The process of traveling to the beach of Odaiba was frazzling and terrifying for Hikari. She wasn't even entirely aware of what she was doing. She did know that she and Taichi had rushed out of their apartment as soon as they received the message from Koushiro, and they wound up running into Meiko along the way. The three of them and their partners wound up scrambling in the direction of the invading Digimon, and Hikari could barely process anything above the pounding of her heart in her ears that made her nauseous. She felt like the world was trying to swallow her whole, and she couldn't do anything to fight back. Her chest had grown tight, and Hikari kept on trying to convince herself that everything was fine.
But that was the problem; it wasn't fine, and she was fully aware of it. Hikari tried to force her mind to harp back Takeru's words from a few days prior. He had calmed her down so much at the time, and she needed to remember everything that he had told her if she was doing to calm down. Tailmon was running by Hikari's side, and the Chosen Child of Light found herself resisting the urge to pull Tailmon into her arms and just hug at her partner until her awful feelings started to fade away. She knew that was much easier said than done, but she yearned for it regardless.
By the time that Hikari and the rest of her group had arrived at the beach, that sick feeling had taken hold of her with more vicious teeth than she had thought possible. Hikari bit down on her lip and tried to make sure that she was still standing. If there had been a doubt before, then it had disappeared. She knew why it was that this was happening, and the fact that they were here of all places made that clear.
It was the Dark Ocean. They hadn't gone to defeat the monsters in the Dark Ocean quickly enough, and so, the beasts were coming to them.
This was the same location that Hikari had been in when she remembered being taken away to the Dark Ocean the first time. The beach had spawned many positive memories for her in the past, and she did her best to focus on those a majority of the time. However, there did come times when she felt as if she couldn't escape it no matter how hard she tried, and this was certainly one of those moments.
Hikari felt a hand come down on her shoulder, and at first, she thought that she was going to scream in shock. Instead, she just glanced up to see that her brother was staring forward with something solemn in his eyes. He was trying to reassure her, and she appreciated it without a shadow of a doubt. Her fingers came up to touch at the back of Taichi's hand, and she did her best to let all of her stress melt away as quickly as possible. This was hardly the time to be distracted, after all. The enemy Digimon were getting closer, and she wouldn't be able to escape them no matter how much she wanted to run.
"I don't see any Digimon around here," Mimi commented. Palmon was at her side, already in a fighting stance in preparation for the battle at hand. All of their partners were still at the Child level save for Tailmon, Meicoomon, and Kabuterimon. Even so, they were ready to evolve at a moment's notice, knowing that something had to be coming their direction.
"They're coming out of the water," Hikari murmured before she could stop herself. She was distantly aware of the fact that the rest of the Chosen Children were already there, and they had all heard what she had said. She wasn't planning on taking it back anyways; she was confident that the monsters were coming out of the sea, and it wouldn't be much longer before they arrived. If their enemies were coming from the Dark Ocean this time around, then that meant that it would only be natural if they came from the nearby body of water.
"I've had enough of waiting," Yamato said simply. He held up his Digivice, and it wasn't long after that the rest of the group had started to follow in his lead. The partners started to evolve and change shape, and Hikari wound up reaching for her own Digivice as well. The light that blanketed the area was immense, and Hikari nearly stumbled with how overwhelming it all was. Something in the back of her head pounded in protest, and she did her best to make sure that she was able to stay standing in spite of this sudden issue.
The cries of the Digimon as they evolved merged together into a series of syllables that Hikari couldn't decipher even if she tried. However, she did know that the older six Chosen Children had pushed their partners to the Ultimate level while the other seven opted for the highest level that they had access to without Jogress. Daisuke and Ken kept their eyes on one another, ready to undo any evolution necessary so that they could bring out Imperialdramon if the need arose. Hikari swallowed dryly, praying with everything she had that this didn't wind up being necessary.
The first Digimon to break free through the surface of the water was one that it took Hikari a long time to recognize. She blinked a few times before a gasp pushed itself free of her lips, and she recognized that they were none other than SkullSatamon. There had to be at least a dozen of them, and this was just the first wave. Her headache seemed to get worse immediately, and Hikari glanced up to Angewomon in fear. Her partner gave her a gentle nod in return, and Hikari wished that she could shove her paranoia aside to focus on the battle even though she knew it wasn't that easy.
"SkullSatamon?" Ken murmured, his eyes going wide as he took a step back. "The main time that I recall fighting against SkullSatamon was..." He trailed off after that, and Daisuke gave him a look of pity and worry. Hikari couldn't finish his sentence even if he tried; after all, she was fully aware of the circumstances Ken was speaking of, and she didn't want to reflect on them either.
"Let's go and take care of them before they can get away with causing any other harm," Rosemon declared. When she earned a nod of agreement from WarGreymon, she surged forward and flicked her whip outwards, wrapping it around the core of the first SkullSatamon in the group. It wasn't long before she had sent the creature flying upwards into the air, and when she flicked her wrist a second time, the SkullSatamon was sent rolling across the sand and back into the water. She smiled with pride before moving on and turning her attention to the next Digimon that dared to get too close to her.
"Holy Arrow!" came the cry of Angewomon, and she created the bow that marked her trademark attack. She hit one of the SkullSatamon in the shoulder, and the beast screamed in pain before trying to stagger forward. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before a large attack from WarGreymon slammed into Hikari's field of vision, and the SkullSatamon was gone before it had the chance to even dream of fighting back.
