Shinsuke exhales, staring out over the group of Digidestined before him. The loss of Miz and AJ Styles will be felt for awhile, but all in all, he thinks they will be fine. They regained Gable, after all, and he has discussed with Luke names to add to the group in the future if need arises. "Come," he calls out to them, deciding to leave the matter for now and try to figure out why so many messages popped up at once from various villages needing help. It's not difficult to reach the area where the villages are located, they all appear to be along the same coast line and Shinsuke's suspicions grow as they get ever closer to the flashing red dots on the digivice's maps.
His suspicions and paranoia lead him to lift a hand, stopping all of the others in their tracks as they look around, expecting an attack or something just as bad as they stand there, anxious and uncomfortable out in the open like this. But Nakamura takes his time, glances around, almost seems to be measuring the air, somehow. All attempts at talking to him are ignored and some of the group grumbles, though Rusev and Lana wait patiently, used to his eccentricities by now.
Shinsuke lifts a hand, quirks his fingers and within one blink and the next, Apollomon is standing next to him, also looking around intently. They walk side by side towards the line of villages visible, and before anyone can even move to follow, there's a rough explosion and pockmarks appear in the ground at Shinsuke and Apollomon's feet. Neither seem that shocked by it, Apollomon immediately leaping forward and punching at the Beelzebumon + Revolmon that seemingly comes out of nowhere and meets him halfway, the two fighting for dominance.
"Shit!" Shane hisses as he and Carmella run forward, Rosemon, Andromon and Kevin Owens' Mach Gargaomon approaching the brawl. The others fall back, their partners still too low on the evolutionary chain to actually do much in fights with high powered Digimon like this.
Apollomon all but ignores them, however, exchanging blasts of power with the merged Digimon as he struggles for the upperhand, eventually taking a shot straight to the stomach that winds him, drops him to one knee. He surges back up, however, and catches Beelzebumon + Revolmon straight in the head, rocking him and following it up with a pure blast of energy to the midsection. He's still too powerful, however, and when Apollomon gets rocked again, this time due to a shot straight to the face, Rosemon leaps into the fray and binds Beelzebumon + Revolmon with her vines, giving Apollomon time to recover, regroup. He shoots her a glance that looks rather neutral and she stares back, nonplussed, as he moves forward, holding his hands out and collecting as much energy as he can into what is usually his strongest, most draining attack.
She grits her teeth, grinds her heels into the ground, and holds on as best as she can while Beelzebumon + Revolmon starts to fight back, breaking free from her vines bit by bit and slicing through them with his huge pistol whenever they grow back. "Come on," she grunts. "Come on, come on- come on!" Andromon and Mach Gaogomon come to the rescue then, blasting Beelzebumon + Revolmon with large orbs of electricity and a barrage of punches that Rosemon can barely see, Mach Gaogomon is moving so quickly.
She swallows, hard, and tugs harder at the vines, relieved when Apollomon finally yells at them. "Move!" He's ready. They wait til the last moment, when Apollomon releases his massive attack and scatter, diving for safety. Even then, they feel the heat, they're buffetted by the pure power of his blast, and when they look up, there's nothing but a small, burnt crater where Beelzebumon + Revolmon had once stood, data drifting in the wind. They breathe a little easier.
Shinsuke, however, still looks troubled. Walks past the place of battle and approaches the villages. The digimon follow quietly, their partners alongside them, the others further back than that. The first village is little more than wreckage, homes destroyed, crops burnt beyond repair, data thick in the air around them. The second village is nearly as demolished. Shinsuke lowers his head, regretting being too late, but the third village... as soon as he enters the gate, there is life. A Punimon hops up to him and when he kneels down by it, it bounces up and rubs against his cheek, chattering away in the nonsense that only a baby Digimon can speak. He picks her up and stares at her, lips twitching up in a small smile, some of the strain leaving his dark eyes. Carmella and Shane can see others in the distance, watching from houses and within large patches of grass, still hesitant to show themselves after such a near miss, but still a very welcome sight after the horror of the last two villages.
Not all was lost here today.
