[Zack's house, several hours before the match…]
"How are you feeling?" Zack asked as he came into his father's room. Since they came days before, Zack allowed for BanchoLeomon/Darkdramon to take residence in his father's room. Fortunately for him, compared to other parts of the house which are going to take some explaining when he crosses that bridge, his father's room remained intact.
Zack found the split-personality entity off on the balcony outside. The balcony itself pointed out to the backyard, which extended in all directions. It was a decent chunk of land that both Zack and Evelyn took advantage of when growing up.
BanchoLeomon who was now host took note of the voice and looked over as Zack came up to join him. They both stared outward for a moment, taking in the scenery before BanchoLeomon spoke up.
"This may be the last time we can speak like this…" He stated, his tone carrying a heavy tone about it.
"Are you sure Morphomon can't do anything about it?" Zack asked, pondering the thought since he learned about the situation days before.
"She's too young to even understand how she fused us in the first place. As I explained before, I am a being without a body. And we concluded that Darkdramon's core is going to prioritize itself and delete me to avoid corruption. As you can tell, I've come to terms with this fate.
Zack turned to him while pulling out a card from his pocket. "Listen…Darkdramon got on my case for wanting to use a card I retrieved and—"
"I agree with him," BanchoLeomon stated.
"Why though? What's wrong with it?" He looked down at the card; outside of its rather creepy demeanor, it was a typical black Digi-Egg card.
"As he stated before, it's a parasite. I'm not completely knowledgeable on it, but from what I understand, that particular Digimon has caused some of the heavier conflicts regarding the Digimon. Though it stands to say those are rumors at best."
"Still, if it gives me an edge against Wallace, then shouldn't I go for it?"
BanchoLeomon didn't respond to that, giving Zack the impression that he may have said something wrong. "Tell me, if Darkdramon encouraged you to do something to the detriment of your friends, would you do it?"
"Of course not."
"Why not? Why does the method have to matter so as long as you get desired results?"
"Because it's wrong! Why should I prioritize results over the safety of my friends?"
"And that, I believe is the difference between you two," he turned. "You know the correct answer in your head," he tapped his temple, "but do you believe those words in here?"
Zack grew quiet as BanchoLeomon tapped his finger against the boy's chest. He couldn't answer it. Granted, after what he did to Mikayla, who was he to answer it?
BanchoLeomon raised his hand and patted him on the shoulder. "Despite what you may think of yourself right now, I know that you are a good kid. I trust that you will make the right decision, Zack. Do the right thing, and be the hero that Evelyn thinks of you as."
"…am I a hero though?" He asked, settling back on his previous actions still.
BanchoLeomon didn't have trouble answering, "Heroes come with many different definitions. So as long as you do things honestly and without risking the wellbeing of others, you're as strong a hero as anyone can be."
With that, BanchoLeomon walked off the balcony, leaving Zack to ponder the concept of his words a bit longer…
Chapter 6: Agents of Chaos
"I'll start things off by hatching Missimon!" Zack declared as the missile-like Digimon appeared on his side. Subtle gasps came out of the crowd as the Digimon hovered uncaringly.
Missimon (BT4-005)
Color: Black
Level: 2
"Missimon digivolves into Commandramon, then from my hand, I play Liollmon to end my turn!"
Commandramon overlayed on top of Missimon in the Raising Area through a stream of black binary code, while the golden-furred lion cub Digimon materialized in a stream of green binary in the Battle Area.
Commandramon (BT3-059)
Color: Black
Level: 3
DP: 1000
Liollmon (BT4-050)
Color: Green
Level: 3
DP: 5000
MEMORY
0-2 (Turn Change: Wallace)
Wallace drew, "I will also hatch. Come forth, Koromon!"
A pink blob-like Digimon appeared in Wallace's Raising Area gleefully bouncing about without a care as well.
Koromon (BT4-003)
Color: Yellow
Level: 2
"Koromon will then digivolve into Kudamon from my hand," Wallace played as Koromon, thanks to the stream of yellow binary, began to convert into a slender weasel-like Digimon, with purple markings going across its small body. As it lacked limbs outside its arms, its lower body wrapped around a tube-like object, which its upper body rested on comfortably.
Kudamon (BT4-037)
Color: Yellow
Level: 3
DP: 2000
"I end my turn by playing both Falcomon and Pulsemon from my hands as well. When Pulsemon is played, if I have more than three Security, I can draw one card from my deck."
In the Battle Area, a bipedal, brown-feathered falcon Digimon appeared, the top feathers of its body sporting a pale swamp green which contrasted with bright red marks. Next to it, appeared another bipedal, beast Digimon. It had spiky-haired with blonde fur and black zig-zag markings on its body, its feet resembling sneakers, green straps going around them and forming similar zig-zag patterns on the soles as well.
Falcomon (BT4-036)
Color: Yellow
Level: 3
DP: 5000
Pulsemon (P-028)
Color: Yellow
Level: 3
DP: 2000
MEMORY
2-0
0-3 (Turn Change: Zack)
Zack drew for turn, "Commandramon moves to the Battle Area, and then Liollmon digivolves into Leomon!"
Commandramon marched forward while Liollmon took upon the stream of binary and reformed into the Lion man Digimon. The muscled Digimon flexed his muscles, ready to fight for Zack's sake.
