Back with their battle, the DATS members found themselves forced to fight their own battles as the Royal Knights were too preoccupied with their counterparts in order to offer their assistance, not that it mattered to Marcus and his friends, keeping their own battles going as they fought back.
In the skies above, Ravemon: BM and Ravemon: RM continued to clash blades and claws, with the cyborg Digimon feeling anger and frustration at his dark counterpart, finding nothing but a rage filled being in place of himself, and knew for his Keenan's sake that this double needed to go down.
"You may look like me, but in the end, we are not the same. You have allowed the darkness to consume you, and abandon Keenan for it. You go down, now!" Ravemon: BM declared as his wings glowed with a purple aura, an action his opponent mirrored as a dark aura formed on his wings.
"Lightning Thrust!" Ravemon: BM declared with a great might, while his counterpart let out a rage filled cry in retaliation, both Digimon disappearing in the blink of an eyes, before reappearing in the exact spots their counterpart once hovered, both having their right arms extended.
Not even a second later, Ravemon: RM's body split in two, giving a pained cry as his body dissolved into Data, while Ravemon: BM let out a pained groan from the slash across his shoulder, having barely dodged his double's attack while delivering his own.
Down below, and unaware of his partner's defeat, Dark Keenan continued in his own assault, trying to slash his counterpart to pieces, to which Keenan dodged the attacks as best as he could, before finding an opening as he grabbed his counterpart by the wrists and threw his around and threw him over his shoulder, only to look in shock as he saw a huge crater cracked open just before the pair, thanks to a misfire from one of the Royal Knight's more powerful and intense attacks.
Quickly moving, Keenan saw his double hanging from a rock not too far from the ledge, barely hanging on, where Keenan moved down, offering his hand to help as he called out, expressing a clear concern. "Take my hand!"
But as his counterpart looked up at him, his eyes filled with nothing but hate, Keenan knew his double's answer, that he would rather die than be helped by him, where Keenan watched with widened eyes as his corrupt counterpart let go, plummeting into the black abyss and to his death.
Similar to the duo of Ravemon, MirageGaogamon: BM and MirageGaogamon: RM continued in their assault, the wolf-like Digimon following their partners' commands as they evenly matched one another, each throwing punches, kicks and extreme attacks, all of which were countered one way or another.
Avoiding MirageGaogamon: RM as he swung the bladed end of his weapon toward MirageGaogamon: BM, Thomas remained in place, trying to keep a calm composure as he analyzed the fight, trying to find an opening that his partner could exploit.
"Dark Hook Slasher!" MirageGaogamon: RM announced, continuing to sweep his blade closer toward MirageGaogamon: BM, who brought up his blade in defence, leaving the pair of Digimon staring the other down as they found themselves locked in a stalemate.
"It appears our power is evenly matched." MirageGaogamon: RM remarked, continuing to simultaneously push his blade ahead and repel the blade of his opponent. "But even if we should fall, your friend's failures will allow me the upperhand in our conflict."
Groaning to the words and to the strain of his corrupt counterpart, MirageGaogamon: BM found some conflict inside of him, uncertain how to best an opponent which matched his fighting skills, abilities and his strength.
"MirageGaogamon, think like ShineGreymon!" Thomas suddenly called, finally realizing his methods of attack were ineffective when conflicting an estinal copy of himself.
Taking in Thomas' words, MirageGaogamon: BM took a brief moment to clear his head, forgoing all his battle strategies and calculations, before acting, catching the Dark Digimon off guard as he all but slammed his head into MirageGaogamon: RM's.
With the sudden attack, this not only damaged MirageGaogamon: RM, causing him to let go of his weapon and stumble back a few feet as Dark Thomas tried to keep himself from falling off his partner's shoulder, before his eyes widened to see the wolf head on MirageGaogamon: BM's chest open up, pouring with an intense stream of golden light.
"Full Moon Blaster!" MirageGaogamon: BM called with might, firing the energy from out his chestplate, the attack MirageGaogamon: RM was unable to avoid or counter, which left him and Dark Thomas crying out as the light continued to consume the duo.
Dark Thomas gave one last glare at his double, still feeling resentment at the hand fate had handed him, before dissolving with his partner, both fading away into nothingness.
Nearby, Rosemon: BM and Rosemon: RM continued fighting in the sky, while Yoshi continued to dodge her knife wielding double, frustrated that her counterpart seemed to be just as trained as she was.
"Just hold still and die already!" Dark Yoshi said with an insane laugh, which was starting to get to the auburn haired DATS officer.
"That's it!" Yoshi finally yelled as she grabbed her double's wrist, gripping it tightly and causing her to drop the knife, before delivering a swift kick to Dark Yoshi's chest, sending her flying backwards and crashing into the ground behind her.
