Takuya forced himself to his feet despite the pain pulling at the rest of his body from the sudden rough impact against the side of the Trailmon. He couldn't help but feel the sting of pained sympathy for the creature they were traveling inside of, and Takuya wished inwardly that there was more he could do to help the poor Trailmon. However, he wouldn't be able to help until he knew for sure who was responsible, so he made his way towards the doors with as much speed as he could muster. His legs felt as if they had been turned to gelatin, and every step came with the threat that he was going to fall apart and crumble into perfect ruin a moment later.
The doors of the Trailmon slowly opened, and Takuya could tell that the Digimon was just as exhausted and hurt as the rest of them were by the sudden strike to the side of the train car. Takuya dashed out as soon as he had the chance to do so, and he could hear footfall behind him to show that the rest of the Legendary Warriors were close behind him.
At first, Takuya didn't know who could have possibly been responsible. He glanced around through the empty shadows of the Continent of Darkness, but he couldn't find anything that would have told him the identity of his foe. Takuya reached for his D-Tector, and adrenaline coursed through him fiercely. He may not have been aware of who his enemy was, but that wasn't going to stop him from fighting back.
As the Trailmon was fully emptied, the rest of the team joined Takuya outside, and Koichi let out a gasp before pointing up to the sky. "Look up there!" he cried out, his eyes going wide as his voice cracked from something that sounded like terror.
Takuya followed Koichi's hand to see what he was pointing to, and he saw soon afterward that Koichi was gesturing to a set of five silhouettes against the darkness. The details of the newcomers were impossible to make out due to the large distance between them, but Takuya was sure somehow that they were the ones behind the sudden attack to the Trailmon.
"Who are you?!" Takuya cried out, his voice filled with far more bite than he would have expected given how exhausted he was from the previous battle. He had enjoyed being able to rest on the Trailmon after the encounter with Cherubimon, but that didn't stop him from still feeling the lingering tinges of sleepiness as he stared up at the quintet of figures in the sky above.
"You can call us the Royal Knights," came a voice from above, and a figure wearing pink and yellow armor came into view. The voice was feminine, and the person responsible landed beside the Legendary Warriors a moment later. She rose to her full height, showing off just how impressively tall she was in comparison to the small teenagers. Takuya didn't consider himself short by any stretch of the imagination, but he felt as if he was nearly invisible when placed next to the pink Digimon.
"What are your names?" Koji questioned next. He managed to keep his voice somewhat even, but his unsettled rage was still palpable beneath the surface. His hands were clenched into fists at either one of his sides.
"You can call me Crusadermon," the pink Digimon began, and Takuya could hear the snarky pride behind her voice already. She bowed before the Legendary Warriors, but every part of the action absolutely bled sarcasm, and Takuya had a sudden urge to walk up to her and punch some fire into her armored head just to make her quit it with the theatrics.
A white Digimon landed next to Crusadermon. He was wearing white armor edged in golden spikes, and purple wings stretched out behind him in a show of elegance. "Dynasmon," he said simply, unwilling to go any further than he had to. He glanced up to the sky, and Takuya felt the air above him stir. He was sure that the other three were coming in to land soon as well.
The next Digimon to arrive was one covered in black and gold armor. A jagged cape fell from his shoulders. He looked down at the Legendary Warriors with distaste, but he refused to properly introduce himself. He simply stared as if he found them to be little more than insects, and once again, Takuya became overly aware of how small he was by comparison to these Digimon.
Fourth came a creature with white wings and silvery armor. She had blonde hair that fell on her back in gentle curls, but that was the only serene part about her appearance. She held a dangerous gray staff that already seemed to hold the threat of the harm she was capable of wishing upon her enemies. "Forgive Alphamon," she said simply. "You may call me Leopardmon."
The final new arrival was made of pure white metal. A red cape that seemed to be on the verge of falling apart fell from his shoulders, and every part of him screamed that he was dangerous to come across. His body was jagged and sharp, an unspoken promise that he would be hurting all who crossed him. "And I am Jesmon," he declared firmly.
"We are the Royal Knights!" Crusadermon announced once again, throwing her arms above her head in a display of grandeur. "We know exactly who you are, Legendary Warriors... You are a true thorn in our sides whether you were aware of it or not."
Takuya felt as if his mind was spinning. Suddenly, he felt as if the pieces were sliding into place, but he was still missing something. The Royal Knights were showing open hatred for the Legendary Warriors, and given what had happened to Cherubimon, Takuya couldn't help but feel as if they were somehow involved with the mystery they had yet to unravel. The Royal Knights had referred to them as a thorn in their sides, and Takuya thought that perhaps this was a sign that they had been behind the possession of the final Celestial Digimon.
"What do you want from us?!" Mayumi cried out. She was standing protectively in front of Haroi as she reached for her D-Tector, ready to transform at a moment's notice. Takuya couldn't blame her for being prepared, and he found himself fighting the urge to slam his finger against the activation button of his own D-Tector.
"We want you to get out of our way," Jesmon explained simply. He treated he words as if they were obvious, but Takuya couldn't figure out what in the world he could have been talking about. Even if the Royal Knights were involved with what happened to Cherubimon, something about this encounter felt wrong to Takuya somehow, and he was desperate to hear why this was happening in the first place.
"Speak plainly," Saki instructed, sounding just as detached as ever despite the imminent sense of danger. "We won't be able to do anything to change our past behaviors if you continue to keep us in the dark about what is happening."
"We serve the mighty Lord Lucemon," Dynasmon continued, and Takuya could hear the overwhelming pride behind his words. "You have gotten in his way and prevented him from reaching his goals, so we are here to do what we can in the name of the one that we have served for so many years."
"I remember the Royal Knights now!" Bokomon suddenly cried out. He was standing at the back of the party alongside Neemon, and both of them were holding tightly to an egg from one of the Celestial Three. Patamon was sitting on Bokomon's head and looking up with wide, fearful eyes.
Takuya turned to ask Bokomon what he was talking about, but he was cut off when the small Digimon answered him without needing to be prompted. "They acted as Cherubimon's leading generals during the war between Lucemon and the Legendary Warriors! They believed that he was meant to be the ruler of the Digital World, so they did what they could to assert their thoughts against the innocent Digimon living at the time! All who opposed them were completely annihilated in their attempts to conquer the Digital World in Lucemon's name!"
