The writhing sea of D-Reaper that was growing all around the area cast a devilish red glow upon all that it touched. NightmareOmnimon remained perfectly calm. He carefully studied his opponents, his eyes moving slowly from one to the next. He could practically smell their determination. Of course, he knew that determination alone could never lead to his downfall, but he also knew that overconfidence could. He could not afford to throw these Tamers into the equation as well; there was no telling what powers they might have.
"Fools…" said NightmareOmnimon. "Weak creatures, all of you. That you've dared to defy me this long is purely amazing, but it's over now. I've taken what I need from this world, and I've used the D-Reaper's code to activate my greatest weapon. Come after me again and I'll cast all of you into oblivion!"
"You're going nowhere!" said Tai from atop a building where Magnadramon had dropped all of her passengers.
"Stand down, NightmareOmnimon," Ryo ordered from the rooftop with Cyberdramon, Renamon and the others where Imperialdramon had left his passengers. "If we continue this fight then none of us will come out alive."
"Then leave me to my work!" said NightmareOmnimon.
"Virus… It's been a long time," said Cyberdramon.
"What?" asked Ryo. "How do you know this guy?"
NightmareOmnimon squinted his eyes at Cyberdramon, studying him intently.
"Wait a minute…" said NightmareOmnimon. "Oh, this is far too delicious. It looks like I WILL get the chance to kill you today."
"Actually, I was hoping it would be the other way around," Cyberdramon growled.
"Tell me, what are YOU doing with these… humans?" asked NightmareOmnimon. "Just buying yourself some time to get strong enough to come after me? Trying to take my place?"
"That was a long time ago," said Cyberdramon. "Things are different now."
"Your better half didn't seem to think so," said NightmareOmnimon. "That's why the Vanguard rubbed him out of existence. Now I'll do the same to you."
"I take it you're still the Vanguard's stooge," said Cyberdramon. "I'm not surprised. You never could think for yourself. Don't tell me you're still working on that same, tired plan."
"Would someone tell me what's going on here?!" asked Ryo.
"It's almost a shame really," said NightmareOmnimon, ignoring Ryo. "I don't really want to kill you. I'd much rather leave it up to him, just to see the look on your face. But I can't have you standing in my way again."
"What is he talking about?" asked Ryo.
"Ignore him!" Cyberdramon snapped. "He's trying to distract you!"
"Oh, you haven't told them…" said NightmareOmnimon. "That makes this much more interesting doesn't it?"
"Shut up! Are we going to talk or fight?!" Cyberdramon snarled.
"Don't try to hide it," said NightmareOmnimon. "I'd recognize that scent from the other side of the Digital World. Sure, it may have been masked some, but it's still very much there."
"I said SHUT UP!" Cyberdramon roared, taking flight.
Cyberdramon shot right for NightmareOmnimon's face. Just as he reached the immense evil knight he flipped around to land a kick on his face. The blow struck hard on NightmareOmnimon's chin, knocking his head back, but Cyberdramon was not done yet. He began to pummel NightmareOmnimon with phenomenal speed and ferocity, laying into the dark digimon's face with every ounce of strength he had. He attacked viciously, beating NightmareOmnimon into submission before finally backing for just a moment to prepare his primary attack: the Desolation Claw. With his claws charged, Cyberdramon made one great final attack on NightmareOmnimon, digging his amazingly destructive claws into NightmareOmnimon's tough armor. The attack left a pair of gaping wounds in NightmareOmnimon's body. Bits of data floated away from the wounds, through which one could see the immense darkness within NightmareOmnimon. Cyberdramon was panting heavily as he began to back away slowly. NightmareOmnimon appeared to be stunned from the attack, quivering in apparent pain, not bothering to bring his head upright again. However, Cyberdramon had overexerted himself in that furious attack. He was breathing heavily and sweat dripped down his tough hide. Seeing NightmareOmnimon so shocked was more than enough to bring a smile to Cyberdramon's face though.
"Did you like that?" asked Cyberdramon.
"Is that the best you got?" returned the calm yet terrifying voice of NightmareOmnimon.
