(A/N: Hey, everyone. Hope you're all staying safe and healthy. The next chapter is here, and it's the start of the next arc. So, I had a few of you mention how you thought/hoped that Beelzemon would turn good, maybe even be the one that Kari was supposed to help, but, sorry, that wasn't going to happen. DOn't forget, these aren't just any old Digimon who reached the levels of Beelzemon, Belphemon, Daemon, etc, these are THEE Demon Lords, the driving force of all that's evil in the Digital World. But don't worry, they're not all just going to be the standard baddies who need to be defeated. I'll be doing some pretty interesting things with some of them. Don't want to give out any more than that. This next arc though is going to get very interesting; I'm sure you'll like it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 133: Temptation

A deep sigh escaped Laylamon as she watched Beelzemon X's defeat on the screen of a HiVisionMonitamon. Sitting back on her chair, she rested her chin in her open palm and pouted at having witnessed the fall of the Demon Lord of Gluttony.

"Ho-hum," she muttered. "So much for that. I can't believe Beelzemon let himself get defeated like that. And after all I did for him. And now Zhuqiaomon is free and the Demon Lords are down to four. What a nuisance."

Beside her, Blastmon gave her an inquisitive look. "What now, my lady?"

Laylamon sighed. "I guess I'll just have to deal with the humans myself. And it was such fun manipulating Beelzemon. I'm going to miss it."

The mineral Digimon hesitated before speaking. "My lady, you are aware that Lord Beelzemon was aware that you were using him and that he was letting you, right?"

She just chuckled at that. "Of course. But that just makes it all the sweeter. Someone knows you're manipulating them, but they still can't resist playing right into your hands. I love it." Her smirk became a frown. "And don't call him 'Lord' Beelzemon. He's not the lord of anything anymore."

Blastmon nodded. "As you wish, my lady. So, what are you going to do now?"

She tapped her chin in thought before slipping her finger into her mouth in a very suggestive manner and smiling. "I was entertaining the idea of possibly creating my own team to face them. That could be interesting to watch. And I have a few ideas of who I could get to fight for me."

Blastmon stood up straighter. "I would be honored to fight on your behalf."

Laylamon chuckled. "I'm sure you would, but you're no match for the Guardians." She reached out to the screen, and HiVisionMonitamon resisted the urge to shrink away. "If only I could get my hands on that power, then I…"

She trailed off, and her eyes widened. A thoughtful smile appeared on her face, and it soon grew into one of cruelty.

"Yes," she purred. "Yes, that would be most beneficial. To have one or more of these humans stand beside me. Not only would it bring down the spirits of their little group, but also those of all of the Digimon placing their hopes and dreams in their hands."

A grin spread across Blastmon's face. "An excellent suggestion, my lady. Very few can resist your charms. Only those with the greatest of willpower can resist your temptations. Well, that and one other thing."

"Indeed," the Demon Lord acknowledged. She looked at each of the teens on the screen, and her tongue darted out to lick her lips. "I think I'll give them a few days to enjoy their victory before I make my move. After that, they're mine."

Blastmon snickered, knowing what his mistress intended to do, having seen it before. And she made good on her promise three days later after the teens had settled for the night. The older human, the one with the Agumon for a partner, had already taken his leave of the group two days prior, but Laylamon didn't care about him, setting her sights on the ones with the powers of the Guardians.

"Hmm," she muttered thoughtfully as she looked at each of the teens on screen. "Who should I pick first?"

Blastmon didn't answer. He knew it was a rhetorical question, and he also knew that his mistress had already made a decision.

The smile on Laylamon's face grew wider as she tapped the screen over Takato's sleeping face. "Yes, you will do nicely. The now strongest member of the group, but ironically the most weak willed. Lets see just how strong you really are."

Her eyes began to glow, and she began waving her hands around. The Crown of Lust appeared in front of her and a pink aura surrounded her hands as she cast her dark spell of seduction.

"Come to me," she whispered, her voice taking on a mystical, seductive tone. "You can't resist me. Give in to my temptations. You want me. You desire me. I consume your every thought. You will do anything to please me. Accept me now."

Blastmon chuckled. He had witnessed his mistress do this before. It was a powerful seduction spell that would make others subservient to her, a slave to their lust for her. It worked best on males, but could also work on females. This poor little human wouldn't stand a chance.