"Lucemon was sealed away generations ago," Saki began to say, a frown heavy on their face. "One would have expected that the Royal Knights would have fallen along with him all that time ago, but it seems that the occupants of the ancient Digital World jumped to conclusions before they could confirm that their enemies were gone. Now, they're back, and I somehow doubt that they're going to be backing down before they can accomplish the goal that they're searching for."
"They said that they serve Lucemon," Koichi realized, his face losing anything that resembled color as he spoke. "Present tense... Not past tense. That means that Lucemon is still around. We know that he was sealed away, but..."
Takuya felt as if he had been punched by Koichi's words. Suddenly, it all seemed to make sense. Lucemon was likely the one behind Cherubimon's conquest of the Digital World. Only someone with the power of the gods would be able to outshine Cherubimon's raw strength, and Lucemon most certainly fell into that category whether Takuya wanted to admit it or not. It made a painful amount of sense, and Takuya felt as if he was going to be sick when he realized what all of this meant.
"Cherubimon failed in his mission, so we are stepping in to accomplish what he could not," Leopardmon declared, her voice unreadable and detached. "You got in the way of Lucemon's control of Cherubimon. His plan should have been flawless, and yet, you had to step in and ruin it all. You brought this on yourselves."
"Lucemon controlled Cherubimon because he was trying to reclaim power over the Digital World. He likely figured out a way to reach out to the rest of the world despite his imprisonment. The Digital World has been getting weaker since Cherubimon first came to power, and Lucemon has been taking advantage of that to try and return to the world of the living," Saki explained, clearly having put the pieces together far faster than anyone else in the group could even begin to think.
"Our goal is to revive Lord Lucemon from the imprisonment that your predecessors brought upon him. You interfered with our plans with Cherubimon, and on top of that, your previous incarnations were responsible for sealing him away in the first place. It's only natural that we defeat you here and now," Dynasmon announced. He formed a sword from nowhere before pointing it down at the Legendary Warriors. His gaze was intense, offering no room for objection. "Fight or die."
Takuya knew what his choice was going to be before Dynasmon even asked. The Royal Knights were allied with Lucemon, and he understood what that meant. They were going to have to do everything in their power to defeat their foes and bring salvation to the Digital World. Takuya had been right when he assumed that their mission was not yet over back when they first defeated Cherubimon, and he was seeing that in stunning clarity as he looked up at the confident yet violent Royal Knights.
Fractal Code exploded throughout the area as Takuya pressed down on the activation button of his D-Tector. The rest of the group followed suit, leaving the Royal Knights to watch them with a rage that was barely restrained. They were undoubtedly furious that the Legendary Warriors had done such terrible things to their master, and chances were that they had gone into hiding for centuries with the intentions to one day return for a chance at their revenge. The day had finally come, but that didn't mean that Takuya, or any of the other Legendary Warriors, were going to let them get away with it.
As the light of data disappeared, Aldamon was left in Takuya's place. He immediately took to the skies along with the rest of the flying Legendary Warriors. He didn't know how he was supposed to start the fight, but he had the sneaking suspicion that the Royal Knights were going to make the first move if he and the rest of the Legendary Warriors held back.
Sure enough, all it took was a moment for the Royal Knights to strike back. Alphamon was the first to lash out, and he held his hand forward as he created a sphere of sparking purple energy. He hurled it towards the nearest target, otherwise known as Beowolfmon. The Warrior of Light threw up his sword at the last minute to block the strike, but he was still forced backwards in a sliding pattern through the dusty ground due to the force. Beowolfmon wasn't able to keep up the defense forever, and he was eventually hit by the raw power Alphamon had conjured. Beowolfmon was sent sprawling backwards a moment later, barely managing to correct himself before he landed as a helpless pile on the ground. He maintained his footing, but it was only because he got lucky.
The first thing that Aldamon realized as he saw Beowolfmon struggle was that their foe had to be far more powerful than they understood. The Legendary Warriors had only managed to defeat Cherubimon with the help of Ophanimon and her purification efforts. Such strength had cost Ophanimon her life, and the Legendary Warriors were barely able to accomplish such a victory over Cherubimon, so how were they meant to fight back against the Royal Knights who appeared to be infinitely stronger already?
Aldamon did his best to cast such thoughts aside though, and he allowed fire to spark across the surface of the metal of his armor. He charged towards Dynasmon as soon as he had mustered enough energy, and he spread the heat from his armor to his enemy's body. However, Dynasmon didn't even seem to feel the attack, and he looked at Aldamon with a glare before slashing his sword off to the side effortlessly, sending the Warrior of Fire flying through the air.
Aldamon let out a cry of surprise before he managed to correct himself, and he forced his wings to desperately flap in an attempt keep himself afloat. He felt as if the air had been knocked from his lungs, and he suddenly longed for the chance to eliminate his exhaustion at his own pace. Adrenaline was already starting to fuel his every action, but Aldamon wasn't sure if that would be enough to get him through the fight. It had taken so much preparation to defeat Cherubimon, so how was he supposed to even hope that he and the rest of the Legendary Warriors would be able to win against five foes that were just as, if not more, powerful than Cherubimon had been?
Alphamon was the next to strike, and he raised his hand before unleashing a sphere of darkness towards Zephyrmon. She was clipped on the wing, and a scream left her lips as she spiraled towards the ground. Thundramon managed to keep her from falling completely, but this opened a weakness in his defenses. Jesmon took advantage of this and slid through the air effortlessly with his sword outstretched, striking firmly at Thundramon's midsection. The Warrior of Thunder roared in pain, and Zephyrmon was left to scream as Jesmon slashed at her a moment later.
Crusadermon rushed towards where Calanthemon and Cygnusmon were flying together. She delivered two quick punches to their bodies, and both the Warriors of Wind and Cosmos were sent sprawling backwards as a result of the force. Calanthemon cried out in pain as she hit the ground, and Cygnusmon fell on top of her a moment later. He got off as quickly as he could, but Calanthemon's left wing was already bent out of shape as a result of the impact. It was clear to Aldamon that she wasn't going to be flying again anytime soon.
