Garummon was charging towards Velgemon before the Warrior of Light could even begin to consider what was happening. His fangs were bared, and there was little coherence to his thought process. He just wanted the battle to be over, and the only way to do that was to fend Velgemon off. His mind was spinning with anticipation over the battle against his opposite. The sudden arrival of his Beast Spirit had certainly caught him by surprise, and despite the adrenaline rushing through his body like a tidal wave over a sandy shore, he was exhausted. He was still feeling the pain of his first encounter against Duskmon that day, and he wanted to block out the world for just a while longer. He needed desperately to have a moment to himself to think all of this over, and yet, the universe had decided not to provide him with that. Just his fucking luck.
Garummon had never been the type to downplay the breakdowns that could be caused by the arrival of a Beast Spirit, and he was glad that he hadn't been foolish enough to ignore what they were capable of. He could barely bring himself to focus, and he was only concentrating on the fight at hand by zeroing in on Velgemon's feathered form. If he finished the fight, he would be able to enjoy the luxury of relaxation. Until then, he was going to have to stay focused. Everyone else was exhausted too, and they needed him if they were going to win.
Still, Garummon's focus was nowhere near being strong enough to keep him from giving in to his own memories. He could barely tell the difference between what was real and imagined, and he felt as if he was leaving the ground despite knowing that he was still rooted in the dust below. A familiar picture danced behind his eyes, and Garummon had to resist the urge to glare at the brutality of his own reminiscence.
The woman in the photo on his desk had black hair and a ponytail just above the back of her neck. Her smile was kind, and her eyes were as blue as sapphires, as pure as the ocean and as loving as any mother ought to be. It was because of her hairstyle in that photo that Koji had chosen to wear his hair in a ponytail so often. It helped him to feel as if he was connected to her even if she was gone.
His mother had died in a car accident when he was too young to remember her. Years ago, he had found the photograph by luck, realizing that his father had been hiding it from him. Kousei Minamoto was a stubborn man, and he was all too fast to move on from the loss of his wife. He seemed almost glad to welcome another woman into his life even as his son grieved for the mother that he never had the chance to know. Koji clung to the photo on his worst of days, staring at the woman's face and the way that his reflection matched up so perfectly with her features, but he always frowned with haunted eyes while she smiled back with a brightened gaze. He always shut his eyes when he realized the differences between them, and he imagined what it would feel like to have someone tenderly stroke through his hair the way that he believed a parent would have done for their struggling child.
But then Satomi had entered the picture. Kousei and Koji had never gotten along as well as a father and son should have, but Satomi had only strained their relationship further. Koji wondered how his father was able to get over his deceased lover so easily, and Kousei told him that it was all in the past. Satomi was their present, and she was going to be watching over Koji as his stepmother from then on out. Koji could still remember the pure anger that had rushed through him that day. His father had some fucking nerve to imply that his mother, the person he missed most in the world, was someone he could simply move on from. Kousei was being greedy, and Koji wouldn't let him forget it.
It seemed like each time the two spoke to each other, it ended in an argument. Their words were always filled with poison, Kousei's a result of worsening depression that only seemed to ease when Satomi appeared while Koji's were caused by the mere idea that he could move past the death of someone he hadn't been allowed to grieve for in the first place. Spiteful sentences were spat out like they were made of acid, eroding away at what little common ground the two had left. Kousei buried himself in work and Satomi to avoid having to confront how damaged his relationship with his son was, and Koji devoted his time to slashing a weapon through the air in kendo practice to release some of the anger that had mounted deep inside him.
Positive emotions had been forgotten ages ago by both of them. Kousei didn't want to relent and understand why Koji was so upset, and Koji was unwilling to accept an apology he was positive Kousei was falsifying. They never ate together or spoke more than a few words, and Satomi was the only one who had ever made an attempt to bridge that gap. She was making progress in chipping away at Kousei's stubbornness, but Koji was far more difficult to deal with. He continued to return to the photo of his mother on his desk, holding the glassy frame to his chest as he wondered what life would have been like if not for the car accident that destroyed everything. He looked at his reflection as he cried silent tears and thought about how far he had drifted away from the path that she would have wanted him to follow had she still been alive.
It was precisely why Koji never wanted to reach out to other people. They could abandon him of their own free will the way that Kousei had. They could die the way that his mother had. They could pretend to understand his agony but never quite know it fully the way Satomi had. They weren't reliable, and he hadn't ever considered connecting with those around him until Takuya and his merry band of misfits stumbled into his life beneath the ground near a train terminal in the Digital World.
Takuya.
Garummon could still feel the strike to his midsection when he focused hard enough. His Digimon form had protected him from most of the damage, but there were still a few cuts scattered all over his body, and there was a notable scar over his torso. No blood had left his veins from the injury, as Lobomon's existence had kept him from being killed on the spot, but he still hated to see it. He had only caught a trace of it while being held captive by Duskmon, but the mere idea still made him feel sick.
Garummon didn't realize how intense the power of a Beast Spirit could be until all of that came rushing back, and he snarled under his breath before forcing himself to stare at Velgemon. He couldn't lose himself to his anger. No matter how pissed off he was at Kousei or Satomi or Velgemon himself, Garummon had to stay in control. He was always the one who maintained a facade of distant detachment when others invested everything they were into something. He was safe, cautious and untrusting for the sake of survival. None of them seemed to understand their own folly in placing trust in others above themselves.
And yet, he knew that he was no better than they were. Garummon had taken the blow for Vritramon because he had come to care. He had been haunted by Izumi's unconscious form on the beach because he knew the power of his own affections. He had been filled with rage upon hearing of Yutaka's violent acts against Tomoki because he wanted to ensure that someone so kind and generous was kept safe from the harsh realities of life. He was just as foolish as the rest of them were, coming to rely on them just as much as they needed him.
