Holy War

by Griff4823

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

78. Chapter 55 Part 1: Antithesis

(Author's Notes: Hey, everyone! Hope you're all doing well. I'm here with a new chapter of Holy War! This was a two-parter, so I'll post the next part maybe in a week or so, if all goes well. We're back to some old friends with this one. Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!)

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Chapter 55: Antithesis (Part I)

He was alone.

A lone knight stood in a dark field. The impenetrable darkness of the night surrounded him on all sides. The field was an untamed wilderness of grey, decaying grass. It was so pale that it seemed like it was covered in a thin layer of ash.

The knight could barely see the ground beyond ten meters. The sky was starless, and the only beacons in the sky were a pair of full moons. The massive lunar bodies gleamed with a blood red hue.

"Where am I?" he thought. This didn't seem like any place he had ever been before.

He looked down at his hands. Covering his arms was a long, conical lance of pale steel, and a huge, round shield of dull gold and silver. The Gram and the Aegis.

Dukemon spun around, but there was still nothing behind him. It was darkness and ash for as far as his eyes could see. He could barely even make out the shadowy horizon where the dark grey clouds met the black land.

"Hello?!" he called out, his eyes darting around ardently. "Grani?! Omegamon?!"

He felt the tug of fear in his heart when he didn't receive an answer. Dukemon turned back forwards, gripping the insides of the Gram and Aegis tightly. "Alphamon! Dynasmon! Examon! Anybody! Is anybody there?!"

Still, there was no reply.

There was a flash of crimson lightning in the sky. The scarlet lightning bolt ripped through the sky erratically. Dukemon expected the clap of thunder to follow, but there was no noise. Two more scarlet flashes of lightning erupted from within the clouds, which began to aggregate above him and circle around each other predatorily. This time, there was a deep, rolling growl that followed the bursts of electricity.

The clouds began to glow with an unnatural violet brume. The deep, otherworldly violet was accented at its fluctuating edges by an alarming crimson bleed.

Dukemon looked back down at his hands. He watched with shock as the Gram and Aegis began to fracture. His holy weapons suddenly split apart, the chrome digizoid breaking apart like it was rusted aluminium. The metal crumbled around his arms and fell to the ground. His trusted weapons were reduced to a pile of scrap metal at his feet.

As that happened, the black symbols on the backs of his hands – the four interconnected triangles divided within a single ring – began to glow a bright red. He looked down at the other Digital Hazard symbol emblazoned on his chest. It, too, was burning with intense crimson light.

"No…" Dukemon thought to himself. He tried to call out again, but, this time, no words escaped his mouth.

Directly overhead, the violet clouds began swirling into a tempestuous maelstrom. The lightning intensified. New bolts of destructive electricity began lighting up the sky every couple seconds. Within the raging skies, the symbol of the Digital Hazard began to form.

"No… Please… Not again," Dukemon thought desperately.

Fear gripped Dukemon's heart. Dread washed through him. His eyes were wide with horror. He looked around, watching as the blackened landscape began to slowly ignite. The blaze intensified, the ground erupting like it was doused in oil. Flames spread across the grass like a wildfire. Suddenly, the ground split with seismic fissures.

He attempted to move, but it felt like his feet were rooted to the ground. He shouted out for his friends, but his voice was mute, and none of his friends came to his rescue. He tried desperately to do something – anything – but it was in vain.

He was alone and he was powerless to stop the destruction around him.

"I… I have to… do something…" Dukemon thought, shutting his eyes tightly. Realising that he was on his own, his desperation intensified. The weight of the fact that he had to deal with battling the Digital Hazard on his own was setting in. Last time this happened, he had Grani with him. But now…? Grani was nowhere in sight. His friends, the Royal Knights, were nowhere to be found.

Dukemon felt his trapped feet getting pulled down into the dark ground. He felt as though he was sinking. He struggled and tried to wrench his feet free but to no avail.

"Nnngh!" he tried to grunt. He reached down and tried to pull his leg out of the ground with his hands. "N-No… Even if I'm alone… I have to stop this…" he told himself, yanking his leg desperately.

"I can't lose to this… I won't…"

Right as Dukemon was about to wrench his leg up, the ground beneath him suddenly gave way. A huge chasm opened up underneath him. Dukemon began to plummet into the abyss below.

There was an unearthly roar beneath him. As Dukemon fell, he saw the sky falling away from him. The last thing he saw was the Digital Hazard symbol glowing against the apocalyptic storm clouds.

And then, a massive pair of jaws – far bigger than his own body – surrounded him from behind. The acrid fumes of sulphur overpowered him. In the reptilian maw of an awaiting beast, the snarling fangs snapped closed around him, consuming him in darkness.

---

Dukemon awoke with a sudden jolt.

Gasping sharply, Dukemon immediately sat upwards, propping himself up against his elbows. Sweat dripped down his face and stained his chest. He breathed in and out heavily.

As Dukemon looked down, he found himself face-to-face with a red beak and a pair of blue eyes that were leering at him from centimeters away.

"Gah!" he exclaimed, immediately recoiling and hitting the back of his head against the wall behind him. "AH! Damn it!" he swore, clutching the back of his head.

"Dukemon?" Grani calmly asked, hovering above Dukemon as he lay in his bed. "Are you alright?"

"Grgh… Apart from the headache?" Dukemon sarcastically asked, looking up at Grani through his wincing eyes. "How many times, Grani? Don't hover over me while I sleep! It creeps me out and I always think I'm about to be attacked!"

"My apologies. I was about to wake you," Grani calmly explained to the Royal Knight. "You appeared to be having a nightmare. Your perspiration has increased by 15%."

Dukemon sat upwards fully and slung his legs over the side of the bed. His golden eyes softened and he rubbed his head. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off and the pain was subsiding, Dukemon began to calm down and take in the reality of the situation. "Yeah, sorry…" he responded, feeling bad for snapping now that he knew Grani's reasons. The Royal Knight was able to form a small grin at his friend. "Though, next time, wake me up without making me feel like I'm about to be eaten."

Grani hovered sideways, his eyes flattening somewhat. "Next time, you should listen to me and refrain from consuming four of those chocolate croissants before bed," he dryly answered.

"Touché…"

Grani shifted smoothly and turned, both to face Dukemon and to give him enough room to get out of bed. "…Inquiry: what was the nature of the nightmare, if you are able to remember?" the Zero ARMS wondered.

Dukemon exhaled through his nostrils and made sure that his helmet was adjusted comfortably on his draconic head. He looked up at Grani with a calm and unconcerned demeanour so that he wouldn't concern his friend with his reply.

"The Digital Hazard," he sheepishly answered, waving his hand dismissively and leaning forwards on his bent knees.

Grani frowned slightly. "Understood…" he responded practically. "That nightmare once again? Are you still worried about the Digital Hazard?"

"I'm not," was Dukemon's succinct and emphatic reply.

The swiftness of Dukemon's response was enough to give Grani pause. He seemed like he was being too adamant. To be sure of Dukemon's honesty, he levelled a keen, observant leer at the Royal Knight, reading his expression and mannerisms carefully. "Are you positive, Dukemon?" he probed.

Dukemon sighed and looked up at Grani with a relaxed, reassuring smile. "I'm positive, Grani. Really…" he insisted. His words were soft and sincere, with no trace of falsehood. "I haven't thought about it at all recently. It was just a nightmare."

"Affirmative," Grani responded, seeming to be satisfied with Dukemon's answer.

"Ever since I told the others, it doesn't bother me as much anymore," Dukemon explained. He pushed his hands down on the bed and rose to his feet. "Knowing they believe in me is enough for me."

Grani nodded softly. "I am glad to hear that," he responded, settling his metal landing skids on the floor.

Dukemon grinned. "I'm not going to be defined by it. I've done way too much of that to myself in the past," he declared confidently, placing his hands on his hips. "Nightmares or not, there's more to Sir Dukemon of the Royal Knights than that Digital Hazard - like my dashing good looks and my amazing fighting skills."

"But not his humility, unfortunately," Grani quipped.

The draconic knight chuckled and walked over to his dresser on the other side of this room, next to his armour rack. "Do you know what time it is, Grani?"

"6:34 in the morning," the artificial life form answered with pinpoint precision. "I advise taking a shower now."

"That's probably a good idea," Dukemon agreed with a laugh as he walked over to grab a golden-dyed towel from his dresser. "I have to meet with Examon and Craniamon in half an hour."

"Is there a particular reason why you wish to travel with them to the United Dramonic Coalition?" Grani asked him. "One would think that Examon would be enough for a simple diplomatic mission."

