(Author's Notes: This marks the end of Act 1 of 2 of Holy War. I'll still be using this story to update chapters. Though the next one probably won't be up for 4-5 weeks since I'm getting busy. We're moving onto Act II, which will have all of its own problems and enemies, as well as continuing arcs and plotlines from Act I. Hope you look forward to it. And enjoy this interlude!)
Interlude: Act II
It was after the battle. The pungent scent of smoke continued to drift on the air. The late day was turning into the evening; the sun hung low in the sky, descending towards the horizon. However, clouds covered the expanse of the sky around Saversburg, causing the sunlight to be blocked. The landscape was dim and murky as a result.
The fields to the west of Saversburg were bleak and battle-scarred. Craters and trenches littered the landscape. This was to say nothing of the dark rifts that had split open during the battle. They continued to cover the landscape as Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode attempted to reconfigure the Dark Area.
As for the aftermath of the battle, all sides were now completely organised. The wounded had been completely moved to medical tents, and the seriously wounded had been transferred to the hospital in Saversburg. The Royal Knights and the Order soldiers were grouped at the southern part of the battlefield near the hill, the Saversburg army was congregated near the walls of the city, and Republic of Mode's military was camped at the north part of the battlefield. Meanwhile, the D-Brigade was camped further away, over to the west. They intended on beginning their long march home to Facture on the following day. Only a small formation would stay behind to wait for the wounded that were being treated in Saversburg.
Magnamon walked along the battlefield, looking around at the damage quietly. He reflected on the day's bitter struggle. He could see the Royal Knights all gathered at the edge of the Order's camp. The Knight of Miracles made his way over to them.
All of the Royal Knights were present except for Alphamon, Omegamon, and Dukemon. Alphamon and Omegamon had both gone with Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode, while Dukemon had went off with Grani and Fujinmon when PrinceMamemon arrived unexpectedly in the aftermath of the battle.
Most of the Royal Knights had some injury of some kind. None of their wounds were too serious; they mostly consisted of cuts, bruises, and minor burns. Their bodies definitely seemed tired from the long, intense fight. Their armour was scuffed up and even cracked in some places. Even Duftmon, who was directing tactics for the majority of the battle, has a frazzled look to him from when he helped attack Chaosdramon.
Dynasmon had taken his chest armour off and Gankoomon had removed the top half of his body suit so that bandages could be placed over their muscular chests. Those two probably had the most amount of minor injuries, while the other Royal Knights had only two or three. Magnamon himself sported a few welts from some bullets that had hit him, and fist-sized bruise on the small of his back and a shallow cut on his tail.
Magnamon walked up to the Royal Knights and waved. "Hey. How are you all doing?" he asked them.
"Could be worse," Dynasmon answered, wincing a bit as he prodded the bandages wrapped around his brawny chest with one of his claws. "Chaosdramon caused a lot of destruction."
"Yeah, he did," UlforceVeedramon said with a sigh as he looked across the battlefield. He had some bandages patched over the back of his right wing, as well as around his abdominal muscles and bicep. "Lots of casualties."
Sleipmon winced as he clutched his sore right arm. "Do we know how many we lost yet…?" he asked, although not really wanting to know the answer.
Duftmon frowned deeply and folded his arms. "The Captains and Leftenants are doing a count right now, but we expect that we lost a couple dozen, at least…" he responded bitterly. "A large portion of that is down to Chaosdramon's relentless bombardment..."
"Shit!" Gankoomon swore loudly. He punched his palm with his fist in anger and frustration. "We should have killed that bastard earlier!"
"That's an easy thing to say, but a harder thing to do, Gankoomon," Craniamon murmured, folding his arms across his dented chest and narrowing his eyes. "We did the best we could."
"The appearance of those dark rifts certainly didn't help matters," RhodoKnightmon pointed out, gazing across the field to the crevices that were flagged for safety.
"Now we have those to worry about instead," Craniamon grunted.
