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?

79. Chapter 55 Part 2: Antithesis

(Author's Notes: Hey, everyone! Here's Part Two of Chapter 55! It's a long one. but I hope it's fun. Please review if you can! Enjoy!)

---

Chapter 55: Antithesis (Part II)

Examon made it halfway across the vast, city courtyard of Dragon's Peak. At the exact central point of the courtyard was the Imperial Palace. It was constructed with the intent of being within the very beating heart of the city.

The large dragon stopped in front of the entrance of the Imperial Palace. He stood before a massive pair of wooden doors that loomed over him imposingly. The gateway had to be spacious enough for the likes of Qinglongmon to enter. The doors were sturdy and robust, cementing the building as not only a palace, but as a castle.

Now that he was at the keep's base, the palace towered over him. The first time that he had ever come here, he had been intimidated by the daunting structure. It was like the most impressive peak in the Dragon Mountains, but with all the authority and grandeur of the Four Great Dragons. By now, Examon was no longer intimidated by the lofty palace. He had visited here so many times as the UDC's protector that the effect had long since worn off.

However, now that he was back after being away for so long, Examon couldn't help but feel apprehensive. He wondered if the Four Great Dragons' opinions had changed of him as well. Did they still value his opinion? Or did they resent him for turning his back on them? He supposed he would find out soon.

Surrounding the base of the castle was a moat that was carved into the city plaza. Rather than a true, defensive moat, it was more for ornamentations, like the fountains that were arranged around the square. A wide, arching bridge separated the entrance from the courtyard, its sturdy base separating the water of the moat. On the other side of the bridge, standing sentinel on each side of the entrance were a pair of guards. A Cyberdramon and RizeGreymon both looked at the Royal Knight curiously. The smaller, dark dragon began speaking lowly to the RizeGreymon, obviously because he recognized Examon.

Uncertain of whether that was a good or bad thing, Examon waited to see what the guards would do. As he did, he heard a couple pairs of footsteps behind him.

"I was starting to think that you were going to go in without us," a familiar voice playfully said.

Examon turned around and saw Dukemon and Craniamon standing behind him. Dukemon's eyes flashed with his usual levity, giving Examon a friendly smile. Meanwhile, Craniamon folded his arms and eyed Examon with his usual, cool aloofness.

"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure that the palace didn't close," Examon sheepishly responded, side stepping the fact that he had wanted a little bit of space.

"Right…" Craniamon said, walking to the foot of the small bridge. "Well, let's find out."

"Hey, wait up!" another voice called from behind the three knights.

Examon turned to see Dorbickmon walking to catch up with them. "Dorbickmon?"

Craniamon stopped halfway across the flat bridge and glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, you're still here."

"Yeah, I'm still here!" Dorbickmon complained, marching up to them. "Seeing as I'm bored, I thought I'd come with you guys. I always wanted to know what was inside that fancy palace."

"No offence, Dorbickmon," Examon hesitantly replied. "But… you aren't a Royal Knight."

Dorbickmon sighed, stopped beside them, and folded his arms across his armoured chest. "Yeah, but you guys are," he explained. "You can get me in."

"You can't come into the meeting with us," Dukemon told the red dragon man. He readjusted the long cape that flowed from his back, making sure that it was straight before they entered. "These are the Four Great Dragons – the highest authority in the UDC. I don't want to sound harsh, but we can't just bring a mercenary who we're acquainted with into the meeting with us."

"Yeah," Craniamon agreed, leering at Dorbickmon with his piercing, red eyes. "It would be the height of disrespect. We're the Royal Knights; we have to maintain a certain level of decorum. That means not publically associating with shady mercenaries like you."

Dorbickmon made a show of rolling his eyes. "And you wonder why I think you guys are stuck up," he gruffly responded. "Never mind that I already hang out at your castle."

"That's in private," Craniamon rebuffed him succinctly. "And we only put up with you because you're Examon's friend."

"I'm really feeling the love here after all I did to help you guys," Dorbickmon sarcastically answered, holding his arms outwards and shrugging. "Look, I don't care about going into any fancy meeting with a bunch of stuffy dragons and knights. I just want to hang out in the lounge and get hand-fed hors d'oeuvres. Is that too much to ask?"

The three Royal Knights gave each other furtive looks at the mercenary's shameless request. "…We'll see," Dukemon answered noncommittally. "Let's go in, guys."

Dukemon turned around and began walking at the front of the group. He crossed over the stone bridge that led to the magnificent entrance.

The pair of doors towered over him. The exquisitely crafted doors were made of old, venerable wood, and the draconic carvings etched on their smooth surface were masterfully crafted. The ancient wood almost seemed to radiate with a natural, arcane divinity. The carved stone arch was equally impressive, made of the primordial stone of the Dragon Mountains and crafted in a beautiful yet imposing portico that perfectly captured the venerable authority that the Four Great Dragons were going for.

Dukemon reached the other side of the small bridge, stopping right before the pair of guards, who stood together in the center of palace entrance. Examon and Craniamon strode behind Dukemon, halting behind the crimson knight as he reached the palace guards. Meanwhile, Dorbickmon wandered behind the three nonchalantly.

The Cyberdramon and RizeGreymon stood at attention and looked at the three Royal Knights curiously. The black armoured dragon man stepped forwards. "Greetings. Can I help you, Sir?" the Cyberdramon questioned, addressing Dukemon.

"We're Sir Dukemon, Sir Craniamon, and Sir Examon of the Royal Knights," Dukemon formally introduced them, forgoing his usual casual demeanour now that he was acting in an official, diplomatic capacity. "We wish to enter so that we can arrange a meeting with the Four Great Dragons."

"Of course, Sir. You will need to speak with High Steward Hisyaryumon. As the keeper of the Imperial Palace, he arranges all of the Four Great Dragons' external affairs," the Cyberdramon explained.

"I know," Examon was quick to speak up, eager to remind them that he knew how things worked. "If the Four Great Dragons are still in conclave, I assume we can find him at the Steward's desk?"

"Oh, yes," the Cyberdramon responded, bowing slightly. "My apologies, Sir Examon. I forgot that you are no stranger to coming here."

Examon looked down slightly. "It's alright," he answered, unable to help but feel slightly guilty. "Are we free to enter?"

"Yes, Sir," the Cyberdramon permitted, turning and signalling the RizeGreymon with a nod.

The towering, cyborg dinosaur began pushing the right door open, using his robust strength to move the heavy door. The Cyberdramon meanwhile began pushing the door on the left, his comparatively small form still capable of moving the weighty door with ease. With the pair of doors opened, the two guards moved and stood on either side of the entrance, facing one another while allowing the Royal Knights enough space to pass between them.

"Thanks," Dukemon told them, nodding at the guards as he passed between them into the palace entrance.

Craniamon gave the guards a curt nod and followed Dukemon in next.

Examon tailed the pair and gave two guards a small but friendly smile. "It's nice to be back here again," he said to the Cyberdramon.

"Yes, Sir," the Cyberdramon formally replied. Given by his professional and almost stiff response, it was clear that he was going to say no further than what was required by his duty as a guard.

Examon's smile faded into a flat and neutral expression. He made himself take on his usual, professional demeanour as well. It was clear to him that he was a visiting guest - a Royal Knight. Therefore, it was his responsibility to act in a way befitting of one. The dragon knight straightened his posture and stared forwards, coldly and seriously. He reminded himself that he had a job to do.

Meanwhile, Dorbickmon followed after the Royal Knights. The dragon mercenary began to approach the threshold of the Imperial Palace, casually making to cross it as if it was no big deal.

However, as soon as his foot hit the interior of the palace entrance, he suddenly found the way blocked by a wide bar of metal that stretched across the doorway. Dorbickmon looked up and saw the RizeGreymon glaring down at him, holding his Trident Revolver in front of him to block him from entering.

The Cyberdramon walked over and pressed his hand against Dorbickmon's chest, pushing him back. "No riffraff," the dragon guard told him in absolute terms.

Dorbickmon pointed at the Royal Knights ahead of him. "What?! I'm with them!" he protested.

The guards glared at him suspiciously. "No riffraff," the Cyberdramon repeated, standing in his path.

"It's true!" Dorbickmon argued with indignant innocence. He looked ahead at Examon and called out to them. "Hey, guys! They won't let me in! Say I'm with you!"

The three Royal Knights chose not to hear him and continued walking into the palace foyer without him.

Dorbickmon's eye twitched at their lack of reply. "Oh, great! Thanks!" he shouted irately.

The Cyberdramon pointed his clawed finger in Dorbickmon's face. "I know who you are, Dorbickmon," he told him standoffishly. "You're a mercenary and a ruffian. No. Entry," he reiterated in no uncertain terms. "If you're really with them, which I doubt, you can wait in the square."

Dorbickmon scoffed and swatted the Cyberdramon's hand away. "Oh, fine. Whatever. I'll take my business elsewhere then," he huffily conceded. He pointed his own finger in the Cyberdramon's face in order to make his feelings known. "Frankly, I'm affronted and insulted. And your helmet? Sucks."

Dorbickmon smirked and turned his back to the guards, at least happy that he got the last word in. He knew that it was a long shot anyways. He began marching across the small bridge, back to the square. Once there, he started walking back in the direction of the bars. He figured the tavern would have better portions than a fancy palace anyways.

---

As the guards closed the doors behind them, the Royal Knights walked into the palace foyer. They entered into the vast lobby, looking around the spacious interior. The walls and floor were made of stone, and there was very little unnecessary clutter. The broad ceiling was made up of vaulting arches used for structural support over the large area. Although the ambitious size was certainly visually impressive, it was more for practical reasons as the palace had to comfortably accommodate several large bodies at once.

On the opposite side of the foyer, a vast hall led deeper into the castle. It was outfitted with a long, crimson rug that stretched down the length of the corridor, as well as torches that flickered with pure, blue flames. Over on the left wall was a grand staircase that led to the upper levels of the palace.

Dukemon, Examon, and Craniamon began walking to the center of the room.

Ahead of them, next to the large hallway, was a carved, marble desk. Sitting behind it was a serpentine dragon covered with shiny, black scales and a vibrant, red underbelly. The dragon looked up from the scroll that was opened on his desk and gazed at the three Royal Knights as they began to approach him. The nearby torch flames reflected off the ornate, golden crests that donned the ryu's snout. The black dragon straightened his long back slightly and placed his hands on the desk. His green eyes were calm and perceptive as they lay behind a pair of curved reading glasses, custom made to fit over the dragon's snout.