Something sinister gleamed in Leopardmon's eyes as she made her way over to where Aerismon was found. All it took was a single kick to send Aerismon falling out of the sky. They fell on top of Beowolfmon and Rhihimon, both of whom were below them, creating a large puff of dust. It was impossible to tell any of them apart due to the heavy veil of dust in the air, and Aldamon cringed at how much he knew that had to hurt. One hit had done that much damage, and it was clear that all of them were going to need some time to recover.
Daipenmon raised his axe and sent an explosion of snowballs towards Dynasmon. He turned to face Daipenmon with a glare in his eyes. It only took a moment for Dynasmon to close the distance between them and deal a heavy punch to Daipenmon's body. The Warrior of Ice fell backwards before slamming into Cybelemon. The Warrior of Earth groaned in pain as their head made contact with the ground below. Daipenmon shot them an apologetic look, but Cybelemon barely seemed to see him, too dizzy due to their sudden impact with the dirt.
Crusadermon and Leopardmon came together before moving towards the recovering Aerismon, Beowolfmon, and Rhihimon. Both of them raised their hands to create crackling spheres of energy. Aerismon threw up a barrier to try and block the attacks, but they were only blasted backwards as soon as the damage was done. Beowolfmon and Rhihimon flew backwards along with them, and while they were separated, that didn't do much to save them from the bruises that were blossoming across their bodies beneath the armor.
The Royal Knights were simply too fast for any of them to get in any decent damage. Their synergy was incredible, and all of them knew it just as well as Aldamon did. It was clear as could be that these Digimon had been fighting together for generations until they could fully restore Lucemon to his former glory. Their power was unmatched, and the chances of Legendary Warriors finding victory were slim as could be. The Royal Knights had been preparing for this day, and their raw strength was too much for the Legendary Warriors to handle. The Warriors were relatively inexperienced fighters who had only recently made it into the Digital World. They hadn't been given enough time to work as a collective unit of twelve, but the Royal Knights had been fighting as a quintet for centuries. Plain and simple, the Legendary Warriors were outmatched and lacking in the power needed to acquire triumph.
Sheyumon, however, made it clear that she wasn't going to be tolerating such hopelessness. Nobody was saying it, but she could still sense the dreariness hanging in the air around them. Her eyes narrowed, and Aldamon could read her thought process. She was going to fight back regardless of how dismal the outlook appeared to be. It was how she was, always positive and going against the thoughts of others.
Aldamon could sense that there was something changing about Sheyumon, and he was right. Her eyes went wide, and Fractal Code enveloped her body a moment later. Aldamon held up one arm to ensure that he didn't see spots, but his vision was still impeded when he didn't react in time. However, he couldn't bring himself to mind this in the slightest because he knew what was happening with Sheyumon. She was undergoing Hybrid evolution for the first time, and that could have been the thing the Legendary Warriors needed in order to change the course of the fight once and for all.
Sheyumon shifted into the humanoid shape that she regularly had when she was Kirismon. As the Fractal Code faded though, Aldamon was able to get a peek at the details of the new Digimon. She had a plate of pink armor over her chest, and she had matching shorts on as well. Blue gemstones were on her wrists and ankles, and other chunks of pink armor surrounded the jewels. Her hair was tan and fell around her sharpened ears in messy tufts.
A pair of purple designs adorned the sides of her face, starting at her cheeks and stretching down towards her shoulders in gentle curls. They were meant to imitate the symbol that regularly rested on the top of her head when she was Sheyumon. The other trait brought over from Sheyumon was the set of twelve tails that spread out behind her body. They were tinted with the same colors that were connected to the rest of the Legendary Warriors. Purple dust filled the air around her body in a gentle puff of fog. It gave her an air of elegance that contrasted her sly grin and sharpened claws greatly.
"Aethermon!"
The Warrior of Energy seemed to be caught off guard by her own transformation at first, and she looked down at her body in surprise, examining the palms of her hands before taking in a small breath. She slid across the ground and attacked the nearest member of the Royal Knights. Her victim just so happened to be Leopardmon, and she slashed her claws across the surface of Leopardmon's body. She didn't do much damage with the initial attack, but she followed up with a kick that hit Leopardmon square in the stomach.
Leopardmon was forced backward by the attack, and her eyes went wide as soon as she realized that she had sustained such damage in the first place. She lunged towards Aethermon, but the Warrior of Energy jumped out of the way at the last moment to keep from being hit. Aethermon's tails began to glow, and energy sparked across the surface of her body before firing towards Leopardmon in a series of twelve strikes.
Leopardmon raised her arms to block the attacks, and while she didn't take much damage, she was forced backwards by a few feet. Aethermon attempted to lash out at Leopardmon once again, but she was ultimately cut off when Jesmon charged towards her. He rammed his body against her side, and Aethermon let out a strangled cry of surprise before she flew sideways and slammed into the ground. She jumped to her feet to avoid a downward stab from Jesmon, but the shave was too close for comfort.
Aldamon took this as his chance to charge towards Leopardmon, and flames danced across the surface of his body as he rammed his shoulder into her with all the force that he could muster. Since Leopardmon was somewhat off balance as a result of Aethermon's assault, he was able to take advantage of the weakness in her guard to knock her aside.
Leopardmon wasn't taking this affront though, and she threw her arm out to send Aldamon backwards. She jumped towards him and tackled him to the ground, solidly pinning him in place before kicking him in the side. Leopardmon seemed to decide that he wasn't worth her time afterwards though, and she simply scoffed before getting to her feet and returning to the rest of the fight.
Aldamon did his best not to cry out in pain as he applied pressure to the point of contact between himself and Leopardmon. He hadn't expected a single kick to do so much damage, but he shouldn't have underestimated the Royal Knights. He made a mental note to not make that mistake again as he forced himself to his feet. Aldamon allowed his wings to carry him into the sky so that he wouldn't have to put to much pressure on his torso by continuing to walk. Even so, the pounding pain in his abdomen didn't cease, and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was going to feel it long after he reverted back into his human form.
Alphamon streaked through Aldamon's line of sight towards the spot where Daipenmon and Cybelemon were still on the ground. He picked up Daipenmon and sent the Warrior of Ice flying backwards. Daipenmon managed to correct himself and land on his feet, but he was clearly shaky from the rough impact. Cybelemon, on the other hand, was left to slowly rise to their full height despite the clear dizziness coursing through them. They let one hand raise to nurse the injury on their head, and they cringed in agony as soon as they touched the wound.
