblige."
MagnaGarurumon growled under his breath. Aiming his weapons at Dynasmon, he shouted, "Magna Missiles!" and rockets shot out of the silos on the wings on the back of his armor. They exploded on impact, and EmperorGreymon had to quickly shield himself with his sword.
This is crazy! Takuya thought. If fire weren't my element, I'd be charcoal right now! And if Koji was still this out of control, Takuya was going to have to find a way to finish it without both of them getting killed.
The battle between Lucemon and Ophanimon immediately took to the air, where both angels could fight without fear of their soldiers being caught in the crossfire. Lucemon charged up another Grand Cross and fired it at Ophanimon, who thrust her lance forward.
"Eden's Javelin!"
A burst of light exploded against the Grand Cross, blinding Lucemon enough for Ophanimon to rush in with her lance. Lucemon flew up to avoid it, but the attack still grazed him. Normally, he wouldn't have felt the pain, but this time he did.
It seems that fight took more out of me than I thought, he realized. This was not going to be an easy battle.
Ophanimon blasted more Sephirot Crystals at him, but he swooped down to avoid them, unleashing another Grand Cross. One sphere knocked the lance out of her hands, but before she could retrieve it, Lucemon held out a hand with white-hot energy blazing around it, keeping it on her at point-blank range. Ophanimon raised her hands as if in surrender, but a set of Sephirot Crystals formed above Lucemon and fired down upon him, sending him careening toward the ground. She then took advantage of the distraction to swoop down and retrieve her lance.
Lucemon managed to recover from his fall and, seeing that Ophanimon had recovered her weapon, he generated one of his own. Creating a spear of light, he threw it at her with a cry of "Divine Feat!" Ophanimon had only seconds to block it with her lance, giving Lucemon time to soar into the air and blast Grand Cross down on her from above.
"Dragonfire Crossbow!" EmperorGreymon shouted, holding out his sword like a gun and blasting an arc of fire at Dynasmon.
Dynasmon leapt out of the way and aimed at EmperorGreymon, firing several shots of energy at him with a yell of "Dragon Thrower!"
"Feral Fire!"
Lasers suddenly blasted at the both of them like machinegun fire, and EmperorGreymon looked over in shock to see MagnaGarurumon holding out his huge blaster, caring only about hitting his enemy and not about the fact that he was hitting his friend.
"Koji, are you nuts?" he demanded. "I'm right in the line of fire!"
"Then get out of the way!" MagnaGarurumon shouted back, almost sounding like the old Koji for a moment.
EmperorGreymon leapt to safety, but Dynasmon wasn't through with him yet. Energy charged into the gems on his palms, and he brought them together until the energy formed a helix.
"DNA Disintegrator!"
The helix laser hit EmperorGreymon right in the chest, sending him into a wall before he slumped to the ground. Dynasmon quickly turned and fired the same attack at MagnaGarurumon, who narrowly avoided it. Dynasmon then held out his hands as his eyes went blank. A powerful white aura built around him, until the energy manifested into a massive dragon. At the same time, light charged around MagnaGarurumon as he cast off his heavy gun.
"Breath of Wyvern!"
"Starburst Hunter!"
The dragon burst forward and MagnaGarurumon sped forth in a blast of light. The two attacks collided in a massive explosion. Only by thrusting his sword into the ground and holding on for dear life was EmperorGreymon able to keep from being blown away. The remains of the castle collapsed down on top of them, and he crouched to shield himself from falling debris. When the stones and dust settled, he looked up to see what had happened to the two fighters. Both were standing somewhat unsteadily, catching their breath from such intense attacks.
Now's my chance! Takuya realized.
Getting to his feet, EmperorGreymon channeled power through his sword, and nine serpentine dragon heads appeared in flame on the ground. The dragons raised their heads and gathered, throwing themselves at Dynasmon.
"Pyro Dragons!"
Dynasmon turned to face the attack, but he was no match for it. The dragons of fire consumed him, leaving nothing left but Fractal Code. EmperorGreymon quickly scanned it, allowing the digiegg to fly off to parts unknown.
