Rika: Hm…
Kari: Um… Are you okay? Lately, you've been looking really suspicious and your eyes keep darting everywhere.
Kouji: *Getting out his D-Tector* Is it an enemy Digimon?!
Marcus: *Punching his palm* Or a demon?!
Rika: Worse… I'm looking out for out-of-franchise character inserts. First, it was Souma Haruto from Kamen Rider Wizard and then Oren Pierre Alfonso from Kamen Rider Gaim. I have no doubt that the next one will be from Drive, the season that follows.
Ken: Don't you think you might be a little paranoid?
Dorulumon: Moving past that, we actually have some questions to answer. Well, no, not really. Rather, they're just common threads we noticed. For example, a few people seemed confused as to why the previous chapter's new Megas were… well, who they were.
Palmon: You mean why I was Lotosmon and not Rosemon like in Tri?
Lalamon: Wasn't it to prevent doubles?
Kouichi: I believe Zero said that there was a reason for why he chose the Mega forms that he did. For now, I think we should trust on his decisions. After all, this is his story.
Takato: Hm… There was another question about whether or not there'd be LGBT couples in this story. Well, all Zero said was that there'd be hints of every pairing so…
OBJECTION!
Miles Edgeworth: Tsk, tsk, tsk. *Wagging his finger near his forehead* Zero, himself actually admitted earlier today that every pairing can be interpreted as friendship and that had been his actual intention whenever he "dropped hints." Therefore, none of those "hints" are hints at all!
Joe: What the—?!
Gomamon: Is this a courtroom?!
Rika: I knew it!
Renamon: But surprisingly, they're not from Drive.
HOLD IT!
Phoenix Wright: I admit that my client never intended any of those pairings to be solid but… *Slams hands onto the table before pointing dramatically* But just seeing two characters exist near each other will cause crazed shipping fans to say that they're "hints" of their ship setting sail!
OBJECTION!
Miles Edgeworth: *Smirks, shrugs, and shakes his head condescendingly* Still grasping at straws I see. You see, this is not a visual media platform, the audience can't see anything. In writing, especially when you make it specific, makes it difficult to be open to interpretation. Ergo, what Zero intended in his writing is impertinent for the fans to understand the "hints!"
Phoenix Wright: *Sweats nervously* Urk! (He's right. Even now, we're just going off the assumption that everyone knows Ace Attorney and therefore, who we are… So everyone's individual habitus will determine the ships regardless. Zero… How am I supposed to defend you when you're actually guilty of not dropping hints of ships?)
Yoshino: Was this really necessary?
Zero Unit: To be verbally crucified for an insignificant and irrelevant miscommunication? If it's by these two… yes.
Rika: Can we please get on with the chapter?
-X-
January 21: Odaiba — 1:53 PM
A way to completely obliterate VenomMyotismon so that he wouldn't be able to regenerate. That was easier said than done. If he could repair himself from just the tiniest speck of data, then it wouldn't even matter how small they chopped him up. Over time, he would just come back to haunt them.
"You're making that face again," Izzy pointed out.
The other redhead blinked and realized that she had almost missed the moment of impact, when Plesiomon butted his head into VenomMyotismon's stomach. "What face?"
"The one that's a cross between Rodin's The Thinker and constipation," Izzy answered bluntly.
Sora stared back at the younger Chosen Child deadpan. While the teenage boy may have become more aware of people's emotions, he still lacked the tact to broach the subject properly. But then again, she would expect nothing less from him. "It's not like me," she answered. "But lately… I've been kind of pessimistic."
"Perhaps you and Joe switched personalities at some point."
"Did you just make a joke in the middle of battle?"
Izzy simply shrugged in response. Truth be told, they were the only ones not contributing in the fight at the moment. All they did was rescue civilians which is no doubt, an important job. But as they found themselves at the mercy of VenomMyotismon alone, it was hard not to think, "How can we beat the Demon Lords?"
But perhaps Joe was proof that they at least stood a chance. After all, the boy who didn't know how to swim, who fainted at the sight of blood, who felt sick on any moving vehicle was able to break past his limits. However, it was still too early to say whether or not it would be enough.
"Just because I'm stronger doesn't mean I shouldn't be the pessimistic one."
Sora and Izzy looked at the edge of the building and noticed Joe trying to pull himself up. The pair quickly went over to help him over, forgetting that while they were undergoing intensive physical training, Joe was still lagging behind the rest.
"What do you mean?" asked Sora.
"Sora, you're the glue to our team," Joe explained. "You keep us grounded when we try to break away from each other. Like that time at Infinity Mountain's base. I tried to be the mature adult… but it was you who stopped the fighting. And let's not forget the time you helped all of us when we actually did separate."
