The Night Blooms

by The Blue Tigrex

The worst has happened. The other orders of digimon are gone. The Demon Lords forces are marching closer by the day. The Royal Knights can feel the pressure by the hour. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and so Alphamon asks Lord Drasil to reactivate the chosen system to bring forth a group of humans to help save their world... But Lucemon has already acted. SYOC closed.

16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Partners

…...

Alizee felt genuine regret as she did what Dynasmon asked, floating just above the ground as she at last escaped the tree line out onto a great open field with gently rolling hills. Blue skies erupting overhead as green grass gently swayed for miles and miles, of which she could just barely make out the shape of a city in the distance. Towering buildings appearing no larger than her thumb as she looked around to see if there was any sign of their pursuers.

To her relief, there was no immediate sign of them, only for her to hear yelling from somewhere up ahead.

Lowly muttering a curse, Alizee expressed to herself, "Best to make sure it isn't an ambush..."

She gently landed on the ground, slowly making her way towards the noises over a nearby hillside and listening in on the conversation.

"You want to pick on someone your own size, then you deal with me! Got it!?" A confident but high pitched voice yelled out.

A much deeper and more intimidating voice spoke out, "Come on, squeak. Sure ya ain't that dumb."

"Right boss, squeak's a few datums short of a sukamon."

The high pitched voice responded to those trying to insult him, "Try to get to the kid! I'll go right up your nose!"

Alizee wasn't sure what it was, but it didn't seem to be any of Barbamon's troops as she peaked over the hillside to see a pair of small Digimon facing three others.

The first she noted was a cowering Digimon hiding behind one of the other small ones. It looked like little more than a rock with a pair of stubby legs, a gap in the rock holding a single, very scared yellow eye.

It's defender was swinging his arms in circles, readying to get into a brawl with those apparently scaring the little rock Digimon. He was a bright and beautiful shade of blue, with energetic red eyes and yellow accents on his face. Two floppy 'horns' protruded from his head, a small horn from his nose, and his white colored jaw matched his white underbelly. His tail was crooked in several places as it swayed with his movement, as though it had been broken and healed several times. His arms would slow once every so often, allowing Alizee to see he had five fingered hands with short nails that did not match his saurian looking feet.

Those facing him were a pair of digimon that looked like Tiamat, but with inverted colors. Their bodies being primarily bright red, but with black accents. To Alizee's eyes, they were likely common guilmon.

Their leader however caught her attention the most, towering over the blue Digimon, and her, by a solid dozen feet. He resembled a tyrannomon, bit his skin was scarred and his eyes were wild. His green spines torn and ripped as stitches covered various spots on his body while his arms bore a ridiculous number of belts up to his elbow. Drool violently flowed from his mouth as his shadow loomed over the much smaller blue Digimon and his charge.

"Last chance, squeak. We're taking the kid like we're owed, whether you want us to or not."

"As a wanderer, I ain't letting you do jack squat with a kid, Dark Tyrannomon!"

His declaration of being a wanderer piked Alizee's curiosity, but more importantly, she believed she had a decent enough grasp of the situation to act at this point as her wings began to flutter...

Dark Tyrannomon growled as he raised his massive claw, which began to flow with purple energy, "You asked for this, squeak."

Only for Alizee's voice to ring out, "Astato Vespa!"

With a flip from the very top of the hill, Alizee's heel met the towering Digimon's snout, which caused him to jump back in shock only for Alizee to spin into a notably strong stomp that turned his head and sent him stumbling several steps, "Squeaks got backup!?"

Just as shocked as Dark Tyrannomon astAlizee's sudden arrival, the blue digimon and the two guilmon looked right at her for several seconds.

The blue digimon however was the first to recover, scowling before throwing himself at one of the guilmon, "Vee headbutt!"

He lifted himself ever so slightly off the ground, smashing the upper part of his forehead directly against the guilmon jaw, smashing its teeth together and sending it reeling just like its master.

Dark Tyrannomon growled as began to smash his claws together in irritation after Alizee's ambush, "I dunno who you are, but you just picked the wrong Digimon to piss off."

"Bring it," Was Alizee's simple response as she took one of the combat poses that Dynasmon had taught her.

If there was any time to put what her mentor had taught her into practice, now was definitely it.

Dark Tyrannomon howled to the skies before charging in at Alizee, swing down at her with its glowing talons, "Dark Nail!"

Size and speed were on the fairy Digimon's side however, as she simply dropped to the ground before bursting forward between Dark Tyrannomon's legs, flipping onto her hands as she used a move she was most familiar with by now.

"Gamba Tornado!"

Alizee spun, smashing her legs against Dark Tyrannomon's initially to little effect, only for her to body to unleash a whirlwind that again stumbled the dinosaur digimon.

In response, he quickly brought his claws together to try and smash Alizee into the ground, growling with irritation as she dodged away yet again.

"Fata Danza!'

Alizee moved in as she lifted upwards with her wings, one step, two steps, then a kick right into Dark Tyrannomon's stomach, causing the dinosaur to wheeze for air only for his jaw to be forced shut by Alizee performing a somersault kick into it.

Stumbling back and wheezing for breath, Dark Tyrannomon made a very quick decision...

As he turned around and began fleeing to the hills, "You ain't heard the last of me, ya stupid bug-bird!"

Alizee raised a brow as she smiled at how absurd the insult was, "Bug-bird's a new one..."

With the blue Digimon, he was currently being grappled by both guilmon, only for them to see their boss fleeing with his tail between his legs. The two looking at each other before bolting after him, the blue Digimon standing up and waving her arm violently, "That's right! Don't you go messing with Tumblemon again!"

Alizee let loose a deep breath as she watched the trio of dinosaurs slowly disappear over the hillside.

It was a rush to be fighting for real and for once without her teammates or mentor.

But, to be honest, it felt good too. To have the freedom to make one's own calls. To not have to worry too much about your teammates or hitting them. A one vs one wasn't too bad to handle, even against a giant dinosaur with energized claws.

Mostly.

She turned around, gently dropping to the ground only to be met with the blue Digimon suddenly offering her a hand to shake and a big grin on his face, "Heya there! Names Veemon! Thanks for the back up, even though I definitely had it under control."

Alizee snorted a bit at the Digimon's attitude, "I'm sure you did. My name is Alizee."

"Alizee? Bit of a weird name for a Digimon, nick from your friends?"

Alizee was a bit stunned to hear that, only to realize what she had done, "Oh! Uh... You see..."

She however would be thankfully cut off as several voices rang out, "Thank you! Thank you!"

The earth shook as a massive tortoise revealed itself from the dirt, having seemingly buried itself as the small rock Digimon quietly ran up to it. Its body was a bright yellow in color, with its shell being a pyramid of spikes as each foot ended in spokes. It's head was rather bird-like, with a large bit and a 'crown' of spines around the back of its head as blue eyes watched Veemon and Alizee, "Those bandits have been extracting money from all sorts of travelers! I couldn't be more thankful for your aid!"

Veemon would turn around and wave bashfully, "It's nothing, ma'am Tortamon! I'm just glad you and your group are okay!"

It was at this point Alizee realized something. Besides missing Tortamon hiding, within the grooves of Tortamon's shell were a solid dozen very small Digimon.

"Those are all... Children?"

"Oh yes, terrible really, truly terrible," Tortamon's head turned as she lowered her body to allow the small rock Digimon back into the grooves with the rest, "The war has destroyed their village of rebirth. I was already on my way to Spiral City when I discovered the remains. I am not sure what horrid bandits could do such a thing, but these poor babies were hidden in a secret room. It's just lucky that Tumblemon there is so brave for his age."

Tortamon indicated the little rock Digimon as 'Tumblemon.'

"I hope the rest of your trip is safe, ma'am Tortamon!" Veemon would exclaim, "Spline's got a whole bunch of Megadramon and Gigadramon patrolling the skies once you get close enough so I've heard!"

"Thank you both again," Tortamon would respond as she bowed her in respect, Alizee having a bit of panic before trying to offer similar respects before the towering Digimon turned and began to make her way towards the city.

That said, she felt quite a bit of pride at the way the situation had turned out. She really had made the right call to get involved.

Both Alizee and Veemon would watch Tortamon gain some distance before Alizee would turn to look at the tree line worriedly.

"Hey, you all good there?"

Alizee would look back to Veemon, who had placed his hands on his hips, "I... Sorry, I'm just waiting for my friends to catch up is all."

"Aw, so you do got a buddy group already, and here I was all ready to ask you to buddy up with me."

"W-wait, you want to buddy up with me?"

"Hey, what can I say? You were just plain awesome back there. You were all "Surprise"! And bow! And pow! Can't forget the whole "Bring it" bit like a digi-movie! Honestly, Dark Tyrannomon didn't know what hit him, the big lug."

Alizee started to feel a bit embarrassed at Veemon's praise, "I don't think it was that amazing..."

"Come on, don't sell yourself short, I'm sure that-"

Veemon stopped as he leaned to look behind her, "Are those coming back for round two...?"

Alizee felt a deep chill in her spine as she slowly turned around to see Dark Tyrannomon returning, but notably without his companions, only for a shadow overhead to suddenly burst over him, and Alizee's eyes would widen as she turned back and grabbed Veemon. Trying to put as much distance between them and Dark Tyrannomon as she could as the champion level Digimon exploded when he came crashing down. Sending Alizee and Veemon rolling as Dark Tyrannomon was gone in a familiar explosion of pure hatred.

"Hunting in a forest is too much of a pain, but here you are. The villain. All served up on a platter for me... Us to revel in defeating."

"Thiiiiis time! You wooooon't get away!"

Alizee's heart sank as she slowly stood back up, eyes behind her visor filled with subtle fear as she was once again faced with the towering terror of a bird and his all too young partner.

Beside her, Veemon stood up, and walked up next to her. Fully ready to aid his new ally against whatever just showed up to fight them, no words yet exchanged...

…...

In the wake of his one-sided dual with Grademon, Coro had gone to try and take a nap.

He was letting what Dynasmon did weigh too much on him, he knew it, and he figured that was probably exactly what that jerk-wad wanted too.

He thought perhaps his dreams would let him escape these thoughts. He couldn't help but see Grademon's helmet every few moments as he went into dreamland. A thought in his mind that such a Digimon deserved so much more than his masters had given him...

Unfortunately for Coro, sleep was even less restful than being awake was. A nightmare filled his dreams, of an army he stood by with eleven others. Digimon he loved as his family, whom he had spent his life with...

He watched them die. First was the strategist, a shot from so far a distance as to be seemingly impossible, her torso reduced to golden data in a moment. The rage he felt in that moment, the fury that he had lost someone to such a horrible, dishonorable attack...

Then it was the partier, his bulbous form suddenly extinguished from below. Perhaps they had committed their share of crimes, but of them, he was the one who deserved such a death the least. His limbs were all that were left of his body, golden data evaporating to the skies.

His dream accelerated. They all died, one way or another, to foes he had no idea existed. To the aid of a foe they long thought extinguished...

"RUN APOLLOMON!"

"Junomon! You can still make it!"

"My King, please! You have to rise with us! In their memory!"

"TITAMOOOOOON!"

His dream slowed again, vivid flashes in his mind as the coronamon struggled in his sleep, fighting with a foe unseen.

He saw a beautiful woman, with golden hair, dressed in white and blindfolded... But it wasn't her he focused on. It was the armored one before him, with white and blue armor that had been broken and shattered, her pale skin showing where parts of her had not been reduced to golden data. The remains of a pink scarf remained around her neck as he spoke to her, tears in her beautiful blue eyes. Blue eyes that were... Rather like his own.

"I can't leave you! Not to die to him on your own! If we go out, it's together! We promised!"

"I know... I know you would fight with me... I am sorry..." It was his voice, filled with a deep sorrow.

He could feel something massive looming close, an entity of pure loathing and hate.

He shoved her, shoved her into something as he turned around to face his foe. A massive shadow coming down upon him. A roar of rage from both him and his foe...

Coro suddenly snapped awake and fired a burst for flame at the tent wall, "Corona Flame!"

It was an instinctual attack, the Digimon's eyes filled with a fear he did not know as he watched the cloth catch fire in an instant. Yelling coming from outside as he looked at his hands.

The dream faded the moment he awoke. It was blurry, keeping him from recalling any details beyond that he had lost many who were close to him.

He sat there, trying to remember something, anything, even as water poured down onto the partially burnt tent and soaked the flooring.

He had to remember, he was certain he had to remember it. It was too important!

… But nothing came.

Coro clenched his fists in frustration before standing, heading to the mouth of his tent to look for Arshan outside. If anyone could pull it out his dream, it was Arshan.

He gave a smile and waved as he walked out, not wanting anyone to know he was feeling... Off.

Where was Arshan?

He nodded to Wizardmon and Witchmon as he moved through the camp. He laughed with the brawlers sitting in the tavern. He put on a show for the baby Digimon that the legion had rescued from bandits a few days before his duel.

"Arshan! Arshan!" Coro yelled out, where was he?

His last choice was of course where Arshan was. Coro finally entered the command tent, to see a very focused Arshan and Beelzemon looking at some paperwork, with Beelzemon looking rather pissed while Arshan seemed somewhat stunned.

This lasted until Arshan looked at Coro, "Coro, you're not gonna bel-"

He stopped, "Coro?"

"W-what?" The coronamon asked.

"Kid," Beelzemon was the one to ask, "How hard were you crying?"

Coro raised a hand to touch his own face, and he realized something in that moment, beyond simple tears. A flash of bright blue eyes, as powerful as his own.

"Guys..." He started as he looked at his best friends, "I think I have a Sister."

…...

"Where does that scumwad think we're just gonna stumble across the guys who freed Arcadiamon, huh?"

Boris looked down at his digivolved partner, who was carrying him on his back after what happened with Daemon. Dragon Fruit would never admit it, but he had done it out of genuine concern for Boris but claimed it was for efficiency.

His form was towering, being over three times as large as Boris at a solid twenty feet in height, appearing as a mix of plant and dragon. Two vine-like tails swayed behind him as he walked, ending in some form of spined tropical plant. His legs ended in three blue talons, with his lower leg resembling that of a palm tree before turning to green flesh with orange speckles. His torso with lithe, like a lizard, with a cream colored belly. Similarly to his feet, his arms were flesh while his forearms were covered in golden scales resembling another species of tree. His hands ended in three, pronged talons like a hawks would. Four wings burst from his back, resembling large tropical leaves that belied the strength beneath them. At the base of his neck opened a flower-like hood before a neck covered in brown coconut-like fibers emerged and led to his head. Six frills burst from the base of his skull, colored a beautiful shade of red and yellow. His heads shape was draconic, with the top of it being covered in scales similar to those on his arms. The upper sides of his head were bright green while his jaw was the same cream color as his belly. From his nose two bright red stamens emerged and rolled slightly back, giving the appearance of a dual horn on his nose despite being rather floppy. His mouth lacked any teeth, instead several spines having formed on his jaws to act like teeth as a large pink tongue rolled in his mouth as he spoke. Two large golden eyes scanned the forest around them, fully ready to jump on any creature that dared to try and attack him and Boris.

This was Pomumon's digivolved form: Toropiamon, the tropical dragon of the Digital World. An Ultimate Level Digimon that could more than hold his own... Were they not involved in a war that required a mega level Digimon's power.

"It will be okay, Dragon Fruit... They have to leave some sort of sign. Arcadiamon's nature should out where they are headed."

"Well, it would be nice if were more obvious... For both of our sakes," He used his talons to slice apart their way through the forest, attempting to ease the path before them as they made their way forward.

Toropiamon had no intention to stop, simply marching forward as loudly as possible. Silently voicing his frustration with their current situation.

Boris was initially about to offer his partner words of support, but had stopped to listen. Attentiveness honed over years to listen for someone's footsteps kicking into gear.

Toropiamon didn't notice this at first, his frustration as it was, only for him to realize Boris had said nothing a while, the tropical dragon asking, "... What did you pick up?"

"The trees. They are far too silent... We are being watched."

"Watched, huh?" Toropiamon responded, "Well... Point me in the right direction, cause I'm feeling a little pissed!"

Boris had subtly made motions along Toropiamon's back to indicate the directions they were being watched from, the dragon responding to his partners motions as he leapt up into the air and his wings spread wide, "Wouldn't want you in this, Boris! Tropical Venom!"

From Toropiamon's jaw burst a wave of green gas, flowing down to the forest floor below. It did not harm the trees or other plant life, leaving them unharmed, but what had been watching them became evident quite quickly.

It didn't do as much damage as Toropiamon would have liked, but the shadows they were hiding in did little to hide them from his eyes now as two Metal Phantomon began showing signs of melting.

Toropiamon narrowed his eyes however as he watched a third Digimon move into the trees, avoiding the gas he had spewed into the landscape below. He could make it out, floating with no legs. It consisted of little more than a metal orb with a grinning face, sharp teeth lining that permanent grin. Thin mechanical limbs connected to brown gloves, one hand holding a short sword that it was wielded threateningly.

Both Boris and Toropiamon recognized its type, resembling those under the employ of the machinedramon Spline: Tekkamon.

Toropiamon's face grew exasperated, "You're the ones stalking us? A couple o' bots?..."

Gently floating down just a bit, Toropiamon would look to Boris, "Hide in the tree tops. I'll finish this fast."

Boris nodded with a frown, concerned for his partner's safety, "Be safe."

"They're the ones who need to be safe from me," Toropiamon responded before crashing to the ground and bellowing at the three revealed Digimon, "Daemon thinks we're weak... But I'll show him! I'll show him just how strong I'll be!"

…...

Mary slid off Vulgar's back as the massive crow lowered himself to let her down. All three of his eyes observing Alizee and Veemon to make sure they didn't make any sort of sudden move.

Veemon had already reached a solid conclusion just observing Vulgar. There was no way in Yggdrasil's name that a Digimon that evil looking was here to help. He didn't have a conclusion for the kid with him yet, but a bad feeling was sitting in his gut as he looked up to Alizee, "I take it these two aren't your friends?"

"No," Alizee responded simply, "Not at all..."

Mary would level her arm at Alizee, "Youuuu lied! You tooook their friends!"

Alizee opened her mouth to respond, her heart eager to clash back against that nonsensical claim, only for Vulgar to loudly boom his voice as he moved in front of Mary, "And I have no intention of letting 'liars' speak aloud!"

Then in a burst, the evil Digimon was upon both Alizee and Veemon grabbing them both with his massive talons and taking off into the air. Faster than Mary, Alizee, or Veemon could react to.

"V-Vulgaaaar!?" Mary seemed shocked to see her partner just suddenly bolt like he did. Leaving her in the grass as he put some distance between her and them. Not wanting her to see what he was about to say and do.

He would never deliberately upset her, but this needed to be settled his way.

Alizee tried to kick out of Vulgar's grip as Veemon swung his arms against their imprisoner's talons, only for both of them to find themselves thrown against the grass hills with a violent "oomph!" as Vulgar landed by them.

The massive crow almost grinned as his eyes looked into Alizee's visor, "I took us away from Mary just so I could say, I'm going to enjoy plucking your wings, human."

"I don't know what kind of vegiemon you've been smoking pal, but she's pretty clearly a Digimon," Veemon responded for Alizee as Vulgar boredly looked at Veemon, not quite as interested in him.

Then before their eyes, dark fog enveloped Vulgar's form. The massive crow seemed to become part of the fog, which quickly condensed downwards to reveal a new form to Alizee and Veemon...

His form was humanoid, with thick and flowing hair of gold. Alizee could barely make out a face with sharp features, but was distracted by the bright red eyes staring at her with the utmost hatred. Hatred that she wasn't even sure what she had done to deserve. His body was clad in black and red armor, designed like it was made from the bones of who knew how many victims. His helm was a demons skull, his face in its tooth filled jaw as three red orbs filled empty sockets and three horns pronged off of it. Massive pauldrons covered his shoulders, his arms moving into what appeared to be dinosaur or dog-like skulls that clicked open and closed every so often, clasping like hands. His torso armor resembled a rib-cage, connecting to hip armor that flowed down to his legs, where it seemed his leg armor had been forged from a pair of spines, massive knee plates providing critical protection. His sabatons resembled skulls just like his gauntlets. The most terrifying thing thing to Alizee however was the eyes decorating his body, looking around and blinking, one on each pauldron, one in each of the skulls jaws on his feet, one on each knee, and of course, one right in the core of his chest.

"Veglrmon slide digivolved to... Duskmon."

Alizee processed a hundred questions a minute. Was this his adult level form? Why would he regress backwards? What tricks did he have up his sleeve with this?

She was unable to answer them as Vulgar erupted forward, blood red sword erupting from the mouth of one of the gauntlet skulls as her eyes widened beneath her visor, the kazemon dodging backwards as the sword sliced the air where she had just been standing.

He wanted to skewer her with a sword!? That's why he had regressed!?

Alizee would be stunned however as Vulgar was forced to take a step over by her new ally launching himself at his side, "Vee headbutt!"

"You little..." Vulgar's other skull erupted its blade, of which he quickly began to bring it down on Veemon.

Alizee however burst in, grabbing both skulls and pushing upward against Vulgar's attempt to slash down at Veemon.

She quickly realized this was not the best decision, as she found that Vulgar, even in the form of a champion, had a ridiculous amount of strength. His eyes widening with rage as he slowly began to push down on her, hoping to break her stance and open her up to be sliced asunder.

Veemon worked with Alizee, spinning his arms violently against Vulgar's torso as he roared out, "Gyral punch!"

"You annoying little stain!" Vulgar broke his stance, swinging to try and kick Veemon, only to find himself being sent rolling as Alizee went into a double spin kick directly into his torso.

"Fiorente Furiata!"

"You're gonna make me put effort into this, aren't you?" Vulgar grumbled as he flipped back up onto his feet, "Fine. That's just fine."

"Deadly Gaze."

The eyes on Vulgar's armor erupted with a bright light as Alizee instantly realized what he was doing, the spirit of the wind grabbing Veemon and just going straight upwards as Vulgar unleashed a barrage of lasers, attempting to exterminate the duo through sheer firepower. Despite her best efforts, several parts of Alizee's body took blasts from Vulgar's eyes, but in the end, she powered through it. Keeping Veemon safe from the barrage of death.

Vulgar of course did take notice of her attempts to protect the rookie.

This fight would be his.

"Ghost Move," As though he merged with the shadows themselves, Vulgar was suddenly above Alizee in the air, the young woman entirely unprepared for the sudden teleport as his foot met her head, sending her careening to the ground, but trying to protect Veemon from the impact. The air itself plumed as she slammed into the hillside, dropping Veemon in the process.

Alizee groaned as she sat up, Veemon waving his arms in frustration at being protected, "I got it! I got it! You don't need to keep holding me, 'kay!?"

"So you think," Vulgar's voice came from behind as he pushed his blade straight forward to skewer the Veemon.

Alizee, flashes of watching another group of Digimon being reduced to data playing over and over again in her mind, pushed Veemon out of the way, only to find her arm being skewered by Duskmon's blade.

The scream she let out was spine chilling as she found her arm pierced, bright green data flowing freshly from her new wound as Vulgar retracted the blade from his free hand before brutally grabbing Alizee by her upper torso, as close as he could get to her neck with such a large gauntlet. His eyes looked into her visor, the dark one whispering to her, "Dark Vortex."

He made sure to deliberately keep his sword in her arm, gently twisting it to get more pain out of her. His sadistic streak showing in full force.

She could feel it as her brain screamed in agony, Vulgar was forcefully sifting through her memories. Trying to find something, anything, to hurt her with.

"Well, you're more boring than I thought you would be. It seems you're more talk than bite regarding freedom. Sitting at home because of your family. Despite your own desires. What a pathetic tragedy."

He would promptly slam Alizee into the ground multiple times, over and over. Her body crying out every time he did so, data spewing from her arm as his blade shredded its insides with such violent movement. She could see the blade in the arm holding her slowly extending, the dark digimon hoping to make her final skewering as slow and painful as possible.

"Not on my watch!"

Veemon threw himself against Vulgar. Headbutts, punches, kicking, and even spewing a small fireball into his back.

It did nothing but to infuriate Vulgar further, who's eyes shown with monstrous fury that frightened Alizee to her core.

What could have happened to make someone into something like this? So filled with fury, evil, and sadism, whose rage was so easily triggered?

His grip began to crush into her shoulders as Veemon began to cry out, "We just met, pal! We can't let it end yet! I gotta get to know you better! Come on! Struggle! Don't let him win!"

Alizee closed her eyes behind her visor, her own tears pouring as she felt her spirit resonate with Veemon, "I-I don't... I can't!"

From her hands, Alizee unleashed a vortex of wind into Vulgar, a new ability coming to her mind, "Hurricane Gale!"

Being bound by him, Alizee was of course violently thrown with Vulgar, his sword being forcefully extracted from her arm as she was sent careening away from the duskmon. Who landed a solid two dozen feet away.

Alizee found herself staring at the sky, pain pounding away at her brain as she closed her eyes, just wanting it to go away...

Only for it to do so indeed, and her eyes snapped back open, raising her arm to see the wound gone, and her human form returned.

"Hey! Hey Alizee!" Veemon was suddenly in her vision, "I don't know if that was a de-digivolution or if that nutcase is right, but now's a really bad time to not be a fairy!"

She slowly sat up, looking to see Vulgar standing, the duskmon absolutely seething only to see Alizee had returned to human form, "Well... Seems I can take my time like I wanted."

He began to skulk towards the duo, as Alizee began to panic. What could they do now? Veemon didn't have the strength to wound Vulgar, not without...

Alizee racked her brain, remembering her recent past, back in Yggdrasil's castle, when she had accompanied Cecilia and her partners to see Omnimon.

She looked at Veemon, "Veemon! V! Would you be my partner!?"

"Huh! Is now really the time to be asking that!?"

"Please!"

Veemon looked over at Vulgar, who was raising a brow, before looking back at Alizee, "If it'll beat him down. I'll fight him to the end with you... There's worse Digimon to die with I think."

Alizee would frantically take her Digivice out, panicking and quickly smashing different combinations on her Digivice as Vulgar's blades began to glow...

Then the Digivice screen gave her the familiar prompt, 'Digimon Registered.'

As Vulgar closed in and raised his blade, ready to slash the two into pieces, Veemon glowed bright white...

…..

"Stop here."

Her voice commanded the three Digimon carrying her and her companions to stop.

"You sure this is the place, Lady?"

The three carrying Digimon were best described as heavily armored centaurs. Special operations helmets covered their heads, as did an excessive amount of armor cover both their human torso and horse-like body. Notably, a massive amount of guns seemed to be all over their bodies. Two guns on their shoulders, two on their hips, some stowed away, and most intimidatingly: two miniguns in the place of arms.

"It is," she responded as she and her companions jumped off them, "Thanks for the ride, Assaultmon."

"Course Lady, whatever the boss calls for."

Her two companions were dressed in long brown cloaks, hiding who they were and towering over her. Where she stood maybe around nine feet tall, the first was around fifteen feet and seemed to have rather bird-like feet. The second was nearly thirty feet tall, towering over both of them as his cloak failed entirely to hide mechanical wings and the edges of a massive revolver in the place of one arm.

She herself did not feel the need to hide herself. She had her pride first and foremost. She wanted people to know she was coming.

She especially wanted the one here to know.

She almost seemed a sibling to Beelzemon thanks to her choice of black leather clothing and the monstrous blue mask that covered the top half of her face, revealing beautiful purple eyes and a third eye on her forehead. Long blonde hair reached down to her waist, flowing wildly with the wind. Her outfit was entirely black leather, just like Beelzemon but she had completely cut out the center half of it, revealing the lower half of her chest and all of her abdomen. Two belts crossed across her waist as zippers ran all the way down both pant legs to her toes. She wore a black, damaged overcoat with this outfit, of which inside were four pockets, with two large revolvers hiding within.

Her name was BeelStarmon, and she was on her way to Spiral City with her two companions for an important mission...

But they had stopped, initially for a drink, but were now readying to face whoever had stomped their current location: Vaquero Town. Which looked like it had seen better lifetimes, collapsed buildings and smoke flowing from where sheer firepower had taken its toll.

BeelStarmon waved for the two behind her to follow, "What are ya waiting for? An invitation? Move on in!"

The two cloaked figures stayed close, but it didn't take a genius to see the silver giant resting near the town's hall, hunkered over as he either rested or more likely, was waiting for more prey.

BeelStarmon's eyes looked to the shadows as they walked through, but there were no signs of any other Digimon as she signaled to her two companions to spread out. The first disappeared into the shadows with ease as the other simply stopped and stayed in place, pulling out their firearm and scanning around them as BeelStarmon marched forward.

Her heels clacked against the ground, revealing them to be gun barrels as they slightly shook with every step. The smell of burnt cartridges smashed against her nose as she stopped ten paces before the town hall and called out, "Gundramon! Get your sorry ass out here!"

"Well, ain't that a familiar voice! Beelko!" Gundramon's form stood up, towering over the town hall as he walked around the side to face her.

She noted what Gundramon had really been doing now as she looked at his waist.

He was finishing wiring up his trophies. A pink cowboy hat, a sheriffs badge, and a few other trinkets. They looked almost like toys to his massive size, but for her, it was just another mark for how much she hated this machine before her.

After all, he took the love of her life.

"How's the merc life treating ya, Beelko? Zeke giving you 'nuff work to last?"

"Plenty, as a matter of fact. I'm headed to Spiral for a new contract. Was planning to stop here to drink but... Well, might I ask why you went and did something you might regret?"

"Ain't it obvious, Beelko? I know you don't go round asking stupid questions. The Old Coot asked. Just like with Kid."

A scowl met her face at the mention of 'Kid', "He had you murk a bunch of innos for what? Did they look at his mug wrong?"

"Nothin like that, I assure ya," Gundramon sounded almost smug as he responded, "But these here folks had the sheer audacity to kill one our commanders with the aid of a bunch of humans. Now we couldn't just let that insult go unpunished could we? It'd be a mark on our honor."

What honor was there in slaughter like this? She had no doubt Gundramon took pleasure in taking the life of every single Digimon in Vaquero Town.

Well, most of them. There was probably still one Digimon still alive if he had heard Gundramon coming...

"And what of the humans then?"

"Seems that they already moved on, not a clue where they went."

"Then I suppose you wouldn't mind me taking a look around?" She lowered her helm slightly, bracing her arm to ready herself for what she had no doubt was coming.

"Gotta admit, Beelko," Gundramon tried to look like it was pondering that choice, "I'd prefer ya just... Moved on to your contract at Spiral. Go meet with whatever lily livered critter wants to hire ya for his dirty work."

"Seems we may be at an impasse then, Gundramon," BeelStarmon responded as her hand inched back bit by bit.

"Shame that. Would just hate to dust you like I had to him. I'm still willing to let ya and your friends walk on out. I still like ya that much."

"I'll pass."

"Shame. Real shame."

Neither of them moved, up above the figure with a barrel arm took aim as he had flown into the air while the shadowy figure simply watched from inside a building. BeelStarmon's eyes narrowed as Gundramon simply stood there, unmoving...

Neither of the two figures could react as both gunslingers moved faster than lightning. Aiming their primary weapons at each other.

"Der Bli-"

"Fly Bullet!"

BeelStarmon got her shot off a mere millisecond before Gundramon, bullets styled after none other than herself flying out in a burst shot. They spiraled as though they had no real target right up until Gundramon's bullets began exiting his twin barrels.

The first hit Gundramon's first shot, bouncing it away from BeelStarmon.

The second hit the second shot, shattering together mid air...

The third shot met right at Gundramon's barrel, and did what the second shot did...

Only it was inside Gundramon's right hand arm.

Gundramon howled as his revolver exploded into a mess of metal and data, falling away from BeelStarmon as he growled, "You dumb stupid cow of a Digimon!"

She didn't even blink as she pulled out her second revolver, keeping it aimed at Gundramon as he flailed his remaining arm, "Now that your done lying to my face, I think it's time for you to leave, Gunny... And take this lesson as a warning to your boss. The humans ain't his to hunt."

Gundramon growled as he shakily stood back up, "This ain't done by a long shot, you damn knock off. Not by a long shot."

Like a dog with its tail between its legs, the giant machine quickly began to leave the area. BeelStarmon keeping her arms aimed in case any of Gundramon's countless other guns decided to spin and take a shot at her. She was lucky the thing was a damn coward in the face of any serious damage to himself.

She would mutter to herself as watched him start to go into the horizon, "And that one's for shooting Kid in the back..."

The shadowy figure walked up behind her, wind flowing through to give glimpse to a beak, "Do you think anyone survived?"

"Vegiemon," BeelStarmon responded as she watched the horizon, "Knowing him, he's hiding beneath the bar. Get him out and we'll take him with us. No doubt Spline'll want to hear bout this nonsense. He won't want a repeat in Spiral City."

The larger figure landed from above, a deep and gravely voice echoing as the wings gave glimpse to orange skin on draconic legs, "No doubt that Barbamon's legion is ahead of us though. We don't have the capacity to catch up."

"Hope is that Barbamon isn't that desperate for humans," BeelStarmon finally lowered her guns as the shadowed figure left to find who she had asked for, "If he hesitates, that gives us the chance to give our clients the warning."

"Always knew Barbamon would slip up."

"They won't do much more than give him some pain, but at the same time, but it'll give us the gap we need for the hunt to actually start..." BeelStarmon began to turn around as the shadowed figure began to return rather quickly with the extremely scared form of Vaquero Town's bartender.

Vegimon's face went through a number of expressions on seeing BeelStarmon. Fear, confusion, anger, and finally: grief as tears welled up in the plant Digimon's face and he broke down bawling, "B-Beelko! I-I can't believe it. We built it all up... For nothin! They saved us all for nothin! Why ain't nowhere safe!?"

She crouched down to the much smaller Digimon's height, placing a hand where Vegimon's shoulder would be, "I'm so sorry, Vegimon... But I can at least do one thing right by you, and so I've gotta ask..."

Vegimon's broken spirit looked into her purple eyes, a bit of hope returning on seeing her determined face as she spoke.

"What do you know about the Royal Knights humans?"

…...

Kyou took a deep breath as he opened his eyes and looked around.

"Finally awake?" Kyou was met with the sight of Blaze sitting on the cot next to him, reading a book in Digiscript. Still not fully fluent in it, Kyou was unable to read its title but could make a good guess as to what he was reading based on the picture of the warrior Digimon on the front.

Looked like his partner was taking after him.

Kyou took the time to look around the room to see it mostly empty, "Everyone else was up before me?"

"I think you probably used the most energy out of everyone," Blaze would respond as he closed his book, "Makes sense you'd be the longest to rest considering you... Burned through your energy."

"I really should start writing your puns down, we'll have enough for a book of our own by end of the... Uh, does the Digital World have years actually?"

"Huh, that's something kind of fundamental isn't it...? But yeah, it does," Blaze would stand first, offering his partner an arm, "Want to go see Gallantmon? He was afraid he was gonna have to carry you like a bride to our next destination."

"Our next destination? What'd I miss while I was out?"

"A huge underground refuge, Bancho Leomon refusing to train us, and a plan to take us to Spiral City within a day."

"You're gonna have to give me more context than that, Blaze." Kyou smiled at his partners tone, both of them clearly glad to be back on their feet as they started to make their way to the hall of stone.

"Okay, so, from what I've gathered. Bancho Leomon wants us to train 'beneath' Spiral City and use it as a refuge within the Demon Lords own territory. Apparently the place is filled with both human-like and machine Digimon, and he believes it'll be a good place to hang low while we get the training to reach the next stage."

"So more Digimon to make puns then?"

"Think all human-like Digimon are as creative as me?"

"If creative is what you call it."

The duo chuckled to each other before Kyou asked, "Think we could uh... See that refuge first before we start to head out?"

"Sure partner, I don't see why not."

"Partner... Still feels a bit weird."

"I think after surviving the rush of enemies we did, we've earned the right to call each other that."

Kyou would nod in affirmation as Blaze led him to the right, the guiding glow appearing to lead them to the refuge.

Kyou, initially held a look of bewilderment as they entered the refuge, only for him to put a hand out in front of Blaze as a figure suddenly bolted in from above.

It was like an exaggeration of a insect, gangly and twisted as two yellow eyes violently rolled in their sockets just to look Kyou and Blaze over. Its eerily human face was like that of a puppet, stuck in a permanent frown as a pair of lines fell down its jaw among its white coloration. A single large red horn emerged from its forehead as unmoving brows aided its look of irritation. What looked like cables or worse, skinless muscles, connected its head to its body, which resembled a two section pod. Red lined the openings on its torso and along its spinal area, where bronze spikes emerged. It's limbs were simple in appearance, being made of the same stuff as its neck but far thinner and somehow holding up its body. Each limb ended in a red half circle, each equipped with three bronze talons of their own.

It spoke first with a hoarse, raspy voice that echoed like deception itself, "Apologiessss... I mistook you for another coming in."

Kyou didn't trust this Digimon as far as he could throw it. Everything about it screamed bad news, from its eyes to the way it spoke.

"You should really pay more attention before 'intercepting' someone," Kyou would respond as he stared into the creatures horrifying gaze.

Blaze shuffled to just slightly in front of Kyou, compared to his human partner, he could feel the power from his foe. The entity before them was an ultimate level Digimon, and based on prior experiences so far... It was unlikely it was friendly.

"An apology and not even an introductioooon... This one issss Infermooon," The gangly entity moved one of its elongated limbs in a sort of half bow, as though to introduce oneself to one who deserves respect.

"Kyou."

"Agunimon," Blaze took a page from Kyou's book, not wanting to give too much information to the entity before them, even if it was as simple as their full or true names. They had to keep their responses simple, give as little as possible to this 'Infermon'.

Kyou had to keep his face from moving in disgust as Infermon's eyes rotated grotesquely in their sockets, looking at both of them at once before his form began to move behind them, "You twoooo... A human and a Spirit. Did you perhapssss... Flee from the knights?"

The implications of that question were many and fast, with both Blaze and Kyou glancing at each other before Kyou responded, "Haven't you heard of getting to know someone first before asking personal questions?"

"True. Truuuuue. Very true," Infermon responded as Kyou and Blaze moved forward, the ultimate level following far too closely for comfort, "Buuut what isssss your opinion of them?"

"Again, politics is better discussed with friends and family."

Are you perhapssss insinuating we do not wiiiish to be a friend?"

"He never said that," Blaze backed Kyou up, "He just said he doesn't want to answer anything too personal. Why don't you try again?"

Infermon made a noise that neither Kyou or Blaze ever wished to hear again, neither of them could tell if it was infuriation or amusement as it spoke again, "I asssssure you both. I am ssssimply a neutral force. Unaligned with Demon Lord or Royal Knight... Issss it sooo wrong to sssseek an answer from a human of either side?"

"You've met another human?"

"Yeeeesssss..." Infermon's eyes focused on Kyou, who had asked, "One called Arthuuur... Whom's reaction waaass similar to yours. Untrusting. But focused. And unlike you. Conviction wasss present. A need to sssurvive."

Kyou was suddenly a little more interested in what Infermon was selling as they walked into the cavern. The refugees not giving a glance to the three as they went about their work, nor was Kyou as invested in seeing it now either.

"That sounds like you don't believe he's loyal to the Demon Lords."

"He issss one of two... But gifting suuuuch information without reciiiiprocation would be unfair? Nooo?"

Blaze signaled Kyou to not trust a word out of Infermon's mouth.

The young man had to play his cards carefully, he agreed with Blaze's assessment but the possibility of information on their fellow humans was too good to pass up. If they really weren't loyal to the Demon Lords, then going about with the idea of freeing them from whatever freakish hostage situation they were in was a strong goal...

However, he flashed back to story Cecilia had told him before they went to climb the mountain, of Aurelia and her determination. There was no doubt in her loyalty, which brought the question of what the exact circumstances of each chosen was. It was likely far more complex than the one he and his allies were in, as the Royal Knights were clearly invested in both their safety and loyalty despite whatever flaws they may have had.

He looked into Infermon's eyes, "A question for a question?"

"A deaaaal as fine assss any."

"Then..." Kyou looked to Blaze and signaled back, hoping he would understand, "Ask your question."

"Again, what isssss your opinion on the Knights?"

Kyou bit his lip, pondering a moment before answering, "They're invested in us, that much is obvious... But I feel like there is still a pretty significant amount of information we're missing."

He made sure not to say more than he had to.

Infermon nodded slowly, content with his answer, "That information issss the kind that cannot hide for long... But alassss, my answer is to come. The one called Arrrrthur is the Chosen aligned with the legion of revenge seeeeeker: Belphemon. But he isss rarely with them. He considers himself unneeded and at tiiimes even acts against their interestssss. But his motivations and reaaaasoning are a mystery to us."

"And the second one?"

Infermon made an odd noise before stating, "A question for a question. Have the Royal Knightssss told you of their true purposssse?"

"True... Purpose...?" Both Kyou and Blaze raised their brows at Infermon's question, which was more than answer enough.

"Understandable... Humanssss are not as like to take succcch a role well. Quite a few Digimon have grown ssssick of it. That they can not have their wishesssss granted. So it is they craaave change... But of the ssssecond one, yessss..."

Kyou and Blaze had to push their other thoughts aside as Infermon continued to speak.

"The second is called Katrina. Much aaaas Arthur-"

"I will stop you there, Wicked One."

Infermon scuttled away from Kyou and Blaze as a new Digimon suddenly appeared between them in a burst of water, eyes narrowed at the insectoid Digimon, "The Bancho have allowed you refuge here as any other, but if you are attempting to sow discord among my allies..."

Her black, whale-like tail swayed gently in the wave of water as she 'stood' straight up in opposition to Infermon. Red fins lined just below her waist, two brown belts crossed between them and hanging off a red belt around her waist. Her 'outfit' was lacking in cover, consisting of an open leotard and two seashells on her notable chest. The stomach of her leotard was cut open, revealing her stomach, which had two strange tattoos. She had small scaled pauldrons on her shoulders, strapped by belts and the bit of armor around her neck. Her forearms had black vambraces on with golden accents, complementing the black gloves holding an anchor as though she were holding a triden, aiming the sharp point of it at Infermon threateningly. Her blonde hair was tied in a long ponytail, tipped with an anchor shaped tie as fierce blue eyes stared down Infermon. Her face was soft and pretty, a silver diadem on her forehead complementing her features which were only offset by the red fins in place of her ears. To set it off however was the rather hysterical pirate hat, marked with a skull and crossbones.

Infermon's head tilted back and forth, "Ussss? No. We ssssimply seek truth. The impossster stands free. Sssso it is we must know whereee they come from. Humanssss often find truths. It is a siiiimple conclusion they may know."

"These humans are only recently arrived upon our world. It would likely be best for you to move along," the feminine Digimon's voice indicated that was a command rather than a tell.

Infermon let out another noise that sent chills down Kyou's spine before he looked right at him, yellow eyes bulging out as he said, "Untillll next time. Kyou and Blaze."

Blaze's eyes widened as he reached a hand out, "W-wait, how do you know my-"

Infermon however, had already scuttled away as the mystery Digimon turned to the duo, "Follow me. The others have been waiting for the both of you."

Both Kyou and Blaze however were now suddenly far more concerned over who exactly that Digimon was, and how it know Blaze's name when they never spoke it to it?

She raised a brow at them, "Still in there you two?"

Blaze would shake his head to get past the questions ringing, focusing on the arrival, "Who even are you?"

She seemed to realize, "Ah! Right, you two have not seen my ultimate stage yet, have you? I believe my Lady has only referred to me as Swimmon or Tylomon, but as of right now, I am Mermaimon... And before you say anything further: Breakdramon."

Kyou was gonna voice how could she confirm she was who she said, but was quickly shut down by that name.

Blaze was the one to ask, "You've had access to ultimate this entire time...?"

"I... I was asked to keep it concealed. It was not my immediate desire to deceive you, but it was decided that you all needed to grow stronger if we encountered the enemy. My Lady is not supposed to be involved after all."

It made a certain sort of sense from what Kyou had initially been told, but based on what he had observed, his suspicions of Ysanne and her partner had only grown with this. Was it possible that Mermaimon could even reach the mega level already if they had kept her ultimate hidden like this?

He would look into Mermaimon's eyes, "But why was Infermon worth the revelation of your ultimate stage?"

"Mmm... That is an easier question than I was expecting. But I believe that is better explained on the way to my Lady and the rest."

Kyou raised a brow at that statement as she waved for them to follow her.

Blaze leaned in to whisper to Kyou, "We're gonna talk about this later...?"

"One hundred percent," he whispered back as he began to follow after Mermaimon.

Mermaimon noticed their whispering, but said nothing. She was well aware of how suspicious this was and knew attempting to assuage their worries may instead make things worse.

She only hoped her explanation of Infermon and the future actions of herself and Gallantmon could assuage those suspicions as she spoke, "Infermon, as I imagine you put together, is not a neutral force. He is one of a massive hivemind, a lesser form of a Digimon called Diaboromon."

It didn't take much to put the meaning of that name together for Kyou, "Devil monster?"

"Exactly. This Digimon has a habit of two things. The first is creating mass duplicates of itself so that it can observe any happening within the Digital World. Unfortunately, Infermon's confrontation of you means we were likely seen by a Kuramon or Tsumemon that was hiding with the shadows somewhere. I would imagine it does not like the presence of humans, whether aligned with the knights or demons considering its past."

"So it has an absolutely massive spy network consisting of itself?" Blaze asked, waiting for elaboration on the second part.

"Exactly," She responded, "Allied with neither side, seeking only to bend things its way. Of which comes the second habit: Devastation."

"Devastation?"

"Diaboromon exists for a singular purpose. The absolute eradication of all life in the human world."

"Wait... What!?" Kyou's eyes widened at this new information, "What the hell kind of 'habit' is that!?"

"I suppose calling it a habit was a poor choice of words... It is more that it's tried to influence the human world multiple times... And failed all of those times. But like a Kuwagamon, he refuses to stay dead. Personally, I'm not sure how he keeps returning. It's rather scary to consider how far ahead it always seems to be regarding its planning."

"... When was the first time it tried?"

"According to legend, that would be when the founder of the Royal Knights, Imperialdramon, hunted down and combated it over the course of years. Supposedly, it was because of Diaboromon that Omnimon, Magnamon, and Crusadermon were gathered with an army of Knightmon to combat it and its legions of clones. It ended with Imperialdramon following Diaboromon into a mysterious tunnel of light and returning nearly a decade later, claiming he had put an end to it... But clearly that was incorrect. It's taken several Chosen Children putting its plans down over centuries to keep it from accomplishing its goal. But even still, he... Somehow always returns and I guess we've kind of accepted that."

"So you all just accept it's presence?"

"Diaboromon hasn't tried anything for at least five hundred years. Not to mention, it would be odd for it attempt anything in the wake of the active armies of both the Royal Knights and Demon Lords."

"I can't say I agree with it..." Kyou responded as Blaze nodded in agreement before speaking up as well.

"How many times has it caused a crisis?"

"I am afraid I don't know the answer to that question."

"Is it because of how many times it's tried?"

"I... Well... Yes, but-"

"Then you should have fought Infermon," Kyou responded as Mermaimon looked away, "Something like that can't just be allowed to run around scheming."

"I imagine more than a few Digimon agree with you, Kyou..." She responded weakly.

Kyou couldn't help but realize she seemed to take his aggression about the subject very personally and realized that there was something more to her than just that. It was as though she believed she couldn't take on Infermon and win, that she had no chance at all. He began to ponder about it, wondering what exactly could trigger a reaction like that.

Blaze tapped Kyou's shoulder, "Might want to turn the heat down a bit."

The agunimon looked to Mermaimon, "He's just a bit stressed after what we've been through! He didn't mean it towards you!"

"You don't have to say it for me, Blaze."

"You were thinking on it too hard, remember what Leopardmon said."

"Right, right," he waved his partner off a bit before looking to Mermaimon to change the subject, "... So... What's the exact plan when we get to the others?"

…...

Even damaged, two Metal Phantomon was no joke, nor was facing a Tekkamon.

At the least, Toropiamon was aware of them, so putting him to sleep or stealing his data wasn't going to be easy option for them.

If there was one thing he was glad for, it was that in this form, he wasn't the laughing stock he was always treated as. He wasn't going to be left in the dirt, nor was he going to let them touch a hair on the one person who gave a shit about him.

Three ultimates? More like puddles of goo.

He took a deep breath as he unleashed a spray of pollen from his neck, which didn't seem to alert the machine Digimon.

He took that as a good sign of them not knowing what he could do.

This was followed by the Tekkamon folding its arms into its body before flinging itself at Toropiamon.

What a joke of an attack.

Toropiamon simply spun, wrapping his tails together before smashing it away from his form as he unleashed a cone of deadly gas from his maw towards the two metal phantomon, who dispersed as their scythes roared to life. One heading to Toropiamon's left and the other his right.

He slowly backed up, only to realize they had stopped moving towards him, raising their scythes which let out an ear piercing scream as they swung them at him. Slashes of pure energy flying towards him in a hope to dice him apart from a distance.

Toropiamon displayed the massive amount of strength in his legs, leaping into the air above the slashes, the very air that had been around him displacing before he ungracefully glided above the closest Metal Phantomon, dropping down to crush the nightmare soldier beneath his weight, using his talons to catch the center of the scythe as he fell so that the Metal Phantomon couldn't simply stab him once he had landed...

And for good measure, he used a lesser known ability of his. From his wings, drops of acid began to appear, pouring down onto the Metal Phantomon below him, Toropiamon giving a grin at his sheer strength being capable of overwhelming the unthinking machine as acid began to warp metal. His eye watching the other Metal Phantomon for its next move...

Only for him to roar out in pain as he felt a slash along his back, Tekkamon having struck at him from above. He had simply elected to forget about who he deemed an inferior foe when he smashed Tekkamon away earlier.

Infuriated, he turned around and swiped at Tekkamon with his talons, the mechanical ball Digimon floating away as Toropiamon used his free foot to crush the melting Metal Phantomon's skull as it began to prep to swing its scythe. Instantly shattering it into data as Toropiamon found himself standing between two hostile Digimon.

They were clearly just machines, doing little more than acting on their programming. They weren't displaying advanced tactics, that much was obvious to Toropiamon from how easily he had crushed the first Metal Phantomon just now...

But it was absolutely infuriating that as such they even got a single hit on him! Why!? Why was he cursed to never be strong enough!?

He roared to the heavens before leaping into the air as Tekkamon produced a strange skull and threw it at Toropiamon, only to be met by Metal Phantomon throwing slash after slash at him now.

It was a simple tactic. He could break it easily, way more easily than anyone else could. Surely...

He growled before dive bombing Tekkamon, the mechanical ball attempting to roll away again only for Toropiamon to land directly on top of it, trapping it beneath his foot before he promptly tried to throw it back at the remaining Metal Phantomon...

He missed, and as he turned around, he seethed as Tekkamon caught itself mid air and turned to face Toropiamon.

It was then however, he realized his trap had played, although it was from luck as both Tekkamon and Metal Phantomon were now surrounded by pollen as they began to ready another barrage of ranged attacks...

"Petally Carnage!" Toropiamon roared as the pollen lit up like sparks before exploding, both Tekkamon and Metal Phantomon being consumed in the brightness of it before Toropiamon roared again, "Tropical Venom!"

Not wanting to let his moment pass, Toropiamon unleashed a third cone of melting gas, with Metal Phantomon being consumed by it instantly. The Digimon's very body decaying in combination with the damage from the earlier gas and the explosion just now. First it's right arm would fall off, then its abdomen, followed by its very face. Its body collapsing into a pile of dissolving data and mush.

Toropiamon would however find Tekkamon throwing itself, spinning in a rather strange manner, at a different target, "Wait... Boris! Boris! JUMP!"

Toropiamon leapt forward towards where he had placed Boris in the treeline, the Dragon watching as his partner leapt at him. The Tropical Dragon snatched him from the air with ease, pulling him close as his eye went to Tekkamon and realized too late what the violent spinning had meant...

He turned Boris away as Tekkamon violently exploded, an explosion large enough to take out a skyscraper erupting from the tiny Digimon.

Toropiamon crashed to earth, bracing his partner against the violent descent as he crashed through tree after tree.

"Dragon Fruit! How harmed are you!?"

Toropiamon heard Boris' voice before he opened his eyes. His back felt like hell, but... He didn't feel like he was dying at least.

He began to stand, only to find his body not quite listening as he looked at Boris, "Don't worry about me, I'm as strong as any Demon Lord. How about you, Boris?"

Boris stared at him, his gaze causing him to look away from having cast such an obvious lie.

It was a few moments before Boris asked, "Maybe it would be better to go back to being Pomumon?"

Toropiamon let out a low hum before Boris' face twisted before him, and before he could ask what or react to what it was, he felt his body simply go limp.

There was no pain beyond what he had already felt. He could only move his eyes as his body collapsed, and he could only hear himself as he saw the same happen to Boris.

What had happened!? Who happened!? Who dared!?

"Three machines. I'd call it impressive if you didn't take such a staggering amount of damage from Tekkamon. But the fact you failed to notice the Queen's concoctions says enough," a feminine voice spoke out

Toropiamon's eyes rolled around, trying to catch any glimpse of their assailant.

In the end however, he settled on looking at his partner, trying to determine if he was fine.

His rage was seething. Endless. How was their luck simply this bad? This poor? Again and again because of Daemon's bullshit!

His breathing became deeper as he did anything, anything to try and force his body to move.

His body began to release smoke, the whites of his eyes darkening as he could see Boris' eyes staring at him. Clearly in fear of something making its way towards them.

He was strong enough! He was strong enough! HE WAS STRONG ENOUGH!

His thoughts began to devolve as that black smoke increased, coating his body as he began to enlarge in size. Two pin yellow pupils see-able through the smog as a dark anger and fear guided him.

He didn't even see their assailant, only catching a glimpse of an insectoid Digimon colored yellow and black as a thousand, thousand spikes of wood erupted from the earth, embedding themselves in their perceived assailant before the emerging monstrosity unleashed a jet black miasma. Their spear and shield sent flying across the landscape as they didn't even get to react.

This miasma did not simply attack their assailant, but began to devour every living thing in the vicinity. Trees, Digimon, and other digital lifeforms were all victims to the smog.

The monstrosity smashed its trunk-like limbs into the ground, towering nearly fifty feet in height as dying red leaves covered its back like mane. It's body was mangled and monstrous, one limb overgrown while the other was under-grown, a back leg missing chunks. Its very stomach had been torn open, leaving nothing but an empty rib cage. It's trunk-like tail swayed with a life of its own, a mouth at its end trying to find anything to devour. Its wings were but skeletal constructions, incapable of lifting it from the earth as those same dying red leaves acted as webbing. Two massive tusks around around where its head emerged from its body. Compared to the rest of it, it was like a bleached, draconic skull. Two black voids acting as eyes as yellow pinpricks tried to find what had dared to anger it. Dead trees erupted from its head like horns, tooth filled maw spewing more of that horrific miasma with every breath. Nearly every section of its body had some sort of binding on it, daring to fall apart as though this thing were meant to be sealed away, little more than a symbol of rage.

This horror was Entmon, born of a combination of Pomumon's helplessness and Boris' own rage against Daemon.

This was not the first time this eldritch horror had emerged, and it would not be the last as Boris felt the shadowy insects that swarmed when Entmon appeared use the data of the dying landscape to heal his body of the mentioned poison.

Boris looked up at the shadow of his partner, rib cage towering over him as he frowned.

This was the true reason that Daemon had considered them worthless. They could not Digivolve to mega, and it was possible that at any time, that Pomumon would become this instead of Toropiamon. A horrid monster that only saw a friend in Boris and destroyed all else that would come between them. It had single handily wiped out a quarter of Daemon's Troopmon corp when Daemon had first harmed Boris, only being stopped because Daemon had grown bored and wanted Metamormon to put an end to what he called a 'tantrum'.

To Boris, it was the ultimate expression of a pain he could not share and so wished did not leak out into the world as he watched Entmon do its work. It would be anywhere from a few minutes to possibly hours for Dragon Fruit to escape this state...

Time they desperately needed, but he could do little about...

He loathed that as much as Pomumon. This powerlessness...

He wanted so badly to help his fellows, but with him and his partner like this, what could they even begin to do...?

…...

"We'll be taking these fellows to the outskirts of Spiral City, where we'll be using an old smuggling tunnel to get in," Gallantmon finished his explanation of the plan as he patted one of the massive cyborgs standing beside him.

It's entire body was in essence a mix of jet and wyvern. Its robotic head stared with yellow optics at the humans and Digimon meant to ride it as silver plates made up its neck before connecting to a navy colored torso, its wings being that of a planes while its legs were clearly designed to fold up in its body. Behind it, its tail ended in two red prongs, tilting every so often as to help it keep balance.

"I'm still kind of stunned that remnants of the D-Brigade's Darkdramon Division got this far..." Bancho Lilimon said in addition to Gallantmon, "With the apparent lack of thoroughness and the speed Mail Birdramon has, we're pretty sure ya'll will make it without a problem... Though that said..."

"We're comin with ya! At least, till ya'll reach the edge of the wastes," Bancho Mamemon added, "We'll be an incentive to not attack unless the lot of 'em want more issues up here north."

"How did you convince them to aid us, Gallantmon?" Ryu asked as he looked over the six Mail Birdramon meant to carry their party, "Bancho Leomon didn't seem keen to aid us in the slightest when we walked by."

"Just because he won't fight with us, doesn't mean he won't help us make our way elsewhere," Gallantmon responded.

"I would not leave anyone to simply fend for themselves without direction," Bancho Leomon responded, "To leave the weak to never grow strong... That would go against everything I stand for. You all deserve as much a chance as the others did."

"The others...?"

"I did a similar favor for the Demon Lord Chosen," Bancho Leomon responded, "They too once started from the bottom."

"Much to my chagrin," Gallantmon added, "And I still think it was to yours."

"Bancho Stingmon's choice was his own," Bancho Leomon responded.

"Mind if we get some context?" Tiamat would ask, "Sometimes I feel like you megas are cryptic on purpose, I swear to Yggdrasil."

Bancho Leomon's eyes looked to Tiamat, but it was Bancho Lilimon who answered, "Well... You see, we aren't just three banchos. There were five of us... Once."

Bancho Mamemon continued for her, "Bancho Stingmon backstabbed us. Not physically, but spiritually. That pride of his made 'em want to follow one of the Demon Lord chosen."

"Wait... One of you allied with them after all?"

"We very much tried to sway him, but in the end he left with the girl and her morphomon partner, and our fifth member, Bancho Golemon left to ally with the Royal Knights out of desire to even the field... But the fact he never arrived I believe says much of his fate, although he always did have a way of surprising us..."

"The Demon Lords would never allow such an action," Gallantmon responded, "And depending on who Bancho Stingmon went with, Bancho Golemon may never have stood a chance."

The chosen all looked between each other except Ysanne and Mermaimon, who had not yet returned to the form of swimmon so as to not inconvenience her partner.

Gallantmon would stop them before they could say another word, waving for them to board the Mail Birdramon, "We should get a move on. Save any other questions you all might have for when we arrive outside Spiral City. The walk below the streets ought to give us the time to speak that we haven't had since we started this journey."

Ryu and Tiamat looked at each other, nodding before making their way to board the middle most Mail Birdramon.

Cecilia was holding Avani in her arms as Lancelot, now recovered, loomed over her protectively, but she quietly and meekly obeyed Gallantmon, boarding the front-most Mail Birdramon with her two partners.

Blaze relaxed as he made his way to the Mail Birdramon behind Cecilia's, but Kyou stopped before Gallantmon, "There's a lot you need to address."

His eyes looked down at Kyou, "Now is not the time."

He frowned, "Just a heads up for when we get there, but you need to tell us more about the knights... And more about those two."

He shrugged to Ysanne and Mermaimon, the mermaid Digimon lifting her partner up onto the Mail Birdramon behind Ryu's.

"... I will keep that in mind, Kyou... But all I ask, is that you trust I have your safety in mind."

Kyou nodded, "I don't doubt that, but... I do feel that the Knights haven't told us what they should have."

With that, he made his way to board the Mail Birdramon as Gallantmon watched him walk away.

He glanced over to see Bancho Lilimon and Bancho Mamemon boarding the back-most Mail Birdramon as he pondered his situation...

Spiral City. Currently deep within the territory of the Demon Lords, formerly the Capital City of the Machine Empire and run by the monstrous Machinedramon. From what he knew, it seemed likely that the Demon Lords would have killed Machinedramon, such a Digimon was well known to be part of worse things, and was more than capable of even giving even the strongest Digimon like Omnimon a run for their money.

He knew this, but he couldn't help but feel this was a terrible strategic decision. He trusted Bancho Leomon with his life, but...

He couldn't place his finger on it, but he had the distinct feeling something big was gonna happen while they stayed within Spiral City.

He couldn't let his guard down for a moment.

…..

The Knight stood and watched as Gallantmon's group left on the Mail Birdramon, observing as they quickly became dots on the distant sky.

Their armor was mostly in the light now, but the black coloration seemed to try and devour any shine. It was designed to absolutely hide its wearer, with not a gap of skin or chain mail visible beneath it. The sabatons were simple layered armor, ending in curved points. The greaves and cuisses were decorated ornately, resembling human muscle to some degree even as the notably large poleyn covered a notable portion of the front side. The gauntlets of the armor had five sharp points upon the knuckles, as though to provide a separate weapon even as the fingers ended in sharp points themselves. The vambraces were designed much like the legs, resembling uncovered muscle in texture before the couter and oversized pauldrons hid the rerebraces entirely, both with a singular spine emerging off of them. The armors faulds reached down to about the knight's thigh, blue cloth blending with the blue cape that was flowing behind them, which easily reached to their feet. Their cuirass was hefty, bearing swirls of silver that seemed to create some kind of picture only they understood. Their helmet of course covered the entirety of their head, with a roundish design and a single slit visor that held only darkness for those that tried to look within. Silver trim circled this opening before dripping its way down to the cuirass. Three 'horns' emerged from the helmet, crooked and bent like branches as though to resemble a bizarre crown. Silver and gold trim that flowed between the various gaps and crevices on the other parts of their armor were also present, helping to sell just how ornate it was.

If they allowed it, their cape would have flowed around the whole of their body, hiding their armor entirely as they observed the chosen leave, their arms crossed over their chest.

A crunch of snow as two figures approached, the first being their fox-like partner, red gem and eyes shining with the sun as he spoke, "Should we not pursue them? We have gathered that they plan to enter the First's territory. A truly horrific blunder of strategy."

"How can they base a strategy around that which they don't know?" A Gatomon was who spoke, her tone indicating concern for those heading to danger.

The knight did not answer by voice, but by making symbols with their hands, something of which the two Digimon apparently understood.

"If you believe it wisest to risk her discovering Cecilia's arrival, I will defer to your judgment."

"I must admit, I disagree in not intervening with two Ancients and a Digital Hazard in that group. But alas, I am in no position to act without the both of you."

The knight uncrossed their arms and turned around, moving with both surprising speed and ease through the heavy snow. Making a symbol to the fox-like Digimon as they moved by.

"No witnesses? I am sorry, my friend, but we have already failed at that. I observed an Infermon was harassing the one called Kyou. No doubt the World Breaker is already aware of where they are headed. There is no point in such brutality if it the answer is already gifted."

The knight stopped in the snow, looking up at the mountain peak before making more symbols at the two Digimon.

"It is as you say, the Royal Knights growing weakness is not to our benefit. Evil they may not be, many of the Digimon within the refuge will seek to ally with the Demon Lords simply because of the Royal Knights degrading authority," Gatomon spoke.

"And so the Bancho will move on even as their own rules are bent and broken... I find myself rather conflicted to do this, to execute so many among those that deserve judgment... But I suppose the best I can do in times of necessity is make their ends quick."

The knight would raise their digivice, a glow enveloping the fox digimon as a smog of pure darkness enveloped their form. Devouring them down to every last cell of data before expanding into the humanoid form of the Lord of the Underworld himself. There was no beautiful shine of light or the shredding of a data frame, it was the simple manipulation of shadow.

"Dorumon digivolves to... Plutomon."

The announcement was emotionless as Plutomon emerged, the Great Judge looked to Gatomon, "I'll give you thirty minutes. Both to give the Bancho some more distance and for a bigger illusion. I'll deal with any Digimon attempting to leave the refuge."

Gatomon put a hand over her chest, "Of course, Lord Plutomon. Your will be done."

The cat Digimon bolted off towards the entrance to the refuge as Plutomon looked to the knight, "I do hope we undo what has been done sooner than later. The you before us now is... Unsightly to who you once were."

The knight at last spoke with Gatomon having left.

Their voice was a mix of man and woman, broken and spattered, deadened and emotionless. It was so unnatural one could only wonder if it was it an effect of the helmet they wore?

"Bold actions come at a high price. Even those not our own," The knight waved for Plutomon to follow them, "But with arrogance, so too will come negligence. It is merely a matter of waiting."

Plutomon did not respond, red eyes rotating to look at the mountain once more...

He felt sorry for the Bancho's, that they would return to find a lifeless husk where once there was safety.

…...

Craniamon looked at the dead gray landscape around him.

Deserts always appeared lifeless to the unwary, to the untrained eye, only the sun and the size of the desert were your biggest threats.

But he knew better, threats lurked in every unseen corner of a desert. Skull scorpiomon beneath the sands, saberdramon in the sun's line, and desperate Digimon waiting for any poor traveler coming through.

Yet here, that lifelessness was true...

The very sands themselves were bleached a stark white, the rock a lifeless gray, and the remnants of one of the few cities that lay within the Dynamo Desert was but shards of brick...

The signs of battle yet remained, but from what Craniamon could tell, this was days at best.

His mighty armor crunched what was left behind as he marched forward, only crouching into the sand to pick up what seemed to be nothing but another husk of this landscape. The pupils within his helmet narrowed as he muttered, "At least you left a failsafe..."

In his hand was a large chunk of metal, decayed as though it had been in this land for years. Rust and rot having taken it's toll on it, and just barely leaving a symbol for Craniamon to understand what had happened.

A strangely shaped V, quickly carved into the piece of metal to indicate who had been here.

Who had died here.

Craniamon let loose a deep sigh as he stood and looked around again, "I will have to search the archives... There is little doubt to be left that something else has escaped its seals... And I worry for how fast it seems to be moving."

He began to turn, only for his eyes to look towards a simple boulder and bring down his spear, "End Waltz!"

Waves of sound burst from his spear, shattering the bolder, and in turn revealing the Metal Phantomon behind it that had been spying on him, Craniamon's eyes further narrowed as his legs bent before he burst forward with speed that only mega level Digimon could ever hope to compete with as he smashed his shield into the ultimate and crushed it into the sand with enough pressure that it exploded into data with a loud 'pop'!

He grunted at this obvious distraction as he muttered, "Breath of the Gods."

His armor shone brightly as a small laser connected with him before unleashing a massive explosion that enveloped much of the surrounding landscape...

As it cleared, Craniamon found himself standing in a glass crater, staring up at his attacker who spoke aloud, "You are stronger than he. The knight who stood before you with speed and pride."

It was a monstrous looking Digimon, colored only in gray, black, and red. The top of its head black carapace, curving around its head and the singular, golden eye that acted as its 'face'. Two black horns protruded from the top of this carapace as well. Two torn, red wings emerged from its back, seemingly rather useless. Most of the rest of its body was that sickly gray coloration, its roundish body ending a thick tail and allowing four muscular limbs to connect to its body. Its feet had three jet black talons, two on the front of its feet and one from each heel. The three talons on each hand betrayed yet another horrifying characteristic of this Digimon as in each of its palms, a golden eye, empty of soul, blinked at Craniamon.

The Royal Knight did not recognize this Digimon, but it did not take much to guess that was because it too had likely been one of those sealed away.

For now, a foe stood before him, and Craniamon had no intention of letting this act go unchallenged as he responded, "State your purpose, fiend. I take it you know whom slew my ally, and where they are now."

It's eye betrayed no emotion as it seemed to stare straight through him, as though seeing a thousand lifetimes he could not begin to comprehend, "We are Ghoulmon, Three-eyed God. Prophet of the End. Our seal undone as it moves within sight. We did not travel with the Chaos one, for we seek to observe, but a promise was made, and a promise we have kept."

Craniamon braced himself as the fiend simply stood there, he knew exactly what this 'Ghoulmon' was stating, "And I take it that he asked you to intercept anyone who came looking for the knight of speed and pride?"

Ghoulmon's whole body shifted as though to agree, "The agreement was that we 'try to slay' the Royal Knight who seeks to know his fate. So it is the succeeding Loyal Knight came to us. The attempt was made. The wording is true and the agreement is fulfilled. Thus we may begin our observation. Our watch. We have little interest including ourselves before it's start."

The Holy Knight of Loyalty weighed his options facing this opponent. They were clearly a higher class of mega digimon as his eyes looked around the absolutely massive crater he and Ghoulmon were standing in. He had felt in that blast, that this thing was deliberately holding itself back from battling at its fullest. He also had little information on its capabilities while it seemed to have some knowledge of who he was by calling him the 'Loyal Knight', meaning he was at an inherent disadvantage regarding knowledge.

On the other hand, this Ghoulmon had just confirmed several things. First, that Chaos Gallantmon was in fact the one breaking the seals, likely to gather his own army. The second being that Ulforce Veedramon had indeed died fighting, likely with far many foes for his own good. Something that Craniamon regretted to some degree for the fact that it felt like a bit of disrespect to his fellow knight.

It was also likely this demon held just exactly who Chaos Gallantmon was traveling with...

He could not let information like that pass by.

Craniamon took a step forward, only to stumble and fall to a single knee as its three eyes continued to watch him. Unbothered by the glare of the sun and the gusts of sand as it spoke yet again, "The Lords of Hell shall fall upon you like beasts to flesh as old gods rise from ash. All that are become rampant and rabid. In who wins. All shall lose."

Craniamon did not have time for this creatures nonsensical ramblings, he needed to capture it...

But his head, it was though his very body was being confused by...

He took a deep breath and focused, only to realize that while he had been more than wary against the seen, he had allowed his guard to fall against the unseen.

This thing was using something to confuse his body. What exactly he not yet know, but there had to be a way to nullify it.

It however would not give him the chance as it spoke its final words, "When last the banquet have reached its thrashing throes, an old face returns from slumber, and so shall the end be marked."

Its wings began to flap as Craniamon began to feel that confusion move away as it burst into the air.

"Flee to the West. Lest thy be consumed by what comes."

The purple clad knight made no noise as he watched it outright turn into living shadow, the horror dissipating into the air and leaving an irritated knight to muse on what had just occurred before Craniamon quickly turned to return East.

This was not a great turn of events... And to his mind, if the creature spoke true, he needed to return to research what it was speaking of.

Time was of the essence.

….

Veemon's flesh unraveled, wire frame rapidly unfolding as his five fingered hands grew far larger talons, more muscular arms taking Vulgar's arms to hold him back from slashing Alizee as Alizee had done for him. His torso grew bulkier and chubbier, his arms and legs both growing far larger and more muscular. An additional talon burst from his heels as his tail grew longer and swayed, a row of dorsal plates emerging from his spine. His head grew larger and moved forward, becoming more draconic as his horns straightened and grew in size, the one on his nose threatening to pierce Vulgar's head. Color quickly flowed back into his form, the same blue and white of Veemon filling it. White on his arms, belly, and snout as everywhere else filled with blue. His claws and horns turned ivory in color as his eyes snapped to life with a powerful red iris, a single blue V appearing on his chest as a final declaration of who he was.

"Veemon digivolved to... Veedramon!"

Where Alizee had struggled to match Vulgar's raw strength, the newly christened Veedramon grinned as he began to part Vulgar's arms, the duskmon's eyes widening as he growled out, "Deadly gaze."

Veedramon would suddenly let go, letting Vulgar fall forward before kicking him back, tilting the largest burst of energy away as he turned and smashed Vulgar with his tail, the duskmon stumbling to the side as Veedramon deliberately took several of the smaller beams to protect Alizee behind him.

"Ghost move..."

Vulgar teleported above Veedramon, aiming to skewer his head as his blades glowed to life with raw power, "Geist Blade!"

He instead would find his blades wedged in Veedramon's horns, the dragon's red eyes rolling to look at Vulgar, "Come on, freakazoid. Don't tell me this is the first time you've actually fought folks who can hold their ground against you?"

"Silence!"

"Hammer Punch!" Veedramon pulled his arm back, attempting to absolutely slug Vulgar, but the pull back proved too slow to hit the faster Digimon, who dodged away.

"This form is meant for precision, and maybe with it I'd have given you a more dignified death," Vulgar spoke, "But if you want to die like everyone else! Feel free to die in an explosion!"

The duskmon's form burst into dark fog once more, quickly reassembling itself into the far more massive velgrmon once more, who quickly began to take off. Wingtip glowing as he began to draw a circle around Veedramon and Alizee, much to the blue dragon's confusion.

"We need to get out of this now!" Alizee would scream to Veedramon, who turned and looked at her before quickly nodding, moving to grab her and doing his best to get to the side that Vulgar hadn't yet reached...

It wasn't going to be enough, he simply wasn't as fast as a flier like Vulgar. He needed to experiment with what information had been put in his brain with this digivolution, "Hang on, Ali! This is gonna be rough!"

He continued his charge before doing a leap turn, roaring "V-Breath Arrow!" As a beam of pure heat burst from his mouth, pushing him and Alizee just past the edge of Vulgar's circle, which went off in a massive wave of annihilating energy.

Veedramon looked down at the young woman, "You good?"

She simply nodded before rolling out of his grip and saying, "Is there anything you have that can snipe him out of the air?"

"Not that I know," Veedramon responded as he looked back up to see Vulgar rising up into the sky, "That's definitely gonna be an issue. Any way you can transform back into that fairy Digimon?"

Alizee took out her digivice, only to see some sort of cool-down symbol and let out a curse, "Stupid machine! Now of all times!?"

"Whatever is wrong with that thing, how long do you need me to hold him off to get it back up?"

"I don't know!"

A flash from above gave Veedramon a heads up as he dodged out of the way, Alizee doing the same shortly after as a beam of energy sliced through the field between them and through the hills, causing one to collapse in on itself nearby due to the sudden destruction of its support.

"Okay, then it's clear we have one open choice," Veedramon stated as he looked at Alizee, who gave him a look of hope...

"We absolutely book it!"

"What!?"

Alizee didn't have time to protest as Veedramon grabbed her, and began to make a mad dash towards where the treeline would be.

"Running in fear!? Come on! Where's your bravado at now!?" Vulgar's eldritch voice rang out as Alizee looked up to see Vulgar dive bombing towards them, claws outstretched to attack Veedramon.

"Dodge left!"

Veedramon did as she commanded before she finished saying it, almost as though he knew what she was going to say before she said it, much to the shock of even himself as Vulgar flew by and was forced to land by missing.

"Huh..."

The murderous crow turned around, absolute fury in his three eyes as he went, "If you want to avoid dying so badly!? Maybe you'll enjoy the depths of the Dark Area a little more, huh!?"

He stood tall on his horrific legs, beginning to flap his wings heavily at Alizee and Veedramon.

At first, there wasn't any noticeable effect, only for Veedramon to look down and realize that the ground they were standing on was 'peeling' away. Disappearing to some unknown place as his eyes widened.

Alizee however, would instead notice a ding on her digivice, looking down at it to see it was ready for her to become Kazemon once more. A plan to save both of them forming in her head, "V, throw me as high as you can."

"What? Are you nuts?"

"Can you trust me?"

"I've known you for all of an hour, of which we've been fighting the entire time," Veedramon responded realistically before a smug grin hit his face, "Of course I can!"

He winded up with Alizee in his hand, the young woman beginning to regret her decision, "W-w-wait! Can't you throw me norm-al-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Alizee yelled in terror as she went up at an angle, Vulgar slowing his wing beat in shock that Veedramon would do that. His eyes following Alizee as she swiped her digivice against her hand, the band of light showing up as she went, "Digivolve! Digivolve! Digivolve!"

In a familiar burst of light, her body shapeshifting, Alizee once again became Kazemon, refreshed and ready to smash into Vulgar's head...

Literally smash into Vulgar's head. Alizee failed to regain her balance in time thanks to the speed and force of Veedramon's throw, slamming her heels directly into Vulgar's central eye, which caused him to let out an awful, horrendous screech that Alizee and Veedramon both felt threatened to take apart their data.

Veedramon stomped in as Vulgar reeled in pain, pulling his arm back for a brutal swing into the velgrmon's leg, "Magnum Punch!"

Vulgar, for the first time in a long time, felt true pain as he felt his leg crack, and in that. His rage absolutely spiked.

"I. Have. Had. ENOUGH!"

All three of his eyes glowed, "DARK VORTEX! HEED MY WILL!"

Both Alizee and Veedramon were about to lay into Vulgar when they felt their bodies simply cease to do as they wanted, Vulgar snarling like a rabid animal, "I think its time that both of you lay down and die like you deserve."

The two resisted with all their will internally as their bodies did not listen. Veedramon lowered his head as Alizee landed next to him, getting on her knees and bowing her head as well as Vulgar hissed and seethed. Opening his maw and slowly bringing it up against Alizee's neck like a vice, ready to crunch down...

Only for that childish voice to ring out, "Vulgaaaaar!"

"No. Not now," Vulgar backed away and looked over to see Mary slowly making her way over the hillside and growled, "Not this is close to victory."

Mary was still somewhat in the distance, but she could make out what looked like Vulgar had defeated Alizee and what appeared to be a new Digimon to her, "Ooo! You goooot them to reeepent, Vulgar!"

Alizee could hear Vulgar mumbling monstrous things to himself, about what he wanted to do to her and Veedramon, only for him to lean down and go, "You best hope there isn't a next time, fairy."

He would stomp past the both of them, taking the chance to subtly hit both Alizee and Veedramon with his tail as he moved, but neither of them could make any noise. Still under Vulgar's authority as they were.

"You areeee the Great King!" Mary declared with a smile to her partner as Vulgar quite painfully returned it, "Diiiiid they promise toooo...?"

"I... I did not force them to make a choice... Yet," Vulgar lied through his beak, "For all we know, they may lie again. If they... Er, truly wish to redeem themselves. Shouldn't they have the chance to on their own?"

Alizee could feel it in Vulgar's voice, the way he lied so blatantly. How much he wanted nothing more to stomp her and Veedramon into the dirt and to devour their very bones.

But Mary did not notice this, of everyone that was, she trusted her partners word the most, "You're sooooo kind, Vulgar!"

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Mary," Vulgar hissed out painfully, "Even those who would... Salvage the worst of us."

It was a strange wording, and Mary seemed to pick up on it only so far as she didn't understand it, simply nodding with her partner before asking to Alizee and Veedramon, "Graaaandpa will be sooooo happy to see you. I'm suuuuure he'll welcome you to help saaaaave the world!"

Alizee wanted to scream out, argue, tell that poor child how she was being manipulated into the clutches of someone so irredeemably evil. She couldn't even release tears under Vulgar's influence...

Was her will just that weak...?

It made her heart weep as she struggled to even move her eyes to look at her newly gained partner.

She could feel it in Veedramon too, his rage at this indignity. The lies that Vulgar was telling Mary were enough to make one feel sick. What had Barbamon weaved to draw her even further into his lies?

Vulgar suddenly jolted his head and looked to the skies, moving to put Mary under him, waving a wing over her in an extremely protective manner as Alizee heard the voice she wanted to hear most speak, "Velgrmon, you will let my protegee and her friend go."

Alizee could only hear what sounded Dynasmon dropping others to the ground as Vulgar spoke, "... You do realize he will follow you straight into that city?"

"That is a risk I am willing to take."

Alizee's eyes widened a bit at how cold those words were from Dynasmon. They were clearly meant to protect her and the others, but at the same time, it felt so cold towards whoever might live in the city.

She would be met with a familiar paw placing a tailsman upon her forehead, her body suddenly relaxing as whatever influence Vulgar had on her released.

She stood back up, looking to see Veedramon with a deep, dark scowl on his face as he looked at both Dynasmon and Vulgar.

The rest of her newly arrived allies were also silent as they watched Mary suddenly appear on Vulgar's back, apparently having climbed her way up his wing onto his back, the velgrmon then glaring at Alizee in particular before bursting into the air and making his way to return to the tree line.

Dynasmon watched the demonic raven disappear into the distance as Alizee's teammates ran up to check on her.

Who Alizee thought was Sif spoke first, "Do you feel any lingering strangeness? Any influence from the dark one?"

She shook her head, "N-no. Thank you, Sif."

"Er... That's Luna," Alizee would look to see a second taomon helping Veedramon.

"H-huh... Same digivolution?"

Luna nodded as Clive would speak up, "Ahem. It is commendable indeed that you survived our monstrous opponent on your own like you did. That is to say, you're okay, right?"

Alizee looked at her arm as her form returned to its normal self. In her mind, she could still see the sword pierced through it, the pain it felt as bone was skewered and data scattered. Vulgar's words pierced her mind, that she indeed always tried to be a free spirit, but... She seemed to fall short. Laws and boundaries did in fact bind her. First her parents, and now, herself...

Just what did it mean to be a free spirit...?

Another flash, and Veedramon was the first to devolve. Suddenly followed by both taomon, Luna and Sif looking rather exhausted.

"You all... You all look as exhausted as I feel," Alizee would say as Veemon stumbled his way over to her.

"Yeah, well... Vampires'll do that to you," Victor responded.

Alizee's face grew a little distressed, "Vampires?"

"A long story for later," Dynasmon would say as he began to make his way over to the team, "We have to move before Barbamon's forces gather from Velgrmon's information."

Veemon crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at Dynasmon but looking to Alizee with a more trusting face, "Didn't realize you were traveling with one of them, but... Well, it's fine if its you."

Alizee looked down at Veemon, a bit surprised at his statement before realizing, "Oh... Right. I didn't think about that you are from this territory..."

"To be fair, I'm not a fan of either team. Both got their share of awfuls, but... I think that does include you," Veemon looked at Dynasmon, who was returning his stare.

"... It is a fair assessment. One I am certain the Chosen will make their own decisions on as we continue to travel."

"Glad to see we won't be arguing over it and know where we stand. I think that's pretty key to any team," Veemon responded before taking a deep breath and looking to everyone else, "Well. I'd say introductions are in order! Names..."

Veemon stopped before going, "Ali called me V... So I'd say my names V! It's a pleasure to meet Ali's friends."

"Ali?" Jordan whispered.

Clive was making notes about the fact that Alizee now seemed to have a partner in addition to spirit evolution.

Victor on the other hand simply smiled at the way V talked, "Names Victor. Victor Jotunheim."

Both of them would offer a hand at the exact same time, the two shaking instantly.

Sif sighed, "I have a sudden feeling about you two..."

Alizee blinked however, while she was fine with the nicknames to both herself and her new partner, she looked where Vulgar had gone...

She pondered, were Vulgar's words meant exclusively for her, or were they meant for someone else as well...?

…...

Authors Note:

You were expecting Zephyrmon, but it was me! Veedramon!

Posting this just before Memorial Day in the States. I did rush the edit process a bit, but I have completed my goal! Three chapters by end of May! Here's to a further successful year of at least a chapter a month if not more!

To be honest, I was actually a little iffy on Toropiamon's section and was gonna omit it, but on reading it a second time, I really enjoyed it. I hope ya'll do too!

Alizee is not the next person to get ultimate, but is instead the next person to get her secondary partner! Who would have thought?

Also I realized that I never did describe the knights armor when they initially appeared alongside Plutomon, so I took the opportunity to finally do that. We'll find out more about them as the story progresses. One wonders just who they are and where they came from...

Lots to say about this chapter otherwise as well, but I'll leave it to ya'll to pick it apart!