Naruto Shippuden: Millennium Wars
Chapter 25: Skyfall
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon and Naruto. I also do not own any piece of content that is a reference to an actual organization body, comic, cartoon, anime, etc. Though I do wish I did own them. I do own this story.
Gallery Deck, Tobishachimaru, Skies- Elemental Nations
"Now remember, Naruto, while your Uzumaki-ryu and my samurai kenjutsu are two entirely different styles of swordplay they all stem from the similar framework whereby learning how to properly utilise breathing technique would help in maximising the overall strength, speed and accuracy of your techniques."
Chiyomatsu watched the younger sword user with a critical eye, dark orbs observing him with the experienced gaze that came with years of experience both learning and teaching the basics.
"It will also help in increasing your stamina in battle should you end up being caught in a prolonged battle against a foe. Though the aim of the game is to defeat an opponent as quickly as possible, I'm sure you're well aware that things will not always go in your favour."
Gatomon and Dorumon took sharp breaths as they swung their claws, following the breathing and movements of Agumon who stood in front of them just as Chiyomatsu was doing for Naruto.
Naruto took a sharp breath as he swung his sword, the sharp blade slicing through the air towards Chiyomatsu. A simple sidestep allowed the samurai to avoid the attack.
"You are self-taught in your family's kenjutsu style, but while your muscle memory and your overall physical prowess has clearly served you well, against a far more experienced weapons user and should you be without chakra at any point in time, your lack of understanding in the basics will be your downfall."
Sparks flew as Naruto's strikes were parried. Chiyomatsu took a deep breath of his own and Naruto's eyes could only widen in shock as the samurai warrior surged forth. He knocked Naruto's sword aside with a strength Naruto did not think possible from a person that hadn't applied chakra to their muscles for augmentation. A bead of sweat then traced itself along the length of Naruto's face as Chiyomatsu's sword was pointed at the underside of his chin.
The eyes of the Real World Tamers and their Digimon partners all released simultaneous "oooo~s" of surprise at seeing the Kyuubi jinchuriki being bested so easily. Despite it being a training exercise for the blonde, the fact that he had been so efficiently fended off was quite an accomplishment in their eyes. Agumon chuckled at the group as they clapped lightly for the pair.
"So..." Naruto swallowed as he still felt the tip of the samurai's sword against his skin. "...Just keep breathing?"
"Just keep brea-thing, just keep brea-thing! What do we do? We breathe! Breathe!"
Takato, Henry and Rika sang to the tune of Dory's "Just Keep Swimming" earning a snort of amusement from the Kyuubi jinchuriki.
"In a matter of simplicity, yes, but the way you breathe is what will give you the advantage. It doesn't apply simple to swordplay either for in any sort of physical combat, breathing is what keeps you going. Breathing provides oxygen to the lungs, the lungs provide oxygen to the blood, the blood circulates through the vessels and the vessels provide that oxygen to your muscles and thus...you can keep fighting for as long as you possibly can." Chiyomatsu withdrew his sword and smoothly sheathed it. "The breathing techniques of the samurai are something that not many know outside of Tetsu no Kuni, but I think it will serve you well in the future to simply know the basics of simply intaking the maximum amount of oxygen as possible to keep yourself going."
"How would we know if we've mastered this basic technique then?" Dorumon asked.
Agumon pointed a claw at the purple-furred dragon's chest and poked it lightly. "Right now you are breathing and the moment I say this, you are now consciously aware of the fact that you are breathing." There was no lie there as the minds of everyone who heard Agumon speak became aware of the act of respiration. "The same way you are required to focus in order to activate the enhanced breathing abilities, the moment you are able to do that unconsciously like if you were to breathe normally, that is the moment you would have mastered the breathing technique."
"Zen Shuuchuu Jouchuu/Total Concentration Breathing: Constant is what we have named the technique." Chiyomatsu stated.
Stars seemed to sparkle in the eyes of Naruto, Dorumon and even Gatomon as they looked upon the wise native of Tetsu no Kuni and his Digimon partner.
"We will practice it every day, Sensei!" The three latched onto Chiyomatsu's waist, hugging it tightly.
The samurai laughed heartily in response while Agumon pouted at the two partner Digimon currently hugging his Tamer.
"Where's my hug?" He grumbled. Said grumbling quickly ceased as he was glomped by his fellow fire-breathing Rookie. Golden eyes shone with child-like innocent as his ears flapped, a toothy smile on the face of the Digital Hazard Digimon.
"Hugs are nice."
A small blush of embarrassment formed on Agumon's face as he caught his Tamer snickering. "...Yes. Yes they are Guilmon."
"Ahem!"
The intentionally loud clearing of one's throat met everyone's ears and thus the conversation immediately died. Naruto and his Digimon partners released the samurai of their grasps and stood up, dusting themselves off. All eyes looked towards the source to see a dark blue toad about the size of a Koromon looking at them with its golden eyes.
"Jiraya-sama has finished his preliminary investigations and wishes to speak to you all in the Reading and Writing Room."
A nod from the group was her response before the toad puffed out of existence.
Captain's Quarters, Tobishachimaru
The airship's captain's quarters was quite a thing to behold as there were numerous lights, dials and knobs laid out across a table-like structure that connected to various electrical mechanisms throughout the airship to keep it afloat and moving at the necessary speed. A few gauges measuring internal and external pressures, and the current altitude were the main things that the Pteramon co-pilot was keeping an eye on as the Andromon kept the wheel steady.
All of the mechanisms on the interior of the airship would have been quite a sight to behold, but unfortunately due to the current circumstances, the group of Tamers and Jiraya did not have the luxury to do so. The Datamon that was designated captain by Tazuna stood before them all with its eyes focused primarily on Jiraya.
The Toad Sannin sitting cross-legged on the floor as he flipped through the list of occupants aboard the vessel which Datamon so graciously provided him. He was looking through the names of both crew and passengers, his dark coloured eyes shifting with each one he read.
"These are all the people that were listed to be present aboard the Tobischachimaru, correct?"
"That is correct, Jiraya-san." Datamon replied. "Have you found something amiss?"
"...Possibly." The Toad Sannin replied before rose to his feet, the geta sandals clacking loudly against the metallic floor. "All the other passengers have been confined to their respective quarters like I asked?"
"Yes, Jiraya-san."
"Good. Have the security staff line the hallways and ensure they do not leave." Jiraya instructed. "I'm going to survey the crime scene once more."
"Of course."
The white-haired shinobi exited the Captain's quarters as he heard the Datamon muttering the instructions to the security staff via radio communicator. The spy master made his way through the airship's interior before finally coming back to the door which led to the scene that caused all this trouble. Standing outside the door were the five Tamers and their Digimon, having waited patiently for the older man.
"What's the verdict, Ero-Sennin?" Naruto asked.
"I need you all to come inside with me so I can discuss some things." Jiraya replied as he opened the door. "I trust all of the Digimon have enhanced senses?"
"Correct, Jiraya-san." Renamon nodded in confirmation.
"I don't want to overcrowd the room so Naruto I want you to come in with me with two of the Digimon." Jiraya turned to the group of Digital Monsters and gave them each a once-over. "Out of all you, which would you say has the best sense of sight and smell?"
The Digimon all looked between each other before forming a small huddle to have the discussion. From an objective point of view though there was never any doubt to Guilmon and Terriermon's sense of hearing. However, since Jiraya didn't require that particular sense it wasn't much of a thought to mull over.