"Well…"
"And Izzy," said Joe, turning to the younger boy. "You're our strategist and intel. Without you, there'd be so many scraps where'd we lose somebody. And whenever a situation would look really hopeless, you'd find some way of turning it around. So don't either of you act like you're more useless than I am."
Sora let out a heavy sigh, like she had just finished a long session of tennis practice, before giggling. "Now you sound like the old Joe."
"Mm," Izzy nodded, a smile playing on his lips. "It's nice to be uplifted but at the same time, you don't have to bring yourself down while you're at it."
"But you are right," said Sora. "Which is why Izzy and I will get stronger. But for now… we're going to ride your's, Tai's, and Matt's coattails for just a while longer."
Joe hadn't meant to make them laugh but it was good to see them smiling again. "Yeah, just count on me for this one!"
When Plesiomon materialized into existence, their chances still didn't look good. After all, even if he forced VenonMyotismon to pause using his sad serenade, it would only be temporary as his lungs had to give out at some point. Furthermore, there wasn't an attack strong or wide enough that could obliterate their massive enemy in a single shot. So their best bet was to attack fast enough to keep him from regenerating.
"Tyrant Claw!"
"Not this time!" Olegmon shouted.
The pirate blocked the blow with his tomahawks before Omnimon flew in to slice off the hand. Pivoting quickly, he smashed his heel into VenomMyotismon's abdomen, the impact in perfect sync with Plesiomon's headbutt. But without pausing, Splashmon quickly washed over their opponent, soaking him from head to toe. This was their chance!
"Supreme Cannon!"
In an instant, VenomMyotismon was frozen solid, completely immobile. The disembodied arm was already trying to reattach itself to the block.
"Let's shatter him!" Plesiomon roared. "Shaking Pulse!"
From the water that the dinosaur floated upon, a hand appeared out of it as water gushed out from the fingertips. "Hydro Pressure!"
Together, they broke the ice sculpture into hundreds of shards, each one already trying to reach for others with creepy, black tendrils. But Olegmon cut them apart once more, making sure that they had no time to come back together. That included the arm.
Olegmon turned to the Royal Knight. "They're all yours!"
The gargantuan warrior inhaled deeply, letting his chest rise before releasing it at its apex. "Omni Howling!" With a roar that seemed to shake the Earth to its core, the remaining, visible body parts seemed to explode in a burst of data one by one.
"Gah, I hate that attack," Tai groaned.
"But it seems to have worked," said Matt.
"The hand!" Akari shouted. "The hand's still there!"
Tendrils were already forming and twisting, becoming the wrist and the forearm. The four Digimon immediately sprang into action. But just as they got off the ground, the hand splayed out and blasts of dark energy hit them each square in the chest. Omnimon was the only one who could handle the impact without becoming disoriented but it did slow him down a moment.
However, that momentary lapse was VenomMyotismon's saving grace. On impulse, Omnimon went to his go-to move. "Transcendent Sword!"
The flying limb covered itself in thick black energy, almost like armor. It grabbed onto the blade which hissed like water hitting a hot pan but otherwise did no damage. Using the momentum from the weapon's arc, the arm went flying towards the Chosen Children. And at that point, part of the shoulder was already coming into back.
"Eek!" Joe shrieked.
Sora tried to pull him out of the way. "It's coming right for us!"
The arm never reached them though. They all saw the claw splay out once more, prepared to fire dark shots at them but it never hit them. Instead, the sound of electricity crackled over their heads and a firework going off right afterwards is what made them realize that the last of their enemy had been destroyed.
"Nice job, AtlurBallistamon," Zenjirou sighed.
"You're pretty fast with your X-Loader," Tai noted. "First, you were able to fuse him with Olegmon at the last second; and this time, you switched them out."
"We're not in the clear yet," said Matt, keeping them from celebrating too soon.
"Matt's right," Izzy agreed. "A finger might've dropped somewhere and from what we could tell with the arm, it's highly probable that VenomMyotismon can regenerate just from that. We should examine every part of the street and building to make sure that we've completely defeat—."
Everyone fell, either onto one knee or onto their face or back. The entire building they stood upon started leaning to one side like an Italian tourist attraction. Before long, the entire structure had tilted sideways so much to the point where everybody rolled off. They all screamed during the fall but were saved by the Digimon waiting down below.
"That fiend," Omnimon huffed, holding his two partners, Sora, and AtlurBallistamon in his hands. "He used the remainder of his strength to level the building."
"He must've used the following confusion to make an escape," Izzy muttered from Plesiomon's back. "Either that or he buried himself on purpose to make it harder to find him."
Joe patted around the fur on his partner, hoping to find his glasses which had fallen off of him earlier. "What do we do? It'll take some time for us to find him in this rubble. And if he really did escape, then we'll just be wasting our time."
