(Author's Notes: Here's the second part of Chapter 84. Let me know what you think,)
Chapter 84: Crimson Tears (Part II)
The evening sunset cast fiery rays across the darkening battlefield.
Back at the Order's front lines, the Royal Knights watched Dukemon and Beelzebumon's distant duel with worry. It was becoming clear to them by the way the fight was playing out that Dukemon and Grani were beginning to struggle against Beelzebumon's onslaught.
"What are we waiting for?" Magnamon protested. "We have to do something."
Frowning deeply, Alphamon nodded and strode forwards authoritatively. "I agree. This has gone on for long enough," he determined. "Regardless of Dukemon's wishes, the risk to him is too great."
"Wait a moment," Duftmon cautioned, frowning deeply and tapping the hilt of the Shoumetsu no Tsurugi. He carefully examined the enemy's lines, thinking deeply to himself. "…Why have the Demon Lords not yet attacked? Normally, I would have expected them to opportunistically take advantage of Dukemon being on his own, yet Barbamon must be holding them back. Are they merely waiting to see who gains the upper hand? …Or are they hoping to draw us into a trap when we come to Dukemon's aid?"
"We cannot leave Dukemon," Omegamon protested.
"And we will not," Duftmon responded clearly. "However… he is not yet in such dire peril that we must intervene on his behalf and risk ceding the initiative to the enemy. Hopefully, he will come to his senses and return to us before then."
"Duftmon-" Alphamon began to interject.
"Whatever happened between Dukemon and the two of you, surely his judgement isn't so clouded that he would be foolish enough to fight beyond the limits of common sense…" Duftmon stated, leering at Alphamon and Omegamon. "…Would he?"
Alphamon's brows furrowed, and he was about to respond, but before he could, a yellow figure swooped in from behind them.
"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, Sirs," a high, androgynous voice spoke. "I am here with an urgent report."
Alphamon, Duftmon, and the other Royal Knights all turned to see Sparrowmon floating nearby. The scout from the Recon Forces floated closer nervously. However, they saluted professionally despite the concerned look that was clear on their face.
"Yes, Sparrowmon?" Alphamon acknowledged. "What is your report?"
"Erm, yes, Sir," they apprehensively said. "I was just patrolling the perimeter of our left flank. As I was doing so… I spotted a serious, potential threat beyond the foothills that stand due west of the battlefield."
"Uh… Yeah… I think I see what Sparrowmon's talking about…" Dynasmon stated, looking away and far off to the left.
A couple kilometers away was a series of foothills standing between 5 and 10 meters high. Previously, the hills were an inconsequential part of the landscape, serving only as obstacles to the western flank of the two armies. They had been nothing out of the ordinary.
Now, however, there was a gigantic, red reptile towering from behind them. The gigantic form was perched with the front of his body on top of the foremost hill, looming over the landscape.
The blazing sun hung directly behind him, his bestial body a black silhouette obscured against the blood red sunset. He watched ominously from his perch, and a dark grin formed on his fearsome face…
It was Leviamon.
"What…?" Alphamon spoke, his eyes widening as he set his eyes on the Demon Lord of Envy. "Leviamon?"
"What is he doing here?" Duftmon demanded. "How is it that we have only just noticed him?"
"I-I don't know, Sir," Sparrowmon anxiously explained. "Until just a minute ago, he had been obscured by the hills, but, from an aerial view, our patrols surely would have spotted him… He must have swam up the Primal River from the west and hid beneath the water until he recently emerged."
"Has… he come here to help us or attack us?" Jesmon asked.
"Given the way he and Dukemon left things… it would be wise to assume the latter," Alphamon responded, his surprised expression becoming a dire glower.
"This is a tactical disaster," Duftmon spoke, kneading his temples with irritation. "As it is now, our left flank is completely exposed to that lizard. We are going to have to move Royal Knights to the left flank to deal with him before he attacks us."
"There's not enough time!" UlforceVeedramon suddenly exclaimed with a scowl. "He's getting ready to attack!"
The Royal Knights watched as Leviamon tilted his massive snout back. He opened his jaws wide, and seemed to be building up a massive amount of dark energy within his gigantic maw.
Duftmon's features hardened, and he immediately spun to the others with urgency. "Craniamon! Move to the left flank to intercept! Post-haste!" he swiftly commanded.
"Wait!" UlforceVeedramon exclaimed. "He's not aiming at us… In fact, he's not even looking at us…"
The Royal Knights looked closely, cautiously gauging Leviamon's actions, ready to act in an instant.
It was true, Leviamon wasn't pointed towards their army. However, he wasn't looking at the Demon Lords' army either. Instead, he seemed to be fixated on the center of the battlefield…
"He's looking at…"
Omegamon turned his head towards the middle of the field, where he spotted Dukemon and Grani attempting to break past Beelzebumon.
The horrible realisation set in… and his blood froze.
"Dukemon!" he cried out.
Without another word, Omegamon took off. He broke away from the group and began soaring out into the battlefield, desperate to reach Dukemon.
"Omegamon, wait!" Alphamon called out after him.
Duftmon's eye twitched. "Do not— UlforceVeedramon! Go after him and stop him!" he commanded. "And make sure to warn Dukemon and Grani of the threat!"
"Got it!" UlforceVeedramon exclaimed, taking off after Omegamon in a blur of azure.
Duftmon turned to Examon decisively. "Examon, gain altitude and provide them with a covering bombardment!"
"Understood," Examon replied, flapping his wings and taking to the skies without question.
The tactician spun around and gazed out across the field at Dukemon and Grani, who were right in the line of fire. As he watched, his grip tightened around his rapier.
"Dukemon…"
"Dukemon."
Dukemon ducked and held his shield in front of Grani as a volley of bullets descended on them. The Aegis erupted with metal fragments and sparks as the shotgun shells tore against its surface.
"Ngh, I know, Grani," Dukemon stated, wincing as his arm strained from the attack. "I just—"
"Where do you think you're goin', Dukey?!" Beelzebumon called out to him over the roar of bullets and engine noises. The Demon Lord of Gluttony fired off another shot before swinging around in front of Dukemon so that he could circle back around again.
Beelzebumon sneered over his shoulder, glaring at Dukemon with a competitive and intense leer. "You better not be scampering back to your friends with your tail in between your legs! You think I'm gonna let ya vamoose after I finally got a chance like this?! Only way I'm gonna let that happen is over my disintegrating body, got it?! It's you and me, Dukey! See, we're gonna be besties, I just know it! You just gotta open yer mind to the idea! Or maybe I'll open it for ya, hahaha!"
Dukemon grimaced as Beelzebumon curved around in front of their path. It was clear to him that Beelzebumon was circling around for another pass at them. He was sure that Beelzebumon was going to harass them and cut them off at every turn.
"Sorry, Grani. I don't think he's going to let us leave quietly. Maybe we can lose him if we ascend?" he suggested.
"Outlook: negative," Grani answered. "I am having trouble gaining altitude with my injuries. The damage to my wing is affecting my vertical climb; I can only pitch upwards at a gradual angle."
"It's still our best option," Dukemon reasoned, doing his best to think of a way out of this mess.
The red and silver knight looked ahead, out across the field, back towards the Royal Knights' lines. To his surprise, he could see Omegamon racing out across the field, with UlforceVeedramon quickly gaining on him. "What are they doing…?"