But as Laylamon worked her magic, much to Blastmon's surprise, nothing was happening. The boy just kept right on sleeping. Laylamon's eyes stopped glowing, as did her hands, and she gave the screen a confused look as the Crown of Lust disappeared. "What is this? My spell did not take hold. Why? What is blocking me?"

She held her hand out to the screen, and her eyes began glowing again as she concentrated on her target harder. And image suddenly flashed before her eyes of a young girl with reddish-brown hair. She had a kind smile and, for some reason, wore a sock puppet on her hand.

A scowl crossed Laylamon's face as the image disappeared and she realized what the problem was. "Ah, I see. This girl, this… Jeri, she's the reason my spell isn't taking hold. Love, what a disgusting emotion."

Blastmon shifted uncomfortably, fearful of Laylamon's wrath. As the Demon Lord of Lust, she was able to use others' desires against them as a way to control them. Lust, when used affectively, could be a powerful weapon, and she used it to consume her victims' thoughts and make them her slaves.

But love, that was something else. It was connected to lust, but it was something more, something stronger. And it was why Laylamon's lust spell couldn't affect those in love. It tended to enrage the Demon Lord, as it was beyond her power, and Blastmon had seen her fly into a rage on more than one occasion when her spell was rendered powerless due to love.

"No matter," Blastmon told her, knowing he risked her turning her anger on him, "there are several others you can still enslave. Don't worry about the one who is immune."

A low growl escaped the Demon Lord, but she seemed convinced by his words. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I may not be able to take the strongest, but I can take their leader. And he's the second strongest. Yes, this may even work out better."

Blastmon relaxed as she began to work her magic on the one called Tai. His relief was short-lived, however, as he watched his mistress' face twist into an angry snarl.

"Him as well!?" she seethed. "Two of these humans have someone they love!? How infuriating!"

The mineral Digimon gulped nervously. In front of Laylamon, the HiVisionMonitamon was visibly shaking. He didn't blame the LCD Digimon for being nervous; he had seen numerous HiVisionMonitamon, Monitamon, and SakutekiMonitamon perish at her hands when she did not like what she had seen on screen.

"Then how about Shoutmon, my lady," Blastmon said quickly. "Without their guide, the humans will be running around blindly. And just think, the Digimon King, slave to the Demon Lord of Lust. It would be quite-"

"Silence, Blastmon!" Laylamon snapped, and the mineral Digimon immediately fell silent. She tapped her claws against her cheek for a few moments before nodding in acknowledgement. "You are correct though, that would be quite beneficial."

Third time was a charm, or so Blastmon told himself. Despite Shoutmon being a beast type to Laylamon's humanoid type, her spell should still take affect. And he greatly doubted that the dragon Digimon would have the willpower to resist his mistress. The only thing that would stop her spell was-

"A Renamon!" Laylamon suddenly raged. "My spell stopped by a random Renamon he met briefly nearly a year ago! And a mere crush to boot!"

The mineral Digimon winced. This was not good. Laylamon was close to losing control, and Blastmon desperately looked at the teens on screen for a suitable target. "What about the girl?" he said quickly. "She's the sister of their leader. To enslave her would affect him, and in turn affect the group. I know your spell does not work as well or as often on females as it does with males, but it is worth trying."

Laylamon hissed angrily, but decided that he was right, and turned her power on Kari. For some reason, Blastmon knew what was going to happen before it did.

"Love!" Laylamon raged. "Love, love everywhere! Does each of these humans have someone special in their world? There must be one of them I can affect!"

In a fury, she turned her spell on one after the other. Each time, however, she was met by the same resistance, the face of the one they held in their heart blocking her spell.

"All of them!" she bellowed. "Every single one of them is immune! I despise love!"

She let out an angry shriek and instantly destroyed the HiVisionMonitamon. Blastmon shrank back, fearful of getting caught up in her wrath as well. He let the Demon Lord rage, knowing there was nothing he could do or say to calm her.

Laylamon's tantrum lasted for several long minutes. She finally began to calm down after doing extensive damage to the room before she dropped into her throne with a huff as her claws dug into the armrests.

"Love," she seethed, "such a despicable emotion. It's only ever been a thorn in my side. The only consolation is that it can lead to a broken heart." A humorous smirk briefly crept up her face. "I hope that boy suffers from it greatly."

Blastmon dared to approach her, albeit cautiously. "Which boy, my lady?"