Everyone was silent for a bit, each of them sure of what the others were thinking. Even if it amounted to nothing, they had to search every nook and cranny. If the beast returned because they just left the scene without doing anything, it would be their fault.
"It's okay," said Tai, getting their attention. "If we don't find something, then it simply proves that we're strong enough to scare even VenomMyotismon away. And next time, I'm sure, we'll be even stronger than we were today."
They had to concur with the brunet. So rolling up their sleeves, they got to work. The Digimon kept watch and prepared to fight in case someone did find something.
January 21: Minato — 1:23 PM
MaloMyotismon had left quite a mark on those who had seen him on television. Remembering him as the monster who betrayed his own minions and giving them what he called a reward, death. But seeing him stand before them was a whole other feeling. The pressure he exuded was intense, the chills were freezing, and the fear was immeasurable.
"Pandamonium!"
Thomas felt a chill run down his spine as he remembered the fact that Barbamon had an attack by the same name. However, while the Demon Lord had used it to decimate a large percentage of a Tokyo district, MaloMyotismon expelled a red gas from the maws on his shoulders. It enveloped the area and suddenly no one could see more than a mere centimeter in front of them.
"Damn it!" Marcus coughed. "What's—gah!" He felt a fist impact his cheek. "Son of a—! Everyone! The Voidlings are still around!"
They didn't need to be told twice. But no one could tell which direction anything was. They couldn't even trust in their hearing. What sounded like it came from the right was actually behind them. And what was in front was actually to their left.
"What's going on?" Airu wheezed. A gunshot rang out and she felt something hit her shoulder, causing her to fall forward, onto her face. "Cho-Hakkaimon?! Ryouma?! Anyone?!"
Another Voidling flew over her head as someone came to her side, wrapping their arms around her. The blonde looked up and saw that it was Yoshino who was protecting her. Even through this dense fog, the policewoman was trying to do her job to protect people.
"Let's try and get out of here," Yoshino huffed. "If we move straight ahead, we should be into open air. Just stay close… I'll protect you."
"But how did you find me?"
"Memory," she replied. "Even if we can't trust our senses anymore, I can still find you if I remember where you stood before Pandamonium. Let's go."
Digimon that were still close to their partners attempted to stay that way in order to protect them from the Voidlings. Unfortunately, when they tried to attack without their partner's DigiSoul's infused into them, they just harmlessly passed through the creatures. The humans, aside from the members of the Data Squad, weren't skilled enough to do so properly so they were trying to do the best they could with their own fists and makeshift weapons.
"Tch, where are Tagiru and Gumdramon?" Ryouma grumbled.
"I think Tagiru's parents took them to Kyushu to visit some relatives," Ren coughed. "Supposedly, his grandparents were terrified about everything going on here so…"
They had more pressing matters to attend to though. There were only two Digimon that focused on MaloMyotismon himself, trusting the others to defend the humans. And they were ShineGreymon and Golden Armor Astamon.
"Let's try and get him out of the city," Astamon called out. "Is there a campground or anything nearby?"
"In Minato?" ShineGreymon huffed. "The only place that's out of the way of any of these buildings would be…"
Thomas had already made his way out of the fog and quickly pointed the two Digimon in a direction away from the mass of Voidlings. "There's an abandoned amusement park a few streets west! The commander said that they've already sent backup there. Leave this to us and you guys handle him! Marcus and Ryouma will join you afterwards!" By the time his commands were spoken, the fog had expanded and swallowed him whole again.
"Alright," the dragon nodded before pointing his flame sword at MaloMyotismon. "Torrid White!" A series of blazing shots fired out and while they weren't enough to do much damage to the undead beast, it did get his attention.
"Hey big guy! Over here!" Astamon called out.
In a golden flash, he passed by the creature's eyes at least three times before zipping off towards the amusement park. ShineGreymon had taken this lapse in nothingness to hide his presence behind some buildings. This left MaloMyotismon with few targets besides the gun-wielding bug to follow which he did. The dragon was following close behind as both behemoths flew over the pavement and shot past corners before finding themselves in a theme park where all the rides were covered in tarps.
Astamon slowed down near an out-of-order vending machine and turned himself upside down in midair before pointing his firearms at the enemy. "Homing Hellfire!"
MaloMyotismon attempted to dodge the flurry of bullets but they followed him as he weaved around the carousel and the run-down roller coaster. He screeched to a halt when ShineGreymon appeared before him and felt the lasers hit him in the back. Biting back the yell he would've emitted, the dragon took the opening that was given to him.
"Final Shining Burst!"
