Zero Unit: Happy New Year! Cheers to a prosperous 2018!
Everyone: Here, here!
Yutaka: Unfortunately, we don't have much time to celebrate as we have multiple questions from readers. Let's start with this one for the Adventure cast specifically, "What do you guys think of the characters that were introduced in Tri?"
Gatomon: I knew there was something suspicious about Himekawa Maki! Remember that smile of hers after Leomon was deleted?
Liollmon: *Sighs* Every time.
Tai: I kind of wish Nishijima Daigo was an actual teacher at our school though. He seems like a really chill guy. Unlike certain others I know.
Sora: I like Meiko. Of course, the Tri story needed a new hook. So the introduction of a new Chosen with a problem partner is perfect.
Davis: Yeah… but they could've continued with the Dark Ocean plot and focused on that.
Yolei: *Bitterly* And maybe we would've been in it.
Agumon: I feel bad for Meicoomon.
Gabumon: Yeah, she just wanted to be friends with everyone. But we keep scaring her.
Biyomon: Maybe we should stop attacking her in the next movie.
Joe: You guys realize that we have no control over what the Tri writers decide to do, right? Whatever direction they decide to take, it's up to them. I think we should stick to what we said the first time we discussed this and just put our trust in them.
Izzy: I think in general, we're in consensus. The newly introduced characters are great for developing the story that the writers have done for Tri. Not much concern to us though.
Mimi: Well you don't have to put it so coldly.
Yoshino: We have time for one more question. To the Generals, "The Demon Lords are regarded as true demons but what of others that share the same name which you have faced? We know Laylamon of the Bagra Army is weaker and the Lucemon you guys fought is probably the same, but what about Nene's Beelzemon?"
Nene: Okay, first, please refrain from referring to the Digimon as our possessions. Beelzemon is my partner.
Impmon: Second, we wouldn't know. *Creates a flame on his finger and smirks at Beelzemon* Want to fight to find out?
Beelzemon: Erm… no thanks. The assumption is that I'm weaker.
Tommy: But aren't the twins of Gluttony the weakest Demon Lords when separated?
Ken: True, but that would make them outliers. The Demon Lord Beelzemon is near the same level as the others when his sister is with him at full power. Knowing that Nene's partner Beelzemon doesn't stand a chance against any of the other Demon Lords, we have to assume that he's weaker.
Takato: Zero, you're the writer, can you confirm or deny?
Zero Unit: Oh, Nene's partner is way weaker. If he was the same level, the Demon Lords wouldn't be as threatening as they are. The Bagra Army's Death Generals would practically be on par with them if that had been the case!
Beelzemon: Hm… Didn't even consider that.
Takuya: Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today! We hope you all enjoy today's chapter and may you have a wonderful first few weeks of 2018!
-X-
January 24: Kingdom Town, Abandoned Shop — 10:55 PM
Kari knew that on the battleground, rationale was often thrown right out the window. So there was no reason to question why LadyDevimon would show up directly in front them. Perhaps she held a really strong grudge against Gatomon for some reason. Regardless, this was their chance to try and get their two foes to listen to what she had to say. But it was clear that they would have to prove their right to speak in a fight first.
Angewomon was firing arrow after arrow, trying to land just one on the devil who circled around her in an endless loop. It was dizzying and her cackle just made the process a whole lot more infuriating with each shot she missed. At some point, LadyDevimon stopped mid-flight, hardening her arm to a spear to deflect the last projectile before diving right for her enemy.
Angewomon swerved out of the way but one of her six wings was still stabbed through, sending feathers flying everywhere. "Agh!"
"Oh, I'm sorry," LadyDevimon smirked. "That hurt, blondie?" She raised her arm, ready to strike once more while Angewomon was trying to regain her balance. "I'll make sure it never hurts again!" As she was about to lunge forward, she felt her whole body freeze up. It was like she had been paralyzed from head to toe. And to her dismay, Angewomon stood straight, no bruise in her wing.
"Your arrogance will be your downfall," Angewomon grinned, pointing up.
Shakily shifting her pupils upwards, LadyDevimon saw a glittering aurora just hanging above their heads. It was raining multi-colored sparkles all around them. It's effect was well known at this point. It stuns dark attributes while healing all others.
"Is that what you think?" LadyDevimon scoffed.
The angel pulled back on the mystical bow, forming an incandescent bolt. "Celestial Arrow!"
"Darkness Wave!"
Bats flew out from LadyDevimon's back, shrouding her in the wings of a thousand of her screeching familiars. The arrow shot right through the flurry, striking down the bats in a flash. But it didn't seem like the projectile had hit its actual target.
"What?" Angewomon gasped. Her scalp was abruptly yanked backwards as a gloved hand dug through her hair. "You…"
LadyDevimon didn't let her enemy finish as she pulled back and dragged Angewomon into the bar. She then raised her claw, black electricity sparking from her fingertips, and brought it down onto the Chosen Digimon's face. "Stun Whip!"
Angewomon backhanded the wrist out of the way before throwing her leg up and smashing her heel under LadyDevimon's chin. The shock from the impact made her let go of Angewomon's hair. Using this chance, Angewomon grasped at the edge of the bar, twisted her body around and slammed her ankle into the side of LadyDevimon's head, sending her crashing into the back, shattering bottles and letting shards of glass rain down onto the floor.
