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?

115. Chapter 80: Affection

(Author's Notes: Hey, all! Sorry for the delay. There will likely be a small delay with the next chapter as well, but I'll do my best to keep on top of the writing. I would love to be able to post a new chapter for the weekend of ADiSA's anniversary next month, but I can't promise for sure. Also, I hope you all enjoyed the DigiCon yesterday. We got a few cool new Digimon.

Onto this chapter. Big disclaimer: this chapter is rated 18+ for a scene of non-explicit yet zesty sexytimes in the second half of this chapter. There's certainly nothing graphic or anything, but it is definitely adult-oriented, so I felt it worth warning you all the same. Consider yourself warned!

As always, read, enjoy, and let me know what you think!)

---

Chapter 80: Affection

It was early morning in Splendor's Reach. Dawn was just breaking, with strands of light breaching the eastern horizon of the Net Ocean, painting the edges of the clouds with a soft, pink accent.

Omegamon stood alone on the castle walls, gazing out across the western landscape. With the burgeoning dawn light against his caped back, he watched as the darkness of the preceding night slowly retreated into the distance.

He sighed and turned his head a little, gazing at the parapet beside him. It was the place where Alphamon always stood whenever he was thinking deeply about something. Usually, it was he who would often find the black knight there, alone, brooding on whatever weighed on his mind. It was he who would approach him to offer his advice and support – to be someone to talk through the situation with. That was what Omegamon was best at.

But now…

Omegamon's eyes lingered on the empty space beside him. Alphamon was gone – off escorting the reincarnation of their greatest enemy, and perhaps in grave peril – and he was left alone with his own thoughts. He had much weighing on his mind… Alphamon, SkullKnightmon, Dukemon, not to mention the other thing… and he didn't have any easy answers. He found that it was he who could use someone to talk to.

Omegamon closed his eyes as he leaned forwards on the parapet, but the black memory of what he experienced last night flashed into his mind – the red eyes staring back at him. As a cool chill swept through him, Omegamon's blue eyes snapped open. His fingers tightened around the rough edge of the battlement, an uneasy sigh escaping his mouth.

"Omegamon?" a smooth, familiar voice asked from behind him.

The white Royal Knight looked up and turned around. Behind him, he saw Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode crossing the bridge leading to one of the watch towers.

"Imperialdramon?" Omegamon asked with surprise. "This is early for you."

The white armoured Imperialdramon smiled and walked up beside him. "I could say the same thing about you," he lightly replied. "I rolled onto my wing the wrong way and woke myself up. What's your excuse?"

Omegamon turned back forwards, away from Imperialdramon, gazing out into the fading dusk horizon.

"…I…" he began, hesitating for a few moments before sighing heavily. "…I had another nightmare… about Zwart…"

Imperialdramon's smile faded, replaced by a furrowed look of concern. "Oh…" he said, walking up beside Omegamon and placing his hand on his back. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Omegamon closed his eyes, bowing his head. "…I was fighting him… me… Zwart," he explained. "Then, when I went to stab him… he changed, and I hit Dukemon instead… I killed him…"

"I see… I'm sorry," Imperialdramon softly said, rubbing his back. "You said you haven't had the nightmare for awhile. And… it's about Dukemon this time? …Usually it's about Alphamon, isn't it?"

Omegamon nodded softly, his blue eyes creasing with concern.

Imperialdramon eyed Omegamon perceptively, intuiting that there was something else on his friend's mind. "…Did something happen, Omegamon?"

The caped knight looked back at Imperialdramon uncertainly, debating whether or not he should tell him. "…There is something that you don't know…" he reticently explained.

"What is it? It's obviously enough to bother you…" the dragon paladin replied.

Omegamon looked around his immediate vicinity warily, making certain there were no guards or anybody close enough to hear. Fortunately for him, apart from the morning watch of guards patrolling the walls, nobody else was really up and about that early. He was confident that they were alone enough that he could speak about it.

"…While Alphamon and I were speaking with Lord Yggdrasil, It warned us…" Omegamon paused, casting one more nervous look over his shoulder before continuing. "…It warned us that there is a chance of the Digital Hazard activating," he explained. "Yggdrasil told us to be wary of Dukemon…"

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode's carmine eyes widened with shock. "What…? The Digital Hazard…?" he incredulously demanded. "That can't be. He's – it's been so stable. Has he seemed unusual to you?"

"I don't know… He seems fine most of the time," Omegamon responded. "But…" The white knight sighed and shook his head. "I am unsure. That is simply what Lord Yggdrasil said and I cannot stop thinking about it."

"But… Yggdrasil only said there was a chance, right?"

Omegamon winced worriedly. "It said it was 'on the verge'…" he explained. "What am I supposed to make of that?"

"It might not be as bad as all that…" Imperialdramon optimistically reasoned.

"It isn't only that… The Demon Lords are making gains, and now SkullKnightmon has returned. Alphamon is off alone with him – anything could happen and I cannot protect him," Omegamon explained, his sapphire eyes tight. "I'm worried about them… Alphamon and Dukemon…"

"I know… And I understand why," Imperialdramon assured him. "Everything that is happening right now… feeling like the fate of the Digital World hangs in the balance… despite my charming, easygoing nature, I feel it too." He winked at Omegamon playfully.

Omegamon smiled a little at his friend's outward confidence. "You don't look it… Do you think that I am worrying unnecessarily?"

Imperialdramon slid his hand onto Omegamon's shoulder. "No… There is definitely cause for worry," he assured him. "However… trust in them – Dukemon and Alphamon. Neither of them are weak, and neither are you."

Omegamon turned forwards with an uncertain wince. "Yes… Perhaps you're right," he replied, his voice resonating gently. "I should…"

"It will be fine. We'll pull through this, just like all those other times," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode encouraged him, clapping Omegamon on the orange shoulder.

"Yes…" Omegamon said with a weighty sigh, as if trying to convince himself of the truth of Imperialdramon's words. "SkullKnightmon's reappearance has just been… difficult. A lot of my doubts and worries have resurfaced."

"You don't have to explain. I understand," Imperialdramon assured him with a warm smile.

Omegamon returned his friend's smile, if only a small one. It helped having Imperialdramon to talk to, if he couldn't do so with either Alphamon or Dukemon.

The white paladin stood up straight in front of the parapets, making to turn around. However, as he did, something caught his eye in the distance. He stopped and frowned curiously.

"I see something," Omegamon stated, gazing down the road that led up to the castle gate.

In the far distance, barely visible against the retreating darkness apart from the few accents of dawn light, was a black figure. Even from that distance, Omegamon recognised the silhouette immediately.

"It's Alphamon…" Imperialdramon remarked, his frown deepening with confusion. "And he's alone…"

Omegamon's bright, blue eyes widened with dawning horror. It was true… It was Alphamon, and there was no sign of SkullKnightmon in sight. This could mean only one of two things… neither of them good.

The white knight immediately turned to Imperialdramon with intense urgency.

"We must gather the Royal Knights immediately."

---

Meanwhile, as the two warriors in white hurried inside, a figure stood on the roof of the watch tower behind them.

Dukemon gazed down at the two, distant knights with a concerned expression on his face.

He had gotten up at his usual time to enjoy the sunrise. It was as he was up on his vantage point that he couldn't help but notice Omegamon and Imperialdramon out on the castle wall. It was strange seeing them both up so early, and they had seemed to have had a serious discussion about something.

Dukemon wondered what the two had been talking about so earnestly…

It was then that Dukemon, too, noticed Alphamon flying towards the castle, pulling his attention away from his thoughts.

"Alphamon…? What's he doing back so soon?" Dukemon wondered, frowning with worry.

The crimson knight, realizing that something bad was afoot, turned around and made his way back into the tower to meet up with the others. He stepped away from the breaching dawn light and proceeded back into the dark, stone fortress, putting his questions and unease to the back of his mind as he made his way down…

"It's probably nothing… Focus on Alphamon."

---

Dukemon sat in his seat at the round table in the council chambers.

About an hour later from Alphamon's return, an emergency council meeting had been called. The meeting would have been called sooner, but Omegamon insisted that Alphamon see Duskmon for first aid. The black knight was looking roughed up when he came in. Seeing Alphamon in such a state made everybody even more worried and on edge. The fact that SkullKnightmon was absent made it all the worse.

Gathered at the council chamber were the ten present Royal Knights as well as Imperialdramon, Grani, and Karatenmon, all but RhodoKnightmon, Dynasmon, and UlforceVeedramon. Alphamon sat in the Siege Perilous, his arm and chest lightly bandaged after visiting Duskmon. All eyes were on him, staring with a combined intensity that caused the atmosphere to be as thick as butter.

Alphamon awkwardly scratched his cheek, smiling with a sheepish expression as he watched the twelve sets of eyes bearing into him, all wondering the exact same thing.

He cleared his throat to speak. "Ahem… I suppose I should begin, shouldn't I?" he asked, not without some self-aware levity to his voice.

"Yes!" Duftmon exclaimed, his eye twitching as he barely contained his agitation. "I rather think that you should!"

"What happened, Alphamon?" Omegamon asked ardently.

"Well… Everything was proceeding as planned," Alphamon began to explain. "We arrived in New Terminal and I took him to the Great Forest in order to access the World Tree. Then, while en route, one of the patrolling Moosemon approached me and I had to explain to him about SkullKnightmon."

Alphamon rubbed his neck and looked away with a shame-faced smile on his face. "Heh… I… may have taken my eyes off of him for a minute…" he said, chuckling sheepishly.

