Piedmon laughs at them. Watches them prepare to digivolve their partners, tosses his head back and just cackles like it's the funniest thing he's ever seen.

Dakota and Asuka exchange glances, everything else forgotten in the face of this disrespect. Lotusmon and Gatomon appear strange next to each other, but there's an overwhelming amount of holy power issuing from Gatomon thanks to the ring on her tail, and it helps to charge Lotusmon's attacks. "Go!" Asuka cries, Lotusmon heeding her partner's urging.

She lunges forward, staff held aloft, and Piedmon only stops laughing at the last moment, grabbing his sword and trying to swing it at her. She moves, however, his sword slamming into her staff and sending a horrible reverbation through both of their hands. Lotusmon, however, holds on; Piedmon's sword drops to the ground as he nurses his aching fingers.

"I will kill you for that," he says, grabbing more swords and rushing at her.

She spins out of the way, slams her staff into him and watches as he freezes, jaw dropping. "I despise your kind," she informs Piedmon. "Lying thieves, who do nothing but make life harder for Digimon who just want to enjoy their lives. Indulge in camaraderie when available to them. For this, I will make you pay."

Gatomon rushes forward, lunges up Lotusmon's head and rests her paws against the staff, powering it up even further with her holy strength. Lotusmon begins to shine with the energy as well, her staff pressing deeper into Piedmon's chest as she tilts her head and cries out, "SEVEN'S FANTASIA!"

The light that pulses from the staff is blinding, overwhelming. Asuka and Dakota are forced to look away as Piedmon yells out, overwhelmed by the pure power of Gatomon and Lotusmon's goodness... but then it falters. It comes to a stop.

Dakota and Asuka frown, gingerly moving their hands away to look. "What happen-" Dakota starts to say, then screams. "GATOMON!"

Piedmon's sword has stabbed forward, piercing through Gatomon into Lotusmon's arm, almost clean up to her shoulder. Gatomon deletes immediately and Lotusmon cries out in agony, dropping her staff and freeing Piedmon from the strength of the fantasy world she had been in the process of trapping him in.

"No," Asuka whispers, horrified by how suddenly this fight has changed. "No!"