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?

23. Chapter 15 Part 2: Saviour

(Author's Notes: Here's Part 2 of Chapter 15. Like with Chapter 13, I changed the name of the second part. Read, review, and enjoy with a fire burning in your soul!)

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Chapter 15: Saviour (Part 2)

"Oshishou-sama! Hinukamui-sensei! Watch this!"

Hackmon dashed across the ground, his red cape fluttering behind him as he ran.

"Fif Slash!"

The young, white dragon leapt into the air and poised his keen claws. He swept his foreleg outwards and sliced his claws diagonally through the trunk of a tree. The claws cut all the way through the wood, so the tree ended up sliding down its trunk. The base of the medium-sized trunk impacted the ground and then slowly toppled over with a large crash.

Hackmon turned around and looked at his master with a proud, expectant smile. He saw Gankoomon standing a few meters away, watching him with folded arms. The golden aura dragon, Hinukamui, watched from above Gankoomon as his draconic power rose up from the humanoid Digimon's shoulders.

Gankoomon didn't respond. His expression appeared stern and unmoved. He watched the tree fall over and glanced at Hackmon, his arms folded.

At this, Hackmon's smile faded and his head drooped. He glanced away from his master, disappointed that he didn't seem impressed. He had practiced for weeks and he thought he had done a pretty good job, but now he began to doubt himself.

However, after a moment, Gankoomon grinned and walked over. "…Good form, Hackmon. You've improved," he told his disciple, placing a hand on his caped shoulder.

Hackmon beamed at his sensei's compliment. "It's thanks to your training, Oshishou-sama!" he replied happily.

"Don't be so modest. You're the one that has to use that training to grow," Gankoomon assured him. "Right, Hinu?"

Hinukamui gave a throaty grunt of approval.

"Also, quit being so formal," Gankoomon told him.

Hackmon smiled and laughed a bit. "I feel like I can take on Adult-level Digimon now."

Gankoomon grinned at his confidence and reached down to pat his head. "Don't get ahead of yourself. If you try to bite off more than you can chew, you might end up getting hurt. It's a hard thing to do, but you've gotta know your limits."

"I've never seen you worry about your limits, Sensei," Hackmon teased, smiling up at him.

Gankoomon lightly knocked his knuckles on Hackmon's head. "That's because you've never seen me take on someone I couldn't handle!" he responded matter-of-factly.

"That's because Sensei's so strong!" Hackmon declared, smiling and nodding to himself. "One day, I'm going to be as strong as you and the Royal Knights. Please keep training me!"

Gankoomon grinned and folded his arms. "I'm not sure I like being lumped in with your precious Royal Knights!" he declared. "But… Hmm… What do you think, Hinu? Should we keep training the kid?"

Hinukamui grinned and folded his arms with deliberation, before releasing an affirmative grunt.

Gankoomon laughed. "Guess that settles it! You're in luck, Hackmon!"

Hackmon smiled broadly and leapt up to hug Gankoomon's waist. "Thank you, Sensei! I'll try really hard! You won't regret it!"

---

BaoHackmon grimaced, his eyes tensing up and his teeth clenching as he began to wake up. He opened his eyes drowsily so that he could see where he was. The dragon found himself directly at ground level, his chin resting on some emerald moss. He released a grunt that caused dirt to puff up in front of his horned snout. After blinking some of the dirt away, BaoHackmon began to grow more aware.

In front of him, he could see that he was still in the Forest of Memories. It seemed to be daytime, which was clear from the eerie strands of sunlight that shone down between the spaces in the canopy. BaoHackmon realized that he was lying belly-down on the forest floor. The dragon stirred his sore body, attempting to push himself up from the dirty ground. He moved his hind legs first, scuffing his bladed feet against the earth.

Next, BaoHackmon attempted move his front pair of legs. His eyes widened with fear when he realized that he couldn't budge them an inch. It came to his attention that his fore legs had been pulled behind his caped back and tied together with rope. He struggled to try and get his claws free, but due to the shape of his feet and the tightness of the rope, he was unable to.

He grunted and looked over his shoulder to try to see his bound legs. He saw that the end of his tail was also tied with his ankles, so that he wouldn't be able to use the blade at the end to cut the rope, presumably. "H-Hey!" he shouted out in a mixture of anger and panic.

He glanced forwards again when he heard movement. BaoHackmon saw a pair of black, clawed feet step into his vision. The pair of legs stopped right in front of him, prompting him to look up.

GrandisKuwagamon stood over him, arms folded. He stared down at BaoHackmon with a single, intimidating red eye. BaoHackmon hated to admit it, but everything about the black insect was intimidating. "Look who's awake," GrandisKuwagamon said aloud.

"L-Let me go right now!" BaoHackmon demanded, glaring up at GrandisKuwagamon despite his nerves. He struggled on the ground, trying to pull his legs out from behind his back, but he could hardly move the strained limbs due to the awkward angle they were in.

GrandisKuwagamon lifted his foot and placed it on top of BaoHackmon's head, lightly pushing him further into the dirt. "I might be wrong, but from where I'm standing, you're not in much of a position to be giving orders, kid," GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically pointed out.

BaoHackmon glared and released a grunt from his nostrils that sent dirt shooting up from the ground in front of his snout. He felt some relief when GrandisKuwagamon removed his foot and took a step back, as if to make room.

The dragon's attention turned towards Bolgmon, who rolled over to him. His body stiffened with trepidation at the oncoming tank treads, but he relaxed temporarily when Bolgmon stopped in front of him. BaoHackmon looked up and again felt dread when he saw Bolgmon extend a long, metal needle from his right cannon arm.

Bolgmon looked down at him with an unhinged, entertained leer. "I strongly suggest that you behave yourself while you're still with us," the giant, tank Digimon told the prisoner, waving the sharp needle dangerously close to BaoHackmon's snout. "If you don't… you're not going to have a very good time…"

BaoHackmon winced and stayed quiet.

GrandisKuwagamon walked over and placed his hand on Bolgmon's arm, gently guiding it away from BaoHackmon. "Careful where you wave that thing. Don't want to accidentally poke his eye out," he said to him.

"Yet," Bolgmon said with a laugh, retracting the needle back into his arm.

BaoHackmon looked up at GrandisKuwagamon. "What are you going to do with me…?" he asked him, trying his best to cover his nerves. "…Delete me?"

GrandisKuwagamon leered down at the dinosaur Digimon. "…Heh. I could tell you were with the Royal Knights," he stated. Upon seeing BaoHackmon's expression of protest, GrandisKuwagamon explained. "Don't deny it. You came here to investigate that patrol that disappeared. If you were just an innocent traveller, you'd be confused and probably pissing yourself by now."

BaoHackmon grimaced and turned his head away slightly. He was too honest to try and deny it. He doubted he'd be very convincing anyways. "You didn't answer me…" he muttered indignantly.

"We're not going to delete you," GrandisKuwagamon explained. "We're ransoming your ass. Your Royal Knights ransacked our hideout and took all of our hard-earned cash. You're going to get us our money back."

"Not likely," BaoHackmon protested rebelliously. "I bet that 'hard-earned cash' was mostly stolen or gotten through ransom, extortion, and other dodgy jobs."

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. "Please. Spare me the sanctimony and the lecture. I'm not taking it from a jumped-up, cape-wearing lizard who can't even stand up," he nonchalantly responded, walking away with a dismissive shrug.

BaoHackmon levelled a glare at him and tried again to free his forelimbs. "The Royal Knights will rescue me… Just you wait!" he exclaimed with a renewed sense of confidence.

"It'd be easier on everyone if they just gave us our money back. No bloodshed, no hassle…" GrandisKuwagamon explained, looking over his shoulder at his captive. "I just hope those Royal Knights aren't as dumb as I think they are."

"The Royal Knights aren't dumb!" BaoHackmon shouted defensively, starting to bear his draconic teeth. "You're dumb if you think they'll let you get away with wiping out a Royal Knight patrol and capturing me!"

GrandisKuwagamon frowned and pointed at himself. He then looked over at Bolgmon. "We didn't wipe out a Royal Knight patrol…" he responded incredulously. "We were travelling through the forest when we came across the Royal Knights' patrol fighting with some Metal Empire patrol. It was pretty brutal. They took most of each other out, and then the two surviving D-Brigade soldiers escaped into the forest. Then they ran into us and we gave them a little bit of payback."

"Yeah. It was damn satisfying too," Bolgmon stated, glancing at the black insect and following up his lie.

BaoHackmon narrowed his eyes at them. "Please. You were just talking about how you wanted to ransom me to get your stuff back," he sceptically pointed out.

"Why would we wipe out a whole patrol if we wanted to ransom one of you for our money back?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him. "We would have kept one of them alive. All we did was take advantage of a convenient situation."

BaoHackmon frowned. "I guess…" he muttered, conceding that he had a point. He glanced at the humanoid, ebony insect Digimon. "Still… The Royal Knights will come get me. They'd never leave a member of their Order behind. They'll save me!"

GrandisKuwagamon couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh. "That's a cute thought…"

"If they don't bring us our cash, you better hope they do come rescue you," Bolgmon warned him.

The dragon Digimon stifled a grimace. He raised his head, though he could only move it a few centimeters from the ground thanks to his position. "Where's the other guy…? The one that hit me," he asked, looking around the campsite.

He had been so concerned with his own situation that he didn't really take in his surroundings. It was a different campsite from the one that he had initially come across; he assumed that that one must have been a decoy. There were two beds on the ground made of soft, thick leaves. There was also a campfire that was currently extinguished. Over near the beds were a few miscellaneous items and a box of food.

"Blitzmon's off making sure that our offer gets delivered to the Royal Knights," GrandisKuwagamon explained. He walked over and sat down at the base of a tree. He crossed his legs and pressed his winged back against the trunk. He turned his crimson eye towards BaoHackmon. "So… What the hell are you doing out here on your own? Who's the idiot here: you or whoever's in charge of you?"

BaoHackmon grimaced and looked away, forced to put his cheek against the dirt in order to do so. "Nobody ordered me to… I came out here to investigate on my own," he responded. The more he thought about it, the more ashamed and idiotic he felt. It was obviously a bad idea, but he was so worked up about proving himself to the Royal Knights, that he ignored his misgivings.

GrandisKuwagamon scoffed. "I dunno what you were thinking. I guess you're the dumb one, after all," he said to him, not caring that he was salting his wounds.

BaoHackmon didn't reply.

