"Explain this again," Shinsuke says slowly, frowning. "Seth did what?"

Luke sighs. "First, Dolph sacrificed himself to go to the Dark Ocean to seal up its contamination of the digital world." Shinsuke nods slowly, gathering that that is why they all saw what they did in the sky. "Then he insisted on leaving to help Mox and the other Forbidden Door digimon. I couldn't exactly stop him, so here we are."

Shinsuke looks from him to the others, back to Yukimi Botamon. "What can we do to help then?"

Luke hums, rocking back and forth on his heels. "There may be something," he says. "It's risky though."

"What here isn't risky?" Shinsuke asks dryly, smirking slightly.

"True enough," Luke sighs. "Alright, here's what I'm going to need you to do..."

After a quick portal trip, Shinsuke and Xavier find themselve standing a few feet away from one of the more brutal looking Digimon they've ever seen. He casts a glance towards them before looking back towards where Seth and Dean are standing, their fused partner attacking brutally again and again.

"So this is what Luke was talking about," Xavier says softly, gripping his digivice tightly.

"Seems so," Shinsuke says quietly, also holding onto his. Butch, Shayna, Ludvig and Gunther stand behind them, waiting for instruction. "I suppose we are meant to provide power, since our partners are still too vulnerable to properly fight." He strokes Yukimi Botamon when she makes a sad little noise against his ear. "No offense."

They wait for their opportunity to help, keeping an eye on Aegisdramon overhead, trying not to react too much when Darkness Bagramon glances down at them at regular intervals, as if preparing to do something. "Should we do something?" Xavier mumbles.

"I'm not sure," Shinsuke says, taking a deep breath. "Perhaps..." He lifts his digivice and focuses, exhaling slowly. It gleams, then flickering out in a dome shape, covering them where they stand. "There we go."

"A shield, nice," Xavier says. "Do you think it'll hold against him?"

"No idea," Shinsuke responds honestly. "I suppose we'll find out."

"That's comforting," Dunne mumbles.

Shinsuke is just about to respond when Aegisdramon rears forward and starts to attack, just to get swiped aside by Darkness Bagramon, sent crashing down hard not far from where the Smackdown digidestined are standing.

"Oh shit," Shayna says, only just keeping her balance as the ground is rattled around them, the shield not helping to protect them from that. "Is this our cue?"

"I believe so," Shinsuke says, looking up as Darkness Bagramon approaches at a horrific speed. "...Now!"