"I could tell you that it's because we would have an easier time getting the Four Great Dragons on board with three Royal Knights, but I know you'd just see through me," Dukemon playfully replied. "Honestly? It's because I'm feeling restless. I can't help but feel like we're not being proactive enough. I know that planning is important, but Duftmon and Alphamon can handle that. I just want to feel like I'm doing something. I'm not contributing anything around here, so I want to help Examon because I know that this is important to him."

"I see… I suppose that is understandable," Grani complied. "You have always been one to act rather than contemplate. Addendum: I mean that as a compliment."

Dukemon chuckled as he flung the towel over his muscular shoulder. "Appreciated, Grani. I think Craniamon is feeling the same was as me too. This will be a good chance for us to let off some of the pressure."

"Indeed. Make sure that you do so that you are clear-headed for the campaign to come," Grani told him. "I am sure that with your charm and candour, you can convince the Four Great Dragons to support us."

"Examon and Craniamon will help too," Dukemon spoke up as he walked to the door of his bedroom.

"Their social skills can be somewhat lacking," Grani pointed out.

Dukemon grinned. "I don't want to hear that from you of all people," he teased him in response.

Grani stared at the Royal Knight. "…Hurry up, Dukemon. You have ten minutes before Craniamon reserves the bathroom."

"Okay, okay. I'm going," Dukemon chuckled, looking at his friend with levity as he walked out of his room and into the castle hallway.

The Royal Knight made his way down the corridor towards the bathroom. He was determined not to let that nightmare get him down. He had moved on from the Digital Hazard. It would always be a part of him, but that didn't mean he had to let it dictate his life. He had his friends and his duties as a Royal Knight. That was his life.

Grani was right; it was down to all of the food he had eaten before bed. He refused to let some vivid nightmare bother him. He had a job to do.

He had to help his friends defeat the Demon Lords. Right now, he had to make sure that they had allies in that quest. That was his focus. He wouldn't let himself be burdened by that looming flicker of chaos in the far reaches of his mind. He had already defeated it before, with Grani's help.

"I've already won," he told himself, narrowing his eyes as he walked to the shower.

He thought about Grani, Omegamon, Examon, all of his friends. It was thanks to them that he was as strong as he was. It was through them that he found his purpose.

As he closed the door, undressed himself, and entered the shower stall alone, he remembered his words from a long time past.

"I, Dukemon, will not be defeated."

---

The morning passed since Dukemon, Examon, and Craniamon left Castle Albion.

They left not long after dawn and travelled out of Splendour's Reach, heading westward. After several hours, they reached the western provinces that ran up against the United Dramonic Coalition's eastern border. Once they made it to the hilly threshold that separated the Free Area from the homeland of most Dramon-species, they crossed the border and entered the UDC.

The landscape of the surrounding area was that of verdant grasslands and rolling hills. The terrain near the eastern reaches of the UDC was largely flat, but it eventually became hillier, with many valleys serving as counter to the steep ridges. The further west they travelled, the more mountainous and craggy the terrain became. The Dragon Mountains served a nearly impervious border with the UDC's entire western coastline. It was beneath these mountains that their destination was located – Dragon's Peak, the capital of the United Dramonic Coalition.

The three Royal Knights travelled over a row of gentle hills. Examon beat his huge wings, flying ahead of the other two knights. Dukemon soared behind him from a short distance, while Craniamon jogged beneath them. They were still some distance from their destination.

It was a sunny day. There were small, scattered clouds floating through the sky, casting shadows that drifted lazily across the grassy slopes. The spring temperatures made travelling across the countryside comfortable. The sun was just warm enough without beating down on them. The central and western regions of the UDC did get plenty of rain in the spring season, but that was not the case that day.

Holding the Ambrosius comfortably in his arms, Examon gazed out meditatively across the United Dramonic Coalition's verdant, hilly landscape. He missed its peaceful landscape. He had flown all over this region countless times. In his role as the UDC's defender, the so-called 'Dragon Emperor', Examon had been vigilant in his patrols. He knew the landscape like the scales on the back of his hand. He knew every province in the UDC, every road, every village.

He had protected the UDC from bandits, raiders, pirates, warlords, rampaging Digimon, the undead… pretty much any sort of threat that he could think of. He hoped that would give him enough credibility with the Four Great Dragons for them to hear him out. They had handpicked him to be the UDC's defender once, after all.

However, much had changed since Examon had left to become the eleventh Royal Knight. When he had last come here, the UDC had its own military. Things seemed to have changed so rapidly in the time that he was gone.

Examon gazed into the distance, spotting the Dragon Mountains in the far off horizon. He wondered what else had changed. Maybe he had changed too. He wondered whether Sleipmon was right. He didn't feel different, but maybe he wasn't the Digimon he used to be. He wondered if that was a good thing or not.

"Examon?" a voice called out to him, dragging him out of his thoughts. "Can you hear me?"

Examon's emerald eyes blinked and he straightened to attention. The large dragon looked over his shoulder and, beyond his slowly beating Caledfwlch wings, Examon noticed Dukemon looking at him intently.

"Sorry. What, Dukemon?" he wondered.

"Why don't we take a short break?" Dukemon suggested. "We're making good progress, so let's catch our breaths."

Examon beat his broad wingspan forwards to slow himself down. Once he came to a stop, he spun around in the air and hovered in place. "Okay. We can stop for a little while. We'll probably be there in another couple of hours," he agreed. He rested the long, metal shaft of the Ambrosius against the crevice between his shoulder spikes and his neck. Examon looked down and watched as Craniamon caught up to them.

Craniamon jogged up to the peak of the emerald hill before stopping. He looked up at Examon and Dukemon, wondering why they've stopped flying. He placed his gloved hands on his hips and panted gently against his metal visor. A spirited level of exertion showed from his slightly increased rate of breathing.

"Why did you stop?" he asked, taking the moment to regain his breath.

"We decided we should take a break," Examon responded. "Does that sound good to you?"

"Is this for my benefit?" Craniamon asked suspiciously. He frowned and folded his arms, standing up straight and trying to normalize his breathing so as not to appear tired. "I'm good to keep going. This is a good workout. I'm not even tired."

Dukemon grinned a little and began to descend towards Craniamon. "It's for all our benefits. I could use a break too."

"You don't even have wings," Craniamon pointed out in a mutter. "It's not like your cape is getting tired."

"Flying still takes energy," Dukemon responded. He touched down next to him, his crimson cape flapping down and settling against his back. "It's a lot harder and more tiresome when I'm not riding on Grani. I can't fly nearly as well without him."

Examon flew down and landed beside Craniamon on the apex of the hill. Once the dragon's clawed feet touched the soft grass, he relaxed his heavy wings and gave them a much needed rest. He looked down at the two comparatively shorter knights beside him. "We'll be at Dragon's Peak before mid-afternoon. We should have plenty of time to see the Four Great Dragons," he explained to Craniamon. "But if you're desperate to keep moving, we can always walk at a leisurely pace."

The violet Royal Knight grunted, tapping his finger against the fabric covering his bicep. After a moment of resistance, he sighed and uncrossed his arms. "Fine. Just for a little while," he relented.

Dukemon smiled and placed his hand on Craniamon's armoured shoulder. "Good. I know you prefer to do everything at 100%, but there's no shame in conserving energy when we can," he told him.

"Who said I'm ashamed?" Craniamon curtly replied, marching past Dukemon and beginning to make his way down the other side of the hill.

"You're tetchy today," Dukemon noted, jogging down the hill after him. "Well, tetchier than usual."

"No, I'm not," Craniamon insisted definitively.

Examon frowned and began to follow the pair down the hill. "So, you do have the same amount of tetchiness as usual."

Craniamon cast the two Royal Knights one of his signature glares from over his shoulder. "I'm. Not. Tetchy," he emphatically explained, a cold, standoffish aura beginning form around him like an invisible barrier.

A bead of sweat rolled down Dukemon's face. Craniamon's guard coming up was only proving his point.

The white and crimson knight reached the bottom of the hill and walked up to Craniamon's side, looking at the dark knight quizzically. "Then, what are you? You've been quiet for most of the trip."

"I'm usually quiet," Craniamon resisted, turning away from the caped paladin.

"You're not one to waste words, sure, but you can usually hold a conversation," Dukemon pressed him, not allowing Craniamon to brush him off so easily.

"Or at least make monosyllabic replies," Examon added.

Craniamon grunted and shot a leer at them. "You're no better, lizard," he told Examon. Growing annoyed quickly, Craniamon clutched his helmet and rubbed his head irritably. He could see that he was fighting a losing battle here. "Ugh… You never know when to give up, do you, Dukemon?"

Dukemon grinned amiably and shrugged. "No, I usually don't. It's a bad habit of mine," he nonchalantly answered.

