Part Two: The Tower of Babel
Scatter
"Now the whole world had one language and a common speech."
Otsu Prince Hotel
Otsu, Kyoto, Japan
10:12 A.M.
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Lillymon wasted no time. The humanoid snatched at Blossomon's oncoming vines as she zipped into the air. The ultimate evolution was draped in a suit of green leaves and fuchsia flowers, with long vines coming out of the bright flower-cap on her head. She wore green boots adorned with sunflowers, and had four wings shaped like leaves. Blossomon couldn't stop the nature-adorned warrior from towing him into the air, where Lillymon used her momentum to swing Blossomon around and throw him across the pavement. The Colonel snatched in futility at the ground as he slid, his body scraping against the concrete.
"Mimi, are you okay?" Lillymon smiled as she fluttered back to the ground, her wings beating as fast as a hummingbird's.
"Palmon… how did you-?" Mimi started.
"It's Lillymon now, actually." Her partner nodded. "And it was thanks to the power you shared with me." She pointed to the tag held by Mimi.
"I don't understand where this came from." She pondered, staring at the small necklace in her hands.
"I can't say for sure, but I'd wager that somebody in the digital world is looking out for us." Lillymon proposed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll see if I can take care of this bully." She twisted around, a look of resolve on her face as she stared down Blossomon, who was pushing himself off the ground.
"You and that girl," Blossomon growled, "Your ability to share power is interesting, I'll admit. But that doesn't mean that you two are Digidestined."
"What more is it going to take to convince you, Blossomon?" Lillymon inquired.
"Nothing short of divine intervention!" Blossomon's vines sliced through the air at the flowered monster, who spun higher to avoid them.
"A beam of light appeared from the sky to save us, and that doesn't cut it for you?" Lillymon cocked her head. "I guess the digital army is just too blinded by its own hatred." She sighed, bringing her hands together. The yellow cuffs on her arms then began to grow, wrapping together until they formed a large flower pod protruding from her hands. "Flower… Cannon!" A beam of light burst from the tip of the pod, which ripped into the ground as Blossomon jumped to avoid it.
"So, you're finally calling out your attacks, eh?" Blossomon grinned.
"Oh, so you noticed." Lillymon nodded as she fired another beam of light from the pod. "And here I was thinking all my training would go unrecognized."
"An amusing trick, to be sure," Blossomon retorted as he continuously dodged the beams of light coming from the air, "Something that we colonels learned before coming to the digital world. We would have applied it sooner, but there was never a worthy opponent with which we needed to conceal our attacks from."
"Well I hope you find this worthy: Flower Cannon!" Lillymon fired another beam, forcing Blossomon to roll backward.
"On the contrary, your need to announce your attacks alerts me to the fact that this must be your first time digivolving," Blossomon smiled, "Meaning you are inexperienced with that form. Activation energy aside, you're inferior to me in every possible way."
"That's some big talk coming from somebody who is running away!" Lillymon let out a series of bursts, which Blossomon continued to roll away from.
"There's a difference between running…" Blossomon growled, "And waiting."
"What?" Lillymon murmured.
"I don't think so!" A deep voice boomed behind her. Lillymon turned to see Dinoster grappling Pipismon.
"I see, he tried to switch opponents, did he?" Lillymon scoffed.
"Don't worry, I won't let him interfere. Take care of that guy, would you?" Dinoster grunted as he dragged Pipismon to the ground.
"My pleasure," Lillymon nodded. She then twirled away just as a series of vines sliced through the air where she had once been. "Flower Cannon!" As she turned back to face Blossomon she fired another beam of light, this one catching Blossomon off guard and scraping against his arm.
"Ugh!" The monster cried as it quickly retook a defensive stance.
"None of your soldiers are going to interfere in this battle Blossomon," Lillymon shook her head, "Dinoster will make sure of that. Just face it: you're alone and overpowered, and I have the high ground."
