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?

89. Chapter 62: The Light Beyond the Depths

(Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay. Holidays kind of got in the way of my writing. I hope everyone had a good end of this year - or as much as could be expected. Hopefully this year will be a better one for everybody.

After some consideration, I decided to keep this chapter as a whole one, even though it's on the longer side. I'm hoping people don't mind. Anyways, here it is. Enjoy and let me know what you think!)

---

Chapter 62: The Light Beyond the Depths

"So, Mayor! Let's get down to business…"

Leviamon smirked as he planted himself in the expansive foyer of the Moonlight Palace, the official hall of the Mayor of Dark Point.

The palace stood on a hill a few kilometers from the commercial heart of the city, near the beginning of the peninsular arm that jutted out on the right of the harbour. It was a small fortress, built with thick, black stone and turrets. From its vantage point on the hill, it was able to loom over the city and oversee the all-important harbour.

The interior of the reception area was vast to accommodate for all visitors. It was made of the blackest stone, so dark that the light of the torches barely reflected against the surface of the walls.

Water poured out of fonts that were carved in the shape of serpentine heads that were protruding from the walls and ceiling. The fountains poured into stone basins that lined the perimeter of the hall. These watery furrows were also carved through the middle of the foyer, allowing the streams to flow through the hall before gathering in a small pool at the back of the room. The collected water formed a small whirlpool as it drained out of the basins and was pumped back into the fountains.

Leviamon settled near the palace interior's entrance. He decided he liked this palace. The constant rushing of water was relaxing, and he liked the black and dark blue décor. He thought it fitted him quite nicely.

The gigantic Demon Lord looked across the reception area to the opposite end of the hall. Standing in front of the whirlpool was Dagomon, who leaned on his coral-encrusted staff and eyed Leviamon uncertainly.

"I… am not sure that I understand, Lord Leviamon," the Dagomon mayor of Dark Point said, cautiously peering up at the huge Demon Lord. "Lord Demon was just here, and he said—"

"Forget about him," Leviamon swiftly barked, the reverberations of his chest enough to cause the water basins to ripple. "I'm here now, and it's lucky for you that I am."

"Oh?" Dagomon wondered, arching his leathery brow.

"I'm sure that Demon told you that you'd be working for the Demon Lords now and that they promised to keep you in power," Leviamon speculated. "Well, I'm sure that's true – for now. At least, until they start to distrust you - or they want to put one of their loyal officers in charge as a reward. When that happens, you're probably Dark Area bait."

Dagomon's eyes narrowed bitterly at the prospect, but rather than react emotionally, he mulled over Leviamon's words carefully. "Is that so? …Why are you telling me this?" he inquired. "Are you not a Demon Lord yourself?"

Leviamon scoffed. "In name only. I just remembered what I always knew – that they can't be trusted. That's a lesson you don't need to learn the hard way," the giant, crocodile demon advised him. "Not if you work for me."

"Work for you…?" Dagomon sceptically asked, curling his tentacle fingers around the head of his staff.

"Rather than having to answer to Count Murmuxmon and his cronies of Demon's behalf, you'll be my direct subordinate," Leviamon offered with an enticing grin. "I'll make sure you're safe and protected. This way, you'll retain all of your old powers as the Mayor. All you have to do is pledge your loyalty to me, not the Demon Lords. That's a much better offer than the one that Demon gave you. We aquatic demons have to stick together, after all…"

Dagomon pondered as he listened to Leviamon's appealing words. The Demon Lord's words were indeed convincing, but he couldn't help but hesitate. "While that is certainly a tempting offer, going against the other Demon Lords would be suicidal for me and my city. Demon made that very clear."

"Then they don't need to find out," Leviamon explained as he let the ends of his tails rest in the watery basin behind him. "We'll pretend to work for the Demon Lords, and we'll keep our arrangement between you and me. And if anybody questions it, I'll protect you." Leviamon bore his jagged teeth in a fearsome grin and gestured to his massive body. "I'm the sort of guy you want to be friends with… right, Dagomon?"

Dagomon wasted no time in nodding and bowing his head. "Indeed, you are…" he complied, glancing up at his new protector. "But what about Count Murmuxmon and his officers? Aren't they loyal to Demon?"

"I've explained to them that I have been put in command of Dark Point from now on. As far as they know, we will continue to act under the Demon Lords' directions. I also told them that you are to take orders from me alone." Leviamon slowly slithered his tails through the watery basin, splashing the water around lightly.

The crocodile craned his elongated snout towards Dagomon, eyeing him lightly. "…But don't worry, I'm not a micromanager like the others. As long as you trust me, I will trust you to do whatever you need to do for the security of Dark Point. You know this city better than I do, after all," Leviamon assured the mayor with a manipulative glint in his eyes.

Dagomon thought about the proposition carefully. With his tentacle hands folded over one another, he massaged his walking staff. "You make an enticing proposition, Lord Leviamon…" Dagomon mused with a voice as deep as the chasms of the ocean. He lowered himself to a knee and bowed his cephalopod head subserviently. "Of course I accept."

A broad, fanged smile flashed across the leviathan's face. "Hey, glad to hear it, Dagomon. Now, I want you to tell the commander of the Night Guard where his orders are coming from now, okay?"

"I'll make sure he knows," Dagomon replied, the rosary beads around the old one's neck rattling as he stood upright.

Leviamon eyed Dagomon meaningfully before looking out of the opened doors behind him, gazing across the city of Dark Point from their elevated position. "There is one thing I want to insist that you do," Leviamon explained to him. "I want you to open up Dark Point's bank and give everyone in the city five hundred bits. Make sure everyone knows it was from me personally."

Dagomon initially hesitated at the request, but he knew that he could hardly refute Leviamon's seemingly generous gesture, especially now. "Of course, Lord Leviamon," the mayor agreed, deciding to worry about the logistics and practicality of the matter later.

"It'll keep them loyal. Plus, it'll help calm everyone down, and wouldn't it be nice for everyone to have something nice after all that chaos?" Leviamon suggested with a smirk.

"I suppose that is a shrewd move," Dagomon agreed, making his way down towards the middle of the reception hall.

"Glad you think so," Leviamon told him, beginning to turn his huge body around to face the exit. "Anyways, I'll leave that to you. I have something that I need to do for a little while, so I'll get out from under your feet… tentacles… whatever."

"You are leaving, Lord Leviamon?" Dagomon inquired with his low, chthonic voice.

"Yeah…" Leviamon replied pensively, facing out of the Moonlight Palace and leering down at the dark harbour. "I'll be gone for no more than a week - probably. There's some… Digimon… who I have to meet."

Dagomon ambled his way over to Leviamon's side, being careful not to get in the way of his large body. "Friends of yours?" he calmly wondered.

As he stepped out onto the portico, Leviamon lowered his head. He gazed out into the night and a darkly ironic smirk crawled onto his giant snout.

"…Not exactly."

---

The city of Dark Point was slowly starting to get back to normal. The streets were calm, and the denizens were getting back to their daily routines.

Although there had been a lot of chaos and upheaval in the past few weeks, Dark Point was no stranger to chaos. The largely shady Digimon of the city took a matter-of-fact approach to sudden shifts in power, and they were always ready to capitalise on the latest opportunity. The violence was mostly quelled – well, as much as could be expected for Dark Point. The violence was mostly between the Nightmare Soldiers and the last few hold outs in the city. Now that somebody was unquestionably in charge, the city was beginning to return to its usual seedy machinations.

Elsewhere in Dark Point, one Digimon was planning his next move.

Blitzmon stared up at the ceiling. He could see the cracks in the stone surface - the cheap, thinly-laid layer of paint peeling away to reveal the chalky surface below.

The room he resided in was a small bedroom that rested directly above a tavern. The Hook and Eel Pub, Black Pincer Company's local, was crammed between a pair of larger buildings. The inn was carefully tucked away in the outskirts of the Insect Quarter of the city.

It wasn't a very big room, and it wasn't very nice either. It was run down, and just barely liveable. There was only enough room for a double-sized bed, a bedside table, and a small chest on the other end of the room for storing clothing and armour. There was barely any space to move in-between the walls and the bed. There was, however, a window on the right-hand wall that provided a decent, if obstructed view of the nearby blocks from its fourth floor vantage point.

Blitzmon lay in bed, continuing to pensively gaze up at the ceiling. He felt the heavy bed sheet itch against his skin. The bed smelled of must and lingering tobacco leaves, as well as some other scents he didn't care to place.

It was dark outside, but Blitzmon knew that it was nearly Morning Light. Still, he could hear a faint clattering coming from the bar, likely the barkeep preparing for the day, as well as a repetitive thumping coming from the floor beneath. Given the city's unorthodox day-night cycle, it meant that, even at night when half the city was closed, the other half of the city was open and all sorts of Digimon were still active.

It wasn't these sounds or his adjusting body clock that had woke him up, though they certainly didn't help. It was a sharp elbow to his tender ribs that had roused him from his slumber. After that initial jolt, it was his thoughts that kept him awake.

Blitzmon breathed in the musky odour hanging heavy in the tavern's guest room. He shuffled under the grimy sheets, doing well not to think about the last time they had been washed. His fingers idly rubbed the smooth skin of his toned, bare chest. For a moment, he glanced out the window, seeing the largest of the Digital World's moons descending over the rooftop horizon.

He was used to living like this. The grimy apartments and shared guest rooms of Dark Point and Shroud never really bothered him. They were a step up from the gutters that he and his friends came from. Still, he always aspired for something more.

In contrast, Bolgmon had always been fine with just satisfying his own desires – whether it be the adrenaline of violence, the rush of intimacy, or the simple pleasures of fun, music and alcohol-laced oil. Blitzmon, on the other hand, had dreams far greater. He remembered that GrandisKuwagamon did too – that was something they had bonded over. They both wanted to be a great mercenary company – to have the riches and security that they had been denied for so long.

Blitzmon sighed calmly as he thought about GrandisKuwagamon. Their reunion had not gone as he had hoped. The realisation that GrandisKuwagamon's brother was alive - and that they had been more or less responsible for TigerVespamon's family's deletion – was a lot to process. It made trying to mend that broken bridge even more difficult. He was sure that Grandis must be protective of his brother, and that he was likely looking for any excuse to blame them right now. However, he was certain that Grandis was being controlled against his will by the Royal Knights… If there was some way to free him, then maybe he could persuade him…

The beetle sighed. He then felt a sharp elbow in his ribs again, causing a pained grunt to escape his mouth. Blitzmon narrowed his eyes with annoyance and glared up at the ceiling.

