Digimon Fusion Ascendancy
Act VIII: AlphaNova X
Chapter LXXVIII: Kenji's New Friends
Digiverse 7/Burizalor's Spaceship/Mess Hall
"Hey, Kenji. Why don't we sit here?" Cheelaimon offered them a four-seater inside a mess hall. She escorted a freshly clean Kenji and DORUmon.
When she, Kenji, DORUmon, and Lemomon sat down, they ordered water glasses. Cheelaimon returned with plates of food, making DORUmon hungry salivate. When DORUmon quickly woofed down his plate, Kenji modestly started eating.
"Don't be shy, Kenji. Eat as much as you want, I'm not too hungry," Cheelaimon said, lightly elbowing Lemomon's side, prompting him to give some of his shares to Kenji and DORUmon.
"Yeah, here," Lemomon replied, pushing some of his food on Kenji and DORUmon's plates.
"Wow, it smells good! Thanks!" DORUmon earnestly replied as he quickly consumed his food.
"Thank you," Kenji modestly replied as he stared over the mix of potatoes and meat. Gulping, he scooped up a handful and inhaled them.
"Wow, you've got quite an appetite, Kenji," Cheelaimon chuckled, watching Kenji consume his food plate.
"Hey, kid! There's utensils you can use!" Lemomon barked, showing him a fork and butter knife. Needless to say, his words fell on Kenji's deaf ears as the young man and the purple Digimon stuffed themselves. "Oh well. Can't be helped then."
"I see you're making friends, my son," Brakus interjected as his stern tone gave Kenji and DORUmon a pause. However, Cheelaimon gave a slight scoff. "Is there room for another?" He asked Cheelaimon and Lemomon.
"Yes, sir. I'll get us an extra seat," Lemomon offered.
"No need. Kenji, can you ask DORUmon to sit with you?" Brakus asked his son, who complied and put DORUmon on his lap. Brakus then sat on DORUmon's seat and kept a vigilant eye on his son.
"So, Kenji. You're not wearing any body armor?" Cheelaimon asked him, not giving Brakus as much attention.
"No, they're hard to move in."
"They're not too hard once you try them on," Cheelaimon said, stretching her chest armor, which she stretched until it bounced almost elastically. "Do what you like but you should get rid of that fur around your waist. It's so dirty and stinks!" When she reached over to grab his waist fur, Kenji's calm demeanor quickly changed and contorted with anger.
"Don't touch it!" Kenji snarled, making Cheelaimon withdraw her hand.
"So-Sorry, I didn't mean to. It must have some important value to you," Cheelaimon said.
"You have no idea, lady," DORUmon replied. "There's a long story behind it."
"I see. I apologize then," she said as she cautiously reached out and patted the green waist fur. She felt softness to it with every finger stroke.
Kenji calmly responded. "This is my…"
"Have you eaten already, Kenji?" Brakus asked his son.
"Y-Yes, sir."
"I can tell, but I know you can eat more than this," Brakus eyed the small scraps left on Kenji's plate. "Besides, we're here to eat not start any conversations with these people."
Irked by Brakus' demeaning tone, Cheelaimon scowled. "Hey, mister, you could let him talk."
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't butt in," Brakus grunted.
"What the hell?!" Cheelaimon rebuked, prompting Lemomon to calmly step in and hold her back.
"Yo! Are ya a newbie in this place?!" A purple humanoid alien wearing green and black armor approached their table. His face and eyes showed he was drunk coupled with red blush covering his cheeks. "It can't be any fun hanging out with these losers. Besides, I'm the only combatant aboard this ship for this operation who's worth a spit." He briefly made eye contact with Kenji before leering over to Cheelaimon. He put his hand on Cheelaimon's shoulder and chuckled indecently. "Heheh, why don't ya come to my table?"
"Hey, don't touch me! I'm not interested!" Cheelaimon barked and jerked her shoulder from him.
"Hey, how about I buy you a drink, sir?" Lemomon asked, offering the drunk soldier.
"Piss off, old timer!" The drunk roared and shoved Lemomon aside, alarming Cheelaimon and agitating Kenji.
Having seen enough, Kenji confronted the drunk soldier.
"Kenji!" DORUmon called out.
"Stop this and sit down, Kenji!" Brakus sternly called out to him.
"Hey, what do you want?! You got a problem with me?!" The drunk asked as he and Kenji sized each other up.
"I do."
"What did ya say, punk?!" The drunk roared as he wailed punches on Kenji. Much to his dismay, none of his strong punches had any effect on Kenji. "What?! Damn! Damn it! What the hell?!"
Kenji quickly and effortlessly caught the drunk's hand and lifted him overhead. The drunk struggled against Kenji's powerful grip, causing the other onlookers to back off from the mess hall fight. As Kenji began choking the drunk, a green gleam sparked in his left eye.
"No, Kenji!" DORUmon called out, quickly pulling on his partner's foot.
"Stop it this instant, Kenji!" Brakus roared, quickly pulling out the remote device he showed to Burizalor earlier.
(Cue Dragon Ball Super: Broly OST - Broly's Sorry State)
Upon seeing the remote, Cheelaimon witnessed Brakus push the remote's button. Then, she watched in horror as Kenji's collar sparked with electricity and neutralized the young man, causing him to drop the drunk soldier and fall to his knees in agony. Kenji's pained screams filled the mess hall with dread as he was brought down into submission. With a simple push, Brakus deactivated his son's shock collar and watched his son writhing.
"Are you ok?! Kenji?!" DORUmon called out, hugging his partner.
"Kenji!" Cheelaimon said, checking over the young man. As she turned away, she gave Brakus a fierce gaze. "You went too far! That's your son you just shocked!"
"If I hadn't stopped Kenji, he would've killed that soldier," Brakus replied.
"How did you manage to raise him?" Cheelaimon asked the grizzled Digital Knight.
"While we are in your debt, we, unfortunately, cannot see eye to eye," Brakus said. "From now on, please do not come near my son." As he said his, and without even noticing, Cheelaimon slipped her hands inside his waist pack and pulled the remote device out.
Beribulumon chimed in, floating inside the mess hall. "Sir Brakus. Lord Burizalor summons for you."
"Lord Burizalor summons us? Yes. We will come right away," Brakus nodded. "Kenji, DORUmon, follow me."
"Actually, he only needs to see you, Brakus," Beribulumon clarified.
"I see then. Kenji, I'll be right back. Stay here," Brakus ordered as he followed Beribulumon out of the mess hall.
"Man, my dead creep of a father might be better than this guy," Lemomon remarked until he noticed a sneaky grin on Cheelaimon's face. "What? What is it?" He saw her sneaky grin grow wider when she showed him the remote device she snatched out of Brakus' waist pack. "No way, did you just…?"
"Did you snatch that?!" DORUmon frantically cried out.
"Heheh, here's what I think of this whole thing," Cheelaimon said, dropping the device and swiftly crushing it under her foot. "How about we relocate from this spot? Are you two still hungry?" She asked Kenji and DORUmon, who both nodded excitedly.
(End theme)
After relocating from the mess hall, the group found an isolated spot inside the ship where Kenji and DORUmon ate peacefully. They left a pile of torn and unwrapped rations. Baffled by their appetites, Lemomon immediately lost his appetite. Cheelaimon, however, was more than impressed by Kenji's presence.
"Thanks for earlier, Kenji," Cheelaimon said.
When Kenji opened a canister, he expected liquid but nothing came out.
"You want some water? Here, let me see that," Lemomon said, asking for the canister. As Kenji handed it to him, Lemomon opened the top and showed Kenji the water.
"Gimmie some of whatever that is!" DORUmon pleaded with Kenji.
As Kenji sipped the water, his eyes lit up and his mouth was no longer parched. He put the canister next to DORUmon, who stuck his tongue inside and lapped up some water.
"Wow, that made my tongue tingle!" DORUmon squealed delightfully.
"What is this stuff?" Kenji asked them.
"Huh? Are you kidding? It's just plain water," Cheelaimon replied. "Haven't you ever heard of water before?" She asked Kenji as he and DORUmon shared drinking water together.
"Yummy! That made me full!" DORUmon said.
"That was delicious," Kenji nodded as he patted the green waist fur. "This is Bah's ear."
(Cue Dragon Ball Super: Broly OST - Memories of Bah)
"Do you mean that fur you're wearing?" Cheelaimon queried.
"Bah was our closest friend on Planet Vampa," DORUmon explained. "He was a big guy. Bigger than this whole ship!"
"You see, 'Bah' is the sound Bah made, so what's what DORUmon and I called him," Kenji added. "Bah was scary, but day after day, DORUmon and I trained by dodging Bah's attacks. After that, we became friends." A smile adorned his face while reminiscing his childhood spent training and playing with Bah.
"He was our best friend and he'd let us rest on his fluffy tail!" DORUmon said, spreading his arms out. "It was than me!"
"Bah was the first friend you two ever made?" Lemomon asked the duo.
"Yep, but see…" DORUmon was going to finish but Kenji stopped him.
"Dad got angry with us. Being friends with Bah wasn't training in dad's eyes and so, he shot Bah's ear with a gun. This upset Bah. Because of that, Bah never came to see us again," Kenji patted the remnants of Bah's ear around his waist. "And that's why I wear Bah's ear with me."
Hearing his story, Cheelaimon smirked. "You're getting a lot more chattier than usual, Kenji. I like that you're opening up."
"This is the first time I've ever heard such a pure story around here," Lemomon said. "You're refreshingly innocent."
"I bet you two don't even like fighting at all, do you?" Cheelaimon asked Kenji and DORUmon. When she asked, she noted the hesitation on their faces.
"Having seen you react in the mess hall, you look like you can hold your own, kid," Lemomon said. "You're a big guy, but I bet your dad forced you to train, didn't he?"
"It's true. He used Kenji as a means to defend us from big Digimon and some other monsters on Vampa!" DORUmon stated.
"That conniving father of yours! He only thinks of you as a weapon of destruction, doesn't he?!" Cheelaimon yelled with disgust. "Something he can use to get petty vengeance and to get ahead!"
"Maybe. Your old man is the worst, Kenji," Lemomon said.
"I try to keep telling him not to do everything Brakus tells him," DORUmon added.
Nodding, Kenji modestly replied. "It's not nice to say such things about my dad. He is still my dad." As he said this, Cheelaimon and Lemomon could only give him pitiful looks. DORUmon crawled on Kenji's lap and curled up next to him.
Cheelaimon took a moment to reflect on her first encounter with Kenji and DORUmon. She recalled landing on the unbridled and desolate world that Planet Vampa was infamously known for being.
(End theme)
Planet Vampa/Flashback
Having been sent by the Buriza Forces to locate and retrieve lost troops, Cheelaimon and Lemomon landed on one of the most hostile worlds in the Digiverse. The moment they stepped out, they faced an endless stretch of desolate terrains and desert. Outside of local fauna and flora, they found no signs of intelligent life.
Just then, they found the wrecked ship that Brakus, Kenji, and DORUmon used. They meticulously combed through the unoccupied ship and found no one side. Suddenly, their scouters picked up a slightly weak signal. They turned toward a tired figure walking out of a cavern. They found a ragged and dirty Brakus, now a grizzled man with a white beard. His once muscular frame was nimbler due to a lack of proper nutrition.
"Are you with the Buriza Forces?" Brakus breathlessly asked.
"Those clothes? I recognize them. They were worn by the Digital Knight Council!" Lemomon pointed out.
"Really? How do you know?" Cheelaimon asked her partner.
"I was there to see them when they were at their peak, kid."
"But, weren't they all supposed to be dead by now?"
"A few survived and we're looking at one," Lemomon inspected Brakus.
"Then, he's our enemy, right?"
After checking over Brakus, the old Digital Knight weakly stood. "Listen, I mean you no harm… I've waited for anyone to find us. Either it's Digital Knight or a Burize Force ship, it doesn't matter…"
"What do you mean by us? We only see you," Lemomon said.
"Oh, you see… it's myself, my son, and his Digimon partner. We had one other but he didn't make it," the old Knight concealed Jero's true and grim fate.
"Then, that distress signal came from your ship," Lemomon said.
"Yes, that was me. Our spaceship broke down. I've waited an unbelievably long time and I'm so relieved we can finally leave this hostile world!"
Cheelaimon scanned the old Knight with her scouter. "Wow, you're power level is 4,500. Great."
"You mentioned your son and his Digimon partner? Where are they?" Lemomon queried.
"I'll take you to them."
Suddenly, their path was obstructed by a giant yellow Dokugumon. As it prepared to ensnare its prey, Cheelaimon instinctively readied her gun and screamed.
(Cue Dragon Ball Super: Broly OST - Broly, the Wild Child (1:06 - 2:01))
"KENJI!" Bellowed Brakus, whose call summoned his son, who just finished eating his insect snack.
Dropping the giant insect leg he munched on, Kenji grabbed DORUmon and quickly soared through the air. Flying across at blinding speed, Kenji kicked the Dokugumon with excessive force and sent it sailing far away from the vicinity. Upon laying her eyes on Kenji for the first time, Cheelaimon fell in awe and ignored his fluctuating power reading from her scouter.
"This is my son Kenji and his partner DORUmon," Brakus introduced them to the Buriza Force troops.
"N-No freaking way!"
"What, Cheelaimon?"
"H-His power level exploded… beyond measure," she stammered in disbelief.
"Don't be ridiculous. That's impossible!" Lemomon scanned Kenji with his scouter. "Oh man, hop in, you three! Burizalor will be delighted to meet you!"
(End theme)
Shortly after leaving Planet Vampa, the group quickly headed back toward Burizalor's spaceship. On the way there, Kenji and DORUmon were seated next to Cheelaimon.
"So, tell me your name again?"
"It's Kenji," the young man said, eyeing the chocolate-flavored ration bar in Cheelaimon's hand.
"You want one of these, Kenji?"
"Don't forget me! That looks yummy!" DORUmon chimed in.
"Haha, ok. I've got two extra ones here," Cheelaimon said, taking out two ration bars. "They're good. Here you go." As she handed the top ration bars over, they tried to bite into them. "Whoa, hang on! You have to unwrap them first!" She opened their packages and showed them the rations.
As they sniffed bars, Kenji and DORUmon bit into them and quickly munched them away. Seeing their ravenous appetites, Cheelaimon laughed heartily.
"I told you they're good! Aren't I right?"
"Yep, they're delicious!" DORUmon replied.
"Aww, c'mon. Not even thank you?" Cheelaimon whined.
"Tell her thanks, you two," Brakus sternly told them.
"Oh, thank you very much," Kenji said.
"That's formal. You can just say 'thank you,'" Cheelaimon said.
Kenji and DORUmon blinked. "Uh, thank you?"
"No problem," she said, patting DORUmon's head and winking at Kenji.
Burizalor's Spaceship/Present Day
Sighing, Cheelaimon lightly smiled. "So, does that make us friends now?"
"What do you think, Kenji? Are these two our newest friends?" DORUmon asked his modest partner.
Without hesitation, Kenji peacefully smiled. "Yeah, we're friends." When he turned around, Cheelaimon noted a necklace with the Crest of Legacy hanging from it. He stopped and noticed her seemingly checking him out, unaware of the fact that his Crest caught her attention. "What's wrong?"
"I can't help but notice that thing hanging from your necklace. What is it?"
Looking down at his Crest, Kenji grasped it and nodded. "This is my Crest of Legacy. It's helped DORUmon evolve and helped me unlock some power I never thought I had."
"That's right! I've been able to reach my… um, I think my Ultimate form? I'm not sure but I get pretty strong. Kenji has gotten mighty strong. I also think our powers are linked through our Crest of Legacy," DORUmon elaborated as best as he could, which intrigued Cheelaimon and Lemomon.
"I've heard something about Crests. These humans called Digidestined have them and used them to digivolve their partners," Lemmon said. "But, that's just based on hearsay since I've never seen Crests before. Kenji, if that thing's important to ya, then keep it safe."
Nodding, Kenji slipped his Crest under his black shirt. "I will."
Digital World/File Island/November 30, 2012
Some time has passed since their son was born. Tai and Sora decided to bring their newborn to see the Digital World for the first time. The older Max suggested that his younger self should start interacting with the Digital World. This would facilitate the infant's Ascendant power growth. It was also suggested that Mimi join them. Her being pregnant with Keke and having already birthed Dimitri, they hoped bringing Mimi's kids can bring similar results. Matt ended up coming with Mimi and he saw this as a chance to catch up with his training.
Tai and Matt decided on a sparring match to keep themselves from falling behind. Having spent a month with Sora, Tai had little time to train. And having no way to access Ascendancy Instinct since it was a temporary boost unlocked by the Overseer, the Bearer of Courage decided on working his way to achieving this power on his own terms. Matt and his alter ego agreed to bring Tai back to his prime.
(Cue Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge OST - Panic in the Sky!)
The rivals' duel commenced as one might expect: with a loud bang. A loud clash of fisticuffs shook and parted the clouds away. When Tai and Matt collided head-on, their raw energies pulsated and radiated. At the same time, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon launched fierce but non-lethal attacks toward one another. As Tai threw a fist, WarGreymon tossed a Terra Force at the metallic wolf. When Matt caught Tai's fist, MetalGarurumon countered his sparring partner's heated sphere with an Ice Wolf Bite.
"What's wrong, Tai?! Where's that Instinct power you want to bring out?!" Matt chided his sparring partner, trying to rile him up.
"Heh, it's not that simple. Just trying to agitate isn't going to work. This isn't like becoming an Ascendant," Tai chuckled, parrying and dodging all of Matt's blows. He flew back, luring Matt toward him. When Matt rocketed forward, the Bearer of Courage launched himself forward and unleashed kicks, which Matt countered with his elbows.
As MetalGarurumon glided over WarGreymon, he fired his Metal Wolf Claw. Spinning himself around, WarGreymon performed his Brave Tornado and cracked the ice sheet into pieces.
"Let's take this to the next level, my friend!" WarGreymon hollered as a ring of digitized energy formed over him and transformed him into VictoryGreymon. Now brandishing his Dramon Breaker, he saw MetalGarurumon engulfed by a digitized ring and turning him into ZeedGarurumon.
"Come on!" ZeedGarurumon beckoned his sparring partner. As he and VictoryGreymon collided, he swung his metal tail to counter VictoryGreymon's Dramon Breaker. When he fired his Fullmetal Blaze, VictoryGreymon summoned two shells from his back and countered the beams with his Victory Shield.
As Tai and Matt repeatedly collided head-on, their clashes sent intense shockwaves, which from a far-off distance looked like waves. Sora and Mimi watched their significant others sparring to their hearts' content. Biyomon and Palmon sat beside their partners under an umbrella. Laying asleep peacefully in Sora's lap is infant Max. Sora lovingly caressed her son's head and gazed over the beach where she saw older Max and Keke standing together.
"This was a great idea to get away, Sora," Mimi sighed with relief, taking off her sunglasses as she patted her enlarged belly. "It's only a matter of time before Keke is due." She reached down and patted Dimitri's head. "Just a little while longer and your sister's coming out, sweetie."
"Speaking of, the older versions of Max and Keke sure didn't want to miss hanging out with us," Sora said.
"They aren't the only ones," Mimi added with a sly smirk, shifting her view from Max and Keke and toward their other guests. "Hey, you two, aren't you glad you tagged along?" She spotted Beerusmon and Whismon sitting under an umbrella. The two were seen laying on reclining chairs.
"Mmmhmm, this is so relaxing. What do you think, Lord Beerusmon? We should do this more often," Whismon chuckled, sipping on a coconut drink.
"How long until we start eating, Whismon?" Beerusmon asked while keenly watching Tai & WarGreymon and Matt & ZeedGarurumon's duel. "Those two should get it over with."
"Now, now, we shouldn't interrupt their important training. Besides, you know how fixated Taichi is learning to achieve Ascendancy Instinct."
The purple cat man sighed. "He had a brief taste of a technique he could've eventually learned on his way. He was on that trajectory during his fight with Zeed X. Who even knows if he would've unlocked its full potential? It took the Overseer to grant him this power, and as a result of bargaining with the Overseer, he gave up the bulk of his life to help turn the tide against Zeed X and save the omniverse. If only there was a way to reverse what's been done."
Whismon nodded. "I can't say what can be done to undo that, my lord. All we can do is see Taichi achieve greater heights of power before his time comes. I'm still intrigued by what Taichi can do. There are no limits to his Ascendant power."
Beerusmon grunted. "And knowing how equally competitive Yamato is, he wants to find his own path. What could be opposite to Ascendancy Instinct, I wonder? Oh, maybe there is."
"Hmm, care to elaborate, Lord Beerusmon?"
"That'll come with time. I'll discuss it with Yamato in private."
"I do concur that Taichi and Yamato are heading toward different paths in their disciplines," Whismon said as he watched Tai & VictoryGreymon and Matt & ZeedGarurumon descending on the beach. "That said, I do see Max, Dimitri, and Keke succeeding their fathers should anything happen to them. And I do believe Keke will be born soon. Miss Mimi has had to carry a double load."
(End theme)
As Tai, Matt, and their Digimon landed on the beach, Max & Gojiramon and Keke & Mosuramon over to meet with them.
"That was a nice warm-up, you two," Max said, handing Tai a towel.
Keke offered Matt a towel, which he used to wipe his face. "He almost had you, dad."
"Yeah, but he won't be so lucky next time," Matt chortled as he and Tai gave each a fierce and competitive glare.
"You wanna go another round, Matt?" Tai smirked.
"Uh, how about we eat?" Agumon suggested.
"Good idea. We've been waiting for you two to finish," Max said.
"You didn't have to wait for us, but ok," the Bearer of Courage shrugged as they headed over to meet with Sora, Mimi, and the others as Simms walked out with meats and vegetables prepared on a barbeque grill.
(Cue My Hero Academia OST - Lunch Break Song)
The group headed over to the dining table and prepared their plates. Sora, Mimi, and their Digimon sat down with Tai, Matt, Max, and Keke. Sora placed infant Max in a carriage to sleep. Beerusmon and Whismon approached their table.
"Isn't he just adorable when he's asleep, Tai?" Sora asked her husband as they lovingly watched their sleeping child.
"He reminds me of me when I used to sleep a lot as a kid," Tai chuckled.
"You remember how you slept as a baby, dad?" Max asked him.
"Not really, but mom would always tell me how cute I looked back then. Heh, hard to believe mom is now a grandma," the Bearer of Courage laughed a bit.
"Heh, I am pretty adorable when I'm asleep," Max boastfully said, kneeling and eyeing his infant self.
"Of course, you'd say that," Keke shook her head. She then turned over to Mimi and put her ear on the woman's belly. "I can hear me. It's only a matter of time, huh?"
The Bearer of Sincerity smiled. "Yeah, I just hope you don't give me as much trouble as your brother did."
"I can't make any promises, mom," Keke chuckled as she sat down and touched baby Dimitri's nose. "It's hard to believe Dimitri is already born now. We only saw his future self several months ago. I hope he and his family are ok now."
"And the first set of the D3s will officially be born in this reality," Simms said ever so proudly. "Ken and Yolei's son, Sam Jr., will be the next one born."
"Next thing you know, these kids will be grown up and then we'll have to find a way to differentiate between you two and your kid selves," Sora addressed Max and Keke.
"Well, you can just call me X. Simple as that," Max shrugged.
"But, what about me? I guess we can figure that out once I'm officially born," Keke said.
"Enough babbling! Let's eat!" Beerusmon hollered as the Digidestineds' Digimon howled in unison.
Through the remainder of their lunchtime, the group conversed about parenthood and plans for the future. However, Whismon quickly addressed Tai with an important question.
"So, tell me, Taichi. What do you hope to achieve with your limited window? Are you still planning to get stronger?" The Angel Digimon deity queried, already expecting the obvious answer.
"Well, yeah. I want to get strong so I can protect Sora and our kid. Of course, I want to get strong and hope to achieve Ascendancy Instinct and do that my way."
Overhearing this, Matt's ears perked as his alter ego became intrigued by Tai's declaration. He whispered. "Yeah, I can tell you want us to find our path to something akin to Ascendancy Instinct."
Within Matt's mind, the Yamato alter ego scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. Ascendancy Instinct? Screw that. We should be aiming for another discipline path. Something that suits us more."
"Good point," Matt concurred.
"Speaking to your inner Yamakins again?" Mimi giggled as she tapped his shoulder.
"An answer as I'd expect from you, Taichi. Yes, and now you and your friends have made new allies with these Signer Guardians. It's safe to say you're helping to establish the new generation. RedNovaDemon is still out there and you'll have to help the Signer Guardians handle him. And of course, we can't forget our old friend Burizalor," Whismon reminded them about their worst enemy.
"Friend? I'd never call that smarmy bastard a friend," Matt scoffed hearing this.
"Burizalor is the only bad guy that Zeed X revived that managed to survive. I don't want to give the devil his due, but he did help us defeat Zeed X," Max reminded them. "Remember he's mostly instrumental in Zeed X's demise."
Nodding, Tai stood up from his seat. "Yeah, Burizalor is still at large, but that just means more reason for us to train. For us to be prepared when he ever shows his face. He's no doubt already planning something and he's not going to slack off on his training."
Agumon nodded. "We've already seen what he can do just training in a couple of months and gaining his Golden form!"
"Well, he did achieve his Golden form with a little help from RedNovaDemon, too," Gabumon said.
"We all need to prepare. Burizalor is not going to rest until we're beaten. Make no mistake about that," Max stated.
"Beyond Burizalor, I do want to face Jirenmon again. From what I gather, there's other powerful guys across the 12 Digiverses we haven't seen yet," Tai said. "Say, didn't Lord Zenomnimon say there might be a tournament soon?"
Whismon addressed this. "He has, but no official statement has been put out. You all should know with due time."
"Great, so more opponents for us to face and overcome. That's more reason for us to up our ante, Tai," Matt added.
"Got that right, Matt. I bet Yamakins feel just as enthused, right?"
The Bearer of Friendship rolled his eyes. "You have no idea."
"My, you Ascendants just won't stop achieving ways to find new levels of strength, but I suppose that's admirable. You seek challenges but want to protect your families while achieving these new feats. Quite admirable if I do say so," Whismon conveyed respect for Tai and Matt.
"You two will have to drop by our planet sooner than later then if you want," Beerusmon offered a place for Tai, Matt, and their Digimon to train. "Besides, it's been boring there lately. A little side entertainment should ease our boredom."
"Speaking of training, I've gotten back on my regimen after giving birth to little Max," Sora said. "I am taking it slow."
"One step at a time, Sora," Biyomon added.
"Don't worry, Sora. Keke and I will get you back into fighting shape," Max said.
"I know I can depend on you two and Biyomon," the Bearer of Love added.
(End theme)
Just then, Tai's smartphone started going off. He noted the caller and immediately answered.
"Izzy, what's up? You're missing a barbeque out here on File Island!"
"Wish I could come, but we have an urgent situation."
"What's wrong, Izzy?" Tai queried with concern.
"Gennai is here with Tentomon and me. He's told us that the Digicores that Max and Simms gave us have been stolen!"
"What?! The Digicores were stolen?!" Tai yelled out, which garnered his friends' attention.
"The Digicores were stolen by who?!" Max quickly demanded.
"Just when we were talking about that bastard! He goes and sends some toadies to steal the Digicores right under our noses!" Matt yelled.
As Tai turned on his phone speaker, Izzy's voice was broadcasted to them. "Listen, everyone. The Digicores have been stolen by several of Burizalor's henchmen. Gennai showed us security footage from Azulongmon's realm. They managed to sneak in and steal the Digicores."
"Of course, Burizalor would send some of his weakest grunts to collect them. We wouldn't have been able to sense them from where we're at," the Bearer of Friendship said. "That no-good creep spared no expense."
"They haven't activated them yet, have they?" Sora worryingly asked.
"No, otherwise, you guys would've felt SliferGigaDramon's presence by now. We've got a lock on their location. They're heading for the Polar Continent."
(Cue Dragon Ball Super: Broly OST - The Adventure Begins)
"Then, that's where we'll be heading," Tai said. "Though some of us who aren't fit to fight will have to stay behind." He said while considering Mimi's pregnant state.
"It's ok. I'll be fine. You go on," Mimi said.
"Not to fear, Miss Mimi. A few of us can stay behind," Whismon smiled. "Perhaps you'd like to stay behind, Lord Beerusmon?"
Scratching his head, the purple cat god shrugged. "I suppose I could. It's almost time for my catnap."
"You wouldn't mind looking after my little boy, Lord Beerusmon?" Sora asked the purple cat god.
"Lord Beerusmon, Palmon, and I can stay behind to look after the rugrats," Mimi volunteered.
"What? When did I get saddled with being someone's babysitter? I'm a Destroyer! Not a nursery caretaker!" Beerusmon blurted out.
"Sometimes you've got to expand your horizons, my lord," heartily chortled the angel.
"Gennai, Tentomon, and I will meet you all there," Izzy finished speaking.
"Alright, we're on our way," Tai nodded as he turned off his phone. He then faced the group members willing and able to join him. Agumon, Sora, Biyomon, Matt, Gabumon, Max, Gojiramon, Keke, and Mosuramon gathered near him. "Then, the rest of us are heading for the Polar Continent. Let's get a move on."
"Might I offer you all a quick transport us to Izzy's location?" Whismon suggested as Tai and his group gathered. "And away we go!"
As she watched her friends vanish with Whismon's transport technique, Mimi sighed. "I can't believe I'm going to miss out."
"Me, too," Palmon agreed as she cradled baby Dimitri and handed him to Mimi.
"Just take it easy and don't worry yourself. Consider the growth and health of your other child," Beerusmon said as he sat down and watched infant Max closely.
Baffled hearing a charitable statement from the Digital God of Destruction, Mimi genuinely smiled. "Thank you, Lord Beerusmon. That means a lot." Her bright smile made Beerusmon turn away, causing him to flinch.
"Yes, just get some rest, ok?" Beerusmon rolled his eyes while trying his hardest not to come off as a Destroyer who was losing his edge. Without Mimi noticing, a considerate smile adorned his feline features.
(End theme)
Burizalor's Spaceship
(Cue Dragon Ball Super: Broly OST - An Unexpected Bounty)
"We're about to reach the Digital World in Azulongmon's sector," Burizalor informed Brakus. "There we will find the Chosen who received their Crests and are affiliated with your old friend Gennai."
Brakus openly scoffed. "Gennai is no friend of mine anymore. Any ally of his is my enemy."
"Good because I'd like to see your son and his Digimon show off their powers."
"Kenji's innate strength is beyond unimaginable. With the Crest of Legacy, he and DORUmon draw from each other's powers and can't be beaten."
Burizalor nodded. "Incidentally, you can do whatever you want with Gennai. He's hardly an issue for me, but please allow me to finish Taichi off. Killing Taichi has always been a goal of mine." He angrily grumbled as Brakus flinched from the icy tyrant's fierce glare.
"As you wish, Lord Burizalor."
"Lord Burizalor! I have good news to report! Our soldiers have collected the Digicores!" Kikonomon yelled out, racing into the digitized tyrant's quarters.
"This is splendid news! Now I can make my wish!" Burizalor cackled loudly. "Open the portal and hasten the ship's course for our destination!"
(End theme)
Digital World/Polar Continent
Walking through the frigid and dry landscape, three Buriza Force troops hurriedly carried the Digicores toward their ship. Before they could reach their ship, a portal opened up and HerculesKabuterimon arrived carrying Tai's group on his armored back. Izzy and Gennai were also seen with the others. Everyone sported winter clothing.
"Good thing we dropped by our homes before coming here. We would've frozen our butts off," Tai said, wearing his dark blue winter coat.
"Over there. I see their ship," Matt pointed to the Buriza troops' spaceship.
"Good, they haven't left. We can cut them off from here," Max replied.
"Hey, Whismon. I'm surprised the cold doesn't bother you," Gojiramon addressed the angel.
"The vacuum of space is far more brutal than this. I'm not bothered at all," Whismon said.
Upon seeing Tai's group heading toward their ship, the Buriza Force troops panicked and hid.
"Isn't that the Digidestined that Kikonomon warned us about?" One of the troops, a short rotund neon green-faced brute asked his colleagues.
The other two troops checked their scouts and scanned their enemies' readings. Much to their dismay, several of Tai's group Ki signatures rose and alarmed them.
"Cripes! Several of them are Ascendants! We gotta go!" The green alien yelped.
As the three aliens slipped into their ship, they hastily took off and tried their quickest to escape. However, all it took was Matt firing off a Ki blast, which brought the ship down. Tai, Agumon, Max, and Gojiramon then flew over the crashed ship.
"Hey, we know you have the Digicores! Hand them over!" Tai demanded.
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, fellas," Max popped his knuckles.
"Give them up!" Agumon shoved his face into their ship's glass roof and puffed air like smoke, terrifying the Buriza Force troops.
"Crap, what do we do?! If we don't hand the Digicores over to them, they'll kill us! But, if we don't hand them to Lord Burizalor, he'll have our heads!" The yellow-faced alien cried fearfully for their lives.
(Cue Dragon Ball Super: Broly OST - Freeza and Broly)
Suddenly, a bright flare of red light gleamed and cut through the clouds, creating an opening for a larger spaceship to descend. Everyone paused and stared toward the sky. Tai, Matt, Max, and the other Ascendants felt his ominous presence closing in.
"Look who finally decided to show up," Max remarked, staring toward the digitized tyrant's spaceship.
"Burizalor still likes to make his extravagant entrances," Matt snorted. Just then, he and the other Ascendants felt other strong energies inside the spaceship. "It seems he's brought some company."
"Yeah, it's not just Burizalor this time," Tai nodded.
Sora tried her best to sense the Ki inside the ship. "That's Burizalor for sure, but I don't recognize the other ones."
"Me either, but I'm sensing two with strong but suppressed powers," Keke verified.
"There's two awesome powers in that ship, Tai," Agumon warned his partner, who stood his guard.
When the spaceship landed, the main entrance opened and a fleet of elite soldiers stormed out and lined up on opposite sides. Stepping out of the entrance were Burizalor, Brakus, and Kenji & DORUmon. When Kenji walked forward, he unleashed a flicker of his aura, which slightly pushed Tai, Matt, Max, and their partners back a bit.
"That tall guy has Ascendant energy," Max assessed Kenji.
"And that Digimon beside him has some incredible power, too," Gojiramon cautiously eyed DORUmon.
"That old guy looks like Gennai. Could he be one of Gennai's guys?" Tai said, observing Brakus.
(End theme)
Just then, Gennai's eyes widened as he recognized Brakus. "Can it be? Is that you, Brakus?!"
Wearing an ironic smile, Brakus disparagingly remarked. "Well if it isn't my old friend Gennai? You've certainly… remained static. Have you found a way to avoid old age?"
"It's a long story but no I was an old man at one point," Gennai replied. "But, you… it's been…"
"Ages and you never bothered to find me."
"That's because our world was destroyed. I had to keep the Digieggs out of the enemy's hands."
Wirth ire in his eyes, Brakus scoffed. "That's enough excuses. Is it a shock to you that my son and I survived?"
Gennai frowned. "No, I shouldn't be surprised. I'm truly sorry I never went to find you. It's one of my biggest regrets."
The older Digital Knight openly scowled, spewing vitriol toward his enemies. "You can apologize with your life, Gennai. You and your Chosen will perish here."
Izzy whispered to Gennai. "Sounds like you two had quite a history together?"
Gennai nodded. "General Brakus was my superior at one point and we fought in the Great Wars against the Buriza Forces. We were among the elite of the Digital Knight Council."
"What do you want here, Burizalor? Why bother us?" Max demanded from the tyrant. "I'm sure you have no investment in this guy's grudge with Gennai."
"I'm sure you're well aware," Burizalor smirked as with two waves of his fingers, he telekinetically pulled the Digicores toward them. "I'm here to get my wish from the Digicores."
"Hey, give those Digicores back!" Keke called out.
"It appears we have a greater problem," Whismon noted. "I suppose you can call it the nature of the Ascendant race."
"So, who are these three, Burizalor? The old guy seems to know Gennai, but the other two are quite curious," Matt said as his alter ego, Yamato, immediately seeped through and took over. His tone became more refined and less casual.
"You could call them my newest enlistees in the Buriza Forces," the tyrant answered. "This is former General Brakus, who once represented the Digital Knight Council, and he's seen his share of warfare. The other two are his son Kenji and Kenji's partner DORUmon. You see, Brakus? They possess Ascendant powers just like your son. This is the direct result of them harvesting the full potential of their Crests. All of them have acquired Alpha X's legendary powers."
Max interjected. "Well, except a few of us. Some of us came from another reality and inherited our Ascendant powers from our parents."
As he keenly observed Kenji, Tai muttered. "Hey, this is just me talking but there's something about this Kenji guy that reminds me of Yagami."
"You're not wrong, Tai. They do have similar energies. I sense he has a Crest on him," Max replied.
"I'm curious to know what Crest he possesses. Yagami had the Crest of Spirit," Matt said.
"Chosen, understand that your friend, Gennai, did a terrible disservice to Brakus and his son. Gennai's crimes will be paid with his life as well as yours. Up until now, they were trapped in an unfamiliar, hostile world," Burizalor addressed Tai's group.
(Cue Dragon Ball Super: Broly OST - Broly Begins to Battle (0:00 - 3:08))
"I swear that you, at least, will pay for everything, Gennai!" Brakus called out his former ally. "We are here to take revenge!" As he said this, Kenji's face contorted. His whole body quaked with fury as he glared at his father's enemies. DORUmon, too, shared his partner's anger and drew from his Crest's raw energies.
"Don't be absurd! What does that have to do with us? You and Gennai go settle your own differences!" Matt chastised the old general.
"C'mon, let us see Kenji. Most of us are Ascendants here and we'd like to ask him what he thinks about this situation," Tai suggested.
As he heard Kenji growling, Brakus turned toward Burizalor.
"Lord Burizalor, what should I do?"
The tyrant shrugged. "He seems eager to go. Very well, unleash the beast. Please show me what he can do."
"Understood, sir. Listen up! ATTACK THEM NOW, KENJI!" Brakus issued his order, which awakened Kenji's inner fury.
Letting out an unbridled roar, Kenji clenched his fists and quickly flew past his father. DORUmon became surrounded by digitized rings, which kicked off his evolution process. As Kenji swung his right fist toward Tai, Matt, and Max, the trio dropped into fighting stances. When the Ascendant aimlessly went for the three, it was Matt who stepped in and intercepted him. Matt then crossed his arms and blocked Kenji's punch. Even with Kenji's punch connecting with his crossed arms, Matt flashed a sly smirk.
Tai, Max, and their partners stepped aside. When DORUmon digivolved, he became DORUgamon. Reacting to DORUgamon's presence, Gabumon immediately evolved into MetalGarurumon and headbutted DORUgamon away.
As DORUgamon crashed far back, DORUgamon launched an iron ball from his path. MetalGarurumon easily countered DORUgamon's Power Metal with his Metal Ice Wolf. Then, DORUgamon surprised MetalGarurumon and evolved again, standing upright and becoming DORUgoramon.
"He evolved quickly!" MetalGarurumon yelled out.
"Go a step further yourself, MetalGarurumon!" Matt called out as he and Kenji engaged in quick fisticuffs.
With that, MetalGarurumon evolved again and turned into ZeedGarurumon. Launching himself fast, ZeedGarurumon headbutted DORUgoramon and sent him flying back.
"Matt!" Tai called out to his colleague.
"Not Matt now!"
"Oh, it's you, Yamakins. You think you can handle him?!" The Bearer of Courage asked.
"Leave him to me, Taichi!" The Bearer of Friendship parried and dodged Kenji's direct attacks.
While Yamato and Kenji fiercely fought, their attacks sent resounding shockwaves that knocked back most of Tai's friends, prompting Whismon to form a barrier to protect them from any stray blasts.
"C'mon, dad! Stay on him!" Keke cheered on Yamato.
"This Kenji's power is unbelievable and his partner's already digivolving so fast! Sora gasped with disbelief.
"His partner's name is DORUmon. And right now he's fighting on an Ultimate-level now and competing with ZeedGarurumon, who's already a modified form of MetalGarurumon," Izzy explained while reading DORUmon's Digimon profile
"Make sure you all stay behind my barrier. Although a few of you are Ascendants now you're nowhere near where the level Tai, Matt, Max, and this Kenji boy are competing at," Whismon addressed.
"That's not true. I've gotten stronger myself," Keke said.
"Yes, but last I checked you maxed out at Ascendant 2 and enhanced that state, though you've shown us you can compete with Ascendant 3-level beings and can hang with Ascendant Gods like Max," the Bearer of Knowledge regretfully informed her.
"I know that Izzy, but I don't like sitting on the sidelines," Keke said, keenly watching her boyfriend, Max, and Tai keeping their distance from Yamato and Kenji.
"It'll be ok, Keke. You'll get your chance," Simms reassured her.
"Brakus, call them off now!" Gennai chided Brakus.
"No, today is the day you and your Chosen met your end! My vengeance shall be satisfied!" The older ex-Knight angrily retorted as he painstakingly watched Kenji throwing punches at Yamato, who easily dodged the determined warrior's blows.
As Tai, Max, and their partners kept their distance, they witnessed Yamato and Kenji flying into the sky to engage in aerial combat.
"Matt and ZeedGarurumon get all the fun, no fair," Agumon scoffed.
"Yeah, why do they get to hog the fun?" Gojiramon said.
"Don't worry. If Yamakins and ZeedGarurumon start faltering, one of us will tag in. What do you think?" Tai nodded to Agumon, Max, and Gojiramon.
"Sounds like a plan, Tai," Max concurred.
Boom!
Following a resounding shockwave caused by their colliding fists, Yamato and Kenji intensely stared into each other.
"Hey, Kenji. I once fought someone like you before. I just want you to hear this from me," Yamato smirked as he punched Kenji's face, sending him flying back. When Kenji landed on a snow-capped rockface, the Bearer of Friendship smirked. "I'm not going display any fear toward you as I did with him. So, you and your Digimon better bring all you've got!"
(End theme)
Next chapter: Blizzard War
A/N: I'm speed-running through this whole movie adaptation! Though the scenes are mostly going to be action-oriented in the next chapter.
The chapter is about us getting to know Kenji and DORUmon, and establishing their relationship with Cheelaimon and Lemomon. The chapter spares no expense in showing how much of a control freak Brakus is and the lengths he'll go to send his 'Chosen' to destroy Gennai's Chosen. This grudge then leads to Brakus and Gennai's unfriendly reunion.
By now, Sora and Mimi have already given birth to Max and Dimitri. Dimitri was already born first on September 11th. With Keke on the way, Mimi still has one more round of labor pains soon. So, this allows Sora to pick back up on her training since she's already unlocked her Ascendant form.
Now, the fateful battle has commenced and Yamakins is the first to take on Kenji's beastly power. Let's see how things turn out for Tai and the others.