In an explosion so bright, it put the sun to shame, the demon was ripped apart. But before either Digimon could so much as revel in their victory, they saw tendrils whip out from the two halves and re-attach themselves to each other. Unlike the other giant in Odaiba, this one was able to repair himself much faster.
"Regeneration?" Astamon scoffed. "A cheap trick."
"Doesn't matter the price," ShineGreymon huffed. "It's still one that's going to be a bother for us and a benefit to him. But at least we know we need to put more power into our attacks if we're going to blow this guy away."
"More power?" MaloMyotismon chuckled. "Do you really think you can muster enough to defeat me? Let me show you just how far out of your league you are. Black Rain!"
A dark ball was shot into the sky before exploding, forming a disc-like cloud above their heads, and hailing black energy pellets. The two shining Digimon attempted to take cover. ShineGreymon used his sword and shield to defend himself from as much of the flurry as he could but while he was distracted MaloMyotismon flew towards his back, swiping him across from his shoulder down to his waist.
Three black lines ran across ShineGreymon's body, threatening to disassemble him byte by byte. But the dragon resisted deletion before noticing a dark form pass before his eyes.
"Astamon!" he grunted. "Look out!"
The humanoid Digimon was zipping through the falling meteors before coming to a sudden stop. His arms and legs flew forward but his stomach stayed in the same spot thanks to a claw piercing through it. Attached to it was a dark, sadistic laugh.
"Well, would you look at that?" MaloMyotismon grinned. "I don't even have to do anything to defeat you. You just come running towards your destruction."
"...Bastard," Astamon grumbled. He raised his gun swords and opened fire on the enemy but they seemed to bounce harmlessly off of him.
"Was that all?" MaloMyotismon laughed. He closed a claw over Astamon's head before dunking it downwards, creating a crater in his place. "I must admit, I am severely disappointed in your collective strength. I had been hoping to have a little more fun but if this is the limit… then I suppose playtime is over."
"Tch, where is that backup of ours?" ShineGreymon snarled.
Almost as soon as those words escaped his mouth, a luminescent arrow flew over his head and struck MaloMyotismon in the chest. The projectile sunk into his body and with a single flash, he was frozen solid from head to toe. The other two Digimon spun their heads around to see Kentaurosmon's six hooves landing with a thud.
"Sorry we're late," said Sampson, dismounting. "I couldn't convince them not to come with me."
"Convince who?" ShineGreymon asked before noticing four human teenagers also leaping off of the Royal Knight's back.
"It's too dangerous for you lot to be here," said Astamon before directing his anger towards Sampson. "Why didn't you stop them?"
"Actually, we're here to fight," Katsuharu smirked.
Teruo's jaw dropped at the sight of MaloMyotismon and he swallowed nervously. "Maybe we should've picked a weaker opponent for our debut."
"Aw come on," Chiaki giggled. "You aren't chickening out, are you… sapling?"
"Wha—Who told you that?!"
"No time for jokes," Katsuharu told them. There was a pause as he looked over at his best friend. "Teppei… I'm sorry but…"
Teppei looked up, adjusting his glasses which had slipped down the bridge of his nose. With a small smile, he said, "I should find a safe place, right? Don't worry, I'm not going to act like a brat just because I couldn't get a stubborn dwarf to listen to me. You guys… good luck." He took off for cover near what used to be the entrance to the park.
Katsuharu took a deep breath before glancing at the other two. "Ready?"
"Takuya and the others entrusted this job to us," said Teruo. "I don't want them to return and knowing we failed."
"So we're as ready as we'll ever be," said Chiaki.
The trio raised their left hands and a bright data ring burst around them. It already felt overwhelming to have the energy swirling around so close to them, it was hard to imagine what it would be like to have their whole body encased in it. But MaloMyotismon wouldn't stay in his subzero prison forever. So with deep breaths, they connected the rings with their new D-Tectors.
"Execute… Spirit Evolution!"
Katsuharu felt armor closing around on his bare skin, bright silver with golden etchings running down his limbs. On his wrists came equipped two circular, reflective shields, identical to the ones that Mercurymon used. Something different was his face though. It was no longer a mirror but more a medieval knight's helmet closed around his eyes but not his nose or mouth. Yet somehow, everything was still visibly clear to him. To complete the evolution a sword appeared on his waist. This new form, it was...
"...Paladinmon!"
The symbol for the Legendary Warrior of Steel was emblazoned onto his chestplate.
Digital Analyzer: A noble and knightly Digimon, Paladinmon is the reincarnation of the Legendary Warrior of Steel. He uses his reflective shields in order to protect those important to him while the blade Prime Excalibur is used to cut down evil. Despite his capabilities, he is best suited as the strategist among the ten Warriors.
As for Teruo, it felt like his feet had sprouted roots and the follicles on his head extended until they were at his waist. His face grew longer and hardened until it felt like solid oak while the rest of his body grew as well. It was almost like he had become a reverse centaur, the body of a human and the head of a horse. Well, actually, he had the legs of a dryad.
"...Shinrinmon!"
The symbol for the Legendary Warrior of Wood was carved onto his hexagonal belt buckle.
Digital Analyzer: Known as the guardian of the Digital World forests, Shinrinmon is the reincarnation of the Legendary Warrior of Wood. He is a pacifist unless he or the nature he preserves is threatened, in which case he will use every weapon in his arsenal to fight. And using only plant life, he has the ability to forge any weapon he so chooses to utilize in battle.
Chiaki felt a veil get draped over her mouth as her eyes changed shape and color, becoming something almost fairy-like. A long, skirt that vaguely resembled a fish tail fell around her legs with long slits going up to the thighs to reveal her legs which were covered in translucent, turquoise scales. They also ran up her body as her fingers and feet became webbed. And to complete the look, a seashell bra and a coral tiara pulling back her long hair.
"...Ningyomon!"
The symbol for the Legendary Warrior of Water was tattooed on her stomach, right beside her belly button.
Digital Analyzer: The cool beauty of the sea, Ningyomon is the reincarnation of the Legendary Warrior of Water. Unlike most aquatic Digimon that can swim through the air, this Warrior has the ability to create water from thin air. She uses it to mobilize herself through the battlefield or simply for travel over land. They say her looks are enough to bring a smile on anyone's face.
"Three more won't make any difference!" MaloMyotismon cackled. As if to prove his point, he broke free from the ice and backhanded the three Digimon closest to him. After that, he fired a dark ball of energy from all three of his mouths, each for a different Warrior.
Paladinmon raised his left shield. "Heavenly Reflection!" The ball of energy entered the mirror and left from the right shield, exploding against the energy ball coming for Shinrinmon.
Ningyomon was able to avoid the blast by creating a stream of water from her palm and then jumping into it. By keeping her legs together, her skirt changed into an actual mermaid's tail and she swam through the stream as if she was in a river except she had total control of where she wanted to go so it was like she was flying through the air. The ball of energy harmlessly passed her by.
Shinrinmon used the confusion to gallop towards the enemy at top speed. His palm splayed out and faced the ground where a spear made entirely of wood appeared. He grabbed it and stabbed MaloMyotismon in the gut before kicking off the undead's thigh.
"A spear?! Is that all you got?" MaloMyotismon roared.
While still in the air, the Warrior smirked as he pointed his palm at the enemy. "Spiking Growth!"
The weapon inside the vampire pulsed before branches pushed their way out of him from various parts of the body. It was like he was being stabbed from the inside out. And he couldn't pull out the weapon now that it had grown roots inside of him. Speaking of which, he found himself stuck to the ground.
"What?!"
"Nice one," ShineGreymon admitted before putting his hands together. "Final Shining Burst!"
"Can't leave me out of this one," Astamon grinned, pointing his pistols at their foe. "Homing Hellfire!"
An ugly smile stretched out onto MaloMyotismon's face. Firing more dark shots from his mouth, he was able to counter their attacks which ended up shrouding him in smoke. They were still able to watch as his silhouette grabbed onto one of the branches sticking out of his stomach and yanked the tree out of his body. The sound of skin tearing and flesh ripping echoed in their ears as he finally got it out.
"This guy really is a monster," ShineGreymon grimaced.
MaloMyotismon threw the wilted tree like a lasso around Shinrinmon's throat and pulled him closer, strangling him with his own weapon and cackling like a madman. The Warrior's horse head was starting to change color from the lack of air but he was broken free thanks to Paladinmon slashing through the branch with his sword. Having rescued his comrade, he immediately got out of the way as a dark rain cloud started forming overhead.
"Draining Rain!"
The undead Digimon felt his energy leaving him as the rain fell around him. Once he was completely soaked through, Kentaurosmon exhaled a subzero breath, freezing their enemy solid. Low on energy and immobilized made him a much easier target to hit.
"Let's try this again," ShineGreymon huffed. "But first…" The dragon flew over to the decrepit roller coaster and pulled it off of its hinges. Using the tracks like a rope, he tied up the frozen statue before tossing the rest of the infrastructure into the air. "Final Shining Burst!"
MaloMyotismon was struck by a blast of golden flame that thawed him out and burned an entire layer of skin from the front of his body. Before he could launch a counterattack, a ton of metal beams, pipes, and bolts fell on top of him, weighing him down.
"Homing Hellfire!"
"Inferno Frost!"
