Chapter 25 – Unconquered
A torrent of white light exploded out from the point where Gallantmon and Dominimon had met in the sky, dispelling all smoke and darkness before coalescing into an ethereal cocoon of gleaming gold. Shafts of golden energy cascaded off the surface and streamed through the sky, and from the ground Tai felt an immediate and palpable sense of peace and calm overcome him as he watched the cocoon slowly descend. He became aware then of two things: first was Matt and Sora standing on either side of him, who stood up with their backs straight and the golden light reflected in the eyes, just as Tai imagined it must be reflected in his. The next was the reasonless shrieks of the remaining Data Beasts, who seemed repelled by the mere presence of this new power. Golgomon had at this point lost all interest in the children and watched the descending digital cocoon with an expression on his draconic features that seemed something between curiosity and annoyance. In the sky above him, Mephistomon appeared with Nocturnismon and Necroshademon flanking him, all three seeming far less placid than their master.
Finally, the glittering light that formed the golden energy cocoon began to recede and dissipate, coalescing into a vaguely humanoid shape. Glowing blue eyes looked out from behind a burnished golden masked helm decorated with a pair of arched gold wings. The figure was covered from head to toe in armour of the same polished gold- a sleek skin of interlocking heavy plates which was completed by a pair of majestic golden wings which extended outwards from his back. To Tai's eye he was like an angel combined with an eagle- proud, beautiful, and dangerous. Extending out his arms, he instantly materialised a heavy round intricately detailed shield in his left hand, and a silver broadsword in his right. Raising the shield to cover his body and his sword to the sky, this wondrous Digimon spoke aloud his new name.
"Invictamon!"
Golgomon felt the muscles in his neck tense at the very word. An involuntary motion which disturbed him and brought on a wave of revulsion. He would destroy this upstart. No. This Digimon was not worthy of dying by the hands of the great Golgomon. Turning, the Demon lord raised a clawed hand and motioned to Nocturnismon and Necroshademon. "Did you hear that- this is Invictamon. Kill him."
_XX_XX_XX_
In the woods not too far from the decimated remains of the ruins, a shaft of jagged energy pierced the ground from below before exploding outwards. For a moment there was only silence, and then Angewomon ascended from out of the cave system below with Kari in her arms. "I missed you." Kari said simply as Angewomon touched down on the ground. "I was never really gone you know." Angewomon replied with a smirk as she lowered Kari down, but the girl kept her arms clamped tight around the angel's neck and said "You were though- I get why you gave your body to Ophanimon, but it was too hard being without you. We're partners after all…" said Kari, casting her eyes towards the ground. Reaching out, Angewomon took Kari's chin between her thumb and forefinger and guided her eyes up to meet her face. "You're right…I'll never let us be parted again, I promise." Smiling, Kari hugged the angel before turning and surveying the forest around them. She needed to find Tai and the rest of the group. It was as she began to form some reasoning on how best to do that- that an explosion rang out above her.
Nocturnismon and Necroshademon flew in perfect synchronicity, each hurling balls of flaming red energy at what Kari could only describe as a golden blur. Whatever it was, it was moving far too fast for Kari or Angewomon to even begin to get a clear view of it, and whenever one of the enemies attack's came anywhere close to it- the ball of energy would suddenly careen off in a random direction at a speed far greater than before. Cursing, Nocturnismon grabbed his own long tail in his left hand and began to spin it, the sickle-like blade helicoptering as he increased its speed before he let it go and threw the tail at the golden blur. With this the blur's movement ceased and for the first time Kari got a good look at Invictamon. Nocturnismon's tail-blade struck against the wide surface of Invictamon's golden shield and instantly shattered. The flying dark Digimon howled in terrible agony, but before he could draw his own tail back in- Invictamon wrapped his shield around the slack appendage and pulled hard. Without the strength or speed to resist Nocturnismon was pulled towards Invictamon, an involuntary scream leaving his lips before he was slashed from shoulder to groin by a single slash of the knight's sword. For a moment, the two halves of his body hung in the air, and then he disappeared in a flash of data. Though Necroshademon's face was little more than the expressionless plaintiff visage of a skull, his body betrayed a deep sense of fear as Invictamon turned towards him.
From the ground, Kari watched all this with starry wonder before recovering enough to pull out her digivice and point it to the sky. For a moment, the scanner took in the holy golden knight, and Kari was sure that it would find no record of the warrior- but then to her surprise information began to scroll before her eyes. Turning back to Angewomon, she began to read:
"Invictamon- Super Ultimate level Holy Knight Digimon- the Digital World's final defender, his Aegis Strike and Celestial Judgement attacks are said to be unstoppable!"
"Wow." Was all Angewomon could say as they both watched Invictamon extend his glittering wings and move towards Necroshademon. "I guess we know what happens now when you cross Dominimon with Gallantmon!" Angewomon said. Above, Invictamon menaced Necroshademon as he advanced, and all the while he began to speak. "I know who you are Necroshademon- I remember you from Takato and Guilmon's memories- you and your friends were led astray by Barbamon and turned into monsters. It's too late now for you to be forgiven but take solace in knowing you'll be reborn- free from Golgomon's influence. Goodbye." At this Necroshademon turned and flew off, attempting to put as much distance as he could between himself and Invictamon. But little did he know, he was already dead. Extending his golden wings, Invictamon shouted "Celestial Judgement!." At these words, his wings began to glow, that light increasing in brightness until it became a blinding golden beacon which exploded outwards in a flurry of streaking white energy. This avalanche of pure holy power filled the sky and consumed the screaming body of Necroshademon, who in mere seconds dissipated away into nothing.
Golgomon watched this display with a sense of deep dread rising from the pit of his stomach like fire. Marshalling his will, he roared to his Data Beasts. "I have had enough of this, destroy him!" The hideous roars of the misshapen creatures filled the air as they swarmed from every direction in the sky, closing in on Invictamon. Those that had been on the other side of Barbamon's portals came flying back through, following their master's will, and in a moment thousands of the misbegotten monsters surrounded Invictamon. To himself, the holy knight let out a small chuckle. "So- how do you wanna play this?" he asked himself, then replying "Let's show him what happens when you hurt our friends." Turning his broadsword into a backwards grip, Invictamon let out a roar which shook the ground for miles around him and let loose a flurry of blows too quick for the eye to track, turning himself into little more than a golden lightning bolt streaking across the sky. Golgomon watched with horror as one by one his Data Beasts began to fall to pieces, one by one cleaved apart as soon as they met Invictamon. In mere moments, thousands of Beasts became hundreds and then dozens, until finally only a small handful remained in front of Golgomon. In panic, he launched himself at the golden streak, and earned a strike from Invictamon's shield right to his stomach. Spluttering, Golgomon found himself flying backwards through the air and skimming along the forest floor, kicking up trees and stones as he went.
Digging his claws into the ground and fanning out his wings, the Demon lord slowed his movement to an eventual stop and watched as Invictamon cleaved his way through the last of his Data Beasts. To his right, he watched as Mephistomon turned and flew away from the battlefield, fear overtaking him. At this sight, Golgomon felt something snap within him, and a howl of unmatched fury escape his lips. Raising his muscular arms, he summoned a sphere of crimson energy and screamed "Devastation Orb!." The blast burst from his grip and flew not at Invictamon, but rather veered to his right and followed the fleeing Mephistomon. When the attack reached his traitorous lieutenant it exploded in a fiery red conflagration which illuminated the forest for miles around. Golgomon watched the ashes which had once been Mephistomon float away on the breeze and turned to his left, where in the distance Barbamon watched all this unfold. No words needed to be said, the message was clear.
Golgomon rose again into the sky, facing Invictamon head-on as he ascended, the shining golden knight's glowing blue eyes watching the Demon lord with murderous intent. Silence stood between them for some time, save for the sound of the night air and the far away crackle of dying embers on the forest floor. "You're in there, aren't you Takato?." Shouted Golgomon. "I can sense you, and Takeru Takaishi too. I don't know how you managed to summon a power like that, but it won't be enough to defeat me, I—"
"You're going to die Daemon." Invictamon interrupted. "You're going to die and never return. I'm going to shred your data down to the smallest pieces and scatter it to the wind. That will be your punishment for the evil you wrought." At these words Golgomon let loose a roar of reasonless fury. "How dare you!" he screamed, an aura of fiery crimson energy engulfing his body while his muscles bulged beneath his red and black skin. "I am The Sovereign of all Worlds, the Digital God! I will not be insulted by lowly trash like you!" with that he sprang forward and rained down strikes upon Invictamon, who hid behind his great shield. The demon lord punctuated this assault by unleashing a gout of red flame from his maw which consumed Invictamon and threw him backwards.
"You are nothing, less than nothing. You and this fractured broken little world mean nothing to me…" raising his hands again, Golgomon summoned another sphere of power. "Devastation Orb!" he screamed, sending the blast shooting towards his enemy. From below, the kids watched in horror as the attack closed in on the prostrate Invictamon. The globe of angry red energy was about to engulf the holy knight when suddenly he sprang up and struck the sphere with his shield, sending it careening off across the sky before it finally exploded many miles away. Raising his blade again, Invictamon shouted back. "Then let us end it here- Aegis Strike!." He slashed twice at the air, his blade left behind an energy trail which formed a holy glowing cross before him, which suddenly flew forward- picking up speed and growing as it went. Golgomon roared in defiant anger and as the holy attack struck him, igniting the moment it touched his skin and transforming into a column of holy flames which lit up the area for miles around. That roar of anger turned in an instant into a howl of terrible pain as Golgomon felt Invictamon's attack begin to sear away the very skin from his bones. Willing himself to move, he leapt backwards from the dissipating attack and appeared as a ball of trailing smoke falling through the air. He attempted to fan out his wings but found that they had been burned away and were little more than bone now. From his blurred vision, he watched as Invictamon descended towards him.
From inside Invictamon, TK and Takato debated what to do next. Up until now they had been of one single mind regarding Golgomon's fate- but now as they beheld the gulf that existed between his power and their own, they and their partners felt a certain small sense of pity for him. Invictamon was a being of four minds working in perfect concert, but now for the first time those four beings wondered at what they should do next. One voice yelled to destroy him while they have the chance, while another argued that he was not a threat and should be given at least a chance to surrender. But before they could come to an agreement, the choice was taken out of their hands.
"Pandemonium Lost!" the voice roared from behind Golgomon, summoning an explosion of black flame which consumed the Demon Lord. Barbamon appeared in front of Golgomon followed his initial attack with a roar of "Dark Inferno!" finishing his master off and sending him scattering away into the forest below. Invictamon raised his shield in anger, but Barbamon shouldered his staff and put up both of his clawed hands. "I surrender, brave knight!" he said with a small smirk. "What did you do?!" Invictamon shouted, but Barbamon quickly replied "I think you will find I saved the Digital World and put an end to all this madness." But Invictamon was in no way pacified, yelling "You killed him just to save your own skin, you coward!." Barbamon began to slowly descend towards the ground, but as he did he said "As if you weren't about to do the same thing- you said as much yourself. I merely assisted, as a show of goodwill." His booted feet touched the ashy ground of the remains of the forest, and moments later Invictamon descended to join him on the ground. "A show of goodwill?" asked the knight, incredulous. "Yes, I formally surrender to you, and express regret for all my actions." Said Barbamon, placing one of his clawed hands over the space on his chest where his heart would have been. "Regret?" shouted Invictamon. "You kidnapped Kari, you massacred countless humans and Digimon, you made me destroy my friend Beelzemon- why should I spare you?." At this the knight raised his blade, ready to bring it down and cleave the Demon lord in two.
Barbamon's features betrayed no weakness as he spoke his next words, stating simply "You shouldn't. I wouldn't if I were in your position…" His ruby eyes met with the cool glowing blue of Invictamon's and for a moment the two were frozen in that stance. Invictamon became aware then of his friends approaching, their attention locked on his risen blade, awaiting his judgement. Finally, he lowered it with a sigh. "And I'm not you." he said simply. Barbamon seemed satisfied with this, turning, and walking away. "If you ever make trouble in this world or any other again, I'll find you." Invictamon said. "Don't worry- where I'm going you will never see me again…" said Barbamon as he raised his staff to open a portal.
It was at that moment that everything changed. The trees for a quarter of a mile either side of Barbamon were suddenly slashed into a kindling, and likewise the Demon Lord's body was cleanly bisected by the attack, his top-half falling to the floor as roaring sound of the attack arrived seconds later. Invictamon wheeled backwards to avoid the single slash which had destroyed Barbamon so easily, but the sheer force of the attack sent him flying away along with the rest of the Digidestined. Recovering, he dug his sword into the ground and looked up to the sky. Descending towards came a figure much smaller than Golgomon's previous form, but no less bound in muscle and sinew. Every inch of his crimson skin was stretched wide by bulging musculature, except for the mane of black spikes running up his back culminating in a crown of horns. His face was flat and thick-lipped, and his eyes shone like amber gems. This was it, Golgomon's final form- the true Demon of the Hazard.
In a single moment he vanished, before reappearing in front of Invictamon, having travelled the distance between them as if it were nothing. The holy knight attempted to raise his shield by before he could even tense his body Golgomon had already punched him high into the sky, sending out a shockwave which scattered all the Digidestined and their partners to the wind. Invictamon fanned out his golden wings and readied himself for the next assault but before he could even register it he was already spinning back down towards the forest floor, with Golgomon's claws dug firmly into his back. With a roar of animal satisfaction, Golgomon drove his enemy through the dirt, before rising and appraising his new form. Finally, he thought. Perfection.
_XX_XX_XX_
Sorry for the long break between chapters, but I'm back now. Hope you enjoyed, don't forget to leave a review.
Please see the designs for Invictamon and Golgomon Form III on my tumblr altusshimura