Digidimension Neptunia: Digital Journey

by TGT Terrorizor

What happens when digital monsters from another world enter the Hyperdimension? When the CPUs of Gameindustri learn of these creatures entering their world, they decide to fight fire with fire. Join the Goddesses and their friends as they make new digital allies and protect both their home of Hyperdimension and the Digital World from certain danger!

38. Chapter 38: Fires Of Liberation, Part 2

Hey there, and welcome back to the story. We're about to continue with where we left off last chapter.

After a friendly reunion with Uni and BlackTerriermon, Nepgear and Hagurumon told them of what's been happening in Magma Plains and how they nearly lost their lives. In response to the loss of the rebel base the Digimon called home, the Candidates and their partners came up with a plan to infiltrate the town, free the prisoners, rescue Flamedramon, and liberate Magma Plains from the hands of the D-Brigade.

While Uni and BlackGargomon keep the attention of the D-Brigade and Hi-Commandramon on them, Nepgear and Hagurumon would infiltrate the capital building, with the help of an unexpected ally named Flamon. Upon stumbling inside a computer room, they found some details related to Black Digitron and files related to a possible prisoner transfer.

But before she could download the data, some D-Brigade grunts enter the room, and now Nepgear and Hagurumon are about to get caught. But with the rebel Digimons now entering the battle with Uni and BlackGargomon, will they be able to save the town and themselves?

Get ready for the second part of this action-packed episode and the conclusion of Nepgear's arc!

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or the Hyperdimension Neptunia series. Both franchises belong to their respective companies.

---

Chapter 38: Fires Of Liberation, Part 2

Nepgear and Hagurumon had never been more nervous in their lives than they were right now. There they were, trapped inside of a storage closet, with two Commandramon grunts just outside the door. The pair were in the middle of searching inside the computer room on the other side of the closet door in order to find anything that could tell them where the D-Brigade was holding Flamedramon prisoner in. The lilac haired Candidate had stumbled upon some files containing information about both the Black Digitron and a prisoner transfer that may offer a clue as to where BlackTerriermon's people were located.

However they were interrupted by a pair of Commandramon soldiers who had decided to come into the computer room. Seeing no other place to hide, both Nepgear and Hagurumon had no choice but to make a break for the storage closet, which was filled with boxes and other items. As a result, the space inside was cramped for them both. But they knew that any sudden movements or noises now would doom them both.

Their efforts to remain hidden would be in vain, however, as in their haste to hide somewhere, the Planeptune CPU had forgotten to shut off the monitors so that it seemed like no one was using them. To make matters worse, the two soldier Digimon had found her N-Gear on the computer desk that she was using to download data on to. Now they knew she was somewhere in the room, and they were searching everywhere for a spy that may have infiltrated the capital building.

The Commandramon pair were now approaching the closet door, and both Nepgear and Hagurumon were on the brink of being discovered. It was do or die time now. Silently pulling out her Digivice from her pocket, she looked at her Digimon partner, who nodded in response, as they readied themselves for the inevitable fight that was about to unfold.

I guess this is it for us... Uni, Neptune, where are you?", Nepgear thought as she braced herself for her fate.

She felt the knob on the other side of the closet door move a bit. But just when the door was about to be opened, a loud noise came from the other side. It sounded like a radio of sorts.

"Attention, any and all units on this frequency! This is Hi-Commandramon! Come in!", said a voice.

The Commandramons stopped what they were doing immediately and picked up their handheld radios from their pouches.

"This is Commandramon Zulu 4 and 5", one of the D-Brigade grunts responded. "We may have found evidence of a spy in our-"

"Nevermind that! Get your asses in gear now!", his commanding officer interrupted. "The rebels are here in full force! We need reinforcements now! Acknowledge!"

"Zulu 4 and 5, understood. We're on our way!", the Commandramon said before hanging up.

He and his comrade nodded to each other before heading off to join the battle, believing that whatever was going on in the computer room would have to wait until the battle was over. They left the computer room in a hurry, leaving the closet door unopened and the N-Gear untouched.

The CPU Candidate and the gear-like Digimon stood there inside the storage closet in silence for what seemed like thirty seconds before slowly opening the door and taking a peek outside. When the pair saw that there was no one else around, they breathed a sigh of relief. They could not believe that they got out of that situation.

"Phew... That was a close one...", said Nepgear.

"I thought I was going to lose a few nuts and bolts for a moment there", added Hagurumon.

The lilac haired girl went over to check and see if her N-Gear was finished downloading the data from the terminal. It was almost complete.

"Nepgear, we must get out of here before more D-Brigade soldiers return", stated her Digimon partner.

"Not just yet. There's something on here that we can use", said Nepgear.

"We can't risk staying here. We have to find Flamedramon", Hagurumon insisted.

"Let me try once more. There's one more monitor I haven't used yet. It's got to show us a security feed of where he is", the Planeptune Candidate replied.

Turning on the last computer, she soon started typing away on the keyboard, hoping to find something that she could use. At last, she found what she was looking for. Activating an application on the screen, it soon started showing a live feed of the inner workings of the capital building.

"I got it! Now, let's see...", she said.

Nepgear then started scrolling through the various feeds, from various hallways and intersections to other rooms. She even saw hat seemed to look like a large observation room. Finally, she found the camera she was looking for.

"I found him!", she exclaimed. "Look!"

She pointed to the screen and showed Hagurumon what she found. There was Flamedramon chained up to a couple of strange devices restricting his arms. He was locked behind what seemed to be titanium bars. On the video was even the location of the floor and cell number.

"Floor B1, Cell D. That's got to be it!", said Nepgear excitedly.

"Great job! Now we must hurry. Judging by what those guards were saying, the rebels must already be on the offensive", Hagurumon said.

"You're right. Let's get going!", the lilac haired girl said.

Just before they left, she checked her N-Gear one more time to see if the download was complete. When she saw that it was, she quickly unplugged the device and raced out of the room with Hagurumon in tow. Now that they were more pressed for time, they had to hurry and find their comrade before it was too late. Taking extra caution not to get spotted by any enemy soldiers, they carefully maneuvered their way through the building in search of a way to Floor B1.

Soon they found a possible entrance, which looked like a large elevator. Judging by the size of it, it may have been used as either a cargo elevator or an emergency lift in the event of a natural disaster. Considering that the town lived near a volcano, it should not have been surprising to her. What did surprise her, though, was that it seemed big enough to hold even someone like the cyborg dragon Megadramon that they had seen before. The lilac haired girl hoped that they wouldn't run into him before they find Flamedramon.

"It would seem this is the only way to get to where we need to go", said Hagurumon.

His partner had a look of concern on her face. He wondered what was wrong.

"What is it, Nepgear?", he asked.

"It's just... I can't shake the feeling that this has been too easy for us so far..." said Nepgear.

"Hmm... You may be right", the gear-like Digimon agreed.

They decided to keep an eye and ear out for anything out of the ordinary as they boarded the elevator, pressing the down button to take them straight to the B1 floor. After a short few seconds, they arrived at their destination. They started to explore the area, hoping to find Flamedramon as fast as they could. The floor was dimly lit, and the halls were huge. Parts of the floor looked like they were modified by the D-Brigade when they started to occupy the town.

As both Nepgear and Hagurumon searched everywhere for their comrade, something really didn't feel right. For one, there didn't seem to be any guards around anywhere. Even though there was a lot of room to maneuver, the pair felt completely surrounded for some reason. It was as if they under constant surveillance from all sides. Stranger still, there were other prison cells on the floor, but for some reason they were all empty. One would think there would be at least some sort of life down here somewhere. They needed to find Flamedramon, any other prisoners, and then get out of the area fast.

At last, they could make out a shape. Up ahead was a jail cell, with a red and blue figure sitting inside. It was Flamedramon!

"Oh goodness... Flamedramon!", Nepgear commented.

Rushing over to his cell, they could see that he was in bad shape, as he was covered in cuts and bruises. His arms were bound by an what seemed to be a pair of electronic handcuffs. They felt sorry for him as they stared at his condition. But there was no time to stand around all day. There was work to be done.

"Psst! Flamedramon! It's us!", Nepgear whispered loudly.

The armored Digimon weakly moved his head, his eyes set upon the pair in front of him. It seemed to them that his face had changed from a pained look to that of horror. They thought they could hear him say something, but his voice was too silent to hear. They feared his condition was worse than they thought. They had to act fast.

"Hagurumon, can you help get this door open?", the Planeptune CPU asked her partner.

"Of course. Cog Crusher!", he said.

His face opened up as a black gear launched from inside his machine body, the attack destroying the lock on the cell door. The pair then quickly move in to get Flamedramon on to his feet as they guide him out of the cell.

"Don't worry, we got you. We're getting you out of here", said the lilac haired Candidate.