The faces of the Royal Knights sitting around the table collectively sunk. Duftmon stared, aghast at Alphamon, and looked as though he was short-circuiting.

"You… what…?" Duftmon demanded, gripping the side of the marble table and looking like he was about to pop a vein. "You don't mean to tell me… that you lost him…?"

"Er… only temporarily…" Alphamon awkwardly replied.

"Temporarily?" Omegamon questioned, his eyes like piercing icicles. "Alphamon… I think you should clearly explain what happened… and how you came to be so hurt."

Alphamon sighed and placed his hand back on top of the table. "Yes… You're right," he conceded, looking around at all of the staring eyes. "I only had my back turned for a minute, if even that. When I turned around, he was gone from our rest stop. Prior to that, he had been acting strangely; he said that he was experiencing déjà vu, and that he thought he saw something. I merely brushed it off as old memories of the World Tree, but… I was careless."

Alphamon folded one hand on top of the other. "I went searching for SkullKnightmon… In the end, it wasn't I who found him… he found me…" he portentously explained. "I was ambushed by him. I was unprepared for his onslaught."

"Wait," Magnamon interrupted. "You mean SkullKnightmon was able to do this to you? You of all people?"

Alphamon shook his head gravely. "No… Not SkullKnightmon…" he explained, looking around the table slowly.

"DarkKnightmon…"

The word swept across the table like an avalanche. The Royal Knights' hearts all dropped at the same time. At first, there was only a stunned silence. Even Dukemon was pulled out of his thoughts.

Then, Omegamon stood to his feet, placing his hands firmly on the table. "What?!" he demanded. "But… how? How can that be?!"

"The short answer? DeadlyAxemon," Alphamon explained, his expression turning dour. "DeadlyAxemon had been searching for SkullKnightmon, and that was the brother who SkullKnightmon had been searching for. However, unlike SkullKnightmon, DeadlyAxemon remembered everything, due to some error in the reformatting process, likely caused by something to do with him being the lesser partner in a DigiXros…"

"DeadlyAxemon retained his memories?" Duftmon demanded, glaring at Alphamon. "Are you certain?"

"Only as certain as I can be," Alphamon responded. "I can only take DarkKnightmon's word for it, but it makes sense. He remembered everything from before his deletion."

At this fact, Magnamon frowned. "You talked to him? Didn't he attack you?" the golden knight wondered.

Omegamon blinked and frowned, realising the implications of all these converging facts. "Alphamon… What happened? What happened to DarkKnightmon?" he asked him. "Did you…?"

Alphamon closed his eyes and folded his arms. "…No. I was unable to defeat him," he explained. "When he attacked me, he retained all of his power from the height of his rebellion. To my embarrassment, he overpowered and defeated me."

Omegamon's eyes widened with horror. The other Royal Knights all looked some variation of angry, worried, and shocked. Duftmon, in particular, looked like he was scowling furiously while also trying his absolute best to keep himself calm and collected.

Dukemon frowned as well. Although his mind had otherwise been occupied previously, he couldn't help but pay attention once the name DarkKnightmon came up. As he listened, something didn't make sense. "Then…" he tentatively spoke. "How are you still alive? He didn't just leave, did he?"

"No… When I came to, I found that DarkKnightmon had restrained me and had me as his prisoner," Alphamon explained.

"…His prisoner?" Duftmon questioned, his eye twitching.

Alphamon looked around at the gathered Royal Knights as a stunned silence permeated the room. A sheepish smile formed on his face and he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

"Well… I cannot say that I wasn't warned," Alphamon admitted. "You are free to say you told me so."

That was all the permission that Duftmon needed. With no further prompting, he finally let loose his pent up frustration. "I knew it was a foolish idea! It was so obviously ill-advised, travelling all alone with one of our greatest enemies! However, did you listen, Alphamon? Of course not! An idealist to the end, you just had to try to prove that SkullKnightmon had a good heart!" Duftmon irately rebuked. "Never mind the fact that he was your arch-enemy and undergoing an incomplete reformation. Yet you, in your infinite wisdom, decided to proceed with such a reckless plan regardless of our beseeching to the contrary. As our leader, you are supposed to make decisions with your head, rather than your heart. And look how it ended up when you chose to ignore our warnings: you were attacked and taken prisoner by DarkKnightmon! You are lucky you were not killed! Honestly, Alphamon, you are supposed to be one of the rational ones! What sort of example are you setting? You very nearly could have left us in a thoroughly compromised position! Had events turned out differently, we could have been leaderless! Honestly, Alphamon, you always insist on doing everything yourself!"

Alphamon's shamefaced smile remained on his face as he half-winced at Duftmon's biting sermon. He was expecting such a response from Duftmon… Honestly, it wasn't quite as bad as he expected it to be.

"I knew I should never have let you go on your own," Omegamon spoke with a worried grimace. "I knew it was too dangerous, but I let you talk me out of it. I should have accompanied you…"

Alphamon's smile faded a little. For as much as he might have wanted to say that Duftmon was merely reveling in being right, he knew for a fact that the strategist was rightfully upset and he brought up many valid points. The last thing Duftmon said particularly resonated with him… Not only that, but he could see the worried expressions of the other Royal Knights, particularly Omegamon. He began to feel guilty.

"…You're right, Duftmon," Alphamon admitted, gazing across the table at the strategist. "I should have been more careful. I shouldn't have taken all of the responsibility onto my own shoulders. I should allow myself to lean on all of you more… It's true that I have a blind spot where SkullKnightmon is concerned. Because of my decisions, things could have gone much worse. I am truly sorry for that, and for worrying you all." He turned his head and looked at Omegamon specifically. "I should be more considerate…"

Alphamon sighed and gazed at his fellow knights with quiet confidence. "That being said… I do not regret how things turned out. I won't be results-oriented, as I realise I was quite lucky, but what transpired has resulted in a net positive, I truly believe."

"And what, pray tell, has transpired?" Duftmon dryly inquired.

"Did something happen between you and DarkKnightmon?" Gankoomon asked.

"Yeah, what happened, Alphamon?" Magnamon wondered. "How did you escape?"

"It wasn't quite that simple…" Alphamon began. "While he did threaten to kill me, he was reluctant to. He and I… exchanged many words." He smiled tiredly and looked up all of the stunned Royal Knights. "To be quite honest, DarkKnightmon and I had a long and frank conversation… bordering on a shouting match at times. It is something that I wish would have happened sooner…"

"I… don't understand, Alphamon," Omegamon stated with tightly knitted brows. "What are you saying?"

Alphamon looked at Omegamon specifically, knowing that this information would affect him more than others. "I'm saying that we… aired our grievances. We tried our best to sort out our differences. At the end of it, we came to a tentative agreement."

"What?" Omegamon questioned, staring at Alphamon with clear incredulity.

"Alphamon, you cannot be serious!" Duftmon burst. "Have you taken leave of your senses?! How could you have made any sort of agreement with the greatest enemy our Order has ever faced?!"

"There are greater enemies than DarkKnightmon," Alphamon reasoned in his defence. "We are facing them now. DarkKnightmon realises that as well. The only thing that I proposed is that we would not fight each other while there were bigger threats to deal with – namely Bagramon, Lucemon, and the Demon Lords. I told him about them, and he agrees that they must dealt with for the good of the Digital World."

"You told him about Bagramon?!" Duftmon demanded. "What if he uses that information to ally himself with them? They are brothers!"

"They are estranged and on bad terms," Alphamon countered. "Furthermore, DarkKnightmon has warred with the Demon Lords in the Dark Area for decades. For whatever he has done, he still has a sense of duty. I do not believe that he would ally with them against us."

"This is DarkKnightmon we're talking about here," Magnamon hesitantly debated. "He'll stoop to any dirty trick to win."

"Alphamon," Omegamon spoke, his voice alight with alarm and urgency. "You cannot seriously be saying that you trust him. DarkKnightmon is shrewd and cunning. He will say anything."

"I think Omegamon's right," Magnamon tentatively spoke up. "Even if DarkKnightmon has agreed to a truce, he's likely waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike."

"I understand your concerns," Alphamon answered, looking Omegamon in the eyes. "And I know it must seem strange. However, DarkKnightmon had every opportunity to kill me right then and there, yet he did not."

"Maybe he's playing the long game," Craniamon suggested, shrugging from across the table.

"Perhaps he is," Alphamon admitted. "I don't trust him - not completely. I am not so naïve to believe everything that he says. However, I trust in myself. I admit, I have been wrong about him before, but, this time, I am confident that DarkKnightmon meant what he said."

"You cannot be certain," Duftmon maintained.

Alphamon smiled. "Certainty is a rare luxury, and all too often a fleeting mirage," he reasoned. "I cannot be certain, no, but that is where the formation of trust comes into play."

Dukemon frowned as he reflected on Alphamon's philosophical words. "…Trust, huh…?" he wondered.

"How can we trust one who has attempted to destroy us and the foundations of Yggdrasil?" Duftmon questioned.

"For whatever this is worth, DarkKnightmon still retains Yggdrasil's blessing," Alphamon uncertainly explained. "I do not know what to make of that… perhaps It is permitting DarkKnightmon to continue." He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "While I do not trust DarkKnightmon, I trust in his pragmatism. He is smart enough to know that it would be foolish to fight the Demon Lords with one hand and the Royal Knights with another. In the short term, I think he will focus on them – and he has said as much. The long term is another matter."