Leomon (BT4-055)
Color: Green
Level: 4
DP: 5000
MEMORY
3-1
"Leomon's effect activates: When digivolved into, I can suspend one of your Digimon with 4000 DP or less; I suspend Pulsemon!"
Leomon charged energy in its fist and punched the ground, sending a shockwave that collided and knocked Pulsemon into the air.
"Go for it, Leomon! Attack Pulsemon!"
Leomon: 5000 DP
Pulsemon: 2000 DP
Leomon followed up its attack, drawing its blade. It twirled about and cut through Pulsemon in one swoop, the latter bursting into binary before it could land back on the ground. Subtle cheers responded to Leomon's acrobatics, while Wallace stood, focused and unmoved as ever.
"I end my turn by digivolving Commandramon into Sealsdramon," Zack stated, turning Commandramon into the SEALS-inspired Digimon.
Sealsdramon (BT4-067)
Color: Black
Level: 4
DP: 6000
MEMORY
1-1 (Turn Change: Wallace)
Wallace drew. "You may be able to get to my Digimon, but I assure you, you'll never touch my Security."
"Don't be so sure of yourself," Zack replied.
Wallace threw his hand forward, a card resting between his fingers, "Kudamon moves to the Battle Area, then I play the Option Card: Blinding Ray! By trashing the top of my Security, I regain 2 Memory."
"You're trashing your own Security?" Zack asked as the card appeared before Kudamon. Flashing in a bright light, the Security Card broke down and fed into the Memory Counter above them.
Wallace
Security: 5-4
MEMORY
1-3
"Kudamon digivolves into Piddomon, and then I play the Tamer Tai Kamiya." Wallace finished by digivolving Kudamon into Piddomon, a Digimon nearly identical to Angemon, the difference being the red sash and the lack of wings, bearing four instead of the six of its counterpart. Besides Wallace appeared a young boy with big brown hair and goggles, dressed in a blue shirt and shorts. In his hand, he clutched a device, similar in nature to the Tamer's D-Streamers.
Piddomon (BT4-042)
Color: Yellow
Level: 4
DP: 5000
Tai Kamiya (BT4-094)
Color: Yellow
MEMORY
3-2
2-1 (Turn Change: Zack)
"So what? You get rid of your own Security for effects? Way to make my job easier."
"Risk and Reward are all a part of life," Wallace explained. "And when you know the outcome, the risk always leads to the reward."
Zack scoffed, "God you're cocky."
"Again, same goes to you." Wallace reiterated.
Zack drew. "Oh yeah? Well, what good are Risk and Reward if there's never a strategy to back it? I hatch Missimon and digivolve it into another Commandramon. Then, Leomon is going to digivolve into GrapLeomon!"
Another Commandramon appeared in the Raising Area, while Leomon jumped into the air, allowing the encircling green binary to add armaments to itself, turning it into GrapLeomon as a result.
GrapLeomon (BT4-057)
Color: Green
Level: 5
DP: 6000
MEMORY
1-1 (Turn Change: Wallace)
"A strategy?" Wallace asked as he drew. "Tell me then, would this be considered a 'strategy?' I hatch Koromon once again, and digivolve it into Pulsemon."
Pulsemon appeared in Wallace's raising area, while he drew his bonus and shifted to another card. "I play a 2nd Blinding Ray to gain 2 Memory."
Zack felt a slight twinge of hesitation as the 2nd Security fed itself into the counter.
Wallace
Security 4-3
MEMORY
1-3
"And now, since I have three security, Koromon's IE effect is granted to Piddomon. Tai as well, as since I have 3 Security or fewer, my Digimon all gain +1000 DP, respectively.
Piddomon: 5000-6000 DP
Falcomon: 5000-6000 DP
"I then digivolve Piddomon into WarGrowlmon, who then uses Digi-Burst to subtract 4000 DP from GrapLeomon."
Zack shielded his eyes as Piddomon erupted in a beam of light. The angelic Digimon was now an orange-scaled dragon Digimon with metallic armor covering its body, including a missile-equipped breastplate, vernier thrusters on its back, a matching mouth guard, and bladed gauntlets.
WarGrowlmon (BT4-046)
Color: Yellow
Level: 5
DP: 7000
MEMORY
3-0
As Wallace stated prior, WarGrowlmon roared as yellow silhouettes of both Piddomon and Kudamon infused themselves in WarGrowlmon's cannon, charging them with white energy. Once fully charged, it fired towards GrapLeomon, who shielded itself. the intensity of it caught it off guard, forcing it back despite its struggle to stay resilient.
GrapLeomon: 6000-2000 DP
Wallace ignored the cheering of the surrounding students as he directed his next follow-up, "Falcomon, Security Attack!"
"Sealsdramon blocks!" Zack countered, sending his Digimon to intercept.
Falcomon: 6000 DP
Sealsdramon: 6000 DP
Falcomon took to the air and fired down knife-like feathers that forced Sealsdramon to make half a lap around the battle area while deflecting them with its knife. Once it saw an opening, it flung its knife through the air, catching Falcomon in the chest, while Falcomon's feather caught it. Both Digimon dispersed into data as a result.
