Calanthemon watched Crusadermon from a distance with a critical gaze, waiting for the inevitable first strike in her direction. Crusadermon's blatant violent tendencies towards the other occupants of the Moon Base were already unsettling her, and Calanthemon found herself almost desperate to attract the attention of the enemy before anyone could get hurt. Calanthemon wasn't sure as to if anyone had been harmed before she and the other Legendary Warriors made their first appearance, but she was still firm in her decision to prevent any further potential harm.
Beowolfmon and Thundramon seemed to agree. Beowolfmon titled his sword so that he was looking between the twin blades that stuck out from the hilt. Blue light slowly began to travel up the surface of the weapon, and the shape of a wolf appeared along the two swords. Beowolfmon thrust the blade into the sky before pointing it at Crusadermon, and the outline of of the wolf darted towards the Royal Knight a moment later.
Crusadermon dodged the attack from the wolf, ducking below the strike. She let out a laugh that could only be described as arrogant, and Calanthemon found that she absolutely hated the sound of such unrestrained pride. Luckily for her, Crusadermon wasn't left to enjoy herself for much longer, as the beastly specter from Beowolfmon's sword was turning back, and it slammed into her back full force.
The Royal Knight fell forward, and when she tilted her head back to the Legendary Warriors, she was snarling. "You've made a mistake by trying to attack me," Crusadermon said firmly, her voice filled with an unspoken threat. She rushed towards Beowolfmon before he had the chance to process what was happening, and all it took was a single punch to send Beowolfmon scrambling backwards through the air.
The Warrior of Light landed in a crouch, and he used his sword to help himself rise to his full height once again. He didn't say anything, but his anger towards Crusadermon was clear even in the silence. Beowolfmon looked ready to launch into the sky and attack her, but he was ultimately cut off when another person got the same idea.
Thundramon leapt into action as soon as he saw the look in Beowolfmon's eyes. His fist was charged with electricity, and he punched at Crusadermon's chest. The Royal Knight dodged the initial attack, but Thundramon unleashed a kick in a wide arc as soon as Crusadermon showed signs of weakness. This time, he was able to make contact with the Royal Knight, and Crusadermon was knocked a bit closer to the ground.
Calanthemon bowed her head as soon as Crusadermon started to grow nearer to the moon itself. Plants of transparent green began to rise from the ground, and they wrapped around the Royal Knight firmly. Crusadermon hadn't been expecting Calanthemon to attack in such a way, and she let out a yelp of shock as she attempted to break free. Calanthemon took this chance to intensify the vines that wound around the Royal Knight's body, threatening to drag Crusadermon down with no chance of escape.
Unfortunately, the Royal Knight managed to get a grip on her bearings after a few moments of struggle, and she slashed one arm outwards to knock herself free. The vines were left to fall away and dissipate before vanishing into the blue glow of Caeruleum. Crusadermon moved towards the sky as soon as she had the chance, but she wasn't able to get away in time. Beowolfmon charged towards her and stabbed at Crusadermon's abdomen, managing to clip her armor before she could fully take to the air once more. Crusadermon didn't openly nurse her injury, but Calanthemon could see the way that her balance started to deteriorate for a brief flicker of a moment due to Beowolfmon's actions.
Crusadermon corrected her issues with stabilization only a moment after the damage was done in the first place, and she moved up into the sky once more. Everything about her radiated pure strength, and Calanthemon couldn't help but watch the Royal Knight warily to make sure that she wasn't in imminent danger. She knew that none of them were safe as long as Crusadermon continued to fight, but she at least wanted to keep from being hurt too much until she could gain a true grasp over the fight once again.
"You shouldn't be standing up against Lord Lucemon, you know," Crusadermon declared with a shake of her head and a loose shrug. "He's the only one who can save this world from the hellish state that it has fallen into. The Digital World declared him as its undisputed ruler only to go back on its word. The Digimon who sided with the Legendary Warriors so many years ago are all cowards and fools for believing that any other would be able to rule over the world better than Lord Lucemon. Look at how it turned out when the Legendary Warriors left those three pathetic angels in charge. All three of them are dead, and the Digital World is in tatters. It's only natural for history to repeat itself now. Allow Lucemon to rise from the ashes and take over the world as he was always meant to do."
"It's Lucemon's fault that we're in this situation in the first place!" Thundramon shot back. "You can't act as if this was all inevitable or some natural series of events that fate simply threw our way! Lucemon actively went out of his way to cause problems for everyone ages ago, and you simply sat back and let it happen! He took control of Cherubimon and used him to kill Seraphimon, and by extension, Ophanimon! This is all his fault!"
"Lord Lucemon did what he had to in order to regain control over the people who betrayed him in the first place," Crusadermon told him. Calanthemon could hear the frown in her voice, and she could tell that Crusadermon was far from being happy even though the Royal Knight elected to cover her face with her helmet. "He should have been in charge all this time. He killed ten of the Legendary Warriors, but that still wasn't enough to keep them down. It's time for him to get his revenge against those who gave so much time and energy to defeating him in the first place. He deserves to show what he's made of after the way that the Digital World treated him!"
"The Digital World is in tatters, and it's all his fault. You can't truly believe that anyone will want to have him back as the 'undisputed ruler of the Digital World' after all that he's been responsible for. They might not be aware of what he did yet, but it wouldn't be hard to spread the word and tell everyone that Lucemon is still causing the downfall of this realm," Beowolfmon told Crusadermon. "Though I suppose that Lucemon isn't looking for a world to rule over at this point. All he wants is control, and he's willing to stomp on anyone who gets in his way if he can find that sense of dominion."
"There's more than just the Digital World that Lord Lucemon wants, you know," Crusadermon commented, and her voice suddenly filled with a pride that made Calanthemon uncomfortable in a way she wasn't sure how to articulate. "There are more worlds out there to rule than simply the Digital World. After his seal is broken and he is unleashed on the land of the living once again, he can travel to other realms and show what he's truly capable of. The Digital World doesn't matter anymore. That isn't the only place that he can rule over, and he will find another place to assert his power if the Digital World chooses to deny him once again."
Calanthemon felt as if she had been slapped when she heard Crusadermon's words. The pieces were starting to slide into place, and she felt ridiculous for not having put it together sooner. The Celestial Three had opened the gate to Earth to try and lure the Legendary Warriors into the Digital World. They had been needed to save the Digital World, or in Cherubimon's case, to help destroy it. The Celestial Three were the only ones with the known ability to open the gateway, and they were long gone. There wasn't a way for the gate to be closed again as far as Calanthemon was aware, and that left a clear pathway to Earth for Lucemon to travel through as soon as he had the chance to slip past the defenses of the Digital World.
Crusadermon let out a low, ominous chuckle as soon as she caught sight of Calanthemon's shocked expression. "It seems that you've figured out what he wants to do," Crusadermon told Calanthemon. "It doesn't matter in the slightest that you know what his plan is though. After all, you're going to be little more than empty husks by the time that Lord Lucemon begins his invasion of Earth. Even though you won't be dead, you won't have the power to stop us from carrying out our objectives. This should have happened many years ago, but even if your previous incarnations held off the full extent of Lucemon's plans coming to fruition, you couldn't completely stop his ambitions. Fate kept moving regardless of your attempts to keep the Digital World under the influence of the Legendary Warriors' legacy."
"If you're going to try and revive Lucemon, then we'll simply have to stop you," Thundramon said nonchalantly. "You're harming the innocent Digimon who inhabit this world, and that isn't something that we're going to tolerate. You came here and crossed paths with us, and that was your mistake. If you want to fight, then you're going to get a battle. It's your choice."
Crusadermon didn't say anything after Thundramon spoke. Instead, she charged her fist backwards and dove towards him, slamming the attack into the Warrior of Thunder's chest. Thundramon reeled with the impact for a moment before he hit the ground. He kicked off the ground and flew into the air once again, but it was clear that he was struggling to remain afloat after the raw power that Crusadermon had displayed. Her loyalty to Lucemon was unparalleled, and she wasn't going to be backing away until her goals had been achieved.
Calanthemon had an awful feeling about the power that Crusadermon was hiding. Crusadermon was incredibly fast, and her speed easily outmatched what Thundramon was capable of unleashing. Beowolfmon was quick enough to keep up with her, but he was also locked to the ground and wouldn't be able to attack Crusadermon up close. The Royal Knight was too fast for Beowolfmon to hit her from a distance, and she was simply too free with her movements as long as she was allowed to remain in the air.
Calanthemon figured that the best way to ground Crusadermon would be to use her vine attacks, but she didn't have the same levels of strength that Beowolfmon and Thundramon did. They were at the Hybrid level, but she was still locked to her Beast Spirit form. If she wanted to stand a chance of grounding Crusadermon, and winning the fight from there, she was going to have to reach the Hybrid level. The time had come for her to attempt to embrace that power, and Calanthemon wasn't about to start holding back.
Watching the opposing dots grow closer was almost entrancing to Chihiro. They had been walking through the Digital World alongside Izumi, Tomoki, and Neemon for quite a while with hopes of reuniting with Takuya, Saki, and Haroi. Since the two groups were moving in the direction of one another, it was becoming incredibly noticeable that they were making progress. Chihiro didn't know where they were going to be meeting up or how soon it would be, but they were praying that the outcome was favorable. Chihiro felt as if they practically couldn't stop moving with anticipation to see the rest of the group again.
Speaking of the rest of the group though, Chihiro was starting to get concerned where the other six members of the team were concerned. It had been about two hours since their initial encounter with Jesmon, and there still weren't any signs of the remaining half of the Legendary Warriors. Only six colorful signals appeared on Chihiro's radar, and they couldn't help but wonder what everyone else was getting up to. What could have caused them to be out of range? Had Alphamon's attack really done that much damage? Then again, Chihiro supposed that it was hard to gauge the strength of Alphamon's powerful blows when they had been unconscious all throughout the aftermath of the team dividing.
The sun was slowly sinking over the horizon, leaving a glare in Chihiro's peripheral vision that they were trying their best to ignore. No matter how many times they adjusted the brim of their hat, they were never able to fully block out the overpowering illumination. Chihiro tilted their head slightly to the side to try and keep the light from bothering them more than it already was. Their attempts failed, but it was still better even if only marginally.
Chihiro locked their gaze onto their D-Tector's radar once again, partially because they wanted to track the group's progress and partially because looking at the D-Tector made it easier to ignore the sun's penetrating glare. They were getting closer than ever before to the other three signals, and when they glanced up, Chihiro could have sworn that they saw a trio of figures against the skyline. They shook their head to dismiss their hopeful thoughts, but even after they blinked furiously, the visions returned.
Izumi was the first one to notice, and she took off running in the direction of Takuya, Saki, and Haroi. Tomoki trailed after her, and Chihiro followed suit. Neemon waddled awkwardly behind them, though he didn't seem to be in much of a hurry by comparison. Chihiro felt their heart begin to pound in their chest from excitement. This was the first step to the Legendary Warriors reuniting in full after the Alphamon encounter, and Chihiro was beyond relieved to know that half of the team would be together once again.
Takuya, Saki, and Haroi appeared in full light soon afterwards. Bokomon was behind them, walking alongside a brown rabbit Digimon that Chihiro didn't realize. It was easy to put the pieces together though that this was likely Cherubimon's reincarnation given that the rabbit had the same lengthy ears that the Beast Celestial had been known for. A grin of relief appeared on their face. The team had grown by one more member, and Chihiro was glad to see it. They simply hoped that the other half of the Legendary Warriors' group would be able to meet with them soon enough. Chihiro prayed silently that none of them had come across too much trouble while they were divided, though some part of them already knew that the outcome was far from being that cut and dry.
It was far easier than Calanthemon had expected to call upon the power within.
Her determination to stop Crusadermon was far stronger than she had initially realized. Thundramon and Beowolfmon were both moving against the Royal Knight as Calanthemon prepared herself, offering the perfect chance for the Warrior of Wood to ascend to the Hybrid level for the first time. Fractal Code appeared around her body after she began to dedicate her full attention to the battle at hand, and she allowed her eyes to slip shut as the light fully took over everything within her line of sight.
The most notable change, and easily the most expected one, involved Calanthemon changing from having the shape of a pegasus to the outline of a human. She looked like Fioremon in that regard. Her hair remained peach in color, and it flowed behind her in the gentle waves that she usually wore in her Human Spirit form. A gentle crown of dark green rested upon her forehead, and an orange gem was pressed into the center. Elaborate swirls surrounded it in the color of light green and pink. Unlike when she was Fioremon, her eyes were shown and there was no mask of vines to obscure half of her face, showing off shining emerald irises that gleamed with the same color as the most pure and beautiful greenery to ever exist.
A pale green dress appeared around her torso, and the edges were lined in a gentle pink color to display a pattern that resembled flower petals. A peach sash wrapped around her waist, but rather than flowing with a pair of ribbons off to the side-something that she was used to in the form of Fioremon-there was only one ribbon that rested behind her. It resembled the tail that she had when she was in the form of Calanthemon in a strange way.
Green armor plates appeared over her chest and forearms. They matched the same pattern as her tiara, and orange jewels glittered at the center of the metal. The elegant patterns that surrounded the gemstones seemed to nearly glow with their overwhelming beauty and intricacy. However, contrary to what one would have expected, the armored plates didn't appear over her legs at all. Instead, she slipped into ballet flats that were green in color, and pink ribbons spiraled up her legs. She was the very picture of grace.
Her fingers curled around a bow similar to the one that Fioremon usually wielded. However, it was far larger than the weapon that the Human Spirit of Wood used in battle, and a few roses could be seen blossoming across its thorny surface. No arrows appeared to match the bow, but the Warrior of Wood assumed that she would be able to summon arrows whenever she needed them the same way that Fioremon was able to. The string almost looked as if it was made out of a single thread of grass worn down until it was barely thicker than a single thread, but its strength was unquestionably great despite its size.
The final change compared to her previous forms involved a pair of wings sprouting from her back. They resembled the wings that carried Calanthemon through the air, appearing as flower petals. The top of the wings, the segment that would be closest to the center of a flower if they truly had been petals instead, were darker than the edges, and the fading effect only added to her ethereal appearance. The fading also appeared in her hair, and the tips of her lengthy waves shifted to be orange at the edges, something that neither of her previous forms had displayed.
"Lyseirmon!"
As soon as the light of Fractal Code faded, Lyseirmon glanced around the battlefield. She could see that Beowolfmon had raised his sword and was still clashing fiercely with Crusadermon. The Royal Knight had kicked her leg downward in his direction, and Beowolfmon was attempting to fend her off with all the strength that he had. Thundramon was nearby, but he wasn't able to offer assistance to Beowolfmon since he was busy charging up one of his stronger attacks.
Lyseirmon nocked an arrow on her bow and sent it flying towards Crusadermon. The arrow spiraled through the air before hitting Crusadermon in the side. The Royal Knight growled in irritation before turning to glance over at Lyseirmon, showing a crucial weakness in her defenses that gave Beowolfmon the chance he needed to unleash a strike of his own. He cut his sword through the air, nicking Crusadermon's foot and sending her crashing down against the moon. The Royal Knight groaned and attempted to rise once again.
However, she was far too slow in returning to combat, and Thundramon finished preparing his attack while she was still bracing herself. He unleashed a powerful blast of yellow electricity towards Crusadermon, and she was hit square in the chest by the blow. Crusadermon slid backwards across the surface of the moon before she stumbled back to the ground. Lyseirmon cringed when she heard the overpowering echo of Crusadermon's back making contact with the glowing blue surface of Caeruleum.
Thundramon took the crack in Crusadermon's defenses and blew it open by charging towards her, one fist reared back in an impending strike. He slammed the punch into Crusadermon once again, and the Royal Knight shrieked in anger. She scrambled away to keep from being hit further, but the anger in her posture remained. The quick sequences of attacks had caught her by surprise, but she wasn't showing shock as one would have expected. Instead, all that could be seen was anger. Her face was hidden behind her armor, but her pure, unfiltered rage still managed to slip in between the cracks of what she was showing clearly.
"You're going to face the fury of Lord Lucemon if you continue to press this battle," Crusadermon snarled. She rose to her feet soon afterwards, and she took a few steps back to put a bit more distance between herself and the Legendary Warriors. She punched the ground, and the moon seemed to groan in pain with the impact. Fractal Code shone on the surface of Caeruleum for a brief moment before disappearing once again.
"If I have to, I will take this moon out from underneath your feet!" Crusadermon roared, lunging towards Beowolfmon. He threw up his sword to try and defend himself, but Crusadermon punched at his hand to knock the sword away from his hand. Beowolfmon cringed in the pain, and because he was distracted with the location of his blade, he wasn't prepared for the strike that Crusadermon delivered to follow up. It was a kick to the chest that sent Beowolfmon flying backwards, and he rolled until he was in a crouching position.
Thundramon was the closest person to the lost sword, so he dashed towards it with his hand outstretched. His fingers closed around the hilt, and he threw the blade towards Beowolfmon. The Warrior of Light nodded as he recovered the sword, and he turned his attention towards Crusadermon once more.
The Royal Knight was preparing for a kick attack while Thundramon was distracted with returning the sword in question to Beowolfmon. The Warrior of Light opened his mouth to tell Thundramon about what was happening, but he wasn't able to offer the warning in time. Crusadermon's foot slammed into Thundramon's back, and the Warrior of Thunder was sent sprawling forward. He hit the ground hard and roughly, and the choking sound that he let out when he made impact with the moon showed loud and clear that the breath had been stolen from his lungs.
Crusadermon stalked towards Thundramon, closing the distance between them with large, wide strides. Lyseirmon could see that Thundramon needed more time to recover before the battle continued though, so she allowed her bow to drop down to her side as she raised her free hand. A series of powerful vines broke through the surface of the moon, creating a large and effective wall of plants to separate Thundramon from Crusadermon. The Warrior of Thunder gave her a thankful nod as he rose to his feet. However, when his wings lifted him off the ground this time, he was clearly tired, and his exhaustion could be seen if one looked behind the layer of thick determination in his gaze.
Crusadermon raised one hand to slash through the plants and reach the other side since that would give her easier access to Beowolfmon as well as giving her more space to maneuver. However, as she began to cut through the green vines, Beowolfmon raised his blade to the sky. The outline of the wolf from before appeared once again, and as soon as a crack was formed between the plants, Beowolfmon allowed the attack to fly freely.
The wolf caught Crusadermon off guard, and the Royal Knight slid backwards as soon as she was hit. She allowed one hand to drop the ground as a way of bracing herself before she was ready to rise to her full height once more. She attempted to charge towards Beowolfmon to punch and kick in his direction, but she was cut off when Lyseirmon shot another arrow in her direction.
At a first glance, it would have appeared that the arrow simply bounced off Crusadermon's armor before falling to the ground. However, that was far from actually being the case, and plants began to spread around her body, starting at the point of impact. The arrow was far from actually being an arrow, instead being a seed in disguise. Lyseirmon continued to pour her energy into the seed from afar, and plants had completely encased Crusadermon's body a moment later. Lyseirmon couldn't help but smile to herself at the sight, knowing it was twisted to be happy about hurting another living creature but being too relieved to offer sympathy towards her foe.
Crusadermon's first reaction was to struggle against the plants, and she started to worm her way free after just a few seconds of tossing and turning. However, the vines were beginning to anchor themselves into the ground, firmly rooting Crusadermon in place. Lyseirmon had to confess that she was impressed with the attack. Prior to that battle, she never would have expected herself to be capable of such strength. Then again, she had grown, and she wasn't simply talking about the new Spirit Evolution.
Thundramon bowed his head as the cannon on top of his head began to spark with an unprecedented sense of ferocity. Electricity danced on the surface of the cannon before a mighty blow was unleashed, and since Crusadermon was trapped on the spot, she wasn't able to pull herself away in time. She felt the full sting of Thundramon's attack, earning an angered roar from the Royal Knight.
Lyseirmon had done her part to ensure that the vines didn't fall apart under the force of Thundramon's raw strength, though they had been weakened slightly along the way. This gave Crusadermon the chance she needed to fully escape the plants, and she took to the skies once again to keep from being grounded by the spreading vines.
Lyseirmon didn't stop as soon as Crusadermon had escaped though, and she continued to allow the seeds that had planted themselves on the surface of the moon to grow. Soon enough, the empty clearing at the center of the Moon Base's crater was covered in greenery, and large leaves continued to sprout in the places where they were needed. Beowolfmon jumped just in time to make sure that he wasn't wrapped in the plants, and he landed on a giant vine, balancing himself effortlessly against the nearby stalk.
The Moon Base looked more like a greenhouse than a futuristic city less than a minute after Crusadermon had jumped away from the confines that bound her. The buildings were covered in plants, but they weren't dealing with the threat of destruction at all. In fact, the plants were defending the buildings from the damage that Crusadermon was capable of dealing, and the residents of the Moon Base who waited under the canopy created by the large plants were safe from the overhead combat thanks to Lyseirmon's actions.
Crusadermon seemed to notice this, and she was far from being happy about it. Rather than choosing to attack to show her animosity though, she released biting words into the air. "You shouldn't be doing this. It isn't as if it's going to matter in the long run anyways. Lord Lucemon will soon have the power he needs to take over all of the worlds in his path, and this moon will simply be one of his stepping stones to power. This will offer him the strength needed to destroy everything, and you'll fall along with the rest of this pathetic realm," Crusadermon declared. Lyseirmon could tell that she was getting frustrated since the Royal Knight had decided to speak as opposed to fight. After all, it was easier to spit out venomous phrases than to put them into acidic actions, especially given that the Legendary Warriors weren't having any issues with fighting back against her at present.
"If it truly doesn't matter, then you shouldn't mind that we're doing this," Thundramon remarked from his place in the air near Lyseirmon. There was something jubilant yet condescending about his tone, and it was clear that he wasn't going to be backing down simply because Crusadermon was getting agitated. In fact, that only seemed to fuel his wish to fight more.
That didn't satisfy Crusadermon in the slightest, and she lunged towards him with her arms outstretched in preparation of a powerful punch. Thundramon flew above her to keep from being hit, causing Crusadermon's fist to make contact with only empty air. She was left reeling from the lack of a target.
Lyseirmon closed her eyes and pressed her hands tightly to her chest. A sphere of delicate green and pink energy was formed soon afterwards, and she unleashed it in Crusadermon's direction. She hit the Royal Knight in the shoulder, leaving behind a scraping mark of dull gray on Crusadermon's armor that stuck out against the vibrant pink steel. The Royal Knight screeched at the attack, and her attention shifted upwards to where Lyseirmon was flying. The rage in the air was on the verge of being palpable, and it threatened to send a shiver up Lyseirmon's spine.
Crusadermon almost appeared to be more insulted at the mark left behind than actually taking damage. After all, it was a physical manifestation of her losing grip of the fight, a sign that she had been hurt by the Legendary Warriors who she frequently attempted to assert her superiority over. Crusadermon's words had been aimed at lowering the morale of her foes, but she hadn't been prepared for the sudden blow to her pride that Lyseirmon had unintentionally given her.
Crusadermon immediately changed her course so that she was charging straight at Lyseirmon, her first reared back in a promised punch. Lyseirmon ducked beneath the strike before taking to the sky, swerving around the subsequent kick that Crusadermon attempted to hit her with. Lyseirmon blew a small amount of air down on Crusadermon from above, pressing her palm beneath her mouth to make the path of the wind a bit clearer.