"We'll see!" Blossomon rushed forward, ignoring Lillymon entirely and aiming straight for Dinoster, who had thrown Pipismon into Monochromon, and was now swinging his tail at them.
"Oh no!" Lillymon burst forward, chasing after the colonel. However, she soon stopped in mid-air, a knowing look on her face. A second later Blossomon twisted around as he ran, throwing his vines out towards her. They barely past by her head as she pulled her weapon forward, aiming straight for her opponent's chest: "Flower Cannon!" The beam of light jammed into the flower Digimon, causing him to careen through the air and crash a distance away, close to the pier. Lillymon darted after him, letting out another beam of light with her flower cannon, which hit the creature's shoulder, knocking him into the ground before he could try to stand.
"Looks like I'm not as inexperienced as you thought," Lillymon taunted as she fluttered over him. "You tried to draw me into a trap by going after my comrade, but I noticed just in time to put myself out of harm's way. Had I not, your attack would have hit me right on the mark." She shook her head. "That's what you get for underestimating me."
"You…" Blossomon gasped deeply, clutching the wound in his chest.
"Go ahead, let's hear what you have to say." Lillymon glared at her opponent.
"Your inexperience…" Blossomon growled, "Is dumbfounding!" His arm shot toward her, vines entangling her body. Mimi began to gasp, but as quickly as Blossomon had struck, a beam of light burst from the green cage, tearing the vines apart. Blossomon let out a blood curdling cry as he dropped his shoulder, the remains of his arm writhing in agony. Lillymon calmly slipped out of the now-limp tentacles.
"And another thing," Lillymon continued, "I haven't had to call out my Flower Cannon since I initially used it. That's an assumption that you made, which I used to my advantage."
10:18 A.M.
"Unbelievable," Takuya wiped the sweat off his brow as he watched Lillymon's domination of Blossomon, "She defeated him so easily."
"She did it!" Mimi cheered next to him. "Lillymon won!"
"This thing…" Takuya looked down at the gold pendant he held in his palm. An abstract symbol was etched into a panel clipped into its face. "Somehow, it helped Togemon digivolve to the next level."
"Where did it come from?" Willis inquired. He sat a few feet away from them, tending to Impmon's wounds.
"Lillymon said that somebody in the digital world must be looking out for us." Mimi answered vaguely. "I don't really know what she meant though."
"I got one too." Takuya slid his finger over the surface of the object. "And there were three other lights…"
"That's something we can figure out later," Mimi waved him down, "Right now I'm going to her." Mimi took off without another word, moving swiftly across the battleground to where Lillymon stood over her defeated opponent.
10:20 A.M.
"How did you overpower me so easily?" Blossomon gargled through groans of pain.
"Well, the activation energy from my digivolution probably played a large factor," Lillymon reasoned, "And I'm sure the training we went through these past few weeks probably gave me some sort of competitive edge." Her eyes rolled as she spoke, eventually settling back on Blossomon. "But ultimately, I'd wager that you just weren't really up to the challenge."
"How dare you…" Blossomon growled.
"I'm not mocking you," She shook her head, "I honestly don't think you were prepared for this battle. After all, you didn't come to the human world expecting any resistance, did you? And even when you encountered some, you didn't really have any trouble."
"I lost many soldiers to the Gizumon, do not disrespect their death." Blossomon barked.
"I didn't say your soldiers didn't have a hard time," Lillymon waved the monster down, "I'm specifically referring to you. The rookies and champions struggled with the Gizumon, but you're much stronger than them. You haven't had a real challenge since you got here. You didn't come to the digital world to fight; you came to lead." Blossomon was silent. "That's why you lost. You weren't prepared, not really." As she finished, Mimi appeared by her side.
"Good job Lillymon," She smiled up at her partner.
"Couldn't have done it without you." The ultimate nodded, a wide grin on her face as well.
