Siriusmon had been flying alongside Aldamon and Aerismon for a few minutes across the surface of Flavo, and he felt as if every second that he didn't have the attacking Royal Knight in his line of sight was excruciating. He didn't know how to handle it aside from simply arriving at his destination, but he felt uncomfortable with being left in suspense for so long. The Village of Beginnings was being evacuated, but that didn't stop him from feeling constantly nervous that something would find a way to go wrong. The Royal Knights were beyond powerful, and it was clear that their morals regarding the deaths of Digimon were far less firm than when it came to humans. Siriusmon didn't want to risk anyone getting hurt because he, Aldamon, and Aerismon failed to protect the Digital World.
Soon enough, Siriusmon was able to stop flying, and he saw the culprit for who he really was. Dynasmon had stabbed his sword into the ground and was concentrating his energy on the hilt of the blade, sucking in as much Fractal Code from the surrounding area as he could manage. There was a clear scowl on his face that showed how eager he was to be finished with Flavo so that he could move to the next area. His anger was terrifying even from a distance, and Siriusmon almost felt sick at the idea that he would have to engage in combat against someone that strong.
Still, he didn't have a choice, and even if he did, Siriusmon was sure that he would have made the right decision. There were many young Digimon who were counting on him and the rest of the Legendary Warriors to defeat the Royal Knights, and if he ever wanted to return to the Village of Beginnings and see it at true peace, he would have to defeat Dynasmon first. It was the natural next step regardless of how absolutely terrifying it was to think about.
"What do you think you're doing here?" Aerismon questioned, their voice light and airy despite the heavy implications of their words. They remained in the air alongside Aldamon and Siriusmon, but the Warrior of Steel took their place at the front of the trio as a scowl formed on their features.
Dynasmon growled upon hearing Aerismon's voice, and he ripped his sword free of the grass. Siriusmon saw the way that the whole surface of Flavo seemed to stutter, and the Fractal Code fuzzed in and out of existence before returning to something resembling stability. Even so, Siriusmon could see clearly how the glow of the yellow moon had dulled as a result of Dynasmon's actions, and the trees of the area had grown almost unhealthily pale. No winds blew through the area as they had before, and the sudden lack of leaves rustling left an eerie silence in Siriusmon's mind that was too loud for him to bear.
"You should have simply stayed out of our way. I thought that we made it abundantly clear what happens to those who stand against us when we last met," Dynasmon said with a sharpened glare. He gripped his sword a bit tighter before slipping into a battle stance, and his cape billowed around his body ominously. "If you're truly so desperate to see defeat, then so be it. I won't be ending your lives myself, but I will most certainly beat you within an inch of death!"
"You're trying to hurt the Digital World! Did you really think that we were going to just sit back and let you do something like that?!" Aldamon exclaimed. Flames began to crackle across his armor, and he looked to be on the verge of charging directly at Dynasmon with all of the force that he possessed.
"The Digital World should not have turned against Lord Lucemon's rule. He knows what is best for us, and we should return to the power that he granted to us. He wants the best for the Digital World. He saved us from catastrophe generations ago, and yet, those ungrateful Legendary Warriors still had the audacity to turn against him. He saved all of their lives from the war between the Human and Beast Digimon, and how did they repay him? They marched off to war and sealed him into the darkness never to be seen again," Dynasmon responded as his eyes narrowed slightly. "That's hardly a fitting treatment for someone who did so much to save the weaklings of the Digital World."
"He became obsessed with power, and he didn't care who he hurt as long as he came out on top," Aerismon told Dynasmon simply. They seemed to understand that they had no way of changing Dynasmon's mind on his morals, so they shook their head a moment later before gripping their rapier just a bit tighter. "Still, I suppose that there's nothing that we can say to make you back off from what you have decided on."
"I'm serving the one true ruler of the Digital World, and you're all fools for continuing to stand against him. We owe everything that we are to Lord Lucemon, and you still oppose him. It's a bold move that none have dared to make since the days of the Legendary Warriors... Hmph. You truly are their new incarnations, aren't you? You're all stubborn as can be and too confident for your own good," Dynasmon scoffed.
"You've simply cast aside your humanity in favor of harming those who don't live up to your definition of power. That can hardly be considered strong. Hurting the creatures you deem to be beneath you is far from strength. That is taking advantage of others and manipulating them, but there's nothing that we can say to change your mind. You've chosen where your loyalties lie, and we know where ours rest as well. If you won't back down, we'll prove to you just why it was a poor choice on your part to stand against us," Aerismon continued.
Siriusmon had to admit that he didn't know how Aerismon had the confidence to say so much to Dynasmon. He felt stronger when in Digimon form, yes, but it still didn't empower him enough to talk so boldly to someone who was of such a ridiculous level of power. He didn't understand Aerismon's brazen confidence, but he supposed that he didn't have to. It worked for Aerismon, and that was all that mattered. They were all different in their own ways, and Siriusmon understood where his strengths rested. His differences from Aerismon were not weaknesses as Dynasmon would have claimed; to Siriusmon, they were signs of something powerful that he had never known himself to be capable of until he first arrived in the Digital World, and since he had such strength by his side after years of lacking it, he knew he would never be letting it go.
"You should be aware of why it's foolish to stand up against the Royal Knights. You saw what happened last time. I've had fun speaking with you and realizing just how ridiculous you all truly are, but I grow tired of your dry remarks. I suggest that you make peace with Lord Lucemon at this time. Perhaps he'll allow you to live in his new world if you offer enough of your soul to his divine strength," Dynasmon remarked. His sword gleamed dangerously in the light of Flavo, and Siriusmon was suddenly incredibly aware of just how sharp the blade truly was.
Dynasmon had seemingly grown tired of their game of back and forth, and he rushed through the air towards Aerismon after allowing himself to remain still for a moment longer. The Warrior of Steel threw up their rapier to ensure that they weren't hit by the blade, and they poured as much energy as they could muster into fighting back. Siriusmon could see sparks flying from the place where the swords connected, and he wondered who was going to come out on top.
