Chapter Nine – The Hazard Tamer
Barbamon surveyed the smoking ruins of his fortress as he glided over piles of smashed brickwork and burning slag. He truly had not known his own strength during that last attack; the pure dark energy that had poured out of him, spurred on by his pain and rage, had levelled almost everything in the vicinity. Something shifted in the corner of his eye. Turning slowly, he discerned amid the slowly falling embers and rising smoke the form of the Dragon warrior who had had the temerity to blindside him moments earlier- Imperialdramon. The Mega-level warrior had lost most of the armour on the left side of its body from Barbamon's last attack, and its exposed skin was raw and burned as it cradled the four humans in the crook of its right arm. In diving to protect them, Barbamon guessed Imperialdramon had taken the brunt of his attack. But where was the accursed angel?
Ophanimon, he knew her only too well. She had been there at the beginning, among the ranks of the loyal. He was sure of it. And now here she was again, thwarting his plans. As these thoughts ran through Barbamon's head, Imperialdramon let out a groan and disappeared in a ball of light, turning back into two in-training runts. Oh well, Barbamon thought, at least he would have fun killing the Digidestined before going to be reunited with Daemon. Lowering himself to walk on the ground rather than float, the demon-lord advanced slowly on the four children, his staff contacting the ground with every stride forward, punctuating their approaching doom. Finally, he stood right in front of them- four crouching boys with burnt clothes and soot-covered faces, clutching tiny defenceless Digimon in their arms. The oldest of them stood up, rising on shaky legs, and gripping his side, but still putting his arms out to protect the rest.
"Tai Kamiya…" said Barbamon with a small smile crossing his lips. "You know me?" said Tai, his brows arched in defensive confusion. "I do…I remember your foolhardy bravery; I see little has changed in the intervening years." Tai glared up at the demonic Digimon but said nothing. "Have you all forgotten your old friend Myotismon so quickly?". At that, Tai Kamiya's eyes widened gloriously. Barbamon wondered if Tai would have the same expression when he killed him. There's only one way to find out, he thought to himself. Pulling his clawed hand back, Barbamon prepared end the courageous life of Tai Kamiya. At that moment, something hit him with such force that within a second, he found himself laying in the dust what must have been at least a quarter mile away, having been slammed through four walls and a nearby plateau. Rising slowly, Barbamon could see the large hole near the base of the plateau that his own body had just made. How had that happened, he wondered? I did not take him long to get his answer. "How does it feel, being the one getting knocked around for once?" came a voice from above. Looking up to the sky, Barbamon beheld Gallantmon descending towards him. But this was not the knight Digimon as he had known him. His body seemed larger somehow, pulsing with a distinctive energy. Finally, thought Barbamon with some satisfaction, a challenge.
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Izzy was worried. He had agreed to stay behind with Sora while Imperialdramon and Ophanimon went to provide back-up because he was sure that two powerful mega-levels would be enough to make a difference, but as he had watched those angry knives of red fire stab high into the sky from the very centre of the fortress, he knew he had been wrong. Tentomon and Biyomon had since digivolved to MegaKabuterimon and Garudamon and were now flying them towards the rising smoke of that conflagration, and horrible images scrolled through Izzy's mind for fear of what they were going to find when they landed.
As the loud buzz of MegaKabuterimon's wings slowed and the armoured beetles' thick legs touched the burning grounds of the courtyard, Izzy let go and ran towards the worst of the destruction, aware of nothing but his own anxiety and of the harsh feeling reverberating in his head as his shoes made hard contact with the stony ground with every stride. He knew Sora was calling his name and running to keep up, but that did not slow him down as his head whipped left and right looking for any sign of life. This continued for what felt like hours but may have only been minutes until finally Izzy saw a human shape set against the fire and smoke. Running forward, it wasn't long before he was within sight of Tai. Reaching out, Izzy wrapped Tai in a tight hug as a wave of relief swept over him. A few feet behind Tai he could see TK, Davis and Ken crouching down in the ruins, each clutching their Digimon under one arm and covering their faces against the cloying smoke of the fire. "Izzy…" Tai said shakily. Breaking off from his embrace, Izzy looked up at Tai, whose eyes seemed fixed on some point far in the distance, an image of shock and fear. "What's wrong Tai?" Izzy said, shaking Tai lightly by the shoulders. "Izzy…it's Myotismon-"
At that moment, the sky in the distance illuminated with yet further knives of red fire, casting shadows on all around them. All assembled watched this great and terrible explosion, but before anyone could speak, a movement in the corner of Izzy's vision caught his attention. High in the sky, a bubble containing Kari was flying off in the direction of the great explosion. "Tai, look!" said Izzy, pointing to Kari. "Come on!" said Sora, as the three of them ran back to Garudamon and MegaKabuterimon.
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Far in the distance, Gallantmon and Barbamon clashed with such ferocity that the very air around them began to combust and spark. To the naked eye their movements would surely have been too fast to discern, but within the bubble of their shared space everything seemed to be moving if anything slower than normal for Gallantmon. His right arm was jabbing forward with a flurry of thrusts with his lance, every one of which Barbamon would deftly avoid while pedalling backwards in the sand, his muscular bat-like wings arching and flexing to bring him exactly where he needed to be. Gallantmon realised at that moment that as fast as he was moving, it was no longer his limit. He could feel potential yet untapped, reserves of energy and power yet uncalled upon. Reaching inside himself, he suddenly pushed harder and found his thrusts which had already been mechanically precise and furious began to move like a piston at full speed. Now he was at least twice as fast as before, and to his delight- sparks of electrical energy began to pour out of the tip of lance, sparking against Barbamon's robes and beard. Finally, to Gallantmon's immense satisfaction, one of these thrusts found their mark on Barbamon's left shoulder, sending the demon lord spinning backwards through the air and into the dirt. Inside Gallantmon, Takato Matsuki let out a cheer of triumph.
Rising slowly from the ground, Barbamon brushed the dirt from his body before turning back to his opponent, his lips curled into a permanent snarl. Raising his staff, the Dark Sovereign called out "Dark Inferno!" sending three spirals of black flames shooting from the tip. These spirals curled through the air, all descending on Gallantmon's location. Raising his shield, the exalted knight struck out with one massive blow, sending all three gouts of flames high into the sky away from him. For the first time, Barbamon seemed lost for words. "How…how did you…what happened, you were not this strong before!"
"We made a promise to a friend…" said Gallantmon calmly, his cape flowing in the wind behind him. Suddenly he dashed forward, turning the ground behind him to rubble with the force of his first step, Barbamon could barely raise his staff to block as Gallantmon's shield came slicing horizontally towards the demon lord's neck. The reverberations of the impact shook him from head to toe, but powering through Barbamon span his staff once around his back and brought its head up to deliver a shattering blow to Gallantmon's left shoulder. This did not stop the knight however, who shouted "Lightning joust" sending a spear of lightning directly into Barbamon's chest. This attack sent the demon lord hurtling through the air again, this time with his body colliding against a large rock, turning the thing into pebbles instantly.
For the first time in this body, Barbamon was breathing hard. He had tasted death so many times before, he would not taste it again. That was the vow he had made to himself, and it was one he intended to keep. And nobody, especially not this malformed abomination of Digimon and human was going to make him break that vow. Raising his staff again, Barbamon screamed "Pandemonium Lost!". Gallantmon attempted to guard against the explosion of fiery red energy which engulfed him and the surrounding area, but it did little good as he still found himself being seared from all over, a pain like being stabbed by a million flaming hot blades all over. Giving up his guard, Gallantmon instead began push through the flames, at first slowly, then with gaining momentum.
Barbamon watched from outside the huge conflagration of his ultimate attack as the columns of red flames rose high into the sky, almost eclipsing the Earth above them. Suddenly remembering Kari Kamiya and his overall goal, Barbamon shook his staff and called the protective bubble he had trapped her in to return to him. Now he simply had to make sure Gallantmon was dead, and he could leave. It was as this thought crossed his mind that Gallantmon came bursting out of the wall of flames, trails of fire and smoke following him. His red cape was now little more than smouldering black rag on his back, and his armour bore numerous signs of stress and damage, but he was still whole and ready to fight, which he proved by launching himself at Barbamon again.
Their battle was now no longer a thing of finesse or skill, all pretence had been discarded and instead the two simply brutalised each other in whatever way they possibly could. Barbamon raked his claws across Gallantmon's helmet, smashed his staff against the knight's armour, and even balled his fists to deliver crushing blows to his body. In response, Gallantmon focused all his strength into a series of powerful blows with his shield and piercing attacks with his lance. The two mega levels tore at each with a terrible speed and ferocity, until both were breathing hard and spent. "I'm…going to end you…for my friends…" said Gallantmon, his voice steely with determination despite his obvious exhaustion.
Barbamon let out a bark of laughter as he stood up straighter, leaning against his staff. Raising his arm, he pointed a single claw at Gallantmon. "Once I destroy you, I will raze your world to the ground and kill everyone you love for daring to defy me!" he spat these words at the knight like a curse. They had the desired effect, as upon hearing them Gallantmon let out a cry of rage so loud that the ground around him cracked. Launching himself at Barbamon, a red aura began to surround Gallantmon as he lashed out at his enemy. But Barbamon was ready for him, sending a low blow with the head of his staff into one of Gallantmon's legs to make the knight fall to his knees. As soon as he had the advantage, he opened his palm and placed it right between Gallantmon's eyes. "Dark Inferno…"
With those words a torrent of black flame engulfed Gallantmon. That was that, thought Barbamon. Turning away from his defeated foe, Barbamon was in time to see Kari Kamiya flying towards him, followed annoyingly by two ultimate-level Digimon. Sighing, the demon lord raised his hand to swat them from the sky. But as he did, he became aware of something. A reverberation from behind him. A deep hum? No, not a hum. A growl. Turning back to Gallantmon, he was forced to leap back in surprise when six beams of red energy shot out from the black fire engulfing the knight.
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Takato Matsuki was floating through an endless black void. He did not know how long he had been here, or how he had gotten here. He did not even know where here was. He was pretty sure he didn't know anything at all. Images floated around him, hazy and disconnected as if part of a half-remembered dream. He saw the street he lived on burning. He saw Rika and Ryo unconscious laying on a city street. He saw his friend Henry in his hospital bed. This was the past, he knew that at least. But then then the images changed. He saw the desolated remains of a city lit by moonlight, absent of all people. He saw his friends standing before a great evil- and falling, one by one. Rika, Henry. Ryo, even Kazu, Kenta and Suzie. He saw his parents, Henry's family, and thousands of other humans all enslaved. Not, not thousands. Millions. Billions. His whole world choked in the grip of a great and terrible evil. "No!", he heard a voice scream, only seconds later realising it was his own. "No, no, no, no no nonononono!" he screamed that single syllable again and again and again.
Suddenly, all these images were blasted away by a flash of blinding red light illuminating the dark void. Takato looked up through his fingers. A light brighter than the sun and a thousand times more intense shone down on him alone. As its source came closer, Takato was able to discern its shape. It was a symbol he had seen a thousand times previously, every time he looked at Guilmon. A symbol he had once drawn on a sketchpad himself, ignorant of what it was. The Hazard Symbol. It drew Takato in towards it, and though he felt afraid he could make no sound as the Hazard touched his body, subsuming him and drawing him inside it. In only a few moments, Takato had been swallowed whole by the Hazard, and all at once he felt every thought, every emotion, every iota of his own being and persona flood out of his body. And then Takato Matsuki was no more. There was only The Hazard.
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Tai could hardly believe what he was seeing as he gripped tightly on to Garudamon's leg as they flew around the beams of red energy that extended from the ground high into the sky. From up here he could see Barbamon staring with shock and fear at this unknown phenomenon. Getting Sora's attention with a wave, he pointed to a small rocky outcropping a safe distance from Barbamon that they could land. After relaying the information to her partner, soon she, Tai and Izzy were standing on this small vantage point watching as the beams of energy extending out from Gallantmon began to die out. The kneeling form of Gallantmon remained in front of Barbamon, but then glowing red cracks began to form on his armour. These cracks spiderwebbed out from the centre of his chest and soon covered his entire body. And then, the exalted knight shattered into a million pieces, and was no more. Underneath his armour, a roiling red fiery form was revealed. This energy, free of its constraints, then began to grow.
It grew and grew and after a minute or so Tai began to wonder if it would ever take a particular form or just keep extending outwards. But he did not have to wonder for long. For soon he began to discern shapes. A long, pointed tail. Sharp, curved blades extending out from clawed arms. A thick, armoured head with pointed horns. The red energy surrounding the creature dissipated, and Tai beheld one of the most awe-inspiring and horrifying Digimon he had ever seen. Beside him, Izzy took out his Digivice and scanned the monster.
"Megidramon- Mega Level. An Evil Dragon Digimon. Sometimes called 'The Red Dragon of the End'" as Izzy read this information, Megidramon let out a terrible roar which seemed to shake the very foundations of the Digital World. Inside Tai's jacket, Koromon shook with fear. All the Digimon around them did. Tai stood up. Kari was still in her bubble, drawing ever closer to Barbamon. He had to save her. Sliding down the rock face, all Tai could hear beside the roar of Megidramon and the sound of his own blood pumping in his ears was Izzy and Sora screaming his name.
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Megidramon lunged at Barbamon, and instantly the demon lord noted that the dragon was far faster than he had expected. Raising his staff to summon another attack, to Barbamon's surprise Megidramon's spiked tail curved around the monsters back and came in close, lancing at Barbamon with such ferocity that it nearly speared him then and there. Rising high into the sky with his wings, Barbamon attempted to gain some distance, but found with rising sense of panic that Megidramon had taken to the sky too, his great wings bringing him to within biting distance of Barbamon with a single powerful beat. Dodging this way and that, Barbamon sent spears of black energy down at the dragon, but each one bounced off the ravening beast like they were nothing. Barbamon shot a powerful blast of flame at Megidramon, but the beast simply flew through it. And then, to Barbamon's horror, the beast flapped his wings again and closed the distance between them with one gigantic swoop, snatching Barbamon into his jaws.
Those blade-like teeth ground their way into Barbamon's skin, and he cried out in pain. Wrenching one arm free from Megidramon's jaws, Barbamon fired blast after blast of his Dark Inferno attack into the creatures eyes, and finally Megidramon spat him out- sending him falling to the ground below. Struggling to his feet, gripping onto his staff for balance, Barbamon was given little respite as the red dragon landed on top of him and pinned him to the ground with his great muscular head. Barbamon again felt the dragon bite down hard, on one his legs this time, and decided it was time to leave. Summoning the knowledge of inter-dimensional travel from his staff, Barbamon reached out to Kari Kamiya, who was instantly drawn towards him.
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Tai watched it happen as if it was in slow motion. The bubble containing Kari, which he had been mere feet away from, sped towards Barbamon. It crossed the distance in a matter of seconds, and as soon as it was within touching distance of its creator, the bubble popped. Kari fell through the air for less than a second before her left hand met Barbamon's outstretched claw. And then, they were gone. Barbamon. Megridramon. Kari. Gone.
That's it for Chapter 9. I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter we'll be taking a breather from the action and slowing things down a bit, which I think will be a welcome change of pace after the last two chapters. Please leave a review if you're reading and don't forget to subscribe and fav if you wanna keep updated. I very much appreciate all the support. See you all in Chapter 10- A.S