Garummon wasn't enjoying this in the slightest.
His first instinct had been to get as far away from the train station as possible when he realized that Malkakomon was attacking. There were Burgemon inside, and the last thing that he wanted was for them to get hurt in the crossfire of the Legendary Warriors' inevitable battle against Malkakomon. They were innocent and didn't deserve to be caught up in something that terrible. Plus, if the train station came down, all of them would lose their place to live, and Garummon simply wasn't going to stand for that.
However, that didn't mean that trying to move the battle elsewhere was an easy feat. In fact, it was simply frustrating to Garummon that he was being forced to run so much. Malkakomon was flying effortlessly overhead, and Garummon had to look at the Warrior of Darkness out of the corner of his eye without focusing too much on the dried blood crusted against his wing. If he stared at it for too long, he knew that he was going to be sick, and he couldn't afford to spend too much time concentrating on a fact of that nature. He was already at a disadvantage in the power department, so he couldn't spare a moment to be distracted.
Malkakomon dove down towards Garummon, and he let out a small snarl before launching himself forward. He barely managed to land on his front paws, preventing his body from being spiraled into an uncontrollable rolling motion. His claws dug fiercely into the dirt below, not doing much to ground him but accomplishing more than enough. He ducked low towards the ground once again when Malkakomon swept towards him a second time, but they were too close for comfort.
Garummon would have been lying if he said that he wasn't nervous about this. He didn't even want to imagine what other memories could have flooded his mind if he and Malkakomon touched one another. Without the rest of the team to cover for him, all he could do was avoid Malkakomon's attacks and try to lash out from a distance. That was far easier said than done though, and he knew that Malkakomon wasn't going to offer him a single advantage willingly. Garummon was going to have to find away to wrestle away control of the fight from the Warrior of Darkness, but that was far easier said than done.
Malkakomon showed weakness for a brief moment after he was finished diving towards Garummon. The Warrior of Light allowed his eyes to narrow in response, and he allowed himself to tear his mouth open. A blast of energy exploded forth, spiraling through the sky to slam into Malkakmon's injured wing. The dried blood was no longer quite as dry as he thought, and crimson began to drip onto the ground once again. It took all of Garummon's effort to keep himself from staring at the injury for too long. He didn't have the time to be distracted. This was a matter of life and death, and he had to find a way to survive.
Malkakomon growled in anger before every eye across his armor narrowed. They shifted their attention towards Garummon, each glittering with the promise of murder. Garummon had never known true madness until he looked to Malkakomon and watched as all of his eyes began to glow red with something far more powerful than ever before. The Warrior of Darkness was coming undone, but he wasn't planning on falling apart alone. If he was truly going to descend into something disgusting, he was going to be taking Garummon with him, and given how much power he had over the Warrior of Light, it wasn't going to be difficult for him to pull off.
Garummon had to jump backwards at first to dodge the first duo of lasers before hurling himself off to the right and finally the left. He launched himself into the air when another set was sent towards the place where his feet hit the ground. He ducked low to avoid the fifth pair, but he wasn't able to get himself airborne in time to avoid the final duo. He was hit in the chest and sent flying backwards. He was on his back at first, but he forced his body to turn over so that he was on his paws once again. His claws dug fiercely into the dusty ground, but he knew that wasn't going to save him when Malkakomon truly got down to business.
"You are my enemy," Malkakomon declared firmly, and Garummon focused in on the highest voice out of the four. He, Koichi, sounded so terrified, as if none of this was what he wanted. Garummon couldn't blame him for being scared, but there was still something that struck Garummon as odd. What made Malkakomon so much different from the rest of the Legendary Warriors? There was clearly a distinction between Malkakomon and all eleven of the others, so what could the dividing line have been? He longed to figure it out, but he had no idea where he was supposed to pull the answers from.
In fact, the greatest clue that Garummon had been given was from Bokomon. The white Digimon had mentioned at one point that Duskmon wasn't found within the book about the Legendary Warriors for some reason, but there was no true explanation as to why this was. The book was huge, so perhaps Duskmon had merely been lost within the shuffle. There was no way of saying for sure, and Garummon knew he wouldn't be able to figure out the truth as long as the fight was going on, but that didn't stop him from wondering.
His thoughts were suddenly severed from his mind when Malkakomon dove towards him. Garummon forced himself into the air, leaping above Malkakomon's head before landing behind him. Garummon slid through the dust for a moment before he closed his eyes and allowed his body to be covered in a thin veil of light. The outline of a wolf appeared over him, and it spiraled towards Malkakomon a moment later before making rough contact with the Warrior of Darkness.
Malkakomon had already been dazed from missing his initial strike against Garummon, but the new attack didn't help him in the slightest. He fell forward into the dirt, his good wing curling around him in a futile attempt to protect the bulk of his body. When that failed, Malkakomon snarled and forced himself to his feet again using his hands, but there was something shaky about him all of a sudden. Perhaps it was caused by his instability. Maybe Garummon was actually making progress in winning the day. There was no way to say for sure.
Malkakomon sure as hell wasn't going to let Garummon assume anything. As soon as he was up once again, he covered himself in a small layer of shadows. The darkness churned before stretching out towards Garummon, and the Warrior of Light jumped backwards to keep from being hit. Light crackled atop his metallic armor to fend away the darkness, prompting the shadows to return to their host. They continued to writhe with something fiercely angry, but all Garummon could do was stare at them. He knew exactly how strong they could be when Malkakomon was properly provoked. The Warrior of Darkness had forced Junpei back into human form without hesitating just the day before. There was no way of saying what else he was capable of on top of that.
Garummon continued to pull as far away from Malkakomon as he could manage. He wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to stall this way. He prayed that the rest of the group realized that he was missing or heard that something was wrong from Patamon. They would be able to do much more damage to Malkakomon as a team when compared to simply one of them, and Garummon had the sneaking suspicion that he was going to need their help if he wanted to even come close to standing a chance at victory.
