The Legendary Warriors had all transformed by the time that the source of the rumbling was anywhere near them. There was simply too much anxiety buzzing in the air, suffocating in its sheer mass, for them to remain passive for any longer than they already had. Worst case scenario, they turned back to normal after realizing that there was no threat. It was best to be prepared rather than be caught by surprise.

Ceruleamon looked out over the group and took note of all those she found. For the most part, they were all in Beast Spirit form, but there was one exception. Junpei had shifted to become Thundramon because that was the highest level that he had access to. Ceruleamon was still surprised to see that the Warrior of Steel had decided on using their Beast Spirit rather than simply settling with Lyramon as they had done for so long. Still, she knew that she didn't have time to think about it, so she shoved the thought as far from her mind as possible.

Ceruleamon was softly impressed with her own abilities regarding the control of her Spirits. She had decided to shift over to her Hybrid form because she had no idea what was waiting for them. She wanted to get back to resting as soon as possible too, and she knew that it would be easiest for them to go back to relaxing if they attacked the enemy with as much power as they had at their disposal.

At one point in time, she would have found it ridiculous to even imagine that she could use her Human Spirit without worrying about her lack of control. Still, she was not only able to master her dominion over Oceaniamon, but Aquariamon as well, and she had no issues with becoming Ceruleamon as soon as the time came for her to start fighting. She was able to keep both sides of her power under control, and she was glad that she had that power after believing for so long that she wouldn't ever have that ability.

Ceruleamon knew exactly who was responsible for her newfound control, and she looked out of the corner of her eye at Zephyrmon. The Warrior of Wind didn't seem bothered at all by what was happening, though Ceruleamon suspected that this was likely a mask to keep the enemy from exploiting any weaknesses that she might display. The Warrior of Water couldn't help but smile fondly at Zephyrmon, glad to see that she was doing alright after their earlier conversation.

In all honesty, Ceruleamon had been worried about opening up to her. She was so used to bottling her emotions until she felt ready to burst and drown under their weight, but Izumi had changed that. She had simply reached out a hand towards Hinoka and said that it was going to be alright, and Hinoka found herself believing in the words for the first time in too many years for her to count. It was an incredible feeling, and she never wanted it to leave as soon as she found it.

The rest of the team seemed to be happy to have her there as well, though Ceruleamon was only assuming such because she believed that Izumi had been honest during their earlier conversation. She knew how caring they could be, and she could only pray that she was given the chance to understand that for herself. She didn't doubt her new friend's words in the slightest, and Ceruleamon found herself giddy for companionship in a way that she had never anticipated prior to her purification at Zephyrmon's hands.

Ceruleamon found herself almost lost in her thoughts, but another sudden rumbling noise snapped her free of her trance. She was in the air, and her wings were keeping her aloft, but that didn't stop her from being scared almost out of her skin by the newfound explosion of sound. She glanced around furiously in an attempt to identify the region where it could have come from, but she soon realized that such was unnecessary.

"He's here," came the whisper of Garummon, and Ceruleamon felt her heart skip a beat. She knew exactly who it was without needing to ask. She wanted to chastise herself for not thinking about it sooner, but she knew that wouldn't do her any good. The battle was what mattered, and she couldn't allow herself to be caught up in her own head as long as the Warrior of Darkness was still on the run.

Malkakomon had been running closer for quite some time, but he kicked off the ground and took to the skies before slamming himself back against the dusty ground with a glare in his eyes. Something about him almost seemed mad, and Ceruleamon would have flown further away if he had been even an inch closer to her.

The bulk of his body was still encased in the black armor he wore as Duskmon, but there were far more highlights of mahogany than there had been before. His eyes lacked white segments, instead glowing red from the inside out. His irises had gone black, and the eyes that lived across his body seemed to watch every move of the Legendary Warriors. They moved out of synchronization, lazy yet intent at the same time. There was at least one eye latched on each member of the group, but Malkakomon's true face was looking towards only one member of the team as his wings curled around his body defensively.

Garummon was leaned close to the ground at the front of the group, and he watched Malkakomon with caution, ready to spring into action the instant that his foe showed any signs of lashing out. Ceruleamon found herself feeling sick at the mere suggestion of the tension between them, but she didn't say anything about it. Instead, she just stared, not sure of what else could be done that she hadn't already seen.

"You will die," came the voice of Malkakomon, sounding low and rumbling the same way that the ground had just a few short moments before. His voice possessed multiple layers, and Ceruleamon was easily able to pick out four of them. First off, there was Duskmon's voice, and another set of words seemed to belong to the Beast Spirit of Darkness. Cherubimon's voice was layered at the bottom, an anchor among the comparatively higher sounds.

But there was one set that stuck out from the rest because of how much higher it was. It sounded like a young boy about her age, and he seemed terrified out of his mind. She could hear the way that his voice shook the same way that Malkakomon's body trembled with a mix of anger and lack of control. She felt sick all over again, and she wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible for her own peace of mind.

Garummon was the first one to lunge forward, and he bared his teeth as he attempted to dig his fangs into Malkakomon's armor. The Warrior of Darkness summoned a blade of curving crimson to fend Garummon off, and the wolf flipped through the air before landing on his feet and sliding back a short distance. He didn't immediately move to attack once again, but in all truth, he didn't need to.

The rest of the team had taken this as their cue to start attacking, and Ceruleamon was included in this assumption. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she summoned her sapphire staff. The gem at the top began to glow furiously, and water appeared all around her. Her wings remained intact, but they grew stronger thanks to the newly-summoned liquid. The base of the area was covered in a thin veil of mist, and if she was forced to, she would be more than able to use it to lash out against Malkakomon.

