Holy War

by Griff4823

The sequel to "A Dragon in Shining Armour". The Royal Knights secured victory and peace set over the continent, but it isn't to last. The autocratic Metal Empire, a team of amoral mercenaries, and a mysterious Digimon in the shadows; it's up to the Order of the Royal Knights to intervene. Can they stop things from spiraling out of control, all while dealing with their own issues?

44. Chapter 31 Part 3: A Crisis of Faith

(Author's Notes: Here's the final part of Chapter 31, finishing up this flashback arc. I really enjoyed writing these chapters. We're back to regular programming now. Lots to catch up on in the present day.

Speaking of which, Happy Odaiba Day! I know that it was yesterday, but it was too hot here to post it then, so here it is a bit belated. Anyways, enjoy and leave a review if you want! I love hearing everybody's thoughts, and I really appreciate all the reviews I got last time. I'll reply to them all either today or tomorrow. Thanks!)

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Chapter 31: A Crisis of Faith (Part III)

"Don't you see, Seraphimon?! God is the cause of all of the suffering in this world!"

Bagramon tore upwards into the darkened, night sky. He flapped his powerful white wings and propelled himself towards the archangel of blue, silver, and gold. With strength and zeal, he raised his long, glowing sword over his head and swung it down on the seraph Digimon.

Seraphimon crossed his armoured forearms over his head and blocked the blade. Light flashed between their bodies at the mighty impact. Seraphimon drove his heel into Bagramon's armoured chest and sent him reeling backwards. "What is this nonsense, Bagramon?! God is the source of everything good!" he protested angrily. He raised his hand towards Bagramon and outstretched his fingers. Electricity began to crackle and dance along his palm threateningly, intertwining his fingers. "What happened to you, Bagramon?! Have you lost your mind?! Stop this senselessness at once!"

"I have seen the light, Seraphimon," Bagramon protested, recoiling from the blow and glaring at the archangel opposite him. He didn't expect Seraphimon to understand. He poised his sword and tensed his body, preparing to move in an instant. Where his will was once uneasy, it was now dauntless. He would even fight his friend if he had to. "I have finally acknowledged the feelings that I have been casting aside all this time. God is cruel and imperfect. I cannot serve him any longer. I cannot serve you any longer, Seraphimon."

"You have been deceived by that duplicitous heretic Lucemon!" Seraphimon boomed, lightning exploding from his hand. "Divine Breaker!"

The stream of divine lightning ripped out from his palm in a sudden, powerful streak. The jagged tendrils of burning, sanctified light snapped through the night sky towards Bagramon. The dark-haired angel only barely managed to evade the piercing surge by flying sharply to the right. The potent lightning bolt swept by him, adding another flicker to the flashing, burning clouds of the umbrous Sky Colonies.

A week had passed since the Demon Lords had been freed and the rebellion had begun. It was a week of terror, bloodshed, violence, and betrayal.

The Heavenly Choir was divided, fractured. There were those who followed the Seven Great Demon Lords and rose up against the Heavenly Choir. In the process, most of them had become demon Digimon themselves as they fell from grace. Then there were those who loyally supported the Three Great Angels and the Heavenly Choir. They were greater in numbers than those of the rebels, but as the days went on and their numbers dwindled, the situation was beginning to equalize.

Much of this was due to the sheer strength and ferocity of the Demon Lords. Individually, they were powerful enough to destroy dozens of angel Digimon at a time. They were a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, and it became bad enough that the Celestial Commanders and Three Great Angels had to step in to fight them directly.

The Rebellion had started off slowly in the first night, but it swiftly escalated. Even the Virtues and the Dominions, as well as the lower orders of angel Digimon, entered the fray out of a sense of duty to whichever side they supported. The battle raged in the Second Sphere between the loyalist soldiers of the Powers and their rebellious colleagues. Over the course of the week, the fighting there was inconclusive, as both sides battled each other bitterly to a stalemate.

In the first night of the rebellion, the fighting immediately spilled over into the Third Sphere. It started off as isolated attacks from the demons, but soon, skirmishes and eventually full scale battles erupted within the Third Sphere of Lambent. Thick layers of smoke wafted up from the Golden City. The black fog added to the thick veil of stygian clouds that endlessly clotted the night sky. Meanwhile, the First Sphere was largely untouched except for a few blasts upon its surface after failed attempts by the rebelling demons to capture it. The First Sphere was well-defended by the Three Great Angels, and, unless the Second Sphere was captured, the First Sphere could not be taken.

However, as the days went on, the tide of battle began to turn in the Demon Lords' favour. After the third day, their sheer power helped to gain them the upper hand, along with Barbamon's cunning tactics. Under Barbamon's direction, many strategic points in the Third Sphere had been successfully taken by the demons. The Golden City was ravaged under this wave of attacks, and many unspeakable atrocities took place. The executions of prisoners, the murder of civilians, and other heinous acts were carried out. Most of these brutal massacres were perpetrated by the demons; they were savage, merciless, and often sadistic in the way that they acted. However, the angels refused to give any leniency to what they called heretics either. They showed the demons no mercy and often killed them on the spot. The fighting was brutal and personal. Friends turned against friends. Colleagues against colleagues. Brothers against brothers. Sisters against sisters. They knew the Digimon they were fighting. It only served to amplify the brutality and the tragedy.

In these middling days, the demons were able to take control of much of the Golden City, as well as the bridge to Sky Colony: Empyrea. From that point, they were able to capture the whole of Empyrea, purging the lesser Sky Colony of most of its defenders. Those who got in their way were slaughtered in the streets. The marble roads of Empyrea ran red with blood and the air became congested with smoke and dispersing data. Barbamon's strategies were proving brutally effective for the Demon Lords. The momentum was fully with them, and the Three Great Angels were losing traction and soldiers quickly.

Then, on the fifth day, a minor miracle happened.

Although no outside help was requested by the Three Great Angels, it was received. Out of nowhere, a massive black dragon Digimon clad in red armour and goggles barrelled in and blasted the Demon Lords' strongholds in the Golden City. It was AncientGreymon, and with him were nine other Digimon. The Warrior Ten had arrived to help the Three Great Angels. Rumours had spread in the Digital World about an uprising of demon Digimon in the Sky Colonies. When AncientGreymon heard that they were committing despicable acts, he determined that they had to be stopped. Although some of them were reluctant to get involved at first, he convinced the rest of the Warrior Ten that it was their duty to help the beleaguered angel Digimon. It took him a day to convince them, but they finally relented under his persuasion. AncientGreymon flew them up to the Sky Colonies himself. They coordinated with the Three Great Angels, and through the Warrior Ten's abilities and Shurimon's exceptional strategies, they were able to retake half of the Third Sphere.

However, as the Seven Great Demon Lords fought back against the Warrior Ten, progress slowed down on both sides. The Demon Lords were on the back foot, but they fought back strongly enough to drag the battles to a deadly stalemate. The Demon Lords began to resort to more desperate and brutal tactics to ensure that they got the upper hand. Sporadic and intense fighting took place through the night, and the conflict was in danger of going either way.

On the sixth day, AncientGreymon sent AncientBeatmon down to the Royal Knights to call for their aid. When he arrived and explained the situation, the Royal Knights were sympathetic to their plight, but they couldn't agree amongst themselves on whether or not to intervene. As far as they could tell, it was a civil war, and they weren't sure they had any business intervening. There was also the fact that they had no relationship with the Heavenly Choir, which followed the Religion of Light. There were many uncertainties that they felt that they needed to discuss before committing to putting their lives on the line. They told AncientBeatmon as much and asked him to tell AncientGreymon their dilemma, even offering him a long-range audio communicator so that they could relay the message directly once he returned. AncientBeatmon was sent on his way back to the Sky Colony, and, once he arrived back, AncientGreymon got on the line and gave them an angry, impassioned speech to the Royal Knights. Mincing precisely none of his words, the goggled dragon told them to get off their asses and help them before more innocent Digimon were killed. Spliced with his anger was his desperation, which shone through when he told the Royal Knights the grim realities of the situation was up there. Hearing his emotional plea and the fact that innocent Digimon were being massacred was enough to shift the Royal Knights into agreeing.

It was on the night of the seventh day that all of the warring parties found themselves in the decisive moment of the war. The Third Sphere was a fiery battleground, and the Second Sphere was teetering on collapse. Barbamon had given orders to their subordinates to prepare for a last resort strategy involving Sky Colony: Empyrea. The decisive battle was raging as both sides struggled to defeat the others.

"Ascension Hallow!" Seraphimon called out, raising his hand towards the sky. The clouds erupted with columns of destructive lightning as he summoned forth God's justice. The giant lightning bolts descended towards Bagramon as they did battle over the Second Sphere.

Bagramon grunted and dodged the rapid surges of light to the best of his ability, using swift, refined aerial manoeuvres. He managed to dodge three of the bolts, but one blast stabbed down directly behind him, grazing one of his wings. The electricity shot through his body and his wing quivered and seized up. He winced with agony as his muscles burned and trembled, but he kept himself aloft. He flapped his sore wing and flew towards Seraphimon. As he closed in, he raised his hand and fired a blast of burning, holy light towards the archangel.