Yumiko was more than happy to help with cleaning up after the group finished eating. The Burgemon insisted on the group not paying them after hearing about who they were and what they were doing, but Yumiko still wanted to do what she could to keep the area as neat and tidy as possible. Back on Earth, she was a bit obsessed when it came to cleanliness, and there was never a spot of dust to be found in her room no matter where one looked.
She stacked a few plates together after they had been rinsed and dried, moving to the space that the Burgemon insisted was for the dishes. She hummed to herself as she opened a cabinet and placed the stack atop the rack that had been pointed out to her beforehand. She shut the door soon afterwards and looked back to the rest of the room. There were four Burgemon in the area, and all of them were smiling up at her brightly.
"Thank you again for your generosity," Yumiko told them, bowing her head with a kind grin of her own. "We all truly do appreciate it. I believe that we will have to get going soon, but if we find ourselves passing through the area once again, we'll be sure to stop by and say hello."
The Burgemon all waved as Yumiko moved towards the door back into the main part of the station, and she returned the gesture before pushing her way through the entrance. She was still smiling even after she had returned to the same space as the rest of her friends. She took in a small breath as a gentle breeze hit her cheek. Her grin slipped away as she realized that the window they had opened was never shut again. Yumiko moved over to the window and propped herself up on the bench near the window before bracing her fingers against the closing mechanism. She looked out the window just to make sure that she didn't see anything too suspicious.
She didn't get the chance to close the window.
Patamon was on the ground just outside, looking incredibly dazed and barely able to stand. He slowly managed to push himself up, and he shook his head wildly before letting out a sigh and glancing up at Yumiko with wide eyes. "Yumiko!" he cried out.
Yumiko dashed outside as soon as she was able to pull herself together, not caring too much about the strange glances that she got from the rest of the group. She pushed the door open, practically sliding into the dirt in her shock and speed. She leaned down and picked up Patamon with a small frown on her face. Worry clouded her vision as she looked him over for injuries. "Are you okay? What happened?" she questioned hurriedly, trying to beat away the panic that was slowly but surely taking hold of her mind. She didn't know what could have hurt Patamon this way, but she was already scared for him. He seemed to be alright enough, but that didn't stop adrenaline from firmly finding a home inside of her.
"It was Malkakomon!" Patamon managed to say despite how dizzy he still was. "He ran off, and Koji went with him! He turned into Garummon before he disappeared, but I don't know how far away they could have gotten!" He practically forced himself up against Yumiko's chest, and she was more than happy to pull him in tightly enough for him to feel secure after the terrifying situation he had just endured.
Yumiko took in a deep breath, trying not to show how shaky and nervous she was made by Patamon's words. "We're going to find a way to save him," she assured Patamon. "The rest of the group is going to come with us, and we're going to save Koji and beat Malkakomon." Yumiko wasn't positive that they would be able to pull off the latter, but she had to believe. Patamon needed her to be confident, and in all honesty, Yumiko needed that from herself as well.
The door swung open behind her, and Yumiko turned around to see Tomoki standing in the doorway. Haroi and Mayumi were both behind him. "What happened?!" Tomoki cried out. "I heard you say Patamon's name, and you sounded scared!"
"Where did Koji go?" Mayumi questioned, glancing around the area furiously. Her ponytail hit the doorframe before settling back into place. "I could have sworn that I saw him come out here with Patamon, but I don't see him anywhere..."
"He turned into Garummon and ran off after Malkakomon," Yumiko explained. "Malkakomon attacked Patamon, and that's where we are now. We have to get the rest of the group together so that we can go and find them. Koji needs our help."
Haroi nodded before turning around and walking back into the train station. Yumiko pulled Patamon away from her chest to look at him gently. His eyes were watery and on the verge of bursting into tears, so she allowed one hand to wipe gently at his orange hair. "It's going to be okay," she cooed to him. She made herself believe the words being spoken no matter how nervous she was that they would turn out to be false. "We're going to rescue Koji, and when we do, we'll be able to defeat Malkakomon too."
If she was being honest, Yumiko didn't have the slightest idea as to how they were going to find a way to defeat Malkakomon, but she knew that they at least had to try. He was going to be their final large obstacle before they charged off to finish off Cherubimon, and if the Celestial Digimon had backup that strong going into the final battle, there was no way to guarantee that they would get out alive. Cherubimon was powerful enough on his own, and Malkakomon was an entirely different can of worms. If they didn't defeat Malkakomon as soon as possible, the chances of them winning out against Cherubimon would be slim as could be.
Still, Yumiko didn't allow herself to openly say how nervous she was. Instead, she simply clutched at Patamon and rocked him gently in her arms as he tried to calm down from the anxious high he had reached. As the rest of the Legendary Warriors streamed out of the train station and into the dusty outside space, Yumiko steeled herself. She knew exactly what was waiting for her and the rest of the team in the coming hour, and she knew that she was going to have to be ready. If all went well, this would be the last time that she had to fight against Malkakomon. Even if she was nervous and terrified, she was going to do her best to fight.
Somehow, they were going to have to win, and Yumiko was going to do what she could to help them reach victory.
Garummon was doing everything he could to keep dodging the attacks that Malkakomon rained down upon him, but he knew that he wasn't going to be able to keep it up for much longer. His body was growing tired and weary, and he was suddenly reminded of how poorly he had been treated over the course of the past two days due to the presence of Duskmon. The night before had given him the chance to take a moment to recover, but there was only so much help a few hours of sleep could do when compared to all of the pain that he had endured up until that point.