"Fine then, if you're done throwing your victory in my face, why don't you just go ahead and kill me." Blossomon's good arm clutched his chest, the throbbing pain from the wound consuming him. Lillymon suddenly appeared before him, her cannon aimed at the monster's weak spot.
"Lillymon…" Mimi whispered.
"You'd like that wouldn't you." She spoke solemnly. "If I killed you right here, you'd become a martyr. Hell, one of your cronies might find the will to digivolve and turn this battle around." Lillymon then jumped away from him, her flower cannon receding into her collars, causing Mimi to breathe a sigh of relief. "Even still, I'd be right to take you out, if only to prevent you from recovering and endangering my friends."
"Unbelievable." The colonel shook his head.
"Here's the thing Blossomon: we're not the bad guys." Lillymon said with resolve. "We're here for one purpose, and that's to protect innocent lives. And the sooner you realize that, the sooner we can put an end to this stupid war and focus on what really matters: saving the digital world."
10:22 A.M.
Monmon's slingshot blocked another swing from Kotemon's batons. Usually Kotemon had receded, but this time he pushed forward, causing Monmon's feet to dig into the ground, their weapons locked against each other.
"It's over, Kotemon." The monkey said sternly as he continued to push forward. "Your commander has been defeated, and now our side has an ultimate. You are outmatched." Kotemon scoffed beneath his mask, to which Monmon responded by pushing his full body weight against the warrior's batons, causing him to jump backwards. Monmon quickly gained his footing and jumped out of range as well, taking the momentary reprieve to look around the battlefield. "Look around you, everyone else sees it too." Indeed, the battle had ceased after Blossomon had lost his arm. The Mushroomon, Penguinmon, and Gizamon were all at an uneasy standoff with their opponents. Pipismon and Monochromon were still circling Dinoster, but both seemed hesitant to initiate the fight once more. Kotemon was still poised for attack, but began to relax his shoulders. Monmon sighed deeply, a sense of relief rushing over him. However, it was short lasted, as he suddenly spotted an eerie shape appear far behind Kotemon.
"No, what are they doing here?" Dinoster growled, his eyes sweeping around the outskirts of the battlefield, where more of the intruders were coming into view.
10:24 A.M.
"Lillymon, look!" Mimi attracted her partner's attention behind her. The ultimate monster risked a quick glance, which quickly gained her full attention. "Oh dear." They had all appeared suddenly, circling the quarreling Digimon within the parking lot.
"Gizumon…" Blossomon growled as his eyes scanned the new arrivals.
"Why did they show up?" Lillymon pondered. She then turned back to Blossomon. "We share a common enemy now. Can you at least promise not to interfere if we have to fight them?"
"I am in no condition to fight," Blossomon shook his head, "And I have no love of the Gizumon. But this isn't over between us…" A shadow appeared in the sky, soaring off of the towering hotel and diving towards the battlefield.
"Look out: above you!" Lillymon called out. She gained the attention of a number of Digimon, but not in time for them to register what she had said. Flying above Monochromon, the figure slammed down upon its target, tearing into its body. The other Digimon jumped back in horror as Monochromon's data exploded in a flurry of white specks, revealing the form of the murderer. The black and purple Digimon had cloven feet, and the head of a ram, with tattered black wings on its back. In its bulky, blue hand was Monochromon's digi-core, with which the creature promptly stood up, knocked its head back, and swallowed.
10:26 A.M.
"What's happening out there?" Yuriko whimpered as she watched the horror outside unfold. "What are these things?"
"You need to get back now ma'am," The officer near them began to push her and Hiro away, "You too sir."
"What are those?" Hiro inquired.
"I'm not sure but I don't think they're on our side." He pulled them away from the doors, directing them back towards the sleeping quarters, but were stopped as they passed the elevator. "Oh no…" He slowly backed away along with Hiroaki and Yuriko, another Gizumon hovering in front of them, his tubules writhing towards them.
