Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, nor do I own When the World's Not Ending, by Smartalec121 or any of their associated works.

Off the Beaten Path

Chapter: 13/ Death's Hanging Shadow

Kuzuhamon stood atop a rooftop, gazing out over the horizon where the sun rose. The gold and coppery rays reached out and brushed against her armor and mask, causing their violet surfaces to blaze brilliantly. Her mouth was set in a tight, thin line of tension and unhappiness.

"I've been finding you doing this lately," came Gaiomon's voice through their connection. Adjusting her grip on her staff, Kuzuhamon nodded. "Do you find this beautiful?"

"I find it so, yes. We have nothing like this in our digital world. The way it slowly comes up into the sky, banishing night and shadows. The colors." Her grip around her staff tightened and the image of the human girl with red hair came to mind. "It cannot be said as anything else but beautiful."

"I understand the humans call this a sunrise," Gaiomon said. "So strange. It's nothing of the sort. Merely a matter of this world's rotation around its parent star."

"Does it matter?"

"No. No, I suppose it does not. He will be here soon. That is the only thing that matters now."

Kuzuhamon's face dropped a little. The sunlight played along her kitsune ears.

"The Sovereign has found the incursion?"

"Not yet, but the end is near. It is a clever incursion, but it is not without its weaknesses. It is drawn to the Tamers, it seems. Titamon is preparing for his journey to join us. If the Sovereign has not discovered its identity by the time he arrives, we are to draw it out. By any means necessary."

"Very well," Kuzuhamon nodded reluctantly. Doubt gnawed at her, but the Sovereign commanded and they obeyed. That was the order of things.

"I have a request for you," Gaimon continued, and Kuzuhamon lifted her head. She sensed something in his words that ran deeper than what a mere request from him would normally mean. Something more personal.

"What is it?"

"Should I fall to Gallantmon, I want you to load my data." Gaiomon gave a rueful chuckle. "I know this might appear to be a small request to you, but I count you as a good friend, and one worthy of carrying my swords. I inherited their data from my master, and they from his. There are no others I would ask this of. Not even the Sovereign."

"I understand," Kuzuhamon nodded, feeling oddly touched by the request. "I will do as you ask. You do me a great honor."

"The honor has been mine, Little Viximon," Gaiomon replied, and Kuzuhamon felt the smile behind his words. Gaiomon then gave a heavy sigh, as if a great weight had been lifted. "Haaa… The sunrise certainly is beautiful."

To Kuzuhamon, he sounded at rest and satisfied. She couldn't help but smile. She couldn't remember the last time he had been that way. Yet her smile held a hint of sadness.

To think that our mission to this world would end as it began, she thought. And with the deaths of comrades. But that is the duty of the Gods of Destruction. Life is paid for by death.

The sun continued to climb its way into the sky. Kuzuhamon found it to be an apt symbol for mortality in this world. By the time of its setting, death, she felt certain, would come.

###

Rika tied up her hair into its new, spiky ponytail and gave herself a once over. Her uniform was clean and without a wrinkle. She had everything she needed packed away into her schoolbag without a single item missing. Her assignments were finished and she had shown all her work. She had her cards for later training with Kenta. There was nothing out of place.

So why do I feel like something is off?

Rika's ears twitched and she lifted her head instinctively.

Isn't it…a little too quiet? she wondered. That didn't feel right. She could hear the distant sound of her grandmother going about her morning chores. She heard her father earlier as he left for work. Birds chirped in her yard. Things sounded as 'normal' as they usually did.

Except, plainly, something was missing.

Rika fastidiously adjusted the collar to her uniform, taking the extra time to puzzle out the mystery. Since childhood, she grew to have an awareness of the emotional weather in her home. Her parents didn't fight in the traditional sense, nor did they ever hit one another, but the unhappiness in their marriage was plainly evident for her to see and hear. Most of the time, they got by simply through having their own lives in separate parts of the house, through work, or through their friends and family.

She thought back to when she first woke up and visited the bathroom. She saw her father off and things had been pleasant. He looked tired, but not anything that seemed out of the ordinary. But once he left, there had been a subtle shift in the air. The mood of the house changed, and it seemed to her that she was being warned about something.

Deciding she had delayed enough, she smoothed out her uniform and headed for her bedroom door. Sliding it open, she paused with a frown at the precipice. The hallway looked the same as it always did, but to her eyes, it seemed somehow longer than normal. Darker. Shadows from household objects cast by houselights seemed to stretch toward her, becoming long, taloned fingers.