That pain in his side made it that much more difficult to mend things with GrandisKuwagamon. After what he witnessed in that last battle… seeing GrandisKuwagamon nearly be killed, after they had a plan in place… It still made him quietly angry. The chasm between them and Grandis had grown that much deeper. He honestly wondered if it was possible to get him to trust them again. Or was he being uncharacteristically sentimental about his old friend? Blitzmon wondered if he needed to face facts…

The beetle mercenary sighed and leaned his horned head back against the yellow-stained pillow, the tip of his horn scraping against the wall behind him. He could feel heat coming from his left. The bed he was lying on shuddered tumultuously and the bed sheet was pulled away from his body, exposing his bare chest to the cool air. As the squirming intensified, Blitzmon finally turned his head to the left to stare at the Digimon beside him.

Bolgmon was lying in bed next to him. He had reverted to his own Blitzmon form as well, as his Bolgmon body was far too big to fit inside the inn's cramped guestroom. As a Blitzmon, Bolgmon's body was much larger and more muscular than Blitzmon's shorter yet toned body was. Blitzmon watched as his bulkier counterpart tossed and turned beside him.

Blitzmon could see that Bolgmon's lower body was wrapped in the shared blanket. He saw beads of sweat soaking his bare neck and chest. Bolgmon's face was scrunched tight with panic. The larger of the two Blitzmon groaned and whimpered, thrashing about in distress. The sleeping mercenary kicked his tangled legs under the sheets and writhed from one side to the other.

Blitzmon's eyes softened and he let out a pitying sigh as he beheld Bolgmon. As furious as he was at his friend, he took no joy in seeing him suffer in his sleep. He watched sweat drip down from under Bolgmon's helmet, and he could see tears forming in the beetle's tightly closed eyes. Blitzmon decided that he should probably finally do something.

Blitzmon reached over and placed his hand on Bolgmon's shoulder, gripping the large muscle and shaking him lightly. "Bolgmon," he said to the larger Blitzmon in an attempt to wake him.

"Mrmm… Nooo…" the sleeping Bolgmon murmured, trying to pull his Blitzmon form away from his friend. "Help… Can't… ge'out… Stuck…"

Blitzmon's eyes tightened with annoyance. He brought his hand up and slapped it down on Bolgmon's chest with an audible smack, also releasing a gentle shock lightning to jolt him awake.

"AH!" Bolgmon shouted, waking with a jerk and flailing around in a panic. He snapped up into and upright position and lightning coursed up his horn. Looking around with wild eyes, Bolgmon prepared to fire.

Blitzmon caught his larger counterpart's hand before it could hit him, and he looked at the muscular Blitzmon with calm eyes. "Shh. It's me," Blitzmon told him. "It was a dream."

Bolgmon, sweating profusely and nearly hyperventilating, set his eyes on Blitzmon and stopped before he could set the bed on fire. In that moment of clarity, he was able to take in his surroundings: a dark, quiet, grotty room. As he became aware of what was going on, Bolgmon's breathing calmed and he began to relax.

"Oh…" the larger of the two Blitzmon said, sheepishly bringing his hand up to his face and rubbing his distraught eyes.

"Were you having the nightmare again?" Blitzmon wondered, sitting up in the bed and eyeing the larger beetle man.

"Yeah…" Bolgmon spartanly answered, turning his body away so that his legs hung over the side of the bed and his bare back faced Blitzmon.

"Are you okay?"

Bolgmon grunted and rubbed the back of his head in an agitated manner. "…Yeah, I'll be fine. I just want something to blow up," he assured his friend, trying to play it off.

Blitzmon sighed and pulled the sheets back over his lap, crossing his legs underneath them. "I told you not to eat so much before bed…"

"Gimme a break, Blitz…" Bolgmon replied, leaning forwards and placing his forearms on his knees.

"Eating from a guilty conscience, perhaps?" Blitzmon pointedly inquired.

Bolgmon grimaced and looked down at the ground. "…Look, I screwed up, okay? You already gave me a hard time about it after the battle."

"You tried to kill him, you idiot. That's not just one of your usual screw ups," Blitzmon reminded him with a cold edge to his voice. "I said to capture him. You crossed the line."

"I know, I know…" Bolgmon responded, glancing at him over his shoulder. "But I still think he's with the Royal Knights willingly. He wasn't exactly begging for our help; he wanted our blood too."

Blitzmon grunted irately. "…Even so, you shouldn't have done that," he told him. "Whether or not he's with them by force or by choice, I had hoped we could bring him back with us."

"Do you really think that's possible, after everything that's happened?" Bolgmon asked him. "I don't…"

Blitzmon's eyes tightened faintly as he stared down at his lap. "…I'm not sure. We'll see," he ambivalently responded.

Blitzmon sighed and looked at his larger counterpart. "It's Morning Light," he informed him, glancing out the window as dawn rays began to illuminate the city. "That means our boat leaves in two hours. We had better get ready."

"Yeah…" Bolgmon stood to his feet, bumping his shoulder on the nearby wall as he misjudged how little space there was to move. "Gah, damn it… Don't tell Devidramon I said this, but the rooms here are shitholes. We never should have sold our apartment in the city to go live in the hideout."

"Couldn't be helped. It would have been compromised once we started the Facture job. Plus, it wasn't worth paying the advance on our rent," Blitzmon responded. "We'll find somewhere better in the future, after the compensation for these jobs starts coming in."

"I guess so…" the taller, bulkier beetle man replied. He turned and leaned against the wall, using the sheet to wipe some of the sweat off his chest. "Speaking of which, is the 'you-know-what' still here?"

"Of course it is," Blitzmon confirmed, scooting to the edge of the bed and looking over at the stone reliquary that was tucked in the corner beneath the window. He carefully checked the box for its contents, and verified that the Orb of Yang still rested beneath the heavy lid. "It's there. I'm not careless enough to have it swiped beneath me."

"Yeah, well-" Bolgmon began to retort.

"Shh." Blitzmon suddenly hushed him. He turned his head alertly and narrowed his eyes, his body tensing up. Out in the hallway, he heard a pair of footsteps coming up from the stairs in the hallway outside.

Bolgmon immediately silenced and hunched down, gazing uncertainly towards the door. Both of the mercenaries were on high alert. Neither of them could be sure that the Royal Knights hadn't snuck into Dark Point after them. GrandisKuwagamon knew all their usual haunts, so if they were still after the Orb, they couldn't rule out the fact that they had been followed. They also accepted the possibility that Murmuxmon might double cross them if he wanted the Orb for himself.

Blitzmon quietly stood up from the bed and turned towards the nightstand next to his side of the bed. He opened up the drawer cautiously and reached inside. From within the drawer, he pulled out a black pistol. It was a custom-made, semi-automatic pistol that he had picked up from storage when they visited their office. Etched on the metal on the center of the rubber grip was the symbol of Thunder.

He placed his hand on the slide of the pistol and carefully pulled it back to cock it. As a bullet loaded into the chamber, electricity sparked within the exposed breech. Blitzmon gripped the lightning-imbued gun and prepared to point it at the door.

There was a tentative knocking on the door. "Blitzmon?" a voice on the other side asked. "It's me. It's your Morning Light wake-up call like you asked."

Blitzmon sighed with relief and lowered the pistol. He flipped on the safety switch and ejected the electricity-laced bullet from the chamber. "Devidramon," he responded, recognizing the barkeep's voice. "Thanks."

"Breakfast is ready and on the house. I burnt the sausages a little though - sorry," the dark dragon informed him.

"It's fine. We'll be down soon," Blitzmon assured him, placing the pistol on the table and walking to the front of the bed.

"One time I'm not in the mood for a fight," Bolgmon said with a sigh, looking down at his nearly naked, humanoid body. "Even as a Blitzmon, it's so cramped in here that I can't fight for crap."

"I can still hear you," Devidramon dryly noted as he made his way down the stairs.

"Come on, Bolgmon," Blitzmon told him. He walked to the chest at the foot of the bed and opened it up. He reached inside and pulled out two orange jumpsuits. He took a quick sniff of the larger one and his face curdled. "Ugh. This one's yours," he said, tossing the large, sweaty jumpsuit to Bolgmon. "Put it on with your armour. I'd tell you to shower, but since there aren't any here, we'll have to wait."

Bolgmon watched as Blitzmon started stepping into his own jumpsuit and zipping it up, before doing the same himself. "I've been carrying that heavy ass box this whole time. What do you expect?" Bolgmon complained, zipping himself up before walking over and grabbing his grieves, gauntlets and breastplate.

Blitzmon carefully poked his horned head through the collar of his breastplate and pulled on the rest of his armour. "You can carry it to the boat too," he informed him as he slid on his gauntlet. He then grabbed the pistol and stuffed it into the holster that hung from his belt.

"Yeah, yeah," Bolgmon replied, finishing dressing himself. "Can't wait to get outta here. I wanna be back on my treads already."

Blitzmon nodded at the larger, humanoid insect. "We will. Just bring that downstairs and we'll eat breakfast," he told him, gesturing to the stone chest.

Bolgmon nodded and walked over to the reliquary. He bent down and heaved it up, his body strong enough to easily lift it even as a Blitzmon. "Nrgh… You go first," he told his friend.

Blitzmon walked to the door of the guest room and opened it up so that Bolgmon could pass through. He stepped ahead of the larger beetle, helping him keep the box steady as they made their way to the hallway stairs.

"Steady now," Blitzmon advised him as they carefully manoeuvred the top of the stairs. He held the back of the box to keep it steady. "We need to get this to Bagramon in one piece."

"I know…" Bolgmon replied, grunting as he cautiously stepped down the stairs.

Blitzmon nodded and gazed at the box with thoughtful, green eyes. He didn't care what was in the box. He just cared that Bagramon cared what was inside it. As long as Bagramon cared, then he would be willing to pay them valuable money for it.

And with that money, he was one step closer to moving up in the world. He and Bolgmon… If GrandisKuwagamon could be persuaded, then all the better. But if not…

Blitzmon's features darkened and he cushioned the holster that swayed from his hip. He hoped it wouldn't have to come to that, but he was a pragmatist. He had to be prepared for any outcome.

"Come on," Blitzmon said, his voice devoid of emotions. "The sooner we get this thing to Bagramon, the sooner we can get paid…"

---

Back at Castle Albion, the sun rose over the province of Splendor's Reach. The light of dawn cast across the verdant, grassy landscape around the castle.

A few kilometers to its east, the white sands of the Shining Coast glinted with a radiant luster. Water washed up on the shores, staining the pure, white sand only slightly. The peaks of the Net Ocean's waves glimmered beautifully. The vibrant, azure water, which matched the blue skies overhead, contrasted with the alabaster shoreline. The view of the beach in the morning was peaceful and picturesque. The water was, so far, undisturbed by anything moving through it.

