Rukario glanced at Reilly. "Hm? Yes, I am. I merely saw some odd currents coming from the building we are approaching."
"Saint Ignatius Academy," Reilly answered. "It's a school primarily for foreign students, like Alice."
"She is Dobermon's human...partner, it is called?"
Reilly nodded. "The school's been evacuated, except for Alice; she's going to be meeting us near the entrance." Reilly sounded a bit relieved. She liked working with Alice; she was much more level headed and, well, intelligent, than Kazu. Kenta was okay, too, but explaining things to his family was getting a bit tiresome. She noticed that Rukario had frozen, eyes locked on something. "What is it?"
Rukario looked back, eyes almost completely whited out. "You can't see it," he asked. Reilly shook her head. Motioning for her to pull the car they were in over, he took Reilly's hand.
The Hypnos agent gasped as her perception changed. Colours vanished, shapes became abstacted. "Is this...is this how you see the world?" She could feel Rukario nodding. What Reilly was seeing were...waves of energy, passing from one creature or object to another; looking at Rukario, she saw several lines of energy going between her and the pokemon. He indicated the school they were now near. Looking at it, she saw a long tendril of energy coming from the top floor of the school.
"All of the digimon I have seen here have that ewnergy wave coming out of them, leading somewhere...else. Even those that have human partners, save for those that came from my world."
"You mean Kotemon, Houndour, and yourself."
Rukario nodded. "But just now, that wave...fluctuated, as if something disturbed the source of the wave, and its effects were being transmitted to all beings connected to it."
-
Digicross Tamers Episode 28
'Megidramon'
-
Digital World
Jeri, perched on Grapleomon's shoulder, stared ahead at the looming black-garbed figure. If it had noticed them approaching, it hadn't done anything about it. "That can't be..."
"Impmon!" War Growlmon insisted. "But stronger now. I can smell it!"
"I can't, but I believe it." Takato didn't bother hiding the fact he was scared; everyone there was. Even Rapidmon, carrying Henry along with him, was oddly silent. Lillymon and Guardromon were left behind; despite the spoiled digimon's insistence, Grapleomon had argued that this was a serious battle and, at Jeri's suggestion, added that he'd never forgive himself if something happened to her. Guardromon's pledge to protect Lillymon had garnered a few laughs from the other tamers, but the humour had quickly vanished as they approached.
"Hitomi, Rika...we're coming."
Beside her, Grapleomon smiled. "Don't worry, Jeri. They'll be fine."
--
Fortunately for the tamers fighting Zhuquiamon, the digimon that used to be Impmon had stood stock still, hand still clutching the massive red guardian's long neck, slowly absorbing the data. "Foul mutant," Zhuquiamon cursed. "I shall...urrk!"
"Shut up," the digimon whispered.
The digimon regrouped near their tamers, not sure what to make of the new digimon. Karatenmon glanced at Taomon. "Any ideas?"
"I have never seen a digimon like this. Or felt one with this power." Taomon glanced at Yamaki, curled over, Ryo trying to keep him steady. "Was he hit?"
"No," Ryo answered. "He fell over as soon as...that appeared."
"Wrong...it's...wrong..." Yamaki groaned.
Taomon was about to ask Yamaki what he meant by that when she heard a loud clatter. Glancing over, she saw, to her shock, that Rika's D-Arc had fallen out of her hands, the girl staring at the digimon, eyes wide. "Rika?"
"B...Beelzemon," Rika whispered. "Type: Virus. Special Attacks: Death Slinger, Darkness Claw." She said something else, barely above a whisper.
Hitomi heard it first. "That's...That's impossible!"
"What?" Karatenmon leaned down, as did Taomon and Cyberdramon.
"Level...Mega," Rika repeated, more loudly.
Noctowl brushed Hitomi's leg, pointing off to the west. "The rest of the tamers," she said, a bit relieved.
"It won't be enough," Yamaki grimaced.
--Tokyo
Reilly entered the school, Rukario keeping up easily with her. "You're pretty quick for a digimon that's only...not even a week old."
Rukario smiled. "I am much older than that, Reilly. What came out of that egg was my current form, not my initial one. And I am not a digimon, at least, not totally.
On the world I come from, the one that Hitomi, Eevee, Kotemon, and Houndour came from, there are a few special pokemon, with powers and abilities far beyond those of other pokemon. They have been worshipped as gods, hailed as heroes, feared as demons, and sought after by those with a lust for power. But through it all, there is one word that comes back to describe us over and over. Legendary."
Reilly slowed down, absorbing all this. "So, what are you, then," she asked wryly. "God or Devil?"
Rukario glanced back. "Shepherd and wave rider. Ah, our escorts have arrived." Reilly opened her mouth, then closed it as Alice and Dobermon rounded the corner. "Has our quarry moved?"
"Not yet Rena...no, you're not her." Dobermon looked at the pokemon a bit sheepishly.
"I should hope not," Rukario replied.
"Alice," Reilly asked, wondering when she had lost control of the situation.
"I think it's an ultimate level digimon, viral type. But I couldn't get an exact reading on it, it's too quick." A bit frustrated, her hand clenched the D-Arc. "It's on the top floor."
Dobermon looked around. "We should hurry. Something's wrong with this one. It doesn't feel like a digimon."
--Digital World
All the tamers had managed to reunite, only to watch as Beelzemon stood there, still slowly leaching data from Zhuquiamon's slowly fading body.
"Hit him," Rika said. "Everyone, at once."
"But...Ultimates are no match for a Mega digimon," Takato protested. "Right," he asked Hitomi.
"I don't know...It's possible, I guess, but I've never seen anything like this." Mom, dad, what do I do, Hitomi wondered.
Henry and Ryo glanced at each other, then nodded. "Rika's got the right idea. If he absorbs all of Zhuquiamon's data, he'll only get stronger."
"Shouldn't we try making friends with him first," Calumon wondered out loud. "He's still Impmon underneath all that, isn't he?"
"N...no," Yamaki said. "I can feel it...The Impmon we knew is gone. All that data from so many different digimon...it's starting to tear him apart."
--
"Wh...where am I?" Impmon looked around, lost in a sea of red chaos.
"You have achieved what few others have, Impmon. The Mega level of evolution. You now have the same power as that of the former guardians of this realm."
"That's it? Come on, bub, there's more!" The voice laughed quietly, savouring Impmon's restlessness. "Who are you? WHO?" Part of the chaos swirled together, forming a massive figure that Impmon thought looked familiar.
"I am that which holds this world together. I slew the Eastern Guardian, and gained his power and purpose. Freed from my simple program, and the barrier that held me, I rose to bring order to this place. You, strongest of any digimon I have seen, can surpass me, if you have the power. And it lies before you."
"Tell me more..."
--
With a loud cry, Beelzemon hurled the broken guardian to the ground, absorbing the rest of Zhuquiamon's data in a moment. Then he turned to face the Tamers. "NOW!" Rika and Henry cried. All the digimon charged, calling up their strongest attacks.
Which splashed uselessly against a large glistening red wall. "Don't get too eager. There's something I need first. Here, play with this!" He flung a hand out; several silvery spheres shot out, each one aimed at the attacking digimon. Grapleomon, Wargrowlmon and Karatenmon evaded; the rest were all caught inside. "Yeah..." Beelzemon grinned. "I think...you first, toots." He clenched his fist; Taomon screamed in agony.
"Taomon!" Rika swiped one card, then a second, through her D-Arc.
"He's absorbing her data! Rika, alias card," Henry ordered. Nodding, Rika took out the appropriate card. This one worked, and Renamon appeared outside the small dome, the image of Taomon still inside. Besaide her, Terriermon appeared. Henry sighed, relieved. Then, he saw Cyberdramon simply burst out of the trap, fully enraged now. "Well...that works too."
"Impmon!" Cyberdramon surged forward, crashing into the barrier, clawing at it. "Drop this wall so I can tear the data from your core!"
"C...Cyberdramon?" Ryo gasped. Ryo had never seen his partner in such a state.
"Cute." Beelzemon dismissed the barrier, allowing Cyberdramon through. "Y'know, gecko-face," he drawled as he casually blocked Cyberdramon's frenzied swipes, "I was jealous of you for a while. You had the looks, the strength, I come back here, and you're a big, bad, Ultimate digimon."
"Rrr...ERASE CLAW!"
The attack left a small mark on Beelzemon's face mask. "Ow." The demon grabbed Cyberdramon, and threw him away, impacting against the barrier. "But the funny thing is, you're not what I need." The trap-domes, which had held Taomon and Rapidmon, vanished, a faint stream of energy flowing through the barrier and into Beelzemon. "Or them." He brutally slammed Cyberdramon to the ground, then -through- the barrier, Cyberdramon landing in an unconcious heap near Ryo.
Beelzemon grinned evilly, eyes fixed on his goal. "It's the creampuff."
"Calumon?" everyone gasped. "But...why," Takato asked.
"The voices in my head told me so," Beelzemon replied darkly. Hands flew around him, pulling out a pair of oversized handguns, sawed off shotguns, Takato guessed. "DEATH SLINGER!"
"You psychotic fiend! You won't lay a hand on Calumon! LION KILLING WAVE!"
"Calumon's our friend! ATOMIC BLASTER!" Grapleomon and War Growlmon's attacks barely managed to stop the blasts from Beelzemons' cannons.
"Renamon? Renamon!" Rika ran over to her partner, who had collapsed.
"Energy...he drained most of my strength..." Renamon groaned.
--Tokyo
"This way," Dobermon growled. "Whatever it is, it's close. And...wrong."
"How so," Alice asked.
"I don't know. Just...it's digital, but not a digimon, if that makes any sense. Around this corner. Alice, wait-"
"I don't. Do. Helpless maiden," Alice replied, voice menacingly low.
"Okay..." Dobermon led the way in, Alice following. Behind her, Reilly and Rukario, faintly amused by the byplay, followed Alice.
The room was a typical classroom, several rows of desks lined up in a flattened out horseshoe shape around the teacher's desk. All of them had been knocked over by something large, and a massive hole had been burned into the far wall, leading into the next room. "I don't smell smoke," Dobermon said quietly. "Or acid. But that wall has been clearly burned through." He indicated what looked like scorch marks around the edges of the hole.
"I don't hear anything," Reilly said. "It couldn't have left already, could it?"
"No," Rukario said. "It's close." Tensing suddenly, Rukario darted through the hole, followed by Dobermon.
"Wait!" Reilly and Alice followed.
--
Karatenmon landed in a heap, having only just blocked Beelzemon's latest attack. "As uncle TK once said, I say we run and then run some more."
"We do appear to be outclassed," Grapleomon admitted. Nearby, Cyberdramon had managed to pull himself up. Renamon and Terriermon were being tended to by Lillymon and Guardromon.
"Okay," Takato said. "We hit him with everything we got, then take off. DIGI-MODIFY! OFFENSE PLUG IN V, ACTIVATE!"
Jeri took out a card of her own. "Pride of the Warrior Race, Activate!"
"Shining Burn Slash, activate," Hitomi yelled.
"King Device, Activate!" Cyberdramon roared as Ryo's card took effect.
The results were monstrous; War Growlmon's Atomic Blasters struck Beelzemon only moments ahead of Grapleomon's Lion Killing Wave, which itself was followed up by Karatenmon's Crow Sword Carnival and Cyberdramon's Cyber Nail. And when the dust cleared...
Beelzemon looked down with feigned annoyance at the damage he had taken; some scars on his chest under a badly savaged black leather jacket. "My turn?" He vanished as he said that.
"A duplicate," Renamon gasped, just as the ground around her exploded upwards, throwing the humans and the digimon that hadn't attacked in all directions. A clawed hand shot up, Calumon securely held within.
"No!" Takato forced himself to get up as the remaining digimon ran over. "What do you want with him?"
"Creampuff? He's digivolution rolled up into a snack-sized package," Beelzemon taunted. "I take his data, I become the strongest."
"Don't," Jeri screamed, reaching for another card.
"Ah-ah," Beelzemon snapped. "No funny stuff, or it's fast food time." He grinned as everyone stepped back. "So, still think I'm no threat, fox-face?"
Renamon glared daggers back at him. "When I am finished with you..."
"Keep thinkin' that."
"QUICK ATTACK," Hitomi snapped. Karatenmon shot forward, almost a blur, sword aimed at Beelzemon's wrist, other hand out to snatch Calumon.
Beelzemon's other hand shot forward, catching Karatenmon in the stomach, then opening up, getting a firm grip on the digimon. "Nice try, Feathers. But I'll...hrrrgh...huh?"
"Karatenmon!" Jeri reached out, grabbing Hitomi and preventing her from running towards her partner. A few feet away, everyone else watched in mute horror. Except for Takato and War Growlmon, both...twitching oddly.
"What is this," Beelzemon demanded. "No DATA? What kind of freak are you?"
"Heh...the kind that'll kick your-"
"Shaddup," Beelzemon growled, hurling Karatenmon towards Hitomi and Jeri. Luckily, he had taken too much damage, and shrunk back down to Eevee, who was caught by Hitomi. "Cute. Now for-"
"RRRARRRRR!" With a wild shout, War Growlmon leaped, slashing with both of his arm blades. He crashed into the larger Beelzemon, forcing him back and scoring several blows. That...HURT, Beelzemon thought incredulously as the maddened War Growlmon continued his mad attack. "Hey, back off...AHH!...I said watch the PERSONAL SPACE, PINEAPPLE HEAD!" Furious, Beelzemon managed to force War Growlmon back. Was it him, or was War Growlmon getting...bigger?
"Takato, what-" Henry glanced at Takato, wondering what card he had used to power up his digimon so. He gasped as he saw Takato standing rooted to the spot, D-Arc clenched in his hand, knuckles white. Henry blinked again. Did the glass over the screen...crack?
--Tokyo
Alice and Reilly looked up. It was a monster, no doubt, but it was not like the digimon they had seen. It wasn't even humanoid, just a large reddish-orange blob that only vaguely looked humanoid. It shuffled around, as if looking for something. No coherent sound came from it, save only a muted, slightly tortured sound. It brushed alongside a desk; part of the desk just...vanished. It then enveloped a potted plant. When it moved again, the plant hung there for a second, a small amount of dirt around its roots; the pot had vanished. It fell over a moment later.
Reilly noted that. "Well?"
Alice glanced at her D-Arc. "Nothing. I don't think this is a digimon."
"What else could it be," Dobermon asked.
"More things in Heaven and Earth," Reilly remarked. "I'll contact Hypnos, we realy should get a-"
At the word 'Hypnos' the creature turned and started shuffling towards Reilly. "Or not...Alice!"
"Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution activate!"
"Dobermon, Matrix digivolve to...Black Were Garurumon!" The creature didn't seem interested in the digivolution, instead shuffling closer to Reilly. "Leave her alone! CRESCENT MOON KICK!" The energy slash leaped out, struck the creature...and did nothing, the attack seeming to disintegrate as it closed. "Alright...Kaiser NaiAAAAUGHHH!" The digimon staggered back as, on landing a strike, his hand was badly burned. Alice rushed over; sure enough, Black Were Garurumon's oversized hand looked like it had been dipped in acid. "I felt it...leaching my energy..."
"It must consume digital matter as well as inorganic." Reilly looked around. But it left the plant alone...and what had Yamaki said about hybrid digimon from Hitomi's home...? "Rukario, try an attack."
"Yes. STEEL PULSE!" Alice and Black Were Garurumon watched as the small blue and black pokemon leaped forward, hurling a small sphere of energy. It struck and, to Alice and Black Were Garurumon's surprise, seemed to do some damage. The pokemon followed it with a hard punch, then a kick, both forcing the creature back. Moaning in pain, the creature went tot he left, through another wall and towards the exterior.
At Alice's curious glance, Reilly explained. "It couldn't handle organic matter like the plant. I guessed that since Rukario is partly organic, the same way Hitomi's partner Eevee is, it might be immune to the creature's effects."
"Mr. Wong and Kotemon?"
Reilly nodded, already getting a cellphone out. "I hope Suzie doesn't find out."
--Digital World
"Takato? Takato!" Rika shook Takato's shoulder, to no effect; the boy, D-Arc still in a death's grip, stared intently at Beelzemon and War Growlmon. "Snap out of it, goggle-head!" She looked back at Henry. "What's with him?"
There was a shout; War Growlmon stepped back, torso armour showing several gouges, the blade on his left arm sheared off. Beelzemon held the hand holding Calumon away, other hand holding a handgun on the red digimon. "Okay, fine. Just back off, and I let the creampuff go."
Takato seemed to relax, as did War Growlmon; the others saw the normally cheerful digimon's body seem to shrink a bit. "Guys...," Takato whispered. "What happened, everything's-"
"SUCKERS!" With a shout, Beelzemon absorbed Calumon, the small white digimon screa,ming in terror as his data was drawn inside the mega's body. At the same time, the handgun swung around, and shot a massive bolt out at where Ryo, Hitomi, Jeri, Yamaki, Cyberdramon, Eevee, and Grapleomon were. There was a horrible pause, then the ground around those six exploded; seconds later, there was nothing save turned up rubble.
"uhhh...HITOMI!" Rika shoved past Henry, making a beeline for the crater; Renamon followed her.
"H...How could you?" Henry wheeled about, glaring at Beelzemon. "They weren't any threat to you!"
"Just clearing the board," Beelzemon remarked coldly, handgun tracking over to where Henry and Terriermon were.
"Jeri..." Takato whispered. His hand convulsed. Odd, there was something stabbing into his hand. And the sound of glass breaking...
Henry missed that, but he and Terriermon heard the awful howl that came from War Greymon; even Beelzemon stopped, staring incredulously at the other digimon. They watched as War Growlmon was consumed in a pillar of flame.
"Takato...?" Henry spun around, wondering what Takato was doing. He stopped as he saw blood coming out of Takato's hand, the shattered remains of his D-Arc at his feet.
--Tokyo
"Magnum Blade!" Dino Humon's massive sword swung down, cutting off another part of the giant red beast. "It's working, I think we're wearing it down!"
"Good," Janyu said. He held another card, feeling a little silly. "Offense PLug in V, activate!"
"SHADOW DANCE!" Dino Humon blurred, smaller swords delivering a hail of blows to the creature. It shook, more pieces of it falling off and disintegrating. It was now maybe a third of it's original size; oddly, it had shrunk with each blow, as if using parts of itself to maintain its vaguely humanoid appearance. "This is taking longer than expected."
"Well, we're the only two who can handle this thing right now," That is, Janyu thought wryly, if Kenta can keep Suzie from sneaking out. At least he wasn't letting Kazu lead him into more trouble.
"That's because Nami kept him after school again. Turns out that Zero punched a hole in the side of the gym during some sort of training exercise," Over the small headset radio, Reilly gave a slightly exasperated sigh. "And yes, you said that last part out loud."
"Janyu, it stopped," Dino Humon called. Sure enough, the creature had stopped suddenly, not even trying to attack. "It is just...standing there."
Janyu's cellphone rang; the call display showed that the call was from his home. Worried, he flipped open the phone. "Mr. Wong," Kenta's voice came over the phone, "something's wrong with Metal Agumon. He's just...frozen."
"What happened?"
"I don't know. He just said something like 'this is wrong', then just stopped moving. That thing you're taking care of didn't...?"
Janyu glanced at the creature. "No. It's doing the same thing. How is Houndour?"
"Fine. Suzie's worried though."
"Alright. Keep Suzie clear of Metal Agumon, tell her he's just sick or something. If anything changes, let me know, alright?"
"Yes, Mr. Wong." Janyu closed the phone. "Reilly, did you get that?"
"Same thing happened to Dobermon. Just keeps saying that something's wrong. And Rukario says that there's some sort of odd energy pulse coming from all the native digimon; that must be why Dino Humon, Houndour, and Rukario aren't affected. I'll bet that every digimon in the city's doing this."
"But what's wrong," Janyu wondered.
--Digital World
There was an ear splitting noise of metal being ripped apart. There was a foul smell in the air, brimstone, Henry guessed. He, Terriermon, and Beelzemon were all focussed on the column of flames that had consumed War Growlmon. They could all see something evil-looking inside, could hear pieces of metal shearing off and hitting the ground.
Rika didn't notice any of this; she had reached the crater made from Beelzemon's attack, and was now digging frantically. "Hitomi? Please, say you're alright..."
"Rika...Rika!" Renamon reached down and tried to drag her partner away. "There's-" she stopped as Rika gave her one of the angriest looks she had ever seen. Nodding, Renamon let her go, then knelt down to help. A second later, a rock shifted, and Grapleomon staggered to his feet, moaned, then de-evolved.
"Woah..." Gabumon moaned, staggering. Beside him, Cyberdramon stood up, battered but still ready to fight. Rika looked between them. In his hand, Ryo, arms tight around his father, held a Brave Shield card. Jeri was clutching a Drimogemon card, Hitomi held a Digmon card.
"Quick thinking," Renamon said, helping Jeri up.
"Thanks. We just reacted. I-" Jeri gasped as she saw the pillar of fire. "What's happening?"
"What-" Rika looked back, gasping as she saw what she had missed. Hitomi got to her hands, eyes widening as she saw the scrapes on Rika's hands. "Hitomi? You're-"
"We're okay."
"This...this is bad," Cyberdramon said, eyes fixed on the two combatants. "Both are unstable."
Ryo was about to ask how when the flames exploded outward, and a massive snakelike beast shot out, a whirlwind of claws and teeth, and grappled with Beelzemon. Around the two, the ground beneath them shook, coming apart as the chaotic energies comprising the two monsters tore apart everything.
--
"Shibumi," the guardian said.
"Yeah, I feel it," the man said. "But it can't be the enemy, could it?"
"Worse. It is...an ally."
Next Episode
Megidramon and Beelzemon's duel: a battle between two massive powers, with enough energy to destroy the digital world itself. And a duel that only one will survive.
Next time: Call of the Ancient Wolf.