But as they stepped out of the prison cell, with her head now closer to the armored Digimon, she could make out what Flamedramon was saying. It was a faint whisper, but what she heard made her blood run cold.

"T... Trap...", he said.

Before she could even comprehend what he meant, the air around them started shimmering. Suddenly, they were completely cut off from all sides by a squad of Commandramon soldiers, their weapons aimed at the group. The feeling that they had about being surrounded had actually come true. The soldiers had appeared completely out of nowhere, as if they were using a sort of optical camouflage to hide themselves.

But just how did they know that they were coming? Was their mission compromised from the very start? There was no time to think, however, as one of the Commandramon soldiers aimed his weapon directly at Nepgear's head.

"Hands in the air, now!", he ordered.

Seeing no way of getting out, she hesitantly complied. The soldier then frisked her outfit, pulling out her Digivice and her N-Gear and removing them from her possession. The lilac haired girl really felt personal space was violated, but she had no choice but in the matter, as any act of resistance would be seen as an act of aggression. After he was done searching her, the Commandramon ordered one of his men to tie her wrists together with another pair of electronic handcuffs similar to the ones Flamedramon was using.

Then, before she could react, the Commandramon slammed the butt of his weapon into the CPU Candidate's face. The world around her started spinning before she fell over. Then, she blacked out.

---

As the morning light slowly started to creep over the horizon, the echoes of battle still rang throughout the town in Magma Plains. The rebel Digimon had launched their all-out attack on the town in an effort to liberate their land from the D-Brigade. Despite the plan to distract the enemy long enough for their friends to rescue Flamedramon, both Uni and BlackGargomon had some trouble dealing with an enemy named Hi-Commandramon. But now that the rebel Digimon had arrived, they felt that the tide of battle was about to go their way.

The moment both sides charged one another, all hell had broken loose. It was chaos everywhere as both the rebels and the D-Brigade fought each other, both sides pushing each other back and forth across the mining area. Although the D-Brigade having overwhelming numbers, the rebel Digimon had an unyielding resolve that could not be extinguished.

This was something that Flamon had witnessed first hand when he came back to where the action was happening. He had managed to elude the D-Brigade guards from the capital building, only because they had been diverted to the attack force at the mining district. He had hidden himself and watched the battle from afar, as he was still too weak to help out the rebels. From what he saw, he was amazed by how the Lastation CPU Candidate and her Digimon partner were holding their own against the D-Brigade, especially against a Digimon like Hi-Commandramon, who had managed to get the upper hand moments ago. Now he was being pushed back against BlackGargomon, who was using his gatling arms to bash against the commanding officer's riot shield.

Flamon wondered, though, how a human could fight alongside a Digimon, despite having no powers themselves? Perhaps it was their own will that was their power. The humanoid Digimon then wondered how he could help out the others in any way. A hot hand on his shoulder caused him to lose his train of thought as he turned around.

"Easy, it's me!", said a voice, which turned out to be Meramon.

Flamon sighed in relief. He had thought the D-Brigade had finally caught up with him when he wasn't looking.

"What are you doing here? We should be getting out of here by now", his friend said.

"Probably for the same reason why you're still here", Flamon replied.

"What do you mean?", Meramon asked.

"Those humans and their Digimon are risking their lives trying to save us. I want to do something to help them in return", the humanoid Digimon said.

"We're not fighters, though. What can we possibly do?", Meramon inquired, his voice filled with doubt.

His friend then turned his gaze back towards the capital building. When he stared at it, something within him told him that the human he met earlier might be in trouble. He couldn't shake the feeling why, but his instincts told him he was needed there.

"We'll help that human in our own way!", Flamon said, a fiery determination igniting in his eyes. "Follow me!"

He then ran back towards the direction of the capital building, leaving his friend in a state of shock. If this Digimon could show such bravery in the face of danger, then how could Meramon do any less? In the end, the burning Digimon went after his friend Flamon, both to help him out and make sure he stays safe no matter what. Though he didn't know what he was getting himself into, he knew for certain that what he was doing was the right choice.

---

Nepgear felt her head pounding as she started regaining consciousness. The last thing she remembered was that she and Hagurumon were in the middle of freeing Flamedramon when all of a sudden, a group of Commandramon soldiers had surrounded them. The next thing she knew she saw the butt of a rifle bash her in the face before she went out like a light.

When she finally regained her senses, the lilac haired girl started opening her eyes, only to be met with a horrifying sight. She was in what appeared to be the observation room that she had seen when she was searching through the security feed. But what really terrified her was what was staring down at her. It was dark orange dragon with a long tail, cybernetic claws and helmet, and large purple wings. It was Megadramon, the commander of the D-Brigade forces in Magma Plains. He grinned as the Planeptune CPU stirred in fear.

"Ahh, good. You're finally awake", he said.

Nepgear tried to move away, but found that she couldn't move her hands. When she looked down, she saw that her hands were bound by an electronic lock. Her legs were also chained together, preventing her from running away. Megadramon chuckled sinisterly at her futile effort to escape.

"You're in no position to flee now, human", he said. "And if you're thinking your Digimon traitors are going to come to your rescue, look behind you."

The lilac haired girl turned to her left to see that both Hagurumon and Flamedramon were on their knees (or in her partner's case, his gears?), with a pair of Commandramon grunts training their weapons on them. The gear-like Digimon looked at his partner sorrowfully.

"I am sorry, Nepgear", he said sadly before being silenced by one of the D-Brigade soldiers smacking him with the butt of his rifle.

"No! Let them go! I'm the one you want!", Nepgear said, her voice shaking with fear.

"Hehehe! And what makes you think I'm inclined or willing to do such a thing?", Megadramon asked. "You and your Digimon are far too dangerous for us to let go of. And I am not about to let go of my best catch yet either."

Flamedramon growled silently, knowing that the cyborg dragon Digimon was referring to him as the "best catch" of the group. He really wanted to help his friends out, but he was too weak from the torture that the D-Brigade and Megadramon had put him through. He silently cursed himself for not being strong enough to do anything.

"Oh, and if you're thinking about breaking out with your little trinkets", Megadramon continued, referring to the CPU Candidate's N-Gear and Digivice, "I'm afraid that's out of the question."

He then had one of the Commandramon grunts come over to him. The soldier was holding both of Nepgear's possessions, which made her distraught. Megadramon examined her Digivice closely, as it was the more interesting of the two devices.

"So, this is the device you CPUs use to Digivolve your Digimon allies?", he pondered aloud. "Honestly, I'm disgusted by the fact that such a device exists. Digivolution should be achieved naturally, not by some device."

He then gently picked up the Digivice with one of his cybernetic claws and then pondered on it a bit more before continuing.

"On the other hand", he said, "if I present this to our leader, the D-Brigade may be able to reverse-engineer the function and design of this contraption. Imagine an army of super soldiers able to evolve at will. Nothing could stop the D-Brigade from claiming everything in the Digital World and beyond!"

This idea give chills down Nepgear's spine. It was bad enough that the D-Brigade were planning to do something with Black Digitron, but if they manage to get their hands on the Digivolution capabilities of the Digivice, there would be no stopping them at all. She could not allow this to happen. The lilac haired girl needed a plan, and quickly. But until she can work up a way to break free, retrieve her items and rescue her friends, she had to stall for time.

"Why are you doing this? What's the point in trying to conquer the Digital World?", she asked.

"The Digital World has gone soft, its inhabitants weak. The D-Brigade is here to bring back strength and order to a world gone corrupt", Megadramon said.

"What do you mean?", Nepgear inquired.

The cyborg dragon Digimon then turned towards the large window, where he got a clear view of the town and the mining area from afar. From his position he could see the ongoing battle, catching glimpses of the small explosions from both sides clashing against one another. He watched in silence for a few seconds before he started speaking.

"For the longest time this world had started to fall apart. The very beings who were supposed to be our so-called 'protectors' had forsaken us, leaving us to our own struggles, unwilling to make our world better. But their own hubris would become their own undoing. After 'they' were defeated and abandoned the Digital World, we stepped in to fill the gap. The D-Brigade will do what 'they' were unwilling to. The strong shall survive, the weak will perish, and the Digimon shall become the conquerors we were meant to be."

Nepgear wondered who these "protectors" that the cyborg dragon Digimon was talking about. Were they the reason why the D-Brigade was trying to conquer both the Digital World and Gameindustri?

As Megadramon went on with his monologue, Nepgear quietly started moving her wrists in an effort to break free of her electronic cuffs, but it was no good. She was about to try a bit harder, but a quick glance from Flamedramon and a slight shake from his head told her to stop. It was as if he knew what would happen if she tried to break free. Taking another look at her bondage, she soon realized her mistake. The cuffs were set to zap her with volts of electricity should she try to struggle free. Sighing silently, the CPU Candidate needed to figure out another way to break free, but she didn't know what.