In the end, neither one of them did, and both Dynasmon and Aerismon pulled away from one another once their swords were no longer clashing. Aerismon raised their blade once again, feinting to put up the appearance that they were going to rush towards Dynasmon a moment later.
Dynasmon ultimately fell for Aerismon's false impression, and he pulled back to slip into a defensive stance. However, Aerismon's lie was shown for what it truly was, and they held up their blade before unleashing a barrage of purple pellets of energy to slam into Dynasmon's armor. The Royal Knight threw his arms up to guard from the attacks, but he was unable to keep them all from getting through, forcing him backwards through the air until he was back on the ground once again.
As soon as Dynasmon touched down with the glowing yellow of Flavo, Siriusmon lashed out, and he raised his staff to the sky before swooping towards Dynasmon and hitting him in the side. Since Dynasmon was so focused on keeping Aerismon's attacks at bay, he wasn't prepared for the strike from Siriusmon's direction, prompting him to stumble a few paces away.
Dynasmon's grip on his sword grew tighter as he removed his arms from the region of his face. "You sure are being stubborn this time, aren't you?" he questioned, and Siriusmon could hear a hint of irritation behind his words. "If you truly wish to play with the older children on the playground, the fine. You just can't come crying to me when I show you why that's a poor choice on your part!"
Dynasmon rushed through the air before slashing his blade in a wide arc that threatened to clip Aldamon. The Warrior of Fire flew a few feet backwards before preparing a kick that came down towards Dynasmon's face. The Royal Knight used his sword to keep from taking the full force of the strike, but the residual flames that sparked across the surface of Aldamon's body still traveled towards Dynasmon's torso.
The fire from Aldamon was so powerful that it began to heat Dynasmon's sword, and the heat spread throughout the metal before reaching the hilt. Dynasmon's eyes went unnaturally wide as he pulled away from Aldamon, and his grip on his sword grew looser. He was unwilling to release it but still trying to keep from feeling the full sting of the burning blade.
Aerismon snapped from their place in the air above Dynasmon, and a series of purple daggers of energy appeared in a circle around them. Aerismon drew a wide circle using their rapier before pointing towards Dynasmon, creating another small barrage of attacks that slammed into him. Since Dynasmon's defenses were already lowered due to Aldamon's damage to his sword, he wasn't prepared for the attack, and Dynasmon was once again forced towards the ground. His feet made rough contact with the space below, and he stumbled before managing to regain his balance by some stroke of a miracle.
"You don't have the rest of your teammates to rely on anymore," Aerismon commented simply, and their voice was oddly detached for the intensity of their words. Still, they didn't allow themselves to be deterred from their mission, and their posture fell into something almost relaxed. Something told Siriusmon that they were closing their eyes from behind their mask.
Dynasmon's eyes went wide a moment later, and he stumbled backwards before releasing his grip on his sword. The blade clattered into the grass ineffectively as Dynasmon began to grab at his head. Siriusmon could vaguely hear a ringing noise, but it was faraway and didn't appear to be aimed at him. He figured that it had something to do with Aerismon's change of demeanor, and he couldn't help but feel impressed by the wide array of strange abilities that the Warrior of Steel possessed.
Aldamon lunged towards Dynasmon a moment later before lifting him in the air. The Warrior of Fire spiraled through the sky with Dynasmon simply being dragged along for the ride. At first, Dynasmon was too distracted with Aerismon's attack to bother fighting back, and a rogue scream tore its way free from his lips. However, Aerismon soon returned to their regular combative stance, and Siriusmon saw a trace of stress appear on their features. He assumed that there was no way for them to keep up such an intense attack for a long period of time, so they were going to have to find a way to defeat Dynasmon without relying on such strength too much.
Aldamon allowed fire to bathe his body, and the heat spread quickly across the surface of Dynasmon's form as well. Dynasmon's screams died down despite the added intensity of the flames, but he wasn't given long to fully recover from the might of Aerismon's mental assault. Aldamon dropped him as soon as he was satisfied with his job on spreading the fire from his body to Dynasmon's, and the Royal Knight was left to plummet through the darkened skies a moment later.
Siriusmon was prepared to rush in and deal a powerful strike to Dynasmon's body, but he was cut off when the Royal Knight managed to recover, using his cape to keep himself from falling too quickly or roughly. Dynasmon swooped towards the spot where his sword was waiting for him on the grass, and he easily took it into his grasp. The sword was no longer anywhere near as hot as it once had been, allowing the Royal Knight to take back his sense of control.
Dynasmon shook his head in disappointment, but Siriusmon could still see the anxiety that was starting to bubble beneath the surface of the Royal Knight's calm exterior. It was accompanied by a rage that could only be described as unholy, and Dynasmon was barely managing to keep it all under control. At a moment's notice, he would return to his unstable ways and lash out with far more force than any of them could have anticipated.
Dynasmon began to channel this hidden anger as soon as Siriusmon noticed it, and the Royal Knight rushed towards the Warrior of Cosmos before delivering a heavy punch to his chest. Siriusmon yelped in surprise and flew away in an attempt to recover before charging forward with his staff. He managed to clip the place where Dynasmon's shoulder and neck connected, earning him another darkened glare from his foe.
"We know how this is going to end, so why don't you simply make it easier on yourselves and back off?" Dynasmon questioned. His eyes narrowed, and somehow, the shadows within seemed to squirm and writhe with even less restraint than before. Dynasmon was still overflowing with confidence, but it was a dangerous brand of hubris that threatened to destroy everything that dared to cross its path. "You're starting to make me mad, and I want you to trust me when I say that you won't like me when I'm truly angry with you."
Dynasmon moved forward once again in a charging motion, and he swept his sword outward to hit anyone who dared to get too close to him. Aerismon remained confident despite his impressive show of hubris, and they rushed towards him with their rapier outstretched. They were able to work the blade through Dynasmon's defenses, and they had it primed against his side for another attack. The sword began to glow before bursting with purple lasers that rained down on the weak point of Dynasmon's armor.