As she scanned the rest of the battlefield, Ceruleamon's mind began to wander back to the truth behind the Warrior of Darkness himself. She didn't know where she had come to know about his name, and yet, the word flew to her mind without a moment of hesitation. She had heard Lyramon speaking at one point in time about how the Legendary Warriors seemed to become less human with each passing day because of the influence of the Spirits. Perhaps it was the influence of the Spirits that allowed her to understand. Her instincts and senses were most certainly heightened, and it wouldn't surprise her in the slightest if this was the truth.

However, Ceruleamon didn't have the chance to say anything about her theories on the matter. The battle started as soon as the layer of mist landed upon the dusty ground, and Ceruleamon's heart skipped a beat as the sound pounded in her ears. The promise of battle both frightened and excited her.

This could be it. Finally, we could have the Legendary Warriors united on one side of this battle.

Blizzarmon was the first one to strike, and he threw one of his axes in Malkakomon's direction. The Warrior of Darkness attempted to take to the skies to avoid the strike, but he didn't wind up getting away in time. His left wing was clipped by the blade of the axe, and he let out a scream of pain. His other wing flapped furiously in an attempt to make up for the loss of maneuverability before he was able to fully correct himself, but there was something in his eyes that screamed of pure hatred.

Zephyrmon moved in next, and she summoned thin tornadoes to the edges of her claws. She sent them flying towards Malkakomon, knocking him every which way thanks to the damage done to his wing. He let out another cry of agony, but he was able to fly upwards to keep himself from being thrown around too much. His eyes were filled with agony, and all of the red glowing points across his body seemed ready to burst.

And before Ceruleamon knew it, they did. Light exploded forth, flying in every direction like lasers. She felt one of them clip her shoulder, and when she looked over, she could see an injury that looked something like a burn. She yelped when she noticed how quickly she had been harmed, but she closed her eyes a moment later and summoned the water in the area to cling to her body.

However, Ceruleamon didn't just keep herself safe as her wings curled in around her and she was coated in fluid. She allowed the rest of the group to be coated by the water, and when she raised her staff through the gap between her wings, she was able to heal all of their injuries. She smiled to herself upon realizing that the tingling sensation on her shoulder had disappeared. When Ceruleamon glanced over, she saw that her skin had been repaired as if nothing had happened to it in the first place, and she allowed herself to sigh in pure relief.

Malkakomon's lasers soon grew thinner, but there was still something about him that edged on being wild. He managed to swoop towards the nearest fighter: Cybelemon. Drops of blood splattered onto the ground below, mixing with the water that Ceruleamon had summoned earlier.

Malkakomon's feathers hardened, and they began to fly haphazardly towards Cybelemon. The Warrior of Earth was in his grasp, his arms curled around their torso as they thrashed in anger. They snarled before kicking one leg back, catching Malkakomon in the thigh. They bashed upward with their head, hitting their helmet against Malkakomon's chin. All of this combined to persuade Malkakomon to finally release them from his grip, and Cybelemon was left to fall down to the ground. They rolled before coming up in a crouch, their claws glimmering with the promise of violence.

Malkakomon dove towards Ceruleamon next, but she managed to curl her watery wings towards her body just in time to block his charge. He was sent flying backwards by a few feet, but he was soon forced far further away when he was struck in the side by an energy blast created by Thundramon. Malkakomon growled before lunging for the Warrior of Thunder, and every part of his body was contorted with the threat of something feral.

Malkakomon hit Thundramon with the full force of his body, and shadows began to dart all around his armor, slowly writhing outwards to curl around Thundramon's torso. the Warrior of Thunder thrashed against his grip, but he was unable to fully free himself. He summoned electricity to crackle around him, but the sparks soon grew weaker until there was little left aside from a few whispers of yellow. Thundramon began to glow a few seconds later, and his body began to shrink as soon as Fractal Code encased him. Junpei was left to slide out from Malkakomon's shadows a moment later.

"What just happened?!" Vritramon exclaimed, throwing a nervous glance over in Junpei's direction. They all watched as Junpei managed to push himself onto his hands and knees. He was still able to move, so that had to count for something, but there was an unexpected weakness shown in his gaze. He looked exhausted, but not in the way that Ceruleamon would have anticipated. She knew that they were all tired given how much they had gone through in the past few days, but this seemed to be something else.

Upon closer examination, Ceruleamon realized that he was shaking, and he didn't appear to be able to hold up the weight of his own body for much longer than he already had. Everything about him was sluggish, and she let out a gasp. She didn't want to believe it, but she believed that she had found the explanation needed for why he suddenly looked so weak.

"His shadows can drain our energy," Ceruleamon realized, her eyes wide with surprise. "He's going to be able to do that to all of us if we get too close. We have to try and keep our distance." She tried not to panic at the knowledge that Thundramon was one of their strongest fighters given that he had a Hybrid form when most of the others did not. She was in her Hybrid form as well, but she didn't have as much confidence in her ability to fight back. She had never been able to control her Beast Spirit up until that fight began, and she had no experience with controlling such raw power. She tried to beat back her pessimistic thoughts, but it wasn't easy for her to keep from thinking of the worst possible outcome.

"Then we'll just have to be careful!" Vritramon cried out. He raised both of his hands to form a shield in front of his face, and fire began to fly freely from his palms to spiral towards Duskmon. They burned with as much ferocity as Ceruleamon would have expected from Vritramon (more than any other person could ever hope for), and she bit her lip as she prayed that this somehow worked.

The fire lightly singed at Malkakomon's feathers, but he didn't cry out in pain. Instead, he merely began to shake in anger, ready to charge towards the next person who dared to get too close to him. He was more like a caged animal than a creature who was human deep down, and Ceruleamon looked away to keep from seeing herself in him. In a way, they weren't all that different, and the mere thought terrified her.