"But alas, not all Digimon seem to share our idea of bringing order to the Digital World", Megadramon went on. "They do not understand what we must do to survive and thrive. Order must be maintained at any cost, even if it means culling those that try to stand in our way."

"It sounds more to me like you're trying to enslave other Digimon for your own selfish gains", Nepgear hissed.

"You'll see soon enough", said Megadramon calmly. "You, your friends, and the Digimon fighting alongside them will be made to understand that the only way to survive in this world is to submit to the rule of one will. Our will. The D-Brigade shall bring order to the Digital World, in any way and at any cost."

He then turned to face the CPU Candidate, then picked her up by her long hair, causing her intense pain as a result, before bringing her up to his face.

"And you humans and your Digimon are the only thing that stand in our way. Such acts of resistance must be quelled and completely broken", the cyborg dragon Digimon said menacingly.

The lilac haired girl yelled in pain as his cybernetic claws gripped tightly on to her hair, threatening to pull it straight off of her head. Flamedramon turned his head away, unable to watch. Hagurumon, on the other hand, couldn't look away. He wanted to help his partner out, but there was nothing he could do against an Ultimate like Megadramon. The gear-like Digimon felt completely helpless in the situation he was in.

"Nepgear...", he whispered, his metallic voice filled with pain.

Megadramon then let go of Nepgear's hair, causing her to drop to the floor with a painful thud. She breathed heavily as pain course through her head and body.

"You're wrong... The Digimon don't want your kind of 'order' at all... They deserve to live freely of their own will, with peace and happiness in mind. You just want to take that away from them!", she said defiantly.

"Hmph. I suppose I will have to make my point known in another way: You and your Digimon are not welcome in this world", said the cyborg dragon Digimon.

He then raised his cybernetic claw and opened it up, revealing the missile port inside. A cold chill now coursed through Nepgear's body, and she knew why.

The CPU Candidate of Planeptune was about to be executed...

---

The rebel Digimon and D-Brigade continued to fight each other with no end in sight, both sides unyielding and determined to drive each other out of Magma Plains. Uni and BlackGargomon were still engaged in battle against Hi-Commandramon, while FlameWizardmon and the other rebel Digimon were preoccupied with the other D-Brigade forces, doing their best to keep their attention away from the raven haired girl and the cyborg rabbit Digimon and prevent them from joining up with their commanding officer.

Though he had lost his motor launcher weapon, he was still putting up a fight against the pair that stood before him. He used his riot shield to block any gun fire from Uni, but had left himself vulnerable to BlackGargomon, who bashed him from the side with one of his gatling arms. When Hi-Commandramon decided to attack the cyborg rabbit Digimon, the Lastation CPU Candidate would shoot some explosive rounds at his blind spot. Suffice to say, he was having trouble keeping track of their team-up.

"Keep going! We can beat them!", shouted Uni.

"Right!", BlackGargomon replied.

Meanwhile, FlameWizardmon was holding off a group of D-Brigade soldiers, using his matchstick wands to either attack or defend. When faced with a couple of Tankmon, the fire mage Digimon simply smirked.

"Fire Cloud!", he exclaimed.

Flames started swirling around him as he spun his matchstick wands around and around. Soon his surroundings were swarmed by what could be described as a sort of fire storm, creating immense heat that not only burned the Tankmon's organic parts, but also started melting their gun and cannon barrels, rendering their attack capabilities useless. Both of the heavy artillery Digimon retreated, not wanting to stick around for more.

As much as FlameWizardmon wanted to admire his handiwork, there was no time, as more and more Commandramon soldiers suddenly started appearing out of nowhere. It was as if they had been cloaked in plain sight. That's when he realized too late that they had the ability to hide themselves via the digital camouflage on their bodies.

Before he could warn Uni, BlackGargomon, and the other rebel Digimon what was happening, they were starting to get encircled by dozens of D-Brigade soldiers. They had fallen for a trap that the D-Brigade had set up, and there was no way out. Despite this, they all kept on fighting, but slowly and surely, the casualties starting rising. They eventually had their backs against each other until they were completely surrounded. When the fighting soon stopped, there were only a handful of rebel Digimon still able to fight, while many others were either incapacitated or deleted.

"Damnit! This can't be happening!", said Uni.

"And I'm out of ammo too. Looks like this may be it for us", said BlackGargomon.

Hi-Commandramon then approached the remaining rebels, smirking triumphantly, as he stared them down, before turning to Uni and her Digimon partner.

"A valiant fight, but a futile one at best. This is your last chance to surrender now. Or I let my boys do away with you here and now", he said.

"We will never give in. No matter what happens to us, someone will stop you!", said Uni defiantly.

"Agreed. We would rather die than live under your rule", added FlameWizardmon.

"Speak for yourselves, guys. I plan to live forever!", BlackGargomon half-heartedly joked.

Hi-Commandramon, a look of disappointment forming on his armored face, sighed in annoyance.

"Such heroic nonsense. I had hoped you guys would be smarter than this", he said. "All units, ready weapons!"

The D-Brigade soldiers then started reloading their weapons, preparing to execute everyone for their defiance. The air was tense as the inevitable was mere moments away.

"Take aim!", Hi-Commandramon barked.

His soldiers then trained all of their weapons on the rebels. Both Uni and BlackGargomon looked at each other sorrowfully, as if they were about to say goodbye to one another, before bracing themselves for their fate. But just as the D-Brigade's commanding officer was about to give the order to fire...

"Volcanic Fount!", exclaimed a voice from afar.

Suddenly, waves of super-heated magma were raining down upon the D-Brigade soldiers. Some were set on fire as a result, while others found that their equipment started melting as a result of the extremely high temperature of the magma. Any Commandramon or Tankmon who were caught in the impact zones were immediately deleted, as they were unable to withstand the intensity of the attack.

Everyone turned to see who it was that had launched such an attack. In the distance, there was Volcdramon, rushing in to the rescue, as he charged towards the D-Brigade forces. They started opening fire upon the volcanic Digimon, but their weapons had no effect against the adrenaline-charged beast. Hi-Commandramon, unsure of what to do, raised his riot shield in a panic. This effort to protect himself would be in vain, however, as he was trampled away by the giant Digimon, along with any unlucky D-Brigade soldiers that happened to be in Volcdramon's path.

Both Uni and BlackGargomon were amazed by his fearlessness. Despite being injured from his last battle, Volcdramon was still willing to put up a fight for his allies. FlameWizardmon and the rebel Digimons started cheering for their leader, their savior now standing in between them and the D-Brigade. Hi-Commandramon got himself back up. His shield was now ruined beyond recognition, and he was met with an angry volcanic Digimon staring him down. The commanding officer and his forces had now lost their momentum, and things were only going to get worse for them.

"Get out of our town", Volcdramon growled, his message short but stern.

He then roared loudly at the heavily armed Digimon, who was now scared to even face this angry Ultimate level. He only had one thing to say at a time like this:

"Fall back! All units, fall back now!", he exclaimed.

He and the remaining D-Brigade forces now scurried back towards the town, while the rebel Digimon all went after them. The tables had turned against the D-Brigade. Both Uni and BlackGargomon were quite relieved that their lives were spared, thanks to an unlikely ally. Volcdramon lowered his head to meet them both.

"Uni, Blackgargomon, thank you for holding out for us. Our town is almost free because of you", he congratulated the pair.

"Hey, we can't take all the credit", said Uni.

"Yeah. After all, you guys helped us too", added BlackGargomon.

"Nevertheless, despite not being from our land, you two went out of your way to help us in our dire time of need", Volcdramon said.

"Well, it's all in a day's work for a CPU and her Digimon. Hehehe!", the Lastation Candidate giggled.

"Our battle is almost over. But there are still those that need help. And I fear that your human friend Nepgear may need some assistance", the volcanic Digimon stated.

"Oh crap, Nepgear! I completely forgot about her!", Uni exclaimed.

"Well what are we standing around here for? She might be in trouble! Let's go!", said BlackGargomon.

With that said, they both started running as fast as they could towards the direction of the capital building. They could only hope that they would make it in time to save their friends.

As they went on their way, Volcdramon watch on, knowing that they would succeed in their mission. Now it was up to him and the other rebel Digimo to see that their work is done as well. He looked down to see FlameWizardmon, who was also watching both Uni and BlackGargomon go on their way.

"I guess those humans are good guys after all", he said.

"Indeed. And now let us see to it that all of our efforts do not go to waste", Volcdramon replied.

His comrade nodded as they both moved on to follow their fellow rebel Digimon in driving out the remaining D-Brigade forces from the town of Magma Plains. The day of liberation had only just begun.

