A/N: The phrase of Gaiomon 'serving as a living corpse', in so far as I can tell in relation to Japanese history (at least with regards to the Sengoku Era), refers to warriors who should have died at some point, but didn't.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, nor do I own When the World's Not Ending, by Smartalec121 or any of their associated works.

Off the Beaten Path

Chapter: 22/ The Way of the Warrior

"Yamaki! Come in, Yamaki!"

Himiko let out a curse. She was getting nothing from the man, and she doubted it was from lack of trying on his part. Fighting down the rising panic, she turned toward Riley and Tally. "Get me eyes on what's going on in that park!" she shouted up them. "Now!"

"Already on it!" Riley reported. Her hands flew over her keyboard at mach speed and the screens along the wall rapidly ran through one camera perspective after another. Smoke and running people were a common theme among them, leaving Himiko with little more than a jumble of confused images.

"Hata, I'm getting messages from agents in the field requesting instructions!" called Tally. "What do I tell them?"

Himiko ground her teeth together. "What's the position of shaggai units one and two?"

One of the screens changed to an aerial view of the city streets with the smoke from Chuo Park plainly rising in front of them. Himiko nodded, feeling a little relieved.

"They're in the air," Riley reported. "Estimated contact in T-minus two minutes. Shaggai reports their beam emitters are ready."

"Good. Tell our agents to be on standby until they get us a better assessment of the situation." Himiko swallowed anxiously. The Shaggai units were something of her brainchild. Preferring to diversify their methods of dealing with wild digimon so they wouldn't be entirely dependent on the Tamers, she lobbied for this specialized unit – the Shaggai – to be funded, trained, and equipped for such missions. It had taken some time. Far longer than she would have liked and at first all it resulted in was a retrofitting of Hypnos' two military helicopters, both of whom had only one opportunity to really show their capabilities. Short staffed as they were, the Tamers were exceptionally good at dealing with wild digimon.

But the one chance they had was just enough to justify additional funding and the formation of a separate department. Not much, but it's something. And if Yamaki's Sleipnir program works out, we can merge the two together. Clenching a fist, Himiko stepped closer to the screen that showed their point of view.

Her phone buzzed. Snatching it out of her pocket, she flipped it open. It was the Chief Cabinet Secretary.

She hung up.

She would pay for that later, but she didn't want him interfering right now and distracting her. Her eyes searched the smoldering park for any sign of the Tamers. She saw a form lift up and out of the black smoke before disappearing back into it. The figure moved so quickly that she couldn't make heads or tails of its identity.

"Ma'am," spoke up Tally. "The Chief Cabinet Secretary is trying to contact…"

"Put a pin on him!" Himiko cut in fiercely.

"Ma'am. I can't just…"

"On my authority you will!" Her eyes blazing, she shot Tally a hard look that brooked no argument. "We're in the middle of a crisis and I want information! Now do your job and find out what's going on in there! Where are the Tamers?!"

No sooner were the words out of her mouth when the smoke on one of the camera-displays abruptly broke apart, revealing Gallantmon and what Himiko could only believe to be Titamon, fighting. Only 'fighting' was a bit of an understatement. As she watched, Titamon's sword cleaved through Gallantmon's lance. Then he took the shorn off piece and smashed it into the knight's helm. A second later, he struck Gallantmon in the side with his sword, sending cracks racing along his armor. He twisted, trying to get away, and fell to the ground where his body became a giant spasm of destruction, sending dirt and brush flying all about him.

"Okay. That answers that question," Himiko said, hating how her voice sounded strangely blasé about the whole affair. She was watching a child getting beaten to death in front of her and she felt…distant? Filing the disconcerting behavior away for later analysis, she turned to the operators. "Riley, status on Shaggai?"

"They will enter effective combat range in one minute."

Behind Riley, Tally frowned beneath her visor. "I'm registering unusual anomalies appearing in Gallantmon's data. Titamon may have infected him with some kind of virus."

"Is there anything you can do to assist him?"

"Without any proper idea of what he's being infected with, I can't say."

"Get Shibumi up here!" Himiko returned her attention back to the screen. With the helicopters were closing in, the view of the battle was becoming clearer. Kuzuhamon sent an attack at Titamon. It didn't appear to affect him, but it kept him from delivering the final blow to the still fallen Gallantmon.

Interesting. Himiko raised an eyebrow. Civil war within their ranks?

Before she could consider how that affected things, the camera feed from the Shaggai units distorted and dissolved into chaos.

"What's happening?" she yelled as more screens followed, cutting her off from the battlefield. Tapping buttons, she desperately tried – and failed – to clear up the transmission.

"Some kind of distortion effect is emanating from the portal," answered Riley. "Its stability is fluctuating wildly!"

"It might be from all the attacks being used in its proximity," reported Tally. "Attempting to compensate. The data stream from the Shaggai is congested. We may not get visual for very long."

Seconds. Seconds was all Tally could get for her. Long enough for her to watch Kuzuhamon send an even stronger attack at Titamon before the camera view again dissolved into electric snow. Himiko cursed. She was not used to having so little information to work with.

Eyes on the ground. I need eyes on the ground to tell me what's going on.

"Tally! Get me someone down there who can tell me what's going on! Riley, Yamaki's Sleipnir project. Prepare it for activation."

If a picture was normally worth a thousand words, Riley's expression would have been ten times that amount. She didn't need to say anything to express her shock, and even the visor on her face couldn't have hidden it.

"Ma'am! That program has not been cleared for use!"

"I'm aware of that, Ms. Ootori." Himiko took a breath to settle herself. Her nerves were buzzing angrily. "Nonetheless, get it ready. Tally. Do you have anyone yet?"

"Fluctuations from the portal are interfering with all communications in the area. I'm afraid we're looking at a complete blackout outside of this building."

Himiko frowned. The situation was rapidly spinning out of control, leaving them with fewer and fewer options with which to contain it. She bit her lower lip, considering her options. Turning, she started toward the control room's exit.

"Ma'am! Where are you going?" Riley asked.

"To find a Goddamn window and some binoculars! At least those still work! Tally, prepare to activate Juggernaut on my order!"

She didn't turn to acknowledge the gasps from the two women and left the control room.

###

With his ears ringing, Kenta awoke half-wishing he didn't. Not that he didn't actually want to wake up – such thoughts brought to mind the crying face of his mother – but the sounds of explosions, clashing of metal, and the smell of smoke was at the very bottom of things he liked being awake for, second only to pop quizzes.

There was also the matter of the bush poking at his naked rear end. That didn't help things either. Looking down, he found that his pants had snagged on a branch upon his landing and been yanked down a bit along with his underwear. There was also an unsettling hole where the bush's bough had skewered his trousers. He hastily patted himself down to see if it had gone further. His body ached, but that appeared to be the limit of his injuries. His clothes were the only casualty he could find.

"M-MarineAngemon!" he called, hoisting himself up.

"Puh!"

Relief flooded him as he saw his partner swing into view from behind a tree and a smile split across his face. MarineAngemon was here and he was safe. The tiny pink fairy plainly shared the same sentiment as he rushed over and smacked into Kenta's chest.

"Hey, it's okay," the boy said, carefully wrapping his arms about his partner, cradling him. "W-What happened?"

"Pihpih!" MarineAngemon hastily explained. Kenta nodded. Titamon attacked the D-Reaper and they were blasted away by the force of the explosion. Memory tickled the back of his mind and he remembered Titamon swinging down his sword and then something fiery white hit him like a wall.

"I must've been knocked out then," he said while yanking his ruined pants back up. He patted himself down and found his digivice, but only a handful of cards remained in his pocket. His face fell. "Great. Looks like we're going to have a hard time helping out. "Did you see where everyone else went?"

"Pih!" MarineAngemon pointed in a direction with a tiny wing. Kenta nodded anxiously.

"Lead the way, buddy," he said grimly. With a puh, MarineAngemon enveloped them both in a heart bubble and then proceeded to lift them into the air. It was slow moving, but they got above the tree line without any difficulty. Kenta took out his cellphone to see if he could call anyone.

"No signal," he frowned. "Great." He peered about. "The digital field is so thick around here. Can you see anything?"

"Pih pih!" MarineAngemon pointed with a wing. Kenta turned, but he didn't see anything except a flashing of light within the thick fog. As he watched, the mist boiled and surged and then an explosion erupted from within. MarineAngemon's heart barrier shuddered as a shockwave struck, but it held firm.

"That looks like a good place as any to start," Kenta said once the shaking stopped.

"Puh," MarineAngemon replied.

"Subject Kenta."

His heart chilling at the sound of his name, Kenta and MarineAngemon both whirled about to find 'Jeri' floating in the air way behind them. Hand-like wings spreading from her back held her aloft and she gazed at him with a dead, empty look. A tattered, red dress hung on her body like a limp rag.

"Uh… Hi?" Kenta greeted lamely. His hands groped for his digivice and cards and quickly produced them.

"Do not go in there yet," the D-Reaper – Juri, Kenta remembered now – warned. "Gallantmon requires your assistance."

"I, uh, huh?" Kenta blinked. "Takato and Guilmon are hurt?"

"We cannot assist them," Juri continued. "Your partner's data was incompatible with our own, preventing assimilation." Her face twisted, as if in pain. "We cannot assist them. If we try, Titamon will become aware that we were not wholly destroyed and he will come to destroy us. In Gallantmon's current condition, if he were to witness that, you will lose him as you know him."

"I-I don't understand," Kenta replied, not at all sure what to say or do here. Juri was the D-Reaper and he didn't know if he could trust it, regardless of whatever Guilmon said. And the way she spoke about Gallantmon's condition was more than a little confusing. "Lose him?"

Juri frowned. "Jeri," she said under her breath. "We are not communicating properly. You must regain consciousness and help him understand. We are ill-equipped. Calumon. We need your assistance. We are alone. Alone. We… Oh!"

Kenta saw a subtle change in her eyes. Like a spark had been lit. Her attention refocused on him.

"Gallantmon is in danger of dark digivolving in his current state. You must assist him before that happens."

Behind him, Kenta heard the thump of an explosion. He heard the sound of helicopters. Turning, he saw two of them – Hypnos' Shaggai units – approaching the digital field. His stomach twisted in indecision. Those pilots would need help if they engaged Titamon.

But if for some reason Gallantmon dark digivolved like Juri warned…

"Pih puh," MarineAngemon said. Kenta nodded and drew in a deep breath.

"Okay, guess we'll see if Guilmon is on the money or not." He looked at Juri. "Take us to him."

Juri nodded and Kenta fancied that she looked relieved.

"Follow us," she said.

###

Sparks flew as Gaiomon launched a flurry of rapid slashes at Titamon. The other Mega fell back, deftly using his lone, oversized sword as a shield, moving with a speed that would have surprising considering the enormity of the skull-bearing blade. Even so, a few cuts snuck through, licking at his skin and leaving thin, red scars on him.

"You would betray the Sovereign too?" Titamon asked. With his left foot, he halted his retreat and braced himself. Gaiomon's swords pressed tightly against the edge of Titamon's weapon as he attempted to lock it in place. Chrome digizoid ground against one another bitterly.

"I swore my oath to our little Viximon long before our Sovereign." Gaiomon's eyes shone brightly. His feet shifted, trying to press his weight against Titamon's sword from another angle. "My loyalty is with her first and always."

"I see," Titamon nodded gravely. "I understand. A pity. The Sovereign thought well of you. He liked your zeal."

"Perhaps in another life," Gaiomon replied as energy from the atmosphere began to gather around him, making him glow. "Gaia Reactor!"

Titamon was launched backward as Gaiomon's attack detonated. The dragon Mega didn't allow him time to recover. Erupting from the explosion, he brought his two swords together, where they fused into one. Light converged about it and he took aim with it like a crossbow. A spear of energy lanced out at Titamon, who just barely blocked it with the flat of his sword. The attack finishing, Titamon again displayed the speed with which he could move his weapon. With a sudden lunge, he spun his weapon, catching Gaiomon's in a crisscross. The blades bit into each other. Metal flexed, straining from the pressure, and then Gaiomon's swords shattered. Their data evaporating, Titamon swung down toward Gaiomon's skull, going for the killing blow. Undaunted by his sudden loss, Gaiomon swept his hands up and caught the skull-hilted sword between his palms. Twisting, he wrenched it from Titamon's grasp and followed it up with a spin-kick. Titamon's eyes went wide as his opponent's foot buried itself into his abdomen and sent him flying to the ground.

Twirling the giant sword in the air, Gaiomon caught it by the handle. His eyes shining, he grinned beneath his mask.

"You always were too confident," he laughed before lunging. As he did so however, the black haze surrounding the blade suddenly rose up and swirled about his head, blinding him. Staggering to a halt in surprise, his hand shot to his face.

"What…?" he gasped. Titamon, recovering, surged to his feet. With a roar, he plowed into the dragon warrior, knocking him to the ground. Titamon's sword hung in the air, briefly masterless before its proper owner clasped it once again in his hand.

"My sword knows who its master is. Like you, it will serve no other." Hefting his blade, he approached Gaiomon, who now knelt helplessly, blind, and completely at his mercy. Renamon materialized before him. At the sight of her, Titamon scowled.

"Traitor."

Renamon glared at the towering Mega. "Leave him alone," she growled.

"You are in no position to make demands," Titamon replied. "You are a traitor. Traitors deserve nothing. The Sovereign gave you everything. Title. Power. Purpose. And you spurned his gifts. Now, you are nothing."

"Then, if I die, he will be set free from his current oath to me, would he not?" Renamon asked. "Spare my comrade. And if he is deemed worthy, he may swear new ones."

Titamon's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"How noble. You would offer your life in exchange for his?"

Closing her eyes, Renamon knelt to one knee.

"Yes, I would. Spare him, so that he may find a new purpose in life."

"Very well then." Titamon raised his sword and its shadow fell over the vulpine digimon. "Perhaps your data will be worthy of loading after all."

Renamon could feel the weight of the sword as its owner began to swing. For half an instant, she felt fear and the face of Rika flashed through her mind.

It is better this way, she thought. She should not be mixed up in this world.

"And who will protect the Deva?"

Gaiomon's voice broke through the pitch blackness of her resolve, and with it came the sudden impact of Gaiomon's hand against her side. She gave a startled gasp as she found herself catapulted out of the path of Titamon's sword. Vaulting through the air, she watched as Gaiomon, having finally cleared his vision, took her place just as the blade came crashing down upon him. There came a violent explosion of armor as the weapon tore into him and the dragon warrior made a harsh, gagging sound. Digital blood burst from his mouth and he fell to his knees. Yet, his eyes burned with defiance.

"I will not serve as a living corpse," he said, and he grasped Titamon's sword with his hands to hold it in place. Laughing, he looked at Renamon. "Live on and find new purpose, little Viximon. And remember your oath to me."

At his words, his body began to pulsate with light. Titamon struggled to withdraw his sword from the dying warrior, but Gaiomon held on tightly. Seeing what he was about to do and knowing there would be no talking him out of it, Renamon teleported back over to where Suzie lay. The girl was starting to regain consciousness, but remained far from managing on her own. Lopmon was at her side, attempting to help her, but there was only so much the diminutive rabbit digimon could do on her own.

"Climb on!" she ordered the Deva while simultanously hoisting Suzie back up into her arms. Needing no further encouragement, Lopmon did precisely that.

"Gaia Reactor!" Gaiomon shouted before erupting into an explosion of blinding white light. Renamon barely teleported them out of the way in time. As far as she took them though, the blast still struck her like a fist. Collapsing to the ground, she instinctively threw her body over Suzie, hoping beyond hope to shield her from the worst of the blast. The shockwave pummeled her. Something snapped in her side and for half a moment, her vision went black. She bit her lip against crying out and waited, either for death or for the explosion to end. It felt like an eternity passed before Gaiomon's death ended, but when it did, she let out a pained breath she didn't know she had been holding. She shook her head and looked over her two charges. Suzie looked half-conscious and confused. Lopmon was saying something to her, but she couldn't hear a word. The only thing she could hear at all was a loud ringing in her ears. She shifted back and her side twinged in pain. Placing a paw on her injury, she pressed against it. She felt a sick, swollen tenderness and something made an unpleasant grinding sensation beneath her skin.

It feels like broken wireframe, she thought. It should heal in an hour or so, unless it's something worse.

She drew in a breath and her side cringed. At present, the symptoms resembled her suspicions. She rose carefully to her feet and then looked over her shoulder in the direction of Gaiomon's last stand.

"Wait here," she said, not even hearing that either, and vanished. Reappearing moments later, this time sans Suzie and Lopmon, she surveyed the ruined landscape. Where Gaiomon and Titamon's battle had been, only a crater and hovering data remained. Even the trees were little more than floating ash now. She sensed nothing of Titamon, but of Gaiomon there was a vagueness; as if their connection had become a fog. She felt she was left with only one possibility as to the nature of the data. Holding out a claw, she brushed it against a single shard experimentally. It slipped into her without resistance, as if longing to be a part of her. Renamon felt a pang of sadness as a sense of familiarity followed its incorporation into her structure. Lowering her claw, she looked about her. The data now appeared to be hovering expectantly about her like shining fireflies. She didn't doubt that she was looking at the remains of her comrade.

"I am sorry," she said to the floating data. "I know this wasn't how you wanted things to end. I will honor your last request."
Closing her eyes, she felt herself lift into the air. A light emanated from her and data particles began draw towards her. She felt Gaiomon's remains enter her and she saw fleeting glimpses of memory flitting across her vision.

"Hate them. Hate them all." Anger. Deep anger. The face of a samurai, greyish-skinned, wearing a reddish-orange helm upon which was mounted a golden, horned head, stared up from its reflection on the water. His eyes, golden in color, were full of wrath. "I will have my revenge!"

"Stench of Virus…" An angelic digimon, armored in blades said. Renamon recognized this one as a SlashAngemon. His limbs were little more than swords and were held in a guard position.

"…cut down my master…" came the response to the angel.

"A warrior's life is in service to death. Yours. Another's. It is your duty." This from a black armored digimon, man-shaped, yet with dragonic features and golden eyes. A BlackWarGreymon. "Your honor. And honor must be maintained even at the cost of your life."

Gaiomon's face now appeared in her mind, stern and eyes blazing as his data evaporated from his body. Renamon felt an alarm go off. She should not be seeing him from this perspective. Not if she were looking through his memories. What was more, she knew that look well. Something was wrong. His eyes commanded her attention, imploring her desperately to heed something dire. It was as if his consciousness – what remained of it – were sending her a final message that he could not say aloud.

As if to confirm her suspicion, the image shifted to Titamon fading from view just as the wave of Gaiomon's final attack erupted.

Titamon is not finished yet!

Her eyes snapped open as instincts suddenly screamed at her in warning. She quickly dove to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed beneath Titamon's sword. Rolling to her feet, Renamon looked to see the Mega emerging from digital mist. He appeared injured, as evident from the burns scattered over his body.

He must have had enough energy to reconstitute himself. But what was that from before? Gaiomon? Are you still there?

She sensed nothing of her comrade now. Not even a shred of their link remained to her. She had no time to mourn for him and assumed a defensive stance. She wasn't sure what to do however. Her Mega level power was exhausted. Without it, she stood no chance. She doubted Gallantmon would be able to help her in his condition.

Gallantmon. Where is he?

Her eyes flickered over to where she saw him last and found nothing except a trail of digital blood leading off into the brush.

Titamon's shadow fell over her once again. Just as before, she deftly dodged to the side. The ground exploded, sending bits and pieces of dirt and stone raining all about her.

He remains powerful, but his movements aren't as swift as before. Gaiomon couldn't kill him, but he most certainly was able to injure him. Perhaps I can wear him down?

The odds of that were long at her level, but she had no choice in the matter. If she fled, he would pursue her and human lives would be lost. He was out for blood and he would get hers and the Deva's before he died.

What about the D-Reaper? she found herself wondering. Perhaps he has already done away with it?

She had no further time to ponder such concerns. Titamon's sword cleaved through the air, sending a wave of destruction her way. She jumped, evading this one too. Crossing her arms, an orb of light formed in front of her. Slashing her arms to the side, the sphere burst apart, and a rain of crystalline shards shot toward Titamon.

"Diamond Storm!" she shouted. The shards struck Titamon and exploded, but the Mega stood unphased by their impact. This didn't surprise her in the least. A Rookie doing damage to a Mega was, after all, a long shot.

Upon crossing her arms for another attempt, her ears twitched and she heard the whup-whup-whup sound of something approaching. Turning, she found two helicopters swooping in. Red beams of light lanced out from cannons slung under their wings and connected with Titamon's muscular body. The Mega frowned at first, and then brushed at the light, as if they bothered him. A second later, several gaping holes appeared suddenly appeared on him as data abruptly evaporated.

"What is…?" the Mega snarled. One of the helicopters drowned out the remainder of his question by firing what appeared to be a rocket. Instead of striking him and exploding however, its tip opened up and out shot a number of spherical objects. Gas immediately began to emanate from them and billowed up about Titamon. Electricity sparked all about him and he staggered, as if stunned. More lasers lashed out, some focusing on one of his arm gauntlets and the other on his chest. Two seconds later, data began to burn away from them and new holes began to form.

"Diamond Storm!" Renamon shouted, sending another flurry of shards to support the helicopters attacks. She didn't know precisely what they were doing or how they were accomplishing it, but they were having considerable effect on her former comrade. Far more than she would have envisioned the humans to be capable of. They needed all the support they could get.

Titamon wouldn't have it though. With a snarl, he swung his sword up and sent a wave of energy at the helicopters. Part of the wave struck one of the helicopters full on, causing it to detonate while the other's rotary blades caught the remainder. Spinning out of control, it smashed into the ground with a scream of twisting steel and flying dirt. Renamon ducked and wove between the chaos of debris. In the briefest of moments, Renamon saw the pilot dissolve into a burst of red within their cockpit before the helicopter's careening path carried them out of her view.

Just like that, she stood alone again. Titamon rose up, breathing heavily.

"I am…forgetting my duty," he breathed hoarsely. "The Deva. I must destroy…the Deva!"

He's tired, Renamon noted. Gaiomon injured him far more than I thought.

Hope sprang inside her. With a light tap on the ground, she launched herself into the air and launched another flurry of glowing shards. Titamon, growling, blocked the attack with his sword.

"The Deva…" His eyes gleaming, he slashed with his sword, sending a torrent of energy surging at Renamon. The Rookie somersaulted out of the way, but the attack exploded upon impacting the ground behind her. It sent up a tidal wave of erupting dirt and rock, and before Renamon could react, she found herself buried beneath its crushing weight. She hit the ground and a rock struck her side where the broken wireframe sat, causing her whole body to seize up in pain. Her muffled scream went no further than her makeshift grave.

###

Titamon stood there for a moment, breathing deep. Digital mist flowed up and into his injuries, and the holes began to fill back in. New energy coursed through him, but he didn't feel the way he did before. Only a good rest could fully restore him, but he had no time for that. With the humans on the alert now, there would be no second chance without an even harder fight.

Find the Deva. Delete her. Ensure that the Chaos is also destroyed. If necessary, delete the traitor.

He hefted his sword. While there remained some remnant of the Chaos smeared along its surface, he didn't feel certain he had gotten them all. Indeed, how could he be sure?

The Chaos operates through many agents and spores. I could go through this entire city and not be certain I destroyed them all. I may have to advise that the city be destroyed.

He shook his head. It was too soon to consider something that drastic. No. He would do his duty as ordered. Whatever else would come later and at the Sovereign's will only.

With renewed vigor, Titamon turned and stormed through the fog, hunting for his quarry.

Death to traitors, he thought, clenching his fist tightly about his sword hilt.

9