Terriermon was an outlier when it came to having an above average gift of sight, however Dorumon and Agumon would be lower down the totem pole since Gatomon, Renamon and Guilmon all possessed some degree of night vision. But given Gatomon was a feline, her ocular capabilities far outweighed the canine and reptile before her and thus placed at the top tier.
Now the other sense, the sense of smell, which Jiraya wished to have at his disposal, given all of them were animalistic in nature, their senses of smell were all quite stellar so it was difficult to say who among them was truly the best. Not to mention there was always a sense of pride when it came to their individual natural skills. However, years of spending time with one another did help with being able to argue counterpoints to state why exactly certain members of the crew of Rookie Digimon didn't meet top tier qualifications.
While Agumon was a newcomer amongst the party, the race of Vaccine Digimon did not amount to much overall when it came to their olfactory prowess outside of a hunting setting. The same was to be said regarding most reptilian Digimon and given that outside of being able to smell the scent of freshly baked bread from over 100 paces, Dorumon and Guilmon did not amount to a great track record when it came to overall senses of smell. Between the two of them, Guilmon was actually proven to be a better tracker by scent compared to Dorumon, but the amount of olfactory nerve sensors that ran through his digital body paled in comparison to that of a Digimon with higher quality noses. Which narrowed it down to the two canine-esque of the group; Renamon and Terriermon.
"I think you could just take the both of us." Renamon suggested. "I am also able to provide further insight with my own eyes if Gatomon misses anything."
"If you wish to know what my nose knows, then you got it." Terriermon chuckled, but was quickly hushed by the mild glare from his blue-haired Tamer. The rabbit-dog Digimon hopped from his position atop Henry's head and landed atop Naruto's shoulder, a position he found odd since he was used to being atop a person's cranium. With that position currently occupied by Gatomon, her eyes narrowed dangerously out of the instinctual need to protect her 'territory', Terriermon found it necessary for his own safety to remain perched on the blonde jinchuriki's shoulder.
Jiraya nodded in satisfaction.
"Chiyomatsu-san, Agumon, I want you to take the rest of the kids back to Hitokage-sama's room. I had Datamon put the security staff on standby in the halls to prevent anyone from trying to leave their rooms in case one of them might be our perpetrator trying to escape and Naruto and I have a few of our clones around as well for precaution around Hitokage-sama's room. Make sure to keep each other safe."
"Of course, Jiraya-sama." Chiyomatsu nodded stiffly before guiding the rest of the group back towards Miu's room.
"Let me know in case anything goes wrong, partner."
"You'll be the first to know." The X-Antibody Digimon bumped his forepaw against Naruto's fist before running after the others.
Jiraya opened the door to the Reading and Writing Room. The three Digimon and Naruto entered after him before Jiraya closed the door.
"Don't want any unnecessary prying eyes." Jiraya explained. "We don't know the skill set of our killer so it's best to keep things confined."
"Makes sense." Terriermon nodded before his nose wrinkled in disgust. "But man, can't we crack it open just a tad. It's been a couple hours and I think they're starting to smell."
Renamon and Gatomon couldn't help but agree with their fellow Rookie as the stench of decay met their noses from the pair of bodies that lay within the room.
"Sorry, I can't, but it's good that you're able to pick it up that quickly. Usually it takes about 24 to 48 hours for a body's decomposition to be picked up by normal human senses of smell."
"I'm gonna ignore that you think knowing a human decomposition rate is common knowledge." Terriermon replied with an uneasy glance towards the shinobi.
"So anyway Ero-Sennin, who are these guys?"
Jiraya addressed his godson's question as he looked at the pair of dead bodies with a discerning eye.
"Our victims are Natsu Udon and Haru Udon. They were once a noble family from here within Hi no Kuni and have had some clout when it came to food management throughout the country. The family itself grew in power and influence when their daughter, Fuku, married Chikara Soumen who is the daimyo of Men no Kuni which is a sub-nation within Hi no Kuni."
"Are we not going to talk about how this entire family is now noodle-based?" Terriermon deadpanned. "They literally live in a place called the Land of Noodles."
"Shut up, Terriermon." Gatomon rolled her eyes at the smaller Digimon. "So the political ramifications of this murder are going to be quite...troublesome."
"Compared to other minor daimyos, their deaths won't have such a large ripple effect especially since the Soumen family absorbed them and thus took all power and prestige the Udons had as their own. Chikara and Fuku are very much in love with each other, but the marriage was purely political from the get-go to help keep themselves afloat." Gatomon nodded in understanding before her blue eyes followed Jiraya's own dark coloured ones to look at the bodies once more. "Now the thing about this is that yes they are somewhat high profile individuals but to murder them...I'm having difficulty discerning a motive, so in the mean time I've been thinking about cause of death."
Naruto arched an eyebrow at those words before he took a look at the dried blood stains which decorated the dead elderly couple's chests. "Ero-Sennin, you said you were trying to figure out how they died. But there's some blood stains here. There was clearly a stabbing or something of the sort involved."
"That's what I thought too, but take a look at their chests where the blood is."
Naruto narrowed his eyes, but despite having enhanced senses as a shinobi, his powers of observation were never really the best.
"I don't see..."
"Naruto, there's no entry wound!" Gatomon exclaimed, blue eyes widening in surprise.
"What?!"
Naruto knelt down beside his Champion level partner. Usually with very well-made blades, cuts or stab wounds can be so thin and precise they wouldn't be very visible to the naked eye. The wound would be even more obscured if a significant amount of blood was covering said wound, and given the size of blood stain that was Naruto's guess as to why he wasn't able to view the entry point. But Gatomon was correct as her stellar vision confirmed the lack of a physically-induced killing blow of any kind on both bodies.
"Blood, but no obvious wounds. It's clearly the work of a skilled individual." Renamon commented.
"Maybe a shinobi?" Naruto asked his master. "One with a background on medical ninjutsu perhaps?"
Jiraya was the one to arch an eyebrow this time. "Why would you think a medic-nin?"
"Back when we went to get Baa-chan and bring her home, Kabuto nearly killed me when he cut me with those chakra scalpels he made. I didn't have any outward injuries as far as I could tell, but Baa-chan said he nearly cut my aorta in two."
"Though I didn't detect any chakra residue, it is still a possibility." Jiraya nodded. "It would also explain why there's no signs of an exit wound from when a long blade like a katana would be used. Kunai blades would leave an obvious puncture and senbon, while small, I would still be able to pick up on and usually senbon are laced with poison for killing blows."
"Well..." The noses of the three Digimon twitched, Terriermon and Gatomon dropping to ground level as they stalked around the room alongside Renamon.
"No scents resembling poison." Renamon stated.
"Yeah." Gatomon agreed.
"We have a few other scents mixed in, which places multiple people in the room prior to the murder." Terriermon stated before turning to Jiraya. "Are we ruling out the murderer as the old lady who found them?"
A nod of confirmation was given to the rabbit-dog Digimon. "Kanna Aikawa is another minor noblewoman, but she doesn't have any prior history of dark dealings as far as my information network has found in recent times. No history of combat training either in her past."
"So that scratches her out." Naruto muttered. "You guys got any other scents?"
"There isn't much." Renamon clicked her tongue and the blonde bipedal kitsune glanced around the room. "Other than the victims, there are about three or four other scents here."
"Four people. One of them smells kind of...it kind of smells like..." Renamon did a few more sniffs. "Oil paints."