UlforceVeedramon looked at the Royal Knights, forcing a grin onto his face. "Hey, now's not the time to get dark and melancholic. We just beat Chaosdramon, the guy who was oppressing his own citizens for ages! Not only that, but the Storm Commanders seem pretty reliable. I don't know about you guys, but I call that a victory," he stated, trying to make them look on the bright side.
Magnamon couldn't help but smile at UlforceVeedramon's usual cheery demeanour. "Yes, you're right, Ulforce. All of this wasn't for nothing," he agreed.
"That is very true…" Duftmon concurred. "However, I cannot help but be concerned. If somebody were to escape the Dark Area, we would be at a less than optimal capacity. Our battle strength has been dented, and I am sure that morale will suffer in the immediate aftermath as well."
"One thing at a time, Duftmon. Maybe Imperialdramon can fix the Dark Area before anybody gets the chance to escape," Dynasmon suggested, frowning uncertainly.
"I sure hope so… It was bad enough when DarkKnightmon escaped," Examon mused, the corners of his mouth curving downwards as he remembered the event.
"…We should hold a memorial when we get back to the headquarters," Sleipmon stated, a heavy expression on his face. "Alphamon always knows the right thing to say."
"Yeah, that's a good idea, Sleipmon…" Magnamon agreed. "Battles like these are always hard."
"Even so, our soldiers knew what they were signing up for when they joined the Order," Duftmon reasoned. "They are prepared for hardship."
"That doesn't always make it easier," Magnamon explained, a sombre tinge to his soft voice. "But they will be okay, with time."
Examon frowned. "I hope so…" he spoke thoughtfully.
Craniamon sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "So, what's the plan?" he questioned, his glowing eyes turning to the Royal Knights.
"Everyone's too tired to travel right now," Dynasmon stated. "We'll stay in our camp overnight. That will give everyone some time to rest and for the wounded to recuperate."
Duftmon nodded with agreement. "During that time, we can sort out transportation, rations, and supplies. There will be some wounded who are unable to walk who will required assisted transport."
"Yeah, sounds good to me," UlforceVeedramon agreed. He turned around and stretched his stiff body and wings with a grunt. "…Okay. I'm going to go visit some of the wounded," he explained.
"I might come with you," Magnamon added, walking over to the tall, blue knight.
"Me too. I want to thank them for their hard work," Sleipmon concurred, trotting over as well.
"I think I'll help Duftmon with the organisational stuff," Examon offered.
Duftmon closed his eyes and nodded pensively. "Very well. UlforceVeedramon, when you are finished, I need you to go speak to GigaSeadramon and his Deep Savers about mass transport back to our headquarters."
"I need to go speak with the mayor of Saversburg," Dynasmon said, still scratching at his bandaged chest.
"Then you might want to put your armour back on," UlforceVeedramon suggested with a laugh.
"Feel free not to," RhodoKnightmon chimed, ogling Dynasmon's buff, half-naked, bandaged body shamelessly. He then pulled his gaze away and looked at Craniamon. "I suppose we should go to the Locomon rail station in the city and arrange for further transport for tomorrow."
Craniamon nodded. "Sure," he complied.
Gankoomon pulled his body suit up over his arms and shoulders before zipping it up firmly. Once it fitted over his chest, he picked up his jacket and placed it over his shoulders. "In that case, I'll go—"
"Shishou?" a voice asked.
Gankoomon turned around and saw SaviorHackmon apprehensively approaching the group. "SaviorHackmon…" he said, watching as the bipedal dragon man approached. "What are you doing?"
SaviorHackmon saluted and bowed softly before the Royal Knights. "Actually… I was wondering if there was anything that I could do to help…" he suggested.
"Aren't you tired from running around all day?" Gankoomon asked him, eyeing him sceptically.
SaviorHackmon stood up straight in an effort to show that he still had a lot of energy and determination. "There's still a lot that needs to get done! I'm not going to take it easy while others do all the hard work," he answered insistently.