Garummon would never say this out loud though. It was too much for him to admit, and he almost seemed to think that confessing to his own anxieties about losing them would make them feel all the more real. He couldn't lose anyone else. His mother was gone, but they didn't have to leave him. Damn it, he was going to make sure that nothing happened to them. In such a short period of time, he had been able to get attached to them, and he didn't think that he would ever be able to go back to being alone after devoting so much of himself to the Legendary Warriors and their allies.
Garummon growled to himself as Velgemon swept down low once again. He was forced to lunge off to the side to keep from being grabbed by the talons of the Warrior of Darkness. He turned around as soon as he was able to, and he sprung towards Velgemon with his teeth bared. He clamped down on Velgemon's wing a moment later, refusing to let go.
Garummon immediately realized that this was a mistake.
He could see the outline of someone else staring back at him among Velgemon's mass of feathers. The bird was screaming in pain, but there was another figure at the center of it all. In fact, it was a shape that Garummon recognized quite well. It was his own face, after all. Granted, the other figure had shorter hair and didn't seem to possess as much muscle as Koji did in human form, but it was still him.
Garummon wanted to retreat, but he felt as if he was stuck in place with no way of escaping. He remembered seeing the boy when he was fighting against Duskmon outside the entrance to the Continent of Darkness, and he couldn't help but wonder what the connection could have possibly been.
He didn't have the chance to wonder about what their link could have been, as just then, his mind began to spin too rapidly for him to fully process what was happening. The world melted around him, and instead, he was met with harsh memories that he knew didn't belong to him.
He was still as a statue, and light was streaming in from a doorway behind him. Garummon looked down at a woman crouched over on the ground, and her body was tight with tension and nerves. She had black hair and a ponytail at the base of her neck. Her eyes couldn't be seen, but Garummon knew that they had to be blue and shone like sapphires. His hand was pressed against a doorframe, and he realized that he had somehow taken on a human form without realizing it.
"Mom?"
The word rolled off his lips without any input from his mind, and he took a small step closer as the woman looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, it was the face of his mother, the one that he had come to recognize so well over the years. She smiled sadly, having lost all of the life that her photo contained. She seemed so much older all of a sudden as well, as if she was on the verge of falling apart at the seams. All it would take was one whisper for her body to crumble under her own eight, and both of them were aware of it.
"It's going to be alright, Koichi. You don't need to worry."
The woman rose to her feet before walking closer, and Koji's mind spun hazily at the name Koichi. He could only stand there as the woman wrapped her arms around his body, stroking absentmindedly through his shortened hair. He leaned against her shoulder as if he feared she would disappear if they weren't touching. Tears formed in his eyes, and they began to stream down his face. His shoulders jerked with a sob, and he felt the warmth of liquid on the top of his head. The woman was crying as well.
Before he knew it, the memory was gone, and Garummon was snapped back to the present. He had been thrown from Velgemon's wing without realizing it, and he slammed into the ground roughly as air was pressed free of his lungs. He yelped breathlessly before trying to push himself to his feet. Velgemon somehow seemed even more frantic than before, and his wings flapped wildly as he tried to keep himself contained. His attempts ultimately failed, and all he could do was scream into the darkened sky.
Garummon felt as if his control over his Beast Spirit was beginning to slip as well. He didn't know what it was about that memory that made him fall apart so suddenly, but he wasn't sure about if he would be able to recover. When his nerves were combined with his exhaustion, Garummon felt as if he was riding the edge of a cliff, and he was going to be pushed over the edge if he wasn't careful.
"Garummon! Can you hear me?! Garummon!"
He looked up slowly and realized that Vritramon and Cybelemon were both crouched at his side. He hadn't even noticed them at first between the buzzing anxiety just below the surface of his armor and the sheer confusion regarding his moment of connection with Velgemon. Garummon slowly nodded, but it took far more effort than it had any right to. It was a simple action, and there he was, on the verge of falling apart.
"We're getting closer to wearing him down," Cybelemon declared, but their voice was distant and echoed endlessly in Garummon's mind. "I don't know what the hell you did, but he's way less powerful than he was before, and we have to take advantage of it. I know that we're going to change back soon."
Garummon knew that they were right, and they hated how accurate it was. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he crumbled, and Velgemon was to blame. He could only hope that the same applied to Velgemon. The bird was still shrieking overhead, and his yellow eyes somehow seemed even less contained than before. There was a small amount of blood leaking from the place where Garummon had sunk his teeth in, but it wasn't enough to cause long-term damage.
Garummon slowly sunk back into a fighting position. They had to stop Velgemon at all costs, and he was determined to do whatever he had to in order to escape. He could consider his new yet foreign memory another time. In that moment, action was what mattered, and he was going to follow through with it against all odds.
Thundramon didn't give Onyxmon time to prepare after the evolution was complete. He was taking off into the air, electricity crackling along his fist, blaster, and cannon. He dove towards the Beast Spirit of Steel, and his fist made contact with their side in a powerful punch. Onyxmon stumbled, and a glare formed in their eyes. Their tail whipped around to try and strike at Thundramon, but he ducked below it before flying backwards to keep from being hit fully. Onyxmon, known for their sense of composure, began to glare at him, and their sense of control seemed to disappear from nowhere. They inhaled before letting out yet another blast of purple fire.
The next one to strike at Thundramon was Oceaniamon. She didn't seem to be ready to put her full heart into striking at Onyxmon, but that didn't stop her in the slightest. Water hit the side of the dragon roughly, but it wasn't enough to stir Onyxmon. The Warrior of Steel looked over at her, and their gaze softened for a fraction of a moment as they realized who they were looking at. However, the sign of weakness was fleeting, and it was gone just as quickly as it has appeared. The recognition that Oceaniamon had betrayed them was more than enough to convince Onyxmon to take in a breath before exhaling with purple flames.