Malkakomon didn't seem to ever tire. The injury on his wings was only getting worse, but the flow of blood didn't bother him in the slightest, and all he did was continue to lash out as if he didn't have a care in the world. Garummon continued to launch himself in every direction possible because he knew that if Malkakomon got his hands on him, there would be no coming back from that. Malkakomon had murder in his eyes. There was no mercy to be found in a creature like that.
Deep down though, Garummon knew that Koichi did not want this. Every single growl from Malkakomon was primal from all the voices except for the one belonging to the human form. Koichi knew that he was falling apart, but there was nothing he could do about it. Cherubimon's control was simply too strong for him to eliminate the influence of the virus on his own. Malkakomon was only going to be freed if Garummon or another member of the Risen Warriors could purify him, but Garummon didn't know how he was supposed to pull that off when damaging Malkakomon already seemed to be out of the range of his abilities.
All he wanted was for the rest of the group to show up. They had to have noticed that he was missing. He felt as if he had been gone for ages, and Patamon surely would have alerted them as to what was happening as soon as he snapped out of his daze. Garummon wasn't sure of how far he and Malkakomon had traveled from the station, but he prayed with everything that he had that the rest of the group was able to find him. He didn't know how he was supposed to win agains Malkakomon on his own. He didn't even think that it was possible. That wasn't even a matter of pessimism; it was simply being realistic.
Malkakomon came down for another attack, and Garummon forced himself against the ground. Pressing his body into the dust only to get back up was starting to exhaust him, and he knew that he wasn't meant for this. Malkakomon had the advantage of controlling the skies, and there was only so much Garummon could do when his movement was limited by exhaustion and being locked to the ground. He had never thought that he would be jealous of the other Warriors in this way, but he was suddenly envious of their abilities to fly. For the most part, all of them had wings in some form or another, and Garummon knew that the current battle would have been much easier if he had that benefit on his side.
However, since his Spirits gave him no such leeway, he was simply going to have to make do with what he had. Garummon was better for avoiding attacks, so he was already giving himself the main advantage that he had at his disposal by not shifting into the form of Lobomon. Garummon didn't stop himself from cursing at the cruelty of the universe though, and he snarled to himself when Malkakomon strayed too close. Damn it, he needed the backup of the rest of the team. Where were they? Unless he was granted a miracle, he didn't think he would be able to get out of this battle alive.
Ophanimon was exhuasted.
This was nothing new for her. Ever since she had first been brought to Rose Morning Star, she had been tired. Cherubimon kept her in a cage like she was a trophy on display, a prize that acted as the culmination of his triumphs, and there was nothing she could do to escape. It was tiring constantly having her power drained, but she knew that she couldn't alter this fact. All she could do was wait.
She had been waiting for a long time. Ophanimon was a patient woman, but the days and nights had begun to bleed together into a timeless haze that left her disoriented at best and miserable at worst. Sometimes, Cherubimon came to visit her, though it was mostly a matter of interrogation where he pressed her for information about the Legendary Warriors. It wasn't as if she knew much of anything about the people that she had summoned; her distress signal had been widespread and done in a moment of panic. Ophanimon knew little aside from their names, but part of her could feel three small flickers of power in the back of her mind.
She knew that Seraphimon was gone and had been for a while. Part of her had sensed the loss of balance from his death, and Cherubimon had entered her room boasting about it with a twisted grin on his face once he received the news. Ophanimon's new home was a room made entirely of light, turning one of her own elements against her in a cruel display of irony that showed just how powerful Cherubimon was. He wanted to prove to her that he was the one in control as if there was ever a doubt in the first place. Ophanimon knew what she was up against, and she wasn't going to bother fighting until she knew that she would be able to escape.
Cherubimon hadn't come to visit her in a while, and Ophanimon was alright with that. She preferred to be left to her own devices, even if all she could do was stare at the glowing corners of the chamber of light and wait for the time when she would be saved. She knew that it would be quite some time before her chosen Warriors grew near, but she could sense that they were shifting. They knew where she was, and they were coming to find her.
Many thought of Ophanimon as the only source of hope left in the Digital World. Seraphimon's death had hit the realm hard, but most monsters continued on with their lives in the ignorant bliss that came with denying all the issues around them. Ophanimon had been captured and was being used as a trophy by Cherubimon, but she was still alive, and that was what mattered. Even without communicating with the outside world, she knew that the Digital World and all of its occupants were looking to her with wide eyes and impossible expectations, but she shouldered it all with the effortless grace that she utilized when face with any other issue.
She was aware of far more than Cherubimon thought. He rarely came to visit her these days, having given up on pressing more information from her tightly-knit lips, but she still knew many things that went on within his army. The Digimon that guarded her whispered amongst themselves about the war at large, and she was familiar enough with the footsteps of the Fallen Warriors to know when they were present. She hadn't sensed any of them in quite some time, and in most cases, it was because they had betrayed Cherubimon following their purification. The only Legendary Warrior that still fought by Cherubimon's side was the Warrior of Darkness, but even Cherubimon seemed to be struggling to control such a powerful creature.
The child of Darkness was a mystery to her. Ophanimon could distinctly remember the names and faces of each of the people that she summoned to the Digital World, but he was left out of this generalization. Seraphimon's Warriors were four in number. Tomoki Himi was anxious and introverted but possessed a heart of gold. Izumi Orimoto's kindness and elegance were second to none, and all who crossed her path cared for her greatly. Junpei Shibayama behaved confidently to mask his own nihilism and biting insecurity. Mayumi Reiku's chipper and optimistic nature brought a smile to the faces of everyone she came across.
Ophanimon's three children were special to her, and she could sense their elements dancing when she closed her eyes. Takuya Kanbara's fiery heart and passion inspired awe and care in all people. Koji Minamoto was detached yet sweet, hiding his empathy behind a mask of stoicism. Haroi Tsurumaki was soft-spoken and a natural mediator with the power to calm down even the most turbulent of souls.