A smirk formed on Gankoomon's face. "Hah! That's the spirit!" he exclaimed. "I'm sure we can find something for you to do."
Sleipmon turned and looked at SaviorHackmon with a warm smile. He admired his determination and spirit. "Do you mind helping me with the wounded?" he asked. "They're a bit short-staffed right now, so apparently the extra hands would be appreciated."
"Of course I'll help, Sleipmon-shishou," SaviorHackmon stated, smiling widely. "You can count on me."
"I'm glad to hear it. Shall we, SaviorHackmon?" the centaur knight asked him.
SaviorHackmon nodded avidly and allowed Sleipmon to lead the way. As Sleipmon began walking towards the field hospital, SaviorHackmon followed him dutifully.
Dynasmon pulled his chest armour on and then looked at Gankoomon with a smile. "Your apprentice sure is eager to please," he lightheartedly observed.
"Yeah, he is. He's putting his whole heart into it. I can tell," Gankoomon responded, watching as SaviorHackmon walked off. He smiled slightly with a hint of warmth in his gaze. He remembered seeing the emotion of SaviorHackmon's heart earlier in the day. "…He's serious about helping Digimon."
"I can respect that," Magnamon stated, smiling at Gankoomon. "It's admirable work you've done with him, Gankoomon."
Gankoomon shook his head. "It's not because of me…" he answered.
Dynasmon laughed and patted Gankoomon's back, prompting the red-haired Royal Knight to wince as Dynasmon accidentally struck one of his injuries. "What the hell is this? Gankoomon being humble? Did you take a hit to the head or something?"
Gankoomon grunted and gave Dynasmon a sharp elbow to his hip, causing the wyvern knight to shout with pain. "I'm being honest! …That's just the way SaviorHackmon is. He always gives it his all, even with his confidence issues. That's part of the reason I took him on as my apprentice. I saw a lot of potential in him, even though he looked weak."
"You're really just a big softy underneath all of that bravado and bluster, aren't you?" UlforceVeedramon teased him affectionately.
"It is positively adorable!" RhodoKnightmon chimed in agreement. "Such love between master and student!"
"Honestly, you guys are asking for it…" Gankoomon warned them, a vein twitching in his forehead.
Craniamon grabbed RhodoKnightmon and began pulling him by one of his ribbons. "Come on, Rhodo. Let's get a move on," he said to him.
"Oh, very well," RhodoKnightmon complied, being dragged off by Craniamon.
"I'd better get moving too," Dynasmon stated, starting to walk.
"One second," Examon stated, looking at Dynasmon. "Where exactly did Dukemon go? I haven't seen him since PrinceMamemon showed up."
"They went to deal with the Mamemon Kingdom now that the Metal Empire agreed to give it back," Dynasmon responded as he walked off. "He'll be gone for at least a few hours, if not until tomorrow."
Examon nodded as the rest of the Royal Knights began walking away to see to their own responsibilities. "I see…" He turned to Duftmon. "Duftmon? What's next?"
"We should start telling our soldiers to head back to the encampment for rest. We will need a few scouting groups, as well as some guards to patrol overnight. I can say with reasonable certainty that the D-Brigade is no longer a threat, but it would be well-advised to keep an eye on those dark rifts in order to avoid further dark evolutions," Duftmon informed him.
"Got it," Examon complied. A pensive expression grew on Examon's face as he looked across the grey field at one of the leaking dark rifts. "Do you think that Imperialdramon and the others will be able to fix the barrier before anything bad happens?"
Duftmon frowned in response. "He did say that it would take approximately two days to complete the reconfiguration. That is a large window of opportunity, but only if Digimon are paying attention…" he deliberated. After a few moments, Duftmon released a soft sigh.
"…At this point, Examon, we can only hope for the best…"
Mercuremon sat on his throne in the throne room of PrinceMamemon's old palace. In the week or so since PrinceMamemon had been overthrown, he had been incredibly busy in his new role as the king of the Mamemon Kingdom. There was always much to be done after a change in power… particularly after an armed one.