Despite being both Ultimates that specialized in using their respective elements like long-range weapons, they were in close-quarters combat. And this process seemed to continue until they both kicked each other in the stomach, sending the other flying back into the air. As soon as they regained their aerial footing, they charged up their elements.
"Heaven's Charm!"
"Fallen's Curse!"
Kari had to cover her eyes as the room somehow was simultaneously darkened and lit up sporadically. It could give anyone a seizure if they looked at the collision directly. So the brunette was thankful that the other two fighters crashed through the wall and into the adjacent building, a restaurant.
Speaking of which...
Pandamon was at a clear disadvantage no matter how you looked at it. He was quick on his feet and his claws tore through the remains of the wall to shreds. Yet when he combined both those features and rocketed straight for Reapmon's chest, he was blocked by a hardened cape.
"Guiltish: Detonate," Reapmon whispered when the ursine made contact with his cape the first time.
A page flew from the mantle and suddenly attached itself to Pandamon's chest. It exploded and the Ultimate was sent flying. His back hit the ceiling, sending debris to the floor as he collapsed back down onto a table, breaking it into several pieces.
Relena ran to her partner's side. "Pandamon!"
"Madam," he grunted, trying to push her away. "Please… you need to stay back."
A page flew from the cape and hovered directly in front of Reapmon's face. In his deep voice, he stated, "Pandamon, an Ultimate level beast Digimon. His strengths are speed, his claws, and his ability to stay calm in any given situation. And his weaknesses… stomach, face, and if able to hit, the feet."
"Those pages have my weakness on it?" Pandamon grumbled.
"They also tend to lose confidence in themselves," he continued, "when they are unable to hit their target within twenty strikes."
They weren't sure how that information was on the page but for some reason, it irked Pandamon to know that so many generalized details about his species were just out in the open. To make things worse, he had no idea how to counter his own opponent's weapon and armor. No matter where he searched or how hard, he couldn't see an opening in this enemy.
Relena searched the room for a weapon of some sort to use. She grabbed a broken table leg and held it like a baseball bat. "I'm not going to leave you here on your own."
"Madam…"
Two pages flew out and hovered on either side of the pair. "Guiltish: Bind!" Reapmon called out.
The characters on the pages returned to their original strokes and strung together to form a singular line. They flew out from the pages and took the form of metal chains that surrounded the duo. Without a second thought, Pandamon slammed his paw into his partner's chest, sending her flying out of the way. The chains looped around and held down the bear.
"Madam," he grunted. "Forgive me if I hurt you…"
Relena had to admit, she's never been physically injured before. Well, she's fallen on her face a few times during physical therapy to get used to walking. But this was the first time an injury resulted in the tearing of skin and spilling of blood. She wasn't sure how she was going to stand up again but she forced herself up to look at the Ultimate.
"I'm… fine," she winced.
Relena hated to think that she needed an attendant to help her. A nurse to come when she called. She was supposed to be stronger now that she'd undergone her brother's surgery and become a Chosen Child. But it still felt like nothing had changed from her days as a bedridden, pampered princess. Why couldn't she stand up like the others after getting hurt a little?
"Guiltish: Detonate!"
More pages stuck onto Pandamon's body. The words glowed for just a moment before they exploded, covering Pandamon in a cloud of smoke. Relena's eyes widened in shock when she saw her partner crash right through the ceiling.
"No!" Relena cried out. Reapmon took a step towards her and she threw the table leg at him. It fell about a meter away from her face. "Stay away from me and my partner!"
But it didn't seem like he had any interest in her. He shifted his body ever so slightly to look at Kari who had just run to the other girl's side.
Reapmon raised his weapon and pointed it at them. The brunette specifically. "You… are to come with us."
"What?" Kari blinked. But she stood firmly between them, an arm out to show that she was going to protect her friend. "What do you want with me?"
"Don't know the details," Reapmon replied as he tore a page from his cape. "Just know the mission. Guiltish: Capture!"
The page seemed to expanded and enveloped Kari before she could even blink. All of a sudden she found herself in a clear bubble though it didn't have the fragility of one. She tried punching it, kicking it, even throwing her weight into it, but it didn't seem to budge whatsoever. It was like being held captive by Phantomon all over again except this time, she was not in there of her own volition.
Kari shouted, "Let me out!"
Relena couldn't hear a word that her schoolmate was saying. She just knew she had to help. So she hefted herself up onto a splintery stool and grabbed a fallen steak knife. She tried slashing at the bubble but it did nothing more than make the orb jiggle ever so sliightly.
"Kari!" Angewomon called out.
"You should really pay attention to your enemy."
LadyDevimon slammed her heel into the angel's side, sending her crashing through the wall and rolling over to the humans. The siblings of darkness moved as a singular unit. Claws and weapon raised, they made their way towards the entrapped girl and there seemed to be nothing that Angewomon could do about it.
"Animal Nail!"
LadyDevimon didn't even flinch as the panda dropped down from the ceiling, claws out and blazing white. Without pausing even once to acknowledge his presence, Reapmon tore off another page from his mantle. It zipped right over the siblings' heads and the words on it pulsed once.