GrandisKuwagamon placed his hands behind his head, running his fingers through his orange hair. "Make yourself comfortable, kid; you aren't going anywhere for awhile…"

The dragon Digimon winced and placed his chin against the dirt. He realised that he didn't have much choice but to do just that.

---

"What the hell do you mean he wasn't in his room?!"

Gankoomon stormed down a corridor of one of the barracks buildings. He had a deep frown on his face and he was scowling enough for his teeth to show. Following behind him were the two Sistermons.

"It's like I said, Imperialdramon said BaoHackmon never showed up to their shared room," Sistermon Noir replied, her own brows furrowed.

Sistermon Blanc followed behind her older sister, using her as a shield from Gankoomon's anger. "Imperialdramon said he wasn't there all night. The bed wasn't even slept in," Sistermon Blanc offered meekly from behind Noir's shoulder.

The Royal Knight strode quickly out of the barracks, his white jacket blustering behind him. "Where the hell could he have gotten to?! He didn't leave the castle grounds, did he?" he muttered.

"Who knows? I hear you made him pretty mad," Sistermon Noir said with shrug.

Gankoomon shot her a dangerous look. Sistermon Blanc squeaked and hid behind Noir. "So did you, Sis!" she reminded her.

"All I said to him was to stop sulking and take some initiative," Sistermon Noir replied. "That was before Gankoomon decked him."

The red-haired warrior rolled his eyes and made for the main building. "You girls ask around and see if anybody's seen him. I'll talk to the others," he ordered.

"Okay, gotcha," Sistermon Noir agreed, taking Sistermon Blanc and walking off towards the castle walls.

"BaoHackmon's going to be sorry when I'm through with him!" he shouted, driving his fist into his palm as he walked up to the main building's entrance.

The Knightmon and Mystimon guards that flanked the entrance suddenly tensed up upon seeing Gankoomon storming towards them. They could easily tell that he was seething with rage. Even though Gankoomon had only been in the order for a couple years, his hot-blooded anger was legendary. Neither of them wanted to do anything to upset him when he was like this. They quickly moved to open the main building's doors for him.

"I can open a door myself!" Gankoomon angrily shouted, walking past the guards and pushing the doors open hard enough to send them swinging against the inside walls.

"S-Sorry, Sir Gankoomon!" the two guards quickly exclaimed, bowing.

Gankoomon walked inside the entrance hall, his determination in every stride. As he made his way up the hall, he thought to himself with a scowl. His worry manifested as anger. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for what had happened yesterday, and he wondered if he had been too hard on BaoHackmon. He knew that although BaoHackmon acted tough, he had a sensitive heart underneath.

The Royal Knight walked into the foyer and looked around. He needed to find some of his fellow Royal Knights. Fortunately for him, he could hear voices coming from the great hall before him. Gankoomon opened the doors and walked into the vast, grandiose hall. He could see Alphamon, Omegamon, Duftmon, and Examon walking down the great hall towards the council room at the other end. Floating along beside them was Sparrowmon, one of the scouts.

"—and the courier who gave me that letter said a Blitzmon hired him," Sparrowmon explained, pointing to the open letter in Alphamon's hands.

"This is terrible news," Alphamon spoke with a dire expression.

Duftmon nodded. "As if we needed this on top of everything else at the moment," he agreed, folding his arms.

"We need to find Gankoomon and tell him," Omegamon said.

"Tell me what?" Gankoomon's voice rang out, echoing down the great hall.

The group momentarily froze. They looked over their shoulders to see Gankoomon marching down the great hall towards them. They could tell from his body language and the atmosphere around him that he wasn't happy. It tended to be painfully obvious where Gankoomon was concerned.

"Gankoomon…" Alphamon said, turning around fully in order to face him.

Gankoomon walked up and stopped in front of him. "What's going on, Alphamon?" he demanded.

"It's bad news, I'm afraid… It's about BaoHackmon," Alphamon explained with a light wince. He offered Gankoomon the letter they had received so that he could read it himself.

Gankoomon brusquely took the letter and began to read it. "Black Pincer Company?" he mumbled, reading on.

With each passing sentence that he read, he became angrier and angrier. His expression turned into a deep scowl, his teeth clenched tightly, and he gripped the edges of the letter tight enough to crinkle the paper. Upon finishing reading the final sentence, Gankoomon tore the paper apart viciously. "I'M GOING TO CRUSH THOSE BUGS!" he shouted, Hinukamui's flames dancing on his shoulders as his emotions flared.

"Don't be rash, Gankoomon," Alphamon told him, placing his hand on Gankoomon's arm.

"That's easy for you to say!" Gankoomon protested fierily, wresting his arm away from Alphamon's hand.

Alphamon gave him a cool, intense stare to rival Gankoomon's fiery passion. "Don't forget that two of my best friends have also been taken captive…" he reminded him in order to put things into perspective. "I know what you are feeling right now. We'll get BaoHackmon back, but we need to be smart about it."

Gankoomon grunted, his teeth still clenched, though he seemed to be trying to control his anger. "These Black Pincer guys are ruthless. I know how they operate."

Omegamon frowned. "Should we consider paying the ransom? It's not as if it's our own money," he suggested.

"That sets a dangerous and unacceptable precedent," Duftmon replied. "It would make us appear weak and it would encourage more kidnappings of members of our Order."

"I agree with Duftmon," Examon spoke. "We need to strike these mercenaries down and rescue BaoHackmon."

"That's easier said than done. Black Pincer Company is good at eluding us," Alphamon replied pensively. "And I don't think they're the type to make hollow threats."

Gankoomon growled. "How the hell did they even get BaoHackmon?!"

"One of the guards said she saw BaoHackmon leave the castle yesterday afternoon," Grani explained, floating over.

"Grani, sir!" Sparrowmon exclaimed, quickly saluting him.

"Did he run off after the argument with you?" Omegamon questioned, looking at Gankoomon and remembering their quarrel the previous day.

Gankoomon winced and clenched his fists. He recalled seeing BaoHackmon run outside when he last encountered him. "Yeah…" he admitted.

Zero ARMS: Grani stopped beside the Royal Knights. "I hypothesize that Black Pincer Company may have been the ones who deleted one of my patrols on the night before last. I was planning to send a team to investigate Zeta-Lambda sector today, but in light of this news…" He frowned and trailed off.

"It might be dangerous," Alphamon agreed. "However, it would be helpful to know where exactly they are."

"They may still be in the Forest of Memories," Grani suggested.

Duftmon folded his arms. "Perhaps we can send one of MetallifeKuwagamon's scout pods to investigate. They excel at forest-based stealth reconnaissance," he pointed out. "Once we figure out their location, we can formulate an operation to rescue BaoHackmon."

"Tch," Gankoomon scoffed, turning away and beginning to walk down the great hall. "He's my responsibility. Whatever happens, I'll find the solution."

Duftmon eyed Gankoomon as he walked away. "Don't be ridiculous. We need to be smart about this," he advised him. "Rushing in with nothing but emotions is sure to fail; we already have enough Royal Knights in danger at the moment."

Gankoomon shot him a piercing look over his shoulder. "And whose fault is that? Planning and strategy didn't exactly work there, did it?" he sniped.

Duftmon grunted and closed his eyes, not appreciating that reminder. "That doesn't mean that 'making it up as you go along' is a viable alternative," he responded calmly.

Alphamon frowned and looked at Gankoomon. "Duftmon's right, Gankoomon. Please don't go after them on your own," he beseeched him. "We don't want to put BaoHackmon in danger."

Gankoomon sighed and turned forwards, heading towards the foyer. "I won't!" he called back with frustration.

Upon walking out the doors to the foyer, he muttered, "…Yet."

Alphamon sighed and turned towards the others. "How has the scouting been going, Grani? Have they found Dukemon and Dynasmon?" he asked him.

"I'm afraid not," Grani responded with regret. "They have been taken into Metal Empire-dominated territory, so it is difficult for our scouts to safely penetrate the area. Given the nature of their eastward advance, it seems that the Metal Empire has convinced the Dual Chess Monarchy to give the D-Brigade freedom of passage through their territory. They are likely being taken to Facture."

"That is an accurate assumption," Duftmon agreed. "They require an active supply line from their territory. Perhaps we should send an envoy to the Dual Chess Monarchy, though I doubt they'll have much room to act."

"Perhaps." Omegamon looked at Alphamon. "We really have a lot to deal with lately…"

Alphamon nodded contemplatively. "We do… At least we're keeping busy," he said with a bit of irony. He began to walk down the great hall. "Let's go speak to Metallife about that scout pod. We can't take too long to act."

---

The afternoon passed and dusk overtook the Forest of Memories. The sun had set, and the sky was black with a couple grey clouds obstructing the moons and stars.

Darkness lingered over the makeshift camp, warded off only by the rippling flames of the campfire. GrandisKuwagamon sat cross-legged in front of the burning sticks and tinder. He stared into the fire with a deep meditative gaze. The reflection in his compound eye was that of a crimson inferno.

The snapping of a twig in the dark of the forest tore GrandisKuwagamon's attention away. He shot to his feet and readied his Gran Killers.

"It's me. I'm coming in," Blitzmon said, emerging from the darkness.

GrandisKuwagamon slackened and Bolgmon looked over from several meters away. "About time," Bolgmon said, irritated.

"What took you?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him edgily. "I was starting to think you got taken down."

"I picked up some more food," Blitzmon responded, holding up a bag. "You're welcome."

GrandisKuwagamon glanced over at BaoHackmon. The captive dragon was still lying on the ground a few meters from the campfire. He had his head against the dirt and pointed away from the mercenaries. GrandisKuwagamon walked by him and made his way over to Blitzmon, who walked up to Bolgmon.

"So? How'd it go?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him.

"They got our demands," Blitzmon assured him. "I wasn't followed."

"You weren't, but we were," Bolgmon replied, pointing with a cannon arm across the campsite.

As Blitzmon looked curiously, GrandisKuwagamon walked over to where Bolgmon had been pointing. He reached down and picked up a golden, six-legged, metal bug that was a little bigger than GrandisKuwagamon's palm. It had three holes straight through it from where GrandisKuwagamon had stabbed it.

The black insect brought it over to them and showed it to Blitzmon. "I found a recon drone spying on us," GrandisKuwagamon explained, tossing the deactivated drone to Blitzmon. "What do you think? Is it from the Royal Knights or the Metal Empire?"

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes and looked the scout pod over in his hands. "I doubt the Royal Knights have this kind of technology… It seems more like Metal Empire stuff," he suggested.