They had both been dragged into the Digital World likely with hopes that they would be able to escape their problems as soon as they left Earth behind, but when they arrived, they were met with the manipulation of Cherubimon. She had succeeded in trying to ignore her emotions for a short while, but when it call came crumbling down, she felt as if there was nothing that she could do to bend her broken form back into shape. It was only thanks to pure luck that she was able to return to something that resembled normal, and she knew that it was because of outside influences. Malkakomon clearly needed the same intervention, but he was making it far more difficult for anyone to even attempt to offer help given how unhinged he had become. Ceruleamon tried not to think about the highest voice layered in with Malkakomon's words and how terrified it sounded.

Malkakomon rushed towards Vritramon, his hands outstretched as shadows danced around his body with the promise of consuming the Warrior of Fire. Vritramon ducked down below Malkakomon to keep from being hit, but he still had to use far more energy than he should have to avoid Malkakomon's grasp. He was left disoriented and caught by surprise, leaving his defenses wide open for Malkakomon to shift downwards and kick him in the chest. Vritramon hit the ground hard, and he took far longer than was natural to regain his composure.

Unfortunately for Vritramon, he wasn't able to remain in the fight for much longer. Malkakomon's various eyes began to glow, and a dozen red lasers flew towards Vritramon's fallen form. He let out a strangled cry of pain before he was completely consumed by the light. When the dust finally settled, there were no wings, and his armor was gone. Instead, only Takuya sat in his place, holding at his stomach to try and lessen his agony.

Ceruleamon couldn't help her nerves when she shifted her focus back to Malkakomon. She had been so sure that there was more power than met the eye when it came to Duskmon during her days as a Fallen Warrior. She had seen his power firsthand on various occasions, and yet, it never seemed to get anywhere close to showing how ugly his sheer power could be. This was her first true experience going up against it, and she could certainly understand where his pointed words about her being weak had come from. Nobody, not even Lyramon, could have ever stood up to someone so fierce on the battlefield.

An axe spun through the air, its hilt hitting Malkakomon before he could be given the chance to lash out against anyone else in the party. He shifted his attention over to where Blizzarmon was standing, and he practically dove straight towards the Warrior of Ice. His swords glimmered dangerously, and he looked ready stab them downwards the instant that he saw a weakness in Blizzarmon's defenses.

The Warrior of Ice managed to move off to the side before Malkakomon could make contact with him, but the latter was far faster than expected. The flying Legendary Warrior curled around to face Blizzarmon once again, and his sword was outstretched. He looked ready to stab at Blizzarmon, forcing the Warrior of Ice to drop his axes and throw his hands up to block the strike when he realized that his blades would be ineffective at defending him.

As soon as the sword was left captured between Blizzarmon's palms, one hand on either flat side of the blade, shadows began to swirl around Malkakomon once again. His eyes gleamed with something dangerous as the writhing darkness began to creep closer to his foe. Blizzarmon glared in response, clearly showing that he wasn't going to be allowing himself to give in as long as he had any say in the matter.

Ice began to mount across the surface of Blizzarmon's body, almost as if he was trying to counterattack the shadow attack without realizing. Both the Warriors of Ice and Darkness continued to watch one another carefully, waiting for the other to show even a hint of weakness that would allow them to claim victory.

Ceruleamon wished that there was something she could do, but she seemed to have come to the same conclusion as the rest of the team. If they attacked Malkakomon while he was focused on attacking Blizzarmon, there was a chance that they would knock his sword askew, and if Blizzarmon's hands were injured too badly, he wouldn't be able to use axes for the duration of the fight. That didn't even factor in potential damage that lasted longer than the battle at hand, and Ceruleamon knew that it was simply a risk they wouldn't be able to take.

The shadows were starting to win out, but Blizzarmon was fighting back against Malkakomon with everything he had. Even when the darkness slowly began to consume his white hair, he didn't bend, his eyes set in something fierce and determined. While in human form, Blizzarmon regularly looked so fragile and meek, and Ceruleamon could tell that he was shy. She never would have guessed that Blizzarmon and Tomoki were one and the same.

She continued to watch as Blizzarmon and Malkakomon wrestled for dominance, and she let out a gasp when she realized that something was happening to Blizzarmon. She wasn't sure if anyone else had noticed it, but there was light appearing at his chest. She had no idea where it could have come from at first, but she was given her answer when she saw the familiar glitter of Fractal Code. The shadows were slowly forced to retreat as the size of the Fractal Code grew, and she was left to wonder what was going on.

Suddenly, it hit her. Blizzarmon was on the verge of unlocking his Hybrid form.

As far as Ceruleamon was aware, all that it took for a Hybrid form to be born was a blessing from one of the Celestial Three and more determination than could ever be measured. She could certainly see that Blizzarmon fulfilled both of those criteria as she watched him gain the upper hand against Malkakomon.

The Warrior of Darkness didn't even seem to understand what was happening, too focused on trying to wedge his sword closer to its target to bother paying attention to the Fractal Code. In fact, Malkakomon only reacted when the Fractal Code covered Blizzarmon's body to the point that the Warrior of Darkness was forced to pull back. He looked away, shielding his eyes from the sudden onslaught of light. He seemed almost captivated by the glow, but it was far from being a good thing as far as Ceruleamon was concerned. Something about him felt wrong, as if he hated the light that had suddenly appeared to end the brief clash in its tracks.

Blizzarmon's shape slowly but surely began to change, but he didn't look at all like either one of his other forms. In fact, his body shape seemed far more similar to what Ceruleamon was used to seeing on Agunimon or Lobomon. There was a piece of green wrapped around his head with small flaps hanging down on either side to cover his ears. His eyes were deep brown in color, barely peeking out from the green above. Red stripes ran down his cheeks. His hair had the same pattern as Blizzarmon's, large twists edged with red fabric and arrowheads.

