Disclaimer:
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2.
Guard Tamer: Blight of GAIA
By: RB3
Chapter 2: Friends Torn Apart
"So this is where those rats have been hiding all this time..." muttered Akira.
"Who are the Blood Knights?" asked Davis.
"...They were rebellious Guard Tamers who are nothing but savage conquerors. They used Digimon as tools for their foul ends. They started a war against our home city," replied Zudokorn.
"That's terrible! Digimon aren't just tools for fighting! Who could possibly use a Digimon as a weapon?" asked Kari rhetorically.
"Believe it. We all fought in that war 30 years ago. We all have seen what the Blood Knights are like firsthand," added Zudokorn.
"WHAT? But that's impossible!" burst Davis. The other DD were just as surprised as Davis.
TK pondered what the Guard Tamers said. "Maybe not... When I was with the original Digidestined, Digital World time was faster than that of the Real World. Something must have caused the difference in time synchronization. Apparently, the Guard Tamers must have resynchronized the two timelines. But that still doesn't explain why the Guard Tamers are so young despite, living for over 30 years."
"Maybe something about the Digital World caused humans who live there to undergo changes. Maybe they can live longer," suggested Yolei.
"Maybe they became like Gennai. As he said, he is similar to Digimon but he doesn't have attributes like we do. Digimon don't truly age like humans do," implied Patamon.
"Does that mean that they reconfigure too when destroyed, like the Digimon do?" asked TK. This reminded TK about how Patamon returned after sacrificing himself to beat Devimon.
"Let me answer that one. Yes, Guard Tamers and Blood Knights do reconfigure after death. This effectively means that we must imprison Blood Knights if we want to remove them permanently..." replied Zudokorn.
Ken pondered the recent turn of events. He asked if the Blood Knights controlled the Digimon like he did as the Digimon Emperor with Dark Rings.
"No. The Blood Knights are Tamers just like us," responded Debbie. "Early on, our people were given a gift by the Guardians of the Digital World. We can befriend Digimon to join our cause. The Blood Knights have the same power."
"Our Tamers our friends. We will fight beside them even to the death if it's necessary," added Darkfryer.
"Blood Knight Digimon are the same," added Lillith.
"What are 'Guard Tamers?'? And what is 'Digital City?'" asked Hawkmon.
"They told me they defended Digital City. Digital City is the home city of the Guard Tamers. It's on Directory continent," answered Mimi.
"Yes, Mr. Zudokorn told us all about that early on. Right, Michael?" asked Betamon. Michael nodded in response.
Zudokorn reiterated what he told Mimi, Michael and their Digimon. The DD and their Digimon nodded in comprehension. The Guards Teams were like the Digidestined, only more militant and more organized. They remembered Izzy and thought that he might like to learn what the Guard Teams and their scientists know. Izzy would literally be in heaven. Wormmon looked over Zudokorn's shoulder as he worked his Browser to find a map. Various things flashed by on the screen. The picture of a black dinosaur shaped Digimon flashed onto the screen.
It looked like Chimeramon but its skin was darkened. It had a yellow spirit anchored to its back. The spirit's head looked like that of a Machinedramon. Two metallic cannons jutted from the back of the spirit. Wormmon knew this Digimon was familiar but couldn't grasp why. He looked at the top of the screen for the name of this Digimon. He was named "Millenniummon."
The name "Millenniummon" triggered a memory. Wormmon recounted his memory of his Millenniummon battle in the past. Wormmon envisioned a desert and that very Digimon collapsing onto the sand. The wind was blowing fiercely and the sand made it hard to see.
Ken saw some black objects fly from Millenniummon's corpse. Ken shoved his partner out of the way, but was struck in the back. The shock of realisation returned Wormmon's thoughts to the Digital World. He blurted out "Millenniummon" with a look of fear. Ken tried to console Wormmon.
"Millenniummon is Darkfryer's Mega form," said Akira.
"Funny you should mention that... I was struck in the back too by a similar object long ago," added Darkfryer.
"Tell us about this object," asked Ken.
Darkfryer used to be a normal Agumon in the past. The object, the Dark Spore, changed him into Black Agumon. Guard Tamer scientists have surgically removed the object, but some of its effects persisted. This was the reason Darkfryer Digivolved into Chimeramon and Millenniummon. Akira began a tale of how Darkfryer was driven to madness by the Dark Spore.
*******************************************
It was a bright morning on that fateful day. His alarm clock rang and he groggily reached for a button. Akira had believed that was just simple patrols in order for the day. Nothing out of the ordinary would happen. Never would he dream of having to make the most painful decision in his life...
Darkfryer was like a war buddy to Akira. He and Lillith were both with Akira throughout all the battles they ever fought. Both he and Lillith Digivolved to Ultimate and fought alongside Akira during the attack on Digital City. From his Digibeetle, Akira and Sheena both helped with support fire, medical aid, and enhancements.
Darkfryer was groaning. The back of Darkfryer's neck tingled in a painful manner. Akira believed that this was highly unusual. The only real combat Darkfryer was involved in was training in the domains the day before. In each combat situation, every attack hit Darkfryer's Chimeramon form from the front. There was no way the back of his neck could be injured.
"Hmm, the pain stopped, I feel better..." commented Darkfryer. "I guess I wasn't in a good sleeping position last night."
"We've got patrol this morning. I don't expect anything too hairy so we should be ok..." suggested Akira. "Just do some exercises in the Digibeetle."