Seraphimon swerved to the side, but the beam of light glanced by his hip with enough pressure to cause his body to pivot towards the blast. The fully armoured seraph caught himself and ascended higher towards the sky. He stopped, clenching his fists and glaring down at Bagramon.

"Why?! Why, Bagramon?!" he demanded, the anger in his voice laced with the staccato of pain. "We were friends! You were one of my most trusted comrades! How can you turn your back on all of that?!"

"How can you ask me that when God turns his back on the Digital World?!" Bagramon fired back passionately. "How can you put your life on the line for a God who allows such misery and violence?! How can he allow what is happening here, right now?! A true god would have stepped in to put a stop to all of this violence, and yet he does nothing! Do you know how many lives have been lost in this past week?!"

"You hypocrite! You are the cause of all of those lost lives and yet you have the gall to judge God for not stopping it?! The fault that so many innocent Digimon have died lies with you and those despicable demons! Do you commit a transgression and then blame the judge for not stopping you?! Take responsibility for your actions!" Seraphimon furiously fired back. "You are a heretical traitor, Bagramon! Whatever love and respect I once had for you is now gone! It pains me that you have forced my hand, but I shall show you no mercy!"

"Now who is a hypocrite?!" Bagramon yelled back, glaring up at him with fiery eyes. "You act as though you have no choice, but there is always a choice! Take responsibility for your own actions, Seraphimon!"

Seraphimon's body tensed up with anger momentarily before he forced himself to relax. "From now on, we are enemies, Bagramon. I can no longer call you my brother… Reconsider your actions and surrender, and I will be merciful. I will extend you that kindness."

"I do not need your kindness, Seraphimon," Bagramon responded bitterly, glaring up at the archangel. He prepared to charge him, but he stalled, seeing something out of the corner of his eye.

Seraphimon sighed and brought his hands together in front of him. He created seven holy orbs before himself that glowed with the radiant luminosity of seven, miniature stars, lighting up the darkness of the night. "So be it, Bagramon…" he answered, without the anger that he previously displayed. His words were instead filled with the sorrow and regret that lay within his heavy heart. "Seven Heavens."

As he coiled his arms back to launch the orbs, something came barreling towards him. He turned and saw a massive, brown beast hurdling towards him at high speeds.

"Gift of Darkness!" Belphemon: Rage Mode snarled, slashing his hellfire-wreathed claws down on Seraphimon as he charged into him like a Locomon. The claws burned into the Great Angel's armour, sending obvious pain shooting through his body. The mass of demonic muscle slammed into him and knocked him away from Bagramon, carrying him through the night sky.

Bagramon watched the explosion of light as Seraphimon drove his seven orbs into Belphemon's chest at point blank range, throwing them apart. He observed as Belphemon released a roar that ripped through the Sky Colonies before sending unholy green flames from his body towards Seraphimon.

"I've got you covered!" a deep voice bellowed out from above him.

Before the flames could impact the seraphim, AncientGreymon swooped down in Seraphimon's path and began spewing an endless torrent of blazing fire from his mouth and back-mounted cannons. The orange-white inferno swelled, roaring against the emerald hellfire as it contended with it. AncientGreymon flapped his mighty wings to blast heavy bursts of ember wind forwards to fuel the blaze. The flames of the Warrior of Flame began to overpower the Demon Lord's and blow back on Belphemon. AncientGreymon's fire burned white hot as it poured forth and consumed Belphemon: Rage Mode.

A primal howl pierced the air from within the flames. Without warning, giant chains began shooting out of the blaze in random directions. The chains that wrapped around Belphemon's body surged out from his form, fueled by pure rage. One chain slammed into AncientGreymon's face, causing his head to jerk back and his body to falter in the air. Another chain pounded into AncientGreymon's gut and threw him backwards with titanic strength that he wasn't prepared for. A third metal cable shot towards Seraphimon, but he acted quickly enough to evade it, the links grazing along his shoulder armour before he pulled away.

As AncientGreymon's flames died down from the savage attack, Belphemon took the opportunity to burst through the embers towards the giant dragon who was his equal in size. He snarled and coiled his muscular arms back, preparing to drive his blazing beam claws into the dragon. From the look of utter fury and hatred on Belphemon's face, he seemed like he wanted to rip him apart with his bare hands.

"Dragon's Roar!" a voice called out from below before that could happen.

A pair of helical beams, one of burning flame and one of compressed wind, spiralled upwards and impacted the charging Demon Lord's chest. The pair of complementary elements ignited and exploded, violently tossing Belphemon sideways.

Despite the cracks forming in his helmet and armour, and the trickle of blood dribbling down the corner of draconic his mouth, AncientGreymon looked down with a grin. Below him, he was pleased to spot Dynasmon.

Dynasmon shot upwards and slammed his own mighty body into Belphemon's. He reeled back his large fist and cracked his knuckles across Belphemon's face, sending the Demon Lord of Sloth flying away from the strength of the impact.

"The Royal Knights are here to save the day!" Dynasmon exclaimed with a broad grin, looking over his shoulder at the dragon.

AncientGreymon's initial grin soured slightly as he looked back at Dynasmon. He turned his head and stared down to see the rest of the seven existing Royal Knights.

He saw Alphamon spreading his wings as he ascended above the ground level of the Second Sphere, firing emerald lasers from his hands into a several attacking demon Digimon. Omegamon flew up alongside him, firing repeated blasts from his Garuru Cannon into the cluster of demons who were making a push to retake control of the Second Sphere. The bursts and lasers swept through the Adult and Perfect level demon Digimon, annihilating those caught in their paths.

Dukemon stood on Grani's back, gliding through the sky. He flew along with Magnamon as the pair broke off and headed in an opposite direction. Dukemon fired a beam from his lance that strafed along the marble streets of the Second Sphere, consuming a SkullSatamon. From beside him, Magnamon unleashed a salvo of missiles from the ports in his armour. The missiles sailed through the air and descended onto several Devidramon, who had corrupted from Gargomon. The group of dragons were destroyed in the explosions that sent tremors through the floating platform.

Finally, there was RhodoKnightmon and UlforceVeedramon. RhodoKnightmon jumped into the thick of the fray, lacerating demons with his razor ribbons and spinning around to send a concentrated blast of pressure from his Pile Bunker into the group of demon Digimon. Meanwhile, UlforceVeedramon disappeared in a blur of azure, barely noticeable in the night sky except to the trained eye. He headed towards the Demon Lords who were on the Third Sphere.

AncientGreymon growled a bit. "It took you bloody long enough!" he called over to Dynasmon. "You should have been here yesterday instead of yammering on about it for so long!"

"I know, but we had to be smart about it!" Dynasmon called back. "We're here now!"

"A lot of Digimon are dying!" AncientGreymon shouted to him with a grimace. "These demons are the cause… Will you fight with us to stop them?!"

"You know we will…" Dynasmon responded soberly, clenching his smoking fists with determination.

AncientGreymon smiled at him appreciatively. "Cheers, Dynasmon…" he said to him, his gratitude lingering beneath the word itself. His blazing blue eyes hardened and his body emanated with duty and resolve. "Right then. Let's get to work. Time to put these demons in their place…"

Bagramon watched from afar as the Royal Knights arrived out of nowhere. His eyes widened at the sight of Alphamon, Omegamon, and the rest suddenly showing up unannounced. He never expected that the Royal Knights, the staunch supporters and warriors of Yggdrasil, would bother themselves with the likes of the Religion of Light. Why would they step in now? Do they honestly care about what happens here? Would they intervene with their own brand of justice even up here, kilometers above the Digital World?

As shocked as he was, an incredulous grin managed to emerge on his face. For a split second, he pictured his brother, SkullKnightmon, chuckling at the absurdity of the situation and offering a dry, witty quip at Bagramon's expense. It would probably be something about the irony of him and his Royal Knight friends needing to come stop them because the Exodus ended in such an obvious failure. He would also probably mock the fact that Bagramon had fallen so far from his hope and idealism, so much that he rose up in revolt against those he supported so staunchly.

It was then that the fleeting smile disappeared from Bagramon's face. It was replaced by scowl as he was greeted by the reality of the situation.

The Royal Knights had arrived to fight against them. Each member was an incredibly skilled fighter with immense power, a strategic mind, and expert martial capabilities. They were barely holding their ground against the combined forces of the Three Great Angels and the Warrior Ten. With the Royal Knights against them as well, things were not looking good.

And more than that… Bagramon wondered if SkullKnightmon… DarkKnightmon was there. Was he still with the Royal Knights? Would he have to fight against his own brother? Could he bring himself to go that far? Would he have to kill him?

Those thoughts raced through his mind as he plunged his sword through an attacking Silphymon's chest. After withdrawing his sword and letting the Digimon plummet, Bagramon glowered and looked towards where he saw all seven of the Royal Knights emerge. He didn't see an eighth. He didn't notice DarkKnightmon with any of them. He wondered why… DarkKnightmon would have been there with them. He wouldn't back down from facing the Religion of Light, even if it meant fighting his own brother. Even then… they both renounced that title that fateful day, long ago. That day felt so long ago… so out of reach…

Bagramon wondered… Was DarkKnightmon absent because he couldn't face him? Or could it be that the rumour that he had heard was true. Did DarkKnightmon truly rebel against the Royal Knights? Was he really defeated and sent to the Dark Area? "The fool," he briefly thought.