"What?!" Cyberdramon gasped in shock.
NightmareOmnimon brought his head back up to normal position, revealing a total lack of damage to his face. The wounds inflicted began to reseal themselves almost instantly as the evil knight's eyes began to glow brighter than ever before.
"N-No! Impossible!" said Cyberdramon.
"Die…" said NightmareOmnimon.
With a stunning burst of speed, NightmareOmnimon head-butted Cyberdramon, launching the dragon through the air and causing him to cry out in sudden, agonizing pain.
"Cyberdramon!" shouted Ryo.
NightmareOmnimon took off after him instantly. Before Cyberdramon could cover more than two hundred yards, NightmareOmnimon was right on top of him again. He backhanded Cyberdramon with the broad side of his Infernal Sword, catapulting him straight up toward the stratosphere and eliciting another dry of pain from the dragon digimon. Just as Cyberdramon's ascent began to slow toward a point of stoppage, NightmareOmnimon appeared overhead again. NightmareOmnimon fell on Cyberdramon like a mountain, pinning him beneath his outstretched foot as they fell, moving faster and faster until they finally returned to earth. NightmareOmnimon fell directly toward a building, plowing through it with Cyberdramon still on the bottom of his foot. The building fell inward as the insidious NightmareOmnimon tore down through it, crushing Cyberdramon beneath his heel and burying him beneath tons and tons of rubble. An entire wave of debris sprung up from the building as it collapsed around the two digimon, concealing NightmareOmnimon from the sight of the DigiDestined.
"Cyberdramon! NOOOO!!!" screamed Ryo.
"No!" gasped Taomon.
"There's just no way he could've survived that!" said Shibumi.
"Cyberdramon!" Ken yelled.
"This can't be…" said Davis.
"Henry!" shouted Terriermon. "I'm going in! There still might be time to save him!"
"I have to help too, Suzie!" said Lopmon.
"No way!" said Henry. "Not this time! I can't let either of you go out there to face that thing! I know you want to help, but there's just no way we can help Cyberdramon now."
"We've still got to try!" said Lopmon.
"No! I don't want you to go!" cried Suzie as she held on tight to Lopmon.
"Suzie, we have to!" said Lopmon.
"Come on Henry!" said Terriermon. "If we don't at least try to help out then what good are we?"
"But if I send you out there you'll be killed for sure!" said Henry.
"We'll all get killed if we stay here!" said Terriermon.
Before Henry could get out an answer, NightmareOmnimon burst forth from the debris cloud, leaping up to just slightly over the DigiDestined.
"Now Imperialdramon!" shouted Davis.
"Positron Laser!" shouted Imperialdramon, firing the deadly beam of light from his back.
Imperialdramon's attack split a path through the airborne debris as it headed straight for NightmareOmnimon. NightmareOmnimon swiftly held up his blade and used it to deflect the attack away from himself. GrandKuwagamon charged, but a brutal punch from NightmareOmnimon cut him down in his tracks, planting him firmly in one of the growing number of ruins in the area. MegaGargomon, Metalgarurumon, and Guardromon all fired clusters of missiles together, bombarding NightmareOmnimon with hundreds of explosions. Before the last of the missiles had hit though, the dark digimon bolted forward. A single blow to MegaGargomon flattened the great digimon and landed him on Metalgarurumon and Guardromon. Metalseadramon made his move, firing his River of Power right at NightmareOmnimon, but the vile digimon sidestepped the surging bolt of energy, which promptly tore through one of the few remaining support-pillars of the Shinjuku Skyscrapers. NightmareOmnimon swiftly moved in behind the snakelike digimon, pounding him at the base of the skull with his elbow. Kerpymon took the opportunity to come in quick. He reached out with one of his massive arms, grabbing a firm hold on NightmareOmnimon's face and plowing him into the ground. NightmareOmnimon counterattacked flawlessly, kicking Kerpymon head over heels as he fell. NightmareOmnimon was upright again in an instant. It was clear that his control over his ever-expanding powers was increasing by the second.
"Rosemon!" cried Mimi. "You have to do something!"