"Finally, I end my turn by playing Starmons, from my hand." Wallace finished, summoning a group of Digimon who resembled gold stars wearing sunglasses.
Starmons (BT5-035)
Color: Yellow
Level: 3
DP: 1000
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Zack)
"And using their ability, for each Digimon I have in play, one of your Digimon loses -1000 DP. As I have two, GrapLeomon loses its remaining DP."
GrapLeomon: 2000-0 DP
"Wait what?!" Zack exclaimed, shielding his eyes from the bright light of the rockstar Digimon. The group all lunged and assaulted the weakened GrapLeomon, causing Zack to lose his chance to go into BanchoLeomon next turn.
"And before your turn passes over, Tai suspends to retrieve a Memory, as your Digimon's DP was reduced to 0 this turn."
MEMORY
3-2
The crowd cheered Wallace's name while laughing at Zack for criticizing him and being punished immediately; though it wasn't as if Zack was looking for support from them anyway. The fact that his field was wiped was was unsettling to Nick and Mikayla who watched. Even Evelyn could tell that things were leaning further from Zack's favor.
"I always imagined Wallace would be the strongest of the three of them, but he was able to do so much in just one turn…" Mikayla said. "Using your Security as a resource like that…"
"If Zack wants to get out of this he needs to find a middle ground," Nick added. "Being too reckless is going to get his Digimon wiped, playing it safe also screws him. To beat Wallace, his timing has to be on point."
Wallace meanwhile watched as Zack drew for turn, "You used to be better than this. What happened?"
The other boy looked up, not expecting such a comment. "Are you serious? You of all people know how I feel about the Digimon! How they ruined my life!"
"And yet here you stand commanding them before all of these people."
"As a means to an end!"
"To what end, may I ask? You defeat me and discover the truth as to why we members have them, what are you going to do? What are you to do with the Digimon you currently possess?"
Zack gritted his teeth. He looked around, noticing finally how focused the crowd was. As he pondered the thought, the familiar feeling was creeping upon him. "Was the Student Council having Digimon ever a secret in the first place?"
"I won't disclose that information just yet," Wallace answered him, prompting Zack to draw for turn.
"Commandramon moves to the Battle Area, and I digivolve it into Tankmon," Zack said, opting to play it safe, just to see what else he could do.
Commandramon roared as it was empowered by the binary, converting into a camo-skinned reptile Digimon whose muscled upper body was conjoined with the body of a tank on its lower half.
Tankmon (BT3-067)
Color: Black
Level: 4
DP: 6000
MEMORY
2-1
"And then from my hand, I play another Commandramon."
The Commandramon that appeared looked a bit stockier in appearance, compared to its counterpart. However, it didn't stop it from prepping itself for an oncoming assault either.
Commandramon (BT5-061)
Color: Black
Level: 3
DP: 2000
MEMORY
1-3 (Turn Change: Wallace)
Wallace drew. "Pulsemon moves to the Battle Area to begin."
Pulsemon skipped along the side of WarGrowlmon, who patiently awaited Wallace's next move. Meanwhile, the Tamer looked down at his cards and took one. "Now then…"
Zack braced himself for what was to come, watching as Wallace raised his hand into the air. The area fell to silence, as everyone was mesmerized by the binary code that suddenly radiated from the card. Zeroes and ones spiraled around his hand, giving Isabella and Dion smiles.
"WarGrowlmon…become the beacon of light that sets the path to the Idealistic Future!" Wallace announced, the radiation intensifying in his hand. He whipped his arm back and threw it across his D-Streamer, the card registering and digitizing. Suddenly a mass of yellow binary surrounded WarGrowlmon, infusing it with the power bestowed upon it. As it began to change shape, Zack hesitantly watched the scene unfold, as did the spectators that surrounded him.
"WarGrowlmon digivolves…into WarGreymon!" Wallace finished, as the form change was completed. Replacing the cyborg reptilian Digimon was a golden armored dragon warrior Digimon. Courageous-looking green eyes peering through a metallic faceplate, it wielded two massive, bladed gauntlets and a shield on its back, which split to form a wing-like shape.
The massive Digimon towered over everyone, leaving everyone except for Wallace, Dion, and Isabella in awe. Even Zack's Digimon were too awestruck to comment on the Digimon's magnificence.
WarGreymon (BT4-048)
Color: Yellow
Level: 6
DP: 11,000
MEMORY
3-0
"Both Tai and WarGrowlmon's IE effects boost it by a total of +2000 DP, bringing it up to 13,000 DP since I have three security remaining." Wallace highlighted as his ace gained its boost.
WarGreymon: 11,000-13,000 DP
"Now then, WarGreymon, Security Attack!"
WarGreymon flexed and dove in. Zack went to block, but that's when Wallace gestured forward, and his Security Card glowed.
"WarGreymon's effect: By returning my Security to my hand, he unsuspends himself and -6000 DP from your Digimon! Tai will also suspend due to it, gaining me another Memory."
Wallace
Security: 3-2
MEMORY
0-1
Zack froze, allowing WarGreymon the opportunity to appear before Tankmon. Generating a sun-like orb in its palm, WarGreymon slammed it into the tank Digimon, causing it to roar in agony.