A green chest plate appeared soon afterwards, covering up the top half of his torso simply. He gained shorts of the same color that reached halfway between his thighs and knees. Between the chest plate and shorts, black armor could be seen resembling the patch of darkness that covered the underside of Blizzarmon's body regularly. The black armor covered the space between his shorts and green boots as well. The front segment of the boots was a simple red stripe, and three black claws stuck out from each foot.

His left shoulder contained a simple gray sphere of armor, and his right shoulder had a similar patch of gray that gave way to a plate of red that stretched down the outside of his upper arm. He wore gauntlets of black with the white patterns of the symbol of Ice carved into them on the back. The undersides contained three red stripes to ensure the gauntlets were kept in place.

The final notable piece of the puzzle was the weapon that appeared in his hand. His fingers curled around the hilt of an axe, but the blade ended with a blaster. All he had to do was press down on a specific part of the hilt to unleash a barrage of snowballs from the weapon. It effortlessly combined Kumamon's cannon and Blizzarmon's signature axes to make a combat creation that one simply couldn't go wrong with.

"Daipenmon!"

At long last, the Fractal Code cleared, leaving behind the new Warrior that had been born. The air around him grew cold immediately, and snowflakes started to descend from the heavens before anyone could process what was happening. Ceruleamon looked up before shifting her attention to the ground, watching as the snow touched the water that she had summoned prior to Daipenmon's appearance. As the snowflakes made contact with the liquid, the ice began to spread until the entire area was practically covered in it. The Warriors who could fly took to the skies to ensure that they didn't slip, but Garummon, Cybelemon, and Sheyumon were left stuck on the icy ground due to their unfortunate lack of wings. Takuya, Junpei, Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon all watched as the situation unfolded from the sidelines. Pride shone in Takuya's eyes as he watched Daipenmon silently.

"You won't be saved by your pathetic evolution!" Malkakomon cried out. He attempted to stab downwards with his sword once again, but he was stopped when Daipenmon threw up his axe to deflect the blow. He released a shot from the edge of the weapon, and a snowball slammed into the side of Malkakomon's face. The Warrior of Darkness was left reeling as the ice slid down his cheek before hitting the slippery ground below.

Even though he was locked to the ground, Daipenmon didn't seem to care much about Malkakomon's actions. The Warrior of Darkness struck at him once more, but he blocked it effortlessly. Malkakomon was faster than he was, but Daipenmon was still more than able to hold his own without any issues. His gaze shone with determination and a refusal to back down until he had claimed the fight in his own name.

At one point, Malkakomon was able to get his sword past Daipenmon's axe, but the Warrior of Ice wasn't bothered by this in the slightest. In fact, he allowed his gauntlet to rise and clash against the blade. Ice steadily grew along the back of Malkakomon's hand, slowly moving towards Malkakomon.

The Warrior of Darkness let out a gasp of surprise before pulling away. Still, the ice was growing already, and it had covered his entire arm before he knew what was happening. He let out a mighty roar as red light burst forth from his body, causing lasers to shatter the ice. Even if he was able to escape it, the damage already appeared to have been done, and Malkakomon glared at Daipenmon with everything that he had.

A blast of purple fire from Onyxmon hit Malkakomon off to the side, and Sheyumon followed up with a similar attack a moment later. Cygnusmon released a rain of stars, and they slammed into Malkakomon's chest furiously. Garummon unleashed a laser of light not long afterwards, and Malkakomon curled his wings around his body to keep from sustaining too much damage from the strike.

When the dust settled, Malkakomon was still standing there, but he appeared to be far more damaged than before. His gaze was set in a glare, and much to Ceruleamon's surprise, he didn't fight back against the group. Instead, his wings took him into the sky, and he flew off in the direction where he had come from. Blood continued to drip from his wings, sliding on the ice before falling still and freezing. Malkakomon's silhouette disappeared on the horizon soon afterwards, and all Ceruleamon could bring herself to do was stare.

She was completely still for a while, unable to bring herself to move out of some secret paranoia that perhaps she would draw him back to the scene. When she was sure that he wasn't going to be coming back, she looked back to the rest of the group. They appeared just as shocked as she was with the exception of Onyxmon. The Warrior of Steel was just as uncaring and distant as always, though Ceruleamon figured that she shouldn't have expected much else given their regular disposition.

"We have to get out of here," Onyxmon suddenly said. "He knows where we are. It would be best if we found another place to rest before settling down for the night. He could attack while we're asleep, and he would kill us all if that happened."

As much as Ceruleamon hated to say it, Onyxmon had a point. The thought of walking more made her feel nauseous, but she knew there wasn't another option. She glanced around at the rest of the group, watching as Takuya and Junpei started to walk closer to the transformed Warriors. Calanthemon and Cygnusmon both landed on the ground, allowing Takuya and Junpei to mount them respectively. Bokomon and Neemon were scooped up by Ceruleamon and Zephyrmon respectively as Patamon made his way over to Garummon to rest on his head.

As for Garummon, Cybelemon, and Sheyumon, they all transformed back into human form before glancing over to Onyxmon. The Warrior of Steel understood what they meant without needing to be told, and they lowered themselves to allow the three humans to climb onto their back. Patamon remained on Koji's head all the while. Daipenmon wound up approaching Onyxmon as well before shifting back into his regular form. Tomoki smiled at the rest of the group before pushing himself onto Onyxmon's back with the other four. Ceruleamon was thankful for how large Onyxmon was since they could be easily utilized for mass transportation in times like this when there were too many people to teleport using Lyramon's power.

Soon after the group started flying, Ceruleamon's eyes shut briefly. She hoped that they were able to find a place to rest soon, because she wasn't sure of how much more of this she could take. She was exhausted, and if she didn't get some sleep within the hour, she had no idea how she was going to end up.

