Chapter 32:
Castle Rush
October 5th 2019, Apollomon Valley.
A series of thunderous 'whumps' shook the earth. The ground erupted and shot up plumes of smoke, dirt and blood. Battle cries and gunfire rang across the battlefield.
Tanks from the U.S Marine Corps lined up on an elevated ground, pounding enemy forces. Armoured Personel Carriers drove forward, spewing out machine gun fire at hostile foot soldiers. The Marine Corps' air force reigned supreme in the sky, spitting lethal doses of hot lead and dropping bombs.
Standing in the middle of the hectic battle was Fort Mars, an Imperial citadel to protect the Imperium's home ground. Two thousand strong legionaires hold their ground while being completely surrounded by human-digimon forces.
Soaring through the sky was a small task force from the Royal Knights' Strike Force. At the lead of the detachment was Dukemon, casually sitting on Grani's back. The crimson and white knight peered down on the battlefield, observing the humans' progress.
"These Marines sure do know how to punch through enemy line." Commented Dukemon, returning his gaze back at the enemy fortress.
"Does that bother you, perhaps?" His loyal friend Grani questioned stoically.
Dukemon grabbed his holy shield and holy lance, standing up with a shrug, "Nope, I just like their play style, fits their whole "aggressive force" doctrine."
The robotic red bird chuckled, "They're called Devil Dogs for a reason."
The Royal Knight hummed in agreement, "You should've seen them during the beach landings. Now that was impressive!"
"I bet..."
Dukemon pressed up his left index against the side of his helmet, activating the built-in radio communication system.
"We're approaching the fort, we'll dive in the main courtyard and secure the gatehouse. Squad Alpha, you'll be with me in holding the courtyard while Squad Beta will take the gatehouse. Let's open the path for our Marine friends."
"Alpha copies!" Yelled a Master Sergeant RizeGreymon.
"Beta copies!" Affirmed a Sergeant-Chief Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode.
"Let's get to work, Grani!" The artificial lifeform nodded firmly and dove downwards.
Dukemon braced and steadied himself on Grani's back thanks to his magnetic boots. He lifted his Aegis shield, deflecting incoming enemy rounds while preparing to launch an attack, the golden triangles around his shield started to glow one by one.
"Final Elysion!" He shouted, the Aegis shot out a powerful holy beam, punching through enemy defenses.
The holy knight jumped off Grani's back and landed in the middle of the large courtyard with a small grunt.
Warm smoke lingered around him as Imperial soldiers were disoriented from the devastating attack. He stood back up, examinating his surroundings coldly, his crimson cape flowed hazily behind him.
Quickly he was the center of attention of numerous enemy troops, some stared at him in awe or fear while others eyed him with hatred.
"Don't just focking gawk at him! Attack!" Shouted a furious MetalGreymon, charging his weapon.
On command, dozens of legionaires opened fire or charged at him, fully intent on deleting the threat. A GeoGreymon charges head-on towards the Royal Knight, flanked by two Musyamon. Acting on his feet, he threw his shield at the charging dinosaur, the flying disk's force crushed the Greymon's head carapace and bounced off to the first demon samurai.
At the same time, Dukemon dodged the second samurai's upward slash. The Gram pierced the samurai's armour plates and shot a holy beam, destroying his digicore.
Dukemon spun around and crouched down, his shield flying back into his left hand in time to protect him from bullets while he charges up his attack.
"Royal Saber!"
The powerful beam slammed onto the dazed GeoGreymon but the dino was not defeated yet. A Crescemon appeared behind him, her Nova Luna ready to strike horizontally.
GeoGreymon was pissed and ready to ram into him, the other Musyamon was up and charged furiously, the Crescemon is about to cleave his head off and he is surrounded by multiple enemy soldiers firing on him.
"Where are the others?" He thought bitterly.
He sprung into action. He lifted the Aegis behind him, the massive shield covering his back, he shot his Gram towards the tall dino digimon. He fired a beam from the Gram, the holy projectile burned through GeoGreymon's naturally tough scales.
He rolled to his right, barely avoiding the samurai's sword thrust, the Crescemon cut out a piece of his flowing red cape.
He immediately put the Aegis in front of him, the shield already charged up. He smirked behind his helmet; two targets, one shot.
"Final Elysion!"
The holy fire slammed against the two digimon, engulfing the demon samurai and killing him while Crescemon was thrown away, knocked out.
A loud roar filled his ears, an intimidating shadow towered over his crouched body. GeoGreymon had managed to flank him without the latter noticing it. The subspecie Greymon had his mouth open, razor sharp teeth ready to chomp him in half.
"Shit..." Was his last thought.
"Rising Destroyer!"
A powerful round smashed though GeoGreymon's scales and flesh, tearing through the muscles and crushing bones. Blood showered on Dukemon as the digimon roared in agony before dropping lifelessly on the ground with a loud thud.
Dukemon sighed in relief and perked his head up, facing RizeGreymon who had a wide grin on his face.
"Took your sweet time, Rize."
"Aah, you seemed fine, sire, you don't need my babysitting." RizeGreymon chuckled.
"Admit it, you like dynamic entries." The Royal Knight pointed out playfully.
"Of course!" The cyborg digimon replied without shame, "They make me look badass."
Their friendly chat was cut short when a bullet grazed the Master Sergeant's helmet. RizeGreymon growled furiously and turned to his squad.
"Light 'em up, troops!"
"HAI!" They yelled in reply and charged into the fray.
Dukemon joined them, his eyes focused on the MetalGreymon leading the cohort of Imperial soldiers.
In the courtyard, Strike Forces and Imperial Forces clashed, exchaging deadly blows and strikes.
Meanwhile the Marines halted their advance, suppressing enemy troops taking cover in the keeps and behind the battlements. The infantry dismounted the armoured vehicles to add further volume of fire, overwhelming Imperial Forces with barrages of shells and volleys of lead.
Disembarking the LAV-C2, Captain Raymond, Gunnery-Sergeant Dukeman and First Lieutenant Sullivan walked cautiously behind the wall of Marines and armoured vehicles on stand-by.
Raymond took a glance at his wristwatch. They were five minutes early from schedule. He examined the battlefield around him. The tanks have shifted their focus on the incoming enemy cavalry unit, just as planned, they were ordered to stall the enemy reinforcements with Charlie company until Alpha and Bravo company can push in the fortress.
But now they are exposed to enemy fire with no solid cover for five whole minutes.
"The Strike Force better get that gate open." His XO commented, "We're sitting ducks here."
"I can see that, First Lieutenant..." Raymond replied in a low voice, "For now, we'll just have to hold our ground and get our asses low."
"Not like we had any choice to begin with." Dukeman added dreadfully.
They were about to make their way back into the LAV when suddenly Sullivan let a surprised grunt. He felt a force punching through his chest, crushing his ribcage and lungs. A pained gasp escaped his mouth as he hits the ground hard, barely breathing.
Both Raymond and Dukeman ducked on the grass and crawled to him.
His ears rung painfully but slowly his breathing came back, along with an intense pain on his chest. He saw Raymond's mouth moving but no words came out for awhile.
"ARE YOU ALRIGHT, SULLIVAN?" The executive officer in question meekly nodded, earning a laugh from the Captain. "Jesus Christ, you're one tough fucker."
On Sullivan's plate carrier was a fist size hole just near his heart. The hole was still smoking but the round didn't punch through the slab of kevlar. Dukeman helped him get on his feet, making the XO wheeze in pain.
"Shit..." Sullivan muttered, "I think I took your bullet, skipper." A tired smile decorated his face.
Raymond chuckled and gave a small pat on the lieutenant's helmet, "I'll buy you a beer later in the day."
"Gate's open, Captain!" Yelled a Lance Corporal.
The company commander simply gave a nod to Dukeman. "Alright, Marines! Get in there and give them HELL!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.
"OORAH!" They shouted back, their voices resonated clearly across the battlefield, making a certain white knight smirk behind his helmet.
The intense close quarters battle had diminished since their arrival, Squad Alpha had manage to push out the Imperial forces of the courtyard and were in the process of controlling the area. As for Squad Beta, they had already begun providing suppressive fire for the Marines to come.
"Master Sergeant!" He called out, catching the cyborg digimon's attention, "Secure the courtyard and stand-by to move out!" RizeGreymon gave him a firm nod.
A bullet suddenly struck Dukemon's right shoulder plate, a high pitched 'ping' resonated from the tiny piece of lead hitting Chrome Digizoid. The Royal Knight instinctively swirled to the side and brought his shield up front, bracing himself as more rounds started to pound his solid cover.
"Can't I have a break for ONCE?!" He thought irritatedly.
Risking a quick glance to the side of his Aegis shield, he spotted a group of Assaultmon, a Knightmon and a MetalGarurumon. Acting on his feet, Dukemon charges up his Gram lance, sparks of electricity ran through weapon, the very tip began to glow a faint blue hue. His battered red cape fluttered to an unseen wind; the Hazard knight narrowed his golden eyes, determined to win the fight.
"Duke Charge!" In a split second, the knight flew straight toward the squad of machine gun wielding digimon.
The Gram lifted, he aimed the tip for the armoured clad Knightmon - taking out his greatsword and shield – and mentally braced himself for the incoming impact.
Caught in distress, the Assaultmon spreaded out, leaving an ample space for the charging knight and their leader. Knightmon lifted his greatsword to the side, ready to slash the Royal Knight in half. But he was too slow.
The lance punched through the thick layers of Chrome Digizoid armour and tough flesh before letting out a painful electrical discharge. The stunned knight was sent flying across the courtyard, his back met the cyborg canine's muzzle.
A grunt escaped Dukemon's mouth, the force of the impact shot a stinging pain on his arm. However he didn't have the time to complain about pain.
He launch a Royal Saber attack to a tight group of Assaultmon, taking out half of the original group. The others, now out of their stunned phase, spat out volleys of rapid fire lead, prompting Dukemon to use his shield and stay on the defensive.
"Positron Laser!"
A large, bright energy beam swallowed the squad of Assaultmon, destroying them with one devastating shot. The shockwave from the blast lightly pushed Dukemon back. He glanced up from his shield, hesitant at first before seeing a familiar face, grinning at him.
"Second time we saved your ass, sir!" Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode pointed out with a smug, toothy grin.
"Yeah, yeah," Dukemon began, waving his right hand defensively, "I get it, Peri, I'll get you guys something after this."
"The Marines are here, sir." The ancient dragon reported dutifully, his face returning back to a neutral frown.
Light footsteps and shouts caught their attention. Behind the dragon, Dukemon could see Marines starting to flood in the courtyard, leaders were barking orders, the humans spreading out to cover as much ground as possible.
"Get your troops ready, Chief, we're taking the keep."
"Hai!" The dragon nodded and flew off to gather his squad.
A platoon of Marines approached Dukemon, the commander gave a formal salute to the white knight.
"Second Lieutenant Sparks, First platoon reporting for duty!" He announced loudly, his men halted behind him with high discipline.
"Stay behind us and watch our backs, lieutenant. It won't be an easy fight once we'll reach the keep." Dukemon told him, squad Beta was already ahead of him.
"Don't you worry, sir, we're always ready for a fight," Sparks then faced his platoon, "Retreat?"
"HELL!" They shouted back, their faces showed determination and eagerness.
Dukemon let a small grin slip on his face, admiring the humans' courage and commitment. The Royal Knight ordered squad Beta to move out, the Marines following behind them as they went on the stone road to the castle's keep.
Along the way, the combined detachment of Marines and Strike Forces were met with little resistance, scattered groups of legionaires were quickly taken down by the combined firepower.
Imperialdramon's attacks pounded the imperial barricades in front of the keep. Debris and digimon were flung out of cover, few of the legionaires would survive the initial bombardment before they were gunned down by the Marines.
"Stack up!" Sparks commanded.
The Marines marched up the steps and gathered into tight clusters of angry Jarheads. Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode bashed the wooden doors in with his head, the door flew in and turned into two deadly projectiles, smashing a couple of enemy troopers.
Squad Beta and Dukemon charged in first, meeting the dazed imperials in hand-to-hand combat. The Marines then rushed in, overwhelming the enemy with volleys of hot lead and grenades.
"Hostiles at the end of hall!" Sparks warned before ducking his head, bullets started to fly pass him.
He dashed behind a stone column and quickly reloaded his carbine. He took a M67 frag grenade and pulled the pin.
"One thousand one, two thousand two, three thousand three." He spun out of cover and threw the handgrenade at the end of hall.
The explosive hurled just over the Strike Forces and imperials and landed just beside the staircase, where a cluster of Commandramon stood still without noticing it. Then one saw it a second too late.
Screams of pain echoed in the loud hall, dust from the ceiling fell over them. Sparks pointed at one Sergeant then swiftly pointed one end of the hall, he repeated the same gesture at sergeant Flamedramon and pointed at the other end of the hall.
Surround them.
On command, the Marines circled the imperials, giving them no room to escape. Minutes later, the Strike Forces and their allies stood victorious with minimal casualties.
Bullet holes, burn marks and blood redecorated the keep's entrance hall. The Strike Forces panted heavily, their bodies beaten and exhausted. Dukemon's armour was bent in few places and lost its initial shine, now covered in mess and taint.
"Secure the ground floor, Chief, I'll go with the Marines to secure the upper levels." The Royal Knight instructed.
"As you wish, sir." The Sergeant-Chief replied.
"Corpsman! Corpsman!" Raymond shouted over the screams of a wounded Marine, applying a tourniquet over the gaping hole on the man's thigh.
A corpsman and another Marine ran up to them. The combat medic inspected the bandage applied by Raymond and gave a thumbs up. Together the captain and the corpsman pulled the wounded to his feet, keeping their heads low as incoming projectiles flew pass them.
The lance corporal groaned through the pain as he was being lifted up, his wound burning his thigh.
"Motherfucker!" He cussed angrily to suppress further pain.
Carrying him to nearby cover, something snapped near them; Raymond felt suddenly more weight pulling him and the Marine to the ground.
"Fuck!" He yelled as they hit the ground, the wounded screaming louder as more pain shot through his leg.
"AAAH, SON OF A BITCH!"
Raymond looked over the Marine, seeing the lifeless body of the corpsman, two holes smoked behind his body armour. Without a moment to spare, Raymond dragged the Marine the last few meters behind cover.
"Stay here, Marine! Don't you dare die on me!"
"I can still fight, captain!" The man replied through gritting teeth. Raymond smirked and gave him a pat on the helmet.
"Oorah, Marine. See you later."
The captain got to his feet and ran back to the fray. Seconds of lucky misses later, he slid his way behind Dukeman, bumping against the man to a halt.
"Where the fuck were you?" The gunnery sergeant asked with a scowl.
"Oh you know, to places." Raymond shot back sarcastically. He pulled out the spent mag and dumped it in the dump pouch on his side. "How's second platoon doing?"
"They've just captured the chapel. The Strike Forces should be able to push the imperial to the crossroads. Key word being "should"!" Dukeman added angrily.
"Late again?"
"As per usual, sir."
Peeking over his cover, Raymond shot a couple of rounds before he had to duck behind it again. Various projectiles whistled barely over his head. Dukeman threw out a frag grenade in the hopes of killing some legionaires.
The ground trembled after an enemy shell landed near them, throwing around three Marines off the ground, one of them hit the solid cobblestone street next to Dukeman, wheezing in pain.
The senior NCO grabbed the man and pulled him behind cover. As he performed first aid on the Marine, Raymond quickly got on his radio, contacting a nearby tank squadron.
"Dragon 4, this is-" A familiar hot sensation caught up in his throat.
He coughed dryly, black droplets stained his dirtied combat trousers. He cleared his throat and resumed to the call, "This is Alpha Pack, requesting armour support in Fubar Street, we've got foot mobiles and artillery units two hundred meters away from our position. I need you to push them to Juliet Square and waste those motherfuckers! How copy? Over."
"Dragon 4 copies, Alpha Pack. We're Oscar-Mike to Fubar Street. Hang tight, captain. Over." Announced the squadron leader.
"Tanks are coming!" He informed Dukeman to his right ear. He replied with a thumbs up and resumed his attention on the wounded Marine.
A fireteam joined them, crouching down behind their cover. Raymond however instantly recognised them.
"Wait... Aren't you suppose to be with First platoon?"
"Yes, sir!" Answered the team leader, "But we got lost along the way and found ourselves here, sir!" He explained with a blush of embarrassment.
Raymond groaned in exasperation before facing the Corporal, "You're under my command now, start suppressing on those fuckers and you three," He said while randomly pointing at three Marines, "Help the Gunney get this Marine back to safety."
The three Marines nodded and executed his orders. Raymond and the small fireteam provided cover fire as the four of them carried the wounded back to the vehicles.
"Hold the line, Marines! Do not let them get pass us!"
"OORAH!" The fireteam replied beside him.
The imperials were no match against human modern weaponry. The barrage of bullets stalled their advance, legionaires were quickly neutralized, wounded and crawling back to their comrades.
Barks from the AR-15s and light machine guns, such as the venerated M240B and M249 SAWs – along their smaller cousin, the M27 IAR – rang in Raymond's ears, even through his ear protections. His heartbeat drummed in his mind, the adrenaline of combat shooting through his body, slightly enhancing his reflexes.
Slowly, his men were starting to regroup forward. Providing heavy fire support were the APCs, spitting out fifty caliber rounds at the enemy, and the mortar teams providing close artillery support.
But they needed the extra punch to penetrate the enemy line. And speak of the devil, they've arrived.
Multiple ear shattering 'claps' shook the ground. High speeding shells flew overhead the Marines and hit their marks. Stone and digimon were thrown upwards, screams from the dying and wounded was the result of the first devastating volley.
The Marines cheered in delight at the sight of three M1A3 Abrams tanks, their distinct slat armour, covering the sides and rear, and tan camo paint was a sight for sore eyes. And the bane for the legionaires.
"Dragon 4, reporting for duty, captain. I hope we didn't take too long to miss the fun." Stated a joyful tank commander.
"Right on time, as per usual, Dragon 4." Replied Raymond with a smile.
"Oorah; we'll clean the mess if you don't mind us, sir. Stay clear of the street."
"Roger that," He tuned out of the communication, "Off the street! Make way for the tanks!" He bellowed the order.
"Off the street!"
"Let's go! Move it!"
"Let them have it, Marines!"
Bells rang deafeningly in his ears after the second volley of tank shells. The high explosive ammunations were destroying the enemy line; the Marines now had a better opportunity to push back the enemy.
"Contact front!"
"Get down!"
A shot hit his shoulder, Guilmon let out a surprised cry as he fell on the ground. He felt himself being dragged away by two helping hands.
"Ah damn it! That burns!" He growled once they got him behind cover.
"You okay there, buddy?" Flamedramon asked concernly across the hallway, barely hiding behind a wooden column.
"Yeah," He hesitantly replied. He ran a claw on his shoulder and saw no blood appearing on the digit, "Didn't get through my scales! But holy crap does it burn..." He muttered that last part under his breath.
Another shout caught his attention. One of the Marines that got him to safety had been shot, his knee bled profusely, staining his trousers in a deep crimson colour. Guilmon crawled to him and perfomed first aid.
He searched through his first aid kit, taking out a roll of bandage, under heavy enemy fire. The Marine held onto his bleeding knee, spitting more profanities with grunts of pain. The red digimon gently applied the bandage on the wound and rolled it into several thick layers to stop the bleeding.
He then took out a tourniquet, placed through the man's foot and went just above the wound. He pulled one string, the tight bandage now tied around the limb. With the metal lever, he spun it around until it tied strong enough around the thigh to stop the flow of blood.
Finally, he took out a syringe of morphine, his last one. Carefully, he injected the small and delicate painkiller into a vein through the man's chest. The effects were immediate; the man visibly relaxed as he was being relieved from the intense pain.
"Sergeant!" He called Flamedramon, "I need to get this Marine out of here!"
"Then go! I'll cover you!" Flamedramon replied and leaned out of cover, shooting back at the enemy.
"Come on, let's get you out of here." Guilmon said as he carried the wounded Marine.
He huffed out, feeling the weight of a fully grown man in full combat gear. But in an instant, he sprung out of cover and ran back to the second floor, barely avoiding enemy gunfire.
Once on the second floor, he was about to make his way to the ground floor until he met Dukemon on the way, the white knight was about to join Guilmon's platoon in the fight. The Royal Knight noticed the man on Guilmon's shoulder and offered to help.
"Need help with him?" Guilmon inwardly praised for his intervention.
"Yeah, I need you to get him back to the main courtyard, there should be corpsmen that could fix him up." He informed after placing the Marine on the knight's arms.
The Marine chuckled feverishly, "Ah shit, I'm being saved by a knight in shining armour. I do not want to be the damsel in distress."
"Don't worry, you're too messed up for that part." Dukemon said playfully, a mischievious smirked formed behind his helmet.
The Marine gave him a deadpan stare and gave him the middle finger, "Hey, fuck you, man." Which prompted both the knight and Guilmon to laugh.
"I'll see you later, dude." Guilmon said while fist bumping the Marine.
"You too, bro. Don't you dare lose the fight while I'm gone." He joked.
"We won't."
With the exchange done, Dukemon nodded to Guilmon and carried the wounded Marine out of the keep.
The red dinosaur spun on his heels and ran back up the staircase. He sped up his pace when he heard that the firefight was intensefying. Reaching the floor, he immediately dove on the ground, merely missing a laser bolt. The distinct roars of the M249 SAWs filled his ears. Taking cover on one side of the hallway, he peeked out to figure out what was going on.
Hostile troops were gaining more numbers and were advanving on their position, pressing the Marines to fall back. But so far the platoon is holding their ground.
A familiar blue digimon had his back pressed against his cover, he could hear the enemy soldiers just a couple meters away. He dumped his spent magazine out and took out his last one; he had to make each shot count. He closed his eyes and breathe slowly, calming his nerves, he chugged the fresh mag in the M16A4's lower receiver and racked the charging handle.
Imperial legionaires were now just ten meters away from him and somehow they haven't notice him yet.
Flamedramon dropped to a one knee stance and leaned right, exposing his rifle and head to the enemy. Angry flashes successively shot out of the rifle's barrel, the three-round burst hit the first legionaire at center mass, the digimon cried out in pain as blood spewed out of their body.
The second burst hit the other from the upper chest to the throat. The second digimon fell on the ground, desperately gasping for air while they were choking on their own blood, which now formed a pool over the stone floor.
Flamedramon fired a third burst, hitting another legionaire to the thigh before his head forcefully jerked backwards, sparks and blood shot out at the side of his head before falling on the ground.
"Flamedramon!" Guilmon shouted with worry.
The sergeant was still moving, clasping one hand on his left cheek while the other tried to get to his first aid kit.
"Pyro Sphere!" Guilmon launched his attack at the nearby group of hostile troops, setting two ablaze while others were being flung back by the blast.
The saurian digimon moved out of cover to reach closer to his injured friend. Enemy fire pinned him down just a dozen meters away from Flamedramon. The platoon was trying to suppress the enemy with the intention of retrieve one of their own now caught in the crossfire.
Guilmon breathed heavily, sweat pouring out of his body, making his plate carrier stick uncomfortably against his grimy scales. He felt the heat of incoming projectiles flying near him, they were pinning him down to this position.
"Hang in there, Flamedramon! I'll get you out of here!" He reassured to his friend and at the same time to himself. Flamedramon simply gave thumbs up in response before applying the bandage on his cheek.
"Cover fire, damn it!" He heard lieutenant Sparks commanding frustratingly. "Let them eat lead!"
The firefight was slowly turning tide to the Marines, now regrouped and determined to help their Marine in need.
A faint metallic 'thud' caught Guilmon's attention. He faced to the direction of the sound and his eyes widened in shock.
"GRENADE!"
Flamedramon instinctively rolled to the side, exposing his back to the grenade while Guilmon ducked behind his cover, making himself as small of a target as possible.
He felt the intense heat of the blast, the shockwave pushing him and an intense pain on his left shoulder blade, as if something injected molten metal in him. He gritted his teeth to fight the intense pain and sprung out of cover, making a mad dash for his friend.
With the temporary visual obstruction, he slid his way to Flamedramon, lying on his side and not moving. Guilmon glanced at Flamedramon's back, several holes could be seen on the plate carrier and the camelbak, the water poured out while vapour trailed out of the holes. His back was severely damaged by the fragmentations, evident by the rivers of blood pouring out of the holes.
Guilmon hunched over him, placing his ear near his muzzle. He was still breathing. Sighing in relief, Guilmon lifted the blue dramon on his shoulders and stood up. He sprinted back to his platoon, the enemy spotted his shape behind the smoke cloud and began to open fire, the Marines fired back the second after.
He ran the whole way down to the ground floor and out of the keep where he was met with Marines from Bravo company. A corpsman ran up to him and told him to lie Flamedramon down on the ground. He did so without a question.
While the combat medic inspected Flamedramon's back, Guilmon stared at his face, a solemn and worried look bored his face. A large part of the digimon's mask broke to pieces, revealing his left eye and cheek. A deep gash ran from his cheekbone to right below his eye.
He looked around his first aid kit, finding only a piece of cloth, given to him by a civilian weeks ago. It was an orange scarf with the digimon symbol of Courage, it was a gift of gratitude from an Agumon.
He stared at the piece of cloth in comtemplation. He tore it in half, a little bit regretting the action but it was necessary to help his friend. After placing the other half back in the first aid kit, he wiped some of the blood away with it.
"We'll take it from here, Lance Corporal," Announced one of the corpsmen, "Go join your platoon."
Silently, Guilmon nodded and put the bloody cloth in Flamedramon's empty ammo pouch. "Get well, I'll see you soon." He whispered before the Marines carried him back to friendly line.
He sighed sadly and went back in the keep, joining his platoon and the Marines of Bravo company.
The imperials were being grouped up at the square in front of the chapel. Marines standing around them, keeping a watchful eye on the prisonners. APCs lined up, some arrived while others droved out of the square, filled with wounded and bodybags.
Some squads were sent in different parts of the castle on patrol, makign sure no imperials were hiding in the shadows.
The men were exhausted, another crushing defeat for the Imperium but a costly victory for the Marines. They were beaten, injured and dirty; and for some, hungry.
Raymond drank half of the small water bottle in one go before dumping the rest on his head, sighing in delight at the refreshing fountain on his head, cooling his mind off. Sitting on the ground beside him was Dukeman, enjoying his last cigarette, from his last pack of smokes.
"Still can't believe you didn't have smokes on you." He commented bitterly after puffing out a whiff of nicotine.
"But I don't smoke." Raymond responded incredously.
"I know that, but you should also know that ninety percent of your men smoke, including me." Dukeman pointed at himself for emphasis, "At least buy some for me."
"Maybe you shouldn't smoke so often." He shot back with a small grin.
"Hey, I don't smoke oftenly." Dukeman retorted, "It took me a whole month to finish the other pack." He said as a matter-of-fact.
"And now it took two weeks to finish that one."
"... you're a horrible friend..." The Gunnery-Sergeant childishly said, crossing his arms while still having the cigarette in his mouth.
"I'm not your friend, I'm your commanding officer." Raymond chuckled and bumped the senior NCO's helmet with his knuckles.
Just as Dukeman was about to respond, Dukemon landed in front of him. The two humans stopped their playful bickering and stood straightly, saluting the knight formally.
The Royal Knight quickly returned the salute and sighed heavily. It was clear in his eyes that he too was tired. His armour was beaten, burn marks and blood dotted his armour. He was covered from head to toe in grime, ash, dirt and dried blood.
"How are you holding up, Royal Knight?" Raymond started with a simple question to break the tense silence.
"A bit beaten but still alive." Dukemon replied with a thumbs up and a weak chuckle, "Things got intense for awhile here, huh?" He glanced at a row of severely wounded Marines, their moans of pain made him visibly wince in guilt.
"This is the price of victory, I guess." Raymond sighed solemnly; it didn't feel like a victory in his guts.
"I'd really hate to see defeat then," Dukemon stated dreadfully.
A cyborg digimon hovered just behind the Royal Knight. Rizegreymon's had been damaged and cuts were evident on his dirty orange scales, stitches and bandages closed these wounds.
"How's the task force, Master Sergeant?"
"Exhausted, sir," He replied bitterly, "My squad has suffered two KIAs and three wounded while Squad Beta suffered four KIAs and two wounded."
A heavy headache was starting to take place in Dukemon's mind.
"How about the other task forces?" Raymond inquired to the cyborg digimon.
"A success, captain Raymond. Duftmon wants to send his thanks to you." Both humans had their eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Sir, our troops are ready to move out on your signal." The digimon informed to the crimson and white knight. Dukemon simply nodded as a response.
The winged digimon gave a formal salute and flew away to his squad. Dukemon remained in his spot, mindlessly staring at the destroyed street. He shook his head and laid his eyes on the two humans.
"You want us to take the prisonners?"
Raymond glanced at the large group of imperials and returned his gaze at Dukemon, "Nah, we'll take it from here. Go join up with the others." The Royal Knight nodded and flew toward his detachment silently.
"He seems a little bit... distant," Dukeman pointed out pensively.
Raymond hummed in agreement before he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, "I'm sure he'll be fine later in the day," He turned around and observed the square, "But right now, we have a base to build and maintain."
"Great." The company sergeant said ironically.
Unknown Location.
Rapid metallic footsteps echoed loudly across the hallway. A large, intimidating shadow strided along the royal magenta carpet. The Knightmon guards standing on both sides of the hallway stiffened at the individual's passing, feeling their anger creeping up their spine.
A furious growl escaped the digimon's mouth, speeding up their pace.
At the end of the hall stood a lone figure, their back facing the incoming digimon. A jet black cape covered most of their silhouette. Their head perked up a little bit at the sound of footsteps. They slightly turned to the side, revealing themselves.
The digimon was clad in black, samurai-like, plate armour with golden trimmings and red flame designs painted on the armour pieces. Under the armour, they wore a pristine white fabric. Around the waist was a thick crimson cloth, buckled by an emerald orb backed against a red belt. Underneath the thick fabric was a second cloth, covering the side and back of their legs. It was a long, regal blue and thinner piece of cloth.
The digimon had a kabuto – a sturdy and intimidating helmet and facemask – with two golden horns spruting on the sides and one forward. Two monochrome yellow orbs gazed at the incoming digimon.
"Lord General BlackSeraphimon, a pleasant surprise to have you here in the palace." Tactimon said neutrally.
"What's the meaning of this, Tactimon?" The Lord General of the Imperial Army asked increduously, "Why are you just standing there?"
"The Defense Guards do not want us to intefere with the emperor's meditation session." He explained coldly.
"He's meditating?! Doesn't he know that the whole Digiworld is right at our doorst-"
The large iron doors to the throne room opened up, a large insect-like digimon quietly exited the room and closed them back, a smug smile decorated their long insect face, showing rows of razor sharp teeth.
"Ah, I was expecting you two," The dark purple digimon began with a curt bow, "Do you need anything?"
"Now you listen here," BlackSeraphimon stepped forward angrily, "Tell the emperor that we need an emergency meeting now. The humans and the digimon coalition just broke through our last line of defense."
"And the Metal Empire will not be here to help us." Tactimon added with a hiss.
"Ah yes, the human threat that you've failed to crush." Tyrantkabuterimon remarked smugly.
"You better watch your tone, bug," The fallen angel warned menacingly, "While you had the emperor's dick up your ass, we spent the last three years defending our empire. So I suggest you listen to us and let us through, asap."
"This is a meeting of the highest priority, the future of the Imperium hangs on a dangerous strand." Tactimon informed diplomatically.
"That's rich coming from the digimon who burned down half of the region." Retorted the winged insect.
The Demon Man's hands curled to fists before he let them go, sighing before meeting his cold gaze with the bug's amused green eyes, "They were horrible acts, I admit, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And honestly, you're doing a shit job at protecting the city from corruption and violence," He leaned forward now face-to-face with an angered digimon, "And I also know how much you like your moonshine and crack, the ones that suppose to be banned from the Imperium." A glint of amusement shined in his eyes.
"That is why I had the Elite Corps tracking and taking them down," BlackSeraphimon crossed his arms smugly, "Ever wondered why the sales just suddenly went down?"
"Let them in!" Boomed a powerful voice.
Startled by the voice, Tyrantkabuterimon instantly opened the doors and allowed the two other Lord Generals to walk in the throne.
The large room was heavily decorated with lavish long curtains hanging from the walls and columns, intricately decorated shields and weapons were hung on placeholders along the walls, relics of the old regime or trophies of past victories and conquers.
Luxurious chandeliers from the ceiling brightly lit up the room. A burgundy carpet laid across the room, from the doors to the throne itself. On both sides of the room was a single line of elite Ravmon bodyguards. Standing stoically beside the throne were two Pharaohmon, their lifeless red eyes staring at the two new visitors.
Sitting proudly on the throne was a large wolf humanoid digimon, entirely clad in gold Chrondigizoit armour. A marine blue cape draped down behind their back, the Kiju Engetsutou – a master-crafted halberd with a long, sharp, monoedge crescent blade – held firmly by their right hand while the left hand was used as a support for their head to rest on.
A large crescent blade was built on both shoulder pads, giving the digimon a more menacing presence. A shimmering red orb was on the chestplate as well as on their armoured snout. Their long white mane hung out of the throne's armrest and laid loosely beside the throne.
Two fiery red orbs narrowed upon gazing at BlackSeraphimon and Tactimon. A low growl emanated from their throat, having heard the previous conversation thanks to their enhanced hearing.
BlackSeraphimon and Tactimon pounded their left fist against their digicore and knelt to one knee with their heads down in perfect synchronization.
"My Emperor!" They greeted formally.
The Emperor, a powerful CresGarurumon, stood up from his seat. His armoured feet echoed heavily at each footfall.
"Rise up." He commanded sternly, his eyes still glaring at two of his most trusted subordinates. "Well, I'm listening."
The two Lord Generals hesistated at first before Tactimon spoke up, courageously, "Your Highness, as you know, the enemy is right at our doorstep. We're outnumbered and outgunned from all sides, the Metal Empire have fully withdrawn all of their support and assets. The capital is the only beacon standing of the Imperium. I implore you to look at the matter more seriously so we can win this fight with your wisdom."
"I respect you, Tactimon, but now you're being a cocksucker." Thought furiously BlackSeraphimon, who remained silent for the whole time, slightly nervous around the Emperor.
CresGarurumon casually hummed, placing his left hand on his hip and shouldering his personal weapon, "It is true that our glorious empire is crumbling piece by piece, and I admire your will to fight again, but all of this could've been resolved if..."
With a swift and strong strike from his weapon's handle, Tactimon released a pained, muffled groan as he bent down on the floor while clutching his stomach, his whole body twitching at the intense pain. BlackSeraphimon winced behind his helmet, feeling sympathy for his fellow warrior and only friend.
"You bloody dickheads had done a better job at organizing your troops and tactics!" The emperor snarled furiously. He bent down and firmly grasped Tactimon's right arm, "On your feet, Lord General," He ordered authoritatively.
His glare now turned to BlackSeraphimon, "And how about you, Lord General BlackSeraphimon, hum? What do you have to discuss with me so urgently? Does it perhaps involve you wishing to suck a dick?"
The fallen angel unconsciously gulped at the last remark, feeling increasingly nervous with the emperor now standing face-to-face with him; if looks could kill, he will surely be dead by now.
"N-no, my E-Emperor... but I would like i-if you could send us more troops and equipment to the frontline. I can possibly lead a counter-attack and maybe retake some of our land." He suggested submissively.
""Possibly" and "maybe" are two words that I don't really appreciate, Lord General. It is not not the same as "will accomplish" or "easily win". Didn't I made you Lord General so you can lead hundreds of legions to victory?" CresGarurumon asked rhetorically, "Maybe I've made a mistake in doing so, the same goes from freeing you from the Dark Area."
He took two steps back and gazed at all three Lord Generals, "Have all the generals and force commanders gathered in the war room at 1400 hours, am I CLEAR?"
"YES, MY EMPEROR!" They shouted back.
He pointed his muzzle at the doors, the Lord Generals quickly walked out of the throne room.
"BlackSeraphimon," He called out across the room, the fallen angel halted in his tracks, "One more insulting comment like that and I'll have you personally terminated, is that clear?"
Anger started to build up in BlackSeraphimon's gut, his fists tightening, "Yes, my Emperor..." He answered with a growl.
Once all three Lord Generals were out of the throne room, an eerie silence filled the large and spacious room.
Discreetly coming out of the shadows behind the emperor was a very strange digimon. The digimon had no humanoid features, it was a giant, fleshy and moist brain with two large, eyelidless, yellow orbs, a long and thin face, two skinless arms and multiple fleshy tentacles that acted as the body frame and legs. The tentacles wringled around in place, making disgusting gooey sounds as the digimon moved toward CresGarurumon.
He snarled in irritation, the pungent smell of decay and mucus assaulted his highly sensitive nostrils.
"What is it, Vademon?" He asked harshly, wanting the secretive scientist to be gone as soon as he came in the throne room.
"The Juggernaut is complete, my Emperor," The alien digimon reported with a formal and exaggerated bow, "I have taken the liberty, with the extra budget you've given to me, to create a second one. " Vademon informed proudly.
A sideway smirk graced the emperor's muzzle, "Always thinking ahead of your boss, huh?" He stated, turning to face the alien.
"As long as you allow me to continue my research... with the sufficient budget, of course." Vademon dramatically lifted his left hand and twirled it downwards, like a comedian saluting his adoring audience.
He slowly backed away and into the shadows where he came from, now gone from the visible eye.
CresGarurumon sadistically chuckled, sitting back down on his throne, his head resting on his left hand, his mind already scheming for the upcoming battle, the battle for the fate of his empire.
"This will be a glorious day!"
October 8th 2019, Apollomon Valley.
"For the last time, Kurata, "Yuri on Ice!" is bad! It's lame, boring and gay."
"NANI?!" Gasped a Sergeant First Class Takeo Kurata in shock, "So what two guys might be in a relationship-"
"Might? Oh come on! They basically wanted them to kiss but are too scared to get some backlash from the public." First Lieutenant Itami cut in his friend's argument.
"Okay it is gay but that is not a reason why it sucks." Kurata retorted, "You're hating on gays now."
Itami slapped his face and grumbled under his breath, "It's not the display of homosexuality that bothers me, it's the fact that each episode is the same goddamn dance for each characters."
"Bullshit!"
While the two otakus of Third Recon team were arguing agitatedly in the Kawasaki CH-47J Chinook, Master Sergeant Shino Kuribayashi glared daggers at the two, her right eye twitching with boiling anger. These two had been going on and off arguing about anime and mangas during the whole flight, disturbing Kuribayashi's nap time.
She's currently sleep deprived after the intense combat operations the team had been through but now these two idiots are disturbing her beauty sleep.
Beside her, Master Sergeant Mari Kurokawa placed a hand on her friend's knee and gently pressed it.
Kuribayashi shifted her gaze to the combat medic. The younger, but much wiser, woman gave a small smile and thumbs up. The petite female soldier sighed and crossed her arms, her nerves slightly calmed down.
Sitting across her was Sergeant Major Tomita, the gentle giant of the team sat next to the young and energetic Kurata. The senior NCO chuckled and pointed a finger at Kurata, a mischiveous grin on his face. He then suddenly jabbed his elbow hard against the young man's ribcage, making him startle and jump in his tight seat.
Kurata let out a high-pitch, almost feminine, yelp that made the entire team in the aircraft laugh uncontrollably. And boy did it feel good for Kuribayashi to see the man suffer a little bit and humiliated by the team.
Well team may be small to describe her unit. Third Recon team is now at a platoon's strenght, thirty men and women, both veterans and rookies... well mostly rookies.
The Third Recon team has gone through some major changes, namely the change in the chain of command. Soichiro Kuwahara has finished his contract, now a retired veteran; it was now Tomita's turn to fill in his role. Which in her opinion, was a great decision coming from Itami for once.
She too was promoted to fill in an empty spot in the team, Tetsuya Nishina, killed in action and posthumously awarded with the Japanese Medal of Honor with Red Ribbon, for sacrificing his own life to save others.
Sadly another member of the Third Recon Team had lost their life, Sergeant Hiroyuki Azuma – whom already suffered a leg wound and chest pains since the siege at the Village of Smiles – was killed in action by plasma bolt to the heart, he died instantly.
With the increase of casualties in the war and of new recruits back on Earth, the Japanese government wanted to reinforce their troops as soon as possible. And so, Third Recon team increased in numbers, the new faces of the JSDF soldiers were now led by battle-hardened Japanese soldiers and saw more active roles in the frontlines since then.
This was truly Japan's first war after the Second World War. Who knew they'll have to face off against deadly creatures from another world?
"Thirty Seconds..." The JASDF pilot announced to the soldiers, "Weather's clear and the current temperature is at twenty seven degrees celcius. Welcome to Fort Mars and I hope you enjoyed flying with the JASDF and until next time."
The whole platoon laughed at the pleasant joke, even in a warzone, humour is the right medecine. As the men and women unbuckled their seats, Tomita stood up and placed his hands around his mouth, using them to amplify his voice.
"Grab your packs and weapon and stand out into three lines of ten and standy by for further orders! Hurry up if you don't want to be screwed over by me!"
The FNGs quickly took their combat and deployment packs, slung their weapon's strap over their shoulder and hurried outside the Chinook. For added pressure on the new soldiers, some of the veterans barked orders behind them.
Once the newly arrived platoon stood into three perfectly lined formation, the soldiers waited patiently for their platoon leader with their packs neatly placed on the ground, their weapon slung over their shoulder and against their chest, and their hands behind their backs, standing at straight as a ruler.
Itami casually walked ahead of the formation facing his troops. He took a quick glance behind him, spotting an American L-ATV coming towards them.
"Atten-tion!" Shouted Tomita, the soldiers shifted their stances instantly, their arms hung tightly against their sides, chest a bit puffed out and head slightly upwards.
The Sergeant Major gave a formal salute to the platoon leader, "First Lieutenant, all soldiers are present and ready for duty on your orders!"
Itami saluted back, as per military procedure, "Thank you, Sergeant Major." He then looked at his wristwatch and gazed back at his platoon, "At ease," He ordered and they executed as so, "Soldiers, from now on we will be working closely with the American Marines for we are now at the very tip of the frontline, at the doorstep of Tokū Solis, the heart of the Imperium. Fort Mars will be our new home for the next three weeks before we go to battle and end this war once and for all. We will be part of History and change the course of Humanity. The World's eyes are upon us, the future of our home is now in your hands. For three weeks we will train with the Marines, going through combat drills. Be prepared for a tough three weeks. Is that clear?"
"RYOKAI!" They shouted back.
Halting just ahead of the formation of Japanese soldiers, the side doors of the L-ATV opened up, three figures jumped down and made their way to Itami.
And to Kuribayashi's surprise, her heart skipped a beat.