Chapter Fifty Nine: Fire Rising
[Evan's P.O.V]
I struggled to stand on my own but I refused to lean on her. I managed a few steps before my legs gave our and I fell to the ground. The sand shifted and I only held myself up by my arms. I felt overly drained now and I wanted nothing more than to collapse. I wanted to go to sleep but there was no time for sleep. Especially not right now.
"I thought you said you could stand on your own." I bit my lip but I forced myself up.
"I do, not used to dropping out of portals onto sand that's all." I stared at the shadow that seemed to be bleeding from the sky.
"What is that thing Baalmon?" I looked from the bleeding shadow to Rin.
I was taken aback though. The oversized t-shirt was gone, she wore a fitting black t-shirt but she had shoulder pads on. The black pants she wore also had knee and shin guards. I blinked a few times. I knew some people got an outfit change when they went into the Digital World or even crossed worlds but I hadn't expected that for the girl who seemed shy and against fighting. What caught me by surprise mostly though was the tag that hung around her neck; she had a Digivice clutched in her hand now that I'm pretty sure she hadn't had before.
"Something that I wish wouldn't have been your introduction into this war." Baalmon glared at the shadow and he seemed on edge.
"I take it that it's what I really was hoping it wasn't?" He nodded.
"A Demon's Gate." My shoulders fell and wanted to curse my luck.
A Demon's Gate, it just had to be a Demon's Gate. We would get to deal with a Demon Lord. I didn't want to know which one it would be. I really didn't want it to be any of them. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I tried to shut down my senses one by one. I had barely energy left but I needed everything that I could muster. I could sleep after this hopefully and recover my energy completely. I wasn't like Storm who knew how to pull more energy out of nowhere. I felt something spark and I felt heat swell within me.
"Have you figured it out yet? Do you know why those Cards have the Digital Hazard mark yet?" I opened my eyes when Baalmon spoke; flames flickered around me and nearly completely engulfed me.
"The reason why Storm has near limitless power, the reason why she can fight until her body gives out, the card can convert raw Digital Energy into our power." I faintly recalled Gallantmon saying something that our limits were decided by our own strength.
"Humans are frail creatures so they can't handle much, their degree of fragility decides their tolerance and that tolerance decides their strength." I gulped because something whispered that this was the last my body could handle without resting.
"A heart plays a part as well Baalmon. Sometimes a heart can patch up holes and cracks." Rin spoke the words as she stepped forwards; she tilted her head as she looked over the shadow.
"We should move; we don't have time to be standing around." Rin's words were accompanied by the shadow reaching down and grabbing something.
"Do you know which we face?" Rin glanced at us and when she looked in my eyes I saw it.
Below the brave face she was terrified. I curled my hands into fists. She was like Kari; she only had a partner to relay on. She didn't have any other means of fighting. Even if Kari now had a Card I doubt she knew how to use it. I wouldn't let her die in this fight. I wouldn't watch someone else die before my eyes. No one else would die on my watch.
"The scales have been tipped in their favor for far too long." It was time that the scales balance out.
"It's time that some order return." I barely realized when I summoned my card and released it.
"Let's see how much your words match with your actions, we're against Belphemon." I wanted to laugh; it would be him first wouldn't it?
Belphemon was the last Demon Lord that I had fought seriously. I had barely survived that fight. He was one of the ones that attacked my world. He was responsible for my friends' death. He was attacking my new friends now. This time I wouldn't fail my friends.
"Baalmon, do you think the past will catch up to us now?" Rin's words might've held my attention but my attention was solely focused on Belphemon the moment he spoke.
"Her name's Zale Aleister, she's one of my toys." My eyes widened the thing he held in between his fingers, that couldn't be my sister.
"Do you think I killed her?" I took a step forwards, just staring even though everything screamed me to move but the small voice that was the kid who watched Belphemon murdered his friends kept me rooted.
"I was hoping to play like we did last time." I watched as he shifted before he threw her.
"Storm!" I took off running, I didn't have time to play around with the new abilities that I had since I didn't have energy to waste.
"Wait, Evan don't go off alone!" I growled as I stopped and looked at Rin, she looked startled.
"Storm's my sister, my twin. She's all that I have left in this rotten universe." Even if I knew Rin was right, charging headfirst wouldn't get me anywhere but I wasn't going to let him finish what he started years ago.
"I don't need something broken." Broken, was that all Storm was in the eyes of so many?
"You said you wanted to fight didn't you Rin?" Rin yelped slightly when Baalmon picked her up.
"It's time to fight and Belphemon is one of the targets, he's responsible for many horrors that you people have yet to discover." I jumped slightly; Baalmon crossed the beach in nearly a second.
"Hurry up if you're serious about saving your sister, Zeal." I didn't even waste time yelling at him about calling me Zeal.