10:27 A.M.
"Monochromon!" Blossomon cried in disbelief as he watched the swift murder of his comrade. But there was no time for mourning: once the demon's deed was done, the Gizumon attacked. They flew into the battlefield in a frenzy, firing beams of destruction wildly into the crowd. The Mushroomon and Aururaumon were the next victims. They tried to escape, but the Gizumon were upon them quickly. A series of beams ripped through the Mushroomon, their data spiraling into the sky as their murderers then chased towards the Aururaumon, who quickly dispersed to escape from their pursuers.
"Don't even think about it!" A Gizumon came for Dinoster, but the dramon sensed his approach and quickly jumped behind him, plunging his fist into the machine's back. He ripped out a mass of circuitry, and the creature slumped to the ground before exploding into data.
"Look out!" Floramon pounced against an approaching Gizumon, knocking him onto the ground before it could strike at the unprepared Gazimon.
"You…saved me…?" Gazimon said in confusion.
"If we're going to beat these things, we need to work together, okay?" Floramon said sternly. Gazimon eyed her suspiciously for a moment, and then softened his gaze.
"Okay." He nodded as well.
"Good, then let's-!" Floramon never finished her order. The Gizumon's tubules tore forward, slashing into her back. Gazimon's eyes widened in horror as the rookie disappeared in a burst of data.
"Where did they come from?" Willis exclaimed as he scooped up the unconscious Impmon and followed Takuya towards the hotel doors. "They just appeared out of nowhere."
"We'll deal with that later, for now we've got to get to safety." Takuya marched towards the door, then jumped back as they were thrust open, a stream of people running away in terror.
"What the hell?" Willis exclaimed.
"Takuya!" Hiroaki appeared from within the crowd, running towards his son.
"Dad, what's happening?!" Takuya cried as the inhabitants of the hotel flooded into the battlefield.
"Those creatures, the machines…" Hiroaki screamed as he tried to push his way through the fleeing masses. "They took her!"
"Took her?" Takuya gasped.
"Your mother!" Hiroaki's words sent a wave of panic through Takuya. He stopped running forward, the shock of his father's words locking his legs in place.
10:30 A.M.
"I don't understand." Mimi watched in awe as the Gizumon began snatching people out of the crowd. "What are they doing?" She turned to Lillymon, about to ask her to step in, but the ultimate already had her eyes trained on one of the invaders. The largest one, who had eliminated Monochromon, had locked eyes with her.
"Mimi, find somewhere to hide." She instructed as she began rising into the air. "If anything happens, call out to me: I'll find you."
"Okay Lillymon," She nodded. The flower Digimon then zoomed through the air, appearing before the monster. From afar, Mimi could see her partner attempting to talk to the creature, but the ram had little patience for Lillymon's attempts to negotiate. It immediately shot its leg forward, pummeling her in the gut with its hoof. Lillymon was tossed through the air, crashing into the side of the hotel. The monster then jumped after her, slamming into her body and knocking them both into the depths of the hotel.
"Lillymon!" Mimi cried as she clasped her hands over her mouth, trying to not draw too much attention to herself.
"She will be fine," A grizzly voice said behind her, "That Digimon has a strong will."
"You two were fighting just a few minutes ago…" Mimi eyed him suspiciously.
"And thus I should know better than most." Blossomon replied. "She was right about me: I wasn't prepared for this battle. But I was also weary from a previous encounter with the Gizumon a few days ago. But I will admit that she is a more powerful opponent than I gave her credit for."
"Maybe when this is all over we can-"
"Move!" Blossomon lunged toward Mimi as she spoke, and the girl rolled away just in time to avoid the thrashing tubules of a Gizumon. Blossomon threw his body atop the creature, pinning it to the ground. The monster wrestled beneath him, but the heaving creature refused to release him.
"Very well then…" The monster wheezed. "Your partner has convinced me. This goes against all of my instincts, but I put my faith in you, girl: you and your partner. Do not let me down."