Akira and his Digimon boarded his Digibeetle. Sheena was already waiting for them. They travelled to their sector in the northern reaches of Directory Desert. The desert was a wasteland filled with nothing but dunes of sand. It seemed to continue on and on to infinity. Akira was about to fall asleep from boredom until he saw a strange sight.
Behind a dune of sand was five caged Digimon. They were an Agumon, Tentomon, Monochromon and a Kuwagamon. Akira wondered who was cruel enough to leave caged Digimon to die in the desert. Akira and Sheena sent their Digimon to free the captive Digimon. Suddenly, a portal ripped open from the ground and a Digimon came through!
"Greetings, Tamers. I am Daemon," said the Digimon.
"What do you want? Tell me, why have you imprisoned these Digimon?" demanded Akira.
"Why, to draw you here of course! Your Digimon has something I want," said Daemon pointing to Darkfryer. "There is a Dark Spore buried within his body, I must have it."
Three other Digimon suddenly appeared around Akira and Sheena's Digibeetle. A Skull Satamon and a Lady Devimon flanked their left and right side respectively. From behind, a Marine Devimon moved to block their path of retreat.
"We're trapped!" remarked Sheena.
"Yeah, tell me about it..." added Akira sarcastically.
Darkfryer growled at his enemies. The painful tingling sensation returned to Darkfryer. This time it was more severe. Darkfryer writhed in pain as his body began to warp and mutate. Akira was concerned. Now was the most inconvenient time for the pain to return. The Daemon Corps were watching intently, unsure of what to do.
Darkfryer's body was engulfed in pure dark energy. He grew to gigantic proportions as his form shifted into another more malevolent one. Darkfryer had turned into a Digimon with a size on scale with buildings. This new form resembled his Chimeramon form, and was clearly a higher Digivolutionary stage. Darkfryer's body was charcoal black and one could vaguely make out Chimeramon's mismatched body parts.
His claws and arms were now identical in appearance and resembled those of Devimon's somewhat. Navy blue stripes like Garurumon's wound around his legs. Anchored to his back was a yellow spirit of a dragon. A pair of Machinedramon's Giga Cannons was grafted onto the spirit's back. Darkfryer's crimson eyes were filled with hatred and a desire to annihilate.
"Ow!" grunted Daemon as Darkfryer clawed him.
"He Digivolved to Millenniummon?" asked Skull Satamon incredulously.
"Get him!" ordered Daemon.
The Daemon Corps pounced on the newly Digivolved Darkfryer. Marine Devimon lead the attack with a Dark Deluge. The jet black ink struck Darkfryer on the back, yet had no apparent effect... Darkfryer was enraged by the sneak attack and charged at his assailant. BOOM! went Marine Devimon as a crushing tackle to the gut dropped him.
The GTs returned all their Digimon to the safety of their memory banks. The GTs quickly got out of the way of the charging Darkfryer. Everyone was accounted for except Darkfryer who was overwhelming the Daemon Corps. Darkfryer stomped the downed Marine Devimon and drove his foot into his head hard. Marine Devimon was pinned down and struggling to break free; Darkfryer's strength was too great for the sea demon.
"Dimension Destroyer!"
Darkfryer finished off his foe with a final blast of dimension distorting energy. Marine Devimon released a chilling scream of terror before he was smashed into bits of data.
"Nail Bone!"
From behind, Skull Satamon leapt into action to bring Darkfryer down. The dark energy of his Nail Bone had hit its mark but Darkfryer stood unfazed. Skull Satamon was shocked; he couldn't believe that Darkfryer was unscathed. Darkfryer paid him back with a swift, fatal claw swipe to the chest.
Lady Devimon was the last remaining Ultimate. Darkfryer roared triumphantly over his victories. Darkfryer shot a gaze indicating death to Lady Devimon. She feared for her life and the grip of panic was evident on her face. Before she could act, Darkfryer grabbed her and began squeezing. She struggled in panic as Darkfryer's grip began to crush her lungs.
"Argggh! Please... let me... go..." gasped Lady Devimon in desperation. "I'll do... anything... you... want!"
Darkfryer was completely focused on squeezing the life out of Lady Devimon. He grinned with sadistic glee as he prolonged Lady Devimon's suffering. Her begging was music to his ears. The GTs were terrified about Darkfryer's sudden personality change.
"I knew Darkfryer always enjoyed battle but it's not like him to go this far! This is not a fight, it's a slaughter!" exclaimed Lillith.
"Come on, that's enough! You beat her! Let her go already!" pleaded Akira.
Darkfryer ignored his Tamer's pleas and continued to torture his victim. He savoured every moment of Lady Devimon's pleas for mercy. Daemon watched the scene unfold with anxiety. Once Darkfryer is done playing with his toy, Daemon would be next. Right now was the perfect chance for Daemon to get a sneak attack. Daemon grew to a gigantic size and gathered his dark powers for a mighty Evil Inferno.
The flames engulfed the lower half of Darkfryer. However, Darkfryer didn't even flinch from the burning of the flames. In fact, Darkfryer didn't seem affected by the Evil Inferno at all.
"Impossible! How can he stand there and not feel anything!" thought Daemon in disbelief.
Daemon channelled his power to fan the flames further, yet Darkfryer remained unscathed. Darkfryer whipped Lady Devimon into Daemon's head. Lady Devimon bounced off Daemon's head and landed at the bottom of a dune of sand. As Daemon recovered from the blow, he could see Lady Devimon writhing on the ground. She was mangled and clearly in pain. Her breathing was laboured, and reduced to a series of short wheezes.
"Ultimate Fusion!"