I didn't have time to waste either. I focused and I managed to turn to fire and I traveled faster than I could normally. I saw Baalmon smirk as I passed him but he began moving, he was still faster. A part of me wondered if Baalmon or Storm was faster, Storm was technically lightning after all and lightning was one of the faster things if I remember correctly. I couldn't make out any sounds, testament to how much focus it took for me to keep this up. I was happy that it was only draining on focus instead of energy. It seemed to take less than anything I've used before.
I stopped as fast as I could when Baalmon did, he threw his arm up. I did manage to stop before I slammed into him though thankfully. I looked at the Digimon that sat there in the clearing. It rose to its full height and Baalmon sat Rin down. I stared at it, not really believing my eyes. A tattered purple cloak billowed around him while his armor was pure black with bits of purple here and there. I shifted but I summoned my sword. I never wanted to raise my sword against him. I never wanted to fight him but sometimes you have to do what you didn't want to do.
"Puny Digimon and puny humans need to learn they are only good toys!" The words echoed and I looked the Digimon that stood in our way, I wanted to hit Belphemon even more at his resounding words.
"Sadly to get through to the others we have to take him down first, will you be able to fight him Z." I shot past Baalmon before he could finish the question.
"Sorry but you stand in the way of getting to my sister!" I raised my sword and swung it, flames were flung and he blocked with his shield.
"Move!" I didn't even think about it as I kicked off from midair and launched myself at him.
"Do not get ahead of yourself." The darkened version of Gallantmon raised his lance.
"Damaging Pierce!" I fazed into fire to dodge it.
"Star Edge!" I solidified once pass his spear and I spun my sword before stabbing it into his arm.
The black armor cracked, veins of light appeared in the form of a star. The star caught fire and even if I was smacked off I caught myself in the air so I didn't heat the ground. I wouldn't have dodged the spear this time but Baalmon pulled me upwards before throwing me pretty much, right to my sword that was still stabbed into Gallantmon's arm.
"God Beating!" Baalmon managed to get past Gallantmon's shield and his attack left a small groove in his armor surprisingly, Baalmon was also a really strong Mega Digimon who hid his identity I guess.
"Flare Pillar!" I channeled as much as I dared into my sword once I had it.
Gallantmon wheeled back not only because of Baalmon's attack but because of the pillar of fire that I had pretty much summoned. Even being in the center of the flame pillar I wasn't burned but instead I felt a rush, something that I hadn't felt before. This, this right here felt like I was touching the peak of my abilities. I pulled my sword out of Gallantmon's arm and distanced myself from him. Gallantmon grabbed his arm that was now devoid of armor, he had dropped his spear. The armor that had been on his arms dripped from his arm but it faded to data before it touched the ground.
"Something tells me I don't want to be on the receiving end of those flames Zeal." I shot a smirk at Baalmon.
"Don't be modest; I doubt I could last a fight with you." Baalmon hasn't shown all of his tricks yet but he's a force to be reckoned with already so he was a big shot.
"Very well then." He shifted his shield slightly.
"Judecca Prison!" Dark energy crackled around his shield before it shot out.
"Where are you aiming ChaosGallantmon, we're right here!" Baalmon made a move to strike but it seemed to dawn on him too late.
"Rin!" I fazed to fire and I rushed through the air until I was in front of her.
"Fire Order!" I had pretty much thrown my sword away as I spun and threw my hands up.
The dark energy slammed into the flame shield that I hadn't even really meant to throw up. I slid back slightly and the flames flickered wildly. I started to slide back more but shaking hands were placed on my back.
"Did Zeal finally give up?" The words that suddenly came from Belphemon, who somehow failed to notice us made my heart crack slightly and the shield weakened slightly.
"I killed one! I finally killed her! I killed your beloved friend that you gave your life to save Locke!" I narrowed my eyes and poured all of my anger into my flames which caused it to turn from orange red to pure white.
"I won't allow this to happen again!" Storm's not dead yet and I'm not about to let Rin or me blasted by this.
"I won't sit back and let you two do all of the work either." Before I could ask I saw the same pale yellow join in with my flames, it seemed to dance within it at Rin's word.
"You chose the wrong target ChaosGallantmon; Guiltish!" My eyes flickered to Baalmon, he was above us and I watched as his amulets turned into bullets I think before it rained down upon ChaosGallantmon.
"Order Fire!" The words slipped out for some reason, they seemed to fit.
The fire that had been a shield condensed, the dark energy trapped within it. ChaosGallantmon seemed caught off guard, even I was caught off guard and it was my own attack. The medium sized fire ball shot through the air and ChaosGallantmon tried to block it but I was stunned when it hit his shield and the shield just shattered into data. It slammed into ChaosGallantmon and pushed him backwards. I summoned my sword and got ready for the attack he'd launch next. The attack wouldn't be the end of him. I was stunned when he slammed into a barrier of green fire, the green fire lit him on fire and it ate away at him quicker than I thought possible. ChaosGallantmon let out a straggled scream before he burst into data.
"Interesting, took his strength and turned it against him." Baalmon landed but it made sense, that's why the attack seemed so strong.
"This is the end of the line!" Belphemon's yell tore through whatever seconds' long peace had wormed its way into me.
From here I saw the condition that the others were in. Belphemon had his fist raised and it was wrapped in chains that gave off black fire. I couldn't believe the sight before me. Kari just stared blankly at her arms; a brown haired boy gripped her tightly. Koichi looked defeated as he kneeled beside Storm's body. I was surprised to see Daisuke but the fact that he was there with them meant that perhaps there was a story behind why he always seemed reluctant to follow along with Takeru. A red haired girl was pushing herself up slowly from the ground, Takuya and Koji looked defeated to.
"Baalmon, please." Baalmon sighed but nodded.
"The past will catch up then, there is only little I can do without revealing the past and that all deals with staying hidden in the shadows but none of those would guarantee their lives." Baalmon grabbed my shoulder.
"Use that shield again and when I tell you to reverse it on him, focus on him until the end. At the end then ask questions or react." I was going to question but I was suddenly dragged into a portal.
It felt like someone poured ice water over me and froze my blood. The cold was quick to creep into my body. It felt like I was being pushed and pulled from every direction. I heard whispers, each of them containing some kind of bloody detail of something. I heard one very distinct voice whisper, it spoke of bearing a darkness that none could know. The whisper, it reminded me of the cold voice of a certain Digimon.
Light pieced the darkness suddenly and I stumbled forwards while Baalmon shot towards Belphemon. As he shot towards Belphemon though all I saw was a shadowy figure, it seemed like Baalmon was made from complete shadows that was slowly turning into his form. The fist came towards me and I barely thought about it as I threw my hands up again, praying that it would hold. It was hard enough to hold against ChaosGallantmon. Belphemon was in a whole other league.
"Fire Order!" Once again the fire formed but a flash of pale yellow joined it almost immediately and a hand was placed on my shoulder.
"Code Temperance." It came from Rin, her voice shook and sounded terrified but Belphemon easily stood over three stories tall.
I watched as the shadows that had made up my hands vanished and was replaced by my hands. As the shadows vanished as did the cold feeling. I stood there stunned because it was very obvious in that second. I gulped because I realized something. I knew who Rin's partner was. I knew why he only needed Ultimate Level. I knew what Rin meant about their past. Yet how did someone like Rin end up with him as her partner? Rin didn't seem like a fighter and she didn't seem like the kind of person who had those ties so why were they partners?
[Chrono's P.O.V]
I groaned as I opened my eyes. I should've listened to them. Lotosmon and the others warned me he wasn't good with gates. He was the only one able to open them since Lotosmon lost the strength to do that when she got sick, she passed the ability to him due to who his partner was. Even he warned me that the ride through was going to be bumpy since he wasn't good. He could connect two worlds but the in between wasn't the best. I would've opened my own but Lotosmon warned me not to unless absolutely needed since I wasn't practiced with what I had unsealed.
I sat up slowly expecting my body to ache since he dropped me in the middle of a forest and I crashed through some trees. I was surprised that I was met with no pain though. I looked around the forced clearing, branches were scattered around and the trees looked slightly deformed.
"How are you feeling?" I jumped slightly and I looked at the pink bunny rabbit Digimon, Cutemon.
"I came through with you since I can't sit back and not do anything. I want to help and fighting against the Demon Lords you'll need a healer." She smiled at me and gave her a small smile.
"So, where are we Cutemon?" She shook her head.
"We were headed towards where your friends are but the portal was sealed shut. I can't be certain where are currently." I sighed and placed a hand on my head.
"So that was a bust." She nodded.
"I guess we should go and find some kind of life so we can figure out where we are." I stood up and as I did so Cutemon jumped onto my shoulder.
"I'm not much of a fighter so I can't help in fights, sorry." I shook my head, really glad about the fact that there was a healer.
"Healing is important to and you said it yourself, fighting the Demon Lords we'll need a healer." I really wanted to meet back up with them but maybe this was for the best since I still had to figure out how to use my new unsealed powers without hurting anyone besides what I'm aiming out.
So, perhaps if I get enough reveiws I'll make the next chapter extra long and stop splitting the battle up in pieces throughout different chapters. Also reviews really do help motivate me to write more. Anyways I hope you like the story [still]. Also thanks to everyone that has favorited and followed, that also means a lot.