Alphamon took advantage of Cybelemon's moment of weakness, and he created an orb of dark energy before pressing it against their side. Cybelemon flew backwards at the hit, and they slid through the dirt before coming to a stop. They barely seemed to realize that their location had changed so drastically, too focused on the way the world spun around them to properly notice what was happening. Cybelemon didn't even bother getting up afterwards, simply allowing themselves to stay in place until they could enter the fight once again. Their expression was mostly blank and hazy, but Aldamon could still see the way that they flinched in pain whenever they tried to move themselves off the ground.
Crusadermon seemed to notice that Cybelemon was down at the same moment that Aldamon decided to fly towards them. Both Crusadermon and Aldamon rocketed themselves towards the sky, desperate to be the one to reach Cybelemon first. Aldamon wound up winning the race, and he scooped the dazed Cybelemon into their arms. Crasdermon wasn't going down without a fight however, and she jumped in the sky before kicking downwards at Aldamon's shoulder.
The impact was more than enough to send Aldamon spiraling from the sky, and he hit the ground hard. The injury in his stomach flared up with pain once again, and he heard Cybelemon groan from their place in his arms. However, the sound was distant and didn't seem to fully register in his mind. Aldamon forced his eyes open and saw that Crusadermon had left them alone after realizing that they wouldn't be able to fight back, and he thanked his lucky stars that Crusadermon hadn't bothered to finish the job. It occurred to him that this was likely because Crusadermon believed that they were too far beneath her to be worth the effort, but he was still more than willing to accept the mercy despite the heavy blow to his pride.
Dynasmon was the next to streak through Aldamon's vision, and he breathed an internal sigh of relief at the realization that the Royal Knight wasn't going to be targeting him or Cybelemon. Instead, Dynasmon was going after Calanthemon and Cygnusmon. The two Beast Warriors were still on the ground, not having been given the chance to recover fully. Cygnusmon took to the skies as soon as he realized what was happening and rained down stars upon Dynasmon's shoulders.
Dynasmon barely seemed to feel the attack, and he jumped upwards with a punch before knocking Cygnusmon to the ground. The Warrior of Cosmos cried out in pain before Dynasmon stabbed down with his sword. Cygnusmon managed to jump out of the way, but when Dynasmon slashed outwards in a grand arc, he managed to clip Cygnusmon on the wing. The Warrior of Cosmos whimpered in pain and closed his eyes as blood began to leak out from between his scales.
Luckily for him, Dynasmon didn't bother following up and dealing more damage. Instead, he rushed towards Calanthemon, taking advantage of the fact that the Warrior of Wood wasn't able to fly as long as her damaged wing was in such poor state. Dynasmon used his sword to hit Calanthemon in the wing, pulling downwards with the base of the blade to strike the place where the appendage met the bulk of her body.
This clearly struck a nerve in Calanthemon, and she cried out in pain before Dynasmon kicked her in the chest. She was sent backwards immediately, but she was unable to get up in the aftermath of his brutal assault. Dynasmon simply laughed to himself in response. "You should have known better than to oppose the Royal Knights. By drawing out this fight, you're only bringing more pain to yourselves. This is a mistake that you made on your own, but if you won't surrender or retreat, we'll show you what happens to those who dare to stand up to us," he declared, making it clear that the word were directed at the whole team rather than only Calanthemon.
Aldamon wasn't sure of how to respond to Dynasmon's announcements, but he wasn't exactly given the chance to show how he felt about the words either. Leopardmon appeared before Thundramon and Zephyrmon. With an outward slice of her arm, she knocked both of them out of the sky. This time, neither one of them could correct their course before they hit the ground. Zephyrmon's feathers were clearly ruffled when she rose to her feet after the dust had all cleared. It took her a minute to stumble back into something that resembled her regular sense of balance, but Leopardmon didn't allow her much more time to fight back.
Leopardmon punched at Zephyrmon as soon as she had risen, and the Warrior of Wind was sent sprawling through the air before she hit the ground. The wind had clearly been knocked out of her, and Zephyrmon's eyes shot open as a gash opened on her shoulder. Blood began to stain the ground below soon afterwards. When Zephyrmon attempted to use her damaged arm to rise to her feet once again, she yelped in pain, and she quickly learned not to push herself so far.
Thundramon looked as if he wanted to rush to her aid, but his ankle appeared to be twisted at an angle that seemed borderline unnatural. Despite his attempts to fly to her side, his wings wouldn't carry him away from the ground, and all he could do was watch Zephyrmon's pain with wide, glassy eyes. The pain in his gaze made Aldamon's stomach twist into something unrecognizable and sick.
Leopardmon actually took the chance to follow up on her attack towards Zephyrmon and Thundramon this time, and she punched at Zephyrmon once again. The force of the blow sent Zephyrmon flying backwards, and the Warrior of Wind slammed into the ground once more. Her outline went dark, and a ring of Fractal Code surrounded her core. Aldamon's eyes went wide with terror, but much to his surprise, Leopardmon didn't bother pursuing Zephyrmon to deal more damage. It was almost as if she found Zephyrmon to be too far beneath her to be worth the effort.
Leopardmon moved towards Thundramon next. All it took was a single kick to leave Thundramon in similar condition to Zephyrmon, and the Warrior of Thunder cried out in shock before his body fully collapsed under the weight of his own pain. He hit the ground hard enough to knock out any remaining sense of stability or anger. When Thundramon went dark as Fractal Code surrounded his midsection, Leopardmon simply shook her head and scoffed before moving towards the next target.
When the rings of Fractal Code faded away and Zephyrmon and Thundramon's colors returned, they began to change shape until they were back in their regular human forms. Both Izumi and Junpei were smeared with small cuts, and dark bruises coated their skin. They watched the fight with weary, exhausted eyes, clearly knowing that they wouldn't be able to pursue the Royal Knights further than they already had.