Oceaniamon was hit hard by the attack, and she was sent backwards. Calanthemon, who had been trying to recover after carrying the battle so much, was hit by the frazzled Warrior of Water, and the pegasus began to glow before reverting back into Yumiko. She looked absolutely exhausted, but she still managed to rise to her feet as soon as Oceaniamon was off her. The Warrior of Water looked at her with wide, guilty eyes, but Yumiko shook her head and smiled in response to show that there was nothing to worry about.
Yumiko suddenly let out a gasp and pointed back towards the battlefield. "Look out!" she cried, prompting Oceaniamon to whirl around to face Onyxmon. The Warrior of Steel's eyes were glowing again, and purple pulses were spreading outwards from their eyes. They were traveling straight towards Oceaniamon and Yumiko, and there was no guarantee as to if they would have enough time to escape.
Zephyrmon suddenly swept in, and she curled her arms around Yumiko's torso before flying away. Oceaniamon managed to jump off to the right at the last moment to keep from being hit, and the shockwave wound up striking empty ground. Dust was sent flying everywhere, and Thundramon could barely see anything aside from the massive dragon in front of him.
Zephyrmon, however, wasn't going to let this stretch on as an issue for much longer. She raised her hands into the air as soon as she had set Yumiko down safely with Bokomon and Neemon. All it took was a single tide of wind to clear the area fully, and Thundramon made a mental note to thank her for that as soon as he got the chance. The dusty ground of the Continent of Darkness certainly made it hard to see at times, and the last thing they needed was for Onyxmon to take advantage of that. They were powerful enough to be a problem even without this added advantage.
"You can do this!" came a cry from Mayumi off to the side. She, Haroi, and Yumiko were all standing with Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon after having tapped out of the fight. This left only Oceaniamon, Zephyrmon, Blizzarmon (who had shifted over from Kumamon earlier in the battle), and Thundramon to somehow defeat Onyxmon. Thundramon didn't know how how they were going to stop their foe, but he wasn't about to let that stop them.
Thundramon watched as an axe came out of nowhere as soon as his attention was back on the fight. Blizzarmon had sent a blade flying, and the hilt hit the side of Onyxmon's wing. The Warrior of Steel recoiled out of reflex, and a glare filled their eyes once again. Any warmth that could have been brought on by the sight of Oceaniamon had long since disappeared, and Thundramon doubted that they would be seeing it anytime soon.
Blizzarmon's axe continued hurtling through the air, and on its way back to its owner's hand, it clipped Onyxmon's tail. This time, the blade was what made contact rather than the hilt, and an ugly gash of crimson was left to flow freely down their scales. A snarl left their lips, and a wild anger burned beneath their irises for a moment. It was gone in the blink of an eye though, and they were back in control once more before anyone had the chance to register it.
Zephyrmon pulled in her wings before diving towards Onyxmon. She directly targeted the side of their body that was regularly covered by their wing, but given that it had been struck and was out of commission, she had a free pass to do as much damage as possible. The air around her seemed to harden, and she shot towards the dragon like a torpedo. She bounced off the thick scales at first before lashing out with a downward kick and a quick slash of her claws. She didn't have the same sharpness on her side that Blizzarmon's axes did, so she wasn't able to break through Onyxmon's scales, but it was still more than enough to make the Warrior of Steel scream out with a mix of anger and pain.
Thundramon was planning on following up on Zephyrmon's stream of attacks, but he quickly came to the conclusion that he wasn't going to be able to pull it off in time. He shifted his attention instead to Onyxmon's other wing. If they were able to take out the other wing, the Warrior of Steel would have no extra appendages left to fight with. They would be left stuck on the ground, and even if they were still a threat, this was a significant step above the alternative.
Thundramon landed on the ground next to the wing, far enough away so that he was out of range from any potential strikes caused by Onyxmon. The cannon on top of his head began to spark more furiously, and a sphere of energy rocketed forth a moment later. It hit Onyxmon's wing hard, and they recoiled immediately.
In a way, it made sense. Lyramon was the type who relied heavily on their own accuracy, strength, and speed to win battles. Their defenses weren't the strongest without their shield, and even if they had far more durability while fighting as Onyxmon, the fact remained that they weren't used to taking powerful hits like that. The Warrior of Steel didn't feel heavy blows very often, but when they did, it hurt like hell. It certainly explained why Bolgmon, one of the slower yet stronger fighters among the Risen Warriors, had been able to do so much damage to Lyramon in the past.
Oceaniamon seemed to realize that it was her turn to strike next, and she raised her sapphire staff into the air as her eyes slipped closed. Tendrils of water formed from the gem, and they began to wrap around Onyxmon's body, pinning them to the ground firmly. Onyxmon struggled against her grip, but without their wings or tail, they weren't able to fully break through the bindings, leaving them to struggle angrily under the power of the Warrior of Water.
Blizzarmon came in next, and he inhaled deeply before letting out a firm exhale. Ice gathered on his breath, and it spread as soon as it made contact with the water pinning Onyxmon down. The frozen liquid only began to mount in volume until it had completely covered every inch of the blue water keeping Onyxmon in place. The Warrior of Steel could only struggle so much, but their attempts to escape were soon cut off all over again as Oceaniamon summoned more water. Blizzarmon used more ice to keep Onyxmon's wings and tail down. Even if all three of the appendages had been damaged during the battle, it was best to be safe rather than sorry given the situation.
Thundramon looked over to Blizzarmon, Oceaniamon, and Zephyrmon as Onyxmon continued to thrash angrily. He knew exactly what was coming. There was something at his core that told him this was going to be the end. If they wanted to topple the Warrior of Steel, this was their chance. There wasn't going to be another opportunity after this. Onyxmon had finally been caught by surprise, and there was no guarantee that this was going to happen again. It was going to end right then, and Thundramon was going to do it with his own hands.
