(Author's Notes: Here's Chapter 54. This is a longer one, so feel free to digest it in a couple sittings. In it, we get back to some familiar characters. Anyways, hope everyone's doing well. Enjoy the chapter and let me know your thoughts!)

Chapter 54: Reflection

A day had passed since the Royal Knights' meeting concerning their plans against the Demon Lords. Most of the soldiers and staff were still on leave for a few more days. Remaining at Castle Albion was just the Royal Knights, the Captains, essential headquarters staff, a contingent of Castle Guards, and a handful of soldiers who preferred to remain on their own volition.

With nothing to do but prepare, there was an underlying sense of apprehension around the castle. Everybody knew that something was coming, but it was the waiting that was the struggle. Those who were less patient wished that they could start moving immediately. The Digimon of the Order looked for ways to pass the time productively and release their growing tension. The Royal Knights were no exception.

Examon stood in the shooting range located to the left of the training grounds. He let the Ambrosius lance rest against the rows of bony spikes that jutted from his scaly shoulders.

The draconic Royal Knight walked up to a metal control panel that protruded out of the grass at the near edge of the shooting range. As he approached the computerized panel, he thought quietly to himself about the situation they found themselves in.

He had seen firsthand the power of the Demon Lords during the Battle of New Terminal. Although he hadn't really fought them directly – his role had mainly been long ranged support – it was clear to him that each of the Demon Lords was as powerful as any of the Royal Knights. The wounds that Alphamon, UlforceVeedramon, and Gankoomon had sustained were proof that they were extremely dangerous opponents.

They were so dangerous that Examon wondered why more groups and states weren't coming out to support the Royal Knights in their war against the Demon Lords. They surely remembered the devastation that the Night of Falling Stars caused. They knew that the Seven Great Demon Lords were a threat. Was it that they were scared of incurring their wrath? Or did they think that this was just a civil war within the Religion of Light, so they didn't think it was their problem?

Examon didn't know. What he did know was that he couldn't turn a blind eye to injustice. Not anymore.

There was once a time where he didn't think about matters outside of the United Dramonic Coalition. He had been their guardian, so his only concern was with defending their territory from threats, both external and internal. He had rarely looked beyond their borders. He had been content with that, but there had always been a part of him that felt unsatisfied with such insular thinking. However, once he joined the Royal Knights, he realised that there was more that needed to be protected than just his home. Wrong was wrong, no matter where it was. He decided he wouldn't let something like arbitrary borders dictate when it was okay to save people. He joined the Royal Knights to protect Digimon all over the Digital World.

Yet, he couldn't help but think about the UDC - his home. It had felt like such a long time since he was last there. When he last visited in the midst of the war with the Metal Empire, it had been only for a day in order to get information from Dorbickmon. Even then, it felt like so much had changed from when he had left.

He wondered what else had changed. Had the Four Great Dragons changed? Why have they not said anything about the Demon Lords? He wanted to know…

Examon sighed and activated the control panel for the shooting range, which created a holographic interface beneath his hand. He tapped his claws familiarly on the translucent buttons.

The first thing that he did was activate the safety barrier around the back end of the shooting range. A nearly transparent, semi-circular dome activated and materialized around the end of the range, protecting the castle wall and the surrounding area from stray shots. The barrier was powerful enough to block most isolated projectiles, but it couldn't stand up to any kind of prolonged barrage, so its usefulness was only as a temporary shield.

The next thing he did was to set the mode to 'dynamic' and the target difficulty to 'Royal Knight'. Examon activated the ten second countdown and whipped around the Ambrosius, taking aim.

As the Digimoji symbol for 'two' flashed onto the screen, Examon squeezed the trigger of the gun-lance. As the 'one' disappeared, the range activated. A glowing, red disc suddenly bounced up vertically from one of several slots in the grass. With snap reflexes, Examon fired a training shell from his lance. The metal cylinder swept straight through the center of the flying disc, causing the translucent hologram to turn green and beep.

One more disc bounced up from about three hundred meters down the range. Examon aimed and fired, turning that practice target green as well. Examon barely had time two process the beep before two more discs shot up from the projector shots in the grassy range, with both discs shooting up in diagonal angles before intersecting. Examon fired another shell, hitting the two discs at the same time, right as they intersected.

After this, the pace of the discs appearing became swifter and more intense. A barrage of three discs came shooting towards Examon from difficult angles. Using the Ambrosius like an appendage, Examon pumped three shots out and hit all three of the targets, the final one with meters to spare.

The targets began pumping out of the ground at different speeds, angles, and trajectories. They became increasingly hard to hit, giving only a second of breathing space between them. Examon had to maximize every single millisecond. The flurry of targets was intense, and they would disappear after only five seconds. Sweat began dripping down Examon's brow. It was a task even for him to keep up. His timing had to be perfect.

More shells and beams pierced through the hologram targets, turning them bright green. Due to the intensity of the multiple flying targets at once, Examon's spread began to suffer. In his haste to hit the targets, he ended up clipping a couple, only hitting their edges. This turned them a golden yellow colour instead of green. He wasn't satisfied with that, but there was nothing he could do but move on. He watched as three red discs shot out of the ground, spiralling in the air, while two more followed, shooting straight towards him.

Feeling the pressure, Examon dealt first with the higher priority targets that threatened to hit him. Two successive beeps sounded out as he shot through the aggressive discs. He followed up by firing three swift blasts towards the ascending trio of targets. The first shot hit one of the spiralling disks, turning it the same emerald as the beam that struck it. The second shot followed, glancing through the edge of the second of the three targets.

When Examon saw the second disc turn yellow, his eyes narrowed. He knew that the aim of his burst was off. He made a mistake.

To his disappointment, his final shell whizzed right by the target and sailed harmlessly into the transparent barrier, the blank shell breaking apart upon impacting the force field. Examon sighed and began to lower his guard as the crimson target taunted him by continuing its ascent.

He was about to reload the chamber of the Ambrosius, when a thick arrow suddenly whizzed through the air and pierced right through the center of the escaping target. The disc flashed green and there was a triumphant beep.

Examon blinked and looked behind him with surprise. Standing ten meters behind him, just outside of the shooting range, was Sleipmon. The six-legged horse lowered his Muspellsheimr crossbow and gave Examon a friendly smile.

The towering dragon man tapped his claw on the hologram control panel and paused the targeting simulation. With discs no longer flying every which way, Examon was free to turn around and look at the equine Royal Knight who was just slightly shorter than him.

"Sleipmon?" he asked, loading the Ambrosius' magazine and flipping its safety latch on.

Sleipmon smiled and approached upon seeing that it was safe. "Sorry for cutting in. I couldn't resist," he chuckled good-naturedly, walking up to the large dragon knight.

"Thank you for getting the one I missed. You saved my score," Examon answered with a grin. "I'm just sorry you had to see that."

Sleipmon chuckled and stopped in front of Examon, placing a hand on his spiked shoulder. "Even us ranged experts can miss on that level of difficulty," he assured him. "How goes the training?"

"Apart from that one, fairly good," Examon answered. "In addition to my usual daily exercise routine, I flew up to the stratosphere three times this morning. Since the battle, I've felt that I should work on my flight speed and endurance."

"I see," Sleipmon replied, sliding his hand off Examon's shoulder. "I guess all we can do is train and prepare over the next few days."

Examon nodded. "Good preparation is the key to victory." He stuck the tips of the Ambrosius into the ground and leaned his elbow on the lance's conical vamplate. Looking at Sleipmon curiously, he asked, "Are you feeling impatient?"

"Not so much 'impatient'…" Sleipmon answered hesitantly. "I suppose I'm a little nervous. I'm worried about how long it will be until the Demon Lords attack another city. There were already many lost in that last battle…"

Examon frowned and looked at Sleipmon analytically. He could see the concern in his friend's eyes. It made him remember just how much Sleipmon valued life.

"Yes, there were…" Examon answered, his voice a little heavy. "I'm afraid I didn't hold back when I was fighting the Demon Lords and their army."

After a moment of surprise and confusion, Sleipmon realised what he meant. He smiled a little at Examon. "…You don't have to explain yourself to me, Examon. I know that you and the others had no other choice but to do everything you could to hold out against them."

Examon's brows furrowed a little more. "But it bothers you, doesn't it?"

"…Yes, but I also understand that if you didn't, many more good Digimon would be killed," Sleipmon explained, gazing down at his crossbow. "I heard about what they did to Hope's Crest."

"So, then…" Examon started uncertainly, looking at Sleipmon for clarification. "For you, it is okay to delete evil Digimon if it's to protect good Digimon?"

A conflicted frown flickered onto Sleipmon's face. "No…" he responded, although his hesitation made him sound uncertain. "Sort of?" Sleipmon sheepishly rubbed his black neck at his indecisive answer. "It's… complicated, Examon. I don't quite know how to describe it. It's not as clear as 'good' and 'evil', and it's not so absolute as it being 'right' or 'wrong'."

"How can it be unclear?" Examon wondered, cocking his horned head just slightly. "The Demon Lords are clearly evil, and the people of New Terminal were innocent civilians. Shouldn't that make it easier for you to know whether you reject all killing absolutely or only killing those who aren't evil?"

Sleipmon smiled wistfully at Examon. He could see that the dragon had no uncertainty whatsoever about his own values. He always seemed so secure and confident… The only doubt that he seemed to have was his confusion towards Sleipmon's beliefs.

"I wish it were that simple, Examon. I wish that 'good' and 'evil' were that clearly defined…" he responded, gazing diplomatically at his friend. "It's my personal decision not to kill. However, I'm not going to stand in the way of you or anybody else if you must kill in order to protect yourselves and others. Isn't that enough?"

Examon frowned and glanced away a little with guilt. "With the situation that we're facing?" he asked, looking down at the Ambrosius and pulling its blades from the earth. "…I'm not sure, Sleipmon."

Sleipmon sighed and he began to turn around. He didn't want to argue with Examon. This was a topic that he and Examon had disagreed over in the past. Although they had tried to come to terms with each other, he wasn't sure that they would ever truly be able to understand the way the other thought. It was his opinion that the best they could do was to not dictate their beliefs over the other.

Examon deactivated the training simulator and brought down the protective barrier. "Sorry. Let's talk about something else," he answered a little awkwardly.

The horse knight offered a conciliatory smile to his reptilian counterpart and nodded. "…How was fighting the Demon Lords?" he wondered, knowing that it had been Examon's first encounter with them.

"I didn't fight any of them directly. I mostly just took shots at them," Examon admitted. "They seem… incredibly powerful. Barbamon's magic is unlike anything I've seen."

