Chapter 18: Royal Knights
Chapter Text
In a few minutes, the sirens went off. Takeshi had planned to go to Ginza to speak with the man Nishi often spoke with, but he didn't expect much from it. Nishi seemed to find it more of a chore to speak with others. It was his mother's call that made him stay in the area. He had to pick up a dress from a tailor. Since he was nearby, he couldn't refuse her request. That's when Shun's message arrived.
"Nishi sighted at Wakasa intersection." Takeshi read aloud.
Prismamon poked his head out of the backpack and looked serious.
"Takeshi! We have to hurry and help him. That guy is dangerous!"
Takeshi didn't need to be reminded of that. He took off running. He was almost at the intersection when a man turned the corner. Takeshi stopped immediately.
"What's going on?" Prismamon asked impatiently.
The DigiDestiend remained in his position.
"Nishi...he's right there."
Indeed, the man in the long coat was only about 50 meters in front of him. He didn't seem to have noticed Takeshi yet. But what now? Should they attack him? Where was Shun? Had he done something to his friend? Should he be worried? No, Nishi had helped his friend the other day, so he wouldn't hurt him this time. But the situation was uncertain. Should he continue to the intersection? Or speak to Nishi?
His decision was triggered when Nishi suddenly opened a gate. He walked through it, and Takeshi ran after him.
"He's going to the Digital World! We have to follow him!" he told Prismamon.
"But shouldn't we check on Shun first?" Prismamon asked.
Takeshi disagreed.
"Oh, he'll be fine. He's my friend, and I trust him. But who knows what Nishi is planning to do in the Digital World!"
Prismamon finally agreed with his partner. Acting wrong now could be dangerous. Takeshi sprinted and jumped through the open gate.
This time, the DigiDestined hadn't arranged to meet at Izzy's, but at the ramen shop where Davis worked. T.K. and Patamon were the last to arrive. His brother had made himself comfortable on the couch and seemed to have no idea about cleaning up. T.K. nearly tripped over a beer bottle, which he then had to throw away with the rest of the trash. He worried about what Matt's household must look like.
When he entered, he saw Davis behind the counter, as usual, with Veemon at his side. Kari and Gatomon were talking to Ken and Wormmon, but there was no sign of Yolei. T.K. greeted them all and asked about the condition of his girlfriend. Ken told him that Yolei was back home but had to take care of some things after the wedding, including the honeymoon, which they didn't want to start until things here were settled. Then he turned to Kari.
"Maybe it's best if you repeat everything you told us."
The young woman nodded.
"I managed to get some more information out of Tai. Although it could be concerning."
T.K. furrowed his brow.
"In what way? Is it about this Nishi?"
His girlfriend nodded.
"The Digital Threat Authority was hacked about a year ago. Information that was classified was stolen."
T.K. understood.
"And they attribute this attack to Nishi?"
Kari confirmed it.
"Yes, because there was no sign of a breach. It was as if the data had been stolen by magic. No program or firewall reported anything."
Davis crossed his arms.
"That sounds like the abilities of this guy."
"What exactly is the data?" T.K. wanted to know.
Kari hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"It's about everything the authority has collected about Yggdrasil and the Homeostasis."
That didn't sound good at all. Both were forces that held the Digital World together in the truest sense of the word.
"Hey, didn't Takeshi and the others say that Nishi still needs something to realize his plans?" Veemon said now.
Ken confirmed.
"Yes, Nishi referred to himself as not yet powerful enough. So far, we have assumed that he is also after the book with Azulongmon's balls."
Gatomon also became thoughtful.
"We've been thinking too small. The balls are powerful, but no match for Nishi's current powers. He's after something much more powerful."
Patamon landed next to the Digimon.
"So he's after Yggdrasil and the Homeostasis? If he gains control over both, he could probably do whatever he wants."
No one contradicted him on this realization.
"But is Yggdrasil even still active? When Yolei and I destroyed its node point in our world, it should have gone offline, right?" Ken remembered Yggdrasil's attempt to connect with its variants from various parallel worlds to become the ultimate network. An organization called DigiPolice had asked him and Yolei to do it because they were the closest. Coincidentally, it was the very evening that Ken had proposed to his wife. In the end, it turned out that Dark Gennai was behind it, who had teamed up with ChaosPiemon, whom he had freed from the intermediate world that MagnaAngemon had banished him to.
T.K shook his head.
"We don't know for sure. Even if he's offline, Nishi could still be after his data. Either way, it won't be easy for him to get to both."
Gatomon agreed.
"Both Yggdrasil and the Homeostasis are located in areas that are separate from the Digital World. Probably even further than the world of the Gennais."
Ken nodded.
"If it were possible for him to enter these spheres, he would have done it already. That means he's still looking for a way to get there."
That sounded logical. Nishi hadn't reached his goal yet. Now it was a matter of making sure he wouldn't be able to.
Takeshi landed with his head on a hard surface. Prismamon was well protected because his backpack was nicely padded. He rubbed his head in pain and noticed blood on his hand, but it seemed to be just a scratch. Unfortunately, he didn't have a bandage or anything similar packed. Prismamon finally handed him a tissue and jumped out of the backpack. He looked around, and Takeshi followed his gaze as he cleaned himself up. It was immediately apparent that they were not in the same place as last time. No forests, just rocks.
He heard the rustling of small stones and turned around. In the distance stood Nishi, looking down at him. His expression made it clear that he was not pleased with the boy's arrival. Immediately, both he and his partner went into attack mode.
"What are you doing here? What do you want in the Digital World?" Takeshi demanded to know.
Nishi sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead.
"You're not making it any easier for me, are you? Just following me like that, what am I supposed to do with you now?"
Takeshi was aware of how dangerous the man was. He could probably turn him and Prismamon into frogs, rabbits, or something else. However, he hadn't done it yet. And sending them back would probably be just as easy for him.
"What do you think? You told us that you want to destroy both worlds! Do you really expect us to stand idly by?"
Nishi grumbled unhappily.
"Not destroy. I'm just ending them a little earlier. Both would have met their end anyway, and I would have missed my chance to create my own world."
Takeshi hissed.
"What exactly is the difference? Either way, it would mean the end of the world. I'm sorry to tell you this, but no one will support your plan!"
Nishi seemed to have expected this answer.
"Of course not. That's why I have to do everything alone again. It's exhausting... but in the new world, I'll finally have my peace."
Takeshi felt himself getting angrier. Then he looked around more closely. There was nothing here. What did Nishi want here?
"You mentioned that you're looking for something. Is it here?"
The man didn't answer, which Takeshi took as confirmation.
"Good, I'd like to see it too. I'll come with you."
Nishi shook his head.
"No, that won't do me any good. And you'd want to talk, that would be too annoying."
Takeshi clenched his fists.
"Fine, I promise not to start a conversation. And if you still want to stop me, you'll have to turn me into a frog to get rid of me!"
Nishi frowned.
"Huh? Why a frog?"
But Takeshi didn't answer that. Finally, Nishi gave in and set off. Takeshi kept pace with him, and Prismamon trotted behind them. Although the boy kept wanting to ask Nishi something, he didn't want to risk being left behind. He had only one chance. To get the thing that the man was after first, secure it, and be at an advantage. Of course, he knew that this wouldn't be easy.
They were now walking along a rocky path and stood in front of a bridge. It didn't look very safe, but Nishi crossed it without hesitation. Takeshi and Prismamon followed him, but they felt dizzy as they stared into the depths. A deep gorge, in which water was only faintly visible. Nishi wouldn't save them if they fell. But the crossing worked without problems, and they continued on their way.
From the other side, it went downhill, and Prismamon almost slipped once. Takeshi soon felt the urge for a break or at least something to drink. Nishi's stamina didn't seem to be affected. How many hours had they been on the move? Shouldn't it have been dark long ago? Time probably worked differently in the Digital World.
Finally, they were down from the mountain and in a magnificent valley. The flora covered wide fields, but nowhere did Digimon seem to be present. Up on the mountain, Takeshi had seen some bird-like ones, but down here it was quiet. Nishi also stopped now.
"Are...are we here?" Prismamon wanted to know.
Nishi didn't bother to confirm or deny it. His gaze was directed toward the sky. Takeshi followed it, but he couldn't see anything unusual.
"Why exactly are we here? There's nothing here at all."
Nishi seemed to disagree.
"Yes, there is, right up there. A door, but it's hidden."
The boy continued to scan the sky, but there was no sign. But if Nishi said so, it had to be true. Was there something behind this door...that he was after?
"And...are we going through it now?"
Nishi ran his hand through the back of his neck.
"Yes. But first, I have to take care of the troublemakers."
Takeshi wondered for a moment if he and his partner were meant, but then he was taught otherwise. A part of the sky began to deform, and finally, a hole was created. It looked like one of the portals that Nishi could open, but it was a different color. And something seemed to be coming out of it.
First, there was a large, black figure with a cloak. He was followed by a pink figure and a silver one. But there were still a fourth and fifth. Another arrival with a purple outfit and a fifth, who seemed a bit slimmer than the rest.
Takeshi realized that they were all wearing armor.
The broad black one, who seemed to be the leader, stepped forward while his comrades held back. He approached Takeshi and the others and examined them critically.
"How was it possible for you to find this place?" he demanded to know.
Nishi looked up at him.
"Well...I don't know exactly. But it cost me a few months. That was quite tedious."
His indifferent tone seemed to provoke the leader.
"I am Alphamon! Leader of the Royal Knights! Behind this gate is the realm of our god, Yggdrasil. How dare a creature like you even think of entering it?"
Nishi sighed.
"I just need the data of your god, that's all. So if you could get out of the way, you'd make things a lot easier for me."
The faces of the Royal Knights darkened. Prismamon tugged at Takeshi's pants.
"Let's step back a bit. They won't like it if someone insults their king."
His partner understood and stepped back.
"Who exactly are these guys? And who is this god?"
Prismamon grimaced.
"I've only heard stories. They say that Yggdrasil is the creator and god of the Digital World. The Royal Knights are powerful Digimon who carry out his will."
Takeshi understood. So they would be powerful opponents. Did Nishi really want to face someone like that? How did he imagine that? Yes, he had powers, but these knights looked frightening.
Now the knight with the purple armor flew at the intruder and landed right in front of him. His head was more of a skull, and in his hand, he held a terrifying ax.
"You fool! We will destroy you, and you will regret that you dared to rebel against Yggdrasil! Alphamon! Allow me the honor!" he called back to his leader.
He nodded to him.
"Agreed, Craniummon. I leave him to you."
Takeshi had to watch as the knight raised his huge ax and swung it down at Nishi. However, he raised only one finger to stop it. Craniummon faltered. He tried to complete the blow, but the finger seemed to be enough to create resistance. Then Nishi used his other hand to push the knight back. The ax remained in its position. Then everything happened quickly. Nishi pushed the ax forward, which split Craniummon in two. Not only Takeshi and Prismamon but also his comrades watched in shock as he dissolved into data.
Alphamon clenched his fists.
"Dynasmon! LordKnightmon! Duftmon! Get him!"
The three knights flew at Nishi, but as soon as they reached him, he disappeared. He seemed to have teleported behind the knight named Duftmon, who had a splendid leopard armor. Nishi now pierced this armor with one arm. His hand protruded from the chest of the Digimon, which lost structure and dissolved into data.
Dynasmon and LordKnightmon did not let it rest and attacked again. They seemed to be a well-rehearsed duo, but Nishi was faster. Takeshi could hardly follow his movements. Finally, he was behind the two knights and stretched his hands back. They reached their backs and shot a kind of energy out of them. Both knights were perforated and dissolved into data.
Takeshi was completely perplexed by all this.
"How can he...be so powerful?"
Prismamon was also almost sweating.
The two knights had barely dissolved when Alphamon was already above the attacker. Apparently, he wanted to catch him off guard. But Nishi stopped his fist effortlessly. Then he threw him in a wide arc downward. Alphamon crashed against the rock wall and fell to the ground injured. Nishi made sure he couldn't get up again, then turned to the portal.
Takeshi looked back and forth between the two. Should he support Alphamon? No, Prismamon wouldn't stand a chance.
"You could have saved yourselves the trouble. Now I'm going to get your god." Nishi said.
But to his surprise, Alphamon now began to laugh. This also puzzled Takeshi and his partner.
"Ha! You fool! Yes, you have defeated us, but don't think that you can achieve your goal! By defeating us, you have sealed your own doom! Now Yggdrasil's ultimate weapon will be activated! The last bastion for his protection! Look!" the knight cried and pointed to the gate.
Indeed. It was now beginning to enlarge itself. Finally, two red claws shot through it and grabbed two sides of the portal. With a powerful effort, something seemed to be pulling it further open. Soon it was so huge that it reached down to the ground.
Incredulously, Takeshi and Prismamon watched as something gigantic forced its way through the gate. The two red claws were only the beginning. Then followed a body covered with scales and a snout with sharp teeth. Large horns adorned his head. Takeshi had no idea what kind of Digimon could reach such a size.
Alphamon continued to laugh.
"Look at your doom! That's Examon, it's not called a monster for nothing! It could destroy an entire world in just a few days. You'll be devoured for breakfast!"
Takeshi had no doubt about that. Examon was a gigantic dragon; his roar alone could petrify someone. Nishi stood with his back to him, so Takeshi couldn't tell if he was impressed by the monstrosity. Examon now stretched out an arm, but Nishi teleported away. It was barely visible, but he seemed to have landed on the giant snout of the giant. Then he stretched out his hand and formed his fingers into a gun.
"Bang." Nishi said, and immediately an invisible bullet shot through the forehead of the monster. Examon screamed. It was a scream that went through bone and marrow. Incredulously, they watched as the huge Digimon dissolved into data. Yggdrasil's ultimate defender had been defeated. Just like that.
Nishi teleported back to the others and didn't seem too pleased about the effort. But it wasn't over yet. Alphamon had recovered and seemed to be preparing for a desperate attack. He flew at Nishi, but what could he do? He had just destroyed the presumably largest Digimon that existed. He only needed to stretch out his hand, which brought Alphamon to a stop. He put his hand on the knight's chest, and Takeshi watched as he slowly turned to stone. Soon he was nothing more than a statue.
The DigiKnight now realized that no one could defeat this guy anymore. Nishi turned around and walked towards the portal.
"Prismamon!" Takeshi called to his partner.
Both ran so as not to be left behind. Nishi had already passed through the portal, and the boy and his Digimon jumped after him. They landed on the other side.
This time, Takeshi was lucky enough not to land on his head but on his butt. He tried to orient himself and looked around. He seemed to be in a glass hall. No sound was audible, but it glittered and sparkled everywhere. He tried to spot Nishi and made him out a few meters away. He got up and ran towards him. This one didn't increase his pace, fortunately.
Soon they reached the only object in the hall. It was a pedestal on which a glass ball was mounted.
"So this is Yggdrasil. Doesn't look like I programmed him." Nishi mumbled.
Takeshi narrowed his eyes. This glass ball was supposed to be a god? Besides, it seemed to have a crack. Nishi touched it and grumbled.
"He seems to be busy. Some kind of short circuit or interference." Now the DigiDestined allowed himself a smirk. "Really? Then I guess you'll have to abandon your plan." But he had rejoiced too soon. Nishi shattered the ball, in which various data streams seemed to be located. His hand absorbed these data and left nothing behind.
"So, that's done." Takeshi and Prismamon recoiled.
"Does that mean...you now have everything you need to destroy the real and the Digital World?" Nishi didn't seem to like this expression at all.
"No, there's one thing I'm still missing. If I absorb it, I'll have everything I need," Nishi revealed. Then he walked back towards the portal. Takeshi knew he couldn't stop him. For a moment, he considered whether it was possible to lock himself and Nishi in this sphere. After all, Nishi had needed to search for it first. But he quickly abandoned this idea. He couldn't destroy the gate, and if he brought the ceiling down, it wouldn't stop Nishi either. Both passed through the gate again and found themselves back in the valley.
"Well then. I'll say goodbye. I've fulfilled your wish, even though it didn't do me any good," Nishi said and wanted to leave. But Takeshi held him back by the shoulder.
"Wait! I can't let you go. That would mean I'm allowing you to destroy our worlds!" Nishi sighed again.
"I've explained to you that you shouldn't see it as destruction." Prismamon also went on the offensive now.
"But we'll all disappear then, right? Me, Takeshi, Ruri, our friends..."
Nishi nodded. "Yes, but you would have anyway at some point. I'm just bringing it forward a bit. That way, the inhabitants of my own world won't have to suffer under this senseless decay anymore."
Takeshi now grabbed the man by the collar and pulled on it.
"And what good does that do us? We live in the here and now, and that's what we have to defend!" Nishi seemed to realize that he couldn't persuade the boy. A shock wave hit Takeshi and threw him back several meters. Prismamon ran to him to check if his partner was injured. Nishi himself walked forward until he reached the statue that had once been Alphamon. He placed his hand on it, and the leader of the Royal Knights was gradually de-petrified. However, he gave him no chance for another attack. A lightning bolt struck Alphamon, and his eyes turned red.
"Be so kind and take care of those two over there, will you?" Nishi ordered him. Alphamon made no gesture, but he seemed to have accepted the command. As he walked towards the two on the ground, Nishi opened a gate, presumably to the real world, and passed through it.
"Takeshi! We have to do something!" The boy knew that only too well and activated his DigiVice.
"Prismamon digivolves tooooo... PrismKnightmon!"
He drew his sword and attacked Alphamon. However, it was able to fend it off without effort. Takeshi fought his way back up to better support his partner and give him more power.
"PrismKnightmon super digivolves tooooo... PrismDukemon!"
With his lance, he was now able to push the opponent to the side. Nevertheless, the knight's armor seemed extremely stable.
"Takeshi! We have to hit him even harder!" the lance carrier called to his partner. But Takeshi hesitated a bit.
"Yes, but... the Digimon seems to be controlled. It's not attacking of its own free will," he pointed out. He was right about that, but Alphamon's next blow caused PrismDukemon considerable damage. Once again, the lance carrier called for his partner.
Takeshi clenched his fists. He had Nishi to thank for that. And he hated him for it. He couldn't help it. He was someone who urgently needed to be stopped. He felt sorry inside, but Alphamon was the victim.
"All right! Defeat it under any circumstances!" he screamed and gave his partner additional power.
"PrismDukemon Mega digivolves tooooo... Clearmon!"
It was able to deflect the next blow by changing its consistency. Alphamon's strike hit nothing, and Clearmon went on the counterattack. With both hands, it sent the knight flying into the air. Then it shot a rainbow-colored beam upwards. This hit Alphamon mercilessly and caused devastating damage. The Digimon dissolved into data, and the danger was averted. Clearmon digivolved back and rested for a while.
"We... have failed, haven't we?"
Takeshi looked disgruntled. They had indeed failed to stop Nishi. He was now in possession of Yggdrasil's data. According to his statement, he now needed only one more thing to realize his plans. After a while, they realized that they had no idea how to get back to the real world. Nishi had closed the gate behind him, presumably to prevent Takeshi from following him again.
And so an hour passed, which he spent thinking. He played with his DigiVice the whole time, but still didn't understand the technology behind it. After another hour, a familiar voice spoke to him.
"Hello? Takeshi, can you hear me?"
It was Izzy's. The boy reported excitedly and told him everything that had happened. In the meantime, Izzy determined his position and was able to tell him a place where it was possible to open a gate to the real world. Takeshi and Prismamon set off and finally found the spot. They stepped through the opening and found themselves in the president's office again. Davis, T.K., and Kari were also waiting for him.
"Finally! When you just disappeared and we couldn't locate your DigiVice either, we were worried," Davis patted the boy on the shoulder. He let himself fall into a chair and breathed an apology.
"Sorry, guys. I did my best, but there's just no stopping Nishi. Because of me, he's now in possession of this Yggdrasil."
T.K immediately shook his head.
"Oh nonsense. You only followed him by chance, right? He would have gotten the data one way or another. But this way, you were at least able to report to us, that's great."
With that, he actually managed to cheer up the boy a bit. However, the others were less successful.
"So he has Yggdrasil. That leaves only the Homeostasis. If he absorbs it too, our worlds are done for," Izzy deduced. Tentomon could only agree.
"Yes, but don't forget, Yggdrasil was the god of the Digital World. If anyone knows how to get to the Homeostasis, it's him."
Davis understood. And Nishi was now in possession of his data and all the knowledge he had.
"He knows a way to reach it. We have to hurry so he doesn't get ahead of us! Because then it's all over!"
The others agreed with him.
"Kari, if anyone can talk to her, it's you, right?" Davis turned to his friend. She lowered her gaze.
"So far, she's only used me as a mouthpiece. I don't think communication works both ways. I have no way to warn her."
So that plan was out.
"I'll contact Gennai, maybe he knows a way we can communicate with the Homeostasis."
An idea that everyone approved of. Gennai had been programmed by the Homeostasis, and even Hackmon served it as a messenger. If anyone could establish contact, it was surely the two of them. However, Izzy did not succeed at first, and there was nothing left but to postpone it until later. Then Kari took a step forward.
"Even if Gennai can't help us... there's still one place where there's an access point," she said now.
The others were surprised and didn't know what she was getting at. It clicked first with T.K.
"You mean... that dark place you never wanted to go back to?"
His girlfriend nodded worriedly.
"Yes. The sea... of darkness."