Dynasmon was caught by surprise at Aerismon's attack, and he forced himself backward to keep damages minimal. As soon as he had somewhat recovered, he went high into the air before diving back down, one hand outstretched at Aerismon while the other held his sword. A fury like no other was burning in his eyes.
Aerismon was able to dodge the attack, but this maneuverability came at a price, and they weren't ready when Dynasmon lashed out again. He punched at the space between their wings, and Aerismon was sent forward as a result. Their wings instinctively flexed backwards, slamming into Dynasmon's shoulders. This put enough distance between Dynasmon and Aerismon for the latter to recover and turn to face the Royal Knight once again.
Siriusmon, who had fully recovered from Dynasmon's earlier attack, raised his staff to the sky before pointing it over at the Royal Knight. Blasts of white and silver energy imitating shooting stars began to fall upon his armor, and Siriusmon began to spin his staff slightly in place. Rings appeared around the tip of the weapon, and when he pointed them towards Dynasmon, they hurtled through the air to their target with relentless force.
Dynasmon used his sword to block most of the rings, shattering them into nothingness on impact. However, he was unable to keep all of them from making contact, and when two came at him at the same time from different directions, Dynasmon was forced to choose which one he preferred to take out. He slashed at the right ring, but the left one worked its way around the hand that wasn't holding the sword before starting to squeeze. Dynasmon didn't give the group the dignity of hearing him scream in pain, but they could still see the agonized rage that crossed over his eyes as he struggled to pull himself free of Siriusmon's attack.
Aldamon folded his wings in towards the rest of his body, and flames began to dance across his feathers before hurtling in Dynasmon's direction. With the Royal Knight distracted by Siriusmon's ring attack, he had no way of seeing Aldamon's next strike coming. The fire crackled and swirled relentlessly before moving towards Dynasmon, whistling thanks to its excessive speed.
Dynasmon was only able to turn to face the flames before they made contact, and he had nowhere near enough time to actually react. He raised the arm that had the ring around it to block the strike, and the attack from Siriusmon was shattered as soon as the flames made contact.
However, this did not keep Dynasmon from being forced to deal with the impact of the flames themselves, and they forced him backwards across the ground. Twin skid marks in the dirt followed the place where his feet dragged along the surface of the grass, and if one listened closely enough, they could hear him snarling in pain and anger. He swiped his blade through the air once again to dispel the flames as soon as he was able to get a proper grip on himself, and the fire died away a moment later.
"If you still want to cause issues for me, then so be it," Dynasmon said, and his tone screamed of pure exasperation. There was a determination in his eyes that Siriusmon could identify only as dangerous, and he had to admit that it was beyond unsettling to see. Dynasmon had been right when he said that the group wouldn't like him when he was angry, and even if he hadn't shown the full extend of his explosive rage, getting close was more than enough for Siriusmon to see that something was brewing beneath the surface.
Dynasmon didn't take long after he spoke those words to kick off the ground and move towards Aldamon. As soon as the two were at an even altitude, Dynasmon struck out with his leg. Aldamon flew backwards to keep from being hit, but Dynasmon followed it up with a bunch that did hit its target. Aldamon let out a small breath of shock, and his eyes shot open. He flew backwards once again to try and recover, and his surprised expression made it clear to Siriusmon that he wouldn't be able to attack until he had gotten over having the wind knocked from his lungs. As further proof, Aldamon let out a strained wheeze that made Siriusmon's heart drop in sympathy.
Seeing this as a perfect chance to catch Dynasmon by surprise, Siriusmon pulled himself backwards before charging forward with his staff stretched in front of his body. Dynasmon, who had been prepared to follow up on Aldamon's moment of clear weakness, turned around before grabbing hold of the edge of Siriusmon's staff. The Warrior of Cosmos let out a gasp of surprise before Dynasmon twisted the staff and hurled both the weapon and Siriusmon through the air.
Siriusmon yelled out in pure shock before he managed to force his wings to correct their course. He rotated his staff between his fingers until it was no longer cruelly twisted out of his control. He had to admit that Dynasmon's instincts were incredibly sharp, and even if he had taken the force of Dynasmon's attack, Siriusmon had to admit that it was better him than Aldamon. He suspected that he was in better condition than Aldamon after Dynasmon's previous attack; he could still hear Aldamon gasping for breath.
With both Aldamon and Siriusmon distracted, this left only Aerismon as an available attacker, and they raised their free hand, the one not holding the sword, into the sky. The energy in the nearby air seemed to consolidate until it had created a shield that hung from their forearm. Siriusmon had heard that their shield was able to deflect attacks seamlessly when it was used properly, and he was positive that it was just the sort of advantage that they would need to win the fight.
Dynasmon had turned his attention back to Aldamon with Siriusmon out of the picture, and he prepared a downward stab to fully remove Aldamon from the fight. Aerismon dove quickly towards the shrinking distance between Aldamon and Dynasmon before raising their shield. They arrived just in time to deflect Dynasmon's attack, but since he wasn't prepared for their intervention, he nearly lost grip of his sword. His defenses were left wide open as he fumbled with the blade to try and make up for lost time.
Aerismon smirked at the gap in Dynasmon's attention, and they kicked at his chest with far more force than Siriusmon would have ever expected from someone so small by comparison. He could hear the ugly slap of Aerismon's foot against Dynasmon's chest ring mercilessly in his ears, and the Royal Knight was immediately sent back to the ground. He held tight to the hilt of his sword to ensure that he didn't drop it again, but that still didn't save him from the rough impact of when he hit the ground.
Dynasmon slowly rose to his feet as soon as he managed to get his sword in the grass. He used it as a pole of stability to return to his full height, but Siriusmon could still see the uncertainty in his gaze. However, there was more to his expression than simply confusion, and a complex brew of emotion met the Warrior of Cosmos as soon as he looked closely enough.