"Too… tired…" groaned Rosemon, still exhausted from her previous fight.
"Diaboromon! You've got to help MegaGargomon and Kerpymon!" Willis shouted.
"No energy…" Diaboromon said in between deep breaths. "Too weak…"
"Time's up," said NightmareOmnimon as his eyes surged with evil light.
An explosion of sheer power radiated out from NightmareOmnimon, tossing humans and digimon alike into the air. The foundations of all the remaining buildings in the area trembled. Even the red glow cast over everything by the D-Reaper quaked from the energy.
"Tai!" shouted Wargreymon, quickly moving in to keep his partner from being thrown over the edge of the building he stood on.
"I gotcha'!" said Bahadramon, hanging on tight to Jack and Michael.
"It's over," said the booming voice of NightmareOmnimon. "Now you die!"
NightmareOmnimon eagerly lifted his cannon and aimed right for the center of the large group.
"Grau Realm!" shouted a voice from off to the side.
Yet another mysterious digimon appeared, running at full speed across the roof of a building toward NightmareOmnimon. He leaped headfirst at NightmareOmnimon's cannon, knocking its aim off slightly just as he fired. The bolt flew past the DigiDestined and skimmed along the skyline before heading off into the distance. NightmareOmnimon's gaze instantly fell upon the digimon that had attacked him: a large dog-like digimon.
"Whoa, now that's some timing!" said Davis. "That guy a friend of yours Rika?"
"I haven't seen any digimon like THAT before," said Rika.
"Me neither," said Taomon.
"Dobermon!" called a girl from behind the mysterious digimon.
The girl was very pale with blonde hair in pigtails. She wore all-black clothing, specifically a Victorian skirt with stockings and a metal cross around her neck.
"Alice! Stay back!" shouted the dog digimon.
"But Dobermon! You can't do this alone!"
"I have to!"
"Argh!" NightmareOmnimon yelled. "Why is it that every time I'm about to win, another one of you CRETINS has to show up?! I HATE this world!"
"Heads up!" shouted a voice from NightmareOmnimon's other side.
NightmareOmnimon turned his head just in time to be hit in the eyes by Rapidmon's Tri Beam, temporarily blinding him. As NightmareOmnimon reached up to rub his eyes, Antylamon moved in quickly, her Bunny Axe nice and ready. She tore into NightmareOmnimon's armored body with her blades, slicing and dicing him as much as possible. Rapidmon fired several missiles to prolong the distraction.
"Way to go, Rapidmon!" Henry cheered.
"Go Antylamon!" said Suzie.
Dobermon took advantage of the distraction, quickly hoisting Alice up onto his back and then dashing to where most of the humans and digimon had congregated. After gracefully leaping over several rooftops, Dobermon found himself in the midst of the DigiDestined.
"Hey, thanks for the help there," said Izzy. "We'd all be gone by now if it wasn't for you!"
"Don't celebrate quite yet," said Alice, letting herself off Dobermon's back.
"Who exactly are you?" asked Mimi. "Are you another Tamer?"
"Yes, I'm a Tamer," said Alice. "But I'm afraid that's all I can tell you. Time is of the essence now."
"The Sovereigns have sensed this fiend, NightmareOmnimon," said Dobermon. "They called upon Alice and I to assess the threat, and to do whatever is in our power to stop it."
"We'll welcome any help we can get," said Bahadramon as he made a landing a few yards away, letting Jack and Michael down to solid ground once again.
"Bahadramon!" said Dobermon.
"Um… yes?" said the suddenly confused dragon.
"It's you!" said Dobermon. "I had wondered where… wait a minute. You… you don't recognize me."
"I'm sorry to say I don't," said Bahadramon.
"Bah! It doesn't matter now," said Dobermon. "There are more important matters to—"
"Hold it!" said Bahadramon. "Do you know me from somewhere?"
"Please! There's not time for this!" said Dobermon. "If we can all come through this thing in one piece, I'd be more than happy to explain. For now we must focus!"
"Uh, guys!" Rapidmon yelled. "He looks pretty mad!"
All eyes returned to Antylamon and Rapidmon just as the two digimon were knocked away from NightmareOmnimon and into the side of a building. NightmareOmnimon looked absolutely furious.
"Infernal Sword Deletion Mode!" shouted NightmareOmnimon.
NightmareOmnimon's already menacing sword suddenly took on a new appearance as an unsettling swirling crimson mist began to swirl about it. Sparks of electrical energy ran up and down the edge sporadically.
"Behold!" said NightmareOmnimon. "The TRUE power of my viral essence! Prepare to witness my fully activated powers, brought to you courtesy of the D-Reaper!"
NightmareOmnimon lifted his blade straight up over his head, but everyone knew it wouldn't stay there for long. The humans began to scatter toward whatever digimon they could get to first, but NightmareOmnimon was not about to let them escape this final blow. The sword began to fall, and it fell fast. The deadly weapon sliced through the air with ease, drawing closer and closer to the building on which most of the humans stood, as well as a number of digimon. Ryo, lacking a digimon, couldn't seem to find his legs. He stared up at the blade like a deer transfixed in a car's headlights. Ryo instinctively shielded himself from the falling weapon with his arms. He shut his eyes tight and turned away from the coming attack. But in an instant, the deadly blade came to an abrupt stop mere feet above the human. The sudden halt was accompanied by the crashing sound of metal striking metal. Ryo remained still for a moment, shaking in terror, not even realizing that he had been preserved. Slowly though, he and everyone else turned to look at what had halted NightmareOmnimon's attack. What they saw was nothing less than miraculous; Cyberdramon, with his body beaten and bruised, his helmet cracked, and his wings torn to ribbons, had stepped between the building and NightmareOmnimon's attack and clasped his claws onto the Infernal Sword, holding it just above his face. The battered digimon stared straight up into the impossibly sharp edge. He could feel his strength giving out as he shook violently just to keep the blade from completing its task. Strips of red energy from around the blade curled up and down Cyberdramon's body, tearing off bits of flesh and metal and deleting them.
"Cyberdramon…" asked Ryo, still in a state of shock.
"Ryo!" Cyberdramon grunted, trying desperately to keep from being crushed by NightmareOmnimon. "Get… out of here!"
"Cyberdramon, you'll be killed!" Ryo responded.
"Nothing…*urgh*… can help that… now," Cyberdramon said. "But… you and the others… can still make it!"
"Cyberdramon, I—"
"GO!!!"
Bahadramon grabbed Ryo around the waist from behind and took off. He was the last of the digimon to leave the rooftop, which was now abandoned by all but Cyberdramon. An instant later, Cyberdramon was overwhelmed by NightmareOmnimon's strength. The black blade shredded Cyberdramon and completely deleted his body, also managing to take out the entire building below his feet.
"CYBERDRAMON!!!" Ryo screamed.
"Fire!" Tai ordered from his perch on Wargreymon's back.
"With pleasure…" said the enraged Wargreymon.
In a massive volley, the digimon unleashed what attacks they could.
"Terra Force!"
"Metal Wolf Claw!"
"Water Tail Blaster!"
"Mega Electro Shocker!"
"Crimson Flame!"
"Positron Laser!"
"Aurvandil's Arrow!"
"Viking Axe!"
"River of Power!"
"Gargo Missile!"
"Lightning Spear!"
"Web Wrecker!"
"Gaea Flare!"
"Talisman of Light!"
"Tri Beam!"
"Fire Tornado!"
"Seven Heavens!"
The attacks all made a beeline for NightmareOmnimon, all merging into one all-powerful attack as they moved in. Less than half a second after the attacks were launched, NightmareOmnimon felt an immense pain, unlike he'd ever felt before. With unprecedented speed and power, the merged attack, a brilliant pure white bolt of energy, blasted through NightmareOmnimon's chest with ease and left behind it a hole big enough to fit a house through. NightmareOmnimon was thrown back the length of a football field by the attack's sheer force, flying back through the few semi-intact buildings in the area.
"Yeah!" said Mr. Wong from atop HerculesKabuterimon, where he and the other programmers including Yamaki had taken refuge.
"Phenomenal…" said Yamaki.
NightmareOmnimon stared down at the gaping hole in his chest, trembling with fear of the apparently growing powers of the DigiDestined and their digimon. As the fight had worn on, he was finding it harder and harder to regenerate from his injuries. He was lucky to have survived that last attack and he knew it. He was more enraged than he had ever been before.
"That's IT!" NightmareOmnimon screamed. "I have had ENOUGH!"
"Hit the dirt!" Vikemon shouted.
All the humans and digimon immediately dove for any cover they could find. NightmareOmnimon's eyes overflowed with a shimmering white light that quickly formed into an aura that surrounded his entire body. Even the D-Reaper shrank from the searing light. NightmareOmnimon's body trembled with waves of power as the energy field grew bigger and bigger by the second. Waves of distortion flowed around his body like smoke from a fire. The air, the buildings, everything around NightmareOmnimon bent into odd forms. The light billowed from his eyes faster with every instant. The very ground shook terribly, causing many of the already severely damaged buildings to collapse altogether. NightmareOmnimon suddenly shut his eyes, pulled back his arms, turned his head skyward, and let out a terrible yell that reverberated throughout the city. Humans and digimon alike shut their ears and covered their eyes to protect themselves from the horrible noise. NightmareOmnimon's massive upsurge of power was directed toward the sky. The great surge of energy proved so powerful that it tore a hole right through the dimensional border. A great white circle hung in the sky, pulsating at irregular intervals with the terrible light of NightmareOmnimon. It actually looked very much like the portal so long ago that had helped Tai to return to the Digital World following the defeat of Etemon and Tai's subsequent voyage home, but it was far more sinister. Debris from all over the place was sucked into the brilliant vortex as raging winds began to envelop the whole of the city.
"Humans!" yelled the still clearly enraged NightmareOmnimon, his voice shaking the Earth itself. "Hear me! I am leaving this place, and any that follow me will face pain beyond imagining! I have finished toying with you weaklings!"
With that, NightmareOmnimon flew straight upward, disappearing into the vortex.
"I think we all know what this means," Matt shouted over the wind.
"We're going after him," said Metalgarurumon.
"No time to lose!" said Joe.
"Wait a second!" said Rika. "You're not going anywhere without us!"
"Yeah!" said Henry. "We can't sit back and let you handle that guy alone!"
"Right on, dude!" said Kazu.
"No," said Alice.
"What?" asked Ryo.
"The DigiDestined must face NightmareOmnimon alone," said Alice. "The rest of us must remain behind and insure that the D-Reaper does not consume our world."
"Are you nuts?" asked Rika. "It's pretty obvious that NightmareOmnimon is the bigger threat here! We've got to stop him first!"
"The DigiDestined can handle that," said Dobermon.
"Alice and Dobermon are right!" said Tai. "You've all got to stay! We can handle this guy. You just worry about your own world."
"Hey, Ken?" asked Ryo.
"Yeah?" asked Ken.
"In case this is the last time we see each other, I just want you to know that I really appreciate having you as a friend. I'm glad we had this chance to meet again."
"Me too," said Ken.
"One more thing," said Ryo. "Make him pay. Make him pay for what he did to Cyberdramon."
"Don't worry," said Ken. "We'll never let him get away from us. He'll get exactly what's coming to him."
"Alright troops! Let's move out!" shouted Wargreymon.
One by one, the humans who were staying behind disembarked, and those that were leaving steeled themselves for the approaching terror they would have to face. Once they were loaded down with their partners once again the digimon took flight, heading up into NightmareOmnimon's vortex and leaving behind that world forever, as well as the new friends they had all made there.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[Woo! That was a long on there. In case you're wondering about what the deal is between NightmareOmnimon and Cyberdramon, I'd review chapter 22 and it wouldn't hurt to do a little research into the history of Ryo. As for the meeting between Bahadramon and Dobermon, I assure you that will be explained, albeit in an untimely manner. The clock is running out on this fic as The Crest of Corruption enters its closing chapters. See you next time!]