"The annoying one who actually deludes himself into thinking his love will bear fruit. What I sensed between his love rival and his love interest is some of the strongest love I've ever felt, or at least it will be one day, and that's really saying something. It's the kind of love that would make you believe in soul mates." She chuckled cruelly. "That boy is going to feel the pain of rejection and heartbreak, no doubt about it. But that's the cost of being on the odd end of a love triangle. I hope he gets his heart trampled on."

Blastmon could see that she was still not happy about her spells failing. "I'm sorry your plan didn't work, my lady."

Laylamon let out an irritated grunt and said nothing, but as she sat there fuming, a new idea came to her. She immediately summoned a one of her servants, and a SakutekiMonitamon fearfully made its way over to her.

The image of the teens sleeping with Takuya taking his turn as lookout appeared on the screen, and Laylamon zeroed in on Davis. She kneaded her lowered lip in thought as she looked at his sleeping face before a cruel smirk crept up her face. "Hmm, perhaps I can still make use of this one after all. Being the odd man out in a love triangle invites much jealousy. I can use jealousy."

Blastmon cocked his head to the side. "Wouldn't that be more of Lord Leviamon's area? Jealousy is more of a form of envy."

Laylamon chuckled. "True, but it is related to lust as well, especially when feelings are involved. Jealousy can spur one on to act on their desires, sometimes in rather cruel ways. Yes, I think I can make this work. It won't be the same as making him my little love slave, but it will suit our purpose."

It was a great relief to see his mistress' anger fade away, and he relaxed. "What is the plan, my lady?"

The Demon Lord licked her lips as she stared at Davis' image. "This might actually work out even better. Rather than simply enchanting him and making him my slave, I can bring forth a betrayal that will completely break down the spirit and morality of their little group." She rubbed her hands together eagerly. "This is going to be most delightful indeed."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Davis quietly stoked the fire during his shift as he reflected on everything that had happened over the past several days. Things had been crazy, that was for sure. Meeting another human, reuniting with Grani, losing him, Takato Digivolving, defeating a Demon Lord, freeing a Sovereign, and, finally, saying goodbye to Marcus and Agumon.

His thoughts turned to the two of them. It was a shame that they didn't come along; they could have really used their help, especially since they were apparently able to use each other to easily reach Burst Mode; that would have been really useful. But at the same time, he understood their reasoning for their leaving. The Demon Lords weren't the only villains out there; many of their servants were causing trouble and needed to be stopped. And Davis had the utmost faith in them to take down any enemy they came across. And who knew, maybe the two of them would actually end up taking down a Chaos General.

It was still a shame they hadn't been able to spend more than a few days together. As much as Davis liked and cared about his friends, it had still been nice to have another human around. Marcus was most definitely an interesting fellow, despite his obsession with fighting.

Still, he couldn't understand why Marcus had decided to live out the rest of his life in the Digital World rather than return to the human world, no matter how long he had been here. He understood to an extent, but didn't the guy want to see his family again after all this time, even if they did think he was dead and had moved on with their lives? Davis for one couldn't wait to return home and see his parents again, no matter how cool the Digital World was. Heck, he even missed his annoying older sister and all the trouble she gave him.

But that was him, and Marcus was Marcus. They each had to live their own lives. Davis would miss the guy, Agumon too, but at least they'd had a grand send off. Once the village residents had returned after Beelzemon X's defeat, they had thrown a massive celebration in thanks for not only saving their village and their lives, but also for taking down a third Demon Lord. It was quite a different reaction from the village that had been destroyed be Ornismon's attack. Davis hoped that, in time, despite the loss of their village, those Digimon would come to see that they had done right.

"Mind if I join you?"

Davis let out a startled yelp, and the stick he had been stoking the fire with sprang into the air when he jumped, sending a piece of orange glowing ember into the air. It came down and landed in his lap, and Davis cried out as his crotch began to smoke.

A hand clamped over Davis' mouth to prevent him from screaming. "Shh. Don't wake your comrades. I swear I didn't mean to scare you."

Davis quickly brushed the hot ember out of his lap and then turned to see who had snuck up on him while he was lost in thought. He relaxed, however, when he saw that it was a non-threatening looking Digimon with a TV for a head. He didn't lower his guard though, having learned several times that appearances could be deceiving when it came to Digimon.

"Who are you?" he whispered, keeping his voice low but stern. "What are you doing here?"