Tankmon: 6000-0
As it melted into binary, WarGreymon ruthlessly pushed ahead, slamming the growing orb of plasma into Zack's Security.
Zack
Security: 5-4
As the Security melted, Zack revealed the card. From it, the navy-colored cyborg Digimon burst through the flaming ball charging a contrasting black ball of energy that pushed against WarGreymon. Darkdramon roared in retaliation forcing the unsuspecting opponent back away from Zack.
WarGreymon: 13,000 DP
Darkdramon: 11,000 DP
WarGreymon successfully backed off for a moment, while Darkdramon turned to Zack, before fading away into binary. Zack's nerves eased a bit, the sight of Darkdramon of all things giving him a sense of comfort.
"I'm far from done," Wallace reminded. "WarGreymon, Security Attack once more!"
Zack braced himself as WarGreymon went in for round two, bringing down its gauntlet onto Zack's security, and shattering it once more.
Zack
Security 4-3
Tankdramon appeared this time, and though its ballistics couldn't scratch WarGreymon's pristine armor, it still attempted to show some sort of force before it disappeared as well.
WarGreymon: 13,000 DP
Tankdramon: 7000 DP
Zack watched as the 2nd D-Brigade dissipated, silently feeling their reassuring presence on him.
"Pulsemon!" Wallace continued, sending the rookie Digimon to continue where WarGreymon left off. However, Commandramon who sat idle as WarGreymon went off, jumped into the fray, offering itself next.
Pulsemon: 3000 DP
Commandramon: 2000 DP
"Block it!" Zack called out as Commandramon aimed its rifle. Pulsemon darted forward like a lightning bolt towards Commandramon and got close to it, though the latter was quick and was able to block its kick with the body of the rifle. Twisting it around, Pulsemon spun about in the air, recovering, and kicking Commandramon up into the air. Pulsemon darted after it, and once coming above it, it proceeded to ax kick it back into the ground, the latter exploding into a cloud of binary.
"I'll end my turn by digivolving Starmons into Piddomon and playing another Pulsemon. Since I have less than three security, Pulsemon grants me a memory instead of drawing a card, leaving you at 2 to start your turn with." Wallace said as both Digimon appeared on his side, just adding to his army.
MEMORY
1-0
0-3 (Turn Change: Zack)
3-2
Zack exhaled, assuring himself that the onslaught was over—for now at least. Continuing to think things through, he kept in mind that despite the numbers advantage Wallace clearly had over him, he still had one more Security. WarGreymon was showing itself more like a glass cannon—exemplifying the risk/reward strategy he mentioned before. Wallace obviously kept that in mind, building his board so he wouldn't have to keep depleting his own Security. If he could bait him into depleting his Security just a bit more, he may have a shot at winning…
"Have you ever imagined a world where humans and Digimon co-existed in peace?" Wallace asked, throwing Zack from his deep thought.
"When I was a kid, maybe," Zack answered.
"We Student Council members have been chosen to usher in that reality." Wallace began. A world where both could co-exist without bringing harm to each other."
"Talk about cliché," Zack scoffed, "You honestly believe you can achieve that with the Digimon?"
"That's exactly correct," Isabella chimed. "The future is bright with this concept. I personally will see to its fulfillment myself."
"So, you can rule it how you see fit right? Guess having the school around your finger isn't enough for your ego."
"All of it is to ensure a peaceful transition of power. Twice in the past, Digimon have been painted as enemies of humanity." Dion continued. "We want to show the world the benefit these magnificent entities can bring us. We were chosen by fate itself to mark the path towards the Idealistic Future."
"All I can say to that is that it's nothing but a pipe dream, and I'll prove it." He drew and played the card immediately, "I play the Option Card: Dark Roar! With it, I can delete any one of your Digimon with a play cost of 3 or less; if I had any D-Brigades in the Battle Area, then that cost would increase for each of them. With this card, I delete Pulsemon!"
MEMORY
2-1 (Turn Change: Wallace)
The black ball of antimatter formed before him and fired towards one of the Pulsemon, sucking in the frantic target into nothingness. It didn't look like it amounted to much, but it did put Zack in a better position in his mind. One less attacker meant a likelier chance Wallace would double attack with WarGreymon, especially if he wanted to end things here.
"As I told you before," Wallace drew, "With the right assets, rumors become reality, and revenge becomes real. WarGreymon, Security Attack! I use your ability to unsuspend!"
Wallace
Security: 2-1
WarGreymon took off into the air and generated a mass of orange energy—its Gaia Force attack, before hurling it down towards Zack. With no defense, Zack braced for impact as his Security card shot upward and revealed itself to be Tankdramon who unleashed a barrage of missiles to counter.
Zack
Security: 3-2
WarGreymon: 13,000 DP
Tankdramon: 7000 DP
Both Tankdramon and its barrage were swallowed by the blast before igniting and illuminating the sky above once more. WarGreymon lined its body up and began to spin like a drill, prepping for its second attack.
"Go now, Pulsemon; Security Attack!"
With a mischievous grin, Pulsemon launched in for the attack, dashing like lightning skidding on the ground to lash out on Zack's Security. It shattered on impact, dropping Zack down to one Security as well.
