Holy War

by Griff4823

The sequel to "A Dragon in Shining Armour". The Royal Knights secured victory, and peace set over the continent, but it isn't to last. The autocratic Metal Empire, a team of amoral mercenaries, and a mysterious Digimon in the shadows; it's up to the Order of the Royal Knights to intervene. Can they stop things from spiralling out of control, all while dealing with their own issues?

16. Chapter 12 Part 1: On War

(Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay! I was so busy writing new chapters that I put off proofreading this one. The good news is that I'm a good way ahead now.

By the way, from this chapter on, I'll be using the Japanese level system of Child, Adult, Perfect, and Ultimate, as opposed to Rookie, Champion, Perfect, and Ultimate. I want to be consistent. I think I said this before, but I also plan to go back into A Dragon in Shining Armour and Holy War at some point to change most (with a few exceptions) dub names into the original Japanese ones. That'll take some time, so I'm not sure when I'll get to that though.

Anyways here's the first part of Chapter 12. Read, review, and enjoy!)

---

Chapter 12: On War (Part I)

"Attention all passengers, we will soon be arriving at the Saversburg Rail Station. Please remain seated and enjoy the view until I come to a full and complete stop," the deep, soothing voice of a Locomon said.

Alphamon, Duftmon, UlforceVeedramon, and Sleipmon sat in one of the several train cars hitched to the Locomon. Alphamon and UlforceVeedramon sat beside one another. Behind them, Duftmon was sitting beside Sleipmon, who was in his Tyilinmon form so that he wouldn't be in the way of the other Digimon in the train car.

His Perfect-level body was that of a quadrupedal, mythical beast. He had a majestic set of white wings, and a long, flowing, gold tail. His long, equine legs donned light, brown pants along with black ankle leggings and boots that covered his hooves. Tyilinmon sat with his legs resting on the soft, green seat, and we wore over his body a set of green and teal armour. A soft smile rested on his beast like face, around which he had a fluffy, white and orange mane.

The Royal Knights shared the passenger car with several other Digimon, many of whom often looked over at them with interest.

Duftmon busied himself by quietly reading a book while Alphamon, UlforceVeedramon and Tyilinmon talked with one another.

"It's hard to get used to how big Saversburg is," Tyilinmon said, looking out the window at the large city ahead of them. He looked over at Alphamon. "It's about as large as New Terminal, isn't it?"

"Roughly," Alphamon responded. "It's possibly a bit bigger now."

UlforceVeedramon grinned and looked over the back of their seats. "What's it like coming back to your home city, Duftmon?" he asked him.

"I am reading," was Duftmon's uninterested response, not even looking up from his book.

The white and azure dragon man chuckled and turned to Tyilinmon. "Your hometown of Ocean Cove is a ways north from Saversburg, right, Tyilin-chan?" he asked with a curious smile.

Tyilinmon flushed with embarrassment at the cutesy name. "Just call me 'Sleipmon' like you usually do, Ulforce," he told him. "And it's a few hours by hoof; I wouldn't have time to go there."

"That's too bad," UlforceVeedramon said. "What about those ancient ruins you used to guard? Are they still there?"

Tyilinmon ducked his head. "Um… Yes?" he offered sheepishly. "I guess I'd like to check on them sometime soon…"

The dragon man nodded. He leaned back against his broad wings and thought to himself. "How long's it been since you visited home?" he wondered.

"I last went during the Month of Vajramon of last year, for the Winter Festival," Tyilinmon explained, smiling a little. "Come to think of it, I was hoping that I might be able to show you all around Ocean Cove sometime. It's a beautiful city."

"Won't we freeze our butts off?" UlforceVeedramon asked him jokingly.

"It's only cold in the winter months," Tyilinmon assured him.

UlforceVeedramon gave the qilin a grin over the back of his seat. "Says the guy who has a thick layer of fur and frequently creates blizzards," he pointed out teasingly. "I'm not so lucky."

"I've been to Ocean Cove a couple times and it is quite nice," Alphamon explained to UlforceVeedramon. "I wouldn't mind doing that once we find the time, Sleipmon."

Tyilinmon smiled wider at this and nodded. "I don't think Examon's been there," he mused, thinking to himself with excitement at the prospect.

"I haven't either," UlforceVeedramon said. "But I'd go if it makes you happy, Tyilin-chan." He winked at Tyilinmon.

Tyilinmon shot him a look of annoyed embarrassment. "'Sleipmon'," he insisted. He sighed and jumped down from his seat to stand in the aisle between the rows of seats. "Well, we're almost there and I promised a few Digimon some autographs, so…" The chimera-like beast began to glow and, within the faint light, he grew back into his larger, six-legged Sleipmon form.

Sleipmon arched his back and stretched his arms before looking around the passenger car. "Who did I promise autographs to again?" he asked, pulling out a charcoal pencil that he often had handy.

As Digimon clamoured to get their autographs, UlforceVeedramon chuckled and turned his attention to Duftmon. "So, you really have no feelings about visiting Saversburg or the academy again?" he asked him.

"Not in particular," Duftmon responded, flipping a page of his book. "I don't have any real sentimental attachment towards either."

"I find that hard to believe given how much you mention it," UlforceVeedramon pointed out, grinning at the amount of times Duftmon held his intellectualism over their heads.

Duftmon glanced up at the dragon knight with his green eyes. "I take pride in my education. I was able to improve my abilities there. That is all, really," he explained. "I don't have much opinion on visiting there; we're only going in order to help further our goals."

"It's weird hearing that after the way Sleipmon spoke with such reverence for his hometown," the azure Royal Knight mused. He smirked at Duftmon. "You two are really nothing alike."

"I would have thought that was obvious from the instant you met us," Duftmon dryly responded.

"True…" UlforceVeedramon agreed. "Sleipmon's nice and you're…"

Alphamon gave UlforceVeedramon a disapproving look. "Ulforce…"

"Hey, it's not like he doesn't know that he's mean," UlforceVeedramon defended.

"Hmph," Duftmon breathed, closing the book and placing it in the storage pouch under the window as the Locomon decelerated.

They arrived in the large, thriving city of Saversburg. The city itself was vast and populated by numerous different Digimon. The landscape around the city was characterized by rolling, bright green, grasslands and modest hills.

The most striking feature outside of the city itself was the three waterfalls that fell straight from the sky. They were located on the outskirts of the city and the bases of the three waterfalls formed streams that eventually came together into a large river that curved around the north edge of the city. The river flowed into a large lake that further split into two branching streams that went around opposite sides of a hill. The sky waterfalls had a slight funnel shape and they were beautiful to behold as they plunged all the way from the sky to the ground. The washed down in a cascade of water and mist that seemed to produce a constant rainbow.

Apart from this, Saversburg was a very modern city. It was newer than New Terminal but it developed quickly. It had technology almost similar to Facture's but it wasn't quite so advanced, rigid, uniform, or industrial. It was home to all sorts of different Digimon, being the cosmopolitan place that it was.

The Locomon chugged gently into the city, releasing a low hoot of steam to announce his arrival. They passed by numerous buildings as they made their way to the rail station.

Duftmon glanced up and looked out the window as they pulled into the station.

"Attention all passengers, we have arrived in the independent city of Saversburg," Locomon spoke to his passengers as a final puff of steam was released. "Thank you for taking Locomon Rail. I sincerely hope that you enjoy your stay."

Sleipmon finished up his autographs and then moved to the side to allow the other Digimon in the passenger car to leave before the Royal Knights did. The four knights waited for a minute, and then the metal carriage was empty, they stood up and headed for the door.

"So, Duftmon," UlforceVeedramon said with a smile. He stood to his feet and stretched his legs before looking at the brown Royal Knight. "Are you going to show us your big, fancy estate?"

"No," Duftmon replied succinctly, readjusting the red sash around his waist and beginning to head towards the door.

"Come on," the cobalt dragon man urged him. "You're the aristocratic class! Make a good impression and spoil us with food!"

"I'd rather not," Duftmon spoke, walking off the Locomon and into the busy station.

Sleipmon smiled and walked beside Alphamon. "Do you think the intellectuals at the academy will be able to help us?" he asked Alphamon.

"I sure hope so," Alphamon responded. "I would rather that we didn't waste a trip." He frowned as they followed Duftmon and UlforceVeedramon into the station. "And if they aren't able to think of a solution, we may be in trouble…"

Sleipmon nodded. "I'm sure they will be able to," he assured him optimistically. He trotted off the locomotive and made his way onto the platform on his six hooves. He then followed the three Royal Knights out of the station and into a wide road, allowing Duftmon to lead the way to the Xuanwumon University.

---

After about twenty minutes of walking, Duftmon led the Royal Knights up to the university on the outskirts of the city.

Being one of the foremost academies on the continent, the university was massive. It took up nearly a kilometer of land including the grounds. The academy was a single, expansive building with many different branches and wings. It had a classical design complete with white, stone arches and colonnades.