Naruto and Jiraya looked around the room and found an easel standing in the back left corner of the room. There was a wooden palette and a paintbrush sitting on a stool near the easel and the two shinobi walked across the room to examine it. Upon standing behind the easel, they looked to see a canvas resting on it. The canvas itself showed the beautifully made and very realistic painting of the Udon couple . They were both sitting in the chairs which their corpses were now laying on the floor in front of, their faces expressing looks of joy.
'At least they looked happy before they died.' Naruto thought.
However, what they also found the large splotches of red paint which were also painted on the canvas. The red oil paints were coloured directly over the exact same areas where the blood stains on the corpses were located. Going through the canvas itself where the hearts of the Udon couple would have been located were two puncture holes, likely made by the blunt base of the paint brush. This was confirmed upon examination of said brush, where remnants of red paint decorated the round tip.
"What the...?" The two shinobi's words were mimicked by the three Digimon as they also looked at the painting.
"I know they say art can imitate life, but this is ridiculous."
"Terriermon." Gatomon narrowed her eyes once more at the lower levelled Digimon.
"Hey, I need to quip. Quips help me cope with stressful situations."
"I thought that was what saying Momentai was supposed to do." Renamon said.
"No, Momentai is to tell everyone else to calm down. It doesn't apply to me."
"Maybe it should."
"Maybe, but I like quips more."
"Clearly."
"You know it." Terriermon winked at the blonde kitsune, ice blue eyes rolling in their sockets as she chuckled at her fellow Rookie Digimon. It was then that both olfactory enhanced Digimon perked up with sharp sniffs.
"We got something!"
"What? What do you got?" Naruto asked.
"It's...hmm, okay, so I got a human scent on the paints, canvas and easel." Terriermon sniffed once more. "Female."
"There's a scent of lavender too."
"But there's something else here, it's the other three scents we got who seemed to have been here at the same time as the girl."
"It's mildly human, almost like they stuck around the girl to try and cover it up." Renamon commented. "It's off."
"Off how?" Jiraya and Naruto asked.
"Yeah, I'm with Renamon on this." Terriermon agreed as he took another few sniffs. "It's weird. It has this human-like scent, but the reason I say human-like is because it's mixed with something. It kind of smells like...like..."
Renamon and Terriermon turned to each other with wide-eyes. "Digimon!"
"A Digimon?!" Jiraya and Naruto exclaimed.
"Ok, before we go any further, I just need to clarify..." Jiraya turned to the two Rookies. "Can Datamon, Pteramon or Andromon do anything like what just happened to the Udons?"
"Not even remotely." Terriermon stated with a matter-of-fact tone.
Naruto whipped out the bronze coloured D-Ark and showed his godfather the profiles of the three Digimon in question.
"They're all Machine-type Digimon and even though they do have the ability to kill humans, they don't have any sort of stealth attacks let alone an attack that can occur without forming a wound."
"Plus..." Renamon added. "...the scents are of one Vaccine and two Virus types. Andromon is a Vaccine, Datamon is a Virus and Pteramon is a Free Data type so the set-ups don't match with the scents here in the room."
"I'm not going to pretend to know what it means in terms of giving Digimon typings, but now that we've established it's not any of the crew actually flying and managing the airship, I know who our assailant is." Naruto and the Digimon all leaned in a bit closer to the Sannin member as he continued to speak. "It's a member of the Kurama clan."
"The who clan?!" Kurama's voice echoed in Naruto's mind. Naruto couldn't help but internally sigh at the currently enraged Kyuubi.
'Kurama, you know he doesn't mean you.'
"I don't care! That's still my name in whatever the hell this clan is!"
'We're going to arrest them, so it's all good.'
"I will accept nothing less than absolute maiming of this girl!"
Naruto moved to tune out his inner demon's ravings as he focused his attention back on the Toad Sannin.
"The Kurama clan were a clan of genjutsu specialists. No one outside of the clan could rival them in pure genjutsu, not even the Sharingan could create such well-made illusions." Jiraya explained. "Within the clan however, once every few generations, there comes a member who possesses such skill and prowess with genjutsu that they are able to use the illusions to attack the brain in a way that makes it think that what happened to them in utterly real and thus allowing that genius member of the clan to kill people with genjutsu."
"How do you counter something like that?" Naruto asked as he gestured to the painting. "Because it seems like her genjutsu skills are even beyond what you're describing Ero-Sennin. She basically painted the deaths of the Udons and they just...did."
"We're not too sure." Jiraya sighed. "The clan itself is basically on its last legs as far as its existence goes, but its current heiress is someone on this airship. Yakumo Kurama."
"Yakumo?" Renamon spoke with a questioning tone. "But what does the Kurama clan have to do with the Udons?"
"I don't think Yakumo herself might me behind this." Jiraya stated. "She may have been the the one who did the killing, but since you and Terriermon pointed out the fact that there seems to be Digimon involved, there's the possibility of something else going on here. For now though, we need to head to Yakumo's room and get to her before she does anything else to the other passengers."
"Which room is she in?" Naruto asked. "I can let Dorumon know, and Renamon and Terriermon can pass on the message through the mental link that Digimon have with their Tamers."
"She should be in Room 4 from what I can remember from Datamon's passenger list."
"Alright, let's go!"
Miu Hitokage's Quarters- Room 8, Tobishachimaru
The room was somewhat quiet as all the occupants waited with baited breath for some news or update on the situation. One of Naruto's clones would come in every now and again to see how they were going and let them know about any updates or rather a lack thereof as the original Naruto had yet to return with Gatomon, Renamon, Terriermon and Jiraya.
Dorumon, Rika and Henry were growing a bit more worried by the minute as a result of the building anxiety.
'DORUMON!'
"Naruto!" Everyone's eyes turned to the X-Antibody Digimon as the purple-furred Rookie jumped up from its position on the floor.
"What's going on?" Miu asked.
"Mental link with Naruto." Takato explained. Miu merely nodded despite the multitude of follow-up questions she clearly had in her mind upon hearing those words from the goggle-wearing Tamer.
They all watched as Dorumon's eyes gradually widened with each passing second until finally the orange orbs hardened. Dorumon bared his fangs and flexed his claws as he released a stiff nod.
"I'm on it, I'll meet you there!" Dorumon severed the link to his Tamer and looked to Takato and Chiyomatsu. "Naruto and Jiraya think they got the killer and there seems to be Digimon involved. Jiraya has already split off from Naruto and the others to go talk to Datamon and let him know the situation and will relay it to the security staff. Takato, you need to go with Guilmon to meet with Jiraya and Datamon in the Captain's Quarters and let him know that we may have the possibility of the airship being damaged or forced to crash land if a fight breaks out so tell Datamon, Andromon and Pteramon to prepare for an emergency in case anything goes wrong."
"On it!" Takatomon and Guilmon wasted no time as they raced out of the room.
"Rika, Henry, stay here with Miu-hime. We can't leave her unguarded, and Naruto said he'll have Renamon and Terriermon come back here to the room."
"Got it." The two Real World natives nodded.
"Alright. Chiyomatsu, Agumon, we're going to Room 4 to meet with Naruto and Gato-chan."
"Right!"
Dorumon, Chiyomatsu and Agumon moved down the lengthy corridor as quickly as they could. Their footfalls were as quiet as they could make them, minimal echoes coming from each one that came down upon the carpet covered metal and wood.
The hallway was a blur of colour, but their eyes were trained upon each door that they zipped by.