Much to the surprise of most of the team, a Trailmon station came into view on the horizon. There weren't many of them in the Continent of Darkness, and those that did exist had often been left to rot as the Trailmon grew too afraid to stray anywhere near Cherubimon's territory. However, this station in particular seemed to be the exception, and it was in surprisingly good condition. It was a quaint little building, and there were lights on inside. As soon as the group touched down, they all reverted back to their human forms and walked inside.

There had been a few Digimon bustling about inside, and the group would later learn that they were called Burgemon. The Burgemon were the ones who managed the station, and they were using it as a temporary home after their original abode had been destroyed by Cherubimon. The Celestial Digimon hadn't bothered to touch the station for whatever reason, so they were staying in the area because it was far safer than making the lengthy journey out of the Continent of Darkness. They had been looking after the station for a few months, and they all appeared rather merry despite being so close to the front lines of the war.

After the team arrived, they explained their situation to the Burgemon, and they had been offered the chance to spend the night in the station. Of course, Takuya had been all too eager to jump on the offer, and nobody dared to object given how exhausted they were. They allowed themselves to lay down on the benches throughout the station, though a few members of the group elected to sleep on the floor instead. The conditions would have been uncomfortable under most circumstances, but they felt absolutely perfect to the Legendary Warriors. It was certainly better than the alternative of sleeping in a cave with only a fire to keep them warm. The station was well-furnished and cozy, offering perfect illumination against the shadows of the outside world.

Nobody took long to fall asleep, and it seemed as if less than fifteen minutes passed before they all stopped moving. As soon as they all settled down, the Burgemon dimmed the lights before going to their segment of the station for the night. It was peaceful despite the tense atmosphere of the Continent of Darkness outside, and yet, nobody seemed to mind in the slightest. For the moment, they were safe, and that was all that they could ask for.

It was only thanks to the Burgemon stirring the group from their slumbers that they realized morning had arrived. As far as Junpei could tell, they had been split up for two days when they were trying to take care of their respective missions, but it wasn't as if they had any way of knowing such because of how dark the overhead sky was. Junpei understood why he felt so exhausted, and not even a night of good sleep could cure that in full. Still, he felt better, and he was willing to call that a step above how things had been before.

The Burgemon were generous, setting up various foods about the station on the small tables for the group to share. All of them thanked the Burgemon for their generosity before settling into their various seats. Takuya and Koji wound up sitting together. Haroi, Mayumi, Yumiko, Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon all slid themselves into the largest of the booths, but there wasn't any room for the rest of the group due to how small the tables were as a whole. Tomoki trailed after Chihiro, seemingly wanting to make conversation with them. Hinoka and Saki both took a seat at their own tables, and Junpei was looking at the rest of the group when he felt a tap fall upon his shoulder.

He turned and saw that Izumi was looking up at him with her kind eyes of emerald green. "Hey, Junpei... Is it alright if I sit with Hinoka today?" she questioned. "I get the feeling that she wants somebody to talk to, but I know that she's shy."

Much to his own surprise, Junpei didn't even find himself feeling disappointed when Izumi suggested it. In fact, he nodded before she could even finish talking. "Of course," he agreed. He knew how incredibly generous Izumi was, and he wouldn't have had her behaving any other way. They truly were opposites, and yet, Junpei loved every inch of their differences.

Junpei glanced over at the final free booth, finding that it was resting just behind the seat that Saki occupied. He considered both of the spots before he saw Saki shooting the rest of the group sideways glances out of their peripheral vision. His mind was made up, and he took his plate of food (which contained a burger that he never would have dreamed of eating for breakfast) and sat down across from her.

Saki looked up as soon as Junpei took his seat, and they raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Is there something you need?" they questioned. Their voice somehow seemed more plain than it once had been when he knew them so well as Lyramon. When transformed, Saki's voice was rolling and seemed to deceive with every single syllable. However, in human form, their tone seemed much simpler, but he still knew that there was more than met the eye to them. Their reflective eyes and general distance told him that without a shadow of a doubt, and he wondered what it would take for him to manage to get inside of that barrier.

Junpei knew that he lacked the emotional intelligence that Izumi and Yumiko were both so talented with. In fact, he was sure that everyone in the group aside from maybe Koji had more experience with speaking to others than he did, and he had no idea where to even begin when it came to figuring out the ways of the people around him. That didn't mean that he wasn't going to try though, and it was exactly what prompted him to speak with Saki in the first place. They clearly had a thousand and one secrets, but Junpei wasn't going to let them keep it all inside. That was the way of the group as a whole, and even if he thought he was terrible with dealing with emotions, that didn't at all distract him from making an attempt.

"I just wanted to talk," Junpei responded with a loose shrug. He curled his fingers around the burger before lifting it to his mouth. He had to resist the urge to sigh at how blissfully delicious the meat was. The Burgemon had most certainly earned themselves a high place in his heart as far as chefs were concerned. As much as he appreciated eating the rations the group had picked up from past destinations, they felt like nothing when compared to the lovely taste of the burger that sat in his hands. He was going to miss that as soon as he departed from the train station, that was for sure.

Saki's eyebrow screwed up in reply, but they didn't say anything else. The unspoken question left to hang in the air asked him what he could have wanted. All the while, their gaze was guarded and impossible to read, and Junpei couldn't help but wonder why the hell his first emotional mark had to be somebody like Saki. He had struggled enough when it came to learning more about Chihiro, and they suddenly felt painfully simple and normal when compared to Saki. Still, Junpei wasn't going to give up at the first sign of an obstacle after setting his heart on this, so he did his best to shove all of his doubts aside and focus on the mission at hand.

Junpei could tell that Saki wasn't going to immediately start opening up. It seemed to be in their nature to tell secrets and hide everything, so he was simply going to have to play their game until they began to feel safe around him. There was another question he had about the situation of he Legendary Warriors, so he figured that it was a good place to start.