Mercuremon decided to fill the palace with D-Brigade bodyguards rather than PrinceMamemon's old bodyguards, who he wasn't sure he could trust. He relied upon the D-Brigade for security until he could secure his position as king. He knew that there were rumblings against him. Despite PrinceMamemon's incompetence, he was well-loved by the citizens of the Mamemon Kingdom.
The ascended aristocrat had his old desk moved up to the throne room, so that he could work while sitting. He was currently creating a list of prominent Digimon who were loyal to PrinceMamemon who needed to be purged. The sooner he could finish that, the sooner he could feel safe enough to make other changes.
A Hagurumon floated behind Mercuremon's throne, looking over his shoulder as the mirror Digimon worked. He was the Metal Empire envoy to the Mamemon Kingdom, who consulted with Mercuremon regularly since PrinceMamemon was overthrown. Standing outside the doors of the throne room were a MachGaogamon and an Andromon who acted as guards.
"What about the army general?" Hagurumon asked, wondering if he was going to be added to the list.
"No, PlatinumNumemon is spineless," Mercuremon responded. "He will do what I say. Besides, it would be a bad idea to provoke the army, even with the D-Brigade occupying the city."
"Very well," the Hagurumon stated.
"I think I'd like to exile these Digimon rather than arrest them. I wouldn't want to send the wrong message," Mercuremon decided. He smirked. "…It's so freeing to finally make my own decisions without having to drip them into PrinceMamemon's ear."
"It must be," the gear-shaped Digimon concurred.
Mercuremon stopped writing and put down the over-designed, mechanical pen that he was using. He looked over his shoulder at Hagurumon. "The evening is upon us. Is there any news from Emperor Chaosdramon and the D-Brigade army about the battle at Saversburg?"
"None yet, I'm afraid," Hagurumon responded. "It must be a long battle."
"Too long…" Mercuremon murmured uncertainly. "But the D-Brigade will prove victorious. They are cold, efficient, methodical, intelligent, and unstoppable. That is a winning combination."
"I agree, Your Majesty," Hagurumon spoke.
Mercuremon nodded and continued to quietly and diligently work. He continued gliding the pen across the smooth paper as he wrote finely stylized digi-letters.
After a few minutes, the new king stopped. He was distracted by the sounds of several pairs of footsteps in the hallway beyond the closed doors of the throne room. The pen stalled on the piece of paper as he heard voices talking with the guards. Because the door was closed, the voices were muffled and Mercuremon was unable to hear what they were saying.
Mercuremon's lips curved into a frown. "Guards?" he called out loudly. "Do I have visitors?"
The voices stalled for a moment. They then continued in murmurs. Finally, one of the guards replied. "Yes, King Mercuremon!" the guard called back. "Your presence is requested!"
"Let them in!" Mercuremon called to them. He put his pen down and stood to his feet.
The doors opened and PrinceMamemon flounced into the throne room with an angry, determined expression. Walking calmly at his side were Dukemon and Fujinmon. Behind them were the MachGaogamon and Andromon guards.
Mercuremon's lips opened with stunned shock before swiftly morphing into a sneer. He glared at PrinceMamemon and took a step backwards. "W-What is going on here?" he demanded, looking particularly at Commander Fujinmon.
"Emperor Chaosdramon is dead," Fujinmon explained calmly. "The D-Brigade has surrendered to the Royal Knights' forces. We are relinquishing our control of the Mamemon Kingdom, effective immediately."
PrinceMamemon marched up to the desk and slammed his hands down on the surface. "Mercuremon, you are under arrest for treason!" the monarch declared.
As this happened, Hagurumon slowly floated away from Mercuremon, slinking over to Fujinmon's side.
"…Treason? Treason?!" Mercuremon scoffed incredulously, his calm demeanour disappearing. "If it weren't for me, our whole army would have been decimated by the D-Brigade!"
"You sold out the people of this kingdom so that you could become king!" PrinceMamemon protested, glaring heavily at Mercuremon with a determination that had been absent before.