"Okay, this is getting weird," she said under her breath. Summoning her courage, she left her room. Her footsteps sounded unusually loud to her ears. To dash away her growing concerns, she began to hum a short, melodious tune. Her voice carried as though she were singing in a deep cavern. She soon stopped.

Grandma used to tell me how she thought this place was haunted, she mused. Never really believed that until now.

Entering the dining area, she found her mother seated at the table, stewing over a cup of coffee with an introspective look on her face. So lost in thought that she didn't even notice that her daughter was there. Rika took a second to realize that she wasn't wearing any makeup.

She's quiet, she thought in realization, and it struck her then what felt off about the morning. Usually, she's so noisy you can't get her to stop talking. What's going on?

Rumiko's eyes shifted and swung up to her. To Rika, it looked as though she took a few seconds to notice her daughter's presence in the room.

"I'm heading off to school now," she said, breaking the ice. Rumiko's attention on her sharpened into focus.

"Have a good day," she said. Lifting her cup, she took a small sip from it. "When will you be home?"

"Before dinner," Rika replied, feeling apprehensive. "I'm hanging out with my friends after school."

Rumiko took another sip, her eyes never once leaving Rika's. "Your school friends, or Takato?"

Rika felt something squirm in her stomach. A suspicion began to grow in her mind and with it came a small glowing ember of anger.

"Does it matter?" she asked defensively.

"I think I should know who my daughter's spending her time with. Like whether or not her friends are Tamers."

Finally coming out and saying it, huh?

"Takato has some things to take care of today. He can't always make time to hang out."

"But you'll run off into a digimon fight for him."

Rika narrowed her eyes. That ember of anger glowed brighter. With an effort, she stamped down on it.

"I'm out of here," she said, turning away. "I've got school."

"Don't walk away from me, young lady!"

Rika froze at her mother's stern voice. Turning, she fixed her mother with a hard look. One that the woman returned equally. Rika remembered her father's advice about not fighting her mother. At that moment though, she felt like doing just that.

"Why don't you just come out and say it?" she asked. Rumiko's eyes widened slightly, plainly taken aback by her daughter, but only for an instant.

"Fine," she said. "I will. I don't want you hanging out with that boy or any of his friends. Especially those…things."

"The digimon." Rika hmphed. "They happen to have names, you know."

"Rika, they're dangerous!"

"Yeah, I know that, thanks. I almost got melted by one in the Other-World. But that wasn't Guilmon or any of his friends here or there. They protect people, Mom."

Rumiko's mouth worked as her eyes showed confusion. She wasn't used to backtalk from her daughter. Rika's heart beat like a hammer in her chest, demanding to know what she was doing as it also wasn't used to doing so.

"They can't protect everyone," Rumiko said finally in an attempt to regain her composure. Rika bit back a sharp, stinging reply about her own availability. She wasn't going to get through to her that way.

"You're right," she admitted. "In the Other-World, they were fighting a digimon. A little kid got caught up in it. Even with Other-Me there, they couldn't save her."

Rumiko appeared to relent a little at that.

"Then do you see why I don't want you near them?"

"I know they can't be everywhere, but it's a good thing I was with them that day. Because I saved that kid. Just like I saved Takato and Guilmon at Gyoen park." Rika adjusted her bag, her eyes narrowing. "Seems like I could do a lot of good out there, Mom. A lot more than just modeling."

Her breath was coming out faster now, and her nerves sang with electric anxiety.

I'm actually doing this. I'm standing up to my mother. A part of her felt happy to be finally breaking free from her shadow. At the same time, seeing her mother's astonished, wide-eyed expression, and feeling the horror that radiated off her, another part of her felt like she had tarnished something.

"Are you trying to tell me I should have let that little kid die?" she continued. Rumiko's face went white. Rika's fist squeezed around her bag strap. Seeing her opportunity, Rika decided to end things here before her mother could rally again.

"I've got school to go to," she said, somehow managing to sound calm. "I'll see you later."

"W-We are not done talking about this!" Rumiko said from behind her, rising from her seat. "Rika! We will talk when I get home! I want you home as soon as you get out of school!"

Rika said nothing in response as she powered her way toward the front entrance of the household. Seating herself at the stoop before the front door, she began to put on her shoes. She felt a presence behind her. She didn't have to look to know it was her grandmother.