"Guiltish: Electrify."
Pandamon hit the piece of paper like it was a floating cinder block. In the second he landed, he felt something dance across his chest before coursing through his veins. He roared in pain as hundreds of volts passed through him, sending flashes throughout the room.
"No!" Relena shrieked.
Kari spun around to the other girl, seeing the fear and distress in her face as Bearmon fell to the ground. Patches of fur was missing from his body. Any hair that was still there was pitch black, particularly on his stomach. His eyes were opened just a crack and it was clear he wanted to take a stand for his partner. But he could barely open his mouth to speak.
"Can I really not protect anyone?" Kari muttered to herself.
She had told JP that she wanted to try. She couldn't keep depending on others forever. There had to be something she could do.
"Kari…," Angewomon huffed, pushing herself up. "Kari… I can keep fighting. But… not if you… give up."
Kari knew that her partner was right. The most important thing in a situation where there was no light was to make sure that the light inside wouldn't be extinguished. In thinking that, she reached up and touched her necklace, feeling the sharp points of her crest. If a steak knife couldn't break the bubble then neither could a piece of metal that rested on her chest. Still, it was enough to calm her down.
"What is this?!" LadyDevimon suddenly shouted.
Kari opened her eyes to see that their two foes were trying to cover their eyes with their arms. The bubble surrounding her slowly dissolved and she found herself gently floating to the ground. It was a strange feeling. But warm. Something familiar. When did she feel this last?
"It's like that time with the Numemon," Angewomon remarked.
Right. That was it.
"Kari?" Relena blinked. For some reason, the light coming off her friend acted like Angewomon's Holy Air. It was healing her wounds. "I… feel better."
Kari took a deep breath, taking a step towards the enemy Digimon who took a step back. "I'm a Chosen Child… I have millions of Digimon depending on me to save and protect them. But how can I do that if I can't do that for myself?"
Always being protected from the first moment she discovered she was a DigiDestined. Whether it be by her brother, by Matt and Sora, by Wizardmon, by swarms of Numemon, Yolei, TK, Davis, and everyone else. And it was fine to be protected. But her duty was to be a protector.
The pink light faded away before coming back in a single burst. This time, emanating from her partner who had reverted to her Champion form.
"Gatomon Warp Digivolve to…" Her body became larger, hairier, and more muscular than it was before. Ten wings sprouted from her back and razor-sharp fangs jutted out from her mouth. Despite the bestial appearance this Digimon took, there was also something gentle about her. Something that made Kari and the others feel safe. "Magnadramon!"
"Tch!" LadyDevimon growled. "A Mega now?"
Digital Analyzer: Known as the Dragon Queen of the South Sea, Magnadramon's form is said to belong to the very ruler of the skies. Although very few have ever seen her appearance. According to legend, her species arrived to the Digital World out of nowhere when a great evil threatened the world. With her vast power, she vanquished the evil and returned peace to the world.
Reapmon didn't hesitate to strike. "Guiltish: Bind!"
Chains flew out towards the dragon Digimon. Magnadramon's fur bristled as she flapped all ten of her wings, suddenly generating a pink shockwave that traveled outwards and shattered the bindings like they were made of glass. It repelled the two Ultimates backwards, sending them over Bearmon's body and toppling over a bunch of tables and chairs in their wake.
Relena quickly rushed forward and picked up her partner before retreating. It still hurt to stand but not as much as it did before.
"Madam, are you okay?" Bearmon inquired.
"You're the one in my arms," Relena replied. "I should be the one asking you that."
LadyDevimon inhaled, puffing up her chest before exhaling a poisonous fog. "Darkness Wave!"
"Hermit Fog!"
Magnadramon countered it with her own kind of misty exhalation. The glittering pink cloud easily overtook the approaching purple fog and surrounded the siblings. Just breathing it in made it difficult for the pair to stand.
"Guiltish," Reapmon coughed. "Twister!"
The fog blew away as a tornado appeared in the room. But Magnadramon flew right at it, slashing through with her claws before finding herself right in front of Reapmon. She covered herself in white flames, becoming a cyclone herself.
"Fire Tornado!"
"Guiltish: Shield!"
Just like the chains, Magnadramon broke right through the forcefield. LadyDevimon and Reapmon, while one level below her, were no amateurs on the battlefield. They quickly leapt into the air to avoid impact and it was good that they did because the entire wall behind them was disintegrated on the spot. It was actually a relief to everyone that the attack missed.
"Too much power," Magnadramon muttered, shaking the dust out of her fur. "I guess I don't know my own strength yet."
Reapmon landed on a barstool and a page tore itself from his cape and floated in front of his face. "Magnadramon are a species of holy dragon with unbelievable amounts of power. Weaknesses are currently unknown."
"Wonderful," LadyDevimon grimaced. She hardened her arm into a spear. "Then I guess we'll just have to make one! Black Wing!"
Reapmon nodded in agreement, holding up his baton. "God Beating!"
"Look out!" Relena gasped.
