Hey, everyone! How's your summer coming along:P So far, mine's been a little boring and looking for a new occupation. Need to make some money and get out of the house more often. Anyway, that's beside the point. We've just witnessed day one of the Shadow Tournament event. I will now close the first day with two chapters. This one will feature the three exhibition matches and Chapter 35 will be a comedy chapter filled with whacked out mayhem:D Looks like we've got some two fun chapters after a tragic end for Anubimon.

Now, I can finally catch up with this story and give it the proper conclusion sooner than later. Without further ado, let the fun begin. Enjoy! ;)

Three Exhibition Matches of Mayhem! Shadow Tournament Day One Ends!

-

Beyond the Scorpiomon Desert/Oasis Sector 213-OA7

The beautiful, lush oasis forest was not only moist but also teeming with life. It was a complete opposite of the desert ecosystem from beyond the sector. It's rather amazing that such a tropical forest would be a neighbor to a desolate land. A flock of Toucanmon was gathered in flocks within the tree canopies and a Gorillamon was found lounging on the ground. Numerous beetles crawled on tree branches while exotic butterflies flew in droves around the forest.

Then, emerging from out of the forest was a pair of Chameleonmon. They sniffed the ground while foraging for insects and food. The Gorillamon awoke at the sound of the marching Chameleonmon pack and threw a rock in their direction. The giant lizards were startled by the presence of the intimidating ape and moved away. Even if they had the numbers advantage, the gorilla digimon would tear them apart single handedly. Anyone with a right mind would learn never to bother a sleeping giant like this angry primate.

However, this Gorillamon isn't the one that should really be narrated about. There was a group of brave individuals walking through this lush yet dangerous tropical landscape. Leading this group were the two Dra-Warriors, Herodramon and Ninjadramon. Accompanying these two warriors are three of the legendary warriors, Arbormon, Mercuremon and Grottomon; the six Sailor Senshi, three of whom now possess Ninja powers; a white cat named Artemis; and last but not least, Cammy Hino, a.k.a. the Digital Priestess. As soon as they stepped into the forest, Rei, Minako and Makoto had powered down from their Ninja forms to conserve their energy.

As they walked across the forest, there was a loud growl coming from amongst the group. This wasn't any ordinary, animalistic growl. It was a dreaded stomach growl and came from none other than...

"Minako! Geez, you're stomach is louder than Usagi's snoring!" Makoto complained while stopping to check her shoes. "Yuck, my shoes are covered with muck!"

"Moi... I can't help it. I'm hungry!" Minako whined. "I haven't had anything to eat since we got here!"

"Did you forget that you ate that fruit from that Cherrymon?" Cammy reminded her.

"But not enough to fill her bottomless pit," sighed Artemis. "Why can't we just stop and find some food around here?"

"Easy for you to say, but I would rather not eat anything from out of a wilderness," Rei nodded her head.

"Don't worry guys. We're almost there," said Herodramon. "I promise you that Labramon's village will provide us with all the food we can ask for."

"I hope so. She ain't the only one looking for some grub," Arbormon held his growling stomach. "I could eat twenty bowls, myself!"

"Calm thy stomach, friend," Mercuremon sighed.

"Wow, I never thought we'd be traveling from a hot desert into a moist tropical forest," Grottomon examined the environment. "It's a shame Earth is losing these types of ecosystems each year."

"I know. It's quite the shame," Sailor Mercury agreed. "Did you know thousands of species could die everyday a rain forest is destroyed?"

"A thousand?" Sailor Saturn asked. "I knew a lot of species would be lost, but as many as a thousand?"

"Mainly insect, planet and micro-organism species if I remember correctly," Sailor Pluto stated. "Human expansion and consumption are taking a toll on a planet we were destined to protect. It is indeed a shame."

Suddenly, Ninjadramon stopped for a moment as he pushed himself through a thick brush. He sniffed the air and waved other to the group. It looked as though he had already found what he might be looking for. Could he have found Labramon?

"What is it, Ninjadramon?" Rei asked while approaching the Dra-Warrior ninja. "Is it this Labramon you've been telling us about?"

"Well, Ninjadramon. Is it him?" Herodramon wondered.

"I don't sense any dark vibes from this particular one," Ninjadramon whispered.

"You're definitely the digimon version of myself," nodded Rei. "Ok, so, what do we say we go and see who it is? I seriously doubt this one is a threat."

"Right. I got it. Listen up, everyone! We're going through this brush!" Ninjadramon announced to the entire party. "If I remember correctly, the Scubamon River Basin is not too far from here."

"Wow? Really? Oh boy! I can't wait! We'll find this Labramon and get to that village!" Minako exclaimed excitedly.

"I'll say," Arbormon nodded in agreement.

"I wonder if they have a nice hot spring. Man, I sure could use one," Makoto stretched out. "My body's been sore since starting this adventure."

"Yeah. After all, we've been through one difficult day," Sailor Mercury stated. "First, the Scrabmon, then Ryuukoutsuseimon and the Scorpionites. Finally, how can we forget General Scorpionus?"

"Though, we ourselves have dealt with many enemies in a single day. This is nothing new for us," Sailor Saturn spoke up.

"Nonetheless, we require rest and a period to conserve our powers," Sailor Pluto suggested. "I've found just the solution."

"How so?" Grottomon asked.

"I'll show you when we get to the village," the Guardian of Time replied to Grottomon's question.

"Hey! Are you guys going to socialize there or are we going?" Ninjadramon calls out directly to the group. "Unless you want to get lost out here..."

"No way. I'm not getting lost in this icky forest!" Cammy wiped her forehead. "Ready to go, Artemis?"

"As I ever will be..."

Cammy picked up Artemis and carried him with her while trying to catch up with her sister. The others managed to catch up with Ninjadramon, Herodramon and Rei leading the way. If Ninjadramon's senses were correct, they should be in direct contact with Labramon soon.

"Stay close to me, Cammy," Rei said. "You don't know what could be lurking around here."

"That's right. You just leave it to us to scare away whatever gets in our way," Minako assured the child. "Your big sisters are here to protect you."

"Let's get going, Minako," Mercuremon suggested. "Thou don't want to get lost, do you?"

"Of course not! Wait up, guys!" the blonde cried out frantically as she caught up with the group.

They pushed through the brush ahead and carefully walked across the murky terrain. There was no telling if a trap would be sprung or a surprise attack would be implemented. The Sailors and the warriors remained on alert for anything. However, with Ninjadramon's keen senses guiding him, there shouldn't be any problems. Even Rei was convinced that Ninjadramon would be telling the truth.

Finally, after a few moments of walking through the brush, Ninjadramon pushed open through several hanging palm tree branches and looked out towards what appeared to be a river basin. The Sailors, warriors and Cammy gasped at what they found. It was truly a remarkable sight. Not only was there a river basin but also a large waterfall was located in the far distance. Numerous blue digimon wearing scuba gear were found floating in the river and having a good time.

"Wow! Can you believe what I'm seeing here?" Cammy gasped out. "It's so..."

"...Beautiful," Sailor Mercury smiled. "I've never seen anything like this."

"But you've also never been to a rainforest back home on Earth," Makoto pointed out. "That river looks fresh. I sure could go for a dip and lounge just like those blue guys... Say, what are those things anyway."

"They are the Scubamon, the ones the river basin are named after," Herodramon stated. "They discovered this river basin and became this oasis' first inhabitants."

"So, they're the so-called pioneers of this beautiful ecosystem," Sailor Saturn wondered.

"Then others started to settle here and claim the forests as their homes, am I right?" asked Grottomon.

"That is correct," Ninjadramon nodded. "It is said that good luck would be brought to anyone who settles near this river. It looks like that legend has indeed come true for these Scubamon."

"Say, you said this Labramon fellow looks like a dog, right?" Artemis asked. "Well, I sure don't see him anywhere."

"You know what? I think that trickster was jerking our chain," Herodramon stomped his foot. "If I ever get my hands on him..."

"Don't fret. He's not jerking anyone's chain. I can certainly sense that mongrel," Ninjadramon pointed directly towards a tent. "Over there! It seems he's been waiting for us all day."

"So, he decided to take a nap inside the tent?" asked Cammy.

"Well, that sure explains his absence," Sailor Pluto sighed while nodding her head.

"Let's just see if we can wake him up," Arbormon said.

"Allow us," Herodramon approached the tent with Ninjadramon.

As the Dra-Warrior approached the tent closer, they bent down in front of the tent and found Labramon lying down. Not only was the canine laying but was already fast asleep and had drool dripping from his mouth. Herodramon couldn't help but chuckle to himself, but Ninjadramon put a hand in front of his partner to keep him quiet. Then Ninjadramon found a frying pan and a shovel lying next to the sleeping canine. He picked up the two items and had an idea.

"Seeing how it's hard for us to wake him up casually. I thought we'd use these. This should wake him up," Ninjadramon smiled.

"No kidding. Labramon's a heavy sleeper," Herodramon nodded in agreement.

Then, Ninjadramon raised the shovel over his head and quickly slammed it against the frying pan. This immediately caused Labramon to jump up to his feet and fall on his back. His eyes widened in alarm along with his heart pounding faster than one could imagine. Labramon looked over to find Ninjadramon holding the shovel and pan.

"ARGH! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO WAKE ME UP LIKE THAT?" Labramon screamed out at the ninja.

"I had to do it. You have a habit of not listening to anyone who tries to tell you to get your lazy butt up," Ninjadramon shrugged.

"Oh, so slamming my shovel against my pan was your bright idea?" Labramon growled.

"Yeah. Well, Herodramon wanted to scream in your ear, but I suggested this. Besides, it worked and that's all that matters."

"I guess... Humph... Well, you two got here pretty late," Labramon stretched out while yawning.

"We ran into trouble in the desert," Ninjadramon explained. "The Scorpionites attacked us and we gave three human girls the ancient ninja powers."

"Wait, you mean those super human girls are here right now?" Labramon asked.

"Yes, they're just outside this tent along with three of the legendary warriors and the Digital Priestess," Herodramon nodded. "Come see for yourself, my friend."

"Oooo! Now this is something I've wanted to see for myself! I can finally get a glimpse of the human females who have been waging war with Pharaohmon!" Labramon smiled as he slowly stepped out of his tent. "Um, hello? Anybody there?"

As Labramon slowly stepped out of his tent, he turned around to find the six Sailors, the three warriors, Artemis and Cammy. He stood frozen for a moment and nervously approached the group. Little did he realize that the girls were already starting to gaze down on him with adored looks. Even Sailor Pluto was taken back at how 'adorable' Labramon looked. The canine gulped to himself and turned around to meet Ninjadramon eye to eye.

"Um, why are they looking at me like that? I mean, the girls that is..."

"I don't know. Why don't you ask them?" Ninjadramon chuckled.

"Ok... Um, pleased to meet you all. I am Labramon. I'm happy to see that you actually made it here in one piece," Labramon gulped nervously. "Heh heh. It's not often we get humans in this world. Only the Tamers and Ryo Akiyama have been known to travel across the Digital World..."

"Ahem, you're forgetting one of them is the Digital Priestess," Herodramon whispered in Labramon's left ear. "See that little girl with the dark hair? She's carrying the white cat."

"Hum? Oh, yes. I see," Labramon nodded. "Very interesting and it's said that she no longer has any memories of her stay in the Digital World?"

"That's right."

"I see... Well, it's quite an honor. The same goes for you, three Legendary Warriors. Who would have thought we'd see you here?" Labramon bowed his head to the warrior trio.

"So, this is Labramon?" Minako whispered to Mercuremon. "But, he's so adorable!"

"Oh and I'm not, Mina?" Artemis sighed deeply.

"Well, this is the first time I'm getting a glimpse of a digital puppy," the blonde giggled.

"Minako-san's right," Cammy smiled. "He's so adorable. I wish I could have a dog like him and one that talks, too."

"That just makes him twice as cute," Makoto nodded.

"I'm reluctant to say this, but he is an adorable-looking dog," Rei replied. "It's not everyday you see a talking dog, since we've already experienced talking cats before."

"Gee, rub it in, why don't you?" Artemis muttered.

"What do you think, Mercury? Pluto?" Sailor Saturn asked her two comrades.

"Besides the fact that he's quite the adorable-looking dog, he will lead us to his home village," Mercury stated.

"Agreed. He obviously does know Ninjadramon and Herodramon while judging by their conversation. Though, even I can't resist the urge to be adored by this canine," Sailor Pluto chuckled to herself.

"Though, girls and warriors, I should warn you beforehand," Herodramon snickered. "Labramon is cursed..."

"Cursed with what?" asked Grottomon.

"As I said before... Hi, I'm Labra- WRAGH!"

As soon as Grottomon's question came to pass, the whole Senshi group rushed over like a flock of fan girls and gathered around Labramon. Rei, Cammy and Minako rubbed Labramon's chest while giggling amongst themselves. Makoto was patting Labramon's head; Mercury, Pluto and Saturn rubbed his shaggy fur. Cammy even played around with the canine's floppy ears. Labramon couldn't help but feel rather embarrassed by the sight.

Ninjadramon, Herodramon and the warriors couldn't help but snicker. This left Artemis to be left without anyone to pet him.

"Well, go and leave me why don't you!" Artemis cried out.

"Well, now do you see? He's cursed with cuteness," Herodramon pointed out.

"Oh. Yeah, I see now," nodded Grottomon.

As the girls were still gathering around Labramon, Arbormon finally stepped up and cleared his throat. This immediately caught everyone's attention, including the Senshi girls. Labramon sighed with relief as he was spared another minute of the girls' happy moment.

"Whew, thank goodness. You saved me from further humiliation!" Labramon hollered.

"As much as I'd like to let you girls continue playing with the puppy, I have an announcement to make," Arbormon spoke out. "...Seeing how Mercuremon, Grottomon and I can't always maintain these forms... We have finally considered dropping down our warrior forms..."

"But you would be revealing your true selves," Mercury replied. "Are you sure it's wise?"

"Even we cannot hope to maintain thy forms any longer," Mercuremon sighed. "We'll only be wasting energy and our spirits need time to conserve that energy."

"When we drop these forms, some of you just might be surprised as to who we really are," Grottomon nodded. "Arbormon? Mercuremon? Are you guys, ready?"

"Yes!" the duo called out in unison.

With that said, the three legendary warriors powered down their warrior forms and became engulfed by data coding. It was only a matter of seconds before they reverted to their human selves. Perhaps the most shocked out of all the Senshi was Mercury. She looked over to where Arbormon once stood and realized that he now revealed himself to be the same young man she met at the pharmacy: Vega Hunter.

"What...? No! It can't be! It's him!" Mercury thought while covering her mouth. "What is he doing here?"

"Holy crap! It's him!" Rei exclaimed while standing up. "The guy we saw at the pharmacy!"

"You're right!" Saturn and Cammy exclaimed in unison.

The four girls had realized that this was the same guy from the pharmacy where the girls went to pick up medication for their friends' injuries. Mercury couldn't believe her very eyes. Vega Hunter was actually the Legendary Warrior of Wood.

"...I can't believe it's you," whispered Mercury.

"And the other two? I've never seen them before," Makoto pointed out.

In place of Mercuremon and Grottomon were Dimitro and Sam. All of this time they hid their identities from the sailors in order to aid them on their quest. Pluto, Minako and Makoto didn't know what to make of this since they had no direct contact with these three men. However, Rei wasn't too convinced. They hid their identities and this made the Shinto miko priestess untrusting of the three males.

"Hello there, Senshi. These are our true selves," Vega approached the ladies. "Mercury. There's no need to maintain that form. I already know who you are... Ami."

This stunning revelation caused the Sailors to gasp in utter disbelief. How could this human already figure out her identity? Well, it was no surprise since Rei was last seen with Ami in the pharmacy. Vega had seen Rei leave with Ami from out of the pharmacy and figured it was obvious.

"Ami. I figured you had to be a Sailor Senshi. When I became the Warrior of Wood, I sensed your power. No, even before I became a legendary warrior. I sensed your sailor powers," Vega explained. "I couldn't believe the smartest girl in Juuban... No, the smartest girl in Tokyo was actually a Sailor warrior. I've had my eye on you for quite a long while..."

"Humph. The way I see it. You've been spying on us," Rei stepped up in front of her fellow Senshi. "I knew it was you all along, but I had to be convinced myself. I wanted to wait until you drop that form. So, now here you are now. Vega Hunter."

"Rei, if you just let him explain," Minako replied. "I'm sure he has a good reason."

"Yeah, I'll let him explain," the raven-haired female nodded. "Ok, Mr. Hunter. Say whatever you have to say. Speak now or forever hold your peace."

"Please, Rei," Mercury begged her hotheaded friend. "Control yourself. Vega here saved your sister..."

"Ami's right! I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him," Cammy spoke out.

"Damn, there I go again... What is wrong with me? Why must I always lose my temper? Cammy's right. She wouldn't be here if it weren't for this guy," Rei thought. "I've got to control myself. These three guys aided us along our journey and I should be thanking them. I really want to trust these guys, but ever since my problems with my father... I've had problems with men... However, Vega sure has a thing for Ami. I'll give him a chance. He doesn't seem like a bad guy..."

"Rei, are you all right?" Pluto asked.

"I'll manage. It's just these three suddenly reveal themselves to us. All of this is happening too fast."

"Well, this has certainly turned into quite the interesting twist," Labramon rubbed his head.

"Wow, Ami. You know this guy?" Minako asked the genius girl. "Oh boy! This is great! Ami is starting to see guys! You're starting to break out of that shell of yours!"

"That's exactly what we were thinking," Rei replied. "But, still... Vega Hunter..."

"Hunter? Hunter. Now that name sounds familiar," Minako remembered hearing that particular name. "Wait! You mean Hunter of Hunter Technologies? The one's who produce the Sailor V games? The one company that made my name famous across the video game charts?"

"Um, yeah, that would be the same Hunter," Vega nodded. "My father owns the company and he's responsible for the Sailor V games' popularity over the years."

"Ah! That's exactly what I wanted to hear!" Minako giggled excitedly. "It's no wonder why I became such a big hit in Japan! My reputation is still credible after these last few years!"

"What do you expect? The only things that compete against your games are those Grand Theft Auto games and Halo," Makoto muttered.

"And I happen to love racing in that game!" Minako smiled.

"Ok, so are we going to be talking about video games now or what?" Rei huffed. "All right, Vega. Listen up. I appreciate what you've done for us. You saved my sister's life and I want to give you my gratitude."

"It's honor to help you. Besides, my friends and I figured you'd be going to the Digital World. In addition, when I first met Ami, I felt powers within her. Hell, when we're in our warrior forms, we can tell who you girls really are and we've seen you transform into Sailor Senshi."

"It's true," Sam nodded in agreement. "So, you might as well drop your Sailor forms when we get to the village, to save energy, of course."

"As long as we keep our identities a secret from others," Mercury suggested.

"Of course, we're not going to give away your true identities," Vega replied.

"Let us hope you keep your word," Pluto bowed. "Thank you and let us continue our venture."

"Right. You guys want to get moving before it gets dark out here?" Labramon stated. "Staying out here at night isn't such a good idea, especially with dangerous Gorillamon that lurk around here."

"Gorillamon? Now, I've heard everything," Artemis muttered.

Suddenly, a loud rustling sound came from behind Artemis and caused the white cat to jump away in fear. He panicked and found himself back in Cammy's arms.

"Aw, what's the matter, Artemis?" Cammy asked the frightened cat.

"There wa-wa-was something back there!" Artemis cried out.

"Oh that?" Ninjadramon asked. "Aw, don't worry. That was just a Tasiermon. They're little monkey digimon who love playing pranks on others. Sometimes they'll even scare off wary wanderers and making them believe a beast will come out to attack them."

"Oh, Artemis! You really though that was a Gorillamon?" Cammy giggled. "Oh, you don't have to worry about a Gorillamon since we have my big sisters and our friends to protect us!"

"That's right," nodded Sailor Saturn. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Hey! So, can we get a move on? The villagers are anticipating our arrival!" Labramon calls out to the group.

"You lead the way, pup," Herodramon cleared his throat.

"Right. Follow me guys. We're not too far from my village," Labramon replied as he stepped across a small bridge leading across the other side of the river.

Soon afterwards, the entire group followed Labramon onwards across the bridge. It would be at least another half a mile before they reach Labramon's home village. The Sailors were relieved that they had gained the trust of Vega and his comrades. However, Rei remained a bit skeptical.

"Ok, you guys better keep your word or you'll be dealing with me," Rei thought. "But, since you saved Cammy, I'm willing to cooperate with you. Besides, our main enemy is Pharaohmon. We should focus on eliminating that monster and his allies. I hope that Labramon will lead us to that temple and retrieve that sword. It won't be too long before we regain our powers and send that evil bastard to where he belongs!"

Just then, Ninjadramon immediately read Rei's thoughts and sent a telepathic message directly.

"Don't worry, Rei. Remember, we still have a conversation tonight. I'll be sure to tell you everything you need to know about your sister."

"Right. Just designate a meeting area and I will find you there."

"Done deal."

As soon as they finished their telepathic conversation, they caught up with the group. Nighttime was set to blanket the skies. Getting to the village was essential if they hope to get some rest for tomorrow's long journey to the temple, but it seems there would be a festivity of some sort taking place at the village.

Phoenix Arena/Ground level/Infirmary/Medical facility

It had just been a few minutes since the end of the final 'first round' tournament match. The event would conclude its festivities with three exhibition matches in order to send the crowd away without mourning over Anubimon's recent death. The crowds were still buzzing about Pharaohmon's revelation concerning his former friendship with Anubimon. However, many others were still debating about the whole Valmarmon and Granasmon issues. Could the two Gods actually be out there in another world? If they are, then they too must be watching this important event in its entirety.

As for the Tamers, the Legendary Warriors and the Duelists, they had returned to the infirmary to check back on Himura's condition. Nearly every one of them was still grieving over Anubimon's loss. Omegamon stood amongst everyone with his arms crossed while understanding that he still has a match with Athenamon, the queen of the Amazon digimon.

When Yui and Jeri saw their friends returning back, they jumped up out of their chairs to meet with them. Yui was deeply distraught over Anubimon's loss and had to be consoled by Dark Gabumon. Felinismon's face twisted with a mix of sadness and anger. She couldn't believe that she once served a powerful scumbag such as Pharaohmon.

"I can't believe what I just saw! Damn it! That son of a-" Felinismon screamed before slamming her fist on a table.

"You can say that again!" Joey growled.

"Please, try to control yourself, Felinismon. We'll avenge Anubimon... Someway or another, right?" Jeri asked her friends. "I mean... Anubimon is gone just like Leomon..."

"Look, Jeri. We know you're sad. We're all saddened," Henry answered. "It was like watching Leomon die again. It hurt us a lot."

"Bad man is going to get it, big brother!" Suzie nodded. "If we don't beat him, we'll never restore Terriermon back!"

"No, Basilikmon turned Terriermon into stone," Inumon replied. "Henry. You have my word that snake will be slain, whether it be my hand or anyone else's! I'd rather kill that damn snake myself!"

"Or me," Guilmon replied.

"Don't forget me," Renamon spoke out.

"If I was fighting in this tournament, I'd like to show that monster!" Tristan clenched his fists tightly.

"I'm sure you would. No offense, but Pharaohmon would turn you to paste," Duke pointed out.

"Well, let's hope either one of you stops Basilikmon," Seadramon stated promptly. "If he's not defeated, Terriermon remains a stone figure."

"You can't forget about us," Agunimon spoke out. "Tomoki is still stone thanks to that punk! If it comes down to anyone of us legendary warriors, you can rest assure that one of us puts him down. Then, Pharaohmon is next..."

"On the bright side, at least most of Pharaohmon's goons have been beat in the first round," Witchmon pointed out. "Only Piedmon, Basilikmon, Kuzuhamon, Marine Devimon and Pharaohmon himself have advanced."

"But, our biggest problem is Pharaohmon. How in god's name is anyone going to defeat someone like him?" Fairymon wondered.

"Good question," Mai replied. "We're not dealing with just any creep."

"Yeah, we're dealing with a monster," Tea shuddered at the sight of Pharaohmon in her mind.

"The only other two that even present a great challenge are Piedmon and Basilikmon," Blitzmon stated.

"Piedmon's mine, especially after what he did to Kouichi," Wolfmon grunted. "He's mine!"

"You'll show him a thing or two," Agunimon agreed.

"Then, we can't forget that Kurama guy, that Yusuke fellow and that Sailor warrior," Rika said. "They're also competing in the next round."

"This is going to turn out to be an interesting day if you ask me," Guardromon said.

"Interesting? After what we've just been through? No, to me... It's to avenge Lord Anubimon!" Inumon growled like a demon possessed. "Takato, you must understand how I feel!"

"Of course, I do, Inumon! We're all upset! Heck, even I'm hurting from the loss... But, let's face it! We have to keep ourselves focused! This is Pharaohmon we're talking about here! He'd turn us all into paste if we challenge him together!"

"You said it, Takato," Guilmon pat his partner on his back.

"Thanks, boy. Now, if you guys still want to mope, fine with me. Nevertheless, I'm still going to continue through this tournament with my head held high! Victory is our only option if we hope to avenge Anubimon's death. I learned from my last mistake not to let my anger explode. When I did that, I caused Guilmon to turn into a monster, and I became a monster along with him. I don't ever want to experience that kind of traumatizing event as long as I live. I don't wish history to repeat itself. So, I ask all of you to calm down and don't lose your cool! Don't forget that Kenta nearly lost his life out there in his duel. We ought to be thankful our buddy is still with us. Right, Kenta?"

"You can say that again," the glasses-wearing boy nodded in agreement. "I don't ever want to go through that again. I would have ended up like Himura or, worse, killed. Thanks again, Marine Angemon. You really came through for me."

"Pi! Pi!" chirped Marine Angemon.

"Dude, even I was scared," Kazu replied. "But, glad you pulled through. I didn't want to think what would have happened to you."

"Don't worry. I'm still here and that's all that matters."

"Besides... We're going to be the ones to have to break the news to Himura. That is... If he ever wakes up..." Yugi spoke up for everyone.

"Oh, Himura..." Yui whispered. "You'll never wake up, will you?"

"Um, excuse me?" a kind, young female voice calls from behind the group.

Everyone turned to find a Biyomon wearing a nurse's outfit. The pink bird was holding in her hands a tablet filled with document papers and results from Himura's examination. The children knew exactly what this meant. Yui ran over to where Biyomon was standing and wanted to look at the examination results.

"Please, nurse! You have to tell me! How is my brother doing?" Yui asked worryingly. "I have to know! We have been so worried about him!"

"She's right. We've been waiting a little too long if you ask me. Can you tell us what you have as far as repots are concerned?" Omegamon kneeled over to face the tiny pink bird.

"Ahem, yes. If you all would just calm down, I have the results concerning the boy named Himura Tsubasa. Ok, let's see here," Biyomon reviewed the reports. "We were able to stop the bleeding. Fortunately, there weren't any serious internal injuries. It's a miracle he was able to survive that."

"So, you mean to tell us that Himura's all right and will recover?" asked Rika.

"The boy will fortunately... survive," Biyomon smiled.

"All right! Did you hear that?" Kazu calls out to the group. "Isn't this great? Ah-ha! I knew he'd pull through!"

"That's great to know," Lopmon nodded.

"See? If you guys hadn't worried so much, then Himura probably wouldn't have made it through. I knew these hospital staff would ensure the kid was secured," Jaarin whispered to Henry.

"I shouldn't have doubted you, big sister."

"Unfortunately, I have bad news," Biyomon continued her report. "The boy has fallen into a coma. He's been transferred into one of our rooms. We have him on life support, but we're not sure if he'll wake up..."

"No... Not Himura..." Yui wept to herself.

"Are we able to see him?" Takato approached the Biyomon nurse.

"Yes, that's my partner in that room there," Inumon stepped up. "Anubimon was just killed and Himura wasn't present to witness the tragic event..."

"You mean that boy knew Lord Anubimon?" Biyomon asked. "I had no idea. I'm sorry to hear about the tragic loss. Every one of us here was saddened. I'm sure Himura would have been heartbroken..."

Before Biyomon even had a chance to finish her sentence, Yui pushed past the nurse and ran down the hallway in pursuit for Himura's room. Dark Gabumon was quick to catch up with Yui. The other Tamers and Duelists immediately gave chase to the Tsubasa child.

"Yui! Hold on!" Takato calls out to the child.

"She sure runs fast when given the right motivation!" Henry exclaimed.

"Dark Gabumon! You lead the way for us!" Guilmon cried out.

"By following Yui, you can lead us to the room where Himura was transferred!" Rika stated.

Then, Yui turned another corner into the left direction and pushed her way through a closed door. She gasped at what she found. Lying in a white bed and covered with a sheet was Himura. Standing by his side was a respiratory machine and a mask to cover his mouth. Yui's eyes filled with tears and quickly jumped to Himura's side.

"Himura! Oh no! Himura!" Yui cried out.

Soon, Dark Gabumon and the others would arrive at the room that Yui had entered. Their eyes widened in shock as a glimpse of Himura placed on life support. This caused Dark Gabumon and Jeri to immediately rush over to Yui's side.

"Man, this is bad," Kazu sighed. "That witch really took a lot out of him."

"I'm just glad that I didn't end up like this," Kenta nodded.

"Oh, Yui. You poor thing," Rika comforted.

"So, is this the price we're going to have to pay?" Tristan growled.

"I'm not liking where this is all going. What if tomorrow only turned out to be worse than it already was?" Joey wondered.

"I don't even want to think about it," Tea replied.

"I can assure you guys that nothing like this will be happening tomorrow! Pharaohmon will not do anything nor will his minions," Yugi stated. "Takato's right. We have to remain focused. Pharaohmon's only trying to break us down, one by one. We'll prove to him that we're not so easily broken!"

"That's right," Takato smiled. "Yui, do you hear that? You have to stay strong. Don't give up and don't even think about losing hope for your brother. He needs you more than you need him. Stay by his side."

"Yes... I will, Takato," Yui sniffled.

"I'll stay here with you if you need company," Jeri comforted the child.

"Thanks, Jeri... I appreciate it."

"Don't forget you've also have myself and Felinismon to look after you two," Dark Gabumon nodded.

"Are you leaving, guys?" Jeri asked her friends.

"Not now, we'll be sticking around the infirmary. I don't think we're in the mood to see the exhibitions. So, Yui... If you need us, don't hesitate to come barging out of this room and tell us about Himura's condition."

"Yes, I understand," Yui wiped the tears from her face.

"Wipe those tears, Yui. We'll just be outside this room. Don't worry. I know you're big brother will pull through. He's one tough and resilient boy," Rika assured the girl.

Giving a nod to her friends, Yui smiled and kneeled beside her brother's side. She took his hand and clenched it tightly. It was because of Nemesis that Himura was placed in a comatose state. The medical staff of this arena made sure the boy was well taken care of. At least his bleeding was stopped before Himura had died from blood loss.

Jeri kneeled beside Yui and wrapped an arm around her. She calmly pats Yui's back as a method to calm her down. Their digimon partners guarded them and stayed alert in case any intruder dared to enter. Though, they had the other Tamers on patrol around the infirmary.

With the Duelists, Tamers and their digimon searching around the infirmary, Takato walked back over to where the Legendary Warriors were waiting. He noticed that Wolfmon, Omegamon and Agunimon were gone from sight. He noticed Jaarin sitting next to Fairymon and Blitzmon.

"Hey, you know where Omegamon, Takuya and Kouji went to?" Takato asked the remaining three warriors.

"Wolfmon left to check on his brother. That would be Loweemon by the way," Fairymon replied. "As for Omegamon and Agunimon, those two left towards the arena... I heard the exhibitions were going to start in a few minutes."

"Oh I see. Thanks for letting me know."

"Takato? You think you can get me over to where my brother is? I could use a little help standing up," Jaarin said.

"Here, I'll help you up," Fairymon offered her new friend.

"Thanks, Izumi."

"Allow me, ladies," Blitzmon gave Fairymon a hand to carry Jaarin along.

The two warriors carried Jaarin across the hallways with Takato following close behind them. Little did they realize that they would be receiving an unexpected visit from several guests. Who would they be? Time will only tell, but first... The three exhibition matches were set to commence to end the event's first day festivities.

"Hello again, you wonderful digimon and guests alike!"Floramon's voice was heard through the intercoms around the arena. "We'd like to thank each and every one of you for selling out today's event! Our tournament has turned out to be quite the successfully yet tragic story. Since everything seems to have calmed, why don't we conclude the first day event with three exhibition matches that were earlier signed? These three matches will include each of the following: the fan favorite Mummymon taking on a young human named Kazuma Kuwabara! The mysterious Mizuno goes one on one with the one named Hiei! Last but surely not least, the main attraction will be Athenamon challenging Omegamon! This is surely one match you don't want to miss! Two Royal Knights finally meet in the ring and they will look to finish their storied rivalry! So, without further ado, let's bring out the first two competitors! Mummymon and Kuwabara! Coooooooooooooome on down!"

Phoenix Arena

The crowds were immediately beginning to react loudly even after the traumatizing event of Anubimon's loss. As many would say, the show must go on. Though, that didn't stop any from continually cursing the wretched demon's name. The spotlights were set directly on the first entranceway. The combatants were set to be formally introduced to the massive crowd audience.

Floramon stood at the center of the ring with a microphone in hand. She tossed up her microphone and caught it with her left hand. With Lillymon tending to Beelzebumon, Floramon was the obvious replacement to call the exhibition matches.

"Ladies, digimon and guests alike! Welcome, for I am Floramon, your hostess with the mostess! With my colleague, Lillymon, tending to a competitor she has deeply fallen for, it's my duty to call the three exhibition treats we have in store for you! Now, without further ado, allow me to introduce the first combatant of this exhibition bout!"

Steeping out of the entranceway first was a man wearing a blue coat, a matching color tall hat and a white cape flowing across his back. One eye was exposed underneath the man's concealed identity. He strolling down the aisle and raised a two-finger peace sign for the crowd to see. A goofy grin formed across his concealed face as the audiences were cheering him. This digimon was named Mummymon, who has developed a reputation as a combat champion within many regions

"Yeah! Who's your daddy?" Mummymon shouted out to the audience around him. "I have arrived to show time!"

Following behind the narcissistic Mummymon, a white-haired woman wearing a red outfit, a matching color hat and purple shoes pressed her palm against her face. It looked like she wanted to slap Mummymon silly for his crazy antics. This woman was Arukenimon, a long-time valet for the combat champion.

"Ugh, must you always embarrass us like this, Mummymon?" Arukenimon muttered under her breath.

"Please, Arukenimon. These digimon love me!" Mummymon whispered back to the spider woman.

"Please, give it up for the lovely duo, everyone! Mummymon and Arukenimon! However, it will be Mummymon who will compete in this match!"

Once Mummymon stepped inside the ring center, he rose up both hands and hollered out. The audiences gave him a standing ovation. He encircled the ring and removed his white cape. He then paused for Arukenimon to remove his blue robe. The spider woman sighed while removing the combatant's robe and hat. Mummymon was exposed as what his name applied, a mummy. His body was completely covered with white bandages with one eye exposed along with sections of his face, hands and feet. A brown, leather belt tightened around his waist. Mummymon stretches out but not long before showing off for his 'fans'.

"THE CHAMP IS HERE!" Mummymon hollered out.

"You mean former champ," Arukenimon slapped herself on the forehead.

"Let's not waste anymore time, let's bring out Mummymon's opponent! Give it up for the one named Kazuma Kuwabara!"

With that said, the orange-haired teen walked down the aisle with his own microphone in hand. A grin formed across his face. Accompanying him were Botan and Yusuke. Kuwabara rushed down the aisle and jumped inside the ring. Mummymon was a bit taken back by the teen's grand entrance and grumbled to himself.

"Well, it looks like Kuwabara has his own microphone in hand! Is he attempting to gain an advantage over Mummymon? We'll find out. Um, Mr. Kuwabara," Floramon approached the tall human. "You do realize you're going up against a veteran."

"Veteran... Amateur... I don't give a crud!" Kuwabara exclaimed out for everyone to hear. "The Great Kuwabara has come to make a name for himself in this world! I'm well known for taking out the demon scum with Urameshi and it's me that bails him out of dangerous jams!"

"Um, right," Yusuke coughed. "More like the other way around, doofus!'

"Now, now, Yusuke," Botan tapped her foot. "Kuwabara saved your life by donating his energy after the Saint Beast fiasco."

"Right... But, still. He's embarrassing himself out there!"

"Ladies and germs! Kuwabara is ready to rumble!" Kazuma screamed out before 'posing' for the crowds.

"Good grief. Now we have two numbskulls," Arukenimon sighed while stepping out of the ring. "I need an aspirin."

"Wow, he's really getting these fans pumped and ready to go! This should be one fun bout! Make sure you two boys fight it fairly! If you fall out of the ring and don't make it back inside after ten, it counts as a loss. If you give up, well the result is the same. All right! With all of that out of the way, let's get this match ready! Sound the bell!"

"Hey! Don't you go losing, Kuwabara! We're on a roll here!" Yusuke calls out to his friend.

"Feh. This match is mine. I'll show this poser a thing or two," Kuwabara snickered in thought.

Once the official bell sounded off, Mummymon stepped towards the center and waved for Kuwabara to meet him. The teen quirked an eyebrow and slowly moves closer to where Mummymon was standing. The digimon shot out his right hand above his head to flash the crowd 'V' for victory. Kuwabara retorted with a thumbs down. Mummymon simply shrugged this off and turned his back on Kuwabara.

"Come on, boy. My back is turned. Why don't you show me what you've got?"

"Oh, I'll show you a thing or two! I didn't fight on the streets for nearly my whole life just to be one-upped by some mummy! Bring it on!" Kuwabara charged forward with his fist.

Mummymon simply turned around and twisted to the side to let Kuwabara punch 'air'. The teen was taken back by his opponent's swift movement and charged across for another head-on charge. He threw out an array of fists directly at Mummymon. None of these punches landed on Mummymon, who was studying Kuwabara's move like a book.

"As usual, Mummymon is luring Kuwabara in to exhaust himself at the start of the match! This is nothing new from the veteran! He takes advantage of his opponent's stamina by forcing them to exert all of their energy. Kuwabara is simply another guinea pig to be tested here for Mummymon!" Floramon announced through her mike.

"Hang in there, Kuwabara! You have to at least deck him really good!" Yusuke calls out.

"I don't think he's listening," Botan pointed out. "This Mummymon sure is taking advantage of Kuwabara's brashness."

"Well, that lady did just say that Mummymon was a veteran. Kuwabara... Damn..." Yusuke cursed. "Don't you lose! Kurama and I hold victories! You need to keep us on a winning streak!"

Kuwabara leaped out at Mummymon in attempt to catch him off guard with a right hook. However, Mummymon was quick to catch his hand quickly and delivered a knee smash into the teen's gut.

Looking from the audience stands were Kurama and Hiei. They were rather disappointed with Kuwabara's performance since he was previously training to sharpen his skills. Hiei simply nodded his head.

"I thought that fool would have sharpened his skills with all of that training we've provided him," Hiei scoffed.

"Yes, I must say, Kuwabara is not thinking clearly through his attacks. If he keeps this pace, Mummymon will exploit his weakness."

"He should quit before he saves himself the humiliation. Besides, you and Yusuke have already won your matches."

"But we compete tomorrow. You and Kuwabara will have complete rest," Kurama informed the fire apparition. "Though, I did promise Brimstone a rematch to settle the score."

"You still have that monster to get off your back, too. You have quite the load tomorrow if you ask me," Hiei read Kurama's thoughts.

"Yes... And I intend to end it. Hmmm..."

"If this fool doesn't get serious, he's going to get flattened by this fighter," Hiei snorted. "Why doesn't he just use his blasted Spirit Sword?"

"Well... It looks like that answers your question," Kurama pointed directly down to the ring.

During the progression of the match, Kuwabara quickly summoned forth his Spirit Sword. The veteran combat fighter stood his ground while glaring over at the sword.

"Whoa..." Mummymon stated with his eye widened in surprise. "I didn't see this coming..."

"Heh! I'm not as weak and incompetent as you thought. Look at this beauty!" Kuwabara snickered.

"All right, Kuwabara! Now clobber his ass with it! He obviously has no idea on how to use energy!" Yusuke hollers out to his school rival.

"It's about time he summoned that thing or he'd be toast," Botan watched the combatants. "Wow, I remember this is the same sword that helped bring down the Toguro brother and lead us to rescue Yukina."

"Yeah, but I helped with my Reigun," Yusuke snorted. "Come on, Kuwabara! Finish this guy off!"

Kuwabara encircled Mummymon with his sword in one hand. He twirled it to intimidate the veteran, but Mummymon remained relatively calm.

"Wow! Just as Kuwabara formed a sword from right out of his hands, Mummymon was a bit taken back yet has managed to regain his composure. Just what kind of human is he dealing with: a magician or a sorcerer of some sorts?"

"Wrong again, lady! I'm Kuwabara!" Kuwabara grinned sheepishly. "Come on, Mummymon! Get taste of my sword!"

"I'd rather not, boy," Mummymon smiled. "You remind me of myself in my young lad days, but... I'm going to finish this!"

"How so? You're bluffing!"

"You think so? Why don't you try me out then?"

"I'll show you then, punk! RAGH!" Kuwabara howled out as he advanced towards Mummymon.

He swung his sword across and attempted to take a swipe at Mummymon. Just as the sword came close to cutting down Mummymon, the veteran ducks under and leg sweeps the human teen. Kuwabara fell back but managed to save himself by slamming his sword through the ground. Mummymon sprinted across and delivered a spinning kick across Kuwabara's face. The force sent the teen rolling across the ring. Mummymon landed down and stepped into a Kung-fu stance. Then, he immediately posed and flashed a premature 'V' for victory.

"Mummymon showing us that he's close to victory! Kuwabara put up a good fight but it looks like he'll simply be another to fall before the former champ!"

Kuwabara found himself within the hole previously created by Pharaohmon's devastating punch. The teen landed back first against the concrete and winced in pain from the fall. Mummymon paraded across the ring to get the crowd pumped and wildly cheering on.

"Ugh! Damn, Kuwabara! You shouldn't even be losing to this guy!" Yusuke exclaimed.

"In case you haven't noticed, Mummymon's been trained in some sort of style," Botan informed Yusuke. "Though, I have no idea since I don't have good knowledge on martial arts."

"Yeah, it's martial arts all right. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Even street thugs can be mauled by martial artists... Well most of the time," Yusuke responded. "But, damn... With the Spirit Sword, he ought to send this guy flying out of the ball park!"

Kuwabara slowly picks himself up from the ground once Floramon was starting the countdown. She was already at 'six', but soon stopped once she caught glimpse of Kuwabara standing up on his feet. Mummymon couldn't believe what he saw. His attack would have put down any normal digimon yet the resilient Kuwabara was on his feet. Kazuma smiled with a trickle of blood coming down his lip.

"Wow! This Kuwabara sure has a body made out of steel! I don't know if any digimon have gotten up from Mummymon's most vicious attacks, but this is no digimon! He's a human for goodness sakes! I have to give these super humans props! First Kurama, then Yusuke and Kuwabara! How in the Digi-world did Earth produce super humans? We'll never know, but we're getting a glimpse of one..."

"That's because I'm special, lady," Kuwabara muttered. "I'm a human with lots of talent... And no mummy is going to put down Kuwabara the Man!"

"...Unbelievable," Mummymon gasped. "To think, this human gets up from my vicious blows! Even some of the Devas have submitted to me."

"Well, I'm no a Deva-whatever," Kuwabara seethed while holding his side. "You can claim to be a great martial artist, but you'll never break my spirit..."

"I see... A resilient one. I knew I'd come across one like you," Mummymon chuckled. "Young lad, I've defeated many youngsters like you and many of them have submitted. What makes you think you'll be any different from them?"

"Well, for once, you're going to have to beat me within an inch of life..."

"What? Have you lost it?" Mummymon questioned the teen.

"What? Oh, crap! Kuwabara! Don't confuse pride with stupidity!" Yusuke exclaimed directly towards Kuwabara. "Don't get the crap beat out of you and die in the process!"

"Yusuke's right, Kuwabara! This Mummymon isn't even associated with Pharaohmon! We don't want to be forced to apprehend him for murdering you!"

"Besides, I doubt Mummymon wants to kill anyone," Yusuke said. "Well... At least, I hope..."

Mummymon merely chuckled to himself and walked over towards Kuwabara. The teen looked directly up at the veteran and growled deeply.

"Go ahead, give me your best shot, punk... I'm ready for you..."

"Who said I would attack an opponent while they are down?" Mummymon scoffed. "Real digimon or men for that matter fight honorably."

"What...? You know I'm a man of honor?"

"Yes, I can read you like a book, boy. You have great power but you need to control yourself when attacking. Otherwise, you will be picked apart just as I have made an example out of you."

"You... mean you were just testing me?" Kuwabara asked.

"Of course, but the crowd witnessed actual competition. Shall we continue, Mr. Kuwabara?"

"Yeah, you bet!"

Jumping back to his feet, Kuwabara picked out his sword from the ground. The mummy digimon jumped back and stepped into a combat stance. The teen charged across once again and went to take a swipe at Mummymon with his sword. Mummymon was quick to read his opponent's direct movements and dodged to the side. Just as Mummymon swiftly moved aside, Kuwabara smiled and exerted more energy through his sword.

"SWORD! GET LONGER!"

"What?" Mummymon exclaimed.

With that said, Kuwabara's sword extended outward across the ring and slammed against Mummymon's side. The force of the blow sent Mummymon hurtling out of the ring and directly onto the outside. Kuwabara called back his sword to shrink down to its normal-length. The arena crowds were struck with awe at the sight of the former champion being sent out of the ring by Kuwabara's weapon.

"Mummymon! Oh no!" Arukenimon cried as she ran over to the fallen martial artist.

"Whoa... I didn't think I'd get him," Kuwabara couldn't believe what his sword had done.

"Whoa! What a counter by Kuwabara!" exclaimed Floramon. "He sends the former champ right out of the ring! Incredible! Here, I will start the count! One! Two!"

"All right! Way to go, Kuwabara! You nailed him directly out of the ball park!" Yusuke hollered out to his friend.

"I must say! That was impressive!" Botan jumped up excitedly.

Kuwabara was slowly rising to his feet and held his sword tightly. Could this be the big break he needed? It seemed victory would be in his grasp.

"Heh, so much for Hiei planning to insult me once this match is over. I really hit that guy hard. I just hope he'll be all right," Kuwabara looked across towards the outside.

"-Six! Seven! Eight!"

Even Kurama and Hiei were stunned by the turn of events. The fire apparition didn't want to admit it, but he didn't expect Kuwabara to pull off such a sneaky counter.

"Well, what did you think, Hiei? Surely, you did not see this coming," Kurama chuckled.

"It was merely a lucky shot," Hiei shrugged. "This match isn't even over with."

"Well, it looks like Mummymon won't be getting up anytime soon. Take a look."

Back directly around the ring area, Mummymon was barely moving. He slowly lifted his head up and flashed Kuwabara a grin. The teen didn't know what to make out of this gesture.

"Why are you smiling for?" Kuwabara asked.

"... For once, I underestimate a lad of the younger generation. Here I thought you were merely all power and little technique... I was wrong... You even surprised me... This match is yours, lad..."

"Mine...?"

"Nine! Ten! Mummymon is unable to continue since he did not get up after the ten count! Kuwabara is your winner and what an upset!" Floramon officially announced.

The massive crowd heavily cheered for Kuwabara's efforts but even applauded Mummymon for putting on a good, quick competitive match. It would have seemed Mummymon had the match won but Kuwabara managed to pull through in the end. Yusuke and Botan rushed over inside the ring to praise their friend.

"Way to nail it to him, Kuwabara!" Botan happily cheered. "Score another for the team!"

"That was sure an awesome counter, Kuwabara. That Mummymon guy sure as hell didn't see it coming," Yusuke gave him a thumbs-up.

"Thanks... Hold on... I want to say something to Mummymon before anything else..." Kuwabara stepped away towards the edge of the ring.

He looked down to find Mummymon being helped up by Arukenimon. The veteran nodded his head and stubbornly walked but not long before grasping his injured side. Kuwabara cleared his throat as he began to speak out towards Mummymon.

"Mummymon! I'm talking to you!"

"You've won, lad... What else is it you need?"

"Well, you sure opened my ears when you told me you were a person with honor. You don't know how much that means to me. I maybe a young punk with little regard for authority, but I carry an honor code like any man," Kuwabara stated. "I want to thank you for fighting me and showing me that you're not scum like Pharaohmon..."

"I'm in no way affiliated with that monster, but... your two friends. If they have the power necessary to defeat that monster, I wish them all the luck in the world. Today, I concede this bout to you. Even I shouldn't underestimate all young lads... You proved me wrong when you exploited the full extension of your sword's power. Mr. Kuwabara, let us hope we meet again..."

"You got it, old timer."

"Heh, to think... An old arrogant fool like myself being defeated by a young, arrogant lad... That's just how life goes... Enjoy your celebration and have a good day... Arukenimon, let's get back to the locker room."

"Whatever you need, you old fool," Arukenimon sighed while wrapping his arm around her neck. "Hang in there..."

"Old timer... Yeah, you can count on it," Kuwabara smiled.

"Made a new friend, Kuwabara?" Botan giggled as she approached the teen.

"More like a respect bond," the young man replied. "Let's get going. It looks like Hiei's match is next."

"Yeah, he's going up against some girl named Mizuno or so I heard," Yusuke shrugged. "I say we stick around and wait for Hiei to show up..."

"Good idea. He's one with our team," Botan nodded. "Ah! I see him now! He's with Kurama in the audience!"

As Botan pointed directly towards the audience stands, the boys quickly found Hiei. Yusuke and Kuwabara waved out directly to Hiei, which managed to bother the fire apparition.

"Well, looks like they want the next 'victim' to get in the ring," Kurama couldn't help but chuckle.

"Humph, so I'm next? Fine, I'm going to get this over with!" Hiei snorted as he quickly phases out from sight.

Once Hiei disappeared from his spot, Kurama was left alone to watch the match from afar so he decided to join the others. He moved towards the stairs leading towards the floor level of the arena, but soon he stopped as he felt a presence approaching from behind.

He turned another corner to find Sailor Uranus standing by with an injured Sailor Neptune on her back. Without even blinking an eye, Kurama was the first to speak.

"So, were you watching me and Hiei this whole time, Sailor Senshi?" Kurama asked the Outers.

"You and your friend witnessed Pharaohmon's transformation. I'm willing to bet that you were frightened," Uranus spoke out.

"To be honest, I couldn't help but become paralyzed with fear. I can't speak for Hiei though."

"That's exactly what I thought," the shorthaired Senshi nodded. "Pharaohmon is a force to be reckoned with. If I were you, I'd tell your friend to watch it."

"How so?" Kurama turned around and faced Uranus with caution.

"Just heed my warning... For your friend's sake."

With that said, Sailor Uranus carried her fellow Senshi off on her back. Kurama kept a close eye on the sailor pair and took her warning seriously. Could either one of his friends be another victim on Pharaohmon's list of victims? Kurama now had two individuals to worry about: Brimstone and the powerful sorcerer himself.

Having heard enough from what Uranus had told him, Kurama dashed off down the stairs and towards the ground level. He would then reunite with his friends to watch Hiei compete in his bout. He quickly spotted Hiei standing at the center and calmly waiting for his opponent, Mizuno.

"Seeing how Hiei managed to grace us with his presence, this would be a great opportunity to bring out his opponent!" Floramon announced. "After seeing Kuwabara upset the veteran Mummymon, let's hope Hiei and Mizuno will provide us with some great competition!"

"Hey, Kurama! Over here!" Yusuke calls out to the half-demon.

"I should have to tell Yusuke later if I have not... If what that Sailor says is true, then either Yusuke or I could possibly be facing Pharaohmon in the next round. I'm sure of it. I just need to know if Yusuke is mentally ready... But what if that Sailor woman ends up fighting Pharaohmon? I shudder to think of the possibilities... At least Hiei will be competing easier competition if Mummymon was any indication. I'm curious to know who this Mizuno really is."

"Yo, Kurama! Come on over and hang with us! We can watch Hiei compete together!" Botan hollered out.

"I'm coming!" Kurama answered back.

As Kurama jumped off the steel guardrail walls, he raced over to where his friends awaited him. They watched as Hiei waited for the one named Mizuno to arrive in the arena. However, it seemed Mizuno wasn't coming out. What could be keeping her from exposing herself? Time will only tell. Hiei was no longer showing any patience either. It was now or never.

Outside Himura's Room/Infirmary Center

The Tamers, the digimon and three of the Legendary Warriors were caught off guard once they came across the presence of the Amazon digimon. Athenamon, Mermaimon, Darcmon and a little feline digimon identified as Jaguarmon had greeted themselves to the Tamers formally. Renamon was perhaps the most ecstatic of the bunch as she formally bowed to Athenamon out of respect. Amongst those not present were Yui, Inumon, Dark Gabumon, Jeri and Felinismon. Those five individuals were inside Himura's room. Wolfmon was visiting Loweemon, while Omegamon and Agunimon had stepped out to watch the competition in the arena. The Duelists had stepped out to get fresh air from out of the infirmary.

"Wow! So, you're THE Athenamon?" Rika asked. "You sure are beautiful..."

"Thank you, dear Digimon Queen. I've heard a lot about you, Tamers. Your reputations precede you, especially of you Rika Nonaka. Defeating a male on my domain brings a smile to my face."

"I'm flattered..."

"You should bask in glory of your victory, Rika Nonaka. Now, onto pressing matters... I'm sorry for the loss of Anubimon. His sacrifice was truly one I honor. But, the question is who will step up to slay that demon?" Athenamon continued.

"We'll never know, but Guilmon, Agunimon and Inumon are some likely candidates..." Takato spoke up.

"Oh? What makes you think your friends can defeat Pharaohmon? That monster is indestructible! If today was any indication, then we are clearly no match!" Jaguarmon nodded her head in a negative manner. "I'm afraid not even Lady Athenamon has the power to defeat that demon. Right, milady?"

"I'm afraid so. I hate to admit it," the queen sighed.

Just then, Suzie walked over to the tiny Jaguarmon and kneeled over to pet her. The feline nearly flinched out of aggression but quickly purred like a cat. She enjoyed the gentle touch from the child.

"Hey, Henry! This cat looks like the one who was supposed to be in that zodiac thing," Suzie reminded her older brother.

"Hey, now that you mention it. The twelve Devas! They are apart of the Chinese Zodiac," Henry replied. "Though, there was supposed to be a thirteenth Deva! The cat!"

As soon as Henry said that,the Tamers looked a bit surprised. They didn't know that Jaguarmon was supposed to be a Deva as well. However, there's no cat in Chinese zodiac, was there?

"Well, thanks to that dammed rat, I didn't become one

of Zhuqiaomon's Devas. On the other hand, thanks to him I was able to meet the Amazons. However, I wish I could have gotten my revenge on that dammed rat, Kumbhiramon. That sneak fooled me!" Jaguarmon hissed angrily.

Then, the feline Amazon digimon glared directly at the three siblings: Henry, Jaarin and Suzie. They looked at each other with strange looks.

"You know, your story is similar to the Juunishi story that mom used to tell us when we were little," Suzie told Jaguarmon.

"What story are you speaking of?" Jaguarmon asked curiously.

"I sure would like to know," Fairymon said.

"Me, too," agreed Blitzmon.

"Uh, guys, I don't think it's a good idea to tell her the Juunishi story," Jaarin suggested to her siblings. "Cats have a vengeful spirit and she will not take that well."

However, the other Tamers and the Amazons seemed curious about the Juunishi story. They wondered how this story was involved with Jaguarmon.

"Waah! Come on! Tell us about this the Juunishi story!" Mermaimon begged.

"I'd sure like to know," Guilmon nodded.

"I'm also curious about this story. I mean, most of the digimon are based off stories and legends from the human world," Athenamon stated promptly. "I want to know how this Juunishi story is involved with our dearest Jaguarmon."

"Yeah, tell us. How bad can it be to Jaguarmon?" asked Takato.

"There's no harm in telling us," Witchmon spoke.

"Yeah, c'mon! Tell us!" Seadramon agreed with everyone around him.

"Say something now Henry or forever hold your peace," Rika calls out.

"We're all ears," Kazu grinned and anxious to hear the story based on this ancient Chinese legend.

Henry sighed to himself. He still thought this was not a good idea to tell them about the Juunishi story, especially with Jaguarmon around as a witness. She may not accept it well, just like Jaarin had warned him.

"Well, here's the story. A long time ago, God invited 13 animals: a rat, an ox, a tiger, a rabbit, a dragon, a snake, a horse, a sheep, a monkey, a rooster, a dog, a boar and a cat. He said to them: 'I invite you to my banquet that will be tomorrow. Don't be late, or else you will be out,'" Henry explained the premise of the tale.

"That's what Zhuqiaomon told us on that day. Only it was the Deva ritual and not a banquet," Jaguarmon spoke up but allowed Henry to continue his story.

"Well, anyway, after the rat heard the news, it went to its neighbor, the cat. It told to the cat that the banquet was a day after tomorrow. In the next day, the rat got a ride on the ox's back and he jumped to be the first to arrive to the banquet. After that, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit and the other animals in the Chinese zodiac arrived exactly in order. They celebrated until the morning arrived, except for the cat who was fooled by the rat."

Then, it became a silent in the room. Certainly this was exactly what happened to Jaguarmon. Darcmon and Mermaimon surely didn't take any joy out of Jaguarmon's silent treatment. Even they agreed it wasn't a good idea to hear about the Juunishi story. Jaguarmon growled to herself and simply walked off down the hallway towards a backdoor out.

It was completely silent until Kazu spoke up for everyone.

"You know, the cat was stupid for believing the rat," Kazu pointed out

Kenta nodded, "Only a fool would have fallen for that trick."

"For once, I can't argue with you two," Takato shrugged. "That was a pretty interesting story, Henry. Anymore stuff you'd like to share with us?"

"None at the moment, unless I can ask Jaarin and Suzie," Henry replied.

"I think that's enough fun for one day," Jaarin stated promptly.

"After the way Jaguarmon simply walked out like that, I can't argue with that," Fairymon said.

"I hope Jaguarmon will be all right," Blitzmon sighed.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about her. She'll take care of herself just fine," Athenamon assured everyone. "As long as she doesn't lose her temper and take her anger out on someone else. Hell forbid anyone cross that angry feline's path"

Outside the Infirmary/Hallways of the Ground Floor

Already departed from the infirmary, Jaguarmon walked down the hallways and growled angrily herself. All she could think about was getting her paws on the rat Deva, Kumbhiramon, who was currently deceased after a run-in with the Tamers. Just then, she stopped midway and was confronted by none other than Skull Satanmon. Once again, he was engulfing another one of his lovely, tasty cheeseburgers.

"Are you one of Pharaohmon's henchmen?" Jaguarmon asked while maintaining her composure.

"I am. Who wants to know?" snapped the skull demon.

Then, without warning... BOOOOOOM!

Suddenly, a powerful electric attack struck Skull Satanmon. Skull Satanmon screamed in pain as the static shock burned his cheeseburgers. Jaguarmon left the room, leaving Skull Satanmon collapsed on the ground, still with some sparks electrocuting throughout his body.

"Kumbhiramon is not here, but you, all of you from Pharaohmon's side, are rats. I'm satisfied at least for now," Jaguarmon muttered to herself before walking past the fallen Skull Satanmon.

Skull Satanmon was left twitching on the ground and moaning. Despite being electrocuted with nearly a thousand volts, he still had a craving for cheeseburgers. A group of nurse digimon passed by and scattered away at the sight of the skeleton digimon.

"Bzzt... Bzzt... Anyone got... any cheeseburgers...? I sure could go for some!"

Outside Himura's Room/Infirmary Center

Athenamon continued her conversation with the Tamers and their digimon. She was immediately reminded of her match coming up against Omegamon.

"Yes, I know I must confront Omegamon. I've wanted this bout for many years. I'll show him that I'm not some weakling who asked for any assistance," Athenamon growled while clenching her fists.

"Athenamon, just what do you have against Omegamon?" Fairymon asked. "He doesn't even seem bad to me. He's helped train us Legendary Warriors prepare for this competition."

"Well, allow me to remind you. Where has his training led you? Your dear friend has been turned to stone by Basilikmon and another was severely beaten by Piedmon. Not to mention your friend, Blitzmon, here has lost. As much as I hate to say this, but even Jaarin here has lost despite being the Warrior of Water. Things are looking bleak for you legendary warriors. Only Agunimon, Wolfmon and Fairymon have advanced. Fairymon, if you and Jaarin had trained under my careful eye, you'd have much better results. Even your male friends would have thought twice of ever challenging you."

"Is that true?" Jaarin gasped. "I never would have thought of that... Nevertheless, I'm okay with my loss. At least I lost to another fellow warrior. Right, Izumi?"

"Yeah. So, don't be too upset."

"Gee, go ahead and don't offer us training," Blitzmon scoffed.

"Sorry, but no males are allowed to enter or train on my royal grounds. Your gender is forbidden, with the exception of Pegasusmon and Unimon," Mermaimon sighed. "Don't take it personally, Blitzmon. That's always been the Amazon tradition."

"I can understand that. We have our share of Amazon legends back on earth," he replied.

"I see. Sounds interesting. To think there were Amazon human females," Darcmon wondered.

"Well, I bid you farewell, children," Athenamon started walking off towards the opposite direction. "Rika, I wish you good luck in the next round. Fairymon, show me you're capable of championship material. Mermaimon, Darcmon, let us depart and find Jaguarmon before she gets herself into trouble."

"Yes, my lady!" the duo called out in direct command.

With that said, Athenamon and her two Amazon partners walked down the hallway to exit through the backdoor. This left the Tamers and everyone else to wonder whether Athenamon was not giving Omegamon a fair chance. However, Rika and Renamon showed sympathy for the queen.

"Rika? So, what did you think? It was a real honor to be graced by the presence of Athenamon. She truly is a legend amongst the female digimon," Renamon stated. "Sometimes I wish I could have served for her kingdom."

"Well, that makes two of us. To think there's an Amazon queen digimon. That's so awesome," Rika smiled. "To have a royal kingdom to yourself and have little opposition."

"But, she doesn't have any reason to hate on Omegamon," Kazu replied.

"Maybe he did something that pissed her off. Those Amazon types have deep grudges against men," Kenta pointed out.

"Well, I was glad we were in her presence," Takato smiled. "To think there are more legendary digimon besides the Sovereigns and Omegamon."

"Well, I don't know about you, guys, but I'd like to get to know her better," Fairymon spoke up. "What do you think, Jaarin?"

"Yeah. I wonder how hard she actually trains her warriors," Jaarin said.

"Ok, now that we have gotten that out of the way, I say we go find Yugi and the others," Henry suggested. "I'm sure they're down here somewhere."

"I think you should let me, Kazu and Kenta to find them. You stay here to look after Terriermon," Takato stated. "Don't worry. We'll be back later."

"Yeah, Henry! Let's go see Terriermon!" Suzie tugged on her brother's left arm.

"All right. All right. You win, Suzie," Henry nodded. "You guys be careful out there."

"We will. Besides, we've got our digimon with us," Kazu pointed to Guardromon. "Right, buddy?"

"Yes, sir!" Guardromon saluted in a military manner.

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's move out," Takato started towards the doorway to where Athenamon departed through.

"Wait for me, Takato!" Guilmon called out to his partner.

"Henry? You going to be all right?" Jaarin asked her brother with concern. "Don't worry. We will save Terriermon."

"And save our pal, Tomoki," Blitzmon nodded in reply.

"Athenamon. You looked so strong, beautiful yet sad. If only I got to know you better," Fairymon thought. "Perhaps I can have a chance to talk with you before this day is through..."

Phoenix Arena

Still standing at the center, Hiei waited for the arrival of Mizuno. It has been a few minutes already and Floramon threatened to disqualify the combatant. However, the audience directed their attention towards the entrance to find a pale-skinned female with long, light blue hair and a pair of crimson eyes. Her outfit was a black shirt underneath a blue suit. Her pants are white and her shoes are black in contrast. She steadily marched her way across the aisle and swiftly landed inside the ring.

"Well, this is quite unexpected! I never thought we'd see Mizuno arrive and just in time, too! She was only a few seconds from being disqualified," Floramon announced. "We know very little about either combatant except that Hiei is MUCH shorter then Mizuno!"

As soon as they heard this from Floramon, the Spirit team couldn't help but chuckle amongst themselves. Yusuke nearly wanted to burst out laughing because nobody would ever have the guts to talk about Hiei's short stature, except Kuwabara.

"Ha! Did I just hear what I thought I heard?" Yusuke snickered.

"Yeah! For once, it isn't me, but I wouldn't want to be that girl right now," Kuwabara chuckled. "She just actually called him 'short'!"

"But, who is this Mizuno. For some reason I'm sensing a different kind of aura from her than the other digital monsters," Kurama spoke up.

"Oh yeah. You're right. I'm feeling her energy and it's definitely different," Kuwabara agreed. "Something tells me she's no ordinary digital monster."

"Then, we'll have to keep a watchful eye on this," Botan agreed with the crew.

"If my assumption is correct, then Hiei is going to be biting off more than he can chew here," Kurama thought.

Back inside the ring, Hiei and Mizuno stared each other off. The fire apparition seemed ready to whip out his sword and finish the match faster than the eye could see. On the other hand, there was something about Mizuno that had Hiei a little concerned. What kind of opponent will he be dealing with? A sly grin formed across Mizuno's face, which managed to catch the demon's attention.

"So, what are you smiling for?" Hiei scoffed. "Aren't you at least intimidated?"

"Of what? I'm just surprised to see that you're a lot shorter than I am!" Mizuno spat out.

"Say what!"

"No need to get all snappy, Hiei. I've read all about you."

"What do you know about me?"

"More than you realize. I see you have your Jagan eye hidden well, because if you had tried that on me... I guarantee the hypnotic effects will do jack squat."

"She knows about my Jagan eye? Who is this wretched woman? She can't possibly know me!" Hiei thought.

"No need to hide your thoughts, little man," Mizuno stepped into a combat stance. "You see. I know about your business with the Spirit Detectives."

"Ok, I've heard enough out of you!" Hiei growled as he removed his dark cloak and pulls out his sword. "When I'm through with you, I'm going to slit your throat!"

"Ooo. A feisty little demon," Mizuno slightly chuckled. "Good. I like aggression from my opponents! It sort of turns me on..."

"Be silent..."

Even the Spirit Detectives were baffled. To think that a digital being such as herself would know about the Spirit Detectives was unheard of. Even most of their cases have been top secret under Koenma.

"Botan! Tell me you know who this girl is," Yusuke said.

"To be honest, I don't know who she is and I doubt even Koenma even knows," Botan shrugged.

"She sure seems to know about us and it's already starting to get on Hiei's nerves," Kuwabara pointed out.

"Hiei must be cautious. This one opponent just might force Hiei to make a mistake when he least expects it," Kurama kept a watchful eye towards the ring.

"Hiei and Mizuno! Let the match begin!" Floramon announced.

Once the bell sounded off, Hiei and Mizuno both immediately disappeared at the same time. The crowds were caught off guard by their incredible speed.

"Whoa and here we go! They're moving faster than the eyes can see!" Floramon exclaimed. "I can't even see where they're going!"

"Look! Other side!" Kuwabara pointed towards the opposite side of the ring.

The Spirit Detectives turned directly towards the other side to see the two combatants clashing. Hiei was viciously swinging his sword around in attempt of slicing Mizuno into pieces, but Mizuno maneuvered from every directly sword slash. The demon grew frustrated with Mizuno's speed and pounced forward. He took his sword and went to stab her directly in her heart. Just as his sword penetrated through its target, Mizuno quickly phases out of sight. The fire apparition paused for a moment to realize until the female reappeared behind him. She slipped an arm around Hiei and swiftly applied a headlock on him. Hiei struggled until he grabbed the handle of his sword.

"Take this!" Hiei roared out.

The demon tried slamming his sword handle into Mizuno's exposed gut. Unfortunately, the mysterious female jumped up into mid-air. Hiei leaped up to meet her head-on. He gripped his sword and slashed across again. However, Mizuno once again swiftly leaps up and lands on the sword's tip. She held a great balance over the sword with her tiptoes and leaped off to land directly on the ring surface.

"This Mizuno is amazing! It would seem Hiei's already losing his cool with Mizuno seemingly reading his every move!" Floramon rambled on. "Things could turn bad for the swordsman!"

"Hiei's losing it! If he lets himself get blinded by frustration, he will end up losing this match!" Kurama stated.

"No kidding? This girl actually has a chance of beating our Hiei?" Botan asked.

"Well, it's no surprise. She's dodged every single one of his sword slashes," Yusuke said. "Damn, I didn't think ol' three-eyes would get upped by a chick!"

"A chick who's even taller than Shorty," Kuwabara snickered. "Man, she is good'

"But I wonder how much longer they can last," Kurama wondered. "Be cautious, Hiei. If you make one mistake, she will exploit your error and take advantage of the match."

As Hiei landed back on the ring, Mizuno simply yawned to herself.

"Do I bore you, woman?" growled Hiei.

"To tears," Mizuno retorted. "You're a great swordsman, indeed, but you can't even tag me. I wasn't even trying my best there. Why don't you just stop playing around and show me exactly what you are made of."

"You want my best, huh?" Hiei snorted.

"Yes, and I will show you that my water techniques trump even your best fire techniques!" Mizuno stepped into a battle stance.

Just then, Mizuno started chanting under her breath and was quickly surrounded by an air bubble. Hiei was taken back by this and witnessed the female being trapped inside this particular bubble.

"Ok, now I'm seeing everything! Mizuno has somehow trapped herself inside a bubble of sorts. It could provide her the perfect defense," Floramon stated. "Even Hiei doesn't know what to make of this!"

"Damn wench. Just what is she thinking on doing hiding inside a bubble?" Hiei thought.

Then, his question was answered... The bubble itself was being absorbed into Mizuno. Her body quivered in delight as if she were being reenergized. Her eyes opened up and dimmed a crimson glow. Hiei held his sword by his side in defense of any attack Mizuno might attempt to launch. The female immediately stopped her chant and seemed ready to attack once again.

"Now, Hiei. Pay close attention..."

Before she had a chance to finish her sentence, she disappeared and phased behind Hiei. The fire apparition turned around and threw out a fist. Mizuno ducked under the fist, dropped down and delivered a knee smash into his gut. The force of the blow knocked the air right out of the apparition. The Spirit Detectives were stunned at how casually Mizuno caused damage to Hiei. She appeared to have surpassed his speed after her immediate power-up.

Hiei fell forward and nearly dropped face first on the concrete. However, Mizuno prevented his fall and picked him up. Hiei couldn't believe his own opponent had prevented him from collapsing on the ground. Mizuno paused for a moment and slams her right-hand palm against Hiei's face. The demon was sent hurtling across the ring, but he immediately regains his composure and phases out from sight. This caught Mizuno completely off guard. Then, before she had a chance to even blink, Hiei reappeared behind her with his sword near her throat.

"Two can play it that game," Hiei snickered deviously. "Anything else to say before I slit your throat?"

However, Mizuno simply shrugged off his threat and chuckled deeply.

"You're quite the humorous one, Hiei."

"I very much doubt that!"

"I mean, what makes you think you can get me in this position? You're underestimating what I am capable of."

"Prove it!"

"As you wish..."

With that said, Mizuno once again disappeared right out of Hiei's grasp. The fire apparition was caught off guard and attempted to track down Mizuno's ki. Before he had a chance to react, Mizuno appeared right above and slammed herself against Hiei. The apparition was slammed through the ring surface by Mizuno's physical blow.

"Ow! I sure wouldn't want to be Hiei right now!" exclaimed Floramon. "Mizuno is proving to be quite the challenge for the swordsman!"

Mizuno emerged from out of the small crater created from the fall. She dusted herself off and turned around to find Hiei lying sprawled. However, he wasn't unconscious yet his body ached and his eyes were becoming dazed. Mizuno quirked an eyebrow once she caught glimpse of Hiei moving his right hand.

"You sure are a bothersome little bug, aren't you?" Mizuno said with annoyance in her voice.

Suddenly, Hiei raised his right hand out and unleashed a fiery wave that nearly caught Mizuno. The female barely managed to dodge to the side and flipped back away from the hole. Her eyes widened in shock since she never figured the apparition would still have plenty of fight left. She felt a sudden movement from across the ring and homed in onto Hiei's ki. The fire apparition appeared in front of her and jammed his sword directly into her.

Or, so he thought. Mizuno's quick reflexes allowed her to catch the sword with her hands. Hiei tightened his grip on the handle and pushed forward with his sword. The female used every ounce of her strength to overpower Hiei. Hiei delivers a kick into Mizuno's gut, leaps up into mid-air and transfers portions of his own dark flame youki through the sword. He came flying down and slashes across. The sword sends out a black fiery projectile that pierces across the ring. Mizuno managed to regain her senses and rolled away from being struck down.

The fiery blast is sent directly upwards and towards the open arena ceiling. It exploded out across the heavens and rained down across the landscape.

"Whoa! Watch where you aim that thing!" Kuwabara exclaimed. "Hey, why can't he use that dragon? You know the one he used to roast that Horus-whatever his name is."

"Horusmon and no, Hiei still needs time to recover that last attack. Besides, I doubt he has any real reason to use it on Mizuno," Kurama stated. "Unless, he is desperate. Now, it would seem Hiei is already regaining composure."

"He's regaining composure. It looks like he wants to tear this Mizuno girl apart," Botan replied as she caught glimpse of Mizuno.

Back inside the ring, Hiei landed on his feet and turned to face Mizuno. The two once again met head-on. Mizuno unleashed an array of fists and kicks, which Hiei maneuvered around. Hiei elbows Mizuno in the gut, grabs her by her neck and tosses her across the ring. The female gracefully landed on her feet, but not long before Hiei phased over by her side and executed a leg sweep. Mizuno tripped over and was decked in the face from Hiei's left fist. The force of the blow sends Mizuno flying direct up into the air. Leaping up to meet Mizuno in mid-air, Hiei's fists were glowing with intense energy. That same energy turned into black fire. He flew directly at Mizuno and aimed to slam his fists to burn Mizuno up. Just as his fists connected, Mizuno immediately erected a bubble barrier to protect herself from the fiery fists.

She expanded her bubble outward and pushed it towards Hiei. The demon managed to maneuver away from the expanding bubble, pulled out his sword and sliced through it. The bubble popped to release Mizuno and in turn destroy her defensive tool. Hiei grabbed Mizuno by her legs and swung her directly towards the outside of the ring.

As Mizuno neared the ground, she quickly landed on her feet and retaliated by shooting out a water-blast. It was directed towards Hiei, which forced the fire apparition to expel a large amount of fire energy to form a fiery blast. The two powerful forces collided with one another. The audiences were in complete awe at the sight of two extraordinary attacks in a tight struggle. Both users exerted more energy into their attacks. Neither one were ready to give out yet one will have to give out from the energy exhaustion.

"If you think, you can defeat me... Then, you're mistaken!" Hiei screamed out at his opponent. "I've confronted stronger adversaries!"

"I will not lose to someone shorter than myself! To think any man would be short yet pack this much fire power!" Mizuno cried out as she exerted more force into her attack. "I didn't travel out this far just to lose to you!"

"HA! KEEP DREAMING, YOU WRETCH!"

"PUT A CORK IN IT, SHORTY!"

With those insults said to one another, the two users exerted their last amount of excessive energy through their attacks. The two attacks collided once again, but this time detonated against one another. The sheer explosion of power caused both Hiei and Mizuno to be sent hurtling across two sides of the arena. Both landed on the ground and lay sprawled. Neither one looked like they were even conscious.

"After such an impressive show of power, both combatants send each other flying across two different sides of the arena! Both are out and do not look like they are about to get up anytime soon! I might as well start the count!"

"Come on, Hiei! Get your ass up! You have her beat! Get back in the ring!" Yusuke hollered out.

"It's all yours, shorty!" Kuwabara exclaimed.

"Hiei's expelled nearly all of his energy. He won't have enough strength left to pull himself back up. The same can be said for Mizuno. This bout is practically over."

"One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six!"

Once Floramon reached six, both combatants were starting to move about. Hiei first and then followed by Mizuno. They looked directly to one another eye-to-eye and spat out. Almost simultaneously, the combatants fell face first on the ground and no longer could even register a single movement.

"-Seven! Eight! Nine! Ten!" Floramon announced and called for the bell. "Well, isn't this something? We have ourselves our first ever tie breaker! Since neither Mizuno nor Hiei could get up, they both have been counted out. As the official referee, I declare this match to be draw!"

This quickly registered a negative reception from the crowd. They clearly wanted a winner and paid good digi-money to see a real winner come out on top. Unfortunately, not every match must end with a definite winner. Mizuno and Hiei were at the top of their games, but neither would accept a defeat.

Yusuke and the team rushed over to their fallen comrade. Botan kneeled over to pick Hiei's head up, but the demon pushed her away. Hiei slowly struggled to sit up while clutching his side.

"I don't need... your assistance," Hiei scoffed while coughing.

"You were awesome out there, Hiei," Yusuke gave the apparition a thumb up. "Too bad about the draw."

"Heh, that girl really took a lot out of ya, huh shrimp?" Kuwabara teased Hiei.

"Oh... Damn... Where is she anyway?" Hiei asked.

"Over on the other side and she's already on her feet," Kurama pointed directly to the other side. "She appears to be as stubborn as you, Hiei."

As soon as Hiei turned around, he watched Mizuno limping towards him and his comrades. He stood his ground while Mizuno confronted him face to face.

"Hiei the swordsman... You put up quite the fight. I commend you. Here, I thought you were simply just a shrimp. You're good with a sword and trained in the art of combat. As I said, aggression turns me on and today you've just expressed more aggression that I hoped for. So... As a way to show my gratitude, I want to give you this..."

With that said, Mizuno reached out for Hiei's hand. The fire apparition was hesitant at first, but he slowly approached the female to shake her hand. Then, without warning, Mizuno bent over and planted a kiss on Hiei's lips. The apparition was taken back by this kiss and caused him to slightly blush. Mizuno pushed herself away and waved to Hiei before departing towards the second entranceway.

"This match had to end on an unfortunate draw, but they gave us quite a show!" Floramon announced. "But, it appears Mizuno has shown new found respect for Hiei with... a kiss... This was quite the unexpected twist!"

Unbeknownst to Hiei, the Spirit Detectives gathered around him and chuckled amongst themselves. Then, without warning, they busted out into laughter. Out of all of them, Kuwabara was the one who couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably. Hiei growled deeply and reached down to his sword.

"Oh man! Did you see the look on your face?" Yusuke laughed. "I didn't think you'd blush!"

"Yes, that was quite an adorable look on you, Hiei! Here I thought the scary look suited you more!" Botan giggled. "Your face was as red as a radish!"

"Man, I should have brought my camera! This would have been a Kodak moment!" Kuwabara continued laughing.

"I have to admit. That was pretty funny," Kurama chuckled. "Sorry, Hiei..."

"My urgency to kill these fools is rising... rising... rising," Hiei seethed in thought. "Will you four shut up? That wasn't even funny!"

"No, that wasn't funny..." Yusuke nodded in agreement but once again broke out in laughter. "THAT WAS HILARIOUS!"

The group once again busted out in laughter. This only managed to further infuriate the fire apparition. If Mizuno's kiss wasn't enough, then his comrades laughing at him was further humiliation to his pride.

Looking from the entranceway, Mizuno witnessed the entire event unfold. She couldn't help but share a chuckle.

"You gave me a quite a competitive match. I enjoyed myself. Let's hope our paths do meet again, swordsman."

"That ends two of our exhibition matches! We hope everyone is having a good time, because the night is still young! Our final exhibition will feature two Royal Knights with a long-running feud! Athenamon issued a challenge to Omegamon, which should be an awesome encounter! Afterwards, it's party time at the Sphinxmon Hotel! You know I'm there!"

Himura's Room/Infirmary Center

With Himura in a comatose state, he laid peacefully while the machine helped the boy maintain his breathing. Jeri and Yui were sitting on a chair. They looked after the boy with concern across their faces. For Yui, she feared for the condition of her older brother. The girls' digimon partners and Inumon were standing guard around the room to keep an eye out anything suspicious.

"Oh, Himura... I hope you'll wake up soon..." Yui whispered while sniffling.

"Don't worry, Yui. He'll pull through out of this comatose state. I'm sure of it. You just can't give up hope," Jeri assured the young Tsubasa. "Your brother is strong."

"Trust me. I know that kid like the back of my hand," Inumon nodded in agreement. "Some cowardly act by Nemesis won't put Himura out for good. He pulled through out of a coma once and he'll do it again! I just know he will! All you have to do is not lose hope, Yui."

"Right..." Yui smiled as she turned to look down on her comatose brother. "Himura. If you can hear me, I wish for you to return to us better than ever. We need you. Inumon needs you. I need you. Himura..."

Suddenly, from within Himura's point of view, everything was pitch black and Yui's voice could even barely register through. Then, there was a white tunnel of light emerging through the pitch darkness. A figure was standing out from out of this 'tunnel'. This figure was none other than...

Switch to Dream Sequence

Himura looked around and he realized he wasn't at either the Dark Area or Digital World anymore. He realized he was lying on the sand, near a beach. Himura didn't understand how he arrived but somehow this place gave him peace to his spirit.

"Where am I?" Himura wondered as he got up and dusted the sand off his clothes.

"You're in the dream world. It's the line between the death and living world," a feminine voice spoke out.

Himura turned around and saw Guardian Airtos sitting on a rock. Yes, now Himura remembered he had played Guardian Airtos in his duel against Nemesis. In the process, he rescued Yui. Then, Himura had just remembered something.

"Yui! Is she was ok?"

He doesn't remember anything after he fainted. Then, Airtos just smiled to the young boy.

"Don't worry, Himura-kun. Your sister is ok. You fainted from the blood loss. Don't worry. You're not dying. You're just in coma, just like you were in the day of the accident."

"Great..." muttered Himura.

Himura just kneeled as Guardian Airtos looked sadly at the boy as he began to breakdown into tears. She couldn't blame him. After all, he went through many traumatizing events that a twelve old boy couldn't handle. His parent's death, his friend's death and now his near-death duel experience with Nemesis. Airtos caressed Himura's head as the boy looked up at the winged woman. She smiled sadly like a caring mother.

"You have every right to cry, Himura-kun. It's very hard to ignore what you had to go through. However, you're brave, Himura. You have to remember you're not alone. Besides that, there's a girl waiting to talk to you for a long time," the duel monster informed the boy.

Himura blinked in confusion. A girl is waiting to talk to him? Who would be? Jeri? Yui?

"Just go ahead. You will meet her."

Himura began to walk away. He was confused. Who could 'she' be? That question lingered throughout the boy's mind. Himura was still confused as the water touched his bare feet. He gasped out in surprised when he saw a girl, who was looking out at the sunset. She had short blue hair and amber eyes. Her attire included a back jacket, black pants, a white t-shirt and black boots. There was a pair of goggles on her head.

"K-Kotori-san?" he whispered.

Kotori turned her head and she saw Himura. The two friends were looking at each other eyes as silence took predominance of the environment around them.

Himura walked directly towards to his deceased friend. He couldn't believe she was there. There were many things he wanted to say to her. Suddenly, Kotori delivered a painful punch across Himura's right face. The force of the blow sent Himura falling back on the sand.

"What was that for!" Himura screamed out.

He had forgotten that Kotori had a violent personality and that was one of the reasons why they didn't get along in the first place.

"For being pathetic and a cry baby! Listen here Mister Himura Tsubasa. I've been watching over you from the dream world since my death and I am not very happy for what was happening with you," Kotori spat out. "First, you never got over my death and you always blamed yourself for that. Second, you never told to your sister about us! If you had, Yui would never had become corrupted by Pharaohmon and turned into Nemesis! And third, you still act like a stupid lone wolf."

That was the final straw. Now Himura was furious and he immediately shouted back at his friend.

"Now, listen here, you big damned raven! It was hard to me deal with your death and my parents deaths. If you were in my place, what would you do!"

"You can bet I wouldn't be crying over you for 2 damned years. Besides that, there's a lot of things I wanted to talk to you but I never got the chance thanks to that dammed snake," Kotori scoffed as she kicked away sand. "You know you were in a comatose after that car accident and your soul somehow went to the Underworld, right?"

Himura nodded in reply.

"Like you, I was in a coma before your car accident. Haven't you ever wondered the reason why I was comatose?" the girl asked.

Himura was now surprised.

"That's right," thought Himura. "Kotori was in the Underworld a week before I arrived there."

Like him, Kotori was also in a comatose state but he never asked her why she ended up that way. Then, Kotori began to tell her side of the story.

"Well, after my father's death from an accident, my mother began to drink. After some time, her drunken self got worse and she began to physically abuse me."

Himura couldn't believe what he was listening as Kotori continued.

"My uncle, Jokan Sagara, was furious at my mother and he decided to become my guardian. They had a nasty fight and my mother killed herself."

Himura gasped in utter horror. He never thought that someone with a strong personality like Kotori had to deal with those problems. However, Kotori wasn't finished telling her story.

"I cried, but not for long. I didn't blame myself for that. I began to live with my uncle, aunt and with my cousin, Phillipe."

"You have a cousin?"

"Yep, but unlike me, he's very shy and calm. Many people already mistook him as a girl because of his personality. Meanwhile, I already was mistaken for being a boy," Kotori explained.

"I don't doubt that," thought Himura. "Even, I had thought Kotori was a boy... once."

"But also, people had mistaken us being twins. I like saying to them that we're really twins. I acted more like a sister than a cousin to Phillipe. He was everything to me and I protected him from bullies. They always teased him for being shy. Of course, they always got scared when I was around. I sent one of them to the hospital after I beat him senseless."

"YOU WHAT!"

"Since then, I was known from the whole school as 'The Bully Killer.' Ah, those were good times. I still missed beating those arrogant idiots. Heh. I was almost expelled 3 times," Kotori giggled as she closed her eyes and looked back to her good days. "My dream was to meet the legendary bad boys Kazuma Kuwabara and Yusuke Urameshi. Too bad I couldn't meet them."

Himura sweat dropped in disbelief. He couldn't believe what was hearing. He knew Kotori was a troublemaker but that was going too far for him.

"You're a psycho!" shouted Himura as Kotori laughed.

She turned around to see the sunset coming into view. It was a beautiful sight, especially with the seas already settling.

"I was just dealing my problems in my own way. Nonetheless, I had to thank the idiot who pushed me down the stairs. If wasn't for him, I wouldn't never meet you and Seadramon."

Himura blinked as his face went red. Did she really mean it? Then, Himura's face met Kotori as she kissed him on his lips.

"Just make me a promise. Do you promised after this Pharaohmon mess, you will meet Phillipe and become his friend? After I died, he became so lonely. That's why I wondering if you could be his friend. He needs some strong by his side."

Himura just smiled to his friend and he nodded to her.

"Sure Kotori. If you're asking me this, then, your cousin must be very special to you. Like my sister Yui is to me."

"Thank you, Himura-san."

"How am I going to find him?"

"All you need is to look for a kid that looks like me. Only he's a boy and he has a light brown hair and green eyes. It's not going to be hard to find a French-Japanese boy," Kotori smiled.

"I will do my best for your cousin, Kotori-san."

Then, the two young teens hugged each other. Himura was very happy because now, Kotori will finally rest in peace. Then, without warning, Kotori pushed him in the water. They laughed as they began to have a water fight with each other.

Meanwhile, sitting on a cliff, Guardian Airtos watched everything unfold. She was happy that Himura finally smiled after two years.

"Finally! I thought this day would never come," Airtos turned around and she saw Dark Magician Girl. "You really love to see those special moments, don't you, Dark Magician Girl?"

Dark Magician Girl couldn't help but smile to Airtos.

"It's better than those soup operas. I knew Kotori liked Himura, but she was too prideful to admit this," Dark Magician Girl replied.

Then Dark Magician Girl sighed.

"When Himura wakes up, he must deal with Anubimon's death."

"But this time he will not be alone. The lone wolf finally has found new friends. The little bird will finally fly high like a hawk. Death can separate, but it can also bring people together," Airtos stated.

"I know, but Himura will have a lot of challenges in the future. Not only involving Pharaohmon but also other demons," Dark Magician Girl informed Airtos. "He may don't know it but he has spirit powers like his sister. Only difference is that he's not ready for the awaking of his spirit powers."

However, Guardian Airtos could only smile. She didn't seem at all bothered to what the Dark Magician Girl said.

"Don't worry, Dark Magician Girl. When the time comes, his powers will awaken."

"I hope so. For his own sake..."

"One thing, though," Airtos added.

"Oh? What's that?"

"It's soap opera, not soup."

"Really? I always thought it was soup..."

The two duel monsters shared a chuckle.

End of Dream Sequence

Himura's Room/Infirmary Center

The boy slightly smiled as he envisioned these events through his mind. For the time being, he would be comforted by those beyond the realm of the living. After listening to Kotori's inspiring choice of words, Himura knew what he must do. Soon, he would indeed return back to aid his friends to defeat Pharaohmon, but he would have to settle for the fact that Anubimon was dead.

The time of his reawakening was closer than anyone would think. For now, he would relish these few precious moments with Kotori while Jeri, Inumon and Yui wait for their loved one to awaken.

Phoenix Arena

With the skies darkening above the stadium, the stage lights were radiating across the interior of the stadium. The audiences roared heavily in anticipation of the final match. This one was going to be the battle of two Royal Knights from two respective clans.

Floramon stood at the center with her microphone in hand. She waved out towards every side of the arena and spoke out for everyone to hear.

"We're finally down to our final match, audience! It's the one match you have been craving for since it was announced! Two legendary digimon will duke it out to declare who truly is the better Royal Knight! Without further do, let's bring out our combatants!"

Coming out first through the entranceway was infamous leader of the Royal Knights, Omegamon. He had put his 'game face' while approaching the ring. This surely wasn't going to be an easy task since Omegamon has never directly engaged in combat with a female. He has a strict honor code for never attacking lady digimon, but Athenamon had pushed him too far. He was not going to be further humiliated by the female Royal Knight.

"Here comes the legendary hero who fought in the wars against Pharaohmon and many other rogue villains! Give it up for the leader of the Royal Knights, Omegamon!"

The audience exploded in a thunderous applause and show of respect for the legendary hero. He didn't bother acknowledging the audience, as his sole focus was to give Athenamon a fight. Despite being a lady, he does not intend to hold back.

"Go, Omegamon! You've got this chick where you want her!" Agunimon hollered out from the audience stands. "Show her that legendary heroes will never have their reputations tarnished!"

Finally, Athenamon came out through the second entranceway. She looked just as beautiful and majestic as ever. Her sapphire eyes were kept solely on Omegamon. This was the only match she ever desired her entire life. By defeating Omegamon, she would kill Omegamon's legendary status and restore more credibility to her Amazon kingdom.

"Go, Lady Athenamon! We know you'll defeat this no good excuse of a Royal Knight!" Darcmon cheered on from the audience.

"You are THE Royal Knight, my lady!" Mermaimon shouted.

"Make this male trash beg for mercy!" Jaguarmon leaped up on Mermaimon's shoulder.

Smiling over at her fellow Amazon sisters, Athenamon acknowledged their support for her. Averting her attention to the ring, she stepped inside and kept her stare directly towards Omegamon. She had to win. She had to win to regain her honor as an Amazon that Omegamon tarnished when he "rescued" her. But most of all, she had to win because she knew what had to happen if she lost. Floramon waited patiently while peering at the two Royal Knights. A stare down ensued as the main event was set to be underway.

"These two are rumored to know each other for a rather long time. I don't know the full story, but Athenamon claimed that Omegamon saved her life once. Considering the fact that Omegamon is a male, Athenamon would never forgive him for the rescue. Amazons are stubborn when it comes down to males aiding them. So, now, we come down to this. Athenamon. Omegamon. So, without any further delay... I officially declare this match to begin!"

Then, as Floramon scurried off away, the two Royal Knights circled each other. Athenamon stepped into a combat stance as her sapphire eyes met Omegamon's. The female made her first move by charging forward. Omegamon was ready to meet her head on. Just as Omegamon readied his Metal Garurumon arm cannon, Athenamon bounced up into mid-air. She came flying down and wrapped her legs around Omegamon. The male struggled to push Athenamon off but her strong legs tightened around his neck.

"I'm ending this quick, Omegamon!"

Then, without warning, Athenamon dropped back and flipped Omegamon overhead. The male knight was sent flying across the ring. Athenamon turned around and watched in hope of seeing Omegamon landing on his back. Much to her dismay, Omegamon gracefully landed on his feet and levitated from the ground.

"What was that just now, my lady? You forget that I have good balance," Omegamon chuckled.

"Ha. I was merely testing to see if you were a clumsy fool. Guess I was wrong..."

"Now, come at me... Let's see what you're made of."

"With pleasure!"

Screaming out a battle cry, Athenamon stampeded across the ring and threw out a fist. The male maneuvered to the side and dodged the contact blow. He twisted around behind Athenamon and tapped her on the shoulder. Growling under her breath, Athenamon spun around and attempted a spinning back kick. Omegamon flipped back from the kick attempt and prepared his War Greymon sword.

"Two can play it that game, knight!" Athenamon retorted.

She quickly pulled out her battle sword and stepped into another combat stance. The two Royal Knights charged towards one another with their swords intact. Omegamon's sword clashed against Athenamon's mighty weapon. They remained in a tight struggle with their swords. Omegamon pushed Athenamon back with a shoulder block and slashed across. The female managed to roll away from the blow. Omegamon charged across and swung again this time in a horizontal fashion. The agile Athenamon leaped up overhead and landed behind the male.

She used this opportunity to stab her sword behind Omegamon. He retaliated by slamming his sword against Athenamon's. The female leaped out at Omegamon and delivered a flying kick, which managed to push Omegamon across the ring. The male activated his Metal Garurumon head and fired out a devastating blast.

"GARURU CANNON!"

As the blast hurtling across, Athenamon saw this coming and leaped away. The blast blew away a chunk of the ring's left corner edge. Athenamon bounced away from one side corner and swiftly landed in front of Omegamon. She dropped down and delivered a leg sweep, which caused the male to lose his balance and fall. Athenamon seized the opportunity and attempted to stab her sword through Omegamon. However, just as the sword came closer, Omegamon quickly phased out of sight.

"Coward! Where did you go?" Athenamon shouted.

"Over here!"

Immediately turning around, Athenamon heard the voice of Omegamon trailing behind her. However, once she turned, she found no trace of Omegamon in physical form. Then, she felt a slight movement from another corner. She spun around and was met with an elbow in her face. The force of the blow sent Athenamon skidding across the ring. Omegamon dashed forward and fires away more blasts out of his Metal Garurumon arm cannon. The Amazon queen dodged each blast by leaping away and rolling across the ring. One blast came directly towards her. With one mighty swing of her sword, she sliced through the blast and caused it to become halved in two. The split blasts came hurtling across the opposite sides of the ring. With the blasts plowing through the ring surface, a large billowing smoke cloud formed.

This gave the two knights time to strategize their next attacks. The audiences were upset at not getting a glimpse of the action.

Athenamon breathed heavily as she gripped her sword tightly. She closed her eyes and sensed out the movements from across the smoke cloud. There was no sudden movement but she felt footsteps approaching behind her. She spun around and stabbed her sword through the shadowy figure. She looked ahead to find Omegamon standing in front of her with her sword jabbed through his torso. A grin twisted across her face. Victory was finally hers, or at least thought so. It turned out to be an afterimage. Once the afterimage faded, Athenamon leaped back to her feet. Before she had a chance to recover, she felt herself being pressed something metallic.

Heavy breathing across her back caused the Amazon queen to spin around. Before she could react, Omegamon slammed his knee against her gut. The female fell down to her knees and dropped her sword. The male stood over the fallen queen and nodded his head.

"My lady... Let's not continue with this pointless bout. We should be working together to stop Pharaohmon."

"No... I'll never work together with the likes of you..." Athenamon hissed. "Pharaohmon is my business! I will kill him by my hand!"

"Listen to yourself! Look what happened the last time, you challenged that demon yourself! I had to rescue you!"

"And? That was the past. I've gotten much stronger and wiser since then."

"I think not. You're still that irrational, arrogant and stubborn child who doesn't know their place!" Omegamon spoke out. "You only became queen because your highness died an unfortunate death!"

"BE SILENT! NEVER SPEAK FOUL OF MY QUEEN! YOU NEVER KNEW HER!" Athenamon screamed out in furious anger.

As she screamed, Athenamon leaped up and delivered a vicious uppercut that managed to send Omegamon flying up into mid-air. The female flew up directly after Omegamon, grabbed him by his cape and decked him across the face with a right hand jab. She followed it up with a knee into his gut and a closed fist smash across his back. The force sent Omegamon crashing towards the ground. Athenamon took advantage of her downed opponent and flew down towards him.

"Omegamon! In the end, it will be me that triumphs! I shall claim victory in the name of my sisters!"

"He's all yours, my lady!" the Amazons exclaimed out for their highness.

"Omegamon's down! Could this be the turning point of the match? Athenamon is about to pull off a major upset!" Floramon exclaimed. "It could be all over for the legendary hero!"

"Omegamon! Your legendary status has now officially been slain by my hands!" Athenamon cried out. "Victory is mine!"

As Athenamon drew closer towards the ring, she aimed to body slam herself against Omegamon. Then, without warning, the male Royal Knight rolled away to the side at the last second and allowed Athenamon to land on her feet. Omegamon seized the opportunity, aimed his Metal Garurumon cannon directly at the female and fired out a devastating shot.

The shot came hurtling towards Athenamon and pushed her backwards across the ring. The Amazon queen held both of her hands out and pushed against the attack. Omegamon fired off another shot. This time Athenamon held back both blasts with both hands. Using her physical strength, she strained against the attacks. Omegamon focused on firing off a third blast.

"Wow! Incredible! The Amazon queen is showing us just how brute her physical strength can be! She's holding off two of Omegamon's shots but it seems she may be biting off more than she can chew!" Floramon announced.

"No! It's going to take more than petty tricks to put me down! I am Athenamon, Queen of the Amazon Digimon! In the name of the former queen, Garudamon, I will NOT fail! I've trained too hard and long to lose to this wretched male! This will NOT do me in! Failure is NOT an option!"

Then, with one furious burst of energy, Athenamon pushed the attacks using her physical strength. The shot came hurtling towards Omegamon. He quickly whipped out his sword to deflect the blasts. They were sent shooting across through the open arena roof and exploded across the skies.

Athenamon took advantage of the distracted Omegamon and delivered a dropkick across his chest. The male knight was sent staggering back before losing balance once again. The female launched herself across and wrapped her arms around Omegamon's waist. Using quick and efficient speed, Athenamon slammed Omegamon into the guardrail wall.

"Ow! Now that's going to leave a mark! Athenamon has regained control of this bout and it seems Omegamon has greatly underestimated the Amazon queen! Things simply aren't looking hot for the legendary hero!"

Omegamon picked himself up from out of the wall and panted heavily. Before realizing that Floramon was giving a count down, Athenamon adds insult to injury by slamming a fist against Omegamon's face. She grabbed Omegamon and impressed everyone in the arena by hurling him inside the ring. She threw the royal knight so easily as if he were a rag doll! What incredible strength!

"Awesome display by the Amazon queen! It's no wonder many male digimon fear her and females respect her!"

Athenamon flipped back inside the ring and waited for Omegamon to sit up. As the male slowly staggered back to his feet, Athenamon stepped behind Omegamon. She quickly wrapped her arms around Omegamon's waist and delivered a painful German suplex across the ring. She followed it up with another, a third and finally a fourth. On the fourth suplex, Omegamon landed on the back of his neck. Athenamon sat up and grabbed the fallen male. The audiences were awe struck in disbelief at how Athenamon was manhandling Omegamon.

"To think Omegamon would be dominated in this fashion! Never has anyone dominated the Royal Knight like we're seeing here with the Amazon!"

The female had an idea in mind. She grabbed Omegamon, picked him up and hoisted him on her right shoulder. The female flew up into mid-air over the ring while holding onto Omegamon.

"What's Athenamon planning? Wait! Don't tell me that she's planning to slam Omegamon through the ring! She's actually going to do it! This could spell the end for the legendary knight!"

"It's over for you, Omegamon... At last, victory is mine," Athenamon whispered into the warrior's ear. "Say goodnight! HI-YA!"

Wailing out a battle cry, Athenamon dove towards the ring and prepared to slam Omegamon through the ring surface. Just as she came closer, Omegamon quickly regained his senses. He noticed he was caught in a tight situation and immediately vanished out of Athenamon's grasp. This caused the female to gasp out in shock and halt her dive. She looked around her surroundings until she felt an overwhelming amount of energy building up behind her. She spun around and witnessed Omegamon launching a combined energy attack from his cannon and sword.

"OMEGA EFFECT!"

The combined attack flew out directly towards Athenamon at fast pace. Even she couldn't hope to dodge this at close range. She attempted to put her hands out to top it, but it was simply too powerful to overcome. She was sent flying backwards across the ring and crashing through the guardrail wall. Athenamon fell down face first on the outside as a pile of debris buried her underneath. Omegamon released a deep sigh of relief and fell to his knees.

"What a counter! Omegamon retaliates and stops Athenamon at her tracks with a new attack!" Floramon announced. "I doubt even Athenamon can get up from this! She put up the best fight I've seen dished out against Omegamon! Heck, she's the first to ever manhandle him! All right, that's enough Athenamon-praising... I'm going to do my job and start the count! One! Two! Three! Four!"

"Athenamon... You sure have gotten strong, dear child..." Omegamon gasped while panting. "I've never been handled in such a manner. You are definitely the first. Impressive... You certainly do live up to your title as 'Amazon Queen'."

"Five! Six! Seven!"

"All right! You've won! I can't believe it! Here I thought you'd lose this!" Agunimon called out to the Royal Knight.

"No. I wouldn't lose this match if my life depended on it," Omegamon acknowledged the Warrior of Flame.

"Eight! Nin-"

Before Floramon had a chance to finish her countdown, the pile of debris scattered out across. Floramon ducked for cover from the incoming wall debris. Athenamon quickly flipped out of where she once laid and landed back inside the ring. Cuts and bruises were visible across her body. Omegamon couldn't how just how resilient the Amazon queen was already proving to be.

"Athenamon managed to rise out of the debris and beat the count! What a display of sheer resiliency by the queen!" Floramon popped out from out of her safe spot behind a rock slab. "She came here to defeat Omegamon and nothing more! At what lengths will she go to force the Royal Knight to submit?"

"Go, my lady! We knew you wouldn't be so easily beaten!" Mermaimon cheered out for her queen.

"Omegamon has nothing on you!" Darcmon hollered.

Suddenly, Athenamon started chuckling under her breath. The male wondered why his adversary was taking pleasure to this. Then, she burst out laughing.

"Oh yes! This is exciting!" Athenamon laughed. "Omegamon! I commend you!"

"Commend me?"

"Yes, because you are the first man to ever bring the best out of me! No normal male digimon would ever last this long in a contest against me. Either they would flee or be crushed under my might! But, you, Omegamon, you are different! For once, I'm looking forward to seeing how this ends!"

"I can agree. We, as Royal Knights, take pleasure in battle when we really get fired up."

"Yes, but there is a different between us. I will use any length of measure to clench victory!" Athenamon clenched her fists.

"Any length of measure, you say?"

"Yes and unlike you... I don't need to waste time to charge up my attacks. Allow me to demonstrate!" the female declared as he pulled out her sword. "Take this! EXCALIBUR SLASH!"

With one mighty swing of her sword, Athenamon delivered a powerful slash from her sword. The force was sent directly towards Omegamon. He attempted to move away to the side but was too late as the slash managed to knick his left leg. Omegamon grunted in pain and collapsed on the ground. Athenamon took advantage of her fallen prey, sprinted across and dropkicked the Royal Knight in the face. The blow forced Omegamon to roll across the sands.

Athenamon jumped on Omegamon's back and applied yet another headlock. The female's arms tightened around the male knight's neck and started crushing his throat in the process. Omegamon thrashed about to throw Athenamon off his back, but the female tightened her headlock.

"Athenamon attempts to slow her larger opponent down using technique! You've got to wonder how strong this woman is for slowing down a brute like Omegamon!" Floramon exclaimed. "My gosh! I can't believe what I'm seeing! Omegamon is getting down on his knees and he seems to be out of it! Could this be Athenamon's time to shine?"

"Oh man! This is not looking good! Hang in there, Omegamon!" Agunimon shouted in support of the male knight.

"I'm NOT going to lose to you, Omegamon! Victory shall be mine!" Athenamon declared as she forced Omegamon down to his knees. "That's right. Just kneel down and give up! This is where you bow before your queen!"

Much to everyone's disbelief, the legendary hero was nearly being humbled by the Amazon Queen. If he lost this bout, his reputation will be forever tarnished. Once this finally sunk into Omegamon's conscious, he finally woke up and regained consciousness. He sat up from a kneeling position and unleashed a strong energy aura. This forced Athenamon off and sent her flying across the ring. The female managed to land on her feet just time but not long as Omegamon slammed his sword directly into her gut. She felt the air being knocked right out of her and immediately lost consciousness. Athenamon fell limp into Omegamon's arms. Omegamon used EVERY ounce of his physical strength to knock out Athenamon without killing her. This would have killed any normal mega digimon, but Athenamon was more than just a mega. She was the Amazon Queen.

"With one ferocious blow, Omegamon has just knocked Athenamon out cold! This came right out of nowhere and Athenamon least expected this to occur!" Floramon exclaimed. "This could very well spell the end for Athenamon! I'll start the count! One! Two! Three! Four!"

"No! Our Queen!" the Amazons cried out in unison. "No fair!"

"Yes! There's no way your legendary name will ever be tarnished!" Agunimon laughed. "Not even the Amazon queen can hope to dethrone you!"

"Five! Six! Seven!"

Omegamon sat Athenamon on the ground and stood upright over his fallen opponent. Fortunately, she was still breathing. Otherwise, Omegamon would have truly despised himself for committing an act of murder. He had grown new respect for the Amazon queen. She was no longer a child in his view; she had blossomed and matured into a fine woman of royalty. She became his equal.

"Eight! Nine! And... Ten! Athenamon was unable to answer the count and remained down! Your winner is Omegamon!"

The audience exploded in a thunderous ovation and cheered for both combatants. Yes, they both had displayed a great competitive match. This is exactly what the audience had paid for and they received a worthy main event. Agunimon threw his fist out in declaration for Omegmaon's victory.

"Way to go, Omegamon! You sure showed her what you're made of!" Agunimon hollered out.

"Oh no! Our queen!" the Amazons shouted.

"Omegamon! You cheated!" Mermaimon whined. "You had to use your sword to clench this victory! Athenamon would have surely finished you for sure!"

"Athenamon is still our queen and even you will never tarnish her royal name!" Darcmon hissed.

"...You Amazons will never change. You're just like your previous ancestral sisters," Omegamon sighed. "You will never drop this grudge you have for male digimon. It's fruitless. Athenamon used a sword. I only retaliated."

Suddenly, Omegamon heard low moaning and watched as Athenamon began to stir. He kneeled down to check on the female's condition. Before he had a chance to wake her, Athenamon sprang up on her feet and jumped away in alert. She immediately drew out her sword and stepped out into a combat stance.

"...C'mon, Omegamon! Give it your all! I haven't even gotten started! C'mon!"

"It's already been decided, dear Athenamon. I have been declared the victor."

"You're lying... No! You're lying!" Athenamon snapped. "This match isn't over!"

"I'm sorry to say, my lady, but it has already been decided," Floramon squeaked out. "...Um, Omegamon knocked you out with his sword, laid you across the ring and you were unable to answer the ten count. Therefore, that registers as a loss. I'm sorry..."

"No..." Athenamon whispered. "I couldn't have lost... I... I trained hard for this encounter! Years of training... Have they been for nothing?"

"Athenamon. I must commend you," the Royal Knight spoke. "You nearly had me defeated on a few occasions. I never would have thought you'd become so strong. I can no longer call you a child. You have grown and matured into quite the strong woman. You have become my equal and... You have indeed earned my respect, Queen Athenamon..."

However, rather than succumbing to the knight's kind words, Athenamon merely grunted and leaped out of the ring. She sheathed her sword and deeply sighed. The loss has now weighed heavily on her heart. Athenamon walked over towards the entranceway without bothering to look back on Omegamon. Omegamon couldn't help but feel sorry for the young queen.

"I'm sorry about your loss, Athenamon. But you need to get over this foolish pride," whispered Omegamon. "You indeed carry that same sadness I saw when I saved you. I just hope you can put aside our differences if we hope to ever defeat Pharaohmon."

Once the heartbroken Athenamon departed through the entranceway, Omegamon stepped out of the ring without even acknowledging his victory. He had come what he set out to accomplish firsthand before moving on with matters that are more important.

"And that wraps up today's event! Make sure all of you come back tomorrow for the remainder of the Shadow Tournament!" Floramon announced to the audiences. "We'll once again have a live broadcast for our viewers across the Digital and Human worlds! Until then, have a good evening and join in on the party over at the Sphinxmon Hotel! Your hostess with the mostess will be there waiting for you!"

Once she made her final announcement, Floramon turned off her microphone and marched down towards the entranceway. The audiences were soon beginning to leave in large numbers. Day one has concluded and it turned out to be a successful show. Tomorrow will be an even greater event since the fate of two worlds will be decided. If Pharaohmon declares victory, the two worlds will be his for the taking. Even the Sovereigns cannot hope to stop him. It was now essential for any one of the heroes to prevent the demon from wining the event. If no one in the arena can stop him, then there is always the trump card: the Digital Priestess and her sword.

Hallways of the Ground Level

Once the exhibition matches had concluded, large crowds of digimon were moving out from the arena. The Duelists found themselves pushing through the digimon in hopes of walking back to the infirmary. To their luck, they immediately spotted Takato and the other Tamers standing outside the medical center.

"Hey, Takato!" Yugi calls out to the goggle head. "Over here!"

"Yugi! We've been looking for you guys! Where did you guys go anyway?" Takato asked. "One minute you were with us and then, poof, you were gone!"

"Sorry, but Joey here needed to go to the 'John'," Tristan muttered.

"It had to be those nachos I had. Yuck!" Joey gagged.

"I never trust arena food service," Mai shrugged. "You never know if they'll rip you off for poor food service."

"Not to mention they're pricey!" Tea agreed.

"So, Himura's in a coma? How long is he supposed to last?" Duke asked.

"We're not too sure," Henry sighed. "The doctors said there's a good chance he could awaken in twenty-four hours, but with comas... Nobody can ever be sure."

"That's too bad," Yugi replied. "Anyway, we also left to find Kaiba and Mokuba. Looks like they already arrived at that Sphinixmon Hotel. They're already rounding up guests to take them to the hotel already."

"I see. Looks like we'll be hitting the hotel, you guys. What do you say?" Takato suggested to the Tamers.

"Cool! I hope they have a swimming pool over there! I could use a dip myself," Kazu grinned.

"Or a hot bath," Kenta smiled sheepishly.

"We'll never know until we get there before the crowds take up all the space," Rika replied.

"Oh, there's no need to worry about that. All rooms and costs are covered for duelists and competitors," Joey informed the Tamers. "Nothing beats free!"

"Sounds like my kind of hotel! I'm in!" Guardromon nodded.

"I think I'll stay here to look after Terriermon," Henry stated.

"Huh? What about me, Henry? Can I stay?" Suzie asked.

"No, you can go with your big sister and stay the night with her," Henry suggested. "Besides, you have Lopmon."

"You sure you want to stay here?" asked Guilmon. "You're going to miss out on some fun."

"Trust me. I'll be fine here. Besides, Jeri, Felinismon, Yui and Dark Gabumon will be staying here with Himura."

"What about Inumon?" Tea asked with concern.

"He said he would be coming to the hotel. Besides, he wants to get all of this mess cleared up, especially after what happened with Anubimon. It's been a rough day for him."

"I can't say I blame him," Seadramon sighed.

"Poor Inumon. So, will he be sharing a room with anyone?" Witchmon wondered.

"He suggested that he have a room for himself," Henry said.

"I just might have a talk with Inumon after all," Renamon thought. "I don't want him alone especially with that nutcase, Kuzuhamon, lurking about."

"Don't mind me asking but what about Beelzebumon? He looked pretty injured from that attack by Pharaohmon," Mai asked.

"Oh, Beelzebumon is just fine. He's resting comfortably," Lopmon stated. "I talked to that Lillymon announcer. She brought him in to be examined. As it turns out, he only sustained minor injuries. However, he will be staying here for examinations. She's even kind enough to look after him while we get rest."

"That's very good. We can thank the Lillymon later," Renamon replied.

"At least, she was kind enough to drag Beelzebumon to the infirmary," Rika said.

"Looks like you guys pretty much have arrangements for the hotel?" Fairymon spoke out as she approached the group with Blitzmon and Agunimon accompanying her.

"You should have seen Omegamon pull off that big win," Agunimon snickered excitedly. "Athenamon never knew what hit her!"

"Ahem!" Rika and Fairymon cleared their throats.

"Hey, don't forget that Athenamon has new fans here," Bltizmon whispered to Agunimon.

"Um, ok. Well, anyway, I just came by tot ell you that we'll be joining you at the hotel," Agunimon continued. "Kouji suggested that he stay here to look after his brother and Tomoki."

"So, looks like we have some members of the team already sticking around. At least you won't alone Henry," Takato smiled. "You still have Jeri, Yui, Felinismon, Dark Gabumon and Kouji staying."

"Yeah. Don't worry about Suzie, Henry," Jaarin approached her brother. "Lopmon and I will look after her."

"Ok, so now we need to arrange rooms of where each of us will be sleeping," Yugi thought. "Hey, wait a second! Bakura's still resting in there!"

"Last I checked, your friend was doing just fine and just sleeping," Kenta stated.

"One of us should stay here," Tea said.

"No, he seemed to be doing just fine. Doctors said he'd probably be moving out of bed by tonight," Seadramon informed the Duelists.

"How can anyone be standing after being struck by an Egyptian God monster's attack?" Joey wondered. "Even I was laid out for a while..."

"Then again, he does have that Millennium Ring. There's no telling what he will do once the evil spirit takes over," stated Yugi. "Ok, I think I should stay..."

"No way, Yug. Then, I'm sticking with you. Besides, you could use back-up."

"Thanks, Joey."

"Thanks you guys, but I can guarantee you that everything will be taken care of," the voice of Wolfmon spoke out.

"Kouji? You sure you can handle this heavy burden? You have a match to compete in tomorrow and you'll need the rest," Agunimon said.

"I'll be all right. If that evil spirit takes over that Bakura guy, I'll be sure to handle him," Wolfmon assured the group. "Of course, I'll have back-up from Felinismon and Dark Gabumon. I will not let anything happen to anyone in this infirmary."

"Are you sure you're up for the responsibility, Kouji?" Blitzmon asked. "I can stay here to lend a hand."

"I'll be just fine."

"Ok, Kouji. We'll leave it up to you then, friend," Takato nodded. "Well, guys. This is it. Are we ready to hit that hotel and party?"

"First, we need to arrange of where everyone will sleep, goggle head," Rika sighed.

"Ok, here's what I suggest," Tea suggested. "I can share a room with Mai, Rika and Renamon."

"Let's see, we'll share a room with the girls," Kazu joked.

"KAZU!" the females exclaimed out in unison.

"It was a joke! Ok, seriously... I'll share a room with Guardromon, Kenta and Marine Angemon."

"All right. Hey, Izumi. Why don't you go with me and Suzie?" Jaarin suggested.

"Sure. That sounds good," Fairymon nodded in agreement. "You hear that, Suzie? I'm going to be your room mate."

"Yay! More friends!" Suzie giggled happily. "Right, Lopmon?"

"You can say that again," Lopmon smiled.

"Ok, then. Joey and I can share a room," Tristan suggested. "Hey, Blitzmon... You want to stick with us?"

"Um, sure. Unless you've already paired with some room mates, Takuya?"

"I'm with Yugi, Takato and Guilmon," Agunimon replied.

"All right."

"Hey, Duke. You can stick with us," Kenta said. "Since we're all being paired with three people and additional digimon."

"Um, yeah. Sounds good," Duke nodded.

"All right then! We have everyone arranged," Takato stated. "Say, where did Ryo go?"

"Last I checked, he said he'd be at the hotel ahead of us," Kazu told his friend. "After the way he lost to Rika..."

"He's just licking his wounds," Rika remarked. "I'm sure he's looking forward to the remainder of the tournament."

"Well, that pretty much arranges everything. What do you say we get going?" Takato asked the group. "If we get there soon, we'll be sure to avoid any crowds."

"You heard the man, guys," Agunimon stated. "We've got a hotel to raid!"

As soon as their conversation was over, the group started walking down the hallway leading through the exit of the hotel. Henry and Wolfmon watched their friends depart to what will become one strange yet unpredictable night. There were others within the arena that still hasn't left.

Outside the Phoenix Arena

Sailor Uranus walked across the sands while carrying Sailor Neptune on her back. Since it was already set to become dusk, this meant cooler weather and Uranus was free to carry on without worrying about the scorching temperature. It was only at least half a mile from the Sphinxmon Hotel.

"It was a good thing I asked those arena officials," Uranus muttered under her breath. "Our room is free of charge since we're competitors. Neptune, can you hear me?"

"Yeah... Just still a little sore..."

"Don't worry. As soon as we get to the hotel, we'll be relaxed. Geez, I really hope the other girls have found that sword by now. If Pharaohmon really lets loose his full power tomorrow, we're screwed."

"I know they will find it, Uranus. You just have to believe in them..."

"I do... It's just... This is a completely different world from any other I've seen before. There's no telling what could be lurking out there. There is also a good chance that Pharaohmon has sent more goons to stop them."

"As I said, they will find the sword and regain their powers... I'm sure of it..."

"For all of our sakes, I would hope so. Time is already running out..."

Suddenly, Sailor Uranus stopped for a moment and looked ahead. A smile twisted across her face as if she had discovered the perfect rest stop. In fact, she was looking directly at a tall building that was as tall as Tokyo Tower itself. Standing next to this massive hotel was a house-sized golden Sphinx monument.

"Neptune. We're finally here," Uranus sat Neptune on the ground. "Whew, now we can relax."

"It's about time..."

"We'll enter the hotel in our Sailor forms; then once we enter, we'll power down to our normal civilian forms and get some rest."

"Sounds like a plan, Uranus," Neptune smiled.

"Come on. Let's enjoy ourselves tonight. I'm sure they have some romantic views in there and some wine," Uranus spoke during her venture towards the hotel.

"Yes. Let's celebrate your victory and hope tomorrow brings even bigger surprises for you."

"Who knows? You just could be looking at the next champ right here," Uranus pointed herself as she and Neptune shared a laugh.

Despite these two sharing a heartfelt laugh, there were others that wouldn't share their sentiments.

Sphinxmon Hotel/Check-In Section

As they checked for their names, Yusuke and his crew were given the 'ok' to occupy their pre-paid rooms. The group was still chuckling over the 'kiss' given to Hiei. Nobody would have ever seen this coming. Not even Hiei himself expected Mizuno to kiss him, but to him it was a show of respect than love.

"So, where are you going tonight, Hiei? To find Mizuno?" Kuwabara teased the short-stature demon.

"Say anything else again and I'll knock you for a loop, idiot," Hiei growled. "It's getting old already..."

"Not to me!"

"Ok, guys. Knock it off," Yusuke snorted. "I'll admit I'm still laughing about it, but let's enjoy this night without you two trying to tear each other apart. Besides, we all know Hiei isn't the type to have a girl accompany him."

"Bah. I don't need anyone to side with me," the demon scoffed.

"Well, at least you don't have to deal with any girl trouble, Yusuke," Kurama said.

"I'm rather glad we didn't bring Keiko. Otherwise, she'd get scared of this place quicker than a hiccup," Yusuke replied.

Then, as if almost on cue...

"YUSUKE!"

The boy quickly stood frozen stiff as a statue once a familiar voice called out his name. He knew that voice anywhere. As he spun around, he came face to face with none other than Keiko Yukimura. Her brown eyes glared directly at Yusuke's. Botan and Kuwabara were taken back by Keiko's surprise appearance.

"Keiko! What are you doing here?" Yusuke exclaimed while stuttering in shock.

"I came to see you of course!" Keiko retorted. "If you thought I was going to sit at home and wait, you have another think coming!"

"But, the question is. How did you get here? You'd have to enter one of those portals we used earlier in the day," Botan spoke up.

"Botan, right? Well, you see. I took a ride on something called a Trailmon. He was kind enough to drop me off near this hotel. When he told me all about the tournament, I reminded him that I know the human boy named 'Yusuke Urameshi'."

"So, you practically got everything you needed to know from a train? Ok, now I've heard everything," Yusuke sighed.

"Oh and I didn't come alone," Keiko stated as she moved aside.

As Keiko moved, the group looked down to find none other than the son of King Enma: Koenma. The toddler ruler waved up at the Spirit Detective crew.

"Hi, guys!" Koenma smiled. "Surprised to see me?"

"KOENMA! YOU, TOO?" Yusuke and Botan exclaimed in unison.

"So, I finally get to meet you in person, Koenma," Kuwabara approached the toddler. "Look, Hiei. Now you don't have to feel bad about being the shortest from now on."

"Will you knock it off?" Hiei snapped.

As everyone within the group chattered amongst themselves, Yusuke couldn't help but overwhelmed by the two surprise guests. He plopped down against a chair and moaned.

"Oh, Yusuke," Botan chuckled. "So, Keiko, what are we going to do about you? You and Koenma haven't been registered rooms."

"It's quite all right. As long as you tell Sphinxmon that you are with us, they should allow you to take rooms for free," Kurama informed the newcomers.

"You can share a room with me, Keiko," Botan offered to carry Keiko's bags.

"Thanks... Um, are you going to be all right, Yusuke?"

"Oh, just fine... Just a bit overwhelmed right now..." Yusuke muttered.

"Oh, Yusuke. You're being silly!"

While the Spirit Detective team was chatting, a dark ominous cloaked fire watched from another corner. His eyes were set directly on Kurama and managed to hide his energy to prevent himself from being detected. It was Brimstone under disguise.

Suddenly, two small digimon came running past Brimstone and explored the lobby. They were revealed as Neemon and Bokomon. The yellow rabbit searched around the lobby in awe struck.

"Oooo, take a look at the big lobby, Bokomon!" Neemon spun around.

"Now, listen here, Neemon. We're here to wait for Takuya and the others. Don't you causing a scene and getting us kicked out in the process!" Bokomon scolded the rabbit. "Argh! Aren't you even listening?"

"Hey, look! They have chocolate-covered pretzels!"

Then without warning, Bokomon pulled on Neemon's pants and forced a pant-slap across the rabbit's backside. Neemon jumped around and held his butt in pain.

"OWIE! OWIE!"

"Serves you right, bubble brain."

Across from the other side, Calumon flew out through a window and avoided the massive crowds building up outside the hotel. He landed on a seat and sighed with relief.

"Oh boy. Those digimon out there are so noisy and rude," Calumon covered his ears. "Maybe the digimon in here are friendlier. I hope I'll find Takato and the others here. Culu!"

With that said, Calumon took flight across the hotel in search for his friends. However, in a few moments, Takato and company would arrive at the hotel. Calumon was looking forward to seeing them again after losing them shortly during the tournament.

Pharaohmon's Skybox

With the stadium already being emptied of the massive crowds, two individuals glared down across the staged battle arena. Pharaohmon was standing at the center with Lance kneeling before his 'lord'.

"You have done well, my subordinate. You trounced the boy, Kenta, while I have slain the great Anubimon. Thus far, everything is going according to plan. Despite the losses, we have been able to advance to the next round. I have yet to know my first opponent tomorrow, but it won't matter to me. I still foresee a victory. As for you, dear Lance, the duel tournament is yours for the taking. Not even Yugi Muto will hope to out-duel you with your deck!"

"Yugi will fall. I promise that he will be defeated and his Millennium puzzle will be ours."

"You mean mine. You see. The puzzle is an item I've had my eyes on since I emerged in the human world. When I sensed it's great mystical magic, I came convinced that it would fuel me with infinite powers beyond anything in either the human or digital worlds. With the Millennium puzzle, I am guaranteed absolute control over the worlds! Nobody will ever hope to challenge me! Not even the Sovereigns!"

"Anything to make you happy, my lord."

"I can safely say that I am satisfied for killing that fool, Anubimon. He brought this upon himself for sealing Nemesis away," Pharaohmon clenched his fist tightly. "Once I have declared victory, I will set Nemesis free and we shall rule together."

"Don't mind me asking, sire, but why do you desire Nemesis?"

"Because... Well, it really doesn't matter now, but in due time, she is essential in the grand scheme of things," Pharaohmon answered. "What really matters is the present. We must eliminate our enemies by tomorrow. No exceptions! Piedmon and the rest of his team will help bring victory in the tournament!"

"Yes, but what about the other insects? According to several of our scouts, the Sailor Senshi and the three warriors have aligned with two of the Dra-Warriors. They are closer to reaching the temple as we speak."

"General Scorpionus managed to survive the last encounter and will launch a sneak attack when they least suspect it."

"But the temple..."

"That won't be a problem. The temple itself is guarded by another one of my subordinates. I have many allies across the Digital World that will do my bidding. General Scorpionus will relay the information to him and they will be prepared for those insects. The chance of the Digital Priestess capturing that sword is very slim. Let's not worry over such little nuisances. Come now. Let us rejoice for the night is young, dear Lance."

"Yes, sire... Whatever you wish."

Pharaohmon looked directly towards the full moon emitting light across the dark stadium. He didn't want to admit it, but the Digital Priestess being resurrected still posed as his greatest threat. Never mind the fact that the three Sailors would regain their lost powers. Killing Anubimon was merely the beginning of his wrath.

"The Wrath of Pharaohmon will never be stopped. Anubimon, just witness what I plan to do to this wretched world when I have declared victory. Even Valmarmon and Granasmon will quiver in their graves!"

As soon as he turned away from the window, Pharaohmon's body emitted a dark, purple aura. Tomorrow will never be the same as far as the Digital World was concerned. The demon could very well become THE king of the two worlds when it was all said and done.

However, there was a group of heroes who would obviously disagree and prevent such a nightmare from ever occurring.

Drago Village/Sector LGT-0978

After traveling across the lush forests, Labramon finally led the group into a populous settlement. The canine sniffed the air and quickly picked up the scent of his fellow villagers. He turned around and gave the nod to the party.

"We're here! We're here!" Labramon shouted excitedly. "Whew... My feet are really killing me..."

"It's about time!" Minako gasped for air. "All of that walking... My feet are throbbing."

"So is this your home village? Wow, to think you actually live in this kind of environment," Sailor Saturn said as she gazed at the village entrance.

"It's not unusual," Sailor Mercury stated. "It is said there are still lost civilizations across a few parts of the globe. The tropical jungles of Africa are a prime example."

"Yeah, well, Labramon's home village is not really a lost civilization," Herodramon replied. "Sure only a few outsiders have reached these parts, but it doesn't stop Labramon's fellow villagers from actually exploring the outside world."

"Our good friend, Labramon, is a pioneer. He discovered the location of the temple; although, he's never actually entered the ancient temple," Ninjadramon said.

"Come on everyone! Let's go!" Cammy calls out to the group as she ran ahead of them. "Hang onto me, Artemis!"

"Slow down, Cammy!" Artemis shouted out.

"Whoa! Hey, Cammy! Wait up!" Rei cried out to her sister.

"Wait for us!" Makoto exclaimed.

Following behind Makoto were the Dra-Warrior duo, Sailor Pluto, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Saturn. The entrance was guarded by two Dobermon. They quickly recognized Labramon and greeted him.

"Good day, Labramon," the left Dobermon digimon said.

"I see you've brought along guests. Humans?" the other Dobermon digimon noticed the Sailor Senshi. "Oh? Herodramon, Ninjadramon, it's good to see you again, my friends."

"Greetings, Dobermon," Ninjadramon bowed. "We've come all the way from out of the Scorpiomon Desert. We had just run into a scuffle with the Scorpionites."

"Has General Scorpionus has been reawakened along with his forces? Have they been taken care of?" asked the other Dobermon.

"Yes, thanks to my partner and myself; But, these three girls over here were given the ancient ninja powers," Herodramon pointed over to Rei, Minako and Makoto.

"You mean these three humans?" the Dobermon guards examined the girls.

"Aww, look at the doggies!" Minako squealed in delight while patting the Dobermon.

"Labramon. Are all the villagers here, canines?" asked Makoto.

"No, there are also dragon types here," Labramon replied. "We share this village together and we are humbly ruled by Raidramon."

"Raidramon?" Rei wondered.

"He is a kind, wise and a strong mayor of this village," Ninjadramon stated. "He will provide us with a place to rest for the night."

"Oh and I hope he can provide us a hot spring bath. We sure could use one," Sam suggested.

"Just as long as they provide two separate baths," Minako muttered.

"What do you think, Vega?" Sailor Mercury asked the young man.

"Not bad. Hope the villagers are friendly," Vega said.

"I'm sure they are," Sailor Pluto smiled. "Otherwise, they would have stopped us by now."

"Pluto? Shouldn't we de-henshin back to our civilian forms?" Saturn asked.

"Once the night has settled in, yes. We really need to conserve our powers."

Just then, a quadruped creature came walking out through the entrance. His body is mainly black, but it's front legs, tail and eats were blue. His eyes are red. On top of his head was a long, yellow horn protruding out like a unicorn's, except this horn was bent in diagonal in several directions like a lightning bolt.

"Ah, hello! Labramon, you've finally returned! Thank goodness! With reports coming in about a major battle taking place in the desert, I feared to what might have happened!"

"I'm just fine," Labramon replied. "Look who I've brought. Herodramon and Ninjadramon. Three of these human girls now possess the ancient ninja powers. The three human males are three of the Legendary Warriors."

"Three Legendary Warriors? Which spirits do you young men hold?" Raidramon asked the trio.

"I hold the Spirits of Wood," Vega revealed his D-Scanner with the wood spirits within it.

"I have possession of the Spirits of Metal," Dimitro stated.

"Mine is Earth," Sam revealed his D-Scanner.

"Interesting, you three are definitely warriors of legend. It's truly an honor," Raidramon said. "And the other females?"

"We're members of the Sailor Senshi," Sailor Mercury approached the mayor. "I am Sailor Mercury. Behind me are Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn. The other three girls with the ninja powers are Rei Hino, Makoto Kino and Aino Minako."

"Though, we originally were Sailor Senshi until Pharaohmon stole our powers to reach his ultimate demon form," Rei informed Raidramon. "These ninja powers are only temporary until we regain our powers..."

"By using what method?" asked the village mayor.

"This little girl," Ninjadramon pointed down to Cammy. "This one is the Digital Priestess, except she no longer has any memory of the events."

Raidramon walked towards Cammy and closely examined her. Then, he felt a familiar scent from the young girl and nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes, there's no mistaken. She is indeed the Digital Priestess," Raidramon stated.

"Ok, really... I'm flattered with all the compliments but I'm not the Digital Priestess. I mean if I was... Where are my powers? If I had powers, I would have helped Rei and her two friends a long time ago!"

"You'll realize the powers once you have retrieved the sword from out of the temple, dear child," Herodramon kneeled over to Cammy and pat the child on her back.

"Only then, will you help your sister, Makoto and Minako regain their powers," Sailor Mercury assured the child. "Right, Vega?"

"That's right," the young man nodded in agreement. "Don't give up, Cammy. We're all going to help you."

"Thanks you, guys," Cammy smiled.

"Now, what do you say we get some rest and feel more energized for our journey tomorrow?" Rei announced to the group. "We only have one more day to spare and we have to make it count. This is the point of no return. You either fight or stay in this village. So, what's it going to be?"

"FIGHT!" the group exclaimed out in unison.

"It's getting pretty late now, everyone. Please do come in and feel free to explore. You are our guests," Raidramon nodded. "Dobermon, inform the other Dobermon to provide them a place to rest."

"Yes, Mayor Raidramon," the duo bowed before setting off into the village.

"We will be hosting a feast and party tonight. You are more than welcome to join us," Raidramon said to the group.

"Yeah! You're going to love the party," Labramon grinned. "Please, do say that you'll join us!"

"Hey, count me in!" Minako stood up and laughed happily. "If there's a party, then you know I'm there!"

"Great... Just one reason why we decided to bring her along in the first place," Rei muttered.

"Come on, guys! Let's party!" the bubbly blonde-haired Senshi stood in a dramatic pose. "Party time! Excellent!"

As Minako stood out radiantly in a pose, the others looked on with sweat drops pouring down their heads.

"Raidramon, don't mind my friend here. She can be bit on the crazy side," Sailor Mercury whispered in Raidramon's ear.

"I can tell," Raidramon whispered back. "Ok, everyone, please follow me! I'll give you the tour of this village."

Finally, the Sailor Senshi and their allies arrive at Labramon's village. It looks as though a festival is set to take place judging by Minako's reaction. Tomorrow, they will journey across to the temple to retrieve the priestess sword. Can Cammy regain her memories and will the three girls regain their Sailor powers in time to stop Pharaohmon?

Meanwhile, the three exhibition matches have concluded and thus ends day one of the Shadow Tournament. The Tamers, the Duelists and the digimon have moved out to the Sphinxmon Hotel to rest for the night. However, now it seems the hotel will become a haven for an unpredictable night of mayhem. What wacky situations will the group find themselves involved in? Yusuke becomes reunited with Keiko in an unexpected twist. Just how will the Spirit Detective handle having his friend around in another world?

Pharaohmon anticipates patiently for the next day. Day two will feature the remainder of the tournament and the fate of two worlds will be decided in this event. Can anyone hope to stop this demon before his evil hand grasps more power than ever before?

Sleep easy and enjoy this night, heroes. You will need it.

(PREVIEW)

Sora: Hello everyone, this is Sora to bring you the sneak peek for the next chapter! Boy, let me tell you. It's going to be one filled with mayhem and insanity! You'll be seeing a drunken Marine Devimon, hot springs, a drunken Minako, digimon versions of Joey and Tristan, Kuzuhamon stalking Inumon, Kaiba seeing visions of some blue-haired woman, and much more!

Hiei: Humph, don't expect me to get in the hot springs!

Mizuno: You'd better because I have something here I'd like to show the Demon World. I'm sure all my demon chat buddies would love to see pictures of the 'cold and ruthless' Hiei blushing from a girl's kiss.

Kuzuhamon: Oh, Inumon! I told you I would provide us with a hot spring! Now come in, big boy!

Renamon: Not if I have anything to say, you wench...

Minako: Bring on the sake! Bring 'em on!

Setsuna: I can't imagine what a drunken Minako is capable of...

Rei: This is Minako we're talking about... Therefore, anything is possible with that bubblehead...

Kaiba: Who is this woman in my visions? What does this mean? I must be losing it...

Yugi: This is going to be one long night at the Sphinxmon Hotel. I doubt even the second day of the tournament will be as insane as this mess!

Takato: I'll tell you it won't be on the levels of FLCL-insanity, but some content will be inappropriate. You've been warned.

Takuya: The saga's craziest chapter is entitled...

Insanity Galore at the Sphinxmon Hotel! Party Time Until Sunrise!

Sphinxmon: Oy, I'm going to need a week long vacation when this is said and done.

That ends yet another long chapter. Sorry for the delay but the original story was lost due to hard-drive problems. I had to rewrite at least the first half of this whole story. Fortunately, I was able to get this chapter in. Yes, do expect a lot of insanity in the next chapter. Some of which you would have never expected in this saga.

Oh and when I mean inappropriate content... Don't worry. There won't be HORRIBLE things. It will only be for humor. Chapter 35 will be quite the test since it will be my first all-comedy chapter I ever wrote. As a master of action writing, let's see how well I handle the comedy.

By the way, Youki means 'demon energy'. :P

First, I once again thank LazerWulf for beta-reading this chapter despite there being no duels involved. I'd like to also thank Youkai Youko and Belletiger for the Himura/Kotori scene; they also provided me the humorous story based on the Juunishi and Jaguarmon's reaction to the tale. Also, thank you Ninetalesuk for the idea of Raidramon as the village's mayor. Don't worry, Berus and Inferno will debut in the next chapter. ;)

I'll be working hard to get the insanity-fueled chapter up soon. Until then, check back for any updates! Peace!