"I saved them from an incompetent buffoon!" the green mirror Digimon fired back.
PrinceMamemon sneered. His eyes then trailed down to the desk that he was propping himself up on. He noticed the list of familiar Digimon on top of the desk and quickly grabbed the list before Mercuremon could. Mercuremon tried to snatch it, but PrinceMamemon stepped back and held it out of his reach by giving the piece of paper to Dukemon.
Dukemon frowned and took the piece of paper. He read the list carefully. "…A blacklist?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he realized what the list was.
"Likely to purge supporters of PrinceMamemon," Fujinmon stated. "That is Chaosdramon's model of ensuring loyalty. I should know."
"That is the proof that we need!" PrinceMamemon declared, pointing his finger at the aristocrat. "Mercuremon, you are to be placed under arrest."
"What?!" Mercuremon demanded, scowling. He looked at Fujinmon for help. "We made a deal, Commander!"
Fujinmon locked eyes with Mercuremon's mirror face, causing him to see his own reflection in it. "Now that Chaosdramon is gone, the Storm Commanders are taking the Metal Empire in a different direction. I apologise for the unfortunate turn of events," he politely explained to the distraught steel humanoid. "I will petition PrinceMamemon for a comfortable imprisonment befitting an aristocrat."
At this, Mercuremon's sneer turned deeper. "You… I gave you this city!"
Fujinmon calmly nodded his V-shaped head. "And now we are giving it back," he dryly answered.
"You betrayed me!" Mercuremon shouted angrily.
"I have betrayed many Digimon recently," Fujinmon nonchalantly explained to the agitated Digimon. "You shall be the last one. Guards, if you please?"
Mercuremon sneered and took another step back as the guards began to approach him. He leaned back and gripped the lavish throne behind him. The guards closed in on him and grabbed hold of his arms, quickly unfastening the Shields of Irony. As the shields dropped to the ground and his arms were held firmly, Mercuremon glowered and directed his anger towards PrinceMamemon.
"You…" he spoke in an icy, vindictive tone. "PrinceMamemon… You don't even realise it, but I have been propping you up this whole time. They were my policies that made the Mamemon Kingdom into what it is. I simply let you take all the credit. The honest truth is that you're a bumbling oaf! You can't tie your own shoes without me helping you."
PrinceMamemon's gaze hardened in response, but his lip began to quiver at the hurtful words of someone who he once considered a friend.
Mercuremon glared at PrinceMamemon furiously. "You're a sham of a king! You are an inept, ridiculous, rotund half-wit! The sad part is that you actually believe that you're royalty! KingEtemon made you believe that obvious lie as a part of a practical joke, and you fell for it completely!" he shouted, venting his years of built up frustration against the monarch. "You are a walking punch line who embarrasses himself and our state on a regular basis! You make fools of all of us by your irrational belief that the Royal Knights are actually your subordinates! It's pathetic!"
PrinceMamemon's large, yellow cheeks were puffed out and his eyes were welling up with tears. He glanced over at Dukemon, who was looking sheepish. The Royal Knight wanted to speak up in his defence, but he also couldn't deny that the Royal Knights weren't his subordinates.
PrinceMamemon sniffed, but he hardened his resolve. "I… I'm aware that I am not perfect…" he stated, looking directly at Mercuremon with wet but determined eyes. "H-However! …Though he may not necessarily be my subordinate… Alphamon has taught me a very valuable lesson. He taught me the meaning of being a good leader! He said that it is my duty to look out for the interests of the Digimon that I am responsible for. And that means looking after the citizens of the Mamemon Kingdom," PrinceMamemon stated with newfound resolve. "I may not know all of the answers, and I may be a flighty oaf, but I care about my citizens. I want to try to be a good leader!"
"You will never be able to hold the Mamemon Kingdom together without me helping you," Mercuremon stated.