Get ready, he told himself, and the sparks inside of him began to grow until they were uncontrollable.
It ends now.
Each time that Velgemon made contact with him, Garummon felt something new.
They were clashing fiercely, and Vritramon and Cybelemon seemed to be little more than background noise when compared to the battle between light and darkness. Vritramon and Cybelemon were wearing down Velgemon, but Garummon barely seemed to notice them. He was far too focused on everything that had been happening involving his direct contact with Velgemon to bother paying much attention to anything else.
Velgemon slammed a talon down on Garummon's back, and he fell into the dirt. His mind felt as if it was being torn apart with something like a cleaver, and the Warrior of Light screamed. At the very least, he thought that he did, but there was no way for him to tell given how disoriented he was. The world seemed to be spinning around him, and he couldn't tell anything apart from his environment. He could see the blur of Velgemon's mahogany feathers, but it was hard to say what was part of or apart from the dusty ground.
Another memory came flooding in as soon as his vision gave way into something else, and Garummon realized that he was in a different situation again. It was nothing that he remembered, and his hair had gone short just like it had been when he first saw the woman that looked uncomfortably like his mother. The woman had called him Koichi, and he suspected that this was his name given the unique circumstances.
He was watching from the outside of his regular body. Koji was walking with Satomi and Kousei, his hand looped around his dog's leash as they left the house for a walk. Koichi was pressed against a wall, and he was watching the family with something that tasted oddly like jealousy. When he looked at Koji, the feeling subsided, but the man was clearly the target of more than a small amount of enmity, and his stomach churned with hateful rage. It was nowhere near as strong as what Koji was used to feeling, but it was more than enough to consume him nearly immediately. Envy and anger twisted in a dreadful cycle inside of him, and he almost thought he was going to punch something out of anger.
Kousei Minamoto was not a man that Koji was fond of, and yet, Koichi seemed to hate him just the same. Garummon didn't understand, but he almost didn't think that he was meant to. If he was supposed to understand, the answers would come to him.
And then they did.
The angered wave of thought hit him suddenly enough that it made his splitting headache even worse somehow, and had he not felt completely out of his own body, Garummon knew that he would have been sick. He remembered distantly when Vritramon had experienced the memories of Aeoelmon shortly after the Beast Spirit of Fire was uncovered, and he finally thought that he could understand the way Takuya had shaken in terror for ages afterwards.
How could you do this to your wife? You were supposed to love her, and yet, you left. You forced her to work herself to exhaustion each day to take care of herself while you ignore her existence and make a new family. She's falling apart because of you. My mother can barely keep herself upright when she comes home from work because you refuse to support us. I don't understand how you can go on with life like you didn't tear what little she had into pieces. You get to have an entirely new family and smile all the way through, but my mother, your wife, is barely able to prevent herself from collapsing due to starvation and exhaustion. It's all your fault. How could you do this to her? How could you to this to me?
Velgemon recoiled a moment later, and Garummon heard someone shrieking in pain. It took him far longer than expected to realize that he was the one screaming. Still, even after he recognized what he was doing, he couldn't make it stop. He could tell that someone else was yelling alongside him, and he looked up slowly despite the pounding of his skull to see that Velgemon was practically shaking in terror from his place in the air. A burst of flames exploded across Velgemon's right wing, and Garummon knew that it was Vritramon, but he couldn't bring himself to join in. Cybelemon sent a rock towards Velgemon a moment later, but Garummon barely registered it.
When he turned his face to the sky again, though the process was slow and arduous, Garummon could see that Velgemon was starting to fall apart. At first, he thought it was simply a matter of his vision failing him due to the damage his body had taken when combined with his headache, but he soon realized it was something more. The particles that made up the Beast Spirit of Darkness were starting to distort and fuzz out of existence, almost as if his body wasn't able to take the pressure that he was under any longer. It was too much for him, and Garummon could feel it.
The sensation of imploding from the inside out filled him a moment later, and he tried to grab onto anything that resembled stability. He didn't understand any of what was happening in the memories. They clearly plagued Velgemon and had for quite some time, but Garummon found it impossible to work out further details. Velgemon's angry tangent aimed at Kousei was still spinning through his head on repeat. It was cyclical yet unpredictable, and the buzzing was impossible to hear through. Even if Vritramon or Cybelemon had called for him, he wouldn't have known it. It felt as if he had been attacked by static, and all he could do was stare as Velgemon crumbled. He had no way of confirming if he was going through the same thing or not, but it sure as hell felt like he was.
A hand suddenly planted itself beneath Garummon's chin, and he could feel small sharp objects poking against his metal armor. They weren't enough to penetrate the steel, but he still took note of them. His vision finally began to return to a state of something that seemed like focus, and he saw that Cybelemon was the one looking down at him between the eyeholes of their draconic helmet. Another bullet of fire rocketed itself towards Velgemon from behind Cybelemon, but they didn't even flinch as Vritramon slammed the full force of his body into the bird beast. Garummon forced his body to cooperate as he slowly got to his feet, wondering when he had fallen off them in the first place.
Velgemon was certainly starting to lose it, and Garummon wasn't sure how much longer the Warrior of Darkness would be able to continue fighting. He watched the bird swoop through the sky, though he wasn't sure of how much of this he would remember later. His Beast Spirit was attempting to wrestle control back from him again, and he was too surprised by his visions of another person's memories to properly fight back. His mind spun with thoughts wondering about who Koichi was and why that woman from his past looked so much like the mother Koji grieved for in darkness and silence. None of the pieces were fitting together, and his hands were shaking too much for him to pick any of them up to try and construct the puzzle no matter how hard he tried.
The blurring effect was appearing on Velgemon once again, and all Garummon could do was stare with eyes that didn't process anything. He shoved his nerves aside to the best of his ability before trying to keep his body from shaking uncontrollably. He was on the verge of breakdown himself, but he was determined to keep everything together for just a little while longer. The best case scenario was that he would lose the energy needed to maintain his Beast Spirit form when Velgemon began to flee. It was far better than the alternative, and he had to actively force himself to concentrate on Velgemon and only Velgemon to keep from thinking about how terribly any other outcome could end up being.
If I lose control, I could strike out against Vritramon and Cybelemon. They're too tired to fight back. I could hurt or kill them if I'm not careful, and I know I wouldn't be if Garummon took over. I'm too angry and spiteful to be able to hold back. Velgemon's hate will only make it worse, and then it'll all be over. I risked my life to save them, damn it. I'm not going to be the one to end it.
Garummon ignored the phantom sensation of blood that he knew would seep through his claws if he lost control. Instead, he listened to the screeching of Velgemon overhead and wondered if the Warrior of Darkness was still feeling the aftermath of their connection too. The link was starting to fade as far as Garummon could tell, but he didn't think he would ever be able to forget the critical moment where they had touched and felt everything the other had ever experienced. Just thinking about it sent a shiver down his spine, and he desperately wished that he had the power to forget about it all as soon as he shifted back into Koji.
Velgemon's screams quickly became more distant until they weren't present anymore. Garummon could still hear the echoes in his mind, unable to tear that dreadful sound from his ears, but he knew that Velgemon was gone. Something inside of him said that the Warrior of Darkness wasn't going to be returning to battle them again anytime soon. The fight had exhausted his foe just as much as it had tired him out.
Garummon's mind briefly shifted back to his fear of losing control, but his concerns quickly established themselves to be unfounded. Fractal Code burst forth from his metallic armor, and when it faded, Koji was left behind. He was on his hands and knees, staring down into the dirt with empty eyes that barely processed what was happening around him. He could see a glow out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't register what this meant until after the silhouette of Takuya came into view. Chihiro's outline followed a short distance behind. Both of them looked as wiped out as Koji felt, and just looking at them made Koji feel like he was going to pass out from exhaustion.
Takuya's hand appeared in Koji's line of sight, and he slowly looked up as he got his breathing under control. It took a while longer for him to see Takuya in full clarity, and his lungs found a healthy rhythm that he felt as if he hadn't experienced in ages even though it had only been a short while.
There was something strange about Takuya's hand, but Koji didn't realize what it was immediately. He was able to put the pieces together as soon as he saw his bandanna wrapped around Takuya's hand in a tight double knot, almost as if the Warrior of Fire had tied it there out of desperation and a prayer for salvation. The look in Takuya's eyes was impossible to read, but something within Koji understood what he was seeing.
If he lets that bandanna go, it's like he's letting go of his hope.
Koji had chastised Takuya for his overexcited optimism in the past, but there was something about this moment that felt different and humanizing. Perhaps Takuya had been impacted more than expected by Koji's sacrifice in the previous battle against Duskmon. He had no way of saying for sure, but he was positive that Takuya seemed older and more mature than ever before as he reached one hand out toward his fallen companion, worn down with an exhaustion that only came from trauma.
Koji stared at first before reaching out to accept Takuya's gesture. He was pulled to his feet with a surprising amount of strength, and Takuya smiled to him gently, squeezing at Koji's hand in an unforeseen display of affection. Koji didn't fight back much to his own surprise.
He wasn't given much time to read deeper into the gesture before Takuya had pulled his hand back, his fingers swiftly finding the knot of the bandanna around his wrist. He untied the knot and extended it towards Koji. "I think this belongs to you," Takuya explained, not elaborating further solely because he didn't need to.
Koji could see the marks of dried blood inside the bandanna, and he wondered which cuts had caused the stains in the first place. The fabric was dirtied, leaving the pattern harder to see than before, but he didn't mind at all. He took it without much hesitation, unfolding it before allowing it to form in the regular pattern he used when wearing it.
"Thanks," Koji murmured as he wrapped the bandanna around his head. He tied the knot at the base of his neck before doubling it for the sake of security. Takuya's jacket was distorted and pinched from where he had been wearing the bandanna, but the Warrior of Fire made no gestures to fix it. In fact, he barely seemed to notice, too busy smiling like a goofy idiot to realize.
Still, he was the goofy idiot that Koji had nearly died for, and Koji couldn't bring himself to hate the other boy in the slightest.
"I'm sorry," Takuya suddenly said, and Koji was forced to tear his gaze away from the other boy's sleeve to meet his eyes. He didn't know what his face looked like, but he assumed that shock had come to paint his features in the few seconds that he wasn't paying attention.
Koji opened his mouth to offer a response, but he wasn't able to get the words out before Takuya interrupted him. "I shouldn't have put you all in danger. You were right, but I was too stubborn to listen to it. You're not just pessimistic. You care about us all, and you want what's best for us whether you choose to admit it openly or not. You wouldn't have told me everything you did if you didn't care about us. I'm sorry I ignored all of it until it was too late," he went on.
Koji forced himself to look away, not wanting to show how nervous he was to hear all of those words. It was unsettling to have Takuya marching into a combat zone with a smile too bright to bear, but it was even stranger to see the other boy openly admitting that he had been wrong about something. Takuya and Koji both had too much pride for their own good, and he hadn't ever expected to see Takuya bend on something.
