With a combination of confidence and nervousness, Lightbearer Ophanimon and her allies currently present with her stood before the Dark Lady herself, the fallen counterpart of the Digidestined of Light staring upon those before her as her eyes began to glow a wicked dark purple.
Within the blink of an eye, the fallen Kari then appeared before the Digimon of Light, her energy scythe outstretched as she moved to strike down her counterpart down once and for all.
"Striking Light!" Lightbearer Ophanimon declared in retaliation.
Swinging her cosmic infused blade as she met the Dark Lady's strike head on, the impact of weaponry caused a massive shockwave of energy as the two forces of light and darkness clashed against one another.
Then, with a powerful cry, the Digimon of Light pushed the fallen Kari back, who skidded a few feet away from the group, the attack even causing even the Dark Lady to look on with some surprise that Lightbearer Ophanimon was able to push back against her superior power.
It seemed that their hopes and theories were correct, with the power of all ten primordial fragments running through them, the heroes and heroines could now stand up to the Dark Lady herself.
In response, however, the dark aura around the leader of the Dark Tribe all but exploded outward, the dark energy pooling around the fallen Digidestined as she once more disappeared and reappeared with a blur, before giving Lightbearer Ophanimon a swift kick to her stomach, sending the Digimon of Light flying backwards, forcing her friends to avoid colliding with her as she slammed through several walls, through the outer wall and outside.
Quickly regaining her bearing as flew back through the opening, despite their new strength, Lightbearer Ophanimon now realized that the Dark Lady remained a powerful foe.
Though seeing the Digimon of Light receive such a powerful blow, the remaining heroes and heroines had little time to react as the Dark Lady then turned her focus on them and began to swing her dark energy scythe toward her enemies.
"Spiritual Spear Strike!"
"Wind Blades!"
"Blazing Blade!"
"Thorn Saber!"
"Victory Slasher!"
"Mythic Strike!"
"Skydive Force!"
"Sage Cutter!"
"Savage Slash!"
"Rhythmic Stream!"
Dodging and parrying the attacks, the Dark Lady tried to strike back against the assembled heroes and heroines, delivering swift kicks and strikes with the back of her scythe, sending many flying backward.
Closing in, the corrupt Kari grabbed Jeri by the wrist and threw her into BardMusimon's direction, this not only causing the brunette to not only take the brunt of the musical Appmon's attack, but to also slam into him as the duo collided with the wall behind them.
It was then the Dark Lady felt a large hand wrap around her waist, which then slammed her into another wall, the fallen Digidestined of Light looking with a growl as SacredPhoenixmon glared upon her, the Digimon of Love keeping her hand around the Dark Lady as she kept her pinned against the wall.
"Enough of this, Kari!" SacredPhoenixmon screamed, the combination of Sora and Biyomon furthering her expressed pain. "You are better than this! Don't let this sorrow, this rage consume your heart and turn you into something you are not! Come back to the kind girl we know you can be, the one Davis loved!"
"She was weak, useless!" The Dark Lady bellowed as the darkness around her increased, where SacredPhoenixmon felt the power pushing against her hand, before a shockwave of dark energy sent the Digimon of Love flying back and crashing to the ground below.
"She couldn't do anything to protect him, to save him when he needed her, I will never be that Kari again!" The Dark Kari declared as the fallen Kari stalked toward the damaged form of Sora and Biyomon, adding as he brought her scythe up to strike SacredPhoenixmon. "I will be what he needs me to be!"
Before the Dark Lady could strike, however, Lightbearer Ophanimon slammed into her with a powerful and emotional battle cry, sending both flying back and almost crashing into the throne as the fallen Kari pushed the Digimon of Light off of her, the pair glaring at one another with their blades drawn and ready.
"I can't let you do this… I won't let you ruin everything Davis believes in…" Lightbearer Ophanimon declared, panting lightly as she caught her breath, her gaze remaining determined and watching the corrupt Digidestined of Light glared back at her.
"I will not be told by some cheap imitation what to do." The Dark Lady spat back with a cold tone, her words causing the Digimon of Light and the other heroes and heroines to widen their eyes in shock.