The Digimon held up his hands, showing that he wasn't a threat. "I mean you no harm. I just saw your fire and hoped you'd offer me some of its warmth. My name is Monitamon. What's yours?"

Davis studied the TV Digimon for a few moments before deciding that he was indeed harmless and took his hand off his Digivice. "I'm Davis. Sorry for being so jumpy."

Monitamon nodded. "I understand completely. You can never be too careful."

A smile crept up Davis' face. "No, I guess not. Have a seat; I'd be happy for the company." He sat down himself, and motioned for Monitamon to sit across from him on the other side of the fire. "So, what brings you here?"

The TV Digimon hesitated before letting out a sigh. "Ok, I lied. I didn't just spot your fire; I came looking for you."

Eyes narrowing, Davis was instantly in his guard again. "Looking for us?"

Monitamon shook his head. "No, not them, just you. I have a message for you, and you specifically. It's a private message, so that's why I'm coming to you now while your friends are asleep."

Davis raised an eyebrow. "A message? For me?"

The TV Digimon nodded. "Yes, from my master. Let's go over here so we don't wake you friends."

As Monitamon began to walk away, Davis stood up, but did not follow. "No, it's fine. Whatever the message is, you can tell us all."

Monitamon shook his head. "I'm not allowed to give it to them. You can tell them what the message says if you want to after I've given it to you, but I am to give it to you and you alone. Now come on, this won't take long."

Davis glanced at his friends, then back at the TV Digimon. "How do I know this isn't a trick?"

Monitamon laughed. "What, you think that little old me can hurt you, someone who has the power of a Guardian? That's ridiculous. Now let's go. If you don't come now, then I'll just come back night after night until you let me deliver the message."

He began walking away. Davis hesitated, wondering if he should follow. He didn't detect any other Digimon nearby, and after quickly checking Monitamon out on his Digivice, he decided that he would be able to handle things if the TV Digimon tried anything, so he followed after him.

They walked about a dozen yards from the campsite before Monitamon turned around to face him. "This should be far enough. My master shall now deliver her message."

The screen on his monitor turned on, and a static screen appeared. There was the sound of a conversation going on that Davis couldn't make out, and so he leaned in closer. "Um, hello?"

"Huh? Oh it's on," came a somewhat familiar female voice from the monitor. "What's wrong with this thing? Work, you, work!"

Davis raised an eyebrow as it sounded like the person on the other side was hitting their TV, or, to be more precise, their Monitamon. The picture cleared once or twice before the static screen finally went away, and the image of Laylamon appeared on it. "Ah, there we go. It's about time."

"Laylamon!" Davis exclaimed, his hand going to his Digivice.

She smiled at him. "Hello, little human. So nice to see you again. Davis, was it?"

The boy in question turned his angry gaze on Monitamon. "So this was a trick!"

Monitamon waved his arms. "No, I'm just here to deliver a message I swear!"

The Demon Lord chuckled. "He speaks the truth. Right now, I'm snuggled up in my castle. I knew you wouldn't speak to me if I came in person, so this is the only way we can speak. You see, I have an offer for you."

Davis snorted. "What? You want us to surrender to you? Forget it, you succubus. We're not stopping."

She didn't seem bothered by his comment. "I actually find that name to be a compliment. But no, I'm not here to negotiate your surrender. You and your friends are going to have to die. Nothing is going to change that. But that doesn't mean we can't help each other out in different areas in the meantime."

Davis' eyes widened, and he couldn't help it as his gaze took in her curves. A blush stained his cheeks, and he shook his head. "I'm… I'm not interested in finding out how you came to embody lust."

The Demon Lord blinked, as if she didn't understand, but then threw her head back and laughed loudly when she realized what direction his thoughts had taken. "As interesting as it would be to… experience a human, that is not what I was referring to. What I meant was that you could provide me with some entertainment, the kind you would find very appealing."

Davis frowned. "That doesn't sound any less suggestive."

A vein throbbed in Laylamon's head. "That is not the kind of entertainment I was referring to. I would normally encourage your thought process, but I must ask that you get your mind out of the gutter for now. Besides, I highly doubt that you could satisfy me."

A scowl crossed Davis' face at the insult. "I'm about to change the channel, unless you quit beating around the bush and just tell me what you want to tell me."

Laylamon's clawed finger tapped against her armrest impatiently. "I see that you have no taste for foreplay. The girls won't like that." She sighed. "Very well, I'll get to the point. I've been watching you and your little friends, and I've taken a special interest in you."