'Seven...Six...Five...'
The trio came to an abrupt halt before the door which had the golden number 4 emblazoned on its surface. The samurai placed a hand on the hilt of one of his swords, taking on a ready stance.
Dorumon and Agumon sniffed the base of the door and Dorumon's pointed ears twitched slightly as he picked up on sounds on the other side of the door.
Agumon turned to his Tamer and raised up four claws, indicating four occupants within the room. The samurai nodded before both he and the two Digimon picked up on the sounds of approaching footsteps. Chiyomatsu raised a hand to indicate for the approaching shinobi and three Digimon to slow their pace. The native of Tetsu no Kuni raised a hand with four fingers and pointed to the door. He then followed up by making slashing motions with his hands in front of the door before pointing at Naruto and the Digimon and making a forceful thrust motion, silently instructing the group to charge into the room the moment he cuts through the door.
Naruto nodded in understanding. He then looked at Renamon and Terriermon and gave an upward nod further down the hall, instructing them to go back to Miu's room and meet up with Rika and Henry. The two Rookie Digimon nodded stiffly. Terriermon jumped off of Naruto's shoulder and onto Renamon's before the blonde kitsune blurred down the hallway.
Gatomon hopped off of Naruto's head and stood beside Dorumon, baring her claws and fangs alongside her mate and Agumon. Naruto placed his hands on the hilt of his own sheathed sword before glancing at Chiyomatsu. The samurai nodded and took a deep breath in through his nose. His form was as perfect as could be as his arms moved with practiced ease, drawing the blade and slicing through the wooden door as if it were made of melting butter.
The door was then shattered into splinters as Naruto and the Digimon rushed through the door frame. Naruto pointed his sword's tip at the young girl who sat before him while the Digimon took a triangular formation to surround the second occupant in the room.
There was a temporary form of quiet as the group took in the appearance of the murder suspects.
The young girl who Naruto was facing, clearly Yakumo Kurama, appeared to be no older than he was. Yakumo had long brown hair and light brown eyes. Her hair was straight on one side, but on the other side it was in a braid. In addition, she sported a clip with two circular designs. For her outfit she wore a pink kimono held closed by a pink sash with two pockets on the front. In her hands was a brush and palette, seeming unperturbed by the shinobi, samurai and Digimon suddenly barging into her room as she calmly painted the picture on the canvas in front of her.
The other occupant was a much more mysterious and ominous appearing figure who sat in one of the small arm chairs in the corner of the room. The figure wore a magenta cassock-alb with white trim filigreed with a repeating pattern of golden eyes of providence, and similar white armbands on each arm filigreed with a golden pentagram. Above the alb was a crimson, sleeveless dalmatic with the same trim and severe shoulder pads, topped by a white, golden-trimmed chasuble filigreed with a golden design composed of several more eyes trailing into an inverted pentagram. The figure also wore crimson pigaciae with gold trim, a black capirote filigreed with a golden Elder Sign combining the inverted pentagram and eye of providence, and a silver rosary with a golden nazar in place of a crucifix. However, the most eye-catching features of this 'person' were the wings, horns, and paws peeking out through its vestments.
"You." Gatomon hissed, her fur raising and her pupils becoming vertical slits in a form of intimidation. "You're the Digimon."
"Where are the other Digimon involved with you and Yakumo?" Dorumon forcefully asked. "We had four scents inluding yours and Yakumo's, so where are the other two Digimon with you?"
Yakumo remained quiet as she continued to paint while the demon-esque clergyman before them rose from his seat. Dorumon, Agumon and Gatomon tensed as they met the gaze of the clergyman as he stared at them with shining pale blue eyes.
"Hmm? Well Well, looks like the Master was right." The clergyman spoke with a gleeful tone. There was bit of depth to it thus implying the figure was male. "So the legendary Demon Lord slayer graces my presence. I will really will get to have some fun on this little errand I was sent out on."
"What are you talking about?"
"Ah yes, well I suppose the Master has been quite secretive in his machinations." The clergyman steepled his clawed hands. "In fact, outside of sending that BlackWarGreymon out against you I don't think you would know anything as to what is going on. Though I believe it's probably best it be kept that way since it allows us to better distract you from the plot at large."
"Stop being vague!" Gatomon snapped. "Why did you kill the Udons? What are you planning to use Yakumo for?"
"The Udons?" The figure tilted his in thought before his eyes brightened in realization. "Ah yes, that elderly couple in the Reading and Writing Room. Yes, Yes, right. They were merely a distraction to occupy your time with and give Yakumo-chan some time to finish her artwork. Ordinarily it would have worked just as well if I had let her do her painting in silence without having to have her murder that couple, but it would be dreadfully boring for this entire flight to have absolutely nothing going on until our eventful landing into Haru no Kuni."
"He put emphasis on 'eventful'. That doesn't sound good." Agumon commented.
"Sharp one aren't you, Rookie?" The figure mockingly tapped his temple. "But yes, there were so many possible situations with which to distract and/or kill you, but due to the nature of your existence and the Elemental Nations being outside of the realm of our task manager's foresight we can only do so much. But utilizing Yakumo-chan here seemed to one of the more exciting options. Especially with her oh-so-tragic backstory."
"Yes. Yakumo-chan told us her very woeful tale. It tugged at our DigiCores." The figure's mockingly sad tone made everyone else's eyes narrow. Yakumo remained stoic as she continued to paint. "Yakumo-chan is one of the last few members of the once proud Kurama clan which Konoha possessed. However, it seemed the Sandaime Hokage grew a bit wary of their powers, particularly ones of Yakumo-chan's caliber and so a fire was set to wipe them out. It was made to look like an accident of course, but we all know how shinobi tend to operate."
"What?" Naruto's eyes widened. "Jiji would never do something like..."
"You're either very naïve to the workings of your world or you have a very strong bias towards the Sandaime."
The blonde jinchuriki gritted his teeth in response.
"Hit the nail on the head on of those it seems." The figure's pale blue eyes lengthened to reflect a hidden smile, amusement shining in the glowing orbs. "So I decided to give her a little nudge in the right direction to help carry out her obvious plot for revenge. Why narrow the scope to just Konohagakure no Sato, when she could target the entire country which cast her aside? We helped build her influence, using her genjutsu skills to become a very well-known illusionist and fortune teller to the point where she was able to earn favour with some of the bigger players who are here aboard the Tobishachimaru and be their 'escort' if you catch my drift. After all, not every day you get a chance to join what the Real World humans call the 'Mile High Club' in this land where flight is a brand new experience."
Gatomon in particular took great offense to the implications of how Yakumo was being used for the sake of whatever plan this Digimon had cooked up. Being both female and being used by Lucemon in the past made her quite empathetic towards the Kurama clan girl.
"And now that a pretty sizeable group of Hi no Kuni's wealthy and influential people are all here in one spot, we can take it down and put quite a dent in the entire country's social infrastructure. Now then, I believe now is a good time as any to take you all down with them. Yakumo-chan, if you would be so kind..."
The figure gestured to the brown haired girl as she was currently dipping her brush into a bit of white coloured paint. She had her brush raised and Naruto could only watch as the events were carried out in what seemed to be slow motion. Upon the canvas was an exact image of the Tobishachimaru flying through the air. If Naruto himself were to attempt to paint such a work of art, it would be at best below average even with his better artistic sense that came from learning Fuuinjutsu from the Valut in Uzushio's ruins. But Yakumo's artistry would give even Da Vinci a run for his money. The level of detail work was something only a master of the traditional arts could obtain. Even down to the way the light reflected off of the surface of the airship, but one details stared directly in Naruto's face and that was the scenery that the Tobishachimaru was in. Rather than there being normally blue skies, there were dark clouds hovering over the airship.