For some reason, Kari felt like she was the one seeing the weapons coming towards her. So instinctively, she raised her arms, not to cover her head, but to catch them. It was strange. She never had any athletic prowess or even decent reflexes. Her brother and TK would always have to lower their level to hers when she played soccer or basketball with them respectively. Yet this time, she felt like she could catch them.
Magnadramon threw up her claws at the exact same time her partner did, catching the weapons easily. There was a sizzle when they made contact but other than that, she was completely unharmed. And these were supposed to be especially effective against light attribute Digimon.
"What?!" LadyDevimon yelped.
"So fast!" Reapmon gasped.
"You two," Magnadramon growled, glaring at them. Relena and Bearmon looked away from the battle and over to Kari who spoke in the same tone as her partner. "Have strayed from the path of good. In darkness, there is safety, but do not be afraid to return to the light! Dragon Fire!"
The ceiling exploded as two lightning bolts came through, striking their enemies where they stood. In a flash, the pair were thrown across the room and landed in motionless heaps. They were very much alive given that they were trying to stand back up but it was clear who the victor was. Or at least, it was clear to the DigiDestined.
"No…," LadyDevimon snarled. There was a primal ferocity in her expression as she glared at the group. "My brother… I won't let you hurt him anymore!"
Kari felt something resonate in her for a moment when she heard that. "What?"
LadyDevimon slowly dragged her body closer to Reapmon's, grabbing his arm. "I'm sorry brother." She bit down into his flesh, tearing into and letting droplets of data fall to the floor. Her sibling cried out in pain as he felt his body become loose static, his data streaming into the mouth of LadyDevimon.
"What is she doing?!" Relena screamed. "She's hurting him!"
Magnadramon flew in, hoping to cease this madness. "Stop it!"
There was a sudden gunshot. A bullet in the shape of Beelzemon's head flew through the air and struck Magnadramon in the forehead, sending her reeling backwards. The girls looked from the Mega back over to LadyDevimon to find her holding a pistol. Very slowly, from that armed hand, the rest of her body began undergoing changes as Reapmon degenerated all the way back to Impmon.
The new Digimon stood up, licking the barrel of her gun as she did so. Her body was covered in leather, the only part that wasn't was her stomach. Long blonde strands of hair cascaded down her back and while the top part of her face was covered by a mask, everyone could see the third eye gleaming on her forehead.
"Did she…," Bearmon muttered, "take her own brother's life force energy?"
"This is my true form," the new Digimon stated. "I am one of the twins of Gluttony."
"A Demon Lord," Kari whispered.
"But she's incomplete without her brother," Magnadramon reminded her. "So she's not nearly as strong as any of the others that we've faced. I can take her."
The Demon Lord raised her twin pistols and pointed one at Magnadramon and the other at Kari. "Perhaps… but not if I don't play fair."
The holy dragon bared her fangs at the humanoid Mega. "You wouldn't dare!"
"Just… watch." She spun around on her heels, firing wildly. Each shot seemed to split into three making the twenty times she pulled her triggers, sixty bullets. They flew out from the shooting zone and soared right towards Kari only.
"No!" Magnadramon roared.
She flew in and covered Kari's body which of course resulted in her getting pelted over and over again with exploding shells. Kari was horrified to hear the pained shouts coming from her partner as feathers fell around them. And while she couldn't see it, she could just feel that six out of ten wings had been clipped off of Magnadramon's body.
Relena had buried herself and her partner into her knees. Her digivice clattered to the floor, showing an encyclopedia entry for this new fearsome Digimon.
Digital Analyzer: BelleStarmon is half of the Demon Lord duo that embodies the sin of gluttony. Much like her male counterpart, she expertly uses her twin pistols, the Rizoma de Loto. Her guns aren't the only thing to look out for. Her heels also act as firearms and the muffler around her neck is capable of shapeshifting into whatever she needs them to be.
Magnadramon was taking very slow breaths as her weight slowly pushed Kari into the ground. It was hard to keep herself up with less than half her wings. But with whatever strength she had in her, she threw herself around and shot a beam of pink light from her mouth, shooting it right towards the gunslinger.
True to the entry, BelleStarmon's muffler expanded and solidified, shielding her from the shot. The laser seemed to fly out in different directions, but all away from her body. She then raised her pistols once more and fired. "Fly Bullet!" Six rounds of ammunition whistled through the air and no matter which way Magnadramon moved her head, they followed until they hit her jaw in an ear-splitting explosion. "Hmph… that'll teach you."
Bearmon peeked out of a crevice from inside his partner's quivering huddle. "Madam Kari?"
The glow surrounding the Chosen Child was back. It didn't defend them from the strike. But it seemed to keep them standing firm, staring down the enemy.
"Tch, how stubborn," BelleStarmon scoffed. "Do you really think you can beat me in your current condition?"
"She can," Kari snapped. "So long as she uses some of my strength."
Magnadramon coiled around her partner's body, enveloped in the warmth of the light. The pair became shrouded in a data cocoon and when it burst, a new but familiar form stood there. A golden-winged angel armed with a magnificent shield in her left hand and a heavenly javelin in her right.
Kari stood beside her and while no one else could see it, there was a crimson thread tied to her pinky finger. It connected to the angel's own.
