Chapter 20 - Chaos Reigns
Bolts of furious red lightning began to cascade off ChaosGallantmon's body as his glowing scarlet eyes focused entirely on Ophanimon. The black knight kicked off from the ground with a burst of motion so frightfully fast that the motion created a sonic blast in his wake, shattering the ground behind him. Advancing down the hallway like a runaway train, it was only MagnaAngemon pushing TK and Kari out of the way which managed to save them from the dark warrior smashing through Ophanimon and carrying her with him high into the air. The two smashed through one ceiling, and then another, and then another, until finally they were no longer constrained by the building and ChaosGallantmon began raining shield blows down on Ophanimon. The angel tried to raise her own shield in her defence, but ChaosGallantmon's savage blows impacted against her again and again and with every strike she felt her own arm began to shake more and more as her strength began to leave. Finally the black knight smashed his way fully through her defences and she was forced to pull herself backwards with a flick of her wings. Raising her lance, she shouted "Eden's Javelin!" sending out a beam of raw purifying light from its tip shooting straight at her opponent.
In response and without missing a second ChaosGallantmon shouted "Spiral Wailer!" Sending out a blast of red lightning from the tip of his black lance. The two beams collided in mid-air, and far below the many Digimon crowding about the hilltops of the bastion stopped their fighting and watched in amazement at this terrible spectacle. The point where the two energy beams met radiated with the light of a star in the sky, and on either side the two Digimon roared with effort, pouring every bit of energy they had into their attacks. Below, from out of the hole in the rooftop from which the two had just burst, MagnaAngemon ascended carrying Kari and TK. Setting the two teens down on the roof, they all looked up at the impressive struggle above them. Turning to his partner, TK said "MagnaAngemon, you need to help her!" Though there was no doubt MagnaAngemon was ready and willing to fight, but Kari said, "Are you really sure TK, that's Takato in there!" TK was for a moment conflicted as he looked up the malevolent form of the black knight above them.
It was at that moment that the beam convergence between ChaosGallantmon and Ophanimon reached criticality and burst into a fiery explosion in the air between them. The shockwave resounded along the roof of the bastion and TK and Kari felt as if they were almost going to be picked up into the air by the force of it. Dust and smoke were kicked up by the explosion and for a moment neither Digimon could be seen. When the smoke began to clear, ChaosGallantmon and Ophanimon were standing with their lances crossed. Ophanimon looked at the two eyes staring out at her from beneath that familiar black faceplate. "Takato, please- I want to help you!" but those red eyes looked at her pitilessly, devoid of any recognition. "Takato is gone. I am The Hazard." Responded ChaosGallantmon breaking out of the grapple and striking upwards with his shield.
The blow ripped Ophanimon's helmet from her head, and as before her normally blonde hair turned as black as knight, her rosy skin became pale, and her eyelids opened to reveal crimson eyes that stared back at ChaosGallantmon without a hint of pride or reserve. "I'm sure you believe that, but it's not true Takato. Daemon has bewitched your mind- made you relinquish who really are. This power- it doesn't belong to the Hazard; it belongs to you." At these words ChaosGallantmon charged forward and bashed Ophanimon with his shield with such force that she was sent flying downwards into one of the towers of the bastion. As she smashed through the bricks of the structure it crumbled and collapsed around her. The bricks slowly parted and fell as Ophanimon struggled out of them, her wings crumbled and bent. Descending to her level, ChaosGallantmon placed the tip of his lance against her chin. "Goodbye." He said with a voice as cold as steel. Pulling his lance back to deliver the final blow, Ophanimon closed her eyes and accepted her fate. At that moment though a voice rang out, yelling "Crystal Sphere!" instantly an impermeable barrier surrounded Ophanimon, and in the next second Justimon came running up the length of the rooftop and threw himself in a flying kick directly at ChaosGallantmon.
The kick impacted against ChaosGallantmon's shield and he was driven back, his armoured boots screeching against the ground as Justimon, Sakuyamon and MegaGargomon landed in front of him. "Takato!" Rika said from inside Sakuyamon, "It's us- your friends..." ChaosGallantmon gave no hint of recognition and instead only raised his guard, ready to fight. "Please, Takato, you know us!" Justimon said, reaching out to his friend. In response ChaosGallantmon lashed out, his lance tip cracking against Justimon's shoulder and making him cry out in agony. "Ryo!" Sakuyamon cried, before raising her staff and shouting "Twin blades of beauty and- "but before she could finish the incantation of her attack, ChaosGallantmon turned his lance on her and fired another volley of red electricity which sent Sakuyamon flying away. She was caught in the air by MegaGargomon, who carefully laid her down on the ground before turning back to ChaosGallantmon. "Takato-stop it!" roared Henry. But ChaosGallantmon simply raised his shield, which began to glow a deep red, one by one, the symbols of his shield ignited in purple, before he finally cried "Chaos Crusher!" With that a beam of purple energy exploded out from the face of his shield. MegaGargomon was too close and too large a target to avoid the attack, so instead he simply dug his colossal feet into the ground and crossed his arms, attempting to weather the storm of energy ChaosGallantmon had thrown at him. The juggernaut beam collided against MegaGargomon's armoured body and sent energy splashing momentarily in all directions before the ground beneath his feet ruptured and he was sent flying away. His huge metallic body skidded against the ground, pummelling its way through ancient towers and ramparts before coming to rest just shy of the spot where TK and Kari were watching.
Kari ran ahead of TK towards MegaGargomon's prostrate form, but a moment later he was consumed in light and split back into Henry Wong and Terriermon. "Note to self- never get in an argument with Takato again…" Terriermon said punch-drunkenly before falling over on his face. "Henry, are you ok?" Kari asked, kneeling, and placing her hand on the young man's shoulder. "I'm fine but listen- that isn't Takato." Kari looked down at him perplexed, but he elaborated "I know my friend, he'd sooner die than hurt any of us. Daemon must have gotten in his head." Nearby, ChaosGallantmon was effortlessly dodging a renewed effort of attacks from the injured Justimon and Sakuyamon. The dark warrior's movements seemed effortless as he weaved away from the slashes of Justimon's beam sword while simultaneously repelling the offensive spirits Sakuyamon summoned to fight him. Finally, the two tamers rushed him from either side, and ChaosGallantmon chose that moment to dismiss both his lance and shield. Stepping backwards he grabbed his two opponents by the backs of their heads and slammed them together with such force that they made a cracking sound so audible that it resounded across the Codec Ruins. Both Sakuyamon and Justimon went limp in his hands, and he threw them down to join the rest of his defeated opponents in the ruins below.
"General!" Came a voice from the sky. Flying down on his large leathery wings, Nocturnismon floated before ChaosGallantmon and bowed deferentially. "My lord- we have taken the walls- however many of the entrances leading into the inner bastion remain blocked. ChaosGallantmon said nothing and for a moment it seemed as if he had not even heard his subordinate, then he turned towards the northern section of the wall, pointed his lance at one of the larger doors leading into the inner bastion and fired a blast of crimson lightning which blew the door into pebbles. "Move into the bastion, destroy all in your path. But leave the Sovereign to me." He said, his cold voice booming out from his dark visage. Nocturnismon nodded before flying down to lead the charge into the bastion.
Down in the ruins surrounding the bastion rooftops, TK and Kari were tearing strips from their own clothes to use as bandages for Henry, Rika, and Ryo. Their partner Digimon were sat in a despondent huddle against a nearby wall, battered and bruised. They heard a sound behind them and MagnaAngemon ignited his blade, ready to fight. But moments later Ophanimon came hobbling around the corner towards them. She looked more battered and bloodied than any of them, but still held her lance and shield as she walked forward on unsteady legs, occasionally using the point of her lance to support herself against the ground. "What are we going to do?" Kari said, the panic in her voice rising. "The Sovereign aren't going to fight back- and our forces have already been overwhelmed. Where are Tai and Matt?" she asked, but none could answer her. "There you are." The uncertain silence was punctuated by the cold emotionless voice of ChaosGallantmon, who descended from the sky, his dark form casting a shadow over them all. Without a word Ophanimon raised her hands and shouted "Sefirot Crystals!" sending ten crystalline projectiles at him, but they merely glanced off his gleaming black armour. "My turn…" he said with a sigh, before dropping down in front of Ophanimon with a thunderous crack which split the very ground around her. Lashing out with his lance, he struck a blow in the centre of her chest, sending her flying backwards into the wall behind her, where her crumpled form became embedded. ChaosGallantmon advanced, and next MagnaAngemon launched himself at the knight, his beam sword ready, but the dark warrior intercepted the blow with his shield and then lashed out, sending the angel flying. Renamon, Terriermon and Monodramon each sent their own attacks his way, but they did nothing to slow his advance, and he simply ignored them.
Finally, he stopped in front of Ophanimon, who looked at him from one unswollen eye. "This persona…" she struggled to speak, "It's just your anger, your fear- given form by Daemon…. given consciousness. "…Be quiet…" said ChaosGallantmon, raising his lance again. "You can fight it…Takato…I know you can…" she said, her breath ragged. As he prepared to end it, ChaosGallantmon was momentarily taken aback when Kari Kamiya leapt in front of his lance, standing firmly between him and Ophanimon with her arms raised. "Move." Said ChaosGallantmon with finality. "No." said Kari, her eyes full of defiance. "…So be it." ChaosGallantmon's lance began to crack with energy. "GET AWAY FROM HER!" the words resounded around the hills like a hammer blow against steel and were loud and forceful enough to gain ChaosGallantmon's attention. Turning, he saw Takeru Takaishi pointing his digivice directly at him, which was glowing with white light in an unfamiliar manner. ChaosGallantmon did not have long to wonder at the sight though, as in the next moment a blast of white energy burst out from the face of the digivice and impacted against him, sending him flying away. He dug his heels into the ground twenty feet away, reeling from the force of the blast. In her pocket, Kari's Digivice began to vibrate and shine with the same light from its screen.
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Down in the forest beneath a thick canopy of trees, Tai was carrying an unconscious Matt on his back while holding Koromon under one arm and Tsunomon under the other. Progress had been slow, and after an hour of hiking in this manner sweat was pumping from Tai's forehead and he began to wish he hadn't been taking it so easy this past summer. "That's it- no more pizza. If we get through this- I'm getting a gym membership." Tai spoke aloud to himself. Pressing on, Tai began to feel a familiar sensation coming from his pocket and knew that his Digivice was attempting to get his attention. Laying Matt down, before he could check his own Digivice he became distracted by Matt's- which was glowing on his wrist. Mat's new digivice let out a bright white light from its screen and vibrated with a kinetic energy so fierce that Tai thought it was going to leap right off his friend's arm. Moments later, to Tai's extreme shock the digivice let out a burst of energy from its screen which flew high into the air and off in the direction of the ruins. Picking Matt up again, Tai ran after it. Whatever that was he thought, he did not want to miss it.
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Back at the ruins, ChaosGallantmon was watching events play out before him with an expression which was beginning to approach shock. The formerly injured and sluggish MagnaAngemon now seemed to be completely healed and was standing next to his partner TK, both surrounded in an aura of white light. "Are you ok TK?" MagnaAngemon asked his oldest friend. "Never better." Said TK with a cheeky smile. "Now- let's give this guy his wake-up call." TK said, walking towards ChaosGallantmon with complete confidence, MagnaAngemon following on his eight wings. "TK- what are you doing, he'll kill you!" Kari screamed, stepping forward. But she felt a familiar hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Ophanimon holding her back, while giving Kari a reassuring look.
TK and MagnaAngemon quickly closed the distance to stand beneath the huge and intimidating dark form of ChaosGallantmon. "Don't worry Takato- "TK said, his voice calm and even, "-we're going to get you out of there." For the first time, Kari could see a different quality in TK, it was if he were a man possessed. His demeanour was different than what she had come to know, as if in this moment he was in touch with something far greater than himself. ChaosGallantmon began to laugh, an awful almost painful sound. "And how do you think that's going to happen?" he said at last. "With my hands around your neck." TK said, his eyes flashing with a golden tint that Kari had never seen before. "Then you'll need a stronger Digimon, now die!" ChaosGallantmon said, pulling back his lance and preparing to wipe TK from this world. At that moment, a bright white light flashed down from the sky and collided with TK and MagnaAngemon, and in a blinding flash the two's bodies were pulled together. A light like white flames spread across the space and then burst upwards into a column of pure shining power. From inside this tower- MagnaAngemon's voice rang out:
"MAGNAANGEMON, BIOMERGE TO…DOMINIMON!"
The light dissipated and shining figure stepped out with eight golden wings on his back. His armour was silver and blue, decorated in golden sashes that hung loosely around his waist. From his long muscular arms hung two gigantic golden and blue pauldrons, each the size of a tower shield on their own- and from his left wrist extended a long glowing green blade of pure energy. His head bore a blue helmet decorated with a golden cross, and underneath peaked out a shock of golden blonde hair. Looking across at the frozen form of ChaosGallantmon, his lips curled into a smile. "That's better, now- shall we begin?"
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