Cumulonimbus. The storm cloud.
Yakumo's white paint coated brush tapped against the edge of one of the clouds and in one fell swoop, Yakumo swiped the brush down.
There was an immediate reaction as the deafening crash of a thunderclap echoed. Ozone seemed to permeate the air and the entire airship suddenly shifted violently as the telltale BOOM of something exploding. Naruto, Chiyomatsu and the Digimon stumbled as the Tobishachimaru heaved to the right, nearly knocking them entirely off-balance.
Alarms blared, echoing across the entire ship and the sounds of the other passengers' screams of fear and panic began to meld with the alarms.
And thus, the cloaked individual took an opportunity to strike as well.
"Slash Nail!" The figure roared as his left hand's crimson claws elongated, turning into lethal weapons that would likely rend flesh from bone.
"Pepper Breath!" Agumon unleashed a ball of red hot flame from his jaws. The approaching combatant was not detered as his form rushed through the fires as if they weren't even there, but the sudden use of the Rookie Digimon's attack did cause him to falter slightly and so Chiyomatsu was able to make it in time to stand between Naruto and possible death.
"Samurai-ryu: Hadan/Samurai Style: Rupture!" Chiyomatsu's sword was raised in an upward swing, the metallic silver blade glowing with the blue flame-like energy of chakra. A powerful shockwave raced out between Chiyomatsu and the figure, tearing through the clergyman-like person's clothing.
"Oh?" The figure's damaged clothing began to fall apart as the shockwave alongside Agumon's Pepper Breath flames ruined the elegant garments. Chiyomatsu's eyes narrowed through his armoured helmet's face covering as he was able to see a bit more of his face, showing many lengthy, sharp teeth as he grinned. "A mere human holding back my attack? You humans from the Elemental Nations truly are a different breed of strength aren't you?"
"Attention all passengers and crew! An emergency situation has occurred!" Datamon's voice rang out over the intercom system. "Unknown weather conditions have placed us in the middle of a thunderstorm and we are losing altitude as a result of a lightning strike to the rear of the vessel! As per our instructions before take-off, please take the emergency crash positions and prepare for an emergency landing!"
"What did you do?!" Chiyomatsu exclaimed as he still held off the figure's claws.
"Now Samurai-san, I believe the current shift in our trajectory in a downward direction could clue you into what just happened."
The conversation was interrupted by the beeping of Naruto's D-Arks. The blonde jinchuriki reached to his hip and retrieved the silvery-blue device, the small screen flashing as the holographic image of Chiyomatsu's once clothed adversary was fully revealed.
"But...But you're..." Naruto's eyes widened alongside Gatomon's and Dorumon's as they saw the image and data that came from the Digivice.
The Digimon before them was a monstrous looking beast. Its body was humanoid but resembled somesort of hybrid between a gorilla and a bat. Its upper body and thighs were large and muscular. The majority of its upper arms, chest and thighs were covered in wine red coloured fur. Its face, pectorals, forearms, hands and lower legs were bare, showing off the periwinkle coloured skin. On its bare pectorals were four tattoo-like markings, each one pointing at a diagonal angle towards the Digimon's sternum which bore a bright red patch of skin. Teeth-like protrusions formed the area of demarcation between the fur and skin, almost like they were the edge of sleeves and pantlegs. Two spiked arm bands were securely fastened around each arm, one one each bicep and another just below each elbow. A belt of spikes similar in design to the armbands was wrapped securely around its waist. Adorning the Digimon's feet were three massive red talons and five red claws were on each hand, though the claws on its left hand bore a particularly more fearsome look due to their enhanced length. From its head sprouted two curved horns and from its back were two massive bat-like wings which were now stretched to their full span, nearly taking up half of the room's length. The wings had black skin and the membranes were an intense purple-black. Four red spikes protruded from the tips of each wing.
"Daemon. A Mega level Digimon. He's a Demon Lord and a representation of the Sin of Wrath. It is described as the leader of all Devil and Fallen Angel Digimon and is believed to have once been a Seraphimon who fell from grace. It is said to have one sole purpose to find and eradicate the true being of goodness in the Digital World. It can burn its opponents to ash with Chaos Flare and Flame Inferno or tear them apart with Hammer Knuckle, Double Dust or Slash Nail."
"Hmmm, those Digivices really do have a lot more information on them that I thought." Daemon's pale blue eyes narrowed at the silver-blue device. "Nothing outside of AncientWisemon's Akashic Records or the Digimon who were present during my fall would know about my former status as a Seraphimon."
"Lucemon said he killed all of you to try and fight Fanglongmon." Dorumon stated.
"Ah yes, my brother's quest for godhood was truly a thing of beauty, but not all of us were willing to be a part of the collective DigiCore just so he could try and take down the ruler of the Digital World." Daemon replied.
"Then we'll allow you to join him!" Gatomon hissed as she and Dorumon took ready stances beside their Tamer.
"I would love nothing more than to test my mettle against the Demon Lord slayer and see if you are worthy of your title, but..." Daemon's eyes flicked to stare into Chiyomatsu's. "...this samurai here intrigues me with his strength. I am holding back tremendously, but he still withstood by attack and so he has caught my interest! Yakumo-chan, handle the Tamer and his pets, I want to fight these two!"
Daemon's wings spread as he changed his knife-hand strike into a solid grip around Chiyomatsu's blade. With a cry of effort and glee, Daemon spun and flung Chiyomatsu through the air before following up with a devastating kick to Agumon's midsection. The Samurai-Tamer and his Digimon partner sped through the airship's interior, tearing through every single wall by sheer momentum until they burst through the thick layer of coating that covered the nose of the Tobishachimaru's metallic skeleton.
Chiyomatsu and Agumon found themselves disoriented as they tumbled through the now open skies. Harsh winds, thunderclaps and bolts of lightning decorated the once clear skies above them, but the storm quickly began to grow further away as gravity began to take its hold on them.
"Agumon!" Chiyomatsu shouted to his partner.
Agumon's dizzied persona suddenly regained its focus, green eyes sharpening as it focused upon the airborne samurai. Data rushed into the Rookie Digimon's body as the D-Ark in his partner's pocket reacted with the Blue Card.
MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION
"AGUMON MATRIX DIGIVOLVE TO..." The reptilian Rookie was wrapped in an egg of dark blue data. "METALGREYMON!"
The cyborg Digimon exploded out of the shell of data, its ripped purple wings spreading as it flew towards Chiyomatsu and snatched him out of the air.
"Thanks." Chiyomatsu offered his gratitude to the Ultimate level Digimon. However, both Tamer and Digimon found that they didn't have much time to bask in the glory of their survival as a sonic boom echoed through the air. Their eyes widened as they witnessed a blur of black speeding towards them.
"HAMMER KNUCKLE!"
"MetalGreymon!"
"ON IT!" MetalGreymon lashed out with its robotic right arm in a mighty swing. "TRIDENT ARM!"
The massive metallic limb lashed out against the powerful hammer blow that Daemon unleashed. A shockwave resounded throughout the air in conjunction with the deafening CLANG that came with fist against Chrome Digizoid. Sparks flew from the temporary friction, but despite having greater mass, Daemon's momentum and having the power of Mega level Digimon allowed it to overpower the larger Digimon.
