Once their airship docked with the Dark Citadel and those new to the Dark Realm got over the sickening feeling from the darkening atmosphere around them, Thomas, Mikey and the remaining forces of the DDF and Dark Imperium, as well as Julie, Caleb, Victor and Kenji, exited the transport and were escorted to the grand hall of the dark fortress.

Gazing upon the room they were brought to, the new arrivals saw that it was a massive chamber with a long dining table at the centre, one with enough seats not only for every human present, but also every Digimon and Appmon as well.

Ignoring the ominous and imposing skeletal guards stationed within the room, the group then saw TK and the majority of the Digidestined and their Digimon partners, excluding Kari, Jun and Veemon, on the other side of the room, who took notice of the group and promptly ran over to meet them, ignoring Julie, Caleb, Victor and Kenji as they moved to speak with the four Dark Lords within the chamber, this including Desred and Sythial.

"Did you guys see it?" TK asked as he still tried to wrap his head around the past few hours.

"Yeah, there's five of them." JP then said in reply, gaining a confused look as he saw TK and the others looked at him with shock.

"Wait, you guys didn't see anything after that?" Yolei then questioned, the shock within her voice unnerving the others as they shook their heads in reply.

About to speak and to explain what had just happened in their meeting with Dark Davis, TK then turned his lone eye to Suzie and asked of Lopmon and Terriermon with a seriousness in his tone. "Lopmon, Terriermon, please cover Suzie's ears."

"What?!" The purple haired Tamer bellowed in confusion and anger, before grumbling as the two rabbit-like Digimon did as they were asked and pressed their large ears over Suzie's own, covering Suzie's head and muffling out the sounds around the purple haired girl, which included TK's voice as he began to speak.

Growling lightly to herself, Suzie felt she was being treated like a child, despite being one of the youngest in the group.

That said, the purple haired Tamer then felt herself growing curious and confused after seeing that as TK, Tai and the other Digidestined and their Digimon's mouths moved, obviously informing the others to the blanks, Takato, Rika and the others gained terrified expressions, with Kiyoshiro even pailing and letting out a cry of fear, while Jellymon wrapped herself around his head as she too seemed to be trembling with terror.

Eventually, Lopmon and Terriermon removed their ears, allowing Suzie to hear once again, but the purple haired Tamer found nothing but silence reigned throughout the area, the rest of the group still in states of shock and horror at what they had just heard.

Looking toward Suzie, TK held a serious expression as he merely told the young Wong. "Short version for you, Suzie, whatever you do, do not, DO NOT piss this second Davis off!"

Blinking her eyes at the seriousness and panic within the DDF Commander's voice, Suzie remained silent and merely nodded her head in response, seeing how panicked TK was, along with those around him.

"Before you guys just got here, I spoke with the Provisional Council." TK then said as he addressed the DDF members in the group, the Digidestined of Hope then expressing a frustrated sigh. "After what happened to Carson, more than half of them wanted to capitulate and surrender completely to the Dark Imperium in fear of more retaliation, it took Gennai, Sampson, Yamaki and myself to calm them down."

"Wow... that bad?" Tagiru found himself asking, the Superstar still wrapping his head around what TK had just told him and the others about what Dark Davis had done to Carson.

Nodding in reply to Tagiru's question, TK then looked on as Tai started to make his way toward the door, the Digidestined of Hope asking in confusion. "Tai, where are you going?"

"To the airship." The Digidestined of Courage just said in reply, looking rather weathered as he then commented. "We had a bar installed and I need a drink."

Quicker than he could blink, Tai found himself grabbed by Sora, Agumon and Biyomon, each of whom held stern looks upon their faces.

"Oh, come on!" The older Kamiya remarked as he tried to break free from the trio's grasp, adding with a sense of hopelessness in his tone. "I need one after all that!"

"No! Tai, you've been sober for six months now!" Sora practically yelled as she and the Digimon held Tai back, the Digidestined of Love tearing up and adding with her own seriousness. "We are all freaked out by that, but it doesn't change anything! Davis has been found and Kari is being saved!"

Watching the scene and watching Tai give up as Sora, Agumon and Biyomon let him go, the rest of the DDF heroes and heroines frowned as they realized how dire the situation was.

After Davis' supposed death and Kari's fall to darkness, the older of the Kamiya siblings quickly developed a drinking problem.

Blaming himself for the pain and suffering he caused his sister, Tai had often retreated to a bar and to the bottom of whatever alcoholic beverage he could get his hands on, while also pushing everyone and anyone who wanted to help him away from him.

It was only upon learning that Davis was alive that Tai broke out of his shell, the Digidestined of Courage cleaning himself up as hope returned to him, not only to have Davis back, but to also save Kari from the great rage and sorrow within her shattered heart.

Placing her hands on Tai's cheeks and forcing his eyes to look into her own, Sora told the older Kamiya sincerity within her voice. "If he truly hated us, none of us would still be here. We can't comprehend what this Davis has been through, just give him some time, especially now that he has Kari back."

Letting out a solemn sigh, Tai nodded his head in response to Sora and her words, knowing that he would probably need to mentally prepare himself for if and when they would meet the other three Davises throughout Nexus.

Watching the scene play out, TK and the others then turned their heads as the doors to the grand hall then opened, the members of the DDF, Dark Imperium and those from the Fire Realm watching on as both the Dark and the Fire Davis entered the room, accompanied with Kari, Jun and Veemon.

From his position, the Dark Lord gained a sly glint within his expression as he looked upon so many familiar faces, and a few newcomers to his world.

"Ah, my old friends." The Shadow said with a sadistic glee as he approached the group, his fiery counterpart remaining close to his side as they both looked upon as Kazu and Guardromon approached them, the brown haired Tamer looking rather nervous.

"Uhh... so, we decided on something to help better differentiate between the two of you." Kazu said with a small and nervous laugh as he pointed to the Davis of the Fire Realm.

"We're going to refer to you as Fire Davis." The Digimon Tamer informed, before pointing to Dark Davis. "And you will be Dark Davis, and we'll use the same pattern if we run into the other three. Sounds good?"

There was a moment of silence following Kazu's question, the brown haired Tamer sweating a little as he could feel the undead guards turn their eyes upon him.

However, the silence ended as both Davises looked at one another and said together with a small laugh. "He's going to be called Light Davis."

Hearing the chuckle from the pair and hearing their joint amusement to their light counterpart's new nickname, the rest of the DDF and Dark Imperium heroes and heroines let out a relieved sigh, while Gumdramon found himself questioning. "Wouldn't Water Davis sound funnier?"

"Oh, he lost his sense of humour a long time ago, our dear Arch-Savant." Dark Davis informed as he rolled his eyes and thought about his water counterpart.

"He'll probably say how it a 'logical' way to tell us apart." He then said , sounding fairly frustrated.

Shaking his head and refocusing, Dark Davis then looked to Julie and Caleb, approaching the pair as he remarked with an amused tone. "Ah, my favourite fire champions, aside from my fiery brother, so good to see both of you again."

"Likewise, Lord Shadow." Julie replied with a respectful bow, while Caleb gave a mock, albeit friendly salute in reply.

Looking at Kenji and Victor, Dark Davis gained a glint in his eyes and then said. "And here we have the latest in the Kurita and Darion bloodlines. The last time I encountered your families was when your... great, great grandfathers were your ages."

"And we have heard many stories of you, my lord." Victor said in reply, he too bowing in respect, which Kenji mirrored, both hearing enough stories of the Shadow as they grew up to know that it was unwise to disrespect the powerful Dark Lord.

Looking amongst themselves, Hiro then stepped forward, accompanied with Gammamon and Espimon in order to speak for Team Lirurun and for the Appli Drivers.

Standing before the Shadow and kneeling in his own show of respect, the brunette began to say kindly. "Hello, I'm..."

"Hiro Amanokawa." Dark Davis cut in, this shocking Hiro as the Dark Lord looked to the rest of his group and continued. "Gammamon, Espimon, Ruli Tsukiyono, Angoramon, Kiyoshiro Higashimitarai and Jellymon."

Surprising Hiro's group, the Shadow then looked to the Appli Drivers and continued with a dark glint in his eyes. "Haru Shinkai, Gatchmon, Eri Karan, Dokamon, Torajiro Asuka, or Astora, Musimon, Rei and Hajime Katsura, Hackmon, Onmon, the android, Yujin Ozora and Offmon."

Smirking behind his face mask to see the shock and surprise on the faces of not just those he mentioned, but on the rest of the faces of those new to Nexus, Dark Davis walked toward his friends.

"I have had eyes on all of you since you arrived in Nexus and have heard everything that has been said." Dark Davis told the others.

A little unnerved to hear that this Davis had eyes on them the entire time, the uneasiness only grew as Dark Davis spared a glance at Gammamon and remarked with a dark glee. "Though, I must admit, GulusGammamon does interest me."

The group then watched as the Shadow then approached the Digimon Tamers of both sides of the conflict amongst the Digital World, his dark purple eyes first looking at Takato and his fellow Infected.

"Ah, Takato, Jeri, Kenta, Guilmon and I believe it's Cthyllamon now, am I right?" Dark Davis inquired with a dark glee as he examined the Infected Tamers and their Digimon. "It seems you all have been through a lot."

"Well, hopefully we can find a cure to this here on Nexus." Takato said in reply, the former leader of the Digimon Tamers still hopeful that the answer to ending the virus plaguing him and the rest of the Infected could be cured eventually.

"Mind if I play Devil's Advocate for a moment?" The Shadow then inquired, this causing Takato to nod in reply, despite his confusion, before the Dark Davis questioned. "Why exactly would you even want to be cured?"

"You have the power as just humans to go head to head with Mega Level Digimon, and when Biomerged, you can become even more powerful. You have become predators and most predators do not like to lose their claws and fangs." The Dark Lord then remarked, his words causing most within the room to look at Dark Davis as if he had lost his mind, while Fire Davis just sighed and shook his head in response to his dark counterpart's way of thinking.

Shaking her head, Jeri replied for herself and for her fellow Infected. "This Hunger... it isn't worth the power. We would all gladly sacrifice this inhuman strength just to be rid of this thirst."

Gesturing to several of the black armoured knights within the room, along with Sythial, Dark Davis then said in reply. "The Vampires of the Dark Realm share a similar hunger, but instead of letting it rule them, they master it, using rituals and traditions to hone their minds and bodies to control their thirst."

"Obviously, you will all do as you will, but I felt I needed to be the one to ask that question." The Shadow then told the others with a small slyness in his tone, which left Takato and his fellow Infected in deep thought, but they still remained determined to find a cure to the virus, nonetheless.

Turning his gaze, the Shadow then looked upon Rika, who did her best to remain calm as she felt the dark aura around the second Davis, as well as doing her best to act normal as she watched him approach her, his eyes looking like a predator who just found his pray, which for whatever reason left the red haired hybrid aroused.

"And dear, dear Rika, you have changed." Dark Davis remarked as he approached the redhead, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he slid a hand along Rika's cheek and told her. "And I admit, the ears and the tail make you look very cute."

"Don't try flattery." Rika merely said in reply, trying to keep her tough act up, before gulping lightly as the second version of her crush leaned in and whispered so that only she could hear him.

"Now, now, Rika, there's no need to get so worked up, after all, I know what you really desire." The Shadow whispered into her ear, this causing the red haired hybrid to widen her eyes as the Dark Davis continued with his dark allure. "And while my heart will always belong to Kari, don't think that you haven't been on my mind for the last twenty thousand years. I know quite a few ways to make you purr for me."

While no one could hear what Dark Davis was saying to Rika, more than a few took noted as a bright blush then spread across the red haired hybrid's face, before the Shadow moved away and walked back to the end of the table with a small chuckle, one that caused Fire Davis to sigh in response as he had a fair guess to what he and Rika had discussed.

"Can we get on with this and you stop tormenting everyone for fun?" The maroon haired champion inquired of his dark counterpart, earning a sly glance from his fiery brother as he nodded his head in reply.

Before everyone could sit down, however, both Davises then noticed Astora raising his hand, acting almost like a student trying to get a teacher's attention.

"Quickly, and out of curiosity mostly, we were told you Dark Lords were like the Fire Champions... does that mean you have a partner like Fire Davis has Blaze?" The Apptuber inquired.

Instead of Dark Davis responding, the DDF and Dark Imperium heroes and heroines then felt a chill run down their spines as another voice echoed within the chamber, one dark and ominous, where the group then noticed a dark purple gem on the Shadow's right hand begin to glow and a darkness emanate from within it.

The darkness then spread behind the Dark Lord like a shadow, one that grew and eventually towered over the second Davis, reshaping itself as it formed two arms, two wings and a head with a pair of horns and menacing dark purple eyes that seemed to look into the very souls of those within its gaze.

As most of the DDF and Dark Imperium heroes and heroines stepped back in fear, with Kiyoshiro letting out a panicked cry, Kari, Jun and Veemon watched alongside Fire Davis and the rest of those from Nexus with intrigue, the Dark Empress realizing that whatever Dark Davis' partner was, it was only projecting itself and not actually being summoned from the crystal.

"Ah, there you are, Belezar!" Blaze said happily from within the gem upon Fire Davis' hand, drawing the shadow's attention as the Fire Dragon then remarked. "Haven't heard from you during all of this so thought you slept through it all."

"Not at all, Blaze." Belezar said in reply, his voice sounding ancient, omnipotent and demonic, as though he could offer you a deal and take your soul right at the same time. "I was merely observing until the opportunity presented itself."

"That said, I heard you went through an evolution. I look forward to testing to see if you can withstand my power." Belezar then said with a hint of intrigue within his tone, which earned a small growl from Blaze, as though not liking that the Shadow Demon partnered to Dark Davis thought himself superior to him.

"Enough for now." Dark Davis then interrupted, watching as the shadow form of Belezar returned to his gem, before the Shadow looked to everyone and said with an inviting and generous tone. "Now, sit. The food will be here shortly and we have much to discuss."

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Once everyone took their seats, with only the four Dark Lords under the Shadow's service remaining in place, a large group of the black robed figures eventually entered the grand hall, bringing out trays of food and drink for their guests, all of which looked quite amazing to the DDF and Dark Imperium heroes and heroines.

Despite the various dishes displayed and how tasty they looked, however, there were some among the Digi-heroes and heroines that felt a little concern as they noticed Dark Davis did not remove his face mask, nor did the other Dark Lords who joined them, which left a few to fear that the food might not be so appealing as it seemed.

But upon seeing Fire Davis, Julie, Caleb, Victor, Kenji, Kari, Jun and Veemon dig in, the rest of the group let out sighs of relief, especially when the Digimon of Miracles informed them that the food tasted the same as the restaurant they had visited in Charenji.

Chuckling in response to the reaction of those around him and knowing what they were thinking, Dark Davis then informed the group with a sly smirk behind his face mask. "I do apologize. Due to the power within me, I don't need to eat as often as most humans."

"As for my... allies..." The Shadow then went on to say as he gestured to the four Dark Lords. "Aside from one, they don't eat... at least not the kind of food we do."

Gulping lightly to the implications of Dark Davis' words, the DDF and Dark Imperium heroes and heroines recalling that he mentioned that Sythial was also a vampire, to which Shoutmon decided to change the subject as he looked to the Shadow and questioned. "So, Dark Davis, what is the Dark Realm like? All we know from what we heard is that it's the land of the dead and you Dark Lords are in charge."

Smirking as he held a gold chalice within his hand, as though ready to take a drink, but not removing his mask just yet, Dark Davis answered Shoutmon's question.

"The children of Mordrakus, the Dragon God of Darkness, are ancient, powerful and stead forward in our duties to Nexus." He told the Digimon King.

"What duties are those?" TK found he had to ask, the Digidestined of Hope keeping his cool as the Shadow then turned his gaze upon him.

"You've seen it yourself already, Nexus is a powder keg." Dark Davis said in reply, the dark figure adding with a growing slyness within his voice. "It takes only a spark to start an inferno. It is our job to stop that spark from lighting up, or if need be, snuff it out."

"Our reach is long and our influence great, even the halls of the vaunted Light Realm are not within our grasps in one way or another." The Shadow then said, before looking back at Shoutmon as he continued with his explanation.

"And yes, we Dark Lords are the rulers of this realm." Dark Davis then informed the Digimon King, before the Shadow went on and said. "Each Dark Lord commands his own army and territory, with two apprentices and two junior lords serving under them, each learning and training for when they can command armies of their own or remain in the service of their mentor if they desire, though ambition and power often drive them to seek their own glory."

"What keeps all that in check?" Thomas inquired, trying to understand how the Dark Realm worked with such random elements to its leadership.

"An eternity of ancient rituals and traditions, along with a formal hierarchy of sorts." The Shadow said in reply, adding as he then looked toward the DATS genius. "Almost every Dark Lord reports to a superior, who reports to another, all leading up to the twelves members of the Dark Council, who are among the most power and influential Dark Lords in the Realm, each equal to one another as they direct the realm under the Dark Emperor's rule, while individuals such as myself keep them in check."

"Open hostilities to a fellow Dark Lord are forbidden, as such, they must either follow ancient traditions or rituals to resolve any grievances or play the game of subterfuge and shadows." Dark Davis then explained, his words receiving a nod from Thomas in reply.

"There are also some Dark Lords that are outside the Dark Council's rule, however." Fire Davis then informed, getting the others' attention as he explained. "These Dark Lords are all ancient, having mastered the power of Dark Magic to the point that they are well beyond death, Eternal Lords whose influence, power and patronage can be of great benefit to a younger Dark Lord, or see them crushed and left in ruin. Most of the Eternal Lords have existed on Nexus since before the Multiversal War."

"And fortunately, I am friends with all of them." Dark Davis then said with a glint in his eyes, making sure those around him knew the power and influence he truly wielded.

"What about the civilian life?" Yoshi then questioned, the auburn haired DATS Officer looking around at the black robed figures. "Surely not everyone in the Dark Realm is undead. I mean, your servants here are human, right... I think."

Grinning behind his mask, Dark Davis then explained to Yoshi. "There are various cultures and civilizations of living beings within the Dark Realm, but they all serve the dead, knowing that when their time comes, they will join the ranks of the Dark Realm and even be given the chance to ascend and become Dark Lords themselves."

"Sounds like a false promise." Koji remarked, keeping a stern glare as he looked at the Shadow and believed that what he heard was just a means for the Dark Lords to keep their servants in check.

"Not at all." Dark Davis replied as he gestured to one of his fellow Dark Lord and added. "Cyoton here is a prime example of that promise."

Looking over the Dark Lord in question, TK, Kari and the rest of those new to Nexus saw that Cyoton was perhaps the tallest of the Dark Lords present, a large warrior clad in black armour from head to toe, with twin cloaks draped down his back and two shoulder pads covered in icicle-like spikes.

Set upon his chest armour was a demon's face with a dark purple gem on its forehead, while Cyoton's own head was covered in a helmet with two icicle horns protruding from the top and a demon's face covering his own, showing only two dark purple eyes as he held a double blades axe in his hands, one with dark purple runes on the blade, while the sharp edges of the weapon were coated in a dark frost.

"When I met Cyoton, he was just a small boy, the last of his family defending himself from some of the more... savage elements of the Nature Realm that had invaded our lands." Dark Davis informed.

"I took him under my wing, and when his time came, he proved himself time and time again, becoming my apprentice as he became one of the greatest warriors in my armies. And now, nearly five hundred years since that day, he will soon be able to take the trials and become a full fledged Dark Lord, one with his own army and apprentices to command." The Shadow finished in his tale and with a sense of pride in his tone, one that caused Cyoton to nod his head respectively.

"And I will never forget your patronage, my Lord." Cyoton ssaid back, his voice filled with loyalty and respect for his Master for all Dark Davis had done for him.

Smiling lightly as he took another sip of his drink, Tai then said with a sincere tone. "Seems like even here you managed to stay yourself."

Chuckling lightly to Tai's words, the Shadow looked at his drink with a distant look and then said. "It hasn't always been so easy. The first couple of years, all five of us did what we could to try and breach the Veil, to return home to all of you... to Kari, to return to our lives in some way."

"However, after a century... it finally hit us... hit me as we believed that time was flowing the same, you had all died." Dark Davis then said as he continued to look at his glass, only to add with a growing darkness within his voice. "You had all abandoned us..."

Hearing the Shadow's words and the dark tone he spoke, the DDF and Dark Imperium heroes and heroines froze in fear, while Kari, Jun and Veemon looked to both Dark and Fire Davis each holding solemn expressions, before the Dark Lord continued. "You had lived your lives, had families and moved on, while we remained here as eternal watch dogs for a world not our own. Can you even comprehend how that feels? To believe that you were forgotten by those close to you, to believe that they had moved on with their lives and were happy while we were stuck in another world?"

His dark purple eyes glowing slightly with his rage, Dark Davis then said with a cold fury in his voice as he crushed the chalice within his hand. "I wanted to resurrect every one of you, just to make you feel even an ounce of the pain I felt, to let you know what I have experienced and remind you that I existed, to remind you that I was here while you all lived happily ever after! It was the convincing of my 'brothers' that stayed my hand!"

To Dark Davis' words, to hear the rage and pain within his tone, the heroes and heroines of the DDF and Dark Imperium that knew Davis he was brought to Nexus, especially the Digidestined, shook with a mix of guilt, fear and unease, while Kari, Jun and Veemon smiled sadly to the Dark Lord's rant.

Curious and knowing that the Shadow's rage wasn't directed toward him and his friends, Haru asked with a fair curiosity. "If you have the power to bring back the dead of other worlds, why didn't you try to bring Kari back? I know it wouldn't have done anything, but it would have let you know that she wasn't dead and that time was moving differently."

Growling lightly, Dark Davis didn't reply, his focus remaining upon his broken cup, where Fire Davis spoke up in his stead.

"He was afraid." The fire champion informed with a neutral tone, uncaring to the way his dark counterpart sent him a glare, along with the other Dark Lords and his guards. "Afraid like all of us were, to learn that Kari had lived her life, that she was happy... that we were forgotten."

His anger dying down to hear his counterpart include himself and the rest of the Davises, Dark Davis and Fire Davis then felt a comforting hand on each of their own, both looking to see that Kari, who was seated between them, held their hands and gave them both a mixture of loving and understanding smiles.

"And now?" Sora then asked, adding with a serious tone as Dark Davis looked at her. "Now that you know we didn't abandon you, that our lives fell apart without you, that we were willing to travel to a world we knew nothing about, just to find you and fix what was broken?"

Looking upon the Shadow, Sora frowned slightly as she saw the dark glint in his eyes, where Dark Davis replied to her question with a dark glee. "Satisfaction."

Sighing a little to his reply, Sora sat back in her chair as she understood the pain this Davis, and possibly all of them, felt, and knew it would need for such wounds to fully heal, but the Digidestined of Love knew it would heal over time, now that he was reunited with Kari.

Changing the subject, Izzy looked to the Dark Lord and said to pick his brain. "One of the main reasons we have come to the Dark Realm is because you said you found a way to cure Kari of the destabilizing effects of her power. May I ask what that cure is? I have spent the past five years monitoring the situation and trying to figure out a way to help her, so I would like to please know what that solution is."

"With all due respect, Izzy, you are only looking at the problem from a scientific perspective." Dark Davis said in reply, before he then informed the Digidestined of Knowledge and the others. "It requires a more... spiritual and ritualist approach."

"There are two things we need to do." The Shadow then said, looking to everyone as he told the others. "First and Foremost, the power running through Kari belonged to the Obscarian, which were dark elves, and while it would be an exotic look for her, Kari doesn't have pointed ears."

Giggling lightly to the second Davis' remark, Kari refocused as Dark Davis continued to speak. "Since she is not of the same race as the Obscarian, we need to infuse her with a power that equals the dark energy within her to counteract the darkness consuming her from within, a power better known as Dark Mana."

"Is that really the only way?" TK inquired, the Digidestined of Hope not a fan of the idea of the Dark Empress gaining even more dark power, while a part of him had hoped that they could cleanse Kari of the darkness within her.

Looking to TK and knowing what was on his mind, the Shadow said in reply. "Unfortunately, any other form of Mana, especially Light Mana, would clash with the shadow magic of the Obscarian and would have devastating effects, like an explosion that will wipe out everything in a seventeen hundred kilometres."

As the others gulped lightly to the idea of Kari exploding, Rika then recomposed herself and asked. "So, how will this infusion work then?"

"We are on our way now to the Capital, where Kari will enter the Dark Temple and receive the Blessing of Mordrakus." Dark Davis informed, this earning looks of surprise from Julie and Caleb.

"So basically, she will be going through the trials to become a Dark Lord herself?!" Julie questioned in shock, the silver haired champion surprised to hear that a mortal would be undergoing the trials so soon.

"The Dark Council agreed to this upon hearing of Kari's power and of the Dark Imperium at her service, seeing as she basically is a Dark Lord already." The Shadow said in reply, before addressing the others as he looked at TK and the DDF members. "Once the trials are done, and I know Kari will succeed, she will not only be a Dark Lord, but like everything affected by Mana from Nexus, she will be unable to pass through the Veil, thus ending your war."

"The Dark Imperium is more than welcome to join the Dark Realm." Desred then said, getting everyone's attention as he added. "It would be a powerful addition to our armies and serve as a power base for the Dark Empress here."

"We'll discuss that later." The Shadow just said in reply, before looking back at those from the Digital world as told them. "Then there is the second part we must complete to help Kari, the Rite of Ascension."

"The what?" Kazu questioned in confusion, doing his best to keep up with all this information as Dark Davis's eyes looked upon him.

"A ritual of Obscarian Royalty." The Shadow said in reply, before explaining to the others. "From ancient texts and tomes that the Dark Realm has held since the ancient war, those who become rulers of the Obscarian empire must go through a ritual where they confront their predecessors and must earn their approval to be declared the next emperor or empress. Since Kari has not gone through said ritual, the power within her is turning on her. Thus, once her body is stabilized, we must perform the ritual so that she can fully control the darkness of the Obscarian and be saved from its destabilizing effects."

"We have already researched the ritual and will have everything prepared for when the time comes, my Lord." Sythial said with a respectful bow, his words causing the Dark Lord to nod his head in reply.

"For now, I suggest you all get some rest. There will be much waiting for us in the Capital and you all need to be prepared." The Shadow then suggested as he rose to his feet, turning his attention to Kari and his fiery counterpart.

"Kari, 'Fire Davis', will you two please accompany me? We have a meeting to attend." The Dark Lord then went on to say, getting a nod from Fire Davis, while Kari looked on intrigued as the pair stood up and followed Dark Davis out of the grand hall, while the others were escorted by Desred to chambers they would use during their stay within the Dark Citadel, each handed dark rings with signets on them to wear in order for the guards to know they were guests and not attack them.

Accepting their current situation, the heroes and heroines of the Digital World reside themselves to their fates to wait and see what would happen next.

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Within a dark lit chamber within the Dark Capital, a vampiric Dark Lord and his ghostly companion looked on as a dark robed figure approached them.

"My lord, the Shadow is returning to the Capital with the humans and Digital Beings you were interested in." The servant informed, his words causing the vampire to gain a devious smile.

"Excellent, make sure all the preparations are made." He commanded, where the servant nodded in reply and left.

His smile growing, the vampiric Dark Lord felt a rush of excitement.

Nothing would stand in his way. Nothing would stop his vengeance.

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Author's note: The heroes and heroines have now gotten a good look at the Dark Realm and the life of Dark Davis as they prepare to help Kari, but it seems a new enemy is stalking in the shadows. What are their plans? Stay tuned as the adventure continues.