As the Royal Knights stopped in front of the administrative desk, the slender dragon rose from his seat to greet them.

"High Steward Hisyaryumon," Examon greeted, stepping ahead. "Hello."

"Examon," Hisyaryumon steadily spoke, removing his glasses and placing them down on the scroll that lay open on his desk. "To what pleasure do I owe this visit, Royal Knights?"

Dukemon glanced over at Examon. "We were hoping that we could speak with the Four Great Dragons," he explained.

The draconic administrator looked behind him, towards large hallway which led deeper into the castle, towards the Four Great Dragon's council chamber. Standing on each side of the corridor were two more guards. One had a lithe, golden body, while the other had a study, yellow body with blue trimming. Respectively, the Duramon and RaijiLudomon looked at Hisyaryumon, standing at attention.

High Steward Hisyaryumon turned back to the Royal Knights. "This is rather short notice," he answered stiffly. He eyed the Royal Knights apprehensively. "Their Majesties are currently in the middle of Conclave."

"Please, Hisyaryumon," Examon gently urged him. "It's important that we have an audience with them. We wish to speak with them about the Demon Lord crisis."

Hisyaryumon sighed and folded his small, black arms, deliberating over their request. "…Seeing as though that this is the matter that they are currently debating, I suppose I can go and inform them of your request. If they agree, you may enter," the steward explained. "Please wait here."

"Thank you," Examon responded appreciatively.

The long, black ryu turned around and began flying over to the pair of guards that flanked the mouth of the wide corridor. Hisyaryumon said a few things to the guards before continuing on down the corridor towards the Four Great Dragons' chamber.

"I hope we didn't come here for nothing," Craniamon spoke, turning to his two friends with folded arms.

"I'm sure that they'll speak to us if Examon's with us," Dukemon confidently said, turning and giving the tall dragon a reassuring smile.

"Maybe…" Examon wondered uncertainly. He stared down the hallway, watching as Hisyaryumon made his way to the very end of the corridor where the conclave chamber was located.

"It's been awhile since I've last seen the Great Dragons," Craniamon mused. "Anything we should know?"

Examon nodded. "Qinglongmon probably won't be present. It'll be Majiramon acting in his place. Majiramon is… shrewd, to say the least. Goddramon is thoughtful and even-handed. Holydramon is kind, open-minded, and passionate. Megidramon is quick-tempered and stubborn, but he values strength and honesty. Also, when Megidramon is talking, don't break eye contact or else he'll see it as a sign of weakness," he advised them.

"Yeah, he didn't even break eye contact when he was dragging me across the ground," Dukemon light-heartedly commented.

Craniamon turned and looked at Dukemon with interest. "So, it's true that you two really fought?" he wondered, eager to hear about Dukemon's battle exploits.

Examon turned questioningly towards Dukemon. "What? You fought Megidramon? When?"

"It was a long time ago, back before the UDC was a thing," Dukemon explained. "He was an ambitious warlord bent on conquering everything east of the Dragon Mountains. Holydramon and Goddramon teamed up to stop him and I was in the area at the time, so I offered to help."

"How did that go?" Craniamon wondered.

"It was one of the toughest fights I had…" Dukemon admitted. "He was strong. His fighting style was vicious and wild… He fought with all the chaos of the Digital Hazard."

Examon blinked. "The Digital Hazard?" he asked. It then dawned on him that the symbols that were on Megidramon's body were the same as the one that Dukemon wore on his armour. "You mean he has the Digital Hazard too? I thought it was just you."

Craniamon frowned quizzically and looked at Dukemon. "So did I. What gives?"

Dukemon smiled a bit and shrugged. "I don't know. I just know what he told me. We're both some of the oldest members of the Guilmon line and we both have those symbols. That's the extent of our connection. The world's still here though."

"I see…" Craniamon replied with a slight nod. "So, who won?"

Dukemon chuckled, expecting such a question from Craniamon. "It was pretty even until Holydramon and Goddramon joined in. Megidramon started to lose, but then he fought more desperately. The more enraged he got…"

Dukemon paused, his smile fading. He remembered the event vividly. "Megidramon's Hazard began to activate, and that's when Qinglongmon himself intervened. Megidramon was defeated and he was brought by the other three to Dragon's Peak. I don't know the exact details of what happened after, but I guess the four of them came to some sort of agreement, and that was how the Four Great Dragons began."

Examon nodded. "They made a power-sharing agreement that's lasted to this day," he mused. "Still, I knew about Megidramon's conquest, but nothing about the Digital Hazard."

"It's not exactly something you'd want to advertise," Craniamon pointed out. Immediately after saying that, the violet knight winced and realised his faux pas. "Er… No offence, Dukemon."

Dukemon laughed a little and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "None taken. I'm the first one to admit that," he agreed good-naturedly. "It is kind of a mood destroyer on dates."

Craniamon grinned, inwardly relieved that he took it in stride. "When do you ever go on dates?" he teased him.

The Royal Knights chuckled for a moment before quieting down when they saw Hisyaryumon making his way back down the hallway. The steward soared over to them, his body swaying in the air like a kite. As he stopped a few meters away from the three knights and landed gracefully on the floor, the Royal Knights turned to face him.

"The Four Great Dragons have agreed to see you now," Hisyaryumon informed them, standing with perfect poise.

"Great, thank you," Dukemon replied, beginning to walk past him.

Before he could get any closer, Hisyaryumon calmly raised his clawed hand up. The steward's signal prompted the Duramon and the RaijiLudomon to step forward, getting in the path of the Royal Knights. They stood between them and the corridor behind them.

"However," Hisyaryumon spoke up, eyeing Dukemon imperturbably. "Before you do, I am going to have to ask you to surrender your weapons."

"What?!" Craniamon protested, immediately reacting with outrage at the idea. "Our weapons? You have to be joking!"

Examon blinked with shock and stared at Hisyaryumon, his eyes a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "What? You want us to give up our weapons?" he asked the High Steward. He couldn't help but feel a little offended that they were being treated with suspicion and hostility.

"Is that really necessary?" Dukemon questioned, doing his best to keep a level head since he knew that Craniamon wouldn't easily agree to the demand. "We aren't exactly about to attack the Four Great Dragons."

Hisyaryumon gazed calmly at Dukemon in response. "Then is there any reason why you require your weapons in order to speak with Their Majesties?" he countered.

Dukemon frowned. "Well… no," he admitted. He gestured his shield-bearing arm towards Examon. "But Examon used to be the defender of the UDC. Surely you trust him."

Hisyaryumon sighed and placed his claws on his serpentine sides. "Respectfully, but Examon resigned from his official duties in order to join your Order," he answered forthrightly, turning his green eyes towards Examon. "You are here in the capacity of a Royal Knight, are you not?"

Examon leered back at Hisyaryumon, his hands slowly tightening around the Ambrosius. "…Yes, I am," he rigidly replied.

"I apologise, but this is simply protocol," Hisyaryumon explained. "The Chamber of Conclave is a holy place, the sanctity of which is upheld by Lord Qinglongmon himself. It was built as a place of peace, therefore, no weapons are allowed inside."

"Well…" Dukemon stalled and looked at Examon uncertainly.

Examon sighed through his nostrils, but softly nodded. It had only been a few years ago that he had been able to speak with the Four Great Dragons, weapons or not. As the UDC's defender, he had been allowed to meet with the Four Great Dragons under any circumstances. He had been trusted as such. Now, it seemed he was no longer afforded such a privilege. If this wasn't an indication of where he now stood, then nothing was.

He realised he really was naïve. Back when he had agreed to join the Royal Knights, he hadn't anticipated what he would be giving up.

"Very well," he agreed, turning his eyes towards Dukemon and Craniamon.

"…Alright. We'll surrender our weapons," Dukemon complied, although with some hesitation. He let go of the Aegis and placed it beside him, allowing the heavy shield to lean against his body.

Craniamon glowered darkly, clenching his fists at the indignity.

Dukemon eyed the skull-themed knight, giving him an urging gaze. "Right, Craniamon?" he pressed him.

Craniamon glared with objection but Dukemon's stare didn't let up. After a few moments of reluctance, the dark knight grunted and looked away with a huff, wordlessly signalling his grudging agreement.

"Thank you," the black dragon answered. Hisyaryumon raised his hand to signal the Duramon and RaijiLudomon guards to walk over.

The golden, blade-armed dragon and the heavily armoured, mechanized humanoid walked over to the Royal Knights, stopping on either side of Hisyaryumon. Once they arrived, they took a single step forwards.

"You may place your weapons at their feet, if you would be so kind," the Hisyaryumon firmly but serenely requested.

Examon walked forwards first and lowered the Ambrosius. He carefully placed the long and heavy Ambrosius lance sideways on the stone floor, right in front of the feet of the guards. Although his gaze lingered on his weapon, which was as good as an appendage to him, Examon calmly stepped to the side to make room for Dukemon and Craniamon. He didn't say so, but he suddenly felt naked without it.

"My turn, I guess," Dukemon said, walking forwards towards the guards. First, he carefully placed the Aegis shield down on the floor, letting it rest face-up. Then, he removed the Gram lance from his arm and placed it down so that it lay parallel to Examon's lance. "Take care of these."

"We will, Sir," the RaijiLudomon confirmed.

Craniamon folded his arms and looked at Hisyaryumon impatiently. "There. All our weapons," he curtly explained. "Can we go in now?"

Hisyaryumon gazed at Craniamon suspiciously. "Your weapons as well, Sir Craniamon," he pressed the unforthcoming knight. "I know full well of your black digizoid armour's ability to store your weapons inside of it."

"Tch," Craniamon grunted, further annoyed at having been caught out. Both Dukemon and Examon looked at him expectantly, silently telling him not to be stubborn. He really didn't want to give up his weapons, but he knew that they had to talk with the Four Great Dragons. As much as his instincts told him not to, Craniamon reluctantly submitted, even if it hurt his pride to do so. "…Fine."

The Royal Knight placed his violet gauntlet against the black digizoid armour that covered his chest. The holy armour pulsed and the Claiohm Solais suddenly materialized from inside it amidst a ripple of flickering pixels. He raised his other hand and drew the Avalon shield from within his armour in the same way. Craniamon stepped forwards and, with the grace of a feather, gently placed the Claiohm Solais on the floor with the other two lances. Then, he carefully laid down the Avalon next to the Aegis.

As he knelt down beside them, Craniamon whispered softly, "Don't worry, I'll be right back…"

Craniamon grimaced noticeably as he stood up from his weapons. He then pointed threateningly at the pair of guards. "If I see so much as one scratch or one greasy fingerprint on either of them…" he warned them with a dark aura of menace.