She knew four of Cherubimon's Warriors, still remembering how they had first been summoned to the Digital World. Chihiro Ayumu was as stubborn as they were determined, facing every challenge with a unique spirit no other possessed. Yumiko Mihara had incredible care for others allowed even the lost to feel at home and welcome. Hinoka Sakatami, while coming off as shy and distant, was capable of such love that it was almost painful. Saki Fushida had come close enough to darkness to kiss it, and yet, they never crossed the boundary, maintaining their intelligence and strength along the way.
But Koichi was different. She knew four, but she did not know five.
Duskmon was not like the others. She knew this without needing to check the incredible volume about the Legendary Warriors found within the library of Abraxas. Something about him was different, and she didn't have the slightest idea how she was meant to identify that strangeness. It was unfamiliar to her, as if merely thinking about him was testing unknown waters. He was a mystery that she had no idea how to unravel.
She wondered often what could have been so peculiar about him, and it was what she was doing as the battle between Garummon and Malkakomon raged on. She could sense that her Warrior of Light was struggling, and she wished that there was something she could do. Her powers were weakened by the cage she was trapped inside, but if she had the strength to spare, she would have done all in her power to ease his suffering. Koichi had something to do with it, and she wished that there was a way for her to keep the powers of sun and shadow from driving one another to ruin.
That was when the miracle happened.
A glow began deep inside of her, and she realized that there was a weakness within the cage she was trapped in. If she focused enough, she would be able to send a blessing to her Warriors. They were going to need all the power they could get if they wanted to defeat Cherubimon, and Ophanimon needed to do what she could to ease their suffering. They were counting on her, and she knew that the rest of the Digital World was as well.
Ophanimon clasped her hands together tightly before bowing her head. The light deep within began to spread, passing through every part of her body before finding a home between her palms. "Grant my Warriors strength," she whispered, injecting every ounce of care and love she had into those four words. The light began to grow in magnitude further before spiraling up to the sky, breaking through the roof of the cage before disappearing. Ophanimon watched as the outline of gentle pink vanished from view, and she continued to stare at the spot long after she had anything to look at.
Ophanimon was used to feeling tired, powerless, and weak. It had practically become part of her daily routine since she was brought to Rose Morning Star. She hadn't felt strong in far too long, growing used to the sensation that her own agony brought. Constantly suffocating under her own problems was terrible, but she didn't have much of a choice given the circumstances.
Still, the sudden exhaustion that flooded through her when she finished delivering the blessing was something new. Ophanimon fell to her knees, and she forced herself to sit down with her back pressed against a few bars of the cage. The room was spinning around her, a kaleidoscope of everything she had grown so used to seeing in the past few weeks. She had found a weakness in the barrier and sent out her blessing, but at what cost? Ophanimon prayed that she would be able to recover soon, but there were no guarantees. It was only a matter of time until Cherubimon got sick of her presence and put an end to her suffering himself. She had known from the start that this situation could have ended in her death, and yet, she did it anyways.
The Digital World was counting on her. They had needed her to cry for help to Earth, to summon the Legendary Warriors who would bring them all salvation. She was more than happy to trade her life if the Digimon that admired her so were given the chance to live. It was the duty of a strong ruler to look after their people, and Ophanimon was more than happy to do what she had to in order to ensure that those around her were safe. Even if she died, she knew that she would be able to perish with the faith in her heart that she had helped someone.
Ophanimon forced herself to concentrate on her Legendary Warriors. Koji was still fiercely battling against Koichi, and the mystery as to who the Warrior of Darkness was remained just as it always had. She was too dizzy to try and put the pieces together, but she prayed that someone would be capable of finding the truth. There was little more she could do aside from simply wait for her strength to return, assuming it ever did. Regardless, she was proud of herself for what she had accomplished. She was doing all that she could to help others, and that was what mattered the most.
She was nothing more than a trophy, but she had still been capable of doing something good.
Cybelemon hated this.
They were mounted on Calanthemon's back, and they had been flying for quite some time. Patamon was tucked firmly in their arms since the Warrior of Wood was distracted with getting all three of them closer to the site of Garummon and Malkakomon's battle. In all honesty, they hadn't been flying for that long, but each second felt like an eternity when Cybelemon considered everything that was happening with the Warriors of Light and Darkness. They didn't know what exactly was happening, but they were wise enough to know that it wasn't going to end well for Garummon unless the rest of the group got there soon.
Finally, after something that felt damn near an eternity, Malkakomon's figure came into view. Cybelemon instinctively leaned closer to Calanthemon as she started to fly faster. Malkakomon was raining attacks down on Garummon. The Warrior of Light was dodging each strike sent his way, but it was clear that he wasn't going to be able to keep it up for much longer than he already had.
Cybelemon jumped from Calanthemon's back before landing in a crouching position on the ground. Patamon flew from their grasp to join Bokomon and Neemon as the rest of the Legendary Warriors landed too. Cybelemon started running towards the Warrior of Darkness with one hand reared back. They didn't come close enough to scratch Malkakomon with their claws, but the ground began to distort before creating a fist that reached up and grabbed him before dragging him down. Cybelemon smirked to themselves in response.
Garummon noticed the arrival of the rest of the group upon seeing the first created by Cybelemon. He let out a small gasp of surprise before looking at them over his shoulder. He nodded his thanks to the Warrior of Earth before inhaling and releasing a blast of light energy that spiraled through the air before slamming into Malkakomon's chest. The Warrior of Darkness immediately sagged against the blast, but he still wasn't able to escape the grasp of the powerful fist that Cybelemon had him trapped inside of.