Spheres of energy were drawn and gathered around Darkfryer's body. He released the gather energy as a massive spherical blast that engulfed everything all around him. The GT's fled in their Digibeetle as fast as they could. Behind them, the release of energy blotted out the afternoon sun. Daemon was caught in the blast and attempted to contain it. He screamed in agony, and his body burned as he was slowly disintegrated by the energy.
Darkfryer stormed off to the north leaving his Tamer and his friends behind. The GTs rescued the captive Digimon and stored them into memory.
"Sheena, why are you going this way? Darkfryer went north! Go to there now!" demanded Akira.
"I can't leave Lady Devimon behind! We have to help her too..."
"Forget her! She's not a priority!"
"It was Darkfryer who did this to her, we can't leave her behind."
"She's the enemy, what if she decides to come at us again?"
"She's not in a condition to do anything..." informed Cal.
Though it went against his better judgement, Akira reluctantly agreed. The GTs realized Darkfryer's intent to destroy a Guard Tamer outpost. Darkfryer charged his cannons for a massive Dimension Destroyer shot. The energy produced a massive black hole large enough to decimate a city. Nothing was left of the outpost after the black hole swallowed it. Darkfryer turned to face the GTs' Digibeetle.
"Why isn't he attacking?" asked Lillith.
"He probably can't bring himself to attack his Tamer," suggested Sheena as she glanced at Akira.
Sheena reported the attack on the outpost to HQ. Never has she seen a Digimon that could wipe out a Guard Tamer outpost so effortlessly. The Dark Spore must be a powerful item of evil indeed. If they were to stop Darkfryer's rampage, they needed serious back-up. After deciding that discretion was the better part of valour, the GTs returned to base with auto pilot. They turned the freed Digimon and Lady Devimon over to specialists.
GT scientists in Device Dome studied the Digimon infected by the Dark Spore. As believed, it was filled with dark, corruptive energies. The Dark Spore contained trace amounts of data that could mutate a Digimon. Darkfryer was an advanced case of such a mutation, unlike the freed Digimon. After hours of work, the scientists discovered a way to remove the spore.
It involved invasive surgery that required the patient to be placed under anaesthesia. The surgery was hazardous to the health of the patient otherwise. The doctors were able to remove the spores easily, but Darkfryer's was another matter. He wouldn't be sedated so easily... Therefore, engineers created a device to rip the spore right out of Darkfryer's back.
This device was a box that was to be attached to Darkfryer's neck. The user had to stick the box on and hit a button. The box would cut open the back of Darkfryer's neck and suck the spore out. It was a plan that would jeopardize Darkfryer's life. Akira was the one asked to place the device. He was the only one who would not be attacked by Darkfryer.
"NO WAY! I not doing it! I'm not going to kill my Digimon partner for this!" refused Akira. "Darkfryer no longer in control of himself. It's all the Dark Spore's fault!"
"You're the only who can do it. Please Akira, think of the people who have already died. Think of the Digital World. If Darkfryer keeps this up there won't be a Digital World left! You know it's the only way!" said Sheena.
"Still, I can't! Darkfryer, we've been through thick and thin together. We were best friends to the end. I can't betray him, not now, not ever. I can't turn my back on him."
Sheena was miffed at Akira's reluctance. "Akira, you leave me no choice..."
Tears were welling up in Sheena's eyes. She wound her hand back and slapped Akira right across the face. Lillith and Cal were surprised to see Sheena do that. Sheena was always a kind, non-violent person. However, she knew in her heart there was no other way. Darkfryer had to be stopped. Akira winced in pain as he checked out the mark on his face.
"Darkfryer's my friend too... I don't want to hurt him either but there is no other choice. Darkfryer would never want to live his life as a slave. He values his freedom too much. Do it for Darkfryer's sake. Do it for him!"
Akira picked up the device and gazed on it pensively.
"Darkfryer... Please forgive me..." pleaded Akira.
*******************************************
"I know how you feel, Akira. A Digimon partner is an important part of you. I felt the same sorrow you did when I lost Patamon," said TK to cheer up Akira. "Fortunately, everything worked out for all of us."
"I took my relationship with Wormmon for granted when I became the Digimon Emperor. Losing made me remember how much our friendship meant to me. I lucky to be able to get him back."
"Yeah, Device Dome's scientists were able to save Darkfryer. It was a miracle that I will always treasure," vowed Akira. "Anyways, Ken, I think you should go to our scientists and have the spore removed. The Blood Knights might want to get a hold of it for their purposes."
"Ok, I'll go tomorrow. It's getting late, so I have to return home or my parents will worry."
The GTs and DD parted ways for the day. Zudokorn and his Guard Tamer squad returned to Digital City to report their confrontation with the Blood Knights. The command centre of the Black Swords was filled with monitors of various kinds. Dozens of operators worked at a hectic pace to keep contact with Guard Tamers on important missions.
Skull was at his post in the centre of what seemed to be chaos. He was very concerned about the reports his underlings were giving him. Skull waved Akira and Sheena in. Akira and Sheena saluted their leader and Skull returned with a salute himself.
"It's odd to see you here, I thought you were off duty for the night."
"Sir, we've come to report that we encountered Blood Knights while on Server continent!" said Akira.
"I was attacked at the diner. We retaliated with the help of a band of Digidestined. The Blood Knights fled after being outnumbered," said Sheena.
Skull was shocked. "Have the Blood Knights returned? I've heard rumours of them becoming more active lately but never to the point of attacking Guard Tamers... Please continue."
"We warned the Digidestined about the threat the Blood Knights pose. They left home since it was getting late," finished Akira.