"I believe that we have larger problems now, Dukemon…" Grani stated. Despite his calm voice, a deep frown formed on his face. "Reprioritizing threat analysis."
"What?" Dukemon asked with confusion. "What do you mean?"
It was then he noticed something odd. While keeping one eye on the circling Beelzebumon, he focused on the two distant Royal Knights who were heading in his direction.
UlforceVeedramon came up behind Omegamon and grabbed him from behind, seeming to stop him from coming any closer. Dukemon frowned with confusion, watching as the two knights seemed to talk animatedly. Then suddenly, they both waved at Dukemon and turned, each one firing off a beam to their left. Confused by their strange actions, Dukemon looked to the right, following the two beams paths, which initially seemed to be aimed at empty space.
It was then that he saw.
Over to his right, standing on top of the western foothills, was a Digimon who he had hoped he would never have to see again. It was a Digimon who struck cold fear and burning anger into his heart. A Digimon whose very presence caused his heart and stomach to twist sickeningly.
The red, demonic crocodile stood against the crimson sunset, his dangerous grin fixed right on them…
"Leviamon…" Dukemon whispered, his voice a fearful breath.
"I apologise, Dukemon. I only just noticed him. I was too preoccupied with Beelzebumon that I failed to spot him," Grani explained. "Our situation has become critical."
Dukemon's aching hands tightened around the hilts of the Gram and Aegis. He stood up straight, staring across the field towards the western end of the battlefield.
Leviamon stood on top of the foremost hill, his massive frame dominating the western horizon. Even from two kilometers away, the Demon Lord was large enough that Dukemon could see the mocking smile plastered across his reptilian face. His gargantuan body nearly blotted out the deep red sunset behind him.
As Dukemon watched the Demon Lord of Envy, he noticed that Leviamon was not merely standing idle. The massive crocodile had his snout pulled up, his cavernous jaws wide open.
It was then that he realized why. He could see black energy forming inside Leviamon's maw. The dark, nebulous mass of crackling power developed and swelled within his throat, black vapor frothing from the corners of his mouth.
Leviamon was getting ready to attack.
"Grani!" Dukemon shouted, his eyes wide with alarm.
"Affirmative. I know," Grani stated, his attention now entirely on Leviamon.
"…Rostrum…!" There was a slight delay to his resonant shout; Leviamon's roar was like distant thunder. The moment the booming voice reached them, the attack already began pouring from Leviamon's mouth.
A massive torrent of dark, abyssal energy coursed from Leviamon's maw and started surging across the field. The roaring beam that erupted from Leviamon's mouth was nearly as big as his enormous body. It swelled outwards like a maelstrom, howling as it rolled horizontally across the landscape.
Grani's sapphire eyes hardened, watching as the beam hurdled towards them like a tidal wave. It was clear that they were Leviamon's intended target, and they were about to fly directly into the beam's expected path. "Dukemon, we are entering the blast's field of fire. The estimated time of impact is ten seconds. Enacting urgent evasive manoeuvres. Hold on!"
Grani pulled up as hard and fast as his damaged body would allow. He climbed at a forty five degree angle, knowing that the only way to avoid the beam was to clear it. Grani put all of his strength and momentum into ascending. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the beam hurdling towards them in a torrent of destruction.
Six seconds… five… He had to climb. Faster. Higher.
"Shit!" Beelzebumon exclaimed, seeing the wave of obliterating energy hurdling directly into his path. He wrenched the Behemoth to the side and pulled hard on the breaks, coming to a hard stop.
The beam ripped across the ground about twenty meters in front of him, the massive wall of demonic power dwarfing him in size. He had to hold on tightly to the Behemoth to keep from getting swept away by the mere residual suction of the blast.
The deafening roar of the abyssal beam grew louder and louder. It was nearly upon them. It was so loud that Grani couldn't even hear his own voice calling out to Dukemon to hold on. Grani could see the torrent of black and violet closing in. He could feel its pressure. He kept ascending… ascending… Just a little more…
The massive beam tore across the ground beneath them. They just barely cleared it. Grani could feel the crushing pressure straining against his lower body. He continued flying, fighting against the turbulent pressure that threatened to suck them in.
He felt Dukemon clutching his neck tightly to keep from falling off. The auxiliary pressure kept tearing against his strained, crimson body, and the tip of his metal tail began to bend and crack underneath the beam's sustained power.
Grani finally broke clear of the sucking resistance and flew higher into the sky. The voluminous beam that Leviamon fired from his throat passed its peak and began to diminish. The black energy gradually thinned out, leaving only scars of destruction in its wake.
A huge, smouldering trench - kilometers long and twenty five meters deep - was burned across the length of the field. The massive gully split the battlefield straight down the middle. The grass and earth had been completely vaporized, and all that remained were smoking rocks that lined the inside of the trench.
Beelzebumon opened his eyes and looked over at the field. Instead of the flat, driveable grassland that he had been able to freely manoeuvre over, he now saw an earthy gulch carved across the width of the field, making his ability to drive around much harder. His stunned and confused expression morphed into an annoyed scowl as he set his eyes on the distant Leviamon.
"Levi?! What the hell?! You nearly hit me too, you big, fat chowder-head!" Beelzebumon shouted at him. "Who da fuck said you could stick your great, big snout into our business, Fluffy?! Me and Dukemon are in the middle of something! Stay the fuck out of it!"
Meanwhile, Grani curved in the air at a very wide axis, inspecting the carnage below. They had just narrowly avoided being swept up in the devastating attack. "…We made it somehow. Are you alright, Dukemon?" he asked, glancing back at his passenger.
"I'm fine, somehow…" Dukemon answered, frowning as he stood back up on Grani's back. "What about you?" he asked as he glanced over his shoulder to eye the distant Leviamon.
"Minimal damage sustained," Grani responded, tactically underplaying the damage he sustained to his tail. "However, my operations remain the same as before, which is why we should retreat to—"
"Grani! He's charging!" Dukemon exclaimed.
"What?" Grani spoke, looking behind him with alarm.
Leviamon bolted down the hill and started dashing across the battlefield on the Demon Lords' side of the trench. His colossal body moved swiftly. He was able to clear much ground in little time thanks to his size and his rapid bursts of crocodilian speed. The ground thundered with his rapid, heavy footsteps, causing loose earth to cave into the nearby gully.
There was a wild, bestial smile plastered across his toothy snout, matching the vicious look in his eyes. His jagged claws sunk into the grass with every step, multi-coloured smoke puffed from his flaring nostrils, as his fearsome teeth shimmered in the dim, afternoon light.
"Hahaha!" Leviamon boomed, his sharp, reptilian eyes locking onto Dukemon and Grani. "Surprised to see me, Dukemon?! I bet you thought you'd never have to see me again! Sorry to disappoint you! I don't disappear that easily!"
Dukemon glowered and turned on Grani's back. "Leviamon!" he shouted, a mixture of fear and anger in his eyes as he watched Leviamon making haste across the battlefield. The Demon Lord had already passed half a kilometer in a matter of seconds. He would soon be close enough that he could easily attack them again.
Leviamon raced across the grassland, black energy leaking from the corners of his mouth as his eyes fixated on Dukemon and Grani. He ignored everything else: the Demon Lords, the Royal Knights… it was only them he was after.