He hadn't anticipated himself to bend either though, and yet, he had. Koji had originally thought of the rest of the group as only bothers to his greater mission. He was determined to seek an accomplishment that he could only reach on his own, and yet, he wasn't able to get far on his own. He needed them, and they needed him. Koji hadn't ever understood what love felt like, never feeling the compassion of a mother due to a car accident that had (supposedly) taken her life while growing distant from his father emotionally after years of arguing. He didn't think he was even capable of opening his heart to other people after all that had happened.
And then he met the rest of the Legendary Warriors. Koji had grown fiercely protective of Tomoki, someone even younger than him who had gone through so much in such a short span of time. Yutaka reminded Koji too much of his own father, and the instant that he heard Tomoki was hurting, he jumped into a defensive state that he hadn't even recognized was possible for him.
Koji had felt empty inside and out when Izumi got hurt trying to get her Beast Spirit. She had done it all to try and keep the rest of the group from throwing themselves into danger on her behalf, and it bit her in the back when she wasn't paying attention. Her own compassion had been her downfall, and Koji had looked down at her unconscious form and wondered why he felt so hollow when he wasn't capable of love for so many years.
Junpei was a special case, always so distant despite how open he appeared. His spite at the world was something Koji could sympathize with, and he was able to pick it apart as soon as he got close enough to notice the weaknesses in the other boy's armor. There was someone else like him, too kind for the world for so long that it turned them into something hardened and angry.
Then there was Takuya. He was overly confident, too full of hope and pride for his own good. Still, he acted as a radiant glow that guided everyone through times good and bad alike, a beacon of optimism against a shadowy world that wanted them all dead. The world was hateful towards the Legendary Warriors, but Takuya returned that animosity with care that Koji hadn't understood for the longest time.
Was this not love? It simply had to be.
Koji wasn't as familiar with the other members of the team, but he didn't need to be. He appreciated Bokomon's offerings of information as he guided rogue children through the Digital World. Neemon's wandering mind was charming, a small pocket of sunshine amongst the horrors of combat. Patamon loved them with everything that he was, not remembering the past but not caring to find out just why Bokomon had clutched onto his egg for dear life for so long.
Chihiro didn't know Koji that well, and yet, they were still standing at his side in the midst of his worst moment yet. Yumiko's eyes were filled with a sobering sense of sympathy and kindness that Koji found refreshing when faced with his own overwhelming pessimism and enmity. Mayumi was bright and cheerful, always full of energy and smiling enough for everyone in the group. Haroi was the balance of order, composed and stoic while being exactly what the team needed. They were nine lost children stumbling through a realm that they didn't fully understand, and yet, they didn't seem to mind it in the slightest as long as they were alongside one another.
It was love. It simply had to be.
Takuya's arms were thrown around Koji's body before he had the chance to react. His eyes went wide at first before his shoulders relaxed, free of a tension that he hadn't even realized was present. Koji was still as a statue for one agonizing moment before his arms curled up to wrap around Takuya's body. Koji's head slotted perfectly into the space between Takuya's shoulder and cheek.
"I'm sorry," Koji murmured. He had no idea what he was apologizing for, and yet, he understood it all. He didn't bother thinking about it though, too focused on the sensation of warmth that came with Takuya's body being pressed so close to his. Takuya was the Warrior of Fire, so it was only natural that he was warmer than most other humans, but the feeling that slowly spread throughout Koji inside and out had nothing to do with the added presence of physical heat.
Takuya was silent for a while before his eyes shut. Koji couldn't see him, but he knew that there was a shift somehow, and he understood it without needing to witness anything directly. The last thing Koji saw before his own eyes slipped closed was Chihiro watching the Warriors of Fire and Light with somber fondness.
"Me too," Takuya whispered into Koji's ear. He didn't elaborate on his apology either, but Koji got it without needing any further details. "Me too."
Thundramon's blaster arm sparked with activity as Onyxmon continued to thrash in front of him. His fist and cannon followed suit not long afterwards, and he looked more like a power generator than a living creature, but he couldn't bring himself to care in the slightest. He knew that everything was about to end, and he was looking forward to it more than he could ever describe.
There was a peculiar sense of finality that came with charging up the attack, and Thundramon couldn't help but think about all that this represented. The Warrior of Steel had been a thorn in the side of the Risen Warriors for so long, but that was finally about to end. They had been fighting tooth and nail to defeat Cherubimon, and this was going to mark the removal of one of their final roadblocks before the war ended once and for all. At long last, there was a conclusion in sight for the Digital World's tempestuous conflict.
As soon as the electricity tore free of the blaster, cannon, and fist, Onyxmon let out a primal screech. The yellow light of the attack was almost blinding, and Thundramon was only able to stare into the eye of the explosion because he was the one who had caused it. He took in a deep breath before allowing himself to fall down to the ground. Onyxmon's shape was beginning to change, but he couldn't tell if it was a result of the attack or simply a trick of the light.
However, he soon realized that it was very much something that was real and happening right before his eyes. Onyxmon's silhouette had gone dark and was slowly being filled out by pure shadows. A ring of Fractal Code appeared around their body, and Thundramon examined it carefully before taking in a deep breath. He couldn't believe that this was really happening, but he wasn't going to allow his own hesitation to stop him.
"Finally... It's time for this to come to an end," Thundramon murmured. He let one of his hands rise so that his palm was facing towards Onyxmon's outline. The ring of Fractal Code began to stream towards him, and he waited until after it had been completely absorbed by his body. His eyes remained locked on Onyxmon even after his hand clenched into a fist. He watched solemnly as the figure of the Beast Spirit of Steel began to change, curling over itself in a drastic shift.
Onyxmon's draconic form began to give way, and when it completely vanished, something entirely new was left in its place. There was a figure at the center of the indent from where Onyxmon had been standing in the dust. Thundramon took a shaky step forward, not sure of where his sudden nerves had come from but not wanting to find out. He felt oddly alive, and he was curious as could be about the newcomer. He had purified the Warrior of Steel, so he knew exactly what was going to come next. He had to see who it was regardless of if he recognized them. It was a sign that, at long last, the battle against the Warrior of Steel was over.