Calanthemon and Cygnusmon took to the skies once again, and stars began to rain down. Plants started to curl their way up the outside of the earthen hand that Cybelemon had created before starting to pull at every part of Malkakomon that was left exposed. He started thrashing as soon as he felt the touch of the intrusive vines, but he still didn't come close to escaping, causing Malkakomon to release an angry swear. His eyes glowed red before the red eyes across his body started to shimmer as well. Lasers exploded forth from his armor a moment later, shattering the fist that Cybelemon had created. Malkakomon nearly hit the ground, but he managed to correct his course to return to the skies a moment later. Murder was still in his gaze, and he very clearly had no intentions of giving up regardless of how hopeless the circumstances became.
Onyxmon suddenly flew upwards, and Cybelemon threw their arms up to keep from being knocked over by the large Beast Spirit. Onyxmon was easily the biggest out of the Legendary Warriors, and the disparity in size between them and the rest of the team was starting to become glaringly apparent. Still, they didn't seem to notice that Cybelemon, or any other members of the team, for that matter, were staring. Instead, all they did was continue to stare at Malkakomon with intensity glowing in their expression. Purple flames burst from their mouth a moment later, and Malkakomon was barely able to swing his body out of the way to keep from being hit by the blast.
At a first glance, that was how it seemed, at the very least. Smoke began to curl away from Malkakomon's injured wing once again, and he was suddenly sent careening to the ground with no hope of stopping himself. The impact he made with the dust below was rough, kicking up debris in every direction. Cybelemon was ready to guard their eyes or otherwise control the dust to keep it from causing problems, but they never had the chance to try it. Instead, an orb of wind appeared from the ground, spreading up to cover the entire group of Legendary Warriors until there was no way for the intruding dust to get too close to them. Calanthemon and Cygnusmon were included in the sphere as well, so only Malkakomon's vision was being impaired.
At first, Cybelemon was curious as to who could have saved the group in that way, but they recognized a moment later that it must have been Zephyrmon. They spared her a glance over one shoulder and saw that, sure enough, her hands were pressed above her head as energy fed the shield from her body. She didn't seem to notice that Cybelemon was staring, but the Warrior of Earth was honestly alright with that. There were far more important things to focus on in that moment than sparing a moment to thank the other members of her team.
The shield was only dispersed when Zephyrmon was sure that there was no further danger brought by the dust. Malkakomon was slowly pushing himself to his feet, but there was clearly something wrong with him that hadn't been there before. He was wild with his own unpredictability, and yet, there was more to it. His eyes were wide with the threat of homicide, and yet, Cybelemon could still pick something out beneath all of that.
Exhaustion.
They were barely able to identify it at first since they were too surprised to see something of that nature coming from Malkakomon of all Digimon. Still, after a few seconds of staring at him with wide, terrified eyes, they were sure of what they had seen. Malkakomon was tired somehow. The emotionless soldier that was the Warrior of Darkness was finally starting to fall apart, and there wasn't an easy solution as to what was going to be able to put him back together again.
"Help me..."
Cybelemon started and backpedaled upon hearing the voice, desperate to get further away from Malkakomon despite the distance between them already being huge. The voice was high-pitched when compared to the other words that left Malkakomon's lips, something terrifyingly young that struck an unusual chord deep within Cybelemon. They knew what it was like to fall apart under the lack of control that came with controlling one's Spirits, and they were sure that this had to be what Malkakomon was going through.
Cybelemon managed to force themselves to look around at the rest of the group, wondering if they had heard the same thing a moment prior. The confusion and haunted terror that each of their expressions conveyed told Cybelemon everything they needed to know. Even Onyxmon seemed mystified as to what had just taken place, and Cybelemon was willing to take that as a sign that this was far more serious than any of them had originally anticipated.
Malkakomon didn't allow his moment of pleading to keep him from fighting back though. In fact, he rushed straight for Garummon as soon as he managed to gather his bearings once again. The exhaustion from before had subsided, and Malkakomon curled both of his hands around the sharpened blades that protruded from Garummon's shoulders. The Warrior of Light thrashed in his grasp, but despite his attempts to get away from Malkakomon, he was never able to fully pull himself free.
The shadows on Malkakomon's body were starting to dance again, creeping closer to the Warrior of Light with each passing second. As Garummon continued to struggle, the threat of the darkness swallowing him became large. Malkakomon's eyes narrowed into a known sense of violence, and Cybelemon saw the outline of a cruel warmonger of a Celestial Digimon around the Warrior of Darkness for a split second. Cherubimon knew exactly what he was making Malkakomon do, and the twisted monster was enjoying every second of the agony that he helped to inflict upon Garummon.
That was when the light suddenly appeared.
If Garummon was being honest, he thought that he was going to die.
Suddenly, he wished for the mercies of the times when he would have simply exchanged memories with Malkakommon due to their unstable Beast forms. However, such a benefit had subsided when he fully gained control over Garummon, and all he could do was deal with what Malkakomon was doing to him. Unfortunately, that was far from being a positive, and his head was pounding fiercely.
If he were forced to describe it, he would have said that it was like his brain and skull were being expertly picked apart by someone with far too much time on their hands. It was agonizing, and the pain soon spread to the rest of his body, leaving him limp and defenseless. Malkakomon's shadows were hurting every inch of him, and it was only a matter of time before he lost the power to fight back.
He was going to die there in the Digital World, cold and afraid at the hands of someone who he believed was his brother. He simply couldn't see another outcome no matter how much he tried to channel the positivity that he knew Takuya was so infamous for. It was a terrible sequence of thoughts, but he couldn't think of a way to escape it no matter how hard he tried.
And then there was warmth.
Garummon wasn't sure when he had shut his eyes, but they opened when every muscle in his body relaxed at the same time. He was limp once again, but there was something different about him this time. He wasn't tense or terrified in the slightest; in fact, he felt almost incredible, the best that he had been given the luxury of feeling since he was first taken hostage by Duskmon what felt like an eternity ago.