"Dukemon…!" Leviamon shouted. His eyes narrowed into withering slits, imparting a dark malevolence and resentment that bordered on vile hatred. "…I told you… I'm gonna make you pay! You… and your stupid, little, toy bird!"
Dukemon scowled, gripping the Aegis tighter as he watched Leviamon dashing towards them. "Grani!"
"We must gain altitude!" Grani exclaimed, knowing that they couldn't fight two Demon Lords at once. They couldn't even fight one as it was.
At this point, Grani had only one priority: Dukemon's safety. He had to try and shake them off and return to the Royal Knights.
Grani pulled up hard, wincing as he strained his damaged body to cooperate with his intended movements. His perforated right wing resisted, preventing him from turning like he needed to, but he was at least able to climb higher in the sky. He knew that his body wasn't working the way he required it to. The situation was extremely unfavorable. He had to think of alternatives.
Dukemon got to a kneel, hooking his shield to hang onto Grani as the Zero ARMS ascended more steeply. "Grani, what are you doing?" he asked, the panic clear in his voice.
Grani calmly glanced back at him. "Request: Leave the piloting to me, Dukemon. I require you to watch Leviamon and alert me when he is about to attack," he asked the crimson knight.
"R-Right," Dukemon agreed, keeping steady enough that he could look behind them.
He saw Leviamon quickly gaining ground. The gigantic Devil Beast raced over to what was left of the area where he and Beelzebumon had been fighting.
Leviamon came to a stop beside the smouldering trench and wrenched his head upwards, locking his raging eyes with Dukemon. Dukemon felt a cold shiver down his spine when he saw the overwhelming malice in his eyes.
"He's almost directly below us. About 160 degrees downwards, northwest-by-west. He's looking straight at us," Dukemon informed Grani.
"Affirmative," Grani acknowledged, turning his body with great difficulty to the right. He was only able to turn a few degrees at a time, not enough to drastically alter his course. Still, he pressed forwards, continuing to get as much height as he could. He tried to put as much space between Leviamon and Dukemon as possible.
"Heh…" Leviamon chuckled darkly, watching from the ground as Grani flew higher into the sky away from him. "Trying to get away, are ya? Let's see how far you get, bird…"
Leviamon's eyes glowed and black tendrils of power began to leak out of the corners of his mouth. His throat swelled as infernal energy gathered inside his maw. The caliginous void crackled and hissed between his jaws, the evil, ruinous power growing larger and larger, frothing in his mouth.
"He's about to attack, Grani!" Dukemon informed him, watching Leviamon vigilantly.
"Tell me the exact moment that he does," he replied. Grani narrowed his eyes and pushed harder, soaring higher, pushing himself as fast as his body would allow. He pushed himself past his limits. Every second counted.
Leviamon snarled balefully, raising his long snout and aiming carefully at Dukemon and Grani. The black energy within his mouth swelled past his teeth as it reached its brim.
"I'll show you what happens when you cross me…" Leviamon thundered beneath the roaring energy in his throat. "ANIMA!"
"He's firing!"
A beam of darkness coursed from Leviamon's mouth, flowing out like a Stygian river from the depths of Hell. The torrent of pure black tore diagonally into the sky, expanding the moment it left Leviamon's maw.
Grani glanced over his shoulder. He could see the black beam hurdling towards them.
It ascended after them… faster… faster… He calculated its trajectory and compared it with his own height and speed. He processed the millisecond calculations in his head, all while watching as the infernal torrent of void coursed after them. The timing had to be perfect.
He pitched forwards as hard and as far as he could, stopping his ascent and curving into a soft descent. He wasn't able to pitch forwards anymore. He wasn't able to curve sharply enough to avoid the beam. Grani knew he only had enough strength for one, sharp movement, but it wouldn't be enough to clear the attack. Grani knew that there was only one thing he could do to achieve his objective…
Grani knew what he needed to do.
Zero-ARMS: Grani watched as the torrent of raging darkness gained on them from behind. It surged closer… quickly gaining on them. His sapphire eyes were placid with calm acceptance as the darkness closed in on them.
"Dukemon?" he spoke, looking back at the Royal Knight who stood on his back.
"Y-Yeah…?" Dukemon asked, grimacing as he watched the torrent quickly gaining on them, the roar of the raging power growing ever louder.
Grani allowed himself for no more than a few seconds. He took in the sight of Dukemon on his back, and recalled the familiar sensation of his weight… That was enough for him.
"…I am sorry."
Dukemon frowned with confusion. Before he could look forward or even open his mouth, he felt his footing give way. "W-?!"
Using all of his strength, Grani pushed past the limitations of his body and rolled sharply to the right. Without warning, he flipped completely upside down, the sharp and sudden movement forcing Dukemon to fall from his back.
Then, the exact moment that he felt Dukemon's weight leave him, Grani rapidly spun his body around. He slammed the side of his wing hard into Dukemon's body, bashing him downwards, clear out of the way of the beam.
Dukemon shouted with surprise and alarm as he was thrown from Grani and spiked towards the ground. With bewildered eyes, he looked up and watched Grani in the sky above him. He desperately lashed his hand out, reaching for Grani, who grew further and further out of reach…
Then, the beam closed in.
Dukemon could only watch helplessly as the torrent of darkness caught up to Grani. He looked on with absolute horror and he cried out in desperation.
The beam slammed into Grani's body, straining against him and enveloping him in its folds.
"Grani!" Dukemon yelled, moments before his armoured body impacted the ground and he skidded along the grass.
As he stirred, bruised and broken on the ground, he watched the raging, black stream ripping across the dark orange sky. Amidst the blur of the concussion, Dukemon gazed up with fear and despair, desperately looking for his friend.
Then, he saw a figure break out of the depths of the torrent's crushing folds. Grani burst out of the darkness, tendrils of black energy and trickles of data streaming from deep cracks in his metal body. He was plummeting towards the ground in a tailspin.
"G…Grani!" Dukemon exclaimed, plunging his lance into the ground to attempt to force his aching body to stand up.
Grani spun towards the ground, nearly out of control. His armoured body and wings were badly cracked, and fragments of metal fell from his form.
However, before he could hit the ground, Grani suddenly pulled upwards sharply. With determination in his tightened eyes, Grani soared unevenly through the sky towards Leviamon, drawing the Demon Lord's attention before he could focus on Dukemon. Grani raced towards Leviamon as fast as his broken body would allow.
"Tch," Leviamon scoffed, scowling as he saw the Zero-ARMS still flying. "Stubborn, little pest…" he snarled, bursting into a run. "I'll break you!"
Grani saw Leviamon charging towards him. He knew the spiteful Demon Lord wouldn't be able to resist. He was prepared. Grani soared defiantly, opening his beak and gathering his last reserves of energy within his mouth.
"Declaration: I will not…"
Grani tore towards Leviamon, his sapphire eyes burning with passion.
"…allow you…"
His beak shone with deep, azure energy.
"…to hurt…"
He veered to the left of Leviamon's opening snout.
"…my friend!"
Grani unleashed a massive beam of light from his mouth. The surge of light tore across the side of Leviamon's face, burning down the length of Leviamon's snout and searing his cheek.
"Grrraaaah!" Leviamon roared with pain and fury as the holy light seared the side of his face. "You annoying, toy bird! Stay out of my way! Rostrum!"
Leviamon bolted after him and snapped his massive jaws shut. In an instant, his teeth descended, and his jaws snapped down on Grani, catching him in the powerful vice. Grani's armoured body was no match for the immense power of Leviamon's jaws. The metal broke and split, and Leviamon's teeth plunged into his body.
Dukemon's heart and body froze the moment he watched Leviamon's jaws snap shut around Grani. In that briefest of moments, it was like he was watching in slow motion. It happened so fast, yet in that mere second, the last vestiges of his world fell apart.
Leviamon wrenched his head powerfully to the side, releasing Grani and throwing him across the field. Grani's body impacted the ground on the opposite side of the trench. He hit the grass, tumbling violently across the field before skidding on his back.
Dukemon uttered a shaky breath as he watched Grani skid to a stop along the grass, not far from where he was standing. Despite the cold chill in his blood, the racing of his heart, and the crushing tightness in his chest, Dukemon was already running towards him.
"…Grani?! Grani! GRANI!" he yelled, his voice breaking as he took off towards him in a mad sprint. Dukemon threw the Gram and Aegis aside, encumbered by their weight. He didn't care what he had to do. He had to get to Grani.
Leviamon chuckled darkly as he watched the broken Zero-ARMS lying still in the grass. "Heh heh… Not so smart now, are ya? I told you I'd make you regret getting in my way," he coldly taunted.
Then, he locked his resentful eyes on Dukemon, who was desperately scrambling to get to Grani. "Appetizer done… Now for the main course," he spoke. "I told you I'd make you pay, Dukemon."
However, before Leviamon could take a step towards the gully, a gunshot rang out. A metal slug hit Leviamon between the eyes, but due to the angle and his thick, outer scales, ricocheted off and caused only surface-level cut to form.
"GRAH! What the hell?!" Leviamon demanded, looking towards the source as blood leaked down his forehead.
On the opposite side of the trench, he saw Beelzebumon standing there, aiming his shotguns at him with a withering scowl on his demonic face.
"Levi, you fucking bastard…!" Beelzebumon snarled dangerously. "You ruined everything!"
"Wha-?!" Before Leviamon could even retort, a laser descended on him, grazing his side and searing his thick scales. "GAH!" he hollered, recoiling with pain.
Leviamon looked up to the sky. Five more beams came raining down from the clouds in swift succession. The first one hit the base of his tail, while the next one slammed into the reinforced bridge of his snout.
"Grah!" Leviamon winced as he was bombarded by lasers. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" he swore with frustration.
After shooting Dukemon a glare, he took off in a sprint, dashing back towards the safety of Demon Lords' lines. "Tch…" he grunted, sprinting as fast as possible, doing his best to evade the lasers licking at his tails.
As he fled towards the others, the Demon Lord of Envy glanced over his shoulder.
"Dukemon… I told you I'd make sure you'd end up alone."
"Grani?! Grani!"
Dukemon staggered and sprinted across the battle-torn field.
Ahead of him, he saw the crimson body of Grani lying motionless in the grass, basked in the deep amber light of the sunset.
He didn't stop. He refused to. He ran as fast as he could. He pushed past the pain in his aching body, solely fixated on reaching his friend. For as much as his arms and legs stung with pain, the fear and anguish he felt in his heart was so much worse.
Dukemon ran over to him, going closer and closer. He sucked in oxygen as he ran, his throat dry and increasingly tight. He was almost there…
Then, when he was just a few meters away, he was able to see just how bad the damage really was…
Grani's wings were fractured, his right wing was nearly shattered. Deep fissures ran throughout his metal body. Dozens of deep holes perforated Grani's underbelly and back, exacerbating the existing fractures. It was immediately clear that the wounds ran deep, far past his armoured exterior and into his inner vitals.
"Grani?! Grani?! Talk to me!" Dukemon cried out, his grimacing eyes starting to well up as he looked at his friend's grievously wounded body.
Dukemon collapsed to his knees next to Grani's head. He carefully put his arms underneath Grani's neck and moved his head, cradling it in his lap. "Grani… Please, Grani… You're going to be okay…" he tried to assure him, though mostly he tried to assure himself.
Grani's eyes cracked open weakly, the sapphire optics contrasting with the orange glow of light against his metal form. He released an uneven breath and slowly looked up at Dukemon. "Ah… Dukemon…" he spoke, his voice faint. "I am… afraid not…"
Dukemon's desperate eyes met with Grani's. "What? No, you are! I'm going to get you some help!" he passionately insisted.
Grani, knowing the futility in his words, simply shook his head. "…My system functions are critical and deteriorating… My vital systems – my digicore – have been severely damaged…" he calmly and logically explained. He pulled his gaze from Dukemon and glanced down at his cracked and broken body. "I am sorry… but it has already begun…"
Dukemon glanced down at Grani's extensive wounds. To his absolute horror, he saw that white data particles were already leaking from the cracks and holes in Grani's body. His wide, terrified eyes tightened into a broken grimace. "No… No…" he whispered, tears of realization filling his eyes.
"NO!" Dukemon cried out, choking back a sob. He gazed down at Grani with anguish and anger. "Why, Grani?! Why did you do that?! Why did you take that attack for me?!" he tearfully yelled at him, though gently placing his hands on his wounded body.
Grani looked up at Dukemon with a tender yet honest stare. "…Because I am your Zero ARMS," he simply explained. "I am supposed… to serve you."
"Not to this extent!" Dukemon exclaimed with sorrow and frustration, futilely attempting to staunch the flow of data from his words. Though, no matter how hard he tried, he could not possibly cover all of the leaks, nor could he stop the data particles from flowing around his fingers. "I… I didn't want you to do this for me! I never wanted this! If anything…!"
Dukemon shut his eyes tightly, bowing his head forwards as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Grani, I… I'm so sorry… This is all my fault… This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't rushed out on my own… You never would have come with me… and gotten hurt… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
Grani frowned gently as he saw the tears in Dukemon's eyes. "No, Dukemon… I am sorry… I misspoke before," he weakly explained. "Correction: …I did not do what I did because it was my duty as a Zero ARMS… I ran all the variable calculations, and, for me, there was no other viable alternative... In that moment, I threw you from my back because I wanted to protect you…"
Grani gazed up at his friend meaningfully. "I did not do it because it was my objective as your Zero ARMS… but because I would have been upset if you had gotten hurt…" he explained. "…In that moment… I was being selfish…" Grani weakly shook his head, a serene yet meaningful look in his eyes as he imparted his true intentions to his friend. "You did not force me to come with you, Dukemon… I made that choice myself… I chose to protect you. I was able to make those choices based on what is in my heart… I wanted to make sure you were safe… I was worried…"
Dukemon's hands, unable to stop the flow of data, slowly lifted. His white gauntlets travelled up Grani's chest, and they gently cupped the sides of Grani's head in his lap. "Grani…" he softly choked as tears ran down his face.
Grani let out a soft, ironic chuckle. "Hah… How faulty of a program am I…?" he wondered. "For a Zero ARMS to choose to be selfish when its only purpose is to serve the whims of its owner… I must be defective… How amusing…"
Through his tears, Dukemon forced a smile onto his face and he softly shook his head. "No… You're not just my Zero ARMS… You're… so much more to me than that… You're my best friend…"
Grani weakly raised his head and smiled up at Dukemon. "The feeling is mutual… Dukemon…" he tenderly assured him. "Just as I am more than my designation… you are so much more than that program that is inside of you… Your love… your sincerity… your compassion… your loyalty… You have so many wonderful qualities that make you who you are…"
Grani gently nuzzled Dukemon's hand that cupped against his cheek. "I may have been created to serve you… but you have made my existence so much greater because of it…" he affectionately explained. "All those sunrises that we have watched together… Thanks to you… I have experienced so much… I have learned so much about this world… about other Digimon… and about myself."
With calm, yet glossy eyes, Grani gazed up at his companion, imparting a sombre sense of finality. "Dukemon… I am very fortunate to have been your Zero ARMS… and even more fortunate to have been your friend…"
"Grani…" Dukemon spoke, unable hold back his tears and sobs. "Please… don't leave me… I… I need you. I don't have anything left… Without you… I'll be all alone again…"
"You are much stronger than you think you are, Dukemon…" Grani pushed his cheek into Dukemon's hand, slowly closing his eyes. "You will never be alone, Dukemon… You have your friends… And I… I will be with you forever…"
Dukemon gently stroked Grani's head, his tears falling through his visor as he gazed down at his friend one last time.
"I love you, Grani…"
Grani smiled and there was a soft shimmer in the corner of his eye.
"Acknowledged… and reciprocated…"
And with those soft, loving words… Zero ARMS: Grani faded into data.
Dukemon's eyes tearful eyes widened with sorrow as Grani's body broke apart into millions of glimmering data particles. The weight against his lap became lighter, and soon, the last traces of Grani's crimson form was gone.
Dukemon watched helplessly as Grani's data flowed against his body, sparkling amidst the deep, orange light of the sunset. He attempted to hold the intangible particles tighter in his arms, but they slipped past his grasp. Within the cloud of data, Dukemon curled forwards, tighter, as his body quivered and tears fell from his helmet.
Then, he reared back, and his heartrending wail pierced the empty sky…
The Royal Knights stood in complete silence.
All eleven of the present knights watched with stunned disbelief and grief as Grani died in Dukemon's arms. Nobody knew what to say. The somber silence swept across not only the Royal Knights, but the Order's military. Apart from several stifled sobs, the only noise that could be heard was Dukemon's anguished scream in the distance, cutting through the air.
"No… It cannot be…" Alphamon whispered, a grave grimace on his face. "We… should have intervened sooner…"
"Grani…" Magnamon sorrowfully spoke as tears formed in the corners of his eyes.
"Grani… Dukemon…" Dynasmon snarled, shutting his eyes tightly as his fists quivered.
"Damn it!" Gankoomon shouted, punching the palm of his hand and gritting his teeth with frustration.
The rest of the Royal Knights all had similar reactions, cringing with sadness and frustration, silent with forlorn shock, or trembling with rage.
Grani's death had not only hit them hard, but the whole army as well. The Strike Forces and Defence Forces were all stunned to silence, and it was as if a bomb had detonated in their ranks that sapped the vigor out of them. And that was to say nothing of the Reconnaissance Forces, who watched with disbelief as their Captain had just been killed in front of them. The Leftenants were stunned and left reeling, while many of the scouts were fighting back tears.
For half a minute, nobody did anything. Everyone just stood in disbelief and mourning…
Then, the sharp 'shink' of metal drew Alphamon's attention.
Duftmon sheathed his sword in his sash and began walking away from the group, out towards the field.
Alphamon looked over at the feline tactician with confusion. "…Duftmon?" he asked.
Duftmon strode forwards with determination, stopping only to cast a look over his shoulder at the leader of the knights. "Alphamon?" he addressed him. "…Prepare for a tactical withdrawal."
Alphamon stared at the tactician with surprise, not expecting to hear those words out of his mouth. "A withdrawal, Duftmon?" Alphamon questioned, frowning uncertainly. "I… understand why, but if we retreat from this line of defence, the Demon Lords will sweep southwards into the Neutral Zone. Are you certain…?"
Duftmon looked forwards. "I need you to trust me, Alphamon. I will make certain that the Demon Lords will not be able to press southwards in our wake," he stated, his voice rigid with resolve. "Send a messenger to General Tactimon and tell him of the withdrawal order. Tell him we are strengthening the flanks. Right now, the Demon Lords are as disadvantaged as we are, but I will see to it that they are worse off. That is the only way that I can hope to…" He trailed off, his shoulders hardening. "…Please. Allow me to do this."
"…I trust you. You are our strategist," Alphamon agreed. "I will send word at once…"
Duftmon nodded before leaning forwards. "Mode Change," he spoke, glowing with holy light for a few moments as his bipedal body transformed into his more agile Leopard Mode.
Duftmon: Leopard Mode landed on all fours and then looked over his shoulder at the other Royal Knights. "I shall bring UlforceVeedramon with me," he stated.
"Good luck, Duftmon," Alphamon told him with a worried frown. "And be careful."
"Hmph… Who do you think you are talking to?" Duftmon: Leopard Mode answered, his gaze hard as he bent his legs and extended his wings.
Duftmon then looked forwards, his eyes landing on the distant shape of Dukemon, who was vulnerable and on his knees.
"I will bring him back…" he whispered under his breath.
Without another word, Duftmon took off, kicking up dirt behind his paws as he dashed forwards. He refused to allow this tragedy to get any worse. He would salvage whatever he could.
He had to… so that Grani's sacrifice would not be in vain.
Leviamon dashed across the field, zigzagging in an attempt to dodge the intermittent barrage of lasers that descended from the clouds. He snarled as a laser grazed his flank and slammed into the ground beside him, the explosion rocking him to the side.
The Devil Beast ran towards the Demon Lords' frontlines, hoping to find solace there. He knew that the others would likely have a lot of questions as to why he suddenly disappeared and what he's been doing this whole time, but he was confident he could now convince them that everything he's been doing has been in their best interests.
Examon's laser barrage began to let up now that Leviamon was nearing the Demon Lords' lines, far away from the center of the battlefield where Dukemon was located. With this reprieve, Leviamon began to slow down and catch his breath, thinking himself in the clear.
Although panting with exertion, Leviamon came to a gradual walk as he approached the Demon Lords' frontlines. Now close enough to get a good look at them, he set his eyes on the center of the army, where he saw the Demon Lords gathered. He could see Lucemon, Demon, Barbamon, Lucemon, Belphemon, and Bagramon all standing together at the front, watching the action unfold. He quietly hoped that they saw him attack Dukemon and kill Grani.
"Hahah! Hey, guys!" he boomed, putting on a huge grin that exuded confidence. "Did you see that?! I got one of 'em for you!"
Lucemon stood completely still, his arms folded across his chest. Rather than smile, he simply stared at Leviamon with icy, blue eyes. He said nothing. He didn't acknowledge his words. He merely stared…
The corner of Leviamon's smiling mouth twitched. He wasn't exactly expecting the red carpet treatment from Lucemon, but his lack of a response didn't exactly inspire confidence. He glanced at the other Demon Lords to try and gauge their reactions, hoping they were more favourable.
Belphemon, the first time he saw him in his Rage Mode since they escaped, merely gazed at him with indifference and apathy. Lilithmon stood with her hands on her hips, beholding him with aloof contempt. Demon was glaring daggers at him with what appeared to be barely-contained fury behind his hood. Barbamon seemed to be practically foaming at the mouth with frustration. Even Bagramon seemed less than pleased with him. It was clear that the temperature of the Demon Lords was frosty at best.
Even so, Leviamon persisted. If he could convince them, he would be in the clear. He could begin to salvage the unfavourable position that he found himself in.
He took another step forwards, widening his casual grin. "Damn, Belphemon. You finally woke up, huh?" He greeted before looking at the others. "I bet you've all been wondering where I've—"
Not even letting him finish, Lucemon raised his arm and snapped his fingers. "Demon?" he boredly spoke.
"With pleasure," Demon lowly hissed, raising his clawed hands. "Flame Inferno!"
Twin beams of hellfire coursed from Demon's palms, surging towards the nonplussed Leviamon. "Huh?" was all Leviamon had time to say before the infernal beams closed in on him.
The two beams slammed into the ground directly in front of Leviamon, exploding in a blast of earth and fire. Leviamon shouted out as the flames licked the tip of his snout and he staggered backwards in shock.
"Gah! What the hell are you doing?!" Leviamon demanded, gaping with shock and indignation as the flames faded and chunks of dirt landed all around him. "I'm on your side, you idiots!"
Lucemon scoffed, smiled, and shook his head dismissively. "Oh, poor, dear Leviamon… You are not half as clever as you think you are!" he called out to the Demon Lord of Envy. "Please, do not insult my intelligence. I know what you have been up to, and I know what you are doing."
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Leviamon incredulously snarled.
"Silence," Demon sharply condemned him. "We know you tried to take Dark Point from me the moment my back was turned. We also know that you have been attempting to collude with the Royal Knights. Bagramon saw you."
Leviamon's eyes widened, and then he scowled bitterly. "What?! You mean that?!" he exclaimed, swiftly changing tact from denial to explanation. "I was just making sure that the mayor of Dark Point wouldn't try anything the moment your back was turned! And as for the Royal Knights—"
"Never mind that!" Barbamon sharply interrupted. "Leviamon, you fish-brained ignoramus! What in the blazes of hell did you do to my battlefield?!" he demanded, pointing his staff at the massive trench that Leviamon had created with his attack, directly across the field that their army was supposed to advance across. "You just made my job ten times harder!"
"—as for the Royal Knights!" Leviamon continued. "I was just faking that I abandoned you guys to get close to the Royal Knights! I was pretending I was mad at you to build trust with them, so I could find out their plans! Then, when they were least expecting it, I was planning to betray them and attack them! I was gonna kill Dukemon at the very least before I came back here! And look – I attacked them and I took down that stupid Zero ARMS of his!"
Lucemon did nothing more than sigh. "Even if that were true, you made a mess of that just like you make a mess of everything. The most you were able to achieve was destroying one of their knight's vehicles." Lucemon leered directly into Leviamon's eyes, showing him exactly what he thought of him. "…But no, Leviamon, that is not what you were doing."
The Demon Lord of Pride shook his head with unequivocal condescension. "No… You, in a fit of petty spite, slinked off in the middle of night with the explicit aims of betraying us," he unambiguously explained. "Like the coward that you are, you waited until Demon was gone to take control of Dark Point. Realizing you were too weak on your own, you decided to seek an alliance with the Royal Knights, as you just now admitted to, confirming our suspicions. No doubt you sold them valuable information about us in order to gain their trust… Yet, those pagan pawns clearly had enough sense to realise that you couldn't be trusted, and rightfully spurned you."
Lucemon beheld Leviamon with what could only be described as withering contempt. "…Now, after attempting to play both sides, you have come crawling back here with some nonsensical explanation, hoping to worm yourself back into our good graces," he accused him. "You haven't changed, Leviamon. It is the same, pathetic story again and again. After all your duplicity in the Dark Area wars, your treachery has become as predictable as your excuses."
Lucemon raised his hand, signalling to the commanders of the Nightmare Soldiers. "You cannot be trusted. You are not needed here," he took quiet pleasure in informing him. "The Royal Knights will not have you now, and neither will we."
Leviamon's eyes widened with outrage. "LUCEMON, YOU—"
"Begone," Lucemon spoke. "Fire."
Demon was the first to fire a beam at Leviamon. Count Murmuxmon, amongst other leaders of the legions of Nightmare Soldiers, started launching attacks at him as well.
Explosions erupted around Leviamon's body in pillars of flame. Leviamon let out a roar of surprise as the flame burnt at his scales. Snarling with rage, he spewed a torrent of water from his mouth to douse the flames.
Then, as even more attacks came raining down on him, Leviamon panicked and spun around. He started dashing across the field, not towards the Royal Knights, but back the way he came. Explosions tore into the ground around him, so he continued sprinting as fast as he could.
As Demon and the commanders continued launching attacks at Leviamon, Bagramon frowned and walked up beside Lucemon.
"Is this wise, Lucemon?" he asked him. "We could have used him."
Lucemon's brows furrowed ever-so-slightly and he cast a sideways glance in Bagramon's direction. "Do not be so naïve, Bagramon," he told him. "He has already turned on us once thanks to your belief in him. Surely you now understand that I was right all along. You cannot truly trust the words of a traitor…"
Bagramon frowned. "…Perhaps, but he is desperate," he suggested.
Lucemon let out an airy scoff and looked forwards. "…Do not question me, Bagramon," he advised him. "I know him far better than you do."
Bagramon didn't respond. He simply watched as Leviamon sprinted away.
The further Leviamon got from the Demon Lords, the more the attacks began to cease. Even as the last blast hit the ground between his tails, Leviamon kept running.
Leviamon looked over his shoulder, his yellow eyes tight and shimmering with bitter hatred.
"Lucemon, you fucking arrogant bastard… You think you're so smart, but I'll be the one who has the last laugh. One day, I'm gonna make you pay for this… just like I did to Dukemon. One day, I'll make you all pay!"
Dukemon knelt in the grass, staring blankly at the place where Grani had last been.
He didn't move muscle. His tear-stained, bloodshot eyes were fixated on the impressions in the grass.
His heart was broken. He couldn't find the energy nor the willpower to stand. The only thing he could focus on was the all-consuming, crushing pain in his heart. He felt as though it had been shredded into a hundred pieces. However, that pain was the only thing that he could feel. Beyond that crushing sorrow was nothing but emptiness.
His friends and god had turned on him. He had felt his sense of self beginning to slip away. Grani was all he had… his one constant. Grani had been the only one who he knew he could trust unconditionally. Now that he was gone… Dukemon was lost… alone...
He couldn't rise… He wasn't even sure that he wanted to.
A soft wind blew against his body, his cape and hair swaying listlessly. His body ached, his wrists and knees burned with throbbing pain. Still, he barely registered the pain. He barely registered anything else around him…
He passively heard the sound of heavy footsteps getting closer. They were slow, unhurried footfalls, gradually approaching from ahead of him.
Dukemon didn't bother to lift his head.
Within his field of vision, he saw two spike-tipped, rubber, combat boots come to a stop a few meters in front of him. Dukemon immediately knew who it was…
Beelzebumon towered over the kneeling Dukemon, his Berenjena shotguns in his clawed hands.
Beelzebumon looked down at the distraught Royal Knight with cold, aloof eyes.
Dukemon slowly raised his reddened eyes, looking at the Demon Lord with a look of resignation.
Beelzebumon casually raised the Berenjena in his right hand. Then, he roughly pushed the muzzles of the shotgun against Dukemon's forehead. He leered down at Dukemon, pressing the barrels painfully against his forehead, letting him know that he had him where he had him where he wanted him. Beelzebumon's finger was snug against the trigger…
Dukemon barely reacted. He didn't fight back, nor did he attempt to beg with him or try to escape. He just glared wearily up at Beelzebumon, as if to ask, 'What are you waiting for?'
In that moment, he wasn't sure that he cared if he lived or died. Grani was gone. Everything he thought he had was vanishing around him. Nothing seemed to matter. He almost wondered if it would be best if Beelzebumon just pulled the trigger…
Beelzebumon stared long and hard into Dukemon's bleak, challenging eyes. He read what they were saying… and his cold façade broke into scowl of disdain and frustration.
Seeing Dukemon on his knees before him should have pleased him. He should be taking immense pleasure in seeing him helpless and at his mercy… But right now, he felt hollow – this felt hollow… This wasn't what he wanted. This wasn't how he pictured it… It wasn't supposed to be like this.
"Tch…" Beelzebumon scoffed, loosening his finger on the trigger. To Dukemon's surprise, he nonchalantly pulled the Berenjena away from Dukemon's forehead and shouldered the shotgun, looking away with a mixture of annoyance and something else.
Dukemon looked up at him with mild confusion. Why did he stop?
"Fuck. It's no fun if I win like this…" Beelzebumon spat, eyeing Dukemon out of the corner of his eye. "It doesn't mean shit this way..."
Beelzebumon took a step back. Then, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye, and he spun towards it.
"Get away from him!" a voice shouted.
Beelzebumon looked up and saw two blasts, a bright, light blue blast of frothing energy, and a golden ray in the shape of a 'V', tearing through the air towards him.
"Shit!" he exclaimed, diving out of the way as the dual beams cut between him and Dukemon, forcing him away from the Royal Knight.
Beelzebumon landed in a roll and looked over. In the near distance, he saw the cobalt form of UlforceVeedramon speeding towards them. Behind him, was the white silhouette of Omegamon, who followed after UlforceVeedramon. Finally, dashing across the ground behind them was the brown, feline form of Duftmon: Leopard Mode.
"Tch," Beelzebumon spat. He knew that this was too much for him to handle. He stood to his feet, holstered one of his guns, and whistled.
Within seconds, the Behemoth circled around in the grass and came speeding towards him. As it did, Beelzebumon turned around, levelling one more stare at Dukemon. This time, his expression was hard, as he imparted his resolve onto the vulnerable Royal Knight.
"This ain't the end, Dukemon," he promised him as the Behemoth came roaring over. "Next time, you an' me are gonna settle things properly… You better be ready, ya' hear?"
The Behemoth raced past Beelzebumon. Without even stopping, Beelzebumon grabbed the handlebars of the bike and vaulted onto its back. Right as UlforceVeedramon closed in, Beelzebumon took control of the bike and started speeding away. He drove straight down the deep gully that Leviamon had created, and then rocketed up the other side like it was a half-pipe.
As Beelzebumon raced back to the Demon Lords' lines, UlforceVeedramon came to a sharp stop beside Dukemon. As he touched down, he turned to the crimson knight with a pained grimace.
"Dukemon…" he spoke, about to ask if he was okay, but stopping himself. "I'm so sorry…"
Omegamon landed next to them. His eyes were distraught with sorrow as he gazed down at his unresponsive friend. Seeing what happened… Seeing him in such a state… It caused his heart to break. "Dukemon…" he whispered, knowing nothing that he would say would be able to help.
Duftmon was the last to reach them, running over in a matter of several seconds. Coming to a walk, the leopard knight gazed at Dukemon for a moment, before focusing and looking ahead with resolve. "…UlforceVeedramon, Omegamon, see if you can get him up. There is something I must do."
"Alright, Duftmon…" UlforceVeedramon agreed, kneeling down next to Dukemon and placing a hand on his back.
Duftmon: Leopard Mode nodded and continued to dash forwards. Sprinting with feline agility, he raced across the field, heading straight for the beam-hewn ravine that Leviamon had created.
Duftmon came to a stop right before the steep drop into the bottom of the ravine. Without hesitation, Duftmon: Leopard Mode spun around, swinging his tail, the spherical glowing bright yellow.
"Eroberung!" he shouted. Dozens of spherical orbs materialized from his tail and swept out into the deep, spacious furrow that stretched out for kilometers. The energy mines that Duftmon was creating floated across the gap and came to a stop along the bottom and side of the Demon Lords' side of the ravine. Dozens of the mines hovered in place down the steep face of the gap.
Duftmon then began dashing from one end of the trench to the other. He continued sweeping his tail out as he ran, sending out more and more mines into the opposite face of the ravine. By the time that he reached the far, eastern end of the beam-hewn gully, hundreds of energy mines littered the barrier.
He turned around and inspected his handiwork. He wasn't done yet.
"More," he whispered. His eyes flashed and he pounced high into the air, before slamming his paws down into the ground. "Wolkenkratzer!"
Upon impact, massive pillars of thick, jagged bedrock burst from deep within the ground. Massive, stone outcroppings shot vertically into the air, towering at twenty meters. At the same time, stone spikes pierced from within the steep embankment of Royal Knights' side of the ravine, shooting outwards at horizontal and diagonal angles.
Duftmon: Leopard Mode lunged from one pillar of stone to another. With every bound, Duftmon sent more interlocked columns and outcroppings shooting up the side of the ravine. He leapt from one crag to another, stone tearing from the ground along the length of the upper edge of the trench. Spikes continued to shoot out from within the gulch.
Duftmon continued this until he reached the western edge of the earthen furrow. Standing on top of a towering pillar of bedrock, he turned around. He had created a four-pronged defensive line. The deep ravine was now augmented by rows of mines on one side of the gulf, and jagged, impassable spikes on the other. The trench was further bolstered by the soaring, columns of rock that made passing the trench on foot nearly impossible, while also making anyone flying over it vulnerable to attack without ground support.
"That should do it…" Duftmon murmured. "Your move, Barbamon…"
With his work finished, Duftmon leapt down and began dashing alongside the rows of interlocking outcroppings, back towards where he had left Dukemon and the others.
As Duftmon: Leopard Mode approached, he saw UlforceVeedramon holding Dukemon up with his arm over his shoulders to support him. "Come on, buddy… That's it," UlforceVeedramon told him, trying to get him to walk.
Dukemon, however, was nearly unresponsive. He did enough to stand, but he merely stared blankly at the ground. It was clear that he was still in a state of shock.
Omegamon walked over grimly, holding the Gram and Aegis in his arms. "Duftmon… what should we do?" he asked, looking over at the devastated Dukemon. It was clear that he wouldn't be able to fly on his own.
Duftmon frowned softly. He walked over and stepped up beside Dukemon.
"Dukemon…" Duftmon said to him, his voice uncharacteristically tender. "Come, now… Climb on. We must withdraw…"
Dukemon barely registered his words. Still, he turned his head a little, and did not resist.
Duftmon nodded to UlforceVeedramon.
"Come on, Dukemon. Duftmon's letting you ride him," UlforceVeedramon encouraged him, carefully ushering Dukemon forwards and helping him raise his leg until he was sitting on Duftmon's back.
Once Dukemon was steady and secure on his back, Duftmon looked up at Omegamon and UlforceVeedramon. "Come, let us return to the others," he commanded them.
Duftmon glanced over his shoulder, back at the myriad obstacles that he placed between the Demon Lords and themselves.
"I hope that will be enough to deter them for now…"
"Curses! Curses! Damn that idiotic, overgrown newt!" Barbamon yelled, slamming his staff against the ground in apoplectic frustration. He gazed ahead, eye twitching, at the rows of massive crags, spikes, and mines that lined the ravine. "He ruined everything! He gave that damnable feline the perfect opportunity to thwart our advance!"
Belphemon snorted and folded his arms. "S'gonna be tough to get through that without flying…" he gruffly noted.
The snarl of a mechanical engine and the pungent smell of exhaust momentarily drew the Demon Lords' attention. They turned to see Beelzebumon speeding over on his motorcycle, bearing a few scars to show for his excursion.
Barbamon glowered and pointed his staff at the leather-clad biker demon. "And you!" he accused him. "Eggplant-for-brains! If it weren't for you and your self-indulgent little escapade, we would have attacked already before Leviamon could ruin things! Now we have to completely rethink our strategy! I do hope it was worth it!"
"If it were up to me, I would have you flogged for that," Demon hissed, glaring daggers at the leather-clad demon.
Beelzebumon slowed down in front of the Demon Lords, glaring at Barbamon as he rolled by. "Why don't'cha stick your wand where the sun don't shine, Barbie," he spat, clearly not in the mood for a lecture. "And why don't ya come here and try it, Dede? I dare ya!"
Lucemon levelled an icy stare in Beelzebumon's direction, his patience wearing thin. "Beelzebumon…" he warned him, his voice unwavering. "If you do anything like that again, you will have me to answer to."
Beelzebumon stopped and locked eyes with Lucemon. He could tell by the cold look in his eyes that he was serious, but he refused to back down.
"…Yeah, whatever, Lucy," Beelzebumon responded, rolling his eyes before hopping off his bike.
Lilithmon sighed with exasperation. "Where does this leave us?" she asked. "Are we still continuing with the attack?"
"We cannot," Barbamon decisively stated.
"What?" Demon protested, his indigo eyes piercing with anger. "After all this? You expect us to just turn around without so much of a fight? The soldiers are ready. Yet, you give some dithering, yellow statement like that? We have a goal, don't we?"
"This is one battle! I'm talking about the war, the war, Demon!" Barbamon snapped back. "Answer me this if you're so smart. Do you want to fight? Or do you want to win? I know which I would prefer! And if we fight here, our chances of winning are drastically and needlessly reduced!"
"Explain your reasoning, Barbamon," Lucemon spoke.
"Thanks to Leviamon altering the landscape like that, Duftmon has created the perfect barrier. Between those rock faces and what I can only assume are landmines, if our ground forces were to attempt to cross that, they will become mired in that pit and become vulnerable to indirect fire. If we split our army and send out aerial forces over those rocks alone, they will be mowed down by the waiting Royal Knights. Furthermore, if we try to go around that ravine, they will see what we are doing and outflank us."
"What alternative do we have?" Demon countered. "I say we attempt to break through; you cannot make an egg without breaking a few baskets…"
Barbamon's eye twitched. "The alternative and the smartest course of action is to retreat for today. We can regroup and attack again in the following couple days on more favourable terrain," he explained. "You are a general, Demon. You should know that throwing away good manpower needlessly would be a massive detriment to our cause. We would merely be sending good money after bad."
Barbamon turned around and looked at the other Demon Lords emphatically. "We likely only have one chance to turn the tables on the Royal Knights. We need to strike them with such force that we break them in both body and soul. We need to devastate their Order so that we can have a free path to the Chasm of Creation. Once they are out of the way, the rest will crumble piece by piece… Our blow must be decisive, but we will not be able to do that here."
Bagramon listened to Barbamon's words carefully. He slowly turned his head, looking down at the large, sealed, wooden box that he had sitting next to his feet. "…I am inclined to agree, Barbamon," he concurred. "We must make our strike count. If we retreat, it is clear to me that the Royal Knights will not press an attack."
"Yes, they likely wish to avoid a battle given their loss," Barbamon conceded. "However, if we do attack, they will surely take advantage of our rashness to deliver a substantial blow on their terms. That damn cat knew what he was doing by putting us in this quandary. Curses, just wait until I skin him…"
Lucemon closed his eyes, thinking for a few moments. "…Hmph. I have no wish to fight on a battlefield tarnished by Leviamon anyways. We shall make a tactical withdrawal for today then," he decided. "Demon, Barbamon, alert the senior officers. We shall return to our encampment and send out scouts to find a more favourable route to the Great Forest. When the Royal Knights get in our path again, we shall crush them."
"Yes…" Barbamon agreed. "We shall attack again either tomorrow or, more likely, the next…"
"No later than two days," Demon reluctantly concurred. "Those pitiful knights cannot put off their destruction forever. I will personally lay waste to those tin idolaters of Yggdrasil."
Lilithmon emphatically shrugged. "I see the sense in the decision. No matter. Their times will come soon…"
"Whatever…" Belphemon apathetically replied, cracking his neck.
"Then that's that," Lucemon answered, turning around and walking straight past Bagramon as he proceeded to the rear of the lines, the lined up Nightmare Soldiers immediately making a path for him.
Bagramon frowned and leaned down to pick up the wooden box beside him. After staring for a moment, he made to follow the Demon Lord of Pride.
Meanwhile, Beelzebumon looked over his shoulder, a frustrated scowl on his face as he stared at the distant wall of rocky outcroppings that prevented him from seeing Dukemon.
"Tch… Damn it, Dukemon…" he muttered, his voice leaking with anger and frustration.
"You better get your head back together… cuz I ain't leaving it like this."
Back on the other side of the battlefield, the Royal Knights watched as Duftmon, Omegamon, and UlforceVeedramon returned with Dukemon in tow.
Examon landed next to Alphamon, returning from his position in the sky. As he touched down, however, his deeply furrowed eyes were unable to break away from Dukemon.
He saw the look of devastation on Dukemon's face… The empty, sorrowful look in his tearful eyes. …It was just like with Sleipmon, but somehow, he seemed even more despondent. He didn't think it was possible…
"…Examon," Alphamon spoke, his words solemn. "What of the Demon Lords' movements?"
"…They appear to be preparing to withdraw," Examon dolefully responded.
Duftmon walked over to them. "Then we shall withdraw as well," he stated. "I shall get everyone moving momentarily."
Alphamon nodded and turned to Dukemon, who sat passively on Duftmon's back. "Dukemon… I am so, so sorry…"
Dukemon merely winced faintly and turned his head slightly. He didn't have the energy to do anything else. He could barely think beyond the aching hole he felt inside of him.
He sensed the twelve Royal Knights gather around him. He briefly registered their hands on his back and shoulders, attempting to console him.
The Royal Knights' words to him were but distant whispers. Their forms around him were like shadows, stretched out by the setting sun. Despite their presence around him, they had might as well be phantoms.
For, as far as he was concerned…
now he was alone…