"I was wondering if you knew anything about the requirements to become a Hybrid Warrior," Junpei said. "You would probably be the person to ask about these things since it seems like you know everything about all of this stuff, so..." His words trailed off, and he prayed that he had said enough to get Saki to start talking.

Luckily for him, it seemed to work. Saki reached for their D-Tector and showed it to him. The base of the device was purple while the grips were a dulled silver color. They pointed to the area around the screen, and he could see that it was lined in a circle of pale purple. "See this ring? This represents a blessing from one of the Celestial Three," they responded. "In order to reach the Hybrid level, you need to have one of these. Without it, there's no way to reach that form."

Junpei let out a gasp before pulling his own D-Tector out. He could see a golden ring around the screen of his device, and it most certainly hadn't been there from the very beginning. He remembered back to his days at Evergreen Dawn when Seraphimon had offered the group with a blessing of power upon being freed. Suddenly, it all made sense, and he let out a gasp. "Seraphimon gave a blessing to me, Izumi, and Tomoki... One of them went off into the ceiling too."

"That probably went to Mayumi. She's also got an element under Seraphimon's jurisdiction, after all, and only the Celestial Three member looking after a given element can bestow us with blessings like that," Saki explained. "Cherubimon has given out a few too, but... Chihiro and Yumiko don't have them. Both of them were purified before Cherubimon started distributing blessings, so only Hinoka and I possess them at this point. The Warrior of Darkness, whoever he is, will have one too. That's where Malkakomon came from, after all."

"I see," Junpei murmured. "Since we haven't met Ophanimon yet, that means Takuya, Koji, and Haroi are simply going to have to find a way to power through the rest of this conflict without something like that to fall back on. It's unfortunate, but... We're going to have to try our best."

"Unless we can manage to purify Cherubimon before we kill him, there's no way Chihiro or Yumiko is going to get that blessing," Saki frowned, and Junpei could have sworn that the somber expression that painted their face was the most emotion they had ever expressed. "It's not guaranteed in the slightest, so we'll just have to get lucky, I suppose."

Junpei nodded slowly before sliding his D-Tector back into his pocket. Saki did the same before returning to eating. One thing that he couldn't help noticing was the way that they always seemed to be watching him. Their gaze was alert, watching his every move and never shifting away. He felt as if he was being interrogated even though neither one of them spoke a word.

Junpei tried to ignore Saki's blatant staring, but he found himself too bothered by it. He set down his burger, having already eaten his way through the first half, before pressing his hands against the table between them. "Alright, Saki. I want to know honestly... What has you acting like this?" he questioned. His eyes narrowed into something scrutinizing, but he didn't bridge the gap between watching and glaring. He didn't even dare to get close to it, as a matter of fact.

Saki put their own burger down once again, and when they looked up him, there was something plainly deceptive about their gaze. Their eyes seemed reflective in a way, only showing Junpei as much as he was willing to put up. This was not something they were pulling out of their ass; they were experienced in this song and dance, and they intended to ensure that Junpei was fully aware of how much power they had over the situation. They had been in control when they were working for Cherubimon, and they would continue to be the one in charge for quite some time even after being purified. Takuya might have been the unofficial leader of the team, but Saki still knew exactly how to manipulate each and every one of them after being with the group for less than a day.

"What are you talking about?" Saki questioned. It was impossible to say for sure if they knew that Junpei had figured out their gambit, but he was positive that they knew. There was no way that somebody so observant hadn't already picked up on what he was doing. Their eyes were so damn passive, so all he could do was guess, but he was determined to find the truth.

"You're hiding lots of things from us, and I want to know what's going on," Junpei told them sternly. "I don't think that you trust us in the slightest. I know that we haven't been around each other for all that long, but you really should try to open up to us. What if you need to-"

"Control my Beast Spirit?" Saki finished, stealing the words from his lips effortlessly. "If you will recall, I have had no issues with keeping Onyxmon under my control. I've never had problems with ensuring that they're always doing what I wish."

"You're the only person here who has ever been able to control their Beast Spirit," Junpei commented intensely, his eyes narrowing against his own will. "We thought Duskmon was an emotionless husk for ages, and his Beast Spirit is clearly out of control for Malkakomon to be that much of a disaster. You, on the other hand... You can control Onyxmon without issues, and I find that suspicious."

"And why is that?" Saki questioned, raising an eyebrow before shifting their attention back down to their phone. Nothing in their brown eyes changed, and Junpei felt as if he was staring into the ground itself rather than the face of another human being.

"You clearly have something going on in that head of yours," Junpei pressed. "If you were free of those things, then you wouldn't be so hesitant to trust us all. Something happened to you, and you don't trust any of us. Despite your problems, you were still able to control Onyxmon. Pardon me for finding that to be rather strange."

"I simply understand this situation and all of its complex inner workings," Saki drawled, their voice seeming oddly inattentive for how sharp their gaze was. "I was your enemy, and I understand that not everyone is quite so easily swayed just because I have been freed from Cherubimon's influences. After all, the actions of the Fallen Warriors were driven by emotions. At the end of the day, some of us were manipulated more than others, but the truth of the matter is that when pushed in the right way, we did horrible things, and yet, you simply forgive us. Pardon me for finding that to be a bit strange."

"That just goes back to the trust issue though," Junpei told them intensely, his eyes narrowing into something that was just short of a glare. "If you trusted us, there would be no reason for you to be so secretive. Chihiro, Yumiko, and Hinoka were all unsure at first too, but look at them. They've opened up by spending more time with the rest of the group, and you can do that too. Why do you insist on distancing yourself?"

"I understand what my strengths are, and I would prefer to not get involved unless I absolutely have to," Saki answered. "I am more than content with staying here to aid you in your mission, but the fact remains that I function best when working alone."