Then, Alphamon angled his head to look at Dukemon. "Dukemon? You have been quiet," he noticed, thinking it odd that the Crimson Knight hadn't reacted much. "You are more than free to share your opinions, whatever they might be."

Dukemon blinked, pulled from his thoughts, and turned to find Alphamon's eyes gazing from beside him. After a few moments, Dukemon allowed a small smile to break onto his lips from behind his visor. "…I trust you, Alphamon," he assured him. "I think what you're saying makes sense. If you think we can trust DarkKnightmon for the moment, then I believe you. I'm willing to give him another chance…"

Alphamon nodded appreciatively. Then the black knight looked around the table once again. "Please know, I am not forcing you all to go along with this. I made a decision in the moment, and I understand if you aren't comfortable with my decision. I believe that this is the best way forward, but if a majority of you disagree or even if some of you disagree strongly enough, then I will respect your wishes and terminate the agreement. I know that DarkKnightmon arouses many ill-feelings… and I understand why," he stated, his eyes resting on Omegamon specifically.

Magnamon, after a few moments of thought, sighed and folded his arms. "I… honestly don't like the idea of considering DarkKnightmon an ally again… but I trust you too, Alphamon," he told him. "I want to believe that he can change, but I'm not going to hold my breath. That said, if this is most practical…"

"This does seem to make the most sense, pragmatically," Examon reasoned. "We cannot worry about the Demon Lords if we're also worried about DarkKnightmon flanking us. A temporary truce is strategically logical."

"Tch…" Gankoomon grunted, folding his arms. "I only met this DarkKnightmon guy once… He fooled me then, but… you know him better than I do."

Craniamon shrugged. "What's that saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?" he conceded.

"If he went so far as to let Alphamon go…" Jesmon tentatively reasoned, although not wanting to speak up too much on an issue that he didn't know much about.

Sleipmon remained quiet, mulling over the debate carefully, but refraining from offering his own opinion.

Duftmon sighed, irately kneading his tense brows. "Very well… There are merits to this course of action, just so long as your reasoning is purely rational. Strategically, it is best to keep DarkKnightmon underneath our thumbs, although I do not trust him for a moment."

Alphamon turned and gazed at Omegamon, his expression becoming tender. "Omegamon… I won't ask you to agree with me. Please, do not feel pressured to go along with this just to make it a consensus. You, more than any of us, have a reason to distrust DarkKnightmon. I don't want to force you to agree to something you aren't comfortable with."

After a few moments of careful reflection, Omegamon sighed. "No… No, I trust your insight, Alphamon," he insisted. "And the arguments you present make sense. I cannot trust DarkKnightmon so easily again, but… I can agree to prioritize the threat of the Demon Lords."

Alphamon nodded softly and placed a hand gratefully on the white knight's arm. "Thank you… I will hold him at arm's length."

"Well then, what is the precise nature of this 'agreement'?" Duftmon wondered. "Will we be fighting together in battle?"

"No, I very much doubt that…" Alphamon assured them. "We both realise that there needs to be a certain level of trust between allies, and that does not yet exist. He said that he will act independently."

"That is rather worrisome…" Duftmon answered with a deep frown. "I would almost rather that he be with us in a subordinate position."

"I suppose it depends on what you think is better," Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode reasoned. "Is it better to have him around where you can keep an eye on him, but risk the immediate danger of a betrayal? Or is it better to keep him have a long leash, far enough that you're safe from him but having no knowledge of what he's up to?"

"It is immaterial anyways. DarkKnightmon has gone his own way," Alphamon stated. "For what it's worth, I think he plans to confront Bagramon himself."

"Perhaps they will take care of each other for us," Duftmon proposed.

Dukemon frowned quietly as he listened to the cynical suggestion. He rested his arms on his lap, lightly taking one hand in the other. As he pondered to himself, his – as well as the other Royal Knights' – attention was suddenly drawn to the double doors, from which they heard the loud rapping of the sturdy wood from the other side.

"Who could that be?" Duftmon asked, glancing towards the door.

"Enter," Alphamon commanded.

The doors open and the Knightmon guard who had been guarding the council chambers stood in the door frame. "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt," the Knightmon spoke. "But I have an urgent message from a scout for Captain Grani as well as all of you, Sirs."

Grani turned from his place behind Dukemon and beside Karatenmon. "Yes? What is it?" the Zero ARMS asked.

"Leviamon has been spotted in the sector west of ours," the Knightmon guard explained, unease in his voice despite his attempt to remain professional. "He appears to be headed towards our castle."

Dukemon felt his stomach tighten. He looked around, watching as the other Royal Knights exchanged wordless, uneasy glances. He was reminded of the decision that they had come to concerning Leviamon. If Leviamon was coming to have it out with them… he worried about what such a confrontation might look like. He dreaded having to face Leviamon, knowing that Leviamon had placed his trust in them – him specifically.

"I see…" Grani calmly answered, noticing Dukemon's slight tensing of his body out of the corner of his eye. "Query: what is his estimated elapsed time before arrival within our core territory?"

The Knightmon turned and whispered to the scout behind the partially-opened door. After getting their reply, Knightmon turned back to the Royal Knights. "At his current speed, about four hours, roughly, Captain," the guard relayed.

"Very well," Grani responded. "Tell the scout that I will be out soon to determine the precise details."

"Hm…" Duftmon mused, pensively stroking his chin. "That is not much time to prepare, but it should be just sufficient enough."

"Do you think he'll attack us?" Magnamon asked.

"Even Leviamon's not stupid enough to make an enemy of both the Demon Lords and the Royal Knights, right?" Craniamon considered.

"For a wild card such as Leviamon, we cannot rule out the possibility," Alphamon considered, his expression growing concerned. "'If backed into a corner, even the meek will bite if it is the only way to escape.'"

"I doubt that Leviamon will actually attack us," Dukemon suggested, feeling as though he had to speak up for the rogue Demon Lord. "He'll probably be upset and demand answers, but I don't think he'd go that far."

"One must always prepare for the worst," Duftmon coolly informed the Crimson Knight, eyeing him carefully. "Dukemon, you have not forgotten about the decision that we all came to regarding the reptile, have you?"

Dukemon winced faintly. He hadn't forgotten. He wasn't able to. The thought of it was tying his stomach into knots. He felt guilty about turning their backs on Leviamon, but it was Yggdrasil's orders. He couldn't disobey his god.

"No, I haven't forgotten…" Dukemon bitterly replied. "But… we don't have to do it now, do we?"

"Maybe it would be better to get it over with," Examon tentatively suggested. "With one Demon Lord out of the picture, operationally, it would be better for us further down the road. We don't want to have to worry about someone as powerful and as volatile as Leviamon when we need to focus on the main Demon Lords army."

Dukemon frowned, a little miffed and taken aback to hear Examon's flippancy. "'Get it over with'? You're talking as if it's one of Duskmon's medical examinations, Examon. We're talking about killing somebody who thinks he's our ally," he brusquely reminded him.

Examon sheepishly rubbed his neck and looked down guiltily, not entirely used to hearing sharp words from Dukemon. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that…" he tentatively insisted. "But… I stand by my point…"

The large dragon went quiet, briefly wondering if he was being too callous. He wondered if his views were incongruent with the Royal Knights' ethics and if he was speaking out of turn.

Examon uncertainly glanced at Sleipmon beside him. Sleipmon had been quiet for the whole meeting… Normally, he would expect Sleipmon to speak out against him right now, passionately calling for the sanctity of life, but… the horse knight was quiet, his gaze distant and calculating. It made him feel worse.

"Hm…" Duftmon pondered, casting a periphery glance Examon's way. "You do make a valid point, dragon. There is an argument to be made for removing the wildcard from the deck before the cards are dealt… However, the issue is one of timing."

"Timing?" Gankoomon asked, raising his brow.

Duftmon nodded. "Unless I am mistaken, Magnamon, Craniamon, Sleipmon and Examon are not yet fully recovered, correct?"

Magnamon briefly looked to the other wounded Royal Knights. "I can only speak for myself, but I'm at about 80%. I still don't have a full range of motion, but I can fight if I need to."

"It's the same with me," Examon agreed.

Duftmon nodded. "Therefore, that is not ideal," he determined. "With Alphamon injured as well, we have only five Royal Knights at full capabilities. If we were to fight Leviamon here, I have a strong degree of confidence that we would succeed, but it would not be without a cost. We cannot risk lowering our combat strength ahead of a critical battle against the Demon Lords. I believe it would be a miscalculation to provoke an attack against Leviamon on our own doorstep. He would surely take our castle down with him. However, if he goes so far as to attack us, of course we should be prepared to defend ourselves."

"Then, what do you suggest, Duftmon?" Omegamon asked the tactician.

"We should take up defensive positions around the castle. The only recourse we have now is to make our position known to him and send him on his way," Duftmon explained.

"I'll be the one to tell him…" Dukemon decided, frowning grimly at the prospect. "If anybody should do it, it should be me."

"Are you sure, Dukemon?" Alphamon asked him.

"I need to take responsibility as the one who's been talking to him," Dukemon answered, tightening his fist with resolve. "I'm not going to hide away if this is what we have to do…"

Omegamon turned to Dukemon from the other side of Alphamon, and offered him a reassuring gaze. "Then we will have your back, Dukemon," the fused knight promised him.

Dukemon turned his head and smiled weakly back at Omegamon. "Thanks, Omegamon. I'll try not to get eaten," he replied lightly.