Davis couldn't believe he was having a conversation like this with a Demon Lord of all people. "That still sounds suggestive. What kind of interest?"

"Hmm…" Laylamon muttered thoughtfully. "A bit of an underdog support interest, I guess you could say."

"Hey, I'm no underdog! I'm the star player!"

She just smirked at his reaction. "Do not lie to yourself. It will only make it harder on yourself when you realize that what you desire will never be yours."

"What are you talking about?"

She ran her tongue over her lips in a suggestive manner. "I'm talking about your feelings for the girl you covet. The one you delude yourself into thinking will ever return your affections."

Davis grabbed Monitamon and began shaking him as he yelled at the Demon Lord on screen. "Hey, Kari loves me! I know she does!"

An amused chuckle escaped the Laylamon. "But of course she does. She loves you as a dear friend, just as she does the others in your little group. But she doesn't love you the way you want, in the way you feel about her. As the Demon Lord of Lust, I'm able to sense the feelings one has for another, including the kind of feelings they have and how deeply for them they feel."

He stopped shaking Monitamon, and a low growl escaped him. "Yeah… well… maybe she doesn't love me that way yet, but I'll win her over time."

Smirking, Laylamon leaned back in her seat and began tapping her fingers together. "And that's where the lies you tell yourself stem from. You delude yourself into thinking that you can actually win her affection. Such a foolish boy. If you could sense what I sense, you would realize how impossible it was."

She sighed nonchalantly. "Perhaps it's a form of denial on your part, maybe to avoid the pain of rejection you know you'll face deep down. But they are still lies, nevertheless. In spite of your display of affection for her, you've never really given her a true genuine confession, have you? All you've ever done is make off-handed comments to make your affection known. I'm right about that, aren't I?"

She waited for a response, but she didn't get one. Davis did look rather irritable though, only now for a different reason. It was all the answer Laylamon needed, and a look of triumph appeared on her face. "Just as I thought, you've haven't. That's because you know that if you did, that if you ever confessed to her seriously and not in a joking manner, that she would turn you down, because she will never feel for you the way you feel about her, and you know it. Even if she could, do you really think she would go for someone who looks and acts so much like her brother? Do you not think she would find that to be an incredible turnoff? Or have you closed your eyes to that as well?"

Davis looked away. He wanted to argue with her, but he couldn't. She was hitting home in ways he never wanted to think about or accept. His expression became somewhat pained, and Laylamon's eyes twinkled with a cruel merriment.

"And if that weren't enough," she continued mockingly, "she has feelings for another. No, more than feelings of mere affection, but something much deeper and stronger. What more, those feelings are reciprocated just as intensely, and only the circumstances of your little group being lost in this world are preventing their love from bearing fruit."

Seeming to enjoy the emotional turmoil she was causing, she leaned in closer. "She will never return your feelings. You know she won't. And you'll have to watch as her love and his continues to grow and blossom. What a sad, sorry fate for you."

Davis finally looked back at her, his pain shifting to anger. "What do you know of love? You're a Demon Lord, a pure evil embodiment of darkness. You probably don't even believe in love."

A somewhat irritated look crossed Laylamon's face. "That's where you're wrong. I do believe in it. In fact, I have a deeper understanding of love than most do. I am the Demon Lord of Lust, and lust and desire are both a part of love. So yes, I do believe in love, and I find it absolutely sickening."

Again, Davis wanted to argue, but again, couldn't bring himself to as he realized that she was probably right. Letting go of Monitamon's monitor, he took a step back. "Is this why you're here? To stomp on my feelings?"

The Demon Lord smirked. "As much as I would enjoy seeing you sink into despair over a broken heart, there's something else I'm more interested in. Therefore, I've decided to help you out."

Davis blinked. "What?"

"I said that I'm willing to help you get the girl of your dreams."

He stared, completely flabbergasted, unable to comprehend what she was saying. "Wait, what? Why would you help me?"

She leaned back again. "Why? Because I find it entertaining. As the Demon Lord of Lust, I take a genuine interest in certain matters of the heart, particularly when it comes to one's desires. It would be most amusing to watch you steal that girl away and win her affections for yourself. Lust has been known to break up many couples. I would love to see it play out between the three of you. And if I need to offer a little assistance to get those results, then I wouldn't mind offering my assistances."