"I see... Stay on guard. You are dismissed," finished Skull as he went back to work.
Skull received a transmission from a Guard Tamer spy. He went into his office to take the message and closed the door behind him so no one could eavesdrop.
"Yes, I'm here, what have you to report?" asked Skull in a hushed tone.
The image of the silhouette of a man was on the monitor. The man definitely wanted to remain anonymous. His voice was garbled so as to be unidentifiable by eavesdroppers.
"After some difficult digging, I found this. Here, look," said the spy.
A picture of Arukenimon and Mummymon appeared on the screen.
"They are the first successful product of some new research the Blood Knights are performing now. They were cloned from Digimon data and augmented by these bizarre black obelisks made by a Digidestined called the 'Digimon Emperor.' Apparently, the Blood Knights hope to make Digimon more powerful than any that currently exist."
"This sounds bad, continue," asked Skull.
"It gets worse... The Blood Knights are making four new Digimon as we speak. They are known as the Chaos Generals. They are called Chaos War Greymon, Chaos Seadramon, Chaos Piedmon, and Chaos Lord. Here is what they look like."
Four pictures appeared on the screen. Three of those pictures were of gigantic tanks filled with an oily liquid. In them were clones of War Greymon, Piedmon, and Metal Seadramon. They were black and white in colour, instead of their normal colours. The fourth picture was of a red Machinedramon-like Digimon. Unlike Machinedramon, this Digimon had sharp horns protruding from its head.
"I just took these pictures recently. It was difficult getting them since security was very tight. These new Digimon will awaken soon. You must hurry if you want to prevent them from awakening! I have no more information. I will continue to find more if I can."
"Alright, keep me informed," said Skull as he terminated the connection.
Akira and Sheena and their Digimon turned in for the night at their dormitory. The next day Akira and Sheena returned to the Black Sword HQ. They were given a call earlier in the day to attend an emergency meeting. They learned about the new project the Blood Knights were working on. Apparently, they had to stop the Blood Knights from getting more obelisks to finish it.
"Why don't we just find their lab and blow it up? I don't know about you guys, but I want to kick some Blood Knight butt!" cried Karen Bates defiantly. Her attitude elicited a huge cheering and a chorus of cheering from the audience including Akira.
"We don't know where the lab is, however. Our spy was blindfolded when he got into his position. We suspect that it is somewhere on distant Server continent. We must send scouts to find the location of the lab" replied Skull.
The various members of the Black Swords were each given their orders. Akira's squad was on recon duty to find the location of the lab. They boarded their Digibeetle in the hangar and were teleported to Server. For what seemed like an eternity, nothing notable happened. The GTs scanned the area with their instruments, but no clues could be found about the lab.
The GT were travelling through a forested area of Server. Darkfryer was complaining about not having any action. It was boring sitting inside the virtual world in the Digibeetle's memory. He wanted to pound some enemy Digimon and soon. Lillith tried to calm him down, but he was still feeling restless. Darkfryer soon got his wish.
Akira ordered Sheena to stop their Digibeetle. There were dots on the radar indicating other Digibeetles in the area. They were in the upper left portion of the screen and were moving left. It seemed that the Blood Knights did not notice the GTs. Lillith suggested that they shadow the Digibeetles to locate the hideout. They took her up on her suggestion. Akira's Digibeetle came to a stop at the edge of the forest. Akira could see the enemy Digibeetles moving to an excavation site. The ruins appeared as though they were part of a castle.
Tents were set up all around the ruins. The air was dusty from dirt being grinded and smashed bricks. Crates littered the ground all around the rubble. In the larger crates were mechanical objects that appeared to be parts for excavating equipment. In the smaller crates were various trinkets such as books and decorations. They were the artifacts recovered from the ruins. The smaller crates were being closed and loaded onto a conveyor belt that lead into a mountainside.
Blood Knight lackeys went in and out of the ruins of the castle. They were clearing rubble away and excavating the basement of the castle. A moustachioed Blood Knight in a tent looked through each of the recovered books. He wore a khaki uniform and the GT recognized him as Damien, a prominent leader among the Blood Knights. He had a reputation for being a coward, at least among the Guard Teams of Digital City. When the GTs fought him, he had a tendency to run away when the situation got bad for him.
A door opened up on the side of the mountain. The Digibeetles drove in as the door closed behind them. The GTs concluded that a base was hidden underground. They were careful not to be spotted as this was enemy territory, the lion's den. The GTs contacted their Leaders and reported the location of the base. The leaders of the GTs were very pleased.
Their Leaders confirmed that the other GTs would be informed. Akira and his comrades were to keep a watch on the compound, but to be careful of being seen. They wondered what information was held in those books. It seemed that Damien was very intent on finding something in the books. The GTs had no idea what it was.
"All this dust is making my feathers dirty! I need a bath..." lamented Deramon.
"I feel very uncomfortable with all these Blood Knights in one place," cringed Sheena. She looked tense and on the edge.
"The Blood Knights are really eager to find something, eh?" asked Debbie.
"And it can't be good. I wonder what they are plotting," pondered Lillith
.
"We'd better find out what it is. Maybe we should steal some of those books and read them," suggested Akira.
"Hmmm, I have a better idea! What better way to find out than from a Blood Knight?" Lillith smiled smugly.
She had a look on her face that suggested she was plotting something. She whispered into her friends' ears about the plot. Akira's eyes lit up with delight and he liked Lillith's plot. Debbie was a bit repulsed by it and Sheena was very concerned about whether it would work. Darkfryer especially liked Lillith's plan, as did Deramon. They quickly set the plot into motion.
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2.
Guard Tamer: Blight of GAIA
By: RB3
Chapter 2: Friends Torn Apart
"So this is where those rats have been hiding all this time..." muttered Akira.
"Who are the Blood Knights?" asked Davis.
"...They were rebellious Guard Tamers who are nothing but savage conquerors. They used Digimon as tools for their foul ends. They started a war against our home city," replied Zudokorn.
"That's terrible! Digimon aren't just tools for fighting! Who could possibly use a Digimon as a weapon?" asked Kari rhetorically.
"Believe it. We all fought in that war 30 years ago. We all have seen what the Blood Knights are like firsthand," added Zudokorn.
"WHAT? But that's impossible!" burst Davis. The other DD were just as surprised as Davis.
TK pondered what the Guard Tamers said. "Maybe not... When I was with the original Digidestined, Digital World time was faster than that of the Real World. Something must have caused the difference in time synchronization. Apparently, the Guard Tamers must have resynchronized the two timelines. But that still doesn't explain why the Guard Tamers are so young despite, living for over 30 years."
"Maybe something about the Digital World caused humans who live there to undergo changes. Maybe they can live longer," suggested Yolei.
"Maybe they became like Gennai. As he said, he is similar to Digimon but he doesn't have attributes like we do. Digimon don't truly age like humans do," implied Patamon.
"Does that mean that they reconfigure too when destroyed, like the Digimon do?" asked TK. This reminded TK about how Patamon returned after sacrificing himself to beat Devimon.
"Let me answer that one. Yes, Guard Tamers and Blood Knights do reconfigure after death. This effectively means that we must imprison Blood Knights if we want to remove them permanently..." replied Zudokorn.
Ken pondered the recent turn of events. He asked if the Blood Knights controlled the Digimon like he did as the Digimon Emperor with Dark Rings.
"No. The Blood Knights are Tamers just like us," responded Debbie. "Early on, our people were given a gift by the Guardians of the Digital World. We can befriend Digimon to join our cause. The Blood Knights have the same power."
"Our Tamers our friends. We will fight beside them even to the death if it's necessary," added Darkfryer.
"Blood Knight Digimon are the same," added Lillith.
"What are 'Guard Tamers?'? And what is 'Digital City?'" asked Hawkmon.
"They told me they defended Digital City. Digital City is the home city of the Guard Tamers. It's on Directory continent," answered Mimi.
"Yes, Mr. Zudokorn told us all about that early on. Right, Michael?" asked Betamon. Michael nodded in response.
Zudokorn reiterated what he told Mimi, Michael and their Digimon. The DD and their Digimon nodded in comprehension. The Guards Teams were like the Digidestined, only more militant and more organized. They remembered Izzy and thought that he might like to learn what the Guard Teams and their scientists know. Izzy would literally be in heaven. Wormmon looked over Zudokorn's shoulder as he worked his Browser to find a map. Various things flashed by on the screen. The picture of a black dinosaur shaped Digimon flashed onto the screen.
It looked like Chimeramon but its skin was darkened. It had a yellow spirit anchored to its back. The spirit's head looked like that of a Machinedramon. Two metallic cannons jutted from the back of the spirit. Wormmon knew this Digimon was familiar but couldn't grasp why. He looked at the top of the screen for the name of this Digimon. He was named "Millenniummon."
The name "Millenniummon" triggered a memory. Wormmon recounted his memory of his Millenniummon battle in the past. Wormmon envisioned a desert and that very Digimon collapsing onto the sand. The wind was blowing fiercely and the sand made it hard to see.
Ken saw some black objects fly from Millenniummon's corpse. Ken shoved his partner out of the way, but was struck in the back. The shock of realisation returned Wormmon's thoughts to the Digital World. He blurted out "Millenniummon" with a look of fear. Ken tried to console Wormmon.
"Millenniummon is Darkfryer's Mega form," said Akira.
"Funny you should mention that... I was struck in the back too by a similar object long ago," added Darkfryer.
"Tell us about this object," asked Ken.
Darkfryer used to be a normal Agumon in the past. The object, the Dark Spore, changed him into Black Agumon. Guard Tamer scientists have surgically removed the object, but some of its effects persisted. This was the reason Darkfryer Digivolved into Chimeramon and Millenniummon. Akira began a tale of how Darkfryer was driven to madness by the Dark Spore.
*******************************************
It was a bright morning on that fateful day. His alarm clock rang and he groggily reached for a button. Akira had believed that was just simple patrols in order for the day. Nothing out of the ordinary would happen. Never would he dream of having to make the most painful decision in his life...
Darkfryer was like a war buddy to Akira. He and Lillith were both with Akira throughout all the battles they ever fought. Both he and Lillith Digivolved to Ultimate and fought alongside Akira during the attack on Digital City. From his Digibeetle, Akira and Sheena both helped with support fire, medical aid, and enhancements.
Darkfryer was groaning. The back of Darkfryer's neck tingled in a painful manner. Akira believed that this was highly unusual. The only real combat Darkfryer was involved in was training in the domains the day before. In each combat situation, every attack hit Darkfryer's Chimeramon form from the front. There was no way the back of his neck could be injured.
"Hmm, the pain stopped, I feel better..." commented Darkfryer. "I guess I wasn't in a good sleeping position last night."
"We've got patrol this morning. I don't expect anything too hairy so we should be ok..." suggested Akira. "Just do some exercises in the Digibeetle."
Akira and his Digimon boarded his Digibeetle. Sheena was already waiting for them. They travelled to their sector in the northern reaches of Directory Desert. The desert was a wasteland filled with nothing but dunes of sand. It seemed to continue on and on to infinity. Akira was about to fall asleep from boredom until he saw a strange sight.
Behind a dune of sand was five caged Digimon. They were an Agumon, Tentomon, Monochromon and a Kuwagamon. Akira wondered who was cruel enough to leave caged Digimon to die in the desert. Akira and Sheena sent their Digimon to free the captive Digimon. Suddenly, a portal ripped open from the ground and a Digimon came through!
"Greetings, Tamers. I am Daemon," said the Digimon.
"What do you want? Tell me, why have you imprisoned these Digimon?" demanded Akira.
"Why, to draw you here of course! Your Digimon has something I want," said Daemon pointing to Darkfryer. "There is a Dark Spore buried within his body, I must have it."
Three other Digimon suddenly appeared around Akira and Sheena's Digibeetle. A Skull Satamon and a Lady Devimon flanked their left and right side respectively. From behind, a Marine Devimon moved to block their path of retreat.
"We're trapped!" remarked Sheena.
"Yeah, tell me about it..." added Akira sarcastically.
Darkfryer growled at his enemies. The painful tingling sensation returned to Darkfryer. This time it was more severe. Darkfryer writhed in pain as his body began to warp and mutate. Akira was concerned. Now was the most inconvenient time for the pain to return. The Daemon Corps were watching intently, unsure of what to do.
Darkfryer's body was engulfed in pure dark energy. He grew to gigantic proportions as his form shifted into another more malevolent one. Darkfryer had turned into a Digimon with a size on scale with buildings. This new form resembled his Chimeramon form, and was clearly a higher Digivolutionary stage. Darkfryer's body was charcoal black and one could vaguely make out Chimeramon's mismatched body parts.
His claws and arms were now identical in appearance and resembled those of Devimon's somewhat. Navy blue stripes like Garurumon's wound around his legs. Anchored to his back was a yellow spirit of a dragon. A pair of Machinedramon's Giga Cannons was grafted onto the spirit's back. Darkfryer's crimson eyes were filled with hatred and a desire to annihilate.
"Ow!" grunted Daemon as Darkfryer clawed him.
"He Digivolved to Millenniummon?" asked Skull Satamon incredulously.
"Get him!" ordered Daemon.
The Daemon Corps pounced on the newly Digivolved Darkfryer. Marine Devimon lead the attack with a Dark Deluge. The jet black ink struck Darkfryer on the back, yet had no apparent effect... Darkfryer was enraged by the sneak attack and charged at his assailant. BOOM! went Marine Devimon as a crushing tackle to the gut dropped him.
The GTs returned all their Digimon to the safety of their memory banks. The GTs quickly got out of the way of the charging Darkfryer. Everyone was accounted for except Darkfryer who was overwhelming the Daemon Corps. Darkfryer stomped the downed Marine Devimon and drove his foot into his head hard. Marine Devimon was pinned down and struggling to break free; Darkfryer's strength was too great for the sea demon.
"Dimension Destroyer!"
Darkfryer finished off his foe with a final blast of dimension distorting energy. Marine Devimon released a chilling scream of terror before he was smashed into bits of data.
"Nail Bone!"
From behind, Skull Satamon leapt into action to bring Darkfryer down. The dark energy of his Nail Bone had hit its mark but Darkfryer stood unfazed. Skull Satamon was shocked; he couldn't believe that Darkfryer was unscathed. Darkfryer paid him back with a swift, fatal claw swipe to the chest.
Lady Devimon was the last remaining Ultimate. Darkfryer roared triumphantly over his victories. Darkfryer shot a gaze indicating death to Lady Devimon. She feared for her life and the grip of panic was evident on her face. Before she could act, Darkfryer grabbed her and began squeezing. She struggled in panic as Darkfryer's grip began to crush her lungs.
"Argggh! Please... let me... go..." gasped Lady Devimon in desperation. "I'll do... anything... you... want!"
Darkfryer was completely focused on squeezing the life out of Lady Devimon. He grinned with sadistic glee as he prolonged Lady Devimon's suffering. Her begging was music to his ears. The GTs were terrified about Darkfryer's sudden personality change.
"I knew Darkfryer always enjoyed battle but it's not like him to go this far! This is not a fight, it's a slaughter!" exclaimed Lillith.
"Come on, that's enough! You beat her! Let her go already!" pleaded Akira.
Darkfryer ignored his Tamer's pleas and continued to torture his victim. He savoured every moment of Lady Devimon's pleas for mercy. Daemon watched the scene unfold with anxiety. Once Darkfryer is done playing with his toy, Daemon would be next. Right now was the perfect chance for Daemon to get a sneak attack. Daemon grew to a gigantic size and gathered his dark powers for a mighty Evil Inferno.
The flames engulfed the lower half of Darkfryer. However, Darkfryer didn't even flinch from the burning of the flames. In fact, Darkfryer didn't seem affected by the Evil Inferno at all.
"Impossible! How can he stand there and not feel anything!" thought Daemon in disbelief.
Daemon channelled his power to fan the flames further, yet Darkfryer remained unscathed. Darkfryer whipped Lady Devimon into Daemon's head. Lady Devimon bounced off Daemon's head and landed at the bottom of a dune of sand. As Daemon recovered from the blow, he could see Lady Devimon writhing on the ground. She was mangled and clearly in pain. Her breathing was laboured, and reduced to a series of short wheezes.
"Ultimate Fusion!"
Spheres of energy were drawn and gathered around Darkfryer's body. He released the gather energy as a massive spherical blast that engulfed everything all around him. The GT's fled in their Digibeetle as fast as they could. Behind them, the release of energy blotted out the afternoon sun. Daemon was caught in the blast and attempted to contain it. He screamed in agony, and his body burned as he was slowly disintegrated by the energy.
Darkfryer stormed off to the north leaving his Tamer and his friends behind. The GTs rescued the captive Digimon and stored them into memory.
"Sheena, why are you going this way? Darkfryer went north! Go to there now!" demanded Akira.
"I can't leave Lady Devimon behind! We have to help her too..."
"Forget her! She's not a priority!"
"It was Darkfryer who did this to her, we can't leave her behind."
"She's the enemy, what if she decides to come at us again?"
"She's not in a condition to do anything..." informed Cal.
Though it went against his better judgement, Akira reluctantly agreed. The GTs realized Darkfryer's intent to destroy a Guard Tamer outpost. Darkfryer charged his cannons for a massive Dimension Destroyer shot. The energy produced a massive black hole large enough to decimate a city. Nothing was left of the outpost after the black hole swallowed it. Darkfryer turned to face the GTs' Digibeetle.
"Why isn't he attacking?" asked Lillith.
"He probably can't bring himself to attack his Tamer," suggested Sheena as she glanced at Akira.
Sheena reported the attack on the outpost to HQ. Never has she seen a Digimon that could wipe out a Guard Tamer outpost so effortlessly. The Dark Spore must be a powerful item of evil indeed. If they were to stop Darkfryer's rampage, they needed serious back-up. After deciding that discretion was the better part of valour, the GTs returned to base with auto pilot. They turned the freed Digimon and Lady Devimon over to specialists.
GT scientists in Device Dome studied the Digimon infected by the Dark Spore. As believed, it was filled with dark, corruptive energies. The Dark Spore contained trace amounts of data that could mutate a Digimon. Darkfryer was an advanced case of such a mutation, unlike the freed Digimon. After hours of work, the scientists discovered a way to remove the spore.
It involved invasive surgery that required the patient to be placed under anaesthesia. The surgery was hazardous to the health of the patient otherwise. The doctors were able to remove the spores easily, but Darkfryer's was another matter. He wouldn't be sedated so easily... Therefore, engineers created a device to rip the spore right out of Darkfryer's back.
This device was a box that was to be attached to Darkfryer's neck. The user had to stick the box on and hit a button. The box would cut open the back of Darkfryer's neck and suck the spore out. It was a plan that would jeopardize Darkfryer's life. Akira was the one asked to place the device. He was the only one who would not be attacked by Darkfryer.
"NO WAY! I not doing it! I'm not going to kill my Digimon partner for this!" refused Akira. "Darkfryer no longer in control of himself. It's all the Dark Spore's fault!"
"You're the only who can do it. Please Akira, think of the people who have already died. Think of the Digital World. If Darkfryer keeps this up there won't be a Digital World left! You know it's the only way!" said Sheena.
"Still, I can't! Darkfryer, we've been through thick and thin together. We were best friends to the end. I can't betray him, not now, not ever. I can't turn my back on him."
Sheena was miffed at Akira's reluctance. "Akira, you leave me no choice..."
Tears were welling up in Sheena's eyes. She wound her hand back and slapped Akira right across the face. Lillith and Cal were surprised to see Sheena do that. Sheena was always a kind, non-violent person. However, she knew in her heart there was no other way. Darkfryer had to be stopped. Akira winced in pain as he checked out the mark on his face.
"Darkfryer's my friend too... I don't want to hurt him either but there is no other choice. Darkfryer would never want to live his life as a slave. He values his freedom too much. Do it for Darkfryer's sake. Do it for him!"
Akira picked up the device and gazed on it pensively.
"Darkfryer... Please forgive me..." pleaded Akira.
*******************************************
"I know how you feel, Akira. A Digimon partner is an important part of you. I felt the same sorrow you did when I lost Patamon," said TK to cheer up Akira. "Fortunately, everything worked out for all of us."
"I took my relationship with Wormmon for granted when I became the Digimon Emperor. Losing made me remember how much our friendship meant to me. I lucky to be able to get him back."
"Yeah, Device Dome's scientists were able to save Darkfryer. It was a miracle that I will always treasure," vowed Akira. "Anyways, Ken, I think you should go to our scientists and have the spore removed. The Blood Knights might want to get a hold of it for their purposes."
"Ok, I'll go tomorrow. It's getting late, so I have to return home or my parents will worry."
The GTs and DD parted ways for the day. Zudokorn and his Guard Tamer squad returned to Digital City to report their confrontation with the Blood Knights. The command centre of the Black Swords was filled with monitors of various kinds. Dozens of operators worked at a hectic pace to keep contact with Guard Tamers on important missions.
Skull was at his post in the centre of what seemed to be chaos. He was very concerned about the reports his underlings were giving him. Skull waved Akira and Sheena in. Akira and Sheena saluted their leader and Skull returned with a salute himself.
"It's odd to see you here, I thought you were off duty for the night."
"Sir, we've come to report that we encountered Blood Knights while on Server continent!" said Akira.
"I was attacked at the diner. We retaliated with the help of a band of Digidestined. The Blood Knights fled after being outnumbered," said Sheena.
Skull was shocked. "Have the Blood Knights returned? I've heard rumours of them becoming more active lately but never to the point of attacking Guard Tamers... Please continue."
"We warned the Digidestined about the threat the Blood Knights pose. They left home since it was getting late," finished Akira.
"I see... Stay on guard. You are dismissed," finished Skull as he went back to work.
Skull received a transmission from a Guard Tamer spy. He went into his office to take the message and closed the door behind him so no one could eavesdrop.
"Yes, I'm here, what have you to report?" asked Skull in a hushed tone.
The image of the silhouette of a man was on the monitor. The man definitely wanted to remain anonymous. His voice was garbled so as to be unidentifiable by eavesdroppers.
"After some difficult digging, I found this. Here, look," said the spy.
A picture of Arukenimon and Mummymon appeared on the screen.
"They are the first successful product of some new research the Blood Knights are performing now. They were cloned from Digimon data and augmented by these bizarre black obelisks made by a Digidestined called the 'Digimon Emperor.' Apparently, the Blood Knights hope to make Digimon more powerful than any that currently exist."
"This sounds bad, continue," asked Skull.
"It gets worse... The Blood Knights are making four new Digimon as we speak. They are known as the Chaos Generals. They are called Chaos War Greymon, Chaos Seadramon, Chaos Piedmon, and Chaos Lord. Here is what they look like."
Four pictures appeared on the screen. Three of those pictures were of gigantic tanks filled with an oily liquid. In them were clones of War Greymon, Piedmon, and Metal Seadramon. They were black and white in colour, instead of their normal colours. The fourth picture was of a red Machinedramon-like Digimon. Unlike Machinedramon, this Digimon had sharp horns protruding from its head.
"I just took these pictures recently. It was difficult getting them since security was very tight. These new Digimon will awaken soon. You must hurry if you want to prevent them from awakening! I have no more information. I will continue to find more if I can."
"Alright, keep me informed," said Skull as he terminated the connection.
Akira and Sheena and their Digimon turned in for the night at their dormitory. The next day Akira and Sheena returned to the Black Sword HQ. They were given a call earlier in the day to attend an emergency meeting. They learned about the new project the Blood Knights were working on. Apparently, they had to stop the Blood Knights from getting more obelisks to finish it.
"Why don't we just find their lab and blow it up? I don't know about you guys, but I want to kick some Blood Knight butt!" cried Karen Bates defiantly. Her attitude elicited a huge cheering and a chorus of cheering from the audience including Akira.
"We don't know where the lab is, however. Our spy was blindfolded when he got into his position. We suspect that it is somewhere on distant Server continent. We must send scouts to find the location of the lab" replied Skull.
The various members of the Black Swords were each given their orders. Akira's squad was on recon duty to find the location of the lab. They boarded their Digibeetle in the hangar and were teleported to Server. For what seemed like an eternity, nothing notable happened. The GTs scanned the area with their instruments, but no clues could be found about the lab.
The GT were travelling through a forested area of Server. Darkfryer was complaining about not having any action. It was boring sitting inside the virtual world in the Digibeetle's memory. He wanted to pound some enemy Digimon and soon. Lillith tried to calm him down, but he was still feeling restless. Darkfryer soon got his wish.
Akira ordered Sheena to stop their Digibeetle. There were dots on the radar indicating other Digibeetles in the area. They were in the upper left portion of the screen and were moving left. It seemed that the Blood Knights did not notice the GTs. Lillith suggested that they shadow the Digibeetles to locate the hideout. They took her up on her suggestion. Akira's Digibeetle came to a stop at the edge of the forest. Akira could see the enemy Digibeetles moving to an excavation site. The ruins appeared as though they were part of a castle.
Tents were set up all around the ruins. The air was dusty from dirt being grinded and smashed bricks. Crates littered the ground all around the rubble. In the larger crates were mechanical objects that appeared to be parts for excavating equipment. In the smaller crates were various trinkets such as books and decorations. They were the artifacts recovered from the ruins. The smaller crates were being closed and loaded onto a conveyor belt that lead into a mountainside.
Blood Knight lackeys went in and out of the ruins of the castle. They were clearing rubble away and excavating the basement of the castle. A moustachioed Blood Knight in a tent looked through each of the recovered books. He wore a khaki uniform and the GT recognized him as Damien, a prominent leader among the Blood Knights. He had a reputation for being a coward, at least among the Guard Teams of Digital City. When the GTs fought him, he had a tendency to run away when the situation got bad for him.
A door opened up on the side of the mountain. The Digibeetles drove in as the door closed behind them. The GTs concluded that a base was hidden underground. They were careful not to be spotted as this was enemy territory, the lion's den. The GTs contacted their Leaders and reported the location of the base. The leaders of the GTs were very pleased.
Their Leaders confirmed that the other GTs would be informed. Akira and his comrades were to keep a watch on the compound, but to be careful of being seen. They wondered what information was held in those books. It seemed that Damien was very intent on finding something in the books. The GTs had no idea what it was.
"All this dust is making my feathers dirty! I need a bath..." lamented Deramon.
"I feel very uncomfortable with all these Blood Knights in one place," cringed Sheena. She looked tense and on the edge.
"The Blood Knights are really eager to find something, eh?" asked Debbie.
"And it can't be good. I wonder what they are plotting," pondered Lillith
.
"We'd better find out what it is. Maybe we should steal some of those books and read them," suggested Akira.
"Hmmm, I have a better idea! What better way to find out than from a Blood Knight?" Lillith smiled smugly.
She had a look on her face that suggested she was plotting something. She whispered into her friends' ears about the plot. Akira's eyes lit up with delight and he liked Lillith's plot. Debbie was a bit repulsed by it and Sheena was very concerned about whether it would work. Darkfryer especially liked Lillith's plan, as did Deramon. They quickly set the plot into motion.