"W-We won't, Sir," the Duramon stammered.

Craniamon narrowed his eyes but stepped back from his trusty armaments. He shifted in place uncomfortably, feeling very ill-at-ease at being parted from his spear and shield. "There. Happy now?"

The steward scrutinised the Royal Knight sceptically. "…And the rest, please," he calmly requested, his eyes locked unwaveringly with Craniamon's.

Craniamon leered back at him defiantly. He glanced over at Examon, who turned to him, shrugged, and nodded.

Sighing, Craniamon raised his hands and took a sharp pair of daggers out of his black digizoid armour. He brusquely tossed them onto the lobby floor in front of the row of lances.

"Is there anything else?" Hisyaryumon asked him, suspecting that Craniamon might in fact have more hidden weapons but having no way to confirm it for himself.

Dukemon walked over to Craniamon's side and whispered in his ear. "Is there, Craniamon? That seems a little light for you. We have to be thorough," he implored him.

Craniamon grunted and raised his hand yet again. His black digizoid breastplate pixilated he drew long claymore from the armour's pocket dimension. He placed it on the floor on top of the pair of daggers.

Hisyaryumon opened his snout to speak. However, the Royal Knight wasn't finished. Next, Craniamon drew a great axe, which he dropped unceremoniously on the floor. Following that, he pulled out a push dagger, followed by a heavy mace, which was followed by a war scythe.

The Duramon and RaijiLudomon swallowed and looked at each other. The fearsome knight's growing arsenal of armaments was disquieting to say the least.

"If I really have to do this…" Craniamon reluctantly muttered, pulling yet another dagger out from behind his hip and tossing it on top of the pile.

Hisyaryumon's calm façade began to fracture and he began to stare in utter disbelief at the growing pile of weapons. "Is… that it?" he questioned uneasily.

Craniamon's raised his index finger and began to draw more weapons from his armour's pocket dimension. A halberd, a flamberge, a guandao, a repeating crossbow, countless arrows, a morning star, and a few shuriken all fell onto the pile.

"You had better remove all the things that I gave you too, Craniamon," Examon advised him. "He did say everything."

"Well, you're the boss," Craniamon answered with a shrug.

"You mean there is more-?!" Hisyaryumon's eye began twitching as he watched Craniamon draw even more armaments from his black digizoid armour.

Craniamon produced a combat knife, a multi-purpose utility knife, a revolver, a pistol with a silencer attachment, an assault rifle, a box of ammunition, several grenades…

The Duramon and RaijiLudomon's faces went deathly pale and they balked at the continuous onslaught of weaponry piled before them. Sweat began dripping down the metal bodies of the mortified guards.

The pile of martial weapons contained arms of all varieties: low tech and high tech, melee and ranged, bladed and bludgeoning, unusual and explosive… It came to include not just swords and guns, but a net, nunchaku, a handheld missile launcher and explosives.

Hisyaryumon's eye muscle was now spasming, and the Duramon looked like he was about to faint.

"E-…Enough!" Hisyaryumon cried out, taking a step forwards. He looked between Craniamon and Examon furiously. "N-No more weapons!"

Craniamon halted in place, in the middle of setting down the giant anti-air battery that he carried in his arms.

"…Huh? You said everything," he grunted with nonchalant annoyance. "Make up your mind…"

"Why do you two have so many weapons?!" Steward Hisyaryumon demanded, gawking at them with overwhelming disbelief.

Examon blinked and stared at Hisyaryumon with innocent practicality. "A Royal Knight has to be prepared for every situation."

"Obviously," Craniamon curtly added, dropping the anti-aircraft cannon in the middle of the large foyer.

When Hisyaryumon looked at Dukemon for answers, the caped knight could only chuckle and sheepishly rub his neck. "Er, they take their responsibilities very seriously."

The scaled steward took a deep breath and centered himself once again. Despite the vein throbbing in his forehead, he retook his role as the calm bureaucrat. "Yes, well, that should be more than sufficient… I trust you enough not to draw any weapons inside the Chamber of Conclave," he told the three Royal Knights. He snapped his claws and turned to the pair of guards. "Duramon, RaijiLudomon, escort the Royal Knights down the hallway."

"Y-Yes, Sir," the pair of guards replied swiftly. The pair immediately turned around and began leading the way down the vast corridor behind them, eager to leave the pile of dangerous weapons behind.

"Come on, Spear Team," Dukemon told the other two Royal Knights, leading them forwards.

Craniamon scoffed and shook his head. "Again, our weapons aren't spears. It should really be Pole Arm Team," he corrected insistently.

"Pole Arm Team?" Dukemon asked looked down at his arms with a curious expression. "That's a weird name. Not exactly the most catchy. Let's stick with Spear Team."

"You're being misleading," Craniamon contended.

"I guess we're not Spear Team right now if we don't even have our spears," Dukemon considered.

The violet Royal Knight grimaced and balled his gauntlet-clad hands tightly. "Don't remind me. I feel so damn exposed. Damnedable formalities. Why don't they just go all the way strip me of my armour too? I feel naked as it is," Craniamon complained irritably. "What if we're walking into a trap?"

"I highly doubt that," Examon assured him with a frown. "Although I can't help but share your unease at being stripped of our defences."

"What if they plan on doing weird things to our weapons?" Craniamon nervously wondered. He glanced over his shoulder to check on their weapons back in the foyer.

"…Like what?" Dukemon dryly asked.

"I don't know, but it makes my blood boil thinking about it."

The Royal Knights kept talking as they followed the two guards. They continued down the long hallway. The blue flames that burned within the wall sconces cast a sapphire glow on their bodies while the glow forms that hung from chandeliers illuminated the middle of the hall.

Dukemon, Examon, and Craniamon walked ahead, their footsteps dampened by the soft carpet that covered the stone floor. At the far end of the corridor, they saw a huge pair of ancient doors that were currently shut. The doorway had an air of grandeur and importance that indicated to them that that was their destination.

As they followed the pair of guards, Craniamon looked at the two dragon knights beside him. "So, what's our plan?" he asked Dukemon and Examon. "Have we thought about what we're going to say? It's not like we have any treaties written up or anything. This is all impromptu."

Dukemon looked at Examon curiously. "Do you want to take the lead on this? You have the most history here, and this was your idea. Craniamon and I will have your back," he offered.

Examon nodded. "Alright, thanks," he agreed. "I'll just explain the situation and see what their stance is."

"Are you sure it's a good idea for you to go in there, Dukemon?" Craniamon asked. "I mean, with your history with Megidramon…"

"I think he'd be more offended if I lingered out in the hall," Dukemon admitted with an uneasy grin. "He'd want me to face him in person. From what I gathered, that's the sort of Digimon he is."

Given the sheer size of the corridor, it took a few minutes of walking, but the Royal Knights finally reached the end of the corridor. The group stopped beneath the towering pair of doors that separated the hall from the official chamber. The RaijiLudomon approached the door and grabbed a large, metal knocker in the shape of a dragon's head, which he swung and rapped loudly against the thick doors. The noise echoed in the spacious hallway, as well as in the chamber itself.

After a few moments, a deep voice spoke up from the other side of the doors.

"You may enter."

Upon hearing the offer, the Duramon and RaijiLudomon quickly opened the doors inwards with a deep creak. The pair of heavy doors opened and revealed a huge chamber inside.

The interior was vast and expansive, even more so than the foyer was. There was a huge amount of space inside the imperial chamber to allow for plenty of space to move around. The ceiling was high and arched, with stylized, downwards points that were almost like stalactites. There were four, huge pillars in the midsection of each quadrant of the chamber.

Each, individual pillar had a different style. The far left pillar was deep crimson with a fiery pattern and a black spiral climbing up the length of the column. The far right pillar was the azure hue of the sky, and wrapped around it was a criss-crossed coil of thick chains that seemed to emanate a faint, blue mist. The near left pillar was a pure, white pillar with a pink spiral circling it from top to bottom. Finally, the near right pillar was a column of plain gold, its edges traced by small, wispy clouds.

There was plenty of space between the four columns. Although the edges of the room were dark, the center was bright with light that poured in from the huge moon window in the middle of the ceiling. Gathered around the light, in front of their respective pillars were four, large dragons.

"Well, if it isn't the Royal Knights," a deep, draconic voice mused in a craggy snarl.

The owner of the voice was a huge, crimson dragon with fiery wings. From the other side of the room, beside the red pillar, he turned his draconic face to peer down at the three knights. His eyes were blood red, the same colour as the red scales that covered the top half of his face. His rows of jagged, scissor-like teeth were revealed as the corner of his mouth curved upwards to form an amused smirk. He folded a pair of crimson arms across his muscular, white chest. The light glinted off the huge, metal blades attached to his forearms. As he hovered in the air, his serpentine lower body rippled back and forth.

Upon entering, Dukemon's eyes couldn't help but land on the bright, red, Digital Hazard symbol that was emblazoned onto Megidramon's chest.

"Now, now, Megidramon. Don't take such a rude tone with our guests," a soft, sagacious voice hummed.

This voice belonged to a large, but comparatively smaller dragon Digimon with a similar body shape to Megidramon. A humanoid dragon with long, flowing tail in the place of his legs hovered gently in the air beside the golden pillar to their immediate right. The pristine gold and white fur that covered his body seemed to shimmer in the sunlight that poured in from the sky window. A horned helmet covered the top half of his bushy, bearded snout. His hands were calmly clasped together, inadvertently showing off the contrasting red and blue bracers on each arm. His red eyes gazed down at the Royal Knights thoughtfully.

"Welcome, honoured guests," Goddramon greeted them politely.

"Greetings, Royal Knights," another gentle, thoughtful voice spoke up. "Hello again, Examon."

Examon, Dukemon, and Craniamon turned and looked to their direct left. Beside the white pillar was a huge, bestial dragon with a long, twisting body. Immaculate, pale pink fur covered his lithe, draconic body, sparkling majestically in the nearby light. Keeping him aloft in the air were ten, comparatively small, angelic wings that extended from the dragon's back. He sported four legs, each with sharp, rose-hued talons. His fluffy, pink mane flowed gently as he turned his horned, draconic snout down to gaze at the Royal Knights below him. Holydramon smiled disarmingly and his green eyes flickered harmoniously.

"What brings the Network Guardians here on such short notice?" a fourth voice asked, curt and straight to the point. "What is it that they want from the Four Great Dragons?"

The final voice came from beneath the light, cyan pillar. Beneath it was a long, slender dragon with a bestial body. His form was covered in shiny, jade green scales. Two lithe pairs of legs extended from the sides of his quadrupedal lower body. Despite his lower body and long tail running parallel to the ground, his upper body curved upwards into a more anthropomorphic shape. Covering his chest was pristine, violet armour and a simple cloth which was wrapped around his waist. His draconic head sported a pair of white antlers which were emblazoned with exotic symbols not of the Digimoji alphabet. The dragon stroked the long, slender white mustache that flowed majestically down from each side of his snout, matching his long, shoulder-length hair that was tied back in a silver ponytail. The dragon held himself with poise and austerity as he stood beneath the pillar behind him.

His red, monochrome eyes gazed at the Royal Knights with calculating suspicion. Majiramon, while not one of the Four Great Dragons, was one of the Devas and he was appointed by Qinglongmon as his viceroy. This trusted position allowed him to act the same weight of Qinglongmon as though the Holy Beast was there in person.

Examon stepped forwards and bowed his head. "Thank you for seeing us, Your Majesties," Examon greeted them appreciatively.

Craniamon leered at Examon from behind. It made him uncomfortable to see Examon show any gesture of subservience. In his opinion, the only one the Royal Knights should bow to was Yggdrasil. However, he kept his opinions to himself; he knew that they were on a diplomatic mission and it was probably second nature for Examon to do so, given his history with the Four Great Dragons.

"It is our pleasure, Examon," Holydramon answered with a smile. "It is good to see you again. It has been some time since you have last been in Dragon's Peak; not since you told us you were joining the Order of the Royal Knights, correct?"

"That sounds right," Examon answered, making sure to appear calm despite feeling a flicker of guilt. "I have been very busy since then."

"The rebellion of a disgraced knight, a war with the rust buckets of the Metal Empire, and now a war with the Sky Colony's rejects, the Demon Lords," Megidramon noted bluntly, though not without an amused grin crawling onto his fearsome visage. "You Royal Knights do keep busy indeed. I'm almost jealous…"

Megidramon's menacing, blood red eyes fixated on Dukemon. His smirk broadened, causing his rows of jagged teeth to glisten sharply in the light. "And, Dukemon. Hello. It has been some time, hasn't it…?"

Dukemon met Megidramon's gaze dauntlessly. "Megidramon," he calmly greeted the former warlord.

Despite his previous apprehension, he didn't feel any unease about speaking to the former enemy and holder of the Digital Hazard. He had faced him in battle before, and now that he was standing in front of the huge dragon, it felt as though they were speaking as equals without inhibition.

"You should come and visit more often, Examon," Holydramon encouraged him with a friendly smile. "Even if you are working for the Royal Knights now, we have always considered you close to us, ever since you impressed us during your Trial of the Four Great Dragons."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I'm sorry that we've come here on such short notice," Examon explained, looking up at the Four Great Dragons. He watched as Goddramon and Holydramon hovered backwards, floating beside Megidramon and Majiramon so that they could properly look at the Royal Knights. "Given the escalating situation, he couldn't afford to wait. I'm sure you've heard about what happened in New Terminal."

"Yes, we have heard about the misfortune that befell New Terminal," Goddramon explained. "The Demon Lords put the city to flames with over a thousand Digimon lost in the following battle. For our part, we have taken in a number of Dramon refugees from the Republic in the wake of the attack. It was through them that we first learned of the assault on New Terminal."

"There is a rumour circulating that the Demon Lords destroyed every town on their march to New Terminal," Holydramon explained with a concerned frown. "Is that true?"

"It was one town," Dukemon replied grimly. "Hope's Crest."

"It seems they are no less ruthless than they were during the Heavenly War," said the pink, celestial dragon adamantly. "This shows that they pose a serious risk."

"It is too soon to be able to discern their intentions," Majiramon calmly debated, looking up at Holydramon. He cast his red eyes back down towards the three Royal Knights. "Right now, I would sooner discern your intentions. We would like to know what it is you want, Royal Knights."

"Of course, Viceroy," Examon responded, calmly addressing the dragon Deva. "What we came here to find out is what the Four Great Dragons and the UDC plan to do regarding the Demon Lords. Other states such as the Mesozoic Kingdom and the Metal Empire have declared neutrality, but we noticed that you have yet to make a public declaration."

"Basically, can we count on your support in a war against the Demon Lords?" Craniamon added, putting their intentions in direct terms.

"Ah… We surmised that that was the purpose of your visit," Goddramon sagely replied. "As it happens, we have yet to come to a decision"

"Really?" Dukemon asked, a little surprised. "I don't mean to be rude, but it's been over a week since the attack on New Terminal. It's a little hard to be indecisive over something as dire as the Demon Lords."

"Tch," Megidramon scoffed, leering down at Dukemon from his lofty position. "Indecision has nothing to do with it, knight."

"The dilemma is that each of us is strong-willed in our decisions," Goddramon explained. He gestured his right hand towards Megidramon and Holydramon. "Megidramon and Holydramon are both in favour of declaring war against the Seven Great Demon Lords." He raised his left hand and calmly ushered to himself and Majiramon. "Meanwhile, both Majiramon and I oppose war. Therefore, it seems we are divided down the middle."

Holydramon nodded. "As you know, we cannot make a policy unless a majority of the Four Great Dragons are in agreement. Therefore, Conclave will continue and we shall deliberate until one of us changes our minds."

"I see…" Dukemon replied, nodding with understanding. "That's why it's taking this long. The Council of Seven is the same situation."

"So it's true that Councillor DORUgoramon is unable to perform his duties," Holydramon mused.

"He was wounded by Lilithmon," Craniamon explained sternly. "This shows how little respect the Demon Lords have for the norms of the Digital World."

Majiramon narrowed his placid, ruby eyes. "I am to guess that your purpose of being here isn't merely to discern our intentions, but to persuade us to join your war against the Demon Lords," he warily deduced.

Examon, Dukemon, and Craniamon exchanged glances and gave each other barely perceptible nods.

"Yes," Examon confirmed. "We would greatly appreciate your assistance in fighting the Demon Lords."

Majiramon exhaled through his nostrils and clasped his clawed hands together. "…I give that negative one million bits," he sagaciously responded.

Craniamon blinked and frowned quizzically at the Deva viceroy, not understanding what he meant but feeling oddly insulted. "…What?"

Examon leaned over to Craniamon and explained in a sheepish murmur. "Majiramon expresses his opinion of things' merits or demerits by assigning them monetary values…"

Majiramon continued to stare at Examon with Zen-like eyes. "Allow me to clarify the situation... You are coming to us to request that we enter into a war with which we have no stake in? After you abruptly resigned from your position - without any prior consultation with us – in order to join the Royal Knights?" he tersely demanded. "Rather than defend the United Dramonic Coalition, you would use us as pawns to destroy the Demon Lords?"

The Deva's blunt accusation was cutting. Majiramon's suspicion and resentment enflamed Examon's already agitated insecurities. The questions against his loyalty hit him like a brick wall, stunning him and taking him off guard.

"I…" he stammered, uncertain of how to reply in the moment.

"I don't agree with Majiramon, but he does have a point," Megidramon spoke, his deep voice laced with a bestial growl. "You did hang us out to dry with little notice. You joined the Royal Knights with little thought of how it would affect us. You simply came here, announced your resignation, gave some limp apology, and then left the following day."

Examon grimaced and bowed his head. As much as he hated to admit it, Majiramon and Megidramon were right. Back when he had been offered the invitation, he had been so swept up in the moment that he had agreed to join the Royal Knights with little consideration for the Four Great Dragons. He had thought long and hard about whether it was the right decision, both before and after he accepted the invitation, but he hadn't really considered how it would affect the Four Great Dragons or the UDC as a whole. Much of this was his own doing.

"That's…" Examon began, trying to form the right words. "I'm sorry about that. That—"

"That was my fault," Dukemon interjected, stepping up beside Examon. "I was the one who gave Examon the invitation."

Examon turned to Dukemon with surprise. He saw the humanoid knight staring up at him with quiet reassurance.

"When I met with him, I didn't exactly give him a lot of time to think about it. I took him straight to our castle to meet with Alphamon. He was under a lot of pressure to make a decision right then and there. To be honest, I really wanted him to join. If you want to blame anybody for poaching Examon like that, blame me," Dukemon told the Four Great Dragons.

Goddramon nodded softly and looked down at the three Royal Knights. "It is as we told Examon when he met with us to announce his intentions: it was his decision to make. Although his support is dearly missed, I cannot fault him for aspiring to do something more with his abilities."

"Even if Examon was worth four hundred fifty thousand bits, at the very least," Majiramon muttered.

Megidramon folded his large arms across his chest. "However poorly it was handled, Examon did us a favour by joining the Royal Knights. I was beginning to feel that we were becoming too reliant on a single Digimon. With him gone, we were forced to create an effective fighting force: the Dramon Corps. As useful as you were, Examon, a single Digimon cannot respond to every single threat that we face. We needed a strong, professional, and dynamic fighting force. After two years, we finally have a military we can be proud of."

Majiramon cast Megidramon a disparaging look. "And now you want to play with your shiny, new toy. The soldiers are still untested – as are most of the commanders," he contended. "Sending them into a war with the Demon Lords is ill-advised."

"How do you expect them to get any combat experience if we don't use them?" Megidramon fired back. "There are veteran soldiers and officers there from Examon's time. They can hold their own."

Holydramon nodded. "Furthermore, the Demon Lords already attacked the Republic of Node. It's clear that they have ambitions beyond just invading the Sky Colonies, as if that were not already cause for concern. Who is to say that they will not attack us eventually, after our potential allies have fallen? Is it not better to join into a coalition which has a better chance of victory than to fight them alone?"

"That is all speculative, Holydramon," Goddramon even-handedly debated. "We know not what the Demon Lords' true objectives are. While their recent actions are troubling, we do not know for sure that world conquest is their objective."

"I'd say that's a pretty likely outcome," Craniamon spoke up. "They're building an army and trying to expand their territory. You don't do that if you're going to live quietly in peace. Just look at what the Metal Empire did. The Demon Lords are going to want to wipe out anybody who they think is a threat to them. The UDC will eventually be a threat to them."

"It is natural that the Royal Knights would say that," Majiramon argued, leering at Craniamon cagily. "You are a military order, not an empire of peace. You see threats and foes everywhere. You intervene in conflicts under the convenient auspices of 'Yggdrasil' and 'Network Security'. Such intervention merely exacerbates such conflicts, leading to tragedies such as the Night of Falling Stars. That is what I saw when I watched the Metal Empire war unfold. That is what I saw when you and the Warrior Ten intervened in the Heavenly War decades ago. Why do you think that my masters, the Four Holy Beasts, advocate for non-intervention and peace?"

"If we didn't intervene, there would have been even greater tragedies on our hands," Dukemon argued, narrowing his eyes slightly. "The Demon Lords slaughtered countless Digimon. What do you think is going to happen if we don't stop them?"

Goddramon hovered meditatively. He cast his serene gaze to Examon, watching the dragon's expression. "What is your opinion, Examon?" he wondered.

Majiramon, too, cast his eyes onto the draconic Royal Knight. "Would you ask your fellow Dramon to die?"

Wincing at the unvarnished question, Examon was unable to help but hesitate. Majiramon was right; that was basically what he was asking them to do. The insecurity and doubt in Examon's heart told him that he was being selfish. What right did he have to ask them to sacrifice themselves when he had abandoned them?

For a few moments, Examon didn't have an answer. His uneasy, green eyes shied away from the Four Great Dragons and reflexively looked towards Dukemon.

What he saw was Dukemon's determined gaze, staring right at him. It was that same gaze - those same dauntless yet reassuring golden eyes – that stopped him from turning down the Royal Knights' invitation. He remembered Dukemon's harsh but caring words to him back when he had contemplated quitting. He made him remember his ambitions – his courage.

He wasn't about to give up at the first sign of resistance when the security of the Digital World was at stake. He joined the Royal Knights because he wanted to protect all Digimon, not just Dramon.

"I'm not asking them to die," Examon insisted, looking at Majiramon steadily. "I'm asking them to fight."

"With violence inevitably comes death," Majiramon answered.

"A fact that soldiers are well aware of," Megidramon replied. "The officers and the nobles want war. So do the soldiers. What's the point of a military if we don't use it?"

"Naturally, the military wishes for war. However, the trade guilds and the bankers do not," Majiramon contended, leering up at Megidramon. "Wars cost not only lives, but money as well. I give your military adventurism negative fifteen thousand bits."

"We have plenty of money," Megidramon growled. "You're just tight-fisted. Always have been!"

"The Demon Lords must be stopped," Holydramon insisted, looking across at Goddramon and Majiramon. "I don't desire war, but the Demon Lords have proven to be a threat that needs to be stopped. They won't just stop at the Sky Colonies. I urge you to agree to declare war. It is for the good of the UDC as well."

"Your pro-Heavenly Choir bias is worth negative one thousand three hundred bits," Majiramon muttered. "Explain how fighting a war that doesn't concern us, wasting lives and money which could be put to better use, benefits the United Dramonic Coalition."

"I agree with Holydramon. Although the threat is somewhere else, that doesn't mean that the UDC won't eventually be in peril," Examon insisted. "The reason why I joined the Royal Knights was so that I could protect the whole of the Digital World. Surely Lord Qinglongmon, the Digimon who you represent on this council, cares about the whole of the Digital World and not simply the United Dramonic Coalition."

"…Lord Qinglongmon appointed me as his viceroy to rule in my own right. He trusts me to make my own decisions as I see fit," Majiramon calmly responded, although not without a slight tinge of irritation. "Making assumptions about the values of Lord Qinglongmon is worth negative five thousand bits. While it may be true that he values the stability of the Digital World as a whole, I also know that he is averse to blundering into confrontation without thoughtful reflection. I would thank you not to put words in his mouth when he is not here to refute them."

"Sorry… I know," Examon admitted. "I don't believe in rushing into anything without thinking first either. I've thought long and hard about this. I really believe that the Demon Lords need to be stopped, for the good of the Digital World."

"Hm…" Goddramon hummed, simply taking in their arguments rather and quietly considering them rather than speaking.

Pensively, Majiramon twiddled his mustache with his claws. He continued staring at Examon, yet to be convinced. "The Royal Knights may be concerned with the whole of the Digital World, but it is our obligation as the Four Great Dragons to be concerned with the wellbeing of the United Dramonic Coalition," he argued placidly. "Why should we go to war at great cost to ourselves when there is little benefit? Why should we care about what might happen to the Mesozoic Kingdom or the Metal Empire when they won't even contribute themselves? Why should we care about the Heavenly Choir when it is their fault that the Demon Lords are running amok to begin with?"

"Now isn't the time to be thinking about self-interested politics," Dukemon argued. "The Demon Lords pose a threat that's much greater than the petty interests of any state or kingdom.

"If that is true, then why is it only the Royal Knights and the Heavenly Choir who are fighting the Demon Lords?" Majiramon bluntly asked. "It is easy for the Royal Knights to speak of ideals and the bigger picture, but it is my responsibility to look at the reality of the situation and respond accordingly."

Dukemon clenched his fists and held back a growl before it could leave his throat. "Because Digimon won't look at the bigger picture," he answered, trying not to get frustrated. "What happened in New Terminal should serve as a warning. The Republic of Node hadn't declared war before the Demon Lords attacked them. It was completely unprompted. If you just wait for the Demon Lords to show up on your doorstep, by then it might already be too late."

"Dukemon's right. If we don't help our neighbours, who will be left to help us when we need it?" Examon countered. "The Demon Lords attacked New Terminal in part for the Central Bank. Do you think that they will not also covet the gem and precious metal mines of the Dragon Mountains? It was only a couple years ago that I fended off Mayor Anubismon's invasion whose goal was that very thing. I find it hard to believe that the Demon Lord of Greed will pass up the chance to take the Hoard Reserves."

Majiramon frowned softly and folded his arms. "I give your point… six hundred bits," he reluctantly conceded.

Goddramon closed his eyes and meditated on what had been said. The gold dragon released a soft breath and looked at the other three dragons. "I believe that we have much to speak about," he spoke.

Holydramon raised a brow and looked at Goddramon. "So we do…" he mused.

Goddramon looked down at Examon, Dukemon, and Craniamon. "Royal Knights, I humbly request that you give us some privacy. I believe it is time that we come to a decision."

"Oh. Of course," Dukemon agreed, turning and looking at Examon and Craniamon beside him.

Goddramon gestured over to the left side of the council chamber, where there was a large set of doors in the stone wall. "You may wait in the palace garden while we proceed with conclave. You may take that door. We will recall you when we have made a decision," he explained.

"Thank you," Examon said to the Four Great Dragons, bowing his head softly.

The large, dragon knight turned and began walking towards the doors on the left side of the cavernous room. Dukemon and Craniamon followed behind him, making their way behind the nearest pillar and walking along the curved wall.

As Dukemon walked, he felt like he was being watched. He glanced over out of the corners of his eyes and saw Megidramon staring at him with a silent intensity. Dukemon couldn't help but feel a chill down his back. Despite this, he tried to ignore the piercing stare and just continued following Examon to the side of the room.

Examon opened pushed open the heavy pair of doors. As the threshold opened up before them, the three Royal Knights were greeted with a warm, amber glow. It was the early evening and the sun was beginning to set, casting a deep, golden hue across Dragon's Peak.

Before them was a vast garden courtyard in the center of the palace. Like everything in the palace, it was large enough for the Four Great Dragons to peruse without any real hindrance from their size. The royal garden was filled with a vibrant array of indigenous flowers and plants. They ranged from alpine flowers all the way to tropical plants. In the center of the expansive gardens was a huge fountain, from which flowed several furrows. These furrows carried water along the stone pathways for both aesthetic purposes and to hydrate the garden.

The beautiful colours, the soft aroma of flowers, and the gentle trickle of water, highlighted by the orange glow of the descending sun, all made the garden serene and meditative.

As the three Royal Knights walked out into the garden, Examon and Craniamon turned and closed the large pair of doors behind them. When the doors were shut, they could faintly hear the deep rumblings of the dragons' voices resume from inside.

"How do you think that went?" Craniamon wondered, glancing at Dukemon and Examon as they walked out onto the stone path before them.

"I'm optimistic," Dukemon replied. "I think Goddramon might be changing his mind. Thanks to Examon, even Majiramon might have been swayed to our point of view." He turned to Examon and grinned. "He did concede your point at the end there."

Examon smiled sheepishly. "Majiramon is a pragmatic and self-interested Digimon. The only arguments that work on him are ones that focus on cost-benefit. Goddramon, while also practical, is more likely to be swayed by moral arguments than Majiramon is."

"So, let's say that the Four Great Dragons agree and declare war… You're okay with that, Examon?" Craniamon asked, looking up at Examon with scrutinizing red eyes. "You didn't seem sure while you were in there."

Dukemon turned and gazed at Examon as well. He had to admit, throughout their journey here, Examon had been acting differently. He seemed hesitant and insecure. It was unlike the calm and purposeful Examon who he knew so well.

"Yeah…" Dukemon agreed as he faced Examon fully. His arms rested against his sides to keep himself open to the dragon, knowing that he might try to retreat in on himself if pressed too hard. "Is everything okay?

"I'm fine," Examon insisted, averting his eyes from Dukemon's warm stare.

"…Liar," Craniamon gruffly said. He leered piercingly into Examon's eyes. "As someone who knows something about bottling things up, I can tell that something's bothering you, dragon. What is it?"

"Is it about what that Wingdramon said?" Dukemon inquired.

Examon sighed. He guessed he hadn't been as subtle as he thought. Or maybe they knew him too well by now… Either way, now that they were asking him directly, he couldn't bring himself to lie.

"It… isn't just that," Examon admitted, looking down at the stone path beneath his feet. "What he said was just a confirmation of what I've already been feeling."

"And what's that?" Dukemon wondered.

Examon smiled wistfully and raised his head to gaze towards the mountains in the distance.

"That I don't belong here."

Craniamon's eyes narrowed gently as he gazed at Examon. "…Why do you think that?" he calmly questioned.

Examon looked down at his claws thoughtfully, studying their semi-sharp tips. "I've always been different from Dramon," he explained. "Ever since I lost control and hurt Dorbickmon when we were young, I've tried to change who I was."

He turned his uncertain green eyes up towards his friends. "I've always tried to be calm and in control. Unflappable, stoic, and level-headed. …At first, it was really hard to keep myself under control whenever I hit my Gekirin. But apart from that, I was never a very aggressive, emotional or even social Digimon anyways. Being like this is just who I am. I'm not like Dorbickmon, Ouryumon, or the average Dramon around here. I can't strike up a conversation with just anybody. I don't get angry easily. I don't like fighting just for the sake of fighting." Examon sighed and smiled ironically. "Dorbickmon and Ouryumon were right. I am emotionally repressed. I look down on passionate emotions. Maybe I like to feel smug and superior to all these 'savage Dramon'."

Dukemon frowned with confusion. "Ouryumon?" he asked. "When did he say that?"

"A long time ago, when we had an argument," Examon explained. "I don't think he's wrong though. Neither was Dorbickmon. The truth is: I'm not very much like a Dramon. They call me the Dragon Emperor, but how can I truly hold that title when I'm nothing like them?"

"You're too hard on yourself, Examon," Dukemon told him, placing a comforting hand on Examon's wing. "It's not like every Dramon is the same. Majiramon and Goddramon are more like you then they are the sort of Dramon you're talking about."

"Maybe… but they're supposed to be like that, as wise and exalted dragons. It's all about peoples' perceptions. There's an idea of what it means to be a dragon. To be honest, I never really gave much thought about what people thought of me until I joined the Royal Knights," Examon explained, smiling slightly at Craniamon. "I was a hero, so I just took it for granted that people generally respected me. When I joined the Order, I had that worldview challenged… When I joined the Order, I was too much of a dragon to be a Royal Knight. But, now that I'm home, I'm too much of a Royal Knight to be a dragon. I'm not enough of a dragon to belong here…"

Craniamon rubbed the back of his head and looked away with an embarrassed wince. He remembered that he had been one of Examon's more vocal opponents. He knew that he had said several times that Examon was too much of a dragon to be one of the Royal Knights.

"…You belong with the Royal Knights," Craniamon told the dragon knight. His words were awkward, but they were sincere. "I had pre-conceived notions about you when you first joined. I was wrong."

Examon smiled at Craniamon. "Thanks, Craniamon. That means a lot for you to say that…" he gently replied. "I just wish that I could have both." The lips of his snout flattened and Examon's eyes became soft and doubtful. "Not that I have any right to ask the Dramon to respect me."

Dukemon eyed Examon and folded his arms. "Why not?"

"Because I made my decision," Examon explained somberly. "I chose to join the Royal Knights rather than stay the defender of the United Dramonic Coalition. Majiramon, Megidramon, and even that Wingdramon were right; I did abandon them."

"Don't be stupid," Craniamon bluntly challenged him. "You'd have to have been crazy to pass up an offer to join the Royal Knights."

Dukemon nodded. "I don't want to speak for you, but I think I have a pretty good understanding of you, Examon. You'd have regretted not joining the Order. You've told me how much you want to bring peace not just to the UDC, but the whole world."

"I do, but when I first joined, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't forget about the UDC," Examon explained. As the draconic knight spoke, he idly rubbed the edge of the wing protruding from his forearm. "Yet, I did exactly that. This is my first time coming back here since we came looking for information about Black Pincer Company."

Examon grimaced. "When I was offered to join, I had been so focused on the opportunity to make the world a better place that my responsibility to the UDC became an afterthought. I feel selfish… and guilty. Maybe I am arrogant, thinking that I could change the world. For believing that I'm separate and above the common Dramon. It's no wonder that they resent me."

"Your identity isn't important, Examon," Craniamon told him firmly. "What's important is what you do, not who you are. Being a Royal Knight is about doing good actions. You're more than just a dragon."

"Craniamon's right. It doesn't matter what you think you're supposed to be," Dukemon added in agreement. "You've done more than enough good as a Royal Knight to justify your decision. You're doing a great job, and you're going to continue to be an amazing Royal Knight." Dukemon grinned at him and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "You've changed for the better since you joined us. I'm confident about that."

Examon smiled slightly at him. "Thanks… Still, I can't ignore that my decision to join the Royal Knights has had consequences."

The draconic Royal Knight glanced up at the sky. The orange sun cast rays across his thoughtful face, causing his green eyes to shimmer in its warm light. "Ever since we arrived here, everything's been so different. There are so many soldiers around. Everything seems so militaristic now. I began to wonder if Dramon were always like this and I just haven't noticed. This isn't the Dragon's Peak I remember from three years ago."

Examon sighed and folded his arms, his fixed pair of wings crossing over the front of his body. "The thing is, it's my fault. As the 'Dragon Emperor', I had been so focal to the defence of the UDC that of course everything changed after I was gone."

Craniamon leered at Examon with a cool and quiet stare.

"What?" Dukemon asked, cocking an eyebrow quizzically.

"They have their own military now," Examon explained. "Back before the UDC existed as a single entity, the thought of the fractious dragon tribes uniting their armies was unthinkable. The nobles and warlords had always been too decentralized and divided. When I became the Dragon Emperor, serving under the Four Great Dragons, the tribes and dukedoms came together into the UDC. There wasn't any need for a fully professional and united army with me around. Me and the collection of ducal armies were usually enough to see off any bandits. But now that I'm gone, the Four Great Dragons saw fit to create their own army in my absence."

Craniamon was about to open his mouth, but before he could, Examon let out a chuckle.

"'Now that I'm gone.' 'My absence'," Examon ironically mused, smirking at his own arrogance. "Maybe UlforceVeedramon and Ouryumon were right. The 'Dragon Emperor' is just a lofty title bestowed to a figurehead, giving me an exaggerated sense of self-importance. I always thought that the Dramon depended on me. I think there's a selfish part of me that wants them to need me, even though I'm a Royal Knight. I want to feel needed. I want to feel like the Dragon Emperor."

Examon sighed but his self-abasing grin remained on his face. "In reality, each time that I come here, things are even more different than the previous time. Now that I'm a Royal Knight, they created an army. Now that they have an army, it's clear that they're adapting to life without me. The truth is, they don't need me anymore. I guess it's just hard for me to accept it," he explained. "I should be glad that the UDC is doing well without me, but I can't help but feel insignificant. It's selfish and egotistical…"

Craniamon took a deep breath and took a step towards Examon. "…Can I say something now?" he requested, staring up at Examon, locking eyes with the tall dragon.

Examon looked at Craniamon questioningly. "Of course. Go ahea—"

Reaching up, Craniamon swept his arm out and smacked Examon across his scaly cheek.

Examon's head jerked to the side and his widened eyes blinked with shock. His cheek began to throb with a numb, stinging sensation from Craniamon's metallic backhand.

"…Ow," he calmly said. Examon's eye twitched softly and he cupped his clawed hand to his face. He looked down at Craniamon with confused but placid eyes. "What was that for?"

"Sorry about that," Craniamon nonchalantly explained, retracting his hand. "I was getting really tired of you feeling sorry for yourself."

"…You did ask me what was wrong," Examon reminded him in a dry voice.

"Look, Examon," Craniamon firmly said. "Whatever is going on in the UDC, with or without you, you're still a Royal Knight. You're one of us. That's not nothing."

Dukemon grinned and walked up to Examon's side, placing a hand on the dragon's head between his horns. "I understand how you must feel about all this, but I also agree with Craniamon. As long as we're friends, you're not alone," he warmly informed him. "I guess the real question is: do you regret joining the Royal Knights, knowing everything you know now?"

Examon closed his eyes and meditated on Craniamon and Dukemon's words. He couldn't deny that he regretted the feeling of estrangement with the UDC… However, he knew that Craniamon and Dukemon were right. He had made many lifelong friends because of his decision. He felt like he had a purpose. He had grown as a Digimon in ways he wouldn't have if he had stayed.

"…No," Examon responded plainly. After a moment of thinking about it, he smiled appreciatively and rubbed his tingling cheek. "I… Thanks, guys. I think I needed that slap."

Craniamon smirked triumphantly. "Sometimes, that's all it takes," he answered. "It cuts through all the stuff swirling around in your head and brings you back into the moment."

"You do tend to over-think things, Examon," Dukemon added with a soft chuckle. "The blunt approach works best on Digimon like you."

Craniamon sighed and folded his arms, looking back at Examon. "Though, to be honest… I sort of know how you feel. Not feeling like you belong," he admitted. "People have expectations of you based on the way you look. And then, when you become a Royal Knight, people then have completely different expectations of you. …Going back to Caer Ygg wasn't easy for me. It took Dynasmon telling me some home truths to give me a bit of perspective."

Dukemon smiled a little. "I can't say I relate to going home, but I know what it's like for people to have pre-conceived notions about me. Digimon will always make opinions about you without ever knowing the real you. I think that what are most important is what you think of yourself and what the people who care about you think about you. I try not to let myself get bothered by the opinions of strangers anymore. If one of my friends tells me I'm an idiot, I'm more likely to listen."

"You're usually an idiot, so that's not hard," Craniamon pointed out with a teasing smirk.

Examon smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just have to learn to accept that the UDC is moving on without me…" he responded, although not without a slight tinge of wistfulness.

"It's still your home, Examon," Craniamon assured him. "Even if you have differences with the people living here, that doesn't change."

"And you have a second home with us too," Dukemon made sure to add.

The dragon nodded gently. Despite all the doubt that he had felt that day, Examon began to feel a sense of comfort inside of him. "Yeah… You're right," he replied, a tired but grateful smile on his face. "Sorry. All of that has been bubbling up inside of me for awhile… I guess it all came out."

Dukemon smiled proudly. He was relieved that Examon seemed to be feeling better about himself now. He had had his own fair share of self-doubt and self-pity in the past. He knew that leaving those insecurities unchecked without talking them through with a friend often caused those negative emotions to fester. It was because of his friends that he felt okay with himself and the Digital Hazard now. He was glad that Examon was able to address his issues with them as well.

Right as he finished that thought, the sounds of doors creaking cut through the garden. The three Royal Knights turned around to see the heavy pair of doors that led into the Chamber of Conclave split open with a deep, arboreal groan.

Megidramon pushed the doors open with ease. The infernal dragon stopped in the door frame, towering over the trio of Royal Knights. Although he gazed down at all three of them, his deep, crimson eyes rested solely on Dukemon.

"…Megidramon?" Dukemon asked, looking up at him with internal unease at the fearsome dragon's stare.

"You may enter now," Megidramon informed them. "We have come to a decision."

"Alright, thanks," Dukemon replied, nodding at his fellow knights.

Examon nodded and began walking up the stone path, leaving the serene gardens behind for the austere and imposing council chamber.

Craniamon followed behind Examon, glancing up at the huge, red dragon as Megidramon moved out of the way to allow them to pass.

Dukemon trailed behind the pair, watching them pass through the threshold and re-enter the interior of the imperial palace. He was on course to follow them, until his path was blocked by a huge, serpentine coil that separated him from the other two Royal Knights.

The crimson knight tensed up and looked up, seeing Megidramon's large body towering over him, preventing him from getting back inside. As he stared up in bewilderment, he could see the intensity in Megidramon's narrowed eyes.

Megidramon reached down and placed his clawed hand on Dukemon's shoulder, gripping his body tightly.

"Hey!" Dukemon grunted, reaching up and grabbing Megidramon's claw.

Craniamon and Examon spun around to face Megidramon's back and saw that the dark dragon was preventing Dukemon from entering. "Hey, you!" Craniamon protested, glaring at Megidramon suspiciously. He instinctively reached for his armour, but cursed internally when he realised that he was disarmed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Megidramon?" Examon asked. He was confused by Megidramon's outwardly aggressive actions, but found it hard to believe that he wished to cause them any harm.

"You two go in. I want to speak with Dukemon alone," Megidramon ordered them with a discordant growl in his voice.

"Speak to him about what?" Craniamon defensively demanded, not trusting the large dragon as far as he could throw him.

"It's between the two of us," Megidramon snarled, leering down at Craniamon over his shoulder.

"Fear not," Holydramon insisted, gazing down at Craniamon and Examon from in front of his white pillar. "Megidramon simply wants to talk to Dukemon. He means him no harm. We will explain our position after the two of them finish, if that is alright."

Craniamon and Examon frowned and exchanged glances. They both looked over at Dukemon to make sure that he was alright. "Dukemon?" Examon asked him.

Dukemon studied Megidramon's eyes and began to realise his intentions. The white and red paladin's shoulders slackened slightly and he looked over at his two comrades. "Go ahead," he assured them. "I'll be fine."

"If you're sure…" Craniamon sceptically answered, although he began to continue walking inside.

Examon's eyes lingered on Dukemon, quietly wondering what they were going to talk about. He gave the knight a slight nod before turning forwards and proceeding into the chamber with Craniamon.

Megidramon closed the doors behind them, leaving both himself and Dukemon out in the garden entrance.

Dukemon backed off, allowing Megidramon room to move without hitting him. He stepped back about ten meters before stopping and gazing up at the large dragon. Craning his head like that was starting to give him a neck ache.

Megidramon turned around and overshadowed Dukemon with his sheer size. He gazed down at the knight and smirked dominantly, taking quiet joy in seeing the Royal Knight unarmed and at his mercy. "…Greetings, Dukemon. It has been some time since you and I have had a good talk."

"Megidramon…" Dukemon spoke, leering up at him guardedly. "What do you want? What's this about?"

"I think you already know what this is about, Royal Knight…" Megidramon gruffly answered, his deep voice a craggy snarl.

Dukemon's fist tightened and he stood his ground. "No, I don't know what this is about…" he stiffly replied.

"You know," Megidramon insisted confidently as he loomed over the knight, a little too close for comfort. "You pretend not to know, but, deep down, you know. I know you know. What is it that you and I have in common? And I will tell you know that it isn't that battle that we shared ages ago…"

"We're both bad at gauging personal space?" Dukemon dryly asked, looking up at Megidramon leaned down towards him oppressively.

Megidramon smirked. "Not quite…"

Dukemon stifled a burgeoning wince by closing his eyes meditatively. He took a deep breath to counter the shiver the crawled down his back. He prepared himself and met Megidramon's stare once again. "You mean, that."

"Yes," Megidramon spoke, raising two talons on each hand. "'That'. The Digital Hazard. Our shared curse…"

The holy knight glanced down hesitantly. "Yes…" Dukemon muttered. "What about it?"

"You seem uncomfortable, Dukemon," Megidramon observed, almost mockingly. "Tell me, are you ashamed of the Digital Hazard?"

"Maybe once," Dukemon replied. To assert his point, he forced himself to look up and stare Megidramon right in the eyes. "I'm not anymore."

"Then you won't be shy in answering my question, Royal Knight," Megidramon responded, observing Dukemon with steady yet fiery eyes. "Tell me… Did you have that dream last night too?" Megidramon's eyes narrowed intensely and he drew a breath of simmering embers. "The one about the Digital Hazard?"

Dukemon froze. It felt as though his muscles had coagulated into stone. His insides fluctuated with an intense feeling of unease and fear. How did he know about that? Did he say 'too'? It couldn't be…

Immediately, his mind raced back to the dream. He recalled standing in a desolate wasteland, watching helplessly as the sky erupted in an unstoppable maelstrom and the ground ignited with an eruption of flames. He remembered falling into the black abyss. It had been so vivid – so intense. It felt like it was real.

"You… dreamed about it too?" Dukemon questioned, swallowing to lubricate his drying throat. Despite his trepidation at the sudden realisation, Dukemon made sure to remain calm in front of Megidramon. He refused to give him any ammunition. "About the Digital Hazard activating?"

"Yes… I remember that apocalyptic catastrophe in the dark of the night," Megidramon tranquilly mused. "I see you have as well."

"But… why?" Dukemon questioned. He scowled and clenched his fists tightly. "It must be a coincidence… For you and me to have a shared dream…?"

Megidramon laughed in a couple of deep bellows. "For you and I have to have the exact same dream, you are truly fooling yourself to believe that that is a coincidence. There are no coincidences when it comes to the Digital Hazard."

Dukemon glanced away. Even in the tranquility of the royal garden, he was unable to feel at ease. His muscles were rigid as he tried to process what Megidramon was telling him. "If that's true, then what does it mean?"

"A dream about the activation of the Digital Hazard? Perhaps it's a warning. Perhaps a prophecy," Megidramon nonchalantly deliberated.

"I don't believe in fate," Dukemon muttered.

The monstrous, crimson dragon smirked as he leered down at Dukemon. "Then believe in what you know. Both you and I have had the Digital Hazard from birth. We have both taken different paths – I, a warlord turned monarch, and you, a Royal Knight of Yggdrasil. Yet, by either fate or happenstance, we were brought together in combat. All those years ago, when you and I fought – you remember, don't you? – my Digital Hazard activated. I began to lay waste to everything before me."

Dukemon glared up at Megidramon guardedly. "I remember," he replied.

"You fought desperately to stop me. Even Goddramon and Holydramon stepped in to arrest my rampage," Megidramon remembered with a grin. "Finally, I was defeated, fortunately for everybody around me. Then I was dragged here to Dragon's Peak – this very palace. Do you know what happened next?"

"The Four Great Dragons came to an agreement?" Dukemon put forward.

"Before that. I had just run amok, after all. The Digital Hazard was still a chaotic tempest within me," Megidramon replied. "They dragged me onto an altar and chained me down. Then, Qinglongmon, Holydramon, and Goddramon performed an ancient ritual on me. Qinglongmon was able to successfully seal my powers of the Digital Hazard. It is for that reason that I was allowed to join into the power sharing agreement that lasts to this day."

Dukemon's eyes widened. He hadn't heard about this part. He had always wondered why the activation of the Hazard stopped, but he had just assumed that it had been because Megidramon had been defeated or something. He never really followed up afterwards.

"What…? Your Digital Hazard was sealed?" Dukemon questioned. This begged a further question… one that he was eager to ask. "Then… can't they do that for me too?"

"It is not that simple, Royal Knight," the dark dragon replied. "They were only able to perform the ritual because my Digital Hazard was already active. It does not work on one that is dormant. It is also an exhaustive and extremely dangerous process that was only used on me as a last resort because my activated Hazard was such a present threat. From what I can remember through the excruciating pain, the process nearly killed me, as well as the other three dragons around me who were performing it."

Dukemon's body slackened with disappointment. "I see…" he murmured in response. He figured it sounded too good to be true.

"If you were hoping for an easy solution, you are going to be disappointed, Royal Knight," Megidramon told him with a sly tilt of his head. "Anyways, my Digital Hazard was merely sealed. It wasn't removed. It is a part of my digicore, as yours is. While a powerful ritual, who is to gauge its permanence?"

"Still, this dream could be nothing. I don't know about you, but I haven't had a problem with the Digital Hazard since I first evolved to this form. That was over a cycle ago," Dukemon explained, folding his arms across his armoured chest. "I have had many dreams about the Digital Hazard before. It could mean nothing."

"Hmph," Megidramon grunted, gazing down at Dukemon with a scrutinizing leer. "Tell me, Dukemon… Do you think that it is random that you and I have the Digital Hazard?"

Dukemon frowned, uncertain of what Megidramon was trying to say. "What?"

Megidramon's draconic, red eyes tightened. "Out of the hundreds of thousands of Digimon in the Digital World, as far as we know in our many years, only you and I have the Digital Hazard. You and I, both the first known members of the Guilmon evolutionary line, have this curse, and we alone. Have you ever asked yourself why?"

The Royal Knight met Megidramon's gaze seriously. "Of course I have."

"It is no mere coincidence, Dukemon," Megidramon explained to him. "I have spoken with my fellow dragons at length about it. The conclusion that I have come to is that the Digital Hazard was implanted in us as roaming digi-eggs."

"Implanted?" Dukemon asked incredulously. "That's impossible. By who? Who could have that kind of power?"

Megidramon leered down at Dukemon steadily. "Perhaps you should ask your god."

Dukemon's eyes widened momentarily at the wild accusation. Almost immediately, his shock morphed into a glare. "What…? You honestly think that Yggdrasil did this? Don't be ridiculous," he retaliated dismissively. "Why would Yggdrasil give us a power that could destroy the Digital World that It created? It doesn't make any sense."

"If not Yggdrasil, than who?" Megidramon questioned. "Huanglongmon? Qinglongmon categorically rejected that claim. Besides, the Golden Emperor is sealed, so it couldn't be him. …Or do you truly believe that it is a coincidence?"

"Whatever you believe, it isn't Yggdrasil," Dukemon adamantly responded. "I have met with It several times myself. No interactions we've had ever gave me the idea that Yggdrasil was behind this, Megidramon. It's just a coincidence which is the natural consequence of our unique forms."

Megidramon smirked darkly at Dukemon. "Perhaps…" he considered in an enigmatically playful voice. "Or, what you seem reluctant to consider…"

The dragon bent down so that his large, draconic face was close to Dukemon's. When he was centimeters away, Megidramon's dark smile broadened to reveal his jagged teeth.

"…is that you and I were created to destroy the world."

Dukemon's face darkened into a fierce glare. A cold shiver swept down his back, his scales feeling like they were standing on end like tiny knives. His heart and stomach churned with unease at Megidramon's heavy implications. To suggest that his god would inflict this upon him for such a nefarious purpose… He knew that Megidramon liked playing mind games with him, but this was over the line.

"…Are you finished now, Megidramon?" Dukemon demanded. His voice was deep and simmering with anger.

Megidramon smirked. "Yes, I believe so…" he answered in a soft, pensive snarl. The large, red dragon moved out of the way and pushed the door open with his arm. "After you, Royal Knight."

"Thank you," Dukemon answered tersely, trying his best to keep his anger under control.

The crimson Royal Knight strode past his draconic counterpart, not giving him so much as a look. He walked back inside the palace, followed by the darkly amused Megidramon.

Dukemon marched back into the austere chamber that grew darker the further the sun set. His movements were sharp and impatient. As much as he tried not to give Megidramon the satisfaction of appearing bothered, he couldn't help but allow his emotions to leak out. He dismissed Megidramon's provocative claims immediately, but he couldn't help but feel that the conversation had cast a dark shadow over him.

The Royal Knight tried to dispel the sense of unease as he walked back to his friends.

---

Examon and Craniamon looked over as they heard the sound of the old doors creaking open. They had waited patiently for a few minutes, standing in relative silence as they and three of the Four Great Dragons awaited the return of the two dragons.

They were relieved when Dukemon walked in from the garden and made his way over to them. He appeared to be unharmed, which they hadn't been entirely certain of given the pair's history. They watched as Megidramon flew inside the stone chamber and closed the doors behind him. The large dragon of fire and darkness flew back to his position beside the nearby pillar of red and black.

As Dukemon walked up to the two Royal Knights, Craniamon leaned over to him and whispered. "What was that about?" he asked.

"Nothing important," Dukemon answered tersely, trying to rein in his anger but finding it difficult to brush off the feelings so easily. He didn't really want to tell them about what Megidramon had really said. He was still trying to wrap his head around his comments. "He just wanted to wind me up."

"Yeah, he seems like the type," Craniamon replied, casting Megidramon a subtle glare.

Examon was quiet and thoughtful as he stared at the caped knight. He noticed that Dukemon seemed on edge, but he decided not to press the issue.

"I give your delay a deficit of twenty bits, Megidramon," Majiramon told him with a calm but disapproving leer.

Goddramon nodded at Megidramon before turning to the three Royal Knights. "Now that you have returned, we can continue."

Holydramon nodded from his place, hovering between Goddramon and Megidramon. "We, the Four Great Dragons, have come to a decision regarding your proposal."

Examon looked up at the four dragon rulers with restrained expectation. He felt fairly good about their chances now. He felt as though their plea had been received fairly well. Still, nothing was certain and perhaps things changed while they waited outside.

Craniamon glanced at his two comrades before eyeing the Four Great Dragons arranged before them. "Yes?" he asked.

Megidramon smirked and folded his arms victoriously. "We, the Four Great Dragons, have agreed to declare war on the Seven Great Demon Lords," he informed them.

"The decision is unanimous among the four of us," Goddramon calmly added.

Dukemon, Craniamon, and Examon sighed with relief at the decision. It was a weight lifted that they would have some support in their war against the Demon Lords.

"However," Majiramon spoke up, causing the Royal Knights to arrest their sense of victory. "Our support is conditional."

Dukemon regarded Majiramon with trepidation. "What condition?" he asked bluntly.

"We're declaring war on the Demon Lords on our own terms," Megidramon explained. "We will control the actions of the Dramon Corps. The Dramon Corps will not be under Royal Knight leadership. We may choose to coordinate with the Royal Knights in military matters, but you will not get to direct the Dramon Corps. That will be the privilege of the Dramon Corps' commanders."

"It is important to us that we retain our independence," Majiramon explained, folding his arms. "This deal is worth twenty thousand four hundred and thirty bits. I advise that you accept it."

Dukemon, Craniamon, and Examon exchanged a few looks, silently confirming their amenability with one another.

"We accept," Dukemon agreed.

"Excellent," Holydramon answered with a soft smile. "For the sake of the Digital World, we are committed to defeating the Demon Lords."

"It will take us a few weeks to properly mobilize," Megidramon explained, leering at Dukemon. "Don't expect us to be combat-ready overnight."

"We won't," Dukemon replied, making sure to remain professional despite his still simmering emotions.

Goddramon gave them a balanced nod. "We will send an envoy at a later date."

Examon bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, Your Majesties, for coming to our assistance. You have my personal gratitude," he told them appreciatively.

"Yeah, thank you," Dukemon added stiffly. "This means a lot."

Craniamon nodded slightly. "If you don't need us for anything else, we won't keep you any longer," he added.

"Yes, you are free to leave," Goddramon informed them. "We have many things that we must see to now."

Megidramon grinned adversarially. "It was good seeing you again, Dukemon. Royal Knights," he gruffly told them. His red eyes lingered on Dukemon, digging into the knight's helmet provocatively. "I look forward to seeing you in action again."

Dukemon met Megidramon's stare unflinchingly. "Likewise," he sharply replied, meeting his steel with steel.

Without another word, Dukemon spun around and began walking towards the pair of doors behind them.

Craniamon turned around and began following after the caped knight. He walked up beside Dukemon as they approached the pair of doors. The two knights each grabbed one of the lower handles and wrenched open the pair of doors, opening up the way to the spacious hallway.

As the way was clear to leave, Examon gave the Four Great Dragons a final, appreciative nod, and began to turn to leave.

"A moment, Examon," Holydramon spoke up, eyeing the dragon knight pensively. "If you please."

Examon turned back to face them. He frowned with confusion, wondering what else they wanted. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"We would like to speak to you for a minute in private," Goddramon informed him, floating gently in place as he observed the draconic Royal Knight.

Examon looked over at Dukemon and Craniamon with hesitation. He didn't feel right about leaving his comrades out. He wasn't sure why they wanted to talk to him alone now that everything was already settled. "Well…"

"It's fine, Examon," Dukemon assured him with a slight smile behind his metal visor.

"Yeah," Craniamon agreed. He thumbed over his shoulder, down the large hallway towards the lobby. "We'll wait in the foyer. I need to start storing our weapons anyways."

"I'll see if Dorbickmon's still hanging around," Dukemon added, secretly eager to grab his Gram and Aegis and leave the palace.

Examon nodded. If they both didn't mind, he supposed it was okay. "Alright…" he informed the quadrumvirate of dragons.

The draconic Royal Knight watched as his two friends walked out of the chamber and began making their way down the spacious hallway from where they had came. When they were some distance away and starting to disappear within the corridor's shadows, Examon looked back up at the Four Great Dragons.

"Before you leave, we have a proposition for you," Holydramon informed him. The giant, rose-hued dragon landed on the ground and looked at Examon with a disarming gaze.

Examon frowned pensively. His interest was piqued. He had no idea what sort of proposition they might have for him. He wasn't sure why they were just mentioning it now. Why couldn't they say it in front of the others?

"Yes?" he tentatively inquired.

Goddramon flew forwards slightly, his soft, green eyes regarding Examon warmly. He held himself in an open, assuaging manner, as did Holydramon.

"We would like you to return to us as the Dragon Emperor," the exalted, gold dragon explained.

For a moment, Examon just blinked. He stared at them with blank shock. Although his visage didn't change in the slightest, Examon's mind lapsed for a moment at the request. For a few moments, the words did not compute.

"I… I'm sorry, what?" Examon questioned, blinking with confusion and wondering if he had misheard. His mind raced as he tried to make sense of the stunning request. "You're asking me to return as the defender of the UDC? But… what about the Dramon Corps?"

"That's just it," Megidramon told him, folding his arms across his chest. "The Dramon Corps needs an experienced general to lead them. Now that you have experience leading armies in the Order, you're the perfect one to lead the Dramon Corps."

"You're… asking me to quit the Royal Knights?" Examon inquired for further clarification.

"This is your home," Megidramon noted with a grin. "You wouldn't just be the sole protector of the UDC anymore, but the foremost general. Now, with a professional army behind you, there is so much more that you can achieve. You were even able to impress me during your Trial to become a Slayerdramon. I don't like the way you left, and I'm not one to beg somebody who turns his snout up at us, but I acknowledge your strength. I do hope you will consider returning to where you belong."

Examon looked down with a gentle wince. His stomach suddenly felt heavy. He hadn't been prepared for such a big dilemma. They wanted him to quit the Royal Knights? And return to the UDC?

It seemed ridiculous to him at first. Despite his rocky start, he came to love working with the Royal Knights. They were his friends. He felt like he had achieved and learned so much. It was his first instinct to refuse.

However… there was a nagging feeling of emptiness inside of him. That sense of guilt and longing… He had turned his back on his home already. He saw how the UDC was changing without him and leaving him behind. Maybe, if he actually was still around, he would be able to help shape not just his own future, but that of the UDC. He did miss his home. There was a part of him that felt a responsibility to it.

Still, he wanted to say no. There was so much that he wanted to achieve as a Royal Knight. If he returned home, would he be held back from his goals and ideals? Was he just being selfish in trying to justify staying a Royal Knight?

The uncertainty that he thought he had vanquished suddenly returned. It felt like as soon as he had thrown off the burden of worry, it had come back even heavier. He knew what he wanted to say, but he didn't know if it was the right decision. The request was so abrupt that he just didn't have time to come up with a decision that he was satisfied with.

"I'm… I'm sorry. I can't answer that right now," Examon apologetically said, looking up at the Four Great Dragons submissively. "Can I have time to think about it?"

"Of course, Examon," Holydramon told him encouragingly. "Take as much time to think as you need."

"However, do not take too much time," Majiramon made sure to remind him. "We are going into a war, after all. Remember, you are worth four hundred fifty thousand bits. You are a valuable object of our military."

"As well as a good friend," Holydramon made sure to diplomatically add.

"…Thank you," Examon responded, wincing softly. He bowed his head in respect. "I promise to give it careful thought."

"We appreciate that, Examon," Goddramon replied. He gently gestured towards the open pair of doors behind the red dragon. "That is all. You may leave."

"Yes, Your Majesties," Examon said, raising his head back up.

The draconic Royal Knight turned around and began quietly making his way towards the exit.

After the resentment and sense of separation that he faced earlier, he certainly didn't expect to be asked to return. He didn't think that he would ever be able to return.

But, now that the branch was offered, he was left with conflicting feelings that made his stomach churn. He felt guilty, both for considering it and for not wanting to. He was torn in two; on one side, his desires, and on the other, his obligations. It was not an easy choice. One that he knew he had to carefully consider.

As Examon walked away from the Four Great Dragons, he knew only knew one thing:

He had a lot to think about.