"That's what I said," Bolgmon said, glancing at GrandisKuwagamon. "But he didn't believe me."

GrandisKuwagamon ignored the large, blue tank Digimon. "If that's true, we're screwed. We don't need another D-Brigade team coming after us along with the Royal Knights," he stated, glaring off to the side. "I'm starting to think we should cut our losses and get our asses to Dark Point, ASAP. Regroup and take a few low key jobs until we're off the radar again."

"Don't be stupid, Grandis!" Bolgmon protested incredulously. "We've come all this way. We've got a ransom to collect and we've got a payment on the way for dusting that patrol. We're not losing our entire hideout and coming up with nothing!"

"I'm with Bolgmon on this," Blitzmon explained, making it known to GrandisKuwagamon that he was outnumbered. "Most of our reserves were in that hideout. We can't afford to start from almost nothing. We need to build up some cash in any way that we can. That means doing things like this and continuing our contract with Wizardmon's client."

GrandisKuwagamon growled irritably. "Yeah? And what if they show up with twelve Royal Knights instead of the ransom payment?" he countered. "And that contract… Where does it end? The D-Brigade's onto us. The Metal Empire's onto us. The Royal Knights are onto us. We're too damn exposed. Can't you see that? What crazy job are they gonna make us do next?"

Bolgmon scoffed and folded his arms. "Shit, Grandis. When did you get to be such a wuss?" he asked with a grin.

GrandisKuwagamon shot him a narrow leer. "I'm not a coward. I'm being realistic," he explained emphatically. "How long do you think we're going to be able to keep this up for, huh? Not only are we going up against the self-appointed network security and number-one Yggdrasil-fanboys, but we're also up against the empire of military-grade tin cans who disappears you for looking at Chaosdramon the wrong way. Now, we're pretty damn good at what we do, but do you really think we should get sandwiched between that?"

"We'll be fine, Grandis," Blitzmon insisted, eyeing him as he folded his arms. "We just have to do this smart. Besides, we don't know what our client will want from us next."

"That's the damn problem," GrandisKuwagamon retorted. "You guys are too naïve to see it."

Blitzmon shook his head. "You're the one who's naïve, Grandis. If you think we'll be able to last on the money that we have in Dark Point…" he informed him. "I'm not saying there's no risk. But it's high risk, high reward."

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and folded his arms. "We have previous clients who know we can get the job done."

"Our goodwill will only last us so long," Blitzmon argued.

"We've got a contract right in front of us," Bolgmon protested. "You know how unsteady merc work can be, especially with a small company like ours. We've had a dry spell for the past few months. Who knows how long that's gonna go on for?"

GrandisKuwagamon scowled and glanced down at the ground. "…Fine, I'll go along with it for now. Just until we get our cash back," he conceded albeit reluctantly. "Just don't get greedy.

"We won't," Blitzmon said plainly. "It's the company we're thinking about, not ourselves."

"Good," GrandisKuwagamon said with a sigh. "So am I."

Blitzmon gave a swift glance to Bolgmon. "…Bolgmon, let's go scan the perimeter before we go down for the night."

"Yeah, sure," Bolgmon said, rolling into reverse so that he could turn around.

"Want me to come?" GrandisKuwagamon asked, eyeing the two blue insects as they turned away.

"Someone has to watch the campfire and the prisoner," Blitzmon reminded him.

"Sure," GrandisKuwagamon nonchalantly answered, turning around and walking away from the pair.

The black, humanoid insect listened as his two mercenary teammates made their way off into the forest. He glanced over his shoulder at them and proceeded to walk past the fire, over towards BaoHackmon.

The dragon Digimon was still lying on the ground with his face pointed away from the mercenary. GrandisKuwagamon had assumed that he was asleep, but as he approached the captive, he realized that that wasn't the case. GrandisKuwagamon could hear the sound of sniffling, and he also noticed subtle movements coming from BaoHackmon.

GrandisKuwagamon stepped up to the bound dragon and stood over him, looking down. To his surprise, he saw that although BaoHackmon's eyes were tightly shut, he wasn't asleep. In fact, he was quietly crying. The insect mercenary saw a tear dripping down his horned snout, and BaoHackmon was sniffing and clenching his face tightly.

The bug Digimon sighed with mild annoyance and incredulity. "Cripes. Seriously? For fucks sakes," he said to BaoHackmon. "What the hell are you crying for?"

BaoHackmon's face heated up with embarrassment and he opened a gold eye, red and irritated due to the tears, so that he could look up at the mercenary standing over him. Not wanting to show weakness in front of his captor, BaoHackmon quickly turned his head and wiped his cheeks against the nearby moss. "I'm… not crying," he insisted, although his shaky voice betrayed him.

GrandisKuwagamon folded his arms and looked down at him with an unconvinced expression. "Uh huh… So… what's that wet stuff comin' out of your eyes? Brain juice?" he asked sardonically.

BaoHackmon winced and looked away. "I got dirt in my eyes from lying on the ground," he insisted.

"Yeah, right," GrandisKuwagamon dismissively responded, using his foot to lightly nudge BaoHackmon's caped back. "What's the real reason? You didn't dislocate your shoulders trying to escape, did you?"

"N-No…" BaoHackmon replied, sniffing.

GrandisKuwagamon stepped over BaoHackmon so that the dinosaur Digimon was facing him. "In that case… I know the reason," the mercenary explained, looking down at him. "Honestly, kid. Grow a pair and take it. Deal with your bad decision. …What the hell were you thinking, coming out here on your own? What did you think was going to happen when you came across us?"

BaoHackmon grimaced. "I don't know… I thought I could bring you guys to justice. I wanted to prove that I could… that I was strong enough…" he mumbled shame-facedly.

"Tch… Justice, huh?" GrandisKuwagamon muttered. "That's a nice idea… But what do you really know about justice?" he asked him. "That's the problem with the Royal Knights. They fill your head full of nice, idealistic concepts, but they hole themselves up in their castle without knowing how the world really works. They think they can just step in whenever they want and bring 'justice' to 'evildoers' or some shit. If any of you knew anything, you'd know the world isn't so black and white."

"You're wrong!" BaoHackmon fired back defensively, glaring up at GrandisKuwagamon. "The Royal Knights aren't out of touch with the world at all! Their ideas aren't nonsense! They travel the world, talking to all sorts of different Digimon!"

"That's what you think, huh? Funny, I never saw them when they were really needed," he responded with a bitter tinge to his words.

BaoHackmon let out a grunt. "Then you didn't look hard enough!" he countered. "They're always helping people in need. Always! Don't you remember the Night of Falling Stars?"

"Tch," GrandisKuwagamon grunted. "All I remember about the Night of Falling Stars is that religion caused a shit-load of Digimon to end up dead." He looked down at BaoHackmon with a cynical stare. "Hell, were you even alive then, kid?"

BaoHackmon winced and looked away. "Yeah, I was…" he responded. "I might not have seen them in action, but I know that the Royal Knights did a hell of a lot to stop the Demon Lords. They even tried to stop the falling pieces of the Sky Colony!"

"Yeah, well they missed a few pieces," GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically responded.

A grimace formed on BaoHackmon's face. "It wasn't their fault."

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. He squatted down in front of BaoHackmon and stuck his Gran Killer in the ground to keep himself balanced. "So, you're part of the Order and you're a Royal Knight fanboy. Guess that means you're a big believer in Yggdrasil, huh?"

"Yeah, I believe in Yggdrasil," BaoHackmon replied, frowning. "I mean, who else created the Digital World?"

"Tch. Figures... The Royal Knights are an order of zealots, after all," GrandisKuwagamon muttered to himself. "…So, what about Huanglongmon, huh? Big, gold dragon who also apparently created the Digital World and then split himself into the Four Holy Beasts, only for them to sit around and do jack shit? How can there be a Yggdrasil if he supposedly exists? And how can there be a Huanglongmon if Yggdrasil supposedly exists?"

"Uh… I don't know. Some Digimon believe that the existence of one doesn't necessarily exclude the existence of the other," BaoHackmon offered.

"Isn't that convenient?" GrandisKuwagamon said in an acerbic tone. He stared at BaoHackmon intensely. "So…? Where is he? This Yggdrasil. Why doesn't he do anything to help the Digital World?"

"That's what the Royal Knights are for!" BaoHackmon debated, frowning at GrandisKuwagamon's sudden interest in the subject.

"If he's all powerful, why does he need twelve do-gooder bucket heads to do his work for him?" the black insect continued.

BaoHackmon winced. He wasn't particularly well-versed in these things. "I-I don't know! What do you care?" he fired back.

GrandisKuwagamon caught himself after a moment. He blinked and then rolled his eyes with a sigh. "What do I care…? Why am I debating philosophy with a little kid, for fuck's sakes?" he asked himself, rubbing his forehead.

BaoHackmon glared at him. "I'm not a little kid. I'm an Adult-level Digimon," he corrected emphatically.

"Who was blubbering to himself because he was scared," GrandisKuwagamon pointed out teasingly.

"I wasn't crying because I was scared!" the dinosaur Digimon shot back.

"So you admit you were crying…" GrandisKuwagamon said with a grin. "Okay, why were you, then?"

BaoHackmon winced and looked away. "…It's… because I made things harder for everybody," he admitted with a shameful grimace in his gold eyes. "I snuck off without permission because I wanted to come here to take you guys down. Now, I got myself captured and put the Royal Knights and Sensei in an awkward position. I want to become a Royal Knight, but I completely blew it. I got cocky and now I'm not even sure if I deserve to be a Royal Knight anymore…"

"I guess that explains it…" GrandisKuwagamon muttered. "So, you wanna be a Royal Knight, huh…?" He grinned and shook his head. "I don't know if that's cute or sad."

BaoHackmon looked up at GrandisKuwagamon with a bland glare. "Can you be any more patronizing?" he sarcastically fired back.

"Let's face it, kid. The situation you're in doesn't exactly inspire confidence," he matter-of-factly explained. GrandisKuwagamon stood to his feet. "But you've got ambition and drive. If you've got that much, who knows?" He glanced down at BaoHackmon. "You've already got the blind idealism part locked down. Now you just need to have the skills and luck not to get yourself killed by then."

"…If you're trying to give me a pep-talk, you're doing a terrible job," BaoHackmon said to him flatly.

GrandisKuwagamon scoffed at this and turned away. "What do I care about you? You're just my hostage," he reminded him, his tone changing. He dropped a small cloth in front of BaoHackmon's face. "And if you're going to start bawling again, do it into that. Nothing worse than a snot-nosed dragon."

A little surprised, BaoHackmon glanced down at the cloth and then back up at GrandisKuwagamon, but the insect Digimon was already walking over to one of the makeshift beds. "I'm not going to," he assured him. BaoHackmon frowned with discomfort as a sense of nostalgia washed over him. "…I felt like I had that conversation before…"

"Yeah," GrandisKuwagamon nonchalantly said as he lay down on the bed of leaves. "This place'll do that." The black beetle man placed his hands behind his head and he gazed up at the night sky. "Get some rest. Bolgmon's on guard duty first, so you'll want to be asleep for that." For emphasis, GrandisKuwagamon raised his pincer-laden head and glanced down at BaoHackmon. "Oh… and don't try anything stupid. You won't get very far."

BaoHackmon winced and placed his plated cheek down on the cloth. That wasn't a terrible idea that GrandisKuwagamon suggested. "Fine…" he mumbled, closing his eyes.

Despite the dragon's guilt and concerns, he was exhausted. It took him only a few minutes for him to fall asleep. His mind drifted and faded until he was consumed in the abyss of unconsciousness.

---

Flames.

Swelling flames.

A tempestuous blaze ripped through the darkness, consuming all that entered its path. The fire fed on wood, tinder, and organic matter. Explosions thundered and bombarded the landscape. Trees snapped like twigs before igniting inside a roaring inferno.

Detonations ripped through buildings and Digimon. Beams vaporized all to dust. The high-powered lasers enveloped everything in their path and tore the village asunder. The blaze swelled higher and higher, unleashing clouds of choking smoke and ash. Buildings caved in, crushing whatever was below.

Blasts resounded at all sides, with deep, unrestrained laughter as their chorus. The flames and slaughter continued until nothing remained left in their way.

Nothing remained.

Almost nothing.

---

BaoHackmon winced and opened his eyes. He found himself in the same place as before. His stiff, aching forelegs were still bound behind his back, and he could feel his face against a bed of cool moss. The dragon began to regain his bearings as he woke up.

It was still the middle of the night. He could see the fire still burning, though it was dimmer than before, graced with only a few embers. BaoHackmon's gold eyes darted around the campsite. He wanted to take stock of the three Black Pincer Company members.

He could see Bolgmon on the other side of the fire. He was slumped forwards and appeared to be asleep. BaoHackmon was surprised that he could sleep like that, but he supposed it was more efficient than lying down. The dragon looked around for Blitzmon, but he was unable to find him. He assumed it was his turn on guard duty.

BaoHackmon then looked over towards GrandisKuwagamon. He was lying in the same place, on the bed of leaves. BaoHackmon frowned curiously as he observed the black insect. GrandisKuwagamon was breathing heavily. His body was tense, and he was tossing and turning in agitated, erratic movements. He was asleep, but he rolled from his right side to his left, and then onto his back, repeating the process in no particular order. The mercenary's fists were clenched and he was murmuring incoherently under his breath. It looked as though he was having a nightmare.

He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't help but feel bad for his captor. BaoHackmon watched the mercenary writhe and fidget. There was an air of fear and desperation about him. Despite how tough and ruthless the mercenary had seemed before, in the present moment, he looked so vulnerable. It was almost like seeing a different Digimon… BaoHackmon winced; he could empathize with the unpleasant feeling of having a nightmare. The dragon gazed at him with a pensive frown. He didn't take any pleasure in watching GrandisKuwagamon suffer.

The dragon couldn't walk over to him and nudge him, due to the fact that his front legs and tail were tied. Instead, he opted to try from a distance. "Hey!" BaoHackmon called over to him.

GrandisKuwagamon hissed and woke with a start, tensing up and stabbing directly in front of him with his Gran Killer. The ebony insect Digimon shot to a sitting position and looked around alertly, checking for immediate threats. He drew heavy breaths and beads of sweat ran down his carapace. When GrandisKuwagamon realized that he wasn't in any immediate danger, he released a sigh of relief and lowered his two Gran Killers.

It was then that he realized that BaoHackmon was staring at him. GrandisKuwagamon turned his head away sheepishly. "…You're still awake?" he asked, trying to play it off like it was no big deal.

"I just woke up…" BaoHackmon responded, frowning at him. "…Did you have a nightmare?"

GrandisKuwagamon winced at the fact that he had shown weakness. "Tch," he responded nonchalantly, still not looking at him. "It's this damn forest…" he explained.

"The forest?" BaoHackmon asked him.

"Never been?" GrandisKuwagamon questioned offhandedly. "It's called the Forest of Memories for a reason… You know that constant sense of déjà vu and nostalgia that's creeping inside of you… Those vivid dreams… memories… That's what this forest does. It makes you remember…" He grunted. "Can't wait to get out of this damn place."

BaoHackmon's brows furrowed as he thought about it. He had been having weird dreams the past two nights too. He also had a lot of familiar feelings that he couldn't quite place. The way the fire burned brought back memories of him sitting around a fire with Gankoomon and the Sistermons. He could also swear that he smelled the distinct scent of Gankoomon's jacket… "Gankoomon-sensei never brought me here," he explained. "He's my, uh, teacher."

"Smart," GrandisKuwagamon muttered. "Some Digimon like it, most hate it. The nostalgia's novel until you remember something you want to forget."

"So… What did you dream about?" BaoHackmon asked him inquisitively.

"Nothing you'd want to hear about," GrandisKuwagamon said dismissively.

BaoHackmon squirmed and pivoted on the ground so that he could face GrandisKuwagamon directly. "It must have been pretty bad to make someone like you so edgy," he pointed out. He looked at GrandisKuwagamon carefully. "…Something you want to forget?"

GrandisKuwagamon turned towards him and narrowed his eye. "Don't push it…"

"Sorry," BaoHackmon muttered, glancing down. He braved looking up at GrandisKuwagamon again. "It's just… I used to have nightmares too. About my village getting destroyed…"

GrandisKuwagamon gazed at BaoHackmon quietly. "Your village was destroyed?" he asked him.

"Yeah… It was a long time ago. During the Night of Falling Stars," BaoHackmon explained a bit awkwardly. "I don't remember much… Just that I lost a lot that night."

The bug Digimon rubbed the back of his head and looked off to the side. "The Night of Falling Stars, huh?" he asked sheepishly. "…Falling debris?"

"I dunno. Probably… I was pretty young at the time and I don't remember much," the dragon responded. "All I remember is seeing the Sky Colony coming down and then it suddenly splitting apart into lots of different pieces. I know the Royal Knights helped to break it up in order to minimize the damage. After the damage was done, I left the village – or what was left of it. I wandered for days until I passed out from exhaustion. It was then that Gankoomon-sensei found me and looked after me." The corners of BaoHackmon's mouth curved upwards at the memory. "When he realized that I didn't have anywhere to go back to, he said I could come with him."

"Hm… Your village was still destroyed. Don't you resent the Royal Knights for not stopping it?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him, levelling his crimson eye with him. "For not saving your village?"

BaoHackmon smiled and shook his head. "Not at all… The damage would have been much worse if they didn't do anything to stop the Sky Colony from falling. They saved a lot of Digimon and they defeated the Seven Great Demon Lords who caused all the destruction in the first place. They do stuff like that all the time. They can't always be successful but they try their best for the good of all Digimon. Even when they fail, they try their best." The dragon smiled warmly. "I want to do that… I want to be a Royal Knight so that I can protect people too."

"Tch…" GrandisKuwagamon eyed him. "Even after all that happened to you, you can still be idealistic and naïve? …You're something, kid. It must take a lot of energy to fool yourself so much."

BaoHackmon frowned at him. "I'm not a kid. And I'm not naïve or fooling myself," he responded. "You're just cynical."

"I'm realistic," GrandisKuwagamon corrected. "Through bitter experience."

"Like what?" BaoHackmon asked him. "Don't you have a home? Family?"

GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye briefly. "…Nope," he responded coolly. He readjusted the ebony, metal Gran Killers on his arms.

"What do you mean?" BaoHackmon questioned with a deepening frown. "What happened?"

The mercenary stood to his feet and shot the captive a sideways look. "Let's just say you aren't the only one who lost things…" he said in a near mumble.

At this revelation, BaoHackmon couldn't help but wince. "Oh…" he replied in a deflated, sympathetic voice. "I'm sorry…"

"Yeah, save your pity. I don't want or need it," the bug Digimon told him curtly as he turned his winged back to him. "It was a long time ago. I'm a new Digimon now. I learned a hell of a lot since then."

"You became a criminal," BaoHackmon stated. "Is that really a good thing?"

GrandisKuwagamon looked over his shoulder at BaoHackmon. "Do you really think it's that black and white?" he asked him. "The things I've done… The things we've done… it was all so that we could survive." He locked eyes with him. "We didn't have anybody to rescue us like you did. It's a harsh world and we didn't want to just roll over and die. We did what we needed to."

BaoHackmon winced and looked away. "Oh…" he responded, feeling somewhat guilty. He never really thought of it like that…

GrandisKuwagamon turned around to face BaoHackmon. "BaoHackmon, right…?" he asked him.

"Uh, yeah…" the dinosaur Digimon responded, still thinking about GrandisKuwagamon's previous words.

The black insect looked down at him and gave him a firm, meaningful look. "Your heart's too big… If you're not careful, then one day you're going to end up dead," he warned him.

BaoHackmon frowned and shook his head in disagreement. "No… I don't think you're right," he argued. "It's not wrong to care about others." He looked into GrandisKuwagamon's eye. "And I don't think you really believe that… If you didn't care at least a bit, why did you give me this?" BaoHackmon gestured with his head to the cloth in front of him.

"You really think that meant anything?" GrandisKuwagamon asked him rhetorically. "This is what I'm saying; you're naïve. You see the best in people." He narrowed his eye at BaoHackmon. "I could wrap you around my little finger if I wanted. All it'd take is a sob story. You wouldn't even see it coming when I stabbed you in the back."

"Then what do you care? Let me walk around in my so-called dream world! Use it against me like you say you would," BaoHackmon retorted, matching his leer. "You're saying this stuff because you care! You don't want me to end up getting hurt. You're just like Sensei!"

It was as he said the words that BaoHackmon's eyes widened with sudden understanding. He realized that Gankoomon's intentions weren't to hold him back, but to protect him. That was why Gankoomon was so intent on BaoHackmon getting more experience before he got involved in combat. Despite the Royal Knight's harshness and strictness, he had his best interests at heart. BaoHackmon couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as he remembered their argument.

"Think what you want. I know the truth," GrandisKuwagamon countered, hissing a bit. "I've survived this long because I only look out for myself. I don't care about anybody else. It's the same with Blitzmon and Bolgmon. Black Pincer Company is all we've got."

"So, which is it, Grandis?" Bolgmon suddenly spoke up, drawing BaoHackmon and GrandisKuwagamon's attention. "Yourself? Or Black Pincer Company? Which comes first?"

GrandisKuwagamon glared over at his comrade, who he hadn't realized was awake. "…What?" he asked, tensing slightly.

Bolgmon smirked a bit and rolled over to him. "Because, to be honest, I've been wonderin' that lately. All I've heard from you recently is how you want to save your own ass," he pointed out. "You want to ditch our contract because you're worried about putting your ass in danger."

GrandisKuwagamon turned and walked up to Bolgmon to face him directly. "The hell? You're really gonna question my commitment after everything I've done for us? After everything we've been through?" he asked him scathingly. He leered up at Bolgmon with silent intensity. "I was the one who came up with Black Pincer Company. I'm the one who hooked us our first job. If it weren't for me, we'd still be fishing cash out of the gutters or stuck in prison for theft."

"There it is again. 'I'. 'Me'. Let me remind you that you just said, 'I only look out for myself. I don't care about anybody else. It's the same for Blitzmon and Bolgmon'," Bolgmon stated pointedly.

"You're taking that out of context!" GrandisKuwagamon angrily growled. He regained his composure and levelled a fiery yet cool gaze at his larger comrade. "You're just hearing what you want to hear, aren't you, Bolgmon? It'd be convenient if I was the odd 'mon out!"

BaoHackmon listened as the two insect Digimon argued. He tried to use the opportunity to wiggle out of his bonds, but he was making slow, ineffectual progress.

"Dunno what you're talkin' about," Bolgmon said dismissively, looking down at GrandisKuwagamon with his ever-present smirk. "And hey, it's not just me who's noticed how you've been acting. It's Blitzmon too. We've been talking."

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and rolled his eye. "Yeah, I'm sure you've been whispering in his ear as you try to cuddle up to him at night," he taunted.

Bolgmon glared and raised his cannon arm, preparing to punch. "Why you! You'd better get in line or else I might convince him that we're better off as a two-Digimon group!" he warned, his arm beginning to spin and spark dangerously.

GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye and raised his Gran Killers. "Try me, fat-ass! And since when did you make yourself our leader?" he fired back.

"You're the self-appointed leader out of the three of us!" Bolgmon protested. "You're always the one calling the shots!"

"Oh, so that's what this is about!" GrandisKuwagamon said with a smirk. "You're jealous!"

"Enough!" Blitzmon called out, walking over from the darkness of the forest. "I could hear you two fifty meters away."

The two insect mercenaries looked over to see Blitzmon walk up to them with a scowl. BaoHackmon was disappointed by the interruption, as he lost an opportunity to try to escape.

"Nobody's in charge. We each have a 33% share in this mercenary company. And nobody's cutting anybody else out either," he said firmly. "We each have a 100% stake in making sure this company prospers."

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and lowered his Gran Killers, taking a step back and looking away. "Tch… Yeah. Fine. It's this damn forest. It's putting me on edge."

Bolgmon rolled in reverse, scowling uncomfortably. "Same… Damn memories. I keep thinking about that night," he muttered.

Blitzmon nodded. "Me too…" His cold gaze landed onto BaoHackmon. "But don't forget our current situation. Ignore everything else and focus."

GrandisKuwagamon released a meditative sigh. "…Yeah. We have to be ready. The Royal Knights might show up before the meeting time tomorrow morning. And they might be bringing the heat instead of the cash," he agreed, thinking clearly again now that he was able to put things into perspective. He glanced at Bolgmon. "We good, Bolgie?"

Bolgmon gave him a grudging look. "Yeah…" he conceded, although it sounded forced.

"Nice that you two could settle that," Blitzmon said, folding his arms. "Don't need to give our guest any ammunition."

BaoHackmon retaliated with a bland stare. "As if I can do anything…"

"But maybe I can…" a voice said from within the dark forest.

The three members of Black Pincer Company suddenly turned towards the voice and brought their guards up. GrandisKuwagamon raised his Gran Killer claws and crouched down, ready to strike. His crimson eye glistened as he looked towards the voice.

Meanwhile, Blitzmon grabbed BaoHackmon by the hood of the cape and lifted him off the ground with one hand, his other palm sparking with electricity. He looked over at Bolgmon, who began gyrating his cannon arms in order to generate electricity. "Bolgmon! What do you see?" he asked him.

Bolgmon stared into the darkness as numbers flashed across his vision. His targeting system was working at full capacity. He made sure to scan the whole area. "I only detect one."

"Are you sure?" GrandisKuwagamon asked, looking around the whole perimeter guardedly. "There could be more of 'em. It's too soon."

"It's only me," the deep voice assured them. A humanoid figure emerged from the shadows.

Despite the light pressure around his throat at Blitzmon holding him up, BaoHackmon squinted to try to get a good look at the Digimon. It was initially hard to see into the darkness, being so close to the fire. However, the dim light of the fire's embers helped to illuminate the Digimon. To BaoHackmon's disbelief, he recognized the Digimon as Gankoomon.

"S-Sensei?!"

Gankoomon stepped forwards with slow, cautious steps. His arms were spread out disarmingly. "I'm alone," he told them, looking around at the three mercenaries. Gankoomon locked eyes with BaoHackmon, but the dragon winced and looked away shamefully.

"You're early," GrandisKuwagamon told him, glaring across at Gankoomon and not lowering his guard for a moment.

Gankoomon flashed him a confident smile. "I'm not here with the money," he explained casually.

Blitzmon frowned and brought his electrically-charged fist closer to BaoHackmon's face.

GrandisKuwagamon raised his Gran Killers and stretched his pincers. "If you came here thinking you can beat us and take BaoHackmon back, you've made a big mistake. You're outnumbered and we have a hostage," GrandisKuwagamon explained to him. "Black Pincer Company has a policy: in business, we make good on our word. We don't make idle threats."

"Neither do I," Gankoomon explained, keeping his hands distant from his sides. "But I didn't come here to fight. I came here to negotiate."

BaoHackmon's eyes widened. "What?!" he asked in disbelief.

Blitzmon gripped BaoHackmon's hood tightly and held up the large dragon in front of him. "Our price is non-negotiable," he informed him.

"The ransom's not what I came to negotiate," Gankoomon explained firmly. "It's the hostage."

"He stays with us until we get paid," GrandisKuwagamon replied unwavering. After he spoke, he glanced around to make sure that Gankoomon wasn't just buying time. He signalled to Bolgmon to keep an eye out.

"Does it have to be him?" the Royal Knight questioned. "It could be anybody from the Order, couldn't it?"

Bolgmon frowned and cocked his head to the side. "What the hell are you getting at?" he asked him, although not lowering his electricity-loaded arms.

Gankoomon placed his hands on his hips. "I'm saying… wouldn't a genuine Royal Knight be a better hostage than some kid who only mops the floors?" he proposed bluntly.

BaoHackmon's eyes widened with stunned shock. He stared at Gankoomon with disbelief. "S-Sensei!" he protested.

Blitzmon blinked. "What?" he asked, just as dumbfounded as his hostage.

GrandisKuwagamon gazed at him sceptically. "Are you serious? What the hell are you trying to pull?" he asked him, making his doubt perfectly clear. "If you think we're going to fall for that…"

"I'm being serious," Gankoomon answered, the depth and cadence of his voice conveying the gravity of his proposal. "If you want the Royal Knights to pay up, use me instead. We have a code, you know. One of the rules is 'Never leave another Royal Knight in their time of need.' They wouldn't do anything to jeopardize me."

"Gankoomon-sensei! You can't!" BaoHackmon argued in a mixture of anger and worry.

"I don't buy it," GrandisKuwagamon stated, leering at the red-haired warrior. "You're really offering yourself up as a hostage? The other Royal Knights just let you do this? Please. It's gotta be a trick."

"It's no trick," Gankoomon assured them, ignoring BaoHackmon's protests. "The others don't know I'm here. That's why I'm here before the meeting time." He slowly looked at all three mercenaries. "You know that I'm more valuable than he is." He glanced over at BaoHackmon, who looked back at him with worried eyes, pleading him not to do this.

"Don't, Sensei! You can't just run off and do this!" BaoHackmon protested. "Think of the Royal Knights!"

"Like you did?" Gankoomon responded firmly. "You ran off and got yourself in this situation! You're telling me that I can't do the same?!"

BaoHackmon winced guiltily. "I already know that I screwed up! I know I put myself in danger and made things harder for everybody else! I'm sorry! You don't have to do this to teach me a lesson!" he begged him.

Gankoomon shook his head. "I'm not doing this to teach you a lesson," he told him stubbornly. "And it's not good enough to just be sorry! You have to do something about it! That's what I'm doing now!"

GrandisKuwagamon took a step towards him. "Yeah, you're probably a better bargaining chip than the kid," he admitted. "But what's your angle? Why do this? If it's just so that we untie him and you can make your move…"

The Royal Knight turned to face GrandisKuwagamon. "Because he's my student. BaoHackmon is my responsibility and I failed him."

BaoHackmon looked over at Gankoomon with a sad grimace. "I don't need you to do this for me, Sensei…" he insisted defiantly.

"I know you don't," Gankoomon admitted, staring at him directly. "But I want to do this."

GrandisKuwagamon glanced over at Blitzmon. "What do you think, Blitzmon?" he asked him.

Blitzmon frowned with thought, still not letting go of the prisoner. "Having him as a hostage would make them more likely to pay up… We might even be able to ask for more than just our stash," he reasoned.

"Bolgie?" GrandisKuwagamon asked, glancing over at the large Digimon who kept his cannons trained on Gankoomon.

"Heh! Yeah, sounds good to me!" Bolgmon agreed.

GrandisKuwagamon nodded and eyed Gankoomon pensively. "…Okay, then."

Gankoomon leered back at the dark insect. "Just so we're clear, this only happens if you release BaoHackmon," he said emphatically. "You need him to go back and tell the Royal Knights how the situation has changed, after all."

"Deal," GrandisKuwagamon agreed.

"But if you try anything funny, BaoHackmon gets it," Blitzmon warned him.

"I know," Gankoomon answered.

"Oshishou-sama!" BaoHackmon protested, struggling in Blitzmon's grip. He was tempted to drive his bladed foot into Blitzmon's shin, but before he could, Blitzmon released his grip on the dragon's hood. BaoHackmon fell to the ground with a painful thud, landing on his chest. He grimaced and exhaled breathily from the impact. The dinosaur Digimon looked up at Gankoomon desperately.

GrandisKuwagamon looked at Gankoomon. "Slowly raise your hands over your head and get down on your knees," he commanded him. The insect mercenary glanced over at Blitzmon. "Untie him and then throw me the rope."

Blitzmon nodded and placed his foot on BaoHackmon's caped back before kneeling down. He began to untie BaoHackmon's forelegs and tail, all the while keeping his lightning-wreathed fist close to BaoHackmon's face as a deterrent for both Gankoomon and BaoHackmon.

Gankoomon raised his hands up slowly and got down on his knees, complying with GrandisKuwagamon's commands.

BaoHackmon winced with guilt as he watched. He could feel relief around his forelegs as blood suddenly came rushing into the sore, unused limbs. Blitzmon finished loosening the rope before pulling the rest of it off.

GrandisKuwagamon walked over and collected the rope so that Blitzmon wouldn't have to get up from BaoHackmon. They didn't want him and Gankoomon making a break for it as soon as he was free to move. The black insect Digimon then walked over to the Royal Knight guardedly. "Don't try anything," he warned him.

"I'm not that dumb," Gankoomon insisted, keeping his hands up and watching GrandisKuwagamon as he circled around behind him.

GrandisKuwagamon approached Gankoomon from behind and grabbed hold of his arms. He roughly pulled Gankoomon's arms behind his back and began to tie them tightly with the rope. He was relieved when he found that Gankoomon was compliant. GrandisKuwagamon skillfully tied the limbs so that the Royal Knight wouldn't be able to escape. He finished with a knot and then hauled Gankoomon to his feet.

Gankoomon grunted and looked over his shoulder at GrandisKuwagamon. "And your end of the bargain?" he said to him.

GrandisKuwagamon turned and nodded at Blitzmon. The blue beetle man got up from BaoHackmon, releasing the pressure from his back, and took a step back so that he could stand.

BaoHackmon winced and pushed himself to his feet. He glared at GrandisKuwagamon. "Let Gankoomon-sensei go!" he demanded. "Please, GrandisKuwagamon!"

"BaoHackmon!" Gankoomon thundered, staring fierily at his protégé. "This is one of the times where it's better to think with your head instead of your heart. Don't ruin this opportunity by trying to resist, and do what I say. Please."

The dragon grimaced with regret and reluctance as he gazed over at the Royal Knight. "But what about you?! I can't just leave, damn it!" he protested.

"GO! I'm not doing this for nothing!" Gankoomon ordered him. He locked passionate gazes with BaoHackmon. "I'm trusting you to go back to the Royal Knights and tell them what I've done! Don't let me down!" He clenched his fists. "Now, go!"

BaoHackmon snarled and reluctantly dashed off into the dark forest.

Gankoomon watched with relief as he disappeared into the night.

"Touching…"GrandisKuwagamon stated, watching as BaoHackmon rank off. He pushed Gankoomon along to the other side of the camp. "Okay, sit down," he told Gankoomon, pushing him into a sitting position. He looked at Bolgmon. "Keep an eye out."

Gankoomon sat down cross-legged and stared into the shadowy forest where BaoHackmon had ran. He was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Now all he had to do was think about himself.

---

BaoHackmon dashed through the forest, jumping over roots and rocks. His stiff legs ached with every movement, and his clawed and bladed feet dug into the ground with each step, causing dirt to shoot up behind him.

A pained, frustrated growl escaped his lips. His teeth were clenched tightly and his face muscles were tense and rigid. His angry, gold eyes were narrowed and moist. A rogue tear escaped the corner of his eye and flew behind him as he sprinted forwards.

"Damn it! Damn it!" he growled. "It's my fault! It's my fault they have Sensei!" he snarled to himself.

The teenage dragon shot through the Forest of Memories, his emotions driving him to go faster. "I need to do something… I can't just leave him…" he thought to himself as he ran. BaoHackmon winced with guilt and frustration. "But… the last time I ran off and disobeyed orders, I got captured and caused Gankoomon to be where he is now. If I go back, I'll just ruin things again."

BaoHackmon growled at his own helplessness. His distraction caused him not to watch where he was going. His legs were still weak from not being used.

His front left foot didn't raise high enough to avoid a root jutting out of the ground. The dragon caught his foot on the root and ended up falling face first into the dirt in front of him. BaoHackmon winced as he skidded to a stop.

"D-Damn it… Damn it!" he cried out in frustration.

BaoHackmon shut his eyes tightly as they burned and stung with emotion. "I can't leave Gankoomon-sensei! I can't let him come to my rescue all the time!"

BaoHackmon snarled as a tear trickled down his cheek. "Rule Three of the Royal Knights' Code… A Royal Knight… doesn't leave another Royal Knight…" he spoke, his voice quivering with passion and emotion. "And I'm…"

He remembered the image of the Sky Colony debris falling towards his village in the night sky.

"I'm…"

Determination flooded through his body. BaoHackmon briefly recalled his first memory of Gankoomon. Hackmon was lying on the ground exhausted, but Gankoomon kneeled down to offer him water. He had passed out, and the next thing he remembered was Gankoomon taking care of him.

BaoHackmon tensed up with emotion.

"I'M GOING TO BECOME A ROYAL KNIGHT!"

The tear creeping around the corner of BaoHackmon's snout suddenly began to sparkle. The bead of liquid shone brightly, and then that radiance grew to envelope his entire body, illuminating the dark forest around him.

BaoHackmon's tearful eyes snapped open to reveal a passionate, adrenalized stare, burning with determination. Then the light of evolution consumed him completely.

"BaoHackmon CHOU-SHINKA…!"

BaoHackmon's resplendent, shining body began to grow and change. First, he stood on his four legs, but he soon rose to stand on only his hind legs. As BaoHackmon changed, the blazing glow surrounding him began to fade away when he reached his final state.

The white, plated texture of his body remained very similar, as he retained the same sort of armour from head-to-toe. It was bladed and futuristic in appearance. He gained vambraces, spaulders, and leg armour that adorned intimidating spikes. The nose horn on his snout also remained, with his head keeping its metallic, draconic shape, but becoming more dignified. Around the tips of the spikes were gem-like ornamental notches that glimmered in the darkness. The ones on his upper body were red in color, while the ones on his lower body were light blue, matching the clear, sky blue crystal encrusted on his upper body.

His body became humanoid in stature. His forelegs became arms with three claws at the end of them. Protruding from the bracers covering his forearms were long, jagged, crimson blades that glistened in the residual light of evolution. His tail grew even longer, and the blade at the end became fully connected to his tail, taking on the same hard, red, glowing material that the other two blades had. The new Digimon, formerly BaoHackmon, stood up proudly and majestically.

"…SaviorHackmon!"

As SaviorHackmon stood, his long, crimson cape blustered behind him majestically. It was still connected to him by the goggle-clad hood that was wrapped around his neck. His gold eyes were no longer tearful, but passionate, caring, and determined. He took a step forwards on his new feet, which had blades extending from their toes and heels.

SaviorHackmon spun around and began dashing back the way he came. He moved swifter and more gracefully than he ever could have hoped to as a BaoHackmon. The draconic warrior swept through the Forest of Memories like a crimson meteor. His mantle fluttered behind him as he shot around the trees, giving him the true appearance of a hero.

His bladed feet lightly touched the ground with each step. He could feel a new, refined power flowing through him. He had been training for this, but he must have tapped into a deep well of power that was inside him. Although he was still unaccustomed to the new, bipedal body, SaviorHackmon carried on through sheer adrenaline and determination. In the moment, he found himself able to carry himself on two legs without too much problem, although his movements were occasionally awkward.

SaviorHackmon was less focused on himself than he was on rescuing Gankoomon. He felt as if he would be able to in this new body. The dragon somehow felt more confident and mature. He narrowed his eyes and gazed ahead of him. SaviorHackmon was able to see the dim glow of the campfire in the distance. He knew that he was closing in.

With reinvigorated determination and passion, SaviorHackmon bolted across the ground, using his arms and tail to stay balanced as he sprinted. The dragon man Digimon closed in on the camp, his speed only increasing as he drew closer.

He made it close enough to see the three figures of Black Pincer Company standing around, and Gankoomon sitting down with his arms tied behind his back. BaoHackmon grunted and kicked off of the ground, jumping into the air and tapping into the instinctive nature of evolution.

"Rage Streit!" he shouted, lunging into the air and extending his bladed foot out in front of him.

Bolgmon looked up and raised his cannons in alarm. "Incoming!"

"What?!" GrandisKuwagamon demanded, spinning around and beating his wings.

SaviorHackmon surged forwards and drove his bladed fist straight into Blitzmon's armoured chest, right as the beetle man turned around. Blitzmon grunted in pain as he was thrown off of his feet and sent crashing into the trunk of a tree.

Gankoomon watched with a stunned expression as SaviorHackmon crashed into Blitzmon and sent him flying. He looked like BaoHackmon but he wasn't, yet was. "What… What the hell?!" he demanded, his eye twitching behind his metal visor. "BaoHackmon?!"

SaviorHackmon turned towards Gankoomon. "Sensei!" he called out, his voice noticeably deeper than before. He took a step towards Gankoomon, aiming to free him.

"Damn it! I don't think so!" Bolgmon shouted, his cannons spinning rapidly. Electricity gushed from the generators in his arms. "Ultimate Thunder!"

Two spheres of lightning surged out and began twisting towards SaviorHackmon. The dragon man lunged into the air to avoid the attack, causing the electricity to crash into a tree and blast it in half. Although he managed to evade the blast, SaviorHackmon found GrandisKuwagamon already upon him.

"You should have listened to your Sensei, kid!" GrandisKuwagamon rebuked him, stabbing his right Gran Killer towards the armoured dragon Digimon.

SaviorHackmon raised his arms, crossing his twin blades in front of him to block the stab. He managed to stop the long claws just short of hitting his face. However, the force behind the thrust was enough to throw SaviorHackmon back towards the ground.

Meanwhile, as SaviorHackmon landed on uneasy footing, Blitzmon pulled himself up from the base of the tree, obviously angry. All three of the mercenaries turned their attention towards SaviorHackmon.

Gankoomon gritted his teeth. At this rate, SaviorHackmon would be outnumbered. He knew he needed to act sooner than he planned. "Damn it!" he grunted, straining against his bonds. Gankoomon's shoulders ignited with golden energy. "Hinukamui!"

The Royal Knight scowled and stood to his feet, bending forwards. "Jishin! Kaminari! Kaji! Oyaji!" he shouted. Gankoomon's jacket blazed with gold flames. Hinukamui unleashed a passionate roar as the golden dragon rose up from Gankoomon's form.

Hinukamui turned around and slashed his claws down at Gankoomon's back, tearing through the rope binding his wrists. Gankoomon pulled his arms out and clenched his fists, a smirk forming on his face. "Okay. I'd say this makes things even!"

SaviorHackmon glanced over his shoulder at Gankoomon. "Sensei!"

"What the hell?! A dragon?!" Bolgmon exclaimed furiously.

GrandisKuwagamon hissed as he watched their prisoner free himself. "Shit…" he muttered. "Just try us! We took on two Royal Knights, already! You two don't stand a chance!"

"Let's just see!" Gankoomon fired back, cracking his knuckles. "Now, you puny bugs are gonna pay for pissing me off!" He unleashed Hinukamui towards GrandisKuwagamon, who hovered in the air.

GrandisKuwagamon grunted as Hinukamui soared towards him aggressively. The dragon lashed out with his claws, but GrandisKuwagamon was quick to evade, deftly avoiding Hinukamui and his strikes. GrandisKuwagamon soared down towards Gankoomon, flying towards him head on. Gankoomon grunted and launched his fist towards GrandisKuwagamon, but the black insect swerved to the side at the last second. He landed beside Gankoomon and spread his pincers wide.

"Grandis Scissors!" GrandisKuwagamon spoke as he snapped his pincers shut towards Gankoomon's neck.

Acting quickly, Gankoomon managed to duck just before GrandisKuwagamon closed his forceps. He felt could feel the breeze of the deadly chop, showing him just how narrowly he avoided it. Staring at GrandisKuwagamon's chest, Gankoomon coiled his fist back. "Tekken Seisai!" he shouted, slamming his fist into the carapace of the bug's gut.

GrandisKuwagamon's eye widened with pain and he felt himself lurch forward, winded, before being thrown through the air. His winged back connected with the ground, but he quickly flipped to his feet, ready to meet Gankoomon's charge.

When Gankoomon lunged at him with his next punch, GrandisKuwagamon blocked it with the armoured side of his left Gran Killer before stabbing towards Gankoomon with his right Gran Killer. Gankoomon ducked his head to the side, feeling the metal length of the inner claw brush against his cheek. He kicked his foot forwards, but GrandisKuwagamon caught the limb and performed a sweeping kick to take out Gankoomon's grounded leg.

The Royal Knight fell to the ground on his back, but he was able to use his leg to throw GrandisKuwagamon over his downed body. GrandisKuwagamon fell to the ground but landed in a roll so that he would be able to recover easily. Both got to their feet and spun around to face the other.

"Idiot!" GrandisKuwagamon taunted. "I excel at hand-to-hand combat."

Gankoomon smirked in response. "So do I!"

The two warriors lunged for each other, unleashing the full force of their battle acumen.

---

Meanwhile, SaviorHackmon lunged backwards as Blitzmon fired a bolt of lightning at where he was standing. The lightning flashed in front of him and exploded the ground before him. As he flew through the air, he glanced at a nearby tree.

Undeterred, SaviorHackmon drove his bladed feet into the tree behind him and held on with a claw to give him a height advantage from halfway up the trunk. "Meteor Flame!" SaviorHackmon yelled, opening his mouth and released rapid-fire bursts of flames towards Blitzmon.

Blitzmon used his speed to dash to the side as the flames enveloped the ground nearby. However, SaviorHackmon trained his fire onto Blitzmon, and the flames began to catch up to the insect Digimon. Blitzmon winced as he raised an arm to protect himself from the flames that began to lick at his body.

"Field Destroyer!" Bolgmon shouted from nearby, digging his cannons into the ground as he launched a high-output laser from his horn turret. The beam howled as it soared towards SaviorHackmon and the tree that he was on.

SaviorHackmon narrowed his eyes and lunged off of the tree as the torrent of positrons shot towards him. He threw himself out of the way of the beam, which consumed the tree and the one behind it, reducing the wood to ashes and data. SaviorHackmon felt himself being pushed through the air by the wave of the blast, but he managed to right himself and land on the ground.

He turned his attention towards Bolgmon, who stood up straight and pivoted towards him. SaviorHackmon took off towards Bolgmon aggressively so that he wouldn't be able to launch ranged attacks at him.

"Haha! It's too bad you won't be able to use that new form of yours for very long!" Bolgmon announced with a cackle, spinning his electricity charged arms as they aimed at SaviorHackmon. "Ultimate Thunder!"

SaviorHackmon watched as the dual spheres whipped towards him and quickly closed in on him. Right before they were about to wrap around and electrocute him, SaviorHackmon jumped into the air to avoid them. "Rage Streit!" he called out, shooting down towards Bolgmon with his bladed foot extended.

There was enough distance between them for Bolgmon to raise his large, metal arms up to block the kick. His armour and sturdy stature held against the blade. Bolgmon smirked and pushed back against him. He pulled his arms away and drove his hefty cannon arm into SaviorHackmon's chest, throwing him back.

SaviorHackmon winced at the powerful blow and felt Blitzmon's presence behind him. When he heard the call of 'Thor's Hammer', he glanced over his shoulder and saw Blitzmon throwing his lightning-imbued fists towards him. The dragon man Digimon acted quickly, swiping his tail outwards and blocking the fist with his bladed tail. However, Blitzmon had favourable momentum, and he sent his lightning-charged hands into SaviorHackmon's caped back, sending electricity shooting through his form.

The Perfect-level unleashed a shout of pain as he was thrown forwards. He managed to hit the ground running, but he landed off balance and stumbled for several meters, still unused to his new form. This moment served as an opportunity for Bolgmon, who was cooperating with Blitzmon. The giant, insect tank charged at full speed towards SaviorHackmon as the dragon tried to regain his balance. "Gigantic Impact!" he shouted, ripping across the dirt and the campfire with the intent of slamming into SaviorHackmon with his full velocity.

SaviorHackmon winced as he finally caught his balance. He looked up to see Bolgmon speeding towards him. He didn't think he'd be able to escape in time. He raised his arms in preparation for what would be a very painful impact.

"Chabudai Gaeshi!" Gankoomon roared, tearing up a piece of bedrock from the ground and flipping it towards Bolgmon.

Bolgmon closed in on SaviorHackmon, ripping across the ground in a full body tackle. "Take this, you little—GAH!" Bolgmon looked to the side just in time to see the massive, stone slab crash into him. The rock shattered around his armoured body and hit him with enough strength to throw him off of his treads and crash to the ground.

SaviorHackmon looked over to see that Gankoomon had aided him. He smiled at his mentor and nodded.

However, GrandisKuwagamon was quickly upon Gankoomon, slashing his Gran Killers down. The long, deadly set of claws just narrowly missed cutting across Gankoomon's chest. He stabbed forwards again, this time, able to cut along Gankoomon's side with one of the bladed claws and draw blood.

Gankoomon snarled and drove his fist into GrandisKuwagamon's mouth in response, sending the ebony mercenary staggering backwards. GrandisKuwagamon took a wild, defensive swipe in front of himself before spitting out a glob of blood. Gankoomon clutched his side to try and staunch the flow of blood, all while Hinukamui began to rise from his back again.

Meanwhile, Blitzmon glanced at Bolgmon, who was swearing as he tried to awkwardly push himself back up so that he was on his treads. The beetle man turned his attention to SaviorHackmon. "Mjölnir Thunder!" Blitzmon exclaimed, sending his fist crashing into the ground and launching a lightning bolt towards SaviorHackmon.

The dragon man turned and saw the blast shooting towards him. SaviorHackmon narrowed his eyes and dashed to the side just in time for the lightning to streak by him in a flash of white. He sprinted across the ground and leapt towards Blitzmon. SaviorHackmon growled and raised the crimson blades on his arms and tail.

"Trident Sabre!" SaviorHackmon called out, slashing his spiked arms down while stabbing forwards with his tail blade.

Blitzmon raised his arms to block the incoming blades. He then generated an anti-gravity atmosphere around himself to increase the speed of his movements. He swept his arm down to try and block the tail blade, but he was slightly too slow. Although he managed to divert the blade, it still cut along the side of his orange body suit, drawing a shallow but painful cut.

Blitzmon winced. "Lightning Blitz!" he growled, sending lightning surging from his horn and into SaviorHackmon's body.

The dragon man released a cry of pain and writhed as the electricity sparked through him. Despite his pain, he stubbornly opened his mouth. "Meteor Flame!" he roared, unleashing multiple bursts of flames onto Blitzmon.

The deep blue insect man growled with pain as the flames burned against his armour and blasted him back. He lunged into reverse and sent another bolt of lightning shooting from his horn and down at SaviorHackmon.

SaviorHackmon grimaced lunged away just as the blast struck the ground in a flash of light and sparks. He shot towards Blitzmon, poising his blades. "Trident Sabre!" he shouted, cleaving his three blades towards Blitzmon.

"Megaton Punch!" Blitzmon retaliated, shooting up to meet him.

The two Digimon collided and threw each other apart violently.

Meanwhile, Gankoomon was busy contending with GrandisKuwagamon while Bolgmon levelled ranged blasts at him. Sweating, the Royal Knight deflected a stab from the panting insect, and then retaliated with a punch to GrandisKuwagamon's upper carapace.

The black insect jumped back when Bolgmon launched an Ultimate Thunder attack at Gankoomon, not wanting to get caught up in the lightning as well. When the electricity surged towards Gankoomon, the warrior turned and reached into the ground, tearing up the ground, tree roots and all, and throwing it into the incoming blast to protect himself. The orbs of lightning slammed into the up-turned ground and exploded, pelting Gankoomon with shards of rock, dirt, and strands of electricity.

Gankoomon wasn't finished yet. He snarled as Hinukamui swept out of his body. "Jishin! Kaminari! Kaji! Oyaji!" he shouted, prompting the blazing aura dragon to sweep forth, towards Bolgmon. Hinukamui roared as he descended onto Bolgmon with crushing power. Despite the devastating impact, the mechanical Digimon's defences were strong enough to prevent any serious damage, even as the ground exploded around him.

GrandisKuwagamon saw an opportunity while Gankoomon was exerted and distracted by both Bolgmon and the explosion. He grinned and flew to the side, blending in with the night. When Gankoomon turned his attention to where GrandisKuwagamon had been standing, he was annoyed and perplexed to see that he was gone. The Royal Knight raised his fists and looked around his surroundings warily.

The black, insect mercenary crept forwards, using tree trunks, downed canopies, and bushes as cover. When Gankoomon turned his back to him, GrandisKuwagamon suddenly rushed forwards, his Gran Killers poised. He raised his arm and drove his Gran Killer towards Gankoomon's blind spot.

"Desperado Blaster!"

Beam bullets tore up the ground around GrandisKuwagamon and buffeted his armoured body. GrandisKuwagamon grimaced as his form was pounded by the blasts, and he was forced to stop his attack in order to bring up his Gran Killers to block the projectiles.

Shocked, Gankoomon wheeled around and drove his fist towards GrandisKuwagamon. The insect had good enough reflexes to leap away and fly into the air at a safe distance. With several meters of space now between them, both Gankoomon and GrandisKuwagamon whirled around to see who had attacked.

They saw a female Paildramon standing on the branch of a tree. She had her claws on her hip cannons, which she aimed at GrandisKuwagamon.

"What the hell?" Gankoomon asked, recognizing Paildramon as the one from their Order.

GrandisKuwagamon's red eyes locked with hers and he gave her a deep glare. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

Paildramon calmly stared at him. She then looked over her shoulder, into the dark of the forest canopies. "Attack," she commanded, looking forwards at GrandisKuwagamon again. "Desperado Blaster!"

Her hip cannons ignited as beam blasts began ripping from their muzzles. The bullets whizzed through the air towards GrandisKuwagamon, who had to fly swiftly and agilely in order to avoid them. In tandem with her own attack, a barrage of other attacks began shooting from the dark and into the campsite. There were at least a dozen sources, given the number and variety of different attacks. It was hard for the mercenary to count in the darkness and the sudden chaos.

"Damn it!" GrandisKuwagamon hissed, ducking as a beam burst narrowly missed his head. He looked across the campsite, watching as explosions started detonating around Bolgmon and Blitzmon.

SaviorHackmon jumped away from Blitzmon once the attacks started. "Gankoomon-sensei!" he called over with a frown. "What's going on?!"

"Looks like reinforcements!" Gankoomon called back.

"Slide Evolution! GranKuwagamon!" GrandisKuwagamon growled, morphing into his larger GranKuwagamon form. "Dimension Scissors!" He launched a glowing arc into the flashing dark of the forest from where the attacks were coming. It sliced through the trunks of trees, but missed hitting any of the attackers.

GranKuwagamon scowled when his large body began to draw more fire. An explosion detonated against the side of his carapace, rocking him in the air. He hissed and looked over at Blitzmon and Bolgmon, who were returning fire but were being pushed back by the overwhelming number of attacks. "Blitzmon! Bolgmon!" he shouted over to them, zipping over towards them.

"We need to leave!" Blitzmon called over to GranKuwagamon.

"I know!" GranKuwagamon answered, shooting towards them.

Paildramon narrowed her eyes and flew after him. "Not so fast," she stated, raising her right hand. "Esgrima!" Cables shot from her hand and soared towards GranKuwagamon.

GranKuwagamon glanced over his shoulder with an annoyed glare at the incoming projectile. "Don't test me!" he warned her, lashing his arm out and swatting the cables away before they could stab or wrap around him. He beat his wings quickly and flew over to the other two mercenaries. "Zone Black Hole!"

The black insect landed on the ground and tore open a hole in the damaged earth using his pincers. The rend opened up to reveal a black abyss underneath him. GranKuwagamon grabbed hold of Blitzmon and Bolgmon before leaping into the rift. The spatial void snapped shut as soon as they disappeared inside, right as a beam tore along the ground.

SaviorHackmon watched with a pensive frown as GranKuwagamon disappeared.

"They've escaped," Paildramon said with a disappointed glower. She raised a hand. "Cease your fire! Secure the perimeter!" she called out to the other reinforcements, prompting the attacks to stop.

Gankoomon walked over to SaviorHackmon as Paildramon flapped her wings and landed nearby. BaoHackmon looked over at the Royal Knight. "Sensei, are you okay?" he asked him, looking over Gankoomon's somewhat wounded body with concern.

"Yeah, you?" Gankoomon asked, noticing the damage on SaviorHackmon's own body.

SaviorHackmon nodded and panted. He was sore and exhausted, not just from the fight, but from the past two days. "I'll be fine…" he insisted.

Paildramon walked over to the two and saluted Gankoomon. "Sir Gankoomon. I'm sorry if we interrupted," she stated a little sheepishly.

Gankoomon looked around to see about twenty Digimon emerge from the darkness. They all seemed to be from the Order's Aerial Strike Forces. He turned and looked at her with a slight grin. "Nah, it's fine, oversergeant," he responded. "It's probably good that you all showed up, actually… I'm just surprised. Why are you here?"

"When Sir Alphamon had heard that you had snuck out to rescue BaoHackmon, he ordered us to reinforce you," Paildramon explained. "I led the team since Leftenant HippoGriffomon is still recovering from his injuries sustained in the battle."

Gankoomon nodded. "I appreciate it, Paildramon. We had our hands full," he responded gratefully.

Paildramon nodded politely. She turned and looked at SaviorHackmon. "And how are you?" she asked him, wondering about his wellbeing after the ordeal.

"I'm… fine…" SaviorHackmon responded weakly. In actuality, he was having trouble keeping himself up. His eyes were half-lidded and his legs were uneasy. Now that the combined adrenaline from both the new evolution and the fight was wearing out, he was spent. "Thanks… I'll… be…"

SaviorHackmon's legs suddenly buckled and he collapsed. Gankoomon suddenly reached out and grabbed him before he could hit the ground. SaviorHackmon became engulfed in light and he reverted back into his Hackmon form. Gankoomon looked down at the dragon in his arms to see that BaoHackmon had passed out from exhaustion.

Paildramon blinked and looked at Hackmon. "I guess he used up all of his energy…" she deduced. "He'll need more practice before he is able to hold that new form."

Gankoomon grinned as he looked down at Hackmon. "Yeah…" he agreed. He gently lugged the metal dragon over his back, holding Hackmon's legs to keep him steady.

Paildramon watched as Gankoomon carried his student but noticed his own tired state. "Are you sure you don't want some help, Sir Gankoomon?" she asked him. "If you want me or one of the other Strike Force members to take him…"

Gankoomon shook his head and began to walk through the Forest of Memories with Hackmon on his back. "Thanks… but I've got him," Gankoomon responded, letting Hackmon rest against his broad back.

"He's my responsibility, after all…"

---

Gankoomon, Hackmon, and the rest of the Aerial Strike Force team returned to Castle Albion at around dawn. Gankoomon and Hackmon spent most of the day recovering and getting looked over in the medical bay. It wasn't until the early evening, after a lengthy rest, that they were released. Both mainly just had bruises and cuts – nothing too serious.

It was around supper time in the castle, and the Order troops were making their way into the main building and towards the cafeteria.

Alphamon strode alongside Gankoomon, who meandered with his hands in his pockets. The Leader of the Royal Knights gave him a sideways leer as they walked down a stone corridor towards the cafeteria.

Gankoomon smiled a bit. "Come on, say it," he said, looking over at Alphamon. "What I did was reckless, stupid, thoughtless…"

"I would, if I thought it would do any good," Alphamon stated, although with a faint touch of comedy to his voice. He looked over at the Royal Knight. "First, UlforceVeedramon. Then, Dukemon and Dynasmon. And now, you. What are you all trying to do to me? You know that those three mercenaries were a match for Examon and Dukemon. There was no sure guarantee that you would win."

Gankoomon rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, don't underestimate me. I had a plan," he responded. "And I think I could've taken them if I had to."

Alphamon rolled his eyes and walked ahead. "See?"

The red-haired knight grinned sheepishly and sped up his pace to lock step with Alphamon. "Oh, come on…" he said cheerfully. After a few moments of no reply, he rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm sorry. I know you guys were planning a rescue operation for him, but I needed to do it myself. He's my responsibility."

"Needed to?" Alphamon contended. "It sounds like you're treating him like a kid again."

Gankoomon frowned and walked beside the black knight. "Yeah, I realise that that's what I've been doing… but that wasn't the reason I tried to rescue him," he explained. He released a sigh and scratched his red hair with a hand. "I did it because it was my fault, so it was my responsibility to make things right."

Alphamon smiled a little. "Everything turned out fine, I suppose," he explained. "I know you're independent and you hate rules and formalities, but be aware of the rest of us next time, alright? You are a Royal Knight now, and the rest of us are here to help. There's a saying, 'A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle.' …I suppose it's twelve, in our case." He turned his sagely smile to Gankoomon. "We're a team, Gankoomon."

Gankoomon sheepishly scratched his cheek with a finger. "Yeah, I gotcha," he conceded in reply. "You're right…"

Alphamon nodded and looked forwards to the cafeteria doors as they reached the end of the hallway. "…So, how is BaoHackmon? Or should I say 'SaviorHackmon'?" he asked him as they walked inside the crowded dining hall.

Gankoomon grinned and thumbed towards the kitchen beyond the cafeteria's serving counter. "He's good. Good enough to help out in the kitchen for dinner," he explained.

The black knight raised an eyebrow and looked at Gankoomon curiously. "I know you want to punish him for being reckless, but isn't it a bit soon?" he questioned.

"Huh?" Gankoomon asked. "It was his idea. Said he wanted to make up for all the trouble he caused everyone," he explained with a warm grin. "He also said it would help him get used to his SaviorHackmon form."

"Can he hold the form yet?" Alphamon wondered.

"It might take a few weeks until he can stabilise the form," Gankoomon explained. "I was surprised at how long he held it yesterday though."

Alphamon smiled at him. "If the bonds are strong enough, one can find themselves doing incredible things for the Digimon they care about," he explained.

Gankoomon smirked and walked over to the waiting queue. "I gues—" He was interrupted by a sharp shout and the sound of metal things crashing to the ground. The cacophony came from the kitchen.

"Gah! I'm sorry, RhodoKnightmon-shishou! I'll clean it up!" SaviorHackmon's frantic voice could be heard.

Gankoomon looked at Alphamon with a grin. "Sometimes…"

Alphamon chuckled a bit and got in line with Gankoomon. However, at the back of his mind, he couldn't help but worry about the two Royal Knights who were still missing.