"Please try with earnest," Alphamon added. The black knight turned back to the door of the council chambers, seeing the Knightmon guard still standing in the doorway. He noticed that the Knightmon's face was awkwardly strained, looking as though he wanted to say something else but not wanting to interrupt his superiors. Deciding to put him out of his misery, he addressed him. "Was there something else, Knightmon?" he wondered.

"Y-Yes, Sir. I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, but there is another present matter that I need to bring to your attention," the Knightmon explained rather hurriedly. "You see, there is a mercenary – Sir Examon's friend, I should say – causing a bit of the stir at the castle gates. He's demanding to be let in, but, due to the threat level being what it is, we are unable to permit him entry. Apparently we have tried explaining this to him, but he is refusing to take no for an answer, and apparently he is hurling some rather vulgar abuse at the guards on duty…"

All of the Royal Knights slowly turned their heads towards Examon, who promptly palmed his forehead with an embarrassed grimace.

"Er… I will go out and meet with him…" Examon explained, looking at Alphamon with apology. "Alphamon, can I have permission to make an exception to Security Protocol Number Three?"

"I leave it to your discretion, Examon," Alphamon answered with a slight smile.

Duftmon sighed. "If there are no other unwelcome intrusions, may we bring this meeting to an adjournment?" the feline tactician wondered with mild irritation to his tone. "We should use what remaining time we have to prepare for Leviamon's arrival. Alphamon? If I may borrow you for awhile?"

"Yes, of course, Duftmon," Alphamon agreed, standing to his feet with a slight wince of pain. "This meeting is adjourned."

"Alphamon, you need to rest," Omegamon urged the black knight, standing to his feet next to him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I will, after this Leviamon situation is taken care of," Alphamon assured Omegamon, smiling at his concerned, white counterpart.

Grani floated to the side to allow Dukemon to stand.

Dukemon rose to his feet and got out of his seat briskly, walking past the Zero ARMS without much of a glance.

Grani looked at Dukemon curiously, noticing the slight tension in his movements and the distraction in his eyes. "Dukemon?" he queried. "Where are you going?"

"Huh?" Dukemon asked, blinking for a moment and stopping, looking over his shoulder. "Oh, uh, I think I'm going to walk out with Examon. I need a bit of air."

"Alright…" Grani responded, staring him carefully. "I will be beside you when the time comes."

"Thanks…" Dukemon told him, smiling a little. "But I'll be fine on my own…"

Grani quietly watched as Dukemon walked away from him, making his way around the table and towards Examon.

"Hey, Examon," Dukemon said. "Mind if I walk you out?"

"Not at all," Examon answered. "Sorry about this."

Dukemon grinned slightly and placed his hand on Examon's shoulder. "Don't be. Dorbickmon's the least of our worries, right now."

Dukemon looked forward as the doors opened in front of them, making way for the long stretch down the length of the great hall.

As he walked, his smile faded behind his visor.

"He's the least of our worries, alright…"

---

Dukemon and Examon strode across one of the bridges connecting a watch tower to the castle ramparts. The pair walked quietly side-by-side, nearing the end of the arching bridge.

Examon glimpsed at Dukemon curiously. He couldn't help but notice that Dukemon wasn't quiet as chatty as usual. He seemed a little distant, as if he was absorbed in his own thoughts. He wondered if Dukemon was worried about Leviamon arriving. Perhaps it was just the general mood around the castle. Between their battlefield losses, Cherubimon's death, and SkullKnightmon's rebirth, there felt like there was a growing tension among the Royal Knights.

Examon supposed he was in no place to judge. He doubted he was very good company himself. After all, there was an issue that was burning a hole in the back of his mind…

Examon was about to open his mouth to ask if Dukemon was okay, but the moment his scaly lips parted, Dukemon spoke up instead.

"Hey, Examon…" Dukemon interrupted, his voice a little more subdued than usual. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Dukemon," Examon answered curiously, wondering if Dukemon was going to tell him of his own volition.

Dukemon seemed uncertain as he looked up at the large dragon beside him. "…Do you ever have doubts?" he hesitantly asked him.

Examon blinked. "…Doubts?" he wondered uneasily. "…About what?"

Dukemon half-shrugged. "About whether we're doing the right thing, I guess," he replied.

Examon frowned and looked down. He didn't want to say so, but he did have doubts. He had many doubts, in that moment. He still wasn't sure if he should be a Royal Knight at all…

"Everybody has doubts," was his non-committal response. "…As you know, I had a lot of doubts when I first joined the Royal Knights… but it was you who convinced me that I should."

Dukemon smiled a little. "Yeah… even though I was a little economical with the truth," he admitted. Dukemon looked up at Examon a little bit lighter than before. "…I'm glad I did, though. I hope you are too."

Examon's shoulders and wings stiffened and he looked forwards expressionlessly. Although he appeared calm, he could feel his heart twisting with uncertainty and guilt.

"Of course. I've loved meeting all of you, and being a Royal Knight has been an honour," Examon mechanically responded.

Dukemon chuckled a little. "You make it sound like you're about to retire or something," he innocently joked, patting Examon on the back.

Examon continued looking forwards as a spike of nervousness pierced through him. He forced one-tenth of a smile onto his face and made himself glance down at Dukemon. "Heh… I didn't know that Royal Knights could retire…" he awkwardly replied.

"Well, it hasn't happened so far," Dukemon responded.

Examon rubbed his horned head as they walked along the ramparts towards the castle gatehouse. "A-Anyways, were you referring to our mandate regarding the Demon Lords?" he questioned, eager to redirect the subject.

"Oh, uh… Yeah, I guess so," Dukemon responded, shuffling a little as they walked up a few stairs towards the gatehouse.

"Well… as far as the Demon Lords are concerned, I'm sure that we are doing the right thing," Examon responded, a little more self-assured than before. "You have seen the things that they've done and you know what they are capable of. The fact that they want to destroy Yggdrasil shows that they have no intention of changing their evil ways. They want to throw the world into chaos, so we have to stop them however we can, don't we?"

"Yeah… I guess so," Dukemon half-heartedly agreed.

Examon eyed Dukemon curiously. He wasn't always the most socially-perceptive Digimon, but even he could tell that Dukemon seemed distracted. "Are you okay, Dukemon? …Are you worried about Leviamon?" Examon asked him.

"Sort of, I guess," the crimson knight sheepishly answered. "I just feel like I've been lying to him without meaning to."

"Don't worry about him. He's still a Demon Lord, isn't he? He was only working with us for his own benefit, so don't feel like you owe him anything," Examon advised him. "We are doing this to protect the Digital World – Yggdrasil, Huanglongmon, and all of the Digimon in it. Sometimes, to do that, we have to make hard decisions."

"To protect the Digital World… Right," Dukemon murmured ponderously. After a few moments, Dukemon looked up at Examon with a smile. "Yeah… You're right. If it's to protect Digimon, then it's what we have to do. Thanks, Examon, I think I needed a little bit of perspective."

Examon smiled a little. "That's what I'm here for, Dukemon," he replied, looking forwards as his smile levelled off.

The two knights stopped as they neared the gatehouse. By now, they could clearly hear the gruff, boisterous yelling of somebody below, at the foot of the gate.

"Hey, tin heads! How long am I going to have to wait?!" Dorbickmon complained as he impatiently paced back and forth on the drawbridge. "I'm not leaving after I've come all this way, so you better get a Royal Knight out here fast!"

Examon's face curdled with embarrassment as he caught sight of the annoyed and exasperated faces of the guards who were peering over the edge of the wall at the angry mercenary.

"Oh, Sir Examon, thank goodness you're here," a Gladimon that was looking over the side exclaimed, his face melting with relief. "It's Dorbickmon, Sir, and he has quite a hurtful tongue on him. What shall we do?"

Examon sighed and rubbed his brows with exasperation. "I'm very sorry about this," he apologised to the guards. "Could you please let him in and then close the gate again? There is a sizeable threat on the way and Dorbickmon chose the worst possible time to arrive. He poses no threat, but it would be best if we just let him in for now."

"O-Oh… Right away, Sir," the Gladimon obeyed, walking up the stone steps to the gatehouse and calling inside. "It's alright; raise the gate. Sir Examon's orders."

Examon felt a bead of sweat roll down his scaled head and he nervously turned to Dukemon. "Sorry about this, Dukemon. Dorbickmon can be a lot of trouble sometimes," he sheepishly told his friend.

Dukemon chuckled, happy for the momentary distraction, and placed his hand on Examon's spiked shoulder. "Now I know how Grani feels," he joked. "It's fine, Examon. Go and see to Dorbickmon. I have to prepare anyways."

Examon nodded and stretched out his broad and majestic Caledfwlch wings, which were now healed enough to support his body weight. "Alright. I will," the dragon told him. "I suppose I'll see you later."

Dukemon nodded slightly, becoming reminded once more of the daunting task in front of him. "Yeah, I guess you will…"

Examon began to turn, preparing to glide off of the wall. However, before he did, Examon frowned, stopped and turned back to Dukemon, sensing his unease. He faced the Crimson Knight and gave him a deep, meaningful stare.

"…I'll be right behind you, Dukemon," he reassured him, staring into his gold eyes resolutely.

At this, Dukemon smiled, genuinely this time, and felt himself be a little more at ease. "…Thanks, Examon. I feel better knowing that," he replied, sensing a small, soothing wave in his unsettled heart.

Examon nodded calmly and turned away. "See you soon," he answered, before jumping off the wall and gliding into the castle courtyard as the portcullis rose.

Dukemon gazed at Examon for a few more seconds before turning away, striding back down the castle wall in the opposite direction.

"Finally! About time!" Dorbickmon complained, marching under the opened gate with an indignant strut. "I've been waiting for nearly half an hour!"

Examon landed in the middle of the courtyard and turned around to face the dragon mercenary. "We're on high alert, you know," Examon flatly informed him. "You shouldn't be here. Leviamon will be here within the hour. At this alert level, only military personnel are permitted to be on the premise."

"Tch. This is the welcome I get after coming all this way with important information?" Dorbickmon petulantly remarked, folding his arms and turning his snout up. "Maybe I shouldn't have bothered!"

"Don't be so dramatic," Examon told him, looking down at his fellow dragon. "What information?"

"It's about the UDC," Dorbickmon cryptically replied.

"You mean how they've captured Dark Point? We already know that," Examon answered.

"Well excuse me!" Dorbickmon indignantly retorted. "It's not just that though. There's other stuff… Stuff we should talk about in private."

Examon raised an eyebrow. "Alright… but not right now, okay?" he told the mercenary. "Leviamon will be here soon and all of the Royal Knights are standing-by. No doubt he's here about the UDC capturing Dark Point… He may attack us."

Dorbickmon stared at Examon incredulously. "Oh, great, so I come all the way here and now I'm going to be stuck in the firing line of an overgrown, angry lizard demon!" he complained. "Just my luck…"

Examon smiled a little. "Here I thought you'd love the challenge of taking on a Demon Lord… You're more than welcome if it comes to that. We'll need all the help we can get."

Dorbickmon turned, leering at his friend out of the corner of his eye, unable to help but be tempted by the idea. "…I'll think about it," he replied.

"Though, we're hoping it won't come to that," Examon added, with a bit of a sigh. "Not yet, at least."

Examon frowned with frustration and looked down at his claws. "This was not part of my plans today…" he murmured, more to himself than to Dorbickmon.

Dorbickmon arched his brow. "Huh? Did you have something important planned?" he wondered.

Examon closed his eyes and let out a calming sigh. "…Yes… I have to speak with Alphamon about something important… but it will have to wait until this situation is dealt with."

"Huh… Okay, then," Dorbickmon responded, eyeing Examon carefully. "…So, what should I do?"

"Just wait around the staging area for now. I'm sure someone will put you to use," Examon told him. "I'll see you soon, Dorbickmon."

"Yeah… Hopefully all in one piece," Dorbickmon answered with a grin. "I've still got stuff I need to do too."

"Then let's hope that Leviamon leaves without a fight," Examon replied, half-smiling at Dorbickmon before walking past him.

With his winged back to the mercenary now, Examon's tiny smile evaporated and a deep, furrowed look of worry solidified on his face. He was less worried about Leviamon… the Demon Lord seemed almost like a welcome distraction compared to what he decided he needed to do afterwards. Dorbickmon's appearance only reminded him of this.

While he truly hoped that they wouldn't have to face Leviamon right now, he worried about what would come next…

---

An ominous wind swept across the grounds of the castle. The mood was tense as the Royal Knights awaited Leviamon's arrival. Only half an hour had passed, but it felt like hours.

Alphamon stood next to Duftmon on the castle walls, surveying the stretch of plains to the west, at the front of the castle. The breeze blew past them, causing Alphamon's cape and the ends of Duftmon's sash to blow in the wind.

"Alphamon," Duftmon spoke, his voice calm yet authoritative.

Alphamon turned his head. "Yes, Duftmon?" he wondered. "…Is this about earlier?"

"No," Duftmon responded, closing his eyes. "Just so long as you understand why I was so annoyed with you, I see no further need to dwell on it."

The black knight smiled. "Oh, I understand completely," he assured him. "Consider myself well and truly humbled."

"Hmph... Good. Very well, then," the feline strategist answered, side-eyeing up at the taller knight. "No, the reason I wanted to speak with you was to discuss our current situation…"

"Of course. Have you received any updates?"

"Captain Grani says that Leviamon's route remains unchanged," Duftmon explained to the tall, black knight next to him.

Alphamon nodded. His arm was still in a sling, and his expression was serious as he observed the distant land. "...I am unsure about this, Duftmon. I worry that Leviamon may try to take his frustrations out on Knight's Cross. Should we not advance out to meet him?" he wondered.

"No, we cannot afford to leave the defensiveness of Castle Avalion. This is our one tactical advantage at the moment. Also, foraying to meet Leviamon may be interpreted as an act of aggression," Duftmon responded. "If Leviamon continues on a linear path to our castle as Grani predicts, he should bypass Knight's Cross. However… if he does make a detour towards the town, then, of course, we will sortie immediately to stop him."

"Very well. I trust you to have already planned that far ahead," Alphamon responded.

"Naturally," Duftmon confirmed.

Alphamon smiled at his confidence. "Where would you like the Royal Knights positioned?"

Duftmon turned around, looking up at the two free-standing watch towers behind them, as well as the fixed towers of the keep. "I would have Magnamon and Sleipmon on those two watch towers to provide bombardment support, with Examon behind them on the keep for long-ranged sniper support. I would like to have Omegamon and Gankoomon on the front wall, ready to step in should Dukemon require it. Craniamon should be with them, ready to act as a mobile defence. That Dorbickmon may be useful with his earth manipulation, which could augment my own to create a durable and versatile defence. Alphamon, I would like you to wait in reserve, acting only if necessary."

"Of course," Alphamon responded. "You seem to have things under control, then. What of, Jesmon?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot utilise him as things stand now," Duftmon responded. "It is a shame; he clearly has great power, but if he cannot yet harness it…"

"Be patient with him. He will figure it out in due time, I'm confident."

"Yes, but time is not a luxury that we have."

Then, Duftmon paused, and then looked at Alphamon. "…What do you think of my plan? Do you think that the Royal Knights would find it acceptable?" he wondered.

Alphamon looked at Duftmon with mild surprise. "It is a solid plan. It seems well thought-out, as expected from you," he assured him. "I think that the Royal Knights would find it agreeable."

Duftmon nodded, looking forwards. "I see… Excellent," he murmured.

Alphamon gazed at the tactician curiously. "Why do you ask? You aren't normally so concerned with what others think of your strategies, so long as they are effective."

Duftmon closed his eyes, angling his body away from Alphamon just slightly. "…Have you read my after-action report yet?"

"…Ah… Yes, I have. I managed to find some time before I left," Alphamon explained, suddenly understanding the reason behind Duftmon's question.

"Then you know the finer details of that dispute between myself and some of the other Royal Knights, as well as the circumstances that led to our defeat," Duftmon spoke, opening his eyes and gazing out into the distance with a troubled expression. "Tell me, Alphamon… Did I do the wrong thing? Would you have done things differently?"

Alphamon sighed and stepped up behind Duftmon. He tentatively reached out and placed his hand on Duftmon's shoulder, carefully watching for any resistance. When he saw none, he let his hand rest freely and continued.

"…I cannot say for certain. It is clear that Craniamon and Magnamon had their own personal problems. I consider myself to be fairly perceptive, on the whole, but in that moment, I cannot say with confidence that I would have acted differently," Alphamon explained.

Duftmon frowned with frustration and whirled around sharply, facing Alphamon. "But I must know!" he stated with surprising passion and resolve. After a moment, he looked down with flustered embarrassment. "…I cannot allow for any more defeats, Alphamon. Not due to my own failings…"

Alphamon smiled at the tactician. "Failure is a much wiser teacher than victory, Duftmon," he gently told him. "What is important is that you are making an effort to learn and improve. I can already tell that you are trying to understand the Knights and factor them into your plans. That alone makes all the difference."

"Yes, but…" Duftmon frowned and broke his ardent gaze with Alphamon. "I have already allowed four Royal Knights to be captured under my watch. They could have been killed. The battles that we face will only become more deadly. If I cannot improve as a strategist…"

Alphamon reached out and placed both of his hands on Duftmon's shoulders, gazing into the tactician's eyes. "Duftmon… You are improving. The ability and willingness to learn from one's mistakes are of vital importance, don't you think? Adaptability, in addition to your already astute and innovative mind, are the makings of a master strategist."

Duftmon ventured an uncertain glance back at Alphamon. "…Do you have any evidence to support your claim?" he dryly wondered.

"The evidence is right in front of me," Alphamon answered, smiling warmly at the strategist. "You care… and if you didn't, you wouldn't be so concerned about the wellbeing of the Royal Knights right now… I know that you and I do not always see to eye-to-eye, but I have confidence in you, and I also have confidence in myself. I truly believe that hiring you has been one of the best decisions that I have ever made…" Alphamon gripped his shoulders meaningfully. "I couldn't ask for a better strategist than you, Duftmon."

"Alphamon, I…" Duftmon remarked, his green eyes widening with surprise. However, then Duftmon's gaze sharpened and he folded his arms, turning to the side and pulling away from Alphamon's grasp.

"…Hmph," he scoffed, tilting his head up, his usual aloof and superior demeanour returning. "Yes, I suppose you are quite right. This Order would be lost without my strategic mind around to keep you all organised and on track. Quite frankly, I shudder to think about the mess this Order would be in without me."

Duftmon turned away fully, showing his back to Alphamon. However, despite his stiff and haughty posture, Duftmon allowed himself to venture a timid glance over his winged shoulder, back at Alphamon.

"…Though, for my part…" he hesitantly began.

"…I could not ask for a better leader."

Alphamon's eyes widened and he blinked with shock at the tactician's unexpected words. Although he was taken off-guard, Alphamon was unable to help but feel a gentle, fuzzy warmth emerge inside of him.

"Ahem! Now, I have urgent business that I must see to urgently!" Duftmon swiftly spoke up, refusing to turn back around. "We will meet up again soon. Ensure that you are ready for Leviamon's arrival. Your usual tardiness will not be tolerated."

"A-Ah. Yes, of course," Alphamon agreed, smiling as he watched the flustered Duftmon make a hasty exit. "I will."

Without another word or so much as a glance, Duftmon strode away down the wall, at a slightly increased pace, eager to see to his very important tactician business.

Alphamon smiled as the blond-haired Royal Knight walked off. He turned away and leaned forward against the ramparts, gazing out over the cloudy landscape.

"Hm… I suppose it is at uncertain times like this where growth is a necessity…" he mused to himself.

"Our survival may yet depend on it…"

---

Later, that day - in another area of the Digital World - the day turned into night.

The sun had been set for a good couple hours. The waning moons hung low in the sky, hidden by the hills and the distant tree line of the Great Forest to the south. Because of this, it was a particularly dark night in the hilly plains of the region south of Saversburg and north of the Neutral Zone.

The military of the Royal Knights had set up camp on a small, grassy plateau overlooking a stretch of grassland, allowing for a relatively clear line of sight to the north. Hundreds of tents were set up all over the flat area, with a few, small campfires being tended to. The perimeter of the camp was watched by soldiers on sentry duty, each taking a certain position around the camp and rotating every so often.

For the most part, all was quiet, save the sporadic, idle chatter of a few soldiers roaming about. It was late enough that most of the soldiers had been ordered to get some rest. Mostly everyone was preparing to do just that, or were getting ready to.

Near the front of the camp were three tents in particular. They belonged to the three Royal Knights who had remained with the army: Dynasmon, RhodoKnightmon, and UlforceVeedramon.

All three of them were in their individual, respective tents. UlforceVeedramon had been the first one to turn in for the night, followed by RhodoKnightmon, who complained of having to camp before retiring to his personalized tent all the same. This left Dynasmon, who stayed up awhile longer, chatting with some of the guards on duty.

However, after about twenty minutes after RhodoKnightmon went into his tent, Dynasmon decided to leave the guards to their work and make his way to his own tent as well.

Dynasmon had walked into his tent, haphazardly leaving the front flap askew. Then, he began undressing, beginning the laborious process of removing his Chrome Digizoid armour.

He stood in front of his bed, a long, unrolled mattress. Hovering nearby was a glow-form, allowing him enough light to see the straps of his armour as he undressed. His large tent was fairly unfussy on the inside, containing only the bed and a foldable table nearby.

He started by slipping his white wrist bracers off. Then, he carefully unfastened his breastplate, removing it after a minute and casting the heavy segment of armour beside his bed. After that, he went on to pull off his boots and then unbuckle the metal faulds from around his hips and groin. Once all of his armour was off, Dynasmon then began taking off his sleeveless, semi-plated, white and indigo body suit that covered his chest down to his legs. He unzipped the tight fabric, peeling the suit off from the top down.

Dynasmon sighed, first revealing his brawny, muscular chest, before then pulling the suit down past his legs and then kicking the suit onto his table. The Wyvern Knight turned towards his bed, clad in only a basic undergarment that he wore underneath his suit and armour. Tiredly, he let out a yawn and stretched his arms and wings out.

"Ungh…! I'm beat. Time to hit the sack, I think…" Dynasmon mused, scratching himself as he eyed the enticing-looking bed a few paces in front of him.

The dragon man was about to move towards the bed, when he heard the sudden rustling of fabric coming from behind him.

Dynasmon spun around, immediately assuming that it was RhodoKnightmon trying to catch a peep. However, when he turned around, he could see only the gentle movement of the tent's entrance flap rippling as if somebody had been there. However, he couldn't see anybody in the dark tent.

"Rhodo? Is that you?" Dynasmon called out, glaring suspiciously as he walked over to the entrance of his tent. However, he received no reply, and RhodoKnightmon wasn't the type to be sneaky.

Dynasmon poked his horned head out of the tent flap, looking outside his temporary lodgings furtively. "Hello? Anybody there?" he asked. There was nobody outside either. He figured it must have been one of the guards wanting to talk to him, but seeing his state of undress, scampered off in embarrassment.

Shrugging, the dragon man closed the flap. He was about to turn around when he heard a faint shuffling behind him. Dynasmon tensed up a little and turned around. "Who's there?" he demanded, glaring as he was absolutely certain that he heard somebody this time.

Dynasmon walked back towards his bed, looking around the dark tent. Even with the glow form, he couldn't see anybody. Was it just the wind playing tricks on him?

The wyvern knight stopped at the foot of the bed, placing his hands on his hips. "Sheesh, maybe I do need some rest…" he murmured.

Dynasmon stood with his back to the closed tent flap, pondering his bed. He was unaware of the shadow that approached from behind him…

The dark figure got close enough that they were standing right behind him… They raised their arms… and then struck while Dynasmon was distracted.

A pair of hands suddenly reached out from behind Dynasmon's head, covering his eyes.

"Gah!" Dynasmon yelled out, a cold shiver shooting down his body as he jumped. He immediately began to reach up to try and pull the hands off. "Who's there?!"

"Shhhhhh…" a sultry voice quietly shushed him from behind. "There is no need to be afraid…"

"H-Huh?" Dynasmon asked, his large hands stopping just short of the small, slender ones covering his eyes. "Who are you?" he demanded uneasily, his heart racing from the surprise.

"Oh… Just someone who has been admiring you from afar," the decidedly-female voice smoothly murmured from right beside his ear.

"W-What?" Dynasmon questioned with confusion. Despite his surprise, he didn't forcibly pull the hands off, instead opting to see where this was going. "Are you one of the soldiers…?"

"Hmm… For now, I think it would be best if you don't know my identity…" the figure slyly proposed. "Knowing would make things so dreadfully complicated… I have a far better idea in mind…"

"You do…?" Dynasmon questioned, hesitant, but curious. He automatically assumed it was one of the soldiers, either from the Order or from Saversburg.

"Mhm… And my way is much more fun," she whispered sultrily in his ear.

In that moment, the soft, smooth hands removed themselves from Dynasmon's eyes. The slender, dextrous fingers slid slowly down Dynasmon's cheeks, teasingly tracing his jaw-line, before brushing along the scales of his thick neck.

Dynasmon shivered with pleasure as the smooth hands tickled his scales. He was about to open his mouth to reply, but as he did, he suddenly felt two soft mounds press against his bare back. He felt a rush of blood to his cheeks and he gulped nervously as his mouth began to go dry.

Then, the pair of hands came back up, gently bringing a long, piece of purple cloth down over his face. The cloth settled over Dynasmon's eyes before it was tied loosely behind his horned head, creating a makeshift blindfold.

"A blindfold?" Dynasmon asked, still a little hesitant, but increasingly excited. His cheeks were beet red but he was definitely not unreceptive to the developments.

"I do hope that this is not too far outside of your… comfort zone," the deep, sultry voice spoke, the figure's lips just grazing the sensitive scales of his neck.

Dynasmon gasped a little at the sensation, which then transformed into a breathy sigh. "No… Not at all… I've tried some kinky stuff in the past…" he insisted.

"Oh, my… Is that so…? I wouldn't have had a Royal Knight like you pegged for being naughty… or maybe I would," the sensual voice teased him, with what he could only imagine was with a sly wink.

The blushing dragon man swallowed again. "Uh… Then what did you have in mind…?" he asked. He was taken a little off-guard by the figure's confidence; it made him doubt that it was one of their soldiers. He half-wondered if Rosemon had somehow found her way to their camp, but he was fairly certain it wasn't her either.

"Hmm… I wonder…" the figure hummed in an insincerely elaborate show of deliberation, all the while lightly tracing her lips down the nape of Dynasmon's neck. Her right hand softly caressed his cheek, her fingers gliding along the underside of his jaw, while her other hand gently clutched his left pectoral muscle.

"Ah…" Dynasmon groaned receptively, instinctively flexing his muscle at the contact. "That feels good…"

"Oh, I know it does," the seductive voice whispered in his ear. As she spoke, her finger playfully tickled Dynasmon's chin before slowly trailing down between his pecs, stopping at his abs and rubbing the six, hard muscles. "You're lucky that I know what I'm doing…"

"Heh heh," he goofily chuckled, most of his muscles relaxing as he became more and more welcoming of the figure's skilled touch. "I like a lady who knows what she's doing…"

"Well, then, you're in luck…" she said, massaging and groping at his chest muscles while her lips gently grazed the corner of his neck. "Because I more than know my way around a body like yours…"

"Mm… Good…" Dynasmon said with a breathy sigh, his sensitive and receptive body reacting positively to the attention he was receiving.

Dynasmon allowed her to continue touching him, her dextrous, silky hands touching his muscles in all the right places, causing him to shudder and moan. He could feel the blood in his cheeks, and some stirring somewhere else.

Grunting, the Royal Knight turned his head, the blindfold that covered his eyes shifting down a little bit from the movement. "Though… I feel like I'm being greedy… I wouldn't want to make you do all the work…" he suggested, attempting to look over his shoulder. It was as the figure's hand slipped lower past his abs that a jolt of pleasure shot up through Dynasmon's body, causing him to shudder. "Aah…"

It was in that pleasurable moment, with his head turned, that the blindfold had slipped down his face low enough that he was able to see past it. With the violet fabric obscuring only part of his vision, Dynasmon was able to catch sight of the face of the figure behind him.

She had fair, almost pale, skin… dark, seductive eyes… lush, raven hair…

And an enigmatic smile of her familiar face…

It took the pleasure-filled Dynasmon a few moments to realise… but then he caught sight of the golden horns protruding from her head, the dark tattoo on her forehead, and the bat-like wings extending from her back…

And it was in that contrasting storm of pleasure and horror that Dynasmon put a name to his mystery seducer…

Lilithmon.

Dynasmon's half-lidded eyes widened with absolute fear and horror. "AH!" he cried out. With a frantic swing of his arm, he pushed her away, stumbling away and tripping over his own feet. Dynasmon crashed to the grass on his rear, falling back on his hands and elbows, the blindfold half-falling down his face.

The startled Royal Knight immediately began scrambling into a hasty defensive stance. He got to a knee and aimed the crystals of his palms, scowling with fear and violation.

"Lilithmon!" he exclaimed with hostility.

Lilithmon rolled her eyes, having composed herself after the shove. "Yes, yes," she boredly answered, calmly adjusting her clothes and dusting herself off. "Now, take a deep breath and don't do anything hasty. If you take a moment and look, you will see that I am no threat to you."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Dynasmon demanded, glaring suspiciously. "How stupid do you think I am?! Of course you're a threat!"

The Demon Lord of Lust sighed. "Really now, dragon. Stop your melodramatic caterwauling before you make this whole situation unmanageable," she told him. "I will have you know that I come in peace…"

"Oh, yeah, right. You really expect me to believe that?" Dynasmon bellicosely contended. "You snuck into my tent to seduce me into letting my guard down so that you could kill me!"

Lilithmon cupped a hand to her mouth and laughed. "Ohoh! Oh, my, is that what I was doing?" she mockingly replied. "Please… If I wanted you dead, you would be a puddle of data on the floor right now. I had five opportunities to kill you from the moment I entered your tent."

Dynasmon snarled, keeping his palms strictly aimed at Lilithmon, still not ready to let his guard down around her.

"You don't believe me? Fair enough, I suppose," she responded, boredly looking at the back of her bare, right hand. "But if I was going to kill you, why wouldn't I have brought my Nazar Nail with me?" she wondered, inspecting the raised hand that was usually clad in her lethal gauntlet.

At this, Dynasmon frowned a little, unable to readily come up with an explanation. "…You've got other ways."

"Oh?" Lilithmon asked him with a sly smirk. "Such as…? You mean like blowing you up…? Or strangling you with my thighs, perhaps…?"

Dynasmon blushed, but he continued glaring and kept his arms raised at her. "…Then… if you're not here to kill me… what do you want?" he cautiously asked her.

Lilithmon winked at him. "I would have thought that that was obvious…" she playfully flirted, looking down his naked chest to his not-so-subtle undergarment.

Dynasmon glanced down at himself, flushed harder, and hastily covered himself with one hand while keeping the other pointed at her. "I thought you were someone else!" he felt the need to explain.

"Ohoh! You didn't care who I was until the blindfold came undone," Lilithmon teased him, folding her arms in such a way that her chest was perfectly framed in his view. "Frivolities aside, I did come here to speak to you specifically. I meant what I said before about coming in peace…"

Dynasmon frowned hesitantly at Lilithmon's words. "…Me? Why me…?" he demanded.

"Well, there are only three Royal Knights present. I knew for a fact that the pink one would not be… receptive to my presence. And as for the other one… let's just say that I thought that you were the more mature and open-minded one of the two," Lilithmon explained, taking a single, probing step towards him.

Defensively, Dynasmon raised his hand a little, causing her to stop. "Hold it…" he told her, though sounding more wary than angry now. "Not too close…"

"Oh…? You weren't complaining before…" Lilithmon wryly noted as she boldly tested her luck and took another step towards him.

"That was before I knew who you were…" he insisted, although he swallowed and held his fire. He leered at her warily, although not without some clear, perverse desire as he watched her beautiful and sexy form slowly slinking ever closer. With sweat trickling down his forehead, he found it harder and harder to deny that he was incredibly attracted to her. Apart from her astounding beauty and the way with which she captured his attention, there was also a part of him that was darkly enthralled by the forbidden nature of her presence in his tent.

Dynasmon swallowed again, his cheeks burning as he became fixated on her proudly feminine form. Still, he tried not to forget himself completely, despite the relentless stirring in his loins. "What… do you want, Lilithmon?" he demanded.

Lilithmon smiled and held her arms out disarmingly as she grew ever closer, step by step. "As I said… I merely wanted to talk about the best way forward…" she softly explained, now close enough to be within arm's reach.

"For you…" She gently and carefully placed her hand on Dynasmon's outstretched palm, closing her fingers around his and pulling his defensively-raised arm aside.

"For me…" she continued, reaching out her other hand. She cupped his chin in her hand and tilted his head up, forcing him to stare up and into her eyes. With a soft, but tantalizing grin and calm, dominating eyes, Lilithmon stared down at the kneeling dragon.

"…And for our two sides…" she finished, smiling darkly as she gently stroked his cheek. "So… Mister Big… Strong… Royal Knight…" She pulled his face up with just enough force to make Dynasmon rise to his feet. "Why don't you and I… get to know each other?"

"I… Well, I…" Dynasmon stammered, his eyes wide and his scales hot to the touch as he was pulled to his feet.

He stared down at the shorter Demon Lord, his mouth a little gape, breathing slightly heavy. She slid one hand up to his bicep, while the other stroked his muscular neck.

Dynasmon weakly hesitated, but he found his resistance quickly fading as he felt himself turning to jelly underneath her silky smooth touch and her alluring words. It was then that he began to notice the rich, floral scent of perfume on her neck.

Lilithmon smirked, knowing that she had him right where she wanted him, and pressed her advantage. She snaked her arm around the back of his neck, leaning against him and pressing her scantily-covered breasts tantalizingly against his muscular chest.

"What's the matter?" she teased him, her free hand slowly sliding down his abs. "I do hope you aren't scared… and here I thought you were experienced…"

The blushing Dynasmon let out a shuddering breath, his muscles and wings tensing up as she boldly pressed against him. "I-It's not that…" he insisted.

"Then what…?" she wondered, her hand venturing lower, sneaking underneath the cloth. "It's just you and me… in your big tent…" Her hand disappeared underneath the fabric. "Just us two leaders… coming to a compromise…"

Dynasmon gasped and tightened. Then, after a moment, his tense muscles began to relax, and he began to melt under her touch. He gazed down at her, the reluctance in his expression finally fading, and his eyes softening with tender lust. He inhaled with a quiver, staring into her eyes heavily. Then, Dynasmon slowly leaned his head towards her…

He pressed his lips against hers, slowly releasing the uneasy breath he was holding through his nostrils. He kissed her, pursing his rough, draconic lips and dragging them against Lilithmon's supple, cosmetic-tinted mouth. It was not a kiss of affection, but one of primal lust and bestial desire. Dynasmon's throat rumbled with a soft groan as he pushed against her mouth, his hands resting on her hips.

Lilithmon smiled triumphantly and returned the kiss, her free hand idly stroked the back of Dynasmon's horned head while her other hand continued rubbing out of view.

"Rmm…" Dynasmon grunted, allowing himself to give into his urges and putting aside his better judgment. He became engrossed in the kiss and the touching, allowing his own hand to slowly start to glide up Lilithmon's side, intending on undoing her clothes.

"Yes, dragon… that's it," Lilithmon whispered.

Dynasmon's large hand settled on her bare shoulder, but, before he could go any further, something happened…

"Oh, Dyyyyynasmon, honeeeey~," a familiar voice chimed from behind him, accompanied by the movement of cloth. "It is I, with some late night sna—what in Yggdrasil's name is going on here?!"

The familiar, effeminate, sonorous voice immediately caused Dynasmon's red eyes to snap open with horror, a deep chill of panic shooting down his body, causing him to clench. He was immediately snapped out of his libido-driven haze.

Panicking, Dynasmon recoiled away from Lilithmon and spun around, accidentally pushing her away with his wing in his haste. The moment he turned around, he saw the pink-armoured body of RhodoKnightmon standing in the entrance to his tent, dropping the plate of cookies to the ground.

The dragon man raised his hands in front of him fearfully. "R-Rhodo! It's not what it looks like!" he insisted, his face going pale. "I can explain!"

RhodoKnightmon stared at Dynasmon with utter incredulity, glanced down for a moment, and then looked back up at his face. "…Oh, I think that it is exactly what it looks like!" he angrily retorted.

Then, RhodoKnightmon immediately turned his attention to Lilithmon, his body withering despite the fact that his face was hidden. The golden ribbons covering his body stiffened and sharpened, and he formed a long, golden sword with one of the two ends. "You get away from him this instant…"

Lilithmon scoffed and beheld RhodoKnightmon with mild annoyance. "Tch… You just had to ruin my fun," she calmly replied. Without wasting another second, Lilithmon glanced at Dynasmon's exposed back and raised her hand, forming a demonic sigil right behind him.

"Dynasmon!" RhodoKnightmon called out. Acting swiftly, he lashed out with his other long, golden ribbon, wrapping it around Dynasmon's body. Then, with a powerful tug, he yanked Dynasmon off of his feet and pulled him over to his side.

"WHOA!" Dynasmon cried out, his eyes widening as the ribbon wrapped around his arms and bare chest before he was sent flying across the tent to the relative safety of RhodoKnightmon's side.

As soon as the disoriented Dynasmon was next to him, RhodoKnightmon hurled the blade in his right hand towards Lilithmon like a flexible javelin.

Lilithmon scowled and jumped to the side, narrowly evading the razor-sharp ribbon that cut close enough to slice her sleeve.

"Guards! Ulforce!" RhodoKnightmon called out. "Lilithmon is here!"

Lilithmon glowered deeply as she heard a sudden chain reaction of shouts outside of the tent. She knew she had lost her advantage.

Lilithmon turned the aim of her demonic sigil away from Dynasmon and RhodoKnightmon, instead, pointing it down to the ground in between them.

"Well, Dynasmon, it has been fun, if ultimately disappointing… I doubt you could have kept up with me anyways," she teased him with a dark smirk. Black, magical energy swelled within the Crest of Lust, pulsating dangerously as she prepared to fire. "But now I must bid you adieu…"

Lilithmon cast Dynasmon a mocking wink. "Farewell, Royal Knight…" she told him, before letting loose her arsenal of magical power. "Phantom Pain!"

"Get back!" RhodoKnightmon called out, leaping out through the tent and dragging Dynasmon behind him.

A beam of hellish magic coursed from the glowing crest and tore into the grass in the middle of the tent.

There was a large explosion at the edge of the camp, tearing the tent to pieces in a billowing blast of black and violet. The surrounding tents were torn from their pegs, and several nearby guards were sent flying to the ground. The large, thunderous explosion sent the whole camp into an uproar as soldiers scrambled to arms.

When the blast petered out, and shards of cloth and wood fell down around a smoking crater near the edge of camp, Lilithmon was nowhere to be found.

Within the chaos and confusion of the explosion, Lilithmon made her escape.

"Fools…" Lilithmon thought, glancing over her shoulder as she flew away, low to the ground to better conceal herself around the hills. "Still… I've had my fun… It won't be long until I can live for myself, without anybody standing in my way…"

She smirked and looked forwards.

"I will make them all grovel before me…"

With that dark promise, Lilithmon flew away from the scene of chaos of her making. Without casting so much as a look behind her, the Demon Lord of Lust disappeared into the night…

---

Back at camp, a minute had passed since Lilithmon launched her Phantom Pain in the middle of Dynasmon's tent.

The smoke finally cleared, and the camp was in a state of confusion, but that was swiftly being replaced by order.

RhodoKnightmon knelt beside a nearly-naked Dynasmon. UlforceVeedramon stood in front of them, having summoned the Tensegrity Shield in front of the blast to try and minimize the damage to them as well as the camp.

"Is everyone okay?!" UlforceVeedramon called out, looking over his shoulder.

"Y-Yes, Sir," one of the guards responded, crawling to his feet. "Just rattled up."

"We are fine," RhodoKnightmon confirmed, glancing down at Dynasmon coolly. "Captain, secure the area! Double the guard and patrol the perimeter for further encroachment!"

"Yes, Master LordKnightmon!" Captain Knightmon formally shouted, running over while still in a night cap and knitted pyjamas. "Group One, on me!"

UlforceVeedramon dropped his barrier and turned around, looking down at Dynasmon and RhodoKnightmon. "So, does somebody want to explain to me what just happened?"

RhodoKnightmon stood to his feet and folded his arms, gazing down at Dynasmon with a piercing leer.

Dynasmon, still reeling from the swift turn of events and the subsequent explosion, came to become aware of his current situation. With his tent blown to smithereens, he came to realise that he was lying almost completely naked in the middle of the camp, and that his blood flow had not yet returned to normal.

RhodoKnightmon and UlforceVeedramon were staring directly at him, as was Ouryumon who came over with his swords drawn to investigate the commotion. Several of the nearby soldiers were awkwardly attempting to act normal, intentionally trying to look anywhere but at Dynasmon. However, there were also a couple other soldiers who were sneaking desirous looks at him out of the corners of their eyes, and one who was staring shamelessly.

Dynasmon let out a shout and hastily tried to cover himself with his hands. Blushing madly, the dragon man sat up and pulled his legs close. "Uh, well…" he hastily exclaimed, looking away sheepishly. "Lilithmon came into my tent while I was changing…"

"And rather than call out for help, you decided to stick your tongue down her throat?" RhodoKnightmon pointedly wondered.

UlforceVeedramon blinked with shock. "What?!" he exclaimed.

"It wasn't like that!" Dynasmon frantically attempted to defend himself.

"Oh, it isn't? I suppose you simply tripped and fell onto her mouth then," RhodoKnightmon sarcastically observed.

"Dynasmon, she's, like, a Demon Lord!" UlforceVeedramon incredulously reminded him.

Dynasmon winced, looking away with shame and embarrassment. "I didn't know it was her at first! I thought it was just one of the Saversburg soldiers or something, and then she put a blindfold on me!" he explained. "She kept touching me, and well…"

"Uh, we don't need the details," UlforceVeedramon responded with a sheepish blush.

"Why in Yggdrasil's name didn't you do anything once you realised it was her?!" RhodoKnightmon irately asked him.

Without Dynasmon realising, Wyvern began to slink out of his body, as if to distance itself from the knight.

"Er… Well…" Dynasmon murmured, rubbing the back of his head. "She said she just wanted to talk… like diplomatically… but, well… she started touching me again, and well…" The dragon knight's face turned bright red. "…Look, we've been at war for almost a year! I haven't gotten any since I went to New Terminal back before the Metal Empire war broke out! I'm pent up! She was coming onto me and she's sexy and I thought, 'What's the worst that could happen?'!"

At his passionate statement, the two Royal Knights and Ouryumon stared at him in pure silence. Wyvern slapped its clawed hand over its face with exasperation and embarrassment.

"…Yeesh. It's times like this I'm glad I'm gay," Ouryumon muttered with a roll of his eyes, before turning and walking away.

RhodoKnightmon gazed at him with an unreadable expression. "Dynasmon, darling…" he gently began, diplomatically unfolding his arms. "You know I love you, so when I say this, know that it is with the utmost respect…"

"…Are you a complete muttonhead?!" the rose knight exclaimed. "What in Yggdrasil's name was going through that thick head of yours?! Lilithmon is our enemy! She could have killed you! She probably would have had I not interrupted."

"I think we know which head he was thinking with," UlforceVeedramon added with a sigh, rubbing his brows.

"Hey, you would have done the same thing if she was all over you, Ulforce!" Dynasmon defensively stated, Wyvern shrugging and shaking its head behind him. "She seduced me!"

"Oh, is that right?" RhodoKnightmon accusatorially stated, his body becoming sharp and cold again. "And you're so weak that you had no choice but to succumb to her wiles? You couldn't have said 'no' at any point?"

At this blunt and cutting question, Dynasmon grimaced and ducked his head between his shoulders, averting his gaze shame-facedly. "Er… well…"

"You had every opportunity, Dynasmon, but you chose engage in such a reckless and foolish act of near-copulation with somebody as devious as Lilithmon. At the very least, take some responsibility for your mistake!" RhodoKnightmon chastised him. "What sort of example are you setting to the soldiers?"

"…Sorry…" Dynasmon apologised, looking down while Wyvern shrunk and hid behind Dynasmon from the fearsome Rose Knight. "You're right… I was an idiot. I just…" he sighed and placed his hand on his forehead. "I was weak… I got lost in my urges. I should have taken responsibility and called for help. I'm sorry…"

At his admission of guilt, RhodoKnightmon softened a little, placing his hands on his hips and sighing. "…Honestly… She must have seen you coming," he replied, his cold voice returning to its usual light cadence.

"Well, now that we've established that you're a horny idiot and you've promised never to do something like that again…" UlforceVeedramon spoke up, rubbing the back of his head and looking away awkwardly. "…Do you mind putting your armour back on?"

"Er…" Dynasmon looked around the smoking crater where his tent had been, seeing his various pieces of armour strewn about and half-buried in soil. "As soon as I can find it all…" He glanced up at UlforceVeedramon sheepishly. "Also… can I sleep in your tent, Ulforce?"

"I guess so… but no funny stuff," he relented. "And I'm definitely not being the little spoon!"

Wyvern swatted the back of Dynasmon's head, eliciting a yelp from the dragon man, before disappearing back inside his shoulders for rest.

Dynasmon rubbed the sore back of his head and stood to his feet, but not before glancing into the darkness, vaguely wondered what happened to Lilithmon after the blast.

RhodoKnightmon picked up the bodysuit, folded it up, and pushed it into Dynasmon's hands. "And next time you feel those 'urges', you should simply come to me instead. Honestly…!" he complained, striding back to his tent in a huff.

Dynasmon sighed and tucked his bodysuit under his arm. He felt guilty and ashamed… He felt like he had been taken for a fool, and, if he was being honest with himself, he probably was. He knew he shouldn't have let somebody so dangerous get so close to him… and he was kicking himself that he allowed her to, putting not just himself, but his friends in danger.

"Damn it… How could I be so stupid?" Dynasmon wondered, frowning bitterly as he stared out into the night.

"Hey, Dynasmon!" UlforceVeedramon called out from inside the smoking crater. "Are you going to help or not? Your things are all over the place."

"Yeah, sorry, I'm coming," Dynasmon answered, jumping back into the crater to search for his armour and belongings.

Still, as he searched, he couldn't help but feel a slight ache in his chest that he couldn't put his finger on. All Dynasmon knew is that he couldn't afford to let his guard down again…