However, Bagramon then remembered his own situation. Did both brothers rebel against the things that they both so desperately defended from the other? Did they both turn their backs on the things that were once so important to them? He couldn't help but feel a certain tragic irony if it were true.

While Bagramon was curious… it didn't matter to him any longer. They were no longer brothers. Bagramon had a greater mission now – one that transcended brotherhood. He was the one who ruled over death. He was the one who delivered justice. Now, it was his job to make sure that justice was delivered equally and fairly. That was something that God could never do, he believed. If DarkKnightmon was there, he would fight him. If he wasn't there… that was better for him.

This was not the time for introspection. This was the time for action. Bagramon was not about to let his goals and ideals be quashed by a bunch of petty, interloping knights. He gripped his sword and raised his palm out sideways. He fires a thick beam of light from his palm that swallowed two HolyAngemon who swooped down to attack him. Bagramon flapped his wings and raced towards the thick of the battle.

The result of the battle was in the balance now. He had to fight as hard as he possibly could to ensure that they would prevail. Not even the Royal Knights would get in his way.

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Beelzebumon bathed himself in the thick of the fighting.

His dual Berenjena shotguns snarled as he pumped bullets out of their twin barrels. The heavy slugs tore through flesh and gnarled armour. The lithe demon spun around acrobatically, firing blast after blast in a graceful dance of death. There was a dark smirk on his face and his narrow, focused, red eyes glimmered with adrenaline and excitement. As he tore through the crowd of angel Digimon, Beelzebumon was surrounded by the scent of gunpowder, blood, and exhaust. His senses were alert and his reflexes instinctive as he immersed his body in the violence that he craved.

Beelzebumon lunged up into the air and landed onto the Behemoth as it came tearing down the gold-hued street. Upon seating himself on the large motorcycle, he immediately spun around and fired a bullet through a HippoGriffomon who tried to catch him off guard.

He scoffed and lowered his smoking shotgun as the avian beast crumpled to the street and burst into data. "Tch. This is too easy. Where's the challenge in fighting all these small fry?" he asked, glaring with disappointment. "How am I supposed to enjoy myself if they all keep dying so easily?! I need to be fighting somebody who's on my level!"

As if on cue, a pillar of holy light streaked towards him. Hissing, Beelzebumon suddenly pivoted his bike to the side. The tires screeched as the rubber dragged along the marble road, sending spider hair cracks through the glossy stone. Beelzebumon veered to the left as the beam slammed into the ground in front of him, tearing up the middle of the street with destructive power.

He felt the blast against his body as the holy light stung his eyes and burned the ground beside him. He was nearly thrown from the Behemoth, but he shifted gears and caught himself. He pivoted towards the beam to keep himself balanced as he drove. After righting himself, Beelzebumon looked ahead of him to see the Digimon that fired at him.

The Demon Lord of Gluttony's trio of eyes narrowed and locked onto a white and crimson clad figure in the distance. He spotted Dukemon riding atop Grani, his shield raised protectively and his lance poised forwards as if racing down a jousting lane. Beelzebumon grinned competitively as he sized up the Royal Knight, watching as he sped towards him. Quickly, he looked the knight's body up and down. "Not bad…" he murmured, still wearing a debauched and excited smirk on his face. "Not bad at all…" He put his foot on the gas.

Dukemon bent his knees for balance and prepared his assault. The steel surface of the Gram still glowed dimly in his hand after his last Royal Sabre attack.

Grani swerved to the side as Beelzebumon started shooting at them with a spray of scattershot. Dukemon adjusted for Grani's curve and watched as Beelzebumon fired at them with one hand while driving and steering with the other.

"He's strong, but undisciplined and new to his form," Dukemon said to Grani, raising his shields to allow the bullets to rebound off the sturdy surface. "The other six are too. I think we have the advantage here. They're vicious and brutal, but I think we can beat them as they are now."

"Hm," Grani affirmatively responded. "How do you wish to proceed, Dukemon? Shall we perform a direct charge on him?"

"Let's go, Grani," Dukemon answered in agreement. He raised the Aegis in front of their bodies as Grani began circling around. The aerial Zero Arms set a direct course for Beelzebumon.

Beelzebumon looked over his shoulder and saw Dukemon flying towards him from a different angle of approach. He returned fire with both shotguns, letting the Behemoth drive itself. Grani countered this by swerving back and forth erratically, making it harder for Beelzebumon to aim. The shots that didn't miss were reflected by Dukemon's durable Aegis.

Dukemon felt his arm strain at the bullets pounding his shield, but he was undeterred. "Just tell me when, Grani!" he called out to his partner.

"Five seconds," Grani informed him, his voice as calm as a lake. "Four."

Dukemon sensed Grani's motions, completely accustomed to working with him for so many years. He leaned forwards on the balls of his feet. The second that Grani began to pivot at an outwards angle, Dukemon pushed against his back and lunged off, meters away from Beelzebumon.

The Royal Knight soared towards the Demon Lord with Grani's added momentum. He bashed Beelzebumon off of the back of the motorcycle with his shield and lunging at him in a full body tackle.

Beelzebumon grunted and flew off of the still-running motorcycle. The Demon Lord felt his back collide with the hard, marble road and then experienced a large weight on top of him. Beelzebumon winced from the impact and looked up to see Dukemon on top of him. He began to raise his arms and twist his wrists to aim the Berenjena at Dukemon, planning to shoot him at point blank range.

Expecting this, Dukemon pushed his large shield and lance over Beelzebumon's wrists, pinning him to the ground. The action brought the Royal Knight face-to-face with the Demon Lord, barely inches apart. Dukemon glared down at the demon man with anger and fire burning behind his gold irises.

Beelzebumon merely grinned up at Dukemon nonchalantly. "…Hey there, big guy," Beelzebumon greeted with a suggestive edge to his words. He glanced down at Dukemon's muscular body and then back up at Dukemon's serious face with an insolent, provocative smirk.

"Surrender while you still can," Dukemon ordered him, pressing down on the comparatively smaller demon.

"Hah!" Beelzebumon laughed in his face. "I don't surrender to assholes like you. If you wanna take me down, I'm gonna be kicking and clawing every step of the way." He slowly moved his foot down Dukemon's backside and between his legs, winking up at him. "That goes for in the sack too… You might be pretty hot, but you're predictable… Uptight guys like you think you're so dominant, but it wouldn't take much for me to turn the tables on you."

Dukemon's eye twitched at these unexpected words. "What…?" he incredulously asked, unable to believe that the Demon Lord was flirting with him in such a situation.

Beelzebumon smirked and leaned up towards Dukemon, dangerously close to his face, breathing his warm breath onto his mask. "Don't tell me your blood isn't pumping. I can see the adrenaline running through your data – that barely restrained rage and aggression – just waiting to be let out… You think you're above it all, but you're still just a savage beast like me," Beelzebumon smirked darkly up at him, his deep red eyes gazing at him hungrily. "And all that delicious data… Fuck… Think of how much stronger I'd be if I absorbed a powerful guy like you…"

Dukemon snarled as Beelzebumon's words began to get to him. He glared down at him and kneeled upwards so that he could prepare to stab him with his lance. "Not going to happen!" he declared.

"Sucker!" Beelzebumon cackled as soon as his arm was free. He fired a blast from his shotgun into Dukemon's armoured chest, not penetrating but pounding him with enough force to send him staggering backwards. As Dukemon tried to get to his feet, Beelzebumon slammed his boot into Dukemon's gut.

Winded and feeling pain shoot through his chest, Dukemon stumbled backwards but managed to steady himself on his feet.

"Dukemon, look out!" Grani warned him as he circled around from above. "To your right!"

The sound of a roaring engine and screeching entered Dukemon's ears from down the road. He turned to see the Behemoth driving towards him at full speed, riderless. Dukemon lunged out of the way before the rabid motorcycle could run him down.

The Royal Knight dove into a roll as the bike whizzed by him, narrowly missing him with its tires. In no less than a few seconds, Dukemon was back onto his feet and spinning around.

Beelzebumon took the opportunity to leap up with incredible flexibility and agility. He jumped through the air and towards the speeding vehicle, which seemed to slow down for his benefit.

"Royal Saber!" Dukemon shouted as he pointed his lance towards the airborne demon. Light spiralled around the conical shaft and gathered at the tip of the Gram. The lance flashed as the holy power fired in a powerful burst of light. The beam streaked through the night sky and slammed into Beelzebumon before he could land on his bike.

The Demon Lord of Gluttony hissed in pain as the burning light surrounded him and blasted him through the air in the opposite direction. Through his pain, Beelzebumon's combat instincts kicked in and he was able to right himself in midair. The leather-clad demon angled his body and touched his feet against the wall of a nearby building. He bent his legs to absorb the impact before straightening them and propelling himself off.

Beelzebumon holstered his shotguns and dove towards Dukemon. As he sailed towards him, he brandished his long, jagged claws with a wild look in his eyes. Seeing this, Dukemon pushed off the ground and began flying across the fractured road. He pulled his arm back, poising the Gram that rested over his forearm, and met Beelzebumon's savage assault.

The two clashed in midair. Dukemon struck first due to the greater reach of the Gram. The tip of his lance dug into Beelzebumon's leather suit, tearing into it and grazing across Beelzebumon's hip. The Gram drew blood as the rest of the weapon brushed past Beelzebumon, the crimson liquid oozing from the Demon Lord's grey skin.

Beelzebumon winced and growled. He drove his claws towards Dukemon's neck, but the Royal Knight brought his shield up just in time, causing Beelzebumon to slam into it. Dukemon swept his left arm outwards, throwing Beelzebumon away with the face of the Aegis.

The lithe demon grunted and landed on the ground. Without missing a beat, Beelzebumon drew the Berejena and spun around to shoot Dukemon. He saw Dukemon's crimson cape fluttering in the breeze as Beelzebumon faced the Royal Knight's back. He fired from both shotguns repeatedly, riddling the red fabric with bullets.

The victorious smirk on Beelzebumon's face faded when the crimson cape crumpled to the ground, Dukemon nowhere to be seen.

His third eye darted to the left, seeing a glimmer out of his peripheral vision. Beelzebumon turned his head to see Dukemon standing off to his side, sending an arrow-shaped beam of light towards him. Beelzebumon's eyes enlarged and he brought up his arms to brace for the impact, unable to dodge it. The beam impacted his body, burning against him as it exploded in the middle of the street. Beelzebumon released an unrestrained yell of pain as he was violently tossed through the air. His back slammed against a building and he fell to the ground on his hands and knees.

Smoke wafted up from his body and blood trickled down from his side. Beelzebumon panted and slowly turned his three eyes up towards Dukemon, who grabbed his cape and tossed it back over his shoulders before turning his attention back towards Beelzebumon. As blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, Beelzebumon managed an impressed smile.

He stood to his face on shaky legs and wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. Beelzebumon let out a breathy chuckle. "Not bad, Royal Knight…" he declared, spying Dukemon with amused eyes. "You got some skills. I'll give ya that… In fact, I'm starting to like you." Beelzebumon laughed weakly and aimed one of his shotguns at Dukemon. "Finally, a Digimon who I can feel good about killing… Don't have to waste my time fighting those weak bastards around here who don't put up a fight…"

Dukemon raised his shield in front of his body and pointed the Gram at Beelzebumon. "I'm more than a match for you, Beelzebumon," he said to him. "We're going to stop you demons before you cause any more carnage."

Beelzebumon smirked, although he was aware that he was at a disadvantage. "Try it…" he challenged, digging his heels in.

"You asked for it…" With those words, Dukemon rushed Beelzebumon with the full intention of taking him down.

---

Barbamon scowled. He watched from a raised platform as the forces of the demons were crushed in the streets of the Golden City. Gripping his staff tightly, he turned his head and watched as the demons and angels fought over the Second Sphere. The demon rebels were fighting hard and savagely, but they were beginning to lose thanks to the timely intervention of the Royal Knights.

He watched as the Demon Lords fought in the thick of the combat. They were up against Warrior Ten and the Royal Knights, as well as the loyal forces of the Three Great Angels. The Demon Lords were strong individually and even stronger together, but they were being worn down by the powerful opponents. They were losing forces and ceding ground, and they started to become outmanoeuvred strategically. Barbamon saw which way the wind of battle was blowing, and he became angry and desperate.

"Curses…" he muttered under his breath.

The Demon Lord of Greed could see the unmistakeable red mass of scales in the distance. Leviamon was on the Third Sphere, crushing buildings and Digimon beneath him as he rolled over with his gargantuan weight. His body was riddled with cuts, burns, and bruises. He tried snapping his giant maw shut on UlforceVeedramon, but the blue knight was too fast and agile to get caught by it. He was rewarded by a V-shaped laser to his face. The giant crocodile also contended with Cherubimon, who rained lightning down on his body, and AncientMegatheriummon, who charged down a shattered road and rammed into Leviamon's side with his giant antlers and powerful, furry body. Leviamon roared with pain and anger and responded with a devastating torrent of water from his maw that flooded the streets for blocks and gushed over the edges of the Sky Colony like a waterfall.

In the night sky, he could barely make out the form of Demon clashing with Omegamon and AncientIrismon in the sky. The duel was marked by streaks of glowing, red flames, shimmering, blue orbs, multicoloured rays, and ripples of wind. He could see Demon's ferocity being beaten back and curbed.

Likewise, he watched as AncientGreymon and Dynasmon slammed into the roaring Belphemon. Dynasmon's glowing aura dragon slammed into Belphemon in a massive detonation, throwing the large Demon Lord into the air violently. AncientGreymon, whose body was wreathed in flames, followed up by descending on Belphemon like a meteor and spiking him into the ground in a full body tackle.

On the opposite end of the Second Sphere, Barbamon watched as Lilithmon fought against Seraphimon, AncientGarurumon, and AncientBeatmon. She created a dark magical circle in front of her and, from its center, fired a beam of dark energy at them. The three were fast enough to avoid the devastating beam. The torrent of darkness instead passed between them and tore through a marble building. They then regrouped and unleashed their attacks onto her, pummeling her with light and lightning, lighting up the dark sky phosphorescently.

Barbamon hissed and turned forwards to see Lucemon: Falldown Mode contending with RhodoKnightmon and Ophanimon. He, too, was showing signs of wear and tear, although it was hard to tell by looking at him. His clothes were tarnished and torn, and there was a bleeding cut down the side of his face. Despite this, he held himself with dignity and confidence as he fought his enemies, regarding them with merely condescending annoyance. Lucemon spun around and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to RhodoKnightmon, who managed to gracefully dodge it before unleashing a savage assault with his blade ribbons. Lucemon deftly evaded the strikes of the blades, with only two grazing his clothes, before he was forced to jump away. As he did, he was pelted with burning gems, fired at him by Ophanimon.

Lucemon scowled for a moment as the gems exploded around him. He performed a back flip and retreated momentarily, close to Barbamon's vantage point.

Barbamon watched angrily as their combined demon forces were being beaten down. He glanced to the side, peering into the distance. The Demon Lord stared at Sky Colony: Empyrea, the only part of the Sky Colonies that the Demon Lords still controlled completely. Mostly all of the angel Digimon there had been massacred by the demons as they secured the lesser Sky Colony. Barbamon could see demon Digimon flying around the edges of Empyrea, surreptitiously working on the cloud data that it rested on.

He turned and raised his staff, the Death Lure, and caused the orb on the head of the staff to shine brightly. Using the flaring stave, he signalled one of their subordinate demons. "Black Legion, move up and cut them off; don't let them outflank us!" Barbamon irately demanded. "I don't care how many Digimon die, just hold that position! Concentrate your—BAH!"

Before Barbamon could finish barking out orders, a storm of golden missiles descended on him and exploded. The floating platform that he was standing on shattered and Barbamon was thrown inelegantly to the marble street below.

He groaned, trying to shake off the burning pain that wracked his body. He looked up to see Magnamon flying high above him with smoke steaming from the ports on his golden armour. Barbamon got to his feet and pointed his staff towards Magnamon. "Kill that Royal Knight!" he ordered. "Jigoku no Kaen!"

A magical circle appeared before his staff and he unleashed a torrent of flames towards Magnamon. Magnamon was agile enough to dodge the infernal stream, but he soon found himself swarmed by demon Digimon.

"Damn…" Magnamon murmured under his breath as seven demons flew up and began launching attacks at him from all sides. He nimbly dodged blasts of darkness but he soon felt claws scratch along the back of his golden armour. He kicked a NeoDevimon away and flew upwards, his golden, chrome digizoid starting to glow with energy.

"Miracle Glitter!" Magnamon shouted, taking on a dominant action pose. He unleashed golden rays of light from the surface of his armour, sending them shooting out around him in all directions. The burning rays seared through the bodies of the assaulting demons and reduced them to ashen data.

"Damn those Royal Knights!" Barbamon spat irately. He turned to Lucemon, who stood some distance in front of him, but close enough to be in ear shot. "Lucemon! We are losing this battle!"

Lucemon grunted and turned towards him, his eyes narrow and piercing at the unwanted news. "So do something about it!" he told him sharply. "You are our strategist, Barbamon."

Barbamon growled and looked down, thinking to himself. He gripped his staff tightly and looked over at Sky Colony: Empyrea. He turned back to Lucemon. "We cannot withstand the combined attacks of our enemies. The others are already being beaten as we speak. We have only one viable option, and even then, it won't ensure that we will win at this rate."

Lucemon met his gaze. "The contingency plan that you created?" he asked him, arching an eyebrow.

Barbamon nodded. "The Final Judgment Plan. The legions stationed on Empyrea are ready to destroy the remaining cloud data on our command. If we drop that Sky Colony, we could hypothetically force the Royal Knights and Warrior Ten to divide their attention to try to stop it… Although, with the way things are going, that may not be realistic," Barbamon explained. "At the very least, it is a gamble worth taking. Even if we lose here, that Sky Colony will fall, and we will be able to cause a devastating blow to both the Three Great Angels and those simpletons of the Digital World…"

Lucemon nodded. "Indeed… That seems to be our best option…" he coldly agreed. Lucemon stared across the embattled Sky Colonies. "If we lose here, I will not be defeated without shaking the Digital World to its core. If I cannot take control of this pathetic world, I would rather watch the surface of the world burn asunder in my final moments. Maybe then, the imperfect Digital World can be cleansed of its ridiculous superstition and fallacies."

"So, I have your permission to initiate the plan?" Barbamon asked him.

"Do it," Lucemon told him, turning away. He raised his hand and wiped the blood from his face with his fingers. He aloofly gazed down at his blood before clenching his fist. "Those who stand in our way deserve to be killed."

Barbamon nodded and turned around raised the Death Lure, signalling for a small imp Digimon. "Evilmon! Tell Leviamon and the Empyrea Legion to start the Final Judgment Plan! Hurry!" he ordered.

"Yes, Sir!" the Evilmon obeyed, flying off towards Sky Colony: Empyrea rapidly.

"Hmm, I had better send another messenger in case that one dies on the way…" Barbamon mumbled to himself once the familiar was out of hearing range.

The Demon Lord glanced over at the smaller Sky Colony drifting on the outskirts of the Third Sphere, thinking to himself as Lucemon stormed towards RhodoKnightmon, Ophanimon, and AncientSphinxmon.

"I will take any means necessary if it means achieving my ends," Barbamon muttered. The sound of whistling above him drew Barbamon out of his thoughts. He looked up to see another volley of Magnamon's missiles descending onto him. "Damn him!" he yelled furiously as the missiles started exploding around him.

---

Meanwhile, Bagramon clashed with Alphamon in the night sky. Their forms were dancing silhouettes against the backdrop of the dark, flickering clouds, set alight by the fire of battle.

Bagramon swept his holy blade down on Alphamon, who blocked the slash by holding the Seiken Gradalpha horizontally over his head. The rebelling angel Digimon growled and tried to push his sword down as he glared at the Royal Knight opposite to him.

"What are you doing here, Alphamon?! This war doesn't concern you or the Royal Knights!" Bagramon shouted at him furiously.

Alphamon's golden eyes burned red as he matched Bagramon's ferocity, pushing back against him with his own brand of reserved intensity. "It concerns us when you slaughter hundreds of innocent Digimon, Bagramon…!" Alphamon protested, the light of their clashing blades illuminating their bodies like stars in the sky.

"This is a war, Alphamon! We have only slaughtered enemy soldiers who are trying to kill us," Bagramon insisted before recoiling his blade. He grunted and sliced his sword sideways, only for Alphamon to parry his blade. "Ngh… This war is not so black and white."

"However grey it may have started, it has certainly become black and white," Alphamon argued. "What of the slaughtered angel Digimon of Sky Colony: Empyrea? What of all the others that the Demon Lords have come across?"

Bagramon narrowed his eyes and raised his hand towards Alphamon. "I don't know what you mean!" he passionately rejected, firing a beam of light into Alphamon.

The Royal Knight was struck in the chest by the beam and was pushed back by a meter. Although pain throbbed in his chest, he matched Bagramon's leer and raised his own hand. Emerald energy gathered in the gem on his palm. "I have heard the reports, Bagramon. They were what prompted us to join this battle," Alphamon explained, his ruby eyes tight and angry. "Don't play innocent."

Bagramon gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, growing frustrated at his words. "I know nothing of what is going on in Empyrea. I have been commanding the forces here on the Second Sphere," he protested, feeling the need to justify himself.

"Even so, innocent Digimon are dying as a result of this rebellion," Alphamon explained, the emerald light in his hand intensifying. "I will not go easy on you just because DarkKnightmon…" The black knight trailed off, his words becoming caught on the Digimon's name. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth and his eyes tightened.

Bagramon's scowl temporarily turned into a faint, amused grin. "Just because DarkKnightmon is my brother…" he echoed ironically. "And where is my dear younger brother exactly…?"

Alphamon winced and nearly lowered his guard.

"So is the rumour true? Did DarkKnightmon rebel against you?" the angel challenged, flapping his haggard wings strongly.

"He is no longer a member of the Order," Alphamon answered grimly. It was all he could say.

Bagramon chuckled and shook his head sadly. It wasn't long before his smile faded bitterly. "…Then he really is a fool…" he murmured, more to himself than to Alphamon. The angel looked up at the black Royal Knight. "And so are you…" He raised his hand and took advantage of the reprieve, firing a beam of holy light at Alphamon.

Alphamon glared behind his helmet and acted quickly, firing the emerald laser that he had been building in his palm. The beam slammed together and melded before bursting outwards in a firework of white and green. The two Digimon were thrown away from each other, but they were both already circling around and charging one another.

They met each other in the sky and clashed swords. They rebounded off of each other and attacked again, with each dodging the other. Alphamon thrust his holy sword of light towards Bagramon's chest. When the angel Digimon swerved to avoid the stab, Alphamon pointed his palm at him and unleashed a powerful beam that pounded into Bagramon's armoured body.

Bagramon let out a cry of pain as the crushing beam consumed his chest, sending cracks through his armour and feathers flying off of his wings. He fell towards the ground but he gathered his senses and managed to catch himself, spreading his wings and breathing heavily. He raised his hand and a ray of holy light pulsed from his palm. The concentrated pillar streamed upwards and slammed into Alphamon's bicep. The Royal Knight was knocked backwards and pain shot up his left arm, but he angled his shoulder armour forwards so that the ray reflected off it and parted around his side.

Alphamon was about to swoop down after him, but a voice called out to the dark paladin.

"Sir Alphamon!" a voice called out to him.

Alphamon turned and saw s white, draconic, gargoyle Digimon flying over to him, his body wrapped with glowing, silver belts. "What is it?" Alphamon asked the Gargomon hurriedly.

"An urgent report!" the Gargomon informed him pressingly, his voice uneasy. "Four of the rebel demon leaders have been defeated, however…"

The Aloof Hermit frowned deeply, sensing the gravity of the message that the angel beast carried. "Go on…" he urged him, although keeping Bagramon in his sight as he listened.

"…The demons are doing something to Sky Colony: Empyrea as we speak! They're altering the cloud data and the whole Sky Colony is sinking!" the Gargomon urgently exclaimed, turning and pointing over at the distant Sky Colony.

Alphamon turned and stared at the far edge of the embattled Third Sphere. Through the smoke, he could see the Sky Colony of Empyrea slowly dipping beneath its usual level. The clouds beneath it were dispersing and the massive platform containing thousands of buildings began to descend below the main platform of Lambent that the Golden City was built on. The only thing keeping it up was the sturdy, gold and crystalline bridge connecting Empyrea to Lambent.

Bagramon turned towards the Sky Colony as well. "What…?" he demanded. His eyes widened with disbelief at the sight of the smaller Sky Colony trying to break away from Lambent.

The angel of death stared, incredulous and taken aback at what he saw. He watched as Leviamon lurched down a destroyed road on the Third Sphere, heading towards the demon-controlled bridge. His body was bloodied, burnt and bruised from the beating he received. Despite the ice lacing his scales and the lightning striking around him, Leviamon dragged himself up to the bridge with every bit of power he could muster.

As he reached the bridge, the massive demon opened his abyssal maw wide. "Rostrum!" he shouted, his deep voice rumbling with bitter defiance. With his last ounce of strength, he snapped his jaws shut across the bridge. The crystalline link shattered under the immense pressure of Leviamon's jaws. The bridge snapped and crumbled, the stone, marble, and crystal fracturing apart. With the connection to Lambent cut, Empyrea began to drop faster, sinking further below the Third Sphere.

"Finish it, Leviamon!" Barbamon shouted hoarsely before he was overtaken by a series of explosions that drowned him out in flames.

Lucemon kneeled nearby, his form bloodied and torn. He looked over his shoulder at the defeated Barbamon with a scowl. "Damn it… You nuisances…" he muttered to the Digimon before him.

Lucemon watched with utter loathing in his eyes as AncientGreymon and AncientGarurumon stalked towards him, preparing to finish the job. "You pathetic insects… You interloping nothings… I will kill you for foiling my righteous rebellion…" he hissed, glaring at the Warriors of Fire and Light with contempt. Lucemon rose to his feet to attack them, pointing his hands out in front of him. "Die! Dead or Alive!" He began to unleash his most powerful attack, but before he could, he found himself consumed by a combined torrent of flames and light. As the white hot inferno washed over him, his body burned and he fell.

Meanwhile, Leviamon made his final push. He glowered, bearing his jagged teeth, his jaws beginning to spread apart as he opened his monstrous snout. "If I can't win… I'll make sure you can't enjoy your victory…" he weakly snarled as dark energy gathered inside of his mouth. "Anima!"

A dark tornado swept out of his oral cavity and tore through the sparse cloud data still remained beneath Empyrea. The devastating attack completely eroded the remaining clouds still supporting the several districts that resided on top of the giant platform. The caliginous maelstrom hit hard enough to tear up some of the streets and send tremors through the buildings.

Dark mist leaked from Leviamon's mouth as the attack died down. He weakly grinned at his fleeting victory. "Hah… I've done my job… Hah…!" he murmured, before being completely engulfed by a devastating surge of lightning bolts, summoned forth by Cherubimon's Heaven's Judgment.

Bagramon squinted from the intense blast of energy that fried Leviamon's body in the dark night, but he didn't take his eyes off of the falling Sky Colony.

"No…" he spoke, his eyes growing, mortified at the Demon Lords' plan. "I wasn't told about this… What are they thinking?! That's going too far… The Digital World will…"

Alphamon's eyes widened with horror as he watched the Sky Colony begin to drop. "They're dropping the Sky Colony…" he whispered. "If that hits the Digital World…"

Bagramon growled and flapped his wings, racing towards Alphamon with his sword in hand. "It's too late now. It doesn't matter!" he passionately said. "If Empyrea has to fall for us to bring justice to the world, so be it!"

Alphamon's head snapped towards Bagramon upon hearing his words and seeing his actions. His wide eyes shrank and hardened with fury. They suddenly burned an intense crimson in the dark night as he fixed his gaze onto Bagramon. "And what about all the Digimon who will die when that Sky Colony crashes…?" Alphamon slowly asked. His calm voice brimmed with restrained rage and fury.

Bagramon clenched his fists and surged towards Alphamon. "If you want to blame anybody, you can curse God for that!" he shouted in retort.

Alphamon began racing towards Bagramon, meeting his charge. "I don't have time for you, Bagramon…" he spoke with finality.

Bagramon raised his sword to swipe it down on Alphamon. With a mighty swing, he brought the holy blade down onto the Royal Knight.

However, before the metal could hit Alphamon, the Royal Knight suddenly disappeared from sight. Bagramon stopped and stared at the empty space in front of him incredulously. He was sure that he had been about to cleave Alphamon's head in. Before he could even question it, he felt searing pain slicing up his winged back. Right as Bagramon arched his back in pain, he felt another cut appear along the backs of his arms, causing him to drop his sword. He didn't even see what caused it. Not even a black blur.

Before he could move, Bagramon felt a green explosion against his chest, throwing him violently towards the street below. An invisible force slammed into his face and pounded his midsection. Something hard impacted Bagramon's spine and a burning cut was slashed down his armoured chest, searing through the metal armour and cutting through his tan skin.

The relentless, immediate attack ended with a final burst of green energy against Bagramon's chest. The angel hardly had the time to shout before he slammed into the street below. His bloodied, winged back impacted the cracked marble hard enough to send chunks of rock shooting up around him.

Bloodied and beaten, Bagramon stared up at the night sky with half-lidded, blurry vision. Above him, he watched as Alphamon suddenly reappeared out of nowhere. It was as if time resumed after having stopped. He could see Alphamon panting from exhaustion the moment that he emerged from his state of temporal transcendence. The Alpha inForce sapped most of Alphamon's energy from him, but he had accomplished his immediate objective. Alphamon gazed down at Bagramon to make sure that the angel wouldn't get back up.

Bagramon wouldn't get back up. He felt pain all over his body from the dominating series of attacks. He felt his vision darken and his consciousness slip away.

As the light dimmed from his sight, Bagramon watched as Alphamon turned and flew off towards the imperiled Sky Colony. Before he lost consciousness, Bagramon gazed up at the dark clouds, which began to break apart in the night sky.

"God…" he thought, staring up at the breach in the swelling clouds. As they parted, he saw a single star flickering in the dark expanse. "I have zero regrets… except for…"

Before Bagramon could finish that thought, his mind darkened and unconsciousness overtook him. He fell slack against the ground, defeated…

---

One-by-one, the Demon Lords had fallen, crushed under the power and teamwork of the Royal Knights, Warrior Ten, and Three Great Angels.

The leaders of the fallen angels were defeated and the rebellion was put down.

This victory was short-lived. Sky Colony: Empyrea was in the process of falling towards the Digital World. There was nothing to stop its descent. If something of that sized crashed into the Digital World, then the consequences would be nothing short of devastating. Entire cities would be levelled, there would be earthquakes and tidal waves, and the loss of Digimon life would be astronomical.

The Royal Knights, Warrior Ten, and Three Great Angels stood at the edge of the Third Sphere, where the broken bridge drooped ruinously over the edge of Lambent. They stared over the precipice as the lesser Sky Colony continued to plummet towards the ground.

"What the hell did you think would happen?!" Dukemon passionately demanded, glaring at the Three Great Angels. "Building cities in the clouds… Disasters like this are just waiting to happen!"

"We took every precaution when we planned the Exodus…" Seraphimon insisted with an echo of dread. He didn't pull his gaze away from the falling Sky Colony; he was almost entranced by the impending disaster. "We were certain this would never happen…"

"Not every precaution, apparently…" Dukemon responded bitterly.

Alphamon stepped forwards and placed a hand on Dukemon's shoulder. "This isn't the time to argue about who is to blame," he told him, his red eyes begging. "What we need now is to work together to stop it."

"I agree," Ophanimon said, frowning deeply with concern. "We can't allow Empyrea to hit the Digital World. All of those poor Digimon down there…"

"What are we waiting for?!" AncientGreymon demanded, charging towards the edge of the platform. He spread his wings and prepared to jump off and dive down. "We're wasting precious time jabbering!"

"Wait, dragon," AncientGarurumon said. He went and grabbed AncientGreymon's large tail, holding it firmly to stop him before he could jump. "We need a plan."

"The longer we wait, the closer that that thing gets to the Digital World!" AncientGreymon protested, wiggling his tail to push AncientGarurumon off. "We need every minute we can spare to stop it!"

"I agree that time is of the essence, but we do need to decide how the best way to stop it is…" Alphamon suggested.

"If a city the size of Empyrea crashed into the Digital World, it would cause widespread damage," RhodoKnightmon explained. "And it is too large for us to physically stop."

"There is no way that we would be able to create more cloud data in time," Seraphimon remorsefully explained.

"There has to be something!" AncientGreymon protested. The large dragon turned towards Shurimon, who was deep in thought and lingering at the back of the group. "Shurimon, you're our strategist. What do you think?"

Shurimon's face turned bright red when all of the eyes landed on him expectantly. "U-U-Um, w-w-well," he stammered nervously, stepping behind AncientBeatmon's large body slightly. "The only t-t-t-tangible solution would be to break the Sky Colony up into s-smaller, more manageable p-p-pieces…"

"Ah, naturally!" AncientWisemon exclaimed animatedly. "By reducing the mass of the object by means of separating it into many smaller components of miniscule mass, we would be minimizing the destruction that would occur if it impacted the Digital World!" For emphasis, AncientWisemon pulled out a piece of chalk from nowhere and began scribbling physics equations on the street.

"But it's so big…" Magnamon said, looking down at the falling Sky Colony.

"We would need to break it apart piece by piece," Shurimon explained tentatively. The Warrior of Wood grimaced with worry and regret. "Unfortunately, there… there is only so much that we can do…"

"Tell us what to do, Shuri," AncientGreymon said to him reassuringly, looking at his fellow Warrior with pleading eyes.

Shurimon nodded. "We… We need those of you with the most destructive attacks to make a concentrated attack on the center and break through the c-core of the Sky Colony," he explained.

"Allow me, Shurimon," AncientVolcamon suggested, stepping forwards and dusting himself off. "I can make the initial blast."

AncientGreymon nodded. "Then I'll follow up with my strongest Omega Burst," he explained. He frowned as a thought came to him. "But… are there any Digimon still on Empyrea?"

"All of our brothers and sisters on Empyrea have been deleted," Seraphimon explained grimly. "Another atrocity committed by the heretics… Do what you must to stop Empyrea."

Dynasmon grunted. "I'm with you, AncientGreymon," he told his friend. "Wyvern will punch through that city."

Alphamon nodded and looked at Shurimon. "And then we focus on breaking up the smaller pieces, correct?" he asked the Warrior of Wood.

"As much as possible, yes…" Shurimon explained affirmatively.

"For as long as possible…" Dukemon added with nervous determination.

Cherubimon nodded. "Then we should begin."

"We shall summon every angel Digimon who still carries wind beneath their wings," Seraphimon assured them.

AncientGreymon stepped up to the edge of the Sky Colony and looked down. "Right… Then let's go. The sooner we start, the better…" he said with a soft growl that revealed his uncertainty.

Alphamon stepped up beside him and looked up at the large Warrior of Flame. "I agree… Let's begin."

With that, the twenty Digimon all got to work. As AncientGreymon leapt off the edge, AncientVolcamon jumped onto his back and rode him down towards the Sky Colony. Dynasmon and Alphamon took off behind them.

As they descended onto the falling city, AncientGreymon launched AncientVolcamon right into its center. Right before striking the surface of the sky colony with his rocky body, AncientVolcamon used Supernova, which released the gathering antimatter stored in his body. Upon hitting the ground, he detonated in a miniature Big Bang that tore through the middle of the city and imprinted a massive crater through the heart of Empyrea.

AncientGreymon caught the Warrior of Earth as he flew back through the air. He then prepared his own attack, using the nadir of the Sky Colony as a target. His cannons and maw swelled with super-concentrated flames. When they reached their most intense, he unleashed them in the form of a condensed blast that streaked towards the Sky Colony like a meteor. A white-hot fireball of compressed, explosive fire fell through the dark sky.

The Omega Burst slammed into the bottom of the crater and exploded in a massive detonation of fire, rivalling AncientVolcamon's explosion before it. The purging fire swept across Empyrea for kilometers, and fire tore out of the bottom of the Sky Colony, sending fissures forming throughout the platform.

Alphamon and Dynasmon followed up on the concentrated attack. Alphamon used his variation of Digitalize of Soul to summon a spirit dragon from another dimension, while Dynasmon drew Wyvern from his body with his Breath of Wyvern attack. Together, the two dragons descended on the plummeting city and slammed into it. They exacerbated the fissures running through the city before finally pushing hard enough to break right through it.

It was this final push that split the Sky Colony into two. About a third of the city broke off with a massive quake that caused buildings to crumble and streets to crack.

From there, the Digimon worked on breaking up the two chunks into several smaller pieces. They destroyed what they could to ensure that the damage to the Digital World would be as limited as possible. They worked quickly, breaking up the thick, stone and marble platforms. The two chunks became four, and then eight. They knew they only had a couple hours before the pieces would crash onto the Digital World. They knew that they wouldn't be able to get all of the pieces. They just did as much as they could to protect the Digimon below.

As they worked, their attacks lit up the sky. The Royal Knights and the Warrior Ten worked together well. The Heavenly Choir sent as many Digimon as they could to aid them. Together, the Royal Knights, the Warrior Ten, and the Heavenly Choir did their best to break up the remaining pieces of the Sky Colony.

It wouldn't be enough.

Although it could have been much worse, large chunks of Empyrea still plummeted to the Digital World.

The pieces of the Sky Colony split apart and burned in the atmosphere like shooting stars. From the surface of the ground, it was a sight that was beautiful, yet terrifying to behold. The sky was full of burning red meteors, surrounded by the flashing of multi-coloured lights. Any sense of awe was soon replaced by fear as the fragments fell to the ground.

The massive chunks of rock slammed into the land and ocean, crushing whatever they struck. Explosions erupted throughout the night as the pieces of the Sky Colony impacted the world below. The chunks hit the ground in massive shockwaves that sent tremors reverberating through the earth.

One massive piece of Empyrea – section of the city a few kilometers in size – refused to break apart no matter how much they tried. Despite the united teams' best efforts, it slipped through their grasp and fell to the Digital World. It slammed into the north of Eniac, creating a giant explosion that sent a shockwave of destruction out from the point of impact. The devastating collision tore up the ground around it for kilometers as the city slammed deep into the ground.

Throughout the Digital World, smaller pieces of Empyrea caused devastation of their own. Some fragments impacted cities, while others destroyed entire villages… Swaths of Digimon were deleted in an instant. Buildings collapsed, earthquakes and tidal waves wreaked havoc, and kilometers of land were crushed and decimated.

The anger, sorrow, and terror felt that night would be etched in the minds of all the Digimon who witnessed it.

That night, the stars fell from the sky.

---

Dawn rose the next morning.

White clouds drifted in the sky, with rays of sunlight woven between their soft contours. They spiralled gently above the Sky Colonies, in stark contrast to the dark tempest that swelled overhead for the past week.

Sky Colony: Lambent had been devastated by the week of fighting. Buildings were ruined, streets were in shambles, and smoke drifted across the three Spheres.

The Rebellion was over, and the Night of Falling Stars had been a long, painful night of bloodshed. All that was left was cleaning up and dealing with the aftermath.

At the edge of the Third Sphere, Bagramon kneeled before the Three Great Angels. Behind him was the precipice of the Golden City of Lambent, at the sky docks. He glanced over his shoulder bitterly. From the vantage point, he could see the Digital World below. He saw the many pillars of smoke rising up from the continent below. He could only imagine the damage.

Bagramon looked away from the sight with bitter remorse and quietly cursed God for allowing yet another disaster to take place.

He opened his red eyes and gazed at the Three Great Angels standing in front of him. Off to the side, he could see Alphamon and Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode watching. The others were off helping with the cleanup effort.

Bagramon's body was beaten, bloodied and bruised from the previous night. He kneeled, awaiting his judgment. He found it bitterly ironic; he was usually in the opposite position in this situation. He was the one who would deliver God's justice; now he was the one who was awaiting it.

Their rebellion failed. He knew what came next for him. He had seen it. Bagramon had watched as, one-by-one, the Seven Great Demon Lords were struck down, their bodies cast to the Dark Area for eternity. He expected a similar fate.

Bagramon gazed up at the three archangels stubbornly. "…I would offer to perform my usual execution duties, but I think that it might be rather difficult under the circumstances…" he dryly spoke up.

Seraphimon stared down at him bitterly. "I am not in the mood for jokes, Bagramon…" he responded. There was no malice or anger in his tone. His usually strong and animated voice was deflated. He bowed his concealed head slightly. "…Why? Why, Bagramon?"

"…I have already told you my reasons…" Bagramon responded. There was guilt in his voice, but he gave no sign of backing down from his cause. "God is cruel and unjust… Last night has shown that more than anything."

"You felt so affronted by God that you felt the need to turn your backs on your friends and follow Lucemon and his supporters?" Ophanimon asked him sadly. "Why couldn't you have just spoken to us about your grievances?"

"We were supposed to be your friends…" Seraphimon echoed her sentiments. "Was it all a ruse?"

"If I did, would any of you have listened?" Bagramon closed his eyes and bowed his head. "…I tried to ignore my doubts. For so long, I cast them aside and did my duty like I was supposed to. That is what we have been conditioned to do here in the Sky Colonies, isn't it? …My doubts simply bubbled to the surface during Lucemon's trial…" Bagramon explained matter-of-factly. He turned towards Ophanimon emphatically. "And I did not follow Lucemon. I acted on my own. I chose to rebel on my own. All of my actions are my own and nobody else's…" Bagramon narrowed his eyes and stared at the ground in front of him. "I knew nothing of their plan to drop the Sky Colony." There was a hint of regret in his voice this time.

"Even so, you were the one who released them from prison. You are indirectly responsible, Bagramon. That cannot be overlooked," Seraphimon explained to him bitterly. "And you had a direct hand in killing our brothers and sisters. You cannot deflect responsibility…"

"I fought for what I believed in. For what I still believe in," Bagramon argued. "I will not serve an unjust god." He raised his head and stared directly at Seraphimon's armoured face, his eyes determined yet full of emotion. "I have seen so much death, Seraphimon… So much death and sadness and pain… How can the Being of Goodness justify it all...?"

"God is moral, Bagramon. You must have faith in that," Cherubimon contended, his demeanour sad yet composed as he calmly spoke.

"Yet here I kneel, awaiting his judgment… Judgment for wanting something better for the Digimon of the Digital World…" Bagramon ironically responded. "…I have seen more punishment from God than I have salvation… What say that about him?"

Ophanimon softly shook her head. "It is because you have good heart that God is willing to show you mercy…" she explained. "Repent before God, Bagramon… We will show you mercy…"

Seraphimon nodded gently. "It is because of our friendship that I am willing to give you this chance as well, Bagramon…" He stared at the kneeling angel beseechingly. "Come back to us… so that we may mend the distortion between us."

"Please… admit your mistakes and embrace us again," Cherubimon urged him with pleading eyes.

Bagramon closed his eyes gently. "I… cannot," he replied bitterly. "I will not serve God any longer… I will not be a servant to his injustice, and I do not regret the things that I have done. I will not be a hypocrite."

Off to the side, Alphamon stood beside Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode. They quietly awaited the rebel's judgment. The black knight winced as he watched Bagramon's stubbornness. He was sorely reminded of DarkKnightmon's obstinacy. He knew the implications of his words.

Seraphimon stiffened for a moment. As calmly as he could, he turned around, pivoting his winged back towards Bagramon. "…So be it…" he spoke, his voice deep, echoing, and stiffly neutral.

Ophanimon frowned remorsefully. "You know you will be punished…" she explained to him.

"I am well aware…" Bagramon whispered.

As he spoke, he could hear thunder rolling in the sky. He opened his eyes and gazed defiantly at the clouds. He stubbornly refused to back down. Wordlessly, he challenged God.

"Then prepare for your punishment…" Seraphimon spoke. He glanced over at Imperialdramon and Alphamon, shaking his head to tell them that access to the Dark Area would not be necessary. He looked forward again, unable to turn around and gaze at Bagramon. "You were my friend once… My brother. That is why this pains me so much."

"Some things transcend even brotherhood…" Bagramon somberly mused.

"…You will receive a reduced punishment compared to the seven Rebel Leaders. You will suffer God's wrath and be exiled from the Sky Colonies forever. …However, you will not be sent to the Dark Area…" Seraphimon explained, although not without notes of sadness that he tried to repress.

"I expect it will hurt," the black-haired angel dryly suggested with as much courage as he could muster.

"Most likely…" Seraphimon answered, still not looking at him.

Bagramon nodded gently. "…I am ready," he said softly.

His eyes turned up to the funnel of clouds overhead. He stared upwards defiantly, his eyes both resigned and resolute. Holding himself with dignity, he quietly challenged the Being of Goodness to do his worst.

Then the sky flashed.

A pillar of holy lightning came piercing down from the sky. The bolts descended on Bagramon and he met his grisly punishment. A strand of lightning tore through his right eye, annihilating it completely. Then the lightning consumed the right half of his body. His right arm and leg were obliterated and the purging lightning burned through the right side of Bagramon's chest, down to his ribs and pelvis. Bagramon howled in agony, the scream ripping deep from his vocal cords.

As the lightning hit him, his white feathers were struck black, and his ebony hair turned a stark white. Red horns suddenly protruded from his forehead and the sides of his skull.

The lightning bolt faded, Bagramon collapsed onto the ground, his body mangled and convulsing in unparalleled, excruciating pain.

Ophanimon and Cherubimon had to look away at the sight. Seraphimon glanced over his shoulder and eyed at Bagramon with guilt and regret.

The seraph Digimon turned forwards and looked at a HolyAngemon. "…Take what's left of him down to the Digital World. He should survive… hopefully…" he murmured with as much dispassion as he could.

"Yes, sir," the HolyAngemon dutifully responded, going to collect Bagramon's severed body with a small team of angel Digimon. The punished angel fell unconscious from the pain before they reached him.

Alphamon watched with regretful eyes as Bagramon mutilated body was carried off, to be taken down to the Digital World and left to his fate. The Royal Knight walked across the pier, over to the Three Great Angels. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode walked with him.

"It isn't my place to say, but that seemed heavy-handed…" Alphamon said, walking up to them.

"Unfortunately it had to be. He was one of the leaders of this bloody rebellion," Seraphimon answered stoically, turning to him. "At least it was better than the alternative…"

Alphamon frowned. "And the other rebel soldiers?" he asked.

"We will deal with them…" Ophanimon explained, her voice not forthcoming.

Alphamon looked at the three of them with both concern and warning. "I hope you won't be as heavy-handed with all of them… I know that security is an issue, but don't forget that this isn't all due to them…" Alphamon reminded them. "This rebellion happened for a reason. There were divisions in your society. Rather than exacerbate the problems, you should recognise them and try to mend them."

"We will, Alphamon," Cherubimon assured him.

"And we will be fair in our punishments, but those who aided the demons in their conspiracy and rebellion will still need to be punished," Seraphimon explained. "After this, we need to ensure that the Sky Colonies can survive and rebuild…"

"Thank you for your help, Alphamon, but leave the rest to us," Ophanimon told him with a smile.

Alphamon nodded after a moment. "Very well… but I don't want the Royal Knights to have to come back here once again…" he warned them ominously. There was a flicker of red in his eyes as he stared at the Three Great Angels. "We will… if we must."

"AncientGreymon gave us a similar warning…" Seraphimon murmured, turning away.

"Just as long as you know," Alphamon responded. "The Royal Knights do not pick sides when we see injustice."

"We will treat the situation as sensitively as we can…" Cherubimon reassured the Royal Knight. "We will be fair and just. I promise…"

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode stepped forwards and shouldered his sword. "So, you won't need us anymore."

"No…" Seraphimon responded. "The only ones left who were dangerous enough to require imprisonment in the Dark Area were the Seven Demon Lords."

Imperialdramon turned to Alphamon. "Then I guess we should get going. I'd like to double check that the Dark Area is secure. And there's also the damage to the Digital World that we need to see to… They will need leaders for the relief effort."

"We will send whatever relief we are able to," Seraphimon assured them. "We may be short-handed with supplies dealing with the damage here, but we will do whatever we can."

Alphamon sighed and nodded. "Yes, thank you… We will leave you to it. We will all be very busy…" the Royal Knight spoke heavily. "Let's go collect the others…"

"Thank you again for the help, Alphamon," Cherubimon said to him graciously. "Things could have gone much worse if you hadn't come to our aid."

"You're welcome…" Alphamon said, looking at them before walking away with Imperialdramon. He glanced over the side of the Third Sphere to behold the devastation on the Digital World below.

"Although I'm not sure how much worse things could have gotten…"

---

Two days passed since that fateful night.

Punishment had been delivered for the crimes that had been committed. Despite that, anger, sorrow, and suspicion still burned in Digimons' hearts. Not just those in the Sky Colonies, but the Digimon affected by the Night of Falling Stars on the Digital World's surface. However, all that the Sky Colonies and Digital World could do now was rebuild. The Digimon themselves had to restore their shattered and affected lives.

Some Digimon had more to repair than others.

Deep in the forest in the Neutral Zone, one Digimon struggled to cling onto survival.

It was the dead of the night. Rays of moonlight shone down through the branches, creating intermittent wisps of soft, white light. The forest was silent except for the sounds of the single Digimon.

Bagramon dragged his mutilated body across the forest floor. He heaved, sucking in strained, exhausted breaths before exhaling shakily. With every movement, he growled, his voice haggard and gravelly from the unbearable pain. The fallen angel clawed his way over the ground with his left arm. He helped himself along by pulling his remaining left leg up to his chest and then extending it to push his body forwards. His fingers dug into the earth of the forest floor with every arduous pull.

He was in immeasurable agony, but he stubbornly dragged what was left of his body forwards. His right eye was a dark, bloody, empty socket. His right arm and leg were completely gone; not even stubs remained the limbs. His right side was badly burnt and bleeding intermittently. He was a shadow of his former self, but he refused to lie down and die. Bagramon refused to let himself be reformatted. After what had been done to him… a fire had been ignited inside of him. It was a spark of livid determination that blazed into a wildfire.

His crimson left eye was wide and bloodshot. He glared furiously ahead of him. The demon lord Digimon gnashed his teeth to repress a groan of pain that bubbled up from his throat.

Ahead of him, he could see the moonlight growing brighter and more intense. There seemed to be a clearing ahead of him. Bagramon continued pulling himself stubbornly towards it, hoping to get out of the forest. His senses were so overwhelmed by his pain and emotions that he had no sense of direction. He just kept pushing himself forwards until he found something.

Bagramon dug his fingers into the grass and pulled himself out into the open clearing. Panting heavily, Bagramon came to a temporary stop at what he saw in the center of the glade.

A massive tree, thicker and taller than any other, reached up from the center of the expansive clearing. Its trunk was a few hundred meters in diameter, and it reached kilometers into the sky.

There was a flicker of shock in Bagramon's widened eye. It was the World Tree.

He couldn't help but release a hoarse - nearly demonic - chuckle of irony. "The World Tree. …Is this your tree, God…?" Bagramon croaked in question, a pained smile forming on his face. "Are you and Yggdrasil the same…? What is this, God? Do you give me a small mercy after your heartless punishment…? Or is this merely coincidence…? Or fate…?"

Bagramon didn't wait for an answer. He kept dragging his devastated body across the lengthy clearing. Despite the expansive grassland surrounding the massive tree, he didn't stop for a moment.

It took him half an hour, but Bagramon finally reached the base of the giant tree. Bagramon clawed his way up to the trunk. Once there, he stopped and panted with exhaustion and pain, resting his forehead against the bark of the tree.

Bagramon flipped his body over and leaned his back against the massive trunk. He looked down at his half-destroyed body. "I need… to repair my body…" he breathed.

The fallen angel Digimon slowly turned his eye towards the World Tree, an idea forming in his mind. "Or create a new one…"

A pained yet defiant smirk grew on Bagramon's face. He closed his remaining eye and released a deep laugh, fueled half by adrenaline and half by anger.

He looked into the distance, where he could see smoke still drifting up from the Digital World, towards the starry sky. His smile faded and his gaze hardened into one of bitter anger and determination. He gazed up through the boughs of the holy World Tree, towards the sky where he once lived.

"I will never accept you, God… I will never forget your unreasonable cruelty and injustice…" Bagramon thought to himself, almost as if trying to communicate to the Being of Goodness. Despite his brutalized body, his purpose and defiance only grew. "No matter how long it takes… no matter how much time I must bide… no matter what I have to do… I will personally see to it that you are removed from this wretched world."

As Bagramon closed his eye, his empty right eye still stared blankly towards the sky. He gently placed his hand on the World Tree behind him, rubbing its bark. He managed a soft grin on his agonised face.

"I was once an angel of death, but now I am a demon of justice… As such, I shall replace the senseless death in this world with true and absolute justice…"

Bagramon raised his right hand up to the sky and closed his fist tightly. His red eye gleamed with unparalleled resolve.

"I will destroy God with my own hands…"