"An annoying one," Craniamon grumbled, beginning to walk along the surface of the hillside. After a few more moments of frigid resistance, the Royal Knight finally caved, as indicated by his sigh. "…I'm not tetchy. I'm frustrated," he emphasized.

"Why?" Examon asked.

"Apart from the inquisition I'm getting?" Craniamon sardonically asked. His two, ruby beads turned and peered at the pair of Royal Knights with quiet emphasis. "…Did you know what Duftmon and I are the only ones not to have fought the Demon Lords yet?"

Dukemon blinked with surprise. "Huh…?" He was a little taken off guard by the unorthodox reply. It seemed so anticlimactic until he remembered who he was talking to. "Well… Yeah, I suppose that's right."

Examon turned his reptilian snout towards Craniamon and his scaled eyebrows arched curiously. "And that… bothers you?"

"Of course it bothers me!" Craniamon declared. "We're facing these immensely powerful, iconic enemies – notorious Demon Lords who are threatening to conquer the entire Digital World and plunge the Network into chaos." Craniamon squeezed his hands into tight, violet balls. "And what am I doing…? I've been sitting on the sidelines. I've done absolutely nothing since the Metal Empire War ended. The most I've done is assist RhodoKnightmon in killing some weak, skeletal nobody, which is about the same as what I am right now."

Dukemon smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head. He definitely wasn't expecting this, but he can't say he was too surprised either. This was probably the most he'd heard Craniamon talking about his problems in recent memory. "You're being too hard on yourself, Craniamon…" he assured him.

Examon nodded. "You missed a couple of battles. So what? We've only had two major engagements with the Demon Lords so far."

"In which they were able to retrieve Belphemon and destroy a huge portion of New Terminal," Craniamon bitterly contested. His helmeted head lowered behind his metal collar and he looked away from his two companions. "…I should have been there. All of my training is useless if I don't do anything with it. If I don't make a difference…" he trailed off in a mutter.

"Just because you haven't been fighting, it doesn't mean you haven't been contributing," Examon insisted.

"Tch… Really…" Craniamon grunted resistantly. His dark, crimson eyes drifted towards the hilly ground. "At least Duftmon's been coming up with genius strategies on the sidelines. Even Gankoomon's squire has done more than I have. Why do you think I wanted to come with you two? It's better than doing nothing back at the castle…"

"You said yourself that training is important," Examon pointed out to him, readjusting the placement of the gun lance against his shoulder. "Why are you so restless? Be patient."

"You don't get it," Craniamon told the large dragon. "I'm in the top two of the Royal Knights' mission completion rankings. When Yggdrasil transmits Its orders for us, it is our oath as Royal Knights to carry them out to perfection. I strive to be the most steadfast of the Royal Knights. I want to be at the pinnacle of Yggdrasil's vanguard. I can't do that when my mission completion rate is slipping…"

"Mission completion rate? You mean the rankings on the database that you're always checking?" Examon asked.

"It's just a number, Craniamon," Dukemon indifferently explained.

"Maybe to you, but you don't take things seriously," Craniamon gruffly responded. "It isn't just a number; it represents our success in our missions and our devotion to Yggdrasil. It's the least I can do after Yggdrasil blessed my armour." He proudly pounded his fist against his black digizoid breastplate demonstratively.

Dukemon shot Craniamon a look of annoyance at having his commitment questioned. "Our dedication isn't measured by how many missions we complete," he argued defensively. "Doing our best is important, but what matters is that we are able to protect Digimon. It's not about quantity."

"How can we do that unless we strive to be the best?" Craniamon argued. "The Royal Knights are Network Security's first line of defence. We aren't doing our jobs if we slack off, especially during a crisis like this."

Dukemon sighed. "Nobody is slacking off. We just fought a pitched battle against the Demon Lords. Everybody deserves a breather." The silver armoured knight pointedly eyed the violet knight as he walked along beside him. "…It sounds like this is about your need to be perfect, Craniamon," he bluntly informed him.

Indignantly, Craniamon folded his arms across his brawny chest. "It is easy for you to say when you have fought against them multiple times," he answered, leering back at Dukemon competitively. "The Claiohm Solais has not even licked their unholy blood."

Examon turned and stared at Craniamon. He had been on missions multiple times with Craniamon by now. Even during their first mission, he remembered how eager Craniamon was to duel the dark-evolved Darkdramon, even at the expense of logic and strategy. "…You really do love combat for its own sake, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Craniamon answered unequivocally. "Don't mistake what I said before; I'm annoyed that I haven't been active for all of the reasons I've already stated. However, I can't think of anything better than fighting one of the Demon Lords in one-on-one combat. I've heard how strong they are from all of you. For them to injure Alphamon, UlforceVeedramon, and Gankoomon so much… How could I not want to test my mettle against such powerful enemies? That's another reason why I'm so frustrated."

Dukemon smiled. He knew he wouldn't be Craniamon if he wasn't obsessed with dueling a powerful enemy in single combat. "Yeah, I know how you must feel, Craniamon," he responded. "They are powerful, and I'm sure it must be frustrating to feel left out of the fun."

Examon frowned with confusion. Unlike Dukemon, he had trouble understanding Craniamon's perplexing and contradictive desires. "These are battles of life and death. The Digital World is in crisis, and fighting against such powerful enemies is all the more reason why we shouldn't treat this like a game," Examon pointed out, eyeing the shield-bearing hero with some judgment. "You say that Dukemon doesn't take things seriously, but aren't you not taking the war seriously if you're thinking about duelling the Demon Lords like it's a sparring match?"

"You don't get it, Examon," Craniamon told him. "To you, combat is a means to an end. You'd use any tactic to win, fair or unfair. You'd rather crush the enemy with overwhelming force and sly gadgets. To me, combat is an art. I want to win, yes, but I also want to fight with honour. I want to hone my skills and conquer a strong opponent in the intricate dance of combat."

Craniamon closed his eyes. "Nothing is more satisfying than fighting an opponent who gives me a challenge… and to defeat them and prove the superiority of my skills is even more delightful. Single combat is the ultimate expression of martial art and strength. Victory means nothing if the combat is impure."

"In war, that's incredibly inefficient and dangerous," Examon argued critically. "Not to mention self-serving."

"You're starting to sound like Duftmon," Craniamon groaned. "How do you expect to get stronger if we don't defeat strong enemies? What do you think you'll gain by ganging up on opponents in an asymmetric fight?"

"Victory," Examon replied simply, folding his arms in a way that still carried his Ambrosius comfortably.

Craniamon rolled his glowing, crimson eyes. "Yeah, you and the cat will be the best of friends in no time," he murmured. "I'm surprised you didn't hit it off from the start."

Dukemon chuckled and walked forward to get between the pair of disagreeing warriors. He placed his hands on their shoulders and grinned. "You both make good points. The Demon Lords are some of the strongest enemies we've fought in recent decades. As much as I can't forgive what they've done, fighting Beelzebumon has been strangely invigorating. He's an incredibly skilled fighter and I could just from that brief skirmish that we're on an even footing," Dukemon admitted.

The humanoid dragon knight then looked over at Examon, who frowned thoughtfully. "But Examon's right too. We can't afford to do anything less than our best to defeat them. They're too dangerous to toy with. We have to defeat them using almost any way we can."

"'Almost any way'?" Examon asked, looking at Dukemon uncertainly.

Dukemon gave his dragon companion a grin. "We're still the Royal Knights, Examon. We're knights of honour, so there are some lines that we can't cross, even if it means victory."

Examon frowned a little, but he nodded. "I suppose you're right," he conceded.

"Fair enough. I'm not about to jeopardize our tactics just to fight in single combat," Craniamon insisted, looking forwards as they began walking on flat ground again. "I'll fight with the team."

"I know," Dukemon said to him. He grinned and clapped his gauntlet against Craniamon's back. "Don't worry, Craniamon. There'll be plenty of chances for you to fight the Demon Lords, I'm sure. Just be patient."

Craniamon grunted and unfolded his arms, walking ahead at a slightly increased pace. "There better be. I'm not about to fall behind," he muttered with determination.

"It feels wrong to wish for battle," Examon reasoned.

"At this point, it's a matter of battle being inevitable," Dukemon responded, his light tone growing deeper and more serious. "After New Terminal, the lines are drawn between us and the Demon Lords."

"I guess that's right," Examon agreed. It was true that, after the atrocities the Demon Lords had committed, the Royal Knights couldn't just let them do as they pleased. It was clear that they meant ill intent, so further confrontation between them was necessary.

"So, how was fighting the Demon Lords, anyways?" Craniamon asked, looking over his shoulder at the pair.

