(Author's Notes: Here's Chapter 25. After this will be the Interlude (AKA the end of Book One of Holy War). There might be a slight pause between Part I and Part II because I want to get a good head start on writing the current and next few chapters. It won't be anything crazy, but the update after the Interlude might be a bit slower coming. All depends on how much I can write.
Anyways, enjoy Chapter 25 and let me know what you think.)
Chapter 25: Hard Reset
The aftermath of the battle was a sort of organised chaos. Digimon were moving around every which way, scurrying around like bugs. From the outside, the grassy battlefield looked hectic and messy. However, there was a sort of internal logic to the chaos. Most of the Digimon moved around with clear orders and objectives in mind. After such a sweeping, disordered battle, there was a lot that needed to be done in the aftermath.
The Royal Knights' Order worked together not only with the Saversburg and Republic militaries, but also with the D-Brigade. This is where the logistics sections of the Order's Reconnaissance Forces and the D-Brigade came into full use. Divisions of soldiers needed to be moved around the grassy plain, wounded soldiers needed to be carefully moved and treated, medical supplies had to be transported and distributed, and the loyalist D-Brigade soldiers who had been taken prisoner needed to be rounded up and moved. While doing all this, they needed to avoid and flag the various dark rifts that had emerged.
The various forces worked together well. The D-Brigade was nothing if not disciplined and professional. Even following the unrest that saw them turn against their emperor and their fellow soldiers, they were still able to follow orders dutifully and methodically. They acted as a cohesive unit, going to help across the battlefield wherever they were needed.
However, their numbers had been greatly reduced by the battle. All participants – the Order, Saversburg, the Republic of Node, and the D-Brigade – had taken substantial casualties. Their numbers were thinner and there was a lingering sense of loss across the battlefield. In addition, there was tension, distrust, and resentment between the coalition forces and the D-Brigade. They knew they needed to work together, but not everybody had to like it.
The battlefield itself was a mess, even without the emergence of the dark rifts. What had once been a beautiful, grassy field was now a burnt, torn, and eviscerated landscape. Smoking impact craters peppered the field. There were deep furrows caused by beams carved into the expanse. The grass had been burnt by attacks and crushed by feet and tank treads. The pungent aroma of smoke, plasma, burnt matter, electricity, and blood wafted in the breeze.
The war was over, but there were still many challenges to overcome…
SaviorHackmon wandered across the battlefield, looking a bit lost. The bipedal dragon man walked along the grass, gazing around at his surroundings.
During the battle, he had tried to help as much as he could. He helped the wounded to safety, and even fought the D-Brigade at points. He had a few scuffs along his armoured body with bruises forming underneath, but he was more or less unharmed.
He was more concerned with what was around him. He walked forwards, moving past a deep, smouldering crater. It was just one of the many signs of how destructive this battle had been.
SaviorHackmon quietly and bitterly took in his surroundings. He observed the devastated battlefield. He saw the burnt grass, the drifting smoke and ashes that floated across the battlefield, and the destruction and ruin caused by the war. There was even a large chunk of the hill missing after getting struck by a powerful beam.
SaviorHackmon's snout curled at the choking, metallic and smoky scent on the breeze. He watched as Digimon ran across the battlefield, trying to bring aid to the wounded and to establish order. He knew that he needed to do the same. That was what he set out to do. However, in this moment, now that his adrenaline had died down, he began to take in the devastation caused by conflict.
The white dragon man walked deeper into the battlefield. He could see a lot of wounded lying ahead of him. Digimon were running over with medical supplies and stretchers. It was a grisly scene. There were a many Digimon with bad, bloody wounds. Yells of immense pain rang out from wounded soldiers. SaviorHackmon winced grimly. The scenes of devastation around him began to make him feel sick to his stomach.
However, he shook his head and hardened his resolve. He told himself to focus. He needed to help, despite his misgivings. SaviorHackmon clenched his fists and ran forwards.
He dashed forwards, his crimson cape flapping behind him as his bladed feet dug into the unearthed dirt below. SaviorHackmon ran over to a Cyberdramon, who was lying on his back, clutching his leg. There was a bloody, seeping hole in the rubber armour covering his thigh.
SaviorHackmon winced and kneeled down, looking at the Cyberdramon. He could tell from the band around his bicep that he was with the Aerial Strike Forces. "Are you alright?" he asked him with concern.
"I've been better, but it's nothing serious," the Cyberdramon said with a pained grunt. "Worry about someone more badly hurt."
SaviorHackmon shook his head. "I'm here now. Let me help you," he insisted, going and taking the Cyberdramon's arm and slinging it over his shoulders. SaviorHackmon straightened his bent legs and stood up with a grunt of effort, helping the Cyberdramon stand with him.
"Fine…" the Cyberdramon reluctantly muttered.
The metal-clad dragon man walked with the Cyberdramon for a minute until he saw two Digimon carrying a stretcher. "Over here!" SaviorHackmon called out to them. "This guy needs medical attention!"
After the two ran over, SaviorHackmon handed the soldier off to them and helped him onto the stretcher. He then turned around and ran off to find someone else to help. Over the course of several minutes, SaviorHackmon helped two more Digimon. After seeing the destruction that war caused first hand, he felt that he needed to do this.
SaviorHackmon watched as the Ogremon that he just helped was hauled off in a stretcher. He then turned and began running off to find another wounded Digimon to aid.
The next Digimon that he came across was a MetalTyrannomon. He wandered over to the large cyborg dinosaur and looked at him. He had a large, bloody gash along his leg, and several of his wires had been severed. SaviorHackmon also noticed that he had the D-Brigade insignia on him.
SaviorHackmon offered his hand. "Here… Can you stand up?" he asked the MetalTyrannomon.
The MetalTyrannomon looked up at him sceptically. "…I can't move a muscle," he explained.
"Then I'll help you," SaviorHackmon stated, walking closer and taking hold of his arm.
The MetalTyrannomon grunted. "I'm with the D-Brigade, you know," he felt the need to inform him.
SaviorHackmon paused for a moment in response. "…That doesn't matter to me," he responded, shaking his head. "You're hurt; that's all that's important."
The large, white dinosaur released a haggard breath and looked away. "I'm too heavy."
"I've carried heavier," SaviorHackmon insisted stubbornly.