Thundramon wasn't able to maintain his new evolution for long, and he was coated in Fractal Code before he was able to reach their side. He realized that he was far more tired than he ever could have imagined, and evolving to Thundramon for the first time had most certainly not helped. Still, there was nothing he could do about it since all had been said and done. He knew that the human form of the Warrior of Steel, whoever they were, needed him more in that moment regardless.
The rest of the team seemed to agree that finding out more about them was a good idea. Zephyrmon, Blizzarmon, and Oceaniamon had all shifted back into Izumi, Tomoki, and Hinoka respectively. Haroi, Mayumi, and Yumiko had walked over as well, leaving Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon to follow on their heels. Junpei shared a brief glance with the rest of the group as the dust settled around the recovered Warrior.
As soon as his vision was cleared enough for him to see what was happening, Junpei began to examine the newcomer. They were covered from head to toe in dust, but he was still able to make out a few features as they slowly pushed themselves up to their feet after being left crumpled in the dirt following the purification process. They shook their head, and the gray dust was sent flying every which way before they rose to their full height.
The first thing Junpei noticed was their hair. It was bright red in color, almost bordering on seeming pink at the roots. It got lighter as it got longer, but their hair was only a bob that barely reached their shoulders at its full length. It didn't seem to know how to settle properly, but they didn't seem to mind it either. Their eyes were brown, and they seemed oddly sharp and hardened given what had just happened. The Warrior of Steel refused to meet any of their eyes, instead concentrating on brushing the remaining dust free of their clothes.
They were wearing a large gray hoodie that seemed to consume everything above their thighs. It was far too big for them, but they didn't seem to care in the slightest. A purple ponytail was wrapped around one of their wrists, and their skin was on the tanned side. They wore faded out blue jeans that had clearly been worn and loved for years. Their shoes were purple, and it was clear that they had been wearing them for quite some time. They were average in height, shorter than Junpei but not by much.
Junpei's first instinct was to walk closer, and he reached out a hand as they continued to push the dust away from their knees. The first thing he noticed was how empty and reflective their eyes were. Somehow, they seemed even more pragmatic after being purified than they had been when in the form of Onyxmon, and Junpei wondered if that was how they had looked behind the mask of Lyramon all that time even though he had no way of finding out for sure.
"Hey," Junpei greeted simply, not sure of what else he could possibly say. The situation was far from being lighthearted, and he didn't think that there was any amount of joking that would be able to cut through the heavy tension hanging in the air. Still, that didn't mean that he wasn't going to try, and he figured that they could most certainly use the load off their shoulders.
The Warrior of Steel looked down at his hand before shifting their gaze up to meet his. There was little emotion to be found on their face, and their voice was just as unreadable as it always had been. "Why are you offering your hand to me? I failed," they told him. Their voice was oddly captivating, rolling and alluring for all of its heaviness. It was a peculiar mixture, Junpei had to admit, and it reminded him of chocolate that was almost too rich for its own good.
"I'm not going to hurt you because you lost. You're free of Cherubimon, so you're one of us now," Junpei explained. He still didn't pull his hand back even if he was starting to doubt that they were going to take it.
Sure enough, the Warrior of Steel watched him for another moment that seemed to stretch on for a decade. They slowly pushed away Junpei's hand, prompting him to allow it to fall back to his side. "You sure are an idealistic bunch," they commented, glancing out over the rest of the group. Their eyes were still unreadable, and all of a sudden, Junpei longed for the days when his biggest problem was trying to understand Cybelemon. At least Chihiro had been open with Takuya after being purified; he somehow doubted they were going to be so lucky with their newest ally.
"What's your name?" Junpei asked, not bothering to comment on their distant pessimism. He wanted to ask a thousand other questions, but he didn't think that would be wise. They seemed as if they were simply going to try and dodge all inquiries they could avoid, and he thought it would be for the best to keep things simple until he was confident enough to stray from his comfort zone.
They were silent at first before offering a response. "Saki Fushida," they replied. Their eyes remained just as detached as ever, only showing Junpei as much as he displayed to them. There wasn't a scrap of emotion to be seen, and suddenly, Junpei understood just why it has been so easy for them to control Onyxmon. Every other Warrior had struggled with controlling their Beast Spirit, but Saki hadn't struggled in the slightest because it was behavior that slipped in perfectly with the rest of their personality. Junpei couldn't tell if he was more impressed or terrified after coming to this conclusion.
"Welcome to the team, Saki," Junpei told them. He was trying to seem more open than they were being, but he had no idea about if it was working or not. Even if he had wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to nitpick Saki's thought process to find the truth.
Saki watched him for another long moment at first. "I shouldn't stay with your team. I lost the battle. Regardless, I work better on my own," they told him. They didn't make an attempt to walk away, but Junpei was sure that they would have if they were given the chance.
So he simply didn't allow them the opportunity they needed to leave. He shook his head firmly, pinning them in place with a glare that said they weren't going anywhere. "Leaving isn't going to do you any good," Junpei pointed out. "There's strength in numbers, and even if you're powerful, you won't be able to take on Cherubimon alone."
Saki examined the rest of the group with a passive gaze. Junpei once again longed to have the ability to hear what they were thinking about, but all he could do was stare at them in curiosity, waiting eagerly for a response. When Saki did reply, their eyes met Junpei's, and he could have sworn that he saw something that looked like relief for a fraction of a second. However, it was so brief that he immediately wondered if he was imagining it as soon as it was over.