Davis gulped, still unable to believe this was happening. "You would actually help your enemy this way? Someone you're trying to kill, and who is trying to kill you? I find that very hard to believe."

A sigh escaped her. "I already said that your deaths will come in time. However, there is no reason why I can't have some fun with you before that times comes. Just think of it, a real chance to obtain the object of your affections, until your time of death arrives of course. It sounds quite tempting, doesn't it?"

A scowl suddenly crossed Davis' face. "I'm not using a love spell or love potion on her or anything. That's fake love, and I won't have it."

Amusement shined in Laylamon's eyes. "An interesting proposal, but not what I had in mind. This is something for you."

"For me?"

"Indeed. Monitamon, show him."

The TV Digimon held something out to Davis. He hesitantly took it. It looked like a small dark purple vile; the silhouette of a shapeless mass could be seen moving around inside.

Davis looked back at Laylamon. "What is this?"

She motioned to the vile. "Something that can help you to get what you want. With this, you'll be able to have the girl for yourself. And before you ask, no, it's not an aphrodisiac, although I could offer one if you want."

Davis grasped the vile in his hand and smirked arrogantly at Laylamon. "Ha! Nice try. What is it really? A poison? Some evil spell? Did you really think I would just take this?"

Laylamon humphed. "Don't be stupid. If it were anything like that, I could have had Monitamon administer it to you a number of more practical ways, or simply had him sneak up and kill you. Unfortunately, with all the trouble you and your little friends have caused, when we do finally kill you, we have to make an example out of you to make sure no one else follows in your footsteps."

She nodded at the vile in Davis' hand. "So no, it's nothing harmful. However, it must be taken willingly in order for it to have any affect. You must know what it is and want it, or else it won't work, so I can't even lie to you about it. And no, it's not a spell or anything; you will be in complete control of yourself. But I can assure you, with this, you'll be able to get the girl."

She shook her finger at him. "Bare in mind though, it will still be up to you to get what you desire. This will merely help you to get it. But if you accept it, you will be able to get everything you want, even more than just the girl of your dreams if you desire it." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Or don't. The only thing I would get out of this is some entertainment in watching the drama of your love triangle unfold. It would be amusing to see, but I can certainly live without it. If you decide you would rather lose the girl of your dreams to another man, then simple return the vile to Monitamon, and this transaction will come to an end. Whatever you do decide though, we will still remain enemies."

Davis stared at her for several long moments before looking back at the vile. "You're serious about this thing?"

"Of course. Like I said, it's a bit of a hobby for me, nothing more. Despite the fact that I'm helping you, I'm actually doing it for my own personal interest, not as a kindness for you."

He glanced back at the vile. This had to be a trick of some sort. There was no way one of his greatest enemies would help him this way. But then again, she did say that it was for her own interest and entertainment, and that they would still be enemies. Being the Demon Lord of Lust, her interest in relationships did make sense. And as she pointed out, if this was meant to harm him, there were a significant number of easier and more practical ways of doing it, ones that wouldn't rely on him actually trusting her.

"What does this stuff do?" he asked suspiciously, even as his curiosity was quipped against his will."

Laylamon tapped her chin in thought. "Hmm, how to put it in a way you would understand. I suppose you can say it's an amplifier of sorts."

Davis raised an eyebrow. "You mean like a performance enhancement drug? Like steroids?"

Now it was Laylamon's turn to look confused. "I do not know what a… steroid is, but no, not a drug. It's meant to give you a little push to help make your dreams come true and give you what you want. I suppose you could say that it fills in the areas you lack that prevent you from achieving your goals. It will also give you a certain insight that you currently lack." She started to look impatient. "Now, if you're done asking questions, hurry up and make a decision; my interest is beginning to wane. Either you're going to give me a show and get something out of it, or not. What will it be?"

He looked back at the vile and the swirling silhouette inside. Was it possible? Could she actually help him land Kari? She didn't appear to be lying. He still wasn't sure about trusting Laylamon, but if she was telling him the truth, then whatever was in this vile would enable him to get his crush. This could be just what he needed to get her away from TK and return his feelings. His only chance even.

Should he use it? If it was what Laylamon said it was and did what she said it did, shouldn't he give it a shot? From the sound of it, it was supposed to help him along, like some kind of mystical wingman or something. And why shouldn't he have a little help? It wasn't fair that Kari never looked at him and only had eyes for TK.