"Your strengths?" Junpei questioned. "For the record, I definitely think that this merits your involvement. For crying out loud, we're in the middle of a war, and there's only so much we're going to be able to take before we need your help. Why not cut out the middleman and just help us with everything you have from the very start? That would certainly make things easier on all of us."

Saki shifted their attention down to their food once again before continuing to eat. "I understand what works best for me, and I would prefer to keep my distance. I will help you to defeat Cherubimon, but when we return to Earth, we can pretend that none of this happened. Up until the Digital World entered the equation, I worked alone, and I doubt that's going to change anytime soon," they told him.

Junpei let out a sigh. "But it doesn't have to be that way. You don't need to hide yourself away from the rest of us when we'd be more than happy to help you. I know that there's something going on with you, so why don't you just make this easier on both of us and tell me what's going through your head?"

Saki let out a chuckle, and while it sounded real, something about it was uncomfortably hollow and foreign to Junpei's ears. "I know how to play the field to my advantage, and I believe it would be in my best interests to keep this information to myself. I would lose the upper hand if I shared too much," they commented. It was impossible to say if they were kidding or not, and all Junpei could do was stare at them in shock and confusion.

When he finally managed to pull together the various words flinging freely through his head, Junpei was frowning far deeper than he expected. "Saki, we're just trying to help you. Why won't you accept that we're here for you? I don't know what you went through to change your outlook on the world to be like this, but you don't need to keep isolating yourself as long as we're around. Please, let us in."

"I don't need your help emotionally. I know what you're referring to, but I'm not like the rest of you," Saki told him, their eyes narrowing a fraction of a hair. "I understand what I'm trying to accomplish here, and I don't need you to listen to my woes in order to reach that end."

"You sound like you want to manipulate us with all this talk about the upper hand," Junpei said, not realizing how exasperated he was until he started talking. "That might have been how you were while working under Cherubimon, but it doesn't have to be that way here. We're more than happy to help you out of your shell if there are any concerns there."

Saki laughed once again, and it made Junpei's stomach twist into an uncomfortable knot. He didn't know how to describe what was so wrong about the noise, but he got the feeling that there was something upsetting about it. "Not everything that happened while we were Fallen Warriors was caused directly by Cherubimon, you know," they pointed out. "Yumiko was purified because of her own power. She allowed her morals to fully take her over, and that was what allowed her to slip through the cracks of Cherubimon's influence. Hinoka's loss of control was only partially caused by him. In other ways, she was simply crumbling under the excessive stress of the situation."

Junpei glared into their eyes, trying to find something among their irises that would explain the situation. "You mean to say that your manipulative behavior is simply part of your nature," he said dryly. They simply smiled in return, their head tilting to the side, as Junpei continued. "Tell me, Saki... Do you think that you're a good person?"

"People are impossible to judge. There is no person who is perfectly good nor bad. We all have our own set of ethics, and we have different boundaries as to what falls under the categories of positive and parasitic. Asking me for an answer will yield you no results. It's simply a choice that you'll have to make for yourself, and there's little help that I can offer you. Everyone's opinion of those around them is completely different, and I'm not going to attempt to influence you one way or the other," Saki answered, dodging the question effortlessly. "Tell me, Junpei... Do you think that I'm a good person?"

Junpei didn't know how he could answer their inquiry, so all he did was let out yet another sigh. "I don't understand you," he muttered. He knew that such a statement was blatantly clear, and yet, he simply had to release it into the air somehow.

Saki gave him another smile, their gaze just as reflective as before. "Nobody does," they told him. They finished eating their meal before rising to their feet, taking their plate with them before walking over the counter against the far wall of the station. Junpei watched them all the way before his eyes finally dropped down to the plate in front of him.

He didn't get Saki. Junpei had never been the best when it came to sorting through various emotions, but Saki had to be something special. He struggled to understand himself, and there was Saki, a completely different beast who had managed to avoid every attempt he made to bridge the gap between them. He wanted to find out more about them, but he had no idea how the hell he was supposed to go about it. They were simply too smart, always dodging the question when he got close to figuring something out. Their facial expressions were impossible to read, as if they were constantly performing and the world was their stage with the people around them as the audience. Lyramon had been impossible to read, so it stood to reason that the same would apply to Saki, but Junpei had never stopped to think about it that way.

His hand clenched into a fist, and he felt his nails digging into his palm before he forced his fingers into a regular position. He continued to focus on eating, trying to push Saki from his mind but not finding the ability to. He just wanted to understand what the hell their deal was. It was clear as could be that there was something resting beneath the surface, but how was he supposed to figure it out when all Saki did was breeze through conversation with those reflective eyes?

Damn it all, those eyes. They were like a mirror, and suddenly, Junpei realized how much cruel sense it made that Lyramon fought with a metallic shield that reflected all attacks. Lyramon was an extension of Saki themselves, so it was natural that they would possess similar features. Junpei looked over at Saki for another long moment before reaching for his D-Tector and staring at the screen. He had come so far since entering the Digital World, coming to understand the people around him far better than he ever could have imagined. However, people remained out of his grasp, and there was nothing he could think of that would be able to close the distance between himself and Saki. They simply weren't going to let him get close, and he absolutely hated how easily they were able to turn everything around on him.

Those reflective eyes were as mysterious as they were frustrating.

Much of Koji and Takuya's meal had been enjoyed in silence, and the Warrior of Light wound up retreating after he was finished eating to take a deep breath outside. As much as he loved the rest of the group, every once in a while, he simply needed a moment to himself, and he knew that this was one of those times. There was simply too much spinning through his head, and the noise of the Legendary Warriors was not going to help him come to any conclusions regarding what his connection to Malkakomon was supposed to mean.