"Thank you." Mimi's eyes widened.
"Now get yourself to safety-ugh!" Blossomon coughed as the writhing machine beneath him bashed at Blossomon's back with its tubules. "I can't hold this thing off for long!"
"We won't let you down Blossomon!" Mimi turned away with a tear in her eye. She didn't want to leave the monster behind, but she knew there was no way she could directly contribute to the battle. Supporting Lillymon had to be her first priority.
10:32 A.M.
"Takuya, we have to keep moving!" Willis shook the boy's shoulder.
"Ayah!" A scream alerted their attention towards the front of the crowd. The storm of Gizumon were now focused on the humans, their tubules snapping into the crowd. At first Takuya's stomach churned, afraid at what he was about to see, but then one of the Gizumon fished one of the humans from the crowd: an elderly man who was unable to outpace the machines. The Gizumon's body opened up, revealing a small, open space inside. Tubules shot out from within, wrapping around the old man's body, and then pulled him inside. The metal shell snapped shut, and the Gizumon then took off into the sky, his mission complete.
"They're…taking…them…" Takuya quivered as he watched the dozens of Gizumon snatch at their prey.
"What the hell is this?" Dinoster bashed through a Gizumon that had caught onto a small boy, ripping it in half. "Get out of here!" He commanded the child, who took off in a fit of screams and tears.
"Takuya!" Hiroaki's cry snapped Takuya out of his trance. He turned to see his father being pulled up into the air, the metallic creature swallowing him whole. The monster then took off into the sky, retreating over the hillside.
"Dad!" Takuya called after him. "Dinoster, you have to rescue my Dad!" He called to the monster, but the dramon was involved with a pair of Gizumon, trying to prevent them from abducting any more of the refugees. "Dinoster please!" He cried.
"Takuya, we have to move!" Willis dug his fingers into the boy's shoulder, pulling him back so their eyes met. "It's not safe out here: we need to find cover until the Digimon can resolve this."
"There's too many of them…" Takuya whimpered… "Look at them." He watched as the Gizumon continued to swoop down from the sky, snatching humans out of the crowd as they desperately stampeded away from the hotel. Dinoster continued to brawl with what Gizumon he could, while Penguinmon and Candlemon were doing their best to fend off the creatures as well.
"Takuya!" Willis swung an open palm at his face, leaving a bright-red mark on his cheek. "Get a hold of yourself." Takuya looked stunned, staring at his friend with wide eyes in disbelief.
"You're right Willis, I'm sorry." Takuya shook his head. "What do we do?"
"Takuya, Willis!" Mimi ran up to them amidst the chaos.
"Mimi!" Willis sighed with relief.
"We can't handle all of these creatures: what do we do?" Mimi inquired.
"We save who we can, and then get to safety." Willis reasoned. A sudden crashing sound directed their attention towards the hotel, where a group of Gizumon had bashed through the doors, chasing after the fleeing crowd.
"They're everywhere." Takuya gasped. A pair of creatures then set their eyes on the three children. "We need to move!" The boy turned on his heel and ran back, towards the far side of the building.
"Where do we go?" Mimi cried as they ran.
"There's a service entrance back into the hotel!" Takuya exclaimed. "We might be able to lose them that way!" They rounded the corner of the hotel, making their way across the grassy yard that led to the service entrance, when Willis was suddenly pulled into the air.
"Oh no!" The boy cried as a series of tubules pulled him off the ground. As he lost his balance, the Impmon he had been gripping flew out of his arms, tumbling towards the ground. Takuya acted quickly, jumping up to catch the rookie, then dropping back to the ground on his rear.
"Willis!" Mimi cried as she watched the monster pull the boy towards the opening in its chest.