"Is that how you justify everything you've done, all the horrors and crimes you have committed, by telling yourself we're not even real people?" Lightbearer Ophanimon questioned back.
"You are nothing but a thorn in my side and a constant reminder of how weak I was." The fallen Kari said in reply as she hovered above the Digidestined of Light, her scythe vanishing briefly as dark purple energy gathered in her hands.
"A reminder I will wipe from existence!" The Dark Lady then declared with a growing hatred in her voice.
"Diving Calling!" Lightbearer Ophanimon announced in reply as she cast forth a series of cosmic infused blasts upon the Dark Lady, who unleashed her own powerful blast of dark energy, the two beams colliding with one another and sending out another powerful shockwave from the disruptive energies.
"Fox Seal!" MysticSakuyamon quickly declared in response to the sudden uproar of light and darkness, forming a protective barrier around her and the others as Lightbearer Ophanimon and the Dark Lady continued in their conflict, their clash causing the walls on the throne room to crack and to slowly fall apart.
Breaking from their attacks a moment later, the Digimon of Light and the leader of the Dark Tribe continued to glare at one another as the Dark Lady's scythe returned to her hands.
Dropping her barrier, MysticSakuyamon and the remaining heroes and heroines prepared to join Lightbearer Ophanimon in the battle, which seemed to draw the attention of another.
Upon the pedestal, the golden orb began emitting an intense light, as though trying to get everyone's attention, only for its presence to be ignored as the battle continued.
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As the battle in the throne room raged on, down below within the ritual room, Mortismon's smirk grew at the sight before him.
"It's so beautiful…" The Primordial of Death remarked with a dark glee, watching as darkness continued to consume the bound Digidestined of Miracles, changing his form to look like a humanoid shadow with eerie green eyes, claw-like hands and a mouth that had rows of shadowy teeth, the creature that once was Davis Motomiya screaming in rage and agony as its mind was being torn apart by the dark energy forcing its way into him.
"Let go, Motomiya… let that rage consume you…" Mortismon said with delight, before declaring with a growing wicked smile. "Kill everything in this world and beyond, just so I don't have to feel hunger ever again!"
From the side, Charonmon watched in horror to see his plans and the Dark Lady's being ripped apart before his very eyes.
It was then that both Dark Digimon heard commotion from outside the dark barrier Charonmon had erected once the Dark Lady left the ritual site, a barrier that soon exploded, courtesy of a magical blast from Arcanadramon, with Samudramon, MedievalGallantmon and CrimsonAldamon defeating the last of the MarrowKnightmon which had attempted to stop the group as they then burst into the ritual room.
Upon entering, the heroes' eyes widened in shock and horror to see the restrained and writhing creature they believed to be Davis, before turning to see not only Charonmon, but another figure with him.
"Mortismon?!" Arcanadramon questioned, his tone of pure shock, with Samudramon, MedievalGallantmon and CrimsonAldamon quickly recognizing the Primordial of Death from not only the imagery they had seen throughout their journey, but from the vision Helios showed them of the Primordial Wars.
"Oh look, some of the losers have finally shown up, and the little runt went and grew up, how nice." Mortismon said with pure arrogance and mockery in his tone as he looked upon the intruders.
Hearing the Dark Digimon speak, Arcanadramon, Samudramon, MedievalGallantmon and CrimsonAldamon's eyes widened as they heard a familiar voice underneath Mortismon's twisted voice, now realizing that Sciophobimon and the Primordial of Death were one and the same, which lead the heroes to the same conclusion, that Mortismon was somehow responsible for most of what was happening in Witchelny.
Looking upon the runes on the ritual seal around Davis, Aracnadramon's eyes widened in shock, to which the arch mystic Digimon told his friends. "He has tampered with the ritual!"
"Quite correct, little lizard!" Mortismon said back with pride, before looking to Charonmon, who slowly backed up as the Death God Digimon looked at him with a grin.
"The ritual isn't quite finished yet, so why don't you be a good puppet and keep these losers busy for a while?" Mortismon then questioned as dark energy formed in his right claw and saying with a sinister smirk. "Consider this a parting gift."