The spring sun rose above the water and spread its rays across the walls of the castle. The stone surfaces of the castle buildings began to warm beneath the soft rays.

The Order's soldiers were beginning to arrive back at the castle, as their leave ended that day. Many soldiers had already returned the previous day, not wanting to appear tardy, but there were some who didn't mind cutting it a bit close. Still, the usual levels of Digimon activity were already returning to the Order's headquarters. Even at dawn, there were several soldiers coming in and out of the Strike Forces' and Defence Forces' barracks.

One Digimon who was already awake at that early hour was TigerVespamon.

TigerVespamon sat on the edge of his bed in his shared room. His body was hunched forwards with his arms resting slack on his bent knees. His wings were listless against his back and his ruby eyes were dull and wistful. He stared vacantly at the spot of dawn light on the floor, formed by the rays that poured in from his east-facing window.

His room was sized adequately enough to accommodate two humanoid-sized Digimon. Each room in the barracks housed two Digimon, with different room sizes for different body types. Larger Digimon were encouraged to revert to smaller forms where possible, but when it wasn't, there were larger rooms on the ground floor and basement to accommodate them as well.

The vacant bed beside him belonged to ShineGreymon. The winged dragon man still hadn't returned from his leave yet, but he was likely to return within the day unless he wanted to face Ouryumon's wrath. TigerVespamon, however, didn't give his new friend much thought at that very moment. He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts.

He had gotten some sleep, but he was awakened early. He had dreamed about them: Angemon, SlashAngemon, and the others…

They had all been sitting around a table in the refectory, simply eating in peace. Pidmon had told one of his bad jokes and they all laughed politely. It was a simple dream of simpler times… More than the contents of the dream, it was that feeling of warmth and nostalgia that he recalled… It was the memory of loving and being loved. In that dream, for just an hour, he felt secure. He felt at peace.

But then he awoke to an empty room. For just a few moments, he had thought that he was in his bed back at the monastery. However, a quick glance a room had dispelled any such delusions. TigerVespamon looked at the empty bed, the empty room, and he remembered he was alone.

It all returned to him like a weight placed on his body. He saw that not even his roommate was there with him.

TigerVespamon tried his best not to think about the loneliness. He was determined not to let his anger and sadness control him. However, he couldn't shut off his feelings completely. He missed them. There was a big, seeping hole in his heart where his family should be. There was a part of him that wanted to collapse in on himself and give up, but he knew that he couldn't.

During the last battle, he knew he had acted recklessly. He attacked the enemy without any regard for his own safety. He thought that there might have been a part of him that wouldn't have minded being killed. On reflection, he knew that he was wrong to do so… He knew that Angemon and the others would want him to live on. As dearly as he missed them, he wasn't ready to join them.

TigerVespamon's thoughts were interrupted by the loud clicking of the door. The wooden door opened slowly and, out of the corner of his eye, he could see ShineGreymon poke his horned, helmeted head inside the room.

ShineGreymon's bright, blue eyes landed on TigerVespamon and saw that his roommate was awake. "Oh, good. You're awake, Vespa," ShineGreymon said, opening the door with a smile. "Saves me having to sneak in."

TigerVespamon knew that ShineGreymon was talking to him, but he barely registered his words. The most that he could bring himself to do in that moment was nod slightly.

Finding TigerVespamon's lack of reply curious, ShineGreymon arched his eyebrow. He figured he must still be waking up or something. The tall, armoured dragon man walked inside the room, folding his wings back so he could fit in the door.

"Ahhh, that was a much needed vacation, don't 'cha think?" ShineGreymon lightheartedly exclaimed. "Me and the guys had a lot of fun in Gold Keep. We did a lot of shopping, a lot of bar-hopping, a lot of eating…" The upbeat dragon man flashed TigerVespamon a cocky grin and a friendly wink. "The other guys arrived back yesterday, but I got persuaded to stay another night. If you know what I mean…"

"Mm. That's good…" TigerVespamon distractedly replied.

ShineGreymon's smile fizzled out as he looked down at the dispirited hornet. He could see that TigerVespamon's body was hunched up. The humanoid bee had barely looked at him. It was clear that there was something unusual going on with his roommate.

"Uh… Hey, Vespa?" ShineGreymon tentatively asked, walking over to him and his bed. "What about you? Did you manage to go home and visit your family?"

TigerVespamon's muscles tensed ever-so-slightly. He bent forwards a little bit more and his head sagged forwards. His compound eyes pulled away from the spot of light on the floor and stared down at his hands that were folded on his lap.

"I…" he began to reply, but his typically smooth and calm voice was fractured. The muscles around his eyes tensed rigidly and his tongue hooked on the roof of his mouth.

ShineGreymon frowned with concern and immediately sat down beside his friend. He placed his hand on TigerVespamon's shoulder and turned towards him, gazing worriedly at his distressed face. "Hey, Vespa… what's wrong, man?" he investigated. He knew that it must have been serious for the usually-calm TigerVespamon to look like this. "Did something happen?"

"They're… They're all dead," TigerVespamon weakly explained, a soft wince on his face. "Angemon… Everyone… We were attacked. The Demon Lords wanted the Orb… I couldn't stop them."

ShineGreymon's eyes widened with shock and outrage at TigerVespamon's horrifying revelation. The sympathetic pain of TigerVespamon's loss quickly sunk into his heart and caused a flurry of strong feelings to all hit him at once.

"TigerVespamon…" he breathed, gulping. "I'm… I'm so sorry, dude…" ShineGreymon grimaced bitterly. All he could think to do in that moment was to pull TigerVespamon into a hug.

While TigerVespamon was too spiritless to return the embrace, he didn't resist when he was pulled into ShineGreymon's hug. He leaned acquiescently against the dragon man, moving just enough to avoid the metal prongs jutting from the light dragon's shoulders. He permitted ShineGreymon's attempt to console him, for however much it would help.

As ShineGreymon held the insect man tightly, his eyes narrowed into a fierce scowl. "Damn them…" he whispered darkly. "Damn those Demon Lords… They deserve to pay."

TigerVespamon flinched softly at the words that gave a voice to some of the darker feelings that dwelled deep inside of his heart. He slowly pulled away from the humanoid dragon and looked down solemnly.

"I don't get it. How'd it happen? The Demon Lords attacked your home?" ShineGreymon asked, pulling back and staring at him with serious, questioning eyes. "I thought they ran back north."

"They hired mercenaries to steal the Orb from us," TigerVespamon explained, deciding it was easier in the moment to omit who exactly they were to him. "Everyone but Angemon and I were killed. When the Royal Knights arrived, we chased them to a demon camp. That was when Angemon was killed as well…"

"Yggdrasil…" ShineGreymon whispered, glowering tempestuously. "I'm really sorry, Vespa… "

The dragon warrior closed his eyes and tried to temper his rage. After a few moments of centering himself, ShineGreymon tried to give his friend a sad but encouraging smile. "I know there probably isn't… but if there's anything I can do, just ask. I'm here, Vespa. We all are," he assured him.

TigerVespamon raised his head and looked at him. There was a gentle shimmer in his compound eyes, but he remained calm and composed. "Thank you, ShineGreymon," he answered, sincerely and appreciatively. "That means quite a lot right now…"

"Anything you need, dude…" ShineGreymon promised, gently rubbing TigerVespamon's shoulder. "If you want to talk or you want time off from training, I can talk to the Leftenant."

TigerVespamon shook his head softly. "Thank you, but that is not necessary. I would rather be doing something productive… As tempting as it is to wallow in sorrow, that is no solution to anything… I would likely only end up feeling worse about myself," he gently asserted, looking over at ShineGreymon. "Having a friend to talk to is likely sufficient."

ShineGreymon smiled at him more sincerely this time. "You got it, Vespa," he told him. "Lucky for you, I'm an awesome and charming conversationalist."

TigerVespamon managed to show him a tiny smile, although it was a fleeting one. "…To be truthful, it is the loneliness that is the hardest thing at the moment," he explained as his expression grew meditative. "I was so angry before… Part of me still is. But I also just feel as though I'm… falling and I have nothing to hold onto."

"Yeah, I know… It feels like your whole world has been flipped upside down," ShineGreymon agreed knowingly, a forlorn smile resting on his face. He turned towards him, the sunlight reflecting radiantly off the yellow metal of his horned helmet. "Actually… I lost my dad to the Demon Lords too."

TigerVespamon raised his head and stared at ShineGreymon with shock. "I'm… I'm so sorry, ShineGreymon," he honestly replied, his words gentle and tender. "Was it at New Terminal…?"

ShineGreymon shook his head. "Nah, it was two decades ago – when I was just a kid," he informed him. "Dad was part of this experimental task force for the Republican Army – called Kerberos Team... They were tasked with taking care of small pockets of Nightmare Soldiers who were able to escape from the Dark Area through breaches in the firewall. You know, the cracks that were too small for the Royal Knights to detect."

TigerVespamon nodded gently.

"Well, one time, more of them escaped than they expected. There were about twenty or thirty demons – two Ultimates and a bunch of Perfect levels - led by a Zanbamon," ShineGreymon explained, looking down with a sad apparition of a smile.

ShineGreymon slowly kneaded the base of one of his knee spikes. "It was too much for them to handle. It was hard-fought, but Dad was killed in the fighting… However much I was told he died a hero, it… didn't really give me any comfort as a kid. I didn't want a dead hero as a dad… I just wanted my dad. It was tough for me to take. Luckily I had my mom and my friends to help me through it, even though I lashed out a lot…"

"I'm sorry…" TigerVespamon said to him. "It must have been very difficult for you."

"Thanks…" ShineGreymon replied with a faint smile. The dragon man leaned forwards so that his arms were resting on his lap. As ShineGreymon bowed his head, his usual grin faded and, for just a moment, his expression grew bitter and honest. "I hate them," he gently hissed. "I hate the bastards who killed my dad. I hate the Demon Lords and their followers too…"

TigerVespamon frowned softly and gazed down at his black fists. He forced himself to slowly release the tension from his fingers. "I… understand how you feel," he responded, unable to help but feel the uncomfortable tightness of anger stirring in his heart.

ShineGreymon's blue eyes narrowed stormily. "There was a part of me that pictured that Zanbamon when I was cutting down demons in New Terminal," he explained, bowing his head forwards just enough that his helmet's shadow prevented sunlight from casting down his face. "Part of me wishes I crossed paths with him…"

After those dark words, ShineGreymon sat up straight again and flashed TigerVespamon an easy smile. "But holding onto that kinda hatred isn't healthy. I know I don't look like it now, but I was pretty angry in my teen years. Then I realised that holding onto anger wasn't helping me or anybody…" he explained. "Though, to be honest, I still gotta remind myself of that sometimes. Especially now…"

TigerVespamon stared at his roommate curiously. ShineGreymon was back to his usual easygoing self; it almost seemed like flicking on a light. Still, despite ShineGreymon's sunny exterior, TigerVespamon was able to see a flicker of the struggle that he faced. He felt a kinship with him in that regard. They had both lost things dear to them.

"…I don't like feeling angry," TigerVespamon spoke. "Having feelings of wrath and vengeance go against my beliefs. Yet… I cannot help but feel hatred for those mercenaries, for Murmuxmon, and for the Demon Lords. Worse than that, I cannot help but feel ire for GrandisKuwagamon…"

At the mention of the mercenary who hurt VictoryGreymon, ShineGreymon couldn't help but arch his brow curiously. "…GrandisKuwagamon? Sorry, but you've lost me."

TigerVespamon sighed. He wanted to be honest with his friend, but he was too tired to make a big song and dance about their connection. "To cut a very long story short, GrandisKuwagamon is my long-lost twin brother who I thought was killed as a child.

At this shocking revelation, ShineGreymon blinked and his mouth hung open for a few moments. "…Wow, you're kidding me, right? You and him? Brothers? But you're like… total opposites."

"Yes, we are. Now, at least…"

"So… Why're you angry at him? I know why I'm angry at him – because of what he did, both to New Terminal and to my best friend, but…"

TigerVespamon frowned. "It is because of the things he has done. It isn't just that he helped the Demon Lords into New Terminal, but everything… When I think about all the damage he has caused, I cannot help but become frustrated and wonder why. Why has my sweet, caring brother become a mercenary who has no respect for law nor other peoples' lives? How can he cause such wanton destruction after what happened to us?" the hornet man wondered.

He then sighed. "People say that I should forgive him because he is my brother – or because he hasn't had the same privileges that I was afforded while growing up. I understand this and I know in my heart that what they are saying has merit. Yet, it is because he is my brother that I feel so angry…" TigerVespamon rubbed his forehead, covering his slight wince. "I know that he cares about me, yet I cannot help how I feel towards him. Whenever I am near him, I cannot help but feel angry. …I feel like I am a bad Digimon."

ShineGreymon smiled at him and clapped his back. "You? A bad Digimon? Come on, bro," he assured him. "I know the situation must be complicated, but, for what it's worth, I think you're justified feeling the way you feel. I know he's your brother, but he's done a load of bad stuff, and if anybody has the right to tell him where to shove it, it's you."

TigerVespamon looked down at his hands. ShineGreymon's words of reassurance seemed to contrast with Angemon's dying words to him about trying to forgive GrandisKuwagamon. The conflicting emotions within him made him feel unsure how to feel.

"Thank you. Though, I am unsure…"

"Look, Vespa… I'm a pretty easygoing guy. But everybody has a line of what they can and can't accept. I think Victory's being too forgiving, but maybe he thinks I'm being too strict. I don't think either of us are bad Digimon because of it," ShineGreymon explained. "Grandis did some things that are hard to forgive, and he should be held accountable. I'm not saying lock him up and throw away the key, but you're not wrong to be angry at him."

The sunny dragon man gave TigerVespamon a supportive grin. "Just as long as you don't let the anger consume you. You don't need to feel guilty about feeling emotions, but you shouldn't dwell on them either. Just try and stay positive and keep living your life, dude."

"Thank you, ShineGreymon," TigerVespamon responded, his eyes softening as he stared at the light dragon. "I know that that is something that I must remind myself of as well. I want to be consumed by hatred, but I know that I cannot let myself…"

"Then you and me will just have to look out for each other, huh?" ShineGreymon asked with a broad grin. "You're lucky to have an awesome, cool, and stylish guy like me hanging around. And, admittedly, you're probably a lot more level-headed than I am, so I guess I'm pretty lucky to have you watching my back too."

TigerVespamon smiled a little bit at his friend's tongue-in-cheek cockiness. "I suppose I am lucky."

ShineGreymon winked and raised his fist towards him expectantly. "We recruits need to stick together and show everyone what we've got," he proclaimed.

TigerVespamon looked down at ShineGreymon's waiting fist. He tentatively closed his own hand into a light fist and gently tapped ShineGreymon's knuckles with his own. "Indeed," he formally concurred.

The dragon man chuckled and stood up from the bed. "Hey, you're getting better," he lightheartedly pointed out.

As ShineGreymon rose to his feet, he stretched his slender arms and his broad, multi-ridged wings. As the morning light poured into the window, it reflected off ShineGreymon's reflective lenses and beads of light danced around the room. "Nngh… Hey, what d'you say we go get some breakfast?" the humanoid dragon suggested.

TigerVespamon thought about the idea for a moment. Ever since the attack, he hadn't had much of an appetite. He had barely eaten, now that he thought about it. He could feel a hollow emptiness in his stomach, but he realised that that was as much from a lack of sustenance as it was heartbreak.

"Yes, I suppose we should…" TigerVespamon conceded sheepishly as his stomach growled.

"Sounds like a plan then," ShineGreymon said, grinning as he walked over to the door of their room.

TigerVespamon stood to his feet, still slightly unsteady from his injuries. He supposed he should stop by the medical bay, as his superior, Duskmon, would notice his injuries immediately anyways.

The hornet man walked over to the entrance of the room, allowing ShineGreymon to exit first. Once he reached the door frame, TigerVespamon stopped and looked over his shoulder. He gazed at the morning light pouring into the room, pushing away the residual darkness.

He knew that he still had a lot of very raw and conflicting feelings inside of him. He sincerely doubted that he was ready to put the trauma behind him so easily. The wounds in his heart were still so deep and so fresh.

Even so, he was glad that he still had at least one person who he could rely on. Maybe in time, he would allow himself to have more.

"Angemon…" TigerVespamon thought, gazing wistfully at the rays of light that spread across the stone floor. "I am still unsure of what I should do – or who I am."

TigerVespamon raised his eyes from the floor and looked out the window at the beautiful sunrise beyond the distant castle walls. "Even so…" he considered. "I don't want to give up hope. I know you wouldn't want me to give up on myself or the world. It's very difficult, but I want to try to find a way forwards. I want to believe that God has a plan, but, right now… I cannot help but still feel lost."

TigerVespamon looked forwards at ShineGreymon, who was in the process of shamelessly waking up the rest of the Greymon Five if they weren't already awake.

"However… Maybe I have found some people who can help guide me," he thought with a faint smile. "It isn't quite the same as all of you, but…"

TigerVespamon glanced over his shoulder, able to admire the beauty of the dawn light for just a moment. For a slight second, he thought about GrandisKuwagamon.

"Maybe I am not completely alone, after all."

With that hopeful thought, he stepped out of the empty room. He closed the door behind him and went to join ShineGreymon and the others for breakfast.

---

"Fascinating…"

Jesmon lay on a metal examination table, looking up uneasily as an ebony-clad physician hovered over him.

He watched as Duskmon's myriad eyes looked his body over. As they carefully examined him with surgical precision, the nine eyes slid back and forth in their sockets - sometimes moving independently of each other. Jesmon swallowed as a nervous chill swept down his metallic body.

"Very interesting," Duskmon mused to himself, jotting a few observations down in the notebook that lay beside his surgical tools on a nearby instrument table. The blond-haired physician then took a pair of forceps and leaned over Jesmon's body, gently tapping the clear, blue crystal that was embedded in his chest. "This seems like it must be some sort of catalyst of power…"

Nearby, Gankoomon leaned against the wall of the medical bay, watching as the High Physician examined his student's new, Ultimate-level body. He pressed his jacket-covered back against the wall, folding his arms and tapping his foot impatiently.

"…How long is this gonna take, Doc?" he gruffly asked the dark, multi-eyed doctor. "Alphamon's expecting us soon."

"Just a few more minutes…" Duskmon distractedly replied, leaning up to Jesmon's face and putting his forceps uncomfortably close to Jesmon's eye to hold it open.

Jesmon felt nervous sweat forming on his body as he stared face to face with the massive, unblinking eye on Duskmon's chest. He knew that Duskmon didn't mean any harm, but he couldn't help but wonder if this was retribution for when he stole that virus from the medical bay for GrandisKuwagamon. He didn't dare say so, but Duskmon could be very unnerving when he was either angry or particularly interested in a patient. His many eyes didn't help either.

"Open your mouth and say 'Ah"," Duskmon told him, placing his hands on Jesmon's face and opening his mouth for him.

"Ah?!" Jesmon inelegantly uttered, his eye twitching as Duskmon shone a light inside of his mouth.

Not far away from Gankoomon, stood Sistermon Noir and Sistermon Blanc. The elder of the two waited boredly. Sistermon Noir folded her arms and tapped her foot as she watched Duskmon inspect the Digimon formerly known as Hackmon.

Meanwhile, the youngest sister, Sistermon Blanc, cowered behind her. Blanc's eyes were shut tightly and she appeared immensely squeamish, desperate not to look in Duskmon's and Jesmon's direction. Not only did Duskmon and his many eyes make her uncomfortable, but she was absolutely petrified of gore and invasive medical procedures – really almost anything that had to do with doctors. She had only agreed to come because she was worried about Jesmon – and she had heard that Magnamon was recovering in the med bay.

Noir glanced over at the shorter girl, who wore a white dress and a pink, rabbit-shaped habit. The dark-clothed Sistermon then glanced back at Duskmon, and then back at Sistermon Blanc. Then she looked at Jesmon, and then back at her sister once again. Suddenly, Noir's bored expression vanished and a devilish grin flashed onto her face.

"…Oooh, Blanc! You've gotta see this! He's about to take a sample of fluid from Hackmon's eye!" she announced with a teasing smirk.

Sistermon Blanc let out a distressed cry and grabbed her sister's long, black klobuk, burying her face in Noir's back. "Noir! Stop it!" she pleaded.

Sistermon Noir snickered and looked over at the physician. "What are you gonna use that long, hook-shaped instrument for, Duskmon?" she playfully goaded. "What about that massive syringe? Why is that scalpel so serrated?"

"Wait, what?" Jesmon asked, his eyes widening a little. He could barely lift his head and he couldn't see where Duskmon's hands were going, so he started to think that Noir was being serious. "S-She's joking right?"

"Noiiiiir!" Sistermon Blanc whimpered, blushing a little as she knew that she was being a scaredy-cat in front of Magnamon. She hoped the blood would stay in her face, otherwise she feared she might faint. "C-C-Cut it out! You kn-know I hate this kind of stuff…!"

"Hehe… It's Duskmon's who's going to be doing all the cutting~" Noir teased, her sly grin widening. "And without blinking too."

"There are no incisions necessary at the moment," Duskmon informed them, inspecting Jesmon's hands and the long blades that protruded from his wrist armour. "This is merely a physical examination."

"And then comes the needles, right, Doc?" Sistermon Noir chimed smugly, knowing that she was hitting all of her sensitive sister's buttons.

"Noooo!" Sistermon Blanc squeaked, burying her face deeper into her elder sister's back.

Gankoomon grunted irritably and rolled his eyes behind his metal visor. "What's all this for, anyways?" the red-haired Royal Knight asked him. "He's the least hurt of the bunch."

For emphasis, Gankoomon gestured over to Magnamon and Dynasmon, who were both lying on nearby beds while their chests and faces were heavily wrapped in bandages.

"He always does this with new Ultimate level Digimon," Magnamon grumbled from his bed. His arm was bandaged and suspended in a sling, and the left side of his face patched up with gauze.

On an adjacent bed, Dynasmon lay on his winged back, and his bare chest and back were bandaged generously as well. He propped himself up on his elbows with a breathy grunt. "He did this with us Founding Knights when we first hired him," Dynasmon added with a grimace, shivering at the memories. "Ugh, so many tests… the thorough examinations… the poking and prodding… the nakedness…" He glanced over at Jesmon sympathetically. "Rather you than me."

"As the High Physician, I need to understand how your bodies work if I am going to be able to treat you properly," Duskmon calmly replied, though not without a faint smirk.

"Then why the diabolical smirk?!" Dynasmon protested, which only served to make Jesmon more nervous.

"…Admittedly, I am also in the privileged position of being able to examine singular, never-before-seen Ultimate level forms – bodies wielding rare and incredible power," Duskmon mused, his shoulder eye shifting to look at Dynasmon. "How could I not be curious? Working with Royal Knights allows me to be on the bleeding edge of medical science."

"There's so much bleeding too!" Sistermon Noir took great delight in adding.

"Eee! I can't hear you! I-can't-hear-you-I-can't-hear-you!" Sistermon Blanc cried, covering her ears.

Jesmon also shrunk back under the word 'bleeding'. He was beginning to feel like he was a lab experiment. Though, there was another, very large reason for that too…

The caped dragon man raised his head and glanced down at his body. "Uh… Doctor Duskmon?" he tentatively asked, a bead of sweat dripping down the back of his head.

"Yes, Jesmon?"

"Are all these restraints really necessary?"

Jesmon nodded with his head down at the rubber straps that pinned his upper body and legs to the bed, keeping him from squirming while Duskmon was examining him – and probably from escaping, at that.

Duskmon chuckled darkly. "Haha... Yes."

Dynasmon sheepishly rubbed the back of his horned head as he watched Duskmon nonchalantly return to his work. "If you're with us for long enough, you'll get used to Duskmon's methods," he reassured him.

"Yes, Sir," Jesmon obeyed, dutifully lying his head back down on the bed and allowing himself to be studied.

Gankoomon looked over at the High Physician. "You tried this mad scientist crap on me when I first became a Royal Knight too," the red-haired warrior complained with a faint scowl.

"Until you overreacted by flipping over my examination table and storming out of the medical bay wearing nothing but your jacket," Duskmon dryly reminded him.

"That sounds like sensei," Sistermon Noir said with a laugh.

Duskmon's shoulder eye pivoted in Gankoomon's direction. "…I do intend to resume that examination sooner or later, Gankoomon. It's for the good of science."

"Tch. Over my dead body!" Gankoomon fired back.

"Your live one will suffice," Duskmon calmly replied, closing Jesmon's mouth and shifting his horned head to the side to investigate him further. "I should be able to get a lot of useful data out of this. It is fascinating that there are no recorded instances of other Digimon like any of you. Were you born from a roaming digi-egg, Jesmon?"

Jesmon flushed and sweated as he was eyed over like a piece of meat, but he went through the motions and allowed himself to be further examined for the reasons that Duskmon stated. He hadn't really been aware until now that his body was so unique. "Uh… I don't think. I don't really know. I had parents, but they weren't of the Hackmon-species…" he tentatively replied.

"I see," Duskmon responded, looking closely at him. "I can tell that your body has quite a lot of power within it. I don't quite know the details of what you are capable of just yet, but I can tell that this power is both singular yet also derivative."

Dynasmon pushed himself up on his elbows again to take some of the pressure off of his bandaged wings. "How so, Doc?" he wondered.

"I noticed some traces of orange energy emanating from Jesmon's body for just a moment," the High Physician explained. "I can't be certain until I take a sample, but it looked similar in nature to your Hinukamui, Gankoomon," he noted, nodding over at the Royal Knight who stood by the wall.

Gankoomon's eyebrow popped up and he leered at them curiously. "Hinukamui…?" he inquired.

"Now that you mention it…" Magnamon wondered, remembering seeing a trio of things that had a similar, orange aura to Gankoomon's dragon.

"I thought those three ball things looked familiar somehow," Dynasmon agreed.

Jesmon blinked and remembered the three creatures that he seemingly summoned on instinct. "Oh, those…?" he recalled. "I was just thinking about Gankoomon and Hinukamui at the time, and how I needed to do something to help GrandisKuwagamon. I don't even really know what I did, but I guess they came from inside of me…"

Gankoomon frowned a little as he listened to his student's explanation. It was something that piqued his interest, but rather than ask, he remained aloof against the wall.

Using his many eyes, Duskmon eyed the steel dragon man with interest. "Could you show me sometime?"

Jesmon nodded. "Of course. Another time; as Gankoomon-sensei said, Sir Alphamon is expecting us soon…" he explained, subtly hinting as he gestured with his eyes towards the restraints keeping him in place. "So…"

Duskmon nodded his blond-haired head. "Ah, of course. I'll continue the examination," he assured him.

"Actually…" Gankoomon spoke up assertively. He stood up from the med bay wall and walked over to the examination table that Jesmon was lying on. "We've gotta get going. Right now," he explained, starting to unbuckle the straps that were keeping Jesmon in place.

Duskmon sighed with resignation and placed his notepad down. "Very well. I suppose we will have to postpone the rest of my studies for the time being," he conceded, knowing that there was no stopping Gankoomon. He also knew that he likely wouldn't have the time he wanted for a thorough inspection anyways. "However, I would like to see your abilities in action one day. That singular form of yours is full of secrets waiting to be unlocked."

Jesmon felt relief as the pressure on his limbs subsided and he was able to sit up on the table. "Ah, Sensei…" he spoke, pushing the straps aside before turning to Duskmon with a smile. "Of course, High Physician Duskmon. I'd love to discover what I'm able to do with this form too. It's still a mystery to me…"

"So, you're going to see Alphamon?" Dynasmon knowingly wondered. He levelled Jesmon a broad, teasing grin. "I sure hope you're not in trouble again, Jesmon."

Jesmon swallowed nervously as he stood up from the table and balanced on his slender legs. It was true that he didn't know why Alphamon wanted to speak to him. Gankoomon just told him that Alphamon wanted to talk to them about something, but that was it. The last time he had been summoned to Alphamon's office, it had been for a dressing down, but he didn't think he did anything bad this time…

"I hope not, Sir," Jesmon replied with a nervous frown. "Having Sir Alphamon mad at me is way worse than having Sensei mad at me; he doesn't get mad, he gets disappointed…"

Gankoomon shot Jesmon an annoyed side-glare and cracked his knuckles threateningly. "Oh really…? I think you've forgotten what it's like to have me mad at you, kid," he warned him.

Exasperated, Magnamon sighed. "It's not a competition, Gankoomon."

The Royal Knight in question scoffed and readjusted the jacket that was draped over his broad shoulders. "Come on, Hackmon," he told him, gruffly walking ahead of the steel dragon man. He then nodded at the two girls on the way out. "Sistermons. Let's go."

"Coming~" Sistermon Noir chimed, casually walking after him and leaving Blanc alone behind her.

Jesmon turned and saluted Dynasmon and Magnamon. "I hope you both get better soon, Sirs," he told them.

"Thanks. I hope Alphamon's not too hard on you," Dynasmon replied with a playful wink, earning him a disapproving look form Magnamon.

Jesmon nervously turned around and walked rigidly out of the room after his teacher. It certainly seemed like Dynasmon knew something that he didn't.

As Jesmon and Noir both left the med bay, Blanc remained standing alone with her eyes shut. Sistermon Blanc slowly peeked, before opening her eyes to see Duskmon's many eyes staring at her quizzically. In that moment, she momentarily blanched. However, Duskmon turned away and turned his attention to Magnamon.

"It's time to change your bandages, Magnamon," the High Physician said, making his way over to the Royal Knight's bed.

Sistermon Blanc glanced over at Magnamon nervously. She had been worried about him since she heard that he was hurt. She wanted to tell him that she hoped he was feeling better soon. However, her nerves got the better of her, as did the prospect of imminently seeing his bloody stitches. As Duskmon reached for Magnamon's blood-stained bandage, Blanc immediately spun on her heel.

"W-Wait for me!" she cried out. She pulled her expressively wincing hood down over her own grimacing face and started running after Noir, Gankoomon, and Jesmon before she started to feel sick.

As the four walked out of the medical bay and into the basement corridors, Jesmon stepped up beside his sensei and looked at him with concern. "Am… I in trouble, Sensei?" he wondered, unable to help but wonder why he was being summoned.

"No. Just stop asking questions and come with me," Gankoomon irritably responded. "We're already late."

Jesmon frowned but complied with his command, increasing the stride of his blade-like legs. He didn't want to be late for Alphamon, but he wasn't sure when Gankoomon ever cared about being on time for anything. It definitely struck him as unusual.

"Ugh, I still can't believe that you evolved to Ultimate, Hackie!" Sistermon Noir complained, pouting a little as she walked. She casually placed her arms behind her head and glanced up at the tall dragon man who was much taller than she was. "It's not fair! You were just a little shrimp when we first met! Now how am I supposed to beat up on you?"

"That's the problem?" Gankoomon muttered.

"W-Well…" Sistermon Blanc squeaked as she caught up to the trio. "I think it's great that you evolved, Hack-chan." Blanc caught herself and sheepishly placed a hand over her mouth. "Oops. S-Sorry… I guess I should call you Jesmon now, should I?"

Jesmon smiled and shook his head. "You guys can call me whatever you want; we're like family…" he assured them. "Admittedly, it would feel weird if you two didn't call me Hackmon."

"Yeah, well, you may be taller now, but you're still just a shrimp to me," Sistermon Noir reminded him with a grin, sticking her tongue out at him. "And just you wait, Hackie. I'll catch up to you again in no time."

Jesmon chuckled. "Knowing you? You probably will," he admitted. "Really, it's thanks to you and Blanc that I was able to reach this form. It's from working with you two and Sensei. Noir-chan, you and Blanc-chan would train me whenever Gankoomon was too busy or when he was away on a job. So really, this form is a representation of all of your hard work too. And that includes, Ciel, even though she's still off travelling. Thank you all for everything…"

Sistermon Blanc flushed with embarrassment, but smiled up at him sweetly and sincerely. "H-Hack-chan…" she said, sniffling a little bit. "Thanks… I'm really proud of you too."

"Aw sheesh," Sistermon Noir murmured, glancing away sheepishly as her cheeks tinted red as well. "What the hell are you trying to do, Hackie? Make me embarrassed?" She raised her hand and waved it dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. You're welcome. Next time we're in town, you can treat us to a big meal."

"Okay," Jesmon agreed, smiling as he looked ahead at Gankoomon. "It's thanks to you and Hinukamui that I'm so much stronger now too, Sensei. Maybe now you and I can fight as equals. Especially if I have abilities like your Hinukamui."

Gankoomon grunted and increased the pace of his stride. He readjusted the white jacket flowing off his back and walked ahead down the corridor. "Yeah, yeah. Quit jabbering and hurry up already. We have a meeting to keep," he answered brusquely.

"Yeesh," Noir muttered, walking up beside Jesmon, tapping his metal hip with her machine pistol. "What's with him?"

Jesmon frowned uncertainly but did as Gankoomon instructed and walked after him with the two Sistermons.

The four Digimon made their way to the end of the corridor and proceeded to climb the basement level stairs. They walked up four flights until they made it to the third and top floor of the tall keep.

Once they reached the top of the stone steps, they walked out into the broad, castle hallway. Gankoomon walked ahead, the clopping of his wooden sandals growing muffled as he stepped onto the long, ornate carpet. Jesmon followed him, relieved that he didn't have to worry about his bladed feet damaging the expensive rug any longer.

The two pairs made their way to near the end of the corridor, approaching the point in between High Administrator Shutumon's office and Alphamon's office opposite it.

"You two wait out here," Gankoomon instructed, staring down at the two Sistermons.

"Aww, why?!" Sistermon Noir complained, huffing as she folded her arms. "We have just as much right to be here too."

"Only Hackmon and I were summoned," Gankoomon reminded her with a faint glare.

As the teacher-student duo came to a halt in front of Alphamon's office, they immediately noticed an intense aroma coming from the other side of the door. The pungency that permeated from inside the office was extremely earthy and smoky, with hints of acid and… fish?

Jesmon's nostrils curled at the unusual smell. "What is that, Sensei?" he asked.

"…You'll see," Gankoomon murmured bitterly. He shuddered with anticipation. But never being one to back down from a challenge, he raised his fist and rapped it on Alphamon's office door.

"Come in!" Alphamon called from the other side.

Sistermon Noir took a sniff of the foul aroma and her face immediately soured. "Uh… On second thought, I'm good with waiting out here," she was quick to say.

Likewise, Sistermon Blanc covered her mouth and nose, and the cute, beady eyes of her klobuk seemed to roll backwards into its hood. "Me too!" she uttered in a muffled squeak.

Gankoomon took a deep breath and then held it. He then swung open the door and stepped inside.

Jesmon began to follow him, but as soon as the door opened, he was met with a blast of air. The intense, roasted aroma hit him like he had just flown into a brick wall. A heavy, smoky odour that lingered in the room could be described as oppressive. The smell assaulted his nasal cavity, and he accidentally breathed in at the exact wrong time. His nostrils began to burn, and then his sinuses, and then, for some reason, he could feel a strange pain at the back of his head. Jesmon's eyes began to water and he had to summon every ounce of control as not to gag.

Jesmon looked up and saw Alphamon leaning over his desk. Several of his papers, scrolls, and folders were pushed aside haphazardly to make room for a cylindrical, cast iron coffee roaster. The black-armoured knight was in the process of grinding the roasted coffee beans using a traditional, hand-cranked, coffee mill. One hand gripped the intricately-designed, brass cylinder, while the other held the crank at the top in order to grind the roasted coffee beans into a fine dust.

He steeled himself and followed Gankoomon inside, trying not to breathe too much of the pungent aroma. Is this what coffee smelled like? He wasn't sure how Alphamon could handle it, especially when there was only one window open for ventilation.

Alphamon looked up as the two Digimon entered his office. "Ah, hello, you two," he greeted them with a smile as he continued to grind the beans by hand.

Gankoomon was forced to release his breath and he sucked in some of the heady air. His nostrils flared and his hairs stood on end, but he powered through it. "Alphamon…" he spoke, though sounding a bit hoarse and laboured. "What the hell did you kill in here? Ever heard of ventilation?"

Alphamon chuckled sheepishly, placing the coffee grinder aside and putting a metal cask of water over an open flame. "My apologies for the smell. I'm making a dark roast, so it can be a little overwhelming," he explained. "I kept the door closed because I didn't want to bother Shutumon with the aroma."

"'A little overwhelming'? 'Aroma'?" Gankoomon sarcastically responded, grabbing one of the two chairs in front of Alphamon's desk and planting himself down in it.

In comparison with his master's informal disregard, Jesmon approached the desk but stopped behind the second chair, standing at attention. "Hello, Sir Alphamon. Jesmon here, Companion-at-Arms, awaiting your orders," he formally greeted, not wanting to be lumped in with Gankoomon's potentially disrespectful demeanour.

Alphamon smiled at him and extended his hand to the chair in front of him. "Sit, please. No need to be too formal right now," he offered, taking his own seat behind his desk once he saw that the water was beginning to simmer.

"In that case," Gankoomon said, slouching back in his chair and raising his legs to clop his feet on top of Alphamon's desk.

"Sensei!" Jesmon protested, shooting his brazen teacher an embarrassed glare. He quickly grabbed Gankoomon's legs and pulled them back down. "That's impolite! I'm sorry about him, Sir Alphamon-shishou." Jesmon bowed his head deeply before sitting down in his seat as well.

Gankoomon scoffed and shrugged his shoulders. "What's the big deal? It's not like his desk isn't already messy," he defended, gesturing with his hand towards the piles of papers that were pushed to one side of the desk.

"Ah, yes. I seem to have forgotten to clean before our meeting today. I'm sorry about that," Alphamon replied with a coy smile. "Still, thank you both for coming."

"Sir, am I able to ask what this meeting is about?" Jesmon wondered, looking curiously at the black knight sitting across from him.

"Of course," Alphamon responded, giving Gankoomon a slight glance. "Gankoomon is already aware of what this is about, but you are not."

Jesmon frowned nervously but he nodded. His mind raced as he tried to figure out what this could be about. Was it something to do about the mission to retrieve the Orb of Yang? Or was it to do with one of his previous transgressions? Had they decided to remove him from the Strike Forces after all? Maybe that's why Gankoomon seemed to be acting more brusque than usual. And then there were Dynasmon's comments… His nervousness intensified and he tugged uneasily at the crimson collar of his cape.

"Don't worry. It isn't anything bad," Alphamon pointed out with a sly grin. "That is, unless you consider the added responsibility that goes along with maturity to be a bad thing. There is something to be said for the carefree innocence of youth before we are burdened with the demands and obligations of adulthood. Yet, with maturity also comes the freedom of independence—"

"While we're young, Alphamon," Gankoomon impatiently urged him.

"Very well, Gankoomon," the black Royal Knight conceded, while briefly looking over to check if the metal cask of water was boiling yet. When he saw that the water was bubbling vigorously, he added it to the ground beans and began to steep the coffee. As soon as the process started, Alphamon smiled and turned back to Jesmon.

"I should mention, Hackmon – or, rather, Jesmon – that I have been keeping an observant eye on you for awhile now," Alphamon informed the tall, slender, dragon man. The knight placed his elbow on the desk and pensively rubbed his chin with the back of his index finger.

"When you first joined the Order alongside Gankoomon and the Sistermons, I noticed something unique about you. You were just a youthful and, dare I say, naïve Hackmon at the time. Back then, I didn't know quite what it was about you that piqued my curiosity," the Aloof Hermit explained. "However, I watched you grow under Gankoomon's tutelage. I've watched you evolve from one stage to the next, under trying circumstances and with impressive speed. Seeing your development, both external and internal, has been astounding."

Jesmon looked at Alphamon with wide, humbled eyes. "Th-Thank you, Sir," he replied, respectfully bowing his head.

Alphamon smiled over at Gankoomon. "I'm sure Gankoomon can speak to how much you have changed far better than I ever could. I have merely watched from the sidelines whereas he has put every fragment of his being into training you. He has been your teacher for – how long?"

"It's been a long time," Jesmon confirmed, looking over at his teacher. "Since the Night of Falling Stars."

Gankoomon shuffled in his seat and glanced away standoffishly.

"Though I have only seen a fraction of your growth, Jesmon, what I have seen has been enough to impress me greatly," Alphamon explained. "That abstract potential that I saw in you as a Hackmon has grown into the strong and sure-hearted Digimon before me now. I can now see that it was your idealism and your ambition that stuck out to me before. You have demonstrated hope and courage, and I have also seen you have to deal with the darker sides of those traits. I have seen you struggle and I have seen you make mistakes, but each time, you have tried to overcome them."

Jesmon nodded, feeling a little embarrassed at Alphamon's words. "Thank you…"

"But, more than that," Alphamon continued, "Lately, I have seen you demonstrate self-awareness and leadership. Magnamon and Dynasmon have attested to this as well." The black knight nodded at him and Gankoomon. "I must confess that the real reason that I sent you on that last mission with them was in order to test you. Without you realising, I wanted you to prove what you were capable of. I wanted you to demonstrate the traits that I thought I saw in Hope's Crest."

At this revelation, Jesmon blinked with complete surprise. It had always felt strange that he had been asked to go with them. Now he knew why. "S-Sir…?" he asked with confusion.

"After hearing Dynasmon and Magnamon's reports, I was impressed," Alphamon explained. "I have been thinking about this for a little while now, and this last mission has confirmed my inclination. You have demonstrated desirable abilities, and I think having a fresh, idealistic perspective will be a welcome change, much like Gankoomon's unique opinions were when he joined."

Jesmon frowned with confusion. He didn't understand what Alphamon was proposing.

The leader of the Royal Knights smiled at him warmly. "I have spoken with Gankoomon and the rest of the Royal Knights, and they have all agreed as well…"

"Sir…?" Jesmon questioned.

Alphamon leaned forwards on his desk slightly, locking his eyes with Jesmon as he smiled at him.

"Jesmon, I would like to invite you to become the Thirteenth Royal Knight."

The words impacted Jesmon as if they were gradually digging their way through his steel body. They didn't sink in immediately. It took a few seconds of confused and stunned silence before the words finally sunk into his heart.

And when they did, his golden eyes slowly widened. His mouth slowly dropped and his heart suddenly swelled.

"W-What…?" he breathed, his voice but a whisper. "You… I…?"

"I am asking if you would like to be a Royal Knight," Alphamon suggested with a soft smile.

Jesmon went completely quiet. He felt his heart throb excitedly in his chest. The moisture in his mouth vanished and his tongue became dry. His hands and legs trembled, and he almost began to feel lightheaded. He swore he stopped breathing for a minute.

For a moment, he doubted himself. Was this all real? Was this a dream? It… It couldn't have been. Could it?

"Do… Do you mean it…? Me…?" Jesmon asked, his voice uneven. He sounded scared, like it wasn't real – like the rug was going to be pulled out from under him at any minute. That, with the taste of his dream right in front of him, it might suddenly disappear.

"Yes, I mean you," Alphamon confirmed warmly. "I understand if you want some time to think about it."

Jesmon swallowed dryly, as if there was a rock in his throat. He stared at Alphamon with awe and disbelief. Before he knew it, he could feel tears of joy welling up in his wide, bewildered eyes.

Gankoomon had been silent, but he finally cast a glance over at his student. "I thought this was your dream," he reminded him.

Finally, Jesmon got a hold of the rampant emotions that were swelling out of his heart. He immediately stood to his feet and bowed deeply, shutting his tearful eyes tightly.

"Yes! I accept!" Jesmon shouted passionately, supplanting himself graciously before Alphamon. "I… Yes… Thank you… Thank you so much…"

Alphamon stood up and reached across the desk, placing his hand on the back of Jesmon's head. "It is my honour to have you join us, Jesmon. Now, rise…"

Gankoomon watched Jesmon quietly as Alphamon bestowed the honour onto him. As Jesmon stood up straight, he turned to his sensei with watery eyes and a huge, sincere smile.

Jesmon turned back to look at Alphamon with a little bit of uncertainty. "But… Are you sure, Sir? Don't get me wrong; I'm so humbled and honoured, but… I'm still in training with the others – a companion-at-arms in rank."

"Gankoomon, here, wasn't even that when I invited him to be a Royal Knight, though I do understand that your point is that of experience," Alphamon responded. "So, before you get too excited, I should tell you that you will not be a full Royal Knight right away, but a junior Royal Knight."

Jesmon nodded understandingly. He felt that was fair. After all, he didn't have nearly the amount of experience that the others had. "What does that mean, Alphamon-shishou?" he wondered.

"You will still attend all of our Royal Knight meetings and your opinion will be given the same weight as anybody else. However, due to your lack of military experience, you will still be expected to continue your training with the Strike Forces in order to deepen your understanding of unit-level tactics, formations, and other necessary training," the black knight informed him.

Alphamon glanced over at the uncharacteristically quiet Gankoomon before looking back at Jesmon. "In addition, you will also undergo specialized Royal Knight training, both in a teaching environment and on the field. This training will develop your leadership skills, as well as introduce you to advanced tactics and strategy, as well as the administrative, logistical, and political sides of being a Royal Knight. With this training, you will, in time, learn everything you need to know in order to become an effective Royal Knight. This is the same training that the newer Royal Knights – Sleipmon, Examon, and Gankoomon – are all still going through," he explained.

Watching as Jesmon took all of the information in, Alphamon gave him a playful smirk. "I won't lie. It is going to be hard work, and you will likely get very little time to yourself, especially given our war with the Demon Lords," he advised him. "However, I have confidence in your spirit and work ethic. Is this something that still sounds appealing to you?"

Jesmon stared at Alphamon resolutely. "Yes, Sir. This is my dream… I'll do whatever it takes," he promised with unshakeable determination.

"I was hoping you would say that," Alphamon grinningly responded. The winged knight turned his large form and checked on the progress of the coffee beside him. "I should also mention that even though you will be a junior Royal Knight, you will still be considered our equal. Therefore, you have no need to use the honorifics of 'Sir' or 'shishou'."

"Yes, Si—" Jesmon winced and caught himself. He paused for a moment, stumbling over himself trying to decide what he should call him. "I mean… Alphamon…" The dragon man immediately felt impertinent over using just his name, so he felt he had to tack on something else. "Agh, I can't! It feels wrong. Alphamon-shishou. Or maybe Alphamon-dono?" Jesmon bowed his head, blushing a little with embarrassment. "Sorry, this is all a bit overwhelming."

Alphamon laughed. "Take your time, Jesmon. I know this must be a lot to process," he encouraged him. "I'm sure Gankoomon will help you get used to it."

Gankoomon shrugged a little and glanced at Alphamon. "Sure," he indifferently replied. "So, what happens next? The same thing that happened for me?"

The knight nodded his uniquely-shaped head. "Yes. I will try to get a hold of Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode and have him return for your induction ceremony, hopefully before we begin our campaign. Then, hopefully, we will be able to bring you before Yggdrasil for Its official blessing," Alphamon explained to the prospective knight. He frowned a little. "However… I had rather hoped to hear some sort of directive from Yggdrasil by now… We haven't yet received a summons over the Demon Lord situation. I am hoping that Yggdrasil's intentions will become clear to us soon."

Jesmon blinked, his citrine eyes nearly starry at the idea of not just his own induction ceremony, but of meeting Yggdrasil as well. "You… You mean I'll actually get to meet Lord Yggdrasil?" he asked. He was beginning to feel a little light-headed, as though he might faint right then and there.

Alphamon smiled at the young holy knight's excitement. "Well, as close as is permitted by the dictates of knightly decorum," he clarified.

"Get a hold of yourself, Hackmon," Gankoomon told his student. "You won't actually be meeting It in person."

"Yes, Gankoomon-shishou," Jesmon obeyed, trying to rein his excitement in. He didn't want to look bad in front of Alphamon after all. "So, if you are able to contact Sir Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode…"

"I cannot make any guarantees, since Imperialdramon is notoriously slippery and hard to reach," Alphamon tempered him with a dry smirk. "But if I can, perhaps your ceremony could be arranged for a few days from now. If not, it may have to wait until after the campaign. I'm afraid that the war will take priority."

"I understand, Sir."

"Also, if you could keep this a secret from your fellow Strike Forces until I can make an announcement to the Order tomorrow, I would appreciate it," Alphamon requested. "I have spoken to Captain Ouryumon about it last night and he has given me his blessing to pluck you from his Strike Forces."

Jesmon nodded a bit, but looked at Alphamon questioningly. "Of course. But can I tell the Sistermons? They already know about the meeting and I don't like lying to them."

"I'll allow that," Alphamon permitted. The Royal Knight smiled and took the handle of the copper coffee pot that the steeped liquid strained into, pouring the steaming liquid into three, separate coffee cups. "Now, that the formal part is done, I would like us to celebrate the moment. I have made just enough coffee for the three of us."

Gankoomon felt the blood leave his face as he watched the dark brown liquid steam forebodingly in the three cups. "Uh, I think I'll pass."

"Nonsense. This is the perfect opportunity to celebrate your student's coming-of-age into an Ultimate and a Royal Knight. What better way to do that than with a simple-but-mature drink?"

"Grm," Gankoomon reluctantly grunted with a grimacing scowl and a throbbing vein in his forehead.

"Alright. Thank you, Alphamon-shishou. I've never had coffee before," Jesmon graciously accepted. He had heard rumours about Alphamon's coffee, but it didn't look that bad. It smelled a little strong, but if a sophisticated Digimon like Alphamon liked it…

At least, that was what he thought until he watched Alphamon drop something wet and slimy into each of the three drinks. Was that… some sort of seafood?

"What did you just do…?" Gankoomon demanded.

"I simply added a profile-enhancer," Alphamon replied with an enigmatic smile. "I think you'll enjoy the texture."

Jesmon watched as Alphamon placed the tray of three cups of coffee on the table. He could see the faint, glossy colour of the pink seafood hiding somewhere beneath the surface of the dark, murky liquid. It lied in wait in the depths of the black, watery abyss, like a leviathan.

He watched as Gankoomon reached over for his cup. To his extreme consternation, he could see his sensei's hand visibly trembling as he picked up the receptacle. It took something truly horrifying to cause that sort of reaction from Gankoomon, but the red-haired Royal Knight stubbornly brought the coffee towards him, refusing to be beaten. That's his sensei…

Jesmon reached over and carefully curled his claws around the handle to the cup, cautiously picking it up so as not to spill the hot liquid. He brought it up to his metal snout and inhaled its aroma tentatively. It was smoky and intense in smell, and there were slight fishy notes to it as well.

Seeing that it was hot, he blew on it before bringing the rim of the glass to his lips. He tilted his head, tipped the cup back, and allowed some of the dark liquid to pour into his mouth. As he did, he heard Gankoomon make an unutterable noise from beside him that sent chills of dread down his body.

But it was too late to stop now. He felt coffee wash across his tongue. It assaulted his taste buds and caused the sensory muscle to curl. It was bitter – overwhelmingly bitter. And it was hot. It felt like licking bubbling rubber. There were complex notes in the coffee to be sure – but none of them were good. The intensity was too much. It was sheer taste overload.

He was about to pull away. That was then the slimy piece of seafood slipped out of the cup and into his mouth. It slid across his tongue in a pungent and overpowering fishy explosion, and proceeded to glide down his esophagus before he was ready. Jesmon tried not to gag at the unholy texture and flavour combination. As much as he was desperate not to insult Alphamon, his body reacted honestly.

Jesmon gasped and coughed, his eyes wide and his silver face turning blue. Without meaning to, he had sucked in about a third of the cup of coffee in one gulp. He lurched forwards and tried to keep himself together, fighting the urge to faint.

Alphamon looked at Jesmon with interest. "That's quite the strong reaction. I suppose I did make quite a strong brew of coffee, but you two seem like the kind of Digimon who would appreciate a challenge."

Through his teary eyes, Jesmon looked over at Gankoomon to see if he was alright. His sensei, the brave hero that he was, had dauntlessly chugged his entire cup of coffee in one gulp. Now, the jacket-clad Royal Knight was slumped in his seat, his face buried in the palms of his hands. He seemed to be struggling.

"What did you think, Jesmon?" Alphamon inquired. "Tell me honestly."

Jesmon gulped and looked down at the cup of coffee with a frown. He couldn't lie now that Alphamon was asking him to be honest. It wasn't in his nature, and it might be a test of courage. Maybe it was intentionally bad?

"…Honestly?" Jesmon tentatively asked, looking uncertainly at Alphamon. "I mean no disrespect, but… I didn't like it. It was too…" He paused, planning to say the word 'bad', but trying to think of a better way to word his dislike. As much as he tried, he kept coming back to the word 'bad'. "…overpowering?"

Alphamon arched an eyebrow and calmly contemplated Jesmon's criticism, thoughtfully stroking his chin. "Hmm, I see…" he mused. "I suppose I can understand why you don't like it. Coffee is a bit of a mature taste. It needs to be acquired to be appreciated." Alphamon smiled reassuringly at Jesmon. "Somebody as youthful as you must refine your palette a bit before you are able to fully appreciate the complexity of coffee."

"Er…" Jesmon hesitated, not wanting to disagree with him, but also not wanting to seem eager to try any more.

"That's… not the issue…" Gankoomon unevenly murmured from under his hands.

"Well, I know the first sip is always an extreme one. I hope that you won't let your first experience mar your perception of coffee going forwards. I promise that, next time, I will start you off with a beginner's blend," Alphamon encouraged him blithely. "Or, if you're still feeling shy, then maybe some tea."

"That… sounds g-good, Sir," Jesmon nervously responded. He watched with disbelief as Alphamon took a long, methodical drink from his own cup of coffee… and appeared to like it. He wondered if he really was missing something.

Gankoomon groaned and sat up in his seat, placing his empty cup on Alphamon's desk. "If there's nothing else, Alphamon…" He dragged himself to his feet on uneasy legs. "We should go."

"That's all for now," Alphamon confirmed, bringing his coffee up for another sip.

"Come on, Hackmon. Get going," Gankoomon ordered him, eager to get out of there quickly.

Jesmon needed no convincing. "Yes, Gankoomon-shishou," he obeyed, standing to his bladed feet. Before turning, Jesmon looked back at Alphamon, his eyes soft and gracious. "And… thank you, Alphamon. This means so much to me."

Alphamon gave him a small, reassuring smile and nodded. "I look forward to working with you, Jesmon," he replied.

Alphamon watched as Jesmon saluted and walked out of the office first. His gaze shifted over to Gankoomon, who seemed lost in thought as his student passed by him and walked out the door. He had noticed that Gankoomon had seemed strangely subdued today…

As Gankoomon turned to follow Jesmon out the door, Alphamon spoke up. "Gankoomon, is there anything bothering you?" he questioned.

Gankoomon stopped in the doorway with his back to Alphamon. He glanced over his shoulder, not replying immediately. He hesitated.

Alphamon frowned gently as he watched his friend, who had always been the epitome of honesty and decisiveness. It struck him as unusual.

Gankoomon opened his mouth to reply.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps running down the hallway in front of him drew his attention. "Excuse me! Move, please!" a sharp, frantic voice shouted.

"Whoa! Careful, buddy!" Sistermon Noir's voice complained from out in the hall. "Where the heck's the fire?!"

Frowning, Gankoomon looked forwards and watched as Jesmon swiftly moved aside in the corridor to make room for the large, lupine body of a Garurumon. When the Garurumon came to a skidding halt in front of Alphamon's office, Gankoomon immediately moved aside, making way for the wolf who was clearly intending to speak to Alphamon.

The Garurumon nodded at Gankoomon and quickly stepped inside the office, bowing his head as he stopped in front of Alphamon. "Sir Alphamon!" he cried out, clearly out of breath and agitated.

Alphamon frowned with concern and placed his cup of coffee down on his desk. "Garurumon?" he asked. "What is it?"

"It's urgent," Garurumon explained, catching his breath. He looked up at Alphamon with intense and worried eyes. "At the beach. It's bad. We need Royal Knights. There's something you need to see."

Alphamon exchanged glances with Gankoomon and nodded. He stood up from his desk, his golden eyes narrowing apprehensively.

"Jesmon, find a couple other Royal Knights," Alphamon told him, walking around his desk. "Gankoomon… Let us depart."

Gankoomon nodded without question. Welcoming the distraction, he cracked his knuckles and stepped out of the room. He turned his head and nodded at Jesmon and the two Sistermons, prompting them to take off down the corridor.

"Garurumon, what is it?" Alphamon pressed him, looking at the large wolf.

Garurumon frowned and looked at the Royal Knight with obvious worry.

"It's…"

---

Only minutes later, Alphamon was soaring out of the vicinity of the castle. His cape rippled behind him fiercely as he flew as swiftly as he could. In his hand, he clutched the shimmering Seiken Grad Alpha, which hummed with radiant light.

He soared low to the ground, following the lead of the Garurumon ahead of him. The silver, blue-striped wolf dashed in front of him, leading Alphamon to the east. They were headed for the Shining Coast, where the land of Splendor's Reach met with the Net Ocean.

"I can make it the rest of the way, Garurumon," Alphamon said, looking ahead to the Adult level wolf. "You should break off and return to the castle to link up with the Strike Forces."

"Yes, Sir," the Garurumon said, looking over his shoulder at the black knight. "Just continue following this bearing. Not that you should have any trouble finding it…"

As he spoke, the Garurumon's yellow eyes drifted behind Alphamon, spotting several figures catching up to them from the rear. "Sir, reinforcements are on the way. I'll break off here. Be careful," he told the knight before curving to the left so that he could circle back.

As the wolf departed, Alphamon looked over his shoulder. As soon as he turned his head, UlforceVeedramon was immediately beside him in a streak of blue. Had he been jumpy, he might have been startled, but, instead, he just nodded at UlforceVeedramon and kept looking behind them. In addition to the cobalt knight, he could see Dukemon standing on Grani's back, who were swiftly catching up to them. Behind them were Duftmon, who was dashing in his Leopard Mode, and Gankoomon, who was lagging behind but ran in a full sprint to try and catch up.

Alphamon placed his hand on UlforceVeedramon's shoulder and they both slowed down to allow the other four to catch up with them. They began to catch up to the two in the lead, without any of them coming to a stop. They couldn't afford to waste any time under the circumstances.

"Alphamon!" Dukemon called over with a worried glare as he and Grani pulled up alongside them. He clutched the Gram and Aegis in his hands, and his cape and ponytail blustered behind him as they flew. "Is it true what Gankoomon said?"

"We will see soon enough, but I'm afraid it probably is," Alphamon responded, glancing at the white and crimson knight.

Duftmon: Leopard Mode sprinted up to them as fast as his nimble legs could carry him. With his blond hair sweeping behind him in the breeze, Duftmon looked up at his comrades. "How can this be happening? This is thoroughly disadvantageous! We have been caught completely unawares!" he protested with a frustrated scowl. "Grani, an explanation, please!"

"This does not compute," Grani responded, glancing down at Duftmon with a perplexed frown. "This does not corroborate with the reconnaissance reports I have received in the slightest. There is a 0.7% probability that the Demon Lords could have possibly moved that vast distance in a matter of a day. We would have heard about it."

"Duftmon, what is the situation?" Alphamon questioned, looking down at their leopard tactician.

"I have sent Omegamon, RhodoKnightmon, Craniamon, Sleipmon and Examon north in case we are also attacked from that direction," Duftmon informed him. "The Strike Forces and Defence Forces are forming a perimeter around the castle. The Reconnaissance Forces are performing a complete sweep of our territory and the surrounding waters."

"Alright. Everybody be ready; we're almost there," Alphamon advised them.

"I can't wait for round three," UlforceVeedramon spoke, activating both of his Ulforce Sabres.

Gankoomon grunted and began to catch up with them. As he did, Hinukamui surged out of his back with an excited snarl and flew behind them.

The vanguard team of Royal Knights sped across the grass until they reached the short dunes that separated the grasslands from the beach. Without wasting any time, Alphamon, UlforceVeedramon and Dukemon flew over the dunes, while Duftmon and Gankoomon crested the dunes soon after.

As soon as they did, everybody came to a sudden stop.

The Royal Knights stood before the long beach of pure, white sands. The sun met the bright, cyan water, which reflected illustriously in the noon sun. The coastline was typically a beautiful sight, especially when the rays of sun caused the ivory sand and azure waves to sparkle.

None of the five Royal Knights paid any attention to the picturesque view. Their eyes were all fixated on the giant obstacle that blotted out the scenery.

In the middle of the waves was a gargantuan body of crimson scales that contrasted starkly with the bright blue ocean. The massive, reptilian form stood in the shallow water, the back-third of his crocodilian body submerged in the ocean. The waves splashed up against his back and his hind legs. His massive snout rested placidly in the damp sands of the white beach, simply allowing the waves to part around him as his feet sank into the soft sediment.

"It's really him…" UlforceVeedramon said, crossing his beam blades in front of him.

Alphamon gripped his sword tightly with one hand while relaxing the other. He slowly raised his hand and aimed it threateningly at the Digimon across the beach from them.

"…Leviamon," he spoke.

Leviamon raised his snout only slightly as he saw five forms appear over the distant dunes. Upon seeing the Royal Knights, a broad grin suddenly curled onto his reptilian face, revealing his hundreds of jagged teeth.

"Well, if it isn't the Royal Knights!" Leviamon boisterously greeted them, smiling wryly at the five. "I was wondering when you'd show up! I was getting bored!"

The Demon Lord of Envy watched as Gankoomon, Dukemon, Alphamon, Duftmon, and UlforceVeedramon all began to spread out in preparation. He could see their drawn weapons. It was clear they were getting ready to attack. However, he was unconcerned. He had expected this. After all, they thought of him as the enemy.

To counter this, Leviamon simply lowered his head and planted his belly on the ground disarmingly. He made no moves to attack or defend himself. He merely smiled at them and cocked his large head with amusement.

"Hey, now… What's with those hostile faces? There's no need for that…" Leviamon assured them, emphatically splaying his legs out on the ground. "See? I come in peace!"

Alphamon frowned cautiously and exchanged confused and uneasy glances at the Royal Knights around him. He glared at Leviamon, aiming his hand at Leviamon's head. He didn't drop his guard, even for a second.

"Leviamon… What are you doing here?" he asked him, building up green energy in his palm with every word.

At this question, Leviamon's smile widened darkly. With a sly glint in his covetous eyes, Leviamon opened his mouth to reply.

"…I have a proposition for you."