Beowolfmon hated this.
The fight had barely begun, but he already knew that the outcome was going to be far from pretty. Lowemon and Duskmon were slowly making their way in the direction opposite the train station, and this was most likely thanks to a conscious effort on Lowemon's part to keep the Burgemon out of harm's way. Still, that didn't stop the sinking feeling from manifesting in Beowolfmon's stomach. He knew that this was going to end poorly, and there wasn't much of anything he could do to stop it. He was starting to understand the previous frustration of the rest of the team.
Beowolfmon had been able to tell that they were frustrated when there was nothing they could do to keep him from being hurt in the previous duel against Malkakomon. He didn't need to be able to look at them to be able know without a shadow of a doubt that this annoyed them. However, he didn't understand it fully until after Lowemon started to clash against the echo of Duskmon that stood before them.
Duskmon's crimson blades were flashing dangerously, and Lowemon's pronged staff was all that was keeping the swords from making contact with the obsidian armor the true Warrior covered his body with. They were moving too quickly for anyone to tell their attacks apart, leaving them as a melting blend of black and crimson with streaks of yellow. Beowolfmon clutched tighter at his sword, wishing that he could use those two blades to shove Duskmon as far away as possible but knowing that it simply wasn't an option. It was frustrating, but he couldn't bring himself to lash out in case he wound up hurting Lowemon in the process.
"What's going on?"
Cybelemon's voice caught Beowolfmon by surprise, and he glanced around in confusion to see what they could have been referring to. He let out a yelp as soon as he realized it, and his eyes went wide. There were many Beast Digimon closing in on the area, all of them glaring dangerously at the Legendary Warriors. Beowolfmon took a step back out of instinct, wondering what was going on.
However, it didn't take him long to pull the pieces together so that he could look at the whole picture. They were getting closer to Rose Morning Star, and if not for Duskmon's intrusion, the team likely would have been on their way to Cherubimon's lair in that very moment. Of course the Celestial Digimon would want to keep them away. Chances were that Cherubimon had more than enough confidence that he would be able to defeat the Legendary Warriors, but it would still be more efficient at the end of the day for him to get rid of them before they could arrive at Rose Morning Star.
"They're trying to keep us from advancing," Onyxmon frowned, having caught onto the same clues that Beowolfmon had. Their claws dug into the dust of the ground below. "If that's what they want to try and do, then fine. They aren't going to be ready to deal with the consequences though."
"There are too many for us to even count," Calanthemon gasped. "I bet that they're intentionally taking advantage of the chaos caused by Duskmon's reappearance. There's no way that we'll be able to deal with both Duskmon and all of these soldiers at the same time."
"We'll just have to find a way then," Sheyumon announced confidently. "First, how about we get the Burgemon as far away from here as possible? We wouldn't want them to get hurt in the process."
"I'm on it," Cybelemon responded. They ran back into the building soon afterwards, disappearing through the door. Beowolfmon watched as they vanished from sight before turning his attention back to the matter at hand.
He could barely tell the individual Digimon apart. It was as if they moved as one giant mass with individual limbs that acted as the specified monsters. They were there solely because of Cherubimon, and they weren't going to be backing down until they found success. Beowolfmon knew what they were going to have to do, and he already hated it. Up until then, the Legendary Warriors had primarily been forced to contend with the Fallen Warriors, but with all of them purified, that meant that Cherubimon had to turn to other methods of fighting back.
"If it's a fight that they want, then they'll get it," Vritramon announced, his eyes narrowing. He took to the skies along with the rest of the flying Legendary Warriors, undoubtedly because they were about to set up a defensive line. "Keep them from getting too close to Lowemon."
Beowolfmon gave the area one final glance as he nodded to himself. There was a giant ring of enemy Digimon around them, all of them Beasts since they were part of Cherubimon's army. The circle was large, but with the added issue of defending the train station and Lowemon, complications arose. Still, Beowolfmon wasn't about to let that stop him. There was too much hinging on their victory for him to back down.
The first attack to appear was a shower of stars coming from the heavens. It was the signature attack that belonged to Cygnusmon, something Beowolfmon understood immediately. The Digimon who were hit by the attack were forced to scatter to keep from weakening the front line. Even with the small blow to morale, the rest of the enemy forces remained strong, ready to surge forwards as soon as they were given the chance to.
Beowolfmon raised his sword and allowed the outline of a wolf to appear over his body. He released the attack at a nearby cluster of Digimon. There weren't any defeated enemies quite yet, but he was sure that he would wind up needing to absorb Fractal Code sooner or later. Until then, all he could do was fight back and pray that nothing bad happened to his brother.
Please, Koichi... Stay safe no matter what. I need you to be okay.
Lowemon was vaguely aware that there were other Digimon in the area, but he didn't have the chance to look much further than that. There wasn't even a moment for him to glance over his shoulder to see who the newcomers were. He could hear the distant words of the rest of the Legendary Warriors about how they were members of the Beast forces run by Cherubimon. Lowemon shouldn't have been surprised, and yet, he found himself lowering his guard for a fraction of a second as soon as he heard.
As a result, Lowemon was forced to duck down to keep from being hit by a strike from Duskmon. He raised his staff to grab at the sword using the prongs on his staff, but he wasn't able to fully shove it away from his foe. Duskmon stumbled backwards, giving Lowemon the sapce and time he needed to recover fully from the attack that had left him in such poor condition in the first place.
"You will not succeed with them," Duskmon said, and Lowemon's eyes went wide when he heard his own voice coming from the other Digimon. It made sense when he thought about it critically, but it still disturbed him in a bothersome way that went far deeper than he ever could have anticipated.
Lowemon didn't say anything in response to Duskmon's words. He instead held up his shield, and the outline of a lion appeared around the barrier before it flew towards Duskmon. Lowemon's foe was hit soon afterwards, and Duskmon threw up his arms to keep from being knocked over completely. He was surprised by his own power, and he realized that he had come to the passive assumption that he was weaker without Duskmon's power to make him stronger. However, the power that came with being in the Continent of Darkness more than made up for Cherubimon's influence as far as he could tell.