BelleStarmon's eyes flared up in rage. "Slide Evolution this time?"
"I never would've imagined that this is what the man on the moon actually did," Ophanimon remarked, delicately raising her hand to get a better look at the string. "To think that we would be a pair tied together by the red thread of fate."
Kari smiled up at her partner. "Should it really come as a surprise?"
Ophanimon giggled before raising her javelin. "No, I suppose not."
"Enough sweet talk!" BelleStarmon snapped. She fired shot after shot at the the angel, wanting just one of the homing bullets to strike Ophanimon in the throat.
Ophanimon shot forward, leaving behind an aurora-like trail behind her. Kari raised her left hand and her partner followed suit. They swung outwards like they were batting away an insect although in this case, it just repelled the bullets and sent them flying into the floor, walls, and ceilings. Then the other hand was raised, pointing the end of the weapon at BelleStarmon.
"Eden's Javelin!"
A ray of purifying light pierced the air, striking down the remaining bullets. A mere centimeter from hitting BelleStarmon's face, her muffler turned into wings, allowing her to take flight from a standing position and avoid the attack. Then from above, she fired more homing bullets, aimed right for Kari.
Ophanimon didn't even hesitate in making her decision to fly right for her opponent. But BelleStarmon could see that the brunette looked like she was trying to draw a constellation into the air. There was a shout of, "Sephirot Crystal!" Just then, nine lights zipped from Ophanimon over to the bullets, colliding with them and sending miniature fireworks bursting above Kari's head, leaving her untouched and more importantly, unharmed.
"Hurricane Screw Shot!"
BelleStarmon gracefully flipped backwards. As her body tilted, ports in her heels popped open and bullets flew out of them. They came in waves of dozens. But Ophanimon was able to deflect them by covering her face with her shield and parrying the rest with her javelin. Then, once they were face to face, the weapon was thrusted through the air, generating a powerful shockwave.
CLANG!
"She blocked it!" Relena gasped.
BelleStarmon had crossed her pistols, catching the javelin right before it impaled her jaw. She then stomped down on the angel, shooting a bullet from the heel for an extra kick. Ophanimon felt her chestplate crack as she plummeted towards the ground. But spreading her wings, she slowed her descent and released ten golden rays from those feathery appendages.
The Demon Lord's muffler guarded her from about half of the rays. The rest streaked past her body before doing U-turns and striking her in the back. Since her muffler had been forced to change from wings to a shield and being forced to take a hit from five beams, she could no longer keep herself suspended in air.
Both women twisted their bodies around as they fell, landing on their feet. The pair leapt backwards, facing each other, prepared to attack each other as soon as they saw an opening.
"Impmon!"
Everyone whipped their heads to the wall that was no longer there. The twins, Ai and Mako appeared, breathing heavily like they had run for twenty city blocks nonstop. They rushed to the side of the fallen Rookie Digimon. The boy cradled Impmon in his arms while the girl looked around before her eyes landed on BelleStarmon.
"Noir?" Ai whispered. "Is that you?"
BelleStarmon's third eye twitched twice. Slowly and silently, she raised a pistol and pointed it at Ai. "You."
"Ai, run!" Kari yelled.
"It's because of you and your brother that my precious sibling has to go through so much suffering!" BelleStarmon snapped. "If it weren't for you two then I wouldn't have had to do those things just to get my brother back!"
"How terrible," Relena muttered before shouting, "That's not how siblings should treat each other!"
Kari nodded in agreement. "No matter what kind of differences you have, you don't force one to be like you! That's not what Impmon wants!"
"Shut up!" BelleStarmon screeches, pointing her other gun at them. "What do either of you two little girls know?!"
Ai took a step forward, kicking a chair in the process. "Age has got nothing to do with it!" Ai could feel all eyes on her. Yet it was a whole lot less nerve-wracking than standing in front of her class to read a passage in English. This was something she actually felt confident about. "Siblings that love each other should listen to each other! When they fight or argue about something, you need to talk or else all that will happen is that you hurt each other!"
"You think I want hurt him?!"
"Of course not!" Ai retorted. "That's why you should try to look at things from Impmon's view instead of—!"
"His view? To be a human's pet?!" It looked like her eyeballs could roll right out of her mask. "It had been revolting enough to pretend to be one—!"
"You're my friend!" BelleStarmon froze up. "You were never my pet! At least… that's how I saw it." Ai continued walking forward despite the fact that the barrel of the firearm was still pointing in her direction. Despite that, it was like the Tamer knew the trigger wouldn't be pulled. "And I refuse to believe that our time together was fake. Even… even if it was only for a few months."
"What are you doing?!" BelleStarmon snapped. "Do you even understand what you're doing?!"
"If you shoot, Ophanimon will block it," Ai explained, standing right in front of the Digimon. The Demon Lord stood about three times as tall as the grade schooler. But standing on her tiptoes and grabbing hold of the gun in both hands, Ai lowered it so that it was pointed directly in between her eyes. "If you truly hate humans… then show me."
"Ai, what are you doing?!" Mako screamed.