---

Nepgear was scared beyond belief as she stared down death in the face. Megadramon had one of his cybernetic claws raised towards her, ready to unleash his firepower upon the helpless CPU Candidate. She had no idea what to do to get out of this situation, nor did she have any plan on getting her allies away from here as well. It seemed to the lilac haired girl that the situation before them all was completely hopeless. The cyborg dragon smiled sinisterly as he prepared to charge his attack.

"Well, human, I believe this is where you make your quick exit from this world. But don't worry. I'll be nice and make it as quick and painless as possible", said Megadramon.

The Planeptune CPU shut her eyes, her tears leaking through as she braced herself for destruction.

"Uni... Hagurumon... Flamedramon... Neptune... I'm sorry...", she whispered.

Just then, a loud banging sound diverted everyone's attention. The door to the observation room was being dented in by a strong outside force. Not happy about being interrupted, Megadramon was annoyed.

"You two, go find out what all that racket is", he ordered.

Nodding, the two Commandramon grunts readied their weapons and slowly approached the door. But as the two soldiers were about to open the door, it was suddenly blasted away, hitting the pair with immense force and knocking them out. Then two figures rushed through the open doorway. Nepgear knew one of them as Flamon, the Digimon who helped her and Hagurumon get into the capital building earlier. The other one she did not recognize, however. He looked like a humanoid being whose body was burning with hot embers all over.

"Flamon!", Nepgear exclaimed excitedly.

The lilac haired girl could hardly believe what was happening. The unlikely ally that she met before had came back to help her. On the other hand, he had taken a grave risk in coming to her aid, as they were now faced with an angry Megadramon, who was seething with fury. But before the cyborg dragon Digimon could respond to their intrusion, the hot tempered pair quickly acted quickly.

"Me and Meramon will get you out of there! Flame Toss!", Flamon exclaimed as he launched a small fireball from his hands.

"Brace yourselves! Crimson Flame!", the burning humanoid Digimon shouted as he launched his own fireballs.

Both attacks were aimed for the bondage that held Nepegear, Hagurumon and Flamedramon in place. Hitting their intended targets, the chains and electronic cuffs were all destroyed by the fire, freeing the group from their imprisonment. They were all grateful for the assistance, but there was no time for them to give their thanks, as Megadramon roared angrily.

"How dare you! You will not escape my wrath!", he yelled as he prepared to launch one of his attacks from his cybernetic claws.

However Flamedramon was having none of it, as his body started heating up with newfound energy. Despite his current condition, he was ready to start fighting again. And he felt that now couldn't be a more perfect time.

"Fire Rocket!", the armored Digimon exclaimed.

Flames surrounded his entire body as he launches himself towards the cyborg dragon Digimon, delivering a heavy blow to Megadramon as he hit him right in the middle of the D-Brigade commander's chest. This impact caused him to drop both Nepgear's N-Gear and her Digivice. Reacting quickly, the Planeptune Candidate snatched her belongings, then ran towards Hagurumon, who looked ready to fight.

"Are you ready, Hagurumon?", she asked her partner.

"Standing by for Digivolution!", he replied.

Nepgear then raised her Digivice in the air towards her partner. It glowed in a lilac colored light before the CPU Candidate shouted the code phrase.

"Digivolve!"

A light purple beam of energy then shot out of the Digivice and hit Hagurumon, covering him in the same colored light. The Digivolution process had begun.

"Hagurumon, Digivolve to...!", he shouted.

His body soon began to grow bigger and change shape. He now had a steampunk-style copper-colored body, his eyes went from red to green, and an engine-like thruster pack formed on his back. A few puffs of steam spewed out as his Digivolution was finished.

"Guardromon!", he exclaimed.

The battle was now underway as Megadramon charged towards everyone, his claws ready to strike down upon them all. They moved out of the way before he swiped his cybernetic limbs down, smashing part of the floor instead. Then he tried swiping everyone off of their feet with his large tail. All except for Nepgear had managed to avoid the attack, while the CPU Candidate was smacked into a wall as a result of her slow response time. Guardromon made sure to pay their adversary back in kind.

"Guardian Barrage!", he exclaimed as he fired a series of small missiles from his wrists.

The explosive ordinance made direct contact with Megadramon's face, the smoke blinding his vision.

"Arrrggghhh! I'll make you suffer for this!", the cyborg dragon Digimon roared angrily.

Guardromon then went over to pick Nepgear up and get her back on her feet.

"Thank you, Guardromon", she said.

After that everyone started to regroup with one another, but they knew that Megadramon would not remain blind for long. The area that they were in did not suit their odds either.

"We can't fight here! Let's take this outside!", Flamedramon suggested.

He then rushed towards one of the large windows and shattered the entire panel with a swing of his armored claws, creating a large hole for everyone to jump through. The armored Digimon went through first, followed by Flamon, then Meramon, and lastly Guardromon, who carried Nepgear in his arms. Everyone managed to land safely on the ground below before running a short distance away from the capital building.

From their position they could see what had transpired while they were inside. The rebel Digimon had the D-Brigade forces on the ropes. Some buildings were burning as a result of stray attacks from both sides, while others were completely ruined. They could all see some of the D-Brigade soldiers being pushed back by some rebel Digimon. The military Digimon had completely lost control of the situation. It was only a matter of time before the town was freed.

Just then, the group saw two figures quickly approaching them. It was both Uni and BlackGargomon. They were both happy and relieved to see Nepgear and the others were still alive.

"Nepgear! You're okay!", Uni exclaimed happily as she hugged her CPU friend.

"Yes, I'm fine, Uni. What about you?", the lilac haired girl asked.

"The rebels are winning. Volcdramon came to help us in the nick of time", Uni explained.

"It's a good thing, too, cause we were about to meet our maker", added BlackGargomon.

The Lastation Candidate then noticed the three Digimonthat were with Nepgear and Guardromon.

"I take it that these three are your new friends?", she inquired.

"Yes. They're Flamedramon, Flamon, and Meramon", Nepgear said before turning to the two humanoid Digimon. "These two actually came to our rescue. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for them."

"Oh, really? Well, that's cool and all...", said Uni.

The raven haired girl couldn't help but feel a little jealous, as she wanted to be the one to save Nepgear. Nonetheless, she was glad that her friend was safe and sound. The Planeptune Candidate noticed her friend trailing off and wondered why.

"Is something wrong, Uni?", she asked.

"Huh? I-It's nothing! It's not like I wanted to save you myself or anything", the Lastation CPU stammered.

The lilac haired girl was a bit confused by what her friend meant. But before she could press any further, a loud and terrifying roar from a familiar foe reminded them that there was still a battle left to be fought. Suddenly, the observation windows exploded into hundreds of pieces as Megadramon flew out of the capital building, his sights set on the group. There was no time left for everyone to chat with each other.

"Uni, please get Flamedramon out of here. He's in no condition to fight", Nepgear request.

"No way... I've got to help stop- Ungh!", the armored Digimon groaned, clutching his chest in pain.

"Please, Flamedramon. Leave this to me and Nepgear", Guardromon insisted.

"He's too much for you to take on alone. With your current power, you're no match for him", stated Flamedramon.

"Maybe. But that doesn't mean we won't stop trying", the lilac haired girl replied.

"Are you sure, Nepgear? Me and BlackGargomon can back you up while Flamon and Meramon can take Flamedramon out of here", said Uni.

Suddenly, Megadramon quickly decended upon them, his face filled with fury.

"Allow me to give you the answer: Nobody is going to leave here alive!", he said angrily.

Soon digital sparks started to burst from his body. Then, all of reality started to shift around everyone. It was becoming a realm of polygons, energy spheres, dimensional cubes, and other abnormalities, from flying binary codes to digital grids. It was disorienting for everyone. Nobody could tel which way was up or down.

"What is happening?!", Nepgear exclaimed.

"Is this another one of Megadramon's abilities?", Guadromon pondered aloud.

"Uggghhh, I think I'm gonna be sick...", BlackGargomon commented.

Woah... The whole world is spinning...", said Uni, swirls starting to form in her eyes.

"Watch out, everyone! Here comes an attack!", Flamedramon warned.

"DG Dimension!", Megadramon exclaimed.

Then, as if on cue, a series of dimensional cubes and spheres were sent flying in everyone's general direction, exploding on impact. The group screamed in agony as they took the force of the attack. Once it was over, reality started returning to normal. Everyone groaned in pain as they tried to pick themselves up.

"Oww... I think the sky became the ground for a moment...", Uni winced.

"Goodness... I can't feel my legs...", added Nepgear.

Megadramon laughed maniacally as he watched the group struggle to move after the attack he launched. Things were not going their way. With the overwhelming power the cyborg dragon Digimon had under its belt, there was no way they would be able to last for very long against this great threat. They had to come up with a plan soon or else no one was going back home alive.