The world became a blur of colour for both MetalGreymon and Chiyomatsu as they rocketed towards ground zero. MetalGreymon hugged Chiyomatsu as tightly as he could to his chest without outright crushing him in his grip. The world then exploded into white as MetalGreymon crashed down with explosive force, landing upon snow covered ground. A pillar of snow rose into the air upon the initial impact, but the momentum of the their descent kept the Ultimate level Digimon skidding. MetalGreymon managed to stab the claws of the Trident Arm into the snow, carving deep trenches as he used friction to slow down.
A heavy panting echoed through the snow covered lands as MetalGreymon finally came to a halt. With his flesh arm, MetalGreymon rested his Tamer down on the ground. The samurai shook his head as he began to regain his sense of balance, ridding himself of the vertigo that came with the sudden crash landing.
"Chiyomatsu-san, are you okay?"
"I'm alright MetalGreymon." The Samurai-Tamer assured his partner. "Your quick reflexes have kept us alive."
"For now!" The sudden shout alerted the pair to the presence of their enemy. The Sin of Wrath hovered in the air, bat-like wings stretched to their fullest. The Demon Lord Digimon gently descended, the snow crunching beneath his talons. "Even for an Ultimate level Digimon, you are powerful! Both of you, an Agumon evolutionary line and a Samurai...you will make quite fun playmates!"
Chiyomatsu drew his two swords and held them at the ready while MetalGreymon bared his fangs in preparation.
Room 4, Tobishachimaru
Not too long after Daemon had taken the initiative to attack Chiyomatsu and Agumon, a burst of killing intent suddenly filled the room. Naruto's eyes widened as he found the source of the killing intent to be originating from Yakumo. Taking advantage of their temporary loss of balance, Yakumo reached into her kimono and two very familiar looking devices were found in the young girl's hands. One purple-black and the other a pale gold.
"D-Arks?!"
A pulse of data emerged from both devices. A LadyDevimon came forth from the purple-black D-Ark while an Angewomon emerged from the pale gold one.
"Black Wing!"
"Holy Kick!"
The LadyDevimon's left arm twisted as if it were taking on a life of its own before transforming into a black spear while the Angewomon lashed out with a kick cloaked in white light.
"Uzumaki-ryu: Kazegiri/Uzumaki Style: Wind Cutter!" The Wind Cutter technique of his family kenjutsu style created the trademark hum and buzz of wind natured chakra coursing through the blade. Both attacks from the Digimon collided with his sword, but the overwhelming force from the two attacks sent Naruto back. The two feminine Digimon then moved after their target with surprising levels of synchronicity, especially given they were the polar opposites of one another in the Digital World.
"Hyper Dash Metal!"
"Lightning Claw!"
Blurs of purple and white raced past Naruto, solidifying upon contact against the oncoming LadyDevimon and Angewomon. Mild shockwaves formed from the powerful collision of blows. Sharp claws from the Tamer Digimon met the fists of the two Ultimate level Digimon and the four Digimon glared at one another as they aimed to physically overpower the other. Due to the difference in height and reach, Dorumon and Gatomon were ultimately sent back, but Dorumon went into a backflip as he landed and opened his jaws.
"Metal Shoot!" An orb of iron was shot towards LadyDevimon, but the Virus Digimon lashed out with her sharp claws.
"Darkness Wave!" A wave of shadow that looked very much like a swarm of bats burned the air, and also burned the iron spheroid which was launched from the X-Antibody Digimon. The data that comprised the attack was turned to cinders and the swarm then flew towards Angewomon who held up a ring of light over her head.
"Heaven's Charm!" The data of the Darkness Wave was absorbed into the ring before it coalesced into a bolt of white lightning-like energy. The wing-like protrustions on the Holy Digimon's right arm took on the appearance of a bow and a bowstring of light formed as the bolt of holy lightning took on the shape on an arrow.
"Celestial Arrow!"
The arrow was fired and time seemed to slow from Naruto's perspective as the holy projectile weapon, a weapon his own partner Digimon would use, was now directed at him. It really was a strange feeling to have your own attacks turned against you, and if it was anything like his own partner's Celestial Arrow then this attack would definitely hurt.
"Homing Missile!"
But that time did not come as the sound of a certain trigger happy rabbit Digimon's voice echoed through the cabin. A single grey, red-nosed missile sped through the air and collided with its fellow projectile attack. Holy energy and data-made explosive generated a powerful explosion that sent both pairs of dual-partnered Tamers flying back as fire and light adorned the airship's interior.
With spots in their vision, Naruto, Dorumon and Gatomon shook their heads to rid them of the cobwebs as they sluggishly rose to their feet. A high-pitched ringing replaced any manner of sound for the moment only for it to suddenly vanish not much later as the Shinobi-Tamer's fellow Tamers appeared in the room alongside their Ultimate level partners.
"Naruto!"
"Naruto-kun!"
The Kyuubi jinchuriki regained his bearings somewhat as he looked into the beautiful purple-grey eyes of his girlfriend.
"Rika-chan?"
"Naruto-kun, we heard Datamon's warning over the intercom and we don't what it was, but something came flying through the walls! We came as soon as we could!"
"And good thing too!" Henry and Rapidmon said.
"You almost got shot!" The green-armoured Ultimate shouted.
"And then nearly blown up." Naruto deadpanned, earning a sweatdrop from Rapidmon. The Shinobi-Tamer suddenly heard a familiar beeping coming from his pants. Whipping out his D-Ark associated with Dorumon, the digital device's communication aspect was being activated as the screen was flashing brightly. Pressing the orange button on the side of the round screen, the room was suddenly assaulted by Takato's voice.
"Naruto! I know you're probably in the middle of something serious, but we got a situation!" The goggle-wearing Tamer's voice was partially being drowned out as the same medley of alarms was also accompanied by shouts from Datamon, Andromon and Pteramon in the Captain's Quarters as they were beginning to carry out emergency protocols.
"I heard!" Naruto replied, his blue eyes remaining focused on his opponent's position. "How far away are we from Haru?"
"We've passed the borderline of Haru's southern coast, but we're descending fast! We're not gonna be able to land at the airport obviously and so we're gonna try and make a safe crash into the snow!"
"Snow?" Naruto's face bore a confused expression. "I thought Haru got rid of that because of the heat generator? Crap, I have no time to mull over it! Listen Takato, I have Henry and Rika here with me so all of you listen up because we need to make sure this airship doesn't explode when it crashes! We have multiple civilians onboard, particularly Miu-hime, and we need to make sure they don't die!"
"What's the plan?" Takato asked.
As he dusted himself off and helped Dorumon and Gatomon to their feet, Naruto focused his attention on his friends. "Alright, listen, there's a lot going on so I can't go into too much detail right now. We found the Digimon involved with the murder of the Udons and they used Yakumo's genjutsu kekkei genkai to attack the airship and that's why it's crashing since she warped reality to make a storm and fire a lightning bolt!"
The information was truly dizzying for Takato, Guilmon and Rapidmon, but luckily Henry was able to process it as best he could alongside Rika and Taomon.
"Takato what's the status of the damage from the lightning strike?"
"There's a fire on the left rear. Any and everything flammable was hit at that point so we need to get the fire put out before it can reach the airship's hide and burn a hole, otherwise we're gonna fall too quickly."
"Ok, Rika-chan, I need you to go with Taomon since she can fly and use a modification card with something involving a water attribute as I'm pretty sure there's a fire burning up there! Either that or Bio-merge into Sakuyamon and use the water fox spirit!"
Rika and Taomon nodded.
"Takato, tell Ero-Sennin to go with you and Guilmon to gather all the passengers and take them to the rear of the Tobishachimaru! At the very least, it'll prevent everyone who's closer to the point of impact from being too heavily injured!"
"Got it! Jiraya-san we..." The communication ended as Takato pocketed the D-Ark on his end. Naruto then directed his attention to the half-Chinese Tamer of the group.
"Henry and Rapidmon, you have the most important job here because you're the only with the size and strength to do it." The green themed pair stared intently at the blonde.
"You want us to Bio-merge into MegaGargomon and keep the Tobishachimaru as steady as possible as we descend."
"Umm...y-yeah, actually." Naruto blinked in surprise at the half-Chinese Tamer. "That's...That's exactly what I wanted you to do."
"I'm three steps ahead of you, boss." The blue-haired Tamer chuckled before pressing a button on his green D-Ark. Rapidmon reverted back to Terriermon before hopping atop Henry's head. "Let's transform and roll out!"
"Haha, alright! Be careful out there, Optimus Prime!"
A small salute was offered in response to the jinchuriki's words.
The two Tamers and their Digimon partners immediately 'rolled out' as Henry so eloquently said earlier. The moment they left their view, Naruto and his two partner Digimon snapped their heads in the direction of where their enemy trio lay. Yakumo was helped to her feet by the eight foot tall Digimon beside her.
"Are you alright, Yakumo-chan?" Angewomon asked.
"Don't baby her! Daemon-sama said not to get attached to her!"
"But she's our Tamer."
"Temporary tool."
Clearly there was a conflict of interest between the two Ultimate level Digimon when it came to looking after the Kurama clan heiress.
"I'm fine." The brown haired girl replied to her Digimon before directing a glare at Naruto and his partners. "Daemon-sama said you would get in the way of our plan, but I didn't think it would be to such a degree."
"Yeah, I mean I can kill people, but I'm not about senseless murdering." Naruto replied. "You've got a grudge with Jiji and Konoha. I can understand bearing the torch for your clan if Jiji were still alive, but he's not. So why are you doing this?"
"Because Daemon-sama said the Master can rewrite reality and bring back my parents, my clan...everyone who died in that fire the Sandaime ordered to create so that my clan's power wouldn't be a threat to his rule as Hokage even though we were always loyal! Through some misguided fear, I lost practically everything!" Yakumo's eyes hardened as an icy glare was directed towards the enemies that stood before her. "I'm not stupid enough to think that I'm not being used. Daemon-sama and the Master were very forthcoming with that information, but just as Daemon-sama wants to bring back his siblings, I want my family back. The Digimon who stand at the pinnacle, Mega Level Digimon...Daemon-sama, when he took me in two years ago and gave me LadyDevimon and Angewomon to be my partners, he told me of what a Mega Digimon can do. They are essentially god-like and some of them being actual gods."
"I know what you mean, Yakumo." Naruto agreed. "I've fought against Lucemon and I've seen the Sovereigns face-to-face, but while I do agree that Mega Digimon can have god-like powers...to rewrite reality or resurrect humans who've dead for however many years ago, can you truly guarantee that that is what will happen?"
"Naruto's right, Yakumo." Gatomon jumped in with her two cents. "You clearly are a good person, or at the very least, have a kind heart buried underneath all that rage and resentment that led you up to this point. Having a bond with two Digimon, having two D-Arks...that alone shows you are somebody who cares for others, but do you really think your clan members would want to be brought back to life under what would essentially be a blood ritual? Sacrificing all these people who just happen to be strongly affiliated with Hi no Kuni just so you could get back at a dead man? Would it really be worth it?"
"I...I..." Yakumo stuttered slightly as the world around her seemed to become silent. Thoughts raced through her mind at a mile a minute, considering the words of Naruto and Gatomon. Eyes were wide as they shifted every so slightly in their sockets, her hands shaking as she glanced down at them.
Then...she stopped. Yakumo's body hunched over slightly, her bangs hiding her face from view.
Naruto, Dorumon and Gatomon looked at her oddly. They looked between each other and then back to Yakumo. The moment they did, Yakumo's head suddenly snapped up and a very frightened, fang-lined grin threatened to split her face.
"Of course it would be worth it."
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" The trio exclaimed.
"To revel in fire and blood! That is what it will take for my clan's retribution and for the Master to have his world realised!" The image of Yakumo shimmered as if she were bathed in the heat haze generated by a desert's climate. Her brown hair suddenly took on a more reddish tint and two long brown horns sprouted out from her temples. Her skin darkened, becoming a similar dark brown as her horns.
'What is that?!'
"Hmmm, if I had to hazard a guess, I think her genjutsu prowess melded with her mental instability after her clan was murdered by the old Hokage you call Jiji."
'So is it real?'
"Yes and no." Kurama replied. "The framework of the psychic apparatus, the things that make you who you are, are composed of three things. The id, the ego and the super-ego. When this little flesh bag here had her clan murdered, her id was essentially super-charged. The id is the part of you that is the source of bodily wants and needs, emotional impulses and desires, especially when it comes to aggression."
'So her mind created a persona for her emotional state?'
"Pretty much." The Kyuubi nodded from within the mindscape of his jinchuriki. "And because her kekkei genkai lets her illusions interact with the physical plane to such a high degree, this Id-Yakumo hybrid can and will punch you in the face."
Naruto sweatdropped at his inner demon's words.
"And so I will add your life to the list of all the others that the Master will take for the sake of his goal!" Id-Yakumo shouted with primal rage.
"Ugh, I'm so over fighting evil subordinates of enemies of nameless masters." Naruto muttered.
"We've only ever fought the one though." Dorumon commented.
"Yeah and now we have two more with Akatsuki and now whoever this new Digimon 'Master' is."
The fox-tailed dragon couldn't make a counter-argument to that point.
"So then, the mighty trio who slayed the Sin of Pride, Lucemon at the height of his powers...let's see how you fare against us at ours!" The demonic Yakumo held up her D-Arks as they released a glow. The screens flashed blue and identical words appeared as the trio were wrapped in an egg of purple-black and pale gold data.
DNA BIO-MERGE DIGIVOLUTION
"LADYDEVIMON..."
"ANGEWOMON..."
The egg of data began to pulsate as the two colours fused and became an ovoid of half black and half white.
"DNA BIO-MERGE TO..."
The two Ultimate level Digimon's bodies broke down into wireframes, stacking atop each other as their DigiCores fused with Yakumo's own physical spirit and body. The egg of data then shattered to reveal the Mega level Digimon which stood in their place.
Standing at a whopping height of twelve feet, the Digimon was a very physically attractive creature as it possessed the voluptuous forms of both Angewomon and LadyDevimon fused into one. Its body was clad in full body armour that resembled something similar to that of a knight's or a valkyrie's. The right half of the armour was a shining ivory with golden trim and blue rune-like patterns adorning the plates of armour covering its forearm and thigh. The left half was a stark contrast which was coloured a black as the void of a starless sky. Its arm plating was decorated with spikes of crimson crystals and rather than a petite human-like hand on its right side, the left hand was a piece of anatomy seeming to be forged from the same sort of shining crimson energy that was reflected in the crystal spikes. The hand was at least three times larger than its contralateral part and each finger was akin to a claw that could rend flesh from bone with ease. A battle dress made up of four lengthy pieces of cloth flowed from the Digimon's waistline, mostly made of white cloth with triangular black pieces of metal adhered to the anterior surface. Each tip of the cloth pieces seemed to burn with individual wisps of blue energy on the right and red energy on the left. The most eye-catching feature of the Digimon were the ten massive wings that sprouted forth from its back. Five white feathered angel wings on the right and five black, bat-like wings on the left.
"MASTEMON!"
Gold and black energy flowed from the Mega Digimon that stood before Naruto, Dorumon and Gatomon.
The bronze coloured D-Ark of Gatomon's was held in Naruto's hand to reveal the data on this unknown Digimon they were witnessing.
"Mastemon. A Mega level Digimon that is known as the Tactician from Another World. It was said to have come about when Angel and Fallen Angel Digimon clashed and it came through the gate of another Digital World?"
"So we're dealing with a pair of Digimon who came through from another quadrant's Earth?" Dorumon mused upon hearing his Tamer's readings. "We're the South and the Adventure anime is linked to the East, but they have no mention of a Mastemon in their lore. So we're likely dealing with a Digimon from the Western or the Northern quadrants."
"She can fire arrows of light from her right side with Holy Desire, actually attack your DigiCore with Dark Despair, and can rip open a dimensional gate by merging the powers of light and darkness with Chaos Degradation."
"So much more not thinking a Mega with the ability to rewrite reality is a stretch." Dorumon commented. "We're fighting one who can literally tear holes in it."
"And she has ten wings." Gatomon hissed. "Angel and Devil Digimon with ten wings are the highest ranked of their kind, and since she has attributes of both..."
"Then we're in some deep shit." Dorumon finished his mate's sentence.
"Essentially."
Naruto quickly whipped out the silver-blue D-Ark of his draconian partner.
"We can't afford to hold back against her then. We'll go Mega and overwhelm her!"
The D-Arks in Naruto's hands shone with their respective lights.
BIO-MERGE DIGIVOLUTION
MEGA DIGIVOLUTION
"DORUMON BIO-MERGE TO...ALPHAMON OURYUKEN!"
"GATOMON MEGA DIGIVOLVE TO...OPHANIMON!"
The Royal Knight and Angel Digimon appeared from the eggs of data they were forged from. The moment they did, Mastemon struck at a pace that made it seem as if she had teleported instantaneously to their positions. The reaction times of both Alphamon and Ophanimon were nothing to sneeze at though as the Ouryuken and the javelin, Eden, were used to block the light and dark energy coated DNA Digimon.
A shockwave of energy ripped through the already strained airship and Alphamon's crimson eyes narrowed.
"We have to get her out of the airship and fight outside otherwise we'll end up tearing it apart."
"Understood." Ophanimon nodded. The Holy Mother Digimon and the holder of the Royal Knights' Empty Seat moved in tandem to strike Mastemon's knees, knocking her off-balance. A yelp of surprise came from the ten-winged Digimon before Alphamon's body glowed with energy.
"Alpha Inforce!" With hyperspeed combat at a level so intense it made one seem as if time would stand still, Alphamon spun on his heels to get behind Mastemon and unleash a devastating swing of the large blade in his hand.
"OURYUKEN!" The Dragon King Sword struck home, nailing Mastemon in the back. The sound of bones creaking met Alphamon's ears as the enemy Mega Digimon folded into a crescent shape over the blade. A powerful shockwave drowned out her cry of pain before time seemed to continue flowing once more. Mastemon rocketed through the air like a bullet, tearing through the room directly opposite to Room 4, the Living Room and the shatterproof glass that made up the promenade area of the right half of the Tobishachimaru.
Ophanimon and Alphamon wasted no time, their respective wings flapping as they took on bursts of speed to follow after their airborne target as she was forcefully made to exit the aircraft. The chilled air flowed between them as Alphamon and Ophanimon held their respective weapons at the ready while Mastemon righted herself in midair and glared at them, crimson eyes burning with the aggression of Id-Yakumo's persona.
"Yakumo, please!" Ophanimon called out the Bio-merged Digimon. "You don't have to do this! We don't have to fight!"
"Yes we do!" The harsh response from Id-Yakumo was as chilling as the air which blew between the three combatants. "Your deaths are the primary obstacle to the Master's plans! With you gone, there will be no one with the power to do so!"
"Yakumo, can't you see that whoever is doing this is not in their right mind!" Alphamon tried to make her see reason, but the human component of Mastemon refused to listen as the half-angel half-devil shook her head. "Your Master is working with Demon Lords! Literal embodiments of the Seven Deadly Sins and legitimately evil Digimon!"
"The Master also has aligned with the Ten Legendary Warriors of the Western Quadrant, so your point holds no weight."
"The Ten Legen-but they're dead!" Ophanimon exclaimed.
"That is the power of resurrection that my Master possesses. He can draw the data from the Digital World's Void of Recluse, the afterlife of the Digimon, and bring them back so long as even a shred of data remains on that Digimon. If he can do that for a Digimon, then he can definitely bring back my fallen family."
"Yakumo, your Master is evil!"
"In my eyes you're evil for holding me back!"
"...WELL THEN YOU ARE LOST!"
"If you won't stand down, Yakumo...no..." Ophanimon shook her head. "Mastemon, then there's no going back."
Blue and red energies flowed from either side of Mastemon's body as her response.
Alphamon took a deep breath, just as Chiyomatsu had showed his human half. Oxygen flowed through his airways, into his lungs and then through his blood to the synthetic proteins that made up his muscles. The black and gold armoured Digimon raised his Ouryuken, the vibrant green energy of the Alpha Inforce outlining his body. Ophanimon raised her javelin as well, an aura of holy light and purple flame flaring around her own form.
"Then we will do what we must."
(A/N: Hey guys, sorry for such a long wait. I really was trying all these months to try and come up with the storyline for this particular arc leading up to what would later be the arc involving Haru no Kuni. I did want to try to expand upon making the murder mystery thing last longer, but I really couldn't come up with any ideas to make it work that wouldn't end in just one chapter. Especially since my average chapter lengths tend to be approximately 10k words inclusive of these author notes.
At first I wanted to try and do something similar to the Mugen Train movie where everyone would be put into a deep sleep and the murder mystery itself was all a dream, but I couldn't make a cohesive scene shift from dream to reality that would lead to the airship crash that we have going on here. So I scrapped it and came up with this thing to involve Yakumo Kurama who's actually a filler character from the pre-Shippuden era and one of the more interesting filler arcs I find since we rarely get to see genjutsu used in such a deadly manner outside of a Sharingan user. I took some creative liberty with the strength of her kekkei genkai where the illusions are so powerful from her aggression and Id that it does in fact have an effect on the physical plane.
Bringing Daemon and Mastemon was something I had in my mind since the start of the idea for this storyline and I am gonna have a lot of fun for making the fights for this next chapter. With work and studying and trying to balance the things I like to do in my down time it may take some time to write the next chapter, but I am feeling much more motivated this time around now that pandemic things are basically as low as they can possibly be and having played through Digimon Cyber Sleuth and hearing that Digimon Survive is finally set to be released later this year, I am hyped to get some more Digimon related creative juices flowing.
Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please remember to review and look forward to the next chapter where there will be some pretty heavy action.)