"They're still coming out of the ocean!" Jou shouted, pointing to the back of the herd of SkullSatamon. Hikari followed his gesture and realized that he was right; there were still Digimon coming out of the ocean, and each new creature that appeared made her feel more nauseous. Why did it feel like she couldn't stay calm no matter how hard she tried? The Dark Ocean had made her feel this way when she had contact with it in the past, and Hikari was left to wonder just how bad the tear in the barrier had gotten while the group was waiting for a route to travel there to open.
"I suppose that finding a path to the Dark Ocean isn't going to be a problem for us anymore," Iori muttered with a bitter frown. He opened his mouth to speak once again, but he was ultimately cut off with a gasp that pushed itself free against his will. His eyes went wide, and Hikari found herself gasping as well as soon as she realized what it was that had unsettled him to such a degree.
The Digimon that were coming out of the ocean weren't just SkullSatamon; there were also LadyDevimon, and upon even closer examination, MarineDevimon. If that didn't make Hikari feel awful, then she didn't know what did. She did her best to focus on breathing, but that was much harder than she had given it credit for in the past, and it felt like the world was going to try and crush her if she wasn't careful. It was nauseating, and that was the nice way of putting it.
"Wait a moment... The Digimon that are coming through the gate..." Takeru murmured. He glanced over to Iori and Hikari, his eyes asking them if they knew what he was trying to imply. Hikari did understand no matter how much she wished that she didn't comprehend his musings. His fears were being confirmed in the same way that hers were.
"Those are the Digimon that we saw when Daemon attacked!" Daisuke cried out. Hikari's stomach twisted at the voicing of her fears, and she realized that the truth had been right there all along; the pushing of the barrier had been Daemon's fault all along. They had sealed him away in the Dark Ocean using Ken's Digivice years prior, and they were going to have to actually defeat him this time. He had been strong enough three years ago, but this time, he was more powerful. Three years in the Dark Ocean had seemingly boosted his power levels as far as Hikari could tell, and that was going to spell disaster for them all.
"I hate this!" Miyako shouted, her voice laced with anguish and anger. She glanced over to Silphymon and watched as her partner released an energy blast that sent one of the LadyDevimon rocketing back into the ocean. There was a clear line of the Chosen Children and their partners and the invaders from the Dark Ocean. The oncoming attackers were trying to break through their defensive line to reach the rest of the city. The gate had given way after years of waiting, and they were going to take advantage of it if it was the last thing that they did.
"Let's send them back," Taichi told the rest of the group. "If they're coming from the Dark Ocean, then we can use this to our advantage. We can push them to need to retreat, and then we can come up with a plan so that we can take them out on our own terms."
"Is Daemon even here?" Yamato wondered aloud. "If he is, then we're going to have to be ready for him. There are enough Digimon as it is even without him feeling the need to lead the charge, but I think that we all remember the type of creature that he proved himself to be."
"Let's assume that he is for the sake of safety in case he does show up," Koushiro replied. His expression was tense, and he glanced up to HeraklesKabuterimon with something fiery and passionate in his eyes. His partner Digimon dove down to the invading group of SkullSatamon, and all it took was one powerful whip of his metallic helmet to send the nearby creatures scattering. Data rose up into the air as some of the monsters were defeated once and for all, and Hikari watched the traces spiral into the sky with something that was both empathetic and uncaring manifesting in her chest.
HolyAngemon swooped down through the sky, slashing his sword at the center of every Digimon that dared to stray too close. A few of the SkullSatamon sustained damage to the ribcage area, leaving notable weaknesses open to be exploited given the way that the monsters were structured. All it took was one hit to their vulnerable cores of energy for them to be defeated.
This was something that MetalGarurumon was all too happy to take advantage of, and he released a few blasts of his icy breath in the direction of every SkullSatamon that was showing signs of weakness. Even if the invading Digimon had the advantage of sheer numbers, they were at a lower level than the Ultimate Digimon that made up half of the Chosen Children and their partners' team. Hououmon followed up on MetalGarurumon's actions by sending attacks of fiery feathers raining down on any Digimon that just so happened to be in range.
Hikari watched everything with held breath, still uncertain as to how she was meant to respond to all of this. No matter what she said or did, it didn't seem to feel right to her. Maybe it was because of how close she was to the gate. It had made her feel awful in the past, and it wasn't a stretch to say that the experience was repeating. She let out a small sigh, choosing to focus on the way that Meicrackmon's trails fluttered in the wind in between firm strikes at any Digimon that moved in her direction. Meicrackmon had the ability to paralyze any Digimon temporarily, and that was certainly helpful in terms of beating back the oncoming enemy forces.
If there was one thing that Hikari could mark as being a positive throughout this fight, it was the fact that the invasion appeared to have hit a standstill. All of the Digimon that were going to be traveling through the gate had already appeared. A few of the monsters that had sustained significant damage were moving to retreat as well, and the SkullSatamon's numbers were already starting to thin. Despite the immense pressure and stress that Hikari feared she wouldn't be able to escape, everything was making a turn for the better, and that was something that she was choosing to hold tightly to for the sake of her own sense of peace.
Vikemon punched his arm towards a LadyDevimon that was trying to unleash an attack in his direction, and the demonic Digimon was sent spiraling back down to the sea immediately. The clap of the attack echoed into Hikari's ears, and she winced at the cry of pain that followed. Angewomon nocked an arrow and sent it hurtling in the direction of LadyDevimon a moment later, and when the attack pierced LadyDevimon's chest, the devil screamed in agony. Her data scattered and started to drift up to the sky a moment later, and Hikari watched it all happen with a pale, ghastly expression.
Shakkoumon released a large blast of energy in the direction of a SkullSatamon, knocking the enemy Digimon to the ground immediately. JewelBeemon followed up by attacking another SkullSatamon, and both of the creatures were sent scrambling back towards the portal where they had come from. Paildramon blasted a nearby SkullSatamon, and he was the third to send one of the invading Digimon packing.