Zack
Security 2-1
Zack retrieved his Security card and revealed it. "Security Trigger: Cyclonic Kick! WarGreymon suspends!"
The declaration took Wallace by surprise as the silhouette of GrapLeomon emerged from the security and kicked the spiraling opponent back towards the ground below.
Wallace narrowed his gaze as Zack grew a smirk. Wallace pulled his guard up, interpreting this as Zack gearing up to counter him somehow.
This prompted him to speak up.
"Speaking of 'means to an end…'" he began, "your appointment to the Council was just that—a means to an end. To make our plan succeed we need six individuals to set the stage."
"And look where that got you? You managed to drive away half of the members, right?" Zack pointed out.
"We didn't. You disrupted things." Wallace pointed.
"How?"
Wallace's finger lingered over, with Zack following its direction. Turning back, Zack saw Evelyn sitting on Nick's shoulders, watching intently as the match unfolded.
"…By meeting her," Wallace answered.
"What are you talking about?" Zack asked as if the other boy was crazy. "That's my—"
"You have no idea who she is, do you?" Wallace countered, silencing the boy. "In reality, that girl will someday become the mother of all Digimon… the Creator, known as Eve."
Zack jerked back in response towards the little girl and back at Wallace. "Eve…? What are you—!"
"I saw it." Wallace continued. "Millennium Day and Ragnarök; they're all connected—all orchestrated by her. I've seen the world of the future and how to get to it. Eve has laid out the pathway and the Lancaster Family, along with the Student Council will do everything in their power to follow it.
Zack was quiet, focusing on keeping his knees from buckling as anxiety was encroaching on his being. A memory of his dream found an opportunity to erupt in his mind at that moment, the scene depicting the final seconds before he woke up. It wasn't hard to fill in the blanks as he remembered what happened.
It was the moment where an explosion erupted from the building between them, blowing him off to the side. When he came to, he looked up, seeing the mass blaze vomiting from the building, and lining the street before him. The intense heat he was feeling across his body was excruciating, but not as much as the sudden realization that his sister was in the middle of it…
If what Wallace is saying is true then…was Morphomon—Eve, really responsible…?
Zack continued to stand silent for a minute, as the concepts rooted themselves internally. Morphomon killed his family…and made herself look like Evelyn…it didn't make sense at all, so why would she…? Wallace had to be lying; all of this was outright insane, right? How could he know what the future is like? If he knew, why didn't he say anything before? If he had this information…
…would his family still be alive?
Zack dropped to his knees and held his head steady, keeping himself from breaking down. His breathing became shallow and the urge to scream intensified, all the while tears streamed down his face.
Wallace ended his turn, passing it to Zack. The display of despair on his opponent's part was unsightly. "If you're going to break down like this, wait until I put you in your place."
MEMORY
1-3 (Turn Change: Zack)
Zack didn't respond, causing Wallace to feel slighted. "Did you hear what I said? Make your move!"
Zack took deep breaths to ease his nerves. Everything at the moment was foggy and suffocating. His concentration was gone, and he could barely focus on where he was, or what he was doing. He was literally losing it as the seconds passed.
Achieve Salvation through Chaos…
The words suddenly reverberated in his head. "Salvation…through Chaos. Revenge…becoming reality…"
Zack's anxious demeanor calmed, causing him to grin. "The fact you told me all of that…does that mean you you're giving up?"
Wallace paused. "Pardon?"
Zack looked up, causing Wallace to hesitate, at the expression Zack was giving him. Zack continued as he rose, "Remember, the deal was to explain everything to me if I win… Now that you told me everything, I guess that means I can wrap this up, right?"
Wallace was silent momentarily while he processed Zack's statements. "Such…arrogance…" Feeling the hand of Isabella gently touch his back allowed him to re-compose himself. "I already passed the turn."
"Good," Zack drew his card and held onto his smirk. "Get ready to lose your Security. I Hatch!"
The Digi-Egg that hatched on Zack's side, to the surprise of those watching, was a navy-colored claw-like jellyfish Digimon with a bright orange eye in the middle, clearly contrasting with the sleekness of Missimon.
Tsumemon (BT2-005)
Color: Black
Level: 2
Going by Wallace's expression it was clear that he didn't see that coming, which made Zack enjoy this further. "Tsumemon digivolves into Commandramon."
Commandramon reformed over the Digimon, the difference being the orange eyes and silent disposition that carried over.
Commandramon (ST5-05)
Color: Black
Level: 3
DP: 5000
He then drew for digivolution and flipped the next card around, revealing it to be Darkdramon. "Witness the power of the D-Brigade's Ultimate Weapon!"
Zack held his hand skyward, drawing black binary from the gate above them. Shimmering in the light of WarGreymon's radiance, Zack swung his arm back and swiped the top of his D-Streamer, playing the card. "Let's go, Darkdramon!"
The action caused the gate to belch out a mass of black binary that resembled smoke due to its power. Seconds passed as it reformed into the draconic robot Digimon, once again making its presence known in the match.
Darkdramon (BT4-074)
Color: Black
Level: 6
DP: 11,000
MEMORY
3-10
Wallace and the others looked up at the counter, seeing it maxed in Wallace's favor. The result made Isabella laugh a little.
"All that bravado just to put him at an immense advantage. Have you truly lost your mind out of embarrassment?"
Zack raised his hand and snapped his fingers. "Look again."
Isabella did just so, watching as the counter rapidly dropped back to 0 to her shock. "What?!"
"Come on out everyone!" Zack punched the air, summoning the silhouettes of five of his fallen D-Brigades, including Sealsdramon, Tankdramon, and the three Commandramon.
"When Darkdramon is played directly from my hand, I can return up to 5 of my D-Brigade Digimon to the bottom of the deck. Each grant +2 Memory, which dropped the counter back down to 0; which means I can attack!"
"Did you forget?" Wallace asked, cutting off Isabella from interjecting, "You just summoned Darkdramon, he wasn't digivolved into."
"Darkdramon has Rush; meaning he can attack the turn he's played! Go, Final Security Attack!"
Darkdramon roared, drawing its lance. In a quick flash, Darkdramon practically warped in front of Wallace, scaring the boy back, giving Piddomon enough room to slip in between and block the attack with its staff.
Darkdramon: 11,000 DP
Piddomon 5000 DP
Piddomon was able to hold Darkdramon back, but the overwhelming strength of the Digimon became too much for it, causing it to stagger and break down.
"So much for that…" Wallace said, taking a deep breath.
Zack heard what Wallace said and cackled, unsettling the crowd. "You think you're in the clear? Ah…not even close…"
"What are you on about?!" Wallace shouted. "I blocked your attack! You have no other Digimon to attack with so next turn all of this ends!"
Zack scoffed and turned around to face the crowd behind him. Seeing his unusual expression Nick and Mikayla found themselves growing defensive.
"Zack…" Evelyn said, reaching out, throwing Nick slightly off balance.
"I told you to sit still…!" Nick protested.
"Zack! Zack!" She repeated.
"Zack's busy, he'll be here in a…second." Mikayla's thoughts trailed when she realized that Zack had also begun reaching out to them. "Wait… are they…?" she turned and realized that Evelyn was beginning to glow. "NICK!"
Nick quickly realized, but just before he could get the little girl off his shoulders, she turned into her light form and beelined it towards the ongoing match. "Dammit!"
"Hey, it's fine, it's fine…" Mikayla reacted. "Maybe…I don't know, maybe something will come out of this."
"That's the problem! Something will come out of this!" Nick countered. He ruffled his hair as his mind began to race.
"Did we…?" Mikayla began.
"We won't know how much damage we caused until we see what comes out of this," Nick answered. "Let's just hope there's a home to go back to by the end of it…"
Back with Zack, the ball of light made it over to him and began to fly about around him, causing his D-Streamer and a card in his hand to glow in black and green, respectively. A stream of black binary leaked from the device, while the digital card broke down into green binary floating into the air and intertwining, to the awe of those watching. The ball of light mixed itself into the stream and in a quick flash, was replaced by a single card.
Zack looked up and reached for the card, his expression clearly showing a level of enthusiasm. "A Vicious Mind and a Courageous Heart…merge to become the ultimate Agent of Chaos…!"
Wallace and the crowd tensed; the winds picked up around them. He finally was conscious of the fearful students who were growing agitated by Zack's sudden mood change. Darkdramon on the other hand, harmonized with Zack's demeanor, glowing with a brilliant, bluish-pink aura. Darkdramon was soon swallowed by the aura, reforming into a new, unique figure. It began taking shape, notably its hands resembling the heads of both Darkdramon and BanchoLeomon.
Chuckling, Zack looked towards Wallace and swiped the card on his D-Streamer. "Achieve Salvation Through Chaos!"
Once formed, the aura retracted, concentrating on the center of the being, while revealing itself. The new being took on the appearance of a knight-like warrior, a mostly white body with teal-colored sashes covering its legs and arms. Its shoulder blades were two contrasting orbs, one red, which extended to the Darkdramon half, and the other blue, which was the BanchoLeomon half. The small head of the creature had slits in its helmet, which illuminated with blue eyes once it was conscious of its existence.
?
Color: White
Level: 7
DP: 14,000
MEMORY
0-6 (Turn Change: Wallace)
"What in the…?!" Isabella trembled at the sight of the being. She found herself stepping back, being filled with an unusual sense of horror all of the sudden. All of these Digimon flying past her radar…
None of this was part of the plan!
Zack proceeded to point towards WarGreymon. "Do it."
The mysterious being had WarGreymon soaring in the air before anyone could see it vanish. Shooting across the sky, the being gave chase, pulling out its flaming Ban-Tyo Blade from its Bancho Arm to follow up on its assault. WarGreymon however was able to counter, locking weapons with the Digimon.
?: 14,000 DP
WarGreymon: 11,000 DP
Like soaring rockets, they clashed through the night sky, sending sonic booms across the air.
"What is going on?!" Dion exclaimed. "The counter is already passed it shouldn't be able to attack!"
"It doesn't matter!" Zack answered. "Even if the counter is passed, so long as you got a Digimon present, suspended or otherwise, I can attack it. And you wanna know the best part…?"
WarGreymon was able to bounce back far enough to generate a Gaia Force in a desperate attempt to win the bout. Unleashing the sun-like ball, the mysterious Digimon effortlessly cut it in half, and in the latter's shock, WarGreymon was unable to foresee the blade impaling through its armor, unleashing a painful roar that quickly grew silent.
The shock of the moment silenced everyone as the Digimon retrieved its blade. WarGreymon's deleting body dropped from the sky, all the while the mysterious Digimon aimed its Darkdra Arm and aimed, generating a black, anti-matter ball. It fired, capturing WarGreymon and exploding in the air, the force so strong that Wallace's final Security triggered to block him.
Wallace
Security: 1-0
From the security, a magnificent, six-winged white bird emerged, repelling the dark energy with a contrasting rainbow of energy. Ridding the area of the borderline-catastrophic blast, the Digimon dove forward and latched on the Digimon's Bancho Arm, clamping down with its sharp teeth.
?: 14,000 DP
Varodurumon: 11,000 DP
Despite the surprise attack, the mystery Digimon was able to extend its blade through the throat of the bird. Igniting its blade upon impact, the bird then exploded into binary code.
Wallace watched as the mysterious Digimon returned to Zack's side, "An Agent of Chaos, huh? Such a chaotic monster…"
"Chaotic monster…Chaos…mon…Chaosmon." Zack smirked after pondering it for a moment. "I like it."
"That wasn't a suggestion—!"
"By the way, I think I get; 'revenge becomes reality…' With this power, I'll be able to get revenge for everything. My family, my friends…I'll unleash chaos on everyone and everything! I'll turn my despair into strength and crush everything that stands in my way!" Zack proceeded to cackle away, encouraging Wallace to find a way to shut him up.
After he drew, he hatched another Koromon and digivolved it into Kudamon. "Pulsemon, Final Security Attack!"
Pulsemon dashed once again and took out the last of Zack's security. Zack didn't stop laughing though, finding the attempt humorous. No matter what he did, the fact he still had a Commandramon in Raising gave him all the assurance that this game was as good as his.
Zack
Security: 1-0
"Pathetic show for the Student Council President, don't you think?" Zack criticized. "Now then, it's time to—!"
Zack's security revealed itself, the tall, lion-like figure appearing before him.
BanchoLeomon: 11,000 DP
Pulsemon: 2000 DP
BanchoLeomon's arms were crossed, taking sight at Pulsemon who attempted to escape the larger lion. With a slam to the ground, a shockwave erupted, catching Pulsemon from behind. Afterward, BanchoLeomon turned to Zack, holding on its face a disappointed look about it, causing Zack to momentarily become conscious of what was happening. His shaking his head solidified that.
"W—why are you looking at me like that?" Zack asked, his voice trembling. "What did—what did I do…?"
BanchoLeomon began to dissipate, causing Zack to reactively reach out. "WAIT! BanchoLeomon please!" It was then the conversation from days before came rushing back to him.
"I trust that you will make the right decision, Zack. Do the right thing, and be the hero that Evelyn thinks of you as."
"…am I a hero though?"
"Heroes come with many different definitions. So as long as you do things honestly and without risking the wellbeing of others, you're as strong a hero as anyone can be."
The sudden memory silenced Zack's pleas. This moment allowed BanchoLeomon to completely fade away, leaving Zack to feel a sudden wave of shame come over him. His emotions finally reached their peak as he crumbled back onto the ground, leaning forward
Wallace meanwhile ended his turn with a pair of Piddomon, instantly shifting things back in his favor.
MEMORY
6-6 (Turn Change: Zack)
Despite that, Zack remained silent. Despite the banter of the crowd, the subtle cheers of reassurance to keep going, and the obnoxious jeers of criticism, Zack ignored it all. Everything leading up to this night—the speculations, the emotions…the revelations, all accumulated into this moment, where he allowed his emotions to steer him into something unrecognizable.
Wallace exhaled sharply, deactivating his D-Streamer, and pulling his Digimon back. "This match is over."
As expected that got immediate backlash.
"What? What do you mean?!"
"Come on! No one gets to talk smack about our Student Council!"
"Kick his butt already!"
Wallace ignored the outcries, approaching Zack. He stared down at the motionless boy, only to realize something was amiss. He knelt and looked at Zack, his face emotionless and devoid of thought.
"Call an ambulance," Wallace said, causing those nearby to grow weary. When no one reacted, Wallace's voice spiked. "I said NOW!"
"Ahem, it's fine, we'll take it from here."
Wallace looked up, seeing Ben, Layla, Nick, and Mikayla break through the middle and approach them.
Ben flashed his badge in the air and showed the crowd around them, "All right! Everyone, clear out! This match is over!"
The backlash erupted once more, but Wallace threw his hand up to silence the crowd. "AEGIS is not our enemy. We follow their lead."
"Zack! Are you okay?!" Mikayla and Nick meanwhile knelt and attempted to check on him.
"Get him on his back," Layla told the two siblings, to which they obediently laid him down. She immediately brought her fingers to her headpiece so she could contact HQ, "This is Agent Saiba, we need medical personnel to the courtyard of Riverbank Academy immediately!" After hanging up she proceeded to resuscitate Zack, CPR, and all. Her own guilt was building inside of her, evident by her subtle panicked expression.