And now EmperorGreymon looked back at MagnaGarurumon, daring him to attack. But to his relief, MagnaGarurumon only turned and ran after Crusadermon. Sighing in relief, EmperorGreymon leapt out of the crater that had been the battlefield and flew toward home. He wasn't sure that he'd be able to fight Koji, if it came to it, no matter who was stronger in the end.
Crusadermon led Koichi and the Digimon down a dark corridor and into what looked like a terminal. Breathing heavily, Koichi looked around.
"There's no Trailmon here," he noticed.
"DarkTrailmon only appears here in times of greatest need," Crusadermon explained, setting the others down.
"Well, I'd say this certainly qualifies!" Bokomon insisted.
"Uh-huh!" Neemon agreed.
Ignoring them, Crusadermon kept an eye on Koichi as he gently set Teppei down and gave a worried look to all of his friends. Lopmon flew over to his shoulder and draped an ear around him like a hug. A small smile formed on Koichi's face, and he mussed Lopmon's fur on top of his head.
"How very strange," Crusadermon noted.
"What, this?" Koichi asked. He looked at Lopmon for a moment before admitting, "I guess it is a little strange. Lopmon used to be my mentor, and we were never really all that close. I guess this is a second chance for the both of us."
"He chose you to hold the Spirit, you mean," Crusadermon guessed.
"Of course," Bokomon answered. "Cherubimon selected Koichi for the Spirit of Darkness, knowing he was the only one who could use it without being entirely corrupted. Koichi not only tamed it; he purified it entirely."
"Impressive," Crusadermon replied as Koichi blushed from the praise. "There must be some kind of special connection between you and your Spirit, then."
Koichi set Lopmon down before turning to face Crusadermon. "Well, all of us have that. The Spirits chose us."
"But, Koichi," Patamon insisted, "the others never did any of the kind of stuff you did!"
"Yeah," Lopmon agreed. "Teppei's always saying you're one in a million!"
Here, Koichi made a bit of a face. "Teppei doesn't usually mean that as a good thing, Lopmon."
"Still, he appears to have a point," Crusadermon agreed. "You were the only one to come out of that attack unscathed."
Koichi gave her a puzzled look. "I guess I was just lucky."
"Very lucky," she insisted. "That attack was a direct hit, and while all of you were between transformations. How is it that five of you take the same attack and only one of you comes out of it without his Fractal Code manifesting?"
Koichi paused, trying to come up with an explanation but failing. He looked over at Bokomon for help, but to his shock, Bokomon was looking down in shame. "What is it?"
"Oh, Koichi," he lamented, "the others didn't want to tell you…"
Horror filled Koichi, and he insisted, "Tell me what?"
Bokomon sadly looked up at him and confessed, "This isn't the first time you've taken a near-fatal attack like that and haven't been hurt. The others realized that no matter what's thrown at you, you don't seem to suffer any ill effects. At first, they were confused but now they're worried."
"But…" Koichi insisted. "I…I'm the Warrior of Darkness. You've all seen how powerful I can be. Couldn't it just be that I'm too strong for it to affect me much?"
Bokomon shook his head, tears in his eyes. "I'm afraid not. You see, when you collapsed on the stairs, Katsuharu tried to wake you up. But your form suddenly flickered, like you were about to disappear, and his hand went right through you."
"No," Koichi denied. "That's…"
"How did you come to this world, Warrior of Darkness?" Crusadermon asked.
"I don't remember," he murmured fearfully.
"Think," Crusadermon ordered. "It was not by conventional means such as a Trailmon. What was it?"
Panic hit Koichi as he searched through his memories, trying to piece together what had happened to him. He remembered missing the elevator in the Shibuya train station and having to take the stairs, and then there was a gap between that and waking up in the Digital World, bonded to the Spirit of Darkness. But when he tried to concentrate on that gap, make the memories come back, a sharp pain shot through the side of his head. He gasped and doubled over, clutching his head as tears stung his eyes.