"Mimi, Takuya, run!" Willis cried, waving them away. Mimi wanted to protest, but she knew it was hopeless. Takuya cringed as he turned away from his friend, rushing towards the door on the side of the building. He ripped open the hinges, waving for Mimi to follow, who was still caught up as their friend was pulled into the creature. A swift shadow then appeared, jumping above the Gizumon. It fired a projectile from its slingshot, pegging the machine in the eye. The monster screeched in pain, flinging its tubules wildly. Loosening its grip on the boy, Willis quickly pushed himself out of the monster's grasp and was flung onto the ground, rolling to soften the landing.
"You got here just in time!" Willis laughed as Mimi helped him to his feet. Monmon now stood between them and the raging creature, who was still blinded from his strike.
"Don't worry Willis, I won't let him past me." Monmon nodded to them as he aimed another projectile.
"Come on, you two!" Takuya waved at them from the door, still holding the unconscious Impmon.
"We're coming, just get inside!" Mimi called as they both began to cross the yard. Takuya nodded and slipped into the building.
"Get out of here, quickly!" Monmon instructed.
"Don't be a hero, Monmon," Willis warned, "When it's clear, you get out of here too!" Monmon might have responded, but the second Gizumon struck before he could, smashing the rookie into the wall of the hotel. Willis and Mimi jumped at the creature's surprise attack, but had to move quickly towards the door as it immediately sped towards them. Mimi arrived first, ripping the door open, but a cry from Willis made her turn her head.
"No!" She reached out for his outstretched hand as the monster pulled him into the air, but suddenly found herself being dragged away. Looking down, she realized there was a metal tube wrapped around her waist. She stretched her hand out into space in futility as the pair of Gizumon swallowed the both of them.
10:40 A.M.
"Kesuke!" Satoe Tachikawa called out to her husband as she tumbled out of the hotel. She had followed a herd of people that had escaped from the hotel and out into the pier. Dozens of people were fleeing the army of Gizumon that had appeared inside, many of which had decided to leap into Lake Biwa and try to swim to safety. Once Satoe had made it outside, she escaped the mob, taking cover at the side of the building near the exit, and began calling for her husband to the crowd.
"Satoe!" A man called back to her amidst the crowd. Satoe waved excitedly, gaining the man's attention, who had been carried towards the edge of the pier by the migrating refugees.
"Kesuke, over here!" Satoe called to her husband. Kesuke began fighting his way through the mob, but a sudden crashing noise drew their attention to the doors, where a large group of Gizumon had broken through and were now swarming through the air.
"Satoe, run!" Kesuke yelled to her. "I'll find you, I promise!" He waved her away, but Satoe couldn't help but look on in horror. A wave of Gizumon dipped down right above Kesuke and began snatching people into the air. Kesuke tried to run, but one of the Gizumon chased him down, wrapping him in its tubules and pulling it into its chest compartment.
"Kesuke, no!" Satoe cried, falling against the side of the hotel.
"Satoe!" A man appeared from the crowd, who Satoe recognized as Robert Miyahara. "We have to get out of here!"
"They took Kesuke…" She whimpered.
"I know, I'm sorry, but if we don't move now they'll get us too!" Robert grasped her hands and helped her too her feet. He then led her away from the stream of people, which the Gizumon were swarming around. One of the Gizumon noticed them and broke off from the rest of the group, but Robert was watching from the corner of his eye. He grasped Satoe's wrist and broke out into a run, pulling her close behind him.
"Jump!" Robert yelled. The Gizumon's tubules came close to snatching at them as they jumped into the bay, but narrowly missed as the two plunged into the water.
10:40 A.M.
Lillymon narrowly dodged as the ram released a flurry of kicks, which instead pummeled the wall behind her. The two had engaged in combat upon the fourth floor of the hotel, and while initially the strange Digimon had the upper hand on her, Lillymon had quickly recovered and was now dodging the creature's strikes, studying his movements.
"I don't suppose you're willing to talk yet, are you?" Lillymon asked as she flipped away from the creature's swings. "Maybe we could have an intelligent conversation?" The ram ignored her words, instead pouncing at her. Lillymon swooped away and the monster crashed into the wall, destroying it and flying into the next room. Lillymon quickly flew into the hallway, trying to cut him off from the next room's door. However, when she reached the door it blew open, revealing the demon within, who lunged at her with an outstretched fist.
Lillymon reacted quickly, lunging away down the hall. The ram quickly jumped after her, leaping into the space above her. But Lillymon had expected the demon's move, and had brought her hands together to form a flower pod. She swung the weapon towards the monster's chest, ready to fire, but before she could unleash her attack the creature had snatched at her arms, twisting her around. When Lillymon's shot fired it blasted a hole through the floor, throwing them into the ceiling. The force blasted them into the next floor, where Lillymon stretched her wings open, catching the air and slowing her down.
"He's fast." Lillymon noted as the ram bounded off the ceiling and kicked at her. She summersaulted down the hall, throwing her flower pod forward. "But so am I." A beam of energy tore through the hallway, bursting through the wall at the end of the corridor. She let the weapon down, observing her surroundings. "Where did he…" Her eyes flickered between the two rooms next to her, but the attack came from below. The ram's fist plowed through the floor, grasping Lillymon's ankle, and then pulled her down into the lower level. She was bashed against the floor as she was pulled, and then with a mighty force the ram slammed her down, where she was driven through the subsequent level and thrown onto the next lowest. The ram then pounced down on her, driving them both down another three levels, until they crashed into the basement, in the boiler room.
"Not fast enough." The monster finally spoke as it crouched atop her. Lillymon, though dazed, didn't give her opponent time to capitalize on his position. She fired another shot with her flower cannon, this one aimed horizontally towards the wall, which thrust the both of them forward. The ram lost his balance and flipped off of her, allowing Lillymon the ability to jump back to her feet, where she readied another flower cannon. However, the beast already appeared next to her and kneed her arms, knocking the beam upwards. The blast tore through the ceiling, breaking a hole to the outside, and causing the building around them to shake.
Dammit! Lillymon thought to herself as she deformed her flower pod, narrowly escaping the monster's latest blow. I can't use my Flower Cannon in here: I might bring the whole building down on top of us. Lillymon continuously dodged the monster's volley of punches and kicks, rotating about the concrete pillars in the room. Her opponent cared less for the building's integrity, letting his blows catch the sides of the support beams.
"Hey, be careful!" Lillymon warned. "You'll bring this whole place down with me and you inside!"
"Heh," The demon finally stopped his volley, taking a rest as Lillymon widened the gap between them.
"Got something to say?" Lillymon asked as she slowly backed away from him.
"We have enough." The ram smiled. Lillymon was about to inquire further, but before she could the monster smashed his fist into the support beam, which shattered against the force of his blow.
"No!" She cried, but the monster wasn't finished. He swept the debris in her direction, causing her to dash away, but the ram predicted her moves, strafing to the side and lunging towards her. Lillymon had no time to change her trajectory before the beast appeared above her and bashed his hoof into her skull. The fairy Digimon spiraled into the wall, smacking her backside into it, before slumping onto the ground.
"You lose." The monster taunted. He then leaned backwards, opening his mouth wide. A dark aura appeared within his mouth and he then let out that aura as a blast of dark energy that tore through the foundations of the hotel. The entire area began to shake uncontrollably, and the ram quickly escaped through the blast hole Lillymon's flower cannon had made, as she lay unconscious on the floor.
10:40 A.M.
Dinoster tore through another Gizumon, tossing its eviscerated body away before it vaporized into a storm of data pieces. He took a deep breath, noting the decreasing number of opponents. However, that coincided with the lack of humans within the parking lot. Most had either run away into the streets of Otsu, or had been captured by the Gizumon army and carted away. Realizing the battle was mostly done, he took a moment to take in his surroundings. The last few Gizumon were spiraling off into the sky, carrying their human cargo with them. Dinoster contemplated going after them, but he knew it would be too difficult to fight the Gizumon and make sure to not damage the human inside.
He also noted the positions of his fellow Digimon. Penguinmon was back-to-back with Candlemon, the both of them having struggled to hold off the Gizumon from attacking them. One of the Aururaumon was unconscious on the far side of the parking lot, while the other two and the Mushroomon, as well as Floramon and her former opponent Gazimon, were nowhere to be seen. Biyomon was still unconscious against the side of the hotel, alongside the Renamon that Willis and the tamers had taken care of earlier. Kotemon was in the same position he was, watching the fleeing Gizumon and surveying the battlefield. Monmon, Lillymon, along with the three human children, were also missing.
"Where did everyone go…" He looked carefully, making sure the Gizumon were gone, before lowering his guard. A moaning then directed his attention towards the far right side of the hotel, where he spotted Monmon dragging himself out of the grass.
"Dinoster…" The rookie called weakly.
"Monmon, what happened to you?" Dinoster exclaimed as he quickly flew over to the damaged Digimon.
"The Gizumon… took Willis and Mimi…" He groaned.
"No, it can't be!" The dramon exclaimed, but Monmon nodded sorrowfully. "What about Takuya? Where's my partner?"
"He made it inside…" Monmon pointed to the hotel. "With Impmon…"
"I have to go make sure he's alright. Wait here." Dinoster then rushed off towards the hotel's main entrance.
10:45 A.M.
Takuya crept through the dark kitchen, towards the restaurant foyer. He frequently had to brace himself, as the tower was constantly quaking. Impmon was still unconscious, straddled in the tamer's arms. He had been waiting too long for Willis and Mimi to get inside, and thus he assumed the worst, deciding instead to explore further into the building to see if there were any stragglers inside. He made it out of the kitchen, looking around the dark cafeteria hall. The place was lifeless: nothing but overturned chairs and tables remained. A number of the walls had been torn apart as well, exposing the hallways beyond.
"Everyone's gone." Takuya sighed. "I can't believe it. We failed." He shook his head, dropping to his knees. "I failed; I've failed everyone."
"Target acquired." A cold, mechanical voice sounded above him. Takuya's head darted upwards, spotting the Gizumon floating in the air.
"Oh no!" Takuya jumped to his feet as the monster zoomed towards him. He quickly backtracked into the kitchen, ducking behind a counter as the monster smashed its way into the room. Upon losing sight of its target, the creature's tubules began to squirm about the room, feeling around corners and over counter-tops. I can't hide here for much longer, Takuya thought to himself. Suddenly another earthquake struck the building, causing Takuya's body to shake and bash against the metal counters, letting out a noticeable smacking sound. The Gizumon turned his attention towards the noise, rushing through the kitchen. Takuya cringed after hearing the noise, and then did the only thing he could: the tamer jumped out from his hiding place and bolted for the door to the foyer.
He didn't get far. One of the Gizumon's tubules swiped at his foot, causing him to fall forward and slide across the floor. The Gizumon was over him moments later, with no way of escaping.
"Dinoster, help!" Takuya screamed into the air as the machine's tubules slithered around him. At that moment the wall was smashed open and the blue Coredramon appeared, his fist tearing through the metal monster's body. It was thrown across the room as trails of data streamed off of it, the monster eventually evaporating as it crashed into the far wall.
"Been looking for you." Dinoster smiled. Takuya breathed a sigh of relief, but the moment of peace was quickly ended when a large explosion sounded from beneath them, and the hotel began to aggressively shake. The walls buckled under the weight of the floors above them, and debris began tumbling down on them from above. "Get down!" Dinoster leaped over his partner, shielding him from the rain of brick and mortar as the Otsu Prince Hotel came crashing down on top of them.