"I… I guess I will have to take that chance," PrinceMamemon replied, looking away. A guilty look formed on his face. "I owe it to everybody to try, after all of the mistakes that I have made…"
"You—" Mercuremon began to speak up again, but he was cut off.
"Okay, that's about enough," Dukemon interrupted firmly. "Get him out of here."
Fujinmon nodded at the D-Brigade guards, who began to haul Mercuremon out of the throne room.
As they exited the large room, Dukemon walked up to PrinceMamemon and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked him, unable to help but feel bad for him after the verbal undressing he received.
PrinceMamemon released a shaky sigh. "Y-Yes…" he admitted. "I think so…" After a moment, he stared down at his boots. "I trusted Mercuremon so much… What should I do now?"
"Find your own footing," Dukemon said with a reassuring smile. "Your citizens love you. With their support and some measured confidence, you'll be fine."
PrinceMamemon smiled. "I do hope so… I… I apologise for being such a burden," he said to the Royal Knight guiltily.
"All you can do now is to do your best," Dukemon answered.
PrinceMamemon nodded and looked up at the throne before him. His cheery smile grew wider.
"…Then that is what I will do."
A day passed since the battle of Saversburg. The majority of the D-Brigade had returned to their headquarters in Facture. Only a couple formations temporarily remained in Saversburg, Haganemame City, and the Dual Chess Monarchy for logistical reasons. They would be completely out of non-Metal Empire territory within a couple days.
The D-Brigade organised in D-Central as they demobilized from warfare. They dutifully followed their Storm Commanders' orders.
Raijinmon walked beside Suijinmon quietly. He strode at a relaxed pace that allowed Suijinmon to keep up with him. They walked away from the large military base of D-Central. They headed down a metal road that led towards a bridge spanning the Rust River. Before they could reach the sturdy bridge, the two commanders turned down a street that ran parallel to the river.
After a few minutes of walking, they stopped at the riverside. The two stood in silence as they looked over the city from their riverside view.
The sun shone over the city of Facture. The metallic buildings and roads all shone radiantly as the sun's rays rebounded off of the lustrous metals. The tranquil, flowing water of the Rust River shimmered as well. A calm air hovered over the normally busy, industrial city. The whole of Facture seemed to have a sunny glow to it.
Raijinmon serenely folded his Blitz Arms behind his back as he stood beside Suijinmon and enjoyed the view. He stood there, allowing himself to appreciate the beauty of the urban scenery. After a moment, he turned his calm gold eyes towards Suijinmon.
"Facture seems different today, doesn't it?" he mused to his friend.
Suijinmon stared out across the water of the river, enjoying the calming flow of the liquid as it channelled through the city towards the Delta Ocean. He closed his eyes thoughtfully. "Yes, it does. Somehow," he concurred, although he felt a little uneasy. "I cannot quite place why that is…"
"It is because Facture is finally free…" a soft voice spoke.
Raijinmon and Suijinmon both turned their bodies towards the voice. They watched as Fujinmon descended from the sky and lightly touched down beside them. Upon landing, Fujinmon turned towards the other two Strom Commanders with an easy gaze.
"Fujinmon, you're back," Raijinmon acknowledged. "How did everything go in the Mamemon Kingdom?"
"It went well. PrinceMamemon is back in power, but he has been thoroughly humbled by the experience. We are conceding control over the kingdom back to them. The D-Brigade stationed there is preparing to exfiltrate," Fujinmon explained.
"Good," Raijinmon responded.
Suijinmon quietly turned his gaze away from Fujinmon, going back to staring at the river. The slender, green cyborg picked up on Suijinmon's silence.
"Err… Suijinmon…" Fujinmon tentatively spoke with guilt accentuating his voice.
"Yes, Fujinmon?" Suijinmon stoically responded, not turning to look at him.
Fujinmon released a sigh and took a step towards him. "I am sorry for some of the things that I have done. I didn't want to betray your trust…" he offered diplomatically.
