DISCLAIMER: I don't own Digimon or any video games, books, films, TV shows or pieces of music referenced in this story. Original characters owned by me are stated in my profile.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Unity
Sunday 14th November – 7:42a.m.
Forest Level, Sage's Valley
"You got everything, Goggles?" Rika asked as she adjusted the pack of food on her back.
"Uh, let's see…food, D-Arc, cards, Guilmon, goggles…yeah, I think that's it."
"In that case, let us leave as soon as possible," Sage suggested as he led the two children and the Digimon down the long path leading from his enormous tree-house. "You shall have to move quickly if you are to reach the gate to the Swamp Level in time to assist your friends."
The group walked on in silence for a while until they reached the fissure in the rock that marked the exit from Sage's idyllic valley. A tunnel stretched a few dozen metres back from the fissure, a thirty-foot high door made of smooth grey stone visible at the far end. As they reached the entrance to the tunnel, Sage motioned for them to stop, stepping forward and launching into a series of complex gestures as a green light gathered around his hands. The hooded Digimon finished his strange ritual with a flourish, the colossal door flashing briefly green as he did so. The door split in half down the middle, the two halves swinging lazily open without a sound to reveal a beautiful view over a vast expanse of thick woodland.
"Wow…" Guilmon sighed as he gazed longingly out at the Forest Level. "Pretty…"
"Beware the beauty of the beast," Sage warned the little red dinosaur. "The forest holds many dangerous Digimon, but you should be safe if you stick to the path I told you about."
"Thanks for everything, Sage," Takato said with a smile. "If it wasn't for you…"
"Oh, don't mention it. By the way, feel free to return here with your friends if you need to. Odds are they'll be exhausted after their time on the run."
"We may have to take you up on that," Rika remarked with a smirk. "The Dimwit Duo have about as much stamina as a pair of sloths. Let's go, Gogglehead."
"Oh, before you go, there is one last thing I have to tell you," Sage declared with a clap of his hands. "Your bond with your partner is your greatest weapon – do not be afraid to use it. In battle, try to lose yourself in that bond. You will gain power greater than anything you could imagine."
"Uh, okay…" Takato said hesitantly, obviously confused by the strange Digimon's cryptic words. "What do you mean 'lose ourselves'?"
"You will know when the time comes."
Sensing that he wasn't going to get anything else out of their host, Takato quickly swiped a Digivolution card and climbed onto his gargantuan partner's back. Rika quickly joined him, and the enormous dinosaur set off down the long tunnel at a lumbering jog. They emerged into the daylight a few seconds later, the doors closing behind them with a surprisingly quiet thud. After a few minutes, the trio reached a fork in the road.
"Uh, Rika?" Takato began, turning around with a sheepish grin. "Did Sage say to go left or right at the fork?"
"Gogglehead…"
Swamp Level – 8:23a.m.
The Tamers' camp in the isolated swamp cave was bustling with nervous activity. The children were busy packing away their camping equipment, their workload much lighter than usual due to the lack of a fire the previous night. At Henry's suggestion, they had decided not to risk a campfire as the smoke and light would be clearly visible to their pursuers. The mood in the camp was tense, with everyone's minds being occupied with thoughts of the coming battle.
"You nervous?" Cam asked as he sat down next to Henry.
"A little, I guess," the blue-haired Tamer replied honestly.
"Same here. It's weird – I've never really felt like this about a fight before…"
"It is probably because the fights we are involved in are not usually planned in advance," Gaomon suggested as he struggled to force a sleeping bag into a backpack. "This time we know there is going to be a battle. Add to that the fact that we actually have a plan…"
"You guys worry too much!" Terriermon laughed and began flexing his biceps. "We can take these bugs no problem. They'll never know what hit 'em!"
"Yeah," Kazu agreed. "Our plan is totally airtight. I can't wait to kick some digital ass!"
"Henry," Terriermon began in a sing-song voice. "Is it wrong that I want to disprove my own argument just because Kazu agreed with it?"
"Terriermon…"
"We're almost ready to move out, you guys!" Ryo called out to Jeri, Kenta and their partners, who were currently stood a short distance away from the cave entrance.
"Okay, we'll be with you in a minute," Jeri replied, turning back to her boyfriend with a worried frown.
"Don't look like that," Kenta said with a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine, really. I'm gonna have Cyberdramon and Guardromon right beside me, and you and Leomon will have my back."
"Pipipuhpi!"
"I know, it's just…" the girl mumbled quietly, a small blush working across her face as Kenta took her hands in his.
"I'll be fine. I promise."
"Hey, get a move on chumley! What's keeping ya?" Kazu shouted from the cave mouth.
"Just a minute!" Kenta called in reply, mentally thanking Leomon for interposing himself between the couple and the cave mouth. Not quite ready to tell everyone about us yet…
"We really do need to go, don't we?" Jeri sighed quietly, leaning forwards to give her boyfriend a quick peck on the cheek. "Be careful."
"Y-you too," the boy mumbled as his own face flushed crimson.
The Tamers and their Digimon split into two groups immediately, the "bait" party going ahead while the ambushers followed discreetly in the treetops. They stayed apart during their rest stops, and didn't even risk talking about their plan in case they were overheard by Zhuqiaomon's insect horde. After a couple of hours of walking, they were finally spotted by one of their enemies' search teams.
"Commander JewelBeemon!" a six-foot long, pale green dragonfly called in a high-pitched, nasal voice. "Command-"
"What is it?" a haughty, imperious voice interrupted in an irritated tone. "This had better be important, commoner…"
JewelBeemon was an oddly majestic figure – an elegant, bipedal beetle-type creature covered with a thick green carapace. The vulnerable joints of the carapace were protected by rings of red metal, each ring inscribed with a phrase in Digi-code. A series of oval-shaped yellow gems studded his armour, ranging from an inch across to over a foot. His arms were tipped with enormous scythe-like talons, an armour-clad hand protruding from the underside of each talon. In one hand he held a long-handled spear with a barbed point made of red metal. Four iridescent silver-white wings extended from his back, a mane of bristly white hair concealing the joints.
"Forgive my intrusion noble one, but we have found some of the humans!" Yanmamon chattered as he lowered his gaze to the floor.
"Some of the humans?"
"They appear to have split into two groups of three humans and three Digimon each. The location of the other group is still unknown. Shall I reassign some of our defence forces to attack them?"
"Hmmm…" JewelBeemon grunted as he took on a thoughtful expression. "No! This could be a trick to weaken our defences. Reassign our search parties to take part in the attack. And have an Okuwamon lead them!"
"B-but sire…"
"Do not question me! The human Ryo is known to be an excellent tactician. He would not be foolish enough to allow them to divide their forces. I predict that this is a ruse designed to lure our forces into some form of trap. And there is little point in searching for them when we already know where they are going."
"But why not turn their ambush into one of our own?" the insectoid aide suggested. "We could have a trap ready to spring after they have revealed themselves."
"No. Better to let them think that their plan has worked, and then set a trap at the gate. Besides, I need a way to get rid of one of the Okuwamon. Those self-obsessed barbarians are starting to get on my nerves…"
11:02p.m.
"Man, this bites…" Kazu grumbled as he waded through the filthy water of the swamp. "I mean, the boredom is bad enough, but the smell? That's just adding insult to injury."
"Kazu?" Cyberdramon growled, making the boy jump. "Shut up."
The visor-wearing Tamer did not shut up, instead opting for muttering under his breath about how everyone was out to get him recently. His ranting quickly began to annoy even Kenta, who had years of experience in tuning his best friend out. Eventually, the green-haired boy came up with a way to get him to shut up and was about to put his plan into action when a crazed, nasal voice called out from the group's left.
"Destructive Impulse!"
A beam of blood-red energy suddenly tore through the swamp, incinerating several trees as it bore down on the Tamers and their Digimon. MarineAngemon acted quickly, erecting a pink, heart-shaped shield around the group just in time to absorb the attack. The impact still sent a wave of pressure and heat radiating outwards, boiling countless gallons of swamp water and sending even more spraying into the air.
"Kill them!" the voice roared again. "Kill the abominations in the name of Lord Zhuqiaomon!"
As the steam and mist cleared, the Tamers finally caught sight of their attacker – the enormous, grey stag beetle they had seen before. It was not alone – four vivid red Kuwagamon and eight green, mantis-like Snimon accompanied the Ultimate-level Digimon.
"This isn't gonna end well…" Kenta mumbled as MarineAngemon dropped his shield and the swarm of Champions flew towards them.
"Maybe not for them," Kazu laughed as he swiped a blue card. "Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution activate!"
"Guardromon Digivolve to…Andromon!"
The silver android leapt at the nearest Snimon, his arm morphing into an energy blade projector as he began to duel with the vicious green Digimon. While he was distracted, one of the Kuwagamon and two more of the Snimon started to circle around him, trying to get an attack in against his exposed flanks or rear.
"Winning Knuckle!" MachGaogamon roared as he flew from a nearby treetop at breakneck speed, slamming his fist into the Kuwagamon and sending it crashing into a tree so hard the unhealthy-looking plant broke like a matchstick. A second Winning Knuckle attack crushed the injured insect's head like a paper cup, a spray of green ichor staining the wolf's fur.
"Miracle Missile!" Rapidmon cheered as he emerged from the same treetop and blew away one of the Snimon in a storm of rocket fire, badly stunning its two allies.
A pair of Kuwagamon broke off their charges and flew towards the two newcomers, only to be intercepted by two more new arrivals. Leomon leapt from another treetop onto the first stag beetle's back, incinerating one of its wings with a Fist of the Beast King attack as he was still in mid-air. As he landed, he buried his sword in the vulnerable neck joint of the Digimon's carapace, drawing a gurgling shriek from the insect. He wrenched the blade free with a grunt of effort, practically decapitating his opponent who quickly dissolved into data. The second Kuwagamon flew straight into a Power Paw attack from Renamon, who hit it in the face so hard she snapped one of its mandibles clean off. A well-aimed Diamond Storm coated the unarmoured inside of its mouth with crystals which exploded a second later, tearing the beetle's head to bloody ribbons.
Meanwhile, Cyberdramon had chosen to challenge the toughest target available, tackling Okuwamon to the ground with a feral roar. The enormous beetle swung his head to the side, striking his attacker in the skull with his right mandible and stunning him momentarily. The dragon snarled in pain as Okuwamon's jaws closed around his abdomen, piercing the armour and drawing blood. With a roar of pure rage, Cyberdramon kicked out with his left knee, shattering the beetle's jaw and causing one side of his mouth to go slack. Taking advantage of the opening, the cyborg quickly slipped free of his opponent's injured mouth, planting a vicious backward kick on Okuwamon's forehead as he leapt into the air. The insect lurched backwards, regaining his balance and launching into the air in pursuit of his foe, a series of slurred, incomprehensible insults tearing from his mutilated mouth.
"Digi-Modify! Hyper Speed activate!" Ryo called as he slashed a card, seeing his partner's plan.
Cyberdramon accelerated away from his attacker until there was a fair amount of distance between them, then spun around and dove towards the insect faster than the eye could follow. As he thundered past his foe, the dragon lashed out with his right arm with a cry of "Cyber Nail!", his claws shredding Okuwamon's carapace like paper. As a shriek of pain left the insectoid Digimon's lips, Cyberdramon's plan became apparent. Using the friction between his claws and his opponent's carapace, he decelerated suddenly and whipped his armoured form around so that he was behind the wounded insect. The dragon slashed his left arm at Okuwamon's back, his roar of "Desolation Claw!" sending a wave of iridescent energy flying from his claws to slice through the soft, exposed flesh below his wings. A horrifying scream tore itself from the beetle's mutilated mouth as he was eviscerated – a scream that was quickly silenced as Cyberdramon decapitated him with two quick blows from his claws.
By the time the dragon was finished absorbing his fallen foe's data, the battle was practically over. With the help of a Power card from his Tamer, Andromon sliced a pair of Snimon in half with a single blow from his Lightning Blade. Rapidmon and MachGaogamon teamed up against the final mantis, the wolf throwing their foe into the air with a bone-shattering uppercut as the rabbit fired a Tri-beam at empty space above the insect. There was a sickening sizzling sound as the Snimon was consumed by the energy beam, accompanied by the odd aroma of burning hair. A shout of "Kahuna Waves!" from MarineAngemon immobilized the last Kuwagamon, encasing the end of each of its limbs in heart-shaped bubbles that left it easy prey for Leomon and Renamon. The pair dispatched the beetle easily, amputating the beetle's limbs with surgical precision as the oddly-inappropriate restraints began to contract, crushing Kuwagamon's claws in their vice-like grip. As the last of its limbs fell to the ground and dissolved into data, Leomon launched a fireball into the insect's open mouth with a roar of "Fist of the Beast King!", blowing out the back of its skull in a spray of ichor.
"That went well," Leomon noted as he sheathed his sword and reached up to a nearby tree to help his Tamer down.
"Speak for yourself," MachGaogamon growled as he glared at his fur in disgust. "You didn't get bug blood all over your fur!"
"And they say it's cats who are meant to be OCD about being clean…" Rapidmon chuckled, dodging a half-hearted Howling Cannon attack from the canine.
"One day I am going to break you, little rabbit!"
"We're all waiting for that day with bated breath," Henry remarked as he climbed down from his tree. "Thanks for the help, by the way!"
"What? You need the exercise!"
"Rapidmon…"
"It just doesn't have the same ring to it!" Cam complained with a grin. "Anyway, we should get moving. We need to 'Strike while the iron is hot!' and all that crap. How long will it take to get to the portal?"
"About an hour, I think. Maybe a little more," Ryo replied as he took up his customary position on Cyberdramon's shoulder. "We should stay alert. The enemy might send out their forces to intercept us before we reach their defence line."
"What's left of it, you mean!" Kazu laughed.
Forest Level – 11:22a.m.
"Hey, Rika," Takato began as he turned to the redhead sat behind him atop Growlmon's back. "What do you think Sage meant when he said we should 'lose ourselves' in our bonds with our partners?"
The girl pondered the question for several seconds before she spoke. "I don't know. I mean, I might be able to get lost or whatever in my telepathic link with Renamon, but you…"
"Hmmm…what about you, Growlmon? Any ideas?"
"Nope," the saurian replied with a small shake of his head. "But remember what Sagemon said! We'll know what to do when we get there."
"Yeah, maybe you're right, boy. I mean, he did seem to know what he was talking about."
The trio lapsed into silence for a few minutes, content to merely enjoy their beautiful surroundings. Growlmon eventually spoke up as a thought occurred to him.
"I bet you can't wait until we get back to the others, Rika!" the dinosaur chattered idly. "You haven't seen Renamon for more than a whole day. I get sad when I don't see Takatomon for a few hours because he's at school…"
"Hmmm…" the redhead sighed in reply, her thoughts directing themselves towards her partner.
I wonder what's been happening since we've been gone. I bet she's worried sick about me. At least I know nothing's happened to her – Sage would have told me if she'd been hurt or…worse.
"Rika?" Takato called hesitantly as he saw his friend's absent look. "You okay there?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about Renamon."
"Well, Guilmon was right. We'll be seeing her and the others soon and then we can get back on track for the Sovereign Level."
"Yeah," she nodded, keeping her next words to herself. But there are a couple of people I wouldn't mind not being reunited with…
Swamp Level – 12:06p.m.
"There they are," Cam whispered as he, Henry, Gaomon and Terriermon gazed down at the defence line around the portal from their vantage point atop a tall, spindly tree. The remnants of the insect horde were scattered around a large patch of swamp that was clear of trees for in a five hundred metre radius around the portal. The portal itself was a glowing blue translucent disc floating above a twenty-metre high ziggurat. "There really aren't many of them left."
"No, there aren't…" Gaomon muttered in a worried tone, a thoughtful frown crossing his features.
"Yeah, I mean, I know we're awesome and everything but we didn't thin their numbers that much…" Terriermon added.
"You think it's a trap?" the black-haired boy asked, matching his partner's worried expression.
"I don't see how it can be," Henry began with a shake of his head. "I can't see anywhere nearby for them to hide more forces and what would be the point of hiding further away? They'd just risk letting us escape before their reinforcements could arrive."
"Something still feels wrong," Gaomon replied with a low growl. "This is way too easy."
"We'll be careful, then," Terriermon reassured the canine as he began climbing back down the tree. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure we can take whatever they throw at us. There's a reason Zhuqiaomon is so scared of us!"
JewelBeemon remained perfectly still as the Tamers slashed their Matrix Digivolution cards and their partners began moving towards the defence lines as quickly and quietly as they could. He held his breath as Rapidmon roared past his treetop hiding place less than a metre away, creating a powerful gust of wind that nearly threw the insectoid general to the ground.
Careful… he admonished himself as he regained his balance. Can't afford to lose my balance. Using my prismatic armour like this takes enough effort without compensating for my own movement. Just wait until they go past, wait until they take the bait and then…
Cyberdramon leapt into the air and spread his wings, soaring towards one of the Snimon at the edge of the clearing. The dragon let out an exuberant roar as he decapitated his opponent with one slice of his claws, two more mantis Digimon disappearing in twin clouds of smoke and shrapnel as they were struck by Rapidmon and Andromon's missiles. A fourth Snimon was crushed like the insect it was by a high speed punch from MachGaogamon that sent green ichor spraying in every direction.
The prey is weak, Cyberdramon thought disdainfully as Leomon and Renamon despatched a Kuwagamon with a series of acrobatic attacks. Suddenly, a shudder ran down the dragon's spine and he dove to the side, avoiding a red-bladed spear that slammed into the ground where he had been stood less than a second before. Cyberdramon quickly pulled himself to his feet, turning to see a green-armoured insectoid warrior appear out of thin air, eight Okuwamon and more than forty Snimon and Kuwagamon shimmering into existence beside him.
The prey is the hunter…
A spark of confusion flooded Ryo's mind as his partner leapt to the side, narrowly dodging a spear that had appeared seemingly from nowhere. That confusion deepened as Cyberdramon let out a bestial roar and charged back towards the treeline, turning to fear as Ryo saw his partner's targets.
JewelBeemon... he cursed mentally as he recognized the leader of the swarm. Now it makes sense! He must have used his prismatic armour to cloak the entire force and avoid detection.
"It's a trap!" the boy shouted in warning to the other Tamers, pointing back towards the enemy reinforcements. "They used JewelBeemon's armour to make themselves invisible!"
Ryo's warning came not a moment too soon as the insect horde began charging at the Tamers. Rapidmon and MachGaogamon broke off their attacks on the enemy decoys, moving to intercept the newcomers and unleashing a barrage of sonic cannon blasts and missile fire. Leomon began to make his way back to his Tamer's side a second later, leaving the bait to Andromon and Renamon.
Cyberdramon, meanwhile, made a beeline for the enemy commander. JewelBeemon leapt aside, dodging a Desolation Claw energy wave and summoning his spear with a wave of his right hand. The dragon was placed firmly on the defensive as the beetle launched into a series of elegant slashes and thrusts with his spear, forcing his opponent to grudgingly give ground. At some invisible signal from its leader, the horde of insects gave the duel a wide berth, leaving the two warriors to their battle.
"Digi-Modify! Power activate!" Cam called, slashing the card as his partner took aim with his arm cannon.
"Howling Cannon!" the werewolf roared, firing a wave of concentrated sonic energy that sent four Snimon and a Kuwagamon flying back toward the treeline. Two of the Snimon disintegrated into data as they were dashed against large rocks, the other three Digimon quickly getting back to their feet and resuming their charge.
"Double Scissor Claw!" a crazed voice shouted from MachGaogamon's left, and the blue-furred Digimon was forced to dodge suddenly to the right to avoid a massive pair of grey, bladed pincers.
This isn't good, the canine thought as he dodged another attack, darting between his enormous enemy's legs and unleashing a pair of Winning Knuckle attacks that took its legs out from under it. He leapt into the air, preparing to finish the stag beetle with a diving punch, but was knocked to the ground by a surprise slash from a Kuwagamon's claws.
"Power Guillo-"
"Winning Knuckles!" MachGaogamon roared, putting his fist through the red beetle's skull as it moved in to decapitate him with its fearsome pincers. "You're next!" he growled as the Okuwamon stomped slowly towards him.
Rapidmon jinked to the left, narrowly avoiding a beam of crimson energy fired at him by an Okuwamon only to place himself in the crosshairs of a trio of Snimon. The three mantises each unleashed a pair of pink, crescent-shaped waves of energy at the cyborg who launched into a barrel roll, arcing up and to his right as the attacks sailed underneath him.
"Miracle Missile!" the rabbit called out, unleashing a storm of rocket fire that reduced the three insects to a fine green paste. "Rapid Fire!" he called out and fired a pair of snap-shots at a Kuwagamon as it moved to intercept him, the missiles blowing craters in the stag beetle's head and chest.
"Destructive Impulse!" the Okuwamon called as it fired another beam of crimson energy at Rapidmon, this time clipping his shoulder as he tried to recover from his barrel roll. The rabbit was sent spiralling out of control with a loud curse, slamming into the ground and skidding painfully on his left side for over a dozen metres. Rapidmon yelped in pain as he clipped a rock and was catapulted several feet into the air, his thrusters firing in a desperate attempt to regain control of his flight. All that the cyborg succeeded in doing was slowing himself down enough to provide an easy target for Okuwamon, who headbutted him fiercely with a roar of "Beetle Horn Attack!"
This is not my day… the rabbit thought as he slammed into a rather unhealthy-looking tree, snapping it clean in two with his armoured face.
Forest Level
"We're here!" Takato cheered as they came upon the shores of a small lake, a glowing blue translucent disk of energy floating on a small island at the centre of the water. A strip of land several metres wide connected the shore to the portal, which looked to be over three stories in diameter.
"Come on!" Rika snapped as she climbed off of Growlmon and set off towards the portal at a run. "The fight will have started by now – they don't stand a chance without us!"
The boy nodded in agreement, sliding off of his partner's back as he drew a card from the holder at his belt.
"You ready for this, boy?" Takato asked as he ran towards the portal.
"Ready, Takatomon!" the dinosaur growled in reply.
"Great – 'cause we're gonna kick their butts!" the brown-haired Tamer cheered. "They made a big mistake when they picked a fight with our friends. Now they gotta deal with us!"
"Nothing can beat us when we fight together!" Growlmon roared exuberantly. "Without you, I'd be just another Digimon, but with you I can take on the whole Digital World!"
As the words left his partner's mouth, a wave of indescribable sensations washed over Takato. His vision blurred and refocused, the view through Growlmon's eyes overlaid on the vision from his own. He could feel the pounding of the saurian's clawed feet against the ground as if they were his own, feel the fire burning inside him so strongly the boy felt he could breathe fire himself if he merely willed it. The card in his hand flashed blue and he slashed it as they leapt through the portal
"Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution activate!"
Swamp Level
Cyberdramon let out a snarl of pain as he failed to dodge yet another of JewelBeemon's attacks, the beetle's spear carving a long furrow through both armour and flesh. A worthy foe, the dragon thought with an odd sense of joy. I will enjoy this battle, no matter the outcome.
Cyberdramon parried another thrust of his opponent's spear with a sweep of his right hand, contorting his body and lunging forward with his left in an attempt to decapitate the insect. JewelBeemon jerked out of the way of the cyborg's razor-sharp claws and lashed out with his own taloned forearm, scoring a shallow groove in his attacker's chest armour. The two combatants broke apart for a few seconds, each searching for a weakness in the other's defences. As they were about to begin their duel anew, a boy's voice called out confidently.
"Digi-Modify! Hyper Sp-"
"NO!" Cyberdramon roared, interrupting his Tamer. "You have no part in this! I will defeat the prey alone or not at all."
"But Cyberdramon, he's too fast for y-"
"Then I shall fall to a superior predator!" the dragon roared and leapt at JewelBeemon with claws outstretched. "Cyber Nail! Cyber Nail! CYBER NAIL!"
The insect reacted to the berserk series of attacks with near-impossible speed, blocking those few which he could not dodge. Only one of Cyberdramon's attacks actually struck its target, his claws carving a series of deep scratches in the beetle's armoured face. JewelBeemon let out a roar of rage and lashed out with his spear as green ichor sprayed from his cheek, the blade striking home with an ear-piercing screech.
Ryo let out a roar of denial as his partner fell from the sky, JewelBeemon's spear protruding from his chest just below his right shoulder. The dragon hit the ground with an earth-shaking thud that kicked up a cloud of dust over ten metres wide. As the dust settled, JewelBeemon summoned his spear back to him with a wave of his hand, the blade tearing free in a spray of crimson blood.
"You were a worthy foe," the insect conceded and bowed in mid-air. "But you were a fool to refuse aid where it was offered. Goodbye, Cyberdramon."
"Finally!"Renamon growled to herself as the last of the Snimon decoys fell to her Power Paw attack. She turned and began to make her way quickly toward the main battle, Andromon close behind her. Now we can get to the real-
The kitsune gasped in shock and fell to her knees as she felt a presence tugging at her mind. A wave of emotions and sensations other than her own washed over the Digimon as a connection was established with her mind – emotions and sensations that quickly receded as a familiar voice spoke out within her mind.
"Renamon?"
"Rika!" Renamon's jubilant voice came through the newly-restored mental link. "Are you okay? What happened to you?"
"I'll explain later," she promised the kitsune as she drew a card that quickly flashed blue. "But first, are you ready to do some exterminating?"
"More than you could ever imagine."
Rapidmon let out a long groan as he fell to the floor, a long groove melted across his chest where he had been struck by an Okuwamon's energy beam attack. The stag beetle had snuck up on him while he had been moving in for an attack run on a Kuwagamon, and only his cat-like reflexes had saved him from being torn in two by the sneak attack. The rabbit leapt back into the air with another groan and took aim with his arm-mounted missile launchers, only to be knocked back to the ground by a volley of crescent-shaped energy waves fired by a quartet of Snimon.
"No fair!" he complained as his Tamer slashed a Seed of Health and a Target Lock card. "Rapid Fire!"
The Snimon were quickly shredded as they were each struck by one of Rapidmon's guided missiles. The cyborg leapt into the air as the Okuwamon moved in again, barely dodging a pair of slashing claws as they arced towards his head. He fired off another volley of missiles, only for the grey beetle to knock them out of the air with another swipe of its claws.
"Destructive Impulse!" the Okuwamon shrieked in reply, firing a beam of crimson energy at point blank range. Rapidmon dodged to his right – the only direction available to him thanks to an unfortunately-placed tree – and was met by a ferocious sweep of his opponent's claws that sent him crashing straight through said tree. The rabbit landed with a grunt of pain, letting out another grunt as the Okuwamon pounced on him, pinning him to the ground with one of its enormous clawed forelegs. Rapidmon vaguely heard Henry calling his name in horror as his foe began to speak.
"For the Sovereign!" Okuwamon spat, an approximation of a feral grin splitting its features as it raised its claws for the death blow.
A grin that quickly morphed into a look of shock and horror as the beetle was engulfed in a blazing torrent of crimson energy. A tortured scream tore from the insect's mouth as the energy beam disintegrated hard armour and soft flesh, tearing them away like layers of an onion until there was nothing left but data. Rapidmon lay there in shock for several seconds before his senses returned to him.
That looked like… he thought groggily as he looked around to the source of the attack, his confusion deepening as he tried to comprehend what he saw.
"Radiation Blade!" Takato and WarGrowlmon called out as one, the cybernetic dinosaur's arm blades beginning to glow with blue energy. The Digimon and his Tamer mirrored each other's actions perfectly, Takato lashing out with his left arm as WarGrowlmon did the same. A Kuwagamon let out an ear-piercing shriek as it was bisected by the attack, another of the beetles letting out a sickening gurgle as it was decapitated by the cyborg's right arm blade.
That's…that's impossible! Rapidmon gasped mentally. Is Takatomon…controlling WarGrowlmon? No, it's more like…like they're fighting with one mind.
"Can you stand?" WarGrowlmon asked him as he approached, the rabbit noting with interest that Takato did not speak with his partner.
"Yeah, I think so," Rapidmon replied as he rose slowly into the air, crashing back to the ground as one of his engines died with a spluttering cough. "Or maybe not…Henry? A little help here?"
"Digi-Modify! Seed of Health activate!" the boy shouted in reply, running over to his partner as white glow washed across his armour, sealing the cracks and tears. "Rapidmon, are you okay?"
"You think some big bug could take me down? I had him right where I wanted him!" the rabbit joked. "Thanks for the help, by the way."
"Yeah, we really owe you guys!" Henry added. "So, where did you come from? Is Rika okay?"
"She's fine and yes, she's here with us. No time to explain the rest," Takato replied.
"So, how did you take down an Okuwamon in one shot?" Rapidmon asked as he rolled his shoulders experimentally.
"We followed some sage advice…" Takato replied with a cheesy grin.
"Why do I get the feeling Takatomon just made a really bad pun?"
"Rapidmon…"
Leomon was in trouble and he knew it. When the enemy reinforcements had appeared, he had charged at the nearest group of Snimon and began laying into them. He had managed to take down five of them with help from MarineAngemon's protective shields before he ran into trouble – a trio of Kuwagamon had slipped behind him. The lion was forced onto the defensive, and even MarineAngemon's formidable shields could not protect him for long against the beetles' furious assault. As one of the Kuwagamon landed a solid blow on the shield-bubble, MarineAngemon let out a defeated sigh and collapsed into his Tamer's arms, the heart-shaped bubble disappearing with an audible 'pop'. Jeri could only watch on in horror as her partner was knocked to the ground by the enormous insects, his sword flying from his grasp and leaving him unable to defend against the assault.
Oh, gods…please don't let him die! Please don't let him-
"Talisman of Light!" a voice roared and the three Kuwagamon looked up just in time to see a beam of brilliant white light tearing towards them. It was the last thing they ever saw.
"What the…?" Jeri mumbled in shock as she turned to see Taomon hovering in mid-air a few metres away.
"You didn't think I'd miss this fight, did you?" a voice called out from behind the girl and she turned again, an overwhelming sense of joy flooding her as she recognized the speaker.
"RIKA!" Jeri squealed and enveloped the taller girl in a crushing hug, ignoring her growled protests. "I can't believe you're okay! When you got sucked into the data stream, we thought…"
"Nice to know you have so much confidence in my abilities," the redhead grumbled and shook the brunette off.
"Digi-Modify! Rock Armour activate!" Ryo shouted in desperation as JewelBeemon's spear descended towards his partner's vulnerable neck. The fiery red blade glanced off of the newly-petrified flesh and the insect turned to the boy with a look of pure rage. That's nothing compared to what Cyberdramon's probably feeling… Ryo thought with a wince.
Before JewelBeemon could speak, a loud crack resounded across the battlefield. The stone prison around Cyberdramon began to quiver as fissures appeared in its surface, a deafening roar assaulting the ears of all nearby as the shell shattered, releasing its furious captive. The dragon fixed his Tamer with a furious glare as he stomped across the clearing towards him.
"I told you not to interfere…" he growled, the boy merely glaring back unafraid. "This is my perfect battle! My worthy opponent!"
"Yeah, and I don't care," Ryo snorted and clenched his fists. "Don't you get it yet? Not after all these months? We're partners! Let me help you!"
"I don't need your help!"
"No, you don't want it. There's a difference," Ryo snapped, then switched to a pleading tone. "Cyberdramon, please. I…I don't want to lose you. Let me help you fight, help you become stronger. We're a team."
"ENOUGH!" JewelBeemon roared and brandished his spear. "If your human cannot control himself, I shall have to remove him from this battle!"
The beetle leapt into the air, flying towards Ryo with his spear pointed at the boy's heart. Cyberdramon span around and lashed out with his claws, splintering the wooden haft of the spear like a matchstick and sending its wielder crashing to the ground.
"Do not. Touch. My Tamer!" the dragon roared and leapt into the battle with renewed fury.
"ATTACK!" Takato and WarGrowlmon roared as one as the dinosaur, along with Rapidmon, Andromon and MachGaogamon, charged headlong into a cluster of insect Digimon led by four Okuwamon. Cam, Kazu, Andromon and MachGaogamon had regrouped with the other two boys and their partners after they had helped take down the Okuwamon the werewolf was struggling against. After a brief explanation from Takato of the source of his newfound power, the trio of Tamers and Digimon had launched back into the fight with new vigour.
A volley of pink energy waves and red energy beams tore out from the insect horde towards the advancing Digimon. Rapidmon and MachGaogamon dodged the attacks with incredible agility, while WarGrowlmon simply allowed most of them to glance off of his thick armour. The enormous dinosaur planted his feet firmly against the ground, a red glow gathering around the barrels of his chest cannons as he took aim at the centre of the enemy formation.
"Atomic Blaster!" he and his Tamer roared in unison, sending twin beams of red energy thundering towards the enemy lines. The attack cut a swathe through the insects, incinerating half a dozen Snimon and a pair of Kuwagamon, the Okuwamon somehow managing to avoid the energy beams.
The volume of fire coming from the enemy lines was reduced slightly, but Rapidmon still had to struggle to dodge the mass of energy blasts. Without Henry's assistance he would have never had a chance. The boy's movements were much less exaggerated than Takato's, a twitch of his eyes all that was necessary to initiate a jink or roll. Through excellent planning or sheer luck, one of the volleys that tore outward from the insect horde left Rapidmon no room to dodge either upwards or to his sides. The two partners spotted the solution to their dilemma simultaneously and as Henry flicked his eyes toward the floor, Rapidmon rolled 180 degrees and jinked down toward the floor, gunning his engines as he did so.
The rabbit slammed into the ground, passing under the volley of fire with engines screaming as he skidded along on his back at insane speed. As Rapidmon streaked past the frontline of Snimon (showering them with mud as he passed) he spread his arms out to his sides and pressed his feet together, a glowing red point of energy appearing at the end of his arms and feet.
"Tri-Beam!" he and Henry called out, the points joining together and emitting a triangular beam of pale scarlet energy as Rapidmon passed between the legs of a confused Okuwamon.
The stag beetle screamed in pain as the energy beam slammed into its underbelly, tearing through the hard exoskeleton and flash-frying the soft innards. The eviscerated insect fell to its knees with a last gurgling groan before disintegrating into data as Rapidmon soared into the sky above the horde.
MachGaogamon, meanwhile, was more concerned with taking down the smaller members of the enemy force. With a brief hand-flick from his Tamer he rotated his engine nozzles, sending him arcing towards the enemy force's left flank. The werewolf turned sharply as he drew level with the enemy frontlines and activated his arm cannons.
"Howling Cannon!" Cam and MachGaogamon howled as one, a sonic wave blasting from the twin barrels and tearing into the enemy force. Half a dozen Snimon simply shattered into data, while several more were sent flying several metres through the air. The werewolf executed another high-speed turn, flying straight at a Kuwagamon.
"Winning Knuckle!"
"Talisman Star!" Taomon called, summoning an oversized throwing star made up of mystical red symbols and throwing it in a boomerang arc. The star tore through a pair of Snimon and sliced one of the pincers from a Kuwagamon before returning to the kitsune's hand.
"Beast Sword!" Leomon roared and lashed out with his flame-coated blade, removing the wounded beetle's legs before plunging his sword straight through its skull.
"Good job Leomon!" Jeri cheered, receiving a small smile from her partner in response. Rika merely gave Taomon a brief nod, the vulpine Digimon not needing anything else in the way of praise.
The two Digimon and their Tamers (along with Kenta and MarineAngemon) were protecting the flank of their friends who were involved in the main battle closer to the portal. So far their job had been relatively easy, with only a handful of the enemy's weaker troops trying to break through the defence lines and outflank the Tamers' main force.
That was about to change.
"Destructive Impulse!" two crazed voices roared in unison, a pair of red energy beams slamming into Taomon's hastily-erected shield. The kitsune and her allies turned to see a pair of Okuwamon charging towards them with a deafening battle cry.
"Thousand Spells!" Taomon cried in desperation, using her spell papers to try and web the beetles' legs together. They were undaunted by the attack, however, their enormously powerful leg muscles snapping the magical cords like cheap string.
The Tamed Digimon had no further chance to attack before their opponents were upon them. Leomon was stunned and thrown to the ground by a vicious headbutt, while Taomon barely dodged a slice of the other beetle's claws. As the lion struggled to get back to his feet he was struck by a second attack that knocked him unconscious, leaving him vulnerable to his enemy's attacks. Taomon saw her comrade's predicament and leapt to his defence, summoning a shield around both of them as the Okuwamon moved in for the kill with his massive jaws. The beetle screeched in anger as its teeth met the transparent bubble and it began attacking the shield furiously. When the insect's companion realized that its own prey was also inside the shield it joined the attempt to breach the bubble.
"Leomon!" Jeri cried out in horror as the two Digimon were surrounded and trapped within the bubble.
"Come one…come on…" Rika muttered to herself as she searched desperately for a card that would help her partner. There has to be something I can do! I'm letting myself drop as far into my bond with her as I can, but nothing different is happening! She's not getting any stronger!
"Rika…" the pained voice of Taomon filtered through their mental link. "I cannot hold this shield…much longer…"
"Keep trying, Taomon!" the girl begged as she watched the shield bubble shrink in size. "I'll get help! You have to keep fighting, I can't lose you!"
"I do not think…there is anything more…that I can do…" the kitsune gasped. "The others are…too busy with their…own battles. This may be…the end f-"
"Don't talk like that!" the redhead interrupted, fighting to hold back her tears. "We can win if we work together! Why isn't Sage's stupid bond working? Our minds are linked more than anybody else here!"
"H-heart…" Taomon croaked as her shield shrank again and she fell to her knees. "Our hearts…"
"What?" Rika asked in confusion, her eyes widening in horror as the shield began to flicker.
"Goodbye, Rika…you…completed me…"
"TAOMON!"
Taomon's eyes snapped open as her partner's cry resounded across the battlefield. Her mind was flooded with anguish as her vision blurred and refocused, a second view appearing overlaid on her own like a reflection in clear glass. The kitsune felt new strength returning to her limbs as her shield solidified and stopped shrinking. Her eyes blazed with fire as a pair of spell papers appeared in her hands and began to glow white. A triumphant roar left the vixen's lips as she clapped her hands together above her head and allowed her shield to fall.
"TALISMAN SPELL!"
"TALISMAN SPELL!" Rika roared in unison with her partner, nearly making Jeri jump out of her skin. The redhead grinned as an enormous explosion of white light radiated outwards from her partner, seeing the event through both her own eyes and those of Taomon. The explosion catapulted the Okuwamon through the air like ragdolls, the beetles shattering trees and carving trenches in the mud as they landed.
"Rika, what are you…?" Jeri began, flinching as the girl turned to her with glowing eyes.
"We are one."
Ryo roared in ecstasy as he flew towards JewelBeemon, feeling the wind tearing at his wings and armoured body. Another roar left his lips as he felt his claws tearing through the insectoid commander's armour, ripping a long gash in his stomach.
They're not my claws… Ryo thought absent-mindedly as his vision momentarily reverted to the view from his own eyes, then shook his head and re-immersed himself in his bond with Cyberdramon. The prey is a challenge! How refreshing to have to work for my victory…
"Destructive Imp-OOF!" the Okuwamon roared as Taomon slammed her paintbrush into its head. The enormous beetle crashed to the ground as the kitsune deftly drew an ornate symbol in mid-air.
"Talisman of Light!" Taomon called, the symbol glowing white before unleashing a torrent of blinding light that incinerated the unfortunate insect.
"You will pay…" the remaining Okuwamon snarled as the vulpine Digimon turned to face him.
"In your dreams," she snarled in reply, summoning a pair of red throwing stars. "Talisman Star!"
Okuwamon dodged the first star, deflecting the second with a roar of triumph. A roar of "Thousand Spells!" and a series of sudden impacts between his shoulder blades told the beetle too late that the attacks had been a decoy and he fell to his knees, a mess of craters decorating the spot where his wings had once been.
"Nighty night, big boy!" Taomon chuckled as her Talisman Stars flew from her hands once again, decapitating the grey insect.
"Lightning Blade!" Andromon roared and lashed out with his energy blade, taking the legs out from under the last Okuwamon in the insect horde. The reverse stroke sliced the monster's skull in two as it fell to the ground, a scream of denial on its lips.
The android glanced around quickly, scanning the area for any enemies. When he detected none in the immediate vicinity, he deactivated his energy blade and looked to his Tamer. Kazu shook his head to try and return his vision to normal, sighing in relief as he did so. The boy had been a little overwhelmed by the view through his partner's eyes, unaccustomed as he was to walking around with a video game-style HUD overlaid on his vision displaying energy levels and speed.
"Why am I so tired?" Cam asked wearily as he slumped against a tree, MachGaogamon de-Digivolving and joining him a second later. "I feel like I just ran a marathon."
"Using the link like that…must require a lot…a lot of energy…" Henry gasped as he fought for breath.
"It is understandable, really," Andromon agreed with a nod. "Our partners were basically sending us energy straight from their own bodies. I would have been surprised if they weren't tired."
"I wouldn't relax yet," Rapidmon warned his friends, pointing high into the sky as he tried and failed to prevent himself from de-Digivolving. "Looks like Cyberdramon's making a new friend."
"Cyber Nail!" Ryo and Cyberdramon roared as one, the dragon slashing his claws through JewelBeemon's right wings and sending the beetle plummeting towards the ground. "Desolation Claw!" they roared a second later, unleashing a group of iridescent energy waves that slammed into the wounded insect in mid-air, tearing enormous gouges out of its armour and propelling it towards the ground even faster.
A piercing shriek rose from JewelBeemon as the energy waves tore through the armour on his right arm, severing it just below the shoulder. The scream was cut short as the beetle struck the ground, landing heavily on his right leg, which snapped like a dry twig under the impact. The commander of the devastated insect horde lay there twitching, struggling to rise to his feet as his opponent landed beside him.
"You have…defeated me…" JewelBeemon chuckled, quickly descending into hacking coughs that splattered the muddy ground with green ichor. "I am at…your mercy."
Cyberdramon stood over the broken insect for a few seconds, seeming to ponder his next course of action, before lashing out with his razor-sharp claws and ending the insect's torment.
"You were a worthy foe," he and his Tamer whispered as one.
"We're here!" Takato cheered as they came upon the shores of a small lake, a glowing blue translucent disk of energy floating on a small island at the centre of the water. A strip of land several metres wide connected the shore to the portal, which looked to be over three stories in diameter.