However, the academy gardens were far more expansive than the building itself. They were more beautiful as well. The gardens were green and decorated with all sorts of different flowers. There were paths leading every which way, and there was plenty of space for scholars to wander. Throughout the gardens were many stone benches and even a few small, semi-circular amphitheatres for open-air lectures. There were also many statues and sculptures placed throughout the gardens, created by some of the finest craftsmons.

The four Royal Knights walked through the front gardens as they made their way to the building's entrance, passing by a large statue of the mysterious founder of the school – a Baalmon who apparently knew Xuanwumon well. They walked over a footbridge that passed over a Digimon-made stream, which trickled tranquilly through the gardens before flowing north into the river.

"It's beautiful here," Sleipmon said, looking around happily. "It's so peaceful."

Alphamon nodded and admired the pleasant scenery as well. "Yet, we just left the bustling Saversburg a few minutes ago. It's like walking into a different world."

"A world isolated from the world around it," Duftmon spoke to himself, walking forward on the path.

"Pardon?" Alphamon asked, looking ahead at the tactician.

"Nothing, Alphamon," Duftmon responded, just focusing on the building ahead of him.

Sleipmon increased his canter a bit to walk up beside Duftmon. "I guess you must have some friends here, right, Duftmon?" he asked him.

"I have some colleagues who still work here," Duftmon answered. "I often read their publications and write counterarguments and responses to their works."

UlforceVeedramon leaned over and whispered to Alphamon. "I'm starting to think that they might not be happy to see him," he joked.

"We'll see," Alphamon responded as they began to walk up the marble step and go through the stone arcade that led to the building's entrance.

The group of four Royal Knights walked inside the building and found themselves in a highly ornate lobby. The marble floor glistened with reflected light – it looked like it had been recently cleaned. The interior architecture was patterned and decorative to give the lobby an attractive appearance. On the opposite side of the lobby, there was a front desk where a Lilimon receptionist was seated and looking at a small monitor.

On each wall there was a large, open gap that led to large halls. These passages led to different parts of the academy. Like the lobby, the spacious passages were adorned with marble flooring as well.

"Do you know where the academy head is?" UlforceVeedramon asked Duftmon.

Duftmon nodded. "Unless they moved things around, it should be ahead. On the other side of the peristyle," he explained.

UlforceVeedramon blinked. "The what?"

Duftmon looked at him blandly. "The inner courtyard," he explained slowly so that UlforceVeedramon would understand.

"Then just say that," he responded with a grin. "We didn't all go here."

The tactician rolled his eyes and started to walk across the lobby to the hall opposite to the entrance.

"I should clear it with the receptionist first," Alphamon stated, walking over to the Lilimon behind the desk.

Sleipmon smiled and walked up to Duftmon and UlforceVeedramon, who were making their way to the hallway. "It sure is nice. This place must have some rich benefactors."

"I suppose it does," Duftmon stated. "Monarchs, nobles, wealthy merchants, guilds, patrons of the arts and sciences, and Digimon who want highly skilled Digimon working for them… They all contribute. Sometimes Digimon who previously attended here do so as well."

"That explains why it looks like a palace," UlforceVeedramon noted.

Alphamon caught up with the three knights as they walked down the wide hall. "She said that we could meet with the academy head now," he informed them.

Duftmon nodded as they continued through the passage. "Let's head straight there, then. The sooner we detail our request the sooner—don't touch that, UlforceVeedramon—the sooner they can begin to gather a group to devise a solution to the Dark Area problem."

UlforceVeedramon innocently removed a hand from near one of the statues that they were passing. "And how are they going to do that? Have a conference where they brainstorm ideas? Each come up with an idea ahead of time and then debate them?" he challenged. "Getting a lot of brilliant Digimon together to solve a problem… either way, I predict a lot of debating and not a lot of action."

Duftmon shot him a look. "The entire point of this exercise is to get them to debate. If we can get them to propose ideas and then challenge them, then that should lead to the most successful solution to our problem," he explained.

"Or it'll lead to an endless argument between Digimon who think they're right and are too proud to think otherwise," UlforceVeedramon suggested with a grin.

"That's a bit cynical, Ulforce," Sleipmon said to him.

"There's going to be ego involved," UlforceVeedramon insisted. "And I don't want to end up wasting time that we might not have. We need to fix the barrier. I don't want us to sit on our hands for too long."

Alphamon frowned. "I'd like to think that they'll be able to put ego aside when they realise what's at stake," he mused as they approached the end of the hallway. "And if Imperialdramon, Anubismon, and Plutomon can't think of a decisive way to fix the barrier, then we have to rely on these exceptionally-clever Digimon."

"And if they can't think of a decisive way either?" UlforceVeedramon asked him.

"Then we'll just have to go with the least terrible option and hope for the best," Alphamon said, walking through a doorway and stepping out into the sunlight.

The Royal Knights stepped out into a courtyard in the middle of the academy. It was open-air to allow sunlight to shine down from above. In the center, there was a small garden with benches and a fountain. It was surrounded by the academy building on all sides, and around the perimeter was a covered colonnade.

Following Duftmon's lead, the Royal Knights walked around the garden and proceeded to the other side, walking inside the building once again. They reached the door on the other side and walked in, finding themselves in a T-shaped intersection of halls.

"It is right ahead," Duftmon told the others, beginning to walk ahead, towards the hallway directly in front of them.

However, something caught the corner of his eye, causing him to suddenly stop and turn his head. His eyes widened ever-so-slightly when he saw a familiar form heading towards them.

"Duftmon?" Alphamon asked, wondering why he stopped. He, along with Sleipmon and UlforceVeedramon, turned to see what he was looking at.

Walking up the passage to their left was a bipedal Digimon. He had a humanoid form that looked like a dark samurai. The Digimon was clad in black plate armour that had gold trimming and a red flame design which crept up the metal plating. He wore the armour over most of his upper body, his shoulders, his boots, and his gauntlets. He also wore a facemask and a sturdy helmet – a kabuto – which contained a similarly intimidating design. On the forehead of the helmet was a golden crest which consisted of a long, pointed spike, and two, flame-like, ornamental plates that jutted out along the sides of his helmet. The armour covered his face so that all that could be seen of him were his pensive, monochrome, yellow eyes.

The warrior Digimon had unarmoured points along his biceps and abdomen, which were covered by a tight, white fabric. They were the same colour as his loose-fitting pants that covered his legs. Additionally, around his waist was a burgundy cloth with a fuzzy, crimson trimming, buckled together by a shimmering, emerald orb, backed against a red, flame-like buckle. Beneath this fabric flowed a second cloth – it was long, dark blue, and thinner than the burgundy one.

The more striking feature of the Digimon was the thick, metal shaft that jutted from his back. Connected to the hunk of metal was a pair of cannons, one on each side. They were shoulder-mounted cannons, but they seemed to be turned back, pointing at the floor behind him, to indicate that they were in a resting position. The other thing connected to the Digimon's back was the long, black cape that hung from his shoulders. The cape had a deep, red interior that coordinated with the crimson colouring all over his body.

The cape flowed behind him with every echoing step. Light from the windows of the courtyard caused his armour to shimmer as he unwittingly walked towards Duftmon and the others. He didn't initially notice them, as he was so focused on the book that he was reading in his hand. However, as he grew closer, he became aware of the Digimon in front of him.

The Tactimon looked up from his books and stopped in his tracks when he spotted Duftmon.

Duftmon stared at the Digimon who was half a head taller than he was. "Tactimon…" he acknowledged.

"D-Duftmon…" Tactimon responded, taken off guard by seeing Duftmon.

UlforceVeedramon looked between Duftmon and Tactimon curiously. "You two know each other?" he asked.

"I suppose you must be a friend of Duftmon's?" Alphamon asked, looking at Tactimon.

Tactimon closed the book in his hand and rubbed the back of his neck with the other. "Something like that, I suppose you could say…" he noncommittally answered.

"Not exactly," Duftmon responded, folding his arms and looking away. "We are colleagues, Alphamon. It is important to be accurate."

Tactimon rolled his eyes. "I see that you haven't changed much, Duftmon," he observed. "Not that I expected you to."

Duftmon's green eyes darted over to meet with Tactimon's gold ones. "What is your reasoning?" he asked him.

"You're still as impersonal as ever. I'm willing to bet that that's not the only thing about you that's stayed the same," Tactimon stated. "You have always been resistant to change."

"I wonder just how much you have changed yourself, Tactimon," Duftmon countered challengingly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Alphamon, Sleipmon, and UlforceVeedramon looked between each other uncomfortably. They could sense an atmosphere of tension between the two tacticians.