This could be what he needed to get her to look at him in a different light. And it wasn't like he was doing anything wrong. Other people used certain methods and strategies to attract their love interests, or at least gain their attention to see them as something more than a friend. Natural good looks, makeup, charisma, seduction techniques, makeovers, there were many ways to gain one's affection. This was just supposed to give him what he needed. That's all this was supposed to be, wasn't it? So why shouldn't he take advantage of it? He deserved it, didn't he, after everything he had done.

He ran his thumb over the seal of the vile. Inside, the silhouette of the mass began to swirl about more erratically. Was it reacting to his thoughts? Laylamon had said that he needed to take it willingly. And he wanted to. If it was really what she said it was, he definitely wanted what she promised it could provide him.

Grasping the vile in his hand, he threw the vile to the ground. It shattered, and a small wisp of blackness seeped out and began to float away. Davis looked back at Laylamon and glared at her. The Demon Lord merely raised an eyebrow at him. "I take it that you're turning down my gift?"

"It's temptation," Davis told her. "That's your specialty, right? If that stuff really would have done what you said it could do, then yeah, I could admit that I would want it. But even then, I can't bring myself to take it. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I won that way. I want Kari to love me for me, exactly the way I am. Not because of some magic, or whatever that stuff was, and not because I've been 'enhanced' in any way. So, sorry to burst your bubble, but you're going to have to find your entertainment elsewhere."

He puffed out his chest and held his head up high, feeling proud of himself. He expected Laylamon to be angry; after all, the Demon Lords did not go for defiance. He was surprised, however, to see that there was an amused twinkle in her eye.

"No, little human," she told him. "I think you will be providing me with a great deal of entertainment from now on."

Davis blinked. "What?"

He saw the reflection of something moving on Monitamon's screen, and turned around. A mass of blackness was swirling before him. He suddenly realized that it was the wisp of darkness that had slipped out of the broken vile, only much bigger, and suddenly smashing it didn't seem like such a good idea anymore, even if he had been trying to make a statement.

The wave of darkness suddenly fell over him, and Davis cried out loudly. His skin began to tingle unpleasantly all over as he felt the darkness seeping into him "What is this!? What's happening!?"

"Exactly what I said would happen," Laylamon told him. "Soon you'll be able to obtain everything you desire."

He looked back at the screen as he felt something, a sensation he couldn't describe, flow through his body. "But… you said that I had to take it… willingly…"

Laylamon's smirk widened as Monitamon began backing away from him. "And so you did. Before you smashed it. You wanted it, and what it offered. That was enough to draw it to you, even if you did end up rejecting it in the end."

A horrified gasp escaped Davis as he realized for the first time just how dangerous temptation and lust could be. He had always considered it to be the lowest of the Seven Deadly Sins, but as it turned out, even a single lustful thought, a single moment of giving into temptation, was enough to start someone down a dark path, even if it wasn't intentional.

"Don't fret," Laylamon's voiced rang out from the darkness. "What I told you before was the truth. Soon you'll have everything you want. Nothing will stop you from getting all you desire. Not even you."

The darkness completely filled Davis, and with it came thoughts and possibilities he had never had before, never would have even considered even if he had. And somewhere in the midst of all these thoughts, a memory surfaced. The memory was of his reading with AncientWisemon, about how he must give up on his futile feelings for Kari, otherwise the Demon Lords would use them against him, and he would end up betraying his friends. That no longer seemed like such an impossibility the way it had back then. And in response to this realization, a single thought ran through Davis' head.

'I don't care.'

(A/N: Yes, it's exactly what you're thinking. I've had several people send me requests for having one of the group become the Digimon Emperor. Ironically, this has been in the works since pretty much the beginning? What, did you think I just had the love triangle between Kari, TK, and Davis as an unimportant side-plot? Nope, wrong! That was always going to play a part of the story, it just had to stay in the background until the right time. Well, that time is now. Davis really should have heeded the advise AncientWisemon gave him, but he had been convinced that he would never betray his friends. Not that you can blame him for thinking that way, he never saw this coming. If someone offered you something that could get you something you really wanted, if it really did what that person said it could do, wouldn't you want it, at least on a subconscious level? That's basically what happened. Basically, Davis wanted what Laylamon offered, but didn't agree to take it. However, simply wanting it was enough to activate the darkness. I did it this way to make his betrayal seem believable. Stay tuned, because things are really going to escalate from here.)

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