"You wish to stop the pain, so why are you going with those who cannot work miracles? With Cherubimon, you will be happy forever. You know that you were happy with fighting for him, so why did you leave?" Duskmon continued, only going on when he realized that Lowemon wasn't going to be answering his original prompt.
Duskmon charged towards Lowemon with one sword stretched forward in an attempt to stab at the Warrior of Darkness. Lowemon jumped to the side to keep from being hit before ducking low and jumping up, his staff poking at Duskmon's chest armor. The metal immediately began to crack, and all of Duskmon's eyes turned to look at Lowemon in pure fury.
"Cherubimon lied to me so that I would do his dirty work," Lowemon told Duskmon, his eyes narrowing intensely. "I know that now. I believed what he had to tell me because it was easier than thinking about everything he wanted me to do. I've changed since then though. I'm happy with the Legendary Warriors, and I'm not going to return to Cherubimon's side no matter what."
Duskmon sent one hand up to grab at the metal that had been damaged by Lowemon's strike. He surveyed the injury before turning his full attention back to Lowemon. "Then what about your mother?" Duskmon questioned. He jumped into the air before kicking down at Lowemon with one leg outstretched.
Lowemon wasn't able to react in time to keep from being hit by Duskmon's kick, and he raised his shield to block as much damage as he could. He still wound up sliding backwards across the ground, creating a cloud of dust at his feet. He glared up at Duskmon before stabbing up with his staff once again. Duskmon kept from being hit this time though, showing Lowemon that he wasn't going to be falling prey to such tricks once again.
Lowemon did his best to keep from succumbing to his thoughts at Duskmon's inquiry, knowing that it was only released into the air with the intention of shaking his resolve. Duskmon was trying to open a weakness in his guard so that he would be able to claim victory in the fight. Lowemon gripped his staff tighter before taking a step back and jumping into the air to hit Duskmon with his shield. Duskmon's shoulder was hit, and he stumbled backwards a few feet before attempting to lunge at Lowemon. The Warrior of Darkness took a step to the side to avoid being tackled to the ground, and Duskmon corrected himself at the last second to keep from making rough contact with the dirt.
"Cherubimon was lying to me when he said that fighting alongside him would ease her pain," Lowemon growled. "I only bought into it because it was easier than saying that I was in the wrong. I was unstable and afraid, and he took advantage of that. I can't go back to someone who lies without hesitating... And that's not even factoring in all that he has done to hurt others."
Duskmon shook his head with a disappointed huff. "You don't know what you're talking about. If you really wanted to save her, then you wouldn't be with the Legendary Warriors. You're making a mistake in siding against Cherubimon. If you fight him, he's going to kill all of you, and nobody will be able to keep your mother safe ever again. Is that truly what you want? Do you want to abandon her?" Duskmon questioned.
There was another clash of weapons soon afterwards. Once Duskmon had risen back to his full height, he was charging towards Lowemon with both of his hands morphed into crimson blades. Lowemon held up his staff to keep from being hit, but he was forced to swing the weapon back and forth rapidly as Duskmon continued to force him backwards.
Even if he was preoccupied with the fight at hand, Lowemon remained upset with Duskmon's words. "You were sent here by Cherubimon to get me back on his side," Lowemon told Duskmon, spitting out the words like they were made of poison. "This isn't about me or my mother in the slightest. It's all about him wanting me to return to him."
"I'm a part of you," Duskmon told him. He kicked Lowemon's legs out from beneath him, leaving the Legendary Warrior of Darkness a tangled mass of limbs at Duskmon's feet. The Digimon shook his head and sighed once again. "I'm trying to help you, and yet, you refuse to take my advice."
"You don't want to help me at all!" Lowemon shot back, forcing himself to his feet despite the blossoming pain in his calves. He ducked below another jab from Duskmon before jumping above a second rapid kick. He forced his staff forward a moment later, clipping Duskmon's shoulder armor. The eye that was hit seemed to glow with rage.
"You're here because Cherubimon sent you. I know that to be true," Lowemon continued once he had gathered his bearings again. "Cherubimon is trying to influence me once again, but I'm not going to fall for that. He can't pull me in with convenient lies that I find to be truthful anymore. I'll do what I have to in order to defeat him. He can't hurt me anymore."
Duskmon's disappointment was evident, and he lashed out once again towards Lowemon, this time with a wide arc of a slash that clipped the Legendary Warrior's arm. Lowemon grabbed at his injury using his shield arm, allowing the barrier to deflect the next strike from Duskmon effortlessly.
"There is one thing that you can't protest though," Duskmon said, his voice practically dripping with frustration that was as poorly masked as his rage towards Lowemon. "You're siding with those who believe themselves to be fighting for the good of the Digital World. You're allowing your morality to get the best of you, and that's the reason that there were so many problems when you were fighting with the Fallen Warriors. Remember what happened to Fioremon and Oceaniamon?"
Lowemon knew that Duskmon was correct in saying that Fioremon and Oceaniamon had wound up being purified because of their firm belief in their morals. Yumiko and Hinoka were clearly happier with where they were alongside the rest of the Legendary Warriors, but the truth of the matter was that they were only able to abandon Cherubimon because of their firm moral codes. However, he didn't see the purpose in him mentioning the problem that had caused the Fallen Warriors to ultimately crumble. What did they have to do with the current duel between the true and false Warriors of Darkness?
"There's something that you can only accomplish if you stay with Cherubimon, and we both know it. You rarely hate people, and yet, there is one person who cannot escape your unbridled anger. There's no way for you to exact your revenge against him if you allow yourself to be caught up in what those fools find to be good or bad," Duskmon continued, once again seeing that Lowemon wasn't going to be answering him so easily. He knew that it would take more goading to earn a reaction.
Lowemon dodged another strike from Duskmon as he silently considered his foe's words. As much as he hated to admit it, Duskmon was right about one thing: there was a person who Koichi hated with every part of his being. Each cell of his existence went towards hating Kousei Minamoto, and Koichi didn't think that he would ever be able to escape such animosity.
