(Author's Notes: Here's the second half of Chapter 70! Will Barbamon's nefarious plan succeed? Will Craniamon finally get to fight someone? How many Troopmon were harmed during the making of this chapter? Let's find out.
As always, read, review, enjoy.)
Chapter 70: Eclipse (Part II)
Magnamon ducked as a fireball roared over his head. Attacks swept all around him as he approached the Demon Lords' front lines.
The Knight of Miracles flew ahead on his own, tearing across the sky like a golden comet. His body was like a shining beacon, zigzagging back and forth with a trail of yellow light. Golden lasers and missiles poured from his body and burned into the legions ahead.
But, right now, they were not his main focus. Magnamon climbed higher into the sky, trying to get enough altitude to see past the swarm of Nightmare Soldiers. He was certain that Barbamon was up to something devious, but he needed to confirm it… Between Barbamon's actions and the lunar eclipse that was happening, Magnamon felt as though something was wrong.
He bobbed and weaved around the attacks thrown in his direction. Soon, RhodoKnightmon, Ouryumon and the Strike Forces tore into the demons' left flank, giving him a chance to concentrate. Magnamon had finally gotten high enough and close enough to be able to see Barbamon's rear guard. It was then that he noticed something alarming…
A massive crate, far bigger than any Digimon currently on the battlefield, was placed in the exact center of a large, faintly glowing circle etched into the ground. Flying in the air, above both the box and the circle, was Barbamon who waved his glowing staff as if incanting a spell. Magnamon wasn't sure what it meant, but he immediately knew that it was bad.
Despite the concern that Magnamon felt in his heart, it was swiftly replaced by another feeling… A tiny grin formed on his face behind his helmet. He saw an opportunity.
This was his chance. He could thwart Barbamon's evil plans. He could be the hero who saved the day. He could make up for before…
"I will stop you, Barbamon…" Magnamon whispered, clenching his fists with determination.
Without waiting another second, Magnamon launched himself into the ebony sky. He soared forwards on his own, taking a direct path towards Barbamon and the box. His gold armour ignited with blazing splendour, making him shine like a star in the pitch black firmament.
Moments after his realisation, Duftmon noticed the golden meteor shooting through the sky unaided. The tactician saw him soaring past the Nightmare Soldiers' front lines, way beyond where he should have been situated. It appeared from Magnamon's speed and direction that he had no intent of stopping either.
"What is going on? Is that Magnamon? Why is he so far ahead?!" Duftmon demanded incredulously, his eye twitching at the mounting pressure of the situation.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing as he watched the Royal Knight flying deep into the enemies' lines. "What are you doing?" Duftmon spun towards MailBirdramon incredulously. "What is he doing?!" His head snapped back towards Magnamon. "Magnamon! What do you think you are doing?!"
Magnamon was unable to hear Duftmon's shouts over the roars of the attacks all around him. He surged forwards, stopping high above the Nightmare Soldiers' rear lines. From his high vantage point, he was able to gaze down on Barbamon and the large box and incantation circle beneath him.
Magnamon's eyes narrowed boldly and he struck a powerful pose in the sky, the slivers of crescent moonlight at his back.
Barbamon, who was in the middle of his incantation, noticed the glimmer of golden light above and raised his head. He glared up at the Royal Knight, recognising him from before. "The gold one who defeated me back in the Heavenly War…" His scowl morphed into a taunting sneer, and he looked past the Royal Knight at the pair of moons, which were just slivers of light now.
Duftmon scowled and his body became enveloped in light as he shifted into his Mode Change form: Leopard Mode. Flapping his wings to boost his speed, he raced across the battlefield, elegantly bounding over Troopmon in order to get close enough to yell at him. "Magnamon!" he shouted furiously. "You are too far ahead! You are disobeying my orders! Pull back immediately!"
Just barely making out Duftmon's voice, Magnamon glanced over his shoulder with annoyance. He saw the brown leopard leaping up a staircase of rock pillars that exploded from the ground in front of the legions' advancing lines. "Duftmon?! I'm going to disrupt his spell! Stay back!"
"You don't understa-!" Duftmon hissed as a beam tore through the stone column he was standing on, forcing him to lunge backwards. Duftmon: Leopard Mode landed on his feet and began running back towards the Order's advancing army. "Magnamon, you fool! It is no mere spell!" he shouted, glaring over his shoulder.
Magnamon ignored the faint shouts and focused on his target below. The knight's missile ports snapped open and he designated his target: the massive crate that appeared to be the focal point of the spell. "Your plans are finished, Barbamon! I'll thwart you here and destroy that box of yours!" Magnamon shouted, glaring down at the Demon Lord. "Plasma Shoot!"
Eight golden missiles surged from Magnamon's armour and steamed downwards. They hissed as they descended from the sky, each moving independently as they closed in on their target.
Barbamon scowled and hurled himself out of the way of the missiles' path. He spun around, the head of the Death Lure flashing crimson, and shot three blood red lasers at two of the missiles that were poised to impact the magical circle. He let the other six through, after seeing where they were going to hit. A dark grin curled onto his face.
The six missiles all converged and slammed against the massive, wooden crate. A couple of them broke through the wood before detonating. There was a giant, golden explosion that erupted inside the box, annihilating the huge, wooden container into splinters. Bright fire erupted into the dark night, casting radiant light across the surrounding area as pieces of wood flew everywhere.
The fire reached its apex in front of Magnamon, reaching an epic, golden zenith before petering out in a series of embers. The Royal Knight smirked as he gazed down at the thoroughly obliterated box. He was certain that whatever its contents were had surely been obliterated by the powerful blast.
He eyed the dispersing cloud of smoke, cinders, and ash, trying to see what exactly he had hit. It was then that he noticed a dark silhouette within the haze. It was big. Very big… The sound of wet smacking resounded, followed by a long, deep murmur that was resonant enough to cause Magnamon's chest to hum. The smirk on Magnamon's face slowly began to fade.
Suddenly, the smoke began to suck inwards, as if being inhaled by something. A loud yawn followed, exhaling the smoke back outwards with hurricane force.
Magnamon's eyes widened as the blast of smoke and hot air came barreling towards him. He crossed his arms in front of his body before being hit by a shockwave of wind that slammed into him like a brick wall, throwing the surprised Royal Knight backwards.
"Grah!" he shouted, his arms and legs aching as the smoky wind pounded against him and sent him hurling back through the air. He activated his thrusters and pushed himself out of the shockwave. He glowered and flew forwards again, annoyed and confused by the situation.
And then he realised what had been in the box all along…
In the center of the magical circle was a massive, brown beast. Its gigantic, pudgy body hovered above the ground, its fur was brown like mud. Mystical chains that flickered with black embers were wrapped around its body, sealed by a magical lock in the shape of an alarm clock.
The demon's large ear twitched. Its cute, chubby face was peaceful and content. Despite the noise of the battle raging around them, it was fast asleep and totally oblivious to its surroundings. The only sound it made was light breathing with a few, rumbling snores.
Magnamon's eyes slowly widened as soon as he recognized the figure. "That's…"
"…Belphemon: Sleep Mode," Barbamon confirmed with a smug grin. He glanced up at the double full moons, watching as their lasts bits of light disappeared in the lunar eclipse. "And it's time…"
Suddenly experiencing the sinking feeling of dread in his chest, Magnamon growled and unleashed another flurry of missiles towards Belphemon. "Plasma Shoot!" he shouted.
Belphemon opened his cat-like mouth wide and offered a cute yawn. As he exhaled, a shockwave funneled out from his mouth and enveloped the cannonade of missiles. The golden munitions detonated before they could hit him, and the explosions rocked the air between them.
Barbamon laughed at the attempt and he continued drawing a pattern in the air with his staff, causing glowing, blue lines to form. As he finished drawing the Crest of Sloth between the moons and Belphemon, he looked back up at the sky. He watched as the tiniest margins of light disappeared from the moons' edges.
"Unfortunately, Magnamon, you are too little, too late!" Barbamon mocked him as he poured demonic energy into the Crest of Sloth. He began chanting, and the magical circle beneath Belphemon: Sleep Mode began to resonate with dark energy.
"No!" Magnamon shouted with a glare, diving towards them.
"Curses!" Duftmon exclaimed, watching with incredulity as the magic ritual commenced. He began to attempt to run back towards them, but a SkullBaluchimon intercepted him.
"Huh?" Craniamon asked, looking up over his shield as he used it to hold five Troopmon at bay. He watched as the moonlight disappeared and the landscape went completely black.
Shadows swept across the battlefield, leaving only the light of fire and magic as fleeting illumination. Only barely visible halos of orange light could be seen around each of the blood red moons.
The double lunar eclipse began.
As Magnamon dove to stop him, Barbamon continued incanting and pouring magic into the ritual. Dark tendrils started rising up from the ground around Belphemon, and the magical pressure emanating from his body intensified.
Magnamon closed in on the slumbering Demon Lord, and he reared his fist back with glimmering light. "Magna… Punch!" he shouted. He threw his fist forwards, but found himself slam into an invisible barrier. The Crest of Sloth formed a powerful, demonic field that protected Belphemon and pushed the Royal Knight back.
Barbamon's eyes burned with red mist as he poured his energy into the ritual. "Unshackle thyself the fetters of God! Begone, holy seal! The twin moons wane in total darkness! The connection of magic severs! Awaken thee from thy sleep state! Awaken from thy endless slumber! Rise, Belphemon! Rise!"
The clock-shaped seal that formed the center point of the chains around Belphemon's body suddenly began ticking. The minute hand ticked upwards, until it was seconds away from reaching the hour hand at twelve…
"Damn it…!" Magnamon snarled, desperately trying to reach through the barrier.
But it was no use. The minute hand struck twelve, and the alarm clock activated. A cacophonous ringing blared out across the landscape as the chimes began tolling like church bells.
Belphemon: Sleep Mode's face scrunched up and his nose wiggled cutely. He let out a soft yawn and smacked his lips as the Crest of Sloth glowed brightly above him. The magical ringing of his broken seal caused him to stir.
"Mrm…" he murmured with reluctant discomfort, getting a little annoyed at being disturbed. He yawned again and wiggled, causing the flickering grey chains to rattle.
The cacophonous alarm continued, the ringing brass piercing across the landscape, until, suddenly, the clock shattered. When the shield fell to the ground in white pieces, the chains loosened. Belphemon: Sleep Mode's eyelids relaxed and he wiggled his feet, letting out another tired murmur. His ear twitched, his nose wiggled, and his lips smacked groggily.
Then… Belphemon's eyelids snapped open, revealing two, wide, red eyes that glowed in the place of the blood moons. His content, cat-like smile suddenly broadened to reveal jagged, dripping fangs. A savage snarl rolled from his throat as his body glowed within the intensifying black flames. Soon, the darkness around him overtook him.
He began to change.
Magnamon watched as Belphemon's small and chubby body began to grow. His limbs swelled and elongated, growing long and muscular like tree trunks. His round chest puffed up and filled out, his ample upper body hardening with pure muscle. His chiselled pecs, abs, and shoulders thickened and flexed, restrained only by several belts across his biceps and quadriceps. His unassuming body grew like a behemoth.
Three pairs of bat-like wings sprouted from his back and extended to support his swollen body. His two horns of bone curved and elongated from his skull. The structure of his face changed to become like a snarling beast. His snout sported rows of dangerous fangs, saliva dripping down like hungry predator. His ruby eyes gleamed as he blinked away the sleepiness.
The blazing black chains that were wrapped around his body now coiled around his massive forearms and legs, as well as connecting between his wings like piercings. Their dark, miasmal fire blazed stronger, intensifying as he stood up straight.
"Yes… Rise, Belphemon… Return to your Rage Mode," Barbamon spoke with a wicked smile.
Then, Belphemon arched his back and released a tremendous, ear-splitting roar that pierced the very sky itself.
Magnamon stopped in his tracks and stared at Belphemon: Rage Mode with horror. The shrill roar caused his insides to chill like ice and his body to feel like it was hit by a brick wall. Magnamon grimaced and recoiled in the sky, fighting against his instinct to retreat.
Belphemon: Rage Mode lifted his head, his brown muzzle panting with animalistic rage. He snarled, raising his blood red eyes into the sky. "Who…"
"Woke…" His eyes fixated on Magnamon's shimmering, gold body.
"Me…" Belphemon's massive hands tightened into throbbing, crushing fists.
"UUUUUP?!"
Eight, glowing, emerald lasers suddenly tore from the golden cestuses that covered his knuckles. The beams took the forms of claws, raging intensely with a violent hum.
Belphemon bent his legs and then propelled himself off the ground like he was a rocket. With boundless energy and speed, he hurdled upwards through the night sky, tearing towards Magnamon like a cannonball. He closed the distance between them in a matter of seconds.
Magnamon watched, stunned, as Belphemon surged towards him at full velocity. He couldn't believe that something that looked so big and slow could move so fast. He was shocked—daunted, even – by the large, roaring beast barreling towards him. He didn't have time to react.
It was mere seconds before Belphemon was upon him. Magnamon instinctively tried to bring his arms up to defend, but he was too slow. Belphemon rammed into him like a runaway freight train.
Magnamon's eyes widened as Belphemon broke past his defences. The raging beast drove his massive, studded knee right into Magnamon's exposed midsection. The thick mass of bone burrowed beneath Magnamon's ribs and into his abdomen. All of the wind was sucked out of his lungs and his body doubled over onto Belphemon's leg.
Before he even had a chance to cough, Belphemon stopped, the force of the impact causing Magnamon to go flying. But before he could, Belphemon grabbed Magnamon by the ankle to stop him. He then started spinning the smaller Digimon around several times before lobbing him up into the air.
Magnamon coughed and wheezed violently as he hurdled into the black sky. As he reached the apex of his flight, he was able to look down. He could see Belphemon tearing after him like a homing bullet, relentless in his pursuit. It was all he could do to focus enough to launch a barrage of missiles down at Belphemon. The golden missiles sailed down and converged on Belphemon, who sliced through them, causing a large mass of explosions in front of him.
Magnamon continued coughing and trying to catch his breath, feeling confident that his Plasma Shoot dealt Belphemon enough damage for him to spare a few moments. However… his aching stomach sunk when he heard a roar over the explosions. He looked down to see Belphemon burst through the smoke and golden flames. The Demon Lord was hardly damaged at all… If anything, he seemed to be moving faster.
Bursting through the explosion with smoke trailing off his fur and horns, Belphemon lunged at Magnamon. The Royal Knight attempted to unleash a golden punch, but Belphemon had superior reach. The berserker demon first slashed down with his beam claws, which Magnamon was able to block with his chrome digizoid bracer, but Belphemon immediately followed up with a mighty upper cut.
He slammed his fist right where he had hit Magnamon before, driving his massive knuckles into Magnamon's abdomen. The dragon knight felt numb pain flood through his chest again, but before he could process it, Belphemon brought his gauntleted left hand down on Magnamon's head.
Snarling, Belphemon grabbed Magnamon by the head and wrenched him down, driving his helmeted face into his knee. Magnamon staggered backwards in shock, leaving an opening. Belphemon pitched his body forward and rammed his horned forehead into Magnamon's snout, brutally headbutting him.
Belphemon: Rage Mode's relentless assault didn't end there. He swept his beam claws down on Magnamon's armoured shoulders, causing the surface of the chrome digizoid metal to sear. When Belphemon realised that his beams weren't penetrating as well as he wanted, he dug his foot into Magnamon's body, punting him backwards.
Belphemon relentlessly chased him down, like a predator hunting his prey. He grabbed Magnamon by the neck and tossed him up into the air like a ragdoll. Belphemon shot up after him, ramming his knuckles into Magnamon's armoured back. Then, before the stunned knight could fly up even faster, Belphemon grabbed hold of Magnamon's tail and pulled him back down towards him.
The ferocious Demon Lord refused to let up. Magnamon wasn't even given a second to think between painful blows. Belphemon clasped his fists together and raised them over his head. The Demon Lord roared and slammed his meaty hands down on Magnamon's body, spiking him towards the ground like a volleyball. Belphemon lurched forwards and dove right after him, swiftly catching up to the freefalling knight. He reeled his fist back and belted Magnamon across his helmeted face, further hastening his descent towards the ground.
As if that wasn't enough, Belphemon then swept his arms downwards, elongating the long and thick chains from around his arms. He manipulated the burning chains like whips, cracking them downwards and slamming them against Magnamon's back.
Magnamon let out a weak cry as he plummeted towards the ground like a golden meteor. Falling at the speed of a bullet, Magnamon crashed head first into the grass. An explosion of dirt shot out from around him.
Then, a shadow grew around Magnamon's battered, pain-wracked body. Belphemon descended right on top of him, slamming his fists and feet into Magnamon's back at full force. Another blast of dirt swept out from the impact, blustering around the two as a crater formed beneath them.
Then, there was silence.
The dust began to clear, with Belphemon's towering silhouette rising up to a full stand within the crater. He raised his head and let out a roar of violent triumph.
Magnamon lay in the middle of the crater, beneath Belphemon, his body battered and bruised. His golden armour was tarnished with dents and fractures, and its golden surface smeared with dirt. His helmet was cracked and his eyes were dark. The Knight of Miracles lay in the dirt, unmoving and unconscious.
Belphemon towered over the knight, gazing down at him ruthlessly. He placed his foot on Magnamon's head in triumph, slowing pushing his darkened face halfway into the dirt.
The Royal Knights and Demon Lords watched with stunned silence. The battle had basically come to a temporary stop in response Belphemon's unsealing. Everybody watched, totally overwhelmed by Belphemon's show of strength, his viciousness, and his subsequent overwhelming defeat of Magnamon.
Duftmon gazed with disbelief, his eye twitching, as Magnamon was defeated in less than a minute. His plans were thrown into chaos.
Barbamon observed the triumph with unadulterated glee as he stared down at Magnamon's defeated form. He raised the Death Lure over his head and called out to the legions. "All Seven Great Demon Lords are now reunited! Not even the Royal Knights can defeat us now! Even Yggdrasil's tin heroes can be defeated!" he yelled out to rally their followers.
Cheers rung out from the Nightmare Soldiers, their morale bolstered upon seeing that even a Royal Knight could be defeated by them. They eagerly resumed the battle.
Beelzebumon whistled, unable to help but be impressed by Belphemon's performance. "Yeesh. He really ain't a morning person…" he nonchalantly mused.
Dynasmon snarled with worry and anger, flying back from his position beside Beelzebumon. Wyvern's flames raged from his shoulders and his armour sported several dents and holes from Beelzebumon's bullets. "Damnit! Magnamon!" he called out passionately. Dynasmon spun around and looked at Duftmon, "Duftmon! What do we do?!"
RhodoKnightmon's body tensed up with anger upon seeing Belphemon's appearance and his sound defeat of Magnamon. He, too, turned in the direction of the strategist. "Duftmon, what are your tactical orders?!" the rose knight called out.
Duftmon's eye continued twitching as he stared across the battlefield to the place where the snarling berserker, Belphemon, was standing over the defeated Magnamon. He wondered how Barbamon had so decisively outmanoeuvred him. His grip tightened around his sword. The calls of the Royal Knights snapped him out of his state of shock and his eyes narrowed resolutely.
"All forces, cease your advance! Take on Defensive Formation Gamma!" Duftmon commanded, not allowing himself to show any weakness in front of the soldiers.
"What?!" UlforceVeedramon protested, nursing burns on his wings and a crack in his armour as he speeded away from Demon and returned to the Royal Knights' positions along the front line. He spun to face Duftmon with wide, fervent eyes. "We can't do that! We have to attack! We have to save Magnamon!" he explained.
"We must regroup!" Duftmon argued. "Belphemon's awakening has thrown the entire battle into jeopardy! We cannot act rashly; we must anticipate that they will take the offensive now."
"We can't just leave him!" UlforceVeedramon insisted.
"I'm with Ulforce!" Dynasmon agreed. "We've got to get to him."
"We are in the middle of a battle, if you will recall. We cannot throw our entire formation into disarray in order to rescue Magnamon from deep within the Demon Lords' lines," Duftmon argued.
"I'll get him myself, if I have to!" UlforceVeedramon added stubbornly.
"You will do no such thing," Duftmon decisively shut him down. "UlforceVeedramon, you have a duty as a Royal Knight and a leader to set an example and maintain your position. If we panic, our soldiers will panic. I need you to hold your ground against Demon. The only way that we can save Magnamon is by winning. It will not be by dividing our forces and recklessly putting ourselves into danger."
RhodoKnightmon nodded, although not without reluctance. "I must agree with Duftmon, Ulforce. Magnamon's best chance involves us maintaining our composure. We will come to his aid, but we must be smart about it," he advised him.
UlforceVeedramon grimaced worriedly, his fists tightening into tensed balls. "Damn it…!" he answered reluctantly. "Fine, but if I see him in danger…"
Duftmon nodded a little and gazed down at the Royal Knights' forces, watching them as they shifted into a deep wedge formation. He arched an eyebrow as he saw Craniamon stepping out from the very tip of the formation. "Craniamon, I require you to continue to hold the center of the—"
Duftmon's words fell on deaf ears as Craniamon strode out from the center of the vanguard. He barely even registered the tactician's words.
Craniamon had been silent ever since the ritual had begun. He had watched, initially with shock, as Belphemon broke free from his Sleep Mode form, morphing from a slumbering ball of flab and fur into the hulking beast that was his Rage Mode. He had gazed across the battlefield with stunned silence as the slothful Demon Lord suddenly took off in a burst of speed that he wasn't expecting from him. He had seen him storm Magnamon and could only watch as he beat the Royal Knight down with a strength, intensity and domination like he hadn't experienced in a long time.
…And it caused Craniamon's heart to race.
Craniamon's hands trembled. He could feel energy shooting through the nerves of his arms and legs. For the first time in the battle, Craniamon felt excited.
Belphemon's unbridled rage… his completely uninhibited strength and savagery… his pure dominance on the battlefield… He wasn't like Barbamon. He wasn't even like Demon. Belphemon was a militant brute who wouldn't hold back in a fight. This… This is what Craniamon had been yearning for.
This was his chance.
Finally, after being side-lined for so long, Craniamon not only had the opportunity to go up against not only one of the Demon Lords, but a Demon Lord who was so strong. If he could fight Belphemon one-on-one… if he could defeat Belphemon with his own hands… that would make it all worth it.
Not only that, but he had the perfect opportunity. Magnamon was defeated and all alone back in the enemy's rear lines. He needed somebody to come save him. Since all of the other Royal Knights would be busy, there was no reason why it shouldn't be him who does it. Not only would he get to fight Belphemon, but he would be the hero of the battle.
Craniamon strode ahead on his own, walking out from the apex of the formation. An audacious smirk formed on his face behind his visor and he gripped his spear tightly. As he boldly marched forwards, his competitiveness coursed through his body.
Duftmon stared down at the dark Royal Knight, perplexity written all over his face as he was unsure why Craniamon was ignoring his instructions. "Craniamon, what do you think you are doing? Get back in formation. I told you that you need to be to tip of the wedge," he reprimanded him.
Craniamon just kept walking out into the fiery battlefield, towards the advancing Nightmare Soldiers, eagerly twirling the Claiohm Solais with his fingers. "Knightmon! Take my position at the head of the formation!" he called out to the Defence Force's Captain without so much as turning around.
Duftmon's eye began twitching again as he observed Craniamon's brazen disregard for his plans. "Sir Craniamon, halt right now! Have you not listened to a single word that I have said?! Get back into your position! What in Yggdrasil's name are you doing?!" he demanded, the tactician quickly running out of patience.
"What does it look like?" Craniamon offhandedly replied, his gaze locked firmly on Belphemon. He grinned wider, spinning his heavy spear a bit faster. "I'm going to save Magnamon!"
"Wh—You- 'Save Magnamon'?!" Duftmon balked. "Have you taken leave of your senses?! I have just finished telling UlforceVeedramon why that is a preposterous idea!"
"I don't care! If I don't do something, Belphemon might finish him off!" Craniamon shouted back. The shield-bearing Royal Knight took into a run, not bothering to wait for Duftmon's permission. "Just leave it to me!"
Duftmon scowled and clenched his sword with withering frustration. "Craniamon, do not be a fool!" he shouted. "In case you have not noticed, there is an entire army between us and him, not to mention four Demon Lords! How do you expect to break through their lines?!"
"I'll make a path!" Craniamon answered, his typically deep and stoic voice electric with excitement. He continued spinning the Claiohm Solais in his hand, building up momentum. He stored the Avalon shield in his black digizoid armour and placed his left hand on the shaft of the spear to twirl as fast as a turbine. "I've got my own plan!"
Duftmon narrowed his eyes with irritation, immediately deducing what Craniamon's plan was. He was still determined to keep it from happening. "And how do you expect to get past Belphemon? Did you see what he did to Magnamon?!"
"Oh, yeah… I saw…" Craniamon murmured to himself, his red eyes flashing with exhilaration.
"Craniamon, you are a Royal Knight! You cannot simply run off on a whim!" Duftmon protested. "I am the one in charge here! You will obey my instructions!"
"Rule Three of the Royal Knights' Code!" Craniamon yelled back defiantly. "Never leave a Royal Knight in their time of need!"
Craniamon continued his determined charge towards the Nightmare Soldiers frontlines, the Claiohm Solais whipping in front of him. It crackled with electricity and picked up an intense wind around him, snuffing out flames and kicking up dirt. He was resolute in his decision. He felt he had played Duftmon's game for long enough. It was his time to shine, and he refused to let anything stop him.
"Now, all of you stay back and do your thing! Hold the formation while I rescue Magnamon!" Craniamon called back to them, now running at full speed while his body was surrounded by a raging tempest. "…Nobody get in my way," he thought to himself, "He's mine."
The tactician looked like he was going to burst a blood vessel when he saw Craniamon running straight into the fray. "…Very well, then! Go! However, we cannot guarantee you reinforcements!" Duftmon irately ordered him, pointing his sword towards the enemy. He reluctantly judged that it was best to cut his losses and let the stubborn Royal Knight go. He needed to make it appear to the others and his subordinates that it was his idea as much as Craniamon's. He immediately spun towards the other Royal Knights in order to reassert his authority. "All of you, stay here and do what I already ordered. We cannot risk more than one of you."
"Won't need them," Craniamon inwardly answered. The Claiohm Solais reached full velocity and he began channelling his power through the spear. "End Waltz!"
Hurricane-force winds suddenly surged in a cyclonic funnel towards the Nightmare Soldiers. The violent squall of wind and lightning tore through the legions' ranks. Demon Digimon were pulled off their feet and flyers were dragged out of the sky, swallowed by the tempestuous vortex's powerful folds. At least fifty demon and undead Digimon were sucked into Craniamon's tornado. Several were killed under the crushing power of the wind and lightning, while the rest were spat back out, flying dozens of meters in the air.
The End Waltz had the effect that he wanted; the raging storm tore a path right through the demons' ranks right towards Belphemon. Craniamon now had a direct route to his target.
"Heh," Craniamon grunted, dashing straight into the gap that he made in the legions' ranks. With several Nightmare Soldiers still raining out of the sky and the shock waves he created still rippling around him, the demons were still too stunned to react to him.
Craniamon took full advantage of their confusion. He charged deep into the Demon Lords' lines, using the path that he created for himself to charge headlong towards Belphemon. When the demons of the rear guard finally began to round on him, Craniamon slashed his way through any who was foolish enough to get in his way.
After hacking a NeoDevimon to the side, Craniamon burst through the back line of the rear guard. What lay before him was an open field of dirt between himself and the series of carriages where Barbamon was hovering. In the center of the clearing was Belphemon, who noticed a flash of purple out of the corner of his eye.
Craniamon looked up at Belphemon, who was twice as tall as he was. He could feel the Demon Lord's unbridled power emanating from his body. Craniamon smirked, feeling a shiver of excitement creep down his body. Now, he was absolutely certain of his strength. This was an opponent worth fighting…
Craniamon raised the Claiohm Solais and pointed it at Belphemon. He didn't just want to fight him, he wanted to challenge him to a one-on-one duel. "You!" Craniamon called out to him, his voice booming like thunder. "Belphemon! …You're my opponent now. I challenge you."
Belphemon's ear twitched. He raised his head and shifted his attention to the side, glaring at Craniamon. Seeing the Royal Knight's challenge, he lifted his foot from the unconscious Magnamon's body and turned to face him. Before acting, Belphemon briefly glanced over his shoulder at Barbamon.
Barbamon, who initially thought that Craniamon had charged in to disrupt their lines and rescue Magnamon, cocked his eyebrow curiously at this surprising development. It seemed to him that this was either a shockingly risky ploy by Duftmon or that Craniamon was acting on his own. Barbamon decided that the latter was more likely under the circumstances, and, while this Royal Knight was an unknown quantity to him, he was willing to put his money on the angry Demon Lord who just woke up.
Barbamon smirked confidently. "Go ahead, Belphemon. Put this impudent little knight in his place. Get it all out of your system…" Barbamon told him with a crooked grin. "All of you! Move up and make space, unless you want to get in Belphemon's way!" he ordered the Nightmare Soldiers.
"What is Craniamon doing?" RhodoKnightmon questioned, watching as Craniamon suddenly stopped in front of Belphemon. He saw Craniamon point his spear at Belphemon and recognised that striking pose anywhere. "Is he… challenging Belphemon to a duel?"
Duftmon gazed at Craniamon's defiant challenge with unparalleled incredulity. He looked as if he wanted to tear his hair out. "That… idiot…!" he said to himself, his voice apoplectic.
Craniamon dug his feet into the ground, readying a defensive stance and he cross the Claiohm Solais in front of him. "Well, demon? Think you got what it takes to fight me?" the dark knight challenged him. "I won't go down as easily as Magnamon…"
In response, Belphemon merely narrowed his blood moon eyes and roared, sending a cold surge piercing through Craniamon's core. The roar caused Craniamon to shudder with pain and unease, but he refused to let it overwhelm him. He steeled himself and prepared for the duel that he had been longing for.
Then, Belphemon took off in a cloud of dust. His feet kicked off the ground and his wings snapped back with the jingle of chains. He propelled himself towards Craniamon like a demonic cannonball, tearing over the grass, which dried and ignited under the heat of his flames. Without any pretenses, he tore a direct path towards Craniamon.
Craniamon, although momentarily taken aback by his speed, quickly pulled the Avalon shield from his black digizoid armour. Belphemon was upon him within mere seconds. Belphemon lunged at Craniamon with his fangs and blazing claws, but the Royal Knight was able to react just in time. With a mighty sweep of his arm, he slammed the Avalon into the attacking Belphemon, bashing the huge, furry demon out to the side.
Belphemon dug his clawed hands and feet into the ground to stop himself from going and further. As soon as he slid to a stop, he immediately used his Herculean strength to bound towards Craniamon once again. Craniamon spun around to see Belphemon lunging at him once again. While he was impressed that his foe recovered so quickly, he didn't wait around to compliment him. Belphemon dove at him with his whirring beam gauntlets, attempting to skewer Craniamon with his laser claws.
Craniamon dug his feet in and braced against the full-on attack. "God Bless!" the death knight shouted. An omni-directional barrier pulsed from the Avalon and radiated out from Craniamon's body. Belphemon slammed painfully into the invisible barrier, unable to break it despite his indomitable strength. He snarled and tore at the force field with his beam claws, unable to break through.
"Hah. You can't get through, can you?" Craniamon taunted him, his crimson eyes blazing spiritedly. "Nobody can break through my defences."
Seconds later, the barrier dropped and Craniamon was ready to counterattack. He swept the Claiohm Solais out and slashed the double-headed spear across Belphemon's leg, drawing blood from his fur. As Belphemon roared with anger, Craniamon followed up by slamming his boot into Belphemon's firm stomach, driving the Demon Lord back.
"Gift of Darkness!" Belphemon: Rage Mode shouted as he skidded back through the dirt. He swept his burning claws downwards and released an X-shaped arc of infernal fire that burned towards the lone Royal Knight.
Craniamon raised his holy shield in time to block the savage attack. The flames howled as they burned against the Avalon and licked at his arms and shoulders. He looked over the shield to see Belphemon aggressively following up his attack, whipping the large chains towards Craniamon dexterously. One of the burning chains slammed against the Avalon, but it was just a feint for the second one, which descended from above.
Craniamon looked up to see the massive chain crashing down on him. He jumped out of the way at the last second, narrowly evading the mass of segmented metal that slammed into the grass with an explosion of dirt. Then, another chain swept towards the knight again, who only managed to angle his armoured shoulder in time to take the attack. Sparks and black fire cascading off of him, Craniamon grunted and staggered to the side, quickly mounting his defence.
"Not bad…" Craniamon noted, panting but with a faint laugh to his breaths. "But it'll take more than a few chains to beat me."
Craniamon could feel it inside of him. He felt his heart pumping, the adrenaline flowing through him. It was the thrill that he craved… the thrill of fighting a worthy opponent. Being able to defeat the best… This was exactly what he wanted. He was having the time of his life.
Craniamon's eyes glowed passionately and he began spinning the Claiohm Solais rapidly. "I'll show you what a Royal Knight is capable of!" he boomed, his spear whirring overhead fast enough to generate shockwaves almost immediately. The ground around him began to tear up, pieces of rock and earth rising into the cyclical air. "End Waltz!"
Belphemon growled and lunged towards Craniamon savagely, trying to throw send the chains towards the knight like thick columns of metal. However, a powerful tornado suddenly ripped up around Craniamon, catching the chains in the shockwaves and throwing them away. Belphemon tried to break through the wall of wind and electricity, but he simply crashed into in before being thrown across the field.
Craniamon smirked triumphantly upon seeing Belphemon crash into his End Waltz and get tossed aside. He continued intensifying the cyclone around him, making it stronger and stronger. "You're strong, but not strong enough to get past me… My defence is absolute!" Craniamon declared between breaths.
The winds whipped up stronger and stronger, the shockwaves blowing across the field. At the back of his mind, Craniamon knew that he couldn't overdo it because he didn't want to hurt Magnamon, but he also couldn't hold back against Belphemon. Craniamon grinned as he kept his shockwaves at a steady rate. He looked around the field, trying to see how Belphemon was fairing against him.
He frowned a little; he couldn't see Belphemon anywhere. Even with the moonlight beginning to return, he was unable to see the Demon Lord of Sloth anywhere in the darkness. Had he retreated? Or was he too obscured by the darkness and loose soil?
Suddenly, there was a soul-shattering roar behind him. Craniamon turned, initially unconcerned. He expected to see Belphemon outside of the cyclone, unable to break through his gale force. Craniamon looked behind him.
The Royal Knights eyes widened and his stomach sunk.
Behind him was Belphemon – far closer than he expected. The Demon Lord managed to burst straight through the End Waltz tornado, fighting against the winds through sheer strength and force of will. With wind and lightning tearing against his fur, Belphemon struggled all the way past the raging threshold. Fuelled by adrenaline and fury, Belphemon barrelled towards Craniamon.
Craniamon, unable to believe his eyes, spun around completely. "Impossible…" he whispered. Refusing to give up, he started spinning the Claiohm Solais as fast as he possible could to try and force Belphemon back.
The added pressure pushed Belphemon back a meter, but the berserk demon continued raging forwards. With a snarl of effort he threw his arms forwards and extended the infernal chains from around his arms towards the Royal Knight. "Lampranthus!" he shouted.
Four, blazing chains surged down at different angles with enough force to weather the shockwaves. Belphemon didn't just throw them randomly – he aimed them precisely. The four chains descended on Craniamon and struck the very center of the Claiohm Solais' hilt, where his hands were deftly spinning the spear. The four chains surrounded the spear and got swept up in its cyclical revolutions. The spear pulled the chains in, and, in turn, the chains tangled around the Claiohm Solais. They wrapped around the hilt of the spear, as well as Craniamon's hands and wrists.
"What?!" Craniamon demanded, his eyes widening as his hands and spear became entangled in Belphemon's chains. With the Claiohm Solais no longer able to spin, the End Waltz came to an abrupt stop, and the gusts and shockwaves faded away. "Damn it!" he swore, desperately trying to free his hands.
Now that the intense shockwaves were gone, Belphemon was free to act. With a powerful wrench of his massive arms, Belphemon pulled his chains back towards him, sending Craniamon flying along with them. Belphemon reeled Craniamon in through the air, and as soon as Craniamon's body hurdled towards him, he heaved his body down.
"Dark Horn!" Belphemon shouted, ramming his horns right into Craniamon's face in a devastating headbutt. The Demon Lord of Sloth wasted absolutely no time, dragging Craniamon down through the air by the chains. Belphemon dropped to the ground and pulled Craniamon with him, slamming the Royal Knight chest-first into the ground.
"Grk!" Craniamon grunted with pain, grimacing as he tasted blood in his mouth. He wrenched one of his hands free from the chains, and promptly used it to free the other.
However, as soon as Craniamon was free, Belphemon wrenched his chains back, bringing the still-tangled Claiohm Solais with them. The hulking demon caught the spear in his hand and grunted smugly.
"N-No!" Craniamon protested, dragging himself up on his hands and knees. "My spear!"
Belphemon grinned and tossed the Claiohm Solais over his shoulder. Then, he charged.
Belphemon surged across the field towards Craniamon, his beam claws poised back and ready to strike. Suddenly feeling the pressure, Craniamon scrambled to his feet and pulled up the Avalon shield. "God Bless!" he shouted.
The impenetrable force field materialized around his body protectively. At the very least, he knew that nothing would be able to get through. It would allow him a few seconds to think.
However, rather than slamming into it like before, Belphemon stopped short and began circling around Craniamon and the barrier. "Lampranthus!" he shouted, sending out several burning chains once again. The infernal chains wrapped around Craniamon's spherical barrier, unable to break through, but tightening around it like a noose.
"Damn it," Craniamon growled, seeing what Belphemon was doing. As soon as the seconds past, Craniamon was forced to drop the barrier, loosening the chains. As soon as the chains loosened, Belphemon pulled them taut, causing them to constrict around Craniamon's body.
Craniamon grimaced and held the Avalon at arm's length so that he still had some space to move his arms, but the burning chains tightened around his back and legs, and threatened to pull his shield back towards his body.
"Gotcha now…!" Belphemon snarled, seeing his chance. He held the chains tight and he wrenched the tangled Craniamon towards him. At the same time, he hurled himself towards the Royal Knight, driving his foot into Craniamon's face.
Craniamon let out a shout of pain as his head jerked back and the metal of his helmet splintered. Belphemon wasn't finished; he began wailing on Craniamon's face with his fists and beam claws, wrenching his head back and forth.
The black, holy knight grimaced. His face was alight with pain. He could feel his muscles going numb. Desperation was beginning to set in. "I can't… lose!" he shouted.
Suddenly, Craniamon tapped into the data of his black digizoid armour. He reached inside and pulled out a large field cannon. Craniamon dropped the massive artillery beside Belphemon, reached through the chains, and he pulled the ignition trigger.
The cannon fired into Belphemon from the side at point blank range. The cannonball cracked across Belphemon's shoulder and split apart, striking him with enough for to cause him to stagger. Using his only chance, Craniamon loosened the chains enough to break free. He jumped back and began to make a dash for his Claiohm Solais, but he didn't get the chance to get close.
Roaring in pain from the direct impact, Belphemon wheeled around and rounded on Craniamon from the side. He drilled his knuckles across Craniamon's helmeted face, throwing the knight away. Craniamon dove into a combat roll and immediately tried to stand despite his aching body. Sweat and blood dripping down his face, the panting Craniamon spun around. He desperately drew a random long sword from his black digizoid armour, needing something – anything - to fight with.
Belphemon bounded towards him, immediately setting upon the beleaguered Royal Knight. The two clashed in the middle of the field. He drove his fist into Craniamon's face, shaking off the sword that was stabbed into his collar in retaliation. As Craniamon flew back through the air, Belphemon summoned his Lampranthus chains and wrapped them around Craniamon's arms, spreading them out to the sides.
With the Royal Knight exposed, Belphemon closed in on him. With a massive sweep of his bulging arms, Belphemon bashed the Avalon out of Craniamon's grasp, sending the black kite shield sailing through the air. Then, with a backhand, he swatted the sword out from Craniamon's other hand. Now that the Royal Knight was helpless, Belphemon: Rage Mode laid into him.
He drove his fist into Craniamon's stomach, causing the knight to keel forwards. Groaning, Craniamon could only weakly resist as Belphemon clutched the back of his head and began driving his knee into his face over and over again. Craniamon's helmet began to crack and fracture, and blood seeped out of his nose and forehead.
"Craniamon!" UlforceVeedramon shouted, preparing to take off after him. However, a golden ribbon wrapped around his arm, holding him back.
"You can't, Ulforce…" RhodoKnightmon told him grimly. "He is too far in… If you go, you will only be offering yourself to him as well…"
UlforceVeedramon grimaced and looked back at Craniamon. "But…"
Belphemon slammed his foot into Craniamon's body, sending him flying backwards. As soon as the chains became taut, Belphemon wrenched him back towards him, right into his waiting fist. Craniamon staggered backwards weakly, barely standing at this point.
"Lightning Horn!" Belphemon howled, following up by slamming his electrically-charged forms into Craniamon's helmet, sending lightning coursing through his armoured body. Craniamon let out a bellow of pain and staggered backwards.
Sensing that victory was in his grasp, Belphemon suddenly propelled himself into the sky, dragging Craniamon with him by the chains. Belphemon climbed high into the night before suddenly stopping, and then diving back downwards. The sudden change in altitude, snapped Craniamon back downwards, nearly ripping his shoulders from their sockets. Then, with a might hurl of his arms, Belphemon slammed the knight back down into the ground with a massive, earth-shaking crash.
Craniamon lay in the dirt. His entire body was in excruciating pain. He couldn't stand… he could hardly even move. His vision was spotty and his consciousness was fading in and out. His red eyes were but faint flickers in the dark.
"I can't… lose…" he murmured, barely even able to think anymore through his pain and his fading consciousness. "Can't… lo… se…"
Belphemon loomed over the Royal Knight, his back against the half-full moons in the night sky. He glared down at the Royal Knight with annoyance and disdain. "Bastard… Just stay down…" he grumbled with annoyance.
The Demon Lord of Sloth suddenly fell into a free fall, diving towards Craniamon like a comet at full speed. Belphemon snarled and brought his fists down on Craniamon's back with all of his weight, crushing the Royal Knight into the ground. The black digizoid dented under the immense pressure and Craniamon let out a pained grunt as he was compressed under Belphemon's full weight. The last bit of consciousness as squeezed out of him and his eyes went dark.
This time, Craniamon didn't rise. He lay motionless on the ground, his mind lost to the abyss of oblivion.
Barbamon's grin widened triumphantly as he watched Belphemon defeat the second Royal Knight that challenged him. "Yes… Yes! Hahaha! Belphemon, you precious furball!" he exclaimed victoriously.
Belphemon grumbled and rose to his feet, dusting himself off. He reached down and wrapped his large fingers around Craniamon's head, lifting the knight's limp body off of the ground. Then, with a sweep of his hand, he tossed Craniamon's body down into the crater, next to the unconscious Magnamon. "Are we done here?" Belphemon asked, looking up at Barbamon with a glare.
"Hmm…" Barbamon debated, looking down at the two helpless knights. He then turned his gaze across the battlefield to the Royal Knights, trying to see how they would react to the defeat of two of their comrades. The Demon Lord of Greed stroked his beard with thought, going over the different possibilities and outcomes in his mind.
"…Nightmare Soldiers!" he suddenly announced. "Halt! Discontinue your attack!"
Demon, who was halfway across the battlefield, heard the order and spun around incredulously. "What?!" he demanded. Demon cast a withering look into UlforceVeedramon's direction, though it appeared to him that the blue Royal Knight was too distracted to follow him, so he turned around and began flying back towards Barbamon.
Beelzebumon, too, stopped what he was doing. He lowered his Berenjena shotguns, which were hot and smoking from his battle with Dynasmon, and glanced over his shoulder as well. "Eh? You serious, Barbie?!" he complained, wheeling the Behemoth around to drive back too. "What gives?! I was just working up a sweat!"
Demon swept over the Nightmare Soldiers, who had come to a stop but remained prepared to attack if given the word. He flew to the rear of the lines and came to an abrupt stop in front of Barbamon, flames still wafting from his hands. "Barbamon, why have you ordered them to halt? What is going on?" he demanded.
"Have a look for yourself," Barbamon explained, pointing his staff down at the unconscious duo of Craniamon and Magnamon. He then pointed with the Death Lure towards the Royal Knights' army, which remained in place, neither advancing or attacking. "They have stopped their attack."
"Then we should go and crush them where they stand!" Demon insisted with a hiss.
Barbamon frowned with thought, watching as Duftmon debated with the other Royal Knights. "Hm… I am not sure that that would be the best course of action, Demon. They will not attack us so long as we have their comrades' lives in our hands, I wager..." the bearded strategist deduced as he glanced down at the fallen Royal Knights.
"Then we have the advantage!" Demon argued, pointing behind at the Royal Knights. "We have already taken down two of the six Royal Knights! With Belphemon with us, that evens out to four against four. Their morale is low, so we must capitalize on our momentum!"
"That may be," Barbamon noted. "But it would be a difficult battle with no guarantee of victory. Even with momentum in our favour, their army is more disciplined than ours is. If they are considering retreat, then I am inclined to let them."
"That is foolish folly, Barbamon!" Demon protested adamantly. "If we have the chance to crush them now, then we should take it! We have the initiative. Our army's morale is high. We can break these Royal Knights here."
"To what end?" Barbamon pointedly asked him. He gestured with his staff around at the vacant field. "This battlefield is strategically insignificant. We are only fighting here because our armies happened to encounter at this location at this time. This is not Saversburg we are fighting over. Even if we were to best the rest of their army here, we would merely push them back to the safety of Saversburg, but with many more losses on our side than if we were to just let them retreat now."
"What do we gain by letting them go?" Demon demanded.
Barbamon pointed back down at the heap of two Royal Knights in the nearby crater. "We have defeated two Royal Knights. We have two valuable prisoners…" he explained with a victorious smirk. "That is a triumph, I'd say. Wouldn't you?"
"Prisoners? You cannot be serious," Demon asked incredulously. His hands blazed in a dark swath of hellfire. "We should kill them where they stand."
"Now where is the value in that?" Barbamon contended, grinning as he looked down at the two defeated knights. His eyes lingered on their armour, Magnamon's shimmering gold in particular. "Those Royal Knights have information, and information is valuable in war. If we take them alive, we will be able to interrogate them until they talk…"
"They are the enemy. We should just kill them now, their words be damned," Demon reluctantly insisted. "You are being too lenient, Barbamon. We should kill them and attack their foolish comrades. If they retreat – all the better. We will chase them down."
"And you are too short-sighted, Demon," Barbamon argued. "If we kill these two now, we lose our only bargaining chips and risk igniting their anger, which is the opposite of what we desire. This battle is not one that I want to expend the lives of hundreds – thousands - of our military assets on. We could defeat them, yes. They could retreat, yes, but if we push our advantage too much and back them into a corner, they may rally and defeat us."
Barbamon shook his head and shouldered his staff. "No, Demon. I have learned that sometimes it is best to hold onto the riches you have already gained rather than wager it all on a high-risk possibility. We have already won this battle. It would be reckless to risk losing our gains."
Demon frowned and thought about Barbamon's words carefully. He could see the strategist's points, although it irked him to stop short of what felt like a decisive victory. "So, you are saying that a bird in the hand is worth two in the feather…" he mused, beginning to concede the issue.
Barbamon rolled his eyes. "'The bush'. But yes, if you like," he dryly answered. "I suggest we slowly pull back towards Shroud and gauge the Royal Knights' response. They will not chase us if they see we have their comrades as prisoners, but if they do, we will counterattack like you want."
Barbamon smirked down at Craniamon and Magnamon. "As for these two… After we get the information we want out of them, we can simply execute them. We can make a big song and dance about it too. That should please you as well as Lucemon, no?"
"Hmph… Very well," Demon conceded. "I will tell my officers and Beelzebumon the plan."
"Excellent…" Barbamon answered, tenting his fingers and wearing a smile that showed that he was quite chuffed with himself. "Belphemon! You take those two! We are going to be retreating!"
"Good…" Belphemon murmured before yawning widely. The hulking behemoth reached down and grabbed Magnamon and Craniamon by the heads, one in each hand. He wrapped his chains around their limp bodies and then began dragging them across the field, towards the collection of wagons and carriages.
Barbamon chuckled to himself victoriously as he gazed out across the stagnant battlefield towards the Royal Knights. It was clear to him that they were not making any aggressive movements, confirming his theory about Duftmon's reaction.
"Yes… Yes…" he thought to himself, wringing his bejeweled hands with excitement. "Everything is coming up Barbamon!"
Meanwhile, as the Demon Lords halted their attack, Duftmon watched with utter disbelief as the battle seemed to fall apart before him.
"Craniamon… has been defeated…" he spoke deflatedly, the wind having been thoroughly taken out of his spirit. "Two Royal Knights are in the hands of the Demon Lords…"
Duftmon's grip tightened around the Shoumetsu no Tsurugi. He watched as Barbamon summoned the Demon Lords back to him, and tried to gauge his plans…
"Duftmon! What do we do?" Dynasmon emotively growled from beside him. "Craniamon's been defeated too!"
"This is not looking good, Duftmon…" RhodoKnightmon spoke, gazing at the feline knight as well.
As soon as Demon was gone, UlforceVeedramon sped back to the Royal Knights' front lines, where the rest of the knights had gathered. The cobalt dragon came to a stop beside Duftmon and leered at the tactician passionately. "Duftmon! What are we doing? What's the rescue plan?"
Duftmon winced faintly and looked down at the ground in brooding though. "…There is no rescue plan. We must retreat back to Saversburg."
"Retreat?!" UlforceVeedramon balked. "We can't retreat! We can't just leave Magnamon and Craniamon!"
"Yeah!" Dynasmon protested as well. "What about Rule Three of our code?! Never leave a Royal Knight behind!"
"I am well aware of our code," Duftmon answered, his voice cold and seething. He raised his hand and rubbed his temples with withering frustration. "We have no choice. If we attack them, we risk the lives of the captives."
"Their lives are already at risk!" UlforceVeedramon argued. "The Demon Lords will kill them if we leave them!"
"No…" Duftmon answered, narrowing his eyes and gesturing to the gathered Demon Lords. "They aren't attacking… They appear to be planning a withdrawal. If they were going to kill Magnamon and Craniamon, they would have done so already. If I were Barbamon, I would take them as prisoners to use them as leverage…"
UlforceVeedramon grimaced and looked at where Duftmon was pointing. He could see Belphemon picking up the two Royal Knights and dragging them. "You don't know that for sure… And if it is, then that's all the more reason why we need to rescue them! I'll go-"
"You will do no such thing!" Duftmon sharply rebuked him. "I will not lose any more Royal Knights to their running off recklessly."
"Duftmon! They're our friends!" Dynasmon shouted, floating closer to him passionately. "I know it's all just tactics to you, but—"
Duftmon spun around to stare Dynasmon straight in the eyes. "My tactics are to prevent the needless loss of life," he swiftly countered. "I am the battlefield commander. It is my duty to make strategic decisions without emotion. My responsibility to keep everything from falling apart. Check your emotions for a minute and remind yourselves that we are Royal Knights."
RhodoKnightmon coolly nodded in agreement. "I am afraid I must concur with Duftmon. Our morale is low and we are acting rashly. We must take a step back and think about what our best option is… I hate to say it, but, as of now, I believe that retreat is the best move," he explained.
Dynasmon growled and watched as their two friends were dragged further into the dark of the night. "I know that… We can't just leave them though."
Duftmon's emerald eyes hardened like steel knives. "We won't. I refuse to let this be the end of it," he vowed. "However, running off haphazardly will only put them as well as ourselves into further peril. We will save them, but we must have a plan. I… require time to come up with one." He glanced away from the Royal Knights' passionate gazes. "…Please."
UlforceVeedramon stared at Duftmon. He was able to see the sincerity and the hidden struggle in the tactician's manner. He winced and tightened his gloved hands angrily. "Damn it… Okay," UlforceVeedramon reluctantly submitted, although he hated himself for agreeing.
Dynasmon nodded grimly. "Fine… I trust you, Duftmon," he told the knight heavily. He glanced across the fiery field and fought back a growl as he watched Belphemon fade into the night with their friends.
RhodoKnightmon sighed bitterly. "Very well… Shall I inform everyone?" he wondered, keeping his own feelings on the matter at bay.
"Yes… Inform the Captains first and then command the soldiers to make a tactical withdrawal. We will return to our camp north of Saversburg," Duftmon informed him. Despite his cool demeanour, he was eager not to have to be the one to announce that they were retreating.
Duftmon turned forwards as RhodoKnightmon, UlforceVeedramon, and Dynasmon all flew off to organise their forces. As soon as he was alone, he allowed himself to wince.
He watched as the Demon Lords began their own withdrawal with Craniamon and Magnamon in tow. The pain inside him came flooding back.
It was just like that time before…
Duftmon grimaced and he bowed his head, locks of his blond hair falling over his shoulders. His fists trembled and he shut his eyes with frustration. The eclipse finally ended and the full moons loomed in the night sky, towering over him with their light to his back.
"…Damn it…" he silently cursed. "I failed… yet again."