The first thing of note that Siriusmon saw was anger. Dynasmon was beyond upset that the Warriors had made any progress at all in defeating him, and it wouldn't be much longer before he fully showed everything that he was capable of when he was upset. Next came shock, and Siriusmon was sure that it was because Dynasmon was positive that the Legendary Warriors didn't stand a chance against him prior to the start of the battle. After all, prior to that point, Dynasmon had been fully capable of wiping the floor with all of them, but then the tables turned.
Siriusmon's examination of Dynasmon was cut short when the Royal Knight fully pulled his sword free of the ground below. He pointed it forward, and Siriusmon was sure that this was his way of saying that he was about to start fighting once again. There wasn't a moment left for Siriusmon to be distracted, so he sunk into a combative stance and held up his staff in preparation for the inevitable strikes that were bound to come in the seconds that followed.
Bokomon gestured off to the side furiously as he continued to keep an eye on the skies in the distance. "Keep moving, everyone!" he declared. In front of him, Digimon continued to move as far from the Village of Beginnings as they could manage. Baby Digimon were practically clambering on top of each other in their desperation for escape, and Bokomon could hear a few of them whimpering in fear. They were too young to put up with this, and Bokomon couldn't help but wish that there was more that he could do to keep them safe.
Still, he supposed that evacuating the Village of Beginnings had to be worth something. After Takuya, Haroi, and Saki were finished fighting off the invading Royal Knight, the babies would be able to return to their home. They would have to be patient until then, though Bokomon had to admit that it was the last thing he wanted to do. His anxiety was only grating on his nerves more with each passing second, and he couldn't help but long to be at the scene of the action to see the fight as it was unfolding. It gave him something to focus on rather than the panicked cries of the baby Digimon who were fleeing for their lives from the Village of Beginnings.
Kokomon was perched carefully on Bokomon's shoulder, watching everything unfurl with wide, confused eyes. He was clearly hearing all of the panic taking place, but he seemed to be aware that he couldn't do anything to stop it. He moved a bit closer to Bokomon's cheek, almost as if he thought that clinging to the white Digimon would somehow ease all of his fears about what was taking place around him.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake once again, and Bokomon nearly stumbled under the force of the moon's trembling. Kokomon continued to hold tightly to his shoulder, but Bokomon could hear the young Digimon whimper in a mix of fear and shock. His heart was pulled with sudden sympathy.
Bokomon was positive that the shaking had something to do with the battle against the Royal Knight, and he prayed with everything he had that the rest of the group was faring decently against their foe. He would have no way of knowing until after they returned, but Bokomon still found himself anxious and on edge thinking about how things could have gone wrong in the blink of an eye.
A few chunks of stray debris could be seen flying through the air, and Bokomon let out a gasp. They appeared to be rocks from the surface of Flavo that had been broken off due to the battle. There was one piece in particular that was moving towards the place where the baby Digimon were fleeing from, and there were a few stragglers who were in its path of collision.
Kokomon suddenly shifted from fear to determination, and he jumped into the air before starting to glow. Fractal Code covered his body, and when it faded, a rabbit was left in his place. He had long brown ears to match the rest of his body, and three horns stuck out from the top of his head. There were three strikes of pale pink across his ears to match the pink splattered across his chest and hands. Bokomon immediately recognized Kokomon's new form as being called Lopmon, and he remembered that he had a Digimon by that name before the war began many months prior.
Lopmon sucked in a heavy breath before exhaling. When he opened his mouth once again, a pink orb of energy came flying out. It hit the rock head on, and the debris splintered into a thousand tiny pieces that rained down helplessly upon the baby Digimon. A few of them were still clearly surprised by the stones that were falling from above, but they were in far less danger with the small rocks as opposed to the large piece of debris that could have easily crushed them.
Lopmon landed in a small empty space behind Bokomon after the attack was released. He turned to look up at Bokomon, and the fang that stuck out from his mouth glimmered with prominence. Lopmon didn't say anything, instead choosing to regard Bokomon with shy solemnity.
Bokomon smiled regardless, and he turned before throwing his arms around to crush Lopmon in a suffocating hug. "Look at what you did! I'm so proud of you!" he declared, fatherly instincts kicking in immediately. Lopmon let out a strangled gasp of surprise before allowing the embrace to continue. Heat rushed to the rabbit Digimon's features as he tried desperately to hide how embarrassed he was made by receiving such praise from Bokomon.
As soon as Bokomon remembered that there was still business to attend to, he pulled away from Lopmon, but his smile remained long after he had released the other Digimon from his grasp. He once again returned to encouraging the baby Digimon to keep moving. Lopmon did the same, but his gaze kept on shooting up to the sky to make sure that no other pieces of flying debris came their way. He didn't seem to be able to relax as long as he thought of the possibility that something else could have hurt the baby Digimon.
Bokomon had to admit that he was nervous about it as well, but he was trying to keep his concerns hidden to prevent further panic among the baby Digimon. Swanmon wouldn't be able to calm down so many babies at once, so he would have to do his part as well. That didn't stop Bokomon's curiosity from running wild internally, and he couldn't help but wonder what was happening with the rest of the team. He hoped desperately that nothing else bad enough to splinter the moon below happened, but all he could do was have faith that the Legendary Warriors had it under control.
He had to trust them, and so, he did.
After Dynasmon had risen once again, he turned his attention towards the flying Warriors for a brief moment. He glared at them for a few seconds before he realized that there was something else he could aim for instead. He charged towards the ground once he had taken to the skies, and he slammed his blade into the surface of the moon with as much force as he could muster. For a moment, the ground began to shake, and Siriusmon was beyond glad that he and the rest of the Legendary Warriors were flying rather than standing.
At first, Siriusmon didn't understand why Dynasmon had made an attack towards the ground rather than the Legendary Warriors. After all, it wasn't as if the moon itself had the power to fight back since it lacked life. However, Siriusmon's answers were answered as quickly as they were formulated, and the Warrior of Cosmos let out a gasp as soon as he put the pieces together.
For a brief moment, the glow of Fractal Code spread across the surface of the moon. It was only a small patch that was impacted, but it was still more than enough to cause issues. A few rocks began to break away from the ground itself before being pulled into orbit around the moon. Aldamon ducked beneath a particularly large rock to keep from being knocked out of the sky by its raw force.
Siriusmon narrowed his eyes at Dynasmon as he spoke. "He's trying to take the Fractal Code out from under us!" he remarked. Dynasmon's grip on the battle was slipping no matter how he tried to look at it. There was a chance that he would be able to make a comeback, but it would be far easier for him to simply take the Fractal Code and go. The Legendary Warriors were bound to come back anyways, so it would be a far more effective use of his time to focus on taking the data before leaving the Warriors at a loss for their next move once again.
"If that's what he wants to try, then fine. He isn't going to get away with it though," Aerismon said airily before charging towards Dynasmon with their sword outstretched. Siriusmon could see that they weren't aiming for the Royal Knight himself, and Aerismon's blade instead targeted a weak spot along Dynasmon's sword.
As soon as the two weapons made contact, sparks flew in every direction. Dynasmon was knocked away from the blade by the sudden impact, and Aerismon tore the sword away from Dynasmon before taking it into their available hand. Much to Siriusmon's surprise, Aerismon was more than able to wield it without looking at all disoriented, and he figured that they were likely ambidextrous given their notable aptitude.
Dynasmon took a few seconds to collect himself once again before a snarl appeared on his face. He lunged towards Aerismon with intentions of taking his sword back, but Aerismon didn't give him the chance to even get close. Instead, they kicked backwards off the ground and took to the skies, finding a home in between Aldamon and Siriusmon. There was a silent taunt to their actions, inviting Dynasmon to come and take the blade if he was really so attached to it.
Sure enough, Dynasmon fell for the bait, and he streaked through the sky with his arms outstretched at the sword. Aerismon waited until he was close enough to strike at before slashing Dynasmon's own weapon in his direction. Dynasmon was left to fall back to the ground a moment later as his charted course was shattered by Aerismon's actions. His back slammed into the grass of the moon, and Flavo gave off another weak pulse of a glow. It was almost as if the moon itself was encouraging the Legendary Warriors to continue fighting back against Dynasmon.
Siriusmon could see that something had changed about the moon since the earlier attacks that Dynasmon had led. In fact, Flavo appeared to be somehow even weaker than before, and Siriusmon was positive that the revealing of the moon's Fractal Code had left a far stronger impact than any of them had expected. Siriusmon cringed at the idea before shaking his head and focusing in on the battle once again. They were going to find a way to make it up to Flavo and the rest of the Digital World. There were too many people counting on them to let Dynasmon get away.
Aerismon rushed towards Dynasmon with their rapier stretched out in front of their torso. The sword clipped Dynasmon's shoulder, and the Royal Knight stumbled backwards a few feet due to the strength of the attack. Before he had the chance to recover, Aerismon slashed Dynasmon's own weapon in his direction, and it hit their foe head on as expected.
Much to Siriusmon's surprise, there were no other attempts made by Dynasmon to hide just how enraged he was by the hubris of the Legendary Warriors. His anger and shock were no longer veiled, instead being on full display with a wild craze that would have terrified Siriusmon at one point in his life. Still, he had grown since arriving in the Digital World, and he wasn't going to allow Dynasmon to get to him after how far he had come.
Siriusmon watched as Aerismon continued to slash in Dynasmon's direction from his place in the sky. Aldamon soon swooped down to help Aerismon with fending off Dynasmon, releasing a few fiery punches or darts of pure heat when he got the chance. Dynasmon was being steadily pushed away from his target with each passing moment, and Siriusmon knew that if there was a perfect time for the group to defeat him, it would be right then as they battled Dynasmon when his sword was gone.
Siriusmon raised his staff into the sky and closed his eyes, allowing as much energy as he could muster to consolidate into a streak of a comet. He pointed it towards Dynasmon, but he didn't allow the attack to fly free yet. Instead, he waited for Aldamon to kick at Dynasmon with enough force to send him stumbling back once again. This time, neither Aldamon nor Aerismon followed up on the blatant weakness in Dynasmon's defenses, not wanting to get in the way of Siriusmon's attacks.
The Warrior of Cosmos silently thanked them before he allowed the silver comet to fly through the air towards Dynasmon. It didn't even take three seconds for the astral phenomenon to make contact with its target, slamming into Dynasmon's chest. The Royal Knight let out a shriek of pain as his armor began to splinter. Cracks spread like they were part of a spider's web, and there were barely any places on Dynasmon's body that didn't have some degree of damage.
Siriusmon's heart swelled with the promise of this being the end of the battle. He pulled his staff towards his body, and a small piece of silver energy appeared on the tip of the weapon, giving it the appearance of a spear. Siriusmon flew backwards a few feet before charging downwards, the spear outstretched. Aerismon and Aldamon both flew to the sky to keep from taking damage from the attack, giving Siriusmon the perfect path between them to hit Dynasmon one final time.
The spear did more damage than Siriusmon was expecting, if he was being honest. It pierced Dynasmon's armor completely, and writhing Fractal Code could be seen beneath the surface of the Royal Knight's skin. Dynasmon let out a shriek that echoed through the air, and it almost seemed to be loud enough to shatter even the mightiest of glass effortlessly. The sound rang in Siriusmon's ears even as Dynasmon's silhouette was filled out by shadows, leaving behind a ring of Fractal Code that wrapped loosely around his torso in a single ominous ring.
Siriusmon landed slowly and walked towards Dynasmon's body. "You have done far too much harm to the Digital World, and I cannot allow that to continue," he declared. He allowed his left hand to take hold of the spear he had been using during the fight before raising his hand.
Dynasmon's Fractal Code had an immediate reaction, and it began to spiral towards Siriusmon's palm. As the data fully disappeared into Siriusmon's body, Dynasmon's darkened silhouette began to fall away from the edges. A moment later, an orb of energy could be seen where he had once been, but much to Siriusmon's surprise, it didn't transform into an egg. He watched it for a long moment before taking a step closer, uncertain and afraid about what was taking place.
The sphere of thrashing white light suddenly spiraled into the sky, and Siriusmon followed its path with his eyes. It flew towards the Digital World's main planet, which was a simple outline of blue and green on the horizon, before vanishing into one of the darkened holes that littered the realm's surface. Siriusmon continued to stare for a long moment, unsure of what to do next. That had never happened before. There had been holes in the Digital World's surface for quite some time, but he had never seen an egg go towards the center of the planet instead of the Village of Beginnings. They were on Flavo, so it would have been natural for the egg to remain where they were, and yet, it had chosen instead to go elsewhere.
Aldamon and Aerismon both landed beside Siriusmon, and he waited for them to be in his peripheral vision before turning his attention in their directions. Siriusmon was too intently focused on the Digital World itself to look away. His attention was only drawn elsewhere when Aerismon began to examine Dynasmon's sword. The weapon began to dissipate into data as well, and it blew away like ash on the wind after just a few seconds of degeneration.
"Why do you think it disappeared like that?" Aldamon questioned. His eyes were on the faraway Digital World as well, and Siriusmon could tell there was tension in his shoulders without even needing to look over. Aldamon was rarely this serious, and Siriusmon was positive that Aldamon was beyond curious about what could have happened to Dynasmon.
"I don't know," Aerismon admitted after a brief pause. "If you ask me though, it has to have something to do with the recent events involving Lucemon. It's too much of a coincidence for Lucemon's impending revival to be declared followed by something as strange as that."
"Yeah," Siriusmon whispered. He didn't want to believe that Aerismon was right, but he was positive that they had a point given what they knew about the Digital World. He swallowed dryly and prayed that nothing bad came of this. They had already defeated one of the Royal Knights, and that certainly had to count for something. Perhaps their fellow teammates had even managed to make progress in defeating other members of the enemy faction as well. Siriusmon knew how capable they were, and he was sure that they would do everything in their power to defeat the Royal Knights should the opportunity arise.
"It looks like our work is done here for now," Aerismon remarked. Their shoulders relaxed, and Fractal Code surrounded them a moment later. When it faded, Saki was left in the place of the Hybrid Warrior of Steel, and they stretched their arms above their head before allowing themselves to decompress fully.
"Yeah," Aldamon agreed. It only took a moment for him to revert back to Takuya, and this was Siriusmon's cue to return to Haroi soon afterwards. Even after they were back in human form though, the trio continued to stare out at the horizon, wondering what was to come next. By some miracle, they had managed to defeat one of the five Royal Knights, and Lucemon's main fighting force had just grown considerably smaller. They had been right in believing that the Royal Knights would be easier to defeat when they were divided rather than together.
"We should get back to the Village of Beginnings," Saki suggested, snapping Haroi out of his daze. They were the first to take a step back from the spot where the group of three was watching the Digital World from, but Haroi was sure that they were still thinking about what had just taken place. Saki was simply too perceptive and observant to allow the subject to drop so easily.
Haroi was admittedly just as curious as they were. He didn't understand what made Dynasmon so different compared to the other foes that they had defeated. The Village of Beginnings was still intact, so there was no reason for Dynasmon's egg to not return there. They were still on Flavo, after all. It was incredibly strange to him, but Haroi was sure that they would wind up unraveling the mystery sooner or later.
"Why don't we ask Swanmon when we get back to the place where she took the baby Digimon?" Takuya suggested with an easy smile. His grin was more than enough to break up some of the tension that had formed in Haroi's mind, and the Warrior of Cosmos was silently thankful for Takuya's optimistic nature. It helped him far more than he would care to admit.
"She would know everything there is to know about eggs, after all," Saki agreed with a small nod. "We can see Bokomon while we're at it, and this would be the perfect time to give everyone the signal that it's alright to go back to the Village of Beginnings since Dynasmon is gone."
"You're right," Haroi agreed with a light nod. He took in a small breath before continuing to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. He was curious and confused about what had happened to Dynasmon, but he was going to have the chance to solve the mystery at some other point. For the moment, he deserved to embrace his victory over the first of the five Royal Knights. They had managed to defeat one of Lucemon's five most powerful generals, and that meant that the Digital World was one step closer to safety than it had been when they first arrived on Flavo.
Haroi looked to both Takuya and Saki while the group was traveling as a way of passing the time, and he smiled to himself. He couldn't have imagined having a better party of companions by his side during his travels in the Digital World. They all simply worked as a team in perfect ways that he didn't know how to describe. It was as if they were all smaller fragments of an image that formed something splendid when they were placed together. Their Digimon guides only added a new dimension of vibrance to the picture they painted. Haroi had always anticipated being alone with Mayumi in the friendship department, so he never imagined how incredible companionship could feel. After experiencing its full power, Haroi couldn't help but feel that he would be content to never return to his previous loneliness again.
The Village of Beginnings started to appear on the horizon, and Haroi snapped out of his trance to dash towards the small town. The baby Digimon were starting to stream into the area once again, and they were practically vibrating with nervous energy. Despite Bokomon and Swanmon's attempts to reassure them that everything would be alright, they still didn't want to believe it, too fired up from their moment of life-threatening peril to even think of calming down.
Bokomon was the first one to notice that the Legendary Warriors had returned, and he glanced up with a wide smile. "You've returned!" he cried out. He abandoned ushering the baby Digimon back into the Village of Beginnings before running up to the trio of humans. "You'll never believe it! Kokomon evolved during the battle!"
Bokomon gestured behind himself to where a brown rabbit Digimon was standing. He was working on calming down the baby Digimon, and he didn't even seem to notice that anyone was watching him. It took a long moment for Lopmon to look upwards, and he tilted his head to the side before waving shyly. He focused once again on helping the baby Digimon, and Haroi noticed that he was smiling to himself as he concentrated on the children around him. It was sweet to see, though he had to confess that it was more than a little jarring.
After all, at one point in time, Lopmon had been far from a friendly creature. As Cherubimon, he had done nothing but hurt others and spread chaos. However, since his deletion and subsequent regeneration, his personality had completely changed. Haroi couldn't help but wonder if perhaps this was how Cherubimon would have behaved if not for Lucemon's influence. It was tragic to imagine such a docile creature suddenly shifting into violent rages, and Haroi felt his chest swell with relief that he was at least able to save Cherubimon from the suffering that had been inflicted upon him from afar.
"I'm glad to see that you've returned," Swanmon said, walking slowly up to where the humans were standing. Her eyes were tired yet relieved, and it was clear that the sudden evacuation of the Village of Beginnings had taken its toll on her. Still, she was attempting to put up the image of being alright for the sake of the baby Digimon, unwilling to display her fear to keep from upsetting those around her.
"Dynasmon, one of the Royal Knights, is dead," Saki began casually. They sounded far too conversational to be saying something so heavy, though Haroi assumed that this was just par for the course given Saki's regular behavior. "He won't be bothering anyone here anymore."
"We saw the Fractal Code appear on the moon a few times," Bokomon remarked. He didn't say anything further, but his concerned eyes made it clear that he was silently asking for more of an explanation. He began to fiddle with the pink belt around his stomach out of nervousness.
"Yeah," Takuya started with a loose shrug. He shook his head. "Dynasmon tried to scan the Fractal Code of Flavo, but we managed to stop him before he could come close. He's not going to be causing problems ever again... But I do have to say that something really weird happened after we defeated him and he turned back into an egg."
Haroi swallowed nervously at Takuya's words, and he once again remembered the way that Dynasmon's energy had spiraled towards the collapsing Digital World. He didn't want to think that this would imply something awful was coming, but he was sure that the reason behind such an event was far from positive.
"Maybe I can tell you," Swanmon offered with a gentle smile. "I know everything there is to know about the eggs that form when Digimon regenerate, so I should be able to fill in the gaps if you need to figure anything out."
"When we defeated Dynasmon, his energy consolidated into an egg. We expected it to return to the Village of Beginnings here, but instead, it flew off towards the main part of the Digital World. It disappeared into the darkness between chunks of the Digital World as if it was going towards the center of the planet. Do you know why that would happen?" Haroi questioned. He found himself rocking back and forth between his toes and heels out of a sudden, overwhelming urge to do something more than simply stand still.
Swanmon paused to consider her words. "Well, under most circumstances, a Digimon will return here to the Village of Beginnings after they are defeated and return back to an egg. The only times where this will not happen involve the strong emotions of the Digimon themselves. If the Digimon has a powerful and passionate reason to not come back here to the Village of Beginnings, they can travel elsewhere or remain where they are," she explained. "I don't know what could be found at the center of the Digital World that would draw the Royal Knights there, but... It must be something important enough to take Dynasmon's attention away from coming here," she elaborated.
"I see... That's why the eggs of the Celestial Three stayed with us instead of flying away. They were drawn to stay with us because they wanted to stay at our sides to see what happened to the rest of the Digital World," Haroi murmured. "That makes a lot of sense, actually. Thank you for the explanation, Swanmon."
"You're welcome," Swanmon replied. Her expression began to falter, and she glanced down to the ground. "I don't travel to the main area of the Digital World much, but... There is some information that does reach me even all the way out here." She turned her head to look at where Lopmon was holding a Botamon close to his chest. "That Lopmon... He used to be Cherubimon, yes?"
For a long time, nobody said anything, but Bokomon was the first one to offer a response. "Yes," he said softly. "Our companions have been scattered after we were attacked by a member of the Royal Knights. That was how we wound up here on the moon, and it completely dispersed us... The other two are with the remaining members of our team. To answer your question, yes... That Lopmon was once Cherubimon, but his memories have been wiped away since then due to the influence of the Legendary Warriors."
Swanmon nodded to herself in a show of silent understanding. "I understand," she whispered. "I understand that you have to get back to the rest of the Digital World to search for your companions. I can offer you a way to get back to the Digital World. There's a portal found here on the moon that allows you to return, but I'm afraid that you won't easily be able to come back here after you travel through. There's only one portal to get back to the moons, but it will send you to Caeruleum instead of Flavo. You'll have to find your way here from the blue moon, I'm afraid. No Trailmon lines can run between the moons and the Digital World because of how dangerous it would be to travel through space in such a way, and it's too far for you to fly, so you have no choice but to use the portal to get back."
Haroi took in a deep breath before nodding to himself. "We understand. We have to make sure that the Digital World is saved so that nothing bad happens to you or the Digimon here," he told her confidently. "Thank you so much for helping us, Swanmon. We greatly appreciate it, and we're going to keep fighting for the sake of all of the Digimon that you're taking care of."
Swanmon smiled at his words. "Thank you for saving us from the Royal Knight," she replied. "We would love to accept you and the rest of the Legendary Warriors back here after your duties have been fulfilled. I'm sure that the babies would love to see you. They were rather enjoying themselves while playing with you before the Royal Knights attacked."
"We'll be sure to come back when we can," Bokomon assured Swanmon. "We loved spending time with the baby Digimon as well. We trust that you'll look after them until we can return. Do your best to stay safe." He stopped speaking there, but it was clear to Haroi that Bokomon was trying to bite back a wish that the Royal Knights didn't attack in the absence of the Legendary Warriors.
"Thank you for everything. I'll lead you to the portal for the time being. I'm already looking forward to the point where you can come back here, and I'm sure that the babies will as well. They're never going to forget what you did for them," Swanmon smiled. She gestured for the group to follow her as she began to walk away from the main part of the Village of Beginnings.
Bokomon walked over to Lopmon and tapped him on the shoulder. Lopmon nodded in response before setting down the Botamon that he had been caring for. There was a brief glaze of sadness that crossed over his eyes, but he managed to hide it before anyone could call him on it. Lopmon trailed after Bokomon by a few feet, his ears dragging along the ground. Lopmon gave a few brief glances back towards the baby Digimon before forcing himself to focus on putting one foot in front of the other as a way of silently ensuring he didn't run back to the young creatures.
Haroi looked down to Lopmon once again, and he couldn't help but smile at how quickly the young Digimon had turned over a new leaf. Without the influence of Cherubimon, Lopmon was completely different, and Haroi had to admit that he rather enjoyed spending time with the young rabbit Digimon. He hoped that he would be able to get to know Lopmon better in the time to come after the Royal Knights were defeated and Lucemon's revival was prevented.
Haroi's attention moved over to Takuya and Saki soon afterwards, and he saw that the two were standing far closer together than they had before. There was something odd about the way the Warriors of Fire and Steel were interacting, but Haroi didn't mind it in the slightest. In fact, he rather liked seeing Takuya and Saki together, and it was nice to know that Saki was finally beginning to open up to the rest of the group. Haroi felt another smile spread across his features at the sight of the friends that he cared for so much.
Swanmon stopped walking soon afterwards, and Haroi realized that the group had likely arrived at their destination. The glow of Flavo seemed stronger around a specific tree that seemed to have an odd glint around an edge of it. It appeared to be in the shape of a door, as a matter of fact, and Haroi assumed that they would be stepping inside of the tree to return to the main area of the Digital World.
Haroi examined the tree for another long moment, watching the way the yellow light around its branches pulsed slowly. He looked to the ground and saw the way that Flavo's surface had dulled since their arrival. Even if they had managed to prevent Dynasmon from stealing the Fractal Code, the moon had been greatly weakened by his actions. At the very least, the Royal Knights wouldn't be causing issues there for quite some time. They likely expected Dynasmon to be able to take care of it, and the thought that he could have fallen to the Legendary Warriors probably didn't even occur to them. Haroi wasn't even sure how they were going to find out, but he hoped that it would make the Royal Knights steer clear of Flavo and the baby Digimon living there.
Swanmon wrapped her feathers around the edge of the tree where the cracks showed themselves, and a small door appeared just as Haroi suspected. She gestured to the inside with a sad smile on her face. "As soon as I shut the door here, you'll be teleported back to the main area of the Digital World. There won't be a way for you to come back here for quite a while, I'm afraid... Still, I do hope that you'll decide to come back here once all of the dust has finally settled," she told them.
"Thank you again for everything," Haroi told Swanmon, nodding gently in her direction. "As soon as we get the chance, we'll be back here to help you with the baby Digimon once again. Until then, do what you can to stay safe, alright?"
Swanmon nodded, and she waved carefully to the Legendary Warriors and their guides as they stepped into the tree. It took a bit of careful maneuvering, but all five of the team's members were able to fit in alongside one another. Swanmon gave them one final smile before shutting the door to the tree, and the light of the wood intensified.
It only took a few seconds for Haroi's vision to be filled with yellow light, and he felt as if the world was spinning violently with him at the center. He attempted to close his eyes, but his body wouldn't listen to his commands, leaving him dazed and somewhat nauseous at the core of the teleportation device.
When the yellow illumination receded to the edges of Haroi's vision, he could see that he was standing atop vibrantly green grass. There was a gentle breeze blowing through the area, and he could smell saltwater. The grass gave way to sand and then a vast ocean about ten yards away. Off to the group's right, there was a vast chasm of darkness that led to the core of the Digital World, and there was no way of saying how far down it was to reach the center of the realm.
Haroi took in a deep breath before looking out over the ocean. They were back on the Digital World's surface, and this was their first step to reuniting with the rest of the Legendary Warriors. From there, they were going to do everything in their power to keep the Royal Knights from causing issues. The Digital World would not fall as long as they had a say in it.
And once everything was said and done, they would return to the Village of Beginnings to see Swanmon and the baby Digimon once again. The Digital World would see peace, and it would truly be a place that the young Digimon would be happy to grow up in. Haroi was going to do everything in his power to make that dream a reality, and the remaining Royal Knights were going to wish that they had never gotten in the way of that goal when he and the rest of the Legendary Warriors were done with them.
The first Royal Knight bites the dust! Awesome!
Because this chapter is primarily combat, there really isn't that much to say about it as a whole. I really enjoyed working on this fight though, and it shows that the Royal Knights are actually capable of being defeated. It wasn't an easy fight, but hey, at least Dynasmon is out of the equation.
For a little fun fact, here's a rundown of all the Royal Knights from strongest to weakest. Alphamon is at the top followed by Jesmon, Crusadermon, Dynasmon, and then Leopardmon at the bottom. The only really large gap in power is Alphamon above the rest of the group, but aside from that, they're all pretty consistent. Crusadermon is the closest thing they have to a leader, but for the most part, the Royal Knights value one another equally in terms of input.
Lopmon's personality has been a lot of fun to explore. We never get to see what Cherubimon was like before Lucemon's corruption entered the equation, so I decided to characterize him as being a shy and somewhat passive Digimon who disliked conflict. He's prone to paranoia though, which is why Lucemon was able to take advantage of his fears and manipulate him into starting a war. Ophanimon is the most self-assured of the Celestial Three, and she's the leader of sorts among the Celestial Three. Seraphimon is a tactician and rather personable, shown by how close he was with Bokomon prior to his death. Cherubimon is emotional, Seraphimon is tactical, and Ophanimon is charismatic, offering a nice contrast between the three.
I honestly think that's all there is to this chapter. Like I said, since it was a battle, there wasn't much of note for me to comment on. Next week, we'll move to the next group and see what else has happened elsewhere in the Digital World. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed. Feedback is always appreciated. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital