Clenching his D-3 within his right hand, Cody held an expression of solemness and determination as he stood in silence, thinking of all that had transpired over the last few years.
Five years, five years had passed since the day the young Digidestined lost a good friend, five years since Davis Motomiya was presumed dead, five years since the lives of the Digidestined, their allies, the Digital World and the five Real Worlds had changed forever.
Less than a month after Davis was thought to have perished, the Digital World was shook when an object which the DDF referred to as the Dark Ark broke itself through the dimensional barrier between worlds and hovered over the world below, the ark itself an ancient vault of dark power from a long forgotten civilization, drifting in the void between realities in search of one to claim and bear its power.
And soon enough, one did claim that great power, and thus, the Dark Empress came into existence, a being whose dark power was so terrifying, the Seven Demon Lords each bent their knees to her, the Demon Lords pledging their loyalties and their armies to her services, while her own darkness corrupted and bent many humans and Digimon to her dark services, which included Yolei, Matt, Izzy, Takuya, Zoe, Tommy, Marcus, Keenan, Mikey, Angie, Jeremy, Nene and their Digimon partners, thus forming a new, terrifying power within the Digital World, the Dark Imperium.
Likewise, the Dark Empress' birth also caused three incidents that not only increased her own forces, but brought more trouble to the Digital World, the first of which was the rebirth of the D-Reaper, where the Data devouring program not only returned to its full glory, but its programming evolved even further and turned itself into an army that needed no cables to connect with one another, a hivemind of individuality that swore loyalty to the Empress in exchange for finding its new place in the world.
The second incident was the awakening of a new type of dark creatures, a dark counterpart to the Digi-Gnomes calling themselves Digi-Goblins, dark creatures with a knack for building powerful weapons and vehicles of war, who eagerly joined the Dark Imperium so they could allow their dark ambitions and designs to flourish.
It was the third incident, however, that still haunted Cody and the rest of the DDF to this day, for when the Dark Ark was opened, it unleashed a powerful virus, infecting both Digimon and human alike, leaving those it affected called the Infected, beings that became almost vampiric in nature and left those infected fueled by a need to feed on Data, even at the cost of a Digimon, or human's, life.
And amongst those who became Infected were the leader of the Digimon Tamers, Takato Matsuki, his Digimon partner, Guilmon, Jeri Katou, Kenta Kitagawa and his Digimon partner, MarineAngemon, the virus driving the five to near insanity with an insatiable dark and sinister hunger.
Between the terror that rose from the Infected's reveal, as well as poor discussions that followed on the DDF's behalf, the Infected rushed to the protection of the Dark Empress, which too pledged their unnatural power to the Dark Imperium, for vengeance against those who shunned them and for the chance to find a cure for their ailment.
With the growing power of the Dark Imperium and the threat it posed not only to the Digital World, but to all five Real Worlds as well, the DDF evolved into a military organization, employing the Digimon of the D-Brigade as a main soldiery line against the Troopmon, Bemmon and Snatchmon that comprised the core forces of the Imperium, aided by the Digimon of Blue Flare in the fight to protect the Digital World and the Real Worlds.
Likewise, responding to the rapid threat, the various world agencies came together to provide military support as well, with human soldiers, alongside Digimon, receiving newly created weapons, gear, vehicles and tech from the Digital World to combat the forces of the Dark Empress.
However, in response to the defiance from the DDF, and with the help of her dark power, the Dark Empress began to reach into the void beyond worlds in a search for new servants and powers which she could use in her war against those who continued to oppose her.
In one of the realities came across, the Dark Empress found that instead a vast Net Ocean branching and connecting to various and unique worlds replaced the traditional and familiar settings of the Digital World she had struck fear into, occupied by Digital Lifeforms that referred to themselves as Appmon.
And studying the past of the Appmon, the ruler of the Dark Imperium learned of a defeated AI called Leviathan, as well as its old servants, servants which she believed would prove more useful in her servitude.
Using her darkness, the Dark Empress revived Leviathan's top generals, a powerful Appmon called Deusmon and a group called the Ultimate Four that she bound to her will.
And using the resurrected L-Virus, the Dark Empress built a whole army of Appmon to serve in her forces.
In response to her tactics, the heroes and heroines who defeated Leviathan, the Appli Drivers, attempted to stop the Dark Empress, but they were no match for the dark being and were defeated by her hand.
Saved by the DDF, Haru Shinkai, his Appmon partner, Gatchmon, and their friends joined the DDF to stop the Dark Imperium's evil and to protect all worlds from the Empress' darkness.
Reaching into another world, the Dark Empress found a reality where humans and Digimon were slowly forming a bond and were building a unified society for their shared future.
But reaching into this reality's Digital World, however, the Dark Empress found something even greater, the remnants of a virus known as the Gulus Realm Burst, or GRB for short, which was a corrosive virus capable of increasing the strength and power of a Digimon, but this virus drove many to madness in the process.
Taking the remnants of the GRB, the ruler of the Dark Imperium created a clone of the virus' creator, GulusGammamon, even enhancing its power to create a new Digimon, Arcturusmon, who used the GRB to corrupt an entire army of dark Digimon that he brought into them into the serves of the Dark Empress.
In response to these events, the heroes and heroines that protected that reality attempted to stop the Dark Empress and prevent the GRB from spreading its evil, but found between the Empress' unnatural powers, and the overwhelming force of Arcturusmon, the group of protectors were left within inches of their lives after a devastating battle, but were saved by the DDF after their fatal encounter with the ruler of the Dark Imperium.
Vowing to help stop the GRB and the Dark Empress, Hiro Amanokawa, his Digimon partner, Gammamon, and their friends joined the DDF to protect the future of their world and to the new worlds they had been introduced to.
Despite their new friends and allies, however, between the overwhelming might of the Dark Imperium's military, the tactical skills of Mikey Kudo, the power of Arcturusmon and the GRB, as well as the god-like powers of the Dark Empress herself, the DDF found themselves on the defensive and slowly losing the war, a fact made relevant as the Dark Imperium's airships had begun to travel to the various Real Worlds, setting up bases and fortifications for future invasions.
It was during a more recent battle, however, that Cody and the rest of the DDF learned a shocking revelation, learning that the Digidestined of Miracles, Davis Motomiya, was not dead, but had been transported to another world, a world they learned only the name of, Nexus.
Having managed to initiate a temporary ceasefire, convincing their former friends, who too wanted to see Davis' return to their lives, to convince the Dark Empress for a moment of peace, the DDF used the time to locate Davis' D-3 and find where he and this Nexus was in the multiverse.
After finally locating Davis' signal, Thomas and the rest of the DDF higher echelon found that there was some kind of barrier preventing them from travelling to this Nexus.
But after a week of intense research, the team was now confident that they could pass through the barrier and travel to this new world.
And that is what brought Cody to this moment, who stood before the newly built Digi-port in his DDF uniform and with Armadillomon at his side, the pair having volunteered to be the first to travel to Nexus, and more importantly, locate Davis, a task the Digidestined of Knowledge and Reliability wanted to do more than anything, not only to bring his friend home, but to bring closure to all those affected by his supposed death.
Looking behind himself and towards the control room, Cody first looked to TK, who stood in his commander's uniform, the blond now bearing an eye patch over his left eye, which he had lost in a previous conflict with the Dark Empress herself, while Patamon rested upon the console beside the Digidestined of Hope, keeping a hopeful but concerned expression on his face.
Nodding his head to his friend, Cody could not help but to feel a fair sympathy for the blond haired Digidestined, who had the mantle of leadership thrown on his shoulders upon Davis' disappearance and the rise of the Dark Empress, the Digimon of Hope being all but forced into the role of military commander of the DDF and its forces.
But try as he might, even Cody could see that the role of leader was wearing thin on TK, who found himself unable to make snap decisions and to motivate those under him, while feeling the pressure of those affected by the Dark Imperium's reign and the politics surrounding the DDF overwhelming him.
Looking to TK's right, Cody then took in two more individuals, ones among the most affected by Davis' supposed death, being his older sister, Jun Motomiya, as well as Davis' Digimon partner, DemiVeemon.
More than most, the Digimon of Miracles was shattered at the loss of his partner and best friend, the small Digimon remaining isolated from everyone during his grief, even as the world burned around him and his friends.
But upon hearing that his partner was potentially still alive and kicking, DemiVeemon allowed himself to feel hope once again, to return to his partner, and Cody vowed he wouldn't let Davis or his partner down.
Looking around the command room and seeing the remainder of the Digi-heroes and heroines who were not under the Dark Empress' sway present, Cody was then brought out of his thoughts when he heard Armadillomon ask with some concern. "You ready for this, partner?"
Looking down and upon the Digimon of Knowledge and Reliability, Cody gave a confident smile in reply, before facing the Digi-port and holding his D-3 toward it.
"Digi-port, open!" The Digidestined of Knowledge and Reliability announced as the new Digi-port shined with a multicoloured light.
'Hang in there, Davis, we're coming for you.' Cody thought with a great determination as he and Armadillomon were sucked into the Digi-port, traversing the void between worlds to the unknown world of Nexus, and hopefully, to the location of Davis Motomiya.
.
.
.
Surprised as they landed on their feet, instead of dropping to the ground on top of one another, Cody and Armadillomon looked around and took in their surroundings and found themselves in a volcanic-like region, with what looked like fertile and grassy landscapes within the distance.
And from a small camera Cody wore on his shoulder, those back at the DDF headquarters were able to get their own first look at Nexus, with TK, Tai, Ken and the others hoping Cody's mission would be a success.
"This place feels strange." Armadillomon then told Cody with a sense of unease, the Digimon of Knowledge and Reliability sensing a strange and unique energy emanating from the ground below them and seemingly flowing throughout the lands.
Nodding his head in reply and feeling the same unknown force, but remaining focused on his task, Cody looked at Armadillomon and started to say in reply. "Come on, let's try to find Davis and..."
Cody was then cut off however by a series of loud roars, the bellowing sounds causing the young Digidestined and his partner to turn around and to see five beings looking down upon them from a nearby ridge.
To the arrival of the bellowing creatures, dread filled Cody and Armadillomon to see five large, green skinned creatures, each clad in makeshift armour made from metal scraps and adorned with the skulls of various creatures, including humans, which now glared down upon them.
Examining the appearance of the unknown but obviously hostile beings, the Digidestined and his partner could see that each of the creatures had had long fangs going upwards from out of their lower jaws, some had some red hair growing atop their large heads, while the rest were bald.
Their appearance alone was enough to cause unease within Cody and Armadillomon, but what furthered this shared sense of fear was to see that the unknown entities carried a variety of gigantic weapons in their hands, which included axes, makeshift swords and even guns that seemed to have been made in a junkyard and using various metals for their creation.
Watching the scene from the DDF HQ, TK and the others felt their own concerns growing, seeing the hostility in the green skinned beings and feared for the safety of Cody and Armadillomon.
Leaping to the ground, the large green skinned creatures began to surround the pair, creating a circular formation so their prey couldn't escape.
Although afraid, but remaining faithful to his partner and his duties as a chosen Digimon, Armadillomon mentally prepared himself for battle and waited for the call to Digivolve so he could protect Cody.
Following Armadillomon's example, the young DDF officer reached for the sidearm he had strapped to his hip and was ready to defend himself, as well as provide support for Armadillomon, especially as the creature with the gun raised his weapon and pointed it at the brunette.
However, before any shots could be fired, the green skinned grunt holding the gun was suddenly cut in half, the quick action not only surprising Cody and Armadillomon to see their foe split apart, but this also caused the rest of the brutes to turn back and look toward the remains of their comrade, which collapsed into two separate and bloody piles as they saw the being that caused his death now standing behind him.
Standing over the remains of the fallen brute was a warrior clad in a samurai's armour made of shimmering red steel that covered his entire body.
Within his hands were a set of katana blades, each brimming with a great inferno around the blades.
The unknown and albeit powerful warrior wore a long, red cape that flowed from his back, while two large shoulder pads rested on his shoulders and connected to the holders of his blades that rested on his back.
Upon his shoulder pads was a symbol resembling a cog wheel with a flame coming out of the centre, furthering the being's overall powerful form.
Finally, the warrior's helmet, which completely covered his head, with a silver mouth guard alongside a pair of dragon-like horns that emerged from out of the top, the only thing showing their features was a pair of eyes that burned with a strong fire as he glared at the greenskins.
While uncertain to who this being was, Cody and Armadillomon shared in their emotions, grateful to the arrival of the unknown warrior, who seemed to wield a great power within his being.
Seeing their comrade fall and seeing the one responsible, the supposed leader of the greenskins gave another a fierce roar, clashed his axes together, before he and the three brutes remaining rushed past Cody and Armadillomon in their pursuit to kill their attacker, knocking the brown haired Digidestined to the ground in the process.
Sitting up with a groan as Armadillomon rushed to his side, Cody and his Digimon partner watched silently to see the warrior remain in place as the green brutes leapt at him with a shared killer intent.
However, much to the surprise of Cody and Armadillomon, the warrior moved at great speeds and cut through another of the greenskins with a further display of strength.
Easily avoiding the strikes of those remaining, before putting his swords away and leaping into the air, the armoured warrior showed further skills and techniques as he brought his right fist back, which was then engulfed in flames.
Rushing down, the warrior slammed his fist into the ground, the impacting inferno releasing a shockwave of flame that sent the three remaining greenskins flying into the air and dealing a significant amount of damage.
With his foes in the air and vulnerable, the warrior switched tactics once again.
Channelling the flames within his being and into his hand, the flames around his fist transformed into a rifle, which held a dark metal flame design to it.
Brimming with fiery energy, the warrior released several blazing shots from the rifle upon his foes, gunning down two out of three and left those defeated by his might to dissolve into ashes.
Landing back on its feet and evidently enraged to see the warrior still standing, moreso to see its brethren destroyed, the leader of the green skinned beasts produced another fearsome out a rage filled roar as it charged once again at his foe, ready to strike him down and without mercy.
But within a blink of an eye, the rifle in the warrior's hand returned to flames and reentered his armour and the warrior not only returned one of his blades in his right hand, but seemed to flickered out from existence with a burst of speed, reappearing a few feet behind the brute, who stopped in its tracks as the warrior held his weapon pointed outwards.
A second later, Cody and Armadillomon with a further amazement to see the green skinned brute's head then slide off of its body and to then slump to the ground, the sight both relieving and chilling the Digidestined and his partner to such a violent defeat.
With the last of the brutes vanquished and still trying to compose what they had been part of, Cody and Armadillomon turned their attention back upon the red armoured warrior, who placed his katana back in its holder.
Back at the DDF HQ, the group watching the fight were both relieved to see Cody and Armadillomon alright, as well as in awe themselves by the fiery warrior and his strength, a few amongst the group also wondering if he could be convinced to aid them against the Dark Empress in the future.
However, all awe and wonder quickly turned to worry and concern as the warrior then turned to Cody and Armadillomon.
Slowly approaching the downed Digidestined, the duo and their friends were all left watching with uncertainty, pondering if the warrior was indeed an ally or another foe.
Acting in response and out of his desire and duty to protect his partner, Armadillomon moved before Cody, looking up upon the warrior, where he started to say with a great defensiveness. "Now hold on there, partner, we're not here to cause any trouble, we..."
"Armadillomon?" The warrior then cut in as he expressed with a mixture of shock and confusion in his voice, which only grew when looking toward the Digidestined of Knowledge and Reliability and asked with a growing confusion. "Cody?"
Hearing the warrior talk, Cody and Armadillomon's eyes widened as they heard the voice, a voice they had not heard in years as the warrior's helmet turned into a flame, which merged with the rest of his armour and allowed the pair to see who the fire warrior truly was, to see it was the Digidestined of Miracles, Davis Motomiya.
"How the hell did you two get here?!" The maroon haired Digidestined then went on and questioned, expressing a shock to see the pair after so long.
Back within the DDF command room, and the first to get past their awe, Jun and DemiVeemon each let out loud shrieks of joy and happiness, their eyes tearing up to see Davis alive and well, accompanied by the others within the room, who to let out their own cheers of joy and excitement.
Taking a moment, the group saw the notable changes within Davis' appearance, to see that as his hair remained in its familiar spiky style, it seemed more trimmed and defined.
His eyes glowed with a small red aura, reminding his friends of the mighty determination Davis always seemed to hold.
But aside from these changes, alongside his new abilities, Davis seemed otherwise unchanged since they last saw him.
Seeing his lost friend after so long, and after believing he was dead, Cody couldn't help but to give into his emotions, the brown haired boy tearing up, before getting to his feet, rushing to Davis and wrapping his arms tightly around his friend as he began to cry.
Startled at first by Cody's actions, Davis gained a soft smile, especially when Armadillomon mimicked the actions of his partner and too showed his own emotion as he wrapped his front legs around the maroon haired boy's leg.
Returning the feelings, Davis wrapped his right arm around Cody comfortingly and then placed his left hand on Armadillomon's head, with the Digidestined of Miracles beyond happy to see two of his old friends after so long.
"Um... I hate to break up this weird reunion, but we have WORK TO DO!" A deep and reptilian voice, almost that of a dragon then bellowed, the sudden call and urgency within the tone surprising Cody and Armadillomon as they looked around for the source.
It was then that the Digidestined and Digimon of Knowledge and Reliability noticed a glowing red gem on Davis' right gauntlet, which seemed to be the source of the voice as it then told Davis. "We need to move!"
"Right, right." Davis said and with an annoyed tone, removing himself from Cody and Armadillomon's embraces as he held his right hand out, the gem glowing as fire emerged from it and moved to a spot before the group, forming into a dark metal hoverbike with flames coming out of the front and sides, the front forming a v-shape to it.
"Get on, guys." Davis then said as he mounted the bike, with Cody and Armadillomon following his call.
As the brown haired Digidestined sat behind Davis, and due to his size, Armadillomon sat in front of the maroon haired Digidestined, the pair then held on for dear life as the bike took off at an extreme speed, moving fast through the volcanic terrain.
"Don't get me wrong, I am beyond happy to see you guys, but did you really have to show up in the middle of a warzone?!" Davis then questioned with a small chuckle as he broke the silence, his words confusing the Digidestined and Digimon of Knowledge and Reliability, at least until they got over a ridge.
Looking outwards, Cody and Armadillomon looked in shock and dread to see a massive battle raging before them, to see what appeared to be two great armies battling for supremacy over one another.
On one side were many more of the green skinned creatures, thousands of them, some of which were larger than the ones the Digidestined and Digimon of Knowledge and Reliability just saw, along with makeshift tanks, some so big they towered over the battlefield, and green reptilian creatures they used as mounts as they charged at their foes.
On the other side of the battlefield, meanwhile, was another army, one that seemed to be a mix of various races and forces, with banners waving in the air, each with the same cog and flame symbol that was on Davis' shoulder pads.
Looking over the forces that were apparently on Davis' side, Cody and his Digimon partner spotted three groups of humans, with the first and most numerous resembling full armoured Roman soldiers, their gear black and red with flame designs upon them, some equipped with ranged weapons, that included flaming rifles such as the one Davis used, as well as sniper versions and even rocket launchers, while others used flaming swords, shields and even spears, using a phalanx formation to block the charging greenskins as the soldiers behind the ones holding shield screwed the brutes with their spears.
The second group of humans resembled traditional samurai warriors, who were all clad within slightly less ornate armour compared to Davis' own.
Each of the warriors wielded flaming katana blades, which they used to cut their way through the green skinned creatures, while others rode on the backs of what appeared to Cody to resemble velociraptors clad in red armour as they charged through their enemies' ranks.
The final group of humans that were in the battle, and fighting alongside their samurai comrades, resembled knights adorned in red armour, each bearing fiery designs upon their gear, who used swords and lances against the greenskins and too rode upon their own raptors as they charged through the line of brutes.
Continuing to look over Davis' allies, Cody and Armadillomon noticed what they could only describe as Dwarves, looking almost out of a fantasy story, only they were clad in the same fire based armour as their allies, many with rifles or manning artillery machines that send either explosive shells or blasts of fire towards the greenskins' line, while others used spears, shields and axes as they pushed back their foes.
Working alongside the Dwarves and the humans were a series of black metal robotic-like beings, automatons ranging from human sized and shaped, to massive constructs that walked on either two or four legs, while some even floated and flew through the air as a fiery energy ran through their metal forms.
Next, the Digidestined and Digimon of Knowledge and Reliability saw a trio of reptilian races that fought alongside their human, dwarf and mechanical allies, each seemingly fierce warriors in their own rights, with the first resembling bipedal red scaled lizardmen in the same black and red armour as their allies, some with spears and others with fiery claw blades as they rushed at their foes, moving at fast speeds and acting like predators tracking their prey as they charged at the greenskins.
Alongside these lizardmen were even larger beings, each at least between eight to twelve feet tall that held bulkier body structures and a bone-like crest that protruded from their foreheads, each clad in similar red and black metal armour, with some wielding fiery hammers as they charged through and combated the larger foes in their enemies' ranks.
The final reptilians resembled the first group, only with a more refined look to their features, as well as wings extending from their backs, allowing them to not only fly over the battlefield, spewing fire from their mouths and sighting with spears and swords, but also fly over their allies, acting as commanders as they directed their forces against their enemies.
Completely shocked by the sights before them, Cody and Armadillomon even saw what looked like minotaurs made of molten rock charging against the green skinned enemies, alongside lizards and other creatures made of fire, molten rock or even lava, before a series of roars caused the duo to look upwards, where their eyes widened further to the sights above.
In the skies above the battle, a small fleet of massive red metal airships floated in the air, each bearing the cog and flame symbol upon their sides as they held a dragon's head at the front and series of spikes along the sides, each larger than any of the airships in the DDF or Imperium's fleets, while what appeared to be flying version of the automatons were beings launched from hangers as the airships launched rockets and blasts of fire down to the greenskin lines below.
Flying around and along the airships, meanwhile, were what appeared to be small dragons, wyverns if Cody remembered from a book he read a while ago, which were clad in armour that protected their torsos, while having guns and cannons around their backs.
As impressive as the wyverns were, Cody and Armadillomon were even more surprised to the trio of actual dragons flying amongst the wyverns, each two to three times the size of their smaller companions, each clad in armour that not only showed off their statues among their forces, but also showed off energy cannons and even rocket launchers along their frames as they tried to swoop down to the greenskin lines, dodging rockets and other weapons aimed at them as they left a trail of fire through their foes' forces.
Finally, floating between the airships was what Cody could only describe as a floating mountain, a massive rock structure lined with cannons, rocket launchers and other weaponry as more airships emerged from hangers on its sides, with the cog and flame symbol etched into its side for all to see.
"Holy... what is this place?" Kazu had to ask from the DDF control room as he and the others present looked at the scene before them.
"A world far different from any we've seen before, and one Davis has been a part of for a while now." Thomas said in reply as he too tried to take in the sights on the screens before him.
"Come on Davis, let me out, I want to fight!" The draconic voice then called from out of the gem as Davis navigated his hoverbike through the lines of allies so he could reach the command post.
"Soon, Blaze, just let me get these two somewhere safe." Davis said back and with another small growl, seemingly annoyed with this Blaze being and his attitude, while Cody and Armadillomon remained with a shared sense of confusion as to what was going on.
Arriving at a ridge that had several individuals looking out towards the battlefield, Davis brought his hoverbike to a halt, which then disappeared in a wave flames, the sudden loss of what they were sitting on causing Cody and Armadillomon to cry out as the pair fell to the ground and on their rears, while Davis remained standing on his feet, helping the younger Digidestined back up, before he and his Digimon partner followed the maroon haired boy.
It was then that one of the individuals, a man in what looked like a centurion version of the fiery Roman's outfit, a commander, turned and walked towards Davis, speaking to him in a tone of authority and respect. "Lord Motomiya, the Orkkron are pressing their assault, but we still have no sight of their Warlord."
"He's around, Orkkron don't fight like this without a leader." Davis said in reply as he looked toward the battlefield himself and looked around for his target.
"Still, he must be found if we are to..." The commander started to say with urgence, before stopping as he finally noticed Cody and Armadillomon alongside Davis.
"Who is he?" The commander then inquired as he pointed to Cody, before looking at Armadillomon and questioning further. "And what in Voldrakon's name is that?!"
"They are friends, and they are to be protected, is that understood?" The maroon haired Digidestined questioned in reply as he looked to the commander with a serious expression, one that caused the commander to nod in reply, while also leaving Cody and Armadillomon impressed by the level of respect Davis seemed to hold amongst his allies.
It was then that a loud bellow echoed throughout the area, causing the commander, Davis, Cody and Armadillomon to look toward the Orkkron lines, where the group saw a massive beast lumbering past the greenskins' artillery and towards their forces.
Resembling a massive green lizard, the creature looked at first to be on all fours, but Cody quickly realized that its front two legs were actually its arms, both massive and bulk, forcing the creature to walk with them as it lumbered forward, its tail swaying back and forth as it moved.
Around the beast's torso and back was an armour made of the same metal scraps as the rest of the Orkkron creations, with two massive cannons strapped to its back, both turning on swivels as they fired at their foes.
Lastly, the beast's head was an elongated lizard's head that held black eyes, a massive jaw and a pair of tusks protruding from its lower mouth, which then let out fearsome and monstrous roars.
"There he is." Davis simply remarked with a remaining seriousness, his words causing Cody and Armadillomon to look at him with shock and concern.
"Wait, you have to fight that?!" The Digimon of Knowledge and Reliability questioned in fear, but felt another bout of confusion after seeing Davis just shake his head no in reply.
"No, the one on top of the Gargantuan's head." The maroon haired Digidestined said in reply, his words causing Cody and Armadillomon to look back at the beast, the Gargantuan, before they then saw the large Orkkron on top of its head.
At least three to four times the size of the Orkkron they ran into earlier, the Digidestined and Digimon of Knowledge and Reliability saw that this green skinned creature, the Warlord, was clad in a full body armour made of metal scraps, with his right hand looking like a cross between a metal claw and a chainsaw, while his left arm was covered by a double barreled gun.
Around its head were two tusks that were placed upon the armour, while a totem of scrap metal protruded from the back as the Warlord let out an insane laugh, his left arm raised as he fired a few shots into the air, continuing to laugh maniacally as he and his beast advanced further toward his enemies.
Nodding his head and knowing what he needed to do, Davis turned to Cody and Armadillomon, before he told the pair with a seriousness in his tone. "Stay here, they'll keep you safe."
Uncertain if they wanted to let Davis fight this foe alone, but not knowing what else to do, Cody and Armadillomon nodded in reply, trusting in their friend as they watched Davis walk past the commander and down toward the battlefield below.
Passing through the rank and files of the fiery forces, Davis' presence caused the soldiers to let out cheers of joy and celebration, before they began chanting his name with shared admiration over and over. "Davis! Davis! Davis! Davis!"
"The Fire Emperor's Champion is with us this day!" A priest-like figure then declared, his cry earning more cheers, while Cody and Armadillomon continued to watch in awe at the sights around them and the respect those around them seemed to hold for the maroon haired Digidestined.
But remaining focused, Davis looked to the battlefield as fire emerged from his armour and reforged itself into his helmet, before the maroon haired champion moved at fast speeds.
Withdrawing his katanas as he moved through the battlefield, Davis cut through the Orkkron and saved many of his allies as he made his way towards the Gargantuan and the Warlord, the determination within him remained strong.
And seeing the legendary champion, the Warlord gave a fearsome roar, one that caused the Gargantuan to charge forward, to face Davis and crush him beneath its fists.
"You get the Warlord, the big guy is Mine!" Blaze then called out, his fierce determination causing Davis to smirk from behind his helmet.
"Not a problem, buddy." The maroon haired Digidestined said in reply as the red gem on his right gauntlet lit up with a bright red light, causing streaks of flames to shoot out and swirl around to his side and to form a large red portal that was slightly larger than the Gargantuan itself.
And from the red vortex, Cody and Armadillomon watched in shock and awe as a massive dragon, the largest one they have seen to date, emerged from the portal with a loud and deafening roar.
Briefly looking over the creature, the Digidestined and Digimon of Knowledge and Reliability saw that this dragon had red scales all over his being, with two massive arms, both covered in flames, while a pair of gigantic spikes emerged from out of its elbows.
The dragon's torso, meanwhile, was clad in a dark red metal armour, one with what looked like an energy cannon built into the stomach, while the shoulder pads looked to hold a series of rocket launchers within them, which added to the dragon's already mighty appearance as he brought up his neck, showing the two black horns protruding from out of the metal helm that covered his upper head as the dragon stared at the Gargantuan with his burning eyes, extending his wings and letting out a loud roar as he prepared for battle.
"Your mine, you oversized gecko!" The dragon then declared, his voice allowing Cody, Armadillomon and the DDF group watching from the headquarters to know that this was the Blaze being they heard beforehand, where they watched the dragon then flap his wings and rush toward the charging Gargantuan, shocking many as Davis seemed to be able to keep up with the fast moving dragon, even leaping onto Blaze's shoulder during the process.
And then, with a loud crash, Blaze and the Gargantuan slammed their fists against each other's, the great impact sending out a massive shockwave that sent many of the Orkkron below flying with loud cries as the two giant beasts grabbed one another's hands, both pushing against one another for supremacy as they let out equally fearsome roars.
And seeing his chance, Davis rushed along Blaze's form, reaching his head and leaping toward the Gargantuan, a sight the Warlord saw as he let out a manic laugh, pointing his gun toward the maroon haired champion and opened fire, the Orkkron leader seeking to end his foe once and for all.
However, much to the green skinned beast's surprise, Davis' body was consumed in flames, the bullets melting before they could strike or penetrate his body, where the maroon haired champion then slammed into the Warlord at great speeds, causing them both to fly off of the Gargantuan and to then crash into the ground below.
Seeing that Davis was now dealing with the Warlord, Blaze produced another mighty roar and headbutted the Gargantuan, causing the beast to let out a pained cry and stagger backwards, where the dragon then stood as his shoulder pads opened and a series of rockets were then launched upon the green monstrosity, the creature letting out pained cries as the weapons exploded along its being.
Back below, the Warlord got back to his feet and gave a rage-filled cry as he opened fire upon Davis, who moved at blinding speeds and dodged each bullet, before swinging his blades and cutting the gun into pieces through the process.
Enraged to see his weapon gone, the Warlord then brought his clawed hand down to crush Davis, who responded by bringing his swords together and blocking the strike, shocking and surprising Cody and Armadillomon to see Davis easily fend off what should have been a powerful strike from the Warlord, showing off Davis' own physical might in the process.
Regaining its own focus, meanwhile, the Gargantuan let out another terrible roar as the cannons mounted upon its shoulders turned and opened fire at Blaze, who closed his wings around himself so he could protect his body from the blasts, just as the green beast charged at him once again.
Moving quickly, the armoured dragon then shot his wings open, knocking them into the Gargantuan and causing it to stagger back, where Blaze quickly moved.
Grabbing at each of the cannons with his fiery claws and crushing them with ease, Blaze then delivered a powerful punch to the beast's face.
Having had enough of this battle, Davis then pushed his blades forward with his might, not only pushing the Warlord back, but shattering his mechanical claw in the process, an action that only enraged the green skinned brute even more.
However, before he could react, the Warlord was then knocked back by a powerful punch to the face, the brute able to see slightly as Davis leapt ahead and began pummeling him, the onslaught leaving the brute disoriented and unable to focus upon his foe.
Then, leaping into the air, Davis clenched his fists as his entire being was consumed in flames and transformed itself into a fiery dragon that shot itself down at and upon the Warlord.
Consuming the brute in fire as he screamed in agony and rage, the Warlord was overwhelmed by Davis' power and soon dissolved into ashes in the process.
When the smoke cleared, Davis stood unharmed and over the remains of the Orkkron leader.
Allowing his helmet to melt away as he gained a satisfied smirk on his face, Davis expressed a clear pride toward his latest victory.
At the same time as the Warlord fell, Blaze dodged a swing attack from the Gargantuan, before grabbing at the beast's jaws, forcing and prying them open as fire began to form within the dragon's mouth.
"Open wide!" Blaze shouted, before he unleashed a powerful blast of concentrated fire into the Gargantuan's mouth, the beast writhing in pain as its body burned away from the inside out.
Dissolving into fire within Blaze's hands, the dragon dropped what was left of the Gargantuan's charred corpse and then turned his head upward as he let out a triumphant roar to the skies above to celebrate his victory.
With their Warlord and his pet dead, the fighting spirit of the Orkkron was shattered, the green skinned creatures quickly turned and began to run for their lives, leaving their dead and ruined equipment behind, while those allied to Davis and Blaze bellowed with cheers of joy and victory.
Watching the celebration and keeping their eyes upon Davis, Cody and Armadillomon, along with the DDF watching back within their base were all left with a shared awe and wonder, wondering what this world, this Nexus, truly was, and what part does Davis play in it.
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Author's note: Much has changed since Davis disappeared, but now that his friends have found him once again, they are left to wonder what Nexus is. Will they even be able to bring Davis home? Stay tuned as the adventure continues.
P.S.: Thank you all for your patience, I truly needed to see how Ghost Game ended to see if I could incorporate Hiro and his friends in, and now you can be sure they will be a part of this series.
And as I know many still have questions as to what Nexus is, fear not, as I will be working on the next chapter of this story before the next one for Destiny's Salvation, for the next chapter is when the origins and the world of Nexus are explained. Hope you all will enjoy it.