"We're already making progress," Taichi commented from his place beside Hikari. She nodded vaguely in agreement as Meicrackmon streaked across the sand nearby, slamming her tail into any Digimon that dared to stray too close to her. "But we still don't know if Daemon is here or not."
"I hope not," Hikari murmured with a shake of her head. Actually, when she thought about it, she couldn't tell in the slightest what outcome would be for the best. Daemon could appear while they were still on Earth, leaving him at a disadvantage based on the sheer factor of environment, but the group wouldn't have as much time to prepare, and they would likely be worn down by the time he showed himself because of the Digimon that he was sending to fight first. On the other hand, Daemon could keep to the Dark Ocean, and that would force the group to chase him into the domain that had likely made him stronger over the course of the past few years. Hikari didn't like the idea of either outcome, but if Daemon really was the creature that was causing such stress to the barrier, then there wasn't much of a choice in the matter. They were going to have to find a way to come out on top one way or another.
Rosemon's whip solidified itself into something sharper, and she stabbed it into the chest of a nearby SkullSatamon. The core of the dark Digimon was impaled on the blade of the whip, and SkullSatamon was left to spiral into the sky as little more than small chunks of data. Hikari didn't like the idea of having to kill so many Digimon on the Earth side of the barrier where they couldn't be regenerated, but she was also aware of the fact that they had no other option. Besides, she didn't even know if there was a way for Digimon to be reincarnated if they perished in the Dark Ocean, and she didn't even think that she wanted to hear the answer.
WarGreymon raised his hands above his head, and the energy in the air around him began to consolidate into a large orb of orange power that churned and shifted ominously. Hikari knew what was coming, so she held up her arms over her head to make sure that no sand wound up making its way onto her face. Her eyes were closed when WarGreymon's attack made contact, but she could hear the screaming of the SkullSatamon, LadyDevimon, and MarineDevimon even if she wasn't looking at the battlefield.
"We're getting through them already..." Sora murmured, though there was something tight about her voice that Hikari hated to confess that she resonated with. Sora knew just as well as the rest of them that this couldn't be that easy. There was no way that Daemon wasn't there after being given the chance to exact his revenge after being in the Dark Ocean for so long. Hikari knew that he had to be there, and it was just a matter of time before he showed his face.
"Let's keep going and focus on the Digimon that we can see for now. We're being careful, and we'll handle Daemon if he does show up when the time is right," Yamato said. Sora nodded her understanding, and Taichi gave a concise gesture of agreement.
Hikari focused on Angewomon and Silphymon teaming up to fight off a trio of LadyDevimon to make sure that she was still grounded in reality. A sigh left her lips as an arrow combined with an energy blast to send one of the LadyDevimon flying back down into the sea. The spray of the ocean reached several feet into the sky, and it was only thanks to some random stroke of a miracle that none of the Chosen Children got wet. Hikari let out a careful breath and started to count through the Digimon that were still on the battlefield. They were making progress, and as far as she could tell, that was what they could be most thankful for.
Hiraku wiped one hand across the back of his forehead as he stared at the screen of his computer. He had been sitting there ever since the Digimon signals first appeared, and he couldn't seem to get rid of the tension that lived at the center of his chest as a result of the sudden attack. He was doing his best to remind himself that these circumstances were by no means the same as what he had seen in the past. Hiraku knew realistically that this was nothing like the previous invasion of Odaiba, but it was much easier to tell himself that than to actually convince his mind to believe it, and he wondered if he would actually be successful in getting through this ordeal without lapsing into some ridiculous panic along the way.
The door opened without any sense of grace, and Hiraku's attention changed subjects immediately. He perked up to see that Daigo was standing in the doorway, and half of Maki's body could be seen as well. "We're going," Daigo said simply. "We're going to see what's happening."
Hiraku nodded distantly, knowing that there was no way of stopping Daigo when he got stubborn and determined this way. "Okay," he replied. He glanced back down to his computer. "Be safe out there... Please. I don't want anything bad to happen to either one of you."
"Promise," Daigo responded, though his words were faint and lacked any sense of passion behind them, though that seemed to be true of a lot of Daigo's actions over the past fifteen years.
Outside of the office, Daigo and Maki dashed away from the entrance to Hiraku's segment of the building. Maki shut the door in a single, swift motion before she chased after Daigo, moving as quickly as she could without disturbing the professional environment that they had come to know as their workplace.
Maki had felt it as soon as the gate started to open. She could just tell that there was something wrong, and then, a message spread throughout the data bureau saying that there were Digimon int he city again. Maki had been positive that there were Digimon coming in specifically from the Dark Ocean, and the whispers that seemed to be calling for her got louder until they were unbearable. She knew that the Dark Ocean was coming for her, and she had to find a way to make it all stop. Maki liked to think that she was normally a logical person, but that did little to keep her from believing that running right towards the fight was the best option. She wasn't going to be able to run from the Dark Ocean, and so, she would have to confront it.
Daigo had come to find her as soon as he heard the news, and when he noticed that she was nursing a headache, he offered to help her. That was how they had started off on their journey away from the data bureau in the first place. Daigo refused to let her go at something so dangerous alone, and Maki refused to back down no matter what anyone told her. In other words, they had both sealed their fates, and all they could do was help one another to reach the point that they thought of as success.
It wasn't until after Daigo and Maki had left the building that Maki started to talk. "It's coming for me again," she whispered. She didn't bother specifying what she was referring to, knowing that Daigo already understood without a need for details.
Daigo's eyes went wide, and he offered a brief shadow of a wave in the direction of one of their coworkers. A number of the field agents were focusing on getting the normal citizens of Odaiba as far from the beach as possible, and while Daigo and Maki had not been assigned to that job, Maki knew that she would be able to get away with leaving because of the fact that she was normally out in the field in the first place. If all went well, nobody would ask any questions, and she would be able to continue her research regardless of what others asked of her.
"Yeah," Maki confirmed when Daigo seemingly lost the words to respond to her simple sentence. "I can feel it. The Dark Ocean wants me, and I feel like it has something to do with the one enemy Digimon that we were never able to defeat."
"You can't possibly mean to go there," Daigo told her, his voice edging on something pleading in his desperation. "It's dangerous, and if you go there without your partner, then everything is going to go wrong. You saw what happened last time, didn't you?"
"Of course I'm not going alone," Maki replied with a loose snort. "I'm not that stupid, Daigo. I know that it would end poorly, so I'm not going to try it. However, I do know that there are going to be Digimon there at the scene of the invasion, and I might be able to get a few answers if we get there in time. We'll just have to see how it all goes."
"Alright," Daigo murmured, though it was clear that he still wasn't entirely convinced that this was a good idea. He didn't reach out for Maki's hand, but the yearning in his eyes remained clear as could be. Maki nodded faintly in his direction, though she didn't bother going beyond that. Daigo understood the sentiment regardless, and he continued to dash through the city streets with Maki at his side. For better or worse, they were going toward the ocean, and Maki couldn't tell if she was ready for it or not, but she knew that she had no choice.
Their numbers were thinning.
Ken didn't think that he had experienced that much relief in a long time. When he noticed that the enemy Digimon were starting to lose the upper hand by a significant amount, he let out a heavy sigh of gratitude. The SkullSatamon were below half of their original numbers, closer to being at a third of their original headcount. The LadyDevimon and MarineDevimon had stronger ratios, but there was still a notable lack of enemy forces compared to how the start of the battle had been.
Ever since he realized that the enemy Digimon were the same that had appeared with Daemon so many years prior, Ken had felt sick. He knew realistically that the original members of Daemon's invading group had perished. The Chosen Children had defeated the group themselves, and the monsters would never again be reincarnated because they fell on Earth rather than in the Digital World. Still, in spite of this thing that Ken knew to be fact, he was seeing all of the Digimon from before but in numbers that were exponentially larger. There were so many of them, and it seemed like Ken couldn't stop seeing them once he had started. There were too many of them, and even though the Chosen Children had the upper hand, he couldn't shake the panic that was condensing rock hard in his chest, weighing him down like he was made of lead.
Ken didn't know how it was even possible for Daemon to reach out to so many Digimon and create an army like this, but he didn't think that he wanted the answer in the first place. He was bound to find out eventually whether he was hoping to hear the truth or not though. It was just a matter of time. Remembering Daemon in general left an awful taste in his mouth, something that reminded him a bit too much of the uncomfortable taste of blood and guilt.
He still had nightmares about what happened while Daemon was on Earth. He hated to admit it because he didn't want to think about the fact that he still remembered it all in such stunning clarity, but it was the truth. On his worst nights, it was like Ken couldn't forget the sensation of being pulled in every direction between the wishes of Daemon, Oikawa, and the Chosen Children themselves. Ken was usually able to calm himself down at least a little bit by reminding himself that Daemon was in the past while he was in the present, but that was much easier said than done, all things considered. After all, he was staring down the remnants of Daemon's army, or perhaps the newest addition to the enemy forces, and he knew that Daemon had to be somewhere nearby.
Ken could sense Daemon whether he wanted to admit it or not. There was something in his stomach, like a scream that pierced the air and threatened to shatter glass, that told him that Daemon was there. Of course he was there. Ken had become so terrified of that disgusting presence that it lingered in his mind for years after the fact, and he couldn't escape it in that moment no matter what he tried or wanted. Daemon was there, and it was only a matter of time before he showed himself.
An attack from a MarineDevimon made contact with the sand right in front of Ken, and he let out a gasp as he stumbled backwards. Takeru and Daisuke wound up being the ones to catch Ken when his legs threatened to give out from beneath him due to something between shock and terror. "Are you alright?" Takeru asked, his voice so eerily calm in the situation that felt so hopeless and terrifying to Ken. Despite himself, Ken nodded numbly. He knew that it wasn't true, but he didn't think that he would be able to find the words to explain the full extent of why he felt so dreadful even if he wanted to.
Overhead, JewelBeemon primed his spear in the direction of the MarineDevimon that had launched the attack in the first place. JewelBeemon slammed the sharp end of the weapon into the shoulder of the MarineDevimon, and the enemy Digimon screamed in pain before being forced into a quick retreat. JewelBeemon swept back into the air after the fact, not wanting to become the target of the Digimon while he was so far behind enemy lines. JewelBeemon gave a quick nod in Ken's direction, a silent assurance that he had resolved the issue before it could grow worse, and Ken returned the gesture. His throat felt as if it had closed up when he wasn't paying attention.
"The longer that we fight, the easier it is for the monsters to go down," Miyako commented from somewhere off to Ken's left. He glanced over to her, glad that she was able to feel such overwhelming confidence about the situation while he just felt like he was going to be sick the longer that he had to acknowledge that Daemon was there waiting for him and preparing to launch his second invasion of Earth. Miyako undoubtedly knew about the fact that Daemon was dangerous, and Ken was confident that her lack of open concern didn't equate to not caring. In fact, Miyako seemed to care too much under most circumstances given the sheer force of her emotions. All of this added up to a complicated bundle of emotions in Ken's mind that made him wish that he could be as confident and laidback about the situation as she was.
Ken was halfway tempted to say something about how it didn't feel right that the enemy Digimon, as strong as they had been three years ago, were going down so easily. It was odd that they were so lackluster after all of the damage that these three types of Digimon had been capable of three years beforehand. It left a bad taste in Ken's mouth, and he wished that he could articulate all of the complicated emotions that were stirring in his chest without feeling awful about how wrong it was bound to sound.
The ocean's water was all too calm as far as Ken could tell, and when he glanced up, he could see that there were no other Digimon retreating or appearing. The fight was static, as if this moment was the most important part of anything that had happened up to that point. Ken wasn't sure of what told him that something was about to happen, but he could most certainly feel it.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the ocean's waters started to go black, almost as if someone had dropped the most ominous brand of ink ever into the sea itself. The waves grew violent and acidic, and Ken took a step back, almost stumbling to the ground in his surprise. Taichi had been saying that they had to be ready in case Daemon actually did appear, and it seemed as if he had been right to say so.
When the ocean's waters calmed, none other than Daemon rose out of the sea, his red clothing all too bright and dark simultaneously in the distorted vision of Ken's reality. His wings were just as dark as Ken remembered, but they didn't even need to flap to keep him suspended in the air. Daemon was simply there, and he didn't need any justification beyond that.
If Ken had felt as if he was still there at all, the sensation of being present and alive faded away as soon as Daemon's hollow eyes shifted in his direction. The fighting taking place in the ocean was pure chaos, making it impossible to fully process what was taking place. Daemon felt like the only thing that was real, and Ken wondered distantly if he had forgotten how to breathe.
"Hello, Ken," Daemon said simply, the words ominous and twisted in a way that every part of Ken's being rejected. It didn't feel as if this could be real, but he knew better than to wish for all of this to be false when it was far from being realistic.
This was his reality, and there was no way for him to escape it no matter how hard he tried or how fast he ran. The atrocity of the Dark Ocean was the one who had terrified him for so many years, and no amount of wishing or dreaming would alter such a fact.
Kaya was glad that the restaurant was lacking in customers for the most part at this time of the morning. The only ones who were stationed in the building were the regulars who were indulging in their normal blends of coffee and tea to start off their Sundays. The dining area was suspended in a state of calm so still that it felt eerie, almost as if shattering the silence was a crime punishable with only the highest of consequences.
And at the center of it all was Chisane.
The other woman was standing at the window and looking out at the street outside, her eyes glossy and unfocused. One hand was pressed against the glass, but she barely seemed to register it. She had been that way for the past few minutes, but all of the regulars hadn't bothered to ask her about it. After all, it wasn't any of their business, so they didn't see much of a reason in intruding on matters that were clearly personal and private.
Kaya had been staring for a while, trying to figure out what it was that was going on with Chisane in the first place. She knew deep down that it had something to do with the Digital World, but she didn't want to have to put up with that. The last time that they had gone to Odaiba, everything had fallen apart, and Chisane had been so sick that it took her seemingly ages to recover in full. Kaya couldn't let that happen again. She had seen more than enough of her companion suffering to last a lifetime, and she refused to allow it to repeat. No matter what Chisane asked, she wasn't going back to Odaiba. The rest of the group could handle things on their own, she was sure.
Still, that didn't mean that Kaya was going to treat herself as completely helpless. She approached Chisane and placed a hand on the other woman's shoulder. Chisane didn't even register that Kaya was behind her until after Kaya cleared her throat, and Chisane turned slowly, her eyes still hazy and distant. She was curious and quiet, but she didn't openly ask Kaya what was going on.
Kaya gave a glance around the restaurant just to make sure that everything was in order before she took Chisane by the hand and led her into a small hallway that led into the kitchen. This was the most private space that they were going to get access to in the restaurant since the other employees were in the kitchen itself, and Kaya was going to take advantage of this time while she had it.
"Are you alright?" Kaya asked quietly, pulling in Chisane close so that they could whisper to one another easily. The last thing that Kaya wanted was to have to explain what was going on to anyone else who just so happened to pass by, and as such, keeping this matter as quiet as possible was her priority.
Chisane nodded slowly before the haziness of her vision started to clear up. "I can feel it, you know," she said softly. "There's a gate that just opened, but... It's not from the Digital World. I think that... It has to be the Dark Ocean. I can't imagine that it's anything else. The energy that I feel... It's so strong and negative. It feels like it's out for blood."
"That sounds like the ocean we know and love," Kaya snorted with a shake of her head, sarcasm dripping off her words like blood from a knife. "We can't go to Odaiba. I don't know what it is that you're thinking, but I'm not going back there so soon after what happened. I'm not going to let you turn around and get sick again when, in my opinion, you still haven't fully recovered from what happened when we were last there."
"I have recovered," Chisane corrected, her eyes narrowing in Kaya's direction. "I'm going to be fine, but... I'm not saying that we should go there anyways. There's a gap in the barrier between worlds, and it's a big one. We're going to have to be careful. I would say that we should call the rest of the team after work today, but... I get the feeling that they already know. There's no way that something like this could happen without them being aware of it. You know how they are..."
"They're all together, and, aside from Atsuo, they do this for a living," Kaya finished for her with a loose nod. "You're right about that much. Still, I... I don't know. I guess I just have a bad feeling about all of this. It's not like anybody can blame me given the circumstances, but... You promise me that you don't want to go back to Odaiba? I would rather not fight you on this if it could be avoided."
"I promise," Chisane assured her. "For the record, I am fine. Physically, I feel back to normal. Sometimes, you act like I'm a doll made out of glass and paper when bad things happen, but I do know how to look after myself. I like to hope that you're aware of that, Kaya."
"Of course I am," Kaya replied, her shoulders losing their tension. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to you. The reason that we left Odaiba in the first place was because we didn't want to be tied up with all of this, and I don't want all of this to be in vain. We left behind our lives and our teammates to come here for the sake of being safe. It would be awful if all of that turned out to be for nothing because we turned around and found trouble here after deeming it to be the safest option for us."
"I'll be fine," Chisane assured Kaya, her voice a soothing whisper. She squeezed Kaya's fingers between her own with a gentle smile on her face. "I said that everything was going to be alright, and I meant it. I'll be here no matter what happens. We're going to be okay, and that's a promise. We'll let the others handle it until we feel like it's safe for us to go back. The group knows what they're doing, and if they need us, then they're going to reach out. They understand why we aren't there in the first place, and that's a good thing. Let's just... Focus on ourselves for a while, okay?"
Kaya nodded, smiling to herself in relief. "You're so much better at all of this than I am," she muttered with a shake of her head. "I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you to calm me down when I got emotional and irrational."
"It's part of my charm," Chisane assured her, letting out a small laugh. Their conversation was interrupted when a gentle sound echoed throughout the restaurant. It sounded like an empty glass filled with ice hitting the table below, and that was more than enough to spur Chisane into action. "It sounds like someone is in need of a refill. I'll go and take care of it. You should stay here until you're feeling a little bit calmer, alright? Everything is going to be fine."
Kaya stared as Chisane left, walking back into the main part of the restaurant before claiming a pitcher of water off the counter and walking toward the table that was in search of a refill. Kaya sighed once she was alone, allowing herself to finally feel a sensation of relief for the first time in what felt like ages. She wondered how long she had been walking around with this tension in her chest, unaware of how upset she was deep down. At the very least, the sensation was gone, and she was going to take that for what it was.
Kaya walked back to the main part of the restaurant a few moments later, and she was glad to see that Chisane was seemingly back to her normal mannerisms. Still, every once in a while, Chisane's gaze would drift over to the window as her eyes lost their focus. Kaya frowned to herself, wondering if maybe the hole in the barrier was worse than they thought. It wasn't as if they had much of a way of saying for sure for the time being given that they couldn't just stop work to contact Daigo, Maki, Hiraku, and Atsuo. Even if that was an option, Kaya didn't think that they would be able to explain if they were in the midst of taking care of other matters, which they most likely were.
For the time being, Kaya just chose to focus on anything that would distract her for just a few fleeting moments. She needed to stop thinking about the Digital World, the Dark Ocean, and Odaiba for a little while longer. If all went well, work would speed up at the restaurant, and she would be freed from her own thoughts. As Kaya yearned for that reprieve, she did her best to not look over at Chisane, knowing that she was going to feel nauseous all over again if she noticed that her companion was still detached and dazed because of the hole in the barrier.
Please take care of this, Kaya thought silently, not realizing that she was pleading with the rest of her team until after the words had crossed her mind. I believe in you, and I'm counting on you to pull this off... Please.
Ken didn't have the chance to fully respond to what Daemon had said, as before he could do anything to react, MetalGarurumon appeared in his field of vision. The Ultimate-level Digimon streaked through the air before slamming into Daemon's side, knocking his foe down into the water. Daemon released a small blast of energy in MetalGarurumon's direction, and the wolf jumped backwards before he could take the hit. Daemon rose to his full height once again, his eyes bleeding apathy in a way that made Ken want to be sick all over again.
"We should have known that you would be behind this," Takeru remarked, his voice taking on a somewhat dangerous quality. Ken had heard Takeru walk this edge before right before the blonde's fist made contact with his cheek back when he had been the Kaiser. Somehow, hearing Takeru's voice in this context, something that should have reassured him, only made him feel more nervous.
"You were the ones to seal me away in the Dark Ocean, after all," Daemon said in return. "It's been a long time since I was last in this world... I see that not much has changed. You're all still standing, but that gives me the chance to pick you off as I so please."
As soon as Daemon continued to speak, Ken let out a strangled gasp, his breath catching in his chest. How had he not realized it before? Daemon was the owner of the voice that had been whispering to him ever since the weakness in the barrier appeared. He had been the one mocking Ken in the silence all along. Time had prevented Ken from recognizing the voice in full, but once he noticed, he couldn't reverse the process, and a new wave of nausea slammed into Ken's stomach with enough force to make him think that the world was collapsing with him at the center of the catastrophe.
Daemon chuckled to himself and shook his head. "It seems that you've figured it out," he commented, his voice all too casual for the heavy things of which he was speaking. "When the barrier grew weak enough, I began to call for you. Spending three years in a world of dark energy gives you the perfect chance to hone your skills, after all."
"You aren't going to get away with this!" Daisuke shouted, jabbing his finger in the direction of Daemon. "We're going to make sure that you're defeated before you can do anything to hurt anybody else!"
"I would like to see you try," Daemon said simply.
That was all it took for the battle to fall apart. The partner Digimon that weren't currently occupied with fighting the SkullSatamon, MarineDevimon, and LadyDevimon lunged towards him. This included MetalGarurumon, JewelBeemon, HolyAngemon, and HeraklesKabuterimon. However, it was all too easy for Daemon to weave in and out of their attacks, and by the time that their onslaught had drawn to a close, Daemon was notably unharmed and didn't seem to care at all that he had been targeted in the first place. The most notable sign that he had been in a fight at all was a small skid mark at the bottom edge of his clothing, and that still did little to show much of anything.