Their attacks struck the Mega full force, sending up dust and metal shrapnel everywhere, hopefully mostly into the bad guy. The moment the smoke cleared though, they saw MaloMyotismon pushing himself back onto his feet. He was breathing heavily and his wounds looked deep but he was otherwise okay. As a matter of fact, his injuries were already mending themselves.
"Endless regeneration," he huffed. "It means nothing if I can't even delete any of you just once." He laughed darkly before baring his pointed teeth at them. "How dare you. How dare all of you!" The laugh was beginning to sound like a vicious snarl. "You dare to make a fool of me?"
"He's talking as if we've already found a way to beat his regeneration," Shinrinmon noted.
Sampson had noticed that as well. "Could it be that it takes up energy to regenerate? If we keep him occupied long enough for Ryouma to arrive…"
"We can Hunt him and he won't be anymore trouble for us," Astamon realized.
"Sounds like a plan!" Paladinmon called out.
MaloMyotismon suddenly burst out laughing, sending tremors through the ground with each roaring convulsion. It was haunting and head-splitting at the same time. If it was any louder, the water bubble surrounding Ningyomon might pop and the glass shields on Paladinmon's arms might shatter.
ShineGreymon created a ball of flame in his hand and pointed it at their enemy. "What are you laughing at? We finally know how to defeat you!"
"Do you really think so?" MaloMyotismon grinned. "Haven't you wondered why your partners aren't here yet? Even after saying they would be?"
The group glanced at each other, worry showing in each of their eyes. It was true that a lot of time had passed since they left the others. But maybe they had just gotten lost. After all, Marcus and the others only have to deal with some sensory-impairing smoke and easily defeated Voidlings. There shouldn't be a problem.
"He's just trying to mess with our heads," said ShineGreymon. "I say we ignore him."
"Really?" MaloMyotismon laughed. "Tell me, do you know about my hallucinatory powers?"
Most of them frowned in confusion but Paladinmon was struck with a sudden realization. Having rewatched the Digimon series recently to learn more about them, he had seen the finale not too long ago. So the memory of MaloMyotismon sending everyone into happy but cruelly delusional daydreams was still fresh on his mind.
"You distracted them with that?" the Warrior claimed.
"Not quite," the undead Digimon chuckled. "Instead of giving everyone what they want, I decided it would be more appropriate… to have them experience their worst nightmares."
"Their… worst nightmares?"
"Kristy!"
ShineGreymon's breathing slowed down and every part of his body felt heavy. "You…!"
"Psychemon!"
"Ryouma's worst nightmare," Astamon shook. Without warning, he suddenly fired several explosive rounds into MaloMyotismon's skull. "You're lying! Ryouma's lived through it once and he suffered the last two years because of it! How dare you… How dare you!"
The others watched on in shock as ShineGreymon suddenly joined in, sending up a burst of flame. It was as if they were watching a volcanic eruption. Kentaurosmon galloped up to them, attempting to reason with them but they then redirected their assault onto the Royal Knight.
"What did you do to them?!" Paladinmon spun around to the real MaloMyotismon who was cackling to himself near the old food stands. "Did you… You cast an illusion over them!"
"That's why they're fighting each other?" Ningyomon gasped.
Shinrinmon cringed as he watched Kentaurosmon get flung over the remains of the carousel. "But when? And how?"
"No time to think about that!" Paladinmon commanded. "He's coming!"
"Screaming Darkness!"
From the gaping maws on his shoulders came extremely high-temperature beams that ripped through the air. Paladinmon raised both his shields in order to defend himself and his friends but even he was blown back by the sheer force of the attacks. The resulting shockwave sending the other two Warriors tumbling away.
The knight continued until he crashed into ShineGreymon's back. Dizzy from the blast, he attempted to pick himself back up but was hammered back down by the dragon's intertwined fists. Everyone nearby was terrified to hear what sounded like a mirror cracking.
"Katsuharu!" Teppei shouted.
Kentaurosmon threw his arms around ShineGreymon, holding him back and locking the dragon's arms to his sides. "That's your own ally!" The centaur was hit from behind by multiple bullets from Astamon's guns. "Gah! Sampson! This is… too much for me!"
"Hold them for a little longer!" his partner called back. "I'll get Marcus and Ryouma! I'm sure they'll be able to snap them out of it!"
As the man ran off, Shinrinmon created a bow and arrow from the ground. Reeling back, he shot an arrow that changed shape into an entanglement of vines that caught onto MaloMyotismon's ankles. The beast tripped up and landed on his face where Ningyomon could get him.
"Rising Geyser!"
High-pressurized water gushed from the ground underneath MaloMyotismon, shooting him sky high. Then Ningyomon created another raincloud but instead of letting a gentle downpour happen, she made a rushing waterfall to push the enemy downwards at an increasing velocity. Shinrinmon assisted by jamming his hands into the dirt and creating wood spikes where MaloMyotismon would land. And they successfully impaled him.
"Spiking Growth!" "Draining Rain!"
Once more, they binded MaloMyotismon to the spot he stood upon while making him lose his energy. In order to maintain this, they had to hold their pose while expending some of their own power. Their knees were starting to buckle and their eyelids grew heavy as they continued on like this.
"Prime Excalibur!"
Now that his shields were busted, Paladinmon was depending on his sword to deflect Astamon's firearms. But then his opponent revealed that his guns doubled as energy blades and they suddenly got into a sword fight. The inexperienced Legendary Warrior was backed into a corner as he was forced to keep defending while his foe hacked away at him, getting in a few clean hits that would've drawn blood had he not been wearing his heavy armor.
"Odin's Breath!"
ShineGreymon used his flame shield to block the freezing fog which ended up creating steam. Cutting through it with his flame sword, he attempted to burn the Royal Knight alive. But Kentaurosmon blocked it using his crossbow. Then, raising himself onto his back legs, he slammed all four of his front legs into the dragon's chest, sending him into the Ferris wheel and toppling it over.
"I could use a little help here," Paladinmon grunted.
Kentaurosmon spun around and fired a single iridescent arrow into Astamon's stomach, sending him flying in the opposite direction. "I hope Sampson returns soon."
"Takuya and the others seriously fight like this all the time?" Paladinmon coughed. "I can barely keep up!"
"In your defense, they have been fighting for much longer than you."
Shinrinmon abruptly dropped lower to the ground and Ningyomon had her legs once again. They were already starting to reach their limit.
"It must take a lot of energy to control your element like this," MaloMyotismon surmised. "Especially for two greenhorns." Somehow, he was starting to resist against the pressure of the torrent as well as snap free from the vines. "Had you stayed as regular humans and out of this battle… perhaps, you would've lived a little longer."
Teppei couldn't believe this. Not only did the enemy turn their own friends against each other but the Warriors were reaching their limits. It didn't matter if they were to get attacked, they wouldn't be able to hold onto their forms for much longer. When that happens, they'll be done for. That much was certain.
"Grumblemon," he muttered. "Please… My friends are in danger and I need to help them. I need to do something! Don't you care about what happens to the other Warriors?"
Teppei didn't know if the Legendary Warrior of Earth could hear him. Or if he had any connection to Grumblemon at all. But he just felt so helpless in this situation. While being on the sidelines had become a familiar feeling to him, watching the only friends he had been able to talk to about Digimon craziness with being in grave danger was… so different.
MaloMyotismon was practically back up on his legs already. "Is that all you have?"
"He's too strong!" said Ningyomon.
"Marcus!" ShineGreymon roared, bursting out of the rubble. "I'll save you!"
"How dare you!" Astamon bellowed. "To do that to Ryouma!"
Paladinmon swore under his breath. "Is this really all we can do?"
Teppei grinded his teeth and took a step out of his hiding spot just as the sound of someone yelling reached his ears. Turning back, he saw Marcus sprinting across the battlefield, jump off the broken popcorn machine, and punch his own partner in the face. Right behind the older boy was Ryouma who returned Astamon into his X-Loader in exchange for Tactimon.
"Ultimate Tactic!"
With a downward slash that seemed to shake the Earth, MaloMyotismon was instantly cut in half. Behind him, the cobweb-covered fountain crumbled into pebbles. The Hunter frowned as he came to the realization that the Hunt wasn't processing.
"I don't understand," Ryouma shook his head. "Didn't we defeat him?"
MaloMyotismon's two halves immediately started stitching themselves back together. "You won't beat me that easily. You'd have to dissolve me first! Like this! Crimson Mist!"
"Is that all?" Tactimon scoffed. He sliced the air six times, creating a hexagram. "Nothingness Tachi: Six-Realms Samsara!"
A swirling vortex emerged from the six-pointed star and reversed the flow of the acidic fog that had been previously advancing towards them. MaloMyotismon was suddenly engulfed in his own attack, his own skin seeming to melt off of him. He screamed out in terror as he felt bits and pieces of him drip to the ground like wax from a candle.
ShineGreymon had finally snapped out of his stupor thanks to his partner's multiple and hurtful reprimands. So in order to speed up the melting process, he fused his weapons together to created a greatsword and made a wide arcing slash. "Corona Blaze Sword!"
"No wait!" Ryouma called out too late.
MaloMyotismon was roasted alive as parts of him splattered across the fairgrounds. But a second passed and they were already trying to reconnect.
"It doesn't matter if we don't land the final blow!" Tactimon chided. "How can Ryouma Hunt him otherwise?"
"Oi, oi! This is no time for infighting!" Marcus called out.
Paladinmon was awestruck by just how powerful Tactimon was. And now that ShineGreymon was back in control, the Mega was showing enough strength to impress as well. He shouldn't be surprised considering the gap in experience and power level between himself and them but it was still jarring.
"Looks like we made it in time," Sampson huffed before looking over at the new Warriors. "You kids should rest. Leave it to Ryouma and Marcus for now."
It rubbed Paladinmon the wrong way to be referred to as a kid when Ryouma was a year younger than him. But at the same time, it felt warranted. "Yeah… thanks…"
Marcus and Ryouma weren't caught in any sort of illusion but it was something similar. The fog they were trapped in had some sort of quality that kept confusing them. They couldn't depend on any of their senses to find their way out nor were they able to walk in a straight line to get out either. The latter part was proven when Yoshino and Airu tripped over the same piece of rubble for the fifth time in twenty minutes.
Sampson, being an outsider, attempted to locate his comrades first. He had tried calling for them at first but that didn't seem to work. But then an idea struck him as he returned to the mode of transportation that brought him to this location, a helicopter. Turning on the vehicle and using the choppers, he was able to blow away the smoke that had befuddled everyone.
Marcus punched his open palm. "It's time we got some payback."
"Leaving us at the mercy of Voidlings doesn't bode well for your future as my captured prey," Ryouma agreed. "And to help Marcus get his own revenge, Digi-Xros."
Tactimon's sword became coated in crimson flames as a blazing shield appeared in his other hand. His cape was exchanged for flaming wings while his armor took on a scarlet tinge. The Hunter kept in mind that the last time they had fused with a Burst Mode Digimon, the form didn't last very long. But even a few seconds with that kind firepower would be enough to win.
"I won't lose!" MaloMyotismon roared. "Black Rain!"
A black firework darkened the sky and hailed down from above. Everyone covered their heads as they braced for impact but all Tactimon had to do was raise his shield which expanded and protected them from annihilation. With his other hand, he slashed the air ten times to draw a flaming decagram.
"It's over for you," Tactimon stated matter-of-factly. "Burst Tachi: Final Shining Tactic!"
A concentrated burst of fire exploded from the ten-pointed star, destroying everything in its wake. The heat made it hard to breathe while the light made it difficult to see. And no one could hear the dying scream of their enemy over the roar of the blast. Once it was over, they found that there was absolutely nothing left of that half of the amusement park.
"Is it over?" Shinrinmon inquired.
Ryouma felt like throwing his X-Loader across the now empty lot. "Not Hunted?! But how can that be?! He couldn't have survived something like that!"
"He didn't," a voice echoed in their ears.
"Wha—?"
A new creature appeared before them and in his claws was the trembling Myotismon. "Just like how there is a secret to my and Gravimon's regeneration, there is one here. In this case, you would have to destroy all three at the same time."
"You…," the Hunter remembered the Generals talking about an enemy that could regenerate using Lopmon as a healing source. "You're NeoMyotismon!"
Sampson had other, more pressing concerns. "All three at the same time? So you mean, Myotismon and his two evolved forms."
"That is correct," NeoMyotismon chuckled. "And do you know why I'm telling you this?"
Marcus felt his nails digging into his palm, possibly adding new scars. "Because you think it won't make any difference."
"Precisely."
"So for it to count as a defeat and for me to Hunt them, all of them must be defeated at the same time," Ryouma concluded. "Is something like that even possible?" A better question was, would the Demon Lords ever send all three out at the same time again?
"It isn't," NeoMyotismon stated. At this point, Tactimon and ShineGreymon had separated while MaloMyotismon had reformed. He gave them one last chilling smile before fading away with the other two. His last words hanging in the frosty air. "And it never will be."
"So…," Katsuharu huffed. "That was… quite a first fight."
"You'll get used to it," Ryouma stated.
Chiaki fell to her knees, her bangs covering her face. "Get used to this? To putting your life on the line?"
"It's hard…," Marcus admitted. "But we have to… if we want to save the Digital World and ours." He glanced up to see a news chopper flying away, no doubt going to edit the footage to put Digimon in a bad light. "Whether people want us to or not."
-X-
So the secret behind the vampire's immortality has been revealed! But will it really make a difference? And what's Teppei going to do to convince Grumblemon to work with him? But I'm sure the question everyone's asking is, what's happening on the other side? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!
Okay, so I'm feeling a little better about my fight scenes. Not 100% but better. I do feel as if my new Warriors are a bit overpowered which is why I gave them a bit of a cap. Although I can easily write the other Warriors to be in the same vein of strength. Regardless, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I hope to see you guys next time! Leave a review! Bye!