Rusev sneers at the limited numbers of their team. With Shane off injured again, it's down to him, Nakamura, Cass and Carmella. None of them really like each other, and things are tense and quiet as they walk towards the next cluster of dots. Rusev holds his breath each time they climb a hill or turn a sharp corner, certain that they will come face to face with mass destruction one of these times- but it doesn't happen.

Until half an hour later, it does. He holds his breath and stares at the charred remains of what has to be three neighboring villages, the primitive little huts within little more than charred pieces of straw floating in the wind and only scorched piles of brick marking where one began and the other ended. "Who would do this?" Carmella asks in a hushed voice, pressing her hand to her mouth as she takes it all in with a sickened expression on her face.

That question is answered quickly when another series of explosions to the west of where they're clustered sounds off, another village collapsing to rubble as those of its residents who survive scream and sob before falling soberingly silent. It's then that they see the cause flying around overhead. Pteranomon. Rusev swallows when he sees the power of his attack- bombs pouring down over each building with precision that would make more fighting pilots trained for decades envious. Despite his uncertainty, he waves his partner on and DemiDevimon evolves into Bakemon, SunFlowmon and Buraimon quickly following him.

Shinsuke seems to be ignoring them, lost in his own mind, and Rusev glowers at him, ultimately choosing to ignore him to focus on the fight overhead. Despite their partners' best attempts, Pteranomon keeps ahead of them with waves of bombs and desperate tears at them with his beak. So fighting from afar is impossible, and fighting from close up is even worse. Buraimon and SunFlowmon work together well, considering, and even leaves Pteranomon floundering when they combine an attack and knock him off center long enough for Bakemon to whisper a spell, a haze of darkness abruptly covering Pteranomon. He looks around, confused, but continues fighting when nothing serious happens.

He's just sent SunFlowmon flying after smacking her aside with a beam of energy from his mouth, when he wavers mid-air. "Wha-" His energy wans and he spirals towards the ground with little warning, failing to stop his own momentum. "I..."

Bakemon laughs at him. "Is what you get for being so egotistical. You never stopped to think what I was doing. I've been sapping your energy steadily since I cast my spell over you a few minutes ago."

It's then that Pteranomon realizes. The game's up. He screams, he thrashes, he tries to send more bombs down upon them all, but there's really nothing he can do anymore. Bakemon shifts nearer and smirks down into his frantic eyes. "It'll be over soon," he promises, a shift in his cloak, and then...

A decaying hand comes out of nowhere and attacks Pteranomon, shattering what remains of his strength and causing him to delete right there, right then.

It's a success, but one with a steep price as Shinsuke stares at the destruction that was once villages full of bustling, happy Digimon. "We separate," he says. "One person, each village." His voice is steady, but his eyes explain he doesn't expect any survivors. "Let's go."

Rusev abides reluctantly, wishing not for the first time that Aiden or Lana could be here with him right now.