Alphamon didn't hesitate to move towards Calanthemon and Cygnusmon when he was given the chance. With two simple spheres of darkness, he knocked both of them aside. They were boat coated in Fractal Code before transforming back into human form, going through the same motions that Izumi and Junpei had just a few moments before. Yumiko and Haroi remained on the ground long after Alphamon decided to focus on his next target, and Aldamon prayed that it was because they were simply too tired to move rather than being unable to fight back at all.
Dynasmon charged towards Beowolfmon and Rhihimon. The Warrior of Darkness took his place in front of his twin before raising one arm, and a shield in the shape of a lion appeared to block Dynasmon's sword strike. However, the raw force of the blow was more than enough to knock Rhihimon off balance, and from there, all it took was one slash to send him flying.
Beowolfmon did his best to compensate for the sudden lack of assistance from Rhihimon, but there was only so much that he could do on his own. When Dynasmon slashed his sword once again, Beowolfmon had no way of defending himself, and he fell backwards to one knee, using his own blade for support. Dynasmon swept the sword out from underneath Beowolfmon before dealing a swift kick to the chest of the Warrior of Light.
Fractal Code surrounded Beowolfmon's body in a simple ring. He was unmoving for a few long seconds, and Dynasmon shook his head down at the Warrior of Light's vulnerable form. "Killing children is something we Royal Knights simply cannot abide by," he explained, and Aldamon suddenly understood why their enemies were holding back at all. "You might be in our way, but we are still willing to give you a warning rather than immediately going in for the kill. Maybe you'll renounce your previous desires and decide to serve Lord Lucemon in the future. That truly would be glorious, wouldn't you say?"
Dynasmon walked nonchalantly past Beowolfmon as the Hybrid Warrior began to revert back to Koji. Dynasmon moved towards Rhihimon carefully before raising his sword one last time. He struck downwards, and Rhihimon cried out in pain. Fractal Code surrounded his body as he transformed back into Koichi. However, Koichi appeared to be mostly unscathed, and there were no cuts or bruises across his body at all. It was as if he had somehow been spared from the pain that the rest of the Legendary Warriors were dealing with, and Aldamon couldn't tell if he was more suspicious or relieved that at least one of them was going to be finding a way out of this fight relatively unharmed.
However, he didn't have much time to think about it. Jesmon walked over to where Aldamon was watching with the dazed Cybelemon, and he slashed one of his arms sideways. Cybelemon was thrown from his grasp, and Aldamon felt pain tear through the upper half of his body. His eyes went wide as he attempted to hold onto anything that resembled stability. Such was far easier said than done though, and Aldamon slammed into the ground a moment later. Dust filled his lungs, and he coughed violently in an attempt to free himself.
This distraction gave Jesmon the chance to move towards Aldamon once again. All it took was a single blow for Aldamon to scream in pain once again. He felt his consciousness go fuzzy for a moment, as if he was viewing the world from the other side of a distorted glass window. He knew that his outline was growing dark as a ring of Fractal Code formed around his core.
The haze lasted for an agonizing length of time, but Aldamon knew that it was likely only a few seconds. When he next had a grip on what was happening to himself, he was back in his human form. He was still hunched over on the ground, and he was coughing just as violently as he had been before. Tears were forming in his eyes and starting to streak down his cheeks because of the burning in his lungs. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that he and the rest of the Legendary Warriors were only going to be pulling through this fight because the Royal Knights were being nice to them. If not for the rule of not killing children that Dynasmon had described, all of them would have been killed already, and if they weren't dead yet, they would have been well on their way to an eternal slumber.
The light of Fractal Code appeared in Takuya's peripheral vision, and he saw that Chihiro had transformed back to normal nearby. They were still stretched out on the ground nearby, and Takuya forced himself towards them despite the way that his entire body seemed to pound from the pain. He curled both arms beneath their body and pulled them in close, trying to ignore the way that every part of his being ached with a need to rest. He was pushing himself too hard, but he couldn't help his own concern.
Chihiro was barely conscious as far as he could tell, and there was a splattering of blood across their temple. Their vision was fuzzy, as if they couldn't focus on anything no matter how hard they tried. "Chihiro," Takuya whispered, surprised at the fact that he was able to speak at all. "Please focus on me. Listen to my voice. Can you hear me? Answer, please."
Chihiro took a moment to properly answer, and they furiously blinked for a few seconds before nodding. "Mhm..." they hummed, attempting to push themselves upright. When such attempts failed, they fell limply back into Takuya's arms, and he pulled them in a bit closer out of a deep urge to keep them safe from the rest of the battle with the Royal Knights.
Takuya's attention was pulled away from Chihiro a moment later as Crusadermon rushed towards Aethermon. Both Dynasmon and Crusadermon had the Warrior of Energy cornered. The pair of Royal Knights looked to each other before rushing towards their target as quickly as possible. Both of them punched upwards at Aethermon's chin, forcing her into the air. Crusadermon leapt upwards before dealing a swift kick to her abdomen, prompting Aethermon to hit the ground roughly.
When the ring of Fractal Code appeared around Aethermon's body a moment later, neither Dynasmon nor Crusadermon bothered giving her much of a second glance. Instead, they simply moved on from where she was sprawled out in the dust. Aethermon's silhouette was soon coated in a layer of glowing data, and when it subsided, an exhausted Mayumi was left in Aethermon's place. She whimpered in pain before trying and failing to push herself free of the ground.
The next target of the Royal Knights was Daipenmon. He had his axe raised as he pelted snowballs at Alphamon. The Digimon in black armor didn't even seem to notice that he was being hurt. Instead, he simply walked casually towards Daipenmon and curled one hand around the Warrior of Ice's neck. Daipenmon's eyes shot open wide in his own shock, and he vaguely attempted to fight back and dislodge himself from Alphamon's grip. The Royal Knight stared at him with a disinterested gaze before sending him flying backwards. As soon as Daipenmon hit the ground, his body was covered in darkness as Fractal Code blossomed around his torso. Tomoki was left in his place a moment later, and Takuya could have sworn that he heard the gentle sound of pained sobbing coming from the younger boy's direction.
It didn't take long afterwards for Leopardmon to corner Ceruleamon. Leopardmon rushed towards the Warrior of Water while making rapid punches in her enemy's direction. Ceruleamon used her staff to try and block as many strikes as she could manage, but there was only so much that she was capable of deflecting. Leopardmon swept down low with a kick, successfully knocking Ceruleamon's legs out from beneath her.