Dion took note of the familiar face and made his way towards her, "It's been a while, hasn't it, Ex-Queen?"
Ben took note of Dion and stopped him in his tracks, "Is there a problem?" Ben coldly interjected. "You're already on the list of people I need to talk to. Don't make it worse on yourself."
Dion reluctantly backed off. "What's AEGIS doing here?"
"You very well know the answer to that," Ben crossed his arms.
Leaving Zack to be tended by the siblings, Layla took note of Chaosmon who remained, standing steady like a sentinel. She especially noticed the similarities of the other Digimon she was familiar with, namely in its arms. "I think we found Leo and Darkdramon…"
"Then it looks like my suspicions were right after all." Ben nodded, also taking note.
"Agent Merlo, I apologize for what happened here. It was not my intention for things to escalate the way they have." Wallace stated.
"That's the problem with Digimon. They're not how they used to be several years ago. They have the capability to cause mass damage, and you of all people should know that."
"I am aware of that, sir." Wallace nodded.
"With that said, you all can either come with us for questions, or you can hand over the D-Streamers. Either way, this stunt of yours put this school in the spotlight."
"Out of respect for AEGIS, we'll comply with your requests." Wallace nodded again. Dion's expression showed discomfort in that idea, while Isabella's…
"Where did Isabella go…?" Mikayla asked, realizing the girl was missing.
Everyone else looked up, realizing the girl vanished without a trace. Before any of them questioned it further, Chaosmon began to glow. The bright light sent the surrounding group of students away, as they all reacted negatively to the light. Once it died, the crowd was just about gone, and all that remained was Morphomon in her original form, passed out like Zack. The green and black codes of binary that also helped form Chaosmon retreated into Zack's D-Streamer. The ones standing there were silent at the sight of the unique Digimon, the moment itself shifting the course of the events to follow…
Meanwhile, Isabella stumbled as far away from the campus as possible, running at the first opportunity she had. Chaosmon's appearance was the tipping point. She couldn't take not knowing things anymore. She thought something was off when the days before suddenly felt familiar, but this was on a completely different scale.
She was able to escape just before AEGIS began to flood the campus, finding herself in a park not too far from the school, where she finally came to a large tree to hide behind. Out of breath and clearly in distress, she gave herself time to recollect her thoughts before accessing her D-Streamer. The display lit, and out came to the projection of a slender woman clad in a green uniform. Her head was covered by a hood, while her face was covered underneath a mask, which had the insignia of a snakehead in the middle of a flower engraved into it.
"Lady Reseda of the Green Pillar… my Queen; I beseech thee…" Isabella said with her voice shaking out the syllables.
"Lilamon…" The one known as Reseda responded. "Are you aware that paradoxes are appearing at your current location?"
Isabella hesitantly nodded, "I apologize, Milady. I do not know—"
"Worry not dear…" Reseda responded. "I simply wished to know if you were aware."
"But…if anomalies are appearing then what does that mean for us? For our mission?"
"Planted seeds grow in due time." She answered her. "While the anomalies may cause an issue, our Creator has in her wisdom, revealed a path around their appearances; that is, of course, so as long as you continue to plant the seeds."
Isabella relaxed a little, "With the aid of the school's upper echelon, I successfully have control of the school. It's as you said; an army of soldiers waiting to serve. Soon things will be ready for you to come and grace us with your presence…"
Reseda hummed with humor. "I look forward to it, my beloved lilac."
Isabella nodded fervently, feeling a wave of relief for an otherwise thought failure on her part. "Thank you so much, my Queen!"
The transmission cut and Isabella leaned back in the tree, looking up at the night sky. Exhaling, she covered her eyes with her arm and relaxed, her human disguise reforming into that of the fairy Digimon Lilamon. She considered her master's words, smirking as she resonated with that concept. It was the shock she was feeling, from the supposed setbacks, she convinced herself. Her mission for dominating the school and setting the stage for the birth of the Liberators was not deterred in the slightest.
"So as long as the seeds are planted…" she repeated, "…I will become Queen."
She stood and took off into the dark skies, disappearing into the night. unbeknownst to her though, was Ken who sat on the other side of the same tree, pondering the conversation he overheard. Without saying anything he stood up as well, walking from the site as he pondered what was to come of these new events…
A/N: And that's that for the mid-arc finale of Generation Burst. I will be the first to say that the last chapter and this were supposed to be one complete chapter, but due to time constraints and various factors of stress these last few weeks, its been hard to feel motivated to write, let alone brainstorm the events, so I apologize for that. With that said, with Chaosmon's debut, Isabella's identity revealed, and Ken showing himself to be a more mysterious character than originally intended, how will things shake-up for the latter half of this arc? Fingers crossed that the conclusion and revelations will be well delivered and jammed packed with awesome duels and character interactions.
Also, one final thing to note: As I am aware of the recent ban/restricted list, being that the changes don't go into effect until BT7, I will be ignoring it for the duration of Generation Burst, as the sets, I will be covering will be up to BT6 and no further than EX-01, where the only cards restricted are Lv5 Argomon and HPD (so same rules as I followed in Cyber Drive). Trust me I wish I could write faster and cover more sets, but time waits for no one. That aside, I appreciate the support as always and I'll catch you guys later.