Chapter 13
Sanctuary
…..
Elsewhere...
Although he attempted to remain calm, the news he and his co-commander received was...
"SaberLeomon and Sata Port Castle have fallen! Our scouts have detected the Hagith Legion marching in our direction as we speak!"
Murmuring and a sense of panic filled the auditorium as everyone turned to the commander of the post, or rather the duo that co-led together. The words "chainsaw" and "scalpel" quickly came to mind as they towered impressively over those present. The one that represented the "chainsaw" was a Digimon who filled enough of the room that it was more like a conference space than an auditorium. To the untrained eye, he appeared as a Dark Tyrannomon. An aggressive Digimon resembling a t-rex with three taloned arms, plates of green, and a maw of flame. To those who knew better, it would take only seeing his size, the unique scars coating his body, and more importantly: the wisdom behind his eyes to know the truth.
"Enough," The giant spoke and silence returned to the room, "Is that all of the report?"
"No, Mastertyrannomon," The Knightmon continued, "Our scouts estimate they will arrive here within two days."
MasterTyrannomon watched many of his subordinates beginning to panic once more, "This is indeed problematic." The ultimate dinosaur turned to his co-commander, "What do you think, Grademon?"
Grademon was a humanoid who adorned himself in golden armor with red accents upon his pauldrons and a tattered blue cloak. His helm and feet were notably bird-like however, perhaps in theme with that he seemed to be a specialist in speeding combat. On his hips were two blades in their sheathes, ready to be unleashed upon any who dared challenge him to a dual. The knightly Digimon looked more like a true commander of the similarly armored knightmon, and any human would have questioned the choice of partnership, but now was not the time to question such a choice.
"As loathe I am to admit: we stand no chance against them. Worse still, their speed means they'll reach us here in Circuit Forest well before we finish our evacuation."
That was putting it lightly. Circuit Forest may have had a Royal Knight outpost, but not a single mega digimon manned it. The dino digimon as a student of Leopardmon and the golden knight a student of Crusadermon were the strongest digimon in this region and as such Master Tyrannomon and Grademon had been tasked with fortifying the area. Yet, despite the large metal trees that towered over the tallest of digimon, Circuit Forest had no true strategic defenses.
In other words, they were guarding a low-level fort with a fraction of the manpower the Royal Knights usually held against the full might of a Demon Lord's Legion.
It was only because of Grademon and Mastertyrannomon's calm facade that none of the other Digimon started to riot.
"What a bind we find ourselves in," Grademon sighed.
"What will we do!?" A fearful Tyrannomon blurted out.
"We fight!" A prideful Knightmon clenched his fist in declaration, "And take down as many of those demonic scum with us as we can!"
"I like your gumption. But we're not out of options yet." Everyone turned to Mastertyrannomon, "I have one idea that, if it works, will slow them down, at least to finish the evacuation. But it's not exactly..." The Ultimate narrowed his eyes, "Orthodox."
"You spend too much time with Lord Leopardmon. It would be prudent for you to simply say what it is," Grademon looked up to his fellow commander.
"That depends; what do those present feel about assassination?"
The last word made everyone except Grademon flinch.
"Assassination? You seek to assassinate Beelzemon? If it was that easy to get rid of him, the Demon Lords wouldn't have been a problem in the first place," Grademon spat.
"And you took to your master's habit of being too critical too quickly. I did not mention Beelzemon, even though I wish it were such an easy task," Master Tyrannomon growled, "However, that doesn't mean the Lord of Gluttony is the lone commander of his Legion. I'm certain he has key officers. If we can take out even a single one of them, it may disarray their army long enough for us to finish the evacuation."
"That is an incredibly large if," Grademon chided.
"We have no other options. You know our situation: we'll be little more than an annoyance to them if we do nothing," The dinosaur ultimate narrowed his eyes. His voice was firm, signaling that he was serious about this plan.
Grademon withdrew his complaints hesitantly but sighed deeply, "Who are we sending?"
Master Tyrannomon scanned the soldiers. "Shurimon! Ajatarmon! Come forth!"
In a puff of smoke, three figures appeared before the two ultimates. Two champions and one ultimate, but all three appeared as plant-based humanoids. Two had spring-like limbs, faces hidden by shrouds and body dressed in white gi's as the massive shurikens that acted as their hands and feet touched the earth. The third was more tribal in appearance, a dinosaurs skull for a shield on his arm and a sickle in the hand of his other. His leaf-like feet scrapped the dirt as vine-like upper arms undulated, twin vines like hair gently swaying behind him. He wore light green pants and the remains of armor among the vines that made up his torso, perhaps to add some stability to his form. His face was hidden from sight as the other two Digimon, but was instead hidden by a mask that revealed two bright yellow eyes as red and yellow leaves emerged off the edges of said mask to lay on top of his green 'hair'.
"We await your orders, MasterTyrannomon," The tribal Digimon, Ajatarmon, stated while crossing his blade over his chest.
"Your task is..."
….
Mary Maher stared at the distance with her blue eyes, unable to be read by any around her as Vulgar flapped his way forward. Far below and behind him one could make out the search parties of the Araton legion spreading out as mountains and desert gave way to a forest of fog.
Mary however felt elated, she knew the Araton legion wouldn't be lost, after all...
"Theyyyy flewwww right to Malllllooow's home!"
Vulgar grunted, his monstrous eyes rotating in empty sockets to look at Mary, but said nothing in response to his partner as a bright orange glow below indicated Barbamon calling the duo down below for an update. The velgrmon of course had no hesitation, diving with a monstrous grace only for a furiously fast and blue form to nearly knock him off course.
Mary yelled in excitement, unaware of any danger as Vulgar immediately used every bit of willpower he had to keep from roaring a curse at the accursed digimon that had interrupted his descent. It didn't matter if he was Barbamon's general, he was pushing his luck with every passing day.
As the duo landed in a much safer manner, Vulgar set his eyes on the aggressor. Bright and beautiful, white and blues mixed together like a show of starlight. The peacock-like digimon eyed him with dark blue eyes that matched the icy helmet upon his head. Four beautiful feathers emerging from his brow and bending backwards as though to try and meet the veil that emerged from the back of his head. Silver wings flapped briefly, the three red jewels on his chest shining vibrantly as his icy tail feathers flapped up as though to show off to Mary and mock Vulgar, of which he seemed to succeed quite well much to the demonic crow's chagrin and Mary's unseen delight.
Oh how Vulgar loathed his supposed 'cousin: FrosVelgrmon.
Barbamon clearly did not care that his chosen had been put in danger, instead putting on the face of the loving grandfather that Mary so delighted in as he approached Vulgar, "My dearest granddaughter, I do hope our pursuit does not bore you?"
The crow rolled his eyes as he let Mary off, not letting her see as he did so before she responded, "Theeey landed in Malloooow's forest, he can catch those eviiiiil..."
She trailed off a bit, a moment of free thought entering her mind for once as she thought of the fairy that had screamed at her to think for herself. That they weren't evil, that it was Barbamon and her friends, those who had been so kind to her that were...
Maybe... Maybe there was some kind of...
"Mary, are you alright, my dear?" Barbamon snapped her back to reality, his voice kind and guiding, hiding the malice of the one behind it.
She looked at him, her face unchanging as she placed her utmost trust upon the demon lord, "Grandpa Barba... I thiiiink one of them miiiight not be evil...?"
Barbamon, taking a step further with the act, lowered himself to her level and looked into her eyes, placing a hand upon her shoulder as though to emulate the gentle hand of a loving grandparent, "Mary. You shouldn't let evil sway you so easily. Hasn't 'Mallow' spoken to you of their lies and treachery? Of how they would say anything to save themselves when they could save others?"
"B-but maaaaaybe the other people with theeeem got tricked?"
Barbamon felt a twinge of ire, one battle with her fellow humans and she was questioning him already? It would seem he would have to step his game up a bit, do his utmost to keep Mary in line... Even if it meant butchering his best troops.
"Mary, my dear sweet Granddaughter. I did not wish for you to be so exposed to the horrors of war by them... But those humans are just as cruel and vile as the Royal Knights. Look at your friends," he would do a wave with his free hand as he telepathically signaled for those nearest to look distraught and beaten. The effect was instant as those squads near Barbamon took action to do as their master commanded, as failing Barbamon was essentially little more than a prolonged death.
To Mary's eyes however, she saw her friends beaten and sorrowful. Allies that had in turn lost their own friends to the humans fleeing them, and in that instant, her questioning self was shoved back into the depths by Barbamon's simple deceptions.
"They... Theeeey lied?"
"They lied, and stomped upon your trust, my dear. They took advantage of your and Vulgar's good natured hesitation to not only flee, but to..." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, as though mourning the losses of his troops, "To slay many of our friends. What 'good' person would dare to do such a thing?"
Mary would, for once, show emotion, that being that she was very clearly beginning to get upset. That anyone would dare to harm such 'good' people was like venom to her naive mind.
Barbamon internally smiled at his victory, emotion was his play thing, and the few times that Mary ever showed any emotion was a sign that she was but putty in his hands, "Granddaughter, can we dare to allow such evil to escape?"
Mary simply nodded, "I-I want tooo... Waaaant to serve justice!"
"Then go. Let Vulgar carry you upon his wings. Hunt those that would harm our beautiful world. Before they dare to harm another of your friends."
He would hug Mary, the young girl hugging who she saw as such a kind and wizened figure in return. Outside her view however, Barbamon frowned, threatening to puke from such an act of affection.
Yet his kindly face returned as the hug broke, only nodding to her as she slowly and silently returned to Vulgar. The demon crow glaring at Barbamon before bursting into the air to resume the hunt as FrosVelgrmon stepped up next to Barbamon, "Milord, I, in all my perfection, have news regarding our prey."
"Speak then, peacock. Less I grow bored of your speech," Barbamon's tone became as venom the moment he was certain Mary could no longer hear, demonic red eyes filling his skull as the illusion that helped to hold his sway over Mary faded.
"I... Er, of course milord. As expected, the Duke's plan worked to a T. Dynasmon landed in the forest due to his injuries. We suspect they will stumble upon his manor within the hour."
"And even if they do take to the air, my puppet will now engage them without hesitation," Barbamon noted, "A delightful trap. I shall be certain to reward him later."
"What of me, milord?"
"What of you, FrosVelgrmon? Go and earn your keep. Perhaps bring me the head of the younger boy said to be accompanying the chosen and I'll give you what it is you so pester me over."
The bird Digimon seemed almost offended but spoke wisely, "As you wish. I will tear the boys head from his neck. Perhaps I'll even add a few spines of ice and a necklace to furnish for you."
"An amusing gesture, I would certainly not mind such a... Splendorous choice to my future decor."
"Then a newly made necklace it is, I will not disappoint you milord."
"Oh, I'm certain you won't, my precious pet."
Then with a flash, the icy peacock was gone as Barbamon waved a hand to signal the third of his generals, "Gundramon. I have a... Special assignment for you."
…..
Dynasmon growled as he landed and set the chosen down in the forest, looking behind him as he stated, "Persistent. Far more persistent than I anticipated."
Where as a certain demon lord believed Dynasmon to have landed because of his wounds, he could not have been more wrong. The knight instead having chosen to take to a change of tactics.
Alizee would look at her teacher as the Royal Knight looked through the gaps in the trees, "Dynasmon, what are we doing?"
"I have a plan. One I am not eager to employ after our last escapade, but unlike the plains, we are the ones at the advantage here."
Clive would ponder a moment before speaking up, "Ah! You wish to use the trees to evade our foes much larger forces!"
"Indeed, Clive," Dynasmon would respond as he looked the group over, "This will not be an easy escape, but if we do as we need to. We'll be gone long before we see the more dangerous aspects of Barbamon's legion."
"Clive, I trust you to be the leader of group two. While I will lead group one. Specifically, Alizee, you are to accompany me while Victor, Sif, Clive, Black, Jordan, and Luna will escape by navigating the woods with Black and Sif in champion states over their ultimates for the mobility those forms offer."
Sif would nod as Victor said lowly, "Less strain for certain then. Assuming we can keep them off of us..."
Dynasmon would cross his arms, "Whatever you do. Avoid any openings in the treeline, I have no doubt that the corrupted one is in the sky watching for us, and it would be best to avoid combat with that one at all costs. Even with two of you at the ultimate stage, his sheer power is likely to overwhelm you both."
Black would have smirked if she had a face, "It's a brat and a monster, it shouldn't be too hard to avoid them with where we're at now."
Clive smirked with her in turn, "I couldn't agree more, sooner or later, we'll be more than a match for that cheater."
Dynasmon would again look to the sky as he said, "Then let us begin. Before they fall upon us."
The group would quickly bring out their digivices, with partners and Alizee breaking down to wireframes to digivolve.
Alizee's form was quick to burst into light as she became the fairy Kazemon.
"Black Pawn Chessmon digivolves to... Black Knight Chessmon!"
"Lunamon digivolves to... Lekismon!"
Sif however had a much different digivolution than when she digivolved to Taomon. As her colors left her body, she did not unfold as her allies. Instead, she slowly fell onto all fours, head extending slightly and becoming more monstrous as her tail seemed to unfold into nine foreboding appendages. A great mane exploding from her back as a rope tied itself into a bow around her neck, tipped with two bells of great significance. Before her colors even began to fill back in, flames of bright blue burst from her feet and the tips of her tails before the yellow filled in her form, the symbol of yin and yang appearing on her back thighs as her great mane filled with a bright white. Fierce blue eyes ready to face down any foe being the last thing to fill in her form as Sif announced...
"Renamon digivolved to... Kyubimon!"
Clive looked at Sif with an impressed look as he stroked his beard in pondering, "And that's your champion form? An impressive one indeed..."
"If a bit too regal," Black commented as though to shut Clive down as she stabbed her dart into the ground, "But enough chatter. Jordan, Clive, both of you may climb upon my back. I shall carry the both of you to safety with comfortable ease."
Clive chuckled as he did as his partner asked.
Jordan however, hesitated, having been deep in thought for... However long since Dynasmon had taken them into flight and they fled their enemies. His resolve was being tested, but he was not aware of it as he thought on what they had seen. That despite what Barbamon was doing, that Beelzemon was seemingly quite kind and more importantly, didn't seem to hold himself as an authority over others...
What were the other Demon Lords like then? Were they like Barbamon? Cruel, callous of life, and filled with horrid ideals? Or were they like Beelzemon? Honorable but powerful, an individual free from authority and who wouldn't force it on others?
"Jordan!"
He snapped back to reality with a "huh?"
Dynasmon loomed over the boy, "Jordan, Black has asked you to take her aid."
"I... Okay," He looked to Black before walking over to and struggling to get upon the Knight Chessmon's back, once again sitting silent as he pondered what information he had.
Dynasmon would look to Alizee, "We will head west, the rest of you shall head east then northwest to intercept us on our path. If I have predicted our enemies pattern correctly, they will pursue Alizee and I westward where we will then lose them in the forest. It is unlikely to stop their pursuit entirely, but will likely delay them enough for us to make our way to Spiral City unimpeded."
The other group simply nodded before the they split up away from each other, ready to divide and conquer.
….
Gallantmon looked back at his charges as they scaled the mountainside, doing his darnedest to make certain that the snow and ice did not send any of them tumbling to their demises. Blaze and Tiamat had initially been melting a path forward, only for the mountain to rumble at the displaced water, the signs of an avalanche if they had continued doing so while they climbed. As such, Gallantmon had put a quick stop to their efforts to ease their path, for fear that while maybe an avalanche could slow their foes, it could just as easily end their path entirely.
As he watched them struggle however, he questioned if perhaps he should have used Gram to try and cut a path forward for the humans in particular. The snow was almost up to their waists at this point, with Tiamat having to follow her human companions closely to prevent herself from being lost in the snow. Tiamat had initially wanted to digivolve once more, but Gallantmon again stopped her, not wanting to signal exactly where they were with the flash of digivolution.
Without that size however, Gallantmon could see even both Blaze and Tiamat were nearing the point of pure exhaustion. Avani and Swimmon however, continued to be carried by their respective partners, Swimmon in her fishbowl and Avani of course riding on a very tired Cecilia's head.
"I w-would kill to be a-as small as you right now," Tiamat would say to Avani as she struggled up next to Cecilia, who was going at a very slow pace while her wormmon partner showed clear signs of simply freezing.
"I-I w-w-w-wish I-I-I w-w-was as warm a-as you r-right now," Avani would respond. Unlike the humans in the group, the artificial cold did in fact seem to affect the wormmon, who was snuggling against Cecilia's head for as much warmth as she could possibly get so as to not freeze up like their enemies had in the Frosty Ravine.
Tiamat slowly nodded as took a deep breath, "If only we could fuse..."
On the human side of things and between gasps of air, Ryu was the one to speak first, "N-need me to carry you the rest of the way up, Kyou?"
"If you're gonna carry anyone..." Kyou would take a deep breath before finishing and looked at the little girl following them, "Carry her. She's got to be..."
He watched a bit, noting that while Ysanne seemed tired, she seemed to have more energy then all of them as she simply kept going.
"Huh..." Kyou would note before ending with another name in place of his original thought, "Cecilia..."
As Gallantmon watched the group, he half-cursed his old friend for placing his sanctuary in a place so remote as he looked back up the mountainside, only to notice the inevitable goal a few hundred meters ahead. He could feel his own exhaustion, his wounds still aching from both his brother and Breakdramon.
But For the first time since they had started this accursed trip, Gallantmon smiled, "Heh... Take a look all of you! I can see the entrance up ahead!"
Kyou would turn his head away from watching Ysanne, raising a hand to cover his eyes and try to block some of the glare from the harsh white landscape to see the black dot in the distance, "A cave?"
"An entrance! You've seen one wonder in this hell of a landscape. You're about to see another!"
Yet Gallantmon only took a few more steps and that smile quickly faded however as Gram began to glow...
None of the exhausted group would notice this as Cecilia limply nodded in response as she tried to look too, basically stumbling through the snow as every breath she took was fairly harsh. For her in particular, the lack of resting to stay ahead of the swarm of bugs and angels behind them was burning her up badly, "H-how... Far...?"
Ryu would pat her back to her side, his own breathing shaky still, "Only a bit further. We just..."
"If you have any energy left, run for the entrance!"
Gallantmon would aim Gram at the sky, "Royal Saber!"
A burst of lightning spiraled into the sky from Gallantmon's lance, like an arrow of light aimed for a target almost impossible to see.
Then with a burst of bright electricty, several half-dead insect digimon crashed to earth, revealing themselves to have been simply flying as high as they could. The buzzing becoming deafening in mere moments as both humans and digimon realized they had never really escaped their foe, they had merely been watching them.
Gallanton cursed himself, recognizing his own exhaustion had allowed him to be ambushed at cost to his charges.
"Tiamat! Digivolve!"
"Blaze, get ready!"
"H-hey Avani... Think we can maybe?"
In a flash Tiamat's form had grown and filled with new data as a fairly exhausted Black Growlmon emerged. Flames emerging from the sides of her mouth as her arms drooped a bit, the hunt having taken its tool.
Blaze quickly took stance, ready to ward off enemies with bursts of flame, but he too was exhausted. Having had to march for far too long, his flames not quite as strong as they had been upon escaping the Frosty Ravine.
Avani did as Cecilia wanted, hesitantly leaping off her head and bursting into light as her form deconstructed into its wire frame. Color leaving and grid expanding to take the form of a far more menacing insect. Her thorax grew larger and heavier at the end, rapidly thinning in the center to resemble something like a spin as the bloated end grew a strange 'stinger' with three menacing blades surrounding it. A layer of spikes appeared near the top of her thorax as human-like limbs burst from her forward arms, only for her shoulders to become akin to massive plane stabilizers and a pair of flaps to further burst from those. Her head twisted, bubbly eyes becoming massive goggle-like ones instead as her antennae grew in size and her mandibles moved southward on her head. In a flash, gold and black filled her form, revealing the lines of a great mechanical wasp as reds and silvers filled out her eyes, antenna, and more mechanical bits before her newly formed jets burst to life and immediately began to warm her form.
"Wormmon... Digivolve to... Waspmon!"
Lancelot on the other hand, did not emerge, eyes only briefly appearing in Cecilia's shadow before closing again. The bout with Alph having worn the Eyesmon out too thoroughly for him to risk combat again so soon and none would question it either.
As the first few kabuterimon and kuwagamon began to descend behind their slain or paralyzed brethren, Avani aimed her newly formed stinger and shot bursts of pure energy at the unsuspecting foes. Who believed their enemies, besides the might Royal Knight, to have been mostly incapable of ranged attacks.
One kabuterimon took a blast to the helm and escaped with little more than a fright, only for his friend to his left to take a shot to the torso and send him reeling to the ground as the heat of the blast combined with the cold of the landscape caused cracks to appear and data to leak from the wound.
A stingmon would fire off its own stingers at Avani, only for the Waspmon to maneuver with such speed that she was clearly never even at risk of being hit by the enemies ranged abilities.
It wasn't much, but it was certainly more than the chosen had before.
But more than at last having something to hit with at range, Ryu was the first to realize as Avani moved towards their foes just how fast she was going.
"W-wait! Cecilia! Have Avani carry us!"
"Huh?" Cecilia looked at Ryu with an extremely tired look on her face, only for Kyou to back him up.
"She's a giant wasp with jet engines, she'll have us to that cave before those guys can react!"
Avani however had some issue hearing them as her body whirred and roared, only noting that they seemed to be talking about her as she dodged out of the way of the first to arrive insects, and indeed she moved with speed completely unlike the other insect digimon. She had a speed, grace, and precision a kuwagamon could only beg for in exchange for its brute strength as she maneuvered back to her friends.
Then, without any prior warning...
Avani heard one word, an echo inside her very soul that stomped out the sound of engines and the thoughts of her friend as it simply said, 'Fall.'
The mechanical wasp crashed to earth, and in an instant, Avani was a wormmon again, looking at her own nubs as the cold quickly began to swarm her, "H-huh?"
In an instant, every one of them felt their hopes fall asunder as the buzzing was accompanied by a loud laughter and divine light.
Gallantmon was not quite as frozen however as he quickly roared out, "All of you, circle formation! Quickly!"
Kyou half questioned this, they had tried that before against the swarm, hadn't they proven that would fail already?
Blaze and Tiamat however did not hesitate as Swimmon burst out of her fishbowl and digivolved once more, Tylomon emerging to carry Ysanne to the center of the circle as Gallantmon moved to the side facing the descending leader of the digimon, shield shining bright.
"A valiant effort, if I did not hold absolute authority over all insect digimon, I believe it may have worked."
Gallantmon's eyes narrowed as Tyrant Kabuterimon, the King of Bugs, slowly lowered himself to the earth, accompanied on his right by none other than Alph, who was carrying Aurelia. To their sides, several darcmon carrying the banners of the Equinox Legion fluttered slightly above their heads as several insect digimon that were clearly of the ultimate level backed up their lord and master.
"So that's who we're dealing with..." Gallantmon muttered to himself as he willed Aegis to shine brighter, "So you have some humility after all, Tyrant!?"
Tyrant Kabuterimon gurgled out another laugh, amused by Gallantmon's statement, "If only enough to acknowledge my betters, Crimson Knight!"
In those few words, Gallantmon began to weave his plan as kabuterimon, kuwagamon, and stingmon surrounded them in totality. He truly hoped that Bancho Leomon still held as strongly onto his ideal of justice as did the day they met, that he wouldn't let his charges be as beaten as he had been.
He lifted his shield, and fired off a burst of light from Aegis that caused Tyrant Kabuterimon to raise his version of a brow, "A signal for more of your guerrilla friends?"
He needed to get the Tyrant talking, give them just the moments they needed to survive this encounter. Gallantmon glanced at the party. Cecilia looked ready to collapse at any moment, Kyou wore a face of utmost seriousness as bags had formed under his eyes, Ryu seemed the strongest of the bunch at the moment but even he seemed soon to fall, but most of all was Ysanne, who simply stared at him with utmost faith in her Knight.
The partners did not offer such glances or looks, all facing outward, waiting for his signal to attack.
He didn't want them to, not in their states. They were still green, unused to the effects of battle and war and the marches that came with it. They had already been beaten, battered, and bruised. They had learned nothing but how to retreat since this trip began.
Gallantmon looked back to Tyrant Kabuterimon, "What if I told you I am offering surrender?"
"Surrender? You?"
The Tyrant then actually seemed to ponder Gallantmon's words before looking to Aurelia, "A test. Do you believe him, Aurelia?"
Gallantmon's eyes moved to her, she must have been young. Maybe eleven or twelve in his eyes, but as he looked into her eyes. What he saw disturbed him, someone who had been broken and restrained, who's eyes heavily resembled that of his brothers, someone who now that they had tasted freedom, would do anything in their power to retain it. There was perception and caution to her far beyond her years...
What could cause a child to become something like that?
And in that moment, his eyes flashed with pity at her.
And unfortunately, she seemed to perceive that, "No. No. Look at his eyes."
Tyrant Kabuterimon shrugged, "Odd, but I don't believe the words of the one who has slain a thousand dragons either. Well. That and firing off the massive beam into the sky."
Aurelia seemed to take what he said first before responding, "I... We will prove ourselves strong enough to stand on our own."
"Take on the one from earlier, Aurelia. But do not take it as proving, take it as growth. Prove that growth," Tyrant Kabuterimon would state this to her before looking to Gallantmon, "As for the rest of you... The swarm will take care of this."
Gallantmon braced, this was possibly the worst situation for him to be in. He was among the strongest of the Royal Knights, he knew this, but he also knew his strength was as a duelist. He could take on any monster single handily and come out on top. Against an army by himself though? It was a fools errand.
He had no outs, he had royally screwed up. They should have went west. Where was-
A new, feminine voice would announce herself to counter the Crimson Knight's dark thoughts and Tyrant Kabuterimon's words, "Will it, Taker of Wills?"
Another voice would speak alongside her, this one high pitched and androgynous, "Gallantmon, your desire to protect your companions moves me as ever!"
Then a third, deep and booming with pure masculinity, "Tyrant Kabuterimon! You tread upon neutral ground, and so it is that we give you one warning!"
Three bursts of snow erupted, one in front of Tiamat, another by Blaze, and the last by Gallantmon himself.
The first to emerge from the burst of ice was a human-like beauty with a rose-like bulb upon her head. Said bulb was jet black, a single strand of white emerging from its center as a pink scar lay where one might consider her forehead would be as insect-like black eyes stared at her foes with a fierce determination. She flicked her hands back and forth, hands clad in fingerless leather gloves as she messed with thorn covered yo-yos, pink bands on her forearms wrapped but allowed to flow freely at the ends alongside vine-like 'hair' and with her red jacket marked with kanji. She wore a sailors top, cropped to show off her midriff with a purple tie and belts at the sleeves as a torn up black dress clad with decorative zippers and belts flowed with the rest of her outfit.
The second emerged from the snow and stood upon it proudly despite their diminutive stature, they resembled little more than a metal ball with limbs, but to say that was all there was would be an insult to them. Steel knuckles worn and metal bats ready to go, their black leather jacket flowed with the winds around them just as well as their more feminine companion as steel toed boots and chains dragged through the snow, only one of a single read eye visible on their head below a rugged blue cap that was missing a slice of its bill as they smiled with a fanged mouth.
The third stood as tall as Gallantmon himself, clad in black leather pants, bandages, a jacket of black and red flowing heroically as chain rattled and the sprout in his maw twitched. His great white mane flowed with the wind as his lion-like face slowly scanned those before him, bright blue eyes deciding a thousand-thousand ways to deal with them, bandage and gauntlet clad hands flexing, with one wielding an extremely beat-up blade called a tanto. The x-shaped scar on his chest seemed to glow a brighter red among this barren landscape, the lion-mans tail swinging gently in the snow.
The lion-man spoke with that masculine voice as he aimed his blade at none other than Aurelia, who's will suddenly seemed a little more shaken to see these three digimon, "Have I made myself clear, Tyrant? Or are you willing to risk the girl and your leader's wrath?"
Tyrant Kabuterimon was a brutal digimon, a monster who cared little for the lives of his soldiers. He had no doubt enough ultimates, and perhaps he could bring down these newly arrived foes...
But he was no fool. The landscape itself was already against them and he was likely to lose maybe even half his portion of the legion if he foolishly took this gambit. Not to mention the digimon before him had just threatened to take the chosen, something that would most certainly bring about Lilithmon's ire if he failed. A fate worse than simple death.
"Hrm," Tyrant Kabuterimon had no choice but to acknowledge he should have taken the effort to finish the hunt earlier and gotten them at the bottom of the mountain or perhaps even earlier. It was a tactical blunder, certainly, but he had had no idea that they of all digimon were on this mountain.
He would wave his arm, and in an instant, the insect digimon swarm burst apart to retreat, "So be it. I'll be the first to acknowledge we overextended ourselves to get to the humans, Bancho. But know, your allies offer still stands if you-"
"I have no interest in taking sides, begone."
He grunted in irritation at being cut off before turning around, "Alph. Bring Aurelia. We will resume the hunt at a later date."
Aurelia seemed to snap out of her hesitant stupor, "W-wait! This is our chance, I can prove that I'm not her burden to pro-"
"Aurelia," The Tyrant cut her off, "You will have more than one chance to prove yourself. Take what I said earlier and ponder it."
The girl gave a pout as Alph nodded to the Tyrant's orders, body taking off to follow the swarm as Tyrant Kabuterimon turned to Gallantmon and said, "I suppose we will have to have our bought next time we meet. I am rather looking forward to seeing how your shield clashes with my powers."
"Lets hope that's a while out still," Gallantmon would respond, not letting himself even an inch of movement as the Tyrant at last looked away and began to buzz after the swarm.
It was several minutes before anyone in the party began to relax, only for the small orb shaped digimon to look at the group and say, "Ya'll need to relax. We had you covered even if they did go for it."
The feminine one agreed with him, "Absolutely. The weak got to be protected by the strong."
"It would certainly be a flaw in my own justice to let you all be taken, although I do wish it had not been the war making its way here," the lion-man spoke before turning again, "To those besides my friend, I am Bancho Leomon and my two partners are Bancho Lilimon and Bancho Mamemon."
"'Ey, I know we'll hit it off well," the round one, now identified as Bancho Mamemon would say.
"We may be short two members, but know we're still just as tough as any other!" Bancho Lilimon would declare.
"... With how fast those bugs cleared out, I definitely believe her," Ryu would state before sitting on the ground, exhaustion ready to send him out to dreamland.
"Kyou nodded in agreement before just falling full body into the snow, "Think we can finally get more than a few hours rest?"
Cecilia would fall face first into the snow before turning her head, "I hope it's a weeks worth of sleep..."
Avani meanwhile would shake her head before making her way over to her partner, "Can we just... Choose now to never see the guy with mind control powers ever again?"
"Control you maybe," Tiamat would growl, "Doesn't seem like he could get the rest of us."
"An astute observation," Tylonmon would speak of her own volition for once, "Tyrant Kabuterimon indeed possesses absolute authority over any insect digimon not of the mega level."
"Great..." Avani muttered.
Bancho Leomon would walk up to Gallantmon as he stated, "It doesn't take much to tell you're here to have them trained."
"If it's that obvious, my friend. Then will you do it?"
"... I'm sorry, Gallantmon. You knew the answer before you came here."
Gallantmon sighed in immediate disappointment, "And you know I'm gonna at least ask you for sanctuary."
Bancho Leomon huffed, "I can agree to that. For them specifically that is... Frankly, I'm a little disappointed that you dragged more children here."
"Yeah, well. Not my call that one. Don't think they were supposed to be below twenty-five anyways."
Bancho Leomon would then walk past Gallantmon and pick up Cecilia bridal style, Avani in her arms as he said, "Lilimon, Mamemon, pick one and carry them up. We'll talk more in the dojo."
As Bancho Lilimon threw Kyou over her shoulder, he muttered to himself, "Well... This is kind of nostalgic."
Blaze would stumble his way up near Bancho Lilimon and Kyou, raising an eyebrow to his partners statement, "Being carried like a sack is nostalgic?"
"I... I'll explain when we're all not feeling like we had the hell beat out of us."
Ryu on the other hand would be picked up by the still digivolved Tiamat, who looked at the diminutive Bancho Mamemon and went, "Maybe it's better I do it over you dragging him there."
"Fair 'nuff," Bancho Mamemon would respond with a smile before beginning to walk alongside her.
Gallantmon's group of chosen, at last, had reached their first safe haven on the beginning of their long journey.
The Crimson Knight would smile, glad to see the group safe as he took a step forward to follow...
Only to realize his body had not responded, his form falling to the ground as exhaustion found him as well.
The last thing he heard was Bancho Leomon yelling his name.
….
Feeling a sense of nervousness, Milana was chewing on the nail of her index finger as she looked at the paperwork she had laid out for various actions that needed to be taken. Taxation rates for the citizens of Spline's domain, reports from the two Legions currently marching against Yggdrasil's kingdom, the paperwork to decide who she was to hire to capture the chosen, the whereabouts of Barbamon as he had personally taken his legion to pursue said chosen, and most importantly: A detailed description from more loyal digimon hidden among the legions that accurately described the Royal Knight's Chosen.
The first group, as she had come to know from Arshan, seemed to have been confident but would have quickly been put to bed if it weren't for Dynasmon accompanying them. That said, one of them had displayed the ability to digivolve into ultimate and supposedly another had become her digimon rather than having a partner.
Those two certainly stuck out to her the most out of the descriptions for the group. The girl turned digimon, if only briefly, managed to hold her own against Vulgar before being aided by the Taomon and her partner, who read the monster quite well from what the report said. The other two however seemed rather middling to her, although she made two notes of interest about both of them. That ones partner had caused Coro to simply freeze upon looking at her and that the other seemed to have a great fear of fire.
The other report was... Much more panicked and was key to her stress. Tyrant Kabuterimon's swarm had been pursuing the second group for some time, but had been battered and bruised in every way. The most recent report indicated the swarm had entered into the frozen north of the Digital World, a simple thing that in her eyes was an absolute blunder of a strategic move. What in the world possessed the tyrant to go that far in pursuing their enemies? He wasn't the type to make a stupid move like Barbamon unless he was prompted the right way.
At the least, they had identified useful and shocking information. The Warrior of Fire was present in this group alongside a partner, as too was a Black Guilmon, which presented a far greater conundrum if those two were allowed to grow in strength. There was also report of a Tylomon and a child, which of course caused her some hesitation, but she quickly reminded herself being a child meant little in this world when one of her own allies was but a thirteen year old. The forth was much the same as the other two, that she seemed of little interest and that her partner seemed to flounder... Yet, the description of her brought to mind old memories...
She was however, quick to shove those aside in favor of the most important thing in the report for the second group: that Plutomon still lived and had killed one of Lucemon's troops that had been on loan to the legion.
The loss itself was negligible, Mephismon's were horrid and monstrous, and the less done with them the better.
But how did Plutomon survive their destruction of the Olympos Server? It gave her a headache to think on it. She had been absolutely certain that they had dealt them a severe enough blow to either cripple their will to fight as she had observed with Jupitermon or had personally seen to the fact that any threatening digimon on that server had been slain.
Bacchusmon, Ceresmon, Junomon, Marsmon, Mercurymon, Minervamon, Neptunemon, and Vulcanusmon had all died to the combination of Spline, Leviamon, and Titamon crashing down upon them with an army of machine, aquatic, and demonic digimon. She personally watched as Apollomon died battling Titamon and of course returned as Arshan's partner. She had the reports detailing Jupitermon's will shattering and of how Dianamon, attempting to escape to Yggdrasil's kingdom and was last seen with her very data rotting away after being blasted by a swarm of demon digimon in the Disk-fog forest. But for Plutomon, it had been Spline himself who had been challenged to, and slain Plutomon, in a dual. The only Olympos born digimon left should have been Venusmon, who was no real threat to them yet...
Milana would mutter to herself as her headache worsened somewhat, as though a static were over her mind, "Yet this Plutomon seems to be our same foe from then... I simply do not understand how he yet lives...
Katarina's voice was the one to snap her out of it, "You've been at that pile for days. Don'tcha think you should take a break?"
Milana would look at the strawberry haired chosen, blinking as she took a moment to simply consider her words, "Perhaps you're right, Kat..."
Realizing that her headache was likely then to indeed be a stress induced one, she would sigh before standing and stretching, "Would you mind taking a walk with me to see the new park we had installed?"
Katarina would look away from her book, almost instinctively about to say 'no', only to realize it likely was just a polite way of saying she was being dragged out of her comfort zone, "I... Suppose so."
Kat would turn in her spot to sit up and stand from the sofa, a sleeping Lily sliding off her and floating to the ground before groggily waking up and muttering to herself as she began to float after them, "Work time already...?"
Exiting Milana's office led to a vastly different environment than one would anticipate, one meant to accommodate the leader of Spiral City himself: Spline.
The hall they entered was vast and gray, covered in machinery and railing to prevent incidents for those much smaller than the Machinedramon and his host of great machine digimon. Milana and Katarina would step onto a travelator as several digimon in the middle of their shifts went by, the duo unbothered by the sudden shift in movement although Lily was forced to attach herself to Katarina like a koala cub to prevent herself from being left behind, her floating body threatening to drag her off and leave her floating awkwardly.
Milana would observe the different digimon as they went by. Guardromon, Hagurumon, Frozomon, Mechanorimon, and dozens of other digimon of so many shapes and sizes. The variety was so unlike back home to her, so many species willing to mesh together and work together to solve any problem without issue.
Oh how she wished her home world were so easy to gather others together. Alas, she would make due with what she had been given by Lucemon, his graciousness a key to her greatest wish.
"Kat, since you have come here. Has any part of your greatest wish been granted?" She would ask from nowhere to the strawberry haired girl.
Katarina seemed a bit stunned at the sudden personal question, but took a bit to ponder as well, "I... Suppose it has? I've been more content I think. More time to read, to fish, and a whole new worlds worth of bugs for me to know."
Milana looked at her with her dark brown eyes, a bit relaxed at Katarina's simple answer. She knew Kat was a wild child at heart, nature was her soul and the silence of the trees her greatest drink. It was why she believed that her fellow chosen would enjoy the sudden trip to the park despite her slight resistance.
I'm glad you've found some contentment in this world, I do hope the rest of us can catch up to you sooner than later," Milana looked as a pair of Valvemon marched by while carrying a massive pipe, likely to replace something in the tunnel, "If I'm honest, I'm actually a little envious."
Kat was taken aback slightly, "Of me?"
"Only a little, I promise," She offered a smile to her fellow chosen, "But to be content with the simple things in life is something I... I suppose I am simply unable to understand."
Katarina would raise her brows in a bit of confusion, not really understanding, "I guess I always just knew what I wanted most. What others thought just... Never occurred to me."
Milana would nod before shrugging to indicate it was time to get off the travelator, the both of them jumping off of it as Lily collapsed on Kat's shoulder after having held onto her the whole way, "Uhg... Tired..."
"Lily, surely you have more energy than that?" Despite her question, Milana smiled at the morphomon's sleepy nature as she and Katarina strode towards and into a massive elevator alongside several dozen digimon of all sizes.
"Kat, you once said to me no one understood you. How true do you feel that is now?"
The strawberry haired girl tugged at her overalls slightly as she felt a bit uncomfortable at the memory, only for her tiny partner to gently tug at her cheek, "Kaaat... I'm feeling hungry..."
Katarina settled her emerald eyes on Lily before responding to Milana, "I feel like I belong here more than I did at home, but at the same time, sometimes I do miss my family..."
"... I understand your sentiment," Milana responded, "... Which is why I simply can't be content until she is here with me. By my side in a better world."
Katarina seemed to already know who she spoke of, "Maybe we could bring my parents here too one day, when this is over..."
"If one is possible, I don't see why no one else is," Milana responded as the elevator slowed to a stop and the door slowly opened, sunlight blinding all within before their eyes adapted but all began to flow out well beforehand.
As the pairs eyes adjusted however, a sight they knew well revealed itself. Spiral City, above the mechanical tunnels that acted as one of the core resources of Lucemon's Penumbra Legion, sprawled for miles and miles. Digimons of all kinds roamed here, with buildings and stores of all kinds fitted to digimon of all types.
As Milana and Katarina walked, one could see any number of things that may have reminded one of the human world.
A fanciful restaurant full of pleasant digimon, a bipedal pink bird called biyomon was the server dashing in a panic between tables to take the customers orders.
Down an alleyway, a pair of digimon in penguin-like costumes called tempomon were in a dance off between each other to prove who's better, but were lacking malice as they let themselves go to the music. A small crowd of rookie digimon like agumon, betamon, and bakomon cheered the duo on, driving them further then they would ever go otherwise.
Several gotsumon eagerly helped other digimon out of a raging fire, their rock-like bodies all but immune to the flames as one ran out with a baby digimon, only a black ball with yellow eyes and ears, as the gathered crowd cheered the rescuers on while several water digimon began to push the fire down.
Every so often, a komondomon would rush by. The dog-like digimon who bore shaggy fur, a strange helmet, and a platform on its back happily carrying a group of smaller digimon to their destination far faster than they would ever go otherwise. Providing a service all so necessary for those not as big as a Machinedramon or Megadramon.
It was idealistic, a place based on Milana's desire at Spline's command. At first glance, it would seem a fine place to live for all.
Milana and Katarina continued their conversation as the crowds went by, the buildings on the sidewalk eventually replaced by a metal fence as the duo could make out a brightly lit forest behind its bars. The shadows of several digimon rushing about visible behind them.
The gate was quick to come into sight, the duo making their way inside as Katarina took the time to look around.
The path was simple cobblestone, not a hint of the metal that filled the rest of Spiral City as great trees curved to provide cover from the digital sun above.
One could observe as small insect digimon played in the trees, such as a great many kunemon and a brighter green counterpart of it with talons and mouth colored purple instead of blue.
Other digimon who preferred the forest were just as present, a bright red dinosaurs with green spines and the friendliest blue eyes gleefully chasing a small wyvern-like digimon who seemed to be made of rock and gems, brown eyes looking at their pursuer with utmost admiration.
Milana pondered her inability to relax like Kat as they continued their path into the park, eventually stumbling upon the notably large plaza. It was easily large enough to house a couple thousand humans, maybe a little less in larger digimon, with what appeared to be a stage for events placed within it though no digimon seemed particularly interested in using it at the current moment.
Then the Chosen of Lucemon had an idea as she stared the stage, "Kat, what if we hosted a festival for ourselves and the others?"
Katarina looked at Milana and raised a brow, "Would most of them even be able to attend?"
"I can pull a few strings," Milana responded with a hint of glee she hadn't had for unseen months, "Perhaps Belphemon wouldn't mind loaning us part of his legion either as both entertainment and security considering the slowness of his progress compared to the Hagith legion..."
Katarina stared at Milana before realizing, "Wait. Wait wait wait wait. You want to have him lead the show?"
"Is it wrong? I get that he emulates one of our most famous, but I find he's quite good when he chooses to sing something actually original."
"Okay, fine, but what about otherwise? He can't do it alone."
"Oh, I have plenty of ideas. There's plenty of digimon the world over that are as eager for attention as Belphemon's second-in-command. It's simply a matter of getting the word out, and Spline will be more than eager to do that for me."
Internally, Kat wondered if the machine digimon could even object but instead tried to ask, "Will there at least be-"
"Festival food!" Lily seemed to wake up more as she finally realized what the two were discussing, "Digi-apples and caramel! Shaved ice! Fun cakes! Oh, please Milana, don't forget the fun cakes!"
Milana let loose a deep breath, not a sigh, but a breath of relaxation. Something she desperately needed between thoughts of bounty hunters and her vision, "Of course Lily. I want this to be a time for all of us to enjoy."
The morphomon would let out a low, "Yeesssss" as Kat sighed, she too smiled a bit, for at least her partner could be content with the idea.
"Let's find a place to sit down and discuss this," Milana would say, "I believe a stand nearby serves snacks for weary park goers."
"Milana, please don't spoil my partner," Kat would respond as her smile faded and as Lily's eyes began to glow with desire.
For Milana, perhaps capturing the chosen of the Royal Knights could in fact wait...
…..
Silence pervaded the group as they heard explosions in the distance, no doubt a sign of Dynasmon and Alizee engaging the enemy. Their march having been rather boring in comparison to the Knights, with them having begun their march North West already.
As the sounds of combat faded however, fog began to roll in.
Sif, carrying Victor upon her back, narrowed her eyes as it thickened and whispered in case of nearby enemies, "This fog isn' right..."
"I couldn't agree more," Black would whisper back as the duo slowed, Luna taking a few steps more to stop.
Clive would jump down from Black's back, "Perhaps they saw through our plans... It may be time for a back up..."
Jordan would look around, a distinct feeling finding its way into his gut as he felt more aware than his allies about this, that there was a particular digimon who enjoyed this kind of environment...
"Guys... I think we should just keep moving for now... We... I think we're being watched..."
The entirety of the group would look at Jordan as Clive whispered, "How could you possibly know-"
Victor would shush him, signaling for them to keep walking in response to Jordan's words, trusting his fellow chosen to know something they did not as he signaled for Clive to get back on Black's back. The strategist grumbling as he did so...
Jordan felt a great chill down his spine however as they began to move again, something moving in the corners of his eyes. A shadow, not like Lancelot, but instead the movements of a horrific predator. He could feel it, stalking within their shadows, deciding what to do with them.
It made no move yet, but he knew it was there. Observing, waiting, hungering.
It felt like it was breathing down his neck. Eyes boring into his very soul.
No one else seemed to notice it, and worse yet...
Jordan felt his throat clamp up, as though a most unnatural fear had gripped his throat. Preventing him from speaking. From warning the others. That something else was here with them.
And yet within those tense, silent minutes, they found themselves stumbling upon a great iron gate. A fence of stone and iron, decorated with monstrous gargoyles going far out into the slowly thickening fog.
Clive would narrow his eyes, "... We should move along the fence. This gate may just lead to a blocked off area."
"I think so as well," Victor responded as he crossed his arms, "Not to mention. Those gargoyles are reminding me a bit too much of the graveyards back home."
Jordan's breathing increased as he saw the shadow moving, his body still frozen as it began to manifest itself.
It was a true horror, body mixed with the traits of a bat and blades onto the form of a wolf. Blades jutted from the lower half of its limbs almost at random, only four monstrous swords at the bottom resembling claws. Bat wings wrapped around its neck like a cowl, but the two on its head fluttered every so often to reveal no eyes on its head in eldritch fashion, a fang filled maw choosing who it was going to bite into first. Red markings on its body and tail did not betray it to its prey, purple and white fur flowing in the fog as though it were threatening to blend back in with it...
Jordan's breathing got more and more panicked, stuck to the back of Black, his body refusing to move.
Why! Why didn't he have the courage!? Why was he always stuck in his own thoughts!?
But he saw it look, straight at the smallest target of the group but still with enough data to satisfy it.
Luna.
And in that instant, Jordan felt something in himself begin to well up as the monster wolf began to lurk around the edge of their vision...
And as it prepared to pounce...
"Luna! Behind you!"
Jordan roared with all the air he could muster as the creature leapt at Luna, only for Black to react in an instant, already calculating in her head where their foe would be coming from as she swung her dart and smashed into the horror...
Only for it to blend into shadow once more, dodging the attack and fading into the fog.
"What in the!?" Black yelled out before turning to place her back and her riders to the gate as the group bunched up, "What kind of digimon was that!?"
Sif growled as she turned, protectively pushing Victor with her tails to the center of her back as though to better protect him, "I am not certain, but it reminds me of the Eyesmon with Cecilia."
Hearing that description, Clive's eyes would look down from his perch, only to realize that Black's shadow was not her own as he yelled out, "Sif, can you cast a light on Black!?"
Realizing instantly what the young strategist was indicating, Black leapt up as Sif aimed at her shadow and yelled out, "Fox Tail Inferno!"
Orbs of pure fire manifested on her tails before firing off at the shadow, which suddenly sped off away from Black with a will of its own, the eldritch hound bursting out on the edge of the fog...
And began to howl as the party's eyes widened as more shadows began to appear in the fog. The trees themselves twisting, the fog reaching out as though to consume them as the vague forms of more hounds began to appear.
"We need to flee," Luna would speak up, "Through the gate. Force them to cram."
"Horror hounds were not on my ambush list," Victor muttered, "I agree with Luna. Let's go!"
Sif would immediately turn and book it into the gate with her partner as Black quickly went in after her, Luna jumping onto her back as she yelled, "Tear Arrow!"
She fired off dozens of arrows of ice at the hounds, but as expected, they seemed to simply meld away before howling to enter pursuit. At least a dozen of them emerging from the fog to pursue their prey.
Yet they could all feel it, more outside their vision. Maybe even monsters more frightful than those currently pursuing them ready to devour them.
"Should we digivolve further, Victor? We may have no choice but to fight!" Sif would yell at her partner as they ran into the fog, unaware of a massive shadow rising before them.
"Not yet! We have to stick to Dynasmon's plan! If we attract Barbamon's attention, its all over!"
Black would yell at the two, "It might be all over if we don't use an opportunity to digivolve nooooow..."
She trailed off as she realized however as a massive mansion was quickly coming into view. Black and gothic, with a trail of stairs leading to a pair of massive iron doors.
It screamed do not enter, but the hounds of hell were hot on their heels, slowly forming a circle around them. The choice was not theirs to make.
Clive in particular noted, "Are they herding us inside...?"
So they climbed, still fleeing the hounds, and as they reached their peak Black slammed the doors open to enter. Sif and Luna immediately went to slam them back shut as the group gathered inside, expecting the hounds to slam against them in fury or to try and slip by as shadows...
Yet, the doors closed unopposed and the sounds of the hounds faded.
Around them, a mansion with velvet red carpets and fanciful fixtures with lit candles waited. Silence their greatest enemy as every shadow moved about, hiding what may be lurking within. A staircase with a set on either the left or the right led to a second floor, with another set leading to a third floor visible above them.
They all could feel it. The presence within this place. A horror.
Jordan at last managed to slide off Black, clutching his hands as he ran up to and hugged Luna, the digimon's eyes widening in surprise before she hugged him back, taking a moment to try and collect themselves.
Victor would get off his partners back, although he and Sif instinctively moved together, warily scanning the foyer before them now.
Clive narrowed his eyes while scanning the foyer himself as he simply said, "... It would seem..."
Black finished his sentence as she warily aimed her dart around for any foe that may have been in hiding, "We've entered their playing field."
Elsewhere in the mansion, it's owner stirred at the smell of something most unusual...
…
Authors note
That's right! I LIIIIIIVE!
Or rather, I finally am starting to get past my mental health crisis. Different from the last one, cause this time I didn't do the stupid thing and delete everything. Instead I just pulled an Invincible Season 2, which is arguably less bad than pulling another Disney.
That said, we are back! My original intention was to have three chapters ready to go for a mega update as a grand return, but one of ya'll who stayed in contact with me and has been an absolutely amazing friend convinced me to do otherwise and go ahead and post this chapter alongside OUR FULL COLOR COVER! Designed by yours truly... So honestly its actually kind of mid but looks really good when you can't zoom in lol.
Also I did notice some of ya'll DMing me asking for a discord link in late 2023 which uh is funny cause I never did the discord cause I got told by most of ya'll in 2022 to not do that plus I was in the middle of the mentioned health crisis during that. So uh sorry about that one folks.
Smaller note: I just directly uploaded this and haven't checked to see if FFN has fucked with the formatting. Sorry if any weird shit happens. I've heard its been even more buggy than normal lately but hopefully that doesn't slap me today.
Not really much else to say here as I've been inactive for so long I'm half curious if some of ya'll are still active or not. If you are, welcome back to The Night Blooms! Its a great thing that I took so many notes for this story, cause its still raring to go even after a years hiatus. I hope ya'll really enjoy what's to come!