The glow around his body was pink in color, and he had no idea what it could have meant. In his mind's eye, he could see his human form holding his D-Tector, and the light began to change its shape as a pink ring appeared around the screen. That was the same appearance that the device had taken on after Seraphimon granted most of the team at the time the power of his blessing. It was later revealed that this power would manifest itself as a Hybrid evolution, something Koji had overheard Hinoka discussing with Izumi during their time at the Burgemon's temporary home.
Ophanimon had to have given him her blessing, but he didn't have the slightest idea how that was possible. She was being held captive by Cherubimon with no way of escaping, so how could she have granted him some of her immense power? He had a million and one questions, and he was desperate for answers.
However, his curiosity wound up being secondary when compared to the other concerns he had at that moment such as surviving Malkakomon's relentless onslaught. Garummon managed to focus on the world around him once again, and he took a small breath before releasing it. He could feel the shape of his body changing, and he knew exactly what was happening. This was the familiar sensation that came with Spirit Evolving, but this time around, something about it was different.
He was still at a loss as for how Ophanimon had managed to gift him the power of her blessing from her place trapped in Rose Morning Star. Still, he knew better than to neglect something that was undoubtedly going to be his lifeline to escape the situation at hand. He reached out for the light that was slowly warming everything that he was, beating away the cold fear that had found a home in his bones. Garummon more than welcomed the sudden relief, but it didn't end there.
He felt his feet hit the ground, but there were only two rather than four. Malkakomon let out a distant scream before recoiling under the power of the light that had exploded from Garummon's body. His wings curled around his body in an attempt to shield himself from the sudden illumination, but that only did so much. Cherubimon's screams of fear drowned out everything else, and Garummon had to admit that he took some sort of twisted satisfaction from hearing a creature so disgusting scream in pain.
Except he wasn't exactly Garummon anymore, was he? His body was shifting, and he knew that other facts about him were changing as well. Such was the way of Hybrid evolution as far as he was aware.
For one, his body had shifted into the same form that he used as Lobomon. He wore primarily pale blue armor that covered every inch of his body aside from his head. He had a white wolf mask that disguised the upper half of his face, only showing his mahogany eyes and a bit of bright yellow hair. There were white plates on his shoulders marked with the symbol of the Warrior of Light.
A yellow spike stuck up at the center of his chest to match the color of his claws and thigh braces. There were silver gauntlets on his hands, and similar patches of armor rested on top of his feet. His shoes were primarily silver, and there were three claws that stuck out from the front of them the same way that claws stuck out on his arms. However, the claws on his hands were primarily for decoration; he had hands beneath them, and one of them grasped at a sword with a black hilt.
The sword was rather impressive in length, and it possessed two blades with a small space between them. They were both jagged and matched the same pattern as the blades that he wore on his back when in the form of Garummon. The sword seemed to shine in the pink light that had enveloped the area, and he held it close against his chest as the illumination began to fade away.
"Beowolfmon!"
Malkakomon continued to tremble in fear and pain at first before his wings started to unfurl. He rose to his feet slowly, but his body was still visibly shaking. The sudden arrival of Ophanimon's blessing had undoubtedly delivered a severe shock to his system, and the subsequent transformation of Garummon to Beowolfmon only unsettled him further. The wild edge to Malkakomon's eyes had been replaced by something that could only be described as terror. There was no exhaustion anymore. The look that had appeared like a sheet of glass over his eyes was almost identical to the sheer horror that had become so notable when Oceaniamon fought against the rest of the team and began to lose control.
The rest of the group was watching Beowolfmon in shocked awe, and he was fully aware of it. He could sense their eyes before he even gave them a second glance. However, Beowolfmon knew that he wouldn't be able to look in their direction as long as Malkakomon was still roaming freely. The Warrior of Darkness was a danger to all that he encountered, and it was time for the unstable fighter to finally be purified and released of his misery. Not even Cherubimon's direct interference was going to be able to save Malkakomon from giving in to the power of the light. Beowolfmon was going to make sure no matter what happened that Malkakomon, that Koichi, was freed from the suffering that had been visited upon him.
Beowolfmon held his sword into the air, and the white outline of a wolf surrounded the twin blades. It gleamed and crackled for a moment before a howl was released, and the attack spiraled through the air towards Malkakomon. The Warrior of Darkness didn't have enough time to react because of how shaken he was, and he was forced backwards in the blink of an eye until he hit the ground. His wings didn't respond in time to protect him, leaving Malkakomon a curled, shriveled mess on the ground.
Beowolfmon charged towards Malkakomon, ready to release another attack, but he was cut off when the shadows began to dance once again. Malkakomon rose to his feet, looking more like a puppet on a string than an actual living creature. His hands were suddenly replaced by crimson blades, and he slashed wildly at Beowolfmon.
The Warrior of Light was able to throw up his sword in time to keep from being hit, but he was quickly forced to attack with the other blade to ensure that Malkakomon's second sword didn't slam into him. It was rough work trying to keep both of the sharpened weapons away from his body, but he was able to pull it off by some stroke of a miracle. He continued to beat Malkakomon away with every ounce of energy that he had, forcing the Warrior of Darkness into retreat against his will.
Malkakomon took to the skies before charging downwards and trying to slash at Beowolfmon. The Warrior of Light ducked down low into a roll before rising to his feet once again and cutting his sword out to hit Malkakomon's uninjured wing. Blood began to flow freely a moment later, and he was suddenly grounded. There was no way that he would be able to fly for quite some time given the damage that he had sustained, and Beowolfmon was proud of the progress that he had made. Finally, he was going to be able to end this fight once and for all.
Malkakomon was back to slashing at Beowolfmon as soon as he had the power to do so. The two of them were moving far too quickly for anyone else to keep up with, a constant flurry of clashing strikes that was impossible to track. Beowolfmon was starting to lose his grip on the battle, and he was fully aware that he was going to need something else to act in his advantage if he was going to be able to defeat Malkakomon. He had to find a way to get away from the swords. That was the only way that he would be able to take advantage of Malkakomon being grounded. He needed room to work with.