BelleStarmon's finger rested on the trigger. Even the slightest touch would send a bullet straight through the girl's head. That's all it would it take. After all, humans were such fragile creatures. When they get bruised badly enough, they won't even be able to stand up anymore. They were truly pitiful and pathetic.
"Please…"
Mako looked down at his partner. "...Impmon?"
"Please… don't hurt… her," Impmon coughed. With a bit of Mako's help, he was able to look at the Mega from across the room. "Please… I remember… a lot. I know… I hurt you by… disappearing. But… I know I hurt you worse… by turning you… into the monster you… you are today…"
Ai could feel the metal in her hands trembling. No, not the metal, but the person holding it.
"You're wrong!"
"I'm not!" Impmon croaked out. "All you wanted… was to protect… the good… the innocent… and I took that away from you with my selfishness…"
"They were hurting you!"
"And I hurt you!"
The story of how the Demon Lords of Gluttony emerged into the Digital World had been memorized by heart for the DigiDestined. Impmon and Salamon both had dreams of becoming protectors, members of the esteemed League of Angels. But only Salamon had been admitted. After being beaten over and over again, Impmon killed and ate one of the angels. He even forced his own sister into the practice which got them both to Dark Digivolve.
BelleStarmon's eyes were only on the tiny demon as she lowered his pistols. "Brother…"
"It seems…," Impmon chuckled dryly, "that's all I'm good for."
For some reason, this made something click inside of BelleStarmon. Her muffler expanded outwards, producing a blast of wind that knocked Ai backwards and onto the floor. The Demon Lord then flew right past Mako, taking Impmon in her hands before vanishing into the sky.
"Noir…," Ai whimpered, tear pooling in her eyes. "She and Impmon… they're gone again…"
Kari walked over to the younger girl, Nyaromon in her arms, and kneeled down to the Tamer's level. "But we know for sure that there's still good in her. Next time we face off against them, we'll definitely bring them back. I promise you that."
Ai sniffed and wiped snot onto her sleeve. "Thank you, Kari…"
January 24: Northbound Blimpmon — 12:25 PM
At this point in time, the railroads had been completely demolished as collateral damage in the uprisings and battles. So the team had no choice but to travel by air. Even that could be dangerous with the Airdramon raids. Which was why Kiriha had MailBirdramon follow along beside their vehicle to fend off possible enemies just in case.
Takuya looked down at the ravaged land down below. It felt a little strange to be inside the gargantuan machine Digimon. After all, the last time he had encountered this aircraft, he had to protect Risa while trying to destroy it.
The Warrior reluctantly returned his focus back onto the scenery, or what was left of it. They'd gone far enough from the Kingdom Town to see just how much the Demon Lords had affected the Digital world. They caught glimpses of the devastation on their way to the Town but to absorb it all at once from a bird's-eye view was a completely different experience.
"Takuya, could you call Jeri and Davis in from the training room?" Kenta asked. "Lillymon's almost done with lunch."
Blimpmon was large to begin with but the inside was absolutely enormous. The main room, which was the one they were currently in, had a circular seating arrangement in the center. Clearly set up for meeting between generals to talk war tactics. The rest of the room was built like a lounge so it apparently doubled as both a meeting room and a rest area. There was a door at the back that led to a dojo. That was where Jeri and Davis were currently training as they wanted to get stronger before getting to their destination.
"It'd be good to make use of this setup too," Kiriha remarked. "We can't enter battle blindly or we'll definitely lose."
"Lunch comes first," said Kenta.
"Pu!" MarineAngemon agreed.
"Besides, we still have until tomorrow night before we get there," the Tamer reminded him. "We've got time."
Takuya was surprised to see the bespectacled boy so assertive. Especially towards someone that could be as intimidating as the blond General. It was like his confidence had grown exponentially since he first bio-merged with his partner.
The brunet clapped his hands together to get their attention. "Well, Kenta is right about one thing, we need to eat. So I'll go get the others and we can dig in!"
The training room wasn't anything special. The walls were lined with mirrors so that people could check their form. Treadmills and other such machines were against the far wall and the floor was covered in blue mats to cushion the impact of a takedown or a fall. There were also racks of dumbbells on either side of the door.
In the center of the room were two humans sparring with each other. Liollmon had decided to take both Davis and Jeri under his wing, teaching them various combat techniques to fight the Voidlings when and if it came to it. The teenagers were decent fighters but they were lacking in a variety of areas.
"Jeri, you're hesitating too much in hitting your opponent!" Liollmon called out from the sidelines. "Davis, strengthen your stances!"
Right after the lion said that, Jeri threw a powerful right jab but pulled it at the last second due to her fear of hurting Davis. Her sparring partner was able to dodge it thanks to that moment of reluctance but then his right foot got caught on his left angle because of his poor form. He fell onto his back and his head jerked backwards, giving him whiplash.
"Okay, time out!" Davis groaned.
Jeri knelt down beside him. "I am so sorry! Did I hurt you?"
Liollmon and Veemon glanced at each other before sighing in unison. They knew that their partners had potential to become strong but they were really struggling.
Takuya, who had witnessed the whole debacle, was trying to control his giggling fits. When he had calmed down enough to talk without interrupting himself, he walked towards them. "Davis, the stances that Liollmon taught you aren't just for show."