"Alright," they told him, taking a step closer. Once again, Saki looked at the remainder of the group, and a frown took hold on their face. It still seemed detached and faraway even if it was something that actually resembled weakness. "Where are the other three? Fire, Light, and Earth."
Junpei was almost surprised to hear Saki ask about them given the way that they had behaved while they were Lyramon. They had been so openly antagonistic and harsh, not bothering to hesitate when the rest of the group crossed them on the battlefield. Chihiro in particular had mentioned clashing with them on various occasions, and Junpei could still sense the vitriolic animosity that Chihiro held for the Warrior of Steel. He had assumed that it was a mutual sense of hatred given the way that it had driven Aeoelmon away from the rest of the Fallen Warriors just before they were purified.
"They're off taking care of something else," Izumi suddenly replied, and Junpei realized that she had been standing behind his shoulder the whole time. He looked back to her and saw that she was smiling at Saki despite their distance. That was just like Izumi; she was nice to everyone no matter how much they openly wanted it. Saki was distant and cold, but Izumi didn't seem to care even if she undoubtedly noticed.
"I see," Saki murmured. They let out a sigh. "Perhaps we should attempt to reunite with them. If we want to defeat Cherubimon, we'll need everyone to be together, and I know that those three are incredibly powerful. Duskmon wouldn't have taken an interest in the Warrior of Light if not for his strength."
Junpei tried not to shudder at those words. "When we all get back together, we should talk about everything. I mean, we still have to introduce Hinoka to everyone, and we don't want to make you tell your story twice for the sake of the other three. For now... Let's start moving."
Junpei pulled out his D-Tector and began to walk in the direction of the three signals representing Takuya, Koji, and Chihiro. They were steadily getting closer, but he figured that they might as well try to eliminate the distance between them as soon as possible. After all, as soon as they were together, they would need to fight Duskmon, and Junpei knew that he wanted to get that over with sooner rather than later.
And then it would be Cherubimon's turn.
Velgemon crashed.
He hit the dusty ground hard, not having enough energy left to be graceful. His body began to glow with the familiar light of Fractal Code, and when it faded, Duskmon was left behind. He was facedown in the dirt, and his eyes were clamped shut to ensure that he didn't tamper with his own vision. Moving felt like a nightmare to him, but he still managed to push himself to his feet. He could feel something wet sliding down some segments of his armor, and he knew without looking that it was blood. He had no idea where the injuries had come from, but he didn't particularly want to find out either.
Duskmon knew what he had to do. He had to fight back and kill the Legendary Warriors. Cherubimon had told him that it was the only way to free his mother from her suffering, and he knew that those words had to be correct. It was all that he could hold tight to given his recent humiliating defeat. His mother was still suffering, and he wanted it all to stop. Cherubimon had promised him salvation if he succeeded, and Duskmon didn't have any other options. Murder was the only thought on his mind, and it managed to push through the endless pain that was sweeping through him.
He was going to have to win. Somehow, Duskmon had to find a way to defeat all of the Legendary Warriors. Koji was still a thorn in his side, and Duskmon could still feel the lingering aftershocks of their brief psychic connection. He had to get away from it, so he was going to escape the past the only way he knew how.
Fractal Code began to glow around him, and Duskmon let out a scream. The pain was returning full force, and he didn't know if he was going to be able to escape it. Transforming into Velgemon had been effortless before, but this felt like something completely different, and his anger only burned stronger as soon as he recognized that he was suffering.
This is all their fault. They have to die.
Mahogany fingers began to fall around him, but he hadn't shifted over into his Beast Spirit form. He felt somehow suspended between the two, and he came to the conclusion that he was in his Hybrid form. Still, he didn't believe that it was meant to be so terrible to endure, and he wondered if he was doing it wrong. Even so, his thoughts of battle prevailed above the agony.
Kill the Legendary Warriors. Destroy them all.
A name sprung to mind as he took to the skies. He knew exactly who he was, and he was going to defeat his foes once and for all.
Malkakomon.
2021 is here, and we're kicking off the year with Frontiers Unexplored! Heck yeah!
This chapter is a pretty big one for many reasons. First off, it finally gives us the chance to learn more about Koji. It only took thirty-two chapters, but we're finally able to put the pieces together about his past. Koichi's memories are here too, and you can only imagine how confusing this is for them both. Neither one of them can fully control their Beast Spirits, but Koji is closer to having it all under control than Koichi is. We'll simply have to see how that plays out in the next few chapters.
Next up, we've got the other big elephant in the room: Saki! I've been looking forward to introducing them as part of the team for ages now, and it's great to finally have them purified. I thought it would be a perfect way for Junpei to prove himself given how they're opposites both in element and personality. Saki is the type to guard themselves from the world to keep from getting hurt while Junpei is shamelessly himself because he knows there's no way for him to escape harm. Saki is easily the most complex character in this book, and writing them is going to be fun, I can already tell. Lyramon was my favorite of the Fallen Warriors from the beginning, so I know this is going to be great to experience.
We're finally going to get a bit of a break after the past few chapters have been mostly fighting, but there's still a lot left for us to take care of before this arc is over. The first half is very much one long chain of events without any real break between Bolgmon appearing, Takuya's encounter with Dark Trailmon, and the group dividing, but there will be more downtime over the next few chapters as we get closer to the end of act three.
Speaking of Takuya and Dark Trailmon, I promise I haven't forgotten about that. I'm going to elaborate more on what happened there in a future chapter, but since Bokomon, the primary expert on Digital World phenomena, has been with Yumiko, Haroi, and Mayumi rather than Takuya, Koji, and Chihiro, there hasn't been a chance for them to talk. I promise there will be an explanation soon.
With all of that said, I think that's all I have to say. We're kicking off 2021 with a bang, and new chapters will continue to release weekly for the first half of the year until it's completed. Until next time, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is always appreciated, and I hope you have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