"She doesn't understand," Rika said harshly.

"You didn't exactly make it easy for her."

Rika paused in tying her shoelaces. There was no judgment in her grandmother's words. Merely a truthful observation.

"No, I didn't," she admitted. "But she doesn't make it easy either. Everything's always got to be her way. It's no wonder why Dad left in the other universe."

"Rika!"

She squeezed her eyes shut at her grandmother's scolding.

"Sorry," she said. She resumed tying. "But I don't know what to say to her that will make her understand." With a grunt, she tugged furiously at the loops and the shoe drew tight around her foot. She drew on the other shoe and repeated the same motions. "Every time it involves something she's not interested in or doesn't understand, it's like she shuts down and nothing can get through to her. I don't know what changed between Other-Me and her version of Mom, but it's not happening here."

Seiko sighed. "It could be that you're impatient for things to be resolved."

Rika mulled that over before standing up. It wasn't an untrue criticism, as much as she hated to admit it. She had that tendency to want to rush to the end of things and could get impatient when they didn't progress as quickly as she would like.

"Love takes time and work, huh?" She turned to face her grandmother. "I guess I'll have to take some time to think things over and try another approach." She bowed politely. "Thanks, Grandma."

"Have a good day dear," Seiko smiled. "Stay safe."

Rika left and within seconds she was out on the street, thinking about how to best convince her mother – and potentially the rest of her family as well – on how to accept her current course in life. Already, an idea was forming in her mind, but she needed to think it over some more.

Better run it by the Tamers too, while I'm at it, she thought. She pressed her lips together, not in the least bit sure if her idea was a good one with how volatile things were. But she couldn't see any way to move further ahead with her mother.

She's going to have to meet the Tamers in person.

###

Kuzuhamon stood atop a rooftop overlooking Rika, her head cocked to one side. Confusion and curiosity warred with her duty toward the mission. As always, humans were the source of this, and this time, with the knowledge that her mission would soon be ending, she found she was no longer content with simple observation. Leaping off the roof, she somersaulted in the air and landed in front of Rika. The girl jumped back with a startled cry.

"Ah! What…? You!" Narrowing her eyes, Rika swung her bag around in front of her like a weapon. Kuzuhamon found herself smiling a little, rather admiring the girl's spirit.

"Hello again," she greeted. "I wonder if we could talk."

"What's there to talk about?" Rika asked. "Didn't you get everything you wanted from me?"

Kuzuhamon stood up, and her shadow fell over the human. Despite the fact that she towered over her, Rika didn't cower or back down. Once again, Kuzuhamon found herself admiring her.

"With regards to my mission, yes. But I have something I would like to ask you that is of a more personal nature."

Rika met Kuzuhamon's gaze. She pondered going for her cellphone and message one of the Tamers. She doubted she would be able to do so.

I've got to play for time, she thought. Slipping her bag over her shoulder again, she shifted her position so it would be hidden from view. Slipping her hand inside, her fingers quested about for her cellphone.

"You can whisk me away at any time you want or turn me into a red smear on the road," she said. "It's not like I can say no."

"I don't want you to feel that way," Kuzuhamon said, a regretful tone in her voice. "I recognize the power difference between us. I could easily do those things, yes, but I have no desire to harm you. Merely to understand you."

"Yeah? I find it annoying when people understand me." Rika felt her fingers brush against her phone. She tried to grasp it, only for it to slip away. She bit back a curse and, calmly, said instead, "Fire away though."

"You fought with your mother. Why?"

For an instant, Rika forgot all about her phone.

"Seriously?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Your big question is why I got into an argument with my mom? What are you doing? Stalking me? Did you fall in love with me or something?"

"Digimon do not have mothers or fathers," Kuzuhamon replied, ignoring Rika's barb. "Since arriving here though, I have come to learn that not only do you have them, you care about them a great deal. So, why did you argue with yours? There is much contention between the two of you."

"Sometimes that's just how it is," Rika answered. Looking away, she resumed her search for her phone and quickly caught hold of it. Starting to draw it out, she resumed walking so it wouldn't be noticed. "But that doesn't mean I don't care about her or vice versa."

Brushing past Kuzuhamon, her eyes softened. That much, she had to remind herself, was true. The two of them did care about one another. Her mother, for all her faults, only wanted what was best for her, and what better thing did a parent want for their child than to keep them out of danger?

"Mom's upset that I threw myself into your partner's fight with Takato," she continued, taking care to subtly access her address book. Finding Takato's name, she pressed it and immediately began to type in a quick message.

Kuzuhamon talking to me. Near home.

She hit send.

"She has a hard time understanding what you saw when you went to that other reality," Kuzuhamon said. Rika's eyes flashed and she halted in her tracks.

"You are spying on me!"

"You are involved in recent events. Did you think you wouldn't be monitored, just to be certain?"

"What are you guys after?" Rika asked. Her phone buzzed in her hand. No doubt, it was from Takato telling her to wait for the cavalry. "What is it about this whole business with me going to another dimension that's bugging you so much?"

"I cannot tell you."

Rika hmphed. "So, I have to tell you all this stuff about my relationship with my mom, but you can't talk to me about why you and your bozo friend are visiting?"

Kuzuhamon offered an amused smile. "Your mother does not concern the safety of the digital world."

"And I can't make you tell me anything either." Rika gripped her phone tightly. Sneaking a glance at the screen, she discovered, to her horror, an error message. Her text to Takato never went through.

Crap…

"So, what happens now?" she asked, regrouping her thoughts.

"Would you care to explain the nature of motherhood?" Kuzuhamon asked. "And what your relationship is with it?"

Rika blinked.

"W-Well, Mom gave birth to me," she stammered out. Kuzuhamon tilted her head.

"Birth? I do not understand."

It's how humans make more of each other." Rika blushed brightly. "When Mom and Dad fell in love and got together, they made…me. I…" She placed a hand over her face. "This is ridiculous. I'm having a conversation about the birds and the bees with a Mega level digimon."

"I'm afraid I do not understand how insects and flowers are connected to humans making more humans."

"Don't bother. It's just a fancy way of dancing around the topic because it's embarrassing to talk about." Rika sighed. "Look, let's just say it involves love, okay? Mom and Dad loved each other and I came out of it. End of story."

"I see." Kuzuhamon gazed at Rika, plainly pondering something. Feeling uncomfortable, she glared up at her.

"What's that look for?"

"You appear to 'love' Takato. Does that mean that you'll make another human shortly?"

"Oh, for goodness sake," Rika groaned, blushing madly. "No!"

Kuzuhamon tilted her head again. "I…see. You spoke in the past tense of your mother and father's love. Do they not love each other anymore? They appear to spend a great deal of time separate from one another."

Her blush receding, Rika's expression fell. For the moment, her message to Takato was forgotten.

"That's…complicated. I only know that they're not happy and they're only staying together because of me."

Kuzuhamon fell silent, continuing to gaze at the girl. She could see the conflict of emotion on her face; how the situation between her parents saddened her and the helplessness she felt at changing it in any meaningful way. She felt a great well of pity form in her core for the human and she brought her hand onto Rika's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said as Rika looked up at her in surprise.

"It's not your fault," she said. "These things happen."

"I'm certain that I didn't help things when I took you."

Rika was silent for a moment. "No," she said finally, "you didn't. But it's not like you changed things much."

Kuzuhamon gave Rika's shoulder a gentle, comforting squeeze. It felt odd to do that, yet she observed humans doing so at times. It felt different from what she was used to. She wasn't sure how she felt about it, save that it didn't feel bad to offer comfort to someone troubled by events in their life.

"I've heard why you desire to become a Tamer," she said after some silence. "The life I know, is one of battle and death. That is the life of a Tamer as well, it seems. To me, it is normal to battle, to delete my opponents and load their data. Your world is very different from mine. Many humans seem to have an aversion to violence and do not take well to it being brought upon them. The Tamers fight to protect others from feeling pain and death. Perhaps your mother is much the same as them."

"Yeah, probably. But the Tamers… They're just trying to protect this world. You're trying to protect the digital world, aren't you? Just like them? Would you just leave your friend or whoever's in charge of you if you knew they needed your help?"

Kuzuhamon pressed her lips together and nodded. "No, but…" She then fell silent.

"But?" Rika arched an eyebrow.

Kuzuhamon frowned beneath her mask, suddenly hesitant. Service to the Sovereign was her only reason for being a God of Destruction, not to protect the digital world. She had fought to protect the digital world of course, but only because doing so protected her own life. Afterward, things had changed. Her whole purpose had been to digivolve and grow stronger, and then the Keeper of the Light gave her what she always desired, she found herself directionless. Empty and devoid of purpose. She had told herself that serving the Sovereign was a path for greater power, but that didn't change the emptiness she felt within her.

What's the point after it's all over? she wondered. In the end, I didn't even achieve anything on my own.

While still sorting out her thoughts, she felt something tugging at the corners of her mind. Her head snapped up in realization and she cursed herself for allowing her mind to wander. Turning, she saw a column of light erupting into the air, and surrounding it, a fine mist bloomed into existence.

"A digital field!" she exclaimed.

"Takato!" With that, Rika broke into a run. Or at least, she attempted to. Kuzuhamon's grip on her shoulder grew tight, causing Rika to jerk back and nearly fall.

"Hey!" she shouted angrily. "What's the big idea?!"

"You have no partner," Kuzuhamon said simply. "You would only be hurt. Possibly even killed."

"So what? What do you care?"

Again, Kuzuhamon frowned. Why did she care what happened to this human? She was no longer really relevant to the mission.

"I'd rather you not be hurt," she said, starting to push Rika away from the digital field.

"There are going to be humans right now who will be hurt!"

"And you will not be among them." With little effort, she hoisted Rika up into her arms, earning her a squawk of surprise from the girl.

"H-Hey! Put me down! What are you doing?!"

"I believe your school is in the opposite direction," Kuzuhamon said. Crouching, she leapt into the air. Rika let out a shout of surprise as the ground suddenly shrank away from her.

"Don't you daaare!"

"Well, well," chuckled the voice of Gaiomon from within Kuzuhamon's mind. "This isn't a sight I thought I would ever see."

Kuzuhamon grunted as Rika began to rain blows against her armor. Even without it, the human wouldn't be able to harm her, but the fact that she made the effort impressed her.

"It's not something I ever thought I would do. Nonetheless, it is happening. Gaiomon. Would you see to the disturbance?"

"I take it you don't want the human to be worried?"

"It would make this easier."

"I don't mind. It'll relieve my boredom. But are you sure that you wouldn't want to participate? If the human desires to be a Tamer, then they could use the experience."

"Fighting is the way of life for digimon, not humans."

"Why does this matter to you? Who knows? The digimon that's bio-emerging could very well be her partner. The problem would be resolved then, wouldn't it? Besides, with the two of us there, the intruder won't be able to harm her."

"It's not strong?"

Gaiomon chuckled. "It's a Raremon. It's not going to be."

Kuzuhamon mulled the matter over.

"No. She should not be involved without a partner. Take care of the digimon. Perhaps, if we show that we can be helpful, the Tamers will be more amenable when Titamon arrives."

"Hmmm…" Gaiomon didn't sound convinced. "Well, if you think it will help. It doesn't matter to me either way. Take care of the human."

"I said let…me…go!" Rika's fist swung up towards Kuzuhamon's chin and the Mega caught it deftly.

"I would advise against doing that," she said. "And against further violence. I don't wish to drop you."

"But…Takato…" Rika blinked as the wind whipped at her face. "Takato and the others…!"

"My partner will take care of the situation for them," Kuzuhamon said, looking down at Rika. Tears of anger and frustration were brimming in her eyes. The shaman digimon felt something tug at her digi-core. Turning, she circled back around toward the direction of the digital field.

"Why don't I show you?" she offered as a compromise. "Nothing bad will happen, I promise."

Rika's mouth fell open in surprise for a moment before reluctantly nodding.

"T-Thank you," she said in a hushed voice.

###

Takato yawned as he made his way down the stairs. Poking his head out of the kitchen, his father, Takehiro, gave him a worried look.

"Bad night, son?"

"A little," Takato replied, rubbing at an eye. "Slept better than usual, but…" He shrugged. Takehiro pressed his lips together.

"Takato… I think we need to have a talk about this," he said. Takato winced visibly.

"Can it wait until after Chou Sensei?" he asked. "My schedule's a little busy and…"

The beeping of his digivice interrupted him. With an exhausted groan, he took out his cellphone, expecting Yamaki's call.

He wasn't disappointed.

"Duty calls," he said, already starting for the door. "Guilmon!"

Oh man, I'm going to be late! he thought, already dashing out the door. He heard Guilmon join him a second later. He hit the answer button his phone.

"Where is it?"

"North east of the Chuo East Line," came Yamaki's reply. Takato groaned again. Yet another digimon that managed to slip past the Chou Park firewall.

Why can't things ever just be easy for once?

Hanging up, Takato poured on the speed. Once they reached Chou, he and Guilmon would biomerge and get there the rest of the way.

Hopefully without causing too much damage, he thought.

As he ducked and wove through the crowd, something caught his attention from out of the corner of his eye. Gasping in shock, he whirled about, not even sure why he was taking a second to look.

It's impossible! he thought, but for an instant, as he searched the crowd, his heart felt like it stopped in his chest.

"No…" he began, a half second before he tripped on the pavement. Takato crashed to the ground. "Ow!" he cried out, the hard surface erasing some skin from off his palm and elbow.

"Takato!" Guilmon called, rushing over to him. Grabbing hold of the boy, he helped hoist him up. "What's wrong? You stopped and suddenly you were looking for something! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine!" Takato hastily scanned the crowd again, but whatever – whoever – he saw earlier, he didn't see them now. "Just a trick of the light, I guess. Come on!"

Spinning on his heel, Takato again broke into a run. Guilmon gazed over his shoulder in the direction Takato looked in before swiftly following.

A moment later, a figure emerged from behind a lamp pole, a sorrowful look upon her face.

###

Gaiomon chuckled when he saw Kuzuhamon coming into view with her charge.

"I see you couldn't keep her away after all," he thought to the shaman. "Didn't I tell you that she has a strong will?"

Kuzuhamon's lack of response didn't bother him. Turning, he focused entirely on the interloper. The creature crawled toward him, its maw gaping like an open wound, much like the rest of its grey, oozing body. Its eyes, though dull, glinted with a hideous intelligence that aimed squarely at him with laser-like intensity. Tubes poked out of its rotten skin, as did the appearance of bones. Raremon. An undead, rotting carcass barely held together by the few mechanical parts that it fused to its bloated remains. Its intentions were without question.

"The Tamers have a policy of calling for your surrender," Gaiomon said. Raising his hands, his swords materialized in his hands. "I trust that you won't give me the trouble of doing exactly that, will you?"

"Breath of Decay!" Raremon shouted, hurling stinking, half-burning sludge from its mouth. Rotating his swords lazily, Gaiomon nodded, as if he expected no less.

"Thank you," he said, and with that, his swords went to work. Spinning them in his hands at a rapid pace, he carved the sludge into innumerable, harmless pieces, flinging them into the air, well away from the human citizens that hadn't yet fled the area. Undeterred, Raremon spat up a cloud of toxic gas.

"I'm not afraid of death," Gaiomon mocked, striding through the fumes. "What makes you think I'd be afraid of its stench?"

With a casual slash of his blade, he brought the flat of it slamming into the side of Raremon's face, sending it flying to the side. Too late, did he see his error. A human child, a little girl, had run into that precise location in her panic. Raremon's shadow fell over her and she froze in horror.

"NO!" Gaiomon shouted, charging forth.

The girl screamed and threw up her hands uselessly. Death, however, didn't come for her. Rather, it rescued her.

Hands caught hold of the Raremon, green in color and thin, yet powerful, armored arms forced the Raremon away. Gaiomon reflexively stepped back, swords moving into a guard position. Through their link, he heard Kuzuhamon gasp.

"Impossible…"

"It looks as though we've found our incursion."

Raremon, not knowing its fate was sealed, thrust a claw at its new attacker. The emerald creature, caught hold of its arm and casually tore it off. Data flew and the Raremon howled in agony, collapsing to the ground.

The armored figure towered over it; its heavy mouth set in fierce defiance. As Raremon's arm broke down, it stood there, its eyeless gaze watching over the fallen digimon.

"Subject Raremon has been neutralized," it said in a flat, mechanical, feminine voice. "Preparing for return to the digital world."

"Oh?" Gaiomon's eyebrows rose up in surprise. "What is this?"

As if in answer, the earth shook as something large and heavy crashed down upon it. Whirling about, Gaiomon saw Gallantmon rising to its feet, the ground beneath sending lines of cracks splintering along its surface.

His golden eyes went from one combatant to the other before finally settling upon the emerald creature. It turned toward him, and even though its helm obscured its eyes, the two that made up the whole of Gallantmon could feel the weight of its attention on them.

"Subject: Gallantmon," the creature said. "Species: Human and digimon hybrid. Virus type. Mega level."

"D-Reaper?!" Gallantmon shouted with horror.

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