Tactimon turned away from Duftmon and looked at his three companions. "I'm sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Tactimon, leading specialist in military studies and the commander of Saversburg's army," he greeted formally, extending his hand. "You must be Alphamon, UlforceVeedramon, and Sleipmon of the Royal Knights."

"Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Tactimon," Alphamon responded, shaking his hand briefly before letting go and allowing the other two to shake it as well. "So, you're a fellow tactician?"

"Indeed I am," Tactimon stated as he finished shaking Sleipmon's hand. "Duftmon and I were students together before we both became scholars. We had many of the same mentors and we debated quite regularly. We've known each other for quite some time."

"Is that so? " Sleipmon mused, briefly looking over at Duftmon. "I could tell that you two know each other quite well, but… you never mentioned him, Duftmon."

"That's because Duftmon is Duftmon," Tactimon responded with an ironic smile.

"I would thank you not to speak for me, Tactimon," Duftmon told him, shooting him a sideways leer.

"My apologies," Tactimon spoke, folding his arms behind his back. "May I ask what it is you're all doing here?"

"We've come here to speak with the academy head," Alphamon responded.

Tactimon looked at them inquisitively. "The academy head?" the demon man Digimon asked. "If there is some sort of information that you need, perhaps I could help."

"We need to speak to the academy head in order to get their authority," the Lord of the Empty Seat explained.

"Her authority?" Tactimon inquired curiously.

Duftmon rolled his eyes. "Oh, you had might as well tell him, Alphamon. He is going to be involved in the process anyways," he explained. "It is better to tell him now so that he has some time to let it to sink it."

Tactimon arched an eyebrow, ignoring the insult. "I am?" he inquired.

Duftmon nodded. "While you are lacking in many areas, you do have some talents that could be useful to us," he told him, folding his arms.

The black-armoured tactician stared at Duftmon blandly. "It's unlike you to be so complimentary," he deadpanned. "I will take it, however."

"A compliment mixed with an insult is the best you can hope for," UlforceVeedramon said with a laugh.

Alphamon smiled. "Come, Tactimon. Why don't you show us to the academy head's office and we'll tell you the details on the way?"

Tactimon nodded and walked ahead, turning the corner to the left and leading them down the hall that they had been facing when they entered. "Right this way, Royal Knights…"

---

Unbeknownst to the Royal Knights, there was activity at the western edge of Saversburg's territory, just over fifty kilometers away from the city itself. There was a river there called the Champion River – a tributary that flows into the Rust River – that served as a natural border between Saversburg's territory, the Dual Chess Monarchies, and the Mamemon Kingdom.

Marching up the Saversburg-side of the Champion River was a large group of the Metal Empire's D-Brigade soldiers. There were about fifty of them: roughly forty ground troops with a contingent of ten aerial Digimon. They were mostly Child and Adult level, but there was also a handful of Perfect Digimon and a few Ultimates as well. Characteristic for the D-Brigade, they advanced in disciplined formation. However, the aerial Digimon flew in a staggered configuration so as to strategically cover the advancing force, as well as to scout.

While the team followed the river, they didn't march too close, so that the mechanized Digimon among them didn't have to navigate the soft, muddy terrain. Instead, they travelled on a semi-used path that went along the base of a long hill.

Leading the team from the front were two Digimon who set the pace for the march: Commanders Raijinmon and Suijinmon.

Raijinmon raised his metal hand to block the sunlight from his vision as he looked up at the two Megadramon and Gigadramon scouts ahead of them.

Beside him, Suijinmon trudged forwards on his heavy limbs, his feet thumping against grassy dirt beneath him. His eyes turned towards his golden companion pensively. "Raijinmon…" he said levelly to the Thunderclap Commander. "You didn't need to accompany me on this mission. Shouldn't you be busy with your own preparations?"

"This is an advance team, Suijinmon," Raijinmon responded succinctly to the large, red quadruped. "There are still weeks before we begin the actual invasion. I have plenty of time."

Suijinmon frowned thoughtfully. "But still. You should use this time for better purposes. I can handle things here," he advised.

"I have to be sure. A lot depends on our capture of the bridge spanning this river," Raijinmon explained, gesturing to the rushing river nearby. "It connects the Mamemon Kingdom to Saversburg. If we capture, it, we can prevent the Mamemon from getting supplies or reinforcements should Saversburg decide to sympathise with them."

"You don't have to tell me of its strategic importance," Suijinmon responded with a hint of indignation, as if he had been insulted. "Do you not trust me with the capture of a simple, unguarded bridge?"

"Of course I do," Raijinmon assured him, placing his hand on Suijinmon's shoulder, in between the mounted cannons. "I just like to oversee things personally."

"You mean you want to take joint credit for the success," Suijinmon mumbled, looking away.

Raijinmon looked at his fellow commander. "Would you like me to go?" he asked him kindly.

Suijinmon sighed. "No, stay. I don't mind," he answered, feeling a bit guilty. He tilted his head to the side, as if to try to look behind him. "Do they look like they need a rest?" he asked, gesturing to the troops behind him.

Due to the four batteries mounted on his shoulders, Raijinmon was forced to turn around completely in order to see behind him. He walked backwards for a few moments as he observed the troops before pivoting his body around again. "They look fine for now."

"Good," the Waterfall Commander answered stoically. "I don't want to push them too hard."

Raijinmon chuckled a little as he strode beside his bulkier comrade. "Suijinmon, they would follow you into the Fields of Fire if you asked them to."

Suijinmon frowned. "I wouldn't ask them to do that. That would be foolish," he responded.

"It was an expression. I mean they're loyal to you," Raijinmon explained, rolling his eyes.

Still plodding alongside Raijinmon, Suijinmon nodded. "All D-Brigade soldiers are loyal," he reasoned.

"To varying degrees… Do you think my soldiers are as loyal to me as yours are to you?" Raijinmon asked him

Suijinmon nodded again. "I like to think so," he answered. "You're a good leader, Raijinmon. Have more faith in yourself."

Raijinmon shook his head. "That isn't the issue. I may be a good leader, but I'm too professional. You're more like a friend to your soldiers. You know many of them individually and you're always concerned about their wellbeing."

"Of course," Suijinmon answered. "The military is like any other machine in Facture; it needs to be looked after and maintained down to the smallest cog. A happy military is an effective military."

"And that's what makes you a good Commander," Raijinmon told him. However, the gold cyborg walked closer to Suijinmon and leaned in. "Just… make sure that Chaosdramon thinks they're more loyal to him than they are to you… You know what he's like when he's threatened."

Suijinmon blinked with surprise at these seemingly unexpected words. "Of course! There is absolutely no doubt in my mind as to who they should be loyal to! I would never do anything to undermine Emperor Chaosdramon's authority!" he whispered back fiercely. "Where did that come from, Raijinmon?"

"It's just advice. I know how fiercely loyal you are," Raijinmon responded, trying to placate him. "I think the Emperor does too. It's just something worth bearing in mind."

"Then perhaps you should tell Fujinmon instead of me," Suijinmon told him with a huff. "He is the one always making strange, subversive comments."

"He isn't that bad," Raijinmon said with a grin.

Suijinmon frowned deeply. "I am just worried he will make Emperor Chaosdramon distrust him," he explained, a trace of concern in his deep, calm voice. "I would hate for Fujinmon to come under suspicion."

"Fujinmon isn't stupid," Raijinmon assured him. "He knows the proper way for a Storm Commander to act."

The bulky, crimson cyborg Digimon nodded. "This is not appropriate travelling conversation. Let's talk about the matter at hand," the Waterfall Commander spoke.

"Very well…" Raijinmon said with a smile. "We are in Saversburg's territory. What happens if their military shows up?"

"Hopefully, it won't come to that and we will be on the Mamemon Kingdom's side of the bridge by then," Suijinmon responded.

"If it does come to that?" Raijinmon asked, still with a touch of levity to his voice. "Since I'm just a tagalong right now, I'll defer to your orders."

"Then we will say that we got lost during a training exercise," Suijinmon answered. "If diplomatic efforts fail and we're met with enough resistance, then we will respond with force."

Raijinmon nodded and folded his arms. "Then let's hope it won't come to that."

"Indeed. We don't need to make an enemy out of Saversburg. We just need to covertly pass through their territory," Suijinmon agreed. He glanced up and he saw one of his aerial soldiers, a Megadramon, returning from scouting. He raised one of his long, heavy Accel Arms to command the advance force to stop.

The serpentine dragon flew down and stopped in front of Suijinmon and Raijinmon, saluting them both. "Commander," he greeted.

"Megadramon, how do things look up ahead?" Suijinmon asked him, saluting in response.

"It looks clear, Commander," the Megadramon explained. "Not a Digimon in sight. The bridge should be another twenty five or so kilometers from here."

Suijinmon nodded. "We can reach it in a few hours. Good work, Megadramon," he told the scout. "Please take your place back in formation."

The Megadramon smiled and nodded. "Yes, Commander," he complied willingly, saluting and then turning around to retake his place at the vanguard of the advance force.

"Things are running smoothly so far," Raijinmon observed, beginning to walk again.

Suijinmon nodded and started to plod along as well. "Yes… For now, at least."

---

Tactimon led the Royal Knights to the end of the spacious, marble hallway, where a large set of opened doors stood. Above the pair of doors was a plaque which had digi-letters engraved in it. It read, "Mistress Babamon – Academy Head of the Xuanwumon University of Saversburg."

"Here it is," Tactimon told the group of four as he led them inside. Within the doors was a small waiting area with a few seats for guests to sit in while they waited to be greeted. However, there was a door on the opposite side of the room which was wide open. A pair of voices could be heard talking from inside.

Alphamon raised an eyebrow and looked towards the door. "That's strange. The receptionist said that she was available to see us now," he said.

"Maybe it's just somebody from the academy," Sleipmon suggested.

Duftmon nodded. "Most likely. We can just make ourselves known and wait, if need be," he stated.

Tactimon looked at the Royal Knights. "Before we go in, I take it that Duftmon has warned you all?" he asked them.

Alphamon frowned. "Warned us?" he inquired. "About what?"

UlforceVeedramon glanced at Sleipmon. "I don't like the sound of this…" he muttered. He looked over his shoulder and wing to Duftmon. "What haven't you told us?"

"I don't recall missing anything particularly important…" Duftmon responded, folding his arms and furrowing his brows in thought at what he could have missed.

Tactimon rolled his eyes. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you missed this issue, Duftmon. Well, I guess you'll see," he stated, walking towards the door. "She can be rather a handful."

Alphamon nodded and walked beside the black-armoured tactician. The other three Royal Knights followed them.

Tactimon entered the office first. Inside, there was a large desk standing in front of a big, glass window that allowed light to flood into the room. There were beautiful pictures on the wall that were crafted by artists that learned their craft in the academy. The items on the desk were fairly standard. There was paper, quills, ink, notebooks, ledger books, and other such things.

Sitting behind the desk, on seat that could be pneumatically adjusted up and down for height, was a short, elderly Digimon in nice, traditional finery. The Babamon stood on the comfortable chair, holding a broom in one hand. She faced a much taller Digimon, who she was chatting amicably with.

The Digimon that she was talking to was none other than Gaioumon, the sitting advisor to the Council of Seven.

Alphamon raised an eyebrow when he saw Gaioumon there. He hadn't been anticipating seeing him here. "Gaioumon?" he asked.

Both Babamon and Gaioumon turned upon noticing the five Digimon begin to make their way into the office.

"Ah, Alphamon," Gaioumon greeted with a polite bow. It was as if he was not surprised at all to see the Royal Knights there. "It's been some time, Tactimon, Duftmon."

"I suppose it has, Gaioumon. I wasn't expecting you," Tactimon responded briefly, before turning to look at the academy head. "Mistress Babamon? Are we interrupting?"

Babamon looked over with extreme interest. "Not at all, Tactimon!" she exclaimed, sizing up each of the four Royal Knights with a sultry grin. "My, what's this…? Four dashing men to go along with this one?" she asked, gesturing to Gaioumon with the end of her broom. "What a lucky girl I am."

"R-Rather…" Gaioumon mumbled, glancing off to the side in an uncharacteristic bout of sheepishness.

Alphamon, Sleipmon, and UlforceVeedramon exchanged looks of uncertainty. "Erm, thank you for seeing us, Mistress Babamon," Alphamon politely greeted.

"Not at all!" she energetically spoke. "It's a pity I don't get to see more of you all…" she suggestively added.

Duftmon stepped forwards, either unperturbed or unaware of the flirting. "Mistress Babamon?" he greeted, walking in front of the larger knights in order to make himself known.

"Ah~! Duftmon!" Babamon declared, turning to face him. "I recognize that rippling, blond hair and those mesmerizing green eyes anywhere! It's been a long time since you've last visited. Ah, you're one of our greatest success stories, going off to join the prestigious Royal Knights."

Tactimon gave Duftmon a sideways look, studying his response.

"I am inclined to agree," Duftmon responded. "Anyways, we've come to speak with you." He looked over at Gaioumon with curiosity. "What is Gaioumon doing here?"

"I did attend here too," Gaioumon answered in a level tone. "I had heard that you were coming here, so in light of our recent alliance, the Council thought that it would be a good idea for me to come and represent the Council of Seven."

"Indeed!" Babamon agreed. "This attractive, young samurai was telling me all about the potential crisis with the Dark Area!"

"Has he?" Alphamon asked, looking at Gaioumon. "Thank you, Gaioumon."

Gaioumon gave a small, calm smile and nodded. "Of course. I hope I haven't inadvertently stepped on your toes by starting without you," he diplomatically told him.

Before Duftmon could say anything, Alphamon spoke up. "Not at all. We appreciate the help of an articulate Digimon like yourself."

"It isn't as though we need it," Duftmon muttered under his breath.

Both Sleipmon and Tactimon had heard the comment, and they looked at the tactician knight disapprovingly.

Gaioumon either didn't hear or was unaffected. "I'm glad to hear that, Alphamon," the white-haired dragon man politely responded. "I have just been telling Mistress Babamon about the nature of the Dark Area problem."

Babamon nodded and tapped the blunt end of her broom against the floor. "He has! Gaioumon has told me all about the weakened Dark Area barrier and the dark rifts that have been appearing here and there," she told them.

"I was simply laying the groundwork for your proposal," Gaioumon informed the Royal Knights. "We were just getting there."

Tactimon folded his arms. "Ah, yes. That," he said, thinking to himself.

Duftmon looked over at Tactimon. "You are aware of the state of the Dark Area?" he asked the dark-armoured tactician.

"I have heard about the fractures in the barrier appearing in various places around the Digital World, yes," Tactimon explained. "It started around the time that DarkKnightmon incident began."

"I see you have done your homework," Duftmon mused, closing his eyes. "To be expected of you."

"Of course. I need to compete with you, after all," Tactimon explained, glancing at the leopard knight.

Sleipmon looked between the two Digimon curiously, wondering what their relationship was.

"Hm. Anyway… The subject at hand?" Duftmon put forward, wanting to get back on track.

"Ah yes! Well, you strapping knights had better fill me in! Ahahah!" the academy head laughed to herself. She then looked specifically at UlforceVeedramon. "Why don't you come a little closer, dearie?"

UlforceVeedramon gulped and reluctantly did so, making his way over to stand rigidly between Gaioumon and Tactimon. Sleipmon stifled a smile.

Alphamon looked over at Duftmon. "Would you like to explain it, Duftmon?" he asked the leopard knight, since it was his university.

Duftmon glanced at Alphamon. "Hm? Oh, no. Go ahead, Alphamon. You are the leader, after all," he responded.

"Very well. Mistress Babamon, we were hoping that you would be able to help us with this problem," Alphamon told her. "We would be extremely grateful for your bountiful assistance. I have no doubt that a wise and qualified lady such as yourself would be tremendous asset to our cause."

"Oh my, Alphamon," Babamon said, blushing and fanning herself with her broom. "The stories of your gentlemonly charm are true. Such a polite and dashing Digimon. Of course I would love to help! With what, exactly?"

"We want to use this academy to bring together some of the foremost minds of the Digital World. The purpose is to come up with a solution to the deterioration of the Dark Area's barrier," Alphamon explained. "The logic behind it is that a handful of brilliant minds together in an environment such as this should be able to more efficiently find a solution. Those like Duftmon, Tactimon, and Gaioumon, here, for example."

"Ah, I see. That makes sense," the academy head mused, nodding her head. "Focused brainstorming sessions."

Duftmon folded his arms. "Actually, I am going to have to forgo the conference," he informed them. "I am very busy and my skills are better served dealing with practical issues. My duty as a Royal Knight comes before anything else, and I fear my talents would be wasted taking part in this."

"What?!" Tactimon asked incredulously, staring at the Royal Knight. "You aren't serious…"

Gaioumon eyed him as well. "'Wasted'? That doesn't exactly inspire confidence with regards to the eventual effectiveness of this idea. Is this a waste of time?"

"Duftmon, I really was assuming that you would be there," Alphamon said to him diplomatically. "It's important for the Royal Knights to have somebody at the table."

"Imperialdramon Paladin Mode will be there. Surely you trust him to represent our interests," Duftmon answered. He then turned his gaze over to Gaioumon. "And my personal lack of interest in participating has nothing to do with my opinion that this is an important thing to do. I believe that it will be effective. Debating the structure and the possible ways to restore the Dark Area's barrier is simply something that I don't have time to deal with."

Sleipmon frowned. "Duftmon, that's kind of unreasonable. If you can't be bothered to help, then why should anybody else be bothered to either?" he asked him.

Duftmon shot Sleipmon a look. "Have you forgotten our current diplomatic situation with regards to the Metal Empire?" he asked him. "Do you honestly believe that nothing will come of that? The Order will need me around."

"I know, but… I'm sure we can manage," Sleipmon insisted.

Gaioumon raised an eyebrow. "So, I take it relations with the Metal Empire are deteriorating further," he observed.

Tactimon shook his head and folded his arms. "That sounds like a convenient excuse," he stated pointedly. "You just don't want to take part, do you?"

Duftmon leered at Tactimon. "Pardon?" he challenged.

The black armoured tactician returned his gaze. "The real reason is that you think that you're too good to debate with the rest of us. You look down your nose at everybody but yourself. You always have, Duftmon," he said firmly, leering at Duftmon. "But the truth is that you don't have an answer to this Dark Area problem, do you?"

Duftmon didn't respond. He merely narrowed his eyes and glared straight into Tactimon's.

"Alright, alright! That's enough, boys," Babamon stated, prodding them both with her broom. She looked at the other Royal Knights. "They always used to get like this - arguing over everything! Their debates could become quite impassioned!"

"Duftmon has that effect on people, eh, Tactimon?" UlforceVeedramon teased him with a grin.

Tactimon merely folded his arms and glanced away noncommittally.

"We're sorry about this, Mistress Babamon," Alphamon apologized. "We really do have every confidence in the idea."

The academy head nodded. "I know. I still fully intend to go along with it," she assured him. The elderly Digimon then looked at Duftmon. "And we will be fine without you, Duftmon. Don't worry about it."

Duftmon nodded. "Very well. Perhaps somebody from the academy can record each session so that we can be kept up to date." He glanced at Gaioumon. "That can extend to the Council of Seven, as well."

"Not a bad idea," Gaioumon responded.

Alphamon placed his hands on his hips. "So, how should we set this up?" he asked aloud.

"Oh, you can leave all of that to me, Alphamon!" Mistress Babamon exclaimed, extending her broom and tickling Alphamon's chin with the brush end of it. "I'll find all of the Digimon that you need and arrange everything. I'm the academy head for a reason, you know! Ahahahaaaaah!"

Initially stunned, Alphamon felt a bead of sweat drip down the back of his head but he managed a smile anyways. "Then I'll leave it in your capable hands…" he told her. "However, please keep in mind that this isn't information that we want to become common knowledge. We don't want to risk somebody taking advantage of the situation for their own personal gain."

"Of course. I'm very discreet," Babamon told him, eyeing him with another sultry grin. "Very discreet indeed…"

Alphamon's eye twitched. He wasn't sure what she meant by that, but he wasn't keen on finding out. "Thank you..."

The elderly Digimon nodded and began tapping her broom on the floor. "Now, is there anything else?" she asked them.

"I don't believe so," Alphamon responded.

"In that case, I'll start getting to work," she stated. "With any luck, I should be done by tonight!"

Alphamon nodded. "Please let us know how it goes. We will probably stay around for about five hours before catching Locomon again. You can send us correspondence to our castle and we will pay for the delivery."

"The same goes for me," Gaioumon told her.

"Oh! Generous as well as handsome! What nice, young, male Digimon you both are," Babamon stated, smiling broadly. "Well, ta-ta then! Don't be strangers now!"

Alphamon smiled. "We will keep in touch," he responded, feeling the pressure to not stay too long.

"Thank you," Sleipmon told her as well.

"Okay. Bye now. It was nice seeing you again Duftmon, Gaioumon," she said to them, waving with her broom.

"Indeed. Good day," Duftmon answered, nodding and turning around so that he could head out the door. He didn't make any sort of acknowledgment of Tactimon as he passed him.

Alphamon, Sleipmon, and UlforceVeedramon all walked after him, followed by Tactimon and Gaioumon. Babamon extended her broom and gave UlforceVeedramon a gentle pat on his rear. "Gah!" he exclaimed, arching his back. UlforceVeedramon then looked over his shoulder and smiled with extreme awkwardness. "Bye, Mistress Babamon…" he responded with an awkward wave.

As all of the Digimon walked out of the room and entered the broad, marble, academy corridor, the group suddenly grew silent. A tense atmosphere hung over the group of six. It was mostly due to the friction that emerged between Duftmon and Tactimon.

Tactimon, sensing this, increased his stride and walked up beside Duftmon, who marched at the front of the group. "Duftmon," he spoke, trying to be diplomatic.

"What?" Duftmon replied bitterly.

"I apologise for losing my temper in there," Tactimon said to him, looking over at the fellow tactician.

"As if I care about that," Duftmon answered, his voice growing aloof.

Tactimon inhaled a calming breath and he tried not to be irritated by Duftmon's words. "Very well…" he muttered. "I suppose there is more to your reasoning beyond your own self-opinion. You are a practical Digimon. You like to put theory into practice," he reasoned.

Duftmon rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Tactimon, for illuminating me about myself. I had no idea," he sarcastically replied.

The black-armoured demon man shot him an annoyed leer. "Given your total lack of self-awareness, that wouldn't surprise me in the least," Tactimon retaliated, unable to reign in his annoyance any longer.

"That's enough, you two…" Alphamon told them with an exasperated sigh.

Gaioumon folded his arms and closed his eyes. "I will miss this repartee should Duftmon be absent from these meetings," he mused aloud. He opened an eye. "Joking aside, Alphamon is correct; this isn't an appropriate temperament for a tactician. You are both riled too easily. A tactician needs to maintain a cool head at all times."

"I don't need a lecture from you, Gaioumon," Duftmon sourly told the dragon samurai. "When was the last time you actually commanded troops on a battlefield?"

Gaioumon simply ignored the comment. Sleipmon, however, gave Duftmon a disapproving, sideways leer.

Tactimon took the opposite approach. "You're right, Gaioumon. I shouldn't let his comments get to me. He just seems to bring out the worst in me," he explained, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index finger.

Duftmon glared at Tactimon. "Oh, so it's my fault, is it?" he asked him. "Take some responsibility for your actions."

Tactimon matched his glare. "That's reaching a level of self-obliviousness that is remarkable even by your standards," he said to the brown armoured Royal Knight. "I don't want to hear that from you of all Digimon."

"So much for not letting him get to you," UlforceVeedramon said with a laugh, hoping to cut the tension.

The demon man Digimon flushed behind his helmet. "You see what I mean? I can't help myself sometimes. Once you start speaking, Duftmon, you have a way of saying things that gets under my skin," he stated. "You don't even realise it either."

"Is that the only reason?" Duftmon asked him, looking him in the eyes. "It has nothing to do with jealousy?"

"Duftmon!" Sleipmon chastised him. The beast knight was having an increasing amount of trouble stomaching Duftmon's rudeness.

This time, Tactimon didn't rise to it. "Not in the slightest," he answered in a calm, sincere voice. "I am satisfied with myself and my successes. Furthermore, I am happy for you that you are with the Royal Knights. When you decided to leave the academy, perhaps I was frustrated at the time, but I can't begrudge you for seizing an opportunity. I know that being with the Royal Knights is the opportunity that you wanted."

Duftmon was silent in response.

Sleipmon frowned. He didn't know this about Duftmon. In fact, he didn't know very much about Duftmon at all; the tactician rarely talked about himself outside of the role of a tactician and Royal Knight. "Why was that?" he wondered.

Tactimon glanced briefly at the cavalier Digimon before he looked over at Duftmon, addressing him directly. "You were frustrated going over hypothetical battle scenarios here at the academy. You told me that you wanted to make a difference to the world with your talents." He looked Duftmon in the eyes. "…I believe that you have."

Duftmon didn't respond. He was taken aback with shock, although he didn't make it obvious.

Tactimon looked forward once again. "There is no denying that you are very talented. You are more than a worthy sparring partner in the battle of wits," he said, thinking back to their time together in the academy. "…Though, talented you may be, you aren't as talented as you believe yourself to be." Without malice, Tactimon eyed Duftmon. "That arrogance blinds you from being a truly exceptional Digimon. You make yourself unwilling to change."

The leopard knight was quiet for a few, thoughtful moments. However he soon looked at Tactimon blandly before giving Alphamon the same gaze. "Have you two been comparing notes?" he dismissively questioned. "I feel like I have heard them before."

"Tactimon makes fair points," Alphamon admitted. "Although I wouldn't have put them quite so bluntly…"

"It isn't just your arrogance, however," Tactimon continued, not stopping there. "It's your aloofness and callousness…"

Duftmon leered at him with a cold stare. "What?"

Tactimon levelled his gaze with Duftmon's. "…I mean your disregard for other Digimon. You don't care about them…" he told him.

UlforceVeedramon rubbed the back of his neck. He thought it was funny initially, but now he was getting uncomfortable at the tension and personal comments between the two Digimon. "Oh, he isn't that bad…" he suggested half-heartedly. Now, he just wanted to move onto another topic.

Sleipmon frowned. He felt a little guilty about it, but he found himself agreeing with Tactimon. He often thought that Duftmon merely tolerated other Digimon at best, and viewed them with contempt at worst. Duftmon never really socialized with them on a personal level; he only associated with them on a professional level. To Sleipmon, it felt like Duftmon constructed a walled tower around himself. He wasn't entirely convinced that Duftmon knew anything personal about him or the other Royal Knights. Sleipmon certainly didn't know much about Duftmon, and he had definitely made an effort to ask him since he became a Royal Knight.

The leopard Royal Knight narrowed his green eyes at Tactimon. "…Are you bringing my integrity into question? What exactly do you think I became a Royal Knight for?" he asked sharply.

"You wanted to put your martial theories into practice, didn't you?" Tactimon questioned him. "You have said yourself that the only way a strategist can truly be worth anything is if their strategies are actually implemented."

"I'm not sure that that's fair, Tactimon," Alphamon reasoned. "If that was all he wanted, there are other ways he could have done it that were easier than becoming a Royal Knight. He could have sold himself out as a freelance tactician if all he wanted to do was test his strategies. There is more to Duftmon than just that. You did admit that he wanted to change the world."

Duftmon scoffed. "I can handle him myself, Alphamon," he insisted before turning back to Tactimon. "I don't know how you have the gall to talk down to me, Tactimon."

"It's because you are my friend, Duftmon," Tactimon responded, coming to a stop so that he could turn and face Duftmon fully. "I like you, but there are things about you that I don't respect."

"Touching, but that doesn't give you the right to condescend to me," Duftmon answered coolly, stopping and facing him as well.

Sleipmon, UlforceVeedramon, Alphamon, and Gaioumon came to a stop behind them.

"'If I don't speak to you like this, than who will?'" Tactimon asked him pointedly. "That was something that you said to me when we first met here at the academy. I always remembered it because it made me look beyond my own ego. You weren't afraid to speak your mind and criticise something that you saw was flawed. …I respected that."

Duftmon narrowed his eyes. "Are you implying that I am flawed?"

Tactimon let out a single chuckle. "We all are, in some way. There is no such thing as a perfect Digimon," he explained. "You are flawed, Duftmon. The sooner you recognise that, the sooner you can try to overcome those flaws. When you are able to do that, then you can begin to surmount perfection as a Digimon."

"Tch! What a foolish idea, Tactimon," Duftmon scoffed. He folded his arms. "And what exactly are my flaws?! I am arrogant, callous… Anything else?"

"Well…" Sleipmon mumbled to himself, considering speaking up.

Tactimon nodded, accepting his challenge. "Your military tactics…" he began. "They are too ambitious." He looked over at the three other Royal Knights. "I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm sometimes surprised that you all go along with some of them."

At this, Duftmon's aloof exterior began to falter. He glowered at Tactimon. "You… insult my tactics…?" he questioned acerbically.

The demon man tactician locked eyes with Duftmon. "You never have been good at taking criticism, although you can dish it out just fine…" he told him ironically. "I have studied your tactics, Duftmon. Many of your strategic manoeuvres are too risky. They aren't reckless – they are well thought-out, but they're high-risk, high-reward. They are often too dangerous for the Digimon involved. …It's because you see Digimon as chess pieces. Your tactics are too impersonal, too cerebral. Real battle is not a strategy board game like the ones that we used to play together. The pieces are real Digimon, and you are responsible for them when you devise your strategy. You have to take them into account if you are to succeed."

"What romantic nonsense have you been reading, Tactimon?" Duftmon asked him with a scrutinizing leer. "The primary objective of the tactician is to defeat the enemy and secure victory; maximize the losses of the enemy while minimizing the losses of one's own troops. I have been consistently successful in that regard. I don't know how you can say that I don't value my forces with that in mind; it is not as if I am sending them into blind, uncoordinated assaults."

Sleipmon's violet eyes lingered on the ground. "He's right…" he spoke up.

Duftmon glanced briefly over his shoulder at Sleipmon. "Thank you. See, Tactimon? If even he thinks so—"

"I meant Tactimon's right…" Sleipmon clarified, although there was some remorse in his deep voice. "I'm sorry, Duftmon, but I agree with him…"

Duftmon turned around, his growing, brimming anger shifting from Tactimon to Sleipmon. He glared at the equine Royal Knight. "Pardon me? You what?"

Alphamon and UlforceVeedramon were also surprised, not at his stance, but at the fact that he spoke up about it. Tactimon and Gaioumon observed him with interest.

Sleipmon frowned. "I think he has a few good points… I feel like you don't take Digimon into account. It's all about cold logic, military tactics, and securing victory," he explained. "You're a wonderful tactician, but there's so much more to it than just that."

"I'm sorry, but what would you know about what it means to be a tactician?" Duftmon countered acrimoniously.

The centaur Digimon winced. "Not nearly as much as you do…" he admitted. "But I do know what it means to be a Royal Knight. It's important to have a meaningful relationship with your forces and your friends. You can't just distance yourself from them all the time and then direct them in battle." Sleipmon rubbed the back of his head remorsefully. "I hate saying this, but sometimes it feels like you view us more as tools than you do as friends."

Duftmon looked away from the red digizoid-armoured Royal Knight. "Tell me, Sleipmon, what is the use in having friends?" he asked him rhetorically. "I have been perfectly fine without them throughout my life; I didn't need them growing up and I don't need them now."

"Duftmon…" Sleipmon said with a sad gaze.

Tactimon shook his head. "Is that really what you thing? Have you learned nothing, even after all this time?" he asked his fellow tactician with a sigh.

"That wasn't an answer," Duftmon pointed out. "What would I gain from having friends? Would they make me better at my job? You all go on and on about friendship and how important it is, but what are its actual benefits?" Duftmon closed his eyes. "It's overrated. It provides a conflict of interest in battle. Digimon are often distracted trying to help their friends, so much that they take their attention away from the objectives of the mission." He turned and looked at Alphamon. "I have seen friendship cause divisions in the ranks… You and Omegamon, for example. DarkKnightmon took advantage of that."

"Duftmon isn't incorrect," Gaioumon spoke, closing his eyes with thought. "Relationships cause barriers."

Alphamon winced. "Perhaps, but there are so many benefits. And disadvantages are so greatly outweighed by the advantages," he countered.

"Such as?" Duftmon asked.

"Having people you can trust with your life is a reassuring feeling," Alphamon explained. "To be able to share your good and bad experiences with other Digimon… I can't explain how great the emotional significance of that is."

"It really is a wonderful feeling," Sleipmon agreed. "It bolsters team unity and effectiveness, and it's great knowing that you are able to depend on somebody."

Duftmon shook his head. "For emotional, romantic Digimon such as yourselves, perhaps. I, however, couldn't care less. It does nothing for me. I don't need those types of relationships," he explained. "I am a Royal Knight and we work together effectively enough. That's all that is necessary."

"You don't know what you're missing…" Sleipmon told him disappointedly.

"Eh, he's anti-social," UlforceVeedramon said with a shrug. "If he feels like he doesn't need it, then I guess he doesn't. We can't really force him to feel otherwise."

Sleipmon frowned. "But it affects us!" he protested. "If he feels that removed from not just the enemy, but our own forces and fellow Royal Knights, then his tactics will reflect that. If he doesn't care about the lives of Digimon, then what right does he have to put their lives in his hands?"

"Sleipmon…" Alphamon spoke, both surprised at his determination and trying to dissuade him.

"I'm sorry, Alphamon, but I've been feeling this way for awhile," Sleipmon informed him, although still looking at Duftmon. "It can't just be about eliminating the enemy. It shouldn't even be about eliminating the 'enemy'! They're Digimon too. They aren't necessarily bad. They have lives outside just being our opponents. And talking about destroying enough of them in order to achieve victory is a dangerous way to think."

Duftmon rolled his eyes. "Here we go… Are you still trying to force your misguided beliefs onto others, Sleipmon?" he asked him. "Who is arrogant now?"

"That's not what I'm trying to do!" Sleipmon insisted.

"Isn't it?" Duftmon countered. "You typically never miss an opportunity to tell us how we shouldn't be deleting Digimon and how we're wrong for doing so." He placed his hands on his sash-clad hips. "We are a military order whose duty it is to uphold network security. That involves deleting evil Digimon who threaten peace and security. You may not be the smartest Digimon around, but you should at least understand that; we need to spill a foe's data when necessary. If you are too much of a pacifist to be able to handle that, then what are you doing as a Royal Knight?"

Sleipmon narrowed his eyes. "I-I know all that!" he retaliated. "I'm not unwilling to fight. I just don't think that we should take the lives of Digimon as lightly as you do!" The six-legged knight looked down at the marble floor beneath them. "To be honest, Duftmon… I don't know if you can be trusted with keeping our best interests in mind."

