(Author's Notes: Hey, all. Thanks for your patience. This part was a tough one to finish. That said, I'm going to work hard on Part III of this chapter. I'm hoping it won't take as long to finish, but I appreciate you all bearing with me. Part III is the final part for this chapter, and this chapter will probably be the last "multi part" chapter, as I'm intending the rest of them to be singles (even if the subject matter will be interconnected.)
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy Part II as everybody deals with the fallout from last chapter. As always, let me know what you think. Enjoy!)
Chapter 86: The Burning Sky (Part II)
Megidramon's harsh, splitting roar resounded across the battlefield.
Bolts of crimson lightning flashed violently overhead, lighting up the thick, turbid clouds and causing sharp cracks of thunder to shake the ground.
Omegamon floated in the darkened sky at the front of the Royal Knights' army. He had come to a complete stop as the weather suddenly turned calamitous. Beneath him, the first wave of Troopmon hurled themselves into the Order's shield wall. The Order's forces, though just as confused as he was, tried to focus their attentions back to stopping the Troopmon wave in their tracks.
Omegamon hovered, completely motionless as an explosion of fire erupted over on their left flank.
Then, he watched with dawning horror as a familiar symbol appeared in the sky. His features dropped and his aquamarine eyes widened with panic and dread.
He could only look on helplessly as Dukemon's distant silhouette changed amidst the devouring flames. He watched as his friend's body morphed into something dark and draconic. With horrified eyes, he beheld Dukemon's dark evolution…
The dragon of the apocalypse let out a vicious roar as it towered in the sky. He was huge… In terms of height, he was taller than Leviamon, though not nearly as long or as wide as him. However, even at that distance, Omegamon felt the dragon's power… his malice… his fury. The familiar, cold chill that he felt in his body… he knew what it meant… and he knew to be afraid.
"…Dukemon…" Omegamon whispered, his voice a tremulous breath. His face blanched. His insides churned with dread, anxiety, and horror. He knew that he had made a terrible mistake… one that he had to undo no matter what.
His eyes snapped shut."DUKEMON!" he yelled with anguish.
Omegamon leaned his body forwards. He was about to take off across the battlefield, desperate to stop Dukemon from turning into that monster. However, before he could, a voice interrupted him.
"R-Royal Knights!" a familiar voice exclaimed, sharply and loudly as it attempted to reassert control over the situation.
Omegamon, despite his urges, looked over his shoulder.
Hovering high above the Order's lines was Duftmon. The strategist held his sword high over his head, the blade shining brightly as a beacon to draw the attention of the Royal Knights. Despite Duftmon's attempt to seem calm, the look of disquiet on his face was clear.
"Emergency strategy meeting!" Duftmon shouted, his voice trying not to sound as frayed as it did. "All Royal Knights, converge on our rear lines immediately! Delay all previous orders; this takes the utmost priority!"
Omegamon grimaced and hesitated, reluctant to delay what he felt he needed to do. He felt that every second that they let Dukemon remain in that form, the harder it would be to reach him. Still, he knew that he couldn't just go charging off on his own without a plan… As hard as it was, they had to come up with a strategy to help Dukemon and stop whatever was happening to him. He was sure that that was what Duftmon was looking to do.
Omegamon looked across the field at Megidramon… At the present time, he seemed to be solely focused on Leviamon, who Omegamon hadn't even realised had been present until now, hidden as he was behind the hills. Beneath him, the Order seemed to be holding back the wave of Troopmon well enough on their own. It didn't seem like they would need their help to deal with the horde of grunts.
Reluctantly, Omegamon pulled his eyes away from Dukemon and turned around.
Moving as swiftly as he could, Omegamon, along with the rest of the Royal Knights, began hurrying to their rear lines. He just hoped that they could come to a decision quickly…
At the opposite end of the battlefield, the Demon Lords stood behind the waves of advancing Troopmon and in front of the legions of confused Nightmare Soldiers. They all watched as a pillar of flame erupted in the empty field on the distant right flank of their battlefield, not far from where their old companion, Leviamon, had emerged.
Bagramon looked on with stunned shock, the distant flames reflecting in his ruby eye. The sight of that knight morphing into a colossal, savage monster… the Digital Hazard symbol blazing in the vertical clouds overhead…
He knew exactly what it meant.
Half of Bagramon's calm face contorted into a look of livid frustration.
"The Digital Hazard…" Bagramon whispered. His wooden hand tightened into a trembling fist.
"…Yggdrasil… Damn you…" he spoke, his words nearly quivering with anger.
"What in the blazes is going on?!" Barbamon demanded from nearby. "What is that thing?!"
"The Digital Hazard seems to have activated, no?" Lucemon calmly mused, standing with folded arms. He didn't seem to show any concern at all.
"…Yes…" Bagramon confirmed, taking in a slow breath. "No doubt that Yggdrasil was behind this…"
"Yet, it seems that Leviamon was the one who set that knight off," Lilithmon observed. "What is Fish Breath even doing here? You would think that he would have gotten the message from last time…"
Demon hissed. "That fool Leviamon simply had to show his face again…" he whispered with a hidden scowl. "Once again, he has brought confusion to our battlefield."
"Tch. Knowing him, he probably came here hoping to side with the victor…" Belphemon mused, gazing at Leviamon and Megidramon with an apathetic expression.
"Leave him," Lucemon dismissively responded, waving his hand. "That dragon will take care of him. Let him lie in the bed that he made for himself." Lucemon turned away, his eyes crystal clear and completely focused on what needed to be done. "This time, we will not allow Leviamon to interfere with our goal. Our plans for this battle shall remain the same. Isn't that right, Bagramon?"
"Assuming that the creature of the Digital Hazard is kept distracted and does not interfere…" Bagramon methodically stated, gazing down at the box in front of his feet. "…Yes. The plan remains the same."
"My strategy remains unchanged, for the moment, at least," Barbamon concurred, tapping his bejewelled fingers agitatedly. "We are fortunate that the knight-bomb exploded all the way over there, away from our forces. So long as he doesn't attack us specifically, we should be fine. If he does, break the Seventh Legion off to circle around him and have Baron Digitamamon order them to draw him towards the Royal Knights. They would be a sacrifice, but they are Count MarineDevimon's old army anyways, so they are expendable."
Barbamon leaned against his staff, his gaze shifting from raging dragon to the Royal Knights' forces. "…Hm… In fact, this may even be good for us… that dragon will surely draw the Royal Knights' attention. We should use this chance to exploit their weaknesses."
Lucemon smirked. "Indeed…" he agreed. "We shall see how the battle progresses. Maybe they will even take care of one another for us. Nevertheless, we will use that when the time is right…"
Bagramon looked down at the chest on the ground. "We will have to deal with the Digital Hazard eventually…" he mused. "But for now… we proceed as planned."
Barbamon chuckled darkly. "Hah… the Royal Knights are already reeling… They won't know what's hit them."
Lucemon smiled.
"No… no, they won't."
Crimson lightning bolts ripped through the sky, painting the gyrating clouds with ephemeral flashes of red. Small fissures erupted in the earth, scarring the hills and field, causing soil to collapse inwards.
It was within this burgeoning maelstrom that, Leviamon watched Dukemon's body disappear within the eruption of flames. The demon crocodile watched from his perch at the apex of one of the verdant hills as, a few hundred meters in front of him, Dukemon began to morph and grow within the conflagration of fire and shadows.
Leviamon had started out with a smile, eagerly goading the angry Dukemon into error. However, as he saw Dukemon lose control and change into something else entirely, Leviamon's smug smirk gradually faded.
Shocked and confused, he watched with widening eyes as Dukemon's body became consumed by the inferno… And then there was an earth-shaking roar that caused his scales to stand on end.
First, a pair of massive, bat-like wings burst out of the pillar of fire… Then, the shadow of a serpentine body appeared within the raging pyre.
Wreathed in flames, a snarling, draconic head burst out from amidst the inferno, its blood red eyes blazing as they looked around wildly.
Leviamon looked on, stunned, as Dukemon transformed from that of a noble knight to… that.
Leviamon's jaw hung open slightly. He almost couldn't believe it… He couldn't believe that Dukemon had actually sunk to this level… that he had actually succumbed to the Digital Hazard.
And then… Leviamon's slack-jawed expression curled into a darkly delighted smile.
He had done it… He had actually done it… He severed Dukemon's bonds… He forced him to reveal his true self… His true, ugly self.
"…Hahaha…" Leviamon began chuckling, tilting his snout forwards down the hill.
"…WAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" he suddenly guffawed, wrenching his head back and chortling thunderously while stamping his foot against the ground.
Leviamon's triumphant laughter petered out and he gazed up at the infernal dragon with a jeering smile.
"Hah! Look at you now, Dukemon! I was right all along!" Leviamon taunted him. "So much for being a dashing knight in shining armour! So much for those bonds of trust you talked so much about!"
The Devil Beast smiled darkly. "I always knew you were just as ugly as me on the inside…"
Leviamon's mocking words caught the dragon's attention. After looking around in a chaotic frenzy, Megidramon's wild eyes finally focused on the Demon Lord of Envy. The moment that Megidramon's crimson irises and feral pupils landed on Leviamon, he became fixated on him.
It was only within the red haze of animalistic fury that he registered Leviamon's presence. He vaguely remembered his face… and it was then that an outpouring of rage exploded within him.
Megidramon let out a tearing roar and launched himself towards Leviamon. Beating his wings powerfully, the dark dragon ripped across the ground, igniting the grass beneath him merely by passing over it. He let out a vicious snarl and set himself on an unyielding collision course with Leviamon.
Upon realising that the gigantic, angry dragon was now speeding towards him with murderous intent, Leviamon's mocking smile soon vanished.
"…Uh oh."
Megidramon's roar shook Leviamon to his core. The fierce, hateful glare that was fixated on him and him alone made Leviamon realise… he had made a huge mistake.
Leviamon glowered and took a step backwards. "H-Hey! Wait a second!" he cried out. "Don't attack me! Attack one of them!" he urged him, gesturing with his snout to either of the two armies behind the dragon.
The rampaging beast ignored his words. Megidramon just kept tearing towards him with singular focus. There was nothing Leviamon could do to dissuade him; the dragon wanted his digicore on a bloody platter.
"D-Damn it…!" Leviamon snarled, sweat dripping down his head. He opened his giant set of jaws up wide and built up water deep in his throat. "You better not come any closer! I'm warning you!"
Megidramon howled wildly and swept across the field, closing the distance as a wave of heat from his wings drained the grass of life and colour. He was getting closer and closer. He would be upon Leviamon in ten seconds.
Leviamon growled nervously, but he realised there would be no talking him down. His energy brimmed within his throat, and he was ready to fire. "Y-You asked for it!" Leviamon shouted desperately. "Rostrum!"
A colossal pillar of pressurized water erupted from Leviamon's maw. The torrent surged across the grassy plain, tearing up the earth as it coursed towards Megidramon.
Megidramon was unfazed by the torrent of water that tore towards him, despite the fact if dwarfed him in size. He was dauntless in his pursuit, even as the devastating wall of water closed in on him, ready to consume him in its crushing folds.
Just as it was set to devour him, with a powerful sweep of his wings, Megidramon veered sharply to the side. He tore ahead, flying parallel to the pillar of water, closing in on its creator.
Leviamon's eyes widened with terror as he suddenly saw Megidramon's ferocious visage and glowing, red eyes closing in on him, too close to change his attack's trajectory. He frantically tried to cease his attack, snapping his maw shut even as water was still bursting out between his teeth.
"GLLRGH! W-WAIT!" he cried out, but it was too late. Megidramon was already upon him with an ear-splitting roar.
Megidramon viciously assailed Leviamon from the side. He stabbed his claws into Leviamon's muzzle, just below his left nostril. Then, he began dragging his claws down the length of Leviamon's snout, ripping through the scales above his lips and below the metal plating on the bridge of his rostrum.
Leviamon roared with pain as Megidramon sheared three long, bloody streaks down his snout and towards his eye. The claws carved through his scales, causing scales to split and flake off, and blood to ooze out immediately. The pain was blinding, but not so much as the set of claws that he saw raking towards his eye.
"GRAAAAH!" Leviamon howled with agony. As Megidramon's claws came closer and closer to his eye, he sharply wrenched his head away, right as Megidramon slashed upwards. His claws swept up his cheek, narrowly missing his sclera, but carving a gash into his flesh a meter below it.
"RRRAAAGH!" Leviamon roared, writhing and thrashing violently. He lashed out with his snout, spewing out the last of the water that flooded out across the battlefield and swept up a handful of Troopmon within its torrent. He snapped at Megidramon wildly, and failing that, he slammed his bloody snout into Megidramon's side to push him away from him.
Leviamon flailed his twin tails, wildly lashing them across Megidramon's armoured chest and bashing him away from him. However, Megidramon was undeterred, snarling viciously and grabbing hold of one of Leviamon's tails. Then, he raised it to his face and snapped his jaws shut around it, sinking his rows of jagged teeth deep into Leviamon's flesh.
Leviamon cried out with pain as he felt not only the teeth bury into his tail, but the acidic saliva and smouldering breath burning his scales. Wheeling around with wide, frantic eyes, Leviamon desperately unleashed a torrent of darkness from his mouth.
"ANIMAAAAAAAAA!" he cried out, sending a wave of darkness coursing through the air and slamming into Megidramon's body.
The vortex of dark, infernal energy pounded hard into Megidramon's chest. His grip around Leviamon's tail released and he let out a furious roar of pain.
The moment that his tail was free, Leviamon went into self-preservation mode. He retracted his bleeding, stinging tail and immediately began wheeling around on top of the hill. "G-Get away from me!" he shouted, scampering wildly as he hastily turned away from the raging dragon.
Leviamon began scrambling down the back slope of the hill, trying to get away from the battlefield – more specifically, Megidramon – as fast as he possibly could. Even as the soil gave way beneath his heavy stomping, Leviamon inelegantly half-slid to the bottom of the hill and started running across the sloped plains to the west.
Megidramon, his chest still steaming with black energy, saw his prey attempting to escape. He unleashed a howl of anger that completely disintegrated the hill behind Leviamon in a wave of dirt. As the hill shattered into a torrent of soil and rock fragments, Megidramon launched himself after Leviamon in relentless pursuit.
Leviamon felt the pressure from the attack and the wave of dirt against his back. He looked behind him with fearful eyes, blood streaming down his face. He watched Megidramon burst through the cloud of dirt and tear after him, his body highlighted by the crimson lightning flashing overhead. The Demon Lord swore and ran that much faster, desperate to escape the monster.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Leviamon spat as he felt Megidramon gaining on him.
Megidramon snarled and chased down the fleeing Demon Lord, refusing to let him get away that easily. Fuelled by his anger and the energy of the Digital Hazard, Megidramon was slowly closing the distance… An inferno began to well up in his throat.
It was then that he heard a strange noise from nearby… A loud, mechanical snarl…
"Double Impact!" a voice shouted from his left.
A metal slug slammed into the side of his helmet, ricocheting off his snout. Snarling with confusion, Megidramon turned his head, just in time for another bullet to graze his jaw. The metal shell sliced along the scales of his cheek, several beads of the dragon's blood oozing from the cut.
Megidramon snarled angrily, the pain causing him to turn his attention more fully to the interloper. He looked down and, through his red haze, he saw a small, dark figure.
Beelzebumon was driving alongside him, standing on top of the Behemoth while aiming his shotguns up at the huge dragon. Beelzebumon matched speeds with him, and the Behemoth was driving ahead full-throttle, starting to outpace the giant dragon.
Beelzebumon looked up at him with a wide smile… There was hunger in his eyes… excitement… He saw a new challenge. A very big one…
"Heh... Fuck, Red! That's one hell of a makeover…" he remarked, gleefully announcing his presence. "But don't'cha know it's rude to walk out with someone else in the middle of a date?!"