"I know," Davis muttered. "But…"
"Think of it like soccer," said Takuya. "Each of your body parts work as a team. If one part falls behind or hesitates, the entire team suffers." Davis wasn't quite sure how this analogy was supposed to work. "And knowing you, the star of Odaiba Junior High's team, I bet you wouldn't want a loss on your head." Now he got it.
"Gotcha," Davis nodded.
Takuya then looked over at Jeri. "I understand why you're scared. And it's okay. But you can't shirk practice or else you'll lose in real fight."
Jeri looked over at Liollmon. If her partner was in real danger, she'd most certainly fight back. But the other boy was right. Without proper training, she'd just become a burden no matter how hard she tried to hit back. "So how do I…"
"Focus on upping your speed and defense first," said Takuya. "Your strength will show on a real battlefield so don't worry about it right now."
"I see," Jeri nodded.
There was something invigorating about being able to pass on lessons to others. For the last few years, Takuya trained under the tutelage of his friends to become stronger. Karate from Kouji, judo from JP, dance and kickboxing from Zoey, and academic subjects from Kouichi. Okay, so that last one had basically been a lost cause. But he did learn some things from each of them. Even Tommy, back during their first adventure, taught him how to control the blazing rage of his beast spirit.
"Don't forget to use other strengths," Takuya continued. "Almost anything can be helpful in a fight. Even dance lessons."
Veemon sniffed the air, his stomach growling when he caught a whiff of cooked meat. "Is that… lunch?!"
"Training's done!" Davis was back on his feet and more energetic than ever. "Time for food!"
Everyone gathered in the meeting room and sat around the round table as Lillymon served lunch. Kiriha, refusing to let time go to waste, came up with a compromise with Kenta. They'd get a rundown of the details of what was going on at the settlement and leave the strategizing for another time.
Lillymon held up Kenta's D-Power, pulling up an encyclopedia article of a giant Digimon.
Hard armor encased his colossal body from head to toe. Imposing horns protruded from his head and his shoulders, looking sharp enough to pierce through Chrome Digizoid. In his fist was a sword that was equal to its owner in height. Even as a 2-D image, there was something menacing about the dark energy pouring from the edges and the skeletal head that was used as a hilt.
"Titamon," Kiriha read aloud.
"Scary," MarineAngemon shivered, hiding behind Kenta's head.
"So that's what's been terrorizing the settlement," said Davis. "From the appearance alone, I can tell why the citizens need our help."
Lillymon nodded before pulling up a video feed from the village itself. Or what was left of it which wasn't much. There seemed to be only rubble and Control Spires left were a thriving town once was. Not only that, but much of the land itself appeared to be completely gone.
"They're consuming the area's Fractal Code," Takuya realized.
Davis frowned, unsure of how to interpret that but it did not sound good. "Wait, what does that mean?"
"The Digimon aren't the only ones with Codes," Takuya explained. "Everything in the Digital World is made up of them. And if you consume them, you'll make the very land or sea vanish and convert it into something else. Either into fake Digimon or even add it to your own power."
"Fake Digimon?" Veemon murmured.
Davis didn't like the sound of that. "So like Arukenimon."
"Although I've only ever seen one Digimon capable of doing that."
Looking back at the feed, they could see that there were legions of ogre-species Digimon rampaging through the area. Behind them was Titamon, the hulking beast was seated on a stone throne. But as the video quality became clearer, they could see that the throne was made up of petrified Digimon.
"There's only a small underground group resisting," Lillymon explained. "The rest… are part of that chair."
Jeri had a hand to her mouth. "How horrible."
Davis noticed that the food hadn't been touched. Well, his partner was eating but Veemon was always an outlier when it came to these kinds of things. So he quickly brought everyone's attention back to the table.
"Now, now," he said, "we can keep talking about this later. Let's—!"
A black shadow flew right past the window. Jeri's eyes widened to the size of golf balls when she saw what she thought was a red bandana. So she stood up in her, knocking over her glass of juice, and raced to the glass.
"Impmon!"
MailBirdramon flew into view, dents showing on his metal face. "I saw them coming and tried to fight but… she got the better of me."
"We have to go after them!" Jeri insisted.
Even though she, out of all of them, wished to pursue the enemy most, her partner would be of no use in an air battle. So she had to watch from the window as EmperorGreymon and Magnamon took off after the shadow which MailBirdramon was able to identify as BelleStarmon. In the event that they caught up, they wouldn't fight in order to prevent Impmon's life from being at risk.
The Demon Lord covered her brother's body in her arms, holding him close to her chest. She glanced back to see the two powerful Digimon flying after her. One was a Royal Knight and the other was the Unified form of a Legendary Warrior. And she wasn't in the best shape after her previous battle. This would not end well for her.
"Hurricane Screw Shot!"
EmperorGreymon pulled out his broadsword, shielding the pair from the bullets using the flat side of his blade. Once the wave of ammunition was over, Magnamon shrouded himself in a golden light before zipping past his comrade and cutting off BelleStarmon's escape route. The Demon Lord had to use one hand to keep her three eyes from going blind.
"Tch," she clicked. "Why can't you pesky humans leave us alone?!"
"We won't let you get away," said Magnamon.
"You kidnapped our friend," EmperorGreymon added. "And you threaten the peace of the Digital World. That is something we cannot forgive. But…" He lowered his blade and the Royal Knight dulled his shine. "...we'd like for this to end without bloodshed. If you are willing, we'd like to talk."
BelleStarmon couldn't understand the Chosen Children. What convinced them to think that she could be swayed?
EmperorGreymon held out his hand but the Demon Lord misinterpreted the gesture. It appeared as if he was trying to take Impmon away from her. The very thought enraged her and she raised one of her pistols, firing at the Legendary Warrior's head.
The armored dragon exhaled, breathing out a puff of fire that protected his face from the impact. It also prevented him from seeing what happened next.
The Demon Lord spun around in the air, her wing-like muffler smacking Magnamon. The temporary disorientation allowed her to take off as fast as she could before the pair could even see which direction she had gone. It felt like they'd just failed an important mission.
January 25: ? — 12:02 AM
Ryo and Suzie leaned back in their seats, furiously wiping at their mouths with what used to white cloths. The table in front of them was piled with carcasses, bones that were now completely devoid of meat. On the other side of the table were their partners who had also gorged themselves on the feast. For the last couple of hours since they returned, they had been devouring and devouring, trying to sate their bottomless stomachs.
There was a click somewhere in the surrounding darkness. Small footsteps could be heard getting louder until BlackGatomon appeared into view.
Suzie drank the rest of the contents from her goblet. The red liquid trailing down from the corners of her lips and down her chin. Once she wiped it away, she addressed the feline Champion. "You shouldn't have returned. You completely failed your mission and humiliated yourself in front of the Chosen Children."
The cat narrowed her eyes but it mustn't have looked very threatening considering she was less than a quarter of the human girl's height. But then she noticed the bones on the table. Her pupils turned into slits and the fur on her back bristled as she hissed, "Did you eat all my food?!"
"Not all," Ryo said from the table. "But we should've. We deserve it more than you."
"Better be careful," Suzie smirked. "Or Ryo and I will be taking the title of the Demon Lords of Gluttony."
Just then, the Tamers heard a click and felt something cold but sharp touching the backs of their heads. Their partners stood up in their chairs, snarling at the two silhouettes that had suddenly appeared from seemingly out of thin air. They both held up a hand, a finger to the heads of the two Akumako. But energy pulsed from the tip, like they could blow out the brains of the children just by thinking about it.
BlackGatomon straightened up. "You two… You've awakened." A moment of silence passed, as if the two newcomers were waiting for orders to which the Champion gave them. Her usual calm demeanor had returned. "Stand down. Laylamon's become attached to them. Better not to raise her ire."
The silhouettes brought their hands to their sides before walking past the humans. They kneeled down in front of BlackGatomon.
Now that they were in the light, the humans could see that the pair looks identical to each other. Their legs were the barrels of enormous handguns and they both wore wide-brimmed hats. Sprouting from their backs were long, thin wings that didn't look strong enough to allow the humanoid Digimon to lift off the ground. The only difference between the pair was the colors, one wore pitch black while the other was in blood red.
"They awoke when you returned as BelleStarmon," the voice of Lucemon stated.
"Such loyal servants," Barbamon chuckled, "the one thing I thought I had before taking this form."
"Story of my life," Belphemon yawned.
The low growl of Leviamon sounded dangerously close. "How nice. I want Digimon to follow my beck and call whenever too. And not just out of fear."
The two Digimon were identified as AvengeKidmon and MagnaKidmon. They both raised their arms up to the cat Digimon and spoke in unison. "If you hunger, Mistress Belle, then you may feed upon our bodies. Consume as much as you want."
Had Ryo and Suzie retained the full range of emotions as they had once before, it would've been unnerving. The way they spoke and the things they said.
BlackGatomon crossed her arms and turned away from them. "As I have told you once before, it will not have to come to that. Besides, I have reserves." She then stared off into the darkness and said calmly, "Daemon… What was the deal you made with those sea freaks anyway?"
There was no answer at first. But then a pair of red eyes opened up in the blackness. "They wanted their queen… in exchange for their precious ocean water."
"That reminds me," Lucemon's voice said. "It appear they've cut off our supply. Without their queen, they see no point in letting their sea levels drop. In other words…" A mighty and forlorn roar traveled through the darkness, sending tremors through anything physical. "...we still have to wait a long time to see Fanglongmon's true form."
"Until then, we should have a little more fun with the human world," Laylamon giggled. "Akumako… what do you think?"
Ryo and Suzie looked over at each other. In their silence, they agreed with the Demon Lord. It would be fun to see how Earth would fare against… that.
-X-
Kari's found, not one, but two brand new evolutions! They even got a taste of BelleStarmon's power. But while there are still the attacks at the other two settlements to be taken down, the Demon Lords are already thinking about other places to target! Earth. Will the Chosen Children be able to pull through in the end? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!
You know, a lot of things have gone wrong for me last year and I've started things off badly this year. But I'm hopeful that I'll be able to make a better tomorrow. So be sure to keep your hopes up too. If we work hard enough, we'll definitely make 2018 ours!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review down below!