The Warrior of Water fell to the ground with a cry of surprise, and she used her watery wings to take to the skies as soon as she kicked off the ground. Still, Leopardmon easily curled one hand around her ankle and dragged her back down to Earth. Ceruleamon's back hit the ground roughly, and her wings of liquid vanished into nothing more than a pool of water around her. Leopardmon knelt down and curled one hand around Ceruleamon's throat before starting to squeeze. Ceruleamon whimpered in pain before her outline gave way to nothing more than shadow. Leopardmon jumped away in retreat, but the bruises left behind by her moment of gripping at the Warrior of Water remained, and Hinoka touched at the marks when she had returned to her human form.
This left Aerismon as the only fighter among the Legendary Warriors. They saw that Jesmon was attempting to rush towards them out of the corner of their eye, and Aerismon took this as their cue to jump as high into the air as possible. Jesmon slid beneath them before curving upwards, knocking Aerismon away from their intended landing target of the ground below. Aerismon's draconic wings couldn't correct their course before they hit the ground once again, and they snarled in pain and frustration under their breath.
Jesmon didn't consider this enough evidence of his victory though, and he slashed his blade in their direction as soon as he was close enough to do enough damage. Aerismon attempted to block the strike with their rapier, but it wasn't enough to keep them from being slashed on the shoulder. Aerismon cringed in pain before Jesmon hit the injury once again. This forced a scream free of Aerismon's lips, and they were surrounded in Fractal Code not long afterwards. Jesmon simply walked away as the Warrior of Steel reverted back to human form, uncaring as to the damage that he had just visited upon his target.
The Royal Knights looked out over the damaged Legendary Warriors, seeing how broken and battered they had become. Their gazes also fell upon Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon. The trio had been clinging tightly to the eggs of Ophanimon and Cherubimon while watching in terror, knowing that they wouldn't be able to fight back but wishing they could do more.
Crusadermon stood at the front of the quintet with Dynasmon and Leopardmon off to her right. Alphamon and Jesmon were on her left side. All five of them regarded the Legendary Warriors and their Digimon guides with uncaring disappointment, and Crusadermon sighed before shaking their head. "You should have known what was going to happen when you stood up against us," Crusadermon said simply.
"If you wish to keep your lives, you'll stay out of our way," Jesmon continued. His gaze fell upon Chihiro and Takuya, and the Warrior of Fire instinctively held his companion closer to his chest. However, Jesmon didn't bother closing the distance between them to finish the job, simply choosing to stare instead.
"We will revive Lord Lucemon no matter what you try! The Digital World will bow to its true ruler once again!" Dynasmon exclaimed. "The previous Legendary Warriors stood up to us years ago, so if you cross us once more, we won't hesitate to shove you out of our path again!"
"You are all inferior imitations of the fighters that they were," Leopardmon told the group, her voice bleeding apathy. "You should accept your defeat and return to the world that you came from to prepare for the end. You have no power here."
As the rest of the Royal Knights turned to leave, Alphamon remained as still as a statue while maintaining his previous silence. "Goodbye," Alphamon eventually remarked. His voice was low and thunderous, fitting him in frightening ways that Takuya preferred not to think about. Takuya continued to watch as Alphamon turned around to follow the rest of the Royal Knights away from the scene of the fight, his eyes wide and unseeing.
For a long time, the area was silent. None of the Legendary Warriors knew what to say, and they lacked the energy to rise and gather once more. The first member of the group to move was Saki, but Takuya could still tell how exhausted they were. Saki began to limp towards the nearby Trailmon that they had been riding in before the Royal Knights attacked. They gave a brief glance over their shoulder to silently ask the rest of the group to follow them. For once, their eyes weren't reflective or deceptive, instead being terrifyingly honest and sober. It horrified Takuya deep down, and he didn't think he would ever forget those eyes no matter how much he tried.
Even so, their movements inspired Takuya to action, and he helped Chihiro to their feet before following suit. He knew that he was horribly injured, but he didn't even want to think about looking down to examine his wounds. Instead, he simply allowed Chihiro to lean against his side as they both walked towards the Trailmon. The rest of the Legendary Warriors trailed after them, and the group of twelve teens practically collapsed onto the benches inside of the train. Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon took up the rear, still looking just as concerned as they had before. Bokomon and Neemon both held tightly to Ophanimon and Cherubimon's eggs respectively, almost as if they feared the world would fall apart completely the instant that they even dared to let go.
Takuya leaned his head back against the cushion that he was positioned against. Every part of his body ached, and he longed for nothing more than to sleep and wait for the pain to subside. He had no idea what else was going to help him. In fact, he wasn't positive that even resting was going to keep him from suffering under the weight of what the Royal Knights had done to him and his friends so effortlessly. Still, it was something, and he was more than willing to accept it.
Slowly but surely, the Trailmon began to move again, but it somehow felt as if the Digimon was struggling far more than before, and Takuya was left to wonder just how much damage the strike from the Royal Knights had done. He felt sick just thinking about it. He closed his eyes and allowed the gentle rumbling of the train to draw his attention away from the pounding agony in his body. He was going to have to thank the Trailmon with every ounce of gratitude that he had inside of himself as soon as they arrived at their destination.
Until then though, Takuya allowed his exhaustion to claim him, and darkness swam in the edges of his vision when he attempted to open his eyes. He couldn't tell if he was simply falling asleep or losing consciousness against his own will. In all honesty, Takuya didn't even think that he wanted to know the answer. Did it even matter? He was going to be able to rest, and he was more than ready to embrace it.
Takuya wasn't sure what time it was by the time that he next opened his eyes. He was sure that they had been on the road for a while, and Takuya glanced out the window as soon as he was able to muster the energy to rotate his head in such a direction.
He immediately let out a hiss, and he was surprised to see that they were out of the Continent of Darkness. Just how long had he been asleep for? Takuya clamped his eyes shut to keep from overwhelming himself with the brightness of the world outside. He had gotten so used to the shadows of Cherubimon's domain that he didn't even consider the possibility that he would wind up back in the main area of the Digital World so soon after the final battle at Rose Morning Star ended. It was a sudden shift, and Takuya was sure that he would have enjoyed it if not for the way that his eyes burned with the change of scenery. If he wasn't as tired as he was, he wouldn't have felt quite so awful.
