Impmon, I realised, did not have a very well developed self-preservation instinct.
I watched him as he taunted Devidramon, the giant, black, four eyed demon dragon growling at him, but unable to do anything while he was trapped inside the Digital Field.
"The instant I get out of here, little imp, you die." Devidramon spoke, his voice deep and dark.
"Ha!" Impmon jeered. "You're in a bubble, buddy. You can't do anything to me!"
I kind of wondered if Impmon had any self-preservation instinct at all.
Impmon pointed at Devidramon wagging his finger at him.
Unfortunately for him, it was right about that time that Digital Field began to fade.
Luckily, Impmon saw it. "Time... to make a tactical retreat."
"Where do you think you're going? Red Eyes." Devidramon hissed, glaring at Impmon.
Impmon stiffed, prevented from moving, paralysed by Devidramon. I saw the panic in his Heart, Impmon's eyes widening, the only movement he could manage.
Devidramon grinned, his hand rising into the air. "Time to die, little imp. Crimson-"
I moved, teleporting in and out, Impmon in my arms. Behind us, Devidramon's claw smashed into the building that Impmon had been standing on, which would have definitely deleted him if he'd been hit.
"Heh." Devidramon clenched his hand, crushing a few pieces of stone between his fingers. "What a weakling, I didn't even feel his data."
Devidramon's intelligence isn't... stellar, I see.
He shrugged, straightening up and looking around the city. "Oh well. So many more meals around."
Yeah, how about no.
I put Impmon down, propping him against the tree trunk, out of sight.
The paralysis would wear off soon enough. I hoped.
Devidramon's wings spread, and he tensed, preparing to jump.
Perfect opportunity, if I do say so myself.
I appeared above Devidramon, slamming my foot into his head, enhanced with a simultaneous pulse of gravity, driving the massive dragon chin first into the ground.
"And where do you think you're going?" I echoed him. "Don't you know it's rude to just up and leave?"
Devidramon growled, pulling himself out of the ground.
Then, he laughed. "I have no idea what you are, but I'm going to eat you alive."
"You will try." I corrected. "And you will fail. Just like everybody else who has tried to kill me."
"Ha! I am far more terrifying than whatever pitiful beings you have faced before." You're really not. You idiotic braggart. "Crimson Claw!" He swept at me, moving at an appreciable speed for something of his size, gleaming read talons ready to tear me to pieces.
I stepped forwards, reaching out and tapping his wrist, gravity briefly magnifying and warping as I did.
His wrist twisted upwards, violently enough to have broken bone- had Devidramon been a human. Momentum had his hand bending in ways that it shouldn't, nearly cracking whatever substituted for Devidramon's bones anyway.
Devidramon growled, leaping backwards to gain distance. Too bad for him, however, that I didn't intend to give him any.
I appeared behind Devidramon, launching another gravity-enhanced kick at his back, once again using his own momentum against him.
This gravity pulse, however, wasn't as weak as the last. Where the previous had only managed to stop Devidramon's wrist in place, this one countered his momentum entirely, sending him forwards- and almost causing his body to snap in two, such was the sheer force.
Almost.
He recovered quickly, righting himself and coming to a stop, glaring at me. "Red-"
"Pyro Sphere!" Guilmon called, launching a blast of flame at Devidramon's head.
The demon dragon's head turned to the side, spotting Guilmon and, much further behind him, Takato. One of his wings spread out, blocking the blast with ease.
His tail lashed out, the long, whip-like limb launching Guilmon into a tree hard enough to cause it to break. He was startled, yes, but I didn't see any pain in his Heart.
"Guilmon!" Takato shouted.
Takato's Digivice let out a shrill whistle, Takato's concern for his partner triggering Guilmon's evolution.
My eyes shot to the side, and, sure enough, Calumon was hiding in the bushes.
Red light consumed Guilmon's form, growing and shifting, before, with the sound of shattering glass, it faded, revealing Growlmon, standing tall and mighty.
"You Digivolved?" Takato asked. "Way to go, Growlmon!"
Growlmon, proving his name was not wrongly given, growled, a deep, rumbling sound.
"Crimson Claw!" Devidramon shouted, swiping at Growlmon, who simply lifted his arm, letting the claws harmlessly impact with his hide.
"Exhaust Flame." Growlmon declared, taking a deep breath, before exhaling a column of fire; so hot, so bright and so focused that it seemed like a beam instead of flame.
Devidramon leaped to the side, but, so close, wasn't able to escape the damage completely, Growlmon's flames washing up Devidramon's left arm, and outright incinerating his wing.
He fell to the ground, yelling in pain as he did.
He crashed, leaving a trail of broken ground and uprooted trees in his wake.
Hypnos is sure going to have a hard time explaining this one.
Devidramon grunted as he began to pull himself out of the ground. He cradled his left arm, the sickening burns sticking out on his dark skin.
"No!" Devidramon screamed. "I will not be defeated by the likes of you!"
He leaped into the air, completely ignoring his broken wing.
In the corner of my eye, I saw Calumon cry out, the Zero Unit on his forehead suddenly gaining a malevolent red glow.
No.
Devidramon began to glow, his body becoming obscured by dangerous red light. Unlike with Growlmon, however, it did not expand, but shrunk.
Noooooo.
"He's Digivolving?!" Henry shouted. "How?!"
This is not good.
The light faded, and Devidramon's new form dropped to the ground in front of me.
I stared, grey skin, dark armour, a plate of metal that hid most of his face, save only the teeth, which were bared in an angry grin.
Cyberdramon.
His hand came up, gleaming claws poised to tear me in half.
He struck.