The pieces felt like they were all there, but he didn't have the slightest clue as to how he was supposed to put them together. He knew that Malkakomon's name was Koichi, and Koji couldn't help but think about how, if they were truly twins, everything made perfect sense. Their names meant first and second, and he felt foolish for ever having overlooked that.

The second crucial fact was that his mother was alive. Kousei had lied to Koji his entire life about his mother perishing in a car accident. Koji had grieved for nothing, and Kousei simply sat back and left him to drown in his own misery. Kousei was able to move on because he knew that the woman he once loved was still alive. Chances were that the family had divorced when Koji and Koichi were too young to remember, and yet, Koji didn't want to believe it. He hated the idea of having been deceived for so much of his life. He had never gotten along with with Kousei, but this was a new level of twisted.

Koji knew that divorce could change a family forever, but it still felt unnecessarily cruel to rip the family of four in half with no point of connecting once again. Kousei hadn't wanted Koji to reach out to his mother and brother, so he pretended that the mother Koji had loved so much was dead. Kousei moved on effortlessly and fell in love with Satomi, forcing Koji to love a stepmother when he was never allowed to be somber or upset for the mother he had lost in the first place. Then again, Koji supposed that his mother never truly had been lost; Kousei had simply lost the way and forced Koji to come along for the ride.

"What are you doing out here, Koji?"

Koji practically jumped out of his skin when he heard Patamon's voice, and he turned to see the small orange monster flying in the air with a simple smile on his face. Koji noticed that a window next to the door had been pushed open, and the smell of burgers was wafting out from the crack. Koji suspected that Patamon had wormed his way out through the window since he was too small to open the door on his own.

Koji hesitated before closing his eyes. He turned his back on the train station, tilting his head towards the shadowed sky. "I'm just thinking," he murmured, unsure of how he was supposed to explain the full situation. Everything was there for him to say, and he knew that he had all of the information that he needed, but he was almost too scared to phrase it that way. When Koji had spoken with Takuya the night before, he had phrased it as if he had no idea if the truth about Malkakomon could be real. The truth was that Koji was all too aware of the truth; he simply didn't want to believe it.

Patamon tilted his head to the side before flying up to Koji and landing on his shoulder. The Warrior of Light found himself leaning gently against the contact, and Patamon nested in the space between Koji's chin, neck, and collarbone. The two were silent for a while after that, and Koji was thankful for the quiet. Patamon's presence meant he couldn't think about Malkakomon in too much detail, but he wasn't forced to explain all of his fears for the worst either. It was simply peaceful, and Koji was glad to have a moment of relaxation for the first time in what felt a millennia.

Unfortunately for Koji, that peace was not meant to last.

A rushing sound came from above, and Koji's eyes shot open as his arms went up to protect his face. Wind kicked up from every direction, threatening to sweep the young boy off his feet. Patamon held tightly to Koji's bandanna, believing in vain that it would be able to keep him from being tossed away by the haphazard air. When Patamon's grip failed him, he was sent backwards against the train station. His small body hit the outside wall, and he slid down to the ground soon afterwards, dazed but still conscious.

Malkakomon stood before Koji, and there was something about the Warrior of Darkness that told Koji he could not be reasoned with. The Warrior of Light felt his heart skip a beat in his chest, and he reached for his D-Tector out of instinctive fear. He couldn't tell if he was more terrified of Malkakomon and the danger he posed or the potential of the earth-shattering truth that came with his existence.

"You... You are my enemy..." Malkakomon said, and once again, his words were layered with all four voices that Koji unfortunately knew so well. Even if he had never personally heard Cherubimon, Koji was more than able to put the pieces together regarding who the deepest bass voice belonged to.

More than that though, Koji recognized the top voice, hearing each dimension of fear and loss within it. He felt as if his breath was stolen from his lungs for one fleeting, brutal moment, and all he could do was stare as he remembered the boy with his face and short hair that lived at the center of the empty husk that Malkakmon had become.

Koji's finger slammed down on the activation of his D-Tector, and then, he was Garummon, and he was running.


We're getting closer now to a very important achievement. It's a secret for now, but I'm pretty sure that you'll understand it soon (and by that I mean next week). In the meantime though, it's time for my big note on this chapter!

Daipenmon was redesigned for the sake of this rewrite. I figured that my redesign would fit a lot better given the way that Hybrid forms are meant to be blends of Human and Beast Spirits, so popsicle penguin was unfortunately cut. Sorry if anyone was looking forward to that, but we've got something different instead. Oops.

Writing from Hinoka's perspective during the fight scene was lots of fun for me too. I haven't had the chance to do much with her point of view since was purified, so I figured this would be the perfect time for her to show up as our narrator for a short while. I enjoyed it greatly, so you can certainly expect to see more of her in the future.

Next up, let's talk about Saki. They're easily one of the most interesting characters in this story to me, and I love how complex and unique they are. Unlike the other members of the cast, they don't have a direct reason to open up about their past because they can control their Beast Spirit already. Just like Junpei said though, the fact that they can manipulate their Beast Spirit without any problems definitely points to something strange going on. As for what that is... You'll just have to keep reading to find out.

Koji's issues with Koichi have been building for a while now, but due to their psychic connections, he's basically able to figure it all out at this point. He knows what everything means, but he doesn't want to believe it since that would essentially make him hate his father even more. Neither one of the twins is all that fond of Kousei, but this being true would only make Koji feel worse. It's a shame that we already have the sneaking suspicion as to how this is going to end, and it isn't in Koji's favor in the slightest.

I honestly don't have all that much else to say about this chapter. Since it was primarily focused on those three scenes, there aren't too many minor details for me to fill in. I'm going to be back next week with yet another new chapter, and then we'll hit that important benchmark I mentioned before. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!

-Digital