Reilly watched as the Hypnos team finished collecting a sample of the creature. "No reaction at all," she observed.
"None. Kenta and Kazu's partners are acting the same way. Just standing still and saying that something's wrong." Janyu stared after the recovery truck as it pulled away. "I hope Henry's alright."
Standing a short distance away, Rukario glanced at Dobermon, frozen in place. He could see the energy patterns, detect the chaotic presence that had just appeared. Their world is dying, he didn't say.
-
Digicross Tamers 29
'Call of the ancient wolf'
--
--Digital World
Beelzemon had barely half a second to blink as the massive red and white serpent shot out of the flames, clawing and biting. "Rr...I don't think I like the new look, pineapple head," he gasped, one hand on this new attacker's massive upper jaw, the other fending off frenzied claw swipes with an increasingly battered handgun.
From where they stood, the humans and remaining digimon watched. "What is that thing," Rika asked.
Henry forced himself to look at his D-Arc. "Megidramon. Mega level virus digimon." He didn't bother listing the attacks; Megidramon didn't seem to willing to call them out. "That can't be...that can't be Guilmon's evolution, can it?" None of them could see how the cheerful, innocent Guilmon could have transformed into such a monstrous berserker.
'Monster' described it perfectly. It had no legs, only a long, snakelike tail. Leathery wings beat savagely as it tried to gain ground against Beelzemon. Muscled arms, axelike blades on the back of the forearms, drove hands with talon-tipped fingers into Beelzemon's jacket. Megidramon's head was a nightmare by itself, a terrifying caricature of Guilmon's features. Eyes almost dead white, a wild mane of short white hair, and teeth the size of short swords, light glinting off the razor sharp edges.
"Takato, how could you..." Jeri started, then gasped as she saw the tamer she was speaking to.
Takato seemed rooted to the spot; Lillymon and Guardromon were trying to move him, to no success. Jeri could see a faint red aura surrounding the boy, and then saw the wrecked D-arc at his feet, pieces slowly fading out of existance, almost in time to the savage Megidramon's strikes. "Come on, snap out of it!" Driven by a mixture of fear and anger, Lillymon tried to bring Takato around the direct way.
Jeri winced as Lillymon's hand struck Takato's face. Incredibly, it was Lillymon who yelped in agony, clutching her hand. "That...that was like slapping a Meramon. What's going on with him?"
"It happened when Beelzemon attacked the humans," Guardromon replied, having been able to see everything. "He attacked the female tamers," he indicated Jeri, Rika, and Hitomi, "who were protecting Ryo, Cyberdramon, and that other man. Then Takato's D-Arc broke, and Megidramon appeared."
Jeri gasped, suddenly understanding what had happened. The thought that she might, even in a small way, be responsible for what was happening now was almost too much to bear. She ran over to Takato, grabbing and shaking him. "Takato! Takato, snap out of it, we're alright!"
She heard Rika and Hitomi scream. Whirling around, she saw Megidramon rear back, jaws closed. Beelzemon was on the ground, roaring in agony.
"Wh...where's his arm," she asked, voice barely a whisper, not wanting to accept what she knew had happened. Ryo started to say something, but he, along with everone else save Takato, were thrown to the ground as a massive tremor ripped through the whole of the Digital World.
--
"What..."
"Shibumi, you'd better return," the guardian said. "They must know what happened, what will happen! All of our plans-"
"No," Shibumi replied. "There's still hope. And, if this doesn't work...well, I'll buy, what, a few weeks, tops?"
Two pairs of eyes blinked; the left pair nodded. "You are right."
"I hope I am. I-" Shibumi stopped, feeling it. "So, they sent the last one out. I guess even it's scared."
--Tokyo
"Massive computer disruptions reported worldwide," Talli told Reilly over her cellphone. "Even we're being hit here; we've isolated the networks but-" the signal cut out.
Reilly stared at the cellphone, the small 'searching for signal' screen cycling repeatedly. "Janyu?"
"Mine too," Janyu replied. "We have to get back to Hypnos."
--New Bark Town
Izzy worked furiously, tossing in a few epithets he had picked up over his lifetime as he struggled to maintain a signal lock on the other digital world. He forced himself to keep an eye on one of the screens, showing an increase in chaotic energies coming from the digital world. The digital world Hitomi and her friends were on was falling apart; that much was clear. Something had happened that had upset everything there; the balance was off, a D-Stone had bene destroyed, too many Mega Digimon flying around, something he couldn't easily figure out. Or solve.
--
"Let me GO!" Takeru and Veemon struggled against Sam Inoue, trying to get to the portal Izzy had been working on.
"You're not helping," Sam grunted, struggling to hold Takeru back.
"Please," Wormmon begged, "just let-"
"Then let us go," Veemon growled.
"So we CAN help," Takeru completed. Sam looked around desperately. Yohko could have taken Takeru down easily. But she and Kyoko were both gone, out of reach, chasing after Tsunemon, kidnapped by an unknown group. Ryoko and Hiroki were gone, on a completely different digital world. Asuka was on her way, as was the rest of the gang. With a final heave, Takeru knocked Sam back, as did Veemon with Wormmon. Both made a beeline for the door.
Something hard slammed into Takeru's gut, as did something else strike the back of Veemon's head. "Wh...why..." Takeru gasped, collapsing from the strike.
Kate Evanick looked down at Takeru, mixture of emotions crossing her face. She could make out her partner whisper a few words, Wizardmon's Magic Game putting both Takeru and Veemon to sleep. "You'd do it too, you...idiot."
"Thanks," Sam said as Kate looked up. "I didn't know he was that strong."
"Strong as an ox and as dumb," Wizardmon commented. "Just the way she likes it."
"Shut up," Kate growled. She looked again at Takeru, smiling a bit. "She's his little sister that he has to protect, as far as he's concerned."
"You know Takeru's hero fixation," Sam agreed. "So...how have you been?"
--Tamers Digital World
The battle continued, Megidramon now pressing his advantage over the critically wounded Beelzemon. Now shy an arm, the humanoid digimon had switched to powerful kicking attacks, mixed with swipes from his remaining clawed hand.
"We have to go! Come on," Ryo snapped, trying to drag Jeri away. "We can't do anything for him."
"I'm not leaving him," Jeri screamed as the earth around them roared.
"We're not," Yamaki started to say. He stopped as Jeri levelled one of the most hate-filled glares at him that he had ever seen.
"Dad, help move Takato," Ryo hissed. "Rika, hand here?"
"Huh? Sure," Rika said. Renamon, along with the other digimon, were already standing a good distance away from the fight; the ground where Megidramon and Beelzemon stood was shattering from the force of their blows, from the energies released. Both fighters had numerous gashes and cuts from the fight already. Shaken by the sight, Rika took Jeri by the hand and led her away, Ryo blocking her from going back to Takato.
Henry and Yamaki were trying to uproot Takato. "He's...stuck? But there's nothing holding him down," Yamaki grunted. Henry didn't reply, trying to push Takato over. It was like trying to shove a brick wall over. "But then...nothing about this place follows the rules we're used to, does it?"
Henry glanced at Yamaki, then nodded. "You know us kids...always breaking the rules." Behind him, the combat continued; Beelzemon was tiring quickly. Henry noticed Yamaki flinch as another blow was landed. "Mr. Yamaki..."
"Yes...every blow on Beelzemon. I felt it. At least I know what having my arm torn off feels like now." He shuddered as Henry looked at him with new respect. "Beelzemon...has to be stopped. But I wish...rrgh...this wasn't the way it had to be." He looked Henry in the eye. "Everything I did was either to avenge my son, or bring him back, once I learned the truth."
"And Hitomi," Henry asked acidly.
Yamaki didn't reply for a second, save to wince as Beelzemon suffered another blow. "Someday...maybe she'll forgive me." He groaned then pitched sideways; Beelzemon, guard slipping, had allowed Megidramon to get in too close, and had recieved a powerful bash from the dragon's left arm, axe blade biting into his torso.
"Dad," Ryo gasped, whirling around. "No...the damage Beelzemon's taking...dad's suffering it too."
"If Beelzemon dies..." Jeri looked at the blonde-haired man lying helpless on the ground, shaking as pain coursed through him. Megidramon, sensing an easy kill, closed slowly on Beelzemon, acidic venom dripping from his jaws. She broke out of Rika's grip, tore past Ryo, shoved Henry aside, and grabbed Takato. "Takato, STOP! PLEASE, STOP!" Her fists started hammering against Takato's chest. "Please," she repeated. "Stop it."
She felt something. A heartbeat? A breath?"
Takato blinked once, as if waking up. "...jeri? what's happening...?"
--
Shibumi swore furiously. Things were going horribly wrong, both he and his friend could feel it. "Don't try and stop me. I'll bring them back."
"I wouldn't dream if it," the massive digimon replied. "Be careful."
"Hey, it's my fault they're here, isn't it? This is the least I can do."
--
Beelzemon looked Megidramon right in the eyes as he closed for the kill. "So, this is how it ends," he muttered. "Taken down by a bread-sucking pineapple head. Figures."
Everything, he thought, everything I did...was to get out from under that jerk's thumb. All the power I went after, all the digimon whose data I took...all to get away from one human. Fox-face was right. I am pathetic. "Just one big joke in black leather!"
Megidramon reared back, jaws opened. "Yeah, COME ON. I hope I give ya a bad case of gas, red! DO IT!"
The head descended. Then, incredibly, stopped. Beelzemon saw Megidramon's eyes unfocus, the beginnings of a familiar growl/groan start. Walk away, a part of him said. He's distracted, get out of there!
No. Not while I've got one good arm. Beelzemon rolled to the right, where one of his discarded handguns lay. His remaining hand scooped it up, a round clicked into place, the barrel came up, around...
--
"Takato, you're back," Jeri whispered.
"Jeri...? What-" Takato suddenly pitched back, wrenched out of Jeri's arms.
"Takato? TAKATO!" It was then that the dull thunder she had heard finally registered. She looked to where Megidramon and Beelzemon were fighting-
And saw the massive Megidramon falling backwards, ragged hole blown in the armoured chestplate. Beelzemon, one remaining arm holding a gun, faint wisps of smoke curling up from the barrel, watched as the serpentine digimon fell.
Rika, Hitomi, and Henry watched in mute horror, unable to say anything. Ryo, kneeling near his father, watched, trembling at the violence he had just seen.
"TAKATOOOOOO!"
--
Izzy leaned back, confused. "The disturbance has...stopped. Whatever was causing the Digital World to fall apart has..." he stopped as a new set of readings appeared. "No..." he gasped.
--
Back at Hypnos HQ, Reilly watched as Takato's parents were staring out a window. Rukario nudged her, motioning her over. "What is it?"
"Something's wrong," Rukario said quietly.
"I know, that's what all the-"
"No," Rukario insisted. "I can see thelinks of energy between tamers and their digimon, between digimon and the digital world...and between digimon tamers and their parents. One..."
Reilly stepped back, suddenly nauseous. "One...what?"
"One..." Rukario glanced at the Matsukis, Yoshie having just stiffened, then started weeping. "One...just vanished."
Reilly went numb. "Talli," she whispered. "Everyone to the monitor room. Now."
--Digital World
Jeri fell to her knees, utterly destroyed. Takato lay before her, seemingly...no. She wouldn't even allow the word to be used. Beside her, Henry, eyes red with tears, spun around, facing Beelzemon, who hadn't moved a muscle.
Angrily, Henry strode over. "How could you," he demanded. "We stopped him, you didn't have to...you didn't have to..."
A short distance away, Rika held Hitomi. "This...I never..."
"I know, Rika," Renamon whispered. "Takato...Takato lost control." Rika looked up at Renamon, unable to say anything. To her shock, Rika saw tears coming out of Renamon's eyes. Her eyes narrowed. "Rika. Don't look." "What-" Rika started to say, then stopped. Digimon fight. Winner takes the loser's data. That's how its always been, Rika told herself. She felt Renamon's arms encircling her and Hitomi, interposing herself between them and the inevitable conclusion to the fight. Henry screamed first, begging Beelzemon to stop; Terriermon joined him. Jeri shrieked as well; Renamon tensed as the noise cut through her. Wait, she realized. That noise wasn't...Ryo's voice came up, a ragged scream as well and...Yamaki's?
Renamon let go. Megidramon was slowly being absorbed into Beelzemon. That's the way it happens, Renamon reminded herself. Wait. There were two streams of data..."No," she gasped.
Jeri shook Takato frantically; his feet and lower legs had already disintegrated, being pulled into Beelzemon. "No, Takato, don't go. Don't go, please!"
"Stop it," Ryo screamed. "Wasn't Megidramon enough?"
Rage gripped Renamon. She leaped up, throwing all her energy into one last attack. "DIAMOND STORM!"
"Terrier Tornado!"
"ERASE CLAW!" Cyberdramon's blast tore past the other two incoming attacks, striking Beelzemon. The massive digimon shook a bit, but didn't react. Furious, Ryo pulled out a King Device, ready to use it.
Yamaki stopped him. "No, Ryo...please. I don't want to lose you like..."
"We haven't lost him yet," Ryo snarled. "King Device, Activate!" A massive sword appeared in Cyberdramon's hand. Screaming, the Ultimate level digimon flew forward, swinging the blade at Beelzemon. It shattered, the attack doing little more than nicking Beelzemon's jacket. "NO!"
Rika tore herself away from Hitomi, grabbed a rock, and charged at Beelzemon. Or tried to; Noctowl and Eevee blocked her. "Don't," Eevee said. "We'd lose you too."
"But-"
"Renamon's had it. We need," Eevee looked away. "We need to get out of here."
"But what about-" Rika's question was cut off by a long wail. Takato, along with Megidramon, were gone. The rock fell out of Rika's hand. "I never...I never wanted this to happen."
Gabumon, standing silently by Jeri, looked away. "Come on," he said quietly. He took Jeri's hand, trying to get the girl to move. Jeri just knelt there, by the spot Takato had just been in.
Henry staggered over to Beelzemon. "Why..." he whispered.
Henry looked up. Beelzemon had said something. Strange, he realized. He wasn't mad, or angry. Just numb. "Huh?"
"Help...me..." Beelzemon whispered. The explosion flung him and Terriermon away, along with most of the rest of the tamers, save Jeri and Gabumon.
--Tokyo
"It's crashing!" Talli was near panic, looking between readouts. "The whole digital world is crashing."
"What about a reboot?" Dolphin asked.
"That'd wipe the kids out too!" Babel snapped. "Tao, can you get anything through?"
"No! There's no connection, there's too much static in the link between our systems and the Digital World. What about the retrieval program?"
"It's not ready." Reilly swore bitterly, working at her own terminal.
From the doorway, Alice watched everything happening, feeling helpless. "Henry," she whispered. Beside her, Dobermon, who had recently come back to his senses, consoled her as best he could. Alice bent down, hugging the large dog tightly.
--Digital World
Henry, whole body sore, crawled over to where Ryo and Yamaki were. Terriermon, clinging to Henry's back, looked back at the massive storm forming where Beelzemon was. "'Help me'? What was that supposed to mean," the green and white digimon asked.
"What was that?" Yamaki glanced at Terriermon.
"Beelzemon," Henry gasped as Ryo helped him up. Cyberdramon, using a Taomon card, was keeping a translucent force wall up, preventing the worst of the storm from striking the other tamers. "He said 'help me' before he exploded."
"He didn't," Eevee said. "He's...regenerating?"
Everyone looked. With a sickening sound, like that of bones snapping, a new arm forced itself out of Beelzemon's shoulder, replacing the one Megidramon had bitten off. "That's..."
"That's my arm, as Rapidmon," Terriermon said. He didn't feel up to adding on something about Beelzemon's lack of originality. Maybe later, but not now. "And Taomon's sleeve?"
"All the data in him," Yamaki guessed. "Absorbing Takato's data must have upset the other data inside him."
"And Calumon's data...wait, Unown was inside Calumon, wasn't he?" Hitomi nodded. Henry groaned. "That means-"
"He's a bag of mixed nuts now," Terriermon hazarded. For a brief second, Henry almost killed Terriermon. Then it passed. "Thanks," he admitted. "I needed that."
"Where's Jeri?" Rika looked around.
"She didn't come over here?" Ryo looked past Cyberdramon. "She's still out there!" As he spoke, Beelzemon stood up. His new arm seemed to move around freely, then it shot out a firebolt. It tore the top off a nearby mountain. Cackling madly, Beelzemon started moving again.
Towards Jeri and Gabumon.
--
"Jeri, we have to go. He's coming this way!" Gabumon tugged at Jeri's arm, pleading with his partner. "I'm not strong enough to fight him."
"No."
"J...Jeri?" A fireblast shot by Gabumon and Jeri, tearing a furrow into the ground. "I'm not-"
"No. I can't...I won't let what happened to Takato happen to..." Jeri stopped, standing up. "But I can't let you fight alone."
Gabumon smiled. "I've never been alone. Come on. Let's finish what Takato started."
Jeri nodded, D-Arc clutched tightly in her hand. It shone, as she raised it up.
--
"Jeri, get away from there, you can't fight him!" Rika tried to get past Cyberdramon; Ryo and Yamaki held her back.
Hitomi watched. "Eevee..."
"Yeah, I feel it too," Eevee replied. Jeri said something, which was lost over the din of explosions. Then she and Gabumon were swallowed up by a dome of light. When it cleared, there was a single, massive digimon standing there. Silver, metallic wolf's head glaring at Beelzemon. Two single edged blades were its only apparent weapons; Everyone was sure that the newcomer had more. "Is that...Gabumon?"
"Metal Garurumon," Ryo guessed. "No, this guy's bipedal..."
Hitomi glanced at her D-Arc. "Ancient Garurumon...mega level, Data type. Special attacks...Sharpness Claymores and Absolute Zero."
"Forget Metal Garurumon," Terriermon said. "Looks like Jeri figured it out."
"Get him," Rika whispered.
"Dad?"
"It's alright, Ryo," Yamaki answered. "The link...it's broken now. They can cut loose." He frowned. "I can feel something, but it's not as strong now." Ryo looked at his father worriedly, but nodded.
Ancient Garurumon roared once, then took off, flying right at Beelzemon. One of the massive swords swung out, loudly clanging on a metallic arm. With a snarl, Beelzemon leaped back, leathery wings and red and white tail ripping themselves free. Sensing his attacker's power level, Beelzemon took flight, trying to get a clear shot.
Ancient Garurumon jumped, other sword out, trailing streams of ice crystals. Moving faster than expected, the other sword whipped out and up, cutting into Beelzemon's wing, freezing it solid. The demonic digimon fell to the ground, wing shattering on impact. Another wing, red and feathery, grew to replace it. Calling on Zhuquiamon's power now, Beelzemon's remaining hand dropped the gun, and it twisted into a four-taloned claw, raking at Ancient Garurumon's metallic armour. The wolf warrior spun away, revealing several large gashes on his torso, ducked, and drove one of his blades into Beelzemon's upper leg. Roaring, Beelzemon's hands clenched together, and they dropped a massive hammer-blow on Ancient Garurumon's back. He fell, and his free arm swept Beelzemon's legs out from under the demon, dropping him to the ground as well. Both rolled away and came up several yards from each other. They circled each other, waiting for the other to make the next move.
"They're evenly matched," Renamon said, watching the two. Still maintaining the barrier, Cyberdramon agreed. "But where is Jeri?"
"Maybe she took cover somewhere else?" Ryo squinted where he had last seen Jeri, but couldn't find her.
"I don't think so," Eevee said. "Hey, remember those kids Ryoko and Hiroki are with right now?"
Henry looked at Eevee, confused, then realized where he was going. "Wait...you mean they...?"
"They what," Terriermon asked. "What, come on, someone tell me!"
Yamaki looked at the two, then nodded. "They...merged together. Of course, everything's data here. It would be like that...ahh, what did they call it?"
"DNA digivolving," Ryo said. "Really dad, I made you watch enough of that show." Yamaki smiled a bit, recalling happier times with his son. "Wait...Ryoko and Hiroki are here?"
"It's..." Hitomi started to say.
"Later," Lillymon said. "Look!"
Everyone looked skywards; Ancient Garurumon was, incredibly, gaining the upper hand in the fight; Beelzemon's tail had been cut off, and frozen pieces of wing were just now crashing to the ground. The two warriors showed no signs of stopping, or letting up; this time, it was Beelzemon who was making the wild, frenzied attacks against Ancient Garurumon's more focussed defenses.
Yamaki looked at Beelzemon. "I-" He stopped. "We have to stop them."
"Dad?" Ryo looked at his father.
"I think there's...no, I know I heard something else inside of Beelzemon!" The person that used to be Isao Akiyama struggled with the...non-scientificness of this revelation. Yamaki would have chalked it up to wishful thinking...
No, he decided. He knew what losing a son felt like. He would NOT wish it on the Matsukis, no matter what he felt about digimon. Any chance to get Takato back was worth it.
Beelzemon fired a massive salvo of fireballs; they missed the other Mega digimon, striking and exploding around the earth-bound tamers and digimon. "This is nuts," Lillymon cried. "Hey, where are you going?"
Hitomi glanced at Lillymon. "We have to stop them," she answered.
"But-" Rika started.
"Ryo...my uncle Ryo," Ryo blinked, then arched an eyebrow; Yamaki just nodded, "once, he was in the same position as Takato was, when he was only a little older than us. I won't let it happen again."
"But how," Henry demanded. "There's no way we can possibly go up against Beelzemon."
"And Ancient Garurumon," Renamon grimaced, indicating the silver-clad fighter; his attacks were starting to become more wild, the red chaotic energies being released more like those Megidramon did. "We may wind up fighting both of them." She looked right at Hitomi. "What do you propose we do?"
"What Jeri did," Eevee answered. "Come on." Hitomi followed her partner, Noctowl perched on her shoulder. The three started fading into the smoke cloud.
Once past that, the three were confronted by the sight of the two combatants. Both were moving at frightening speeds, releasing terrifying amounts of energy. Ice-filled craters marked the landscape. This close, the three witnesses could feel the power trying to rip loose. "We save Takato, Calumon, and go home. Right?" Eevee looked at Hitomi.
"Yes," she replied. "Jeri...hang on." She held up her D-Arc, repeating the words that she had barely heard Jeri say.
"MATRIX EVOLUTION!"
"EEVEE, EVOLVE! VALKYRIMON!"
--
Rika heard it clearly, watched as Hitomi, Eevee, and Noctowl combined, just as Jeri had. "Is that..."
"Henry,"
Henry nodded. "Yeah," he answered Terriermon, "we have to learn how to do that."
Ryo glanced at Cyberdramon, wondering if he could ever do that. All those years, he thought, a bit jealously, and two girls beat me to it. Great, he told himself. I'm jealous and sexist. His father patted him reassuringly on the shoulder, as if to say yeah, me too.
--
The serpentine guardian watched the transformation. Those two would have to be dealt with first, it decided, before pulling back. It had much to plan
--
The white and gold-clad Valkyrimon shot upwards towards the battle. 'Inside', Hitomi marvelled at the feeling of flight, and knew that the part of Valkyrimon that was Noctowl was exulting in the first chance ever to share how flying really felt. They shared no words, instead just knowing what the other parts of Valkyrimon were thinking. And Hitomi could see...
She could see Jeri inside of Ancient Garurumon, still wracked with grief, funneling that into Ancient Garurumon's attacks. See Gabumon's fury over the senseless loss of two decent beings. And she could see how the two were slowly losing themselves in the same way Takato and Guilmon must have..."Jeri, stop!"
Ancient Garurumon didn't recognize the voice; a frost-rimmed claymore swung out, parried by Valkyrimon's own silvery blade. A savage kick forced Beelzemon away, freeing the massive wolf digimon's other hand to hurl a blast of ice at Valkyrimon. This too was parried, but it left Valkyrimon open for a flame blast from Beelzemon.
Valkyrimon's scream of pain penetrated Ancient Garurumon's mental fog. "H...Hitomi...," Gabumon and Jeri's voice asked. The digimon's eyes went wide. "No!" Ancient Garurumon flew down, catching the falling Valkyrimon. "Hitomi, how...?"
"The same way you did," Valkyrimon replied. "I think...we think we know how to stop Beelzemon. But we have to get him on the ground."
Ancient Garurumon nodded. The two flew up, circling Beelzemon. "ABSOLUTE ZERO!"
Valkyrimon drew a bow, nocked a pair of arrows. "Auvandaril's Arrow!"
The wall of ice struck Beelzemon, freezing him solid, leaving him hovering in midair for a second. The two arrows Valkyrimon fired shattered the ice and punched through Beelzemon's wings, dropping him to the ground and pinning him for a second. With a howl, Ancient Garurumon dropped down from the sky, his full weight striking Beelzemon in the chest. He howled in agony as the massive digimon rolled off. Unable to move, he struggle dfeebly as Valkyrimon hovered over him.
Valkyrimon, face unreadable, stared down at Beelzemon, then took a breath, arms crossed. Flinging them wide, Valkyrimon cried 'Heimdall's Summons!" A bird-shaped field of energy came out of Valkyrimon, and dove into Beelzemon. Beelzemon screamed again, glowed purple and crimson, and...vanished. Valkyrimon did, a second later, three trails of energy flying down. Seconds later, they resolved into Eevee, Noctowl, and Hitomi, who knelt down, sobbing.
Ancient Garurumon landed, glowed, and split back into Gabumon and Jeri, who ran over. On nearing Hitomi, she saw, to her amazement, Takato, Calumon, and...Unown. "Takato, she gasped. "Hitomi, you...what's wrong?"
"I...I couldn't find him," Hitomi answered, eyes red. "I went inside, but I couldn't find Guilmon!"
--
Next Episode -Drained and battered, the digidestined must deal with Azulongmon, driven mad by the mysterious force that has gripped the Digital World. But with Hitomi and Jeri too weak to fight, it falls to Henry and Rika to defend them and a near-comatose Takato.
Digicross Tamers 30: 'Burst Shot'