"Now to finish this. I'll destroy all of you one by one", he said sinisterly. "You first, small fry!"

He then aimed his cybernetic limbs at Flamon, who looked on in horror. There was no way a Digimon like him would be able to survive another attack from Megadramon. He wanted to get away from there, but found that he couldn't will himself to move. It was as if fear had taken hold of his body. The cyborg dragon Digimon, meanwhile, grinned at his intended target. Flamon was now a sitting duck in his crosshairs, and there was not a thing he could do to get away.

"Genocide Attack!", he exclaimed as he launched a pair of organic rockets from his limbs.

The humanoid Digimon shut his eyes, unable to watch. Everyone else looked on in horror as the attack headed straight towards him. But then, all of a sudden, he felt shove him. Something had pushed Flamon out of the way of the attack. Opening his eyes, he watched in horror as his friend Meramon moved him out of harms way, only to end up within the path of the attack. Unable to block or evade, the burning humanoid Digimon took the full force of the explosion, causing him to be blown away a few yards and straight into a building, smashing into the wall with a sickening impact.

"MERAMON! ! !", Flamon screamed in horror.

No one could have predicted this turn of events. Meramon had just gave his life to save his comrade from certain destruction. Everyone was so shocked by the sight that they were unable to speak or make a coherent thought on the situation. Nepgear fell on her knees, unable to process what had just happened right in front of her.

"No... no...", she whispered sadly.

Uni clenched her fists in anger. They had just lost an ally to the hands of a lunatic Megadramon. Such intense brutality would never have been permitted to continue in Gameindustri. But here in the Digital World, it was a fight for survival, with no restrictions or rules. What became a battle was starting to turn into a slaughter. meanwhile, Megadramon just chuckled, not caring who he hit.

"Well, so much for that little flame. I guess he was too eager to snuff his own fire. Hahahahaha!", he laughed.

Both Guardromon and BlackGargomon were angered by the sound of his mocking laughter. Their ally had just made a heroic sacrifice in order to protect one of their own, and there he was making fun of it. It enraged the two so much they started to rush towards the cyborg dragon Digimon.

"You bastard!", BlackGargomon yelled.

"This slaughter stops now!", added Guardromon.

They both tried to throw a hard punch at the D-Brigade commander, but Megadramon caught their limbs with his claws and threw them away from his proximity. This did not stop the two Champion level Digimon, however, as they made another attempt at attacking him.

Meanwhile, Nepgear was still on her knees, filled with distraught. She had no idea what to do now. With the loss of Meramon, their odds of defeating Megadramon had slipped even further. Uni placed her hands on the lilac haired girl's shoulders and started shaking her, trying to snap her friend out of her stupor.

"Nepgear, get a hold of yourself! There was nothing any of us could've done", the Lastation Candidate said.

"Digimon are dying all around us... And it's all because of us... because of me...", Nepgear said in a depressed manner.

"Look at me, Nepgear! Look at me!", Uni demanded.

The Planeptune Candidate willed herself to look her friend in the eyes, her own filled with tears.

"It doesn't matter if we were involved in the beginning or not. We can still stop any more lives from being lost. We just have to stay strong. We can't give up now", said the raven haired girl, trying to motivate her friend.

Nepgear sniffed, her courage slowly starting to return. She knew that her friend was right. They could still do something to save everyone. But she wasn't sure how.

At the ruined building, Flamon rushed over to where his friend Meramon had landed after being blown away from the explosion. He expected to find nothing but digital particles of what was left of his friend. Surprisingly, as he moved the rubble out of the way in his desperation, he managed to find his comrade. When he saw the state Meramon's condition, he could tell that it was fatal. His body was becoming unstable as it started blurring in and out of reality.

"Meramon! Speak to me!", Flamon cried.

The burning humanoid Digimon coughed as the fire around his body started to dim. His blue eyes looked upon Flamon as he smiled weakly.

"Well... guess I... I really screwed up... I should've just... run away...", he said before coughing again.

"Why did you save me? You didn't have to go and do that!", said Flamon

"I... don't know... why I... did that myself... either...", Meramon replied hoarsely. "I guess... I found a nerve to stay... To make sure... my friend was okay..."

"I am okay now, thanks to you", said the humanoid Digimon, his eyes filled with tears.

Suddenly, Meramon's lower body started to fragment and turn into digital particles, starting with his feet. The burning Digimon's life was coming to and end as his body was starting to disappear.

"No! Meramon!", Flamon cried.

"Hey... Don't worry... I knew what... I was... getting myself into...", Meramon said contently. "Now it's up... to you guys... to finish it..."

He then placed a hand on the humanoid Digimon's face. His friend could feel what little warmth was left in his body. Then, Meramon's hand started to glow, and the light soon surrounded Flamon. The Rookie level Digimon was confused as to what was happening, but at the same time, he could feel an overwhelming surge of power starting to flow within him. Meramon then spoke his final words to his friend.

"Take my flame... Make it your own... and let it light everyone's way...", he said.

With those final parting words, Meramon's whole body dissolved at a faster rate. Seconds later, the burning humanoid Digimon had completely disappeared, leaving nothing left but digital particles in the air.

Flamon could hardly believe what had happened. His friend had been deleted from existence right in front of his eyes. As his body continued to glow, something within him had snapped. He could feel something akin to a roaring flame flowing throughout his whole body, as if a furnace had been turned up to full blast. The surge of power he felt also continued to rise until finally, something had burst from within him.

"RRRRRAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH! ! !" he screamed as a giant pillar of fire engulfed his entire body.

---

Guardromon and BlackGargomon were still engaged in battle with Megadramon. They had both ran out of ammo for their attacks, so they had to resort to using their own bodies to try and take the cyborg dragon Digimon down. Unfortunately they could hardly do any damage to the D-Brigade commander, as he simply paid them back for their resistance by inflicting more pain upon them both either bashing them away with his cybernetic claws or whipping them with his giant tail.

Nepgear and Uni could only watch as their Digimon partners were getting beaten back. They had no idea what they should do to help. Even Flamedramon could do nothing for them due to his injuries. He hated feeling powerless to do anything. All his life he had been fighting the D-Brigade to free the land of Magma Plains, and now he had to leave the task of freeing the town to these humans and their Digimon. But it seemed their strength was still not enough.

When both Guardromon and BlackGargomon charged the cyborg dragon Digimon once more, Megadramon simply grabbed them with his cybernetic limbs and slammed them into the ground, the force of the impact blowing them back to their human partners.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Nepgear.

"BlackGargomon!", added Uni.

They both rushed to the two Digimon's aid. Suddenly, BlackGargomon's body started to glow in a bright light. His body then started to shrink down to size. He had used up all of his energy fighting. As a result, he reverted back to his prior form, BlackTerriermon. Uni picked up her partner and comforted him.

"Are you alright?! Talk to me!", she cried.

"I'm pooped... Can't fight no more...", the black rabbit Digimon replied.

Guardromon picked himself back up, steam hissing out of his bronze metal body. Nepgear ran over to him to check and see if there was any major damage.

"Guardromon, are you okay?", she asked her partner.

"Self-repairs to my internal systems are already underway. My power levels, however, are rapidly decreasing. I doubt I will be able to last much longer", said the bronze robot Digimon.

"Damnit, this is bad! Is there nothing we can do?", Flamedramon spat out.

"Hahahahaha! You're finished, fools!", Megadramon laughed.

Everyone watched in horror as he prepared to finish them all off in one more attack. But just as he was gearing himself up to do so, however, something else had caught his attention. No one understood what he was looking at until they turned around to see what was happening. A giant pillar of fire could be seen where Meramon had landed. Suddenly, they realized that that's where Flamon had rushed over to as well. They feared s to what might have happened to him. However their fears would soon be put to rest.

Ten seconds after the pillar of fire erupted, the flames dispersed, and a new figure emerged from the smoke. It looked like a humanoid adult being with long, blonde spikey hair, and his body was clad in red-orange armor with yellow, black and white inserts. He also wore a red-orange face mask with three red and white horns on it. His armored shoulders had two large black spikes, one on each side, and his wrists had what appeared to be two silver gauntlets with three holes on each one. He also wore a symbol on a belt buckle he wore around his waist, which looked just like the one that Flamon had.

He slowly walked towards where the action was. Everyone didn't know who this individual was or whose side he was on. It wasn't until they looked at his belt buckle that it dawned on them. The last person who was where this new being emerged from was Flamon. Could this humanoid warrior Digimon actually be Flamon? Pulling out her Digivice, Uni scanned the new Digimon, and soon enough, a new information window popped up.

"Agunimon, the Digivolved form of Flamon! One of many Digimon known as the Legendary Warriors. He commands the elemental power of fire", she read aloud.