"Is it just me, or is he a lot stronger than last time?" Miyako asked. She was cut off by a strangled shout as she threw her arms above her head, and the sand at her feet was kicked up by a rogue attack that had missed its target. Silphymon and Angewomon were all too quick to take care of the Digimon that had caused such an offense in the first place, sending the data of the SkullSatamon spiraling into the air. Silphymon's lips were curled into a frown at the edges, but he otherwise seemed unbothered by what he had been forced to do.
"He is," Iori confirmed, his eyes narrowing in the direction of their foe. "It seems that he wasn't fooling us when he said that his time in the Dark Ocean had made him much stronger. He's changed... And it's not going to be easy for us to defeat him."
"We'll just have to stay focused," Taichi muttered, his eyes narrowing in Daemon's direction. He took a step back, gesturing for the rest of the group to do so as well. Above, WarGreymon raised his arms above his head before slamming down a large energy blast that sent SkullSatamon scattered in all directions.
"It's ridiculous... I don't remember the rest of his underlings being this weak, and I don't remember him being this strong," Daisuke commented, glancing over in Taichi's direction. "Are there even other Digimon in the Dark Ocean?"
"I don't know," Hikari replied with a shake of her head. Her face had grown a ghastly pale color, as if she was on the verge of collapsing. "When I was there, I remember seeing a few creatures that could shapeshift into Digimon, but... They weren't actually Digimon. They made that clear when I tried to help them."
"In that case, I suppose that we're being faced with a few other shapeshifters that are intent on causing problems for all of us," Sora frowned. "I don't know if I like the sound of that, but I suppose that we don't have much of a say in the matter. Hououmon, you know what to do!"
Overhead, Hououmon nodded, and she swept downward with fire crackling along the edges of her wings. The flames slammed into every Digimon that dared to approach her range, and data began to spiral into the sky freely once again. Sora smiled gently at the sight of Hououmon continuing to make progress against their foes, though it was bittersweet given how many lives were being taken among the enemy forces.
Ken watched as Hououmon and the rest of the Digimon continued the battle, but he still couldn't get rid of the sick feeling that rested at the center of his chest. Realistically, he knew that they were probably going to find a way to defeat the Digimon aside from Daemon that had shown themselves. However, he couldn't help but feel as if there was something that was going to go horribly wrong along the way. He didn't have any evidence to back up such an assertion, but the fear remained firmly manifested at the back of his mind anyways, and he didn't seem to be able to escape it no matter how hard he tried.
"Daemon isn't taking any damage from our attacks!" Mimi shouted. A moment prior, Rosemon had sent her whip out in the direction of Daemon, but the weapon had done little aside from add a little bit of extra water to Daemon's clothing. Daemon was much faster than any of them had expected, and beyond that, he wasn't at all struggling with the overwhelming numbers that he was fighting alongside. After all, he could consider the SkullSatamon, MarineDevimon, and LadyDevimon his allies while the Chosen Children had to fight them off.
"He's gotten even stronger than we remember, and I didn't even think that was possible!" Miyako cried out. She snarled at the offending Digimon for a long moment before she slammed her fist into her other hand, which was waiting as an open palm. "If that's how he wants to play, then we're just going to have to find a way to take him out on our own! We've got a lot of strong Digimon on our side, so let's show him what we're made of!"
Daemon's response to that was to chuckle. He made a small energy sphere and hurled it at the ground, but he aimed beyond the Digimon that were fighting against him. Instead, he targeted the ground at the feet of the Chosen Children, and the attack was so fast that none of them had a moment to prepare. Sand was sent flying in every direction, and screams pierced the air.
Ken wasn't sure of what happened for a moment after that. His vision went dark, and he felt pain blossom across his ribcage in a show of sudden and unexpected brutality. He let out a strangled cry of agony when he tried to push himself back to his feet. He had been the closest to the attack when it made contact, and that had been too much for him to bear, it seemed. Ken was confident that a bruise was going to form across his side as a result of the impact, and he wondered if it was already starting to manifest.
When Ken's eyes opened once again, he was met with the overwhelming shadow of none other than Daemon himself. "Goodbye," Daemon whispered simply, the word so understated and lacking in presence that it was more terrifying than any grand speech that Daemon ever could have given.
The Digimon raised one hand above his head, and sharpened extensions to his claws appeared. They were made of some type of dark energy, and Ken's body refused to move from terror. He stared with wide eyes, knowing that this was going to be the end. There was no way that he was going to be able to survive an attack like this. What were the restrictions of the human body when it came to injuries of this nature?
Ken's eyes remained firmly open as he waited for the attack to come, but much to his surprise, it never did. Instead, Daisuke appeared in front of him, stance defensive and open.
The world was a blur in the moments that followed. Daisuke was suddenly falling backward, and Ken didn't realize what was happening until after WarGreymon had slammed into Daemon to send him sideways. Paildramon was hot on his heels, eyes burning with anger. JewelBeemon joined the fray, and the rest of the Digimon seemed to abandon their ideas of fighting off the remaining forces in the name of getting back at Daemon for what had just happened.
Ken didn't even fully process what his body was doing as he shifted his position so that his arms were wrapped around Daisuke's torso. His companion's name was falling desperately from his lips, but he barely recognized the sound of his own voice. Everything was secondary to the screaming of the waves crashing against the shore. His eyes were locked on the thin traces of scarlet that had opened along Daisuke's ribcage. It didn't feel real that this was happening, but he knew that it was true. Ken's heart slammed against his chest, and tears filled his eyes.
"Why...?" was the first word that Ken recognized as belonging to himself that left his lips. Daisuke had put himself in danger to save him, and Ken didn't understand. This was Ken's fight. He should have been the one in this situation, shouldn't he?