Sleipmon manoeuvred his six-legged body around and began to trot off of the training grounds. As he made his way with Examon back to the courtyard that lay between the castle and the barracks, Sleipmon's features clouded over. "I know what you mean. When we fought the Demon Lords in Cathode Tundra, they were powerful enough to keep us at bay. That was when they were still recovering their strength. …But now?" Sleipmon winced. "I worry about what they are capable of. You've seen what Leviamon did to UlforceVeedramon, and even Alphamon was badly hurt by Demon."

Examon turned his draconic head towards Sleipmon. "We'll stop them," he assured him. "We have to."

Sleipmon smiled a little, though his violet eyes drifted forwards, gazing down the castle road. "…Yes, you're right," he agreed. "We need to have the fortitude to defeat them. I do, especially."

The dragon knight smiled encouragingly at his friend. "I don't doubt your fortitude, Sleipmon. You're a stronger Digimon than you give yourself credit for…"

The Royal Knight's face flushed the same colour as his red digizoid at the compliment. "I don't know about that…" he answered with a hesitant smile. "If I was as strong as the rest of you, I wouldn't hesitate and struggle like I do."

Examon looked into Sleipmon's eyes with an honest gaze. "I think it's because you struggle that you're strong… You have an unwavering code that you follow. I have my own code, as do the others, I'm sure. But… you are able to question yourself and adapt. That's more than I can do."

Sleipmon smiled sincerely at the large dragon as the two sizeable Royal Knights walked down the main road. "I don't think that's true. You've grown a lot since you first joined."

"In some ways, maybe…" Examon answered. "In other ways, I'm still the same Examon I was before. At least, I think so."

"I guess we still have more ways in which we can change," Sleipmon suggested. "We both may be Ultimate levels, but even we still have things that we can learn. We can continue to grow and change for the better. That's why we're Digimon."

Examon grinned at him. "That's very profound… It's just like you to have a philosophical side, Sleipmon. You almost sounded like Alphamon."

Sleipmon chuckled and sheepishly ran his fingers through his thick mane of violet hair. "Sorry. Was I too romantic? Duftmon accuses me of that a lot."

"No, you make a good point," Examon agreed. "It's not like we've reached the pinnacle of evolution just because we're Ultimate levels. We can become stronger in other ways, apart from just physically."

"I hope we can, at least," Sleipmon replied, looking warmly at the tall dragon. "As Royal Knights, we have a lot of power. It's important that our actions are guided by strong morals. We're responsible for many Digimon, so it's important that we continue to grow as Digimon."

"I understand what you mean," Examon said as he pondered Sleipmon's words. "All of the Royal Knights have strong morals, so I don't think we have to worry, but I agree with your point."

The pair walked underneath the stone bridge that stretched from the northwest tower to the western walls, briefly passing beneath the stone arch's shadow. As the sunlight flashed over their armoured bodies again, Sleipmon nodded pensively.

"I know they all do. Even Duftmon… He might not care about Digimon on an emotional level, but he has a strong sense of justice. I don't doubt any of them," Sleipmon explained.

Examon nodded. "I know…" He fixed his emerald eyes on the Royal Knight. "So don't doubt yourself either."

Sleipmon frowned a little. He wasn't entirely sure what Examon was trying to say. Was it to say that he shouldn't abandon his morals? If so, it seemed to him like a bit of a mixed message from what he had been saying before. Or did he mean that he should have more confidence and stop hesitating on doing what needed to be done? He wasn't sure, but he decided to leave things there. There wasn't much else to say on the matter anyways.

"I'll try," Sleipmon told Examon with his friendly smile.

Examon grinned and nodded. The dragon man stopped near the entrance of the main building. "Anyways, I have a few things that I need to do. I might be going away for a couple days."

Sleipmon came to a stop beside him, the gentle clacking of his hooves petering into silence. "Really?" he asked with surprise. "Where? Are you going on a mission?"

"Sort of," Examon answered, readjusting the Ambrosius on his shoulder. "It's nothing dangerous. It's more of a diplomatic trip that I want to make while things are quiet. I just want to put the idea past Alphamon first."

The horse archer nodded. "Alright. I hope it goes well, Examon," he said encouragingly. "We need all the allies we can get."

In response to the comment, Examon eyed Sleipmon curiously. "You still haven't heard anything from the Heavenly Choir?" he wondered.

Sleipmon frowned and glanced away from the dragon's gaze. "…Not yet," he answered, trying to remain hopeful that they would receive the information that they were promised soon. "I'm sure Cherubimon's very busy with everything that's happening."

Examon nodded. "I guess that's true," he supposed.

"…Maybe I'll write him a letter, personally," Sleipmon decided. The corners of his equine snout turned upwards positively.

Sleipmon didn't want to doubt his friend and former mentor. Although he felt uneasy by the lack of any further response from the Heavenly Choir, he was sure that Cherubimon would stay true to his promise. That was the sort of Digimon that Cherubimon was. He was caring, sincere, and trustworthy. He had promised to write, and he had promised that the Heavenly Choir would cooperate with the Royal Knights. They just had to be patient.

"Good idea," Examon said. "Well, I guess I'll see you in a few days, Sleipmon."

Sleipmon smiled and placed his black hand on Examon's arm. "Good luck. I hope everything's okay at home," he perceptively said.

Examon chuckled a bit. "I can't get much past you, can I?" he asked. "Thanks, Sleipmon. Look after the castle while I'm gone."

"I will."

The two bestial Royal Knights clasped each other's wrists and nodded at one another. Examon and Sleipmon then both parted and began going their separate ways. Examon began heading inside the castle, while Sleipmon turned around and made his way back down the main road.

As they parted, Examon disappeared inside the castle. A gentle frown returned to his face as he thought about the task in front of him.

"…'Home', huh?"

"The armoury supplies are checked. The scouts are on recon around the Gloaming Fields. The Castle Guards' drills are finished. Digmon gave out the soldiers' pay. UlforceVeedramon is arranging Deep Saver transportation. RhodoKnightmon is debriefing the mayors of the Free Area…"

Dukemon walked down one of the long, castle corridors, looking at a long list of organizational tasks in his hands. His citrine eyes scrolled down the length of the long roll of paper that Duftmon had handed him earlier.

Walking beside him was Craniamon. The Royal Knight who was outfitted in violet armour glanced at the list as well. The two plated knights walked down the long hallway that ran perpendicular to the great hall. The pair reached the midpoint of the castle-spanning corridor and stepped underneath the stone archway that framed one of the entrances to the foyer.

"What's your point?" Craniamon asked as they walked inside the marble lobby.

Dukemon walked over to one of the marble columns and leaned his cape-covered back against it. "There's nothing left for us to do," the silver and red knight explained, emphatically swatting the list with the back of his hand. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting impatient. I wish we could just attack them already."

"I know how you feel," Craniamon agreed. The broad knight walked up beside him and folded his arms. "But we can't exactly rush in. I'm all for improvising, but for something as big as this? We kind of have to follow Duftmon's lead."

Dukemon sighed and folded the list in his hands. "I know…" he acknowledged. "It's just the anticipation that's getting to me. I need to feel like we're doing something!"

"We could train," Craniamon offered.

"What else have we been doing?" Dukemon contended. "There's only so much training we can do until we're just burning time and energy."

The dark paladin shrugged his massive pauldrons. "Practice makes perfect," he contended. "What else do you suggest we do? We still have half a week before this 'vacation' time is over. I don't believe any second should be wasted when we could be getting ready."

"Exhausting ourselves before the start of a long campaign isn't a great idea either though," Dukemon debated with his fellow Royal Knight.

Craniamon sighed, his expression becoming ponderous. "If only we received some sort of orders from Yggdrasil…"

Dukemon frowned and folded his arms as well. "Yeah… We haven't heard anything from Yggdrasil recently. Nothing since the DarkKnightmon crisis happened and Gankoomon joined the Royal Knights. With the Metal Empire, sure, that wasn't exactly an issue of Network Security, but with the Demon Lords? I'd have thought we'd receive some sort of directive by now," he wondered aloud.

Craniamon shrugged again and closed his eyes confidently. "Yggdrasil is ready when Yggdrasil is ready. After all, It has to consider every angle. I have faith that we'll hear something soon."

"You're right…" Dukemon agreed, nodding. "But in the meanwhile?"

"Beats me… Maybe we can travel somewhere and make sure our defences are secure?"

Dukemon was about to respond to Craniamon's suggestion, but a familiar flash of silver and maroon drew his attention. On the opposite side of the foyer, he saw Examon emerge from the entrance hall. He casually waved at the large dragon, watching as Examon manoeuvred his large Caledfwlch wings through the double doors.

"Hey, Examon," he greeted, prompting Craniamon to turn around as well.

"Hey, lizard," Craniamon hailed. "What are you up to? We're trying to find something productive to do."

Examon smiled a little and made his way over to the pair. "Hello. I was actually planning to travel somewhere myself," he explained.

"Really? Where?" the dark knight inquired, placing one of his hands on the columns and leaning.

"Well…" Examon looked between the pair of Royal Knights uncertainly. He supposed it would be a good idea to hear their thoughts before he brought the matter to Alphamon. "I was thinking of travelling to Dragon's Peak."

"The UDC?" Dukemon asked, his tone rising slightly with surprise. "Why? Visiting home?"

"No, it's not for pleasure," Examon explained. "I want to speak with the Four Great Dragons… They haven't made a public response to what the Demon Lords have done yet. I'm not sure if they're stalling or if they're undecided, but I want to go and try to convince them to join us. I know them; I was the UDC's guardian. They might listen to me."

"The Four Great Dragons?" Craniamon wondered with a thoughtful frown. "Megidramon, Goddramon, Holydramon, and Qinglongmon…"

"It's more likely to be Majiramon of the Devas than the Holy Beast himself," Examon explained. "He acts as Lord Qinglongmon's viceroy in his frequent absence."

"Huh… That's not a bad idea," Dukemon answered, closing his eyes and thinking about the concept ponderously. After a few moments, he pounded his opened palm with his fist. "I know! We'll go with you! Let's call it a diplomatic mission."

Craniamon looked at Dukemon and a bead of sweat dripped down his head. "You're just bored…"

Dukemon grinned back at the violet Royal Knight. "Are you turning down a mission, Craniamon? Omegamon, Dynasmon, and I are gaining on your mission completion rate, you know. At the rate they're going, Examon and Gankoomon will be strong contenders too."

The knight's dark eye began to twitch as his perfectionism was brought into doubt. "…Of course not!" he stubbornly maintained, placing his hands on his hips. He glared competitively at Dukemon in order to show him his resolve. "Nobody will so much as touch my mission completion rate. Not again."

Examon smiled sheepishly and carefully held the Ambrosius against his shoulder. "Alright. You two are welcome to come. I just have to let Alphamon know."

Dukemon nodded. "I can do that. You two go prepare. Why don't we meet up outside the front gates in, say, half an hour?"

"Sounds fine to me," Craniamon agreed, turning to Examon. "Let's go, Examon. I have a few things I want us to pack."

The large dragon man nodded. "So do I. Can we use your black digizoid for storage? I want to be prepared just in case the unexpected happens."

"That's why Yggdrasil made it," Craniamon agreed, beginning to walk out of the foyer alongside Examon.

Dukemon grinned as the pair of Royal Knights made their way outside, watching as they chatted amicably with each other. Once he was alone in the octagonal foyer, the caped knight walked towards the staircase within the corner wall. He entered the enclosed stairway and began making his way up the stone steps.

It had been awhile since he last went to the United Dramonic Coalition. It would be nice to visit again. He remembered the majestic, mountain scenery of the capital. It might be nice to take in the view, if nothing else.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he stopped in front of a single torch that illuminated the apex of the stairway. For a few moments, he lingered in the doorway, thinking to himself. The erratic, orange light of the flames flickered across his body, providing a deep, orange glow and irregular shadows against his crimson visage.

For a just a moment, he thought about the Four Great Dragons. Rather… he thought about Megidramon. He remembered his first encounter with him well…

It was long ago, before the UDC and before the Order. Megidramon had once been a violent and tyrannical warlord in the fractious dragon lands. That was before he came under the positive influence of the other three Great Dragons.

Dukemon had fought him. They clashed in a fiery duel. He remembered clearly the red symbol on Megidramon's chest. The glowing, crimson tattoo. The Digital Hazard.

At that time, he had thought that he had been the only one. But, he was wrong. Lord Megidramon had managed to take control of his Digital Hazard as well. When they met each other on the battlefield, it had felt as though they had been fated to fight…

And when they did fight… Dukemon never forgot what happened.

Dukemon looked down at the black Digital Hazard symbol on his center of his breastplate. For a moment, he frowned.

However, he released a soft breath and shook his head. "It doesn't matter," he whispered, smiling peacefully.

His friends all knew. They all said they trusted him. Megidramon didn't matter anymore. The Digital Hazard didn't matter anymore.

Dukemon tightened his fist confidently.

"I have more important things to think about now. I don't need to be afraid of it."

Dukemon turned away from the flames and stepped into the light of the adjacent corridor. The draconic knight walked down the hallway to find Alphamon, his crimson cape rippling as it nipped at his heels. He walked with light, energetic steps, unburdened by whatever had weighed him down in the past.

"All that matters is defeating the Demon Lords."

All that mattered was defeating the Demon Lords.

That was what she had thought.

It had been those dark and zealous thoughts that had swept her into a maelstrom of darkness. She remembered how raw and primal her rage was. In her whole life, she had never felt emotions so extreme. Not in the darkest and most intense moments in her life had anything compared to what she felt in New Terminal.

The feeling of losing herself was never far from her mind. The feeling of her consciousness being overrun by an onslaught of wrath and darkness – that fear permeated her thoughts when she least expected it. She had nightmares about it every night. She would wake up in a sweat and have to check to make sure that she was still herself.

Paildramon stood in the Gallery of Reflection. Against the wall at the end of the corridor were two wheeled buckets of water. The floor was glossy and spotless from a thorough and methodical cleaning. Propped up beside the buckets was the wet mop that she had used to clean the gallery with.

Now, the draconic over-sergeant was sitting, taking a short break now that the thought had come over her once again. She sat on one of the stone benches that were spaced intermittently in a row. They aligned with the edge of the long, rectangular, fountain basin that ran the length of the gallery. Facing the water, she leaned forwards with her arms rested on her knees. She was positioned just enough to see her reflection in the fount.

The water poured into the pool from one of its spouts, causing tumultuous ripples in the water. As she looked down at her reflection, it was distorted by the soft waves, causing her appearance to seem amorphous and erratic. She could just barely make out her face as she gazed down at herself. It was just for a moment, between two ripples that she could make out the eyes that stared back at her.

Paildramon winced softly and closed her eyes. She dipped her head forwards and thought to herself. As soon as her mind went dark, a different pair of eyes started glaring back at her. They were cold and fierce, like blood moons glowing in the starless night.

"Over-sergeant?"

Paildramon's eyes snapped open and she immediately stood to her feet. She spun on the ball of her foot and turned towards the voice. Although taken off guard, she was quietly thankful for the interruption.

Standing at the near end of the tranquil gallery was a humanoid knight clad in white armour. Omegamon entered the corridor, the light reflecting off the water and shimmering luminescently against his white, pristine body.

Upon seeing who the owner of the voice was, Paildramon's soldier instincts kicked in and she immediately saluted her superior officer. "Sir Omegamon," she greeted. She quickly glanced at the mop and buckets next to Omegamon and felt the need to explain that she wasn't lazing on the job. "I have finished my duties for the day, sir."

Omegamon nodded and began walking down the gallery towards her, his white and red cape flapping radiantly behind him. "Duties? You didn't decide to take leave with the other soldiers?" he wondered as he began to approach the armoured dragon woman.

"No, sir. I'm helping Lance Corporal VictoryGreymon and Companion-at-Arms SaviorHackmon clean the castle while things are quiet," she explained. "It is a punishment for…" She winced and glanced towards the fountain beside her. "…what happened in New Terminal."

Omegamon frowned pensively and stepped up beside her. "…I see," he spoke, his soft, dual-toned voice speaking without judgment. "You mean for Black Imperialdramon: Fighter Mode, I take it…"

Paildramon's eyes tightened softly with shame. "…Yes, Sir," she could only confirm.

"May I sit?" Omegamon asked, eyeing the stone bench that she had been sitting on.

Paildramon nodded and moved aside, allowing Omegamon to sit down next to her. He moved his cape behind him so that he wouldn't sit on it, and proceeded to plant himself on the stone surface, facing the serene water feature. The ivory-hued Royal Knight looked up at the over-sergeant and extended his hand to other side of the bench, offering her the chance to sit as well.

Paildramon sat down quietly, this time with disciplined posture now that she knew that she was in the presence of a Royal Knight.

"I… apologise about that," she awkwardly spoke up, looking contritely towards her superior. "I hurt Sir UlforceVeedramon and VictoryGreymon. I am deeply ashamed of my actions."

"I know you are…" Omegamon turned his cyan eyes towards her, looking at her not with judgment, but with understanding. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Paildramon sighed through her nostrils and against the interior of her helmet, causing her to feel her warm breath against her face. She wasn't really sure where to start or how to explain it without it sounding like she was justifying her actions.

"I… can't excuse anything that I did," she answered, her voice stretching out methodically and repentantly. "I had mistakenly come to the conclusion that my brother had been killed. The trauma, the overwhelming anger that I felt, my own weaknesses and flaws… they all caused my Imperialdramon form to become unstable. I lost control of my own power and sought to destroy. I went on a rampage until GrandisKuwagamon stopped me."

Omegamon didn't say anything. He merely listened intently and nodded with understanding.

Paildramon looked down at her clawed hands, her black gauntlets folded on her lap. "I know it seems like I only lost my mind. Something so… intangible is a bit hard to describe," she explained. "The only thing I can compare it to is… it's as if something grabbed me and was dragging to the bottom of the deepest chasm of the Net Ocean. It was the feeling surrounded by darkness, crushed by its incredible weight, and falling deeper and deeper into oblivion, with no way to stop myself…"

"…And no matter how much you fought against the powerful current, you were helpless to keep yourself from being dragged down. Your body wasn't your own anymore. The deeper you got, the more you could see the light from the surface fading away…" Omegamon added with sagacious empathy.

Paildramon frowned and looked up at Omegamon with surprise. "Yes…" she confirmed, a little amazed that his words were so astute.

Omegamon smiled wistfully at her. "I know how that feels…" The white paladin looked forwards and gazed at the tranquil water before him, listening to the sound of the liquid flowing out in a steady trickle. "You only joined our Order a year ago, so you might not have heard… During the DarkKnightmon Crisis, I was captured and imprisoned. When I refused to betray my friends, DarkKnightmon forced me onto one of those dark rifts. …The exposure to the dark data changed me. I transformed into an entity known as Omegamon Zwart."

As the word left the white Royal Knight's tongue, his blue eyes tightened into a gentle wince. "During that dark evolution, I did some terrible things… I hurt my closest friends. I tried my hardest to kill Alphamon and Imperialdramon… It is only thanks to Alphamon that I am free now."

Paildramon's eyes widened a little and she sheepishly broke her gaze with him. "…I'm sorry. I had heard something about that." Her eyes narrowed and she looked down at her hands, slowly clasping them together as the grip of her claws tightened. "Forgive me, Sir. I know you mean well, but… Your dark evolution was forced upon you, wasn't it? That isn't quite the same. My darkness came from… within me."

Omegamon calmly watched the miniature waterfall splashing into the peaceful surface of the water. "…I'm not so sure it was that different," he admitted. "For a long time, I tried to convince myself that it was DarkKnightmon's fault. I would have liked to absolve myself of that painful responsibility. However, the sad reality of the situation was that the dark data wasn't the cause – it was merely a catalyst. Those dark emotions that were bubbling beneath the surface… the resentment, the loneliness, the envy… They were the true cause. The dark data simply amplified them."

He turned to Paildramon with a small smile. "Omegamon Zwart was as much me as Black Imperialdramon was you."

Paildramon mulled over his words carefully and then looked up at her superior officer. "I see…" She smiled a little. "Thank you for that, Sir - and for not telling me that it wasn't my fault. I certainly don't want to sulk, but I also don't want to pretend that I'm not to blame."

Omegamon closed his eyes and nodded sagely. "I understand what you mean."

"…Do you still think about Omegamon Zwart?" Paildramon asked, her smile fading. "Do you fear it coming back somehow?"

Omegamon opened his eyes a little. He remembered the nightmares he had: the recurring dream of being trapped inside Zwart's body, of hurting his friends. For a moment, he could feel his skin crawl. "…Sometimes," he admitted. "It occasionally creeps into my thoughts, particularly at night. However, not as much as it used to. I have found that talking with somebody helps."

Paildramon nodded a little. "…I worry about what will happen if I evolve again. You know how unstable the form of Imperialdramon can be. If I still have lingering hatred from before…" Her crimson eyes narrowed bitterly. "I run the risk of losing myself again."

The caped Royal Knight turned to the draconic over-sergeant. "Have you ever had trouble with Imperialdramon before?" he wondered, inwardly recalling Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode's experiences when he first evolved.

"No… When I first evolved, there was some initial aggression and instability, but I was able to keep it under control," Paildramon explained.

"Then I wouldn't worry about it. The issue that drove you to lose control is resolved now, isn't it?" Omegamon questioned.

Paildramon thought about both ExVeemon and her father. Her brother was safe, and she and her father had started to work through their issues. She didn't feel the same raw fear and resentment that she had before. "More or less, yes."

"Then I doubt it will be an issue," Omegamon assured her.

Paildramon frowned uncertainly. "However…" she hesitantly began. The dragon sighed and tightened her folded hands softly. "The thing that makes me unsure is that… I wasn't able to regain control on my own," she explained, glancing down at the wounds on her chest. "The only reason my rampage stopped was because GrandisKuwagamon stopped me. No matter how much I fought, I was too weak to stop myself. I needed to rely on somebody else to save me… What's to stop it from happening again?"

Omegamon's blue eyes furrowed softly and gazed down at his white hands, which were folded on his lap. "I wasn't strong enough to break free from Zwart's influence either," he admitted, his grip around his hand tightening just slightly. "I was only able to regain control because Alphamon purified the darkness from my body. Even then, it is hard to know if the process was complete." He turned his head and looked at her, putting on a small smile as he didn't want to sound too negative when he was supposed to be reassuring her. "I understand your fears…"

She looked at him hesitantly. "How do you handle not knowing? If there's the chance that…?" After a moment, she frowned at her own words and stalled, beginning to feel that it was unprofessional of her to bother her superior with her problems. "I'm sorry, Sir. I shouldn't be saying all this to you."

Omegamon shook his head softly. "It's alright. I know the doubt and uncertainty you must be feeling…" he contemplatively replied. "There is no one solution to overcoming the fear that the Dark Evolution might take root again. All that you have to do is regain your confidence and your trust in yourself. That is the biggest obstacle."

"Are you speaking from experience, Sir?" Paildramon rhetorically asked with a faint smile.

Omegamon looked her in the eye with honest and reticent warmth. "Yes," he answered decisively. He sighed and tilted his helmeted head upwards reflectively. "I won't pretend that it is something I have fully conquered either. One simply has to keep believing in oneself."

Paildramon exhaled and nodded. She looked down at her hands, inspecting her sharp claws. "…I'll try. I know it won't be easy, but… I want to improve myself. I don't want to be weak, but I don't just want power for its own sake either."

Omegamon gazed at her, hoping to give her some of his strength through his reserved but steadfast presence. "I believe in you, Paildramon."

"Thank you…" she said appreciatively. She placed her hands on the surface of the stone bench, her thumbs just brushing the sides of her hip cannons.

Omegamon nodded and unfolded his alabaster hands on his lap. For a few moments, the only sound in the gallery was the soft trickle of fountain water.

"…Do you still feel guilty, Sir?"

The white knight looked at Paildramon, who was gazing at him with calm but questioning eyes. "…It gets better with time, over-sergeant," he assured her with a small smile. "The one who was hardest on me was myself. The guilt still lingers at times, but it is not so overwhelming now."

Paildramon smiled a little and nodded tranquilly. "I think it's the same with me. Everybody else has been so understanding that I can't help but feel worse. I'd almost rather they blame me. I guess that's something I need to accept."

Omegamon chuckled softly. "Yes… It is rather ironic isn't it?" he mused, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "Everyone tries to be kind, but it inadvertently compounds the guilt."

Paildramon nodded and smiled. "I suppose it's hard to complain about having friends, Sir."

Omegamon smiled warmly. "Indeed…" he agreed, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

After a moment, the white armoured Royal Knight smoothly stood up from the bench, his white and red cape sliding off of its stone surface as he rose. As he stood in front of the fountain, he turned to her and nodded. "I should take my leave now."

The azure dragon rose to her feet as well. "So should I," she agreed, deciding that she spent enough time moping when she could be doing something productive. "Thank you for listening. Your advice helped to put things into perspective."

"I'm glad that I could help," Omegamon responded, giving her a kind smile. "Although, I don't think I said anything that you wouldn't have learned for yourself. You're a strong Digimon, Paildramon. We all falter at times."

She nodded thoughtfully. "It's just a matter of picking ourselves back up," she agreed.

"Indeed…" Omegamon gave her a soft salute and began to turn away.

Paildramon saluted him in response, moving aside as the white Royal Knight walked past her and began making his way down to the other end of the gallery of reflection. His white cape flowed behind him as he walked past the long fountain and reached the stone exit. When Omegamon reached the doorway, he stopped and thought to himself, his eyes softening for just a moment.

The Royal Knight discarded his thoughts and disappeared through the door, leaving Paildramon alone again.

She sighed and stared down at her rippling reflection a final time, leering at the nebulous dragon staring back at her. Paildramon gazed down at the three scars that were aligned vertically down the center of her chest. She brushed her metal claws against one of the holes created by GrandisKuwagamon's talons.

Paildramon tightened her fist against her chest, looking up with determination.

"Move forwards, Paildramon. The only one who can overcome this for you is you…"

With that quiet declaration, Paildramon turned away from her reflection and began walking towards the light, no matter how distant it was.

Sleipmon wandered down the expansive, stone courtyard that lay on the side of the castle that was opposite to its entrance. The spacious staging ground was mostly empty, apart from the pair of castle guards who passed by each other as they swapped shifts at the base of the wall.

The centaur Digimon's hooves clacked against the smooth, stone pavement as he made his way past the eastern tower. He headed back in the direction of the road that ran alongside the training ground towards the front of the castle. Walking alongside Sleipmon was a humanoid Digimon whose full, silver plate armour rattled audibly with every step.

"So, the amount of Castle Guards on rotation is at an acceptable level?" Sleipmon asked, looking down at Captain Knightmon.

"Aye, Sir!" Knightmon confirmed as he readjusted the massive shield that was strapped to his ample back. "The walls, gates, and castle entrances all have a full complement of guards, plus an equal amount of replacements at all times. Even while the rest of the Strike Forces and Defence Forces are on leave, it is my sacred duty to ensure that our Castle Albion is protected invariably."

Sleipmon smiled as he walked alongside the Captain of the Defence Forces. "Your dedication is admirable, Knightmon. I feel much safer knowing you are around," he told him.

"You are too kind, Sir Sleipmon. I merely wish to perform my responsibilities to the best of my ability," Knightmon insisted. "That alone is its own reward."

"Well, thank you for your tireless devotion regardless," Sleipmon said to him appreciatively. "How long have you been Captain of the Defence Forces again?"

"Since before the Heavenly War," Captain Knightmon explained humbly. "They have been the best years of my life. Working for you all has been deeply satisfying. The decades have flown by!"

Sleipmon smiled. "And you used to be with RhodoKnightmon's Knightmon Corps, correct?"

"Yes!" Knightmon exclaimed enthusiastically. "My first ever assignment! We used to be the household retinue of the late Duke of Summerglade, acting as his personal army. When the Duke died and LordKnightmon inherited his lands, he kept us on and formed us into the Knightmon Corps."

"LordKnightmon?" Sleipmon questioned, confused for just a moment.

"Ah. Apologies, he prefers to be called RhodoKnightmon, but he will always be my lord," Knightmon explained ardently. "When he joined the Royal Knights, he incorporated the Knightmon Corps into the Order. That is how I ended up here!"

"Oh, that's right. I've only been here for a couple years, but I remember hearing about that. I guess you all joined after DarkKnightmon's first rebellion."

"Indeed…" Knightmon confirmed weightily, frowning as he folded his brawny arms across his chest. "The position of Captain of the Defence Forces has had somewhat of an unfortunate history… As we all know now, Captain MirageGaogamon was the first to hold the position, and he was DarkKnightmon's co-conspirator in their attempt to overthrow Alphamon. For all of his abilities, his treachery has left a black stain on this position."

Sleipmon frowned and nodded gently, remembering only vaguely the former Captain, and only ever as an enemy.

"After him were his two short-lived successors. Both were killed in action within a couple years of taking the position. After that, well…" Knightmon looked down grimly. "When I was eventually selected to be the next Captain of the Defence Forces, some of my friends warned me that the position was cursed. However, I hope that my years of faithful service have been acceptable enough to break that streak."

"I am sure that they have. You have done a great job for as long as I've been here," Sleipmon assured him.

"That is most kind of you to say, Sir," Knightmon replied.

The pair walked along down the road, looking out across the castle interior. It was far more peaceful than one might expect for wartime.

"Things are rather quiet right now. I don't think the Demon Lords will be making another move so soon, and there isn't much to do around the castle," Sleipmon mused. "Why don't you take some time for yourself, Knightmon?"

Knightmon blinked and looked up at Sleipmon with puzzled, blue eyes. "I couldn't, my lord! The situation may be peaceful, but we are still at war. There is no telling what those rotten villains may attempt. We must be prepared."

"I suppose you are right, Captain, but you should still take some time to rest and recover," Sleipmon suggested as they reached the boundary of the stone staging area, separating it with the kilometer-long training grounds. The six-legged knight allowed Knightmon to turn first so that he wouldn't get in his way with his large, equine body.

"Hrm… Perhaps I could spare some time in the evenings, if I happen to complete all of my duties…" Knightmon conceded, beginning to walk down the road leading from the staging grounds to the barracks.

"Come to think of it, what do you like to do in your free time?" Sleipmon wondered, looking down at Knightmon curiously. "Do you have any hobbies? I'm a little embarrassed that I don't know."

"Hobbies?" Knightmon questioned, bringing his gauntlet to his chin and pensively rubbing his helmet with his fingers. "Well… I suppose I do enjoy knitting."

Sleipmon blinked and looked at Knightmon with surprise. "Knitting?"

"Yes! I enjoy knitting rather a lot," Knightmon declared. "In fact, I was planning to knit sweaters for all of the Defence Forces before the Winter Festival this year."

"Really?" Sleipmon asked with a smile. "For all of the soldiers under your command? That must be… quite the difficult task."

"It is! That's why I started so early. I must account for all their different sizes and body types, as well as their colour preferences. I made sure to take all of their measurements under the façade of armour-fitting checks. Now, it is just a matter of actually knitting the clothing based off of the sketches I made. I am about a third of the way done. I decided it was prudent to begin with the Aerial Guards since their bodies are the most diverse."

"…You really are dedicated, Knightmon," Sleipmon said with a bewildered smile.

"I do try to be!" Knightmon exclaimed. "I want to make sure my soldiers are warm during the nippy months of the Sign of Xuanwumon. We missed last year's Winter Festival because of the Metal Empire war, so I want to make sure that we celebrate the next one."

The heavily armoured knight came to a stop at the point where the road stopped and protruded left, towards the rows of shops and the castle gate. Captain Knightmon turned and gestured to the rows of barracks buildings to their right. "But alas, I must go meet with my Leftenants. I have enjoyed our talk, Sir Sleipmon."

"Yes, it was good speaking with you, Knightmon," Sleipmon answered, smiling affably.

Knightmon saluted the Royal Knight and turned to walk towards the barracks. Before he could make it three steps, the Captain turned and looked towards Sleipmon. "Before I forget, would you like a sweater as well, Sir Sleipmon?" the knight asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Well… You already have so many to make already. I couldn't burden you any further," Sleipmon hesitated.

"It is no trouble at all!" Knightmon insisted. "I shall make you one for the Winter Festival too. Would you fancy a red and green pattern?"

Sleipmon chuckled softly with resignation. "Alright. I'd love one. Thank you, Captain."

Knightmon nodded and smiled, heading towards the Defence Force's barracks and disappearing inside.

Grinning, Sleipmon ran his fingers through his mass of violet hair and sheepishly scratched his head. The equine Royal Knight began trotting down the main road, nodding and waving at the merchants and craftsmons as he passed their shops. With his hooves tapping rhythmically against the stone pavement, the horse knight made his way towards the entrance of the castle. He supposed he should go inside to see if there was anything he could help with inside.

Sleipmon walked up the stone path leading to the guarded entrance. The two castle guards manning the front doors of the main keep promptly saluted the equine Royal Knight. "TiaLudomon. Guardromon," he greeted the pair of them as he approached giant pair of wooden doors.

"Sir," the pair replied in unison.

Sleipmon began to push the doors open. As his black gloves pressed against the wood and pushed the heavy slabs of wood open, the sound of a stern voice caused him to stop partway through. He recognised the sharp cadence and the low, oppressive timbre immediately.

"You, there. I would like a word with you," the voice said to somebody indoors.

"It's Sir Duftmon, Sir," the Guardromon informed Sleipmon, seeing that he stopped to listen to the voice. "He seemed quite displeased about something."

"Again," the TiaLudomon murmured under his breath.

Sleipmon nodded and slowly opened the doors the rest of the way. He looked down the long entrance hall to see two Digimon.

One of them was, indeed, Duftmon, who stood on top of the several steps that led up towards the foyer. The Royal Knights' tactician stood with one of his brown hands placed on his hip, his finger tapping against the red sash that hung around his waist like a belt. There was a familiar stern look in his emerald eyes – one that Sleipmon knew intimately well.

That sharp, criticizing gaze was levelled at a dragon man Digimon who was standing on the steps. VictoryGreymon was in the middle of saluting as he stared up at Duftmon with respect. He grasped a broom in his hands and seemed to be in the process of cleaning the entrance hall.

"M-Me?" VictoryGreymon asked, blinking and pointing at himself with surprise. A huge smile formed on his draconic face at being personally addressed by one of his heroes. "O-Of course, Sir!"

"And refrain from looking so pleased about it," Duftmon reprimanded him firmly.

VictoryGreymon immediately sucked his smile back in and swallowed it dutifully. "Yes, Sir," he answered seriously.

"I have read the submitted reports of the Battle of New Terminal. Yours included," Duftmon explained. The tactician leered down at him, his eyes as sharp and thin as his rapier.

"Your report contained more typographical errors than a bowl of Digimoji soup," Duftmon brusquely rebuked him. His fuzzy, spherical tail flicked back and forth, and Duftmon continued to tap his finger against his scarf. "In addition, your handwriting is deplorable and your report was riddled with run-on sentences. However, I will be generous and put that down to the injuries you sustained during battle."

VictoryGreymon gulped but smiled and sheepishly rubbed the nape of his neck with a hand. "Haha, y-yeah… Thank you, Si-"

"Furthermore, Lance Corporal, in your report you claim to have 'talked GrandisKuwagamon down', as you put it. Does that mean you did not seek to engage the fugitive GrandisKuwagamon in combat?" Duftmon asked him.

"Um… No, I fought him… but he beat me," VictoryGreymon explained. "He had me beat, but I made him see that what he was doing was wrong. He really did surrender like I said."

"I see… I suppose that was prudent under the circumstances, then," Duftmon answered, frowning slightly. "What about the next part? You and he ended up fighting Paildramon's dark evolution – the so-called 'Black Imperialdramon: Fighter Mode', correct? Yet, in your report you say that you did not wish to hurt her."

"Oh, um… Yes, Sir," VictoryGreymon explained, squeezing his broom between his large hands. "She's a friend and an ally, so I tried to talk her down using a non-violent method."

Duftmon's eyes narrowed slightly. "That was incorrect, Lance Corporal," he swiftly rebuked him.

VictoryGreymon flinched under the strategist's harsh gaze. "Um… Y-Yes, Sir, but…."

"Regardless of the fact that Paildramon is an over-sergeant of the Order, proper protocol dictates that when dealing with a Dark Evolution, your primary objective is to incapacitate them or, if that is unachievable, then delete them. You attempted to do neither. Instead, you recklessly and foolishly attempted to negotiate with a mindless beast," Duftmon harshly criticised him.

"S-Sir, I…" VictoryGreymon grimaced and bowed his head, his green eyes drifting down to his curling toe claws. "I couldn't…"

"Yes, I can see that quite plainly. And look where you ended up: in a hospital bed with massive chest wounds. It is a wonder you were not deleted. You were saved only by the grace of that miscreant insect, who, against all reason, seems to have taken an attack in your stead," Duftmon continued relentlessly. "It should speak volumes to your poor decision making that a fugitive outlaw followed Order protocol more than you have. You are equipped with the anti-Dramon armament called the Dramon Breaker; why did you not use it?"

Sleipmon's eyes narrowed softly and he began to make his way up the length of the entrance hall.

"Well…? Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

VictoryGreymon fidgeted with his large fingers and he stared down at the floor. The thorough dressing down from somebody who he respected so much caused him visible pain. He couldn't lift his wincing eyes to return Duftmon's stare.

"I'm… I'm really sorry, Sir…" VictoryGreymon meekly apologised. He knew that Duftmon had a point, but he couldn't turn his back on his morals either. He didn't want to disagree with a Royal Knight, the Digimon who he respected more than anything. Despite his natural submissiveness to his superiors, his heart disagreed. "…But… Paildramon is a friend. I couldn't hurt her. I… I can't kill people, Sir..."

Duftmon's eye twitched. "…What?" he asked incredulously. "Just who do you think you are speaking to, Lance Corporal? You may have been a member of the Republican Military, but you are an Order soldier now. You will kill as we see fit. We are fighting against the Seven Great Demon Lords. If I need you to launch a Trident Gaia attack through a crowd of demons, you will obey. Would you disobey the order of a Royal Knight?"

VictoryGreymon winced and shut his eyes tightly. "N-No, Sir…" he reluctantly responded.

"That's enough, Duftmon."

Duftmon frowned and looked up right as Sleipmon walked over to them. "I beg your pardon?"

"Give him a break," Sleipmon urged him. "You can't force him to kill people, and you can't begrudge him for not wanting to hurt a comrade of his."

"S-Sir Sleipmon?" VictoryGreymon asked, looking over with a mixture of surprise and relief.

Duftmon shifted his firm, accusatory glare from VictoryGreymon to Sleipmon. "I might have expected to hear that from you. Tell me, Sleipmon, what is the point of a soldier who won't kill?" he pointedly questioned.

Sleipmon walked to the base of the steps, positioning himself on the other side of VictoryGreymon. "As our tactician, you should know that there are other ways to win a battle than by simply killing every enemy."

At this, Duftmon's eyes narrowed into a withering glare. "What?"

Sleipmon extended his arm towards the dragon man beside him. "VictoryGreymon is just doing what he thinks is right. We all have our own codes. Aren't we all Royal Knights in order to make the world a better place, even if we have our own values?"

"Not during a battle. In a battle, we must be an effective fighting force with the strength of spirit to defeat the enemy," Duftmon answered absolutely. "If you cannot even do that, then there is no place at the Order for you. Not during a war where our very existence is at stake."

VictoryGreymon grimaced and looked away.

Sleipmon gently closed his fist, but his gaze was unbreakable. "I thought you were trying to understand people, Duftmon. I thought you were attempting to see beyond your own dogmatic beliefs. We're warriors because we want to make the world a better place. We are willing to fight for that end. But we don't have to take somebody's life if we don't have to. There is nothing wrong with what VictoryGreymon did."

Duftmon glared at Sleipmon coldly. "Stop forcing your naïve beliefs upon others. Do you have any idea how irresponsible you are?" He pointed at VictoryGreymon demonstratively. "As a Royal Knight, you are supposed to be a leader, Sleipmon. What message are you sending to Digimon like him?

Sleipmon frowned a little deeper. "I'm telling him that it's okay to follow his heart."

"False. What you are telling him is that you approve of him purposefully endangering himself on the battlefield so that he can feel better about himself," Duftmon accused him. "You do realise that he ended up in hospital because of his actions, don't you? He was nearly deleted attempting to persuade Black Imperialdramon."

His cheeks tightened and a gentle wince formed on his horse-like face. "I… Yes…"

"Despite that, you continue to encourage naïve soldiers to think like you do? You would willingly have them put their own lives in danger to spare those of our enemies?" Duftmon chastised the Royal Knight. "Would you have loyal soldiers of the Order sacrifice themselves to spare the Demon Lords?"

"No!" Sleipmon insisted passionately. "That's… entirely different from not wanting to kill Paildramon, though."

"Is it?" Duftmon asked him. He turned his cool gaze back towards VictoryGreymon. "You do not wish to kill in general, correct?"

VictoryGreymon looked down guiltily, rubbing the back of his neck. "Er, we-well…"

"You see?" Duftmon said to Sleipmon. "It's because he sees you doing the things that you do that he thinks he can do the same. You must think about the consequences of the irresponsible example you are setting, Sleipmon."

Sleipmon grimaced, his snout dipping slightly.

The stern, feline tactician gave them both a look and began to turn away. "You both must think long and hard about this," he told them, "for your own goods, as much as the Order's."

"Y-Yes, Sir," VictoryGreymon abashedly obeyed, his head hunched slightly from being scolded.

Duftmon turned and walked up the entrance hall. After a few moments, he stopping in front of the doors to the foyer and looked over his shoulder at them. "…I'm not advocating that you should have deleted Imperialdramon," he spoke, his voice softer and his sharp words duller than before. "However, you did not even try to fight her or incapacitate her. It isn't just yourself who you put in danger, but your comrades and innocent civilians. Think about whom it is that we are obliged to protect. Consider the bigger picture in the future…"

With those words, Duftmon stepped into the foyer and disappeared around the corner.

Still holding the broom between his hands, he turned to Sleipmon, still twiddling his fingers sheepishly. "…I'm really sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to make you two to argue about me… I hate when friends fight."

Sleipmon sighed and rubbed his forehead. "It's not your fault, VictoryGreymon," he insisted. "This isn't something we haven't already argued about hundreds of times before…"

"Oh…" VictoryGreymon answered, shuffling his clawed foot against the recently-swept floor. He looked up at Sleipmon with encouraging eyes. "I just want to say, Sir, that I really admire you for not wanting to kill Digimon. I, well, as you know, I feel the same way as you do, so you're a huge inspiration to me!"

Sleipmon offered a tiny smile in response to him. As he cast his eyes towards VictoryGreymon, he noticed all of the bandages on his arms and body, hiding beneath his garments and apron. There were so many of them, the wounds he received must have been extensive. Duftmon wasn't exaggerating when he said it was a miracle he was alive…

As Sleipmon stared at the dragon's injuries, the memory of Suijinmon smashing UlforceVeedramon into the ground flashed through his mind.

The Royal Knight grimaced and looked away from the dragon man's optimistic gaze. "…Thank you," he replied uneasily. "…Er, VictoryGreymon…?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Is it because of me that you decided not to kill…?" Sleipmon couldn't help but ask.

"No, Sir. I felt that way since I was a kid… Even when I was in the Republic's Army, I made sure not to kill anybody. I… I saw how much death hurts people. I swore that I would never be the one to cause that kind of pain," VictoryGreymon explained, frowning softly.

Sleipmon closed his eyes. VictoryGreymon really did sound like him. "It was the same with me…" he explained. Sleipmon turned to VictoryGreymon with a small smile. He reached out and placed his gloved hand on VictoryGreymon's shoulder, careful as to not accidentally hurt one of his wounds. "Still… Duftmon has a point. I'm not saying that you have to kill if you don't have to, but you can't be reckless like that in the future. Be sure to listen to your commanding officers and make the best decision on the battlefield as you can, okay?"

VictoryGreymon nodded a little, but saluted the Royal Knight dutifully. "I… I will, Sir. I promise. You can count on me," he obeyed, eager to listen to Sleipmon's words.

"Good…" Sleipmon told him with a warm smile. "You're a good Digimon, VictoryGreymon."

VictoryGreymon blushed intensely and looked down at the floor, humbly pawing at the stone with his feet again. "R-Really? Shucks. I dunno about that… That means a lot coming from you, Sir…" he diminutively responded, though doing his best not to smile at the compliment.

Sleipmon patted his shoulder again and walked past the dragon knight, walking up the steps and heading towards the foyer that Duftmon had entered. "Keep up the good work," he told VictoryGreymon.

As he passed the dragon and walked up to the stone landing around the entrance of the foyer, he stared down at his opened hand and the Muspellsheimr crossbow that lay on his forearm behind it. "I have some things to think about, myself…" he murmured, more to himself than anybody else.

The Royal Knight walked inside the foyer. He stopped in the center of the marble floor, surrounded on all sides by the supporting pillars that served as foundations for the castle's structure.

Sleipmon frowned deeply and closed his palm into a tight fist.

"…Maybe you're wrong about me, Examon," he thought to himself. "You say that I've changed, but… I really haven't changed at all. You, Duftmon, RhodoKnightmon… You're all right. Maybe I am being weak-spirited. Maybe I am being reckless and selfish."

"VictoryGreymon looks up to me so much, but he nearly died. How can I be a Royal Knight if I put my subordinates in danger? How can I be a Royal Knight if I don't do everything I can to help my friends and uphold Network Security?"

Sleipmon winced and released the tension in his fist. He took in a deep breath and then exhaled. Shaking his head, Sleipmon turned and began walking down the hallway to his right.

"Duftmon's right. Maybe I need to think about what I should be doing…"

The fresh memories of the burning fires of New Terminal ignited in his mind, lighting tiny embers of determination within his violet eyes.

"Otherwise, the Demon Lords will cause even more destruction."

It was the dead of night in the Gloaming Fields. The landscape was dark and gloomy. The pallid rays from the pair of giant, crescent moons overhead provided an eerie glow across the sprawling, desolate fields and farmlands. A single, mass of cloud data crept closer in the far distance. All was dark.

In the center of the ashen meadows was a large, gothic castle. It was constructed on a mound of earthworks that formed a large hill, providing the castle with a clear line of sight of its surroundings. Guarding the perimeter of the castle was a fortified wall augmented with towers. The walls connected to the castle's keep, which loomed from the back over the rest of the fortifications.

The sound of hundreds of wings beating against the night air was like an approaching windstorm. The earthshaking footsteps that followed were like the echoes of thunder.

The dozens of demon and undead Digimon that manned the castle's ramparts watched as the night seemed to move before them. The darkness of midnight writhed as shadowy bodies moved within it. They looked on with alarm as a legion of Nightmare Soldiers approached, and they prepared to meet their attack.

However, as they began to see a gargantuan leviathan stalk out of the darkness, they began to have pause.

Then, the darkness vanished, replaced with phosphorescent bursts of orange and crimson. The castle ramparts began exploding in blasts of fire and shadows. The stone parapets shattered into fragments and several of the demonic soldiers were blasted apart.

"Break through those walls! Hurry it up! Show this obdurate fool what happens to those who defy us…"

Demon floated in the sky, the largest of the crescent moons looming behind him. His crimson cowl and vestments rippled in the warm breeze as the walls began detonating. He flew above their legion of Nightmare Soldiers, pointing his hand towards the castle. Demon turned around and turned his shrouded eyes behind him. He watched as Leviamon lumbered forwards up the castle road.

Leviamon trudged towards the castle. His massive snout was clenched and his thick, sword-like teeth gnashed together as a murky vapour seeped out of the corners of his maw. He glared up at Demon bitterly.

"What the hell do you think I'm doing?" he snarled in a deep rumble, the black exhaust spreading in the depths of his mouth as he spoke. He turned his narrow eyes towards the large, fortified castle before him. He was large enough to reach the ramparts of the castle walls. He opened his mouth wide, allowing the darkness to swell out of his throat. "Anima!"

A savage wave of dark energy surged out of Leviamon's mouth and spiralled towards the castle entrance. The shadowy tornado tore up the road and slammed into the fortified gates of the castle. He snarled and poured his contempt and frustration into the attack.

The dark energy roared as it tore against the gate, which began to fracture and fragment under the concentrated attack. Finally, the concentrated mass of dark matter burst through the other side. The gate was shattered and a hole was torn clear through the castle's defences. Leviamon watched as the entire gate crumbled under the ferocity of his blast.

As the dark tornado faded from his mouth, he breathed heavily, black smoke still drifting up from his mouth. He scoffed with irritation and looked up at Demon. "How was that?!" he shouted up at the Demon Lord of Wrath.

Demon ignored him and turned to the commander of the legion. "Attack!" he ordered. "Conquer them!"

Leviamon snarled and dug his talons into the stone road beneath him. "Ungrateful idiots… I'm working myself to the bone here…" he thought bitterly to himself. "Damn if I'm going to let Demon take all the credit…"

"Follow me, First Legion!" Leviamon shouted. Suddenly, he took off in a powerful, earth-shaking run. He charged towards the gate in a sudden explosion of crocodilian speed, closing the distance between himself and the gate in a matter of several seconds.

The colossal demon rammed his snout through the wall beside the destroyed gate. His mass of bone, muscle, and scales crashed through the wall, causing the stone to collapse around him. The gap in the wall widened and allowed for more access to the castle interior. As the wall fell, Leviamon crawled over the collapsed stone until he was standing on the remains of the gate and his head was within the castle courtyard.

"Fool!" Demon reprimanded him, leering down at Leviamon coldly. "We want this castle for ourselves. Don't destroy the entire thing!"

Leviamon snarled defensively and glared up at the cloaked devil. "You said to break through the wall!" he yelled, annoyed at being undermined in front of the troops that he was trying to command.

"They have already been breached. You are just creating more work for us now," Demon argued. "Leave this to the general. First Legion, assault the fortress!"

Leviamon's face darkened and a low, rolling growl reverberated in the depths of his throat. He watched with furious, yellow eyes as the soldiers of the First Legion followed Demon's command and began soaring towards the castle.

Demon turned his gaze up from Leviamon. For a moment, his glowing, violet eyes rested on the large, single cloud in the distant, night sky. His gaze lingered for a moment, but he turned away, turning his attention back to the battle.

As he stared towards the castle, he saw a large, scarlet demon rise up from behind the smouldering walls of the castle. A bestial demon with large, furry legs and a crimson upper body swiped his claws and extinguished the smoke from in front of him. The blond-haired demon snarled and spreads his wings wide. "Crush them where they stand!" he ordered to his small army of followers.

"Baron VenomVamdemon," Demon spoke, his eyes narrowing. "You finally make your appearance…"

"Curse you, Demon!" the demon aristocrat snapped angrily. "Have I not made myself clear?! I will never join your vainglorious crusade! When you fail like you did the last time, I will be the one who benefits! Even if you succeed here, I will never degrade myself by being one of your sycophantic subordinates!"

Demon released a simple grunt, scoffing at his impertinence. "I have no interest in you. It is your army and lands that we require. You may perish here if you are so desperate to die."

"Hah!" VenomVamdemon laughed derisively. "My army is loyal! They will never follow the likes of you!"

"Hm…" Demon looked around at all of the demon and undead Digimon who were flying in the dark sky behind the castle walls. "Those who surrender now will be spared… Those who are foolish enough to declare war against the might of the Seven Great Demon Lords will perish alongside your master. Decide now."

There was a brief pause among the ranks of Baron VenomVamdemon's personal army. For several long seconds, nobody did anything but look between one another.

VenomVamdemon began laughing. "See?! Your intimidation may work on the likes of lesser nobles, but it will not work on us!"

"…Really," Demon replied, his eyes narrowing. "I would not be so sure, Baron…"

"…Eh?" VenomVamdemon frowned with confusion. He began looking around and he was stunned to see that the horde of demons and phantoms who had been floating at his sides were beginning to slowly edge away from him. None of his subordinates looked him in the eyes as they slid to the side, creating a mass of empty space around the demonic baron.

"W-What?!" VenomVamdemon demanded, balking with dismay. He spun towards them, brandishing his claws "Get back here, you lot of cowards! You treacherous wretches! Come back here, this instant!"

Leviamon watched darkly as the demons turned against their feudal lord. "Smart decision," he muttered.

Demon's eyes narrowed behind his hood. He beat his large, demonic wings and began to fly forwards. "Leviamon. Let's make an example of him."

Leviamon snorted. "Whatever. I was about to do that anyways," he insisted.

The demonic crocodile rushed forwards and opened his jaws up wide. "Rostrum!" he snarled, lunging upwards and snapping his jaws shut.

"No! Wait!" VenomVamdemon tried to fly away, but Leviamon's burst of speed was too sudden and his reach was too great. The crocodile's massive jaws snapped shut around the massive demon's legs. Leviamon's teeth dug into VenomVamdemon's furry flesh with enough strength to break his bones.

VenomVamdemon let out an agonized scream as he was dragged out of the sky and slammed into the stone courtyard.

As he hit the ground, he clawed at the stone cobbles and tried to wrench his numb and bloody legs free. Desperately trying to pull himself free from Leviamon's crushing bite, Baron VenomVamdemon looked over his shoulder with grimacing, red eyes. His irises began to glow a blood red hue and he unleashed a pair of lasers from his eyes.

The lasers pounded against Leviamon's snout, burning at the thick scales between his nostrils. As the sudden, burning itch at the tip of his snout, Leviamon's bite began to instinctively loosen, causing his huge teeth to exit the aristocrat's legs.

As VenomVamdemon used the opportunity to try and drag himself away, flames began to form in his vampyric mouth and his furry abdomen began to open up and glow with dark energy. "Damn you…!" he shouted, preparing to unleash a torrent of flames and shadows in a last ditch effort.

Demon soared over Leviamon's back and stopped in the air directly above VenomVamdemon. As his shadowy body hovered in the night sky, the cloaked Demon Lord glared down at the rebellious noble with scorn.

"You shouldn't have resisted us, Baron," he told him, his clawed hands bursting with flames. He brought his hands together and formed a sphere of concentrated flames and darkness between them. As the massive of dark flames intensified and raged, the inferno glistened in his domineering eyes. "Your demise will be your sole contribution to our cause."

Demon calmly thrust his hands downwards. "Chaos Flare."

Leviamon looked up with wide eyes as the destructive sphere came plummeting down. "HEY!" he objected, releasing VenomVamdemon and scrambling away desperately.

The sphere plunged into VenomVamdemon's ample chest and tore right through him. For a few moments, flames poured out of VenomVamdemon's gaping mouth and abdomen. The fireball then detonated in a massive explosion, tearing the defiant baron into shreds of fiery data.

The explosion erupted in the middle of the castle courtyard. Flames blossomed into the night sky, briefly illuminating the wispy edges of the lone cloud that loomed several kilometers above the ground.

Leviamon growled as he felt the heat against his scales, nearly pushed onto his side by the powerful blast. As fiery pierces of rock and ashes began falling around him, the Demon Lord of Envy glared up at Demon. "Watch it, you idiot! You nearly hit me!" he barked at him.

Demon grunted and turned away. "Enough whining. You were fine," he dismissed, throwing his sleeved arm outwards and blasting the lingering pillar of flames away in a single sweep.

As the flames began to dissipate, the darkness of the night returned. Demon turned towards the nervous collection of VenomVamdemon's soldiers, who were beginning to gather in the courtyard. It was clear that they were hoping Demon would stay true to his side of the bargain.

However, before Demon could address them, the cloaked Demon Lord suddenly frowned. Something caught his eye.

Demon looked up towards the sky, his gaze returning to that pronounced cloud that drifted towards them. His eyes narrowed as he watched the cloud creeping closer towards the castle.

Leviamon growled and trudged back towards him. "What are you doing, Demon?" he curtly asked. His yellow, reptilian eye looked sideways and followed Demon's gaze. "Staring at clouds? Quit daydreaming and let's get the Baron's army organised."

"Be quiet," Demon brusquely hushed the large Demon Lord. "Don't you notice something wrong?"

"Wrong?" Leviamon asked, his large, scaly brows dipping with confusion. "Like what?"

Demon tightened his fist. "That cloud is moving against the wind…"

Leviamon frowned and turned his giant snout, gazing up at the cloud curiously. It was true. He could feel the breeze blowing behind him, yet the mass of cloud data was drifting in their direction. "…Maybe the data's corrupted or something. That cloud's too small and low hanging to be a Sky Colony."

Demon's eyes tightened and he continued staring at the cloud. Leviamon had a point. It was definitely too small for a Sky Colony, but the fact that it was drifting right towards them continued to give him pause. There was something unnatural about it.

And then, he saw a flicker. There was a small twinkle within the cloud. At first, he thought it was one of the stars in the night sky. But then it was followed by another – and another. Then, a plethora of distant flashes ignited within and around the cloud. Demon's eyes widened.

"Disperse!" he shouted, sweeping his arm out.

"Huh?" Leviamon wondered, looking up at the glimmering cloud. It seemed like the cloud was sparkling. He wondered if it was lightning.

Then it became clear. The lights that suddenly appeared in the dark sky weren't going away. In fact, they were becoming larger. Leviamon gaped with growing realisation as sky erupted with holy radiance.

The shimmering beacons fell towards them like shooting stars. Rays of light began surging towards them in a holy lightning storm. Within several seconds, pillars of light and bolts of holy energy began raining down on the ranks of the Nightmare Soldiers and the castle itself.

The first beam of light plunged through a Devimon's chest, burning him from the inside out. Nearby, a glowing arrow pierced through a LadyDevimon's forehead. A salvo of radiant spheres and crystals began bombarding the confused ranks of the Nightmare Soldiers.

"It's an ambush!" Leviamon roared as the continuous salvo of beams closed in on them.

"I said disperse!" Demon thundered. As a barrage of holy energy fell from the sky, he flapped his dark wings to evade the star storm. Blasts of light plummeted around him. They slammed into the ground in luminescent explosions. One beam howled as it narrowly missed Demon, singing the edge of his wing and searing the hem of his robes. He growled lowly but remained calm under the sudden and intense pressure. "First Legion! Form a staggered formation and return fire! You are the Vanguard of Hell! Act like it!"

Even as a NeoDevimon was riddled with blast after blast of light, the hundreds of demon Digimon of the First Legion began to organize. Trying to get over the initial panic of the surprise attack, the Nightmare Soldiers began to form up in an erratic formation in the sky, spreading out to make it harder for the enemy to aim. Still unable to see exactly where the attackers were against the dark sky, they began to fire blindly in the general direction that the attacks were coming from.

Meanwhile, Baron VenomVamdemon's army reacted with confusion, which soon turned into unorganized chaos. The radiant bolts tore through the ranks of the bewildered army as they scrambled to get out of the way.

Leviamon snarled as his body was bombarded by the attacks from the sky. Beams, blasts, spheres, and arrows pummelled his back and the surrounding courtyard. The holy light singed his thick scales and eviscerated the pavements around him. He was the biggest and most pronounced target there was, so he wasn't surprised that he was bearing the brunt of the attacks. Nevertheless, he was having enough.

"Damn it!" he shouted, bursting out of the blinding swell of light. He started dashing over the rubble of the castle wall, scrambling out into the field where he had more space to move around. As he did, he glared at the disorganized demons who had recently surrendered to them. "Get it together, you idiots!" he shouted as he ran down the grassy hill. "Get behind me and attack them!"

Desperate for some kind of direction, the late-Baron's forces all began to run and fly after Leviamon, if only to get out of the path of the barrage of light.

"Wh-Who is attacking us?!" a Bakemon cried out to Leviamon.

"Who do you think?!" Leviamon barked back, leering up at the luminous cloud.

Demon rose into the sky, ascending above the roof of the castle keep. He glared up at the source of the luminous bombardment. He could make out a slight shimmer of light against metal at the front of the glimmering silhouettes.

An angel garbed in silver armour from head to toe hovered in the sky. The moonlight reflected off of his metal body, giving him a faint, blue glow that matched the cyan hue of his hair, blades, and loincloth. The archangel's body itself was a fierce weapon. His arms were giant swords of divine justice, and the wings that extended from his back and kept him aloft were rows of blades.

Demon recognized the archangel anywhere. It was his old superior officer. SlashAngemon. The Celestial Commander of the Powers.

The weaponized archangel soared at the front of the host of angelic soldiers. He pointed his blade arm forwards and began leading the charge towards the demons' ranks. The glimmering dots began flying around the cloud and converging at the front, behind the foremost angel's lead. They formed a spear formation and began soaring towards the two Demon Lords and their legion.

There were about fifty of them in total, and they were all Perfect and Ultimate level Digimon. This indicated to Demon that this was a tactical strike team, rather than a full scale military operation involving the Powers.

Demon snarled and began flying towards the descending enemy. "Leviamon!" he commanded. "Prepare to fire!"

"Looks like the Empyreal Host special forces!" Leviamon noted as he began to build up shadowy energy in his abyssal maw once again. "Just because they're few in number, don't take 'em lightly, guys! Blast em to pieces before they get close!"

"Concentrate your fire!" Demon ordered them, pointing at the center of the v-formation. He tightened his fists and glared up at Slash Angemon. "Damn you, SlashAngemon…"

As the First Legion's counterattack began to be less wild and more concentrated, Leviamon started pouring dark energy from his mouth. "Anima!" he shouted, a stream of twisting darkness pouring into the night sky like a dark tornado.

SlashAngemon scowled as he watched the massive beam of unholy darkness come barrelling towards them. "Break - swiftly! Hekhalot Formation!" the Celestial Commander shouted in a deep, thunderous voice.

The v-formation split apart down the center, with the spearhead of the formation falling backwards while the wings of the group held their same speed. Once the formation inverted, both wings split off to the left and right respectively, forming two echelons so that they could flank the Nightmare Soldiers from each side. The smoothness of the transition was like clockwork. The professionalism and discipline of the Empyreal Host was absolute, and it contrasted sharply with the more chaotic ranks of most of the Nightmare Soldiers.

However, the First Legion was one of the Demon Lords' finest legions. They were not the untrained and amateurish private armies of the aristocrats of the Gloaming Fields. They were veterans of the Heavenly War and they had fought in the countless Dark Area civil wars between the fractious Demon Lords. While only a small fraction of the Demon Lords' armies had escaped the Dark Area, the group who did had been reorganized into the First Legion as their foremost legion. They matched the Powers' discipline with battle-hardened ferocity.

SlashAngemon wheeled out of the way of Leviamon's crushing blast just in time, but the Seraphimon behind him was not so fortunate. The howling torrent of dark matter clipped the Seraphimon's wings and arm. The immense pressure caused the seraphim to spin towards the impact and get sucked into the crushing maelstrom.

"Captain!" SlashAngemon shouted. He clenched his teeth, but didn't falter for a second. He flew to the front of the left echelon and crossed his blades in front of his body. The massive blade arms began to glow with sanctified light, illuminating him like a radiant star. "Second bombardment! Fire!" As he spoke, an x-shaped arc of energy streamed from his crossed blades and swept towards Leviamon. "Holy Espada!"

In perfect synchronicity, both echelons of the Empyreal Host fired their attacks. The blasts of holy light rained down on the Nightmare Soldiers in unison.

A Murmuxmon was obliterated in a torrent of light, his dark body reduced to ashes. Meters away, a Mummymon was felled by the arrow of an Angewomon X-Antibody.

The blinding 'X' that launched from the Celestial Commander fell towards Leviamon. The demonic beast growled and scrambled out of the way as the cutting beam fell upon him. The edges of the blast cut along his side, burning through his scales and creating two, bloody cuts along his reptilian flank. Snarling, Leviamon responded by sweeping his long tails around, attempting to bash SlashAngemon out of the sky. "Rrrrgh… Well if it isn't my old 'superior'!" he exclaimed in a voice that dripped with sarcasm and contempt.

SlashAngemon didn't grace him with a reply as he danced around Leviamon's tails dextrously, nicking them with slashes from his swords as they passed by him. After the pair of long appendages whipped past him, SlashAngemon was assaulted by a barrage of dark energy and fire from the legion below. Grunting, the Celestial Commander tucked his legs into his body and extended his bladed wings backwards. The Throne-class Digimon began somersaulting through the sky, becoming a wheel of holy blades.

"Heaven's Ripper!" he shouted, wheeling towards the Nightmare Soldiers. With blue light tracing his body, SlashAngemon started bowling through a cluster of demons. As he tore through them, he shredded them in a dance of blades, leaving cascades of blood and data in his wake.

"Spread out and direct your fire!" Demon reiterated, ducking under a salvo of beams as he flew towards the Empyreal Host's ranks. The beam of light illuminated his body in the darkness, reflecting his baleful, violet eyes. His body was rigid with simmering fury. Yet, he moved with smooth agility and fanatical purpose. "The Heavenly Choir… The Empyreal Host…" he breathed against the interior of his hood. "I have been waiting for this… I have longed to spill the blood of heretics. Be gone, grovelers of God."

Demon surged right towards the ranks of the Empyreal Host, ignoring the beams and arrows that licked at his robes. He closed in with such zeal and intensity that the charging angels were taken off guard. Demon ploughed right into their formation, driving his glowing fists into the abdomen of a HolyAngemon who was in the midst of activating his sword.

"Double Dust," Demon hissed, his hands pulsing against the angel's body. Darkness exploded out of HolyAngemon's back and he began to break apart. Without hesitation, Demon suddenly turned and extended his palm towards the Meicrackmon beside him. "Chaos Flare."

Black flames exploded from his palm in a massive explosion, consuming the feline angel and reducing her to scattered data in an instant. Demon then spun around and dodged the thrust of an angelic lance, wielded by one of the Host's Ophanimon.

Meanwhile, SlashAngemon tore through the body of a Mephismon X-Antibody in a tempest of slashes. As he burst out the other side, the radiant wheel suddenly ascended into the night sky. SlashAngemon uncurled from his assault form and stopped in the air, sweeping his bloodied swords outwards.

The Celestial Commander looked up towards the left echelon of the Empyreal Host and saw Demon starting to wreak havoc among their ranks. They had already lost three elite soldiers. The leader of the Powers knew he had to do something.

Right as Demon was about to launch a cyclone of darkness at the Ophanimon, SlashAngemon raced over and brought his blades onto Demon.

Demon spun around and was forced to interrupt his attack. As the pair of blades fell on him like a guillotine, he raised his arms to block the two descending swords with blasts of darkness from his palms.

SlashAngemon gritted his teeth and put all of his strength into pushing against Demon, ensuring that if the Demon Lord of Wrath broke his guard, he would feel the blade of heaven.

The Celestial Commander knew that they had lost their advantage now. He had underestimated the Demon Lords' legion. He had hoped that they would be so busy fighting VenomVamdemon's forces that the Demon Lords would be crushed between them. He knew now that they had been too slow to act. He hadn't expected VenomVamdemon's army to cave to easily. He hoped that, despite this, their ambush would be enough to get the upper hand.

However, now that the Demon Lords had solidified their defence and the Empyreal Host had lost three good soldiers, to press the attack would only cause unnecessary sacrifices. As the leader of the Powers, he had to make a decision.

"Withdraw to the Sky Fortress!" SlashAngemon shouted to his forces. "I will hold him at bay! Go, immediately!"

"Yes, Commander!" a Dominimon subordinate obeyed. "Retreat to the Sky Fortress! Bombard them and withdraw in the Messenger Formation!"

The Empyreal Host all turned and launched a chorus of beams at the demons below. The night burned like dawn for several seconds as the barrage of radiance exploded around the two demonic armies.

Leviamon winced as a beam ploughed into his head, burning against the metal plates on top of his snout, but it was unable burrow deep enough to cause any real damage. He snarled and winced as the bright light pained his eyes. "I don't think so! Rostrum!"

A pillar of crushing water came surging out of Leviamon's mouth like a raging river. The geyser barrelled towards the center of the Empyreal Host, but the special forces team saw the attack raging towards them and scattered. One of the Seraphimon soldiers attempted to escape, but he misjudged the distance. The pillar of water slammed into his back with the weight of a mountain, pummelling his armour and breaking two of his wings. The seraphim began to fall towards the ground, but a Valkyrimon soldier managed to swoop down and catch him.

As the pillar of water began to crash back to the ground, the Empyreal Host all began flying away in a disciplined withdrawal. The angelic strike force flew back towards the single cloud in the night while SlashAngemon kept Demon at bay.

Demon scoffed as he ducked and weaved around SlashAngemon's flurry of swipes. The blades sliced at the ripples of his crimson robes, and grazed the data of his demonic wings. "So, this - is the might - of heaven? Pathetic. You are - too meek, SlashAngemon. You always - have been!" he grunted between movements. He blasted darkness into SlashAngemon's swiftly crossed blades, blasting the archangel away from him. "Grrgh… Tch. A couple dead angels, and, already, you order a retreat. You are a coward. You never had that killer instinct to make the most of the Powers. You would prefer to sit behind a desk buried under bureaucratic paperwork or perform those stupid mock exercises. We should have invaded the Digital World when we had the chance…!"

"Like you are doing now, Demon?" SlashAngemon countered, glaring back at the Demon Lord. "How many must suffer until you are satisfied?"

Demon narrowed his eyes at the Throne. "However many it takes," he answered callously.

"I pity you, Demon. You were a good general, but you became consumed by your anger until you felt nothing but loathing and hatred," SlashAngemon told him as his blades shone like moonlight.

"You are the pitiable one. I am ashamed to have ever served under you," Demon countered acrimoniously. "You are destined to perish."

SlashAngemon glanced over his shoulder, up towards the cloud, which was beginning to drift back the way it came. He could see that the Empyreal Host soldiers were at a safe enough distance that the Demon Lords wouldn't be able to easily pursue them. He looked back at Demon with a steely gaze.

"If I am to die, I would be proud to do so in the service of God," SlashAngemon declared adamantly. "However, that time is not today. I have succeeded in testing your strength. My mission is complete."

With that, SlashAngemon flapped his winged armaments and flew back several meters, his arm blades glowing brightly. "Holy Espada!"

Two, glowing arcs of light crossed each other and ripped from SlashAngemon's swords. The sickles of energy slammed into Demon's chest, tearing at his robes and throwing him back through the sky.

As the darkness erupted with another flash of light, SlashAngemon turned and began ascending through the darkness. SlashAngemon swiftly sped away, ducking under the barrage of beams that followed in his wake.

Demon clutched his smoking chest and growled angrily. He looked up and saw that SlashAngemon was already hundreds of meters away from him.

"He's getting away!" Leviamon growled as water and murky energy dripped from the corners of his mouth.

The dozens of demon Digimon of the First Legion flew up to Demon's side and made to pursue the fleeing commander. However, Demon held his arm out.

"Leave him," Demon commanded in a deep growl. "That isn't just a cloud; it's a fortress. Attacking it would be tantamount to suicide."

Leviamon snarled and stared up at Demon. "We're letting him get away with this?!" he demanded.

"Silence, you fool. If you don't understand basic strategy like you are supposed to, then stay quiet," Demon snapped with frustration.

Leviamon's eyes widened and he opened his massive mouth. "But I'm-!"

"Just stay out of the way. You're always screwing something up," Demon brusquely told him, shutting down his protests.

Demon turned his attention away from his fellow Demon Lord and pointed at Baron VenomVamdemon's army. "You lot! Form up here beside the First Legion. Hurry up. Form a perimeter around the castle and watch that cloud. I don't want anybody slacking until that cloud is out of side."

Leviamon growled bitterly as the late Baron's army flew away from him and began lining up beside the rows of obedient demon Digimon. He glared angrily up at the retreating angels, uttering a bitter oath under his breath.

Then, his narrow, yellow eyes shifted over towards Demon. His reptilian eyes flickered green, and his scaly lips parted, revealing his rows of tightly clenched teeth.

"Damn it… Nobody gives me any respect around here…" Leviamon thought resentfully.

The massive reptile turned his back to Demon and began skulking away, walking into the darkness.

"I'll show you. I'm a Demon Lord for a reason…"

Leviamon's eyes narrowed into savage, emerald slits, and his claws dug into the earth below him.

"I'll show everybody…"