He hated Kousei for abandoning them. No, that wasn't true. Koichi could have cared less about how his father treated him, but his mother was a different story. Tomoko Kimura bent over backwards to make sure that those around her were happy regardless of if they deserved it. She was contorted out of shape to keep a thousand balls in the air despite only having two hands. Her smiles were damaged and weak, but she did her best to keep grinning anyways. Kousei had never bothered to help her after ties were cut, but Koichi was sure that he was aware of how Tomoko was. Kousei had lived with her for years. There was no way Kousei was so ignorant that he didn't see the way that Tomoko tore herself apart for the sake of the people around her.
Koichi wasn't a violent person. Until Cherubimon had come along, he never would have imagined raising a hand to another living creature. Lowemon had no choice but to fight, but Koichi had been different before the Digital World. He hadn't asked for this. He may have hated Kousei with everything he was, but that didn't mean that he was going to actually lash out and express just how much rage burned just beneath the surface.
"I don't need to exact revenge against my father," Lowemon finally said once he was able to force himself to speak once again. In the past, Koichi never would have imagined hurting Kousei, but things had changed since then. He would have been lying if he said that he didn't want to raise his rage to his father in present times. The present iteration of Koichi Kimura had come to understand the power of brutality, and no matter how much he hated himself for it, he couldn't deny that he had changed. Some dark, twisted part of him wanted to see Kousei suffer for the way that he had abandoned Tomoko and left her to fall apart under the weight of a world that was too much for her to bear alone.
Duskmon didn't respond immediately, but Lowemon knew that he didn't have to. The unspoken words about how Lowemon still wanted to lash out at Kousei hung heavily in the silence. Koichi had changed because of Cherubimon. The damage done when he was Duskmon would never fully be erased regardless of if he was able to defeat the echo of himself.
"You're different now," Duskmon told him instead. His voice was detached, but it still sounded far too much like the familiar rhythm of rolling, low sounds that left Koichi's lips on a regular basis. "You've learned how powerful your own anger can be. You should just let it go. Show the world how much you can do when you're given the chance to be fueled by your own hatred. Kill Kousei Minamoto. Kill all those who would dare to stand in your way. Save your mother from the pain that she's struggling under."
"You're only telling me what you think will change my mind," Lowemon snarled. He stabbed his staff forward, clipping another eye on Duskmon's armor. "When I was Duskmon, I felt nothing but a need for bloodshed. I wanted to hurt others, and there was nothing else to it. I was suffering, so I thought that others deserved to as well. Cherubimon never would have wanted me to take full advantage of my emotions. I could have slipped out from beneath his grip if I was given the chance to think about all that I had been through."
"You're losing your grip," Duskmon spat out. He lunged towards Lowemon with both of his swords stretched out. He was able to make small dents in Lowemon's armor on either shoulder, but he was unable to follow up with another attack. Lowemon held up his shield to prevent further damage, but it was clear that he was thoroughly rattled from the blows that he had already taken.
Duskmon jumped backwards, seeing that he wouldn't be able to hurt Lowemon again if he kept up the charge. "Anger is a powerful thing. You should allow it to propel you forward. You can find peace if you use that anguish and fight back against those who would dare to harm you. Don't allow petty emotions such as sadness or grief to hold you back," Duskmon instructed.
"Anger is the pettiest emotion of all," Lowemon fired back. He allowed the outline of a lion to appear around his shield, and the energy spiraled towards Duskmon a moment later. "I won't allow my darkest issues to control me. No matter how much the world hurts me, I will never stoop to the lows of revenge again. I know that it helps nothing. Believing convenient lies in the name of bloodlust will not calm the storm of emotions that I feel. Nothing that you say could ever change the truth of the matter."
Duskmon's eyes narrowed once again, and he let out a brief sigh of disappointment. "You have no idea just how weak you have become. You are tossing aside your greatest source of power in the name of a nobility that does not exist. This world only allows the strong to survive. The weak must crumble under the power of those who thrive at the top of the ladder of strength. You are throwing away a life of immense power in the name of a morality that will not save you from the world at large," Duskmon told Lowemon.
"You can call morality weakness all that you want. I made a mistake when I believed that emotions or ethics were signs of being weak. Vulnerability is sometimes the greatest strength that any creature can ever display. Allowing oneself to be weak and hurt can allow for the greatest moments of change and evolution," Lowemon snapped in return.
"The world is cruel and heartless. You cannot expect to be saved simply because you believe that you are good. Not all good creatures survive. You are setting yourself up to be trampled on and hurt in the future. You have no right to cry when such agony catches up to you when you are actively asking for such pain right now," Duskmon pointed out. "If you wish to suffer at the bottom of the world's pyramid, then be my guest. With Cherubimon, you can be strong."
"With Cherubimon, I can hold the illusion of strength. There is a difference," Lowemon told him firmly. "I won't be sucked in by your words ever again. I understand where I belong, and you won't be able to pull me away from that no matter what you say."
Lowemon knew that Duskmon was something peculiar. Duskmon was a manifestation of Cherubimon's corruption combined with the sudden, burning sensation of revenge that had formed in Koichi's soul upon learning more about his father. Duskmon claimed to have tossed aside his emotions and morality because it was easier than confessing that he was a merely a husk imitating the living. Koichi had merely been a convenient vessel for such negativity and hatred to find a physical form through.
Duskmon was a part of him in a strange way, but that didn't mean that he had to allow Duskmon to take control. Koichi was the one who was going to claim the future in the name of the nobility that Cherubimon claimed would be his downfall. Duskmon was not going to be the Warrior of Darkness as long as Koichi had a say in the matter. Lowemon was going to take his place, and Koichi wasn't going to allow for the echo of his animosity to claim dominion over him ever again.
Duskmon's shape suddenly began to change. Fractal Code surrounded him, and his form began to distort until the silhouette of a large bird was left behind. Velgemon took to the skies a moment later, his red eyes gleaming with something sinister. It was an invitation for Lowemon to follow him into another round of combat, a new clash of ideals that would end poorly for the true Warrior of Darkness as far as Velgemon was concerned.
"Slide Evolution!" Lowemon found himself crying out. His shape changed from being something resembling human into that of a lion. He sunk onto four feet, and his armor gained far more golden highlights than before. The decorations were ornate, sticking out stunningly against the obsidian color of his armor. Three claws stuck out from each foot. Pads of armor covered the space where his legs connected to the rest of his body. His front legs had small silver poles sticking out from the plates while the back plates possessed gleaming rubies. A matching gem was placed at the top of his head amidst the splendid mane that surrounded his head. A black and gold tail stuck out behind him, flickering dangerously with the promise of violence.
"Umbramon!"
The true Beast Spirit of Darkness, Umbramon, surveyed the skies with an intense gaze of crimson. He knew that Velgemon was going to be coming down for another strike soon, and he was going to be ready. He wasn't going to allow his foe the chance to claim the upper hand no matter what. Everyone was counting on him to succeed, and Umbramon wasn't about to back down after he had come so far.
Onyxmon flapped their wings as they exhaled yet another blast of purple fire. They followed it up with a blast of telepathic energy that sent a few soldiers particularly close to them flying in every direction. Their gaze was pragmatic and distant, and they regarded the battlefield with disdain. Cherubimon was growing desperate, and this was his weak attempt at putting up a final stand of defense before they arrived at Rose Morning Star. Duskmon was a formidable foe, but he had lost much of the raw strength that he had come to be renowned for in the first place. Without Koichi, Duskmon was left as a hollow, inferior imitation of the monster of the battlefield he had once been.
The rest of the fighters in the Beast army felt like merely background noise by comparison. Onyxmon had been fighting against them for quite a while already, and yet, they couldn't bring themselves to care in the slightest about what was happening. They knew how this fight was going to end. Duskmon was struggling to hold his own against only Lowemon, and the rest of the group was causing incredible issues for the greater forces of Cherubimon. Victory was coming soon, and Onyxmon was sure of it.
Duskmon was a mystery to them, Onyxmon had to admit. He had been hated by many for so long, a scourge that countless Digimon feared with every part of their bodies, and yet, he was being shoved around so easily by Lowemon. The added advantage of being in the Continent of Darkness meant little when he lacked the vessel that had given him such incredible drive in the first place. Besides, Lowemon's advantage was greater anyways, and Duskmon was struggling to keep severe damage at bay.
Onyxmon saw a flash of Fractal Code out of the corner of their vision as they unleashed another shockwave of violet energy. They glanced over to see Velgemon and Umbramon glaring at each other with poison in their eyes. If eyes could kill, both of them would have perished long ago. Their shared animosity seemed to raise the temperature in the area significantly, and Onyxmon had to wonder how a delicate, kind person like Koichi could possess so much acidic hatred beneath the surface.
Still, they didn't have much time to wonder about it. Analyzing the Warrior of Darkness could wait until after the battle had drawn to a close. Until that time came, Onyxmon knew what they had to do. This was the final fight before the Legendary Warriors marched on Rose Morning Star and ended the war with Cherubimon once and for all. This was the final fight before Onyxmon took the battle directly to the one who had granted them so much power when they first arrived in the Digital World. This was the final fight before peace reigned in the Digital World, eliminating the threat of impending doom that hung like a stifling cloud above the sky of Earth.
However, the war could not end until the battle at hand was finished and shelved with every other round of combat up until that point. Onyxmon allowed the promise of a salvation they didn't deserve to fuel them as they continued to fight back against the Beast army. Soon, there would be peace, and they couldn't wait for it.
Velgemon's swooping motions through the skies were already starting to bother Umbramon. He watched his foe with caution, knowing that every second brought with it a new threat of danger. Velgemon wasn't going to be backing down, and something about him felt uncontrolled. Umbramon shouldn't have been surprised. After all, when he was being used as a conduit for Velgemon's power, he hadn't been able to keep his emotions from spiraling out of control either. That very lack of control had rubbed off onto Velgemon as far as Umbramon was concerned.
Umbramon's control issues had faded since those times though. After he discussed his past with Koji, all of his darkest parts had been left out in the open for everyone to see. His unbridled anger had been on full display, finally released from its place inside the cage inside of Koichi's chest. He knew that he never would have been able to fully claim dominion from his Beast Spirit if not for this brief discussion about the past and its impact on the present and future.
Velgemon dove downwards, his talons outstretched as he attempted to grab firmly onto Umbramon's body. The lion Digimon jumped to the side before forcing himself into the air. He bit down firmly against Velgemon's wing as soon as he was close enough to touch his enemy. Velgemon let out a mighty scream and began to flap about mindlessly in a desperate attempt to free himself of Umbramon's teeth. He was unable to gain purchase against Umbramon though, and he started spiraling towards the ground. Umbramon launched himself backwards at the last moment to keep from making contact with the dust below, and he watched as Velgemon hit the dirt with his beak. The rest of Velgemon's body crumpled in the subsequent collapse.
"Your emotions make you weak!" Velgemon snapped at Umbramon. His previous sense of control had disappeared the instant that he shifted over to his Beast Spirit form, and there was no way for him to get it back. Everything about him was desperate, as if he was grasping at straws simply to find the right to exist.
"All living creatures are fueled by needs, instincts, and emotions," Umbramon told Velgemon, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You insisted that all those who allowed themselves to indulge in such natural behaviors were weak, but the truth was... Duskmon was the most fueled by emotions out of all of the Fallen Warriors. Your fear of expressing emotion drove you to extremes, but you refused to admit it. As soon as you realized just how weak you had become, you lashed out at the rest of the world, claiming that the people around you were the weak ones when the opposite was true."
Velgemon snapped at Umbramon, managing to recover enough to try and bite at the Warrior of Darkness. Umbramon ducked below him at first, but Velgemon was still able to firmly close his beak around Umbramon's back leg. Umbramon lunged forward, freeing himself from Velgemon's grasp before firmly biting down on the side of Velgemon's neck. There was no blood that flowed from the injury, and instead, Velgemon's data began to blur in and out of existence. As far as Umbramon could tell, that was evidence that they had separated beyond the point of ever becoming one and the same again.
After all, most Digimon lacked blood. They possessed a physical form that was made of data, but they could not bleed. Only Digimon made partially from a human body could show crimson when injured, and Velgemon's lack of blood most certainly established to Umbramon that he was far from being the creature that he once was. The true Warrior of Darkness had been uncovered, and Velgemon was never to merge with Koichi again.
"You're justifying your own weakness!" Velgemon cried out on the verge of unleashing a snarl. He bit out fiercely at Umbramon, and his eyes filled with rage once again when the Warrior of Darkness managed to escape his grip once again. "You don't want to say that you're a pathetic creature, so you're choosing to say that you're stronger than you truly are!"
"A reckless wish for bloodshed does not make a creature strong," Umbramon told him. He lashed out once again at Velgemon, but this time, he didn't lash out with a bite. Instead, he opened his mouth and unveiled a dark blast that spiraled towards the bird Digimon. "Strength cannot be easily defined, and Cherubimon is a fool for believing that he is a powerful creature solely because he can trample on those who he finds to be beneath him. He is pathetic, and you are the same way."
Velgemon's body began to blur once again when the attack from Umbramon's mouth made contact with him. He let out a fierce cry into the dark sky, and the sound echoed for what felt like a thousand years. Umbramon's claws dug into the dirt below as he tried to keep from being swallowed by that terrible noise. It rang in his ears, and he wondered if he would ever be able to escape it.
Something about Velgemon seemed different all of a sudden, as if he was close to falling apart. The fuzzing of his data was merely one of the many oddities that had claimed the false Warrior of Darkness, and Umbramon could tell that something new was about to happen. His heart skipped a beat from its place nested inside of his chest. He felt as if his mind was rattling fiercely inside the cage of his body, and he didn't know what he was meant to do next.
Velgemon was bathed in the light of Fractal Code once again, but when it faded, he was not in the form of Duskmon or Malkakomon. Instead, he looked like a terrifying monstrosity that combined all three of his forms. He barely seemed to be holding himself together, and when Umbramon looked closer, he could see that the creature wasn't entirely normal. There were random patches of code scattered about his body, and they acted as loose threads that stitched together the vicious pieces that made up his form. His gaze was wild, and all of his eyes rolled towards Umbramon in an eerie motion. Nothing about him was cohesive, and he looked as if the different prats of his body were about to fall apart before turning into data and dying on the wind.
Malkakomon was the form that he appeared to be closest to in that moment, so that was what Umbramon thought of him as. Umbramon sunk into a defensive stance as Malkakomon stalked closer, and he took a step backwards as every nerve in his body told him to get out of there before anything could go wrong. Still, he couldn't force himself to move much more than that, and it took far more effort than it should have for Umbramon to make himself lash out at Malkakomon using his tail.
Malkakomon stumbled at the hit, taking far more damage from it than he should have. He took another stalking step forward a moment later, his eyes wide and wild. "You are weak! All of you are weak!" Malkakomon shrieked. His sense of control was only deteriorating further, and Umbramon could hear the undertone of Cherubimon's voice beneath the words that would have once been his own. Cherubimon's control on his soldier was slipping, giving way to nothing short of complete madness.
Umbramon struck at Malkakmon once again, this time using a sphere of dark energy that started in the back of his throat before streaking through the air towards its target. Malkakomon fell backwards immediately, barely managing to keep himself from crashing into the dust below. His armor was beginning to splinter further, and his body appeared to be melting somehow.
Melting was a generous way of describing it though, and Umbramon didn't know if there was another term that fit what he was seeing more. Every motion seemed to change Malkakomon's body, as if the pieces that constructed his form were shifting constantly, plates that longed to clash and exact their revenge against the rest of the world. Nothing about him remained consistent, and it was a terrifying sight on more levels than Umbramon ever could have imagined. Malkakomon was simply falling apart, and nothing Cherubimon could have done could ever hope to put those broken pieces back together again.
Umbramon knew that since Malkakomon was falling apart, he was going to be at his most vulnerable. However, since he was cornered, Malkakomon was going to be at his most dangerous all the same. Fighting back was going to be dangerous, to say the least, but he was going to try regardless. He didn't have much of a choice in the matter. If Malkakomon was left to roam the land, causing problems and hurting people, Umbramon never would have been able to forgive himself. He was partially responsible for the existence of Duskmon and his variations, so it was up to him to put this problem to rest once and for all.
Malkakomon wasn't going to be backing down without a fight though, and Umbramon was sure that he was going to need something more. Not even the power of a Beast Spirit would be able to defeat this uncaged monster. If he was going to succeed, Umbramon was going to require extra strength, and he knew that there was only way for him to find the power that he sought...
Onyxmon was good at listening.
This had ben true for as long as they could remember. Listening offered valuable information that could be used to their advantage further down the line. When one's ears were opened, they would learn more, and that was how they survived. It didn't matter if they were Saki or Lyramon or Onyxmon; they were good at listening out of a matter of necessity. They had to understand the world in order to survive in it, after all.
Velgemon's words struck something odd in them, and Onyxmon had to admit that perhaps he had a point. Onyxmon practically went on autopilot mode as they fought back against the opposing army of Beast Digimon. Their mind was entirely focused on all that Velgemon had been saying.
Weren't all creatures beasts deep down? Umbramon had been correct when he said that all living beings were fueled by their emotions and instincts. It was what pushed all creatures forward, Onyxmon included. How one utilized their feelings was up to their own personal choice. Having an effective relationship with such emotions would lead to increased strength in many different ways. Emotional intelligence and control was at the heart of Spirit Evolution, after all. No Legendary Warrior could fully master their power without the knowledge of what strength their own emotions could bring.
The other piece of the puzzle was knowing how to relate to the surrounding world. Coping with difficult events was a key part of Spirit Evolution as well, and the power of a Beast Spirit could not be utilized without this sense of connection. Understanding the past and the traumas that came with it was important to unveil the power that rested within. Cherubimon had thought that he could bypass this supposed weakness by creating a soldier that ran only on bloodlust, but he was wrong.
Deep down, Duskmon had been the same as the rest of the Legendary Warriors. He simply chose to deny it, and that only lessened his control when he was forced to come to terms with the power that waited dormant beneath the surface. Cherubimon had been sure that he could outwit the power of emotion and the brutality that came with it, but in doing so, he had only created a beast that was left unchained and wild. Duskmon's eventual realization that he was just as frightened as the creatures he had once criticized with weakness caused him to crack. Koichi had managed to hold a few of the remaining threads together through sheer force of will, but there was only so much that he could do on his own. Without Koichi at the core of Duskmon, the false creation was falling apart at the seams.
Onyxmon was aware of the weakness hiding inside of Duskmon, and they were sure that it would cause his downfall. Of course, that was not for them to decide. It was Umbramon's choice to make. The true Warrior of Darkness deserved to defeat the corrupted image of falsity that he had once been. It was a cruel twist of fate that left Malkakomon at a disadvantage, but Onyxmon couldn't have cared less. Cherubimon had made a mistake in creating Duskmon, and it was only a matter of time until the Celestial Digimon was made fully aware of the folly that he had committed.
But until then, Onyxmon would continue to fight with all of their strength. They would continue to listen as well, wondering what words were to come next from Malkakomon's distorted lips. The battle required their attention the same way that Malkakomon needed Umbramon's full focus. They would have their answers soon enough, and they were sure that Umbramon would more than be able to explain everything. It was only a matter of time before the true Warrior of Darkness was victorious, and Onyxmon couldn't wait to see what true strength Umbramon was capable of.
Umbramon knew that the only way he would be winning in the battle against Malkakomon involved him calling upon his Hybrid abilities. He prayed with everything he had that the blessing Cherubimon had granted him still remained despite his change of form. He closed his eyes when he noticed a gap in Malkakomon's actions, knowing that he could take advantage of his foe's disorientation to shift into his most powerful form.
Sure enough, Fractal Code formed a cocoon around him, and Umbramon's body began to shift. He took on a humanoid form similar to Lowemon's body. The bulk of his armor was dyed a deep red the color of dark velvet. Gold continued to outline his armor even with the change of color. Plates with silver rods appeared on his shoulders to match the armor he wore as Umbramon. He had dark gauntlets on, and a black staff topped with silver prongs appeared in his hand.
His boots were black, and a gold strip ran up the front. A matching band covered the top of his foot, and three claws stuck out from the front of his boot. The claws were gold at the tip despite being black at the base. Golden wings fanned out behind him, giving him the ability of flight for the first time while in Spirit form.
Another chunk of black armor formed at his head, creating the lion motif that he had come to be known for. Only his eyes were visible, and the irises were bright red. The mane of the lion armor was gold, glimmering under the glow of the Fractal Code. A black tail stuck out from behind him, matching the structure of the appendage that flicked around him when he was in the form of Umbramon.
"Rhihimon!"
Malkakomon's eyes appeared to be wide with shock when he noticed that Umbramon had transformed into his Hybrid form. His body continued to melt and distort, all of his features shifting continuously in a sickening cycle. Malkakomon snarled at him for a moment before closing the distance between himself and Rhihimon.
Malkakomon's leg transformed into the set of claws that he had as Velgemon, and he attempted to stab downwards at Rhihimon. The Warrior of Darkness used his staff to block much of the damage before thrusting the weapon towards his foe. Malkakomon's armor was left horribly twisted after Rhihimon's staff made contact, and one of the eyes on his torso flickered before going out completely. An eerie red glow replaced the lost eye, and it seemed to be watching Rhihimon despite the lack of a pupil.
Malkakomon lunged at Rhihimon a moment later, not giving his enemy the chance to recover from the strike. He took to the skies and attempted to unleash a slashing attack. One of his hands had transformed into a crimson blade, and he tried to cut at Rhihimon's side using the dangerously sharp sword.
Rhihimon deflected the blow using his staff once again before jumping into the air to avoid another downward stab. He took advantage of Malkakomon's lack of coordination, and he released a strike of his own, hitting Malkakomon's left wing in the process. The monstrous Digimon screeched in pain as he was sent down into the dirt once again. A large puff of dust was released into the air as he made impact.
"You represent everything that was wrong with my philosophies and outlook on the world from when I was under the control of Cherubimon," Rhihimon declared, taking a step towards the fallen Malkakomon. "I caused countless living creatures endless pain because of your influence, and I refuse to let that stand any longer than it already has. This fight will end here and now!"
Malkakomon let out a scream, lashing out with one shifting arm to try and grab at Rhihimon's leg. Rhihimon jumped backwards before using his staff to slap away Malkakomon's hand. Rhihimon's body began to glow with deep purple energy, and the outline of a lion formed across his armor. When he held out his staff in front of him, the light began to transfer, and it darted towards Malkakomon soon afterwards.
Malkakomon was unable to avoid the attack in time, and he sustained major damage from the blow. His data was beginning to fuzz in and out of existence, showing just how close he was to completely falling apart. He slowly tried to rise to his feet, but it was clear that there was no way he would be able to reclaim his sense of control after all that had happened. He let out a roar of pain, unable to keep it in any longer.
"I'm going to rid the world of your presence once and for all," Rhihimon said firmly, closing his eyes as the dark purple glow spread across the surface of his body once more. He held his staff to the sky this time, and the shadows of the area began to cling to his armor. It was as if the Continent of Darkness itself was listening to his call, ready to act however it had to in order to please its master.
The writhing shadows streaked towards Malkakomon a moment later, completely consuming his form in a matter of seconds. Malkakomon was only able to fight back for a short period of time before he lost his strength completely. Red light burst forth from his eyes, but the lasers did little to keep him from being swallowed further. Soon enough, even the ruby glow was completely out of sight, leaving only a mass of darkness that listened to Rhihimon's every command.
The Warrior of Darkness closed his eyes, and the shadows grew tighter around Malkakomon's body. The tension in the air hit a breaking point before the shadows finally collapsed inward completely on their target. When the darkness dispersed, there was a misshapen silhouette of Malkakomon left behind. A ring of Fractal Code could be seen around his torso, glittering ominously in the space of shadows.
Rhihimon held up his right hand, the one that wasn't clinging to his silvery staff, and allowed the Fractal Code to flow into his palm. Once the process was complete, Malkakomon completely disappeared. No egg spiraled off into the sky. He was simply gone, and Rhihimon wouldn't have had it any other way.
Rhihimon couldn't help but reflect on all that had happened in the previous fight. Duskmon's words would remain in his mind for ages, and Rhihimon was fully aware of such. Duskmon had claimed that he was weak for his emotional outbursts, and yet, he refused to realize just how fueled he had been by his own feelings. He allowed them to transform him into a monster, shutting them out until there was no way to keep them under control anymore.
Rhihimon knew that all that had happened when he was Duskmon was partially his fault. Even if Cherubimon had been mostly responsible, Rhihimon was to blame as well for allowing himself to be so easily manipulated. The rest of the team was sure to disagree, but he knew where he stood on the matter. Still, he felt as if he was already on his way to fully making up for the sins that he had been responsible for. He had struck down Duskmon once and for all, leaving no traces of the false Warrior of Darkness behind. It was the best way to leave his past actions to rest as far as he was concerned.
Rhihimon let out a small sigh, and he was vaguely aware of the rest of the battle around him winding down. He had been so distracted by his duel with the various forms of Duskmon that he hadn't even realized that the rest of the Legendary Warriors were almost finished with their own respective battles. In fact, there were many eggs spiraling up to the sky, and they brought a strangely beautiful light to the Continent of Darkness. He watched as the last of the clusters of data vanished against the horizon before looking back to the rest of his team.
He thought he was fine after all that had happened, but Rhihimon quickly realized that this was false. His eyes went wide, and a cocoon of Fractal Code swallowed him a moment later. He fell to his knees as his Hybrid form fell away, leaving behind only a weakened Koichi. The black-haired boy pressed one hand against his chest as he breathed heavily. He could feel sweat rolling down his temples. There was a small part of him that was aware of how pathetic and weak he must have looked to the rest of the team, but he didn't give it much attention, too exhausted to truly care.
The gleam of Fractal Code surrounded Koichi on all sides, and he realized that the rest of the team had returned to normal. Even Chihiro was there, and Koichi realized that they must have finished evacuating the Burgemon from the train station. All of the Legendary Warriors were tired in some way, but there was something more that glinted just beneath the surface.
Determination thrived in all of their gazes, and Koichi knew without a shadow of a doubt that they were just as confident in their next action as he was. With that battle finished, there was only one thing for them to do. Cherubimon was waiting for them at Rose Morning Star, and he wasn't the only one. Ophanimon was there as well, undoubtedly counting on the Legendary Warriors to rescue her from the clutches of their shared foe. At long last, the war between the Human and Beast Digimon was going to come to a conclusion. Defeating Duskmon was the final major step they had to take before confronting Cherubimon, and with that out of the way, there was only one thing that remained in their path.
Koichi wasn't sure what told him that something was wrong, but a strange sensation of tension and fear rose in his core a moment later. He glanced around madly, banishing his dizziness in an attempt to figure out what was making him so nervous all of a sudden. He could tell that something was coming, but he didn't know what it could have been.
Suddenly, the truth hit him like a tidal wave, and Koichi knew that if he had been standing, the realization would have forced him to his knees. He felt as if all of the air had been knocked out of his lungs, and he glanced up to the sky, knowing exactly what silhouette he was going to see there.
Cherubimon was levitating there, his hands stretched out in front of him in the cupping motion that Koichi unfortunately knew so well. The Celestial Digimon watched all of the Legendary Warriors with detached apathy before a devilish smirk spread across his face. Cherubimon didn't appear to be staring at any of them in particular, but Koichi still felt as if Cherubimon's gaze was tearing a hole straight through his chest. He wanted to look away, but he simply couldn't bring himself to do it.
"You have fought well, but you will not succeed," Cherubimon declared, his voice just as low and rumbling as Koichi remembered. It sent a tremor running through his chest, and Koichi could have sworn that he felt his heart skip a beat once again.
"You're acting pretty damn confident," Takuya scoffed. Even if he was no longer in the form of Vritramon, he still seemed ready to lash out a moment's later. He stood no chance against the image of Cherubimon, but he wasn't about to show weakness against his enemy.
Koichi was oddly positive that the image of Cherubimon that stood before them was far from being real. Cherubimon himself rarely left Rose Morning Star even if he had to speak with his Fallen Warriors. He preferred to appear using illusory tactics that fell under his range of abilities, and Koichi was positive that this time was no exception. Cherubimon was trying to scare them, but he was more than patient enough to wait for the Legendary Warriors to arrive at Rose Morning Star for themselves.
"I will crush all of you like the bugs that you are," Cherubimon continued, completely ignoring Takuya's snide remark. "I care not for those who were on my side in the beginning. You are no different from the Warriors that have been fighting to become thorns in my side from the start. You will all perish regardless. When you enter Rose Morning Star, it will become your shared grave."
Koichi did his best to hide the anxiety that was slowly creeping into his body, but he ultimately failed as his expression contorted with fear. He knew unfortunately well what Cherubimon was capable of. To some extent, all of them were aware of the power resting inside of the Celestial Digimon. Still, knowing that he had the power to destroy all those in his path and understanding the full range of his fury were two different things, and Koichi was sure that he would come close to gracing the second category soon enough.
Cherubimon didn't wait for any of the Legendary Warriors to bite back at him sarcastically the way that Takuya had. Instead, he merely continued, his brazen confidence shining through with every darkened word. "If you truly wish for your lives to end, then come to Rose Morning Star, and I will show you just how foolish you have been to believe that you can oppose my rule," he announced.
The sky slowly began to return to its previous color as Cherubimon's shadow disappeared. Koichi stared at the place where Cherubimon's eyes had been, unable to remove the image of the Celestial Digimon's haunted anger from his mind. Slowly but surely, Koichi forced himself to his feet, swallowing back his nerves as he turned to the rest of the group. Had he always been this shaky? He felt as if his entire body was rattling just beneath the surface, and there was no other way to describe it.
"He wants us to go and fight him," Koji said, shattering the thick silence that had settled like a curtain of heavy fog over the group. "If that's what he's really asking for, then fine. He's going to see just how ridiculously cocky he's being as soon as we get there."
"We'll have to be careful," Saki advised, looking at the rest of the team with their regular gaze of critical yet passive observation. "Cherubimon isn't going to make this easy for us, so if we want to pull through, we'll need to charge at him with everything that we have."
"We can gather the Burgemon here once again if it's really safe for them to return," Chihiro pointed out. "We should try to return to full strength before we get there. Cherubimon is not someone we should fuck around with. If he wants us dead, he's going to finish the job."
Koichi nodded his confirmation. The only reason that he and the rest of the Fallen Warriors had been spared from his rage before was because they were useful to him. However, that sense of utilization had expired, and Cherubimon no longer held any qualms about murdering them in cold blood. Cherubimon's brutality was known throughout the Digital World both in and out of his army, and Koichi was not looking forward to being on the receiving end of it.
Still, he wasn't going to let that stop him. As he and the rest of the Legendary Warriors returned to the train station for what they assumed would be the final time, Koichi took in a slow, measured breath as he considered what was to come next. Cherubimon wasn't going to be holding back in the coming battle, and the Legendary Warriors were going to have to fight with everything they had if they wanted to survive.
Koichi gave the sky one last brief glance before forcing himself to pay attention to the situation at hand. As soon as Cherubimon was dead, he would be able to return to his regular life. They would be able to go back to Earth without fearing a potential invasion from their enemy. Koichi was looking forward to that more than he could have ever described. He hadn't even asked to come to the Digital World in the first place, and he was desperate to return home to his mother. Koichi tried to keep himself from thinking about how worried she had to be, knowing that his guilt was going to bite him viciously when he couldn't afford to hesitate.
Duskmon's words were still going to bother him for quite some time. That much was something Koichi was sure of. He didn't know if he would ever fully be able to escape his guilt regarding the atrocities that he had been responsible for when his emotions were severed from the rest of his mind. It was sickening to imagine, and just thinking about it made Koichi feel like he was going to be sick.
Still, he wondered about why it was him that Cherubimon had chosen to mold into such a monster. Cherubimon's primary element had been Darkness ever since he fully embraced the rage within, but if he truly wanted to make himself stronger, he would have performed such acts on all of his Legendary Warriors. Duskmon's power was unparalleled until he reached the tipping point where his emotions overwhelmed him. Cherubimon must have known about that, and yet, he chose to only change Lowemon into an imitation of a Legendary Warrior.
Koichi shook it off, knowing that he was only going to upset himself further if he thought about it for longer than he had to. He wasn't there to analyze the strange decisions Cherubimon had made in the past. His job was to strike down the corrupted Celestial Digimon, and he was going to follow through with it no matter what.
Koichi tore his gaze away from the sky where Cherubimon had been as he entered the train station fully. His resolve had been strengthened, and he knew exactly what he was going to accomplish before the day drew to a close.
Watch out, Cherubimon. It all ends today.
Two chapters remain of act three, and it's time for Cherubimon to go down! Hell yeah!
I'm sure that there's one question on most of your minds about this chapter: how is Duskmon here at the same time as Koichi/Lowemon? This part of canon is regularly reserved for the fight against the illusion of Cherubimon, but I decided to round off the Duskmon plot point here instead. I will say that this is going to be explained further down the line along with the matter of why only Koichi was corrupted to become a false Warrior.
That's what Duskmon is, just so that we're all clear. Lowemon is the true Legendary Warrior of Darkness, and Duskmon (along with Velgemon and Malkakomon) are the imitations created by Cherubimon. Once again, this is going to be explained further in detail later on, but it's why Duskmon wasn't in the books about the Legendary Warriors. There's a lot about Koichi that has yet to be explained, to put it simply. He's a conundrum among the Warriors, and it's only a matter of time before everything about him is resolved.
For the most part, this chapter seems to speak for itself. I loved writing the conversations between Lowemon and Duskmon though, and I'm really happy with how they turned out. They sort of act as a defining line between how Koichi himself is as a person versus how Cherubimon tried to make him act. I'm glad that I decided to dedicate a chapter to this since it helps to make Koichi clearer as a character.
There's one more important thing I wish to bring up in this chapter: the name of Koichi's Beast Spirit. In the Japanese version, he's called KaiserLeomon, and he's JaegerLowemon in the English version. As funny as it would have been to preserve the whole Leomon bit, I wound up changing the name for a small reason. It's kind of nitpicky, but I want to point it out in case anyone was curious.
The Legendary Warriors are ancient figures in the Digital World, and since they're meant to be these incredible fighters, I didn't think it made much sense for the Spirit forms to be named after Digimon. In this canon, all of the Legendary Warriors were the first incarnations of their given species (ex: AncientGreymon was the first variation of Greymon), so the 'ancient' part of their names comes from them being the originals and thus distinct from their successors.
The 'ancient' prefix implies great power and respect, and naming any of the Spirits after another Digimon just doesn't fit well with me. I'm hoping that I'm explaining this alright, but I basically didn't want any of the Spirits to be named after other incarnations of Digimon (Greymon, Garurumon, etc.), so that's why I changed KaiserLeomon/JaegerLowemon into Umbramon. It's similar to what I did with Thundramon a while ago, and the same will apply (soon) to Izumi's Hybrid form, Aeromon.
Alright, there's the big explanation of my personal nitpicks out of the way. That should be all that I have to say about today's chapter. When we come back together for next week's chapter, the final battle against Cherubimon will be starting! Act three is almost finished, and I hope that you're as excited for it as I am!
With all of that said, I hope you enjoyed this week's chapter. Feedback is always appreciated. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital
