(A/N: Ok, so before we get started, I'd like to announce that I'm in the process of starting a new story. No, it's not another Digimon story, so sorry if that's what you were hoping to hear. It's actually a Pirates of the Caribbean story that I've been brainstorming for, wow, several years now, and only now has begun to take form. Oh, don't worry, I won't be neglecting this story, the updates will still be regular, I'm just mentioning it now in case anyone is interested. It'll still be a few weeks before I get started on it, but if you're interest, look forward to it, because I got big plans for it. For now, just enjoy the next installment of this story. The chapter title may not make much sense now, but it actually has multiple meanings, which you'll soon get by the end.)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 163: Saving
When the blast died down, the entire town and then some was gone. Only a large crater remained, with no trace of life anywhere. The DigiDestined looked on in horror and disbelief at the senseless destruction.
"It's gone…" Ophanimon C whispered. "He completely destroyed everything. All of it." She turned furiously back to Galacticmon. "HOW COULD YOU!? Volcano Napalm!"
She threw fireballs up at the satellite Digimon that exploded into pillars of fire. The pillars were pretty big, but Galacticmon's massive size still dwarfed them. He swiped at her with his metal claws, and she pulled back to avoid the giant hand before firing her Holy Destroy.
"Galactic Attack!" Galacticmon cried, firing an energy blast from his forehead. It collided with Ophanimon C's attack, pushing it back. When it nearly reached her, she switched to her Unicorn Shield. Galacticmon's attack hit, and her barrier shattered, sending her crashing to the ground.
"Stop it!" OmniShoutmon shouted. "We can't take this guy lightly. Not only is he the largest Digimon after ZeedMillenniummon with power on par with a Demon Lord who specializes in counter attacks, but that Ragnarok Cannon of his is particularly nasty. Not only is it incredibly powerful, but if you're fortunate enough to survive it, it has an energy draining affect that zaps your energy down to the absolute bare minimum until you only have just enough left to live. We can't be careless."
Ophanimon C sat up. "But he just killed everyone. I can't stand to lose anyone else. Recently we've lost AncientWisemon, Chronomon, Morphomon, BioQuetzalmon, and that whole town. We can't let anyone else die!"
"We're going to die if we're not careful," Omnimon told her.
Galacticmon raised his tail. "You will die anyway. Galactic Gunslinger!"
Lasers fired from the tip of his tail and eye. The DigiDestined scattered as the two lasers flew through the air, slicing through the ground where it touched. Galacticmon's tail and head followed after them, his lasers never ceasing as he attacked the six of them while Susanoomon dealt with ShineGreymon.
The god Digimon, however, couldn't worry about anything else right now. He had his hands full with the dragon Digimon. Not only did Ruin Mode give ShineGreymon a tremendous power boost that surpassed Mega, but the dragon Digimon attacked with such savagery that Susanoomon hadn't seen anything like it other than Omegamon Zwart Defeat. It made it hard to even deliver an attack since he was constantly on the defense.
"Calm down, dude," Susanoomon commented. "This may be a fight, but you're acting crazy."
ShineGreymon just snarled like a madden animal and came at him again. Susanoomon swore and rushed forward, delivering a Flash Punch that sent ShineGreymon spinning backwards. The dragon Digimon recovered quickly though, shaking his head before producing a sword with a flaming blade and flying back towards Susanoomon.
The god Digimon ducked and dodged as ShineGreymon furiously swiped at him. Using his Magna Thunder, he created a cage of lightning around him, but ShineGreymon cut through the electric bars with a swipe of his sword and came at him again.
"Heavenly Wings Beheading!" Susanoomon cried, manifesting his sword and raising it into the air. He brought it down, and his arm split into the holographs of the arms of the Ten Legendary Warriors, each wielding a sword. ShineGreymon's own sword came up, and Susanoomon's ten swords came down one after another as they met ShineGreymon's blade, becoming a single arm again.
ShineGreymon threw a punch and Susanoomon pulled back to avoid it, and the dragon Digimon followed up with his Glorious Burst, absorbing solar energy through his wings from the rising sun that he then fired at Susanoomon in the form of a laser bursting from his chest. The god Digimon was blasted back, dropping his sword in the process, and ShineGreymon followed up with his Torrid White, shooting fire bullets that rained against Susanoomon.
"Fist of the Gods!" he cried, flying through the swarm of bullets and delivering a flurry of punches all over ShineGreymon's body before finishing it off with a Texture Blow. The pixilation flowed over ShineGreymon, but his power remained unsealed and his form intact, causing Susanoomon to sweat-drop. "Ok, that didn't work."
ShineGreymon roared and used his Shining Blast, enveloping himself in his aura and tackling Susanoomon. The god Digimon managed to catch him before he was tackled, and ShineGreymon raised his sword. Susanoomon's hand came up, grabbing the dragon Digimon's wrist before he was cut, still holding him back with his other hand. ShineGreymon unleashed his Torrid White again, and Susanoomon grunted as he was peppered with fire bullets.
"Damn it," he growled, and drove his knee into the dragon Digimon's gut, knocking him away. "Heaven's Thunder!"
Streams of dragon-headed lightning came down, surrounding ShineGreymon. The dragon Digimon roared and began slashing about wildly, cutting down the streams of lightning. Susanoomon growled as he wondered how long Ruin Mode lasted compared to Burst Mode.
He didn't have long to think though as ShineGreymon used his Final Shining Burst, wrapping his aura-wings around himself and firing a blast. Susanoomon held up his hands as the beam slammed against him. He grunted as he attempted to hold his ground against the attack while wondering how his friends were doing against Galacticmon.
Glancing over his shoulder, he gasped in horror as he saw that the town was gone. Only a giant crater with a cloud of smoke rising out of it was in its place. That must been from the explosion he'd heard, but he had been forced to ignore it since ShineGreymon had been all over him.
Righteous fury filled the god Digimon as he turned back to ShineGreymon. "That does it! Gladiator!"
His power amplified, and he forced his way straight through ShineGreymon's attack. When he reached the dragon Digimon he attacked with his Fist of the Gods, showering ShineGreymon with punches. He then delivered a kick to the hand holding his sword, and it flew out of ShineGreymon's grip. He then followed up with his Heavy Tackle, knocking the dragon Digimon away.
"Celestial Blade!" he cried, manifesting his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi. His blade stretched out from the weapon, and he swung it at ShineGreymon.
The dragon Digimon, in his berserker state, didn't even attempt to avoid the blade, and it cut clean through him. A roar escaped him as his lower body fell away and burst into data.
Susanoomon didn't spare a moment. As the Celestial Blade retracted back into his weapon, he pointed to the sky. "Glory Thunder!"
A bolt of lightning came down, striking what was left of ShineGreymon, and the rest of him burst into data. Susanoomon then turned his weapon upon Galacticmon, taking aim. "ZERO-ARMS: Orcohi!"
A beam erupted from his weapon, flying at the satellite Digimon. It was impossible to miss due to Galacticmon's massive size, but it also meant that the giant explosion that followed wasn't as affective as it would have been if he were a smaller opponent. The power of the attack still succeeded in damaging the satellite Digimon, and he turned to Susanoomon.
"He's going to counter!" OmniShoutmon hollered. "Don't let him!"
Susanoomon changed the position of his weapon. "Fine then. Celestial Blade!"
He was very hesitant about using this attack since it stretched clear across the Digital World, and he didn't know who or what else might be in its cutting path, but there were just some things that had to be chanced, and taking down Galacticmon was worth the risk of collateral damage; he just hoped anyone in its path would get out of the way.
The satellite Digimon reached out with his giant hands. They closed on the Celestial Blade as it came at him, and Susanoomon had a flashback to OmegaArmamon as Galacticmon held back the attack.
"Get him while his hands are full!" Seraphimon shouted. "Hallowed Ascension!"
"Supreme Cannon!"
"Hyper Prominence!"
"Final Justice!"
"Holy Destroy!"
"Omni Core Fusion!"
The attacks exploded against Galacticmon, but he refused to let go of the Celestial Blade. Instead, he raised his tail and fired his Galactic Gunslinger at them while firing a second one from his eye at Susanoomon. The god Digimon cried out as he was knocked back, and Galacticmon snapped the Celestial Blade in his grip, and it dissolved into light particles.
Snarling, Susanoomon pointed his weapon at Galacticmon again, changing up for a new attack. Galacticmon took aim as well, and energy began to gather in his chest.
"No, don't!" Ophanimon C shouted, knowing what was about to happen.
"Stop it!" Gallantmon cried.
"ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"
"Ragnarok Cannon!"
A ball of energy flew from Susanoomon's weapon as a beams fired from Galacticmon's. The two attacks met, the impact lighting up the land. Galacticmon's attack pushed through the blast though until it collided with the god Digimon. Cries rang out from the DigiDestined as Susanoomon was blown away by the attack.
"Susanoomon!" Imperialdramon shouted, and flew towards the blast zone.
Galacticmon turned to him. "Galactic Attack!"
He fired an energy blast from his head, and it struck Imperialdramon. The dragon Digimon crashed to the ground as the others desperately stared at the rising smoke coming from where Galacticmon's attack had hit the god Digimon.
"Susanoomon…" Seraphimon whispered. "He's not…"
"Don't panic!" OmniShoutmon shouted, though he sounded very worried. "Susanoomon is extremely powerful. He may have survived."
"But you said that Galacticmon's Ragnarok Cannon is like those attacks in RPG games that automatically bring your HP down to one even if you survive," said Gallantmon.
The dragon Digimon gave him a bewildered look. "What?"
"Look!" Omnimon cried, pointing at the rising cloud of smoke.
Susanoomon came limping out, looking badly damaged. He felt even worse than he knew he looked, feeling his energy draining away. "What's happening to me?"
Galacticmon suddenly lashed out with his tail, and it flew at Susanoomon. The god Digimon's eyes widened, and he had only enough time to hold his hand out to his friends. "Overwrite!"
Galacticmon's tail struck him, and Susanoomon was knocked off his feet. He hit and bounced off the ground, reverting back to human form as his amplifying power flowed over his friends.
"Sorry, guys," he mumbled painfully. "I blew it."
As OmniShoutmon stopped glowing from Susanoomon's Overwrite, he let out a hostile snarl as the violent side affects already began to kick in. "You let your power make you arrogant, idiot!"
"I don't want this power boost," Ophanimon C exclaimed. "I don't want to lose control."
"We'll be fine," Omnimon snapped at her, also feeling the Overwrite's side affects. "We handled the power just fine last time against OmegaArmamon. We didn't go berserk then, we won't go berserk now."
"We better not," Imperialdramon growled. "I don't want to go back to the dark side."
A frustrated sigh escaped OmniShoutmon. "Overwrite doesn't make us evil or go berserk. It just increases our power, but can make us more violent while it's in affect." He looked back at Galacticmon. "We may need that advantage to defeat this guy."
The satellite Digimon turned back to them. "No advantage you get will help you. My goal is within sight, and I will obtain it."
"Yeah, yeah, your revenge," Imperialdramon grumbled impatiently. "You told us already."
"No," Galacticmon replied seriously. "That is not my goal. I intended to take my revenge on you, but that was not what I was ever truly after. My goal was something I set out to do long before I met you. And with the power the Demon Lords have given me, it's only a matter before I achieve it, and become the strongest of all Digimon."
"Join the club," said Omnimon. "That's what every Digimon wants."
"But I can actually do it," Galacticmon told him. "And become unsurpassable. You see, as Vemmon, I possessed the power to fuse with and control machines. That power has only increased every time I've Digivolved. Now that I'm at the Mega level, it's only a matter of time before I become strong enough to be able to fuse with the very planet itself."
"What!?" Ophanimon C exclaimed.
"Yes, the planet itself. And once I assimilate all its data, I will be able to Digivolve to Gaiamon, the most powerful Digimon of all."
"You're mad!" shouted Seraphimon. "You'll kill everyone, and leave them without a world to live on when they're reborn."
"Worse than that," said OmniShoutmon. "Him merging with the planet will essentially be him doing a forced Digi-Fuse with everyone on it. And when he actually Digivolves to Gaiamon, we would Digivolve with him into a single being with his will dominating ours. We'd all be trapped inside him with no control over the Gaiamon body."
"That's ridiculous!" Omnimon declared.
Gallantmon nodded in agreement. "It's like those themes from Code Geass or Neon Genesis Evangelion."
"No one knows what that means!" Imperialdramon shouted at him.
"Why would the Demon Lords grant him power if he was going to do something like that?" Ophanimon C cried.
"I doubt they knew," said OmniShoutmon. "If they did, they were probably planning on using then disposing him, or simply controlling him. In any case, the stakes have just become much higher. We're now fighting not just for our survival, but for the whole Digital World's. We need to stop him before he becomes strong enough to merge with the planet. Victorize Banking!"
Galacticmon's hand came up and swatted away the attack. He then used his copying ability to send the attack back at him. OmniShoutmon used his Heavy Metal Vulcan to block the attack, and Seraphimon used his Hallowed Ascension to bring lightning down on the satellite Digimon.
"Galactic Counter!" Galacticmon cried, firing a beam at the firewall.
"This barrier won't hold!" OmniShoutmon warned, and they all took off before Galacticmon's beam burst through the firewall.
"Sorry," said Seraphimon. "I forgot about his counter attack."
"Forget his countering," Gallantmon snapped aggressively. "Just attack him. Crimson Light!"
He threw his spear into the sky above Galacticmon. The satellite Digimon looked up as a beam of light came down on him. The force of the attack pushed down on Galacticmon, but he still managed to lift his head. "Crimson Light!"
Copying the knight Digimon's attack, he fired a spear of light from the top of his head that flew into the sky and burst into a beam that came down on Gallantmon. The knight Digimon covered his head as the beam came down on him, all but pinning him in place. Galacticmon then fired an energy blast from his forehead with his Galactic Attack, blasting Gallantmon right out of the beam.
"Giga Crusher!" Imperialdramon cried.
The blast exploded against Galacticmon, and he jolted back. He ended up copying the attack though, firing his own Giga Crusher at the DigiDestined. They flew away from the blast, but was still caught up in the explosion that followed.
"That damn copying ability," Omnimon growled. "Omni Howling!"
He fired homing blasts, even though there was no reason to lock on due to the satellite Digimon's enormous size. Powerful sound waves were unleashed as the blasts exploded against him. Galacticmon fired his Galactic Gunslinger, shooting lasers from his head and tail. Omnimon held up his arms in front of him as the lasers blasted him back, and he went spinning through the air.
"Call Dramon!" Ophanimon C cried, trying a different tactic by summoning her dragon.
Her dragon appeared and breathed fire at Galacticmon. The satellite Digimon lashed out with his tail, and it coiled around the dragon, pulling it in. Grabbing hold of the dragon's head, he fired his Galactic Gunslinger, shooting a beam from his eye that burned its way through the dragon's head until it burst into data.
"Hallowed Knuckle!" Seraphimon cried, circling around the satellite Digimon. "Hallowed Knuckle! Hallowed Knuckle! Justice Genome! Hallowed Knuckle!"
Galacticmon turned his attention to the angel Digimon and fired his Galactic Gunslinger. Seraphimon flew away, avoiding the laser as Ophanimon C began throwing fireballs from her Volcano Napalm at Galacticmon's face. The satellite Digimon stopped firing and began swiping blindly at the pillars of fire around his face.
"Hyper Prominence!" Imperialdramon cried at the same time OmniShoutmon used his Omni Core Fusion.
Both attacks hit Galacticmon. The satellite Digimon retaliated with his Galactic Counter. Both OmniShoutmon and Ophanimon C flew in front of the attack and blocked with their Heavy Metal Vulcan and Unicorn Shield. The others regrouped, and were joined once again by Omnimon and Gallantmon.
"We've never faced an opponent like this before," said the former. "He's not only very strong, but whenever we use a powerful attack against him, he can just copy it or counter it."
"And the stronger the attack we use, the more powerful the counter," Ophanimon C pointed out.
Imperialdramon swiped his sword through the air a few times in frustration. "Then forget attacking like that! Let's just slice him apart!"
"Control you violent impulses," Seraphimon warned, realizes this was a result of Overwrite. "I have something that might work. At least for his copying and countering abilities."
"Galactic Attack!"
The DigiDestined scrambled about to avoid the attack before assembling again. "What's your plan?" Gallantmon asked.
"We all attack with a series of powerful attacks in waves, and the last of us uses a weak attack. This way if he tries to copy or counter, it'll be for the weaker last attack used on him."
Galactic Gunslinger!"
Lasers fired from Galacticmon's eye and tail. The DigiDestined flew about, avoiding the lasers as Galacticmon moved his head and tail around to try and hit them.
"That'll take care of his counter attack!" OmniShoutmon called as he flew about. "But not his copy ability! He can copy whatever attack he wants, not just the last one used on him!"
"It's better than nothing!" Omnimon shouted. "Let's try it out! I'll go last the first time!"
"Fine with me," said Gallantmon. "I'll go first. Final Justice!"
"Strike of the Seven Stars!"
"Hard Rock Spirit!"
"Super Positron Laser!"
"Holy Destroy!"
"Dash Grey Sword!"
The first five attacks blasted against Galacticmon, but as Omnimon flew in to slash him, the satellite Digimon's hand flew through the air and swatted him away, sending the knight flying without having landed a blow.
"Holy Destroy!" Galacticmon cried, copying Ophanimon C's attack. It flew at Gallantmon, who tried to counter with his Final Justice, but Gallantmon's attack pushed the beam back and struck Gallantmon, blasting him out of the sky.
"Gallantmon, no!" Seraphimon cried.
Ophanimon C came up behind him. "It was a good idea, but it looks like it didn't work."
"Enough of this!" Imperialdramon bellowed. "I'm cutting him down to size!"
He was giving into the violent impulses, and flew at Gallantmon. He attacked with his Omni Sword, but the satellite Digimon fired his Galactic Gunslinger, and the laser struck Imperialdramon's sword, knocking it out of his hands. The dragon Digimon didn't let this stop him as he began firing his Super Positron Laser.
Galacticmon's claw shot out and grabbed Imperialdramon in his pincer. He held the dragon Digimon tightly before repeating his Galactic Gunslinger. Imperialdramon cried out as he was held in place as the laser proceeded to burn through him.
"Damn you!" Seraphimon shouted, his own violent nature stirring up, and he began repeatedly firing his Strike of the Seven Stars.
Galacticmon held up his tail and fired Imperialdramon's Super Positron Laser that he copied. Seraphimon was blasted back, and both Ophanimon C and OmniShoutmon flew in, the former firing her Shining Laser III while the latter used his Hard Rock Spirit.
Galacticmon turned his attention to them. "Ragnarok Cannon!"
He began to charge his cannon. OmniShoutmon used his Heavy Metal Vulcan, and Ophanimon C increased its power with her own flames before using her Unicorn Shield. That didn't stop Galacticmon's attack from completely blasting through both barriers and sending them both crashing to the ground. OmniShoutmon ended up in a crater with Kari lying on top of him.
"Hyper Prominence!" Imperialdramon cried, firing up at Galacticmon, despite being in his grip.
The satellite Digimon jolted back from the attack before glancing at him. Before he could attack, however, Gallantmon flew in and threw his spear. His Crimson Light was unleashed upon Galacticmon, and the satellite Digimon lashed out with his tail. It came down on Gallantmon, flattening him against the ground, and Galacticmon followed up with his Galactic Counter, blasting the knight Digimon. Then he turned back to Imperialdramon and fired his Galactic Attack at near pointblank range.
The attack caused Imperialdramon to revert back to human form. The drastic decrease in size caused Davis to slip out of Galacticmon's pincer-claw, and he fell. The satellite Digimon didn't bother to make a grab for him, knowing the fall would be more than enough to finish him off.
Seraphimon flew in to make a grab for the falling teen as Omnimon began rapidly firing his Supreme Cannon at Galacticmon to draw his attention. He caught Davis and sped away from the satellite Digimon, but Omnimon's attack was not enough to hold Galacticmon's attention. He swung his tail, and it came down on the angel Digimon. Seraphimon hit the ground, but managed to cradle Davis protectively in his arms.
"Galactic Gunslinger!" Galacticmon cried.
Knowing what was coming, Seraphimon all but threw Davis away from himself, sending out a silent apology for the rough treatment. A moment later, the satellite Digimon's laser struck him in the back and began pushing him along the ground.
Omnimon continued firing, but Galacticmon was straight up ignoring his attacks and any damage they caused. Finally, he stopped shooting as a feeling of utter helplessness hit him. Aside from his battles with the Demon Lords, never had a situation felt so helpless.
His gaze shifted to the crater that was now present where Morphomon's town once was. They had been completely helpless to do anything to stop its destruction when confronting Galacticmon's massive power. And now it seemed that the battle itself was coming to an end, and it most definitely not in their favor.
Was this really how they were going to go out? Defeated by some random Digimon they had encountered by chance who now held a grudge against them? What more, would Galacticmon go on to become stronger and stronger until he eventually had enough power to merge with the planet and become Gaiamon Surely not even the Demon Lords realized what they had unleashed when they gave Snatchmon his power boost. Would this be the inevitable end to the Digital World, and to them?
His eyes darted to his friends. Galacticmon had stopped firing on Seraphimon, who wasn't moving. Both OmniShoutmon and Kari were still lying in the crater, unconscious, but surely down for the count. Gallantmon was trying to get up, but seemed unable to stay on his feet for long. Takuya was up and about, but Omnimon knew his Digivice was out of power.
It looked like he was the only one who was still able to fight, and he didn't think he had it in him to take down the powerhouse that was Galacticmon. No, he knew he didn't. The satellite Digimon had taken damage, sure, but it wasn't enough, and his power was even greater than the Chaos Generals, almost on par with a Demon Lord. And with his copying and countering abilities, not to mention that devastating and unfair Ragnarok Cannon attack, victory seemed impossible.
"Please," he begged to anyone who might be listening as tears began to prick his eyes. "It's not fair. We can't die here."
It truly didn't seem fair. They had come so far, worked so hard to become strong, and Snatchmon simply trumped them because the Demon Lords had given him enough of a power boost to Digivolve to Galacticmon. Where was the justice in that? How could the fates be so cruel?
"It isn't fair," he said again, clenching his eyes shut as his tears ran down his cheeks. "We can't go down like this. It can't end here. It can't." His eyes snapped open, shining furiously. "I won't let it!"
A light began to emit from his chest, and he looked down in surprise. For a second, he thought he was somehow Digivolving, but this was something different. Instead, bits of data began to flow out of his glowing chest, and floated up in front of him. They began coming together, forming into something, something round, something familiar.
He gasped when the object fully manifested, not sure how this was possible. Floating in front of him was the DigiCore that Azulongmon had given him. But how? Omnimon Zwart Defeat had destroyed it. So how was it here before him now?
No, it didn't matter. Azulongmon had given it to him for a reason. Whatever it was going to do, he needed it to happen now.
Reaching out, he grabbed hold of it. He felt the power inside it, and he tapped into it. The sphere suddenly burst open, unleashing a bright blue light that expanded outward. It flowed over the knight Digimon, then contracted around him. Omnimon felt power flow into him, and he let out a loud cry.
"Omnimon Mode Change to… Omnimon Merciful Mode!"
Galacticmon turned towards the source of the light as it began to fade. Omnimon had changed, now resembling both a knight and an angel. His cape had transformed into grand, bluish-white wings, and glowing lines of pale blue, neon light covered several parts of his body. Most of him had turned completely white, and his Grey Sword was now curved to resemble a katana.
Galacticmon didn't bother to minx words. He fired his Galactic Attack, and Omnimon sped out of the attack's path. He sped towards Galacticmon and used his Inferno, continuously firing his cannon as he flew up while circling around the satellite Digimon. Galacticmon swiped at him, but his giant size worked against him this time as the much smaller Digimon used his speed to avoid his claws, hiding behind the satellite Digimon's body.
He came to a stop above Galacticmon. The satellite Digimon looked up at him and fired a laser from his eye with his Galactic Gunslinger. Omnimon raised his arms to block as the laser struck him, knocking him back. He then returned the favor with his Cross-Counter, firing his own countering attack at the satellite Digimon.
"How do you like having your attacks countered?" he demanded, and raised both hands. "Double Torrent!"
He fired a blast of fire from his WarGreymon-head hand and ice from his MetalGarurumon-head hand. The attack exploded in Galacticmon's face, and he jolted backwards. Then he retaliated by copying Omnimon's attack and firing it right back at him. The knight Digimon dove down from the sky to avoid the attack, and Galacticmon pointed his tail at him.
"Galactic Gunslinger!"
"Fearsome Blade!" Omnimon cried.
His sword began to glow, and he lashed out with it. An energy blade flew from his sword, but remained attached to it, stretching out towards Galacticmon. It cut through the satellite Digimon's laser, and Omnimon swung it around like a whip. It sliced through Galaticmon's tail, severing it clean from his body, and Omnimon lashed out with it again, whipping it about. Both Galacticmon's arms and claws fell away, his severed body parts bursting into data.
"Graceful Cannon!" Omnimon cried, pointing his cannon at the satellite Digimon.
A laser of absolute zero energy flew from his cannon. It struck Galacticmon in his long neck, tunneling through like an energy drill. The satellite Digimon roared and used his Galactic Counter. The beam struck Omnimon, carrying him down to the ground before erupting. Galacticmon, now heavily damaged, but still very much alive, loomed over him.
"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, bringing lightning down on the satellite Digimon.
Galacticmon cried out and rose up higher in the sky. He adjusted the angle of his body so his cannon was pointed at the ground, and energy began to gather in it. It appeared he had decided to simply create a massive blast radius for the DigiDestined to get caught up in. "Ragnarok Cannon!"
"Crimson Light!"
With precise aim, Gallantmon threw his spear. It flew up into Galacticmon's cannon and erupted, just as the satellite Digimon's attack went off.
Galacticmon roared as an internal explosion went off. Smaller explosions began to occur on the outside of his body that began to grow larger as he blew up from the inside. This eventually led up to one final grand explosion as Galacticmon exploded. Burning fragments of his body rained down before slowly dissolving away.
Down on the ground, Gallantmon collapsed in exhaustion. "Thank goodness he won't be countering that."
"I hear you," Seraphimon mumbled. "I don't think I could have handled another one."
Omnimon got to his feet and looked around. "Is everybody ok?"
Gallantmon pointed at him. "Are we ok? Look at you. You have wings now."
Omnimon glanced at his wings. "Yeah, I noticed."
"Hey!" Takuya shouted as he ran over to them, waving. "You guys did it! That was awesome!" He looked up at Omnimon. "And check you out. I saw you Digivolve, but not how you did it. What happened?"
"I'd like to know that myself," said OmniShoutmon as he limped over to them. In his arms, he held an unconscious Kari.
Omnimon rushed over to them. "Kari! Is she ok?"
OmniShoutmon looked down at her. "Don't worry, she'll be ok. She's just been knocked out."
"She's not the only one," said Seraphimon as he flew over with the unconscious Davis.
They set the two unconscious teens down, and OmniShoutmon turned back to Omnimon. "Spill. How'd you achieve Merciful Mode? That's a massive feat. Unless you DNA Digivolve with six specific Digimon, it would have required a tremendous, overwhelming amount of sorrow, determination, and a massive power boost."
Omnimon reverted back to Tai. "Then it seems I had all the requirements. Sorrow for failing to save the town from Galacticmon, determination to save all of you and the rest of the Digital World from his plan." He looked at his Digivice. "And a power boost from Azulongmon."
OmniShoutmon blinked. "What?"
"The DigiCore. The one he gave me. The one that Omnimon Zwart Defeat destroyed, it came back somehow. I don't know how or why, but it suddenly appeared. It was like it was inside me, and it came out when I needed it to." His grip on his Digivice tightened. "Or when I just felt the right amount of sorrow and determination required to achieve Merciful Mode."
Gallantmon and Seraphimon resumed their human forms. "But it was destroyed," the former reminded them. "The DigiCore was destroyed. So how did it come back?"
Tai shook his head. "No clue. OmniShoutmon, any ideas?"
"Hmm." The dragon Digimon crossed his arms. "If I had to wage a guess, I'd say it was because it was initially stored in your Digivice. We already know that they record and save the data that's stored in them. It must have saved the data of the DigiCore as well, even after it was destroyed. It's the only explanation that makes sense."
"Whatever happened," said Takuya, "it looks like it happened just in the knick of time."
"Was it?" Tai asked. He looked at the massive crater left behind by Galacticmon's attack on the town. "Was it in time?"
The others looked as well. The town was completely gone. Only bits and pieces of fried rubble scattered along the rim of the crater were all that remained.
"The whole town," TK whispered. "Morphomon, BioQuetzalmon, all the residents…"
Takato's fist clenched. "That evil murderer. I can't believe he did this, just because he could."
"He was going to do worse," OmniShoutmon replied. "Much worse. We may not have saved everyone today, but we should still consider it a victory."
"We may not have saved everyone?" Tai repeated. "We may have saved everyone!? Just look around, OmniShoutmon! Everyone we came here to save has been killed! Tell me, where's the victory in that!? Who exactly did we save!?"
"The world!" the dragon Digimon snapped back. "We saved the world from Galacticmon. Or did you forget what he was planning to do? I don't know how much stronger he still needed to become before he could merge with the planet, or if the Demon Lords planned to destroy him and take back the power they granted him once he took care of us, all I know is that we prevented the literal end of the world. Losing the town may have been a heavy lose, but we have to focus on the good we do, otherwise the sorrows of our failures will overwhelm us."
Tai lowered his head. "But…"
"No buts," the dragon Digimon interrupted. "We can't save everyone. It's impossible. We just can't. That's why we have to focus on who we do save, and who we can still save. And now, with your Merciful Mode, our chances of defeating the Demon Lords have increased even more. So let's focus on that. Focus on who we will save. Because I believe we can." He looked out upon the horizon, eyes shining with determination. "I truly believe we can."
(A/N: Major turning point here. Did you think me having Omegamon Zwart Defeat destroy Azulongmon's DigiCore was just a subvert to expectations? Nope. I'm sneaky that way. I'll mention things early on, wait for you to forget them, then suddenly bring them into the fray. Gotta keep an eye out for that stuff. But yeah, now we've got Omnimon Merciful Mode. And they'll need it. We still got Daemon and Lucemon, the two biggest baddies of the Demon Lords, and Bagramon. Hopefully our heroes can gather some more powerful before the final fight, because they're going to need it. I know this battle didn't exactly end in victory since the entire town was destroyed, but realistically, you're not going to win every battle. But as OmniShoutmon said, you have to focus on who you do/can save, not who you can't. That's an important lesson to keep in minds. Let's hope our heroes remember it n the future. See you in two weeks.)
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Omnimon Merciful Mode's attacks:
Fearsome Blade – Turns his katana-like sword into a long-range energy blade to slice up opponents.
Graceful Cannon – Fires a cold air of laser of absolute zero in the form of a cutting beam.
Double Torrent – A stronger version of Double Shot that shoots fire and ice from his WarGreymon head and MetalGarurumon-head hands.
Cross-Counter – Counters and attack.
Flame Breath – Breathes fire.
Flame Sphere – Shoots fire to form a magic circle that creates huge flames.
Giga Fire – Shoots three fireballs.
Inferno – Continuously fires cannon.
T-Sword – Slashes at an opponent with his sword, causing paralysis.
Storm of Courage – effects unknown.
Galaxy Wind – effects unknown.
Sky Force – effects unknown.
Shuri Shields – effects unknown.
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New Digimon that appear. Replace the DOT in the link(s) with actual periods.
digimonDOTwikiaDOTcom/wiki/Gaiamon
digimonDOTwikiaDOTcom/wiki/Omnimon_Merciful_Mode
deviantartDOTcom/silverbuller/art/Vemmon-Snatchmon-Destromon-Galacticmon-503931696