Luckily for Beowolfmon, that miracle happened a moment later, and the ground at his feet began to glow incredibly. Light exploded forth soon afterwards, creating the outline of a wolf that immediately moved towards Malkakomon. The wolf sunk its teeth into Malkakomon's leg, leaving the Warrior of Darkness to shriek in pain as he tried to pull himself back together. The light only spread from there, and Malkakomon was forced to one knee.
"It burns!" came the scream of the Warrior of Darkness. Cherubimon's voice was far more prominent in that moment when compared to the other three, and to Beowolfmon, it was a sign of proof that the Celestial Digimon could be defeated. He had put his all into creating Duskmon and his other evolutions into an emotionless husk of a soldier, and he was continuing to pour every ounce of his energy into controlling Malkakomon during the battle.
And yet, despite all of this, Beowolfmon was still winning. Malkakomon's shadows were subsiding, disappearing from where they had originally come from in the cracks of the Warrior of Darkness' armor. Beowolfmon saw this, and a smile appeared on his face. He wasn't going to let his ego get the best of him, but there was still one other thing that he could do.
Koji had learned a lot from Takuya since first arriving in the Digital World. He knew that the other boy was overly confident and could be caught up in his own optimism when he couldn't afford to be. However, his hopeful nature was also a positive thing, and Koji, who had spent his entire life looking at everyone else with pragmatic eyes and pessimistic anger, needed that far more than he had originally accounted for.
It was because of Takuya that Beowolfmon was able to smile to himself as he continued to press back against Malkakomon. He had hope that he was going to win, and that was what mattered most. He was positive that he was going to free Koichi from the influence of Cherubimon regardless of if they were brothers or not. It wasn't a matter of wishful thinking; it was a fact.
Malkakomon seemed to be just as aware of this as Beowolfmon was, and his eyes went wide when he saw the confidence dancing just beneath the surface. He raised one of his swords to weakly try and strike back at Beowolfmon, but all it took was Beowolfmon blocking the attack between his two blades to keep Malkakomon from doing any significant damage. Malkakomon immediately allowed the weapon to retreat back into his arm, and in its place, a hand could be seen a moment later. He snarled up at Beowolfmon with venom in his eyes.
And yet, beneath all of the anger and hate, Beowolfmon could sense something else. Malkakomon was being used as a puppet by Cherubimon. Duskmon himself had no control over his actions anymore, his body having been taken over by a higher power that wished to use him as little more than a pawn. He couldn't see anything but animosity in Malkakomon's gaze, but despite this, Beowolfmon was fully aware of the desperation that hid beneath the surface in the heart of the boy who had been shaped into this monstrosity. There was no audible plea for help, but Beowolfmon heard it anyways.
The outline of the wolf continued to crawl up Malkakomon's body until he was pinned to the ground. He was on his knees, and the wolf had his arms both chained to the dusty ground below with immense force. There was no way for him to escape. In fact, it appeared that the animal keeping him in place had multiplied into four separate creatures to ensure that he couldn't escape.
Malkakomon thrashed madly, and a feral scream tore free of his lips. His wings flapped mindlessly, not able to do anything that would free him. He continued to writhe in pain and terror, but Beowolfmon didn't allow Malkakomon's agony to deter him. After all, if he wanted to end the suffering of the Warrior of Darkness, he was going to have to purify him as soon as possible.
Light surrounded Beowolfmon's body in a thin curtain before taking to the skies. It turned into the shape of an arrow before traveling downwards and hitting Malkakomon's front plate of armor. He screamed in pain, but the weapon did not fully pierce his body. Instead, it simply lodged itself in one of the eyes of his armor. The light seemed to buzz, and it exploded forth to create an orb of white that surrounded Malkakomon. There was no sound coming from him a moment later, leaving the area eerily silent with no clues as to what was happening at the core of the ridiculous outburst of illumination. The rest of the team was completely in the dark as far as information was concerned despite the large amount of light.
However, Beowolfmon was more than able to see what was taking place, and he couldn't help but smile to himself upon realizing what had just begin. Malkakomon's silhouette went dark, and a ring of Fractal Code appeared around the center of his body. The wolves of light disappeared as soon as they realized that they would no longer be necessary, retreating back into Beowolfmon's body since their work was finished and their master satisfied.
Beowolfmon held up one hand, and a light sigh escaped his lips. "It's all over now," he whispered, and he felt genuine relief for the first time in seemingly ages. He allowed his palm to absorb the data from Malkakomon's shadow, and the blue and purple code disappeared into his black gloves a moment later.
Malkakomon's silhouette started to change soon afterwards, retreating into a shape that was far smaller than it had been before. A human boy was left in the place of the Legendary Warrior of Darkness. He was on his hands and knees, though it was difficult to see any details about him due to the massive amounts of light that still surrounded him on all sides. The orb remained just as firm as it had been before.
Beowolfmon continued to watch the boy with a smile on his face as the orb started to shrink and give way. He was covered in Fractal Code a moment later, and when the cocoon of code dispersed fully, the sphere of illumination had completely disappeared. He had reverted back to his human form as well. All that he could see was the boy before him.
Koichi.
Koji wasn't sure what he had expected, but Koichi most certainly seemed to live up to his expectations. He had seen the shadow of the other boy various times during their clashes as the Legendary Warriors of Light and Darkness, but this was his first time actually seeing Koichi in the flesh. The boy's head was pointed towards the ground, and Koji was left to wonder if he actually wanted to see his face or not.
He was given an answer soon afterwards, and Koichi looked up at him with fear and horror painted across his expression. His jaw was slightly dropped, and he did nothing but stare for several long moments. Koji's deep blue eyes met the matching pair that Koichi possessed, and they watched one another with an ominous silence that neither one of them seemed to be looking forward to breaking. They were going to have to move past this encounter somehow, but neither one seemed to have a clue as to how they were meant to pull this off.
"No way..."
Koji didn't look up when he heard Takuya's voice from over his shoulder. The rest of the Legendary Warriors had all reverted back into human form after grounding themselves fully. Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon had grown closer to the rest of the team as well, and all of them were staring at Koichi in surprise, waiting for someone or something to explain why he looked so damn much like Koji.
Koichi slowly managed to push himself backwards so that he was sitting on his knees. Guilt lived in his eyes like a photo that captured the exact moment of catastrophe. He seemed to be frozen in time to the moment where he recognized the atrocities that he had been involved with committing, and in a way, Koji supposed that he was. Koichi had never been given the luxury of full control over his actions until that moment. There was nothing that he could do to break free of Cherubimon's power until after Koji managed to purify him only a few seconds (or was it hours?) prior.
Koji took a step forward, examining every part of Koichi's body. He looked over the purple and blue outfit that the other boy wore, examining the way that the fabric had clearly been loved from life to death and back. Everything about Koichi looked completely exhausted, and it was clear that he had not chosen this path in the slightest. The skin beneath his eyes had been torn apart by shadows, leaving him to appear as if he had not slept in weeks. Perhaps he had not. Koji had no way of saying for sure until he actually asked.
Speaking.
He had to do it at some point or another, but Koji didn't know how to. It was as if every part of his body that was meant to be used for communication had failed him, and there was nothing he could do aside from stare. He got the feeling that Koichi was in much the same position that he was. Still, he wasn't going to be able to get much of anything done until he actually made the effort to fill the deafening silence with something new.
Koji didn't realize how exhausted he was until his legs decided that they could no longer support his weight. His knees buckled out from beneath him, slamming into the dusty ground below so that he was on equal ground with Koichi. Koji continued to do nothing more than stare in shock despite the sudden change of environment. He had been looking forward to this moment, to finding answers, ever since he first realized that there was a connection between himself and the Warrior of Darkness. Despite it all, he couldn't find a way to actually do something with the opportunity that he had finally been given.
"I'm Koji," he finally managed to say, but the words took far more effort to form than they should have. Koji wanted to reach an arm out to Koichi, to ask if the other boy was truly his brother or not, but he couldn't do it. He simply didn't have the strength to do so from an emotional or physical perspective.
Much to Koji's surprise, Koichi managed to snap free of his trance upon hearing those two simple words. He watched Koji for a moment before swallowing dryly, his eyes still clouded with a stained-glass painting of guilt, fear, and horror. "I know," Koichi whispered.
Koichi was silent for a moment afterwards, and Koji was afraid that they would return to the terrible quiet once again, but Koichi didn't allow the streak to last anywhere near as long this time. Instead, he took in a deep breath and spoke again. "I'm Koichi," he said softly.
Koji wasn't sure where the words came from when he finally found the energy to say something in response. "I know," he echoed, trying to summon the power to reach out to Koichi (his brother; somehow, it all made sense that way). However, his body once again failed him, and he continued to search Koichi's eyes for anything that resembled an answer to the thousand questions spinning through his mind like a tornado.
Suddenly, the Continent of Darkness didn't feel anywhere near as harsh or uncaring as it once had. Instead, it seemed to console Koji in a strange way, easing him of his fears and assuring him that everything was going to be alright. Rather than being suffocating and suppressive, it was gentle and warm the same way that the light always had been.
For the first time, the powers of Light and Darkness were in perfect harmony.
And so, after a whopping thirty-five chapters, the benchmark of having all twelve of the Warriors fighting on the same side has been reached! It's about damn time!
This chapter was mostly battle focused because it was important to get Koichi to the team. It was a very fun fight to write, but that doesn't exactly leave us with much to talk about. Most of what happened with Koji and Koichi throughout the chapter really does speak for itself at the end of the day.
But this chapter did give us one new thing: Ophanimon has officially made an appearance! I didn't properly introduce her this time by describing her appearance (though fans of the show are probably already aware of what she looks like by now), but I'll get to that next time she shows up. Gee though. It sure would be a shame if her giving the team a blessing had consequences... Imagine that.
I think that the other main speaking point in this chapter has to be the interaction between Koji and Koichi at the end. I didn't want it to be anything too overly much as far as dialogue is concerned because I think the silence speaks far louder given the situation. I loved the minimal speech that I did put into the scene though, and I think that it definitely adds to the whole situation quite a bit. Don't worry too much if you want Koichi to speak more; he's going to be playing a pretty large role throughout the rest of the story, so we're definitely going to hear more from him that isn't just Duskmon or Cherubimon.
Speaking of the rest of the story, I've got great news about this chapter! As of the time of this chapter's release, all of Frontiers Unexplored has been written! I'm going to continue posting weekly chapters until about halfway through June, but the story as a whole is finally complete. Since Frontiers Unexplored has been a huge part of my writing process ever since May of 2020, I need to replace it with something in my typing schedule, which brings us to the other important part of this author's note.
I'm going to be working on a Digimon Adventure Tri rewrite/alternate universe in the same sort of vein as this story! It's going to be releasing in a few weeks, and I'll leave an announcement in another author's note once it has officially been posted. The story will be going under the title of "Echo", and I'm really excited for you all to see it. I've been planning this story since August of 2020, and I can't wait for the world to see all of the work that I've put into outlining and piecing everything together. It's going to be something special for sure, and I'm hoping that you'll all enjoy it once it's released.
With all of that said, I think I'm finished with my rambling of the week. When this story next updates, it'll be time to talk about Koichi in detail at long last. With all of that said, I hope you enjoyed. Feedback is always appreciated. I hope you all have a nice day!
-Digital