However, upon closer examination, it could be seen that she wasn't simply blowing air towards Crusadermon. Instead, pollen was raining down from above, and it was falling upon Crusadermon's pink and yellow armor. The Royal Knight glanced up in surprise, her eyes narrowing as she suddenly found herself sinking closer to the ground. Despite her best attempts to rise to her feet once again, Crusadermon was stuck in place in a crouched position. She pushed herself away from the ground, but the pollen continued to work its magic, draining her energy and leaving her on the blue cratered floor of Caeruleum. Crusadermon had been left heavier as a result of the pollen, easily passing through the layers of vines that wove around the surface of the moon. Her armored body could be seen between shadows cast by bold greenery, and despite Crusadermon's desperate wishes to rise and fight once again, she was stuck in place.
Lyseirmon was quick to create an arrow edged with a seed for a second time, and she fired it in Crusadermon's direction. The plants in the area responded immediately, and they began to weave around Crusadermon's body until she was effectively trapped in a large cage. There were still enough vines left behind by Lyseirmon's attack to cover the surface of the moon from Crusadermon's potential strikes, leaving an even divide between the confines of the Royal Knight and the rest of the plants that protected the occupants of the Moon Base.
Thundramon landed on the nearest large leaf as soon as he realized that Lyseirmon had effectively trapped Crusadermon in place. He leaned his head forward, and his cannon started to spark before unleashing a bold blast of electricity. Lyseirmon snapped her fingers so that the plants in his way parted just in time for the attack to slip through. The leafy bars found their regular home once again a moment later, giving Crusadermon no chances to escape.
The Royal Knight roared in angry pain at the contact from Thundramon's attack, and she tried to stand and fight once again. The pollen from before was continuing to exhaust her though, and Crusadermon's body continued to droop heavily against her own wishes. Lyseirmon could hear a muffled cry of anger coming from Crusadermon, but the leaves prevented anyone from grasping the full extent of Crusadermon's anger.
Beowolfmon was the next to lash out, and he found another large leaf to stand on near Crusadermon's prison. He raised one arm, and half a dozen pellets of light were released from the gauntlet found on his knuckles. The bullets rocketed through the air, finding places to weave between the greenery that bound Crusadermon to hit the Royal Knight head on.
Once again, Crusadermon let out a shriek of rage and pain, and her armor was left marked due to the damage that Beowolfmon had dealt. There were a few places across her chest and torso where darkened holes could be seen in the armor, mottled markings of Crusadermon's own failures. There was one on her upper arm near where the earlier attack from Lyseirmon had made contact with the pink steel, and Crusadermon looked to that spot in particular with pure rage boiling beneath the surface.
Lyseirmon could tell that Crusadermon was growing weaker, and she decided to start approaching her foe on the leaves at long last. The plants listened to her every thought, creating a staircase for her to descend upon. The plants shifted with each step she took before returning to their regular places. The Moon Base was barely recognizable due to the strong influence that Lyseirmon had displayed over the area.
Still, the Warrior of Wood knew that she couldn't be distracted with the full force of her own power. Instead, she raised her bow in the direction of Crusadermon. A third and final arrow created itself from nowhere, and invisible plants bonded to create a weapon that primed itself between the front of the bow and the string in her fingers. Lyseirmon primed the tip of the arrow in the direction of Crusadermon slowly, knowing that she was fully able to take her time given how trapped the Royal Knight was. The chances of Crusadermon escaping were next to zero, and Lyseirmon was fully aware that this was where it ended regardless of the Royal Knight's attempts to flee.
"Any last words?" Lyseirmon questioned. The arrow was aimed at the spot where Crusadermon's plates of armor met, a sure weak point that she would be able to penetrate without much effort as soon as she decided the time was right. The instant that Crusadermon inevitably tried anything, Lyseirmon would be ready, and she wasn't going to allow for that to slide.
"Lord Lucemon won't tolerate what you have done to me!" Crusadermon cried out. Her hands were digging fiercely into the plants beneath her, almost as if she was still making an attempt to get out. If Lyseirmon had to guess, Crusadermon was dreaming of clawing her way free, but she simply couldn't get herself to follow through with it in full.
"Lucemon won't be coming back," Lyseirmon told Crusadermon simply. "He's going to stay sealed away from the rest of the Digital World, and he'll never return as long as we have anything to say about it. We'll stop the rest of the Royal Knights, and Lucemon will be left in his sealing place for the rest of his life."
Crusadermon snarled at Lyseirmon, managing to lift her head. Once again, the rage that she emanated was palpable, and Crusadermon looked ready to launch in Lsyeirmon's direction and tear the Warrior of Wood to shreds. If not for the cage of leaves, she undoubtedly would have at least tried. "You have no idea how strong Lord Lucemon truly is. He won't tolerate this transgression, and you will pay the consequences with your lives," Crusadermon said darkly. "We should have simply killed you children when we had the chance... But Lucemon will ensure that you meet your fate. That much I can promise you. All you're doing is holding off the inevitable."
Lyseirmon decided that she had heard more than enough of Crusadermon's words, and she took in a deep breath, knowing that there was no going back as soon as she unleashed the arrow. She hated the idea of taking the life of another living creature, but if she didn't follow through with this, the Digital World would fall to ruin by Crusadermon's wishes. The loss of this Royal Knight would save countless other lives, and Lyseirmon was simply going to have to think about those who deserved to thrive in a world free from the influences of Lucemon. That was the only way she was going to be able to do this.
Crusadermon, who was blissfully unaware of the conflict passing through Lyseirmon's mind, continued to glare at the Legendary Warriors with a desperate wish to escape. However, such relief never came, and the Warrior of Wood finally allowed her fingers to release on the arrow that was placed gently across her bow. The sharpened arrow spiraled through the air towards Crusadermon, and the moment of impact could be felt all across the surface of Caeruleum. Even the plants themselves seemed to bow once again to their mistress as Crusadermon's end finally arrived.
The world seemed to fall still as the arrow pierced Crusadermon's armor. The Royal Knight didn't even have the time to cry out in pain, and the silence was nothing short of agonizing and exhausting. Still, Lyseirmon knew what she had to do, and she allowed her bow to drop back to her side. Her other hand rose, palm outstretched towards Crusadermon. The Royal Knight's silhouette was filled with darkness, and a single ring of Fractal Code wrapped around the center of her body, a clear sign that the battle had at last drawn to a close.
"May the Digital World find peace with your demise," Lyseirmon said softly. Fractal Code began to stream into her extended hand, and justice seemed to have been served at last. Crusadermon's body began to disappear from the inside out, and the data flickered away before condensing into a small sphere of white that Lsyeirmon recognized as an egg. She allowed her hand to fall once more, and her gaze remained firmly locked on what was left of Crusadermon. By some miracle, she had managed to defeat a Royal Knight, and she had no idea what she could even say.
A gentle glow of green suddenly appeared across Caeruleum, and Lyseirmon was pulled from her concerns of justice as the vines underfoot started to shift. The light expanded outwards, and the greenery began to fall apart, leaving what appeared to be delicate petals to float through the air like a delicate mist. The plants surrounding the Moon Base vanished, and the rain of petals cascaded from above as everything fully disappeared. Lyseirmon, Thundramon, and Beowolfmon were all eased to the ground gently by the large leaves they were standing on just before the plants completely gave way to their own destruction.
"It's over," Lyseirmon whispered simply. She knew that it was obvious, but she felt the need to say it regardless. She let out a small breath before light appeared around her. Fractal Code coated her body before it disappeared a moment later, and Yumiko was left in the place of the Hybrid Warrior of Wood.
Yumiko looked over to both Thundramon and Beowolfmon, watching as they reverted back to Junpei and Koji respectively. They looked exhausted yet relieved, and Yumiko couldn't help but smile at the sight of them. They didn't say anything, but Yumiko could still sense that they were beyond happy to finally have the situation taken care of. The Warrior of Wood approached them carefully, and she let out a gentle laugh once they were all close together. Yumiko didn't think that she was quite in the mood to hug them, and she was sure that the other two felt the same, so they simply shared gentle smiles as the green petals continued to fall around them.
Another eruption of light drew their attention away from one another soon afterward though, and Yumiko glanced down to see that Caeruleum was starting to glow with its regular blue light once again. The illumination was far stronger than usual though, and she held up one hand to block it out when her eyes began to flash with the sight of stars. Yumiko forced her eyelids shut and waited until everything appeared to have calmed down, and she began to glance around at the area once again.
"I think that the petals managed to heal the damage that Crusadermon dealt," Koji remarked, his eyes wide with surprise. The glow of Caeruleum seemed stronger than it had been during the battle, and Yumiko found herself flooded with relief. She had been worried that Crusadermon was going to fully destroy Caeruleum in the name of resurrecting Lucemon, and she was glad to see that the moon was still somewhat alright after all that had taken place.
"You did it!"
Yumiko turned around upon hearing Patamon's voice, and she curled her arms around the small orange Digimon as he nested himself in her grasp. Yumiko grinned and began to pet at the space between his wings. Patamon nuzzled against her palm, practically glowing with pride that he was friends with the Legendary Warriors who had done so much to save everyone on Caeruleum.
"Great going," Junpei grinned. He reached out one hand to rustle Yumiko's hair, and despite herself, Yumiko found herself laughing at the contact. She waited until after Junpei was finished before she reached up to correct her curls. They were beyond messy, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She was simply too happy to know that the fight had been taken care of to even think about making sure her hair was tidy.
"I guess that our work here has been finished then," Koji remarked. His hands were shoved into his pockets, and he looked out over the rest of the Moon Base with curiosity in his gaze. "We stopped Crusadermon from taking the Fractal Code of Caeruleum, and you were even able to heal the damage that she left behind. I think that's our cue to try and figure out where everybody else is."
"I don't think that they're on this moon," Junpei frowned. He pulled his hand away from Yumiko before reaching for his D-Tector and checking the radar. After a moment, he shook his head. "Nope. I don't see any signs of anybody in the immediate area. If we were sent here to the moon, then there's a chance that some of them are on the other moons. Maybe some of them are still on the base Digital World too."
Yumiko glanced back in the direction of the Digital World's primary planet. She was thankful that she did so, as she was able to catch Crusadermon's egg streaking towards the black abyss found on the surface of the Digital World. Yumiko frowned and watched as the last traces of the glowing orb disappeared into the darkness. She was so sure that Crusadermon's egg would have gone elsewhere. On the Digital World, eggs always traveled into the sky where the moons were, and yet, Crusadermon's egg was moving towards the heart of the planet itself. Something was wrong, but she wasn't sure about what it could have been specifically.
"How do we even get back there?" Patamon questioned from Yumiko's arms, prompting the Warrior of Wood to glance down at him. "I mean, we're on one of the moons, and I doubt that we would just be able to fly back there. We wouldn't even be able to teleport if Lyramon was with us because of how large the distance is."
"I can handle it!"
Gotsumon came dashing into view, a wide grin across his stony face. He slid to a stop a few inches away from Koji before looking up to the Warrior of Light with glowing eyes. "You did amazing against Crusadermon!" Gotsumon exclaimed. "We all have you to thank for saving Caeruleum and the Moon Base. We need to pay you back for everything that you've done."
"Let me guess... Your way of repaying us gives us a way back to the Digital World," Junpei concluded, the gears in his head turning as he thought back to what Gotsumon had said when he first appeared. He put his D-Tector back in his pocket when he realized that the holographic radar wouldn't help them at all.
Gotsumon nodded in response, gesturing for the group to follow him as he made his way to the edge of the Moon Base. "Yeah. You saved us from Crusadermon, so this is the least that I can do. The Moon Base probably would have been destroyed without your help," he said. "Crusadermon is one of the Royal Knights, and if she was back, then that means that there are probably others from the group running around the Digital World too."
"Yeah... As far as we're aware, there are four others roaming at large in the Digital World," Koji replied, his gaze tense as he followed Gotsumon. "They're trying to destroy the Digital World and revive Lucemon, but we aren't going to let that happen. We've stopped Crusadermon, so we're simply going to have to chase after the others and make sure that they're stopped before they can try anything in the future."
"That's good to hear. I don't know what the Digital World would do without the Legendary Warriors. I suppose that we'd all be living under the influence of Lucemon since nobody would have been able to stand up to him all those years ago," Gotsumon commented with a small shrug. "But that's not important. You're here, and that's what matters most. I can get you back to the Digital World itself with the use of a handy portal that we have here on the Moon Base."
"Where is it going to put us back on the Digital World?" Yumiko questioned. She prayed that it was at least somewhat close to Abraxas' former location. She assumed that would give them a higher chance of reuniting with the rest of the group, but then again, if she, Koji, Junpei, and Patamon had been blasted all the way to Caeruleum, there was no guarantee that anyone would be remotely near Ophanimon's palace.
"It'll drop you off on the Steel Continent," Gotsumon replied. "There are all sorts of teleport drop off locations across the Steel Continent, but I can get you to the one closest to the place that you want to go next. It will just take a bit of tinkering, and then you'll be back in the Digital World like nothing happened in the first place."
"Thank you for all of this," Yumiko told Gotsumon, a smile spreading across her features. "I don't know what we would do without you. We really do appreciate the help."
"I don't know what we would have done without you three. It's the least I can do," Gotsumon shrugged. He stopped walking and turned his attention to a building off to his left, and he gestured for the Legendary Warriors to walk inside. They followed the direction without objection.
The building was impressively technologically advanced, and Yumiko found her jaw dropping at the sight of so many incredible electronics. She hadn't ever been tech savvy in the slightest, and she found herself admiring Gotsumon and the other occupants of the Moon Base for being able to utilize such incredible equipment. She could see Junpei glance around the area in fascination as well, though his curiosity seemed to say that he was enjoying this for far stronger reasons than Yumiko was.
Gotsumon pointed to a large tube found at the other end of the building. The whir of technology filled Yumiko as she approached the glass chamber, running her fingers along the surface. She could feel the energy crackling throughout the building, and it invigorated her in a way that she hadn't expected. Yumiko bit down on her lip to keep from letting out a sigh of awe at her surroundings.
Koji was the first one to walk into the tube after the doors slid open, and Patamon floated over to the Warrior of Light before settling down on top of his bandanna. Junpei and Yumiko followed Koji's example, and the glass chamber shut behind them. Gotsumon watched them with a wide smile, his eyes practically glowing with his excitement.
"You'll have to come back here one day," Gotsumon told them. His voice was slightly muffled as he pressed down on various buttons near the tube. "I know that we would all love to meet the full group of Legendary Warriors when you aren't worried about saving the Digital World from the Royal Knights or any other notable threat. We love having visitors like you around here. It's been ages since we were last able to accept others into the Moon Base because of Cherubimon sending troops up here."
"It would be our pleasure," Yumiko smiled to Gotsumon. She loved the idea of learning more about the Moon Base and its expansive history. If the previous Legendary Warriors had truly established it as a paradise, then it was part of her as a result. Yumiko didn't know much about the original Legendary Warriors outside of the fact that they ended the war against Lucemon, but she would have loved to hear about the history of her previous incarnation. The Moon Base seemed like a perfect place to start, and her curiosity was exploding beneath the surface in her desperation to learn more.
Gotsumon pressed down on one final button, and the bottom of the chamber began to glow. He waved furiously, his eyes still gleaming with excitement. Yumiko and the other occupants of the tube waved back as the light grew overpowering, filling every part of Yumiko's vision in the blink of an eye. She allowed the illumination to swallow her until she knew nothing but the beautiful white light, and the splendor sunk in down to her core as the world began to spin with her at the center.
"And that's all that's happened."
Takuya's explanation of events finally drew to a close, and Saki watched as Chihiro, Izumi, and Tomoki nodded along. Bokomon and Neemon were leaning up against each other, excited to be back together after their time apart. The group was gathered close together within the Water region of the Digital World, and the nearby beach glittered beautifully, fully ignorant to the horrors taking place elsewhere across the planet. The nearby chasms offered a stark contrast to the purity of the waves, and Saki found themselves fascinated by the rolling of the water, a lazy routine that the Digital World was all too used to.
"It seems like all of us are up to the Hybrid level then," Izumi remarked, glancing around the group. It was left unspoken that she was talking about the people who were there rather than all of the Legendary Warriors as a whole. After all, Yumiko wasn't at the Hybrid level as far as Saki were aware, though it was very possible that such a fact could have changed while the party was divided.
"We've already taken care of two of the Royal Knights, so there are only three of them left behind," Haroi murmured, glancing down at the ground. His eyes slipped closed for a moment before he shifted his gaze out to the ocean. "I wish that I knew where we could find the other Legendary Warriors... I'm starting to get worried about them."
"We weren't able to find the signals for you three while you were on the moon," Tomoki pointed out. "For all we know, the other six could be on the moons too. Flavo is out of the picture, but that doesn't mean that they couldn't be on Caeruleum or Rubrum. If that is the case, then it's just a matter of time before they realize where we are and turn their attention in our direction."
"Caeruleum should be easy enough to return from," Bokomon chimed in. "There's a technologically advanced society up there separate from the mainland of the Digital World. I'm sure that it would be possible for them to get back, but... Rubrum is where a few issues come in."
"What makes Rubrum so difficult?" Takuya questioned. He had pulled out his D-Tector and was staring at it, his posture blatantly antsy. It felt odd to see Takuya, usually so self-assured and confident, suffering under the weight of his own nerves, and Saki found it strangely sobering to see him in a state of weakness. Even the sun needed a chance to set once in a while, it seemed.
"Flavo holds the Village of Beginnings where all Digimon begin their lives. An easy way to return to the Digital World was developed so that Digimon wouldn't be stuck on Flavo for their entire lives," Bokomon began to explain. "Caeruleum's Moon Base is incredibly well developed, and I believe that there's more than enough technology to get anyone over the gap between the moon and the world itself."
"But Rubrum doesn't have anything like that..." Neemon muttered. He seemed oddly anxious, and Saki found themselves glancing away from him as soon as they realized how nervous he was. That was truly unsettling, and they didn't know if they wanted to fully acknowledge it. Neemon was always off in his own little world, and the fact that he was both grounded and upset didn't sit well with Saki in the slightest.
"Rubrum is the resting place of the Legendary Warriors. It's been widely abandoned since going there is seen as an affront to the glory of the ancient fighters who battled so valiantly to save the Digital World. Most of them perished in the war with Lucemon, so their souls settled down on Rubrum. From there, the Spirits were created by their souls and distributed across the Digital World," Bokomon explained. "Since nobody ever has a reason to go there, it probably won't be easy for them to get back to the Digital World."
"We don't know that anyone is on Rubrum, so we shouldn't get anxious yet. We shouldn't work ourselves up if we can avoid it," Izumi advised calmly, but Saki could see that she was attempting to convince herself more than anyone else.
"For now, let's just stay here. It isn't as if we have anyone else in range to meet with, and this is as decent a spot as any to rest before our next battle. We don't have a way of knowing where the Royal Knights are, but if they're going to try and claim all of the Fractal Code in the Digital World, they'll have to come here sooner or later. Whoever comes here won't get away with taking the data," Saki declared, taking control of the situation effortlessly.
There were no objections to Saki's suggestion, and the group began to settle down into the sand below. Silence covered the area, not because nobody wanted to speak, but since they were all exhausted from their previous battles with the Royal Knights. The sun overhead burned bright and hot, but nobody seemed to notice. Tomoki curled up on the sand with his hands pressed under his face, and his breathing evened out a few moments later to show that he had fallen asleep.
He was the first of many, and it didn't take long for the rest of the group to give in fully to their exhaustion. Saki remained conscious as a precaution, choosing to watch over the group in case anything happened. They smiled to themselves as they looked out over their teammates, and a small sigh left their lips. They truly had found a place to belong, and they couldn't have asked for anything better.
Teleporting, Koji learned, was not a fun experience.
He nearly fell off his feet as soon as he touched down on the mainland of the Digital World, and he felt one hand fly up to his temple to nurse the headache that was already starting to form. Koji had never been prone to motion sickness before, but he supposed that getting on a rollercoaster and being sent through a teleportation device were two entirely different beasts, and there had been no way for him to prepare for the latter.
Koji glanced around at his surroundings as soon as he could bear to pry his eyes open once again, and he saw that the ground beneath his feet was covered in metal. This was undoubtedly the Steel region that Gotsumon had mentioned. There weren't any people nearby since the sun was starting to creep over the horizon, but it was still clear as day that the Legendary Warriors had arrived at the proper destination.
Junpei had his D-Tector out before Koji could even fully register his surroundings, and the Warrior of Thunder held the device up to catch the attention of his companions. "There are six signals off to the east. Looks like Takuya, Saki, Haroi, Chihiro, Tomoki, and Izumi. We should start walking in that direction," he suggested.
Yumiko nodded her agreement. "You're right," she said before pulling out her own D-Tector to check for confirmation. A frown appeared on her lips, and she let out a small sigh before shaking her head. "I don't see any signs of Mayumi, Hinoka, or Koichi... They have to be around here somewhere, right?"
Koji did his best to not express how awful he felt upon hearing that Koichi was nowhere to be found. He focused on the nausea as a way of cutting himself off from the creeping emotional sickness that had caught him by surprise. He felt Patamon shift from on top of his head, and he zeroed in on every small motion that the orange Digimon made to keep from worrying too much about his brother.
"I'm sure that they're okay. We couldn't find anybody else earlier, and they're all fine now, aren't they?" Patamon pointed out. Koji could hear the optimistic smile in his voice, and he had to admit that it was infectious. He felt infinitely better upon hearing Patamon's reassurances.
After all, Patamon had a point. Nobody had been able to find Koji and the rest of his group at first either, but they were safe and alive. Koichi, Mayumi, and Hinoka knew how to handle themselves. They had three Hybrid forms on their side, and if anything happened, they would be able to defend themselves.
Koji finally managed to center himself after his brief confrontation with teleportation, and he started to walk in the direction of the signals. Junpei and Yumiko followed suit, and Patamon pulled his ears in close to his body as the journey began properly. Koji focused on placing one foot in front of the other, trying not to scare himself too much with the possibilities of what could have been happening to the other members of the group.
Realistically, Koji knew that they were safe. He trusted them to be able to handle themselves, but that didn't stop the worry from sinking in, a festering wound that threatened to tear him apart from the inside out. Koji swallowed dryly and began to count the plates of metal that he crossed over in his pursuit of the other Legendary Warriors. It was a step above his own anxieties, so he continued to number them off until he was well above a hundred.
Please be safe, everyone.
Act four is so close to being finished. The end is in sight!
This chapter mostly speaks for itself since this was a battle segment, but I do have one comment on what happened this time around. To be more specific, it's time for more of my Digimon naming trivia facts! With most of the Digimon I made for Frontiers Unexplored, I looked up names relating to their elements online and went with what I liked best. Lyseirmon is one of the exceptions to this (along with all of Hinoka's Digimon forms).
I couldn't find anything that I liked for the Hybrid form of Wood, so I wound up combining the names of two characters from Fire Emblem, those two characters being Lysithea and Eir. I don't fully remember how I settled on that, but I love the name, and I think it's pretty fitting for the elegant yet badass Warrior that Lyseirmon is.
Since this chapter was focused on battle, there's not all that much to bring up here. I loved working on the Lyseirmon and Crusadermon fight since Yumiko hasn't been given much of a chance to show off the full extent of her strength quite yet, so I figured this would be the perfect time. She didn't come in at the best time for character development since the group was just starting to head into the Continent of Darkness, so we spent a lot more time getting to know Fioremon as a Fallen Warrior rather than Yumiko up until halfway into act three or so. I figured I would rectify that by giving her the full spotlight in the past two chapters, and I love how she's turned out in the characterization department. Act four really is the best point of the book for Yumiko, huh?
There's not anything else about this chapter that really sticks out, so I'm going to go on and call this author's note here. There are only three more chapters left to act four (it ends with chapter fifty), and then after that is just the final battle in the last five chapters. Next time, we'll be meeting up with the four remaining members of the cast (Koichi, Hinoka, Mayumi, and Nyaromon) and seeing what they've been getting up to. Until then, I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is always appreciated. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital