Disclaimer:
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon. Some Digimon used in this fic belong to me. Some reviewers have contributed the following characters.
Metal Devidramon - Ninetalesuk
Skyemon - Gijinka Renamon
Socramon - Cavecat
By: RB3
Chapter 20: Shinya's Sweetheart
Through the roaring of the flames, came unholy, inhuman laughter. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of these demons milled about the area. These creatures, the Ragefires, were those who succumbed to the sin of Wrath. Upon death, they were damned for all eternity as monsters and slaves to Daemon's bidding. Two of the Ragefires unloaded coffins on the ground. Within the charred wooden boxes were the remains of various unidentified people exhumed from their graves. The demons unloaded the bodies and began to inspect and sort them. Of particular interest to these monsters were the bodies of young men and women.
All of these people were in their late teens and early twenties and died from gunshot wounds. They were people of Black and Hispanic descent. The Latinos tended to wear leather while the Blacks wore casual hooded sports jackets. They were the common attire of gangsters. The Blacks wore an icon depicting the African continent as the symbol of their gang. The Latinos wore the picture of a devil's face for theirs. Apparently, these victims were members of different, rival gangs. Though each person fought to bring victory for their group, the ultimate victor was Daemon.
To the victor went the spoils, and it was Daemon who fattened up his forces at their expense. The Ragefires dumped each of the corpses into the funeral pyres in the pits. Upon consuming the corpses, the flames flared violently, as though to reach into the sky as high as possible. Fiendish laughter echoed from within the fires as monstrous faces emerged. From the flames, a new life was born. The Ragefires were bristling with newfound strength, but their humanity was forever lost. They were twisted reflections of what they were in life, the hatred and destructive impulses that ruled them before their deaths.
Meanwhile, the Cherubimon group of Warriors took in the sights of a hotel's interior. It had a stylish, classy decor that any vacationer would love to live in between visits to the sights and sounds of Detroit. The walls were covered in white wallpaper with faint beige stripes. The electrical lights resembled old-fashioned oil lamps from the Victorian era. Business was brisk as several servants moved about to prepare the rooms for the coming of new guests. The Warriors followed Youkomon, in the guise of a human maid, to a conference room.
"Well Warriors, how do you like the place?" she asked.
"Nice!" complimented Misty.
"Awesome!" echoed May.
"How did you find such a nice place?" Shinya wondered.
"Oh, a girl's gotta have her secrets..." replied Youkomon slyly. "Anyways, our scouts are gathering intelligence about the area surrounding Daemon's fortress. In the meantime, why don't you explore and pay a visit to Mexicantown?"
"Sure, I always wanted to try a taco," remarked Shinya.
"Me too, why don't you come me?" asked Koichi.
The Warriors went their separate ways to experience the sights and sounds of Detroit. Koichi and Shinya popped into a local Mexican restaurant, the Taco Palace, and ordered their dish of tacos. Their dish was corn-based tortillas topped with ground meat, lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, and salsa. The sour cream and salsa gave a nice intermixing of spicy and sour taste. Though they were used to the food back in Japan, it was welcome change to experience the taste of a foreign culture. After paying for their meal the two decided to walk it off.
In the distance, they could see the black iron citadel that belonged to Daemon. The dark clouds above this infernal place seemed to churn in a vortex. Flames would rain down like meteors on the scorched land around ever so often. It was a drastic, jarring change from the relatively peaceful city of Detroit. Despite its problems, the city was a paradise compared to the hellish fortress of the Lord of Wrath. The Warriors knew that one day; they would storm that very fortress to bring down its Demon Lord. For now the two were biding their time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
As they walked along, Koichi and Shinya eventually came across a park. The season of fall was approaching the city of Detroit and the leaves on the trees began to brown. Some had fallen to the ground for laughing children to play with. The Warriors soon came upon a young man who was watching his sister as she played with her friends in a playground. The brother was a handsome Latino youth in his late teens. This clean-shaven dude had slick black hair, alluring brown eyes, and skin with a hint of mocha in it. The brother had hooked himself up with an attractive Caucasian girl. Though paying heavy attention at his woman, the brother also made sure to pass an occasional glance to ensure the safety of his sister.
The sister was a cute girl whose relationship to her brother was evident in her appearance. She had the same alluring eyes, raven black hair. Her skin was soft, smooth, and had the same hint of mocha in its colour like her brother. Shinya was stunned by how attractive she was. At that moment, the Spirits gave an urgent warning to their hosts. Danger was approaching. They shot a glance in the direction of the threat to see a car suddenly screech to a halt. The occupants rolled down the window to reveal themselves as Blacks armed with handguns. Their weapons were aimed at the brother!
"Watch out! He's got a gun!" cried Koichi as he dove to safety.
Shinya noticed the sister was in the line of fire. "Get down!" he cried as he tackled the girl onto the ground.
The girl was terrified as she heard the guns let out deafening bangs. They could feel the ripples of air pressure fan out from the bullets zinging by just inches overhead. The brother dove to the ground and tried to pull his girl to safety but was a split second too late. She was felled by one of the stray shots, which had struck her in the shoulder. The brother reached for a weapon concealed in his pocket but was too late. In mere seconds, the attack was over and the car screeched into motion and was beyond retaliation.
The brother turned his attention to his wounded girlfriend, who was sprawled on the ground and bleeding severely. "Carrie, are you ok? Somebody call a doctor! I need help!"
Within seconds, the authorities swarmed the area to take control of the situation. The police questioned everyone that had witnessed the event. Once they were happy with their information, the police let the witnesses return to their activities. Carrie, who had been hit, had to be taken to the hospital for medical attention. Before joining her, the brother searched through the mass of people in search of the one who had saved his sister. The sister was still shaken and most definitely frightened, but otherwise unharmed. If it weren't for Shinya's intervention, she might have ended up like Carrie did, or worse.
"Hey kid, you saved my sister Amata didn't you? I'm Carlos; Carlos Rivera, her brother. Thanks a lot. I owe you one amigo."
"Oh, no problem, I'm glad that she's safe," said Shinya.
"Don't worry sis, you're safe now, those guys are long gone," assured her brother. "Thank the kid for helping you."
Having faith in her brother's words, Amata calmed herself. "Thank you uh..."
"Shinya Kanbara," Shinya introduced himself.
"You're so brave, Shinya," remarked Amata. "I'd never be able to do what you did. I was so scared, I couldn't move!"
Shinya blushed. "I'm glad you're alright, Amata. Who were those guys?"
"I think I can answer that question better," replied Carlos. "Those guys are from the Hastings Street Families. They're a couple of loco bozos who've been coming in and shooting up the town."
"I think mama would want to see who helped me so why don't you come over to visit?" asked Amata. "We live in the bakery just across the street from the Taco Palace."
"Hey, that's where we had lunch," remarked Shinya.
"Yeah, that's right. I don't know. I'm not sure if it's a good idea. They'll be waiting for us back at the hotel," argued Koichi.
"Oh, come on! We've got to have some fun once in a while," said Shinya. "Besides, it won't take long. We'll just talk with her parents and then we're done."
"Well, okay I guess it can't hurt to make them wait a little longer..." observed Koichi.
Amata face lit up in a smile. "Great, I'm going back to the bakery now. Why don't you come along?"
"I can't make it though," stated Carlos. "I'm going to escort you home, but once we're back I have to leave. I have to check up on Carrie."
Carlos drove his sister and her newfound friends back to the Rivera Bakery in his low rider. After bidding his farewells, he drove away to check up on the condition of his girlfriend. The Rivera Bakery was a small but prosperous business owned by Amata's family. On display in the front windows were several cakes and other sweet pastries that could make even the most steadfast dieter water at the mouth. Amata led the boys into the store, which was lined by pastries made by her family. A few people were browsing through the merchandise for some treats.
"Amata, are you alright? I saw you on the news today!" exclaimed the Hispanic woman as she abandoned her cash register.
"I'm okay mama," assured Amata. "Carlos and these boys saved me from the bad people."
"Thank you for saving my daughter. I'm Rosa Rivera."
"I'm Koichi Kimura," introduced Koichi.
"I'm Shinya Kanbara," introduced Shinya.
"Why don't you stay awhile and have a treat? I want to get to know Amata's friends."
After dealing with a current customer, Rosa called out to her husband to take care of the cash register. Despite being in her mid-thirties, Rosa Rivera would still be considered an attractive woman in most people's opinion. It was clear that Amata got her good looks from her mother. Both had the same raven-black hair, but Rosa's was beginning to grey from old age. Both had the same alluring brown eyes that seemed to draw people towards them. Rosa's skin began to show the signs of aging in the form of wrinkles. As part of her profession, Rosa was dress in a hair net and a white apron. After the husband took the register, Rosa slipped into the back to get some treats for the kids.
"This is my papa, Eduardo Rivera. We just call him "Eddie" for short," introduced Amata.
Eduardo Rivera was a fairly jovial looking man in his late-thirties. He had light skin coloured with a hint of mocha. He was a thin man with dark, but greying, hair as well as a moustache. Like the mother, he was dressed appropriately in a white apron and a hair net. He had a bit of flour on his face from preparing more pastries for future customers. He was also a man who truly cared for his daughter's well-being, as proven by his concern for her after being caught in the crossfire of a gang-related incident.
"So you're the kids who saved my dear Amata. I'm glad she wasn't hurt. You're brave to have jumped in like that."
"It was nothing..." said Shinya modestly.
"Where are you boys from?" asked Eddie.
"We're from the Shibuya area of Tokyo, Japan," said Koichi. "Our parents have taken a vacation in the US so we'll be staying in the Riverside hotel for a while."
"Oh, that place just opened a short while back," remarked Eddie.
"Here they are!" chimed Rosa as she came in with a pan filled with what looked like a large brown cookie.
"What is it?" asked Shinya.
"It's a coyota. It's a Mexican treat. It's kind of like a cookie, only larger and filled with things like apple."
Shinya and Koichi took a piece of the coyota and tried it. It had a nice, crispy texture to it and the apple filling made it all the more delicious. "Mmm, these are good!" commented Koichi.
"Thank you, I thought you might like it," said Rosa.
As the children ate, they engaged in some small chat to pass the time. "Thanks a lot, Amata, I'm sorry but I can't stay any longer. My parents will worry," said Shinya.
"I understand," said Amata. She fetched a business card and handed it to Shinya. "He's my number if you ever need to call me. Bye bye Shinya, hope to see you again."
Shinya smiled and pocketed the card. "Bye Amata!" With that, the two Warriors made their way back to the Riverside Hotel to check in with their friends.
Carlos drove down the street to a quaint home elsewhere within the ethnic community of Mexicantown. As the door opened, Carlos was greeted by the sight of another Hispanic man. This handsome man was no older than Carlos was. He had lighter skin than Carlos and was slightly taller by an inch. He wore a black leather jacket much like Carlos' in design. It had the symbol of a flaming devil on its shoulders as signify his allegiance to his gang. The man was Rodriguez, the leader of the Hispanic gang known as the Diablos.
"Odalay!" greeted Rodriguez. "I just heard you and your sister nearly got whacked by those Hastings Street punks!"
"Oh, you know me, I ain't easy to whack at all," said Carlos.
"You're lucky that boy jumped in. You need to be more careful, holmes. They play rough," warned Rodriguez. "Those guys are loco if you ask me!"
"Don't worry amigo, they won't get the jump on me again, but I'd like some payback for what they did in the barrio," said Carlos.
"Esse, you came to the right place. Me and the boys are going to shoot up some Hastings Street punks tonight. You in?" asked Rodriguez.
"You bet!" replied Carlos.
Rodriguez smiled. "Cool! We're packing heat for this so come over at around nine."
Night fell quickly over the city of Detroit. Carlos paid a visit to the head of his gang once again. The gangsters armed themselves with a submachine gun and concealed it under his coat. "Okay let's roll. I wanna cap some Hastings Street punks!"
Unlike normal, the Diablos didn't use their ubiquitous low riders. One of their posse had stolen a black minivan just for this occasion. This was to prevent the rival gang from being alerted to their plan until it was too late. The Diablos boarded the vehicle and sped through the city to the Black neighbourhood near Hastings Street. The Diablos kept tinted windows up at all times to prevent people from identifying them. The occupants spotted a group of six hooded Black youths gathered in front of a convenience store. An unassuming Black boy walked over to talk to what appeared to be his brother, one of the Hastings Street gangsters.
The Diablos lowered their windows as the van glided to a stop beside the Hastings Street gangsters. The windows came down and the bullets started to fly. "BANG! BANG!" rang the Diablos' gunshots.
Within seconds, the Diablos felled two of the Black gangsters with their shots. During the commotion, the boy was caught in the crossfire and hit by accident. The others dove for cover and returned fire. "LEROY!" came the older brother's cry of anguish.
The van's tires screeched as the driver slammed on the accelerator. Gunshots rang through the air as the Hastings Street gangsters continued to pelt the van in retaliation. The bullets ricocheted off the van's chassis, causing sparks to fly and leaving small holes. Within seconds, the van was out of range. It made a hard left turn and disappeared into the concrete jungle of the city. Those that survived were left to pick up after the lives shattered by this vicious assault.
"Leroy, you're gonna be fine. The doctors will take care of you," said the older brother as he cradled his bloodied brother in his arms.
Back at the Warriors' hotel, Shinya had invited his new companion, Amata, to lunch. The two ate a meal of spaghetti together in the hotel's restaurant. "This is a very nice place," commented Amata.
"Yeah, my parents picked a great place to stay," agreed Shinya.
"You're so lucky! You get to travel around the world," admitted Amata. "The closest I've ever came was hearing stories about other places from our customers. You're the first person I've ever known who's from Japan. Are all the boys there as cute as you?"
Shinya chuckled and blushed out of embarrassment. From a distant table, May and Max secretly watched the two lovebirds become acquainted with each other. "Oooh, Shinya has found himself a little girlfriend!" exclaimed May. "I always knew that deep down, he was a lover boy."
"You know sis, you were like that when you had that crush on that boy in the second grade," insinuated Max.
"Shut up, Max..." May was annoyed then came up with a brilliant, witty comeback. "You're just jealous that Shinya has found a girlfriend and you haven't."
Apparently, May seemed to have hit a nerve. "Am not!" retorted Max.
"Are too!" shot May in return. They repeated this tirade until May slyly upped the ante. "If you aren't jealous, then why are you sitting here with your sister watching them, hmm?"
"I only came here to eat lunch with you. You're the one who wanted to watch them!" exclaimed Max.
"You're free to leave whenever you want..." offered May.
Shinya and Amata finished their meal and passed by May and Max on their way out. Max chuckled. "Looks like they're the ones leaving!" observed Max.
May caught a glimpse of Shinya as he stepped out of the restaurant. She was quite irate. "Nice going Max! I just missed the good stuff because of you!"
"Oh brother..." sighed Max.
Youkomon the maid spread word that they would begin their attack on Daemon's fortress within a week. The Digimon forces planned for their attack to use underground tunnels and the sewer system to advance on the fortress in secret. For Shinya, this meeting marked that the end of his stay in Detroit was near. Once Daemon was eliminated, he would move on to fight the remaining Demon Lords. It was rare for Shinya to feel sad, but that was exactly how he felt. He had begun to grow fond of Amata and didn't know how to break the news to her.
Eventually, Shinya decided to call his sweetheart over to the hotel. The two met outside just before evening came. "Hi Shinya!" greeted Amata cheerfully.
"Amata, I don't know how to say this..."
"What?" she asked.
Shinya sighed. "Something's come up. My parents have to end their vacation early and return home to Japan."
"Shinya..." whispered Amata.
"I enjoyed being with you. I don't want to go, but I have no choice," lamented Shinya.
"Oh Shinya, no matter where we are, we'll always be together," said Amata to cheer her sweetheart up. "We can keep in touch through email. You have a computer, right?"
"Yeah, but it's not the same," replied Shinya. "I like to be with you in person instead of through a machine. Long distance relationships don't work out."
"We can make it work. It doesn't matter whether we meet in person or through a computer. You are still you and I am me. That's all that counts," stated Amata.
Shinya smiled softly as Amata gave him a hug his sweetheart. "You know how to make me feel better."
Amata broke the hug as noticed the setting sun. "It's getting late. Mama will kill me if I don't go home soon. Email me when you get the chance Shinya!"
Amata waved as she left Shinya and disappeared around the corner of the block. Misty came over and struck up a conversation. "Oh hi Shinya, Amata just left, right?"
"Yeah," replied Shinya. "Today may be the last time I ever see her again. Once we beat Daemon, we're leaving to fight the other Demon Lords."
"You feel sad that you have to go, right? I know how you feel," said Misty.
"It's Ash isn't it?" asked Shinya.
"Yeah, it hurts to think of what they're doing to him," replied Misty. "Sometimes I see him being hurt by the Demon Lords and he is calling for me but no one comes."
Somewhere nearby, the two Warriors heard the screeching from a car jolting into motion. Several gunshots rang through the air, prompting the two to go investigate. The same car sped away right in front of the eyes of the two Warriors. Misty was shocked by what see saw at the scene of the crime. "Oh my God!" she uttered.
Shinya came just moments afterwards and was aghast. "AMATA!" he cried as he rushed to check on his girl. "No!" The Warrior of Earth was filled with sadness and rage. "Misty, look after her!"
"Shinya, wait!" cried Misty.
Despite her wounds, Amata caught a glimpse of Shinya ducking into an alley and Gigasmon soaring into the air. "Shin... ya..."
"Hold on Amata, help is coming!" commanded Misty.
Gigasmon hopped from building to building in pursuit of Amata's assailants. Within minutes, he closed the gap between him and the car of the gunmen. The Warrior of Earth landed before the car with a thud, startling the driver into jamming on the brakes. Gigasmon held his ground as the vehicle skid sideways into a sudden stop. The terrified occupants opened fire on the Digimon with no effect. As the driver attempted to speed away, Gigasmon lifted the car with a single hand and tore off the axis of the rear tires with the other.
With the car out of commission, the three occupants, a trio of Black youths, ditched their ride and escaped as fast as their feet could carry them. Despite not being the fastest of the Warriors, he was still much faster than an ordinary human. Within seconds, he nabbed two of the gunmen and left them unconscious on the sidewalk near the car wreck. He immediately ran after the third, who fled into the alleyway between houses. Eventually, Gigasmon cornered the gunman in an alley with a dead end. Gigasmon dropped in from above and blocked the sole way out.
Gigasmon advanced on the helpless gangster. "Do you know what you have done? That was my girl you shot! That was the girl I loved with all my heart!" Gigasmon grabbed the man by the shirt and pressed him against the wall.
The gunman was surprisingly smug despite being so close to death. "I shot that fool just like they shot my homeboy's bro. They got what they deserved! Those damn spi..."
Gigasmon slammed the gangster against the wall. "Watch what you say about Amata!"
The gangster chuckled despite the pain inflicted by Gigasmon. "When you're a part of the Families, you stick together, homey! You mess with one of us, you mess with us all. An eye for an eye, a life for a life!" stated the Hastings Street gangster. "Detroit is Hastings Street turf!"
Gigasmon wanted to kill this punk with every fibre of his being. However, upon listening to the gangster's words he realized that it would accomplish nothing. "An eye for eye huh? Everyone will be blind with that kind of an attitude."
"You'll wish you killed me when you had the chance!" stated the gangster, his voice becoming ever more inhuman and garbled by the crackling of fire. The gunman's body began to grow so incredibly hot that his body literally burst into flames. "Detroit is Daemon's turf, fool!"
The heat forced Gigasmon to release the thug. "A Ragefire!"
"Gigasmon!" called a familiar female voice. Gigasmon traced the voice to Ranamon. "A Ragefire?"
"Yeah, he was pretending to be one of the gangsters that shot Amata!" replied Gigasmon.
"Oh ho ho ho, this is sweet, Daemon will be pleased once I eliminate two of the Legendary Warriors!" remarked the Ragefire, moments before advancing on the attack.
"In your dreams!" retorted Ranamon.
The Warrior of Water summoned a cloud which dumped water droplets onto the Ragefire like a machinegun. It halted his advance entirely. The monster groaned in pain as he flailed around to escape the attack. Gigasmon delivered an earth-shaking Tectonic Slam which floored the Ragefire. As his final strike, Gigasmon spun like a top for a Quagmire Twister. After descending on the demon's limp body, he bore a gaping hole through him like a drill. The demon screamed in agony as his fires died down and leaving ash and scorched bones behind.
"That's for Amata!" Gigasmon stated to the Ragefire's remains.
"Amata," began Ranamon. "She's at the nearby hospital. Follow me."
Gigasmon followed his watery counterpart to the hospital and released the power of Earth in a hidden, out of the way location. Shinya and Misty burst into the hospital and found Amata's family, save Carlos, waiting for news in the lounge. "How is she? Is she okay?" asked Shinya.
"We don't know," replied Rosa honestly. "We're still waiting for the doctor to get back to us."
After an agonizing wait of more than three hours, the doctor came in bearing news. "After extensive surgery, we managed to stabilize Amata but..."
"...But what?" asked Eddie.
"We had to amputate her left arm," replied the doctor. "The gunshots damaged her arm beyond repair."
The Rivera family was relieved to know that Amata was alive, but that was marred by her maiming at the hands of gangsters. It was a bittersweet outcome indeed. "Can we see her now?" asked Eddie.
The doctor agreed and personally led the Riveras and their friends to Amata's room. She was not the cheery girl that everyone knew. Beside her bed was a rack with a packet of interferon. Tubes ran into her body to feed it with the anti-viral concoction. She was heavily bandaged, especially on her left side, where the majority of the bullets hit. All that remained of her left arm was a bandaged stub. Rosa rushed up to her daughter to hug her. She was just glad that Amata survived the attack by the gang. Eddie put a card up on the stand beside her which Misty and Shinya signed.
"I'm happy to see you mama, where's Carlos?" asked Amata.
"He said he'll visit you later. Sometimes I don't know what he is. He should be here visiting his sister instead of going out with his friends," complained Eddie.
Rosa took the time to inquire about further specifics on her daughter's condition. "Amata will recover in due time," reported the doctor. "We've removed the bullets from her body. Tomorrow, we'll outfit her with a prosthetic arm. She's a strong girl. She'll be up and out of here in no time."
At that moment, a pair of police officers entered the room. "Mr. and Mrs. Rivera I presume?" he asked.
"That's us. What's going on?" Eddie wondered.
The police officers showed their identification and introduced themselves. "We are looking for your son, Carlos Rivera. We need to question him about his involvement in a gang-related incident two days ago," asked the head officer.
The Riveras were shocked. "Carlos? He wouldn't hurt anyone! He may not get along with his old man, but he's not a murderer!" stated Eddie.
"The Hispanic community identified one of the shooters as your son when they viewed a video of the crime," informed the officer.
"Oh God!" exclaimed Rosa, upon realizing Carlos' connection to Amata's shooting.
"Do you know where he is?" asked the officer.
"We don't know where he is. All he told us is that he's going to hang out with some friends," replied Eddie.
"I see. Thank you for your time." The officers left the Rivera family to their devices.
"I can't believe it. Carlos has been lying to us all this time..." said Eddie. "Now he's wanted by the police."
"Amata, we have to go home now. We'll be back tomorrow afternoon," said Rosa.
"Bye bye mama!" said Amata. As Shinya followed her parents out, Amata interrupted. "Shinya, wait! Can I talk to you?"
"Sure, what it is it?" asked Shinya.
"Shinya, you're not here on vacation are you?" asked Amata. "I saw that Digimon jump out of the alley after you went in. That was you wasn't it?"
Amata's discovery put Shinya on the spot. At this point, Amata's suspicions made it impossible to lie to her. He had no other alternative but to tell her the truth. "Yeah, that Digimon was me."
"I knew it..." said Amata to herself. "Who are you Shinya? Why are you here?"
"I am a Legendary Warrior. I'm here to fight an evil demon," replied Shinya, who proceeded to narrate his adventures as the Warrior of Earth. "One of the people who shot you was a demon in disguise. I came here to get rid of them and the head demon. If me and my friends don't stop him, many people will end up just like you, or worse."
Despite the seemingly great absurdness of his story, Amata was willing to believe anything at this point. "So you're some superhero out to save us?"
Shinya chuckled. "Yeah, something like that. I had to keep this a secret from everyone. I didn't want to lie to you but I couldn't risk letting the bad guys find out about our plans."
"I see," replied Amata simply. "Now I know why you're so brave. That's what I love about you, Shinya. You're going to keep fighting?"
"Yeah, I'll keep fighting until every last one of them is dead," replied Shinya. "Now, I'm not just fighting for the world. I'm fighting for someone I care about."
Amata was filled with joy as she held Shinya's hand. "Good luck, Shinya. Get those bad guys good for me!"
The day of the final battle with Daemon came in the blink of an eye. Digimon assault forces descended on Daemon's fortress from portals to the Rose Morning Star. From the sky, serpentine dragons rained destruction on the ground with whirling, tornado-like blasts of wind. These bombers, the Air Dramon, followed their swift, vicious assault with a rain of needles. The Ragefires below were battered into the ground by the wind as the needles skewered them to death. After the Airdramon finished their first strike, the ground forces moved in to mop up the survivors.
With Amata's words to motivate him, Shinya charged into battle as the massive Diamon. The Warrior of Earth came face to face with a pair of Ragefires bent on stopping him. The first of these hate-filled Sinners exhaled roaring flames which could melt even the toughest steel. To the gemstone giant, the flames merely felt pleasantly warm to the touch. He aimed his hand and pelted them with a relentless Jewel Vulcan assault. His bullets tore chips of bone off the Ragefires as they shredded them into shattered bones and ash.
Demi Wisemon isolated another Ragefire from the pack. He hoisted the flaming Sinner into the air with psychic energy and threw him into his comrades like a sack of garbage. The Ragefires were furious once they recovered. They rushed the Warrior of Metal, who responded by giving them the Evil Eye beam. The lead Ragefire was shot backwards by the sheer force of the attack and crashed into the side of Daemon's fortress. As two other Ragefires charged at him, he telekinetically lifted them and tossed them into their friend.
Youkomon materialized by the Warriors. "Go on ahead and take care of Daemon. We can take care of the Ragefires for you!"
The Warriors followed Youkomon's orders to storm the fortress. As they advanced, the Ragefires formed a line to bar their path to the goal. They were promptly beset by Greymon and Tyrannomon who pounced on the Sinners and slugged it out in brawls on the ground. The dinosaur Digimon had opened a path for the Warriors, who took advantage of the lapse in the enemy defensive line. It was smooth sailing all the way from the main battle to Daemon's front door. Diamon smashed the massive iron doors open for his team to enter.
The Warriors came face to face with Daemon, who arose from his throne. "Welcome, Warriors. I trust that my servants had greeted you nicely..."
The Warriors were annoyed by their foe's mocking tone. "Daemon, we're here to payback every lie you told to the Digimon, the people, and us!" announced Reichmon.
Daemon smirked and then laughed. "I must admit, you guys were a riot to watch. I nearly split my sides watching you idiots fight each other and all for nothing. Ha ha ha! Correction, it wasn't for nothing. You were fighting for a new order; Lord Lucemon's order! Not even making these pitiful humans fight Digimon and each other was as entertaining as making you Warriors fight each other."
"I'm glad you had such a good time, because it all ends right now," stated Shinya. "I hate you for everything you did. All those Digimon and people that died because of your lies. Most of all I hate you for what your Sinners did to a girl that meant so much to me! You ruined her life and shattered the family that loved her!"
As the Warriors continued their confrontation with Daemon, Amata stirred in her bed in the hospital. Her intuition told her that Shinya was in great danger at the moment. "Shinya?"
Amata arose from her bed and glanced outside of the window. In the distance was Daemon's fortress in all its unholy splendour. Creatures unknown to the little Hispanic girl waged war against the demons in the sky. Shinya had said that he would attack the lair of the demons soon to remove the threat of the head demon for good. She knew that Shinya was there to challenge the Demon Lord for the fate of Detroit and the rest of the world. She felt so helpless trapped in the hospital that she did the only thing she could; pray to God for Shinya's success.
Back at the fortress, Shinya and the Warriors continued their confrontation with Daemon. "Amata is now lying in a hospital bed, scarred for life because of you! I'm not just fighting for the people you lied to, I'm fighting for her. I'm fighting for the girl I love!" stated Shinya.
Shinya's determination, coupled with the power of Amata's prayers, caused a miraculous event to occur. The Kanji of Earth became emblazoned on Shinya's forehead in light that was as brown as the element of Earth itself. Koichi's Spirits of Darkness and Max's Spirits of Metal began to react with glowing light to the flaring of their cousin's power. The effigies of the Human Spirits of Darkness, Metal, Fire, and Thunder appeared on the fingertips of Shinya's right hand. The Beast Spirits of the same elements appeared on his left. At this moment, Daemon was in serious trouble.
"Daemon, the Earth feels as I do. It is time for us to have our vengeance!" said Shinya as he thrust the Spirits together. "Execute, Unified Spirit Evolution!"
The merger of the Human and Beast Spirits of the five elements released massive bands of Fractal Code. The ground of a peaceful, idyllic plains shook with massive force that ruptured chasms into the ground. Boulders of magma coated stone burst into the sky from the depths below and rained onto the world. A great volcano formed at the chasm which continued to rain flaming stones onto the ground. The largest stone smashed into the ground, leaving a massive crater in a booming crash.
From the stone, a massive Digimon was born. It was created from the earth itself; a humanoid being made entirely of stone. The orifices of his body let out the fiery crimson glow of magma that flowed within him like blood. The Digimon had a stern, masculine face and equally masculine, muscular body. In his left hand, he bore a massive stone shield that resembled a miniature, flattened volcano. The Digimon shook the ground with a mighty stomp. He launched stones into the air from his shield, which came to the ground like a shower of meteors.
"Shield Volcamon!"
-Digimon Analyzer
Name: Shield Volcamon
Attribute: Variable, Unified Hybrid, Ground/Rock type
The determination of the Warrior of Earth and the prayers of the girl he loved produced a miracle, the advent of Shield Volcamon. This massive titan shakes the very earth with his footsteps and will deliver the vengeance of the Earth to the enemies of the Digital World.
Special Abilities/Traits:
Tunnelling, inorganic, elemental powers: earth
Mohorovicic Chasm (Ground) - Shield Volcamon can rend the land with a destructive earthquake, opening a fissure to the deepest depths of the planet's core.
Eruption Shield (Rock) - Shield Volcamon's uses his shield as his primary weapon. It can spew rocks from its hole and be thrown like a disc.
Shield Volcamon stomped with force that shook the very ground. Daemon's fortress ruptured as a chasm split open underneath. The other Warriors and Daemon scattered to avoid their dangerous predicament. "Watch what you're doing!" cried Dryamon.
"Sorry," said Shield Volcamon. "Let me take care of Daemon. This one's personal!"
Shield Volcamon hurled his shield like an Olympian competing in the discus throw. The Eruption Shield tagged Daemon squarely between the eyes and knocked him onto the ground. The shield rebounded to its master's hand. "Grrr! You bastard! You'll pay!"
Daemon arose and began to return fire with a barrage of Chaos Flares. The Chaos Flares burst upon striking the Eruption Shield, which Shield Volcamon raised in defence. Daemon suddenly changed tactics and aimed a shot at his opponent's leg. The Warrior of Earth staggered briefly, but long enough to allow an opening which Daemon capitalized on. Daemon aimed a shot at the Warrior's exposed head, which put him flat on his back with a loud, earth-shaking thud. Despite the success of such a clever trick, Shield Volcamon would not be so easily defeated.
Indeed, Daemon knew this fact all too well and decided to turn up the intensity. He gathered and condensed a roaring Evil Inferno into a ball between the palm of his hands. Once the flames reached peak intensity, Daemon unleashed its fury upon the Warrior of Earth. The flames engulfed the massive Shield Volcamon entirely as Daemon laughed at his misfortune. This laughter soon gave way to shock as the Warrior of Earth blew away the flames with a single mighty wave. Despite being a direct hit, Daemon made a fatal oversight; Shield Volcamon was extremely resistant to fire.
The stony giant charged with thunderous footsteps that could crack the earth. He slammed the edge of the Eruption Shield into the enemy, leaving a deep impression in ground with Daemon trapped in it. As a token of "common courtesy," Shield Volcamon thumped the ground with his foot, raising a humongous stalagmite through the impression. It popped Daemon out of the groove and onto the ground. The Demon Lord of Wrath was dazed and confused by such a relentless combination of attacks. With him in this state, it was time to deliver the coup de grace.
Shield Volcamon smashed his foot into the ground and opened a Mohorovicic Chasm. Before Daemon fell in, he flew into the air to avoid his fate. The Demon Lord fired dozens of Chaos Flares in response, forcing the Warrior of Earth onto the defensive. Shield Volcamon raised his shield to whether this massive onslaught. He fired stones as he blocked, using them to intercept the bursts of energy. Gradually, the Warrior of Earth pushed out of his defensive posture and began to gain ground on Daemon. Inch by inch, the colliding stones and energy began to move closer to Daemon. He turned up the intensity, as did the Warrior of Earth.
The strain was evident on the faces of both fighters. The face of Amata flashed by in Shield Volcamon's mind, giving him the strength to end the stalemate and overpower Daemon. The stones slammed into the Demon Lord, knocking him out of the sky and into the chasm. A surge of zealous filled Shield Volcamon as he sensed the tide turning in his favour. As Daemon fell in, Shield Volcamon immediately slammed it shut, crushing Daemon between walls of stone. Through a mere crack in the ground, a stream of Fractal Code rose into the air and vanished into nothingness.
"It is over," concluded Shield Volcamon.
The Warriors were shocked as a ghostly apparition appeared over the grave of Daemon. "Seraphimon!"
"Yes it is I, Legendary Warriors," replied the apparition. "The Demon Lords kidnapped me and corrupted me into Daemon with their foul magic. I watched as the Lord of Wrath committed numerous crimes and atrocities in my name as my spirit remained imprisoned within his body. By destroying him, you have freed me. Thank you, Warriors."
"Seraphimon, do you know where Ophanimon is?" asked Reichmon.
"She has suffered the same fate as mine," replied Seraphimon. "I am ashamed to have watched as Daemon corrupted her in the same way the others corrupted me. Her spirit is trapped in the nightmare that is Lilithmon's existence. Please Warriors, free her from her tortured existence just as you have me. The worlds are depending on you. Farewell, my Warriors." Seraphimon's apparition vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
With the death of Daemon, the Ragefire forces lost the one thing that held them together. Their forces, now disorganized and demoralized, fell to that of the Digimon. Shinya returned to the hospital to check up on Amata and announce his victory. The young Warrior glanced at the gift for his girl, a bouquet of lilacs. "Hi Amata, I'm back. I've taken care of the demon," he announced.
"That's great!" cheered Amata. "I knew you could do it!"
"Yeah," said Shinya. "Now that he's gone, I have to leave. I just couldn't go without paying you a visit. Here, these are a gift."
Shinya placed his bouquet into a water-filled pitcher beside Amata's bed. "Thank you, it's beautiful," complimented Amata.
Shinya smiled. "Your welcome. Wish me luck! Get well soon!" Shinya embraced his girl in a tender hug before leaving to continue the struggle against the Demon Lords.