He placed his claws under the MetalTyrannomon and lifted his heavy body up. With a snarl of determination and effort, he hoisted the dinosaur that was over twice his size onto his back. SaviorHackmon winced with pain as he held onto the large, semi-metal arms that were slung over his shoulders. He had to basically drag the MetalTyrannomon with him as he walked, which was a pretty difficult feat.
"You sure you don't mind helping the enemy?" the MetalTyrannomon asked him, letting himself be carried on the smaller Digimon's back.
SaviorHackmon grunted as sweat dripped down his face and body. "You're… not the enemy… anymore…" he insisted between strained breaths.
The MetalTyrannomon grunted with amusement at the Digimon's idealism. He looked forward and saw a D-Brigade Tankdramon ahead of them, who was also looking for wounded. "Take me over to him."
SaviorHackmon nodded and carried the large, half-metal dinosaur over to the Tankdramon. Once he reached the mechanised Digimon, he carefully transported the MetalTyrannomon onto the large tank Digimon's body. Once he was successfully unloaded onto the MetalTyrannomon's comrade, SaviorHackmon breathed a sigh of relief.
The MetalTyrannomon held onto the Tankdramon and glanced at SaviorHackmon. "…Thanks," he mumbled. "If you don't mind helping D-Brigade soldiers, there's a few more around here that could use your help."
"Okay. Take care of that leg," SaviorHackmon replied. He waved him off as the Tankdramon rolled away with the wounded MetalTyrannomon. Once they began to head towards the D-Brigade's makeshift camp, SaviorHackmon turned away and began to walk around the battlefield again.
As he wandered, he couldn't help but be drawn into his thoughts. He was surprised at how much he changed over the course of a day. Before the battle, he was filled with excitement. He wanted to fight against the D-Brigade, who he thought were a bunch of evil tyrants. He thought that that was what it meant to be a Royal Knight; fighting against evil, aggressive kingdoms and Digimon who wanted to oppress and destroy others.
However, the thought of war and battle no longer excited him. After having seen its effects first hand, anything that was romantic about it was gone for him. The brutality of war had affected him deeply. He felt naïve.
SaviorHackmon looked at his hand as he walked. He realised that he no longer wanted to use these hands simply to fight for the sake of fighting. He wanted to use them to help Digimon. He surprised himself when he realised that he even wanted to help D-Brigade soldiers. They weren't these heartless enemies to him. He was sure that they were regular Digimon just like anybody else.
His thoughts were interrupted by a long, pained groan that sounded out from nearby. SaviorHackmon stopped and looked around for its source.
To his shock, he saw the body of a Sealsdramon lying nearby. He was collapsed on his back beside a smouldering rut in the ground. SaviorHackmon suddenly ran over to him. He felt a stab of worry and nausea in his stomach as he looked down at the wounded D-Brigade soldier. There was a deep gash through the Sealsdramon's chest, and blood soaked the grass around him. Although SaviorHackmon didn't look closely, he was able to see the soldier's damaged digicore in his chest.
SaviorHackmon grimaced with nauseous disgust at the sight. Despite the numb feeling that emerged in his face, he dropped to his knees beside the Sealsdramon. "D-Don't worry. You're going to be alright. I'll get you some help," SaviorHackmon insisted to the Sealsdramon. He looked at the soldier's wound and took a deep breath, trying to summon his courage. He fortified himself before leaning forwards and pressing his hands on the Sealsdramon's wound to try and staunch the bleeding.
The Sealsdramon looked up at him with a look of weakness and pain. The lens of his scouter monoeye was shattered, and his armour was fractured in several places. "…Don't bother…" he weakly responded. "Forget about me…"
SaviorHackmon narrowed his eyes with determination. "Not a chance… You need medical help. I'm not going to leave you," he maintained adamantly. He couldn't help but wince at the warm, crimson liquid that he felt against his palms, but he refused to release the pressure that he was putting on the Sealsdramon's wounded chest.
The Sealsdramon released a pained breath. "W…Why…?" he asked.
"Because I'm not going to turn my back on a Digimon who needs my help!" SaviorHackmon shouted stubbornly. "Just hang on!"
"Focus on… someone you can actually help…" the Sealsdramon insisted, releasing a hoarse cough behind his half-broken face mask. SaviorHackmon was able to see the corner of his mouth, from which a trickle of blood leaked out of.
"I can help you…" SaviorHackmon assured him vehemently. He proceeded to look around the area desperately. He knew that the Sealsdramon needed more than his hands to make it through this. To his relief, he saw one of Saversburg's medical team a few dozen meters away. "Help me! I need some help over here! This soldier's badly wounded! I need bandages!" he shouted out to them.
To SaviorHackmon's relief, he saw the physicians notice him. Two of them started running over with medical supplies. SaviorHackmon sighed and looked down at the Sealsdramon. "They're coming now. You're going to be okay," he said with a relieved smile.
"…Thank… you…" the Sealsdramon breathed haggardly.
"It's nothing. You're not out of the woods yet," SaviorHackmon insisted, smiling warmly at him with relief. "They still need to patch you up."
The Sealsdramon weakly shook his head. "No…" he spoke, his voice at ease.
The bloodied corner of the Sealsdramon's mouth curved up into a faint smile. "Thank you… for being with me…" he said, looking up at SaviorHackmon. He weakly raised his hand and took hold of SaviorHackmon's hand, pulling it off of his wounded chest. He squeezed SaviorHackmon's hand tightly. "I didn't want to… be alone…"
The grip around SaviorHackmon's hand weakened and then the soldier's hand separated into data particles. SaviorHackmon's heart sunk when he saw Sealsdramon's body fade into floating specks of data. His eyes widened with horror when he saw the Sealsdramon's data break apart and float up around him. Within seconds, SaviorHackmon found himself alone, kneeling over nothing.
SaviorHackmon stared at the place where the Sealsdramon had been lying. His incredulous eyes didn't move from the place where the Digimon he had been trying to help had been seconds earlier.
"No…" he whispered, a pained, shaky breath exiting his mouth. "No…"
SaviorHackmon's stunned expression suddenly fractured and broke. His wide, gold eyes began filling with tears. He clenched his fists tightly, still feeling the Sealsdramon's blood on them, and bent forwards. He slammed his fist against the ground and shut his eyes tightly as tears began spilling down his face.
"NO!" he yelled, falling onto his arms and knees. SaviorHackmon released a choked sob and stabbed his wrist blade into the grass. "They were… They were going to fix you… D-Damn it…!"
SaviorHackmon remained there, trying to repress his tears and sobs, but failing. His body trembled with emotion, and he felt his spirit wracked with sorrow. As tears trickled down to his chin, he cursed his own helplessness and his inability to save the Sealsdramon.
After a few moments, he felt a warm hand on his caped back. SaviorHackmon opened his stinging, irritated, gold eyes and looked up. Gankoomon was standing beside him, gently rubbing his back with a stoic expression on his face.
"S-Sensei…" SaviorHackmon murmured, looking away from his master. "I… I couldn't save him…"
Gankoomon took a step forwards and placed his hand on the back of SaviorHackmon's head. "I know…" he said to him, his voice soft with understanding. "You can't save everybody, SaviorHackmon…"
SaviorHackmon shut his eyes and bowed his head, trying to stifle his tears before his Sensei.
"Don't look away, Hackmon," Gankoomon said to him firmly. "…Cry all you want, but don't look away... Don't turn away from these tragic scenes. Let them engrave themselves in your heart so you can learn from them and become stronger…"
SaviorHackmon sniffed and opened up his teary eyes, raising his head and looking forwards. Through his blurred vision, he gazed across the battle. The scenes of destructions and pain were etched in his memory, carved in his heart by his strong emotions. "S-Sensei… I h-hate war…" he said, his voice strained and quivering. "What's the point…? What's the point of all this sadness and destruction?"
"I dunno…" Gankoomon responded, sighing and rubbing SaviorHackmon's head. "But there will always be Digimon who want to fight each other…"
"I… want to stop it…" SaviorHackmon explained, narrowing his wet eyes. "I want to stop wars and conflicts from happening before more Digimon can lose their lives…"
Gankoomon smiled a little bit. "You sound like you have the will to follow through with that…" he observed. "Do you?"
"Yes… I do, Gankoomon-sensei," SaviorHackmon answered. His voice brimmed with resolve and determination.
"Then follow your heart," Gankoomon told him. "But you realise that the Royal Knights have to fight like this when the need arises. They have to fight in order to protect. You can't be a Royal Knight if you want to be a pacifist… Even Sleipmon fights."
SaviorHackmon wiped his tear-stained face with his arm and shook his head. "I don't want to be a pacifist… I'll fight in order to protect…" he explained. He glared with a newfound strength of mind. "If I become a Royal Knight, I'll fight in order to stop pain and suffering. But… fighting isn't always the answer, Sensei… That's what I believe… I know you might not agree…"
Gankoomon chuckled a little bit and lifted SaviorHackmon to his feet. "It doesn't matter what I believe! If you made that decision with your heart, then that's all that matters!" Gankoomon explained. "You have to carve your own path in life and make your own decisions." He placed his hands on his hips. "If you want to be a Royal Knight, you can't go around asking my permission all the time… Right, SaviorHackmon?"
SaviorHackmon smiled weakly at Gankoomon. He was grateful that Gankoomon was starting to have more faith in him. "Right… Thank you, Sensei…" he replied, straightening himself up. His smile faded as he looked down at the blood on his palms. His gaze hardened and he clenched his fists. "Then I've decided… I need to become a Royal Knight more than ever… I need to do my part in the Strike Forces…"
"Good…" Gankoomon said, placing his hand on SaviorHackmon's shoulder. "…But this doesn't mean that I won't beat your ass if you step out of line."
The dragon man chuckled a bit. "…I know, Sensei," he responded, starting to gain a fraction of his energy back. He looked at Gankoomon questioningly. "Shouldn't you be helping the other Royal Knights?"
Gankoomon shrugged dismissively. "Eh… Alphamon, Imperialdramon and them are dealing with the Dark Area stuff," he explained. "The rest of us who don't know much about that stuff are just helping organise everyone."
SaviorHackmon nodded. "You should go do that, then… Don't worry about me," he insisted, although his voice was obviously sombre.
"Okay," Gankoomon replied. "You should report to Grademon and see if he needs you to do anything."
"Right, Sensei," SaviorHackmon agreed. He took a lingering glance at the place where Sealsdramon had been lying, and then turned around and dashed off to find Leftenant Grademon.
Gankoomon smiled with pride as he watched SaviorHackmon run off. "…You're turning into a fine Digimon, Hackmon. With a heart as strong as yours, you'll make an excellent Royal Knight one day. Just make sure that you have the inner strength necessary to keep up with your heart. I'll be watching, my promising student!"
Meanwhile, several of the leading Digimon stood at the far west part of the battlefield. They stood some distance in front of the dark rifts that had been created around Chaosdramon. Among these were Imperialdramon, a handful of the Royal Knights, some of the Warrior Ten, and some of the military commanders from the various forces.
"I can't believe it," Dukemon said, folding his arms. "We take care of one problem and now a new one appears as a direct result."
"We can't seem to catch a break," Magnamon stated, sighing.
"Just how dangerous are these dark rifts?" Raijinmon questioned, looking over at the Royal Knights.
Alphamon turned and looked at the Thunderclap Commander. "You saw for yourself what they can do to a Digimon that gets consumed by that dark data," he explained. "Beyond that immediate threat, the deterioration of the Dark Area's barrier is a danger to the entire Digital World. There are many powerful prisoners within the Dark Area who could escape and wreak havoc."
"On the other hand, this could be a miraculous opportunity to study the Dark Area!" AncientWisemon exclaimed with a youthful glee. He began wringing his hands together excitedly and the eyes of his concealed face lit up. "There are countless tests that I have dreamed of running! In fact, if I may just sample a smidgen of that dark data for testing purposes…!"
As AncientWisemon summoned a vial in his purple, feathery hands, he began swiftly floating towards one of the dark rifts with a thirst for science. Before he could get make it past a meter, AncientGreymon grabbed hold of him with his foreleg. "Oh, no you don't, geezer," AncientGreymon stated, sighing with exasperation.
"Unhand me, you vile rogue! Release me from your grubby clutches, AncientBlackmon!" AncientWisemon protested, wriggling around in the dragon's grip.
AncientGarurumon grunted and tapped his foot impatiently. "More importantly, what are we going to do about it?" he asked, his irritation clear in his voice.
Imperialdramon Paladin Mode stepped forwards and rested the gigantic Omega Blade on his shoulder. "Several experts on the Dark Area have come up with a plan over the past few days," he explained. "We're going to have to implement it."
"Ah, yes!" AncientWisemon spoke up, suddenly ceasing his resistance as he became distracted by the new topic. "My plan! It is pertinent that we implement that plan post-haste!"
Gaioumon walked over, his Kikurin katanas sheathed in his belt. "Do you know of your role in the plan, AncientGreymon?" he asked, looking up at the large dragon.
AncientGreymon looked away from him with annoyance. "Tch. Yes, I do. Not that it's any of your business," he grunted. He cast a withering, sideways leer towards his rival. "I don't know why we even let you be a part of this conversation. You can't be trusted."
"Gaioumon did help quite a bit during the discussion," Tactimon pointed out diplomatically.
Gaioumon calmly nodded. "We need to work together. Nobody stands to benefit from Dark Area prisoners being released and running amok."
"I'm sure you'd find a way somehow," AncientGreymon grumbled.
"So, what is the plan?" Magnamon wondered.
"The plan is for AncientGreymon to tap into the Dragon's Veins and freeze the flow of energy using his powers. As he harnesses that data, I will access the Dark Area while simultaneously tapping into the data that AncientGreymon is harnessing," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode explained. "Ideally, once I did that, I could fix the whole barrier, but I think the barrier is far too damaged at this point. I'm going to have to reset the entire barrier and reconfigure its data from scratch. It's not going to be easy."
Omegamon frowned and looked at Imperialdramon. "Is it going to be dangerous?" he asked him.
Imperialdramon Paladin Mode smiled, shrugged, and rubbed the back of his neck, already giving Omegamon his answer. "Maybe a little?" he suggested.
AncientGarurumon looked at AncientGreymon. "Don't get yourself killed, lizard," he told him tersely.
AncientGreymon grinned. "As if we would, but it's nice to know you're worried about me, mutt."
"I'm not," AncientGarurumon grunted, glaring at him.
Duftmon folded his arms and thought carefully. "If you are planning to tap into the ley lines, then perhaps you should choose a spot where they intersect so that there is a greater well of power to draw from," he suggested.
Alphamon nodded. "Like the World Tree, perhaps?" he suggested. "That's where the ley lines originate from."
"That's a good idea," Imperialdramon agreed. "But we should probably get the permission of the Four Holy Beasts. This is something that they will want to know about."
"I will send somebody to speak with Xuanwumon," Alphamon stated. "He should still be around Saversburg, correct?"
AncientWisemon floated over and looked at the Royal Knights. "I should inform you that, thanks to that brute Chaosdramon, this will assuredly take longer than we initially expected," he explained.
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode sighed and nodded, running his fingers through his blond hair. "Yeah… I originally thought that we might be able to fix the barrier within six hours, but now…"
Dukemon frowned. "How long?"
"…Resetting the barrier might take us several hours, but if I'm rebuilding the whole barrier from scratch…" Imperialdramon spoke, his words sticking in his mouth. "…It'll take AncientGreymon and I around two days to complete. That means the barrier will be vulnerable for two whole days…"
Alphamon stared at him incredulously. "If that's how long it takes, it can't be helped… But two days of pouring your energies into that…? Can your bodies handle it?" he asked with concern.
"They'll have to," AncientGreymon insisted stubbornly.
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We don't have a choice," he concurred. He smiled lightheartedly. "…We'll be fine. We've got more than enough energy between us. We both have bounties of it."
Before anybody could voice their objections, Imperialdramon looked up at the sky to check where the sun was. "We'd better get going now. The sooner we start, the better," he announced. "Are you guys going to be okay here?"
"Hold on a minute," Omegamon said firmly. "I'm coming with you."
"What?" Imperialdramon asked, blinking and looking at his friend. "But—"
Omegamon shook his head and stepped forwards. "You need somebody there to keep an eye on you. You always overdo it. I am definitely coming."
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode couldn't help but smile. "I guess there's no point in arguing…" he conceded.
"I'll come too," Alphamon stated. "I would like to see how it goes. If need be, I can step in and take over."
"I'm going as well," AncientGarurumon spoke, eyeing the large dragon nearby. "Somebody has to keep AncientGreymon from being his usual, reckless self."
Imperialdramon Paladin Mode nodded. "In that case, I'd also like AncientWisemon and AncientSphinxmon to come so that they can help us keep an eye on our progress."
"But of course! It was my brilliant plan, after all!" AncientWisemon declared, folding his arms.
AncientSphinxmon nodded quietly, indicating his willingness.
"Don't worry about the rest of us. We'll help organise everything here," Magnamon assured them.
"Thanks," Alphamon said. He turned to Raijinmon. "And the D-Brigade? Will you all be okay?"
Raijinmon nodded. "We will be fine. We'll begin our demobilization efforts. The D-Brigade is nothing if not disciplined and well-organised," he told Alphamon. "Do what you need to do. It will take several days to hash out peace talks and exit our occupied territories anyways."
"Very well. I trust you," Alphamon responded.
Imperialdramon flapped his wings and lifted himself off of the ground. "Let's get a move on. The longer we take, the more dangerous it is," he stated.
"Right. Let's move out," AncientGreymon agreed, doing the same after allowing AncientGarurumon and AncientWisemon to hop onto his back.
"Good luck, guys," Dukemon told them. "Do your best."
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode looked over his shoulder and grinned. "You can count on us," he responded. He flapped his broad wings and shot into the sky. Alphamon, Omegamon, AncientGreymon, and AncientSphinxmon all flew after him.
Dukemon turned to Magnamon and Duftmon as they flew away. "Guess it's our job to do our best here."
Magnamon nodded. "It's all we can do for now," he stated. "I just hope they'll be alright."
Meanwhile, Bagramon resided in his hut on Yggdrasil's Mount, a peak of the Argent Mountains that overlooked New Terminal. The hermit's modest hut was dark. It was lit only by several candles, which had been placed on the floor.
The interior was different from usual; the furniture was moved to the side in order to make space in the middle of the living room. In the center of the room, Bagramon sat in a chair, staring passively at a glowing pentagram painted in the middle of the floor. Sigils and Digimoji had been drawn around the glyph. Its purpose was to help channel Bagramon's energy more precisely.
Bagramon stretched the fingers of his long, wooden, skeletal arm as he watched and waited. The large ruby in his dark, hollow eye gleamed brightly. The image of Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode and Alphamon passed through the prism of the refractive corundum. After a few more moments of watching Imperialdramon's group as they began to head off to the World Tree, the glow of his eye dulled.
"Two days… Apparently I have a window of two days to extract the Seven Great Demon Lords from the Dark Area," Bagramon stated, looking over at Wizardmon.
Wizardmon sat at the table that was pushed up against one of the walls. There was a large map of the continent opened up across the table, which Wizardmon studiously studied. There were six pins sticking into the map and the table beneath it. After carefully sticking in a seventh pin, the mage turned and looked at Bagramon. "Do you think you have enough time?" he wondered.
"You're the expert in dark rifts and the Dark Area, Wizardmon. I should be asking you," Bagramon replied with a slight smile. "But, to answer your question, yes, I think it can be done."
"Even with the internal barriers of the Dark Area?" Wizardmon questioned.
Bagramon closed his eye. "It won't be easy, I admit…" he pondered aloud. "The Dark Area is divided into nine purgatorial levels. The largest one is the outer level, where the data of deleted Digimon goes before it is reformatted. After that is a buffer zone between the graveyard of data and the inner levels. Beyond that are the seven prison levels. There is one Demon Lord on each of the inner purgatorial levels, not to mention other powerful convicts and simple, deleted Digimon whose data was judged as evil by either Anubismon or Plutomon. They are consigned there as well. Depending on the internal politics of the Dark Area, the Demon Lords may even have their own armies."
"If that's true, were you planning to extract them too?" the mage Digimon asked. "Because that would be impossible in only two days…"
"No, not at this stage," Bagramon responded. "Only the Seven. They will be difficult enough… I have to release them one at a time. The outer most layers should be simple enough, but with every extra layer, it will be more difficult and more time consuming to navigate the internal barriers. Imperialdramon needs to rewrite the barrier, so two days should be plenty of time, but, even then, it is not a guarantee."
Wizardmon nodded and turned back to the map, readjusting the seventh pin by less than a millimeter. A silence overtook the hut, leaving only the soft flicker of candle flames and the gentle hum of the magical circle on the floor.
As the silence lingered, Bagramon thought quietly to himself. "Little brother… I wonder if your data was judged as good or evil…" he contemplated. A soft breath escaped his nostrils. "…Is it really that simple…?"
"There. I'm finished," Wizardmon spoke up. He stood up from the table and stepped away from the map before turning to Bagramon. "I have pinpointed all of the largest breaches in the barrier."
"Good," Bagramon answered. He stood up from his seat and walked over to Wizardmon in order to look at the map.
"Do you think that you can spot them all with your Invisible Snake-eyes?" Wizardmon asked him. "I should warn you that one of the rifts is at the bottom of the Net Ocean. Right here." Wizardmon pointed to the part of the ocean off the eastern coast of the continent. "Will that be a problem?"
"It will be harder to locate, but I think I can manage, just as long as I know the general area," Bagramon assured him. "Thank you for your hard work."
Wizardmon shook his head. "You are the one who is funding my research," he responded sheepishly. "The least I can do is help you with your plans."
Bagramon nodded and looked over the map carefully. After several moments, Bagramon walked away from the table and stood in front of the glowing pentagram in the floor. "We can finally begin the next stage…" Bagramon spoke, gazing down at the glowing sigil. His artificial right eye suddenly flashed red. "Invisible Snake-eyes."
His vision was no longer focused on the floor of his hut. Instead, he found himself staring at a secluded, barren wasteland. The dry, cracked plain was littered with giant weapons that were stuck in the ground. Twenty foot swords, pole arms, and battleaxes towered over the flat expanse. The tips of the blades were embedded in the earth so, the weapons pointed either straight upwards or diagonally. Bagramon looked around the area carefully, taking ten minutes to find a large, gaping, dark rift in the middle of the plain. The deep, wide fissure spewed dark data from out of the Dark Area.
"I've found it," Bagramon spoke as he stretched his massive, right arm out and placed it over the glowing circle.
"Is there anything else that you need me to do?" Wizardmon asked him.
"Go and meet Black Pincer Company in Shroud. Bring them back here," Bagramon told him. "I will be fine here for now."
Wizardmon nodded obediently. "Good luck," he told him, heading for the door.
Upon hearing Wizardmon exit the hut, Bagramon focused on the magical circle below. "I suppose I should begin…" he spoke.
His long, wooden arm began to grow swathed in violet energy. The glowing circle on the ground began to react. Dark shadows emerged inside of the circle. They began to swirl around the floor, though never leaving the confines of the circle. The shadows hissed and the ground seemed to open up beneath them.
Bagramon's eye flashed and his arm began to grow bigger and longer. "Astral Snatcher," he whispered. His thick, skeletal arm reached into the shadows, stretching way beyond the floor. The arm tore a hole in the dimensional space and extended through it.
A swirling cloud of dark violet shadows formed in the sky above the plain of weapons. Bagramon's massive arm emerged out of the dimensional rift within the clouds. The Astral Snatcher reached down and carefully infiltrated the dark rift that scarred the grass. Upon entering, the constantly growing arm reached deeper and deeper into the pocket dimension. Bagramon's arm appeared unaffected by the dark data pushing against it.
Bagramon concentrated intensely, avoiding all external stimuli and focusing intensely on his task at hand. He carefully navigated the interior of the Dark Area, slowly but steadily stretching deeper. Bagramon kept his other hand free, as he would need to use it once he penetrated the first of the internal barriers.
He just needed to get into the first of the purgatorial prison levels. Then the first would be released.
A couple hours passed until Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode and the others reached the World Tree. The group flew over the Great Forest of the Neutral Zone, towards the center. They headed for the massive landmark in the center, which was visible for kilometers.
The World Tree reached into the sky, passing through the clouds so that only the lower boughs of the canopy could be seen. The colossal yew tree stood majestically. The trunk was thick and sturdy, reaching a couple hundred meters in order to support its great height and weight. Its leaves were a bright, verdant green, and the trunk was a healthy, dark brown hue. The World Tree had fully recovered from DarkKnightmon's attack and the Battle of the World Tree three years earlier.
As they reached the massive, expansive clearing surrounding the World Tree, Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode flew forwards and hailed the World Tree's guards. Recognising them, the Moosemon and other guards were satisfied that they didn't have any ill will, so they lowered their watch.
As the group touched down on the grass in the clearing, a colossal bird Digimon swept down through the clouds. The white, radiant form of Valdurmon swooped down, his body backed by a glory of light. The primary guardian of the World Tree flapped his wings powerfully and stopped in front of Imperialdramon, the two Royal Knights and the four Warrior Ten.
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode smiled and looked up at Valdurmon. "Hello, Valdurmon," he greeted.
"Imperialdramon…" Valdurmon spoke, his deep voice resonating. He turned his avian head and looked around at the Digimon with him. "Alphamon… AncientGreymon… What are all of you doing here?" he asked with tentative concern.
"As you can probably guess, this isn't a social call…" Imperialdramon explained, his voice growing serious. "Something big is happening. The security of the Digital World is at stake."
Alphamon nodded and stepped forwards. "The barrier between the Digital World and the Dark Area has deteriorated rapidly over the past day thanks to Chaosdramon. If we don't act, the barrier could collapse and the prisoners held there might escape."
Valdurmon narrowed his eyes at their words. "I see… That is troubling…" he spoke. He arched an eye and gave the group a scrutinizing look. "And what do you need from me?"
"We want your permission to tap into the ley lines beneath the World Tree," Imperialdramon Paladin Mode explained in a beseeching voice.
"We need to use the great power of this area if we have any hope of rewriting the barrier before it's too late," Alphamon added. "Please, Valdurmon. Xuanwumon knows of this plan."
Valdurmon sighed and closed his eyes. "…Will there be any risk to the World Tree?" he asked.
"Not a chance," AncientGreymon stated firmly. "Imperialdramon and I know what we're doing."
"…Very well," Valdurmon conceded. "Please, be careful."
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode nodded. "We will. Don't worry," he reassured the World Tree's guardian.
"Right then. Let's get to work," AncientGreymon stated, turning around. The large, armour-clad dragon closed his eyes and began sensing the ley lines in the area. He could sense a tremendous well of power beneath the ground. Given that this area was the origin for all of the Dragon's Veins in the Digital World, it makes sense that this was the spot with the most concentrated power.
AncientGreymon began walking around the area until he found the spot with the greatest concentration of energy. He wandered around the clearing for a few moments until deciding on the best spot. The Warrior of Flame stopped in the grass and tapped the ground with his foot. "Over here! This is the spot," AncientGreymon declared.
"Okay, good," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode spoke, walking over to AncientGreymon. "How much space do you need."
"Ten meters should do," AncientGreymon spoke, standing firmly on his four legs. He bent his body down and closed his eyes. "I'll start now. Stand back."
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode nodded and gripped the Omega Blade in his hands, getting ready himself. Likewise, AncientSphinxmon walked over to Imperialdramon's side, preparing for when the dragon knight tapped into the Dark Area.
"What should we do?" Omegamon asked, watching as the three prepared.
"Let's just stay out of their way and watch for now," Alphamon replied.
AncientWisemon floated beside them and cupped his hands to his face. "AncientLynxmon! Be sure to check the data structure of the Dark Area's data!" he called out to AncientSphinxmon, once again accidentally butchering their names. "AncientGaymon! Make sure to coordinate your timing with Unbearabledramon! It is imperative that you both work together to ensure to consistency of the barrier!"
"What did-?! It's 'AncientGreymon'! AN-CIENT-GREY-MON!" AncientGreymon heatedly shouted at AncientWisemon. "Get it right for once, you mad geezer!"
"That is exactly what I just uttered!" AncientWisemon blithely responded.
AncientGarurumon shot the Warrior of Steel a look. "Don't get him riled up, AncientWisemon. He needs to focus," he told him.
"Why, I was merely offering counsel!" AncientWisemon huffily responded.
Imperialdramon smiled and looked at AncientGreymon. "Ready?" he asked him.
AncientGreymon nodded firmly. "Leave it to me… Gaia Tornado!" he spoke, his deep voice resonating and seeming to cause the ground to rumble.
Imperialdramon gave the large dragon Digimon some space. He watched as the ground in front of AncientGreymon began to fracture and split open. Several cracks opened up around AncientGreymon like a spider's web. However, instead of a tornado of terrestrial energy forming, the deep cracks simply formed
The cracks suddenly shone brightly with a bright light. AncientGreymon's blue eyes suddenly burned with the hue of fire. AncientGreymon tapped into the ley lines and he felt a surge of energy sweep into his giant body. Flames ignited around his form and swelled across his wings and back. The Warrior of Flame unleashed an energised laugh as adrenaline and power swept through his body. His form trembled as he harnessed the rich well of power that was difficult for him to control. "Ha-hah!" he yelled excitedly. "Here we go! Get ready, Imperialdramon! I'm trying to take control of this power!"
Imperialdramon nodded and gripped the Omega Blade in his hands, pointing the tip of the blade towards the ground. "Just say when…"
AncientGreymon snarled as his entire form crawled with flames. He concentrated as he used his own immense power to wrestle with the powerful source of the Dragon's Veins beneath them. He began to sweat heavily as the strain of such an effort got to him. However, he knew that, although this would be the most difficult part, there was still a long way to go. He would need every ounce of energy that he could muster.
The Warrior of Flame dug deep. He unleashed a sudden surge of dominating energy that sent further cracks in the ground around him. The fire wreathing his body burst outwards in a sudden flash, the embers extinguishing in the air. AncientGreymon released a strained roar of determination and effort as he finally harnessed the full extent of the Dragon's Veins.
"NOW!" AncientGreymon roared, his body straining and trembling with energy.
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode's red eyes hardened and he plunged the Omega Blade deep into the ground. "Omega Blade!" he shouted as the sword shone with holy light.
The yellow light shining from the cracks in the ground suddenly turned a bright white colour. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode's eyes glowed as he accessed the Dark Area's porous external barrier. He grunted with effort as he tapped into the Dark Area in conjunction with AncientGreymon controlling the ley lines. With the Omega Blade as a conduit, he could sense the Dark Area's barrier that he helped to create.
AncientSphinxmon acted next. His red eyes flashed as he, too, accessed the Dark Area. The ground beneath him became swathed in shadows, and a small, black portal opened up in front of him. He silently analysed the Dark Area, the domain that he and Plutomon watched over.
For several minutes, Imperialdramon and the Warrior of Darkness probed the Dark Area, taking in the full extent of the damage. Suddenly, a glare formed on Imperialdramon's face, and the corners of AncientSphinxmon's mouth curled into a frown.
"Something's wrong…" Imperialdramon spoke, gripping the Omega Blade tightly, the blade trembling in the ground.
"This is…" AncientSphinxmon murmured seriously.
Alphamon frowned and took a step forwards. "What's wrong?" he asked them.
"…Somebody else is infiltrating the Dark Area," AncientSphinxmon spoke. "And it isn't Plutomon…"
"What?" AncientGarurumon demanded, clenching his fists tightly.
"It's definitely a foreign body…" Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode spoke with a wince. "This isn't good…"
AncientSphinxmon hissed softly. "I'm going in," he spoke, about to step into the portal.
"You cannot! Cease at once!" AncientWisemon protested. "Do not forget what the purpose of this is; our priority is to rewrite and mend the Dark Area's barrier! If we abandon our plan solely to fixate on stopping a single entity then we risk the entire barrier collapsing and all of the rogues held there absconding! We must focus on the bigger picture."
AncientGarurumon turned and looked at the Digimon beside him. He glared and clenched his fists tighter. "But…" he wanted to protest, but he also knew the truth in AncientWisemon's words. He growled with frustration.
"He's right, AncientGarurumon," Alphamon told him. "I don't know who's doing this, what their goals are, or how they knew about the weakness of the barrier so quickly, but we must minimise the damage as much as possible."
AncientSphinxmon nodded quietly and backed away from the portal. "Yes, you are correct…" he agreed.
AncientGarurumon grunted and sighed. "Very well…" he conceded. He had a vested interest in preventing a break out of the Dark Area.
"Right, carry on, AncientSphinxmon," AncientGreymon said with a growl as he concentrated on halting the flow of the energy in the ley lines. It took a tremendous amount of effort. "Imperialdramon… Don't lose focus…"
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode nodded and he concentrated on altering the barrier with his sword. As much as it concerned him about another Digimon entering the Dark Area, he knew he had to focus on the task at hand. He began to pour his power into the ley lines that AncientGreymon was harnessing, as well as the barrier of the Dark Area itself. The two were intertwined at this point, so it was necessary to access both.
"AncientSpheremon!" AncientWisemon called out. "What is the dark data like?!"
Omegamon watched with trepidation as the darkness flowed around AncientSphinxmon's body. "Is that safe…?" he asked. "Being in that evil data?"
AncientSphinxmon glanced over at the group as they watched. "The darkness is neither moral nor immoral…" he said to Omegamon. "The darkness of the outer level of the Dark Area is generally natural." He narrowed his eyes. "However… the darkness is becoming corrupted. Dark data from deeper in the prison levels is seeping out through the holes in the internal barrier and is corrupting the data of the outer level."
"Fascinating!" AncientWisemon exclaimed. "Worrisome, but fascinating! I hypothesize that the liquid substance known as Black Digitron is native to the Dark Area, and that has some effect on the corruption of data."
Omegamon felt a chill down his spine. "…Then it is absolutely necessary that we get this right…" he spoke.
AncientWisemon folded his arms and nodded confidently. "Especially before the processes involved in the regeneration of digi-eggs become corrupted!" he stated in a carefree voice.
A dour silence washed over the clearing as a result.
"…So, no pressure!" Imperialdramon called over.
"Tch, really, AncientWisemon…! Don't say that in such a carefree way!" AncientGreymon grunted.
AncientSphinxmon closed his eyes and concentrated. "…Imperialdramon… Do you feel that?" he questioned as his body was half-submerged in shadows. There was a subtle tension in his words.
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode glowered with worry. "Yeah… Whatever it is, is trying to penetrate into the outer prison level…" he spoke as he continued to pour energy into his sword, which accessed the Dark Area.
"That's what I feared…" Alphamon spoke, narrowing his eyes. "Keep track of it, but focus on resetting the barrier."
"Yeah…" Imperialdramon spoke, grunting with effort. He turned his head and glanced up at AncientGreymon. "I'm getting ready to reset the configuration data of the barrier. Then I'm going to start rebuilding it from scratch…"
"Are you sure this is the best way?" AncientGarurumon asked, looking over at the three Digimon.
Imperialdramon winced. "I don't feel great about it with this with this foreign entity accessing the Dark Area, since it will leave the Dark Area more vulnerable. However… I'm accessing all of the barriers right now, and I can feel that the internal barriers are badly deteriorated. Even if we don't do anything, the Digimon will still be able to do whatever they plan to do. At least this way, we'll be able to repair and strengthen the barrier before too much irreparable damage is done. This is the best way…"
"We trust you, Imperialdramon," Omegamon reassured him.
Alphamon nodded in agreement. "Do whatever you need to do."
Imperialdramon grunted and nodded, grunting the Omega Blade tightly. "Okay… AncientGreymon? AncientSphinxmon…?" he spoke, the effort and strain clear in his voice. "On the count of five, I'm deleting the configuration data…"
AncientSphinxmon nodded quietly.
"Right… I've got you covered…" AncientGreymon assured him.
Imperialdramon closed his red eyes tightly. "Five…"
He gripped the Omega Blade tightly. "Four…"
AncientSphinxmon's frowned with only the slightest bit of concern flashing in his eyes. "The first prison level has been penetrated…"
"Three…"
The Omega Blade began to brim with a blinding, white energy. The cracks around the blade widened and caused earth to pour into the holes.
"Two…"
Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode's eyes snapped open and he glared fervently.
"One!" he yelled, his voice trembling as he sent power surging into the Omega Blade.
"Initialize!"
A few hours passed since the process begun. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode had reset the barrier in order to create a new one. He was working hard in the process of configuring a new barrier for the Dark Area.
Meanwhile, Bagramon was nearly done extracting the first prisoner. After hours of struggling against the barriers and the abyss of the Dark Area, Bagramon had successfully contacted who he had been looking for. He was now in the process of extracting him.
Dark, grey clouds gathered above the field of swords. The thick vapour grew denser and darker, creating a caliginous, foreboding shade overhead that rivalled that of Shroud. Bagramon's Astral Snatcher continued to reach down from the dimensional portal in the sky into the Dark Area. The long, skeletal arm now was in the process of retracting from the Dark Area.
As the arm continued to pull out, there was an outpouring of dark data from the dark rift that it was invading. The wrist of the wooden arm was beyond halfway through the outer level of the Dark Area. The closer it got to the dark rift, the thicker and darker the clouds became. In fact, as the hand grew nearer and nearer to the surface, the clouds themselves began to change.
A deep, crimson glow began to ignite in the sky. On the underside of the murky clouds, a giant, red circle suddenly formed. Within the large circle was a second, smaller circle. At the center of this circle was an obscure sigil which wasn't a Digi-letter. The crest was shaped like a red, three-pronged trident that pointed upwards. On the bottom of the longest, middle, vertical line was a small ring. Below this, there was writing that read, 'CAUTION! PURGATORY LEVEL 1'. Above the crest was another symbol, which was a small ring with a dot in the center of it. Between the outer and inner circles of the sigil was more writing. These words read the following: 'LEVEL: 666' 'SYSTEM: LUCIFER' 'CODE: PRIDE'
The crest shone brightly and prominently. The closer that Bagramon was to extracting the prisoner, the more luminous the crest glowed.
Finally, Bagramon extracted his arm, which was clutching a Digimon in his massive, skeletal hand. Once past the dark rift, Bagramon released the Digimon onto the ground before pulling his arm back, further into the air. When the Digimon touched down on the Digital World's soil, the crest overhead shone with a deep red colour.
A humanoid Digimon landed gracefully on the ground, touching the grass lightly with his white boots. Over his body, he wore a pristine, white suit. Layered over this bodysuit was a black jacket that covered only his arms, shoulders, and back. Matching this were black leggings which reached from his thighs down to his knee-high, white boots. All of this was garnished with a splendorous gold lining that gave off an elegant, showy appearance. To match this, beneath the humanoid Digimon's neck was a large, golden broach in the shape of the sun.
He had a human face with fair skin and shoulder-length, blond hair. The Digimon's face wore an expression of subdued curiosity as he looked around his surroundings. He had pale, blue eyes which stared across the weapon-strewn landscape with a look of aloof superiority.
The Digimon in question was dichotomous. His appearance made him seem like a half-angel, half-demon. The right side of his body was angelic, while the left side of his body was demonic, opposite to that of Bagramon. Five immaculate, white, feathery wings protruded from the right side of his back. Meanwhile, five black, bat-like, demonic wings extended from the left side of his back. This incongruity extended to his face as well, as an angel and demon wing were placed on each side of his head, with a pair of black, feathery wings directly below them. Stricken down the left side of the demon Digimon's face was a pair of jagged, red scars, which were even given through battle or through some sort of punishment. It was more likely the latter, given the demonic nature of that side of his body. Matching the shape of the scars was a long, red brand down the sleeve of his left arm. The angel-demon theme continued down the rest of his body, with ornamental angel and demon wings adorning the golden bracelets of his knees and ankles.
This demon Digimon was Lucemon: Falldown Mode, the first Digimon to rebel against the Heavenly Choir and their God. He was the one who initiated the bloody civil war known as the Heavenly War.
Lucemon took a few tentative steps on the ground of the Digital World. He stopped and raised his hand, brushing his blond hair back as he looked up into the sky.
"My, it has been awhile…" he spoke, his voice calm, refined, and confident. He looked up towards the large, skeletal arm that extended from the abyssal hole in the blackened clouds. "It seems that I am finally free of that wretched prison… And who do I have to thank for that?"
"An old comrade of yours, Lucemon…" Bagramon's deep voice echoed through the dimensional portal. "From our rebellion, way back then..."
Lucemon blinked with dull surprise. "Bagramon… You actually survived?" he questioned with curious incredulity.
"Only barely… They destroyed half of my body after you seven were defeated and locked away. It was all I could do to survive…" Bagramon explained.
"Ah, yes… Our righteous rebellion… thwarted by pathetic heretics and heathens," Lucemon spoke, folding his arms. "So, tell me, Bagramon… Why release me?"
A soft laugh echoed through the clouds. "Because I have been mulling over our defeat for the past few decades… The plans that we had… The righteous and virtuous plans that we had for the Heavenly Choir and the Digital World when we began our struggle against those stubborn and close-minded fools up in the Sky Colonies…" Bagramon spoke. "I don't know about you, but just because we were defeated, that doesn't mean that my goals have changed. I have chafed under the dominance of the Sky Colonies ever since. I have had to live secluded in the mountains. I am not content to leave things as they are. Are you, Lucemon?"
"Obviously not, Bagramon," Lucemon responded with a dismissive shake of his head. "I have been locked away in the hellscape that is the Dark Area. I was forced to contend with others for dominance of a pathetic prison dimension. You think you have suffered, but you know not of what I had to go through. A high-ranking angel reduced to consorting with the likes of common criminals…" The demon man narrowed his eyes and looked up at Bagramon. "No, I agree with you completely, Bagramon… I thank you for releasing me. We must continue our rebellion somehow. This glorious Digital World deserves nothing less."
"I agree, Lucemon," Bagramon spoke. "But for now, we must wait patiently. We must consolidate our forces and plan carefully we want to have any hope of success. We are still in the early stages of our plan."
"That is a logical conclusion. You must fill me in, Bagramon," Lucemon stated.
"I will. However, first, I must release the other six," Bagramon informed him. "For the time being, please remain hidden and unknown. I cannot keep my actions a secret indefinitely, but we can attempt to keep our opponents guessing for as long as possible."
"Naturally," Lucemon spoke, nodding in agreement. "Very well. I will stay out of sight for now. I must regain some of my strength anyways. Contact me when you wish to meet."
"Of course," Bagramon responded.
Without another word, Bagramon pulled his hand back into the dimensional portal. As soon as it disappeared in the void, the dimensional rift closed, leaving only dark clouds and the fading Crest of Pride in the sky. Bagramon immediately went to work on freeing the next Demon Lord.
When Bagramon was gone, Lucemon smirked smugly and gazed across the field of swords.
"Fear not, Digital World, for I have finally returned..."