"…You are a naïve fool, Sleipmon," Duftmon told him matter-of-factly. He turned away from him. "I don't know how you managed to keep those precious ruins of yours safe from raiders after all that time without tripping over your own self-righteousness. Now, if all of you are finished with your denunciations of me, I am finished here."

"You should listen to your friend, Duftmon," Tactimon advised him, folding his arms and staring at him disapprovingly. "Don't just discard advice that you disagree with. We simply want to help."

Duftmon gave Tactimon a look of defiance. "I thought I made myself clear before. He is not my friend," he emphatically answered. "And neither are you."

Without another word, Duftmon spun around and broke off from the group. He walked down the hallway and took a right turn, seeming to know where he was going.

Sleipmon grimaced and trotted forwards, away from the group as well. He didn't say anything else to the remaining four Digimon. In contrast to Duftmon, he walked back the way that they came.

This left only Alphamon, UlforceVeedramon, Tactimon, and Gaioumon in the hallway.

"Very dramatic," Gaioumon noted. His arms were folded and he had calm, only mildly-interested expression on his face. "Are these kinds of arguments common, Alphamon?"

"Er, no…" Alphamon responded, watching as the two Royal Knights headed in separate directions. "I'm going to go after Sleipmon."

"What about Duftmon?" Tactimon asked him.

Alphamon shook his head. "He needs time to cool down. He's probably going to distract himself in the library," the Lord of the Empty Seat explained, well-familiarized with Duftmon's habits.

Tactimon sighed and nodded. "You are probably right… It seems that you are better at dealing with him than I am, Alphamon," he noted.

Alphamon smiled a little. "Not always…" he admitted. "Don't feel bad, Tactimon. He can test the patience of anybody." He sheepishly scratched his cheek with a finger. "But… Duftmon isn't a bad Digimon. He's just… awkward."

"Yes… That is what's so frustrating about him," Tactimon responded, a pensive look in his gold eyes.

The black armoured Royal Knight observed the tactician briefly. "At any rate, I won't be long," he told them.

Alphamon strode down the hallway after Sleipmon, even though the beast knight was already a long way ahead of him.

UlforceVeedramon watched as he left and rubbed the back of his neck, still very uncomfortable. "Uh…" he put forward, looking at Tactimon and Gaioumon. "Do you two want to show me around? …Or something?"

Both Tactimon and Gaioumon turned to look at him wordlessly.

He began to regret his attempt to relax when he realized that both of the Digimon that he was talking to were smart, quiet types. He doubted that the conversation would be great.

"…Maybe I'll just go stretch my wings."

---

Alphamon walked into the lobby of the academy, his metal boots echoing against the marble with every step. He had seen Sleipmon walk this way. He assumed that the horse knight went out to the gardens – he often went to the castle gardens for strolls while back at the castle.

The Lord of the Empty Seat opened the doors and walked outside. He made his way down the stairs and onto the garden path. Indeed, it wasn't long until he saw the distinctive red body of Sleipmon standing near a bench. He faced a bed of blue flowers that grew on the edge of the stream that flowed through the gardens.

Sleipmon sadly gazed upon the flowers. His shoulders sunk and his expression was that of regret and dejection.

Seeing this, Alphamon made his way over. He didn't announce himself; he just walked up beside Sleipmon and stood beside him quietly.

Sensing the black knight beside him, Sleipmon grimaced. "…I'm sorry, Alphamon," he apologised. "That was unprofessional and childish of me."

Alphamon raised his hand and placed it on Sleipmon's shoulder. "It may not have been the best time to speak up, but I can't fault you for having a big heart, Sleipmon," he reassured him.

"Still… I shouldn't have said those things to Duftmon…" the cavalier said with a sigh, raising his hand and rubbing his face. "I don't know what came over me."

Rubbing his shoulder, Alphamon took a step forwards and looked at Sleipmon. "You have always had strong feelings when it comes to deletion," observed Alphamon.

"Too strong, maybe…" Sleipmon mumbled, lowering his hand and looking down with a grimace. "I can't seem to keep my mouth shut. I know that what I'm saying must sound naïve and unreasonable, but…"

Alphamon looked up at him with a warm gaze. "But…?" he wondered.

"I just can't accept the view that some of the Royal Knights have. Duftmon… Rhodo… Examon… others…" Sleipmon sighed. "I can't kill so easily… It pains me to see them take lives so lightly. I keep thinking that I can change their opinion, but… I guess I really am arrogant, thinking like that."

Alphamon smiled a little. "You're a kind, gentle Digimon, Sleipmon… I think it's admirable that you want to preserve life as much as possible," he said to him tenderly. "However, you know that we can't always have that luxury…"

Sleipmon sighed and nodded. "I know…" he admitted, although he sounded reluctant to do so. "It's not just the fact that I don't want to kill Digimon though…"

Raising an eyebrow, Alphamon observed him curiously. "Go on…"

"I don't need to tell you all of this, but when a Digimon is deleted, they're reborn at the Village of Beginnings. However, they aren't reborn as the same Digimon - not really… Their memories are wiped, and they take on whole new personalities, characteristics, and sometimes even evolution lines. They're essentially a new Digimon…" Sleipmon explained. "That's why we can't use the rationalization of 'Digimon are reborn, so it doesn't matter if they're deleted.' You know that deleting Digimon isn't many steps off from the Digimon having their data absorbed for good…"

Alphamon's gaze softened. "In some ways, yes... I understand what you're saying, Sleipmon, but it's not necessarily that extreme. Of course you're right; nobody should regard the life of another lightly… However, sometimes it's necessary to kill in order to protect those you care about."

Sleipmon grimaced at his words. "Maybe… But I still prefer to incapacitate opponents instead of deleting them… even if it makes things harder for me," he mumbled, folding his arms against his chest. "I realise it also makes things difficult for some of you…"

"It's not as if I can't sympathise, Sleipmon," Alphamon said to him, moving his hand from Sleipmon's shoulder down to his back. He gave a wistful smile. "…To be honest… I've been thinking that way for the past couple years - since DarkKnightmon's attacks…" he admitted.

Alphamon looked out at the beautiful scenery before them. There was a reconciled-yet-wistful look in his crimson eyes. "It kept going through my mind… Did I have to kill him in that battle? Was there another way that I could have stopped him?"

Sleipmon looked over at Alphamon with sad eyes. "Alphamon…" he murmured sympathetically.

Alphamon shook his head. "I didn't want to have to delete him, Sleipmon… I blamed myself for so long. 'You shouldn't have been so hasty.' 'You could have just wounded him.' 'You should have tried harder to talk him down.' 'You shouldn't have let DarkKnightmon turn against the Order in the first place.' 'You should have seen the signs.'…" Alphamon trailed off as his tongue lingered on his words. "I blamed myself, but that was self-destructive... I now know that there was no other way, as much as I wish that there had been."

"You don't think there was?" Sleipmon asked him. He then winced a little. "Sorry, I'm not doubting you. I just…"

Alphamon smiled. "Maybe there was… a long time ago," he answered longingly. He then turned the conflicted smile towards Sleipmon. "When I use the Alpha inForce, it's as if I can transcend the time around me; some Digimon describe me as being able to repeat a fight's past as it happens. However… I can't go back in time, Sleipmon… I can't mend the rift that grew between me and DarkKnightmon, as much as I wish I could..."

The black knight sighed. "But, by the time he returned, he was so determined… He had years and years worth of plans from his time in the Dark Area. He had a clear goal that he wanted to achieve. He wouldn't be stopped." Alphamon turned his head forward again. "Perhaps I'm rationalizing. Usually, telling yourself that you had no other choice is a coping mechanism to deal with the guilt. However, somehow it's more painful for me… knowing that there was nothing else that I could have done to stop him. It's a sad and hopeless feeling, knowing that the only option was to kill him – that things had to come to that..."

Sleipmon closed his eyes and balled up his fists tightly. "…It is, isn't it…?" he said softly. There was pain in his voice.

The leader of the Royal Knights turned towards his friend. "Sleipmon…?" he questioned him, observing the pained features on his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you… I was just trying to make the point that sometimes it can't be helped, no matter how much we might hope otherwise. Sometimes we have to, in order to protect."

The holy beast shook his head, causing his violet hair to flow in the gentle breeze. "No, it's not that…" he told him. He opened his eyes, although they still winced with regret. "The trouble is… I understand what you mean all too well…"

"How so?" Alphamon asked.

"It was a long time ago… long before you approached me about joining the Order," Sleipmon explained. There was a nostalgic and melancholic echo to his voice. "It happened back when I was guarding the Arcane Ruins… Guarding those ruins was my sworn duty. It was an extremely important responsibility. Those ruins are said to contain the crucial program data written by Yggdrasil that has to do with the creation of Digimon. It's a sacred responsibility passed down from one guardian to another. I was chosen and raised to become the new guardian of those ruins. I became the apprentice of the previous guardian, Cherubimon. He became my mentor and taught me a lot…"

Sleipmon glanced up at the sky, eyeing a large, fluffy cloud that floated over head freely. "However, the new religion that he adopted with the Heavenly Choir prompted him to take a new path. He no longer believed that the Arcane Ruins held the vital data pertaining to the creation of Digimon, and that it was, instead, the Kernel that held this information. I could see him drifting towards the Celestial religion. The Religion of Light… I don't blame him now, but, at first, I admit I was surprised, confused and angry. I felt a little betrayed…" Sleipmon smiled a bit at his memories. "…However, Cherubimon sat me down and explained to me his point of view. Although we disagreed with each other's views and ideals, we understood each other. He let me take over the guardianship of the ruins early and we parted on good terms. Once I took over from him, I guarded those ruins up until you came to me with an invitation to join the Royal Knights."

Alphamon nodded. "I recall…" he mused. "I seem to remember that you defended those ruins time and time again without having to delete a single Digimon. I think that was part of the reason why I was so impressed with your skills."

Sleipmon's facial features shaded over as he bowed his head. "You aren't entirely right, Alphamon…" he corrected heavily.

The head of the Royal Knights turned to fully face Sleipmon. "What do you mean…?" he wondered with a concerned frown.

The centaur knight raised a hand and rubbed his face. "When I first took over from Cherubimon, there was a lot of pressure… Or, at least, I put a lot pressure onto myself. I was alone and I had this great responsibility to uphold. I wanted to make sure that I did a good job."

Alphamon pensively nodded. "Naturally..."

Sleipmon sighed. "Well, after Cherubimon left and I filled his role of guardian, I guess some Digimon saw it as an opportunity. They probably thought that now that Cherubimon was gone, his apprentice would be a pushover. They wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to attack the ruins," he explained. "There were myths of vast amount of treasures inside the ruins. However, some intelligent, well-informed Digimon knew the stories of the ruins' true value: that primal data from the Old Era." Sleipmon lowered his hand and let his arm rest against his side.

The black paladin narrowed his eyes. "So, an ambitious Digimon attacked you for the data…" he deduced.

Sleipmon nodded. "The ruins are deep below many meters of ice, but the glacier isn't impenetrable. If I were to be taken down or captured, any raiders would have free reign to dig down to the ruins, depending on their resources and capabilities," he explained. "It was only a month and a half after I took control of the guardianship… The Digimon who wanted to get to the ruins was a Vamdemon. He seemed intelligent; he brought with him a bunch of hired mercenaries. There were about ten Perfect-level Digimon and two Ultimate-levels. I managed to get to the ruins in time for them to attack."

"…What happened?" Alphamon asked him forebodingly.

The corners of Sleipmon's mouth twitched upwards into a sad, bitter smile. "…I deleted six of them," he recounted. "The Vamdemon, the Breakdramon, the Vikemon, the Minotaurmon, the Volcdramon, and… the Triceramon."

Alphamon winced slightly. "…Oh…" he said empathetically. He thought that it would be something like that. "You always remember your first deletion…"

"Six, in my case," Sleipmon spoke, his tone still heavy and obviously guilt-ridden. "At first, it wasn't so bad, to be completely honest… They had attacked me. I was acting in self-defence and my adrenaline was running high. Once the Vamdemon and half of the team was gone, the rest retreated and never came back. I felt a little sick afterwards and I was uneasy about what I had done, but that wasn't what really struck me…"

Alphamon nodded, silently allowing him to tell his story at his own pace.

Sleipmon closed his eyes again. "It wasn't until two weeks later… I was in Ocean Cove. I was at the market, I think. I don't remember what I was doing, but I remember seeing a Monochromon there. He was asking every Digimon in the market if they had seen a Triceramon around the city. It struck me as odd - that a dinosaur Digimon would be in a northern area like Ocean Cove. That Monochromon looked so worried…" he spoke softly.

Alphamon noticed Sleipmon's closed eyelids shut tighter.

"Finally, he came up to me and asked me, 'Have you seen my big brother here? He's a Triceramon.' So… I asked for the Triceramon's description. He told me that he was bigger than average and he had a big scar going up the left side of his frill. …It began to dawn on me. I asked him what his brother was doing in a place like this. The Monochromon told me that he had come up here for a job. He said that they didn't have a lot of money, so his brother had to take on mercenary work in order to support them. The Triceramon came up here with a team of mercenaries for a job… The Monochromon tried to ask his teammates what happened, but nobody told him anything." Sleipmon released a shake breath. "…That was when I knew…"

A grimace formed on Alphamon's face at Sleipmon's painful account. "The Triceramon…"

Sleipmon nodded. "I deleted him… Right then, I realized that I killed that Monochromon's brother… I had to tell him. …I told him that his brother was gone." Sleipmon balled up his fists tightly. "It didn't sink in immediately… It took him several moments before he broke down in front of me. He cried… so much… I didn't know what to do… I felt so guilty… I got him to an inn and tried to get him to rest, but… I could tell how devastated he was."

Sleipmon opened his eyes, which were moist and brimming with tears. "Alphamon… I deleted a Digimon who just wanted to take care of the people he loved… I can never take that pain away… I can never give that Monochromon his big brother back."

Alphamon gripped Sleipmon's shoulder comfortingly. "They attacked you, Sleipmon. You had to defend yourself," he reasoned.

Sleipmon gave him a sorrowful smile. "Yes… but I didn't have to delete them," he replied. "How many other Digimon are just like that Triceramon? Even our enemies have family, friends, loved ones… If we forget about that, then are we causing more pain than we are good? Is that what we should be doing as Royal Knights?" Sleipmon sighed and looked away. "…That was the moment that I resolved to never inflict that kind of pain ever again. I trained hard… I wanted to make sure that I had the skills to just incapacitate my opponents. I've been accused of being naïve, self-righteous, irresponsible, selfish… Maybe some of those things are true… I just know that I never want to hurt another Digimon like I hurt that Monochromon."

Alphamon sighed and gently rubbed his friend's shoulder. "…I'm sorry, Sleipmon. I had no idea," he said to him guiltily.

The large Royal Knight shook his head and raised a hand to wipe his eyes. "Thanks, Alphamon. You shouldn't be; it's not a story I like to tell often. I just… wanted you to understand why I act this way…" he said to him in a demure yet warm voice.

"I definitely understand… It's a very noble stance to take. I don't want to delete Digimon either," Alphamon told him tenderly. "However… we both know that that's easier said than done. As Royal Knights, we face strong opponents and extreme situations where we don't always get the chance to pick and choose what we want to do. While I can promise that I'll never ask you to delete a Digimon, you have to be prepared for the situation where you may not have a choice. It may be your life or the life of a fellow Royal Knight or Order soldier at stake. You're a good Digimon with a big heart, Sleipmon. But you need to be prepared in a situation where you might have to make a hard decision."

Sleipmon smiled softly – it was a more genuine smile this time. "Yes… I know. You're right, Alphamon. I might not always have that luxury to be able to choose."

"I hope that situation never arises," Alphamon said to him gently. He removed his hand and gave Sleipmon a quick, comforting hug, which Sleipmon graciously returned. Alphamon pulled away and looked at Sleipmon with a smile. "You're a wonderful Digimon, Sleipmon. Never forget that."

Sleipmon gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Alphamon… For listening…"

"That's what I'm here for," the black knight assured him.

The equine Royal Knight suddenly turned his attention away from Alphamon and looked into the sky behind him. "What's that?" he asked.

Alphamon raised an eyebrow and turned around to follow Sleipmon's gaze. They saw the gryphon-like form of a Holsmon flying through the sky. He seemed to be descending towards the academy from the direction of the city. "He sure is in a hurry…" he noted, watching as the Holsmon noticed them and changed direction.

"I think he's coming towards us," Sleipmon added as the Holsmon swooped down and glided over the academy gates.

The two Royal Knights watched as the red gryphon flew over and landed gently on the path beside them. He looked up at the two with a pressing expression. "Excuse me! Have either of you seen Commander Tactimon?! It's urgent!"

"He's inside with our friends. Can I ask what's wrong?" Alphamon inquired.

"One of my scouts just spotted a large group of D-Brigade soldiers on the western border of our territory. They're moving north east along the Champion River, separating our territory from the Mamemon Kingdom's. I don't know what their objective is," he explained hurriedly. "Please take me to the Commander."

Alphamon and Sleipmon's gazes hardened at his words. "The D-Brigade is here?" Sleipmon enquired.

"Come with us," Alphamon ordered, running back inside the academy. Sleipmon dashed after him with the Holsmon scout in tow.