Suijinmon didn't respond at first. He was intent on keeping up his icy demeanour. However, his resolve weakened and he glanced towards Fujinmon. "No… I understand…" he admitted. "I was hurt at first, but I…" Suijinmon winced. "I understand that getting rid of Chaosdramon was the right thing to do…"
"I'm a little surprised to hear you say that, Suijinmon…" Fujinmon calmly responded.
"I blinded myself to his true nature… I chose to look the other way…" Suijinmon answered. "It was easier to follow him loyally than it was to form my own, difficult opinions. …However… when I saw what he was doing to my soldiers – our soldiers… - I couldn't hide myself from the truth any longer…" the Waterfall Commander admitted. "I suppose I am afraid of the concept of change. I like order and I like being loyal. Being loyal meant being safe…" he explained with a faint softness to his usual, stoic voice. Suijinmon looked at Fujinmon meaningfully. "…More than change, I am afraid of losing the people I care about. That was why I resisted at first, but that was also why I felt compelled to act ultimately."
"We are glad that you joined us, Suijinmon," Fujinmon said to him, going and placing his Blitz Arm on Suijinmon's shoulder. To his relief, Suijinmon allowed him to touch him without any complaint.
"I am glad that I joined you as well…" Suijinmon rumbled deeply. He frowned and turned his gaze down to the river. "However, I am nervous… Chaosdramon is gone. There is nobody to tell us what to do. The decisions rest on our shoulders alone…"
"I find that something of a relief, personally," Raijinmon stated, turning and looking at Fujinmon.
"As do I," Fujinmon concurred.
"Even so…" Suijinmon spoke. "What do we do now?"
"Well, it is up to us to decide," Raijinmon stated, placing his metal hands on his hips proudly. "We are the Storm Triumvirate, after all."
Fujinmon released a laugh. "You named us already?" he asked his golden comrade with a relaxed, light-hearted glint in his red eyes. "Have you been saving that one up?"
"No…" Raijinmon murmured, glancing away sheepishly.
"I like it," Suijinmon softly replied. "Now… Onto practical matters…"
Raijinmon nodded. He gazed across the river to Chaosdramon's massive, riverside palace. "First of all, that palace has to go… It is a symbol of Chaosdramon's reign, and that space could be put to more practical use," he suggested.
"It would be a waste of money to demolish it completely…" Fujinmon stated.
"Perhaps we could make it into a public administration building?" Suijinmon suggested tentatively.
"I can agree with that," Raijinmon said, nodding optimistically.
"So can I," Fujinmon stated. "May I also suggest that we free all of the political prisoners and remove the curfew?"
"That is a good idea as well," Raijinmon concurred. "We should also begin to liberate free speech and scale back the D-Brigade's Special Task Force."
"Very well," Suijinmon agreed, his mind working quickly to keep up with all of the proposed new ideas. "But we can't just throw these ideas out there. We can't move too quickly. Too many reforms at once would be destabilizing. I believe that we should make these reforms in moderation based off priority and pragmatism. We also need to formalize them in writing," he complained. "These proposals need a thorough going over if they are to be effective in practice."
Raijinmon chuckled softly. "You're so fastidious, Suijinmon," he stated light-heartedly. "We will, I promise. We're just brainstorming at this point."
"Even so…" Suijinmon responded.
"It is to be expected of the Thunderclap Commander," Fujinmon joked.
The three Storm Commanders continued to talk animatedly about their plans for the Metal Empire. There was a relaxed atmosphere around them as they were finally free to speak their minds. It was as if a massive lodestone had been removed from them.
Although the future was uncertain, the three friends were at ease. Optimism began to creep into their cool, metal bodies once again. The future was theirs to make of it what they will. Most of all, the three Storm Commanders agreed that it needed to be much different from Chaosdramon's vision. The status quo was no longer acceptable; the fear, the oppression, and the suspicion of Chaosdramon's regime were to be relics of the past. With the spectre of Chaosdramon fading away, it was a new day in the Metal Empire.
Indeed, it was a sunny day in Facture.