"I don't remember," he cried. "I don't remember any of it!" He looked up at Crusadermon. "What's wrong with me?"
"Could there be some kind of glitch in his data?" Bokomon asked her, feeling desperate to help the terrified human boy. "Something maybe caused by the Spirit?"
"I believe it is connected to the Spirit," Crusadermon admitted, "but the problem isn't data. Rather, it's the lack of it."
"What do you mean?" Koichi asked.
"I've heard legends and rumors about this happening in the past, but I've never seen it before," she explained. "There are some Digimon who, rather than allowing themselves to be reborn in a digiegg, let their memories live on in spirit form. It's the opposite of what happens with your Spirits, which are the physical shells of Digimon who sacrificed their souls to ensure their strength lived on. When you use your Spirit, you give it a soul, providing it with memories and emotions. This is how it forms such a deep bond with you."
"While what you're saying is interesting, how does any of it apply to Koichi?" Bokomon asked.
"Yeah, he's not a Spirit—he's a person!" Neemon added.
"I'm afraid that's not the case," Crusadermon said.
It was like an atomic bomb had gone off in Koichi's mind. Disbelief filled him as his eyes widened and his breathing quickened. His voice was unusually high pitched and desperate as he said, "That's not true! I remember my human life! I remember my brother!"
"Perhaps I misspoke," Crusadermon admitted, but it didn't quite comfort Koichi. "You are not the Spirit of Darkness itself, but you are some kind of spirit—an echo of a human who once lived."
"No," Koichi said.
"Somehow, you strayed into the Digital World instead of remaining in the human world," she explained. "When you did so, your spirit was bonded with the Spirit of Darkness so that the both of you could live. The Spirit got a soul and the soul got a body." Koichi shook his head, trying to deny it, but Crusadermon plowed on. "But that borrowed life is not enough. It's as if the Digital World itself recognizes that you are a foreign entity, not composed of true Fractal Code, and is trying to reject you."
"What…" Koichi started before his voice failed him. He swallowed and asked again, "What's going to happen to me, if what you're saying is true?"
Crusadermon inclined her head slightly. "I do not know. But now that you've lost your Spirits, there is nothing anchoring your soul to this world. Your borrowed form is much more fragile now. It could be any time until that life runs out."
As Koichi stood, shell-shocked by the revelation, Bokomon said, "There must be something we can do for him!"
Crusadermon suddenly held up a hand to silence him. "Someone is coming. I will prevent them from entering the terminal."
Koichi turned as she flew toward into the corridor. "Wait, you have to tell me—"
He was suddenly cut off by a shout of "Fist of Athena!" before the corridor began to collapse in on itself. Remembering what she said about his form being fragile, he froze and didn't approach until the corridor was sealed completely by the fallen rocks, but by then it was too late.
"No, please!" he shouted, slamming his fist against the stone. "You have to come back here and tell me the truth! Please!"
But there was no response. Defeated, Koichi sank to his knees as tears and angry cries echoed in the darkness.
On the other side of the sealed corridor, Crusadermon nodded in self-satisfaction before facing MagnaGarurumon.
"I'm afraid you won't be attacking those children today," she said, holding her ribbon-like sword before her. "But if you're so desperate for a battle, I can surely arrange one. Spiral Masquerade!"
Moving faster than the eye could see, she swarmed around MagnaGarurumon, cutting into his body with her blade. He shouted in pain and had to discard his armor, taking a laser sword from a compartment on his wrist. His sword met hers, and he was able to force her into the wall. But the next thing he knew, she shoved a piston-powered fist into his stomach, and he stumbled back. Crusadermon moved away from the wall, feeling a little smug as she watched MagnaGarurumon remain doubled over.
"I must admit, I grow tired of this," she said. "What do you say we end this? Spiral—"
"Starburst Hunter!"
Crusadermon stiffened as the attack hit her. While she'd been gloating, MagnaGarurumon had taken his sword in a reverse grip and held it out in front of him as he charged her, slicing right through. She hadn't expected it, and she hadn't expected him to be so fast. MagnaGarurumon then turned around and victoriously scanned her data.