Beelzebumon grinned with dark interest. He shifted the Behemoth so that it gradually turned to the right, putting himself between Megidramon and Leviamon.
"Y'know, you really hurt my feelings, leaving me for this great, big lump-a-scales! Here I thought we were having fun!" he proclaimed, jumping off the Behemoth and landing directly in front of Megidramon's path.
Megidramon came to a halt as the interloping Demon Lord came between him and his prey.
Beelzebumon looked up at the towering dragon with a wild look of excitement in his eyes. "C'mon, Red! That jerkwad's doin' everything he can to get his fat ass away from you!" he proclaimed, challenging the apocalyptic dragon directly. "Why not tussle with someone who actually wants to fight ya, huh, Dukey?!"
"Y-Yeah!" Leviamon called out, glancing behind him and only too happy to let Beelzebumon take him on if that's what he wanted. "You two fight! I'm out of here!"
Megidramon roared at Beelzebumon and turned to try and fly around him, focused primarily on the fleeing crocodile.
Beelzebumon, however, refused to take no for an answer. The shotgun-wielding Demon Lord jumped in front of Megidramon's path and fired the twin Berenjenas up at the dragon once again.
One of the slugs slammed right into the end of Megidramon's nose, deflecting off, while the other impacted Megidramon's bicep before puncturing his wing.
This was enough to finally draw Megidramon's ire. He unleashed a powerful, saliva-spraying roar at Beelzebumon, nearly knocking the Demon Lord off his feet. Glancing at Leviamon, Megidramon saw that the crocodile was already a kilometer away from him and counting.
Feeling his quarry slipping away, Megidramon snarled and decided to focus his fury on the next closest thing: Beelzebumon.
"Heheh… That's right, Big Red…" Beelzebumon taunted him, preparing himself as Megidramon focused his wrath onto him.
"I'm gonna be the one that pops your new form's cherry," Beelzebumon explained as he readied his shotguns. "Knight or dragon… Makes no fuckin' difference. At the end of the day, I'm gonna be the one that breaks ya!"
With that, Megidramon unleashed a raging roar.
With flames pouring from his maw, the dragon that used to be Dukemon suddenly plunged towards Beelzebumon.
Gunshots erupted and flames gushed forth, and the two met in brutal combat…
The violet storm clouds continued to swirl overhead while crimson lightning flashed like explosions in the sky.
Omegamon swiftly soared over the rear lines of the Strike Forces. He raced to meet with the other Royal Knights, Dukemon's evolution at the forefront of his mind. Omegamon passed over the anti-air brigade that was stationed behind the Strike Forces, at which point, he began to descend.
He could see the rest of the Royal Knights gathering at the rear of their army. The final stragglers among the knights could be seen making their way through the back lines towards the others.
With fear and impatience grasping his heart, Omegamon landed beside the amassed Royal Knights. Gankoomon and Craniamon were the last to make their way over, finally reaching the gathered group on foot. They were all there… all except for one.
"What the hell is going on?!" Dynasmon demanded, turning to the eleven other Royal Knights with bewilderment. "What happened to the sky?!"
"And what's Megidramon doing here?!" Craniamon asked, marching over alongside Gankoomon. "I thought he and the UDC army were still in the Western Reaches!"
Examon's face darkened with dire realisation. "…They are…" he spoke, his voice sounding as if the wind had been sucked out of him. "…That… is not Lord Megidramon…"
"What…?" UlforceVeedramon questioned. "But there's only one Megidramon, right? If it's not him, then who is it…?"
Dynasmon frowned deeply, scratching his neck as a sense of foreboding set over them. "…Has anybody seen Dukemon?" he asked. "I haven't seen him since he took off…"
It was with those words that an ominous silence washed over the group of twelve Royal Knights. The tense quiet was cut only by the din of battle and the cracks of thunder overhead. At first, nobody wanted to say anything, but as the silence went on, the more they knew that somebody had to say something…
Alphamon stepped forwards. Unable hide the dread on his face, his expression was furrowed with grave consternation. Still, he knew if anybody should say something, it should be him…
"Dynasmon…" Alphamon began, affixing the knight with an unshakeable stare. His deep voice was weighed down by the sheer gravity of the situation, each word conveying the same dire intensity as the last.
"…That is Dukemon…"
What followed was stunned silence. Those who hadn't yet realized reacted with dawning horror. Those who already knew grimaced at Alphamon's words, which seemed to make the situation real.
"…W-…What?!" Dynasmon protested. "You can't be serious! There's no way that's Dukemon!"
Duftmon stood between him and Alphamon, kneading his forehead beneath the leonine helm that he wore. His eyes were tightly creased and his tail was taut. "Dynasmon… Observe the symbol in the sky above him…" he crisply advised him. "Does it remind you of anything…?" The tactician's words were tense, and he sounded as if he was almost at the end of his tether.
Dynasmon looked up, noting the symbol in the sky amidst the swirling clouds. His brow dripped uneasily at the familiar sight, but he was unwilling to give in that easily. "It's… the Digital Hazard, I guess… but Megidramon has that too, right?" he weakly contended.
"I'm sorry, Dynasmon. I wish that were true. I truly do…" Alphamon grimly responded. "But I saw the evolution with my own eyes… Dukemon transformed into that form."
"I am afraid that Alphie is right," RhodoKnightmon soberly confirmed. "I noticed it too… It is Dukemon, Dynasmon dear…"
"No…" Dynasmon whispered. "No, it can't be…"
"I can't believe this is happening…" Magnamon spoke, staring up at the distant dragon with an aghast expression. "Dukemon…"
Gankoomon scowled and pushed through the group of Royal Knights to Alphamon. With anger and frustration, he grabbed the black knight by the collar of his armour. "If you saw it happening, why didn't you stop him?!" he accused him.
"S-Sensei! Stop!" an anxious Jesmon frantically exclaimed, going and pulling one of Gankoomon's arms.
Alphamon stared straight into Gankoomon's eyes, his own tight with helpless remorse. "I couldn't…" he plainly answered. "Even if it were possible to make it to him in time, there is nothing that I could have said to him. There are no words I could say to stop him… He… no longer trusts me… He wouldn't even listen to me when I told him to stay with the baggage train. What could I have said to him when he is in such depths of despair and rage?"
Gankoomon scowled with frustration, although his shaking grip began to loosen on Alphamon's collar. "Something… anything!" he exclaimed futilely.
"No… this is my fault…" a voice said from beside them.
The pair turned and saw Omegamon next to them, his head bowed and his eyes shut firmly.
"I should not have let him go… I was right there with him. I should have stayed by his side… Maybe I could have stopped him," he spoke with bitter remorse.
"Omegamon, this is not your fault…" Alphamon attempted to assure him. "I am as much to blame."
"That is not entirely true…" Duftmon spoke, his words as rigid as his body. "We all share blame in allowing this to happen…" He lowered his gaze, a deep frown set on his face. "This… is our mess… our responsibility."
"Damn it… Damn it!" Craniamon exclaimed with frustration at the whole situation. "Lord Yggdrasil said that this would happen, but is there really nothing we could have done?! If we handled things differently…"
"W-What are we going to do?" UlforceVeedramon exclaimed, his voice clearly distressed. "We-We have to stop him, but… how do we get through to him like this…?"
Behind him, Sleipmon gazed across the battlefield, unable to pull his eyes away from the rampaging dragon. His eyes were wide with horror. The raging storm… the flashing lightning… The feeling of helplessness as his friend went berserk…
"This… this cannot be happening…" Sleipmon whispered, his voice shaking as he stared with traumatized, distraught eyes at the dragon that used to be Dukemon. "Not again… Please not again…"
Examon, meanwhile, was completely silent… His eyes were wide with shock and horror. His jaw was open and a distempered breath escaped his mouth. He could only watch as Megidramon violently attacked Beelzebumon in the distance. That massive dragon… at first he thought it was Lord Megidramon, but he soon realised it was not… Was that really Dukemon? Could it really be possible? Could it be that the Digital Hazard - that mysterious, malevolent program that Dukemon had been so afraid of - had really activated? He saw it happening before his eyes, but he couldn't quite believe it.