"I only fought Barbamon for a few minutes," Examon responded. "He has powerful ranged attacks – probably as powerful as mine. He fights tactically, and he will use his soldiers as both shields and weapons. It seems like he prefers to fight from the back, so I doubt he would ever willingly fight you in single combat. He is too smart to fall for that."

"Tch…" Craniamon scoffed. "He does seem like the dishonourable type." The heavily armoured, violet-hued knight looked at Dukemon next. "What about you?"

"In that last battle? I fought Leviamon… He fights like you'd expect him to: a savage beast who uses his size to his advantage. He can be slow on land, but he has surprising bursts of speed and he's adept in the water," Dukemon explained. "He's smarter than he looks too."

"He must be," the dark knight dryly muttered.

Dukemon's golden eyes narrowed slightly as he remembered his fight with the reptilian Demon Lord. "He kept trying to talk to me like he knew me," he pensively recalled.

Examon raised an eyebrow. "Talk to you? Was he taunting you?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," Dukemon confirmed. "But it was the way he did it. It was more personal than I expected, like he was trying to push my buttons."

"He was just trying to get inside your head," Craniamon told the crimson Royal Knight. "He's a Demon Lord. They're all conniving."

"Yeah, you're right," Dukemon agreed. "I won't let him get under my scales next time."

"Good idea," Craniamon said, turning his attention back ahead.

The three Royal Knights slowed down in front of a flat, grassy field. In the far distance, they could see the faint outline of the cliffs of the Dragon Mountain range. It wasn't completely clear against the distant mist, but the mountain range was colossal and extensive. The cliffs were made of dark, craggy rocks, sturdy enough to support the sheer mass of ancient stone. Some of the peaks went high enough into the sky for snow to form on top of them. The closer they got, the more magnificent of a backdrop it was.

Dukemon looked between the two Royal Knights on each of his sides. "Anyways, should we get moving again?"

"Sounds good to me," Craniamon agreed, already starting to speed up his pace.

"Yeah, let's go," Examon also concurred. The tall dragon began flapping his wings, causing the hilly grass surrounding them to flatten out under the gusts of wind he created. "I'll lead the way. I can see the Dragon Mountains up ahead; we're nearly there."

"Go ahead, Examon," Dukemon said. He jumped into the azure sky, his crimson cape rippling behind him as he took to the air once again.

"Don't get us lost," Craniamon added. The purple Royal Knight took off in a brisk jog, running fast enough to keep up with both Dukemon and Examon at their current pace.

"Okay, Spear Team," Dukemon announced. "Move out!"

"Spear Team?" Craniamon asked, looking at Dukemon with a perplexed frown.

"Yeah. We're the three Royal Knights who use spears, so I figured we should have a team name," Dukemon explained as he flew ahead.

"The Gram and Ambrosius are lances. Claiohm Solais is a spear," Craniamon defensively corrected. "A double-bladed spear."

"Look, the name still works. Don't overthink it," Dukemon reasserted.

Smiling, Examon swept his wings backwards and began flying forwards. As he took the lead, his green eyes drifted towards the Dragon Mountains. He stared at the mountains quietly, thinking to himself about the familiar landscape.

Even the inanimate cliffs held memories for him – some good, some bad. He was nearly home… However, what 'home' meant was no longer entirely clear to him. He never had been the sentimental type. Still, now that he was here again, he couldn't help but think.

He did his best to discard these thoughts. He was a Royal Knight now, and he had a job to do.

Maybe that was an answer in it of itself.

Rather than ponder his place, Examon flew forwards. The tentatively named Spear Team continued their journey towards Dragon's Peak, the capital of the United Draconic Coalition and the seat of power of the Four Great Dragons.

There, Examon hoped that he would find some answers.

---

After a few more hours of travel, the Royal Knights finally arrived at the gates of Dragon's Peak.

They stood underneath a massive, stone archway that was styled in the shape of an arching eastern dragon, similar in fashion to Ouryumon or Qinglongmon. It was large enough for any dragon Digimon to pass under, no matter how larger they were. It served as the mouth of the great city.

Dragon's Peak was a huge city, one of the larger ones on the continent. It didn't quite reach the same size as New Terminal or Saversburg, but it made up for that in architecture and character.

The three Royal Knights stopped in the middle of the road and observed the city from its entrance.

Dragon's Peak was built right along the base of the majestic Dragon Mountains. The tall, expansive mountain range loomed over the city from behind, its cliffs rising up kilometers off the ground. The Dragon Mountains provided the city was a beautiful, awe-inspiring, and almost intimidating backdrop. It was like the colossal, venerable cliffs watched over the city, protecting it with their rocky defences.

Not only did the mountains act as a defensible position for the city, they also served as a constant source of resources. Fresh water flowed from underground springs located deep below the Dragon Mountains, creating a small river at the northern edge of the city that flowed into a nearby lake. In addition, the mountain range was full of gemstones as well as rare and precious metals. They were some of the most bountiful mountain ranges on Eniac, and the mining industry was the UDC's most lucrative export. This was the reason why the otherwise dry and inhospitable mountainous regions had been sought after jealously by ambitious warlords.

Examon had had to defend this city and these mountains time after time. There had been times when the city had been directly threatened. He had been there as their first line of defence. Now that he was back in Dragon's Peak, he felt like a visitor.

He looked around at the city before him, taking in the familiar sights. The three knights stood before a huge boulevard of paved stone. It stretched from the entrance into the heart of the city, leading to the city square. The primary thoroughfare was wide enough for Qinglongmon himself to fly down without too much problem. Many Dramon walked and flew down the large street, making room for each other in a controlled manner. Lining the sides of the busy road were rows of shops, taverns, and restaurants. The smell of barbequed meat was immediately evident on the urban breeze.

The buildings were all made of stone and mortar. They were built in a medieval architectural style. The buildings were made with the dark stones from the mountains. All of the structures were made with a draconic aesthetic – sharp, fierce edges, blocky shapes with jagged or spiky embellishments. Medieval stonework and sharp, sometimes asymmetrical angles were the hallmarks of design. The city was full of high towers, soaring spires, watchful parapets… This architectural style was best demonstrated by the towering castles on the outskirts of the Dragon's Peak.

Some of the castles were even built into the sides of the mountains. They were tall, lofty, almost domineering as they loomed over the city. This savage, yet noble display of power had been a relatively recent architectural trend that began not long after the official formation of the UDC. As power became centralized around the capital, prestigious Dramon dukes and warlords began moving into the city and they wanted to bring their symbols of prestige and power with them. However, no castle was as large and impressive as the Imperial Palace.

Even from the entrance of the city, Examon was able to see the Imperial Palace at the other end of the road. It was a massive, medieval castle that towered over its surroundings. With its intricate spires and archways, it was an architectural landmark. As the Four Great Dragons were so big, it needed to have rooms, doors, and balconies large enough to accommodate their sizeable bodies. At its tallest point, gentle clouds swirled around the spires wondrously. Its sheer size and marvel was enough to put the comparatively humble Castle Albion to shame.

"Well, there's our destination," Dukemon observed, placing his hands on his armoured hips as he gazed up at the huge castle in the distance. "At least we won't have any trouble finding it."

Examon nodded. "This road leads right to the castle courtyard. Should we head straight there?" he asked.

Craniamon looked around at all of the shops lining the expansive road. "We had might as well," the dark Royal Knight agreed. He touched his palm against his black digizoid breastplate and accessed the data within. In a gentle flash, the Claiohm Solais spear and the Avalon shield appeared in his hands.

"Alright," Dukemon agreed, beginning to walk down the road. "But I don't think that you need to draw your weapons here."

"You both have your weapons out," Craniamon noted. "We need to maintain a unified appearance that projects our strength."

"I don't really think that's the idea of this visit…" Dukemon replied with dry exasperation as a bead of sweat dropped down his helmet.

Examon looked over at Dukemon and Craniamon. "Actually, I opted to carry the Ambrosius just in case we were attacked. Craniamon offered to store it in his armour for me along with the other things I asked him to compress."

"What?" the white armoured knight wondered, blinking with surprise. "What did you ask him to carry?"

"Just a few extra things for safety purposes," Examon explained with a slight smile. "It never hurts to be prepared."

Craniamon grinned and nodded, glancing over at Examon. "The dragon's got good instincts. You never know when we might need something in a pinch."

Dukemon chuckled a little and continued walking in front of them. "You two have come a long way from when I forced you two to work together to investigate that dark rift. I remember you two couldn't stand each other before that."

Examon looked at Craniamon and smiled. "I just had to prove myself to Craniamon. We all know he has a requisite thawing period."

Craniamon simply grunted and looked in the opposite direction of the pair, neither confirming nor denying Examon's words. He just hoped that Examon remembered their pact never to mention getting caught in the net together. Ever.

"That's true…" Dukemon agreed, sending a playful glance in Craniamon's direction.

"Can we just go meet the dragons already?" Craniamon asked with tempered exasperation.

"Okay. Let's head out, Spear Team!" Dukemon exclaimed, prompting a tired sigh from the skull-themed knight nearby.

As the three Royal Knights walked down the street, they could see dozens of Dramon Digimon coming and going. The road was crowded with dragons of all sorts. Wandering down the road were humanoid dragons like ExVeemon and Strikedramon, more monstrous dragons like RizeGreymon, AeroVeedramon, and Groundramon, and flying overhead were aerial dragons like Airdramon, Gigadramon, and Seadramon. Given that it was the largest road in Dragon's Peak and also the late afternoon, the grand boulevard was bustling.

The Royal Knights moved to the middle of the left hand side of the road, following general convention to allow the largest Digimon to walk down the middle. Given that there were very large dragons such as Volcdramon and Breakdramon, this was a good rule to follow in order to avoid getting accidentally squashed.

Despite the so-called Spear Team's attempt to simply pass through the busy boulevard without fanfare, they began to attract attention. Their majestic forms and resplendent armour were unmistakeable, as was the dignified way that they carried themselves in public. As soon as a Lighdramon caught sight of the three Royal Knights, he immediately began whispering to the Vritramon beside him.

"Isn't that the Royal Knights?"

Soon, a chorus of whispers and furtive stares erupted. The chain of hushed murmurs began spreading through the busy road as news of the renowned knights travelled through the crowd. Dragon Digimon began moving out of the way in order to allow the Royal Knights to pass.

Examon, Dukemon, and Craniamon watched as the road before them opened up and a crowd formed around them in a mobile circle. They could see larger Dramon trying to look over each other, while the smaller dragons tried slipping around the legs of the bigger ones in order to see the Royal Knights. All eyes began to land on them, some shamelessly gawking while others tried to maintain their dignity by glancing furtively.

"Wow, it really is the Royal Knights," a Dracomon whispered excitedly.

"I can't believe they're visiting Dragon's Peak," the Monodramon beside him whispered back.

"What are they doing here?" an AeroVeedramon asked, eyeing them uncertainly as he walked beside a Raidramon.

"Aren't they at war with the Demon Lords right now?" the Raidramon wondered.

Examon glanced around at all of the gazing civilians. There was something different in the way that they looked at him. Their eyes seemed different to him. Many of the gazes were wide-eyed and awe-struck, stunned at seeing such powerful and renowned heroes before them. However, there were some Dramon who wore narrow, side-eyed leers - that of standoffish suspicion. They seemed to wonder why these officious outsiders were here.

Whichever way they looked at him, there was a feeling of distance between him and them. It wasn't how it used to be. Back when Examon was the UDC's guardian, he had been one of them.

Whenever he had returned to Dragon's Peak after repelling an attack or performing some sort of mission, Examon had always been received with cheers. He remembered how he would be swarmed by the happy Dramon. There were times when he was even hoisted upon their backs and shoulders and paraded around the square in triumph. They had even hailed him as the Dragon Emperor – a lofty claim considering that the Four Great Dragons were in charge.

Examon was always a humble, antisocial guy that did what he did out of duty. He had never been particularly comfortable with all the attention or praise, but he had allowed it because the Dramon had been so happy. He had been somebody who they could unify behind – he and the Four Great Dragons.

Now, things were different. He no longer felt like he was one of them. The eyes he saw staring at him no longer had that sense of camaraderie. They stared at him like he was this lofty being from a distant land, somebody to be exalted or feared. They stared at him like he was a Royal Knight.

Examon frowned slightly as he walked through the crowd, who promptly moved out of the way to let them through. He felt a soft tightness in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't sure why this ceremoniousness bothered him so much.

The dragon knight looked around at the gathered Dramon as they passed by them. As Examon caught their gazes, he offered a small smile and waved, hoping to show them that he was still fond of them. The green Coredramon that he was staring at promptly looked away. The Salamandamon next to him responded with a stiff, awkward bow of the head. Those weren't the reactions he was hoping for.

Lowering his hand, Examon looked forwards and followed after Dukemon and Craniamon. His claws gently squeezed the hilt of the Ambrosius and he tucked his wings in as much as possible. He decided just to focus on walking to the palace.

"I love you, Dukemon!" a voice shouted from the crowd.

Dukemon grinned sheepishly and waved in response. He didn't mind the attention too much. He enjoyed interacting with their fans and just regular Digimon in general, but he also knew that they were there for a reason.

Meanwhile, Craniamon walked through the separating crowd aloofly. His stride was resolute and unflinching. Unlike, Dukemon, who reacted with warmth, he strode forwards dutifully, every bit the professional. He wanted to cultivate the lofty and austere image of the Royal Knights. Despite being unapproachable as he made his way down the road towards the vast courtyard, Craniamon's red eyes looked back and forth, scanning the crowd. He could see some of the uneasy gazes. He heard some of their whispers.

"Why are the Royal Knights here?" a FlareLizarmon asked. "Do you think they're here to give the Four Great Dragons trouble?"

"Why would they? The Four Great Dragons haven't done anything wrong. Besides, Examon's there. He used to work for them," a Seadramon responded. "It's probably some diplomatic meeting."

"I wonder how much stronger Examon's gotten since he joined the Royal Knights," a Shoutmon asked, looking at Examon with wonder in his eyes.

"Who cares?" a Megadramon cynically replied.

"How can you say that?" the Gigadramon beside him questioned.

The Megadramon growled. "He doesn't care about us. He turned his back on us when he jumped at the chance to join the Royal Knights. That's where his true loyalties lie now."

"He's a Royal Knight. They protect everybody, don't they?" the lavender, bionic dragon contended.

"By Qinglongmon's beard! You're naïve," the rougher, orange counterpart argued. "What if we got into a war with somebody – like the dinosaurs. You think he'd come to our aid then?"

"I don't know. They'd probably try to stop the fighting."

"How'd they do that, do you think? Asking everybody to stop? Things aren't that rosy and simple. The Royal Knights are duty-bound. They think they're answering Yggdrasil's higher calling. If it's between their homes and their oath, they're gonna choose their oath. Examon wouldn't think twice about us. Hell, he might even fight us sometime."

Craniamon's fists tightened. He was used to being treated with suspicion. He was devoted to the Royal Knights' cause. He was used to having his loyalty to his home questioned. Despite this, the hushed slander he heard still caused his anger to softly bubble inside of him.

The dark Royal Knight looked over his shoulder towards the large dragon knight behind him. He could see veiled wince on Examon's face. He watched the gentle tightening of his green eyes and the soft pursing of his lips to cover his fangs. It was clear to him that Examon was trying not to be bothered by the words.

"It does not matter," a third voice spoke. "We don't need him anymore, especially if he wishes to be some knight instead of a dragon. And we don't need the Royal Knights interfering in our affairs. They should stick to patronizing the weaklings who don't know how to defend themselves. Let the Dramon take care of the Dramon."

Examon continued walking, trying to let the overheard comments roll off his back like he was supposed to. He didn't want to let himself be bothered by it. He was a Royal Knight. He was above that. And anyways, he believed that they were entitled to their opinions.

However, when Craniamon suddenly halted in front of him, he was forced to stop to avoid walking into him. Examon looked up at Craniamon and was about to ask why he stopped. Then he noticed the forbidding atmosphere emanating from the stoic knight.

Craniamon's eerie, red eyes slowly turned to the right. With glacial smoothness, Craniamon rotated his head ninety degrees until his blood red pupils landed on the turbulent objector. Craniamon's head tilted back just slightly as he peered into the crowd with terrifying menace.

"…What did you say?" he inquired methodically. Despite his calm and even tone, there was a cold pressure emanating from his words

As the death knight's severe glare landed on him, the blood and oil began to drain from the Megadramon's face. The saliva in his throat began to dry and he swallowed hard. "U-Uh…"

The Gigadramon glared at his orange counterpart. "You idiot! He heard you!" he whispered harshly.

"Shut up," the Megadramon whispered back, grabbing the Gigadramon and pushing him in front of him as a shield.

However, it wasn't the Megadramon who Craniamon was currently glaring at. Behind the Megadramon-Gigadramon pair was a large, azure dragon with broad wings and a long neck. His horned head was covered in a silver helmet, from which his red eyes peered judgmentally at the Royal Knights. Over his blue, draconic chest was ceremonial armour. Craniamon could tell from the tasselled epaulettes covering the Wingdramon's shoulders that he was supposed to be an officer of the UDC's military.

Dukemon, who had walked ahead to sign an autograph for an excited, young Gumdramon, noticed that both Craniamon and Examon had stopped several meters behind him. He turned around and was surprised to see Craniamon staring down a Wingdramon. "Huh? Craniamon?"

The Wingdramon raised his snout proudly, refusing to wither under Craniamon's fearsome gaze. "What I said is that we are not infants. We don't need the patronage of him or anybody else. The Dramon Corps will look after the UDC's own interests now," the azure dragon declared.

"You show such disrespect?" Craniamon coldly demanded. His fists tightened and his flaring irises narrowed. "After everything Examon's done for all of you?"

The Wingdramon officer leered back at the Royal Knight defiantly, not showing any fear despite their difference in power. "Examon was a useful stopgap as we transitioned from a collection of duchies and provinces into a unified empire. Now that we are united behind the Dramon Corps, his services are no longer required. That all works out, as he wished to join the Royal Knights anyways. Let the true Dramon take care of things now."

Examon's jagged teeth pushed against one another and his grip around the Ambrosius tightened. He turned his head slightly and looked towards the assertive Wingdramon. His eyes were narrow but calm, and he looked at the officer not with scorn, but with bitter realisation. It seemed his worries were true after all.

Craniamon, however, was having none of it. Without hesitation, he stepped up to Examon's defence. "You ungrateful fop! Just how long has Examon put his life on the line to defend the UDC? How much blood and sweat has he sacrificed to protect the UDC from enemies? Now you just want to cast him aside?!"

Following the Royal Knight's rebuke, many of the dragon Digimon around the Wingdramon looked down in shame. The Wingdramon, however, stood firm with full confidence. The azure dragon glanced at Examon bitterly. "Who cast who aside…?" he pointedly wondered.

Dukemon narrowed his eyes and walked up beside Examon and Craniamon, placing his hand on Examon's spiked shoulder. "Examon fights for the UDC every day. The reason we're here right now is because Examon wants to work with the United Dramonic Coalition to counter the threat that we all face."

"What do you know about fighting or sacrifice?" Craniamon coldly asked, glaring at the Wingdramon. "Your army's been around for all of five minutes. You're just a jumped-up noble with delusions of grandeur, aren't you?"

At this, the Wingdramon growled and looked away. "I am the Junior Sky Marshal of the great Dramon Air Corps!" he protested haughtily.

"'Junior' is right," Craniamon spat. "You can criticise Examon once you've shed a single drop of blood. The way you hold yourself, I doubt you've ever even shed a drop of sweat."

"That's enough," Examon finally spoke up.

The two Royal Knights turned around and looked at Examon, who stepped forwards from between them. The tall dragon stopped in the road and stared calmly across that the irate Wingdramon.

"Whatever your opinion towards me, Junior Sky Marshall, I will never turn my back on the UDC," he pledged. "It is my home, and it will always be my home, whether I'm a Royal Knight or not. We are not here to intervene in the United Dramonic Coalition's affairs. I wanted to come here to speak with the Four Great Dragons about the threat of the Seven Demon Lords. I want to work with all of you to defend our home."

The Wingdramon stared back at Examon, but now that the dragon was speaking to him directly, he remained silent. That silence seemed to sweep across the entire road, caused by an amalgam of shame, discomfort, and respect for the Royal Knight speaking.

The awkward silence lingered for several moments, before finally being broken by a lone voice.

"We believe in you, Examon!" a young voice called out.

"Welcome home, Dragon Emperor!" another voice yelled in support.

About half of the gathered crowd of Dramon began cheering in support for Examon, with several more joining in as the rhythmic chant of 'Dra-gon Em-per-ror!' began taking hold.

Examon managed a small, abashed smile in response to the sudden show of support. Despite the humbling chant, Examon looked back at the Wingdramon.

"Tch…" the Wingdramon grunted, craning his long neck away. He raised his claws and pointed down the road towards the palace. "The Four Great Dragons are still in there," he informed them. Without another word or even a look in Examon's direction, the junior sky marshal began flying away, making his way over the crowd.

"Asshole," Craniamon muttered. The violet Royal Knight turned back towards Examon to see how he was.

Dukemon also looked at the dragon knight curiously. "You alright, Examon?" he wondered.

"I'll be fine," Examon insisted, giving them a reassuring smile. He readjusted the heavy lance against his shoulder and sheepishly rubbed his scaly neck. "…Thank you for sticking up for me, both of you."

Craniamon shrugged dismissively. "If you insult one of us, you insult all of us," he maintained, not wanting it to seem like a big deal. "So, should we get moving now?"

"Yes. Please," Examon responded.

As the Royal Knights began making their way down the wide boulevard again, the chanting began to awkwardly dwindle. When it was clear that the Royal Knights were leaving, the crowd of dragon Digimon started to disperse and return to what they were originally doing.

"Don't let that guy get to you," Dukemon said, looking up at the tall dragon beside him. "There will always be people who feel like we threaten their sense of superiority and independence."

"It's rare they have the guts to say so to our faces though," Craniamon grunted.

Examon made himself smile at his friend. "I'll try not to…" he insisted. Despite his words, as Examon turned forwards, his smile faded.

He couldn't help but be affected by the Wingdramon's words. If it were just one bitter officer, he wouldn't mind, but it caused him to wonder. It played on the fears and worries that he had already been feeling. Just how many other dragon Digimon felt the same way that the Wingdramon did?

The red dragon decided not to think about it any longer. He couldn't let himself be distracted as he met with the Four Great Dragons. He needed to focus on what he wanted to say to them. Worrying about what other people thought would only distract him from his duty.

"Just ignore it. Focus on the job at hand. Like you've always done," Examon told himself.

The Royal Knights reached the end of the boulevard, the point at which the wide road opened up into a huge city square. The plaza courtyard was vast and expansive, a kilometre squared in size. There was plenty of room for even the largest dragons to move around. Hundreds of Dramon traversed the spacious plaza, either going from one place to another or simply socializing in the open environment.

The public space was circular in shape. Along the left perimeter of the courtyard was a huge, open air market where dragon Digimon sold all sorts of wares and services. Fresh foods, spices, jewels, trinkets, weapons, armour… all sorts of the usual things that were commonly found in a capital city bazaar. Along the right side were countless shops, taverns, inns, blacksmiths, restaurants, and high class boutiques. Since this was one of the busiest areas in the whole of Dragon's Peak, most of the commercial businesses were concentrated in this district. There were four, primary roads leading out of the plaza at the four, cardinal points, each a busy street filled with businesses.

In the very center of the plaza was the biggest landmark of them all: the Imperial Palace. Now that the Royal Knights stood at the edge of the courtyard beneath it, the building towered over them. It truly was a castle for dragons. Its twisting spires stretched towards the sky, and its broad foundations made it as sturdy as the nearby mountains. Its majestic bastions and balconies were truly awe-inspiring.

Directly in front of them, at the entrance of the plaza, was a huge, marble fountain. Four, serpentine dragons formed the center of the fountain, curling around each other before uniting at the top. The dragons in question were the Four Great Dragons. Qinglongmon, Goddramon, Holydramon, Megidramon. The sculpture was masterfully detailed, the four dragons' bodies accurate down to every nook and cranny. Four fonts of water cascaded out of their mouths and flowed down their bodies into an expansive basin. The spray from the constant flow of groundwater caused a rainbow to form over the sculptures' heads.

Dukemon stared at the watery statues of the Four Great Dragons. After his gaze lingered on one of the statues in particular, he pulled his gaze up and stared at the monumental palace.

"I forgot how small coming here makes me feel," Dukemon noted with a grin.

"You get used to it after awhile," Examon answered. He began walking into the city square, moving around the fountain where several dragon Digimon were gathered.

"Come on, Dukemon," Craniamon told the scarlet-caped knight. He began following after Examon into the square, his boots knocking against the flat, stone surface as he walked. "We should go before the Four Great Dragons decide it's too late to see visitors."

"I'm coming," Dukemon agreed, following after the shield-bearing Royal Knight.

As he passed by the fountain, he glanced that the sculpture of Megidramon once again. He noticed that, along with his intricate musculature, the Digital Hazard symbol was also carved into his chest. For that symbol to be etched in marble for eternity… was Megidramon that committed to having his every aspect of his being – both good and bad – portrayed accurately? Or was he so confident in himself that he was happy to have that cursed symbol on display for all to see? Dukemon could only speculate...

He didn't think about it for longer than a moment. Dukemon walked after Examon and Craniamon, his cape and ponytail flowing in the gentle breeze as it blew across the plaza.

"Do you think they'll see us?" Dukemon asked. "We're coming here unannounced."

"They have to," Craniamon rumbled confidently. "Surely they're aware of the threat we face. They aren't dumb enough to bury their heads in the sand. Right, Examon?"

"Right… But watch your language, Craniamon. Remember where we are," Examon reminded him.

Craniamon folded his arms and glanced around. "Yeah. Right," he mumbled in reluctant agreement, realizing that they needed to be diplomatic in tone. "I'll be tactful."

"Well, if it isn't the Dragon Emperor and his friends!" a gruff voice boomed, layered with obvious sarcasm.

"…Starting in a few minutes," Craniamon muttered, coming to a stop.

Upon hearing the deep, growly voice, Examon sighed. He knew that impertinent tone anywhere. The dragon knight tucked his wings in and turned around.

Walking across the courtyard was a familiar, carmine dragon man. Examon's suspicion was immediately confirmed. It was his friend-turned-enemy-turned-friend. Dorbickmon.

Dorbickmon strode towards the three Royal Knights in his usual confident gait. As the sunlight beamed down across the public square, Dorbickmon's scale armour and spikes glinted under the warm rays. He flashed Examon an impudent smirk, brandishing his rows of jagged teeth. From the direction of his approach, he seemed to be coming from the tavern that was on the right hand corner of the road.

"Oh, it's you," Craniamon noted disinterestedly, eyeing the dragon out of the corners of his black eyes.

"Nice to see you too, Skullface," Dorbickmon brazenly replied. The maroon dragon man strode up to the trio of knights and stopped in front of them. He placed his claws on his wide hips and kept up his nonchalant grin. "So this is the greeting I get? What, are you ashamed to be seen in public with me?"

Examon sighed, but smiled at his friend. "Sometimes," he responded in jest. "Hello, Dorbickmon. I thought you were trying to keep a low profile."

"I am," Dorbickmon replied. "But it's not such a big deal around here. Not like it is in Shroud or Dark Point."

"What are you doing here, Dorbickmon?" Dukemon asked him.

"Getting paid. I just came off a job," he explained, patting the satchel that hung securely from around his shoulder spike. "I could ask you three the same question. I heard that some Royal Knights showed up in town unannounced – thought I'd check 'em out for myself." Dorbickmon grinned teasingly at Examon. "It's nice to see that the Dragon Emperor has finally graced us with his presence."

Examon broke his gaze, looking away and fidgeting uncomfortably with the Ambrosius. "Is it that unusual?" Examon answered defensively, still feeling on guard after what the Wingdramon and some of the other civilians had said. "I know it's not often, but I try to come here when I get the chance. Royal Knights don't have so much free time that we can just drink in pubs in Dragon's Peak whenever we want," he pointedly responded. Despite his words, his voice remained an even – if sarcastic – timbre.

Dorbickmon cocked an eyebrow at Examon's frigid and guarded response. It seemed uptight, even by Examon's standards. "…I'm kidding," Dorbickmon explained to him, folding his arms and eyeing Examon closely. "Don't have to be so touchy."

Judging by Dukemon and Craniamon's surprised reactions, they were as taken aback as he was. Even when insulted, Examon was normally one of the most patient and even-keeled of the Royal Knights. It was a shock to see him fire back after what was obviously good-natured, if tactless, teasing.

The dragon knight cringed gently. "…Sorry," he sheepishly apologised, glancing at Dorbickmon. "You just hit a sore point."

Dorbickmon smirked a little. "Just as long as it wasn't your Gekirin. That wasn't so fun last time I did that," he joked.

Examon's wince flattened into a flat, incredulous stare. "…Quit while you're ahead, Dorbickmon," he advised him.

The earth dragon nudged Examon good-naturedly with his elbow. "Fine. So why are you so touchy today?" Dorbickmon asked him.

"It's nothing important," Examon tried to insist.

"Somebody was smearing us on the way in," Dukemon explained, looking up at the tall dragon. "He claimed – falsely – that Examon abandoned the UDC to join us."

"Oh…" Dorbickmon replied simply. He casually rubbed the back of his spiky head, currently at a loss for what to say. "Uh… Want me to go kick his ass for you? I know you probably have some moral hang up about doing that, but I don't."

Craniamon frowned and thought to himself. "Well…" he considered.

"No," Examon flatly denied, giving Craniamon an admonishing look. "Besides, he was a Junior Sky Marshall. I'm not letting you get arrested because of me."

Dorbickmon shrugged. "If you're sure, Examon. Let me know if you change your mind," he indifferently replied. The mercenary began rifling through his bag as he spoke to them, not wanting to appear too chummy with the Royal Knights. "So, what are you three doing here? Shouldn't you be out fighting a war with the Demon Lords?"

"We've been doing that, actually," Dukemon informed him. "That's why we're here."

"Yeah?" Dorbickmon asked. "I heard about New Terminal. Everyone has." He nodded his head behind him, where a platoon of dragon soldiers wearing military insignia went marching by the tavern. "It's all over the city. Everybody's wondering if we're gonna get involved or not. I know that the military is itching to get their claws dirty. They've been drilling non-stop."

Examon frowned with confusion. "What? They want to go to war?" he questioned.

"Yeah," Dorbickmon responded, still looking through his belongings. "There hasn't been any real action around here since the peace treaty with the Mesozoic Kingdom was agreed all those years ago. Remember, Sir Emperor, you were the protector of the UDC for… what? Decades or something? Since then, it's been mostly you at the head of the charge, with the aristocrats' personal armies playing support. Apart from the rare conflict against warlords and bandits, those armies haven't really done shit. Once you joined the Royal Knights, the best of those soldiers and commanders were folded into the Dramon Corps that Megidramon created to replace you. Since that happened, the new army's had nothing to cut their gums on. No wonder they're impatient."

"The fact that they haven't had any real experience is the reason why they shouldn't want to," Examon protested. "They're no match against the Demon Lords. They actually want to fight some of the strongest Digimon around? Why?"

Dorbickmon smirked at Examon matter-of-factly. "They're Dramon."

Craniamon clenched his fist and looked at Examon. "They want to prove their strength to the world…" he explained knowingly. "They must feel that they've been dependent on you for too long. It's no wonder that Wingdramon was so stubborn."

Examon clenched his teeth and looked between Craniamon and Dorbickmon. "Dependent on me…?" he incredulously asked. "So, they think that I've abandoned them… but I'm also holding them back? They can't have it both ways…"

Dorbickmon chuckled. "Nobody said that Dramon are rational. You should know by now that we have a lot of pride and we love a good fight. It's no wonder it took you, the Four Great Dragons, and a huge crisis to bring them all together. It would've been an endless free-for-all otherwise."

Examon gripped his lance tightly, glaring gently as he stared down at the ground.

"Their pride's hurt," Craniamon explained. "I guess I can't blame them for wanting to prove their worth." The violet Royal Knight looked at Examon carefully. "Remember, Examon, the reason we're here is to convince the Four Great Dragons to help us."

Dukemon placed his hand on Examon's shoulder, staring at the dragon knight. "Craniamon's right. That was the reason you came here, wasn't it?" he asked him.

"I…" Examon hesitated. He sighed and nodded, realising that Dukemon was right. "Yeah… I guess I can't help but feel like they're still my responsibility. Maybe I'm being arrogant and conceited for acting like I still have any authority here."

Dukemon squeezed Examon's shoulder and looked at him encouragingly. "You're not being arrogant. You care about the Dramon. That's why you're a good protector," he assured him.

Examon smiled weakly at Dukemon, but nodded in thanks.

Dorbickmon rolled his eyes a little and produced a map from his bag. "So, you guys are here to meet with the Four Great Dragons?" he asked. He waved the map in front of them with a brazen smirk. "Need one of these to find the place? Don't want you getting lost in the big city."

"I think we'll manage, Dorbickmon," Dukemon replied with a light grin.

Craniamon leered at Dorbickmon with annoyance, not appreciating the mercenary's mocking insinuations. "Your friend's irritating me, Examon."

Examon folded his winged arms and gave Dorbickmon his own soft leer. "He has that effect."

Dukemon turned and gestured his shield towards the huge palace in the middle of the city plaza. "So, the Four Great Dragons are still in there?" he asked.

"As far as I know," Dorbickmon replied. "Pretty sure they're still in conclave though."

"We should probably go there before the sun begins to set," Examon suggested. "We'll have to meet with the steward to arrange a meeting with them. Hopefully we'll be able to see them today."

"Let's get moving then," Craniamon suggested. The indigo knight began to start walking in the direction of the imperial palace, but he suddenly stopped and turned his head. "What is that…?"

"Huh?" Dukemon asked, cocking an eyebrow and turning as well.

Examon frowned and followed their line of sight. He too heard something.

A commotion was coming from the tavern on the right-hand corner of the courtyard. The Crossed Dragons Tavern, the one that Dorbickmon had come from, was a large, single storey tavern that allowed for dragon Digimon of most sizes. It sounded like there were several voices yelling inside the busy pub.

"What's going on in there?" Dukemon asked, hearing increasingly heated shouts coming from inside the building.

"Oh. Nothing important," Dorbickmon dismissively replied. "Just that."

As if on cue, a pair of Dramon burst out of the tavern's large entrance. An Arresterdramon and a Veedramon were tumbling over one another, snarling and grunting. The pair rolled onto the edge of the stone courtyard and began walloping each other with their fists.

"Oh, it's just a bar fight," Craniamon answered, viewing it as nothing but a banal occurrence.

"What's it about?" Dukemon asked with a frown.

Dorbickmon shrugged. "One of 'em wouldn't pay up after losing a bet, I think," he explained, smirking excitedly. "My money's on the Arresterdramon. He's small but he's slippery."

Examon stared at the quarrelling bar-goers with a sharp, disciplined look in his eyes. He watched as other tavern patrons began funnelling out of the bar to watch the action. The draconic Royal Knight turned towards them and spread his wings outwards. Without a word, Examon began walking in the direction of the pair of fighting dragons.

"Examon? Where are you going?" Dukemon asked.

"I'm going to stop them," Examon answered definitively.

"What? Why?!" Dorbickmon protested, suddenly going after him. "I already placed my bet!"

Examon turned and levelled a calm but firm leer at the mercenary. "Dorbickmon…"

"I don't know. I'd leave it, Examon," Craniamon advised him, standing calmly beside Dukemon with folded arms.

"They're beating each other up," Examon protested, gritting his teeth and staring at his fellow Royal Knight incredulously. "It's our duty to stop them. The Royal Knights can't ignore crime when it's right in front of us."

"Take it from somebody from the Autonomous Expanse," Craniamon answered. "If you try to break up a fight between two people who want to fight, you'll only make them turn on you for interfering. I doubt that's what you want to happen."

"He's right," Dorbickmon agreed, walking up beside Examon. He thumbed his claw towards the pair of fighting dragons, watching as they rolled around on the ground, cursing and cuffing each other across the face. "Let it play out. They just need to get it out of their system. You'll see; they'll be best of friends and buying each other drinks by the time they're done. This thing happens all the time."

Examon looked at Dorbickmon and the Royal Knights with perplexed eyes. The draconic knight looked back at the public brawl, watching as a crowd of cheering dragon Digimon gathered around to watch the spectacle. It was amazing to him that nobody was stepping in. "But…" he reluctantly protested.

"If it gets serious, we'll stop them," Dukemon assured Examon, sensing his anxiety.

The tall dragon closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Even Dukemon was matter-of-fact about it. He began to wonder, was he overreacting?

Dorbickmon laughed and slapped Examon on the shoulder. "Man, for somebody who lived in Dragon's Peak longer than I have, you're really not used to the tavern scene, huh?" he playfully ribbed him. "You'd think the Dragon Emperor of all people would know how Dramon actually act. I guess it must have been all that time in the mountains."

Examon gnashed his teeth together, but he didn't speak up. He felt the urge to growl, but he stifled it beneath a calming breath. Despite the bubbling frustration that he felt, he didn't let himself get angry. That was how he was. He always kept his emotions under control. It was natural for him now.

Yet, the Dramon were so different.

He didn't understand it. The aggressiveness, the casual fighting, the warmongering… It was antithetical to his ideals. They were so commonplace around here that it felt like he was the only one who batted an eye. It felt so foreign to him. Had the Dramon changed since he had been gone? Or were the Dramon always like this? Was he that out of touch?

As much as it irritated him, Dorbickmon was right. Ever since the incident as a Coredramon, he had lived alone in the Dragon Mountains, purposefully living away from Dramon society. It made him solitary and independent. He had changed himself based on what he wanted to be, not based on what society expected from him.

Even after becoming Slayerdramon after taking the Trial of the Four Great Dragons… When he successfully completed the Trial and evolved to Slayerdramon, he started working directly for the Four Great Dragons, taking up residence in Dragon's Peak. Even then, he didn't have any friends. He didn't interact with people unless it was necessary. He focused solely on his duty and improving himself so that he could fulfill his dreams. Even when he worked with the various noble armies, Examon worked alone. Even when the Dramon of the UDC celebrated him as a hero, the so-called Dragon Emperor, Examon had always been above them rather than one of them.

Examon had always been a bit different from the average Dramon on the street. He always aimed to be better. He had dreams and ideals that he wanted to achieve, so he had always been remote and detached. After hurting somebody who he cared about with his impulses, he came to believe that it was best to be calm, professional, and high-minded. He rejected emotions, instincts, and unnecessary violence. He wanted to be in a position to change the world for the better… This had been his dream. He made the decision to be a Royal Knight.

Now that he was back, everything seemed different. The longer that he was here, the more he felt like a stranger.

Maybe, by choosing to be a Royal Knight, he really had turned his back on his Dramon heritage. Maybe, what he wanted wasn't to be a Dramon, but a Royal Knight. Maybe, he just hadn't admitted it to himself until now. He always thought that he could have both.

Now, he came to think that that wasn't the case.

Grimacing softly, Examon turned his winged back to the fist fight. "Come on. Let's get moving," he told the others, beginning to walk away.

Dukemon frowned with concern as Examon passed by him. He saw the reticent look in the dragon's eyes. "Examon?" he asked.

The large dragon didn't reply. He was lost in thought as he passed between the two Royal Knights.

Dorbickmon's grin faded as he watched the taller dragon man walk away, heading in the direction of the palace. He looked at Dukemon and Craniamon questioningly. "…What? Did I put my foot in it again?" he asked with a confused frown.

"I don't think…" Dukemon responded, scratching the cheek of his visor. He watched as Examon walked ahead of them, making his way down the center of the courtyard. "He's been kind of distracted this whole time. I think something's on his mind."

"That's what happens to guys like him who try to bottle things up," Dorbickmon explained with a shrug. "He over-thinks things. He'd be better off venting his anger, like those guys." The dragon man nodded over his shoulder to where the Arresterdramon and Veedramon were tiredly clobbering each other, their snouts bloodied and their movements sluggish.

After a few more feeble swings traded between them, the Arresterdramon tapped the ground, conceding defeat. He uncoiled his tail from around the Veedramon's body, allowing the bulky, blue dragon to raise his fist and unleash a cry of triumph. As cheers and boos erupted from the gathered crowd based on which fighter they bet on, the Veedramon chuckled and hauled the Arresterdramon to his feet. The two dragons helped each other back inside the tavern to enjoy more early evening drinks, followed by the crowd of raucous Dramon.

Craniamon smirked slightly as the Dramon disappeared back inside the tavern. "Maybe you've got a point, lizard," Craniamon agreed, glancing at Dorbickmon. He was never one for rampant emotions, but he did recognise the benefits of combat. "Fighting is pretty cathartic."

"Hah, you're telling me, Skullface," Dorbickmon responded, shooting him a competitive grin. "You want to go sometime?"

Craniamon rolled his neck and shoulders confidently. "I'd love to."

"You two can do that some other time," Dukemon told them. He looked ahead at Examon, who was already some distance ahead of them now. "Let's catch up with Examon before he leaves us behind completely."

"Yeah, okay," Craniamon agreed, starting to walk across the courtyard alongside Dukemon.

Dorbickmon shrugged and watched as the two Royal Knights walked off. "Might as well tag along," he muttered to himself. "Not like I'm doing anything else."

The dragon mercenary began following after Dukemon and Craniamon, who walked briskly across the courtyard to catch up with their fellow Royal Knight. Even in the semi-crowded square, it was pretty easy to follow Examon. It was hard to miss the largest Royal Knight, and it was impossible not to find the Imperial Palace.

Dukemon walked close to Craniamon, looking ahead at the tall dragon knight. "Do you think he's okay?" he wondered, speaking in a low voice.

Craniamon shrugged. A small frown formed on his dark, helmeted face as he leered at Examon. "…It's not easy coming home," he murmured consciously.

Dukemon glanced down at the stone cobbles that passed beneath their feet. He nodded gently. With no home to return to, Dukemon had to take Craniamon's word for it. He supposed he could only imagine Examon's feelings. Because of that, he felt like he didn't have any right to try and tell him otherwise.

The two knights simply continued to follow to keep up with the third. Dukemon thought he should talk with Examon about it afterwards.

For now, they headed towards their destination: the Imperial Palace.