The group were amazed. Somehow Flamon had managed to Digivolve into this new form all on his own. Though they also noticed that there was someone missing by his side.

"Where's Meramon?", Nepgear asked.

Agunimon didn't say a thing at first, just silently walking past the group, all while staring down Megadramon, who stared in silent fury. Everyone had a sinking feeling in their chests, as they had to assume that the worst had come to. A few more seconds past before the Legendary Warrior Digimon broke the silence.

"Megadramon. You claimed the life of an innocent Digimon. He was my friend. And you ended it in cold blood, with no reason or remorse. He gave me this power to help defeat you", he said boldly.

This statement confirmed everyone's fears.

"Yet another pest that wants to get in my way. Your 'friend' was merely the first to fall. But don't worry, for you're free to join him in oblivion, after I dispose of the humans and their pets", said Megadramon.

He was about to move past the Legendary Warrior Digimon, thinking that he was not worth the cyborg dragon Digimon's time, when Agunimon pounded his fists, igniting some small flames from his silver gauntlets. This was the last straw for him, and he wasn't going to stand by anymore.

"Sorry, but you won't be taking anymore lives today. Not if I can help it!", he exclaimed.

Suddenly, before Megadramon could react, Agunimon lept up into the air, his arms and fists now surrounded by intense flames.

"Crimson Knuckle!", he shouted as delivered a power two-step punch into the cyborg dragon Digimon's face and lower jaw.

Everyone who was watching was in shock and awe. The CPU Candidates and their partner Digimon had trouble even trying to even lay a scratch on the cyborg dragon Digimon, but somehow Agunimon had managed to land a hit. They wondered if this was because of the friendship he had with Meramon. If this was what the power of a Digimon's bond could give, then they also wondered how far a bond between a human and Digimon could go.

The force of the blows that Agunimon had delivered had pushed Megadramon back, who was caught off guard by the attack. Growling angrily at this, he raised his cybernetic claws and aimed them at the Legendary Warrior Digimon.

"If you wish to be destroyed so badly, then so be it! Genocide Attack!", he exclaimed.

He then launched a series of organic rockets towards Agunimon. The Legendary Warrior Digimon was ready, however, as the silver gauntlets on his wrists started emitting more flames again.

"Pyro Darts!", he shouted as he launched a series of small flames shaped like arrowheads.

The flaming projectiles flew towards the direction of the organic rockets before they made contact with one another, creating a large and violent explosion. Then, rushing through the ensuing smoke cloud, Agunimon rushed towards the cyborg dragon Digimon once more, ready to launch another attack.

"Take this!", he cried as he proceeded to throw a series of kicks and punches covered in flames, pushing Megadramon back once again.

The group watched in amazement as the back-and-forth struggle between Megadramon and Agunimon rage on. Whenever the Legendary Warrior Digimon was getting the upper hand, the cyborg dragon Digimon would manage to swat him away and proceed to deliver his own attacks. This would continue with no end in sight. Although Agunimon now had more power, it wasn't quite enough to stop the monstrous Megadramon. They needed to put an end to this fight soon. Suddenly, Guardromon started walking towards the scene of the action, alarming his partner.

"Guardromon, no! You're still too damaged!", said Nepgear frantically.

"We have to do something to help him. Agunimon will not last much longer", stated Guardromon.

"Don't be stupid! Let's just wait for backup to arrive. Volcdramon will arrive soon with the other rebels", said Uni.

"We won't last that long. By the time they get here, it'll be too late", said Flamedramon.

"That is why it is up to us to stop Megadramon, before any more lives are lost. And I will gladly help our comrade in any way I can", Guardromon said confidently.

It was right then and there that Nepgear perked up, inspired by her partner's words. Guardromon was right. It was up to them to stop Megadramon and free the town of Magma Plains from the hands of the D-Brigade before more tragedy falls upon the people of this land. Meramon had given his life to save his friend, and by giving Flamon his power, he saved their lives again. she did not want that sacrifice to go to waste.

"You're right", she said, her confidence and determination rising. "We have to do this. We will do this! We CAN do this!"

Suddenly, a bright lilac glow had surrounded the Digivice in her hand, a feeling of warmth surging through her soon afterwards. The Planeptune Candidate wondered if this was anew power that was about to awaken. She didn't have to ponder for long, however, as a faint lilac glow was also surrounding Guardromon, his injuries soon healing as a result. They both instinctively knew what was going on. They now had one common goal: To save everyone.

Raising her glowing Digivice in the air, the lilac haired girl felt the surge of energy coursing through it and herself. It was almost as if she was feeling what her partner was feeling. It was a few more seconds before she once more shouted the code phrase that evolved Guardromon before.

"Digivolve!", she exclaimed.

A bright lilac light shot out from her Digivice towards the bronze robot Digimon, surrounding him in the same light. He could feel the surge of power throughout his body. Agunimon and Megadramon even stopped what they were doing to watch what was happening. The next Digivolution had begun.

"Guardromon, Perfect Digivolve to...!", he exclaimed.

Soon his body started to change dramatically. His structure became thinner, more akin to that of an adult humanoid, but quite taller. He gained a silver coloring across his metallic body, and power cables protruded from his head and back. He had a skull-shaped armored plating on his head and shoulders, and two differently colored hands - his left hand silver, and his right hand black. Although he was mostly metal, there seemed to be some exposed organic parts on his body, which were grey in color. The exposed parts were his mouth, his left elbow, and almost the entirety of his right leg with three long claw-like toes, which didn't his cybernetic left leg. Soon, the glow around his body disappeared, and the Digivolution process was complete.

"Andromon!", the cyborg humanoid Digimon shouted.

Uni, BlackTerriermon and Flamedramon were amazed by what had just transpired. Nepgear had managed to unlock her Digimon partner's next evolution. Even the CPU Candidate of Planeptune was very impressed, so much so that stars were showing in her eyes.

"Wow! An actual cybernetic humanoid lifeform! I always wanted one of my own!", she said cheerfully.

"He kinda looks like one of those robot guys from a movie I've seen. 'Exterminator', I think it was called?", Uni commented.

"Who cares? He looks like he can take that big bully down. Go for it!",BlackTerriermon cheered.

"Okay, Andromon! I'm rooting for you! Take down Megadramon!", she exclaimed.

"Right!", the humanoid cyborg Digimon replied.

With that said, he rushed over to Agunimon's aid. The two stood side by side, glancing to one another before nodding respectively, knowing that their goal was clear. They would stand against the monster before them and win. Megadramon stared down the pair of fighters before growling.

"So, these pests continue to grow stronger than ever. I guess I'll have to completely exterminate them!", he yelled.

He then charged the pair, trying to slam his cybernetic claws down upon them. Both Andromon and Agunimon sidestepped the attack, then they leapt towards their foe and delivered a powerful punch straight to the cyborg dragon Digimon's chest, pushing him into the air. Megadramon almost felt the wind being knocked out of him as he tried to regain his bearings. As he stopped himself in midair, he received a transmission in his armored helmet.

"Megadramon, sir! This is Hi-Commandramon! The rebels are completely overwhelming our forces! This town is lost! We must retreat immediately!", his subordinate advised.

"No! I will not retreat! The D-Brigade must stand strong!", barked Megadramon.

"Sir, our forces are already fleeing! We can't fight back like this! We're getting out of here while we still have a chance!", Hi-Commandramon responded.

The cyborg dragon Digimon could not believe what he was hearing. The D-Brigade was not only getting beaten back, but they were being driven out of their occupied territory. This made Megadramon so angry he roared up to the sky. He wasn't about to let the rebel Digimon and their human allies have their way. He started taking aim with his cybernetic limbs, aiming directly at the vicinity of the town below him.

"If the D-Brigade cannot have this place and its resources, then I will see to it that no one else will have them either!", he exclaimed.

The insides of his cybernetic claws would then started to glow, charging up to maximum power. Nepgear, Uni, and Flamedramon quickly realized what was about to happen. Megadramon was going to level the entire town as a last resort to ensure dominance for the D-Brigade and to eliminate everyone who resists their rule. It was sheer madness.

"He wouldn't dare... his soldiers are still in the town too!", Uni exclaimed.

"Guess he's decided that his troops are expendable. I knew he was insane, but I didn't think he was this crazy", Flamedramon replied.

"Andromon, Agunimon! Stop him quickly!", Nepgear shouted out.

They nodded in response and started making their way to the roof of the capital building, hoping to get a better angle of attack and get close to Megadramon and stop him from wiping the town of Magma Plains off the face of the Digital World. They soon reached the roof, and now they wondered what they can do. Then Andromon had an idea form in his head.

"Agunimon, launch me! I will attempt to bring Megadramon out of the sky!", he said.

"Alright", the Legendary Warrior Digimon replied.

They both leapt up into the air as high as they could, then Agunimon grabbed Andromon by his arms, spinning him around a few times before letting go of his comrade, tossing him towards the cyborg dragon Digimon in the sky.

"Genocide Attack! Maximum firepower!", Megadramon exclaimed.

Multiple highly-charged organic rockets launched from his cybernetic limbs, racing down towards the town below. But Andromon was now in the path of the attack, and was ready to intercept the rockets.

"Spiral Sword!", he shouted.

His hands then started to spin around at high speed, then long blades made of energy started to form where his hands were. The humanoid cyborg Digimon then swiped his blades, creating energy waves that sped towards the rockets, destroying them upon making contact. He kept swiping away at the rockets, wiping them out one by one, but some of them were able to make it past him. What's worse, the ones that remained were heading straight towards Nepgear, Uni, and BlackTerriermon.

"Oh crap!", Uni cried.

They all shut their eyes, preparing for the inevitable impact, when suddenly, Flamedramon jumped in front of them, his armored claws covered in flames.

"Fire Rocket!", he yelled as he launched a series of large fireballs at the incoming projectiles.

As they made contact with the rockets, he shielded everyone from the blast by huddling them together, the bursts of light blinding them temporarily. When the dust settled, no more rockets were left in the sky, much to the relief of everyone involved.

At the same time, Andromon was still soaring up uncontrollably towards Megadramon, who was shocked to see him coming his way. Unable to react in time, the humanoid cyborg Digimon managed to latch on to the D-Brigade commander's tail. His metal hands gripped tightly, not letting go for anything.

"Get away from me, vermin!", Megadramon exclaimed.

He tried to swing his tail around erratically in an attempt to shake off the humanoid cyborg Digimon, but Andromon had anticipated this possibility. Using the swinging tail's momentum, he timed the release of his grip to where he was flung upward to the cyborg dragon Digimon's back, where he then activated his blade attack once more.

"Spiral Sword!", he exclaimed.

He then proceeded to slice off Megadramon's purple wings right off of his back, making a clean cut through them both. This caused the cyborg dragon Digimon to roar in extreme pain, but even more so, he was now frightened. Without his wings, he was unable to maintain his air superiority.

"Arrrggghhhh! Nooooo!", he yelled.

Megadramon then started to lose altitude quickly, dropping down towards the ground. While Andromon rode on his adversary's back, Agunimon prepared his own attack to finish off the falling Megadramon.

"Pyro Tornado!", he shouted as a whirlwind of fire swirled around him, creating a large flaming twister.

The vortex of fire reached up towards the cyborg dragon Digimon, burning the D-Brigade commander with intense heat. While this happened, Andromon leapt to safety as he also prepared to deliver the final blow. His chest opened up, revealing what looked like a pair of missile ports. His cybernetic eyes locked on to his target and his attack commenced.

"Gatling Missile!", the humanoid cyborg Digimon exclaimed.

Multiple cyber-organic missiles launched from his chest towards Megadramon, causing a series of explosions that damaged the D-Brigade commander even further as he was sent hurdling towards the ground. The cyborg dragon Digimon soon slammed into the earth, creating a large dust cloud. The CPU Candidates and their Digimon allies cheered for Andromon and Agunimon's victory as the two Digimon regrouped with them.

But as the dust settled, they could see, much to their shock, that Megadramon was still alive. Upon getting a closer look, however, they could see that he was no longer in any condition to fight anymore. He slowly rose again, picking himself up with his cybernetic limbs. He growled furiously, unbelieving of the idea that these humans and their Digimon allies had beaten him. Although his wings were clipped, he still had other limbs to fight back with. However he could feel his strength quickly depleting. He breathed heavily as he laid eyes on everyone in front of him.

"This... isn't... over...", he snarled.

"This fight is finished, Megadramon. Take your D-Brigade soldiers and leave this place immediately", Nepgear demanded.

"There's no point in fighting anymore. You'll be destroyed if this goes on any longer", added Uni.

Flamedramon and Agunimon looked at the two girls as if they had suddenly grown two heads. They could not believe that they were offering their foe a chance to retreat.

"Are you guys crazy? He's too dangerous to be left standing", Flamedramon scolded sternly.

"I agree! We can't let him get away! Not after everything he and his goons have done!", added Agunimon, his voice filled with anger.

"We're not like the D-Brigade. And we've shown that we can beat them", stated Nepgear.

"Are you sure about this? Cause I don't think he's willing to just up and quit", BlackTerriermon remarked.

"If we strike him down now, we'll be no different than him or the D-Brigade", said Uni.

"He may be dangerous, but even wicked Digimon should be given a chance to change", added Andromon.

As they chatted away, Megadramon was weighing his options. He had lost his wings, preventing him from flying anywhere any time soon. And he was heavily damaged from the battle. Though he was on his last legs, he refused to admit defeat. That's when he hatched a plan...

"...I surrender", he said all of a sudden.

Everyone looked flabbergasted. They wondered if they had heard the cyborg dragon Digimon correctly. They didn't think that he'd actually admit defeat.

"What?", Flamedramon asked.

"I surrender... I will call off the D-Brigade and have them vacate the town", Megadramon replied.

The group all looked at each other, unsure of what to do now. They wondered if they should wait for Volcdramon and the other rebel Digimon to arrive so that they could handle the situation. At last, they reached a decision.

"If you're serious, then call off your forces immediately", said Nepgear.

"Yes, yes... Though may I ask, can you lend me a hand? I need to access the intercom at the capital building to send the surrender order", stated Megadramon.

"Well, alright then...", said the lilac haired girl.

As she then started approaching the cyborg dragon Digimon, something within Andromon's logic circuits didn't quite add up. It seemed to him as though that something had felt wrong about the situation. Suddenly, he saw a twinkle in Megadramon's eye, indicating that he was not being very truthful to his word. He never intended to surrender at all.

"Nepgear, wait!", he shouted after her.

But when his partner turned to see what was the matter, the cyborg dragon Digimon grinned sinisterly.

"Fools!", he exclaimed.

He then wrapped his tail around Nepgear, gripping her tightly. She screamed in fear as he coiled his tail around her, restricting her limbs and movement. Everyone was shocked by what just happened. Megadramon had just faked his surrender, and now he had the Planeptune CPU in his grasp. As they wondered what they should do, the D-Brigade commander sent them an ominous message to them.

"Now I offer you the chance to surrender, quickly and unconditionally. And if you do not, I will crush this weakling into pieces!", he demanded.

And to make his threat quite clear to everyone involved, he slowly started tightening his grip on Nepgear, crushing her body with each second that passed. The others were horrified by what they were witnessing. He was willing to stoop to any low to achieve victory. Even Uni couldn't describe how unbelievable it was for that a Digimon could do such a thing.

"Better hurry up and decide! Either way, I win today, and there's nothing left you can do! Hahahahaha!", Megadramon laughed.

As his tail tightened even more, Nepgear screamed in pain. She was coming close to losing consciousness both out of pain and being unable to breath freely due to the crushing pressure closing in on her. Her friends didn't know what to do. They wanted to help her, but they feared that any action or inaction they took would place her life in jeopardy. Megadramon had them right where he wanted them, helpless and unable to fight back. The group considered surrendering to him so as to save the life of the CPU Candidate. But just as they were about to voice their surrender...

"Magic Ignition!", exclaimed a familiar voice.

A series of blue fireballs suddenly struck the cyborg dragon Digimon's tail, causing him to roar in pain and loosen his grip on Nepgear. As a result, she was freed from his grasp. Finding room to breath once again, she started running back towards the safety of the group. Everyone turned to see who launched the attack. They saw that it was FlameWizardmon, with many of the rebel Digimon coming up behind him. They were quite relieved to see him.

Growling angrily, Megadramon was now seething with rage. With his plan now failed, his back was now against the wall. And it was all because of a certain fire mage Digimon that got in his way.

"Grrraaaaaahhhhhh! ! !", he roared as he leapt towards FlameWizardmon in a last ditch attempt to destroy him and the other rebel Digimon.

In his blind rage, however, he failed to see that Andromon had got behind him while his attention was focused on his attacker. He quickly grabbed him by the tail, then yanked him back towards the humanoid cyborg Digimon. Unable to resist, the cyborg dragon Digimon hurdled back to his opponent, who was ready to finish him off.

"Spiral Sword!", Andromon shouted as his hands soon became blades of energy.

He then charged towards the out-of-control Megadramon and pierced through the cyborg dragon Digimon's chest, creating a massive hole that started expanding, erasing parts of the D-Brigade commander's body.

"Aaarrrggghhh! ! !" he roared as he felt himself start to disappear from existence.

As Megadramon's body was being deleted, he took one last look at the Digimon who defeated him, then to the humans who had a hand in his demise. He tried to raise his claw arms towards them, but found that they too were now disappearing as a result of taking such fatal damage. He felt an overwhelming sense of fury and disgrace, unable to comprehend that they had defeated him.

"Someday you will all paaayyy! ! !", the cyborg dragon Digimon yelled to them.

With his last sentence made, the rest of his body soon disappeared, becoming nothing but digital particles in the air. Everyone who was witness to what had transpired were in shock and awe. To say that they were all speechless was an understatement. But they all had one thing on their mind: Megadramon was no more. The D-Brigade no longer had any hold over Magma Plains. The day had been won.

The rebel Digimon suddenly cheered to the CPU Candidates and their Digimon partners. To the people of this town, they were now considered heroes. The two Candidates blushed, unsure of how to respond to the situation. All they could do was smile and wave in response, and both Andromon and BlackTerriermon gave their own thanks to the rebel Digimon in return. Even Agunimon and Flamedramon smiled at the pair and their Digimon, knowing that their mission to save this town and its people was complete.

Volcdramon, who watched the spectacle from afar, couldn't help but feel proud of the two CPUs who helped make a difference.

"They shall be the ones who will save the Digital World. I'm certain of this now", he thought.

---

A whole day had passed after the battle for Magma Plains was over. With the town now back in the hands of its people, any remaining D-Brigade forces that had occupied the area were either captured or retreated from the land. Even Hi-Commandramon, who ordered the retreat after the destruction of his commander, had managed to flee from the area before he could be captured.

Now everyone who had been forced to hide from their home had returned to reclaim what they had lost to the D-Brigade prior to the occupation. Plans for the reconstruction of the town were now underway, starting with the most damaged parts of the town. It would take a long time to fix all of the damage caused by the D-Brigade, but for now, the people of Magma Plains were just happy to have their town back.

The CPU Candidates and their Digimon partners would help the locals look for any survivors that had been knocked out of action or were held prisoner by the D-Brigade. Afterwards, the townsfolk began to congratulate them and their partner Digimon for their role in freeing their land from tyranny. They also gave their thanks to their new protector, Agunimon, for helping in defeating Megadramon. After the celebrations had concluded, the CPU Candidates and their Digimon were offered a place in the capital to rest and relax for a while. Given that they had nowhere else to go at the moment, they gladly accepted their generous offer.

During that time Nepgear told Uni and BlackTerriermon of what she and Hagurumon had found, both about the D-Brigade's operation to find and extract any Black Digitron that may be located in Magma Plains and a prisoner transfer order, which caught the interest of the black rabbit Digimon. Both he and the raven haired girl wondered if they would be able to find anything related to BlackTerriermon's people with this information. They decided that they would follow this information and see where it would lead them.

After spending some time recovering, it was time for the two CPU Candidates and their Digimon to head on their way in order to find their friends. The townsfolk of Magma Plains were more than happy to supply them with any food and items that may help them on their journey. The CPUs declined at first, not wanting to deprive the Digimon of their goods, but when they insisted, the two girls accepted their kindness. As they prepared to leave, some of the leading rebel Digimon there to see them off on their journey.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here? We could use an extra hand in case the D-Brigade decides to come back for revenge", Flamedramon asked.

"I'm afraid so. We have to find our friends in this world. We can't remain separated forever", Nepgear replied.

"And who knows what kind of danger they are in. They may need our help now more than ever", added Hagurumon.

"Don't worry. I doubt the D-Brigade will want to come back to this place now", Uni remarked.

"Yeah, so momentai~ You got a chance to live your lives again", said BlackTerriermon.

"Very well. But know that you are always welcome to return, as honorary members of Magma Plains", said FlameWizardmon.

Agunimon approached the pair and then shook their hands, smiling warmly as he thanked them once more for helping his town in its time of need.

"I hope we meet again soon. I'd love to see that fiery fighting spirit again in the future", he said.

"So do we, Agunimon. I think your friend would be proud of you right now", the Planeptune CPU replied, referring to the late Meramon.

"Yes... He would", the Legendary Warrior Digimon said.

Though he knew that she meant no disrespect from mentioning his friend, Agunimon couldn't help but feel sad that Meramon would not be there to see the town free again. But he knew deep down that he would most certainly be proud of what he and the others had accomplished. After he said his peace, Volcdramon lowered his head to say his goodbyes to the group.

"I can only hope that you can find your allies in the Digital World, wherever they are", he said.

"I'm sure we will. If anything, they'll also be looking for us", Uni replied.

"If that's the case, I think I may know where you might be able to find them", the volcanic Digimon stated.

"Oh? Will you tell us, please?", Nepgear inquired.

"It is five days away from here, but there is a place called Hub City", Volcdramon explained. "It is a place where all kinds of Digimon reside. If there's any place where they'll go, it may be there."

"Hub City? That sounds like a good place to start with. Thank you!", the lilac haired girl said in appreciation.

"Here is a map you can use to get you where you need to go", FlameWizardmon said, handing the CPUs a large paper scroll.

Looking at the contents of the scroll, they could see that it showed a layout of the nearby places in the Digital World. Thanking the fire mage Digimon, they thanked the rebel leaders for everything, while they thanked the CPUs in return.

"We wish you safe travels and hope you find your comrades soon. The Digital World will need all of your help to survive. Farewell", said Volcdramon.

"Goodbye everyone! Please take good care of yourselves!", Nepgear called out.

"If you ever need us again, don't be afraid to call us, okay? See ya!", added Uni.

"Until we meet again, friends!", said Hagurumon.

"Momentai!~ Goodbye!", BlackTerriermon commented.

They all waved goodbye to the Digimon of Magma Plains, who were a bit sad to see them go after all they've done. However they knew that their saviors also had a mission of their own to carry out, and the fate of their world would hinge on the CPUs success.

As the CPU Candidates and their Digimon partners went on their way, Uni decided to take another look at the map that they had received before they left. She then compared the information that Nepgear had downloaded from the D-Brigade computers. Her friend wondered what the Lastation Candidate was thinking.

"What is it, Uni?", the lilac haired girl asked.

"You know that location for the prisoner transfer that you found?", Uni inquired.

"Oh, yes. What about it?", Nepgear replied.

"It's a couple of days away from here, much closer than where this Hub City is at", the raven haired girl stated.

"You think my people could be at that location?", asked BlackTerriermon, hope showing in his voice.

"Well we won't know unless we check it out. What do you say, Nepgear?", asked Uni.

Nepgear pondered for a moment. Although she couldn't ignore the idea of finding any trace of the black rabbit Digimon's people somewhere in the Digital World, she also wanted to find her sister and the other CPUs as soon as possible. She looked to her partner Digimon, who simply shrugged his gears.

"It is your decision, Nepgear. however I do not think it would be wise to split up after finding each other again", Hagurumon suggested.

The Planeptune Candidate blinked a couple of times before smiling, her decision now made.

"Okay. Let's go check it out", she said.

"Yay! You're the best!", cheered BlackTerriermon.

"Easy there, buddy. We don't know what we'll find there", Uni calmed her partner.

"That's true. But if there is any clue to BlackTerriermon's people there, we might as well see what we can find", stated Nepgear.

"Okay. In that case, let's go! We have a long road ahead of us!", the Lastation CPU said.

"Right!", everyone else replied.

And so they went on there way in search of the place where the prisoner transfer had taken place. This detour meant that it would take them a little longer to reach the location of Hub City, but if there were any clues about the whereabouts of BlackTerriermon's people, they couldn't miss out on this opportunity. And even if they don't find anything relating to the black rabbit Digimon, they would do whatever they can to deal a blow to the D-Brigade.

One thing was for sure, the Candidates were no longer alone, and they could only hope that it was the same for the other CPUs and their Digimon as well.

---

And that brings an end to this overly drawn-out arc for Nepgear. I've really been meaning to get this done and over with for a while, but a lack of ideas had slowed my progress down. I'm kinda better at thinking up the end scenarios than the beginning or middle, especially if it's a critical point in a chapter or story.

With how long that this chapter was getting, I feared that I'd have to make a third part, but in the end, I decided to just roll with it, as I didn't want to move any progress I made into another document.

At any rate, that's makes three CPUs with their own Ultimate levels. The idea of Agunimon making a cameo appearance came to me after thinking about whether or not Flamon should really have a minor role in this arc. Frontier is pretty much my favorite season in the Digimon series. Expect more cameos like this to appear in future chapters.

Now I just need to figure out who is next on the list, and I'm sure that will take a while to complete, too. Hopefully not, but with my ever changing schedules, you never know what might happen.

As always, leave a review and tell me what you think. And follow this story for more chapters like this one. Catch ya later!