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?

105. Chapter 73 Part 2: Ruin

(Author's Notes: Here's Part Two of Chapter 73! Read, enjoy, and let me know your thoughts!)

---

Chapter 73: Ruin (Part II)

The bleak and foggy day turned into night across the Gloaming Fields.

A thin veil of clouds covered the night sky, concealing the stars. The haunting silhouettes of the recently-full moons could be seen behind the clouds. The clouds acted like a wispy, funereal veil that suited the eerie landscape quite fittingly.

A heavy mist crawled across the landscape, licking the dirt and withered grass as crept along the fields, hills, and valleys. It obscured any sort of long range vision in the dark. Such a ghostly mist was not uncommon in the unsettling climate of the Gloaming Fields. However, this was no ordinary mist, although it appeared to be from the outside. It had been formed with a purpose…

"There it is…"

Castle Nocturne towered ominously over the surrounding landscape, commanding fear and authority. The tall spires of the lofty, gothic castle had a vantage point that could see for miles in almost every direction on a clear day. Surrounding the main citadel were a few ancillary structures – including a barracks for the castle guards, a barn for storage, and an old cathedral, which existed largely for the ironic aesthetics.

Several sets of eyes gazed through the fog at the large, gothic keep. Shadowy figures hid within a series of ruins that were located a few hundred meters down the road from the castle. The large scattering of old, dilapidated stones and monuments served as a visual compliment to the darkened church not far away from them.

UlforceVeedramon was crouched behind a stone wall. Perched across from him, hidden behind a stone column, was GrandisKuwagamon, who was the source of the mist that inundated the landscape. Nearby, hiding behind the wall that concealed UlforceVeedramon, were Cyberdramon and Black WereGarurumon as well.

"Do you smell anything?" Cyberdramon whispered, looking over at the black werewolf.

Black WereGarurumon kneeled a little ways away from the others, positioned at the other end of the ruined wall so that he was upwind from the others. The wolf man closed his eyes and inhaled slowly and methodically. "Mm…" he meditated. "A bunch of different scents. Coming from the cathedral. Mostly demons… the strong aroma of perfume… a bit of blood…"

UlforceVeedramon turned to him quickly. "Are Magnamon and Craniamon in there?" he inquired.

Black WereGarurumon began sniffing the air more fervently, trying to detect the scent notes of the Royal Knights. "…I don't smell their scents over there, boss. I doubt they'd keep them somewhere that exposed. They're probably in the dungeons inside, but we won't know for sure 'til the others get back," the werewolf explained.

Cyberdramon turned and looked over at GrandisKuwagamon. "Grandis, how long can you control the mist for?" he quietly asked the newest Rook.

"Couple hours if I concentrate. Plenty of time for us to get in and out," GrandisKuwagamon responded as he concentrated on forming more mist to replace the rest as it was carried along by the breeze.

UlforceVeedramon glanced back around the corner of the wall, peeking at the castle. He could hear soft, tiny wing beats coming closer. He saw a small shadow in the mist that was speeding towards them. The dark blur darted off to the right and then ducked behind the ruins that they were hiding in.

A Pipismon burst out of the fog and flapped her bat-like wings, coming to a stop between the Rooks. She slowed her wing beats and then landed, settling her hook-like feet onto the ground. "Phew, we're back," she quietly announced.

At the same time, the cloaked form of a demon man stepped out of the shadows behind them, briefly startling UlforceVeedramon. The demon, garbed in dull, white robes and a dark, cloth mask, wordlessly made his way over to them.

"Oh. Baalmon, Pipismon," UlforceVeedramon greeted them. "Did you find anything?"

Baalmon nodded and kneeled down behind the wall. "I have located the best entrance to infiltrate the castle. There is an old postern on the eastern wall that leads to the root cellar. It is far less guarded than the other entrances," he explained. "Once inside, Pipismon used her echolocation to determine the relative position of the dungeons on the basement level."

"And were Sir Craniamon and Sir Magnamon there?" Cyberdramon asked.

"I can't be one hundred percent certain. The images were a little fuzzy, but I definitely saw two figures in the cells," Pipismon explained.

"I'll be able to tell for sure once we're in there," Black WereGarurumon promised, tapping his nose indicatively. He turned to look at Baalmon. "So, what's the plan? Boss put you in charge of the team this time."

Baalmon closed his sharp, red eyes, thinking to himself pensively for a few seconds. "With your permission, Sir?" Baalmon requested, glancing over at the Royal Knight.

"By all means, Baalmon," UlforceVeedramon agreed. "I'll go along with whatever you think is best."

"I am grateful for your trust," Baalmon politely replied, before turning to the others. "I believe that we should advance on the castle under the cover of GrandisKuwagamon's mist. Then, we should infiltrate the postern through to the root cellar. From there, we will make our way through the basement corridors until we reach the dungeons, quietly dispatching any guards that we come across. Once the dungeons are secure, we will free the captives and escape. Hopefully they are able to walk on their own, but, if not, we will account for that."

"Piece of cake," GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically noted, folding his arms and leaning back against the fractured column. "What if we come across a Demon Lord?"

"Then I'll deal with it," UlforceVeedramon asserted, his ruby eyes hard as he was fully prepared for that possibility.

"What if we come across two Demon Lords?" GrandisKuwagamon casually wondered, making no effort to hide his cynical impertinence.

Black WereGarurumon began to growl, becoming peeved at GrandisKuwagamon's flippancy. "Then you'll deal with it," he contentiously volunteered him.

"And if there's more than two Demon Lords?" GrandisKuwagamon intentionally posited, sensing that he was getting under the wolf's skin.

Baalmon eyed GrandisKuwagamon dryly. "In that situation, the mission would be in dire jeopardy," he calmly responded. "We would need to prioritize creating as much chaos and as many distractions as possible while securing the release of the prisoners."

"I'll do what I can. If that happens, I might be able to take on two at once, but it would be pretty dicey," UlforceVeedramon explained. "I'd have to try and draw them outside in order to have a chance."

"So, we'd be pretty screwed," GrandisKuwagamon noted, earning him glares from Black WereGarurumon and Cyberdramon.

"You're pretty strong though, aren't you, Grandis?" Pipismon optimistically stated.

Black WereGarurumon eyed the insect with a half-scowl on his snout. "You're an Ultimate level, aren't ya? You've gotta be good for something other than backstabbing. Or are you just planning on dragging your feet this whole mission?"

"I guess I do have my uses," GrandisKuwagamon wryly noted, happy to bicker with the wolf. "Besides, it beats being a punk mutt with an over-sensitive sniffer."

"I'll show you over-sensitive!" the wolf man snarled, standing to his feet.

"You already are," GrandisKuwagamon snickered.

"Calm, Black WereGarurumon…" Baalmon sagely spoke, though with an undercurrent of firmness in his deep voice. "Control yourself while on a mission."

"Yeah, cut it out, you two," UlforceVeedramon harshly whispered to them. "We can't be divided in the middle of a mission. Or did you forget what happened last time that happened, Grandis?"

GrandisKuwagamon's goading smirk faded a little as he remembered the role that his goading nature might have played in their failed mission to rescue Angemon. He grunted and looked away with faint traces of shame in his eye. "Tch… Fine. I just don't like going into an operation without a clear exit strategy. Things get messy when the shit hits the fan."

"We will escape by way of our infiltration route. If that path is obstructed, Pipismon will use her echolocation to locate the next safest exit route," Baalmon methodically informed him. "Only in the absolute worst case scenario will we blast our way out. Hopefully it won't come to that."

"That sounds like a solid plan to me," UlforceVeedramon agreed.

GrandisKuwagamon sighed and folded his arms. "Okay, fine," he concurred as well.

"Good," Cyberdramon agreed. "And our formation?"

"On the approach, Black WereGarurumon in front, with Pipismon behind him. Behind her will be Sir UlforceVeedramon, followed by myself, then Cyberdramon and GrandisKuwagamon," Baalmon explained. "On the return trip, Black WereGarurumon will move to the back of the line. The prisoners will be in the middle."

"Understood. I think we're ready," UlforceVeedramon eagerly explained. He looked towards the castle with determination in his stare. "If there's nothing else…?"

Baalmon peered over the ruins to make sure that the field in front of them was clear. "Very well. We will leave in three minutes… GrandisKuwagamon, I would ask that you intensify the mist if you are able."

"I'll do it as well as I can without making it too obvious…" GrandisKuwagamon agreed, standing up as he continued to tap into the nature around them to summon a thick mist across the localised area.

UlforceVeedramon stood up, his fists clenched tightly. As he got into formation, he looked up at the dark and towering castle with passionate eyes. He could feel his heart beat like a drum as the anticipation and adrenaline began to emerge in him. He had to get this right…

"Magnamon… Craniamon… We're coming. Hang in there…"

---

The hours felt like days.

In the dungeon, neither Magnamon nor Craniamon could tell what time it was. They could only presume from the rotations of the guards and some of the chatter that they overheard regarding dinner. The only thing that they knew for sure was that it was sometime past dusk.

The dungeon was silent. The only noises that could be heard were the soft crackles of the flickering torches, the shuffling of the guards, and the rattling and grinding of their chains.

At one point, one of the guards could be heard speaking roughly to somebody outside of the left exit. A guard from the right exit, bored from standing around for hours, made his way over to the exit on the opposite side of the dungeon to investigate.

"Hey, who were you talking to?" the DeathMeramon guard asked.

"That weird Wizardmon guy was skulking around here again. I sent him on his way," the other guard – a SkullSatamon - responded. "The puny bookworm looks lost every time I see him, always looking around."

"I doubt he's ever set foot outside of a library. Just spook him next time he comes around. Don't let him near the dungeons," the DeathMeramon told him.

"Isn't he Bagramon's pet or something? I don't wanna get in trouble."

"So what? I'm less afraid of him than I am of the real Demon Lords."

"Have you seen him?! Maybe you saw him while he was standing in a flattering light or something, but the guy looks like he did the side crawl through acid! Fucking weirds me out – and I'm undead!"

The guards eventually broke off their conversation and the DeathMeramon returned to his position at the other end of the dungeon. He gave the Royal Knights a tertiary glance as he passed by to make sure they weren't up to anything, but then continued on to his station.

Magnamon and Craniamon remained kneeling in their uncomfortable positions. The chains held them down, the sharp edges of the tight, metal bindings chafing their skin. Their bruised and aching bodies were cold from the chilly, dungeon air and the stone floor. Every so often, Craniamon would make a concerted attempt to try and break free from his shackles, defiantly trying to rectify his situation.

In contrast to Craniamon's defiant struggles, Magnamon didn't make much of an attempt at all. Unlike Craniamon, he was subdued. He merely knelt in place, gazing at the ground.

The Knight of Miracles was absorbed in his thoughts. He kept going over and over in his head how this could have happened. Each time, he kept coming to the same conclusion: it was his fault.

It was just like before… He had rushed out on his own. And, just like before with Demon, he was thoroughly beaten and humiliated. He knew that he had went ahead on his own without reinforcements. He knew that he had ignored Duftmon's orders. He had been so desperate to settle the score… to prove that he could... that nothing else mattered.

And now, he found himself in the Demon Lords' dungeon. If it had been just him, he might be just about able to stomach the shame of knowing that his own actions landed him there…

Magnamon glanced over to the left wall, where Craniamon's cell was located on the other side. Believing that his impulsive actions had gotten his friend imprisoned as well, with the likely chance of their torture and execution… The added layer of guilt that weighed on top of his anger, frustration, embarrassment, and self-pity was almost too much for him to bear.

Nobody else should have had to be there because of him… He hated himself for dragging Craniamon into this mess when he was only trying to help him.

Magnamon closed his eyes tightly, trying to swallow through the tightness in his throat. His heart stung with guilt and a part of him wanted nothing more than to be swallowed by the ground beneath him. He realised that there was nothing that he could do to help himself… The only thing that he could do was wait… and hope for a miracle.

He opened his eyes somberly. There was one thing he could do - one thing that he needed to do…

The golden knight turned his head towards Craniamon's cell next to him, where he could hear the stubborn tugging of chains. Although he couldn't see him, Magnamon knew that he could still hear him.

"…Craniamon?"

Craniamon grunted and huffed with frustration, momentarily ceasing his defiant struggle. "What?" he impatiently demanded.

Magnamon looked down and slowly wrung his hands behind his back.

"I'm… I'm sorry," he demurely apologised, shutting his eyes with abject guilt. "This is all my fault. I got you dragged into this… It's my fault that we're both trapped here. I'm so sorry."

Craniamon's dark, red eyes widened with puzzled surprise. He stopped his resistance and lifted his head, stunned by Magnamon's claim of culpability. "What…?" he asked.

"…If I hadn't gone off on my own… If I hadn't gotten so far ahead… If I hadn't challenged Belphemon alone," Magnamon slowly opened his eyes and stared down at the stone floor between his scuffed knees. "If I hadn't been defeated, then you wouldn't have had to come and try to rescue me…"

Craniamon winced faintly when he heard Magnamon's broken up voice, burdened with feelings of guilt and the belief that he was the reason that they were both there. The violet knight shuffled with discomfort and angled his head away, gazing over at the nearby wall. He slowly tightened his trembling fists, but he was unable to vocalize the intense feelings that were stirring inside of him.

"…It's not your fault," Craniamon bitterly assured him. It was the most that he was able to do in that moment.

"…It is," Magnamon answered wistfully, his ruby eyes distant with self-reflection. "It wasn't an accident or bad luck… I knew exactly what I was doing."

Magnamon shook his head. "Going into battle, I had a plan… I was going to make up for my failures… I was going to achieve something. I was going to be the hero that I'm supposed to be," he explained, smiling with painful irony.

"What are you talking about?" Craniamon asked as he glanced back in his direction.

The Knight of Miracles looked back down at the floor, his eyes tracing the cracks in the rock. "Lately, I've been… frustrated. I've felt angry… impatient," he explained. "You see, I screwed up in the last mission. I made a mistake… and I made some bad decisions. It's because of me that Bagramon has the Orb of Yang right now. And, maybe if I hadn't been spotted, Angemon would still be alive…"

Magnamon's clasped fingers tightened around one another. "Those thoughts were weighing heavily on me when we went to defend Shadow Retreat. I thought that I needed to make up for my failure. That's why, at the first chance I got, I challenged Demon… I went against our plan and attacked Demon on my own."

Magnamon raised his head and looked through the bars of his cell, his eyes resting on his set of golden armour. He studied the dents and fractures in the golden alloy.

"Dynasmon was right… I did have something to prove," he explained, smiling with wistful irony.

"Tch…" Craniamon scoffed, glancing away sheepishly. "For a big, horn-headed idiot, he's smarter than he looks…" he murmured knowingly.

"I underestimated Demon… or I overestimated myself," Magnamon explained, with notes of shame tinting his voice. "I rushed in without thinking. He defeated me soundly…" Magnamon's eyes tightened into a grimace. "It was embarrassing… After making a big show about taking down the Demon Lords, it was like Demon beat me without breaking a sweat. I needed to be rescued by Dynasmon and Jesmon…"

The golden knight sighed. "My ego couldn't handle that. That's why, in this last battle, I was desperate to prove myself. I wanted to make up for my mistakes. When I saw Demon, I wanted revenge for the humiliation he put me through… Then, when I couldn't fight him, I decided I need to have something to stake my name on… I thought that if I could thwart Barbamon's plans, then I'd win the battle – that I'd be the hero."

Magnamon smiled bitterly. "…Most Digimon would learn from a mistake like the one I made in Shadow Retreat. But not me… I immediately made the exact same mistake again. I went off on my own, determined to be the hero. I was so desperate to walk with pride after falling flat on my face that I fell harder than ever before. And I dragged you down with me. I'm sorry, Craniamon."

Craniamon looked down at the ground with silent frustration. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't… He didn't know what he could say, in the position that he was in. He felt that anything that he said would be hollow, hypocritical platitudes. He felt deep discomfort within him that he tried his best to ignore, opting to simply stay silent.

Magnamon's carmine eyes drifted down to his knees. "I'm one of the founding Royal Knights. I've watched all of you who came after us grow into the knights that you are now. But… no matter how far I think I've come, I really haven't grown at all…" He tightened his fist with frustration. "I'm still just the same, insecure, self-absorbed lizard that I've always been…"

Magnamon gazed down with a guilty grimace on his face. "Do you know what the worst part is?" he spoke. "…There's a part of me that's glad that you're here. Despite how guilty I feel, there's a messed up part of me that's happy that you're with me… because that means that I'm not the only one who screwed up."

Craniamon winced quietly. He couldn't judge him… because the truth was that he felt the exact same way. He was relieved that he was here… and he was relieved that Magnamon was spilling his insecurities to him. It made him feel less bad about himself, but he hated that he felt that way.

"…You're being too hard on yourself, Magnamon," Craniamon reassured him, spurred on by the feelings that were stirring inside of him. "I don't know why you think that."

Magnamon closed his eyes pensively. "…It's the truth. When my father showed up, I felt like I was a Veemon again," he explained. "All of those insecurities I felt came flooding back."

Craniamon frowned softly upon hearing mention of HexeBlaumon. After meeting him, he could certainly understand why… "Your father?" he inquired, his voice warming a little.

"Yes… The Glacial Hero who slew three Armagemon," Magnamon repeated, though not without traces of bitterness to his words. "…For all of my life, I have been living in his shadow. I've always been known as the son of the Glacial Hero. I've always been compared to him. Others have always looked at me with expectations, wondering how I was going to live up to my father's legacy. I've always been chasing his shadow…"

Magnamon opened his eyes, gazing down with resigned clarity. "Even as a Royal Knight… Even after everything I've accomplished… It's never enough for him. And it's never enough for me either," he explained to his friend. "I sometimes feel like I'm unworthy… because of how I look, because of who my father is… I feel like I have to prove that I belong with the Royal Knights. When my father showed up and saw me in the state I was in… well, you saw how he was. It just tore open all of my insecurities that I try to keep hidden…"

Craniamon nodded quietly, his eyes gazing distantly at the ground.

"I thought I got over those insecurities a long time ago. I remind myself of all the things that I've accomplished with all of you. But my father has a way of dragging me back to a place where I feel like nothing I do ever measures up… He has always been like that…" Magnamon sighed and shook his head. "…What am I doing? I can't blame him… I'm the one with the complex. I'm the one constantly obsessed with my image and caring about what other Digimon think of me. It's just… I feel like he's always there when…"

"Like he's always there when you fail…" Craniamon finished knowingly.

Magnamon blinked with surprise at Craniamon's perceptiveness. "Yeah… How did you know?"

Craniamon gazed at the floor in his kneeling position. He recalled a memory from his younger days of being made to kneel in front of his father's desk. He had been beaten black and blue after starting a fight that he had been unable to win. His father went on a long tirade at him about the futility of being an adventurer and how he would never amount to anything if that was the extent of his capabilities. He remembered the feelings of shame, doubt, and frustration. He felt the same way then as he did now.

"…I could guess. I know someone like that," Craniamon evasively answered, though his voice remained taciturn.

"Then you know how you feel like you always have to be perfect in front of them…" Magnamon explained. "I just hope he doesn't hear about this…"

Magnamon raised his head soberly. "I just expect so much of myself. I'm supposed to hold the power of miracles. That means I'm supposed to be able to overcome any situation, no matter the odds. I'm the one who others are supposed to look to when everything seems hopeless. I'm supposed to be the hero that people rely on…" Magnamon smiled with realisation. "…I need people to rely on me. I need people to view me how I want them to view me…"

A slow, drawn-out silence overtook the dungeon as Magnamon's words trailed off. Craniamon didn't immediately respond to Magnamon's sincere confession. He closed his eyes with thought. His taut shoulders slackened, and he felt the walls that he created beginning to crumble.

After a few seconds, Magnamon laughed with dry amusement. "Heh... I'm sorry, Craniamon. Here I am, making this all about myself again. The last thing that you need right now is to listen to me feeling sorry for myself. The least I can do is to take this defeat with grace…"

Still, Craniamon didn't answer. Magnamon tried not to take his silence personally, since he felt he had no right to. He understood that Craniamon was probably very frustrated by the situation that he was in, and he knew that Craniamon had a low tolerance for whining. Magnamon didn't want to bother him anymore; he realised that he just needed to get that out of his system…

After a few moments of deliberation, Craniamon shuffled and lifted his head.

"…You know… my mission completion rate is slipping," Craniamon suddenly spoke.

Magnamon blinked and looked over, taken completely off-guard by Craniamon's comment. "What?" he asked with confusion.

"It has been, over the past few years," Craniamon explained. He glanced down, staring distantly at the floor. "Ever since the end of DarkKnightmon's rebellion, really… Those years following his defeat were peaceful. There're a lot more Royal Knights now, and there weren't enough missions to go around… I've only been able to do a few per year. Even with the Metal Empire war, I was hardly involved in any of it apart from that final battle. And with the Demon Lords… can you believe that this was the first time that I've fought them?"

Craniamon frowned bitterly. "I feel like everybody is passing me by… I've been stagnating… It's frustrating," he explained in a near murmur.

Magnamon looked over at Craniamon's cell. The fact that Craniamon was actually opening up to him was astonishing to him. "I… had no idea that you felt that way."

Craniamon glanced away. "You keep blaming yourself for me being trapped here, Magnamon… In fact, I let you blame yourself…" he said, his voice burdened with shame. "The truth is… it's not your fault."

Magnamon frowned with confusion. "I don't understand…"

"…I didn't fight my way into the enemy lines just for you," Craniamon admitted in a guilty murmur. "When I saw Belphemon take you down… I saw a powerful opponent. I saw the chance that I'd been craving. I wanted to fight him so damn much… I just used you as an excuse… If I could say that it was to save you, then I could disobey orders and challenge Belphemon one-on-one…"

Craniamon squeezed his hands into tight fists. "How selfish am I? I was so desperate to battle a Demon Lord that I took advantage of our code just so that I could fight. I used you to justify satiating my own ego… If anybody should apologise, Magnamon, it's me…" Craniamon looked down at the ground with a frustrated scowl. "I'm sorry. I am unworthy to call myself a Royal Knight…"

Magnamon's tensed gaze softened a little at hearing Craniamon's pained words. "…I'm hardly in a position to judge," he assured him. "I was the same way. But… why were you so determined to fight them? I know you like fighting strong opponents, but… is it really that important to you?"

"Yes…" Craniamon answered, without an iota of doubt or indecision. "I don't know if there is anything more important to me than fighting… than besting strong opponents in single combat… than being the best. I have to be…"

"…Why?" Magnamon wondered.

Craniamon shrugged defensively. "Why do you always have to be the brightest star in the sky?" he rhetorically deflected. After a moment of silence, Craniamon's heart panged with guilt. "…Sorry. I'm not very good at this… Dynasmon more or less had to drag it out of me…"

"You don't have to say anything just because I did," Magnamon reassured him. "I like talking about myself. It's okay that you don't."

"I do have to. I owe you that much," Craniamon stubbornly insisted, frowning dourly as he forced himself to lower his guard. "I… don't entirely know why. I just feel compelled to. I need to be the best. I need to win." Craniamon turned his head away stiffly.

"Being a Royal Knight… is everything to me. The happiest day of my life was when I was made a Royal Knight," Craniamon murmured. His voice was measured, trying to hide the traces of embarrassment that stemmed more from the honest admission than the actual content of the statement.

"I feel like I need to prove that I'm worthy to be one of the Royal Knights. You're these amazing heroes… the best of the best. To me, the Royal Knights are the pinnacle of skill… We have a certain standard to maintain. That's why I expect nothing short of exceptional things from all of you. …And why I expect perfection from myself. It's on my honour – my code - that I live up to those standards. Nothing feels better to me than when I exemplify what it means to be a Royal Knight."

He strained his tight hands against the metal restraints. "…When I lose… When I fail… I feel like I'm unworthy. I feel like I'm not good enough. I become frustrated. So, I train to try and make up for my shortcomings," Craniamon explained. He looked down awkwardly. "I… know I must have deep insecurities as well. I realise that now…If I am not perfect, then I am not happy with myself."

Magnamon frowned empathetically. Craniamon's insecurities were all too familiar to him. They might manifest differently for him, but, at their core, he understood them. "…You're not unworthy, Craniamon. You're one of our best fighters," Magnamon insisted. "You don't have to prove yourself to anybody."

"I feel as though I do…" Craniamon admitted. "You said how you never feel like you're able to live up to your father's expectations… Well… I can understand that."

Magnamon looked over with surprise. "…You can?"

"…My father is the mayor of Caer Ygg. The stronghold of the eastern Wilds," the demon knight admitted. "He's as stubborn as I am… He always intended for me to work for him and eventually succeed him. It was a very important job. He's tasked with keeping the peace and balance of power in the region."

Craniamon sighed. "When I was young, he'd make me take lessons, learn politics… I hated it. My only passion was fighting… I wanted to go off adventuring and forge my own destiny, not be propelled to some diplomatic position by my father, trapped in some small hometown. He didn't believe that I could, and I was determined to prove him otherwise." Craniamon glanced over in Magnamon's direction. "So… I get it."

"I see…" Magnamon empathetically responded, feeling himself unclenching his fists a little.

"Maybe that has something to do with it," Craniamon reasoned. "Why I'm so determined to prove that I'm strong. Maybe that drive to be perfect is just too deep-seated. I have to do everything on my own… I have to be strong by myself or else I that means I've failed."

Craniamon looked down at his shackled body. "Yet… Here I am. Stripped and shackled like a common thief… with nobody to blame but my own selfish idiocy. Not only am I a prisoner to the Demon Lords, I am a prisoner to my own insecurities… For all my talk about strength, I am, in fact, weak and pathetic…" he bitterly explained, grimacing with frustration.

The violet knight balled his hands into tight, trembling fists. "I let my feelings control me without even realising it… I hate that I allowed myself to be put in such a dishonourable situation. This isn't what was supposed to happen… I cannot bear this massive dishonour. I'm a Royal Knight… I'm supposed to die on the battlefield valiantly! Not be dragged in shackles to the gallows in the town square of a cesspool like Shroud! That isn't how I'm supposed to meet my end…" Craniamon closed his teeth together tightly as he finally let out his frustrations. "I hate that I was defeated. I hate that it was my own stupidity that landed me here. I hate that I have to suffer this humiliation." He pulled hard against the metal chains with frustration. "I hate that I can't even escape!"

After a few moments, Craniamon calmed down and he sheepishly glanced away again. "…Sometimes I hate myself…"

Magnamon closed his eyes and released a sigh. Those were all thoughts that he understood perfectly. They were all sentiments that he was feeling right then as well. He felt a connection… and understanding with Craniamon that he hadn't experienced before.

"…I understand," Magnamon spoke. "I know better than anyone."

Craniamon slowly glanced over towards Magnamon's cell. Although he was unable to see him, he felt as though the wall between them was no longer there. "Magnamon… You're nothing short of exceptional," he said in a softening voice with nothing less than honesty. "If your father cannot see a star that burns so brightly when it's right in front of his face, then he's blind…"

Magnamon looked down, but a warm, appreciative smile formed on his face. "…Thank you, Craniamon," he graciously answered. He raised his head and looked over. "…The same goes for you. You don't have anything to prove… I've never met a Digimon who's as hard-working or who has more integrity than you. You're one of our best fighters. I'm proud to call you my fellow Royal Knight."

The two Royal Knights went quiet after those exchanged words. The tension between them seemed to ease, and a soft, cathartic silence seemed to overtake the empty dungeon that they were stuck in.

The silence dragged on, with only the soft rattling of chains, until Craniamon finally said something.

"…We're both pretty screwed up, huh?" he suggested with dark humour to his voice.

Magnamon couldn't help but let out a laugh. He had to admit, it felt good. "…Yeah… We are, aren't we?" he agreed. "Maybe all of the Royal Knights are and we just don't realise it."

"If that's true, then I seriously question Yggdrasil's judgment," Craniamon dryly added.

Magnamon unintentionally smirked. He was only able to find humour in Craniamon's words due to the hopeless situation that they found themselves in. "Heh. Craniamon…" he lightly rebuked him for his blasphemy.

"Apologies. I'll repent later," he tiredly replied, lightly tugging at his restraints again.

The knight of miracles released a soft laugh. "I guess we're more similar than I thought…" he said, looking over at the wall separating him from the other Royal Knight. "If I have to be stuck here… I'm glad it's with you, Craniamon. I'm not sure I could handle being here alone – or with anybody else."

"Gee, thanks…" Craniamon sarcastically replied. He let out a sigh and slackened in his kneeling position, feeling pretty exhausted, both physically and emotionally. "…Don't suppose you have any ideas for how to get out of here…"

"Right now…?" Magnamon responded. "Rely on the others… We have to trust in them. They'll come for us…"

"Hmph…" Craniamon grunted, reluctantly nodding. "I'm just glad you didn't say, 'wait for a miracle'," he wryly noted.

"I'm not that trite, am I?" Magnamon responded with a grin. "Who knew you had a sense of humour?"

"I'm only funny when I'm about to die," Craniamon answered in a stone-faced deadpan.

"Heh. I guess it's called gallows humour for a reason," Magnamon reasoned.

"Gotta find something to laugh about. It's a laughable situation, after all…"

The two imprisoned Royal Knights both relaxed and they talked a bit more openly, having had cleared the atmosphere between them. The heavy, personal discussion between them proved to be more cathartic than they realised. They felt that, although their shackles remained, a lot of the burden of guilt and shame had been lifted from their shoulders.

Now, all they could do was either wait for cracks that they could exploit or wait for the arrival of their friends for rescue. They just hoped that they could do so in time.

---

A pair of heavy, steel-toed boots clopped against the castle floor.

Beelzebumon wandered down a hallway in the basement level of Castle Nocturne. He walked with a casual gait, one of his clawed hands half-stuffed in one of the pockets of his leather pants. His Berenjena shotguns rattled in his ankle holsters with every step. In his other hand hung an empty bottle of beer, the last few drops of which spiralled around the bottom of the bottle as it swung.

The Demon Lord of Gluttony turned a corner and continued strolling down the next corridor, making his way deeper into the basement level.

"Ugh. The others are such damn wet blankets. I got nobody to drink with around here…" Beelzebumon complained, casually tossing the empty bottle up into the air and catching it. He glanced down the long corridor, towards the direction that he knew the dungeons were. "I doubt those Royal Knuckleheads would be much fun either…" He shrugged his shoulders apathetically. "Eh. Ah well. Looks like I'm drinkin' alone. Still more fun than being sober with those pricks."

Beelzebumon sauntered down the dark, torch-lit corridor that led towards the dungeons. When he reached about halfway down the shadowy, forbidding hallway, he turned left and made his way down a branching corridor. He had a specific destination in mind.

The masked Demon Lord smirked when he reached a particular door near the end of the hall. Beelzebumon walked inside and walked down a few steps into a dark, spacious chamber. The air was quite cool in there, and the room had the aroma of fermented grapes.

Beelzebumon made his way into a large cellar, which was filled with kegs upon kegs of wine. The wine cellar contained countless containers of wine made from vineyards in more fertile regions of the Gloaming Fields. However, Beelzebumon wasn't here for those. After all, he was well aware that wine hangovers were the worst.

"Lesse here…" The hedonistic Demon Lord made his way straight towards a few large, wooden crates that he had tucked over at the side of the cellar. Beelzebumon walked straight up to one of the crates and propped it open with his claws. Inside were several bottles of beer, neatly tucked in a mound of ice for chilling.

After placing the empty bottle aside, Beelzebumon grinned hungrily, reached in, and pulled a fresh bottle out. "Come to daddy!" he exclaimed, popping off the cap with a flick and taking a big swig. "Ahh…!"

Beelzebumon licked his lips as he swallowed the grainy intoxicant and he began making his way over to the entrance of the wine cellar. He stopped just short of the door, getting ready to sit down on the stone steps so that he could enjoy his alcohol, fully expecting to have a few more bottles before the night was done.

However, before he could plant his tail on the floor, the Demon Lord heard footsteps coming from behind him. Beelzebumon stopped mid-squat and turned around with mild curiosity. He wondered who else would be walking around at this time of night. He thought it might be one of the guards sneaking off from their shift.

Feeling bored and seeing an opportunity to tease someone – and possibly even find himself someone to spend the night with – Beelzebumon stood back up and wandered towards the cellar exit.

The sound of footsteps got closer to the cellar, but Beelzebumon didn't reveal himself yet. He waited and watched from the shadow of the wine cellar.

A figure passed in front of the door, looking around shiftily, but they failed to notice Beelzebumon.

Beelzebumon frowned curiously, looking down at the short figure as the shadow passed right by him. After a moment, his mischievous smile returned and he boldly stepped out behind them.

"Boo," Beelzebumon dryly said, sporting a toothy grin.

"Wah!" the short wizard cried out, nearly jumping out of his cloak. Wizardmon spun on his heel and immediately backed away, looking up at the fearsome Demon Lord with wide, terrified eyes.

"Hey, shrimp," Beelzebumon greeted with an amused smirk before taking another drink of his beer. "Whassa matter? Never seen a sexy, three-eyed badass before?"

"L-Lord B-Beelzebumon!" Wizardmon stammered, staggering backwards with fear.

"Enough with the 'Lord' crap. It's just 'Beelzebumon'," he asserted. Beelzebumon folded his arms and cocked his head questioningly. "You're Baggy's librarian or some shit, right? What're you doing way down here. You look a little lost…"

"O-Oh, um… I was… I was just taking a little walk," Wizardmon nervously answered, skittishly fidgeting with his fingers as he looked down inside his collar. "I needed a break from all the studying."

"…A walk," Beelzebumon flatly responded. "Down here?"

"I th-thought I'd be more out of the way down here," Wizardmon insisted, trying to keep his face from scrunching with worry.

"Uh huh… Cuz it kinda seems to me like you might be snooping around…" Beelzebumon accused him, slowly narrowing his eyes with suspicion.

Wizardmon's stomach sunk and his eyes widened with horror. "N-No! Not at all!" he frantically exclaimed. "I was just… I don't like going outside… It's unsettling out there and the guards don't like me leaving…"

Beelzebumon glared at Wizardmon carefully. He watched as Wizardmon seemed to shrink back more and more under his gaze. He could see the little mage squirming…

Then, after a few seconds, Beelzebumon started laughing. "Hahah! Oh, relax, Wizzy! I'm just joking!" he assured him with a wide, fang-laden grin. He smacked Wizardmon on the back, causing the nervous mage to stumble. "Hah! The look on your face…"

Wizardmon winced as he felt his heartbeat begin to decrease again, and he let out a relieved sigh. "S-Sorry…"

Beelzebumon chuckled and took another drink. "You know what you need? A drink."

"I-I'm okay, thank you. I don't drink…" Wizardmon nervously insisted, hoping to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Boring... You brains are all the same. Lucy's just as bad," Beelzebumon said with a resigned sigh. "Ah, well. If I were you, I'd scamper off now. One of the guards around here might just think you look shifty…"

Wizardmon gulped and readily nodded, not wanting to look any more suspicious than he already was. "Y-Yes, sir," he agreed, holding his wand close to his chest and cautiously turning away. "I'll just… go back to my room now…"

"Prolly a smart idea," Beelzebumon suggested with a grin. "Lotsa scary 'Mons around here…"

"Y-Yes… You're right…" Wizardmon murmured, slowly turning his head forwards as a bead of sweat formed on the edge of his brow beneath his hat. "Well… goodnight," the mage nervously said to him, tentatively walking away and making his way back towards the main corridor.

"Nightie night," Beelzebumon told him, grinning as he watched Wizardmon walk away from him.

Beelzebumon turned and leaned casually against the corridor wall with his beer, making it seem like he lost interest. Despite his light words, he continued to eye the wizard with intrigue and suspicion. He watched his every nervous step and tense movements as Wizardmon made his way to the end of the hallway. Out of the corner of his eye, he gazed at Wizardmon as the mage nervously glanced over his shoulder to check if he was being watched.

Beelzebumon took a sly swig from his bottle of beer, watching as Wizardmon suddenly dipped to the left, in the direction of the dungeons and in the opposite direction of the stairs leading up.

"…Heh," Beelzebumon chuckled to himself, making no effort to follow him. He finished off the rest of his bottle and tossed the empty receptacle back into the wine cellar.

The Demon Lord stood up from the wall and stretched the clawed fingers of his right hand.

"Maybe shit's about to get a little less boring, after all…"

---

An hour or so passed… The night was crawling towards midnight.

Magnamon and Craniamon quietly waited in their cells, testing their restraints every so often.

The sounds of the guards' footsteps echoed through the dungeon. The two Royal Knights tensed and looked up alertly. They could hear an increased amount of scuffing and movement outside of the dungeon. Muffled voices could he made out coming from the other side of the left-hand door. Soon, they could hear the locks of the door becoming unlatched from the outside.

Magnamon narrowed his eyes, steeling himself for what was to come. "This might be it, Craniamon…" he warned him.

"Yeah… I won't tell them anything if you won't," Craniamon maintained, his stiff shoulders tightening. "Maybe if they unlock these chains, we can try our luck."

"Deal," Magnamon agreed.

The two Royal Knights quieted down and listened carefully as the last lock was released and the dungeon door creaked open. They heard the sound of footsteps walking in, followed by the yell of a harsh voice.

"Ey, NeoDevimon! Get over 'ere!" a Mummymon guard called out to one of the guards on the opposite end of the dungeon.

"What is it?!" the NeoDevimon called back.

"Get over 'ere!" the Mummymon followed up.

"You get over here!" the NeoDevimon argued. "What is it?!"

"Get over 'ere and I'll tell you!"

"I'm busy!" the guard complained, reluctantly trudging his way down the dungeon hall. "What the hell is it?"

"Some guy says he was sent here by Barbamon to see the prisoners!" the Mummymon called out. "I never seen this guy before! Get over 'ere and tell me if he's one of the new guys or something!"

"Ugh, I have to do everything!" the NeoDevimon groused as he walked down the rows of empty cells. "Doesn't SkullSatamon know? He's the one out there! What's the guy look like? Is it that shrimpy wizard again?"

"I'm not describing him. Get over 'ere and I'll show you!" the Mummymon badgered him. "SkullSatamon left his post a few minutes ago and didn't come back! This guy said SkullSatamon said he could go in!"

"Lazy bastards! Both of you! I'm the only one who does any work around here!" the NeoDevimon griped as he walked halfway down the dungeon.

The tall, lanky demon stopped when he was in front of the Royal Knights' cells. He turned his masked face towards them and glared at the two knights with derision in his six eyes. "Tch… Pathetic Virus Busters… You guys aren't so tough," he taunted them, turning towards the two adjacent cells.

Craniamon raised his head, his crimson pupils glowing dangerously. "Want to test that?" he challenged, hoping that the guard might be stupid enough to fall for his baiting.

The NeoDevimon glared at Craniamon hostilely for a few moments before sheepishly backing down and breaking his gaze. He scoffed and looked away, placing his lanky arms on his hips. "Yeah, right."

"What? You scared?" Magnamon taunted him, seeing a potential opportunity. "Even though we're chained and beat up? You don't even think you could land a few blows on us when we're like this? Hah. That's pretty pathetic."

"Embarrassing, even," Craniamon added.

"I guess the Demon Lords are carrying this army. All their lackeys are just weak and craven ruffians," Magnamon continued. "You all make good fodder though."

"Great fodder. It's like slicing through soft butter," Craniamon agreed. "I don't even bother keeping count of how many I killed."

Three of the NeoDevimon's eyes began twitching. He looked like he really wanted to open up the cage and start pounding on him. However, he also knew that if he opened that cell, the Demon Lords would likely hang him from his internal organs. Still… maybe he could get in a few kicks... Maybe they wouldn't notice the difference…

Before he could make a decision, an annoying voice rang out.

"Hey, NeoDevimon! What the hell are you waiting for?!" the Mummymon guard called out, turning to look into the dungeon. "Get over 'ere! I'm—mrrrrk?!"

"Would you all just shut up?!" the NeoDevimon shouted with frustration, kicking Magnamon's cell door for emphasis. He scowled and turned back to look down the dungeon corridor so that he could glare at his annoying fellow guard.

He saw the Mummymon's silhouette against the outside corridor's torchlight. However, he saw something else: a blond-haired demon with a blue head wrap standing directly behind the Mummymon.

The NeoDevimon squinted to take a closer look. Upon closer inspection, he slowly realised that the Baalmon's hand was pressed over the Mummymon's mouth and a crimson sword was protruding from the center of the guard's chest. The NeoDevimon blinked.

"…Uh…"

Magnamon frowned for a moment as the NeoDevimon's body suddenly tightened, looking as though he was about to act. Then, he watched as a bright, blue line streaked horizontally across his field of vision, shooting down the hall and past the NeoDevimon.

There was silence as a gust of wind suddenly blew past Magnamon. He looked up with shock and confusion. Suddenly, the NeoDevimon tilted forwards and began to crumple to the ground. Before his body could hit the floor, he burst into data in front of him.

"…What the hell was that?" Craniamon demanded, his body straightening in an attempt to see.

Magnamon blinked and turned his head. He suddenly heard several footsteps racing down the hall towards them from the left, in addition to one more set of footsteps coming from the right.

His eyes widened as UlforceVeedramon suddenly appeared in his vision from the right. The cobalt knight rushed over to his cell, the glowing Ulforce Sabre extended from his wrist.

"Ulforce?!" he exclaimed.

"Magnamon! Craniamon!" UlforceVeedramon called out, his voice a frantic mix of worry and relief. He came to a skidding stop in front of their cells, and he quickly looked back and forth at the two bound and bruised Royal Knights, desperate to see check on them. "Are you guys okay?! Did they do anything to you?"

"Ulforce…" Magnamon said, unable to help but breathe a sigh of absolute relief. "We're… We're fine. They didn't have the chance. We're not too hurt, I don't think."

Craniamon looked away with embarrassment, replacing his momentary relief as his cheeks began to heat up. "…As good as can be expected," he murmured.

"Thank Yggdrasil…" UlforceVeedramon let out a genuine sigh of relief at the news. He had been dreading what sort of things the Demon Lords might have done to them. Knowing that this was the extent of it caused him to relax and feel at ease.

The cobalt Royal Knight looked between their chained and armourless bodies, frowning as he observed them and sized up their injuries. "…You both look pretty black and blue. Can you walk? Do you need help?"

"We'll see once you get us out of here," Craniamon tersely grunted, still unable to make eye contact with him.

"Yeah, just a moment," UlforceVeedramon assured them, looking over as the rest of the team ran over.

Baalmon was the first to appear beside the Royal Knight. He turned and looked over his shoulder as Black WereGarurumon, GrandisKuwagamon, Pipismon, and Cyberdramon stopped behind him.

GrandisKuwagamon came to a stop in front of the two cells. He turned and looked at the pair of Royal Knights with amusement, finding a bit of ironic satisfaction in seeing their captive states and their states of undress. It wasn't too long ago that he was in a similar position, thanks to them. "…Yo. Looking good, guys," he couldn't help but tease. "Chilly down here, huh?"

"Shut up, bug," Craniamon scathingly responded with an annoyed glare.

Magnamon glared and shuffled self-consciously now that he saw that a whole team of Rooks was with UlforceVeedramon. He would have preferred not to have an audience. It definitely irked him that GrandisKuwagamon was there as well. "…I second that," he replied, his cheeks tinting red a little.

Baalmon turned and looked over at the black wolfman behind him. "Black WereGarurumon?" he asked.

"I've got two more scents on the other side of the dungeon doors," Black WereGarurumon explained, walking ahead and sniffing vigorously down the dungeon corridor opposite from the way they entered. "It's probably more guards."

"GrandisKuwagamon, go with him and take care of them," Baalmon ordered. "Cyberdramon, guard our exit. Pipismon, go with him and ensure that our escape route is clear."

"Got it," Cyberdramon agreed, running back down towards the dungeon entrance that they came from.

"Gotcha!" Pipismon concurred, flying right after him.

"Come on, bug. Before they catch wise," Black WereGarurumon hurriedly commanded him, running down the dark hall towards the opposite entrance.

"You forgot these, mutt." GrandisKuwagamon explained, grabbing the NeoDevimon's keys from the floor and running after him.

Meanwhile, UlforceVeedramon took an LRAVC prototype from his belt and began fiddling with the large, flat device, turning a knob on its side to adjust it to the right frequency. Upon hearing the static disappear, UlforceVeedramon pressed a button on the touch-activated screen and raised the audio communicator to his face.

"Brown Nine? Do you hear me? It's Blue Seven, over," UlforceVeedramon spoke.

After a few seconds, there was a static-laden pop as the receiving LRAVC activated. "Blue Seven, this is Brown Nine. I receive your communication," Duftmon's voice spoke on the other end. "What is your status? Over."

"We have secured Gold Four and Violet Eight. I'm about to free them, over," UlforceVeedramon said into the device.

"Good work. See that you do," Duftmon replied through the long-range audio-video communicator. "What are their statuses? Over."

"Well… They're pretty beat up. It'd be easier to show you. Over," UlforceVeedramon answered, looking down at the LRAVC and eyeing the camera function on the screen.

"Never mind that. Prioritize escaping with the captives in tow. Ensure that you exfiltrate as covertly as possible. Do not draw any unnecessary attention; I need not remind you that you are in the heart of the Demon Lords' base. Over," Duftmon advised him.

"Got it. We won't," UlforceVeedramon confirmed. "Blue Seven, over and out."

UlforceVeedramon sighed and turned back to his two fellow Royal Knights, seeing the states that they were in. Although that he was relieved that they seemed to largely be okay, discounting the serious injuries that they sustained at Belphemon's hands, the relief began to give way to annoyance at them for their reckless actions.

"What were the two of you thinking?" UlforceVeedramon asked them with a slight frown. "You both disobeyed orders and went off by yourselves and look what happened! Do you have any idea how worried we were? I hope this taught you both of you a lesson."

Magnamon looked down. "…We know. And it has. I'm sorry, Ulforce," he sincerely apologised.

UlforceVeedramon folded his arms and turned to look at Craniamon with an indignant gaze. "…And you, Crania?" he pointedly questioned.

Craniamon narrowed his eyes and looked away furtively. "We don't have time for this, Ulforce," he huffily reminded him.

"I'm sure I can wait ten seconds…" UlforceVeedramon wryly continued.

Craniamon stalled for a few moments, the words sticking in his throat, but he realised he should probably say something. "…Sorry. I know I was an idiot," he sheepishly replied. However, he quickly shifted his embarrassment into impatience. "Now hurry up, damn it! We don't have all night."

"Sir, I really must insist that you hurry before a patrol happens across us," Baalmon added, reminding him that time was of the essence.

"R-Right. Sorry," UlforceVeedramon answered with a sheepish smile, turning towards Magnamon's cell.

"Okay. Stand back, Baalmon…" he said as he extended the Ulforce Sabre from his V-Bracelet and readied his arm. He slashed the laser blade twice, searing through the locks of the cell doors. He then pulled Magnamon's cell door open and kneeled down. "Stay completely still, Magnamon. This is going to be a close cut," he told him, beginning to surgically cut through the shackles.

Magnamon sighed with relief as the collar snapped from around his neck. Soon, his arms were freed as well, prompting him to rub his sore wrists as the feeling began returning to his hands. Then, UlforceVeedramon began carefully cutting through the restraints that pinned his ankles.

It wasn't long until the chains and shackles fell to the floor with a clamour and Magnamon enjoyed the feeling of freedom. UlforceVeedramon placed his hand on Magnamon's shoulder to hold him steady. The cobalt knight looked at Magnamon with concern. "Can you stand? Do you think you can walk?" UlforceVeedramon asked him, trying to gauge if the injuries were worse than they seemed.

"I just need a minute for the blood to return to my legs," Magnamon explained with a weak smile, although he winced as the uncomfortable feeling of pins and needles began flooding into his legs and feet. "Baalmon, if you can bring me my armour, please... I'll start putting it on in the meantime to try and save some time."

"Yes, Sir," Baalmon agreed, walking over to the armour rack that stood on the side of the dungeon opposite to Magnamon's cell. He started collecting the several pieces of golden armour from its arms and supports and carried them in his long arms over to Magnamon.

"Thank you…" Magnamon told him, taking the gold plated digizoid in his arms and stroking the smooth surface fondly. He soon began placing the dented armour back on, slipping his stiff arms and head through the holes of his breast plate.

Knowing he had a job to do, UlforceVeedramon walked out of Magnamon's cell. "Alright, you're up next, Craniamon!" UlforceVeedramon said, walking over to the violet knight's cell with his beam sword at the ready. He grabbed Craniamon's body suit from the rack and carried it over to the cell.

"Make it fast, idiot," Craniamon impatiently urged him, unable to be free of the restraints and reunited with his armour fast enough. "Honestly…"

"Coming right up," UlforceVeedramon replied, walking inside the cell and crouching down beside him. A concerned frown emerged on his face as he eyed Craniamon's bruised body. "Are you badly hurt?"

"I'll be fine," Craniamon insisted, glancing away. "Just… hurry."

UlforceVeedramon smiled a bit as he readied his beam sword. "So, what'll it be today? A little off the top?"

"…Don't push your luck, Ulforce," he warned him, a dangerous edge returning to his voice.

"Eheh. Sorry. I'll have you out in no time, buddy."

With that, the cobalt knight went to work swiftly cutting Craniamon free of his restraints, presently unaware of what was happening at the end of the dungeon.

---

The dungeon door creaked open loudly, followed by a loud expletive.

There was sudden struggle, announced by a scuffle of feet and laboured grunts. A sharp thwack resounded, followed by dashing footsteps and then a loud crack.

GrandisKuwagamon drove his Gran Killers through the SkullSatamon guard's back, his pincers around his neck as he lifted the guard off the ground. Within seconds, the undead guard shattered into data in front of him, his staff crashing to the ground before breaking apart as well.

GrandisKuwagamon scoffed and lowered his arm, shaking bits of bone dust from his gauntlet. He turned around, looking back towards the dungeon, where he saw Black WereGarurumon walking over while rubbing his sore cheek.

"Nice one, pup. Think ya made enough noise? Ever heard of this neat thing called stealth?" GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically complained in a hushed voice. "He nearly got away."

"Shut up," Black WereGarurumon fired back with a low and bitter growl. "It's not my fault the door creaked."

"You better hope nobody heard us, or we're fucked - you know, being in a castle with a bunch of Demon Lords and all," GrandisKuwagamon ribbed him in a whisper.

"Stop bitching," Black WereGarurumon clapped back. He sniffed around fervently and looked towards a storage closet on the side of the hallway. "I still have one more scent…" he whispered, nodding towards the nearest door on the left.

GrandisKuwagamon slowly stepped away from the black wolf man, beginning to circle around the closet door to cut off the escape route. Meanwhile, Black WereGarurumon approached the closet in a straight line. He quietly stopped outside of the door, gesturing to GrandisKuwagamon to be ready. He slowly placed his hand on the door knob and turned it…

Then, he suddenly pulled the door open and reached inside, grabbing the first thing that moved. Black WereGarurumon glowered and pulled out a short Digimon, clutching them by the collar. He pushed the Digimon roughly up against the stone wall and immediately placed his hand over the Digimon's mouth.

The wide-eyed Wizardmon let out a muffled yell of fear as the fearsome wolfman pushed his claws against his throat.

GrandisKuwagamon was about to let Black WereGarurumon finish him off without any care at all. However, as he took a closer look at the Wizardmon's face, he paused, finding it familiar for some reason. Then, he realised who it was.

"Wait!" GrandisKuwagamon urged him in a harsh whisper, immediately beginning to walk over. "Don't kill him."

"What?" Black WereGarurumon incredulously asked, eyeing the bug suspiciously.

Wizardmon looked over at GrandisKuwagamon with desperate eyes and called out to him with a pleading yipe.

"…You know this guy, bug?" the black werewolf demanded.

"Yeah. He was Bagramon's middle man when he was hiring Black Pincer Company," GrandisKuwagamon explained, stepping up beside them.

Black WereGarurumon tentatively removed his hand and eyed the frightened mage suspiciously. "This true?"

"P-Please don't kill me!" Wizardmon begged them. "I wasn't doing anything, I swear! Did the Demon Lords hire you to kill me? I'm loyal to them and Bagramon, really!"

"Why would we be here to kill you?" Black WereGarurumon confusedly asked.

"It might be the claws to his neck that makes him think that," GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically noted. He gestured with his hand to the open dungeon. "Why would we kill the guards if we were working for Bagramon?"

Wizardmon blinked. Now that the fear was beginning to ease a little bit, he was able to think more logically. "…You're… here to break out the Royal Knights?" he asked. "I-I've been working for the Royal Knights!"

GrandisKuwagamon stared at him with a flat, unconvinced gaze. It seemed to him that the Wizardmon was just saying anything to get himself off the hook. "Uh huh… And I'm QueenChessmon," he dryly answered.

"I-It's true!" Wizardmon frantically insisted. "I was going to send them information about Craniamon and Magnamon!"

"Shut up. You're being too loud," Black WereGarurumon told him, putting his hand back and looking around uneasily. "Damn it. We don't have time for this. What to do…?"

"Bring him to the Royal Knights. They'd know if he's telling the truth," GrandisKuwagamon suggested. "If not, he'll probably be a valuable prisoner."

"Tch," Black WereGarurumon scoffed, a little annoyed that GrandisKuwagamon was not only giving him advice, but had a point. "…Fine. I'll take him in. You stay here and guard the exit. Don't get seen."

"Like you, you mean?" GrandisKuwagamon needled him. "Fine, I'll stay here, but are you sure you can manage on your own? It's a big responsibility."

Black WereGarurumon swallowed a lupine growl and gave the new Rook a resentful side-eye. He grunted and turned his back to the insect, carrying Wizardmon in his hand. Muttering curse words under his breath, he dragged Wizardmon inside and made his way deep into the dungeon.

GrandisKuwagamon smirked, enjoying the rise he was getting out of the wolf. He slyly ducked into an alcove and kept a look out down the hallway, his Gran Killers at the ready.

Meanwhile, Black WereGarurumon walked down the dungeon corridor with Wizardmon in tow. Ahead of him, he saw Craniamon and Magnamon outside of their cells. Magnamon was finished putting his armour on and was readjusting his golden bracers, while Craniamon still had a few more pieces to put on.

Baalmon turned around, his three eyes fixating on the Wizardmon. "Black WereGarurumon? What are you doing?"

"We found this guy skulking around a broom closet," the black-furred wolf explained, still holding Wizardmon by the collar. "He isn't one of the guards. He claims he's been giving the Royal Knights information?"

The three Royal Knights looked over with confusion. Craniamon, after pulling his head through the neck hole in his breastplate, immediately recognized the mage. "Wizardmon?"

"Isn't that the guy who sent Alphamon that message?" UlforceVeedramon asked.

"Y-Yes," Wizardmon insisted. "I was going to tell Alphamon about your location, but I guess I don't need to now."

"You can put him down," Craniamon told Black WereGarurumon, prompting the wolf to lower Wizardmon to the ground. "Are you okay?"

"I'm f-fine, but…" Wizardmon hesitated. "I don't think I can stay here. I'm trying to learn everything I can, but I'm not good at lying. I think they're starting to suspect me."

"Sirs," Baalmon spoke up, with a light urging in his calm voice. "We must leave as soon as possible. We cannot afford to dawdle."

UlforceVeedramon nodded and looked over at Craniamon, who leaned against the wall to keep himself up while he finished sliding his bracers over his arms. "Baalmon's right. Here, Craniamon, I'll give you a hand," he offered, not wanting the injured knight to hurt himself by walking on his own.

Craniamon frowned and his kneejerk instinct was to refuse. "I'm-…"

Just as he was about to insist that he could walk on his own, he realised what he was doing. His whole body ached. He began to realise that he would slow them down if he insisted on being proud and stubborn. Soon, the stirrings of guilt inside him reminded him of the reason why he was in this situation to begin with.

"…Fine," he muttered. "But don't even think about carrying me."

UlforceVeedramon grinned and walked over to put Craniamon's arm around his neck to help him walk. "Even I'm not that stupid," he wryly responded, making sure that Craniamon was leaning on him. "Here, put your weight on me."

Likewise, Baalmon approached Magnamon and offered his hand to give him support. "Sir Magnamon, may I?" he requested.

Although Magnamon also had some reflexive misgivings, he sighed and smiled up at Baalmon appreciatively. "Yes. Thank you, Baalmon," he answered, placing his arm around Baalmon's back, while the demon man placed his arm underneath Magnamon's shoulder to help hold him up.

"Wizardmon, you come with us," Craniamon told him. "If they suspect you, then you'll be safer with us."

"I…" Wizardmon paused with hesitation and uncertainty. He wasn't completely sure, but he felt as though Bagramon still trusted him. He wasn't sure how it would look if he suddenly disappeared without a word at the same time as the Royal Knights. However… if he stayed, he wasn't sure if he could keep up the pretense. He wanted to make up for what he did, but he wasn't sure of the best way how.

"…Alright," Wizardmon acquiesced with a nod.

"Okay, everyone, let's get going," UlforceVeedramon said, helping Craniamon walk towards the left entrance to the dungeon.

Baalmon held Magnamon steady and prepared to help him walk after them alongside Wizardmon. Before he did, he turned and looked at the nearby Rook. "Black WereGarurumon, you go and tell GrandisKuwagamon that we're leaving. Be right behind us," he instructed him.

Black WereGarurumon rubbed the back of his neck and reluctantly glanced down the hallway towards the scarab. "Yeah, yeah. Okay," he agreed with a slight grumble.

The black wolfman turned away from the others and began heading down the corridor in the opposite direction. As Baalmon and the three Royal Knights approached where Cyberdramon and Pipismon were waiting, Black WereGarurumon walked down the dark, torch lit corridor towards where he left GrandisKuwagamon.

"Stupid bug… Why do I have to deal with the damn smartass?" the annoyed wolf murmured under his breath. "Annoying, one-eyed merc…"

Black WereGarurumon walked past the empty cages as he made his way down the eerie, dimly-lit dungeon. He looked over his shoulder. Although he could smell them, he could no longer see the rest of the Rooks and the Royal Knights. He really didn't like being alone in the Demon Lords' castle…

He muttered curse words under his breath as he continued walking. To his relief, he was getting close to the end of the dungeons. He just wanted to get GrandisKuwagamon and get out of there.

Black WereGarurumon continued just until he could see the light outside the dungeon entrance. He stopped upon seeing GrandisKuwagamon's silhouette outlined by a nearby torch. Black WereGarurumon stopped and cupped his hand to his mouth, not wanting to go all the way to meet him.

"Hey, Grandis! We're leaving! Get your ass over here!" he called out to him as quietly as he could while still being heard.

"Coming…" was the faint reply that he could hear.

Black WereGarurumon turned back around, deciding that his work was done with that. He got the message across; he didn't need to do anything else. He raised his head, sighing with relief and beginning to walk… Then he inhaled.

He suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. A cold chill swept down his spine and the fur on the back of his neck stood on end.

There was another scent behind him besides GrandisKuwagamon's. It was the pungent smell of leather, beer, and gunpowder. Black WereGarurumon turned, his stomach sinking like a stone. He looked over his shoulder with mortified eyes…

"Shit."

---

GrandisKuwagamon boredly waited around in the hallway. For the past five minutes, he had been looking down it, watching carefully for guards.

Then, he turned around when he heard footsteps coming towards him from inside the dungeon. He could see a shadow moving inside the dungeon, lit faintly by the torchlight.

He hoped that the Royal Knights were free already so that they could leave. He felt on edge having to wait around in the heart of the Demon Lords' castle. Still, GrandisKuwagamon couldn't help but feel a bit of bitter irony in the fact that he was actively helping to rescue a couple of Royal Knights. His mind started to wander as he thought about how his life took such a drastic turn in direction…

GrandisKuwagamon stared into the dungeon, seeing a little more clearly Black WereGarurumon's form against the dark torchlight.

"Hey, Grandis! We're leaving! Get your ass over here!" Black WereGarurumon's voice called out.

It rankled GrandisKuwagamon a little. Although the wolf was making an effort to be quiet, it was still louder that his standards on a mission would allow. Though, he supposed he hadn't exactly been the most professional on this mission either.

Rather than firing back with a quip like he had been doing, he opted for a simple reply. "Coming…" he responded, feeling rather lame in his reply.

GrandisKuwagamon turned around fully and gazed into the dungeons. He watched as Black WereGarurumon spun on his heel and then seemed to freeze. The rigid way that he stopped struck him as unusual…

GrandisKuwagamon was about to step forwards, but then he froze as well. His blood ran cold and his instincts screamed at him to move.

He watched as Black WereGarurumon looked over at his shoulder at him. He could have sworn he saw a look of fear and hesitation in the wolf's face. After a few silent seconds, he watched as Black WereGarurumon suddenly turned forwards and took off into the dark, leaving him behind.

His body went stiff and his stomach sunk. He felt a presence behind him that hadn't been there before. It was a dominating presence – one that had turned from invisible to all-consuming in an instant.

GrandisKuwagamon was about to spin around, but before the thought could transmit from his nerves to his muscles, he felt something against him. He felt two, cold, metal rings pressing against the back of his head. He began to raise his Gran Killers, but the metal pressed harder into his hair.

"Ah, ah…" a voice warned him, prompting him not to move a muscle.

GrandisKuwagamon swallowed and subtly turned his head, just enough to see out of the corner of his compound eye.

Behind him, he saw a black figure, whose body flickered tempestuously within the torchlight. The fire reflected fully off of dull leather.

He recognized him instantly: Beelzebumon.

The Demon Lord of Gluttony stood right behind him, close enough that he could smell his alcohol-infused breath. Beelzebumon held his shotgun point blank to the back of GrandisKuwagamon's head, his finger snug against the trigger.

Beelzebumon cocked his head to the side and eyed him with an amused and goading grin, all while pushing the cold steel harder against GrandisKuwagamon's skull…

"…Where do you think you're goin', Bugsy?"

---

The distant wind echoed like a howl through the cave tunnels. In the deepening abyss, the light slowly disappeared.

After half an hour of exploring, Bagramon and Lucemon neared the deepest depths of the Arcane Ruins.

They had been slowed at every turn by magical barriers, electronic force fields, traps, and obstacles. Each time, Bagramon used his Invisible Snake Eyes to detect the traps and barriers, and then he used the Astral Snatcher to negate them.

"Astral Snatcher," Bagramon spoke, driving his wooden arm through a light barrier that blocked a long, stone hallway.

The barrier of solid energy shattered before them and dissipated into a mass of ones and zeroes. Sighing, Bagramon retracted his arm, from which smoke and light energy wafted.

Lucemon watched from behind him as the barrier faded into nothingness, leaving the long, straight hallway open to them. "It seems as though that this 'Yggdrasil' really does not want us to access these archives," the Demon Lord mused with mild exasperation, noting all of the traps and obstacles that they have had to bypass. "It must have something that it does not want us to find out."

"It does…" Bagramon confirmed, stepping ahead, past the point that the barrier was blocking. He looked down the wide, stone corridor, towards a pair of stone doors that stood imposingly at the end of the hallway. "I think that that was the last trap… This must be it."

Lucemon smiled and began striding forwards. "No matter… All that matters is that we are finally here," he concluded.

Bagramon walked forward alongside him. They strode down the remainder of the long, expansive hallway, until they stopped in front of a pair of towering, stone doors.

The doors were huge and arching. Inscribed within their ancient, rugged surfaces were archaic runes and old Digimoji. The inscriptions warned all who approached not to enter at any cost – promising divine wrath to those who tried.

As soon as Bagramon stepped forwards, the runes activated, and a digital field materialised in front of the door. 'No Entry' symbols and warning dialogue boxes began popping up all over the place, spamming the dimensions around them.

"I've had enough of this," Bagramon uttered deeply. He raised his wooden arm and tore his clawed fingers through the final barrier, shattering the boxes and the magical field. As the magical power dissipated around his palm, Bagramon's half-face hardened with unwavering resolve. "I fear not… There is no divine wrath that I have not already felt."

Bagramon then heard slow, methodical clapping coming from behind him

"Well done, well done… You really are our secret weapon against the glorified tree," Lucemon mused, wryly grinning and clapping his hands with ambiguous sincerity. "Now, let us open the final door once and for all."

With a dark smirk, Lucemon folded his arms as he watched as Bagramon prepared to breach Yggdrasil's final defences.

Bagramon pressed his hand against the double doors and shoved the heavy, magic-imbued slabs open. He growled as he forced the incredibly heavy, stone doors to part. There was extreme resistance, but he slowly began to budge them open with the side of his arm and his shoulder, inch-by-inch. After a few more seconds of effort, he was finally able to manoeuvre himself through the crack in the threshold.

Lucemon followed after him, pressing his palms against the stone slabs and blasting the doors further open with magic, rather than inelegantly squeeze through. He sauntered into the dark room after Bagramon in order to see their prize.

Once he was inside the dark room, Lucemon summoned an orb of light in his hand to illuminate the interior. Once the bright, heavenly light cast across the floors and the walls, Lucemon frowned with confusion.

He looked around the chamber. It was definitely the end node of the ruins, as there were no other doors to be seen.

However… the room was empty. It was an octagonal chamber with stone walls and a high, cavernous ceiling. The floor was inscribed with runes and geometric rivets that ran from wall to wall. Apart from this, there was nothing material in the room.

"…It is empty," Lucemon spoke, his voice flattening with a total lack of enthusiasm. He turned his blue eyes towards the bearded fallen angel beside him, beginning to wonder whether Bagramon had led them on a while goose chase.

"Bagramon, I believe you said that the Archives would be here. Is this it or is there something that I am overlooking?" Lucemon calmly asked, staying his irritation for the moment so as to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Bagramon frowned as he gazed around the chamber, quickly processing what he was seeing while his Invisible Snake Eyes scanned over everything.

"…No. This should definitely be the Archives. Everything points to this place," he explained, his forked brows dipping as he tried to figure out what he was missing. He scanned the runes and shapes on the floor, detecting faint magic and code emanating from them. He read the symbols, trying to piece together the puzzle.

"…A pocket dimension," Bagramon spoke with realisation. "The Archives must be hidden within a pocket dimension."

"Hmm…" Lucemon mused, scanning the floor as well. He noticed three lines that were curved, in contrast to the others that were straight, and led to a pair of parallel lines that were located in the center of the room. "Three roots…" he noted, remembering their significance to Yggdrasil from his past studies. "The roots of Yggdrasil."

Bagramon's eye widened and he homed in on the lines, noticing an abhorrent concentration of magic around them. "And, at their source, is the source of everything…" he finished with recognition.

Bagramon approached the point where the three lines combined, seeing a tree-shaped rune connecting them. "Enough. No more hiding, Yggdrasil… It is time to finally reveal the hidden truth of the world," he spoke with dark resolve. Bagramon's ruby eye blazed and he drove his arm downwards. "Astral Snatcher!"

The stone split and Bagramon's hand warped through the physical space, a storm of binary code spreading out from the point of contact. The curved lines erupted with white light, as did the set of parallel lines running towards the back of the chamber from their point of convergence.

The stones creaked and the floor between the two lines suddenly began to shift. The stone panels began to sink into the ground, forming a set of stone stairs that led down into a glowing, white resonance.

Lucemon's brows rose with intrigue as he gazed down into the holy light. As the last stair set into place, a small smirk crept onto the corner of his mouth.

Bagramon stared into the light with stony, unwavering eyes. Without an ounce of hesitation, he began walking down the stairs towards the ethereal glow. He reached the bottom step and walked forward, until the white robes he wore shimmered indistinguishably within the light.

As he walked in, Lucemon immediately strode down the stairs after him, following the fallen angel into the hallowed place. He allowed Bagramon to be the first one into the Archives, knowing that he would be right behind him.

Their bodies flickered for a moment upon passing through the threshold, but they infiltrated the Archives successfully. They were unprepared for what they saw.

It was a vast, white expanse of empty light. The ethereal void seemed endless – an abyss of radiance. However, it was not completely vacant of contents. Arranged in rows were black cubes, hovering statically above the imperceptible floor. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of these cubes, displayed in perfect order and symmetry.

Then, a voice began repeating, seemingly echoing from all around them. "Unauthorized access detected… Unauthorized access detected… Unauthorized access detected…"

Bagramon looked around cautiously, though it became clear the security alert did not appear to activate any further countermeasures.

"The Archives…" Lucemon murmured with amazement as he surveyed the pocket dimension with a broadening smile. He ignored the alert and began walking down one of the rows.

"We are finally here…" Bagramon spoke, walking down a row as well, casting his eye on the nearby cubes. "The Archives…"

"The information that we are looking for… They are contained within these?" Lucemon deduced, gesturing with a hand towards one of the floating cubes next to him.

"That would be my guess as well," Bagramon agreed, stopping in front of one of the black, shimmering geometric shapes. "From my limited understanding, I believe that all this is Yggdrasil's database of non-volatile memory. Within these records are everything of importance that has taken place since the Null Origin. At least, everything that Yggdrasil has deemed worth archiving, most likely."

"And you believe that this extends to God as well?" Lucemon inquired, looking over at the bearded fallen angel.

"Whether they are different or one and the same, we are about to find out," Bagramon mused with an excited smile. He felt his heart race with anticipation, and he was unable to keep it from showing on his face. "All of my studies – everything I have been working towards… it has all been leading up to this. All that we wish to know is right here…"

Lucemon frowned and approached one of the cubes. "So… how does one know where to start amongst all of these memory packet?" he noted, gesturing to the myriad data packets. "Do we have unlimited time to scour these?"

Before Bagramon could reply, the repetitious voice that was resounding around them suddenly changed. "Emergency override encryption initiated… emergency override encryption initiated…" it resonated.

"I suppose that answers my question," Lucemon said with an annoyed sigh.

"Damn it," Bagramon growled, looking around at the nodes of data alertly. He saw one of the cubes near the corner of the archives beginning to glow white. Then, he saw another cube that wasn't far from Lucemon beginning to do the same. "Lucemon! Yggdrasil is trying to encrypt the data in a prioritized order! It is starting with the most important databases first! We need to activate those first!"

"Very well then," Lucemon agreed, sauntering over to the nearby cube. "Stop your pitiful struggling, you pathetic mockery of a god. It is unsightly…"

Lucemon held out his hand towards the cube and pressed his palm against the black shape. "Now, then… Just what are you hiding?" he mused. He slowly inserted his hand inside of it, causing the compressed data to open.

Suddenly, there was a rush of light, numbers, and particles that swept up Lucemon's arm and flooded around him. Lucemon recoiled and his eyes widened with shock as his mind was subjected to an overwhelming rush of information. Images, words, numbers all surged through his mind all at once, inundating his senses completely.

Flashes of light and darkness, life and death, order and chaos… They swept through him. They might have broken a lesser mind, but not him. He absorbed it all.

Lucemon clutched his glowing eyes and staggered back as the contents of the packaged data was extracted. He let out a groan and hunched forwards, holding his face from the overwhelming onslaught of information. His tightly closed eyes slowly opened. As more and more information passed through him, he became enthralled. His eyes slowly widened as more and more of the secrets were revealed to him. His arms fell to his sides, revealing his wide, disbelieving eyes. After a few seconds of stunned shock… he started laughing.

"Hahah… Ahahahah!" Lucemon cried out with wild, unrestrained glee. "PERFECT!"

Lucemon hunched forwards, holding his stomach as he laughed with more joy and lack of restraint than ever before. After a few moments of self-indulgent bliss, Lucemon stood up straight and tossed his hair back, composing himself with immediate poise.

"I cannot believe it…!" Lucemon announced with a dark, sinister smirk. "No wonder you have been so desperate to hide this from us… You have been quite naughty, Yggdrasil…"

Meanwhile, Bagramon raced over to one of the data packages, just as its black surface was beginning to turn white. "I don't think so!" Bagramon shouted, plunging his wooden arm inside the cube. "Do not think that you can shroud the truth any longer. The ills of the world will be revealed…!"

Bagramon used the Astral Snatcher to shut down the emergency encryption process. As soon as the process negated, the memory data came flooding out towards him.

He felt a surge of information flowing into him, inundating him with knowledge. Bagramon shouted out with surprise, but he kept a tight hold on the cube as it transmitted its contents into him. The surge of information rushed through him in a rapid storm of images, facts, and data.

Bagramon clutched his head as light poured out of his eyes. He released a snarl of overwhelming strain and agony. Despite the oppressive deluge of information that bore down on his mind, he, like Lucemon, was able to withstand the torrent of overwhelming information.

It hurt his head to process it all so quickly, but everything made sense to him. When the last of the data was transmitted into his mind, Bagramon released the box and fell to his knee, panting.

"That was…" Bagramon breathed, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. Bagramon placed his skeletal hand on the ground and used it to help him stand shakily to his feet.

"Hah… So… I was right…" Bagramon mused with breathy exhilaration. Despite the light all around them, Bagramon's right eye still remained enshrouded by darkness, lit only by a slight, crimson glow. He turned around, a satisfied smile forming on his face. "So, that's where you are hiding away… far removed from the world…"

Bagramon did a brief scan around the records to anticipate which of the cubes would be encrypted next. As soon as he noticed one of the archives begin to glow white, Bagramon started making his way over.

"Lucemon! Did you manage to access it?" Bagramon questioned the Demon Lord of Pride as he walked.

Lucemon spun around with a dark smirk. "Of course I did. What do you take me for?" he lightly replied. "Did you forget that I know my way around a library better than anybody?"

"Yes, you're right…" Bagramon answered with a faint smirk. "Did you learn anything interesting?"

"Quite a lot, as it happens. I have learned some very critical information, if you would like to take a look as well," Lucemon offered.

"Soon… Right now, we should prioritise the knowledge that is being encrypted," Bagramon noted, gesturing to one of the cubes ahead of him. "Once we open one, it will be too late for Yggdrasil to encrypt it again. And we shouldn't bother trying to access every single one of these databanks, only the most important ones."

"Have you found what we are looking for?" Lucemon questioned.

"Yes, I have learned the location of the Kernel, so we can rest a little easier… Still, I would like to know what else is hidden here," Bagramon answered.

"Of course," Lucemon said, turning around to spot another databank in the process of being encrypted. He smirked and began walking towards it, flexing his hand as he approached. "After all… knowledge is power. It was knowledge that allowed us to see the true folly of God…"

Bagramon nodded and approached the cube as it was being recoded. He sharply reached out and grabbed the glowing cube, sinking his wooden talons into it. "…And it is knowledge that will allow us to turn this imperfect world upside down… Knowledge… That is the kindling for the flames of revolution. Knowledge is greatest weapon of all."

Bagramon smirked darkly as he tapped into the data once again.

"God… You cannot hide from me any longer," Bagramon promised, his ruby eye blazing with restrained passion and determination.

"No matter what you do… I am coming for you."

"For I am the Sage of Death."