And as he fought Ophanimon, Lucemon could feel the deaths of his Knights. He knew now that the last hope for the Digital World would have to be the children. White light formed in his palms as he willed it toward the children who had impressed him greatly in the short amount of time he'd known them.
But it took too much of his concentration, and it gave Ophanimon just the opportunity she needed. She flew up behind him and thrust her lance into his body, absorbing his Fractal Code in a core.
"You fool," she said, holding the core before her. "For all the legends and infamy, you were just as mortal as all the rest." And then she smirked. "But at least all that power won't go to waste."
She pressed the core into her body, and immediately, a dome of Fractal Code surrounded her, just as it did the Warriors when they evolved. Her armor darkened into a deep blue as her wings and lance ignited into flame. Ophanimon waved her lance in front of the dome, slashing it apart so she could stare at her kingdom. Holding a hand out, she absorbed the Fractal Code of the Continent of Darkness. It wouldn't be long now until the entire Digital World fell before her.
But she hadn't managed to stop Lucemon entirely. While Lopmon and Bokomon tried to offer comfort to a devastated Koichi, Patamon and Neemon kept watch over the unconscious Warriors. Their Fractal Code had finally settled back into their bodies, indicating they would recover, though it would take time for them to waken. After watching over Katsuharu for a while, Patamon suddenly sensed something and flew over to Teruo.
"Patamon, what are you doing over there?" Neemon asked.
"Something's happening over here!" he said, pointing at Teruo.
"Really?" Neemon asked. He made his way over. "I don't see a thing!"
"No, lookie!" Patamon reached into Teruo's pocket and pulled out his D-tector. There was a faint white aura around it, which suddenly turned into a bright glow. "Papa-mom, come look!"
Bokomon turned at the light and his child's voice. "Patamon, get away from that! It could be dangerous!"
"But it's Teruo's D-tector!" he insisted.
"Huh?" Koichi asked, looking up from where he'd sat, his legs pulled in tightly around him.
Patamon held up Teruo's D-tector, and before their eyes, it transformed into a model like Takuya and Koji's new ones, only in silver and green. As Koichi got closer, his own D-tector began to glow, and he pulled it out of his pocket.
"It feels like Lucemon," Lopmon noticed.
"This must be his power!" Bokomon realized. "Koichi, he's giving you and Teruo something to fight with!"
Koichi looked down at his D-tector, waiting to see it transform too. Instead, the glow faded and died, leaving the D-tector unchanged. And though Koichi was still too stunned by Crusadermon's revelation to feel much, the Digimon all slumped in disappointment.
"That's no fair," Neemon lamented.
"I suppose the light didn't react well with the Spirit data that created the D-tector," Bokomon theorized. "Since Koichi didn't get his the way the others did."
Koichi began to say something, but before he could, his D-tector began to disintegrate. Flecks of data flew off of it until finally it dissolved into pieces of Fractal Code. The Code fragments flew off into the air and disappeared, leaving Koichi watching in horror before looking down at his hand.
"Koichi!" Bokomon cried, trying to keep the boy from falling into another deep depression.
"Bokomon," he said, his voice wavering, "how long before that happens to me?"
This chapter has been a long time coming, plotted out very early in the writing process. Originally, it was about two or three chapters involving the Legendary Warriors teaming up with the Royal Knights and then with Lucemon, but I finally picked out the best ideas from those three chapters and combined them into this one. It was also difficult trying to come up with a way to condense the very long Royal Knights arc of Frontier, but in the end, Lucemon here is nowhere near as powerful as he was in canon. He's only just been freed, and he wasn't being fed Fractal Code for months; where Ophanimon, on the other hand, was. She was in a better position to aid Takuya and Koji than Lucemon was to aid the Royal Knights. The issues of trust that Ophanimon's Warriors are beginning to have were inspired by the major background theme of Ben 10: Alien Swarm, and the scene with Koichi and Crusadermon borrowed heavily from Kamen Rider Ryuki, with a couple of homages to canon here and there.