In his field of vision, he saw Sleipmon react viscerally to the dark evolution… He knew why. He had been with him when it happened before. But no… it was different this time. For him, it was different. This time, it was happening to Dukemon… His close friend and a fellow Royal Knight. Someone who had always been there for him… who confided in him and believed in him. Not only that, but if what he heard about the Digital Hazard was true… then the world was at stake.
"Dukemon… No…" Examon whispered. His hands squeezed the metal of the Ambrosius. He found he was unable to look away…
Nearby, Jesmon looked around at all of the gathered Royal Knights anxiously. He could cut the tension in the air with his tail blade… Even the most stoic of the Royal Knights seemed distressed. He knew that what was happening was bad, but as a newly-appointed Royal Knight, he was in the dark about some things. Despite his lack of actual knowledge, his latent, primal instincts were screaming at him: whatever this phenomenon was, it was incredibly dire.
"S-Senpai?" Jesmon tentatively spoke, looking at Alphamon. "What exactly is the Digital Hazard? Why is this happening to Dukemon-senpai?"
"We… do not know what exactly the Digital Hazard is or why it exists, Jesmon," Alphamon gravely responded. "What we do know is that it is a program that exists within two Digimon: Dukemon and Megidramon. Lord Megidramon's Digital Hazard was sealed during the Crisis of the Four Great Dragons… Dukemon's, however, has remained stable all this time, apart from one incident back when he first evolved…"
Alphamon bitter eyes turned across the field to Megidramon, who was unleashing waves of hellfire at Beelzebumon. "…The Digital Hazard has been prophesized to signal the apocalypse of the Digital World. It is nothing less than a massive calamity that has been said will beckon the end of the Digital World," he portentously explained. "This is no mere myth… We have seen the destruction that the mere activation of the Digital Hazard caused when Lord Megidramon allowed his to activate. Dukemon, himself, has admitted the sheer destructive power that he released when his momentarily activated."
"Lord Yggdrasil warned us of this as well…" Omegamon spoke, grimly wincing. "We failed Yggdrasil… We failed Dukemon. We were unable to stop it from activating… Worse than that… we may have caused it ourselves…"
Jesmon shut his eyes with anxiety and unease. "That Digimon… Those clouds… It feels… like standing on a cliff over an abyss. Destruction… despair…" Jesmon explained, attempting to parse the intense feelings of foreboding and peril that he felt in his core. "The pressure is overwhelming… It's making me feel sick…"
Alphamon closed his eyes. Jesmon was right… the empathic, young knight was able to succinctly interpret what was happening to the Digital World. He felt it too, as he was sure that the rest of the knights did, but Jesmon's intuition seemed particularly astute.
"Yes… I can sense the dark power coming from Dukemon as well…" Alphamon agreed, looking from Megidramon to the sky. "I can sense the fabric of the Digital World slowly coming undone…"
"W-What are we going to do?!" UlforceVeedramon exclaimed nervously. "We have to deal with both the Demon Lords and Dukemon at the same time?!"
"Never mind that," Craniamon cynically snapped. "What are we even supposed to do about Dukemon? He's huge now, and he's going on a rampage!"
"M-Maybe he's only angry at the Demon Lords," Magnamon suggested, trying his best to be optimistic despite the perilous situation. "They were the ones who killed Grani, after all… Maybe if we talk to him, he'll listen to us…"
In the distance, Megidramon unleashed a furious shriek before spewing forth another torrent of flames.
"…Are you sure about that, Magnamon?!" Craniamon incredulously countered.
Omegamon watched Megidramon swipe at Beelzebumon through the inferno that he created. He felt helpless as his friend ran amok, sinking further and further into his anger and despair.
"…We have to help him…" Omegamon spoke with unshakeable determination, turning to the other Royal Knights. "We must!"
Jesmon frowned, feeling spurred on by Omegamon's words. "There… There must be some way to save him, right? Maybe Magnamon's right. If we can talk to him…"
Alphamon remained quiet, as did many of the other Royal Knights. The trauma and anxiety of the situation was hanging over the group. Each one of them was thinking about how best to address this terrible situation. They each tried to think about solutions… each wondering if there was an ideal one.
Omegamon frowned further and he looked around at the Royal Knights, wondering why the response was so muted. He understood that the situation was complicated, but for him, the course of action was clear. They had to save their friend.
"…What is it?" he asked ardently. "How are we going to save Dukemon?"
Alphamon's expression was that of a deeply furrowed frown. He was gauging the situation in its entirety. He had to weigh their options…
The leader of the knights turned his troubled gaze towards their strategist. "…Duftmon? What is your analysis of the situation?" he questioned, cautiously staying his response to Omegamon's question. Despite his neutral words, Alphamon's tone was heavy… portentous even. He was holding something back.
Duftmon closed his eyes in response to Alphamon's question. His brows were tight and sunken towards the center. His brain ached and his mind raced, analyzing the dire situation and the various possibilities.
The strategist's tightly-knitted eyes slowly opened. His following words were careful… imparting the portent and gravity of the situation.
"…If this continues on without abatement… then the only certainty is that the Digital World as we know it will cease to exist…"
Omegamon eyed the tactician quizzically. "Then that is all the more reason to stop him," he urgently pressed.
Duftmon angled his gaze towards the white knight. "And how should we stop him, Omegamon?" Duftmon pointedly questioned. "Merely saying as much is simple. Achieving that goal is much more difficult. The solution is not for all of us to rush after him and hope for the best."
"I am aware of that," Omegamon insisted, although he couldn't exactly deny his impatience. "What we should do… is talk to him. Magnamon is right. We have to appeal to him. We must convince him to calm down and come back to us."
Duftmon turned to face Omegamon directly, levelling him a piercing gaze. "Oh? It is as simple as that, is it?" he sarcastically challenged him. "Merely appealing to Megidramon's better nature will be enough to quell that rampaging beast and stem the tide of the Digital Hazard? Well, then! That settles that. By all means, Omegamon, let us throw ourselves into that endeavour with aplomb!"
"The sarcasm is not aiding our situation, Duftmon," Alphamon lightly reprimanded him.
"Apologies, but neither are ill-conceived and naïve plans such as that," Duftmon countered, turning back to Alphamon. "If we could not convince Dukemon with words before, then how could we possibly do so now when he is running amok in a such state of frenzy?"
"We can calm him down, Duftmon," Omegamon resolutely defended. "Once he calms down, he will listen to us."
"If he calms down…" Craniamon cynically murmured, watching as Megidramon ripped up waves of earth with his claws in his attack on Beelzebumon.
"We have to try," Magnamon pressed in support of Omegamon's idea. "What is the alternative? We can't just leave him like this!"
"Yes. We cannot do nothing," Examon stated, his deeply furrowed brows showing his worry and unease.
"Inaction was never the alternative…" Duftmon murmured, more to himself than anybody else.
Dynasmon raised his brow, hearing the nearby strategist's words. "Then what is, Duftmon?" he pressed him. "If you've got an idea, now's not the time to be coy. Whatever it is, let's hear it! Dukemon's life is at stake here!"
Duftmon scowled and turned his piercing gaze towards Dynasmon. "Do not press me, Dynasmon…" he warned him, his voice low and calculating. "Do not press me unless you really mean what you say. I truly doubt that you honestly wish to hear what I am actually thinking right now…"
Dynasmon frowned suspiciously at Duftmon's oddly roundabout words. "What…? What's that supposed to mean?" he probed. "What are you talking about, Duftmon?"
Duftmon hesitated. He cast an apprehensive glance in Alphamon's direction to attempt to gauge his thoughts. Alphamon stared at him with grim yet stalwart eyes, quietly imparting unto him permission to say what it was he was thinking.
The tactician took that to mean what he thought it meant, and he took a slow, centering breath as he steeled himself to say what he knew he had to say.
"We all must consider…" Duftmon began, slowly gazing around at the others, "What will happen… if we cannot stop him."
The blunt, matter-of-fact question struck deep into almost all of the Royal Knights. It was not what was said… but what was left unsaid. It was a question that provoked deeper inquiry… a question that asked another question that nobody wanted to think about.
