Holy War

by Griff4823

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

124. Chapter 86 Part 3: The Burning Sky

(Author's Notes: Hey, all! Part 3 is finally here. Sorry for the wait! Honestly, this chapter was giving me some trouble for a little while, but I buckled down and got into a good writing rhythm, so I was finally able to complete it.

I've got some more good news too. Yesterday, I sat down and finished mapping out the rest of the story on a chapter-by-chapter, scene-by-scene basis. So I now have pretty much every scene organized and planned out, which is a big relief. Now I don't have to worry about what scene to put where and I can just focus on writing. I'd like to be able to keep up the momentum and hopefully build up at least a one chapter buffer again.

Anyways, here's the the final part of Chapter 86. It's a very big one, so don't feel you have to read it all in one sitting. It's also probably the last multi-part chapter (unless one of the later chapters ends up going exceptionally long, which I'll try to avoid, but I can't rule out.)

Thanks for being patient, and I hope you all enjoy it. Read and let me know what you think!)

---

Chapter 86: The Burning Sky (Part III)

A monstrous roar split the turbulent sky.

Bolts of blood red lightning burst out from the swirling storm clouds, chaining with other clouds and sometimes striking the plains of withered grass with fiery detonations of electrons.

Beelzebumon's body impacted the dry, smouldering grass at the bottom of a hill. He came to a sliding stop, his body unearthing clumps of dead, yellow grass and parched soil. His mouth was open, panting vigorously as drops of blood trickled down the corners of his mouth, his nostrils, and his ears. His pants and bodysuit were marred with rips and burns, his skin stricken with bloody lacerations and mild burns underneath the tears.

Beelzebumon's three eyes darted around hyper-alertly. His protesting muscles trembled. Adrenaline coursed through his body, numbing his mind and dulling the pain. He felt an enormous pressure around him, beating down on him as if gravity itself had intensified. Despite the agonizing pain, he held his twin shotguns in a vice-grip. And, more than that, a smile of pure exhilaration crept onto his face…

This was it. This was a fight to the death…

This was what he had wanted.

The sheer adrenaline-fuelled ecstasy that overwhelmed his whole body was supreme…Beelzebumon was unable to help but let out a breathy laugh. For the past fifteen or so minutes, he had been going toe-to-tail with a feral beast of the apocalypse.

Megidramon knew no sense of self… He knew only the primal urge for carnage and destruction. Gone were the perfected movements of Dukemon, gone was his restraint and his acumen. Instead, what Beelzebumon faced was wild and unrestrained obliteration. To him, it was not necessarily a better fight, merely a shift from highly-skilled combat to sheer, wild destruction. At the very least, he couldn't deny that it pushed him to his very limits… as, for the past ten minutes, he had been losing.

Beelzebumon's three eyes immediately looked to the skies as soon as Megidramon swept down from above him. The monstrous red dragon opened his salivating mouth and unleashed an eardrum-splitting roar that was louder than even the nearby thunder. The roar unleashed shockwaves that lambasted his body and crushed the earth around him.

The demon growled with pain as his body was pressed hard against the ground under the intense pressure of the sound waves. Beelzebumon struggled to move his head, but he was able to see Megidramon swooping down on him from the sky. He attempted to raise the shotguns in his hands, but he couldn't even move his arms under the overwhelming pressure.

To his partial relief, Megidramon's roar ended, which, after a few seconds, released the force from his body. However, the physical relief that he felt was quickly extinguished by the knowledge that a hundred-meter tall dragon seemed intent on diving face-first into his aching body.

Beelzebumon swore with desperation as the shadow of Megidramon grew larger and larger around him. The crimson dragon was descending on him like an avalanche. He would be on him within seconds. There was no way he could get away in time.

Beelzebumon whipped up his shotguns, taking aim at the hellish, draconic visage that closed in on him. Before he could fire, Megidramon's jaws snapped open, revealing the jagged teeth and fiery, sulphuric abyss of his maw. His eyes widening, Beelzebumon knew that if he took the shot, it would be the last thing he ever did.

Megidramon's clawed hands slammed into the earth on either side of him. Thinking quickly, Beelzebumon dropped the shotguns from his hands, right as Megidramon's snout dove towards him, set to snap him up between his jaws and make a meal out of him.

"Shit!" Beelzebumon yelled, desperately throwing his arms and legs out in front of him.

With both hands, Beelzebumon grabbed hold of the bottom of Megidramon's helmet, right above his receded lips. At the same time, he slammed his boots into Megidramon's gums at the base of his mandible. With every ounce of his strength, he tried to keep Megidramon's crushing jaws at bay before they could snap shut around his body and rip him apart.

Beelzebumon let out a strained growl as he suddenly felt the full weight of Megidramon's body against his arms and legs. His back was crushed into the ground – his spine felt as if it would snap at any moment. His limbs burned with pain – metaphorically as well as literally – their muscles straining with all their might to prevent him from becoming a snack.

With wide, desperate eyes, Beelzebumon gazed up at the gaping maw that threatened to devour him. He stared into the dark abyss; the only light within was the distant flames welling in Megidramon's throat. A wave of hot, acrid, sulphuric breath washed over Beelzebumon, curling his nose and threatening him with the urge to dry heave. Though the heat and smell threatened to overwhelm him, he refused to lose focus, for even the slightest mistake would result in his death.

Beelzebumon grunted and strained, his arms and legs shaking as he struggled to keep Megidramon's mouth pried open. Thick globs of saliva dripped out of Megidramon's opened mouth, streaming to the ground around him. Through his watering eyes, Beelzebumon watched as a large drop of saliva landed not far from his head, the grass where it landed hissing and corroding from the acid.

As more acidic drool dripped around him, he could feel his boots beginning to sizzle as well. Sweat dripping down his face and soaking his suit, Beelzebumon was becoming desperate. He knew he had to act or else he was dead meat. Glancing down, he saw one of his Berenjenas just barely within reach. Though with his hands and feet both totally occupied, he had only one alternative: he started moving his tail.

"C'mon…" Beelzebumon growled. He moved his tail beneath him, trying to wrap its slender tip around the grip of one of his Berenjenas. "C'mon, you son of a bitch…!"

He could feel his arms and legs beginning to give way. He could see the soles of his rubber boots beginning to melt against his teeth, sizzling under the acidic saliva. His tail managed to curl underneath the shotgun, enough for the tip of his tail to slip under the trigger guard. He had it.

"HAH!" Beelzebumon exclaimed, squeezing the Berenjena securely and whipping the heavy gun up between his legs. "Eat this!"

He squeezed the trigger and the shotgun pumped a metal shell straight into Megidramon's mouth. The shell split apart and lacerated Megidramon's tongue, causing the gigantic dragon to roar with pain and recoil on instinct.

Although the recoil slammed the shotgun right into Beelzebumon's crotch, this gave him the chance he needed. He felt the pressure of Megidramon's mouth release from his aching limbs. Seizing the chance with both hands, the wincing Beelzebumon grabbed both of his shotguns and flipped backwards down the hill, rolling out of Megidramon's immediate biting range.

Beelzebumon got to a knee and then propelled himself upwards into an acrobatic lunge. He leapt on top of Megidramon's forehead and aimed his shotguns down, firing the Berenjenas right into the roof of the dragon's helmeted head.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAGH!"

Megidramon howled with pain and anger as the helmet cracked and dented inwards. He thrashed his arms wildly, swiping at Beelzebumon in an attempt to grab him. Beelzebumon ducked under his claws, sliding down the back of Megidramon's head. He slammed a boot against the dragon's armoured collar, coming a stop. As Megidramon's wings flapped wildly, Beelzebumon took aim with the Berenjenas as fired twice more. One slug drilled right into the nape of Megidramon's neck, causing his head to jerk backwards, and the other shell fired straight down the gap in Megidramon's breastplate, tearing at the bare scales of his back.

Megidramon roared furiously, flapping his wings madly as he attempted to reach over his shoulder to grab Beelzebumon from off of his back.

Beelzebumon laughed and leaned backwards to evade the dragon's grasping claws. He stuffed his shotguns into their holsters and knelt down, having to grip Megidramon's armour to hang on. "Hah! Now this is more like it!" Beelzebumon exclaimed exuberantly, holding onto Megidramon like he was a bucking steed. "I think I'm gettin' the hang a' this now!"

"Ain't so easy to gore me back 'ere, is it, Red?!" Beelzebumon cockily shouted, smirking devilishly as Megidramon thrashed around. "Now… Time tah make my mark…" He coiled his clawed hand back, his demonic talons start to exude a black, infernal shroud of decay. "Darkness Claw!"

Beelzebumon lashed his arm out in a spirited sweep. His darkness-imbued claws carved into the back of Megidramon's neck, shearing through the comparatively thin armour that covered it. The Demon Lord's claws raked horizontally across Megidramon's nape, tearing into the scales in a cascade of sparks, before finally exiting with shards of metal and strands of blood.

Megidramon howled with pain as the deep gashes oozed bubbling blood. His head wrenched back with burning pain and explosive anger. Reacting in a berserk rage, Megidramon swept his long tail up and whipped it against his own back. The long appendage of muscle and bone crashed against Beelzebumon's body, crushing him against the dragon's metal armour. Roaring, Megidramon continued lashing both himself and Beelzebumon, ignoring the pain he was causing to his own neck, wings, and tail.

"Gah! Fuck!" Beelzebumon shouted as he was pummelled over and over by Megidramon's self-flagellation. He tried to stand up, only to be knocked back down against Megidramon's bleeding neck. "Fuggin' bastard!"

Beelzebumon, seeing the massive tail sailing towards him once again, acted quickly. He jumped onto Megidramon's shoulder and lunged off the dragon's back, attempting to sail towards the ground. As he free-fell, he whistled into his claws, attempting to summon the nearby Behemoth.

He could see the semi-sentient motorcycle veer towards him. As Beelzebumon hurdled towards the ground, he reached for the distant bike…

However, then a massive wall of crimson scales suddenly appeared in front of him. Beelzebumon released a yell as he slammed into the mass of muscle. Before he knew it, the long, prehensile appendage wrapped around him with crushing strength, pinning his left arm to his side and squeezing his torso and legs together.

Megidramon, having caught Beelzebumon with his tail, slammed the demon hard against the ground. Then, as dry earth fell off his tail and Beelzebumon's head, he raised the Demon Lord up until he was at eye level with him.

Beelzebumon growled and squirmed, desperately attempting to free himself. He attempted to reach the Berenjenas, but they were covered by Megidramon's tail. He had only one arm that he could move.

Snarling, Beelzebumon lifted his head, a bead of blood dripping down from his forehead, glaring defiantly at the massive dragon before him…

Megidramon gazed down at his prey with utter bale in his crimson eyes. Smoke wafted from his nostrils and a deep growl bubbled up from his throat. Then, his jaws snapped open and he released a deafening roar right against Beelzebumon's body. The sulphuric breath washed over him and the sheer pressure of the blast slammed against his body. Through the intense gust of dragon breath, Beelzebumon could see the inferno building up in the dragon's throat.

The flames were growing higher and higher, the orange glow in the darkness becoming more intense. Soon, he saw a torrent of fire start to pour out of Megidramon's throat. He was in trouble. If he didn't free himself fast, he was going to be burnt to a crisp.

Beelzebumon struggled harder, desperately jerking his arm. Hell, he would dislocate it if he had to. He prepared to start slicing into the dragon's tail. He wasn't how much time he had, The flames were rolling out…

"Shit!" Beelzebumon exclaimed, desperately preparing to plunge his claws into the crushing tail.

Then, before either he or Megidramon could react, there was a sudden explosion of light right in front of Megidramon's face.

Blinding, white light erupted between them in a phosphorescent starburst. Beelzebumon hissed as his three eyes all stung from the intense flare. Megidramon let out a roar of anger as his vision was temporarily blinded. Thrashing about with wild confusion, Megidramon spat out a fireball aimlessly. He swept his tail outwards and released Beelzebumon, viciously hurling him through the air.

Beelzebumon swore as he careened a hundred meters through the air. Unable to see, he could only flail his arms and legs wildly, hoping the Behemoth would catch him.

To his surprise, he found himself impact something hard, yet cushioning. Releasing a winded breath, he found himself still suspended in the air, held up by something behind him.

Blinking away the spots in his vision, Beelzebumon looked down to see a giant pair of white hands holding him fifty meters off the ground. "…Da fuck?" he spat with confusion.

"Don't you dare thank us," a deep, gruff voice said from behind him. "This is all for Dukemon."

Beelzebumon looked over his shoulder and saw Dynasmon's scowling face looking down at him. "…What the hell do you think yer doin'?!" Beelzebumon complained, tentatively reaching for his shotgun. "Stay outta this!"

"No. You stay out of this," Dynasmon snarled, lifting Beelzebumon up. "We're dealing with this now! You stay the hell away from Dukemon or else we'll kill you ourselves!"

Beelzebumon glanced ahead. To his outrage, he saw Omegamon and Examon descending towards Megidramon from the sky, while Sleipmon raced towards him from the ground. He swore and swiftly made a move for his ankle holster, but Dynasmon was already prepared.

"I don't think so!" Dynasmon yelled, wheeling around.

With a mighty heave, Dynasmon hurled Beelzebumon through the sky, away from Megidramon and back towards the Demon Lords.

Beelzebumon released a long, protracted, cuss word that grew increasingly more distant as he was thrown away.

The Demon Lord of Gluttony flailed an arm wildly as he sailed through the air, the other arm feeling as if it had been pulled out of its socket by Dynasmon's heave. With a look of panic, he saw himself careening towards the grass. He wished Dynasmon had thrown him towards the last wave of Troopmon instead – at least then he would have had a cushy landing…

As he braced for a nasty landing, the Behemoth suddenly veered in front of his descent path to try and catch him. Beelzebumon painfully impacted the leather seat of the Behemoth, his helmeted head banging against the dashboard.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed, growling with pain as he reflexively grabbed one of the steering handles. He grimaced and sat up, blood dripping from his head and onto the dashboard. "Ugh… Thanks for tryin' and all, babe, but just let me hit the grass next time…"

Through the blood leaking down his face, Beelzebumon looked down; his left arm hung limply against his side - his shoulder felt as if it had been struck by a chrome digizoid hammer. He knew his shoulder was dislocated. Fighting through the pain, he attempted to turn the Behemoth around one-handed.

As he looked over his shoulder, he could see the Royal Knights already engaged with Megidramon. Snarling with frustration, Beelzebumon attempted to turn back towards them. However, in the distance, he could see Sleipmon send a wintery glacier out from his shield.

A wall of craggy ice swept across the landscape in a wide curve, effectively isolating Megidramon and the four Royal Knights from both himself and the rest of the battle.

Beelzebumon came to a skidding stop right in front of the towering wall of icicles. "Damn it!" he exclaimed, glowering as he looked up at the impassable wall of ice. He hated – absolutely hated – to admit it, but he couldn't fight like this. His injuries were mounting up and he couldn't fight Megidramon as well as four Royal Knights at the same time, no matter how much he wanted to. He was aggressive but he wasn't stupid; he knew he had to call it a day.

"Damn it… Damn it, Red," Beelzebumon panted. "This ain't over… not by a long shot… You better stay alive until I can fight again… I ain't lettin' this all end like this, you hear me?"

Beelzebumon spat out a glob of blood in frustration and weakly turned the Behemoth. With what little energy he still had, he began driving away, back to the Demon Lords' lines.

Still… with eyes of longing and frustration, he looked back at the dragon, watching it unleash all its mindless rage against its former friends.

---

"Keep firing! Concentrate your fire! Maintain this barrage!"

Captain Ouryumon's voice cracked across the battlefield from high in the sky. From his place at the vanguard of the Strike Forces, he released two arcs of energy from his scimitars that descended into the ground and vaporized five firing Troopmon at once.

"Maintain your guard, everyone!" Captain Knightmon shouted to the Defence Forces around him from below. "Support the Strike Forces and don't let a single one through! Work together!"

The Defence Force's shield wall held tight as bullets and grenades rebounded off of the shields and barriers, weathering the salvo from the final wave of dauntlessly advancing Troopmon.

In the sky above the Defence Forces, Paildramon hovered at the front of the Aerial Strikes' formation, alongside Leftenant HippoGriffomon.

"Second wing, concentrate your fire to the left! Strafe that group in enfilade!" she shouted over her shoulder to a section of the Aerial Strike Forces.

"Desperado Blaster!" she called out, continuing to pour bullets of energy from her hip-mounted cannons into the attacking ranks of the Troopmon. The bullets ripped through the suits of several Troopmon, causing them to collapse and deflate, releasing the black data that filled them.

Paildramon gripped tightly her dual cannons, which began to burn hot from the amount of energy that they were expelling. She growled, her eyes tightening as she focused solely on the battle in front of her. She tried to drown out all noises… all distractions. She didn't want to think about anything but her mission in front of her: eliminating the wave of Troopmon and keeping the Aerial Strike Forces on track. Anything else… was simply an unwanted distraction.

"-er…-gent!" a voice could barely be made out between the gaps in her salvo bursts. "Ov-…arge-!"

Paildramon glowered, the teal metal starting to burn hot to the touch. She pumped out blast after blast, ripping through the mindless, drone soldiers. She was unwavering…

"Over-sergeant!" the voice shouted, louder and closer this time, pulling her out of her focus.

Paildramon ceased firing and looked behind her. Flapping his wings a few meters above and behind her was HippoGriffomon.

"Sir?" she asked

"Over-sergeant, don't expend so much energy," HippoGriffomon advised her. "You're using too much power for these Troopmon. Leave it to the rest of the Strikes; the Troopmon are almost completely depleted, at any rate. We're simply mopping up now."

Paildramon grimaced as she looked down at her cannons. They were sizzling hot and two trails of smoke wafted up from their muzzles. She realised that she had gotten too carried away. "Yes, Leftenant…" she responded, embarrassed by her overzealousness.

HippoGriffomon eyed her carefully. "What's the matter, Paildramon?" he asked her. "This is unlike you… You seem distracted."

"It's nothing, Sir. I'm fine," she insisted. However, the moment she did, a vicious roar resounded off in the distance.

Paildramon winced, but she refused to look to the left, in the westward direction from which the hellish noise originated. Instead, she gazed down, watching as the Strike Forces proceeded to finish off the last of the charging Troopmon.

HippoGriffomon frowned and glanced towards the noise. He spotted Megidramon fighting with a handful of the Royal Knights off on their left flank. The way the clouds continued to swirl ominously over head and the way the unnatural lightning continued to flash, he felt he understood what was the matter.

"I think I understand. I feel it too," HippoGriffomon stated. "What is happening with Sir Dukemon is deeply troubling. I think we all feel ill-at-ease. This pressure… it is disturbing. …However, that is all the more reason why we must focus. We cannot lose heart. Our subordinates are looking to us for strength."

Paildramon exhaled and attempted to force herself to relax. There was more to it than that… but she knew that he was right regardless. "…Yes, Sir. You're right," she responded. "I'll try not to let it distract me."

"Good. I know you will do fine," HippoGriffomon assured her. He looked around, scanning the ground, before looking over his shoulder at the staggered rows of the Aerial Strike Forces. "Cease your fire! That should do it!"

The sound of blasts below them became far more sporadic. After a quarter of a minute, only a couple, final swells of power remained. This abatement of noise signalled to them that there were nearly zero Troopmon remaining.

To confirm, Paildramon observed the battlefield in front of them.

The smoke cleared, giving way to the scene of slaughter: mounds of torn, rubber suits, smoking rifles, shattered gas masks and punctured canisters layered the grass. The synthetic remains stretched all the way from the Royal Knights' right flank to the end of the Saversburg forces over on the left flank. The wave assaults had been nothing more than a metaphorical meat grinder. The Troopmon had had no chance of breaking through their resilient lines. Now, all that remained of them was their disintegrating rubber shells and their escaped undead energy.

Paildramon wondered what the point of it all was. Was it simply to wear them down? To test their strength? Did they think the continued assaults might actually break through them? Or were they playing for time?

"These waves of Troopmon are merely the first and smallest obstacle of many. The real trial will occur when the full army of Nightmare Soldiers attacks us," HippoGriffomon explained. "Remember, we will need to reserve your energy for Imperialdramon. I know that form takes a lot of firepower."

"…Yes, Sir," Paildramon murmured stoically, her voice absent of even the slightest shred of enthusiasm.

Ouryumon swept up from the ground, shaking the data off of his scimitars. "Okay, everyone! Listen up! Duftmon wants us to pull back behind the Defence Forces again! We're taking a defensive stance, so let those demons come to us! We'll cut them down the moment they get close!"

"You heard the Captain, everyone!" HippoGriffomon called out. "Return to Position Delta! Follow Paildramon!"

Paildramon nodded at HippoGriffomon and flew up high into the sky to lead the return manoeuvre. "On me, everyone!" she shouted.

Paildramon continued ascending and reached the peak of her flight. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Megidramon unleashing a torrent of flames in the far distance.

Paildramon closed her eyes and squeezed her fists, trying her best to ignore the chill the crept through her scales and the twisting, sinking feeling of dread inside of her.

Without another word, Paildramon opened her eyes and flew to the rear with swiftly-conjured resolve, leading the formation of the Aerial Strike Forces behind her.

She tried not to think about Megidramon… Still, she wondered how the Royal Knights he was fighting were faring.

---

"Dukemon! Dukemon, please stop—"

The beseeching shout was drowned out by a primal howl that cut through the sky and melded with the bellowing thunder.

Omegamon hovered in place, dwarfed in size by the frenzied dragon. He watched with dismay as Megidramon raced towards him, disregarding his calls.

Megidramon snarled and made a beeline for the white knight. His mouth salivated and frothed with flames. He dove for Omegamon relentlessly, seeming either not to recognize him or simply not caring. He closed in on him, his long tail whipping behind him and his beating wings pumping hot blasts of air. He raised his huge, bladed arms, preparing to swipe at Omegamon with his long claws…

"Omegamon, look out!"

Sleipmon raced through the air from the side, cutting across Omegamon and grabbing him with an arm. He pulled Omegamon out of the way as Megidramon barrelled through the spot where they had been mere seconds prior. Megidramon's huge body passed by them as they ducked under Megidramon's swiping arm and wing. They were so close that they could feel the heat of his breath and body.

Sleipmon held Omegamon tight as he pulled him away from the dragon, who was swiftly correcting and attempting to turn around to find his evasive prey.

"Omegamon, are you alright?" he asked, slowing down enough to let go of his comrade. "You must be more careful. Dukemon isn't going to hold back the way he is now."

"Yes…" Omegamon acknowledged with a troubled frown. He looked over at Megidramon, who was wheeling his oversized body around to look at them with a fierce scowl. "Yes, you are correct. I shall try to be. I'm sorry."

"I understand… It's hard to believe that Dukemon would actually attack us… but, that isn't Dukemon right now," Sleipmon explained, raising his shield in front of them as he turned back to Megidramon. He glanced over at Omegamon. "Are you still alright with this, Omegamon?"

Omegamon breathed, and without hesitation, gazed at Megidramon with resolve. "Yes. I will not waver. Dukemon needs me," he determined.

Sleipmon nodded. "We're counting on you… If anybody can do it, it's you, Omegamon," he assured him. "We will do everything we can to keep him at bay so that you can do what you need to do."

"Thank you, Sleipmon," Omegamon answered, watching as Megidramon began propelling himself towards them again. "Here he comes. Be ready."

Megidramon swept his wings behind him, roaring viciously as he launched himself at the two knights like a gigantic meteor. The dragon of the apocalypse tore towards them in a fiery rampage. Fire leaked from his jaws and heat rippled behind his body. He charged headlong towards his target, his wide, reptilian eyes locked onto Omegamon and Sleipmon.

Omegamon glowered and readied himself to move at a moment's notice. However, neither his Grey Sword or Garuru Cannon were drawn. He wanted Megidramon to know that he wasn't there to fight him.

Sleipmon moved in front of him and raised the Niflheimr to protect Omegamon. Frost radiated from the surface of the red digizoid shield. Sleipmon had no intention of using his crossbow against Megidramon, planning to use it only as a distraction for now. "Get ready, Omegamon. Your chance is almost here," he told him.

As he said that, Megidramon was already halfway between them and where he had started. However, before he could get any closer, an enormous, light blue conflagration suddenly swept out in front of Megidramon's path.

The blaze of blue materialized into the form of a massive, incandescent dragon. It was Wyvern, surging towards Megidramon head-on. Wyvern rivalled Megidramon's huge size, although he ultimately stood a fourth shorter that the dark dragon.

Undeterred, however, Wyvern soared on a collision course with Megidramon. With a whirring snarl, he slammed into Megidramon, catching his claws with his own hands and pushing hard against him.

Megidramon roared with anger as he slammed into the intercepting dragon, attempting to barrel straight through him. Wyvern snarled as he was pushed back dozens of meters, flapping his wings desperately to try to regain his aerial footing.

"Come on, Wyvern!" Dynasmon shouted, pouring his inner strength into his aura dragon.

Finally, despite his ferocity and strength, Megidramon found himself gradually coming to a stop in the air, not far from his intended targets. Megidramon's feral eyes widened with fury, and he squeezed Wyvern's aura talons hard, snarling at the interloper and pushing hard against him in an attempt to overcome him.

Dynasmon snarled, his feet digging into the ground as he channelled his power into Wyvern to keep Megidramon at bay. "Omegamon! Go!" he shouted to the white knight.

Omegamon didn't need any encouragement. The moment that Megidramon came to a stop, he took off. He soared through the air, curving around Wyvern's massive body and approaching Megidramon from the side of his face.

Omegamon came to a stop at eye level with Megidramon, hovering beside his head just out of the range of his jaws. With a pained wince, Omegamon stared at the bestial visage of one of his dearest friends, briefly wondering how it came to this. However, he reminded himself he had a job to do. He had no time to despair. He didn't have many chances at this, so he had to grab this moment that Dynasmon and Wyvern offered him with both hands.

"Dukemon!" Omegamon shouted to him, gazing straight into his blood-hued eye. "Please, listen to me!"

Megidramon growled like a rumbling volcano. He ignored the white knight, focused solely on the smouldering aura dragon that he was grappling with. He attempted to pull his arms away to swipe, but Wyvern held his hands tightly, keeping him in place.

Omegamon flew further into Megidramon's field of vision. He knew he had to get his attention if he wanted any chance of getting through to him.

"Dukemon, please!" he called out, close enough that Megidramon became aware of his presence. "Stop this! This isn't you!"

Megidramon's blood red eyes slowly shifted from Wyvern to Omegamon. His narrow, bloodshot eyes locked onto the white knight with bile fury. The corners of his mouth receded in a scowl, revealing more of his jagged teeth as a vicious snarl bubbled up.

"I know you don't want to be doing this!" Omegamon beseeched him, attempting to appeal to his heart that he truly believed was still in there. "This is the Digital Hazard! It's not you! Fight it, Dukemon! Fight it!"

"RRRAAAGH!"

Megidramon let out a sharp roar and suddenly snapped his jaws at Omegamon. Omegamon veered sharply, avoiding getting caught between the dragon's massive teeth. Recoiling just out of biting range, the knight looked up at the bestial dragon with passion and worry.

"Dukemon, it's me! Omegamon!" Omegamon implored him. "I am your friend! Can't you recognize me?!"

The empty look of rage on Megidramon's scowling face was the dragon's only response.

Omegamon winced with frustration. Was anything he was saying getting through to him? He had to try harder.

"Dukemon, please!" Omegamon stubbornly called out to him once more. "I know you are in pain right now! But you cannot let the Digital Hazard control you! You are strong enough to overcome this! You are stronger than it! Please, just fight it!"

Megidramon's pupils shrank further as he glared at the white knight before him. He turned back to Wyvern and pressed further against him, slowly pushing the aura dragon back.

"Grrrgh…" Dynasmon growled, his body straining as he tried to resist Megidramon's overwhelming strength. "K-Keep at it, Omegamon! I'll try to hold him, but—!"

"Look out, Omegamon! Left!" Examon called out in warning from overhead.

Omegamon spun in to the left. Megidramon's huge tail was lashing towards him, about to come crashing down on him. He automatically threw himself out of the way, narrowly escaping as the huge appendage of muscle and bone swept past him and whipped into the ground in an explosion of dirt.

"Omegamon!" Dynasmon shouted, wincing as he struggled with Wyvern to hold Megidramon back any longer. As he looked up, he saw the crimson dragon rearing his head back, the air in front of him rippling as Megidramon inhaled. "Crap!"

Megidramon wrenched his head forwards, his jaws wide, and he released an earth-shaking roar. His Hell Howling unleashed a crushing shockwave point-blank into Wyvern.

The blast was so powerful that it instantly vaporized the top half of Wyvern's body in a cascade of scattering, blue energy. The shockwave continued above Dynasmon as Wyvern's energy congregated back towards his body. The sonic blast tore up the ground around him and pulled Dynasmon off of his feet, hurling him through the air.

"Dynasmon!" Sleipmon yelled, galloping to the rescue. He raced after Dynasmon, fighting through the intense residual blast that buffeted his armored body, and managed to get in front of Dynasmon to catch him in his arms.

"Urgh… Thanks," Dynasmon said as Sleipmon used the Niflheimr to shield them from the rest of the blast. "He was able to defeat Wyvern that easily… Dukemon's got serious firepower now."

"I'll keep him distracted while you hold him," Sleipmon stated, his hooves hard against the ground while the shockwave petered out against him. "…Go!"

Meanwhile, Examon scowled with frustration as he floated aloft above Megidramon. He watched from overhead as the wild dragon let loose with his rage and darkness.

"Dukemon… Please listen to us… Feel our hearts…" Examon whispered as he took aim with the Ambrosius. "Please…"

He pumped a shell from his gun-lance, firing straight down onto Megidramon's head. The metal canister burst open several meters above Megidramon, releasing a large net that fell on top the dragon's head.

The net landed on Megidramon's snout, but it was only enough to cover the top half of his face. However ineffectual it was, it succeeded in its purpose. Megidramon roared, distracted by the net obstructing his vision. He thrashed his head, spewing flames upwards. The intense fire quickly burned the net to ashes, dispersing in flecks of data.

As soon as the annoying net was disposed of, Megidramon looked back towards his targets. The moment he did, though, he saw Sleipmon below him.

"Bifröst!"his voice rang out. Sleipmon released a glimmering arrow vertically upwards. The arrow climbed, and, the moment it rose in front of Megidramon's face, it suddenly ignited like a blazing flare.

Megidramon roared and recoiled, squinting as the incandescent bolt blazed in front of his eyes, momentarily blinding him. He shut his eyes, blinking vigorously to try and rid himself of the black and red spots that blotted his vision.

As he did, he started to feel biting cold against his body. He looked down to see, through blurry eyes, Sleipmon pouring a blizzard from his shield against his much larger body. Frost was beginning to build up on his armoured apron and breastplate. Sleipmon's ice was starting to freeze him in place.

Megidramon's explosive rage only intensified. His eyes widening with berserker fury, Megidramon unleashed a swath of flames from his mouth down upon himself.

The inferno melted the ice before it could accrue, and the torrent of flames flowed into Sleipmon's Odin's Breath, fighting against the concentrated blizzard and easily overwhelming it. Alarmed by the imminent incineration, Sleipmon's six hooves dug in as he had to intensify the sub-zero energy just to keep himself from getting swallowed by the flames.

In the next moment, Megidramon had already turned to the next threat. With a wild look of uninhibited ferocity, Megidramon jerked his head upwards and set his sights upon Examon. Flapping his wings, he took off like an erupting volcano.

Megidramon ripped into the sky towards Examon, snarling savagely and fast-closed in on the airborne dragon. Without hesitation, he jerked his head back and then forwards, unleashing his Hell Howling that cut through the sky like a sonic missile.

"Dukemon!" Examon shouted, his eyes widening as the rippling sound-wave tore towards him. The Caledfwlch reacted immediately, wrapping around Examon's body like a gigantic shield.

The powerful blast slammed into Examon's wings, buffeting him painfully and knocking him backwards through the sky. Though grimacing, Examon looked to see the dragon who was even larger than he was closing in. His instincts screamed at him to defend himself, but he couldn't.

Megidramon released an ear-splitting roar and slammed his giant clawed fist into Examon's body, bashing him through the sky. Then, without another thought, Megidramon u-turned like the flexible dragon that he was and dove sharply.

Sleipmon had only just tempered the fading inferno around him with his ice energy. The moment he looked up, he was stunned to see Megidramon already upon him again. With a savage snarl, Megidramon whipped around him in a figure-eight before slamming his massive tail into Sleipmon's side, bashing him away.

"Dukemon, stop it! Please!" a voice shouted.

Megidramon acting solely on his violent impulses halted. His draconic head jerked towards the sound of the voice.

There, across the smoke-filled field, he saw the majestic form of a white knight floating in the lightning-torn sky.

Megidramon's pupils shrunk and he puffed sulphurous smoke out of his nostrils. Without waiting, Megidramon took off towards him in an explosive burst of speed. Snarling viciously, Megidramon tore across the field, closing in on Omegamon.

He had the white knight in his sights. Hatred and instinct ruled his heart and vanquished his mind. He opened his mouth, his teeth shining and dripping saliva. He closed in on Omegamon, ready to snap his data-crushing jaws shut around him…

Then, his long tail suddenly pulled taut. Megidramon's body jerked forwards sharply and suddenly. With a roar, he gradually came to a rolling stop about a dozen meters away from Omegamon.

Snarling with rage and confusion, Megidramon turned his head.

Behind him, Dynasmon stood firm: the wyvern knight was clutching Megidramon's tail tightly with his large hands. Two furrows of ripped-up dirt trailed behind his feet; his feet were half-buried in the earth after having been dragged for tens of meters while struggling to pull Megidramon to a stop.

Dynasmon, having found sturdy footing, clutched Megidramon's tail in an iron grip. Scowling and straining with effort, Dynasmon glanced across at the white knight. "OMEGAMON! NOW! I CAN'T HOLD HIM FOR LONG!" he shouted urgently.

Omegamon gazed up at the massive dragon whose snarling face was but twenty meters away from him. No matter what this vicious dragon appeared to be, Omegamon knew he was still Dukemon on the inside. He had to take advantage of this chance Dynasmon was giving him.

"Dukemon!" Omegamon yelled, flying forwards. "Please! Stop for a moment and listen to me!"

"RRRAAGH!" Megidramon roared, reaching out and taking a wild swipe at him with his scythe-like claws.

Omegamon dipped sharply underneath Megidramon's claws, circling back around in front of his face. He tried to get close to him without being close enough for the dragon to attack him.

"Dukemon! Just wait for one moment!" Omegamon passionately continued. He floated closer, trying to get close enough to connect to him, ignoring the fact that he was putting himself in danger. "I know you're in there! Fight it! Keep fighting! Even if you cannot right now… please, listen to what I have to say!"

Omegamon gazed up at the snarling visage before him. He could see the hatred in his eyes… the pure malevolence – the primal drive for destruction. With a pained expression, Omegamon hardened his resolve. If just some of his words could get through to him…

"Dukemon… Megidramon… " Omegamon began. "I know how much you're hurting right now… What happened to Grani was a terrible tragedy…"

"…No… Not just that…" he continued. "The way that we have treated you… I know how much our lies have hurt you…"

Snarling, Megidramon glared balefully at the knight before him. He didn't attack him yet… but he looked prepared to do so at any moment.

"Dukemon… We distrusted you… and we have broken your trust in us. I'm sorry…" Omegamon spoke, gazing into the hellish eyes fixated on him. "I know you feel alone right now, but—"

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

A sky-splitting howl tore from the dragon's throat, drowning out Omegamon's words.

Without warning, Megidramon wrenched his body forwards with a titanic surge of strength. As lightning flashed around him, Megidramon snapped his tail forwards, overpowering Dynasmon's strength and throwing him off of his feet and hard into the earth.

While whipping Dynasmon across the ground, Megidramon suddenly turned to his most immediate target: Omegamon.

Towering over the knight amidst rippling heat, Megidramon suddenly unleashed a torrent of flames straight towards the stunned Royal Knight.

"Omegamon!" Sleipmon shouted, charging forwards and angling his shield. "Odin's Breath!"

The mass of frozen energy cut across the pillar of flames before it could envelope Omegamon. The flames howled as they slammed into the ice current, raging against the ice but unable to break through. However, the molten flames were strong enough that they evaporated the ice instantly, creating a massive amount of steam.

The water hissed and cracked. An immense quantity of steam flowed out from the point of impact, aided by the already humid atmosphere.

As Omegamon recoiled from the converging flames and ice, the thick steam drifted around him. He became lost from view in the fog… and, as more and more steam formed around them, so did Megidramon.

Omegamon flew diagonally upwards and to the side. He needed to use this chance to reposition and get close to Megidramon again. However, the steam was so thick now that he couldn't see him.

Omegamon looked around alertly. He couldn't see Megidramon's body, but he could see shadows moving within the swirling fog. A low growl rolled around him, from one ear and into the other… It sounded like it was coming from all around him.

His eyes darted back and forth. He could hear the constant growl and the steady wing beats, but he couldn't make out Megidramon's exact position… He was circling him… stalking him like a predator… He was the dragon's prey.

Omegamon spun around in response to a sharp whip-crack behind him. However, the moment he did, massive shadow appeared behind him from the other direction, and a pair of red eyes flashed within the steam.

His senses began screaming at him. Megidramon's arm thrust forwards, bursting through the steam towards him.

He tried to dash away, but he was too late.

Before he could get away, the giant trio of talons cut him off and closed around his body. Omegamon felt his body jerk to a sharp and painful halt.

Within seconds, Megidramon closed his hand tightly around Omegamon's body. The each, individual finger was over half the size of Omegamon's body. They closed around his armoured chest and limbs, tightening powerfully, and locking him in place.

Omegamon released a winded gasp as the pressure constricted around him like a vice. He felt his biceps and forearms become pinned against his sides. His legs and feet were locked together, compressed under Megidramon's crushing grasp.

"Guh!" Omegamon exclaimed, attempting push against Megidramon's fingers to break free. However, Megidramon simply squeezed him harder, constricting his body and limbs until he was completely confined. The oxygen escaped his lungs, and he was immobilized from the neck down – the pressure was so tight that he couldn't move even a millimeter. The only thing he could do was wrench his head around in a desperate, futile attempt to free his arms.

Megidramon swept his massive wings forwards, buffeting the steam away in a powerful gust. As the steam cleared, Omegamon was finally able to see his attacker. He wrenched his head to look over his shoulder, feeling hot sulphuric breath against the nape of his neck.

"Rrrrrrgh…"

The dragon loomed over him, his massive size dwarfing the helpless knight. Megidramon released a low, malevolent growl of anger. His glowing, red eyes glared down onto the knight in his clutches. He watched the white paladin squirm and fight against his crushing grasp, but he felt nothing but overwhelming animal fury.

With the mass of condensation cleared by Megidramon's wing beat, Dynasmon, Examon, and Sleipmon were able to see the distressing scene before them: in the confusion, Megidramon had grabbed Omegamon and was holding him in his clutches.

Dynasmon's eyes widened with horror. "…Omegamon!" he yelled.

"Omegamon!" Sleipmon called out.

"Blast it," Examon exclaimed, a worried grimace flashing onto his face. He took aim with the Ambrosius, but stayed his fire. "He has Omegamon! What should we do?!"

"I… I don't know!" Dynasmon answered with a growl. "We have to get Omegamon away from him!"

"Should I shoot his hand?!" Examon asked, although he was extremely reluctant to do so.

"Wait! Not yet!" Sleipmon called back. He galloped forwards, flying towards Omegamon and Megidramon's hand. "Omegamon! Are you alright?!"

"H-Hold… your fire!" Omegamon called out to him, grimacing through the tight, crushing pressure around his body. "Don't attack…! I can… I can get through to him!"

Sleipmon came to a stop, frowning hesitantly. "But Omegamon…!"

"He… He won't hurt me…" Omegamon insisted, grimacing despite his words. "He's… still in there…"

Although still unsure, Sleipmon nodded and backed off, signaling to the others. Still, he aimed his crossbow and shield to attack the moment that Omegamon needed their help.

Omegamon craned his neck and looked up at Megidramon. The dragon was leering down at him, his fearsome eyes burning with menace and ire. He growled out a waft of flames, the cinders illuminating the sky like stars. Megidramon watched the knight in his grasp with simmering fury, but he didn't attack… not yet.

"…Dukemon…" Omegamon spoke softly.

Megidramon squeezed Omegamon's body tighter, causing the knight to grimace with pain.

"Nngh… D-Dukemon… please… Listen to me…!" Omegamon continued, his voice winded and strained.

"I… know…" Omegamon lifted his head to look at him, as it was all he could do. He gazed up into Megidramon's wild eyes with a tenderness that contrasted the dragon's brutality.

"I know you're hurting… How much pain you must be feeling…" he softly spoke. "I.. I know… that I haven't been… the friend that you needed… as of late. You needed me… us… all of us… And I… we… let you down…"

Megidramon's feral eyes widened with rage, and he wrenched his head down towards Omegamon, his jaws opening wide. Examon, Sleipmon, and Dynasmon all flinched, readying themselves, and watched as Megidramon unleashed a splitting roar right onto Omegamon.

Omegamon cringed as the hot, pungent breath washed over him, the pressure straining against his head.

He was lifted up, right in front of Megidramon's face… He watched as Megidramon's gigantic, monstrous visage menaced over him dominatingly. He could see into the dragon's fearsome mouth, able to see the light of flames swelling in his throat. However… despite his proximity to the flames and the rows of jagged teeth, Omegamon didn't flinch. He kept staring up at his dark-evolved friend with determination.

"Dukemon…" he whispered, drawing in what breath he could muster. "…I'm sorry… I'm sorry about everything. I'm sorry about Grani… I'm sorry that I haven't been there… All of us are…"

Megidramon's eyes narrowed, his scaly brows furrowing just slightly. A low, acrimonious growl hissed out between his teeth.

Omegamon wasn't sure if his words were getting through to him… but Megidramon still hadn't attacked him. Was the dragon waiting? Or was he faltering? Was he listening to him…? If he was… then they still had a chance.

Omegamon gazed up at the watchful dragon, his passion and resolve unwavering despite the danger he was in.

"Dukemon… I know you can still hear me. Underneath all that anger and sorrow and dark energy, you can hear what I'm saying," Omegamon pressed on. "Come back to us, Dukemon! Let us help you! Please, I'm begging you! Believe in us!"

Megidramon's mouth closed, his jagged teeth gritting together. He continued glaring down at the knight trapped in his tight palm, but his grip did not constrict. He… almost seemed like he might be thinking.

Omegamon's eyes widened. He could hear him. However small a part of Megidramon it was, there was still a part that could still hear him. Dukemon was still in there. There was still hope.

"Dukemon!" Omegamon shouted, with even more vigor than before. He mustered his strongest voice, despite the compression around his chest. He had to give it his all. He needed Dukemon to hear him. He summoned his strength and shouted with all of his heart to the dark dragon before him.

But then… something happened.

"I need you to know-?!"

Before Omegamon could say another word, there was a deafening boom that seemed to shake the world. It was louder than anything he had ever heard, even louder than Megidramon's roar.

There was an unholy swell… and the earth and sky itself tore open.

---

About ten minutes prior, on the other side of the battlefield, the battle came to a temporary pause.

After the last of the Troopmon finished throwing themselves at the Royal Knights' lines, a relative silence came over the battlefield. There were still loud cracks of thunder that punctuated the silence, along with resonating howls from Megidramon. However, the din of battle largely came to a pause. Both the Demon Lords and the Royal Knights prepared for the next phase of the battle.

The Demon Lords watched as the battlefield was completely cleared of their Troopmon fodder. Only dissipating data remained, which began to flow back towards the Demon Lords.

Lucemon stood at the fore, gazing out at the disintegrating scraps of Troopmon littered across the field. He held a hand outwards, lightly skimming a trail of data particles that flowed by him. With blasé eyes, he casually dipped his hand into the data flow. He didn't even bother to absorb the data like the others, as such junk data was so far beneath him.

He removed his hand and shook the data off. His attention was turned as an Evilmon messenger flying over to him and the others entered his view.

"Lord Lucemon. Lord Barbamon," the Evilmon formally stated, landing in front of them and bowing. "The final wave of our Troopmon Brigade has been wiped out."

Lucemon eyed the tiny imp with mild disdain. "Yes. I can see that," he sarcastically responded.

"We do have eyes, you know," Barbamon clapped in agreement, tapping his ringed fingers on his staff as he observed the battlefield before them. "This is all according to plan…"

Lucemon watched coolly as a contingent of four Royal Knights soared through the air to engage Megidramon over on their right. There would be less Royal Knights present, but that would keep the dragon occupied, at least…

"Yes…" he concurred firmly. Lucemon looked over his shoulder, glancing back at the fallen angel behind him. "I would say it is about time, wouldn't you, Bagramon?"

Bagramon stood behind Lucemon and Barbamon. He, too, had been watching the battle unfold, and he had come to the same conclusion as Lucemon… It was time.

The plan that he had set into motion was coming to a head. With the exception of Megidramon, it was all unfolding how he had anticipated…

"Yes… The moment has come to shift the tide," Bagramon stated, his ruby eye gleaming as he beheld the smoking battlefield before them.

Calmly, confidently, Bagramon kneeled down behind Lucemon and Barbamon. He placed his hand on the large, wooden chest that he had taken with him and kept at his side.

His large, bone hand hovered over the lid of the old chest of ancient ash wood. The Astral Snatcher glowed and negated the magical seal that had been placed over the box. With caution and care, Bagramon opened the wooden chest. The moment the lid opened, an incredible, invisible pressure coursed out of the box, like a river held back by a dam.

Bagramon was unperturbed; he gazed down into the box. Within its confines was a spherical shape, wrapped with a pristine, white cloth of magical qualities. Daintily, Bagramon took the hems of the cloth between his fingers, slowly pulling the bundle open. As the faintly shimmering cloth parted, a large, black orb could be seen underneath. The sphere was deep ebony, its glassy surface resonating, while the concentrated black energy inside seemed to slowly swirl like a black hole.

The Orb of Yang. The receptacle of half of Huanglongmon's sealed power – his darkness and evil, from when he sacrificed his physical body during the Great Sealing. The Twin Orbs – the Orb of Yin and the Orb of Yang – were said to maintain balance in the Digital World after Huanglongmon was sealed away.

Bagramon's hand hovered over the orb, slowly coaxing it out of the box and causing it to hover in the air. Lucemon, Demon, and Barbamon gathered around him, all of them looking at the stygian orb with interest.

"So… this is half of the pathetic lizard's energy, hm?" Lucemon mused, staring at the orb with an almost nostalgic smirk. "The last gasp of a desperate, sealed reptile in an attempt to keep the Digital World under his control… How ironic that it will be this that finally wrests control of the Digital World out of the old age, and into a new one…"

Lucemon smiled darkly. "I will take great pleasure in knowing that the old dinosaur's power will finally slip through his grubby claws like sand pouring out of an hourglass…"

Demon turned, leering at Lucemon with a raised brow. "What are you talking about, Lucemon? When, exactly, did we start believing in the golden lizard who slumbers beneath the earth? That is but an old tale…" Demon suspiciously asked. "Are you certain of this, Bagramon? Do you truly believe that this orb has Huanglongmon's power?"

"Hmph… Huanglongmon exists, Demon. That, I know," Lucemon stated, without an ounce of doubt. "He is nothing close to a god, but his power was unmistakeable… Bagramon speaks the truth."

Bagramon eyed Lucemon for a solitary moment before nodding. "…It is as Lucemon says. I do not expect you to believe in anything other than the power before you, Demon. And you shall behold that power shortly. Simply know that this will crush the Royal Knights utterly. With this, the board will be set for our final victory."

Demon eyed the floating orb before him. He could not deny that even he was impacted by the intensity of the power concentrated within that sphere. "…Very well. I shall trust that you know what you are talking about," he relented.

Bagramon nodded softly, hovering the sphere above his wooden hand as he turned to Lucemon. "Lucemon," he addressed him. "You are the only one that can disrupt the orb and release its energy. It needs to be you."

Lucemon: Falldown Mode smiled confidently and strode towards the godly vessel. Without fear or trepidation, he reached out with his hand, and took the Orb of Yang from Bagramon, releasing magical energy from his gloved hand to keep it aloft.

The Demon Lord of Pride gazed down at the orb in his grasp, calmly smirking as he beheld the power in his grasp.

"You know what to do, of course," Bagramon said to him, a steady frown on his half-face as he cautiously transferred the orb to him.

"Make it a good shot, Lucemon," Barbamon told him, apathetically wandering back towards where Lilithmon and Belphemon were watching from. "We only have one shot at this, so you had better make it count."

"Alright, you idiots!" Demon shouted, turning to the army of Nightmare Soldiers "Lay down a barrage to keep them busy! In one minute and on my order, fire!"

Lucemon turned away from them, walking out in front of the army on his own. He ignored the lightning flashing and the thunder cracking around him.

With every casual step, Lucemon stared into the abyssal darkness of the Orb of Yang. He felt the power in his clutches intuitively. It was overwhelming… yet so familiar.

"…Pathetic lizard. I would love to see the look on your face right now…"

Lucemon stretched his wings in preparation, an amused grin on his face as his gaze shifted from the orb in his clutches, out to army of the Royal Knights across the battlefield.

"That's right… It can only be me," Lucemon softly declared, as if the outcome was never in doubt.

He beat his wings and took to the sky, as Demon's shout caused a multitude of attacks to sail overhead.

"…For I am eternal..."

---

"Close ranks! Hold fast, everyone! They're attacking!"

Captain Knightmon stood at the center of the Defence Force's frontlines. He looked out across the battlefield, seeing multi-hued arcs of destructive energy erupt from the Nightmare Soldiers' lines. The beams, fireballs, and projectiles arched through the dark, tumultuous sky. The myriad attacks fired at inconsistent speeds and angles, though all were set to descend upon their ranks.

Captain Knightmon held his kite shield tightly, his sturdy body already braced for what was to come. He wasn't concerned about himself; he was only concerned about his objective and his subordinates. While he still had time, he looked around him, checking for any weaknesses in their line. They couldn't afford any faults.

"Aerial Defence, stagger your formation; cover our upper axis! Intercept what you can and be swift with those barriers!" he commanded. "Sorcerimon, RaijiLudomon, tighten up those gaps! Third line, dig deep to support the front two! It's going to be a heavy bombardment!"

Knightmon's boots were embedded stalwartly in the ground. He felt the support of the Defence Force soldiers behind him. He trusted them completely; he knew that they would not let the line break. He had trained them well. He had poured his heart and soul into doing so. He knew that as long as they acted as one – one whole body – then they would be impenetrable…

Using what time he had, he glanced behind him to see that everything was in order. Knightmon saw that the Strike Forces had moved back behind the Defence Force's lines while the bombardment had began. They would shield the Strike Forces, who would then, in turn, move out in front of them and attack.

As he looked behind him, Knightmon caught sight of a familiar hue of pink, concealed back behind the rows of soldiers. He knew that his Master was no doubt eager to enter the fray now that their meeting was done. However, he couldn't concern himself with the outcome of the meeting; he had Duftmon's orders. He could only focus on what was in front of him.

As Knightmon looked back forwards to gauge the trajectory of the attacks, however, he saw a wave of purple bound over his head.

Craniamon lunged over the whole of the Defence Force's lines and landed smoothly in the grass in front of Knightmon. "Sorry I'm late," Craniamon told the Captain, standing upright and looking over his shoulder with the Avalon in hand. "Thanks for covering for me. I can take over here, Knightmon."

"No, Sir. There isn't enough time. I have things under control here," Knightmon insisted adamantly. "Please, go strengthen the hole in our line over on distant right. We have some wounded there, so the line may be weak there," Knightmon insisted.

Craniamon frowned hesitantly, but glanced at the salvo of attacks that began their descent, and curtly nodded, knowing that there was no time to argue. "Alright. I'll go there," he agreed. dashing off down the front line as quickly as he could.

Knightmon looked to the sky. The fire, the black and violet energy, it was all falling towards them. It wouldn't be long now – ten seconds, he estimated. He bent his knee and kept his shield raised diagonally. They would hold – he would hold…

The howl of the attacks grew louder. They fell towards them like meteors. Knightmon's muscles tensed. He braced the inside of his shield with his free arm. He shouted out, over the roar of the falling blasts.

"Ready?! HOLD!" he cried out, right as a concentrated blast of shadows slammed into the face of his shield.

His arm strained, but didn't break. The Defence Forces braced each other, taking the attacks, blocking them and deflecting them. The Aerial Defence and Anti-Air soldiers fired their attacks to intercept the falling attacks. The blasts that got through, they blocked with shields and barriers before they could hit the Ground Defence Force below.

Meanwhile, the Ground Defence that Knightmon was at the fore of took the brunt of the blasts, which pelted their sturdy shield wall. The blasts tore against their barriers, ripping up the ground in front of them, attempting break through them. However, they held firm, either tanking the blasts or deflecting them.

The salvo continued, pelting their lines with fire, rock, arrow, and dark magic. Knightmon winced as his limbs strained and ached under the heavy bombardment. Although his head was tucked, he ventured a glance upwards, over his shield and under the shield over his head.

Through the gap, in between the intense flares of fire and magic that shook him to his core, he thought he noticed something in the distance…

Though holding firm, he looked through the gaps in their shields, trying to see the distant figure. After the flames of a fireball dispersed, through the embers and cinders, Knightmon was able to see.

The figure that he spotted was none other than Lucemon… The Demon Lord of Pride was flying high in the sky, beneath the falling blasts. Not only that…

He was flying in their direction.

Knightmon frowned with unease… Something wasn't right here. This wasn't a full attack by the Demon Lords. The Nightmare Soldiers were staying stationary, bombarding them. Lucemon was flying alone… Why were none of the other Demon Lords advancing as well? This didn't sit right with him at all.

Knightmon wasn't sure if the other Royal Knights were aware of Lucemon. He wasn't even sure if the Knights were able to see him through the heavy barrage of attacks. All but Craniamon were behind the front line. He might be the only one with a moderately clear line-of-sight of Lucemon. If the fallen angel was up to something, he might be the only one who knew about it.

Then, after another explosion rocked the shield beside him, Knightmon noticed something… He saw that Lucemon seemed to be carrying something above his palm. He couldn't make out what it was… it seemed like some sort of small, dark object, but a speck in his imperfect view. Under the circumstances, he wouldn't have thought much of it, but the delicate way that Lucemon was carrying it gave him pause.

Knightmon felt the sinking sensation in his stomach grow. It was like an invisible pressure washed over him, weighing down on his very core.

Explosions and concentrated blasts of energy and magic continued slamming against the Defence Force's collective barrier. Feeling the frequent pressure of destructive energy against his shield, Captain Knightmon knew that he had to keep up the defence, as he was the center point of the shield wall. Despite his sinking feeling and the threat of Lucemon looming closer, there was nothing he could do about it yet.

He continued peeking over his raised shield, wincing as his arm strained and the explosions flared. Following the parting embers of an explosion, Knightmon's stinging eyes tried to keep track of Lucemon's movements. It was hard to see him through the carnage of the explosions, but every several seconds, he was able to spot the Demon Lord coming just that little bit closer.

Knightmon wanted to call out to one of the Royal Knights – to RhodoKnightmon or Duftmon or someone – but he knew they were too far back from the frontlines to hear him over the hellish, deafening din. The explosions continued to bombard their lines, detonations in front of them and over their heads, showering them with fire and unholy power. He could barely hear his own thoughts over the swelling howls against his shield. He barely had a second to think, but he couldn't shake free of his worries.

However, the deafening detonations began to become more infrequent, like a passing thunderstorm.

It was then that the barrage finally waned. The last of the attacks had finished launching from the demon legions, leaving only several more blasts raining down at them across the length of the line. The ground before them was mired with displaced earth, and a thin veil of dust and smoke obscured the grassy battlefield.

It was through that smoke that Knightmon was just able to make out Lucemon's figure. He spotted the fallen angel high in the sky, hovering in place at the halfway point above the battlefield. He was much closer than he had been before…

Lucemon suddenly outstretched his arm, extending what appeared to be a black orb towards them. Knightmon watched with burgeoning dread as Lucemon suddenly summoned a massive, glowing, magical circle between his palm and the object.

Knightmon could not hear Lucemon's distant words through his ringing ears, but he saw the fallen angel's mouth moving. Then, he saw a sudden flash of holy light erupt from the center of the circle.

The Captain had little time to process what was going on. The eruption of light seemed to slam straight into the back of the black projectile that Lucemon had been carrying. The blast launched the black object through the air… and it was sailing straight in their direction.

Knightmon watched as the ebony sphere was launched diagonally downwards like a meteor. It hurdled towards their front lines like a cannon ball. It was mere seconds before it descended on their front line. Knightmon's eyes widened and he raised his shield, bracing for the worst.

"Look out!" he shouted.

The black object slammed into the ground five meters in front of Knightmon. There was a cracking sound, followed by a wave of dirt. However… initially, that seemed to be the extent of it.

Hovering in place, Lucemon watched for a few moments, but then smiled, as if satisfied. Despite the lack of immediate effect, he turned around in the sky, flying swiftly back towards the Demon Lords' lines.

Knightmon tentatively lowered his shield to see what Lucemon had launched at them. The Captain frowned uncertainly, taking a close look at the object.

Half-embedded in the earth was an ebony orb with a glassy surface. It was pitch black from that distance, however, on closer inspection, the smooth, clear surface was fractured with spider cracks.

Knightmon lowered his shield and took a step closer to investigate.

That single step towards it was enough to cause an oppressive, overwhelming sensation to wash over him… It was an intense, suffocating pressure… tyrannous, even. It strained against his armoured body, seeped deep into his body, and made him feel sick. It was like nothing he had ever felt before… not even standing in the presence of Alphamon letting loose with the Ouryuken and Alpha InForce. Nothing compared to this sheer concentration of power before him… it nearly caused his legs to buckle then and there.

However, he forced himself forwards, taking another step despite his instincts screaming at him not to. It was then, as the smoke cleared further, that Knightmon was able to see… black strands of energy were seeping out of the cracks.

The orb trembled and quaked. The thin fractures grew longer, as the sound of cracking crystal began to give way to a low, intensifying drone.

Knightmon felt an icy chill was through his body. As he stared at the orb, his eyes widened with abject horror. He didn't have time to think… he simply knew on a primal level that whatever this was before him was deeply horrifying. The orb's sickening power was intensifying and, as the cracks grew longer, he realised that the container could no longer contain the immense power within.

It was going to explode.

With horrified eyes, Knightmon looked at the orb, and then up at his soldiers around him. Without so much as another thought, Knightmon dropped his shield and the sword belts strapped to his body. Ignoring his misgivings, he began sprinting towards the orb that lay meters in front of him.

"EVERYONE, GET BACK!" he shouted desperately, dashing headlong towards the orb.

"Captain? Where are you going?!" a Maildramon called out to him.

"What are you doing, Captain?!" Leftenant Shoutmon X4K shouted after him, about to step out to follow him.

"STAY BACK!" Captain Knightmon yelled, looking back at them with a frantic resolution in his fierce eyes. "DO NOT FOLLOW ME! GET BACK AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN! BRACE YOURSELVES! HURRY!"

"Captain, wait!"

Knightmon ignored their words of protest. He knew what he had to do. There was no alternative. There was no time.

Duftmon, from the back lines of the battlefield, observed with surprise and confusion as Knightmon uncharacteristically broke rank and ran out into the battlefield. "What…? What is the Captain doing? Why is he pressing forward?"

RhodoKnightmon stood nearby Duftmon, watching with confusion as Knightmon dashed out. "Captain…?"

Captain Knightmon dashed over to the orb. At this close proximity, the pressure was overwhelming. It was physically pushing against his form, hard enough that his boots dug into the ground just trying to reach it. The power strained against him like an oppressive force field. It was crushing.

Captain Knightmon growled and strained, his veins bulging and his eyes bloodshot as he tried to reach it. As his hand twisted and fought to extend, he could see the cracks deepening in the surface of the crystal. More of the power of spilling out. As he reached for it, he could see the metal tips of his gauntlet crack and particles of data split off from the metal.

"I SHALL NOT… FALTER! HRAGH!" Knightmon shouted in a final cry of effort.

Digging deep into his well of inner strength, Knightmon burst forwards. He pushed through the agonizing pressure and grabbed hold of the Orb of Yang.

Moving quickly, he tucked the orb underneath his shoulder and held it tightly in his right arm, bracing it against his breastplate. With it secure, Knightmon took off in a full sprint. He charged headlong towards the middle of the battlefield.

Vaulting over the remnants of disintegrating rifles and Troopmon suits, Knightmon dashed like a man possessed. He didn't have an end goal in mind. He knew there was no point in thinking that far ahead. It was all he could do was get as far away from the Royal Knights' forces as possible. He couldn't let his soldiers be wiped out. He refused to. Not while he still drew breath.

Knightmon growled with strain and effort. The pressure against his arm and body was overwhelming, excruciating. Merely touching the orb caused his hand to ignite with pain. His expression contorted with agony as he put everything he had into simply keeping a grip on the rumbling, leaking orb.

The intense pain spurred him on, his adrenaline coursing through him. His mind was nearly numb. Still, he kept running. He was about a quarter of the way across the battlefield between the Order's side and the Demon Lords' now.

Knightmon cried out with pain. His arm felt as though it was being ripped apart at the seams. He glanced down. Dark fractures were fragmenting parts of his vambrace and breastplate. The metal fragments that were hewn off split into data particles. The sheer power against him was going to rip his body apart.

"No… I can't.. give in…!" Knightmon thought through his pain, his mind wild as he tried his best to focus ahead of him.

He could see the Demon Lords' ranks over a kilometer away. He was still too close to the others. He pushed on stubbornly. Even as his body broke down, he pushed on.

Lightning struck nearby. The immediately thunderclap tore through his ears, drowning out the droning crescendo and the sound of cracking crystal and metal.

With tears of pain and desperation in his eyes, Knightmon kept running, clutching the Orb of Yang, even as its primal energy warped the data of his arm and side.

He heard a loud crack, followed by the rising whistle of concentrated data spewing out. The pain was indescribable. He knew there was no time left.

Knightmon reeled back his distorted, disintegrating arm. Then, with his last ounce of strength, he began to hurl the Orb of Yang forwards.

"Master… please take care of—"

The second after the orb left Knightmon's hand, there was a deafening crack.

The Orb of Yang split open in the air in front of him. What followed was the epicenter of a massive detonation. The primordial darkness erupted from the orb and consumed Captain Knightmon, obliterating him instantly.

There was thunderous pop that followed by a hellish roar that drowned out all other sounds. Then, the very battlefield was torn open.

A massive explosion erupted on the near side of the battlefield. Its swell was instantaneous. An expanding mass of unending darkness coursed outwards in a crushing globe of ruin.

The earth shook and split as it was torn asunder. Dark, elemental energy ripped through the ground and swallowed the air. The calamity consumed the cracked soil and coursed towards the Royal Knights' lines before they could realise what was happening.

The sovereign power swallowed up the ground and coursed straight into the Order's ranks like a tidal wave. The explosion ripped through the Order's front lines, sweeping up those in the center into its folds. Not even the Defence Force's shield wall could stop it. The explosion coursed right through them, its power overwhelming all that stood in its path.

The black wave of ruin howled as it slammed into the Order's lines, drowning out their screams. Dozens of soldiers were deleted instantly, crushed within the ruinous folds. Soldiers of the Defence Force were swept up in the blast and hurled through the sky, smashing into their Strike Force comrades behind them. The Aerial Strike Forces were swept up in the crushing blast as well, many sailing through the sky or slamming into the ground. It was carnage.

A stunned Duftmon watched with utter shock and dread as the explosion decimated the Order's army in front of him. His eyes slowly widened as the darkness crashed into their formation, hurling bodies every which way. He didn't have time to think before the shockwave hit the Order's rear lines. He had to plant his sword in the ground just to stay standing.

The explosion billowed outwards for a kilometer. It hit not only the Order's lines on the center and left parts of their formation, but it also hit the near-part of the Saversburg contingent on the left flank. The blast was so powerful, that the residual shockwave even hit the Nightmare Soldiers, knocking a few off their feet.

The howl of the explosion petered out, and a mushroom cloud of black, crackling energy billowed into the black and stormy sky. The concussion left everyone's hearing stifled and ringing, the muted cries of pain of the wounded and the frantic shouting of confused and terrified soldiers left in its wake.

Duftmon stared out, bewildered, at the absolute devastation before him. The ground seemed to suddenly stretch out around him, like he was having an out-of-body experience. He couldn't believe what was happening. He could hardly comprehend it. In an instant, everything had turned to ruin.

Before him, a gigantic, smouldering hole was carved into the center of the battlefield. The ground inside the crater was compressed and cracked, and black steam leaked from the deep fissures.

Their frontline was in tatters. A huge, concave gap was carved through the middle and left edge of their lines. Wounded bodies were strewn haphazardly outwards around the edge of the crater. The fulcrum of their formation had been hollowed out and everything had been thrown into absolute chaos. It was like their lines had been snapped in two in a single, calamitous instant.

Even around them in the rear lines, there were stunned and injured soldiers who had been thrown from the sky. Dried soil, fractured rock, and other fragments rained down around them. The smell of smoke, sulphur, and ozone hung heavy across the apocalyptic battlefield.

A shaky, muffled breath escaped Duftmon's mouth. His grip around his sword was so loose that it nearly fell out of his hand. His eyes were as wide as the moons, and his throat was dry. In that moment, his brilliant mind wasn't functioning. He was overcome by the chaos and carnage before him, and how everything seemed to come crashing down around him. He couldn't think. He could hardly move.

"…-uftmo-…" a voice distantly said, muddled in his distraction and droning ears. He barely registered it.

"...Duftmon…!" the voice yelled, louder this time. "…DUFTMON!"

Duftmon finally blinked, shaken out of his stupefaction. He slowly turned to the right, towards the voice.

He saw Alphamon nearby, who was currently helping a wounded Maildramon stand. Alphamon was staring at him with frantic, distressed eyes, and he seemed to be doing all he could to keep calm and composed in the chaos.

"Focus! We need you!" Alphamon passionately urged him.

Duftmon, although overwhelmed, was struck by Alphamon's words. Although the chaos and gravity of the current situation was devastating, that was all the more reason why he had to pull himself together. They needed leadership.

Duftmon drew a quavering breath and nodded. He lubricated his dry throat and looked around, trying his best to see beyond the sheer carnage. His mind raced as he tried to come to terms with their new, grim reality.

Their formation had been blasted to pieces. Not only was there a massive gap in the center of their lines that divided both ends of their army into two, but there was now a gigantic crater – a kilometer wide in diameter – furrowed into the field. The gaping, smouldering hole created a physical barrier that kept both sides of the army apart.

He looked around him. He saw Jesmon racing around within the chaos along with Atho, Por, and Rene to help the wounded. Closer by, he spotted RhodoKnightmon gazing, stunned, at the smouldering crater.

"Captain…" RhodoKnightmon murmured, his voice distant with disbelief and woe.

The Royal Knights were in disarray. A third of them were still struggling to fight Megidramon. The rest of the knights were either recovering from the blast, or they were running around, shouting orders and aiding the wounded. Captain Ouryumon was rallying the chaotic and scattered Strike Forces in a flurry of profanity, attempting to instill some order. Captain Knightmon was… gone.

Duftmon kept looking. Then, he spotted the large, blue figure of MailBirdramon against the dark, violet sky, circling overhead.

"Acting Captain! MailBirdramon!" Duftmon shouted, beckoning the current leader of the Reconnaissance Forces.

MailBirdramon, previously focused on the battlefield beneath him, swooped down and came to a gliding stop in front of Duftmon. "Sir. At your service," he spoke, a slight hitch in his otherwise calm voice.

Duftmon looked at the mechanical dragon with a no-nonsense glare. "Acting Captain, what is the situation?" he immediately pressed him. "What are our casualties?"

"Sir… I cannot speak to an exact number with any certainty, but…" MailBirdramon paused and bowed his head grimly. "Approximately one-tenth of our forces have been taken out... Saversburg's Left has also suffered some casualties along their right."

Duftmon's features sunk. "…One-tenth…" he murmured.

Alphamon grimaced and looked over as well. "Wounded? Or deleted…?"

"We will not know the extent of our losses until we do a headcount," MailBirdramon answered before looking down ruefully. "…However… Captain Knightmon sacrificed himself to spare us the worst of the explosion. Had he not… the casualties would be far higher."

Alphamon's features darkened with bitter anger and sorrow. "No… Captain…" he whispered. His fist tightened with fury, but he couldn't afford to dwell on his emotions. He turned back to Duftmon. "Duftmon… What is your strategic opinion…?"

Duftmon frowned deeply. "Acting Captain, what of the enemy's movements?" he asked.

MailBirdramon flew up higher in order to get a better vantage point of the battlefield, above the chaos below. After gazing past the smoke and debris, MailBirdramon looked back down, an urgency in the speed of his movements. "Sir, the Demon Lords and their army are advancing at full march!"

Duftmon scowled, his hand squeezing the hilt of his sword hard. "Curses… Everything was a distraction so that they could land a critical blow on us with that explosion. Now, they are taking advantage of the chaos within our lines to attack us at full force," he realised.

"What can we do?" Alphamon asked.

Duftmon looked out across their broken lines. Four of their Royal Knights were tied up with fighting Megidramon, leaving only eight combat ready. Numerically, they might be able to fight the Demon Lords on equal ground, but they were at an intangible disadvantage.

And then there were their officers and soldiers… They had lost two of their Captains in short succession. Their ranks were in chaos. Everybody was desperately trying to regain order… Their defence was broken and their line divided. Morale was low. There were so many wounded… If they attempted to defend against a demon onslaught like this…

Duftmon turned to Alphamon grimly. "…Alphamon… We will not be able to win this fight…" he gravely stated.

Alphamon stared into Duftmon's grim and dour eyes. He could see the regret, and he already knew what Duftmon was going to say.

The leader of the Royal Knights looked around at the carnage and chaos. He glanced over at Megidramon regretfully before looking back at Duftmon. Then, he gave him a firm nod, giving Duftmon his ultimate permission.

Duftmon let out a slow, uneasy breath before looking up. "MailBirdramon, spread the word among the knights and officers…"

"Gather all the wounded… Lay down a covering barrage."

"Inform Tactimon: we must swiftly mount an organised retreat. We are withdrawing back to Republic territory."

---

Lucemon stared at the destruction he caused, beholding his coup de maître with a superior smirk. He'd have liked to have taken more of them out, but he couldn't argue with the results. As the residual dust billowed into the sky, he let out a soft chuckle as the knights scurried around like panicked bugs.

He turned back to the Demon Lords' army, many of whom were cheering and jeering boisterously. Lucemon raised his hand, commanding their attention, before extending his arm forwards dramatically.

"See, everyone?! Even Yggdrasil's pawns can be destroyed! They are panicking before our overwhelming might! They have never been so weak as they are right now!" Lucemon cried out. "Now, attack!"

"You heard him!" Demon shouted, flying at the fore. "Attack! Let loose bombardment as you advance!"

The Nightmare Soldiers roared, and the demonic hordes started marching forward across the battlefield in formation.

Lucemon smiled and looked down at Bagramon. "All but a clear path to the Chasm of Creation now, wouldn't you say?"

Bagramon gazed out at the destruction that the Orb of Yang wrought, his eye firm and distant.

"So it seems… We shall see."

---

The explosion shook the ground and snapped through the air. The blast cracked through the sky like a symphony of thunder.

Even over at the far edge of the battlefield, the shockwave swept across the field like a hurricane-force gust. Megidramon held Omegamon tight within his clutches, while Examon, Sleipmon, and Dynasmon surrounded him.

Omegamon's heartfelt plea was interrupted by the deafening crack. The four knights all looked in the direction of the blast with dawning horror. Then, seconds later, the shockwave broke through Sleipmon's melting ice wall and washed over them. They braced as the muted shockwave and shards of ice washed over them.

Omegamon cracked open his grimacing eyes. Even despite the intense pressure of Megidramon's hand around his body, he was unable to help but look. His heart sunk at what he saw.

It was a scene of chaos. A smouldering crater and a billowing cloud of smoke defiled the battlefield. Their army had taken the brunt of the explosion. He couldn't see how bad the damage was, but he knew it was bad.

"…No…" Omegamon whispered, horror growing on his face.

"No… NO!" Dynasmon bellowed, wide-eyed with fear and worry as he turned towards their battered army.

Examon's wings unfurled and he looked towards the explosion with stunned shock. "…What happened? How did they…?"

Sleipmon stopped in the air, his crossbow lowering. "Yggdrasil… No…" he spoke, a cold chill running through him.

"This is bad, Dynasmon!" Examon shouted.

"Damn it…!" Dynasmon shouted, wanting desperately to rush over to help, but realising that Omegamon was still in danger. As tempting as it was, they couldn't turn their backs to Megidramon.

However… they weren't the only ones affected by the explosion.

The cacophony of destruction drew Megidramon's attention as well. After the shockwave buffeted his body, barely moving him at all, Megidramon's focus shifted away from the white knight trapped within his claws.

Megidramon slowly turned his head, his feral pupils focusing on the scene of chaos in the center of the battlefield. The blossoming mushroom cloud reflected in his crimson eyes as he observed the utter destruction that had been wrought.

He focused on the epicenter of the crackling crater. He felt no emotion about the carnage. Nothing beyond his feral and explosive anger that embodied him like a primal force. No… instead, he became fixated on the crater. He felt an overwhelming power coming from within. Black energy, accentuated with electrical discharges, wafted up from within the blast-torn abyss. Within that gaseous crater, he felt an intense, primordial energy that struck him on a primal level.

Megidramon felt the ancient power in his unstable core. He knew, on an elemental level, that it was even more powerful than he was, and far more ancient. He became drawn to the power… He felt the need to go closer. Even through his wild fury, he felt the destructive influence cause him to focus.

"Dukemon!" Omegamon called out, desperate to regain Megidramon's attention now more than ever. "We don't need any more destruction! We have all lost so much already! Please, remember!"

With an off-handed sweep of his arm, Megidramon tossed Omegamon aside like a discarded toy. As Omegamon careened towards the ground, only to be caught by Sleipmon, Megidramon turned away from the four knights. He was no longer interested in them.

Then, with no more than a primal growl, Megidramon swept his wings downwards and took off in a burst of sweltering speed.

Omegamon grimaced, looking up from Sleipmon's arms as Megidramon soared away from them.

"Dukemon! Stop!" he called out, making to follow him.

"Omegamon, please, wait," Sleipmon urged him. "The Demon Lords have launched their attack. The others need us."

Examon swooped down, looking towards the crater. "We should regroup with the others. That… changes everything," he advised. "We need to know what Duftmon's plan is. If we follow Megidramon now, we will end up caught between him and the Demon Lords."

Omegamon wanted to protest, but he knew that they were right. He didn't want to abandon Dukemon when he was like this, but they needed to regroup and figure out what to do next, especially now that the Demon Lords were attacking.

Still, he gazed after Megidramon. He watched as his friend flew across the center of the battlefield, towards the epicenter of the explosion, and further and further away from them.

"…Dukemon…"

---

"Aerial Strike Forces, regroup! Scattered formation!" Leftenant HippoGriffomon cried out. "Evasive manoeuvres! We have missiles incoming!"

"Calm down and form up, you hear me?!" Captain Ouryumon shouted emotively, trying to keep it together in the destruction. He pointed his scimitar towards the distant Nightmare Soldiers who were advancing across the field towards them. "Back-liners, evacuated the wounded! The rest of you, hold fast and lay down a counter barrage! We gotta slow their advance, so give 'em hell!"

Paildramon looked across the devastated battlefield alertly. The battlefield had become chaotic. When the orb exploded, she, like most of the Aerial Strike soldiers, had been hurled through the air and to the ground. She wasn't sure what exactly she had hit, but her left arm and wings now ached.

In the hectic aftermath of the blast, she flapped her wings and took to the sky. She couldn't stop and dwell on the chaos and destruction around her. As a junior officer, it was her job to do her best to mitigate it.

"First wing! Second wing! Reform at your muster points! Return fire on the Captain's orders!" Paildramon shouted, looking around at the winged soldiers as they frantically tried to return to their formations.

Despite her outward portrayal of calm professionalism, on the inside, Paildramon was anything but. Her heart was racing. Adrenaline-pumped through her like high-octane fuel. She looked around with wide, almost animalistic eyes, rapidly processing the chaotic scene.

Her vision was a blur as her gaze darted back and forth, from the smouldering crater, to the rapidly gathering Strike Forces, to the advancing Nightmare Soldiers. Her mind raced too fast for her to think. She only took in what was immediately apparent: the sight of fire, dark energy, and projectiles being launched from the Demon Lords' distantly-marching lines.

"Incoming fire!" Paildramon shouted, immediately snapping up her hip-mounted cannons and instinctively aiming. "Evade and lay down counter-fire! Desperado Blaster!"

Paildramon began tearing out energy bullets from her dual cannons, aiming at an arc to account for distance. Her beam bullets initially fell short, so she adjusted her trajectory and began firing again.

Her second salvo rained down on the distant army, tearing one Devimon who was near the front of the advance to shreds. At the same moment, the Nightmare Soldiers barrage began falling down around them. Attacks streamed past her, raining down to the ground. The shaken Defence Forces tried to block what they could while the rear guard came to evacuate the many wounded. Explosions rocked the debris-covered ground.

Paildramon swerved and ascended to avoid a descending fireball. Rising higher in the sky, above the rest of the Aerial Strikes, she continued firing bursts from her cannons.

"Over-sergeant!" a voice shouted from above her.

Leftenant HippoGriffomon swooped down and came to a flapping stop behind her. "Paildramon! We need you now!" he urged her. "You need to—Grah!" He sharply ducked underneath a surge of electricity.

"You need to evolve, Paildramon!" HippoGriffomon urgently explained as energy blasts rained down around them.

Paildramon's eyes widened and she held her fire. She turned to HippoGriffomon. "What?" she questioned. "Now?"

"Yes!" he swiftly reinforced, the chaos of the situation expediting his response. "You must evolve to Imperialdramon! Lay down heavy fire on that advancing army! Your Paildramon form is not enough! We need to inflict a larger blow to buy us time!"

The colour began to drain from her cheeks beneath her helmet. In her agitated, adrenalized state, Paildramon looked back forwards. Dozens of attacks were soaring towards them at high arcs, black energy and fire raining down like a meteor storm from the dark and hellish storm clouds. The thousands of Nightmare Soldiers were advancing at a steady pace. They were already almost halfway across the battlefield, getting nearer and nearer to the far edge of the crater.

She had to evolve…? She had to evolve to Imperialdramon again? She hadn't attempted to evolve to that form since…the Siege of New Terminal.

Paildramon's gaze landed at the vanguard of the enemy army… The first figure she saw – the one who lead the charge was none other than Demon…

The sight of him made her stomach twist with dark bile. Her scales stood on end and she felt a dark oppressive feeling washing over her.

She was overcome. The chaos of the situation… the oppressive darkness that she felt… it began converging onto her all at once. It felt as though her control over her emotions was teetering on a knife-edge.

Those dark feelings… The power… the anger… the primal savagery… She had attempted to put those feelings out of her mind. She didn't want to think of them. She didn't want to remember.

But now… she was being forced to evolve to Imperialdramon. That wild and powerful form. She knew its power better than anyone – how much control it required. After New Terminal… she wasn't sure if she could control it. She hadn't been able to then… She had lost herself to its strength and to her negative emotions, dark evolving into Black Imperialdramon.

If she tried to evolve now, in this chaos, with the way she was feeling now…? She wasn't sure if she had the strength or the composure to do it properly. She might dark evolve all over again.

Paildramon hesitated, glowering tumultuously as she watched the Nightmare Soldiers continue.

Still, she knew how desperate their situation was. They needed to do something to counter the Demon Lords…

But… what if she ended up like Dukemon?

"Paildramon, I know you have misgivings, but we need you!" HippoGriffomon encouraged her. "You can do this! You're strong enough, inside and out! Don't doubt yourself!

Paildramon frowned he was right. Maybe she could try it… After all, they were relying on her. If she could use her power to help everyone…

Paildramon swallowed and flew forwards tentatively, giving herself enough space to evolve. She took a deep breath, attempting to calm her anxious and adrenalized body. She closed her eyes, centering herself and trying to quell her misgivings.

She couldn't think about the dark, oppressive pressure that was bearing down on her. She couldn't think about her doubts. She had to clear her mind…

Her emotions began to calm… Her brows softened. Her dry lips parted and she breathed in.

"Paildramon… " she began, tapping into the well of power deep inside of her, "…shinka—"

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

That soul-ripping, animalistic roar tore through her ears and deep into her heart. Her insides – her very core - turned to ice. In that moment, her blank mind rippled abruptly, and she suddenly saw Black Imperialdramon within her mind's eye, tearing towards her with wanton fury.

Paildramon's eyes snapped open, wide with horror. Her head snapped to the left, towards the direction of the noise. She saw Megidramon racing across the center of the battlefield, roaring savagely.

"No… I can't…" she whispered, breathing in tumultuously as a deep chill permeated her body.

"What? Over-sergeant?"

Paildramon's eyes hardened and she suddenly rushed forwards recklessly. "I don't need to evolve! This should be enough!" she insisted, racing ahead of the Strike Forces and letting loose with her cannons. "Desperado Blaster!"

"Paildramon, no!" HippoGriffomon shouted, flapping his wings and racing after her.

Paildramon let loose an overzealous volley of beams from her cannons into the enemy forces, taking particular aim at Demon himself.

HippoGriffomon, his eyes wide, closed in on his junior officer. "Paildramon, pull back! Look out!" he warned her.

As he did, a blast of darkness sailed down and struck HippoGriffomon in his left wing. He cried out with pain, black energy glancing off of him in a cascade of white feathers. His wing buckled, and he began to plummet to the ground.

Paildramon spun around with horror. "Sir!" she shouted, immediately diving after him.

Paildramon swooped down and caught his larger body in her arms, flapping her wings rapidly to support him. Grimacing as she held up his weight, she looked at his white wing. The appendage was bent and bloodied, and it was clear it couldn't fly.

HippoGriffomon groaned and leaned against her, wincing with pain. He flapped his other wing to help support them, but his stricken wing was far too wounded. "Are you alright…?" he asked her.

"Sir, I'm sorry…" Paildramon responded, wincing as guilt overtook her. She knew that this was her fault…

Before she could dwell on it further, she watched as Megidramon flew in front of them, heading straight for the center of the smoking crater. It was then that the bombardment of attacks stopped. She didn't have much time to think about the massive dragon's actions before a voice called out from behind them.

"Okay, everyone! Listen up!" Ouryumon shouted to the Strike Forces. "We're retreating! This is our chance, so don't dawdle! Start pulling back in formation! Keep it tight!"

"Over-sergeant, you need to retreat," HippoGriffomon urged her, attempting to pull away. "Here, leave me. I can make it on my own."

HippoGriffomon attempted to fly on his own, but he immediately began to fall, prompting Paildramon to catch him. "No, Sir," she firmly insisted. "I'll help you… We'll pull back together."

HippoGriffomon winced, but nodded in concession, flapping his good wing to help them along.

Paildramon turned away to help HippoGriffomon fly back to the others… Before she did, however, she glanced back at Megidramon, whose gigantic silhouette was suddenly highlighted against a backdrop of flames.

She felt a dark, chaotic energy coming from him. It was different… more primordial and destructive from what she experienced… However, it was similar in some ways to her Black Imperialdramon Fighter Mode form, like a murky reflection in dark water.

She felt it in her core… his wild energy was concentrating… his darkness intensifying. It made her shudder with a nauseating nostalgia. She didn't want to leave Dukemon, but she had no choice. She knew on a primal level that she had to get them out of there before something bad happened…

…and it was going to happen…

Paildramon turned away, her body cold to the core. Without another word, she began to fly away with HippoGriffomon and the others, away from the dark reflection.

---

Megidramon soared over the edge the smouldering crater.

The bottom of the crater was barren. The surface was hardened with compressed earth and bedrock. It was riddled with black fissures, and the dark soil shimmered with crystals.

Megidramon kept on flying to the center point of the crater. The further in he flew, the more power he felt radiating from the ground.

He looked down from his vantage point in the air. The fissures in the ground elongated and deepened, the soil turning dark. Long, concentrated strands of archaic, dark data wafted up from the crater, billowing around him like thick pillars. Megidramon flew until he reached the epicenter of the hole.

The infernal dragon came to a stop above the greatest concentration of power. His feral, reptilian eyes gazed downwards intently.

Then, a fireball whizzed right past his head. Megidramon looked up with a low growl, turning his head at the annoyance.

Megidramon saw the center of the advancing Demon Lord army stop at the northern edge of the crater. The towering dragon was directly in between the army of Nightmare Soldiers and the retreating Royal Knights.

"Hold your fire!" Barbamon commanded to their troops. "Don't attract its attention!"

Before anything else could happen, Megidramon roared and unleashed an overwhelming inferno from his mouth. A torrent of fire spewed forward, sweeping in front of the Demon Lords' lines. The endless blaze blossomed into the sky, incinerating the earth in a straight line and creating a massive firewall that stopped the Demon Lords in their tracks.

With the army of demons kept at bay, Megidramon glanced over his shoulder to ensure that the Royal Knights would not attack him from behind.

As he looked back, he caught sight of Omegamon, hovering in the sky above the retreating Order army.

Omegamon waited in the air, covering the Order's retreat. However, he also waited for Dukemon's sake. He wanted to wait for him as long as he could, until he had no choice but to retreat as well.

Megidramon, however, turned away from him. The dragon turned his attention back to ground, from which intense, primordial power coursed out.

The dragon let out a restrained snarl. He felt it… He felt the oppressive power all around him. Had he been a weaker Digimon, it might have crushed him into particles where he stood.

However, he was not a weaker Digimon… he was strong.

Megidramon's wild, primal anger was what had driven him forwards. He had let loose all of his restraints, and poured all of his inner strength and untamed emotions into his rampage.

Now… something was different.

His anger began to wane… No… Not wane.

It began to distill.

In the midst of the apocalyptic storm and the dark haze, his savage fury began to burn away. It became intense… concentrated. It turned into something else… pure, refined hatred.

In front of him… behind him… they were all enemies. The sigil of the Digital Hazard blazed in the tumultuous sky, and the world was coming apart at the seams around him.

All around him… inside of him… was chaos.

Megidramon's constricted eyes dilated. He let out a low, hoarse growl that escalated in intensity.

Suddenly, flames started spewing from the glowing Digital Hazard symbol on his breastplate. The inferno gushed out and consumed him.

"Dukemon!" Omegamon shouted, watching with horror and confusion as the fire consumed his friend's body.

"What the fuck…?" Beelzebumon asked, clutching his recently-relocated shoulder from atop his bike as he gazed up at the flying fireball.

The raging flames around the snarling dragon suddenly turned a deep, abyssal black.

Darkness overtook the flames, extinguishing them in its folds. Megidramon's body suddenly began to shrink, also disappearing within the shroud of darkness.

Omegamon watched with wide eyes as Megidramon's body contracted. He was disappearing…

No… Omegamon could see something within the darkness. A silhouette. A humanoid one.

The darkness began to fade, revealing a knight-like shape within the dispersing shadows. It was a familiar silhouette… Omegamon knew it by heart.

Omegamon's heart swelled with hope. Was he… turning back into Dukemon?

No… something wasn't right.

He looked like Dukemon, but he was different.

His normally pristine, white armour had been stained into a murky, tenebrous grey. Gone was his light and colour, swallowed by the ruin of the landscape around him. His cape and accoutrements had morphed from a bright, vibrant crimson into a deep, gloomy indigo, complimenting the dense, violet clouds swirling overhead.

His sullen lance and his unhallowed shield hung at his sides, attached to his sunken arms. His violet cape and long, white ponytail flapped in the tempestuous breeze.

This new Dukemon hovered wordlessly in the sky above the crater, his dark form an ominous silhouette against the parting flames and the flashing lightning.

"Dukemon…?" Omegamon whispered, stunned with shock.

Omegamon's heart sunk with growing despair, and a cold chill washed over him. His heart froze with mortified realisation. Megidramon running rampant was one thing, but this… was something else. This was a deep, inner darkness personified… one that Omegamon knew all too well.

This wasn't the Dukemon that they knew… It was a corruption. A defiled facsimile of a once holy knight.

"…ChaosDukemon…" the dark knight finally spoke. His voice was dark, dry, and gravelly, like the inside of a tomb.

Beelzebumon watched with widening eyes as the dark knight's form became more apparent amidst the flames and the smog. "ChaosDukemon…?" he murmured, the corner of his bloodied mouth twitching upwards in fascination.

The forsaken knight hovered alone, between the two sides. His very presence radiated with malevolent darkness and destruction.

ChaosDukemon slowly raised his head, looking around him. Then, he slowly turned his head, gazing over his shoulder.

His sharp, yellow eyes glowed in the darkness, and he glared back, directly at Omegamon. No words pass between them, simply a look. There was no love in ChaosDukemon's eyes, no light. There was only bale and nihilism.

Omegamon wavered at the sight. And then, before Omegamon could think to say anything, ChaosDukemon turned away.

Without another word, ChaosDukemon took off in a burst of speed, soaring over the Demon Lords' lines. The knight flew swiftly and with purpose. He did not bother to fight them, bypassing even the Demon Lords.

An overzealous NeoDevimon tried to get in ChaosDukemon's way to attack him. Without as much as a blink, ChaosDukemon swept his unholy Balmung lance and sliced through the demon like soft butter, his lance drawing a cascade of blood.

ChaosDukemon simply kept flying past the disintegrating body. He flew to the north west with purpose. He would kill any who stood in his way.

Beelzebumon gazed into the sky at the dark knight, his interested smile growing by the second. This was much better than the mindless dragon he fought before…

Shooing away one of the demon doctors who was healing him with magic, Beelzebumon revved the engine on the Behemoth and circled his motorcycled around. Then, without so much as a word to the others, the Demon Lord of Gluttony took off, breaking away from the army in a cloud of dust.

Meanwhile, Omegamon watched with distress as ChaosDukemon began flying away, past the Demon Lords' army.

"Dukemon!" he called out, the urge to follow him surging within him.

Before he could consider acting on this feeling, however, a hand firmly gripped his armoured shoulder. Omegamon turned his head and saw Alphamon hovering at his side, staring at him with an intense urging.

"I'm sorry, Omegamon, but we must retreat. We cannot follow him past the Demon Lords," he explained. Alphamon nodded over his shoulder. "Our armies are withdrawing to Republic territory now. Megidramon seems to have made the Demon Lords reconsider chasing us. Come, we have to hurry before they change their minds…"

Omegamon winced, reluctantly looking back at ChaosDukemon. The dark knight was making a hole in the Nightmare Soldiers aerial lines, most of which seemed to be flying out of the way to avoid him.

However, as much as it hurt him to let him go like this, Omegamon knew that Alphamon was right. It would be suicidal to try to pursue him. He looked at Alphamon and nodded slightly.

Alphamon gripped Omegamon's shoulder and looked into his eyes. "I haven't given up on him… None of us have," he assured him. "We will find him. We will bring him back."

Omegamon let out a tremulous sigh, nodding with a bit more conviction this time. He gave one more lingering gaze in ChaosDukemon's direction before turning away along with Alphamon, back towards their retreating army.

Nobody felt good about retreating, nor did they feel good about leaving Dukemon in the state that he was in. However, with the chaos and devastation that they had faced, they realised that they had no choice.

"…Yes… We will," Omegamon agreed, flying alongside Alphamon, each with heavy hearts, as they tried to catch up with the others.

"…We have to…"