The Primordial of Death then slammed his hand on to Charonmon's chest, sending a rush of dark energy into the dark mystic Digimon's chest, before Mortismon then disappeared in a dark mist.
Shocked by what they had just witnessed, Arcanadramon, Samudramon, MedievalGallantmon and CrimsonAldamon then watched as the dark energy consumed Charonmon's form, who cried out in pain as the darkness began to reshape his being, a sight the four heroes had seen many times before, knowing that the chief mystic of the Dark Tribe was going through a Dark Evolution.
When the evolution stopped and the darkness faded, the four heroes looked to see that Charonmon's entire appearance had changed.
While still keeping a humanoid shape and clad in dark robes, the dark mystic Digimon's hood was now gone, showing a skeletal-like face, one covered in eerie green flames as spine-like tendrils came out of his head like hair.
Meanwhile, a belt made of bone was wrapped around the Dark Digimon's waist as two bone chains came out on the sides, one connected to a sickle that rested in Charonmon's right hand, while the other connected to a bone lantern in the dark mystic's left hand, one glowing with an eerie green light as souls seemed to be screaming from the inside.
Shocked by their foe's transformation, CrimsonAldamon brought up the information from his D-Bracer to his mind's eye, reading off the info as he informed his friends. "WraithCharonmon, a Mega Level Digimon and powerful death mage."
"Charonmon has gained the power he has craved for so long." Arcanadramon remarked as he looked upon the warped dark mystic Digimon, before narrowing his eyes and telling his allies. "But at the cost of his very will, he is now a mere puppet to Mortismon."
With an inhuman shriek, WraithCharonmon's sickle suddenly ignited within eerie green flames, before the undead mystic Digimon threw his weapon toward Arcanadramon, Samudramon, MedievalGallantmon and CrimsonAldamon.
To counter the oncoming inferno, the Knight Digimon moved before his friends and declared. "Dynas Protection!"
However, upon the sickle colliding with MedievalGallantmon's barrier, the impact created a powerful shockwave which sent the four heroes skidding back a few feet as the red energy barrier shattered, this allowing the heroes to know that WraithCharonmon was indeed a terrible force to be reckoned with.
"Cross Slicer!"
"Noble Strike!"
"Blazing Sabers!"
Moving as a team, Samudramon, MedievalGallantmon and CrimsonAldamon rushed to strike at WraithCharonmon from all sides, the trio hoping to strike the undead mystic Digimon quickly.
In response, however, WraithCharonmon brought his bone lantern up as a surge of eerie green spirits emerged from the item and quickly surrounded their Master.
Forming a protective barrier, Samudramon, MedievalGallantmon and CrimsonAldamon's attacks bounced off of the spirits, which then lashed out and toward heroes, who moved and dodged as best they could from the assault.
"Arcane Wisdom!" Arcanadramon declared as his eyes glowed with cosmic light, before firing a series of cosmic energy blasts from his hands, which combined into a single beam of energy as it surged towards the undead mystic Digimon.
In retaliation, the spirits around WraithCharonmon converged around their Master, creating a massive barrier between the undead mystic and the attack launched at him, before Samudramon, MedievalGallantmon and CrimsonAldamon moved in to aid their friend in his battle.
"Rinkageki!"
"Rage of the Wyvern!"
"Arcane Inferno!"
Their attacks combining together, the trio's abilities joined Arcanadramon's as they slammed into WraithCharonmon's barrier, causing a massive explosion, before Samudramon, MedievalGallantmon and CrimsonAldamon moved next to Arcanadramon, each hoping that they had succeeded in defeating their foe.
However, a moment later, a powerful shockwave sent the smoke scattering as WraithCharonmon let out a shriek, the eerie green flames encompassing his entire form as the spirits poured out of the lantern and circled the death mystic Digimon, before shooting out and toward the four heroes as Samudramon, MedievalGallantmon and CrimsonAldamon tried to strike each of them down.
Likewise, in an attempt to strike down the strongest of his foes, WraithCharonmon then lunged at Arcanadramon with his sickle, the attack forcing the arch mystic Digimon on the defensive as he used his staff to block the attack, growling in frustration as he held his foe back.
As they continued to battle WraithCharonmon and his spirits, Arcanadramon, Samudramon, MedievalGallantmon and CrimsonAldamon briefly looked to the bound, corrupted and maddening form of Davis as their traumatized friend continued to writhe against his restraints, while the four heroes looked to see not only the last of Mortismon's power enter his corrupted form, but to see the stolen primordial energies leave their containers and be sucked into Davis' body, adding the same cosmic energy that now flowed in each of the heroes and heroines into the Digidestined of Miracles form on top of the corrupting energy of the Primordial of Death.
Gritting their teeth in frustration, Arcanadramon, Samudramon, MedievalGallantmon and CrimsonAldamon, knew that they had to defeat WraithCharonmon soon, or there would not be any hope of saving Davis from the corruption now afflicting him.
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Back within the throne room, the battle between the other heroes and heroines against the Dark Lady raged on, with the fallen Kari flying into the air as six dark purple energy spheres formed around her and unleashed a barrage of dark energy down at the group, who moved and dodged as best they could to avoid getting hit.
"Holy Judgement!"
"Sacred Flame!"
"Full Spirit Wave!"
"Arcane Twister!"
"Flaming Destruction!"
"Violet Blast!"
"Omni Force!"
"Thunder Force!"
"Ancient Blaze!"
"Gaia Link!"
"Golden Arrow!"
"Rhythmic Stream!"
launching their own attacks, the Digimon, Appmon and Digi-armoured humans fired their cosmic attacks upon the Dark Lady, while Jeri slammed her blade into the ground and brought her hands together, gathering energy and unleashing her own blast of cosmic energy, taking the form of a lion's head as it combined with the other attacks that were sent towards the fallen Kari.
In response, the Dark Lady brought her left hand up, forming her dark energy into a barrier to protect her from the combined might of the gathered heroes and heroines.
From her position however, the fallen Digidestined of Light grit her teeth as she held the cosmic power of her foes back.
However, feeling the strength of her enemies' working against her, the Dark Lady was forced to dispel her scythe and bring her right hand up, adding further power into her barrier as she held back the attacks sent her way.
Letting out their own mighty cries, Lightbearer Ophanimon, SacredPhoenixmon, MysticSakuyamon, GaleSilphymon, Jeri, Marcus, Yoshi, LordShoutmon, ShaolinArresterdramon, AncientMervamon, Sagemon, ShogunOujamon and BardMusimon put more power into their attacks, struggling against the Dark Lady's might as both sides tried to out do and overpower the other.
But with their cosmic power being stronger than the fallen Kari had anticipated, the dark barrier shattered and the Dark Lady was sent flying backward and then crashing into her throne, which broke apart as the leader of the Dark Tribe fell forward, her mask and helmet shattering and turning into shadows.
Taking a second to catch their breaths, the group of heroes and heroines remained cautious, slowly approaching to see if their enemy had been defeated, or if she was up to something else.
At the next moment, however, the corrupt Kari quickly got up with a sudden and loud scream, one of pain and of agony as she gripped her right arm, her body shaking as her cry startled the heroes and heroines, each wondering if their attacks had done more damage than they thought.
"Not now… not now…!" The Dark Lady repeated through the pain as her dark aura intensified, allowing her foes to know that this was not from their assault, but from something else entirely.
At the next moment, the fallen Kari let out a cry as her aura became unstable, lashing out in all directions and forcing the heroes and heroines to quickly dodge as the as tendrils of darkness strike in random directions, tearing through walls, statues and pillars, before receding back to the Dark Lady, where the aura stabilized as the fallen Digidestined of Light panted heavily.
Looking upon the leader of the Dark Tribe, Lightbearer Ophanimon's eyes widened as realization of what just happened hit her, the Digimon of Light telling her dark counterpart in a voice filled with concern. "That power… it's tearing you apart from the inside."
From Lightbearer Ophanimon's words, the heroes and heroines looked to their foe with shock and disbelief, seeing that the void power within the Dark Lady had been slowly destroying her over the past thousand years, and it was only now that the effects were becoming apparent.
The brief silence was then broken as Lightbearer Ophanimon and her friends heard a light, yet insane laugh come from the Dark Lady, looking to see her body trembling as slightly as she looked up at her counterpart with a deranged look on her face.
"It… It doesn't matter what happens to me… as long as Davis is back… nothing else matters…!" The fallen Kari replied with an insane smile, causing her foes to look worried and concerned, seeing that the corrupt Digidestined of Light was even willing to sacrifice herself to complete her goal.
Her eyes glowing a dark purple, the shadows reformed around the Dark Lady's head, turning back into her helmet and mask as her scythe returned to her hand, where she rushed towards Lightbearer Ophanimon, setting off the Digimon of Light as she and her other cosmic-infused allies met their foe head on.
"Striking Light!"
"Blazing Spear Strike!"
"Spiritual Spear Strike!"
"Wind Blades!"
"Blazing Blade!"
"Thorn Saber!"
"Victory Slasher!"
"Mythic Strike!"
"Skydive Force!"
"Sage Cutter!"
"Savage Slash!"
"Rhythmic Stream!"
Striking at the fallen Kari as a team, the heroes and heroines blocked and parried her strikes, with the Dark Lady keeping up her intense speed as she tried to strike down her foes once and for all.
But with her power becoming unstable once again, the Dark Kari grit her teeth as her response time slowed down, with some of her foes able to strike at her, inflicting a fair amount of pain upon her being.
Though their attacks were landing, the heroes and heroines noticed her aura becoming unstable once again, concerning them to no end.
Looking briefly toward the golden orb and seeing it flashing brightly, as if trying to speak to her, the fallen Digidestined of Light's mind was then filled with a rush of images, each of her Davis and his endearing smile, before ending with his death, a sight that caused her eyes to widen and her pupils to shrink.
With a loud cry, the Dark Lady then allowed her aura to explode once again, sending each of the heroes and heroines flying backwards with a cry, each quickly regaining their footing as they looked to see shadows and darkness swirling around the fallen Digidestined of Light.
"I can't stop… I won't stop… Davis is mine…!" The Dark Lady bellowed furiously as the darkness consumed her in a sphere of shadows, which then burst with such force that the entire room exploded.
Outside, as the allied forces continued to battle the Dark Tribe's army, the fighting stopped momentarily as all heard the loud explosion, looking upwards to see the top spire of the citadel erupt as darkness pushed the rubble aside.
When the dark energy passed, Lightbearer Ophanimon and the others looked around, seeing that instead of falling, the debris and rubble of the shattered throne room were floating around them, the dark energy that was released causing the damage to float around the ruined room.
It was then, however, that the group saw the Dark Lady once again, only now, her appearance had changed completely, shocking the heroes and heroines to no end.
In place of her armour was now a black silk bodysuit, covered with gold trimmings, with black silk cloth hanging from down her back waist, down her head and around her arms.
Her index fingers and thumbs had golden claws set upon them, with dark energy moving between the tips, while the gold trimming designs moved to two gold crescent moons that served as shoulder pads.
The fallen Kari's helmet and mask, meanwhile, had changed into the face of a demonic black bird, with two horns spreading out of the top and the other two spreading down below the face in a similar shape of ram horns.
Floating just a few inches behind the Dark Lady's head was a crescent moon arch, one with what looked like a small void rift floating at the center, with two spikes coming out at the side and a long black silk cloak that served as a cape for the leader of the Dark Tribe.
Finally, between the floating icon and the Dark Lady, pure darkness seemed to seep out, connecting the icon and its Mistress together as the shadows flowed out, forming a massive pair of wings as the fallen Digidestined looked down upon her enemies, her four eyes glowing with a dark purple light.
"My Davis will return as a God, and you will be the first sacrifices to his altar of ascension." The transformed Dark Lady declared in a distorted voice, the cosmic-infused heroes and heroines each feeling the increase in the fallen Kari's power as they prepared themselves, knowing that this battle was far from over and the Dark Kari's madness had only just begun.
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Author's note: The battle for Witchelny continues, with the Dark Lady no longer holding back, while Mortismon has empowered Charonmon to keep those who came to save Davis back. Will the heroes and heroines triumph? Stay tuned as the adventure continues.