"…What do you mean, Duftmon?" Dynasmon nervously chuckled, breaking the strained silence. "Of course we're gonna stop him! Dukemon's our friend, after all. If anybody can get through to him, it's us!"
"I…" Omegamon hesitated, before hardening his resolve. "Dynasmon's right. We will bring him back," he insisted.
Duftmon turned to face the two white armoured knights with an arched brow. "…Oh?" he questioned, eyeing them with clear cynicism. "You can guarantee that, can you? Surely Dukemon will listen to us and everything will work out because that is the outcome that we desire? There is no need for contingencies because we are certain our plan will succeed?"
Omegamon looked down. "Well… no, but—"
Duftmon scoffed and shook his head grimly. "No. We cannot afford to be so wilfully naïve," he maintained. "There are lives at stake here. The very world is at stake. We cannot simply proceed armed with nothing but wishful thinking."
"What are you suggesting, cat?" Gankoomon challenged him suspiciously. "If you're so sure that talking from the heart isn't gonna work, then what are you saying?"
"I am merely saying that if that falls through, then we… will have to come to a decision," Duftmon carefully spoke. "Think about the situation that we find ourselves in right now… The Demon Lords are advancing and we are in a state of confusion."
Duftmon gestured around. Their forces had stalled on the battlefield and were merely repelling the waves of Troopmon. "Worse than that, the Digital Hazard is active and Megidramon is on a rampage. That means that if we fail to bring him back to order, then the Digital World as we know it will be thrown into a state of chaos. If what we know of the Hazard is true, then we now have a finite amount of time to deal with this crisis before the Digital World degrades to the point of destruction. We are fighting on two fronts, with two forces that seek the complete destruction of this world and its order."
Duftmon's eyes trailed down bitterly. "We are Royal Knights, and to fulfill our oath… we may have to make some difficult decisions…" he spoke portentously, his voice remorseful, but firm.
It was in that moment that a look of utter disbelief dawned on Omegamon's face. His blue eyes widened, aghast at what he realised that Duftmon was inferring.
"Duftmon…" he spoke, his stunned voice echoing resonantly. "You aren't suggesting…"
Magnamon's face dropped within moments, and he took a step forwards adamantly. "You… You can't be serious, Duftmon!" he protested vehemently.
"Wait, wait a second here!" UlforceVeedramon exclaimed, swiftly raising his hands dissuadingly. "Surely Duftmon isn't saying that. That's not what you mean, right, Duftmon…?"
Duftmon's head was bowed, his emerald eyes staring down at the ground.
"…I am our strategist," he distantly responded. "It is my responsibility to look at the bigger picture… It falls to me to make hard decisions…"
Gankoomon stared at Duftmon for a few moments, his cheeks slackening beneath his visor. Then, he took a few steps towards him. "Cat," he spoke, his words sharp and the aura around him growing as combustible as gunpowder."You'd better not be saying what I think you're saying…" he warned him, reaching out to grip his shoulder.
With swift reflexes, Duftmon pivoted and snatched Gankoomon's wrist before he could lay his fingers on him. He squeezed the man's wrist firmly while cautioning him a trenchant, unyielding gaze.
Duftmon stared at him, right into his eyes, before turning to the other knights, impressing upon them the seriousness of his words.
"This is more than the mere temper tantrum of one Digimon. This is more than even a battle. …What we are facing is nothing short of the apocalypse," Duftmon stated emphatically. He released Gankoomon's hand. "The sooner you all accept that, the easier what I am attempting to say will be to palate."
Duftmon folded his arms, his hand firmly gripping his bicep. "…If Megidramon does not calm down… we are going to have to think about what is best for the Digital World…"
Omegamon turned to him, his blue eyes a cross between an angry glare and a bitter grimace. "Say what you mean, Duftmon," he challenged him. "You have never been reticent in your implications before."
Duftmon sighed and stalled. He only half-met Omegamon's piercing gaze as he attempted to find the words to meet his dare.
"He means…" Sleipmon sadly spoke up from the back of the group of gathered knights. Despite his timidity, he endeavoured to say the words that not even Duftmon wanted to say.
"…He means we might have to consider killing Dukemon…" he melancholically stated.
As those forbidden words passed his lips, the air grew stiff and barren. Most of the knights had by-then anticipated what the unspoken words of Duftmon's were, though none had wanted to admit it to themselves. However, having it so plainly stated, it became impossible to pretend any longer. They now had to face the unpleasant truth. Nobody said anything. Nobody looked at anyone else, each trapped in their own sinking state of stupefaction.
Duftmon didn't speak. He didn't even look at the other Royal Knights. He could not deny Sleipmon's analysis, nor could he take pride in it. He merely looked down and nodded gently.
A quavering breath escaped Dynasmon's mouth. "…What…?" he whispered, the monosyllabic word shaking as it left his lips. He took a step forwards, his boot crushing the grass beneath as he stalked towards Duftmon.
"I… can't believe what I'm hearing…" he breathed, astounded. He took another incredulous step forwards, desperate for Duftmon to deny it. "You… can't be serious… You can't mean that… right, Duftmon?" he nearly pleaded, gazing with wide eyes at the tactician.
Duftmon heard his words, but he remained quiet, a soft, unsettled frown on his brow.
The silence tipped Dynasmon over the crumbling precipice, and his overflowing emotion erupted, his carmine eyes widening with rage. "SAY SOMETHING!" he shouted with sorrowful passion.
"Yes!" Duftmon finally relented, frustrated and aggrieved as he swerved towards Dynasmon. "I mean that we may have to delete Dukemon!"
Examon's features sunk, and his heart descended into his stomach. The blood drained from his face, and his eyes grew wide with horror.
"What…? No…" Examon whispered, as if his breath had been sucked from his lungs. He gazed at Duftmon, shocked, as he felt an unusual stirring deep within his chest. The feeling was intense, almost overwhelming as it swelled inside him. His heart thumped and his limbs trembled. Never before had he been so far from calm.
"No… we can't!" he protested.
Through a tight grimace, Magnamon glared at Duftmon. "Duftmon… You have said many objectionable things in the past… but I never once thought that you would be so cold as to suggest doing something so horrible to a fellow Royal Knight…" he bitterly chastised, his unsteady voice saturated with disappointment.
"I can't believe what I'm hearing…" Gankoomon spat, not even able to look at Duftmon out of disgust. "I thought even you might have some morals…"
Duftmon was about to defend himself, but a voice spoke up before he could get a word in.
"Wait," RhodoKnightmon spoke up sharply, his voice appearing calm despite everything. "Take some time to think about what Duftmon is saying before you jump down his throat."
"What?!" Dynasmon exclaimed, pivoting towards RhodoKnightmon with shock. "What's to think about?! I can't believe I'm hearing this from you, Rhodo!"
RhodoKnightmon folded his arms, taking a step back and holding an aloof posture. "I am a Royal Knight, Dynasmon… as are you," he pointedly reminded him. "It is our – all of our responsibilities to prioritize the security of the Digital World." The rose knight bowed his head slightly, before turning to their strategist. "I am sorry, but I agree with Duftmon. We must now consider a possibility where we are forced to do the unthinkable."
Dynasmon growled, clenching his fists with anger and revulsion. "I expected more from you, RhodoKnightmon, but you always were callous underneath it all…"
RhodoKnightmon's features darkened and he gripped his arm just that little bit tighter. "And you were always an overly-emotional fool who could never see beyond his own feelings," he swiftly countered. "Look around you, Dynasmon; we are facing the greatest threat to this world since Milleniummon! This world will end along with Yggdrasil and everyone else in it if we wring our hands and fight with half-hearted swipes!"
"I've never done anything half-heartedly!" Gankoomon passionately barked in retort. "I've never softened a blow in my entire life! That doesn't mean we have to jump right to the wildest extreme! Talking to him won't solve anything, but if we fight him with all of our heart, then I know we'll be able to bring him back to his senses!
"So you refute the notion of deletion, yet you believe that beating Megidramon to a pulp will somehow bring him back to his senses," Duftmon cynically murmured. "…And what if you do all that and he still has not returned to his old self? What if he is already too far gone and all our blood, sweat, and tears shed are fruitless? What then, Gankoomon?"
Gankoomon glowered frustratedly, his teeth gritting as he found himself unable to come up with an answer.
"…Then we keep trying," Omegamon adamantly insisted, stepping forwards unflinchingly.
"Ah, yes, Omegamon…" Duftmon dryly responded, matching the white knight's unwavering gaze. "That is the noble answer. The hero's answer. …Yet will you still be able to say those words with any fragment of sincerity as the world burns around us?"
Omegamon's leered at Duftmon with calm, steeled resolve, but the blue fire behind his tightened eyes burned strongly.
"I…" Magnamon began, fraught as he clutched his forehead. "I can understand what you're saying, Duftmon, but… Dukemon's our friend! If any one of us were in his position, he would do anything he could to save us!"
"Yes, I know he would," Duftmon calmly agreed. "Yet, that does not mean that he would be right to do so…"
"Tch. Right, because the least efficient path is always wrong, right, Duftmon?" Dynasmon bitterly scoffed.
"I- I agree with Magnamon. We can't give up that easily," UlforceVeedramon exclaimed with a torn expression on his face. "I know it won't be easy, but we have to at least try… right?"
"There must be other measures that we can take," Examon murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "If talking won't get through to him, perhaps incapacitation…? A neural shock? Could the Four Great Dragons do something to seal his power…? Or the Four Holy Beasts?" His mind raced as he logically attempted to brainstorm alternatives.
"I doubt it will be that simple," RhodoKnightmon stated, although his voice was weighed down with displeasure as he said so. "…I know that nobody wants to hear this – nor do I – but… we must seriously consider the possibility that we will be unable to save Dukemon."
RhodoKnightmon gestured into the distance, just in time for Megidramon to unleash a swath of flames across the landscape in his pursuit of Beelzebumon. "Look… He is running amok," he stated. "What if he turns his wild anger against our army? What if he runs rampant through New Terminal? How many innocent Digimon will it take? How many lives are too many?"
"Dukemon would not do that," Omegamon avidly insisted.
RhodoKnightmon turned to the white knight. "Dukemon would not, no…" He looked over at the roaring dragon in the distance. "However… that is not Dukemon. That is the program inside of him. I fear the Digital Hazard is not so discriminating."
"Dukemon is still in there somewhere!" Dynasmon argued.
Duftmon looked down with an uncertain frown. "We cannot be certain of that… We do not know how completely the Digital Hazard might take over its host."
"But he might be," Magnamon contended.
"And he might be in pain…" RhodoKnightmon sadly responded, listening to the creature's furious and almost anguished roars. "All that we do know at this point is that Megidramon is a Digimon on a rampage… with the potential to cause untold amounts of destruction, if not total annihilation."
Sleipmon tilted his snout down, gazing bleakly at the flattened grass.
"…And 'rampaging Digimon are to be incapacitated unless it is absolutely necessary to kill them,'" Sleipmon echoed, glancing at RhodoKnightmon sadly. "…It's simply protocol… isn't it, Rhodo?"
RhodoKnightmon quietly looked away. Despite the fact that his mask covered his face, the tightness in his posture conveyed how disquieted and cheerless he was. He folded his arms that bit more tightly, but without breaking his composure.
"…Believe me, Sleipmon," RhodoKnightmon solemnly spoke. "I take no pleasure in saying these things… I would love nothing more than for us to be able to break through to him and change him back to the Dukemon that we know and love… However, innocent lives are at stake. The Digital World is at stake. You all must realise that."
Sleipmon closed his eyes. "…Yes… I know," he answered without the slightest bit of vigor.
UlforceVeedramon looked at Sleipmon curiously. "Honestly, I'm kinda surprised you haven't been more vocal about this, Sleipmon…" he noted, more as an observation than a judgement. "Usually you're the first to speak up in defence of the sanctity of life…"
Sleipmon opened his eyes and the ghost of a smile appeared on his muzzle. There was no joy in it, only pain and doubt.
"Yes… I am," Sleipmon confirmed, raising his head slightly. "Normally, I would have discounted the very idea of what is being proposed… I would have fought against it with all of my heart."
His smile faded and his violet eyes softened sadly. "Yet… now I find myself without a voice," he gently spoke. "Because… truthfully, I do not know what I believe anymore."
"Sleipmon…" Examon said, grimacing as he gazed upon his friend.
"I want to save Dukemon…" Sleipmon explained, looking around at the surprised knights. "I want nothing more than to race off right now and put my heart and soul into talking him around…
"Yet…" he continued, "…then I wonder if I am simply being selfish again…"
"Selfish?" Examon asked with a frown. "Why would that be selfish? You are only thinking of Dukemon."
Sleipmon smiled sadly. "…Am I? Am I not putting my own needs over that of others again?" he wistfully questioned. "Dukemon is my friend, which is why I want to save him. I do not want to see him die… What right do I have to put my feelings over others'… over the whole world?"
Examon's brows creased into a grim frown. "Sleipmon, you cannot let what happened to Cherubimon change you," he urged him.
Sleipmon eyed the large dragon quizzically. "…Why can I not?" he wondered. "Not only can I… but I should, should I not? After all, Cherubimon…" Sleipmon bowed his head, his expression showing signs of cracking. "…Cherubimon begged me to kill him. He… He was in so much pain. He was hurting his friends against his will… Yet I…" He clenched his trembling hands.
"I did not even have the strength to give him peace…" Sleipmon continued. "In that battle, you even told me that I was fighting half-heartedly… and you were right. I was putting myself and others in danger because of my weakness…" Sleipmon tilted his head up to lock eyes with Examon, his violet eyes glistened in the crimson flashes of lightning. "…Tell me, Examon, what would you have done had Seraphimon not killed Cherubimon? …You wouldn't have hesitated, would you?"
The question pierced deep into Examon's heart. He grimaced on reflex and looked away, for he could not look into Sleipmon's eyes and lie. That's what it would have been… A lie. After all, he had been seconds away from pulling the trigger before Seraphimon stepped in.
"I…" he stammered.
Rather than react with rage, Sleipmon's eyes merely softened, and he smiled with knowing acceptance…
"I thought not…" he calmly responded. "So, why is it any different for you now? …Is it because it's Dukemon we're dealing with? When it comes to deleting Digimon, is it one rule for your friends and one rule for everybody else…?"
Examon winced with shame. "That's not…" he weakly protested.
"Sleipmon is correct," Duftmon spoke up, turning back to Examon after checking the status of the battlefield. "I am fully aware of your combat record, Examon; you never would have hesitated before. Your stance would be inconsistent if you conveniently allow for this exception. You are many things, Examon, but I never would have thought that a hypocrite is one of them."
"I don't want to be called a hypocrite by you, Duftmon," Examon snapped at the strategist.
"Of course Examon would want to help his friend!" Dynasmon argued. "We all would! At least I thought we all would."
"Hmph…" Duftmon stiffly responded, not giving Dynasmon so much as a look.
Sleipmon closed his eyes. "I… I just don't know, Examon. Maybe Dukemon is in pain the same way that Cherubimon was… Maybe what I believe to be kindness is cruelty… and cruelty to be kindness…"
"…Tch." Gankoomon grunted irritably, turning to UlforceVeedramon, Craniamon, Jesmon, and Alphamon. "Don't you guys have anything to say for yourselves?" he challenged them. "You've been quiet."
UlforceVeedramon rubbed his neck, looking down with a fretful wince. "I don't know…" he anxiously responded. "The last thing I want to do is hurt Dukemon… but Rhodo and Duftmon have valid points too. I want to prioritize getting Dukemon back to normal safely… but that's easier said than done."
Duftmon sighed. "Firmly on the side of equivocation, then…" he murmured before sharply turning to Craniamon."And? What of you, Craniamon?" Duftmon bluntly asked him. "You have never been quiet in your opinions."
Craniamon held himself guardedly. His red eyes were glaring and he tapped his foot agitatedly. His grip around his spear and shield tightened crushingly.
"…What? What the hell do you want me to say?" Craniamon growled defensively, glowering back at Duftmon and Gankoomon. "That I think we should kill him? That I think we should let the world be destroyed? I can't make a decision like that as easy as some of you. It's not that damned black and white!"
"Who said that any of this was simple?" RhodoKnightmon countered. "I have not said anything lightly. I would never be so flippant with Dukemon's life, but I cannot simply ignore this cataclysmic threat in front of us either."
"And it's not like I'm saying I'm okay with letting the world be destroyed!" Dynasmon added. "Of course I'm not going to let that happen, but I don't want to agree to killing Dukemon either!"
"So you guys can at least agree on something, then," Craniamon muttered. He exhaled behind his visor and looked down. "Look… I don't know what's right… I want to believe that we can save them both, but… if we have to make a choice…"
"Why do we even have to talk about this at this point? There's a battle going on and all we're doing is going at each other's throats!" UlforceVeedramon insisted. "This isn't good for morale! We're just fighting each other when we should be fighting the enemy!"
"Our lines are fending off the Troopmon; they will be fine for at least five more minutes," Duftmon determined. "This may be our only chance to strategise with regards to Megidramon. Burying our heads in the sand is not an option, no matter how difficult this may be. As I have said before, now that the Digital Hazard has activated, we only have a finite amount of time to deal with this crisis, one way or another."
"I have to agree," Omegamon stated impatiently. The white knight's sharp eyes trailed across the group before landing firmly onto Alphamon.
The black knight had barely said a word during their whole discussion. It was beginning to feel to him that he was intentionally holding back…
"Alphamon…" Omegamon spoke up, addressing him directly. "You are our leader. Don't you think it is about time that you comment upon this dispute with your views? If anyone should pass judgement here, it is you."
Alphamon closed his eyes, quietly thinking for a few moments, while thunder bellowed in the background. After a brief silence, Alphamon turned and looked over at Megidramon, a sober and melancholic look in his eyes. Finally, he turned back to Omegamon, staring straight into his eyes to stand up to the intensity of the white knight's gaze.
"…I do not think that we should be so quick to disregard the words of Duftmon and RhodoKnightmon," Alphamon answered, carefully yet steadily.
Omegamon's face muscles slackened as the meaning between Alphamon's words dawned on him. He stared at Alphamon with a growing mixture of confusion, incredulity, and dread.
"What…?" he asked, that single word unable to hide the confused notes of betrayal in his voice. "But… Alphamon…"
"Alphamon…?" Magnamon exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock as well. "You don't mean you actually condone what they're suggesting, do you?"
Alphamon calmly looked around, evenly addressing the surprised looks of the gathered knights, even those he was defending.
"I'm sorry… but, as much as it pains me to say this… we must think very carefully about the crisis that we find ourselves facing. We must entertain all options…" Alphamon poignantly stated.
Dynasmon grimaced, a mixture of anger and pain on his face. "…Even killing one of our best friends, Alphamon?" he brusquely questioned.
Alphamon acknowledged Dynasmon glare. "…Even that," he grimly responded.
"Alphamon, you can't be serious!" Gankoomon exclaimed, taking a defiant step towards the black knight, only to be halted by Omegamon's outstretched arm.
Omegamon took a step forwards in Gankoomon's place. Still processing the tumultuous emotions he felt, he stood opposite to Alphamon. His cyan eyes tightened into a pained and piercing glare. "Alphamon… I cannot believe that I am hearing this…" he bitterly accused him. "Not from you of all people… You have known Dukemon as long as I have… He is our friend!"
"Yes, I have, Omegamon… and, yes, he is," Alphamon somberly replied. "Normally, I would be one of the first to speak to his defence."
"Then why?!" Omegamon demanded.
"Because we are Royal Knights…" Alphamon evenly responded, staring coolly into Omegamon's passionate eyes. "Our duty is to the Digital World… We have been tasked by Yggdrasil with protecting Network Security, and the Digital Hazard will tear this world to pieces if we do not stop it. That is why, and it is with an extremely heavy heart, that I say that we may have to consider killing Dukemon…"
"I can't believe this… Not from you of all people…" Omegamon spoke, glaring with pain at Alphamon. "For all your talk about free thought and the sanctity of life, now that there is a crisis, you fall back to the convenient shield of our oath and Lord Yggdrasil?"
"Yet, you have never questioned Lord Yggdrasil before, Omegamon," Alphamon stated. "Lord Yggdrasil told us to do what is mandatory for the good of the Digital World… and I now understand what it is that It meant… We both know what Yggdrasil will ask us to do… Would you disobey Yggdrasil, Omegamon? Could you?"
Omegamon looked down with a distraught grimace. He could not respond, for he already knew the answer…
"Alphamon is right... The entire Digital World is at stake," RhodoKnightmon stated. "We cannot afford to simply dismiss the worst case scenario because it is unpalatable to our moral sensibilities. I care deeply for Dukemon, but if we are forced to make a choice between him and the Digital World…? As Royal Knights, we must have the resolve to do what is necessary. Who are we to claim to know better than Yggdrasil Itself?"
"We never said that…" Dynasmon bitterly insisted. "But…"
"I am not suggesting that we rush to that outcome… yet we cannot simply dismiss the notion that we may need to carry out the worst case scenario," Alphamon explained.
"I don't know how you can be so emotionally detached… to be so even-handed when our friend's life is on the line," Omegamon lowly challenged him.
Alphamon gazed at Omegamon with sad but accepting look in his eyes. "…Because I must be."
"Yet…" Omegamon murmured, daring to challenge the black knight once more. "…Yet you saved me from Zwart…"
"Omegamon… That was different," Alphamon contended.
"Yes, it was different…" Omegamon argued. "I became Zwart because of DarkKnightmon as well as my own weaknesses. Yet, none of this is Dukemon's fault! You went out of your way to save me, Alphamon. You fought yourself bloody to get through to me! So, tell me, why won't you afford Dukemon the same effort that you afforded to me?! Why did I deserve more of a chance that Dukemon does?!" he passionately accused him. "Was it merely out of the guilt that you felt?! What of the guilt that you feel over Dukemon?"
Alphamon grimaced as Omegamon unleashed upon him his sharp barrage of intimations. "…What of the guilt that you feel, Omegamon?" he incisively responded. Then, Alphamon looked away and sighed, unable to hide the shame on his face. "…Omegamon, the situation with you was different. I do not make this distinction out of guilt or any other ulterior motive. Your dark evolution did not put the fate of the world in balance."
"I would have destroyed Yggdrasil had you not stopped me!" Omegamon insisted. "I would have hurt anyone who got in my way, yet I didn't want to! Dukemon must feel the same way! He doesn't want to be doing this! Why would we not do whatever we can to save him?!"
Alphamon frowned softly as he listened to Omegamon's passionate words.
"Yet…" Duftmon spoke up. "If Dukemon feels that way, would it not follow that he would want us to stop him from hurting innocent Digimon at all costs? …Did you not feel the same way while you were Zwart, Omegamon?"
Omegamon winced at the memory, and he exchanged an uncomfortable look with Alphamon. He couldn't deny that he begged Alphamon to kill him… but he knew why Duftmon was asking him that question.
"I can't believe you, Duftmon!" Dynasmon snarled, marching up to the strategist. "That's low, even for you!"
Duftmon gazed frostily at the wyvern knight. "What? I am merely stating the facts… Dukemon hated the Digital Hazard more than anybody…" he matter-of-factly stated. "Dukemon would want us to stop him. He would not wish to be responsible for the world's destruction. He would not want the Digital Hazard to win."
Dynasmon growled and roughly grabbed Duftmon by the collar of his armour. "You're despicable, Duftmon!" he shouted. "Dukemon's supposed to be your friend! Yet here you are, putting words into Dukemon's mouth to get what you want!"
Duftmon's eyes widened with stunned shock, any quick response immediately snuffed from the tip of his tongue. He merely released a shaky gasp as the words sunk in.
"You've been trying to get us to delete Dukemon from the very start!" Dynasmon yelled, his snout right in Duftmon's face as he glared into his eyes. "You'll stop at nothing to get your way!"
It was then that something snapped inside Duftmon. Without warning, Duftmon slapped Dynasmon's hand away and then tightly grabbed Dynasmon's armour. His calm, aloof face suddenly fractured into a look of unparalleled rage and sorrow.
"'My way'?! 'What I want'?!" Duftmon yelled, his voice breaking in the unheard of display of overwhelming emotion.
Duftmon released his trembling hand from Dynasmon's collar. "You truly think that I want this?! That I wish to have any part in killing one of my only friends?!" Duftmon emotively accused him. "What is it that you expect me to do, Dynasmon?! I must be the one to suggest the unthinkable! The fate of the Digital World is in our hands! But you cannot sincerely believe that any part of me relishes in this!"
Dynasmon stared at Duftmon with unmitigated shock, stunned to see Duftmon pour so much emotion into his denial. It was enough to immediately show him that Duftmon was truly being genuine.
"…I… I'm sorry, Duftmon…" Dynasmon apologised, looking down with a grimace.
"…I feel the same way, Dynasmon," RhodoKnightmon explained, tightly gripping his wrist as he looked over at Megidramon with a fretful gaze. "I sincerely hope that it does not have to come to that. More than anything…"
Alphamon released an uneven breath. "My sentiments exactly…" he responded, attempting to remain as calm as possible.
He turned to Jesmon, who had been quiet in order to allow everyone else to speak. "…Jesmon, you are a part of this as well. I would like to hear your thoughts," he encouraged the junior knight.
Jesmon looked up at the eleven other knights uncertainly. He had wanted to say something, but he had been unsure if he should.
"I… I don't know if it's my place to say this…" Jesmon began, looking down sadly. "All of you have known Dukemon-senpai a lot longer than I have… and I've only been a Royal Knight for a few days… but… There… There has to be another way…" Jesmon tentatively spoke up, allowing himself to speak up despite his inexperience. "Dukemon was always so kind to me… and I know how important he is to all of you. Surely we can try to get through to him before going that far down that path that we can't come back from… We owe it to him to try… Don't we?"
Alphamon smiled at Jesmon and nodded gently. "Yes…" he agreed, before turning his head and wordlessly acknowledging Omegamon. "Yes, we do…"
"Excuse me…" Duftmon spoke up, sheepishly composing himself after his outburst. "What exactly are you proposing, Alphamon?"
"It is clear to me that none of us want to lose Dukemon…" Alphamon began.
"Of course not," RhodoKnightmon asserted.
"Obviously…" Duftmon murmured, folding his arms and looking away.
"And all of us want to do whatever we can to save the world," the leader of the knights continued.
"Well, yeah. Clearly," Dynasmon agreed.
"We all have different ideas on what the best course of action is, but we can agree on those two points, at the very least," Alphamon explained. "To bridge this gap, I suggest we build off of what Jesmon just said. At this point of time, we should try our hardest to peacefully restore Dukemon to his senses and contain the Digital Hazard. We can begin with persuasion and appealing to his heart, and, if necessary, the use of non-lethal force to restrain him."
"Therefore…" Duftmon spoke, eyeing Alphamon closely. "You are proposing that we try everything that we can to return him safely…"
"Everything that we can, short of foolhardy recklessness," Alphamon confirmed with a nod. "Bearing in mind our current situation."
"…And if we have tried everything we possibly can and we still cannot bring Dukemon back?" Duftmon solemnly asked.
Alphamon closed his eyes. "In that situation… we will cross that bridge if it comes to that…" he reticently stated, although everybody knew the underlying meaning to his words.
He looked around at all of the gathered Royal Knights. "Is that an acceptable course of action for all of you?" he questioned.
Dynasmon sighed anxiously and rubbed his neck. "Yeah… I guess if that's how it has to be. At least we can do our best to save Dukemon…" he concurred.
RhodoKnightmon folded his arms and nodded. "I truly hope for nothing more than Dukemon's retrieval… That is the ideal course for me, so long as we remain realistic and we do not forget about our obligations."
"Yes, I can agree to that, as well," Magnamon concurred.
Examon thought carefully about Alphamon's words. "…Yes. I agree. That would be the most pragmatic way to help Dukemon…" he reasoned. Examon then glanced over at Sleipmon uncertainly, wondering what he thought about it all.
Sleipmon looked down with a conflicted frown. However, then he heard a roar in the distance. He looked up and looked at the western end of the battlefield, where Megidramon was fighting Beelzebumon, the hills awash with flames.
"…I… don't know if what we're doing is right…" Sleipmon began. However, he looked back at Examon and nodded. "But… I want to save him…"
UlforceVeedramon, Craniamon, Gankoomon, and Jesmon all nodded with agreement.
Alphamon turned back to the one who had been quiet compared to his previous outspokenness on the matter. "…Omegamon?" he asked the white knight, gently encouraging him.
Omegamon looked back at Alphamon. The resolve in his eyes remained, but he also accepted the gravitas of what was being said. With a heavy-heart, he nodded.
"…Let's do our best to save Dukemon," he agreed.
Alphamon nodded before turning back to the final knight. "…And you, Duftmon?"
Duftmon gazed out across the battlefield, his mind racing as he gauged the state of their forces compared to the enemy's, while also factoring in Megidramon's chaotic duel in the distance. The strategist tapped the hilt of his sword and released a sigh.
"…I can agree to this plan in theory," Duftmon concurred. "In practice, however, we cannot commit every single Royal Knight to fighting Megidramon while we are also in the middle of a battle with the Demon Lords. We would be decimated…"
"What do you propose?" Alphamon inquired.
Duftmon frowned and turned back towards the battlefield, where he saw the Order and Saversburg forces making quick work of the latest wave of Troopmon.
"Our plan for this battle remains largely the same. We can only spare four Royal Knights to engage Megidramon. Anything more would leave us severely compromised," Duftmon explained, turning to the other knights. "Omegamon, Dynasmon, Examon, and Sleipmon, I believe that you four would be the best suited for this task, taking into account your abilities, skills, and personal investment. Any objections?"
Dynasmon grinned. "None here!"
Omegamon tightened his fists and shook his head. "That suits me…"
Examon and Sleipmon looked at each other and exchanged mutual nods.
"Good... Now. We have spent enough time talking," Duftmon proclaimed, unsheathing his rapier from his belt and pointing it towards the battlefield. "The first two waves of Troopmon have been completely destroyed. The Demon Lords have sent forwards the final Troopmon wave. When that one is depleted, they will commit the Nightmare Soldiers to the battle. It is then that the Demon Lords will strike. We must return to the battlefield immediately in preparation."
"Duftmon is right," Alphamon agreed. "We have dallied long enough. The soldiers are likely uneasy about what has happened. We must assure them of our plan so that we can restore morale."
"Indeed," Duftmon concurred. "Alphamon, Jesmon, you two remain with me for the time being. I shall send a messenger to relay the plan to Tactimon. Omegamon's team, come up with a plan and then sortie post-haste. Everyone else, you already know your roles. Waste no more time; let us defeat these Demon Lords and save Dukemon."
Alphamon nodded. "You heard him. Everyone, let's give it our all," he encouraged them. The black knight turned to Omegamon and gazed at him meaningfully. "Omegamon… bring Dukemon back."
Omegamon stared at Alphamon with intense passion, nodding gently. He then turned and gazed across the battlefield to the distant inferno. The swell of infernal flames… the primal roars… the crimson lightning piercing through the apocalyptic sky… With unshakable resolve, he set his eyes on Megidramon right as the dragon dove onto Beelzebumon with his whole body.
"…I will…" he promised.
"Alright then…" Alphamon stated, looking around at all of the other Royal Knights before turning back to the battlefield.
"Everyone… break!"
And with that, the Royal Knights divided, each racing back to the frontlines. United in their purpose and with newfound resolve, they hurried to their positions.
Although there had been so much chaos and discord already, the battle had only just begun…