"You're not alone, Ken..." was all Daisuke whispered with that smile on his lips that was as beautiful as it was stupid in Ken's mind. Pain was pulling at the corners of his eyes, but he was desperately trying to hide it for Ken's sake. He let out a small cry of pain when he accidentally moved in the wrong way, and Ken felt like his body was being ripped apart at the seams.
Ken was so concentrated on Daisuke that he didn't even realize that there were three people standing nearby. The first question that passed through his mind asked when Daigo and Maki had gotten there. The second inquiry that appeared in his head was to question why Iori's Digivice was starting to glow.
The expression on Iori's face was so grave that it had enough animosity behind it to tear someone's heart from their chest. Ken stared in surprise, uncertain as to how he was meant to respond to something of this nature. "Enough," was all Iori whispered, and the brown light of his Digivice exploded outward into something brilliant that covered the area.
Ken wanted to raise his hands to cover his eyes, but he was too focused on the sensation of blood beneath his fingernails to even think about it. How bad was Daisuke's injury? Did he even want to know?
"Shakkoumon, evolve to... SlashAngemon!"
Ken's jaw dropped as soon as he fully registered what was happening, and his eyes tilted toward the sky. Flying above the ocean was none other than Shakkoumon, but he was no longer in the same Perfect form that he once had been. Instead, he was an Ultimate Digimon, and if his declaration was anything to go off, his new name was SlashAngemon. Iori's intense emotional response to seeing Daisuke hurt had prompted the new evolution.
SlashAngemon didn't take long to get to work, swooping down from the skies and attacking all of the Digimon that dared to get anywhere close to him. If there were any creatures that had once been given a chance to survive, a chance to retreat, they were left to revert to little more than data that reached for the heavens. Something in the back of Ken's mind remembered how much Iori valued life under most circumstances, and somehow, it felt wrong to see SlashAngemon doing all of this. Even if they weren't fighting against actual Digimon as Hikari had theorized, it was enough to strike Ken to his core with a new type of fear that he hadn't even thought possible.
"Hand him here," Maki's voice suddenly interjected, cutting through the chaos with a dry maturity that slammed Ken back into the stone cold ground of reality. It took him a long time to recognize what she was talking about, her hurried words going in one ear and out the other in his moment of detached panic. Everything felt too slow and too fast at the same time. Despite this, he knew all too well that he was handing over Daisuke too soon. He yearned to stay at the side of his Jogress partner regardless of the hardships that presented even though he knew that it wasn't logical.
The battle became little more than static and background noise that lived in the forgotten regions of Ken's perception of reality. The remaining Digimon (halfway Digimon) that were on the beach were defeated quickly thanks to the combined effort of the Chosen Children and their partners, and it almost didn't seem real that the battle had lasted so long only to end so abruptly. SlashAngemon was fighting against Daemon personally, his blade swishing through the air with unexpected brutality. It seemed that Iori was far from being the only one upset to such a degree over what had happened to Daisuke, and SlashAngemon's wish to pursue the matter was clear as could be thanks to the determination in his posture.
All too quickly, the portal in the ocean began to close. "Until we meet again," Daemon said just before the waters fell still once again, and the beach once again lapsed into a state of eerie serenity that made Ken want to be sick. The Dark Ocean had finally arrived, but he was not happy about its appearance in the slightest. Why had it all had to end this way?
"Sorry to leave on you all so quickly," Daigo declared, and when Ken looked up, he could see that the dark-haired man had taken Daisuke into his arms. Daisuke was still awake, but it seemed that the adrenaline was starting to wear off, leaving his smile strained and cracking at the edges. "I'm going with Maki to get Daisuke medical attention. Stay safe."
That was all it took for Daigo to turn on his heel and run it seemed, as it wasn't long before he and Maki had vanished from sight with Daisuke. Ken wanted to follow them, to be with Daisuke, but he couldn't bring his body to follow his commands. His legs were stuck against the beach, and as soon as he was aware of the sensation of blood on his fingers once again, he couldn't force the memory out of his mind.
Ken's tears were falling before he could stop them, and the water splashed against the sands of the beach below. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the steady pounding of his heart in his chest, knowing that the beat was the same as Daisuke's as per their experiences with Jogress. It was a small comfort, but in that moment, it was all that he could hold onto.
Above all of that and beyond the catastrophe, Daemon's words continued to ring in his ears.
Until we meet again.
That's one way to end a chapter, huh?
I've been waiting for this chapter for a while now. For one, it's the return of the Ultimate evolutions! That's good! On the other hand, Daisuke got majorly screwed over there at the end. That's bad.
First off, let's go over the good news. SlashAngemon is here now! In all honesty, it took me the longest time to decide on SlashAngemon as being Armadimon's Ultimate level, but I really like it, if I'm being honest. The evolution was spurred on by Iori being stubborn, protective, and most of all, true to his values as the bearer of the Crest of Integrity. He wants to defend his friends, and so, he does... But this goes against his other values of not wanting to kill Digimon. Let's just say that he's going to have a field day with that one next time that he gets a chance to breathe.
Then there's the bad news. Daisuke got hurt, and it's going to mess up a lot of members of the team. This really does set the stage for the rest of the story by showing the stakes are pretty damn high. It's not exactly all sunshine and rainbows from this point on, and the character development is sort of spurred by this series of events in a lot of ways. This is just the beginning, in other words.
But I'm not going to give away what all that entails, so I'm going to leave you here because I'm a little asshole who loves cliffhangers. Next week, we'll see all of the aftermath of *gestures vaguely* this. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everybody!
-Digital