Above the conflict between Yoshi and her dark counterpart, Rosemon: BM easily dodged an attack from her dark counterpart, flying around and grabbing her counterpart from behind, causing the corrupt Digimon to thrash within her double's embrace.
"This ends now, Charité!" Rosemon: BM announced as her cape began to glow with a great light pink, the energy expanding from her like a bubble, causing Rosemon: RM to scream loudly as the energy absorbed her and destroyed her Data, leaving nothing behind but Rosemon: BM, who sighed in relief as she let her aura drop.
While their friends finished up their battles, Marcus and ShineGreymon: BM continued their battle, the two trading punches with their dark doubles, each trying to outdo the other.
Pushing his dark double back with a great punch, ShineGreymon: BM drew out his flaming sword and shield, seeing his double do the same, where the pair clashed their weapons with one another, trying to take one another down.
Meanwhile, Dark Marcus grinned as he thought he had the upper hand, delivering a hard punch to his counterpart's face, where he began to say with a growing smirk. "It's pathetic a loser like you really thought he could..."
However, before he could continue, Marcus quickly moved, throwing his fist up and slamming it into his double's face, sending him crashing back into the ground, where Marcus got back up and glared down at his double with disdain.
"I wouldn't call me a loser if I were you, you'd just be making fun of yourself." Marcus spat back at his dazed counterpart, before looking back as he watched his partner fight.
Continuing to battle, fighting against the darkness and for everything he and his friends had worked so hard for, ShineGreymon: BM commented with a growl. "You fight for nothing, you just fight to fight. You have no mind. I remember being like you, and what it cost me... It's time to end this...!"
Pushing his opponent back, ShineGreymon: BM used his opponent's startled moment to strike, gathering all his energy into him as his wings ignited.
"Glorious Burst!" Rosemon: BM exclaimed with a great might as he fired a huge blast of energy at his double, causing ShineGreymon: RM to cry out in pain as he dissolved into Data, leaving nothing behind in his wake.
Getting up and seeing his partner defeated, Dark Marcus quickly bolted, Dark Yoshi quickly following him, along with the remaining corrupt Royal Knights, where Carniamon was about to go after them, only for Thomas to get in front of him.
"Forget them for now, we need to help the others." The blond DATS member said, the command causing the Royal Knights to nod reluctantly, while Yoshi made sure Keenan was alright, before the group quickly went off to help their friends.
-Meanwhile-
As the DATS team finished their battle, Vikemon and Dark Vikemon continued to battle one another, while Joe found himself trying to dodge the swings of his dark and clearly insane counterpart.
"Just hold still, this won't hurt me at all!" Dark Joe said with glee as he swung the scalpel at his double, where Joe let out a small cry as he did his best to avoid Dark Joe's attack, but found himself stumbling to the ground.
Moving backwards as to keep himself from Dark Joe stabbing into him, Joe stopped as he felt his hand running along a thick object, realizing it was a rock.
Acting on instinct, the Digidestined of Reliability grabbed the rock and swung it at his double, striking Dark Joe in the side of the face and sending him crashing to the ground, his glasses broken and a dazed look on his face.
"Nice one, Joe!" Vikemon called with praise, pushing his double back and bringing his fists together, before bringing them down hard on Dark Vikemon's head, causing the dark Digimon to crash into the ground below with a loud thud.
Nearby, HerculesKabuterimon and TyrantKabuterimon continued to battle, with the Digimon of Knowledge getting annoyed with his double's insect swarm shield as he dodged the energy blasts.
"This is getting annoying, so just stay still and die already." Dark Izzy said from within TyrantKabuterimon, noticing his counterpart whispering into his partner's ear from HerculesKabuterimon's shoulder, but ignored it, seeing that there was nothing his double could do to stop him.
"High Mega Blaster!" HerculesKabuterimon called back as he rushed at his foe, firing another round of electric spheres at TyrantKabuterimon, the action causing Dark Izzy to sigh as he brought the insect swarm ahead of himself, using the great mass of insects to block the attack, causing a massive explosion.
"I had hoped you were intelligent enough to see..." Dark Izzy began to comment, before his eyes widened to see HerculesKabuterimon coming through the smoke, his body glowing with the light of the Ascended, as he got into point blank range.
"Your swarm stayed a few feet in front of you, up close, you are defenseless." Izzy commented as HerculesKabuterimon gathered all his electric energy into his hands.
"Mega Electro Shocker!" The Digimon of Knowledge let out, firing the energy blast right at TyrantKabuterimon's humanoid face, causing the corrupt Digimon to cry out in pain, while Dark Izzy's last thoughts were of shock, before the dark pair exploded, the debris of TyrantKabuterimon dissolving into Data before they could hit the ground.
Ignoring her allies, GrandLotosmon continued to glare at the newly formed Rafflesimon, enraged by her beauty and elegance.
"You might've gotten a new look, but you're still made of the same weak Mimi and Palmon I know you are!" GrandLotosmon bellowed, a dark aura forming around her as she brought her staves together, ready to unleash a more powerful attack to finish off her counterpart once and for all.
"Dark Seven's Fantasia!" GrandLotosmon cried out, firing the blast of dark energy at Rafflesimon, smirking viciously as she believed she was about to crush them.
However, GrandLotosmon lost her smirk as she saw Rafflesimon bring her arms up, showing that underneath the sleeves were a set of flower-like cannons, weapons similar to Lillymon's, where the Digimon of Sincerity called out in a calm voice. "Ballet Gun!"
Instantly, a large and powerful blast of green energy was released from Rafflesimon, colliding with GrandLotosmon's attack and dissolving the darkness, before continuing on, the Dark Digimon looking in shock and fear, before being consumed by the energy, screaming in pain and rage as she dissolved into Data.
Seeing their allies gone, Dark Vikemon quickly scooped up his partner and ran into the forests, leaving the three Digimon to relax, where Rafflesimon did her best to hide her blush as she noticed Izzy and HerculesKabuterimon staring at her in awe.
"That was nice, but I think there is still fighting going on!" Vikemon let out, snapping the Digimon of Sincerity and the Duo of Knowledge out of their thoughts, the group quickly leaving to help the others as best as they could.
-Meanwhile-
Back above the ocean, what remained of the Dark Fortress continued to crumble as the Ascended battled their corrupt counterparts, the intensity of their attacks even forcing the Dark King and Witch Queen's servants nearby to flee, less they were annihilated by a misfire.
"Savage Sword Slasher!"
"Ascended's Blades!"
Keeping their blades at the ready, AscendedVeedramon and TyrantVeedramon continued to clash with one another, both putting their emotion in with each attack, leaving the Dark King mentally growling at how strong his double was.
'Are the fragments within him really this strong...? Is this how it will...?' The Dark King thought as he clashed his weapon with AscendedVeedramon's, only for a familiar voice to then cut in.
"Ascension Blast!" AscendedOphanimon declared, where a blast of light energy slammed into TyrantVeedramon's side, sending him flying backwards in pain, while AscendedVeedramon looked at his love with a smile, before seeing Dark Tiamatmon heading towards her, the draconic Digimon ablaze with dark fire.
"Path of Destiny!" Davis and Veemon called out through their Biomerged form, sending a blast of light energy toward Dark Tiamatmon, striking her in her head and sending her crashing down into what was left of the Dark Fortress from the intensity and power of their attack.
Fallen, TyrantVeedramon landed next to Dark Tiamatmon, looking at her with seriousness and a small concern.
"It is time, isn't it?" Dark Tiamatmon asked in a low voice, so that only TyrantVeedramon could hear her, seeing the Dark King merely nod in reply.
"Yes. It is either them, or us. Are you ready?" TyrantVeedramon asked in reply as he offered his hand out, watching with a smirk as Dark Tiamatmon moved up and took a proud stance beside her beloved, where both saw their counterparts moving closer together, ready to end this battle and save their friends.
"Yes, let's end this!" Dark Tiamatmon then replied with a vicious growl as she got to her hind legs, where dark flame gathered within her claws and mouth as she poured all her energy for her next attack.
Mentally smirking, TyrantVeedramon turned and faced his counterpart above as a dark aura formed around him, the corrupt Digimon preparing to unleash another powerful attack, one that, with Dark Tiamatmon's, would finish their doubles once and for all.
"We have to stop them." AscendedVeedramon said as he looked at AscendedOphanimon, who, though reluctant to the thought of killing their broken counterparts instead of saving them, nodded in reply.
Bringing her crystal blades close by as they circled in front of her, gathering light energy, Kari and Gatomon poured their power together into one final blast.
Moving behind AscendedOphanimon, AscendedVeedramon held his own blades out, which floated out of his hands and joined AscendedOphanimon's as light energy coursed through them, both Ascended feeling their energies mingle through their bond as they prepared to end this fight, once and for all.
"Oblivion Ray!"
"Dreaded Flare!"
Together, TyrantVeedramon and Dark Tiamatmon unleashed their powers, forming a dark flaming beam of energy that shot towards the Ascended, who retaliated with their own might.
"Final Light!" AscendedVeedramon and AscendedOphanimon called out together, unleashing a powerful blast of light that collided with and began clashing with their dark counterparts' attack, causing the sea below to rumble and the remains of the Dark Fortress to crumble as the two opposing energies clashed.
TyrantVeedramon and Dark Tiamatmon continued to pour what energy they could into their attack, thinking of all that had happened to them, all that made them what they were now, of all the evil they had done, all to finally reach their goal.
AscendedVeedramon and AscendedOphanimon, meanwhile, thought of their friends, their loved ones, each other, their home, and all they desired to protect, to make sure that there would be a future for all.
Their love, determination, and belief in each other eventually won out as AscendedVeedramon and AscendedOphanimon cried out in might, their attack pushing through their dark doubles' as it shot down towards the duo.
So focused on ending the fight, neither Ascended noticed the dark smiles on TyrantVeedramon and Dark Tiamatmon's faces as they were consumed in the blast, ending both of them, along with their reign of terror.
Feeling the Dark King and Witch Queen's defeat, all of the dark forces began to turn and run, a sight that filled the heroes and heroines with relief and happiness, including those in the Command Room as Miki and Megumi hugged each other happily, while Sampson and Yamaki both smiled.
Not even an hour later, Davis, Kari and their partners were reunited with the others, where they all stood on Imperialdramon's back, looking down into the sea where the Dark Fortress' remains continued to sink to the ocean floor.
Each person had different feeling about how this had all ended, with Thomas, Mikey and a few others wanting to go look for the remaining dark doubles and dark forces, while Azumi just sighed and took Henry's hand with her own, causing him to blush lightly, an action that was mirrored by Sora, leaving Tai blushing, but smiling nonetheless.
Davis and Kari, meanwhile, stood quietly, with Davis having his arm around Kari, holding her comfortably as they looked out at the sea, glad that this was all over and that peace could return to their lives.
Shadowknight, however, was in a state of shock and some disbelief that the Dark King was finally gone, the whole experience, after waiting so long for this day, seeming surreal.
The only person who didn't have a smile or some relief on their face was Izael, who kept his eyes narrowed, now certain that this was far from over.
.
.
.
Within the Dark Realm, the dark ritual picked up in intensity, the Shadow Demons chanting loudly as the circle pulsated with dark energy.
The time had come.
Back in the DATS Command Room, Jeremy was walking with Angie and Jeri about throwing a party, before the alarms began blaring once again, confusing everyone as Miki, Megumi and their PawnChessmon returned to their terminals.
"There is a massive power surge... right where the others are!" Miki yelled as the monitor showed a massive energy spike, larger than any they had ever seen before, emitting from the waters.
Back on Imperialdramon, even those without supernatural senses felt the growing dark energies spreading within the atmosphere, Davis and Kari feeling dizzy from the sudden and unexpected uproar of darkness, while below the waters began to boil.
"Something with a massive energy signature is emerging from the water, get out of there!" Sampson yelled through the comms, concerning the others as Tai yelled down below him. "Imperialdramon!"
"Right!" The dragon Digimon yelled back in reply as he turned and took off, just as a massive amount of water shot into the air right where he was floating, casting a great and powerful geyser.
The heroes and heroines turned to see what was happening, just as the waters fell, where a loud, ear piercing shriek was heard, while the group looked in horror at what they were seeing, especially Davis and Kari.
The creature was massive, larger then for various forms of Quartzmon they had faced before, with a skeletal torso that had four, long claw-like arms, while a storm of darkness seeped out of its being and flowed down, forming a lower body.
Out of its back, four gargantuan wings emerged, with the tips touching both the clouds and the sea below, allowing the creature to hover above all.
But its most terrifying aspect was its face, a face the Digital Heroes and Heroines knew all too well, one that haunted their nightmares since this began, especially Davis and Kari's.
Ahriman.
The reborn Dark One continued to let out his shirek, causing most of the heroes and heroines to cover their ears, while Davis and Kari were shaking, feeling the darkness within them grow.
At the next moment, Davis' eyes dilated, glazing over slightly as he began to stumble forward, catching Tai's attention as he called out. "Davis?!"
"He's... calling me..." Davis mumbled in reply as he continued to walk forward, a dark aura forming around his being as he did so, showing the growing hold the Dark One was gaining over him.
"Stop him!" Izael yelled, causing Tai, Matt and Takuya to spring into action, grabbing hold of Davis as he began thrashing in their hold, screaming loudly. "Let me go... Let me Go!"
As Tai kept his grip on Davis, shocked by the change in his young friend, and loud and familiar cry caught his attention, causing him to look and see Sora, Eri and Rika holding Kari back, his sister having the same aura and look on her face as Davis, frightening him to no end.
"Yes... come to me... become a part of me once more... We are the truth... we are the real... we are ETERNAL!" Ahriman screamed in mad delight, slowly floating after the retreating form of Imperialdramon, ready to reclaim his fragments and finish what he started long ago.
The Dark King and Witch Queen had fallen, but the fate of the Digital World, and all worlds, still hung in the balance.