Takuya glanced around the Trailmon, wanting to go back to sleep but thinking it would be a good idea to check up on the rest of the team first. Chihiro was asleep beside him, their head limp on his shoulder. They were far paler than usual, and Takuya found himself leaning into their body protectively. The injury on their temple was already beginning to fade, and Takuya thanked the Digital World for its mercies where healing was concerned. Thanks to their Digimon sides, the Legendary Warriors recovered from wounds far faster than regular people, and Takuya was beyond grateful for such. He didn't even want to imagine how horribly injured all of them would have been if not for the power of their Digimon forms.
Chihiro was far from being the only one asleep. In fact, Takuya appeared to be the only member of the team who was still awake. Hinoka was sideways on a bench, her head atop her hands. Saki was nearby, and their face was stained by ugly bruises of purple. Their right cheek was prominently injured, and Takuya could tell that Saki was intentionally trying to keep from worsening the wound even in sleep.
Izumi, Junpei, Tomoki, Yumiko, Haroi, and Mayumi were all on a bench together. It was the cushion closest to the entrance of the train that they had all traveled through, and they hadn't been given the energy needed to find another place throughout the car. Heads were placed gently upon shoulders, and Takuya cringed at the smears of blood across their bodies. There were no life-threatening wounds as far as he could tell, but it was still uncomfortable to see everyone in such a condition.
Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon entered Takuya's line of sight next, and he swallowed dryly at the sight of them. Bokomon and Neemon were still holding tightly to Ophanimon and Cherubimon's eggs, and their sleep was clearly restless and unfulfilling. Patamon's ears were curled over his eyes to keep the light of the outside world from infiltrating upon his rest, and he looked less like the energetic Digimon that Takuya had come to know and more like a hollow shell of a creature. It was unsettling to observe Patamon in such a state, and Takuya forced himself to look away to keep from being demoralized himself.
The final pair of figures to earn Takuya's attention consisted of Koji and Koichi. Koji was draped sideways across a bench the same way that Hinoka was, but the sight brought back uncomfortable memories to Takuya. He shuddered at the reminder of how weak and vulnerable Koji had looked in the aftermath of Evergreen Dawn. The similarities were uncanny, and even if Evergreen Dawn felt like it was a lifetime away, that still wasn't enough distance for Takuya. The Fallen Warriors had changed, but that didn't mean that he would ever be able to tear the sight of Evergreen Dawn crumbling as Sorcermon covered for their escape from his mind.
"I'm glad to see that you're awake."
Takuya barely managed to keep himself from jumping out of his skin at Koichi's words. The Warrior of Darkness was awake as well, but Koichi had been so spaced out with watching Koji that Takuya hadn't even noticed. Takuya forced himself back into stillness to keep from disturbing the exhausted Chihiro at his side. He watched Koichi carefully before nodding. "Yeah," he said simply, unsure of what else could even be said. He wasn't even positive that the word that he had spoken was right to release into the air.
Takuya's worries were soon pulled from his focus as he realized that Koichi looked relatively unharmed. He remembered that this had applied to Koichi during the fight as well, but that didn't make it any less unsettling. Everyone else was stained in their own blood and covered in bruises, but Koichi looked normal. In fact, he barely even looked tired. Seeing the twins side by side made Takuya shudder inwardly, and he wondered how the hell Koichi had gotten so lucky.
"How are you feeling?" Koichi questioned nervously after a moment of heavy silence. Takuya realized that he had never been given the chance to speak with Koichi alone, and that certainly explained the awkward aura that filled the space between them. Koichi had been distracted with elaborating on his connection to Koji when he first joined the group, and then the attacks by Duskmon's shadow and Cherubimon had gotten in the way of Koichi connecting with Takuya.
Still, that wasn't going to stop Takuya from at least making an attempt to strike up a conversation. If that was what Koichi wanted, Takuya was going to try. He could tell that Koichi had been awake for a while, and the Warrior of Darkness certainly appeared as if he could use the conversation. "Bad," Takuya confessed when he finally managed to force himself to reply. He didn't even bother trying to hide the truth. Koichi was able to see the injuries that Takuya was too afraid to check for, and judging by how haunted Koichi's gaze was, he had already noticed the terrors scattered across Takuya's body. There wasn't a point in lying when Takuya felt as if he had been stripped bare and left for dead for all the world to see.
"They hit us all hard," Koichi said sympathetically, but his eyes glittered with something else that bothered Takuya. He appeared confused and mystified, but he was still doing his best to hide it. Takuya could say without a shadow of a doubt what Koichi was so worried about. His lack of blatant injuries had undoubtedly caught Koichi by surprise, and no matter how hard he tried to mask it, nothing could fully hide his fear of the unknown.
Takuya glanced down to Chihiro, and he brushed one finger against the wound on their temple. Chihiro never allowed anyone to get this close aside from Takuya, but given the condition they were in, Takuya knew that they wouldn't even try to fight back if someone attempted to touch them. It upset him in a way he couldn't even begin to explain to see them in such a weak state. Images flashed through his mind of Cybelemon sprawled on the ground, unmoving and suffering, and Takuya let out a slow drawl of a hiss through his teeth in an attempt to dismiss the memory.
"Yeah," Takuya repeated, though it felt like the understatement of a lifetime. Even after sleeping for what he suspected to be hours, Takuya's body felt creaky and foreign to him in ways that he absolutely despised. He hadn't bothered to move aside from the hand that he had used to touch Chihiro, and he wasn't sure if he would be able to manage much more. He wanted to go back to sleep, but he feared the terrors that would emerge from the recesses of his mind to attack him in slumber. He had been too tired to even think of worrying about dreams or nightmares before, but the anxiety was starting to settle in, forming an uncomfortable home in the hollow space that rested in his chest.
Koichi was silent for a moment afterwards, and Takuya couldn't tell if he preferred Koichi's distant stoicism or his words of thinly-veiled concern. Part of Takuya wanted to say something, but no words would come to his lips no matter how much he tried to speak up. He looked over at Chihiro once again, and his vision went blurry against his mind's command. Maybe his exhaustion would get the better of him and keep him from having nightmares about the previous battle. He was already sure that he would never forget the damage that the Royal Knights had done.
Worse, Takuya knew that this wouldn't be the last time. The group would have to discuss it fully after everyone was awake, but Takuya was positive that the Royal Knights were going to be a continuous problem for them if they wanted to save the Digital World. They were alive only by deliberate mercy, but there was a chance that they wouldn't be so lucky the next time they crossed paths with the Royal Knights. There was no choice aside from repeated battle between the Royal Knights and Legendary Warriors if the Digital World and Earth were to be saved, but Takuya still hated the idea with every part of his being.
"They're going to be fine," Koichi suddenly said, and Takuya forced his eyes back into focusing so that he could look to the Warrior of Darkness. Koichi's gaze was glassy and detached as he watched the floor in front of his feet. The Trailmon continued to roll on around them, and every natural jostle of the train car seemed to only worsen Koichi's anxieties. Takuya could have sworn that he saw a trace of a tear forming in the other boy's eyes, and he looked away to keep from giving into hopelessness himself.
As Takuya considered Koichi's words once again, he came to a realization. Koichi's tone made it seem as if he was trying to convince himself of the truth behind his words rather than Takuya. The Warrior of Fire did his best not to visibly cringe at the thought, and he couldn't blame Koichi in the slightest for resorting to such tactics to try and find internal peace. Koichi looked as if he hadn't slept since they left the Continent of Darkness, and Takuya knew how dangerous it was to be left alone with one's thoughts for so long.
He couldn't help but think back to what had happened when he was forced to consider his past actions. This situation was different from his encounter with the Dark Trailmon, but Takuya's anxious side still made him think about it. He stared at Koichi for another long moment and remembered the way that the Warrior of Darkness had vanished around a corner back on Earth. Takuya still wasn't sure as to how Koichi could have made it into the Digital World, if he was being honest. Takuya had been on the last elevator to the underground station beneath Shibuya, and he didn't think there was a staircase down there. If all of that was true, how had Koichi wound up on the other side?
Still, Takuya didn't have much time to think about it, as the subject of his curiosity spoke up once again to pierce through his thoughts. "You still look really tired," Koichi commented, not seeming to mind that the conversation had been one-sided for quite a while. "You should sleep a bit more before we arrive at our destination."
Part of Takuya wanted to protest, to try and stay awake to speak with Koichi for a while longer, but he simply couldn't do it. The idea of sleeping once again was simply too appealing for him to ignore, and as soon as he shut his eyes, the joys of rest reached out towards him. "Night," Takuya managed to say, and he wondered how he managed to slur the letters of a single syllable word almost beyond recognition. Still, he didn't bother repeating the word, figuring that Koichi understood the sentiment. Takuya was too tired to even consider it, and his jaw went slack as it fell out of his control.
The process of slipping into slumber was far easier than Takuya had anticipated given the events that had transpired earlier in the day. He didn't care about Cherubimon or the Royal Knights anymore, instead choosing only to focus on how amazing it would feel to embrace sleep once more. All of his concerns seemed to fall away, and Takuya let his perception of the world crumble. There was an underlying sense of hopelessness to the train car, but Takuya was too numb to fully register the weight of his own emotions. Perhaps that was for the best. Takuya was more than fine with not understanding the power of what he was feeling given the situation. He just wanted to forget everything and sleep, because as soon as they got off the Trailmon, those would no longer be options.
After all, the Digital World needed saving once again, and the job fell to the Legendary Warriors, a truth that Takuya knew he would never be able to escape.
The beginning of act four is here, everyone! Woohoo!
For the most part, I feel like this chapter explains itself. We had a battle and evolution, and both of those took up a strong majority of the chapter. I appreciate combat scenes, but they leave me a lot less to talk about in the author's notes.
Instead, I'm going to mention the Royal Knights. There are five of them in this rewrite. This is a deliberate choice to remedy the primary issue that I had with the Royal Knights arc in canon. I felt as if there was no progress being made for a long time in canon as the Royal Knights went on their conquest of the Digital World. Some episodes felt like a broken record to me just going through the motions of the Royal Knights destroying the Legendary Warriors in battle. Having more of them means that there are more enemies to defeat, and that will increase the feeling of progress and forward motion, something that I thought the canon version lacked a majority of the time.
The other main flaw with the Royal Knights arc in my eyes comes from the matter of favoritism. In the Royal Knights arc, everyone aside from Takuya and Koji are seriously sidelined, and the character arcs feel unsatisfactory in how incomplete they are. I'm removing the heavy reliance on Takuya and Koji by cutting out their special forms where they use the Spirits of the rest of the team. Since Spirits are attached to their hosts in this rewrite, that wouldn't have been possible anyways. The rest of the team is reaching the Hybrid level instead, though I'm sure that I've either mentioned this before and simply forgot or you've caught on while reading.
The Royal Knights segment of this story will be focused on wrapping up character arcs for each member of the cast. Since the canon version was almost painfully focused on combat, I'm going for the other end of the spectrum and elaborating more on character development. The Royal Knights arc of this story is conceptually similar to canon, but in practice, but there are a few differences. There are three other Royal Knights, more forward motion, less favoritism, less sidelining, and more character development. You'll see all of this go into effect as the arc continues over the next ten chapters, but for now, you'll simply have to take my word for it.
Now that I've laid all of my problems with the Royal Knights arc out for you to see, I'm going to move towards something more positive. Let's talk about the ending scene with Takuya and Koichi. There's definitely something going on with Koichi. Oh boy, that's going to be interesting. Takuya is worried, and the rest of the group is in awful condition. Poor things.
This scene gives me the perfect chance to show how Koichi acts with other members of the team. Unlike with the other Fallen Warriors, there were no hints of Koichi's true personality shining through when he was Duskmon. Koichi is reserved and sweet where Duskmon was confrontational and violent. Koichi doesn't naturally reach out to people often, so he tends to keep to himself if he isn't with Koji. He's too shy to open up regularly, but when push comes to shove, he can do his best to socialize. I'm going to force him to talk to other members of the team aside from just Koji in the future, but until then, this scene will have to suffice.
That should be all that I wanted to address in this chapter, so I'm going to be ending things here. Next week will get us into the thick of act four, and I'm excited for it. Until that time comes though, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital