Griff4815
No. 1 Grovyle Fan
Author's Notes: Here's the second part of Chapter 29. Of course sppf is screwing with me again and telling me that this is still over the character limit, so I have to split it again. Les sigh.
Examon flew to the side as a mass of stone hurled towards him. The giant stone missed and hurled into a crowd of fighters. “Dorbickmon…” he spoke levelly. He leered across the fire-singed grass and unearthed mounds and craters of dirt.
Dorbickmon glared at Examon and tore the Tyrant Collbrande from the ground, hoisting it into the air and swinging it out to the side. The dragon man started bolting across the ground towards Examon. “I’m taking you down, Examon!” he snarled.
The corners of Examon’s mouth curved down and he flapped his wings, flying up and back through the air. He aimed his lance at the charging mercenary. “Dorbickmon, stop this,” he told him, doing his best to remain calm and level headed. “I don’t want to fight you.”
“You don’t get to pick and choose!” Dorbickmon shouted, stabbing his blade into a nearby rock pillar as he ran.
Tapping into the mass of dragon veins again, he summoned a huge rock from behind Examon that smashed through the Royal Knights’ ranks before plowing into Examon’s back.
Examon managed to turn around halfway and use his left wing as a shield against the boulder, but the impact was powerful enough to still knock him down from his elevated position. Dorbickmon took this opportunity to lunge at Examon with his sword. He slashed the Tyrant Collbrande down and cut it across Examon’s wing and diagonally down his armoured chest.
A strained snarl ejected from Examon’s throat as the armour ripped and superheated. The blade cut across his scales and he had to choke back the bile rising in his throat from the agony of the attack. Acting on instinct, Examon lashed out with his left arm, striking the side of his hand and claws across Dorbickmon’s face, forcing them away from each other. They both landed on the ground and stumbled back, but Examon soon followed up by whipping his long tail out. The tail wrapped around Dorbickmon’s arms a few times, squeezing him and holding him in place.
Dorbickmon snarled out flames and resisted against Examon’s long appendage. “I’ll rip this tail apart, Examon!” he warned him.
Examon ignored Dorbickmon’s threat and aimed the Ambrosius at him at close range. As soon as he pulled the trigger, he released his tail from around Dorbickmon’s body. The tail quickly uncoiled and a cylindrical shell launched from the lance and flew towards Dorbickmon.
Expecting this, Dorbickmon released a Dragon Breath Tonic Fire attack that he had been forming in his mouth, forgoing calling the attack due to lack of time. The flames washed over the incoming shell and caused it to pop from the inside. When it exploded, the munition released several metal ball bearings. While not lethal against the heavily armoured Dorbickmon in this situation, they were able to pierce through the flames and slam into his chest armour, forming cracks all over it and weakening the metal severely.
Dorbickmon sneered as some of the cracked metal cut against his scales and caused bruises to form. He ignored the relatively minor pain and began to ready his sword. “Tyrant Collbrande!”
“Avalon’s Gate!” Examon countered, squeezing the trigger of his lance. Moving faster, a second shell burst from the Ambrosius and spiralled towards Dorbickmon.
Dorbickmon swung his blade down, but this time he was too slow for the projectile. The shell slammed into his armour and burst open while he was in mid-swing. As the metal cracked open, data emerged from the shell and went into the cracks of Dorbickmon’s armour, getting through to his scales. His chest began to tingle and go numb, similar to the feeling of one’s limb falling asleep. The dragon man’s eyes widened with confusion and anger as the numb, paralyzing feeling began to go through his chest muscles and towards his limbs.
“What the hell is this?!” Dorbickmon demanded, staggering towards Examon and trying to resist the lack of feeling in his muscles. He charged at Examon despite his increasingly sluggish movements. The closer he got to Examon, the more that he slowed, struggling to move his limbs. “Damn… you…!”
“It’s a paralyzing virus,” Examon explained, lowering his weapon slightly and walking towards Dorbickmon. “It’s temporary.”
Dorbickmon was forced to a stop and he planted his sword into the ground to keep himself standing. “Damn it… Versatile ammo, huh…?” he asked, glaring at Examon as sweat dripped down his face.
“Now will you listen to me?” Examon questioned. He stopped in front of Dorbickmon and looked in his eyes calmly.
“You fricking cold fish…” Dorbickmon heaved, gripping his blade tighter and trying to keep balanced on his obviously numb legs. “Like I have a choice…”
“You do have a choice, Dorbickmon,” Examon informed him, stopping in front of the mercenary but still holding the lance in both of his claws.
“And what choice is that?” he grunted, glaring up at him.
“You can stop all of this,” the crimson Dragon Emperor said to him. “We can move past this.”
“Who the hell do you think I am?” Dorbickmon growled. “We’re in the middle of a massive battle, you naïve idiot! Besides, you’re making it sound like I’m in the wrong!”
Examon frowned. “You’re attacking the World Tree and many good Digimon just to get at me. But... I know that I’m in the wrong too.” He sighed and lowered the Ambrosius further. “I’m sorry, Dorbickmon… I’m so sorry that I hurt you… I was a coward. It was my gekerin; all Coredramons have one and you must have brushed it. It just… made me lose control. Like I said, when I regained my senses, I was so scared… so selfish,” he sincerely explained with a grimace on his face.
Dorbickmon couldn’t help but be surprised by the amount of emotion in Examon’s usually stoic gaze. He eyed him with a raised brow and a weakening scowl.
Examon gripped the handle and shaft of the Ambrosius tightly. “I betrayed your trust… and you were nearly reformatted because of me.” He looked down at Dorbickmon with a restrained but intense gaze. “If I could go back, I would stay with you…”
Dorbickmon narrowed his eyes. However, his eyes soon closed and he began to bow his head. “Examon…” he said, his voice softer than usual. “I know…”
With shock, Examon gazed at Dorbickmon. “You do…?” he asked him with both surprise and hope in his tone. “You believe me?”
“Yeah…” Dorbickmon said with a small smile. He let his one of his hands slide off the Tyrant Collbrande, and he slowly lifted it up towards Examon amicably. “You’re a stubborn bastard. I’ll give you that.”
Examon began to smile and he let go of the Ambrosius’ shaft to reach towards Dorbickmon’s hand to take it.
Dorbickmon smiled darkly.
“SUCKER!” he shouted, suddenly grabbing Examon by the wrist. Using the sword still stuck in the ground, he harnessed the power of the dragon’s veins and ripped a huge shard of rock from the ground behind the Royal Knight. The rock ripped from the depths of the earth and crashed into the back of Examon’s legs and tail, cutting against them and knocking him to his knees. Dorbickmon pulled the Tyrant Collbrande from the ground and slashed it towards Examon’s body.
Examon – hurt and frustrated – moved his wing and used the Caledfwlch as a shield against the sword. The conflagrant blade impacted the chrome digizoid armour and rebounded off. He plunged the Ambrosius towards Dorbickmon’s shoulder, but the mercenary grabbed hold of the shaft and held it out to the side. “Dorbickmon…!”
“Doesn’t feel great being attacked and betrayed while your guard is down, does it?!” Dorbickmon asked him with a wild grin. He swiped his sword outwards and expelled it in a flurry of flames. He then grabbed hold of Examon’s protective wing and pulled it outwards with superior strength, trying to get past the barrier to Examon.
Examon grunted as Dorbickmon got past the wing and jumped to his feet, charging and bringing his fist towards Examon’s face. He caught Dorbickmon’s fist with his claws while the other hand dropped the Ambrosius to the ground. “Dorbickmon!” he shouted with an uncharacteristic passion in his words. “The only one you’re fooling is yourself!”
“What?!” Dorbickmon yelled angrily. He lashed out with his other hand and drilled his jagged, metal gauntlet across Examon’s face.
Examon winced and grabbed Dorbickmon’s arm after it connected with his face. Despite the pain in his face, he pulled against the arm and leered at Dorbickmon while slowly standing to his feet. “You aren’t attacking me with nearly as much intensity as you used to…” he told him as fresh blood trickled from his lip. “You’re holding back…”
“Like hell I am!” Dorbickmon retorted, rushing forwards and headbutting Examon right in the snout.
A flash of crimson and pain clouded Examon’s vision. However, he managed to hook Dorbickmon’s nose horn with his own and lock him in place. Dorbickmon swore and tried to pull away from Examon’s hold, finding it difficult with Examon’s horn and claws to contend with. However, he did so aggressively, causing Examon great pain as he struggled to grapple with the mercenary.
“You… rgh… are!” Examon told him sharply, glaring into Dorbickmon’s yellow-violet eyes. “Just like the other day!”
Dorbickmon snarled and wrenched his left arm away and drilled it into the mangled armour of Examon’s gut.
Examon hunched over slightly but remained resistant in spite of the pain. He grabbed hold of Dorbickmon’s arm again, digging his claws into the dragon’s scales to hold him more aggressively.
“That was… a mistake!” Dorbickmon protested savagely. “I should have run you through!”
“But you didn’t!” Examon insisted passionately, pulling with his nose horn to make sure that Dorbickmon wasn’t able to tear away. “You chose not to!”
“I knew you didn’t have the balls to go through with it!” Dorbickmon shouted intensely, droplets of his saliva sputtering onto Examon’s face with every word roared. “That’s why I stopped!”
“You know that’s a lie!” Examon insisted, struggling to keep a hold on Dorbickmon’s other arm. He took hold of one of the spikes jutting out from the metal vambrace on his forearm.
“I don’t know that!” Dorbickmon countered agitatedly. He began to build up fiery energy in the cannon ports of his breastplate. The cylinders began to glow a bright orange as they prepared to fire two blasts at Examon at point blank range. However, Dorbickmon cringed and the heat and power began to fade away. “I… don’t know!”
“Yes, you do, Dorbickmon!” the crimson Royal Knight told him. “You just won’t let yourself admit it…!”
“What. The hell. Do you. Know?!” Dorbickmon protested, using his strength to get the better of Examon and push him up against a half-destroyed stone pillar that he had created. He glared into Examon’s calm eyes; his own were filled with emotion and contrasting shades of anger.
The tips of Examon’s horns scraped against the rock behind him. He raised a foot and pressed it against Dorbickmon’s stomach to keep him from getting too close. “I know that you still have a good heart.”
“You don’t know anything about me! I’ve killed a lot of Digimon!” Dorbickmon shot back, a few embers flickering between his jagged teeth.
“So have I…” Examon answered. “But that doesn’t mean it still isn’t true.”
Dorbickmon winced and snarled. Examon could feel his struggling becoming weaker. “You expect me to listen to the idealistic crap a Royal Knight spits out?!” he asked, the passion in his voice more restrained now.
“No… but I’d like you to listen to your old friend… One who wants to make amends for hurting his best friend so badly,” Examon said, looking into Dorbickmon sincerely.
Dorbickmon’s eyes widened. He shut his eyes and unhooked his horn from Examon’s. After harshly pulling his arms away, Dorbickmon took a few steps back and grabbed his own face, swearing.
“****! Damn it!” he shouted with frustration. “What the hell is wrong with you, you bastard!? Why won’t you leave me alone?! Why can’t I get you out of my damn head since fighting you at Wyrm’s Edge?!”
Examon slackened and stepped away from the pillar behind him, panting with exhaustion. He kept his eyes on Dorbickmon.
“Why aren’t I into this damn campaign anymore?!” Dorbickmon demanded, glaring at Examon. “I’m supposed to want to kill you! I wanted revenge! That’s the whole reason I started this thing!”
“Maybe you want something more now…” Examon suggested, his gaze level with the mercenary. “Maybe you want to move on.”
Dorbickmon grimaced and lowered his hand from his face, his eyes shimmering as they glared at his counterpart. “I was supposed to move on once I killed you…” he told him.
“But you can’t do that, can you…?” Examon asked him calmly.
After a few moments of Dorbickmon looking like he wanted to fire back, he found that he wasn’t able to. Instead, he looked away. “Tch…” he scoffed, his emotions fizzling out. “Stop talking like that. Don’t act like you know what’s going on in my head.”
“But I’m not wrong,” the Royal Knight spoke. “Am I?”
Dorbickmon merely lowered his gaze, continuing to glare into the battle that unfolded around them. Even as a beam whizzed by his head, he didn’t move or react.
“…No…”
Examon looked up at Dorbickmon’s reply. “So…” he said. “If you don’t want to take revenge on me…”
“Then what’s the point of me fighting here?” Dorbickmon finished with a frustrated grimace.
Examon nodded and walked towards Dorbickmon. “I really am sorry about everything, Dorbickmon…”
Dorbickmon gritted his teeth and turned so that his back was to Examon. “…I know,” he answered.
A small smile formed on Examon’s face.
Dorbickmon scoffed and glanced over his shoulder. Suddenly, shock formed on his face. He swung around to face Examon, looking past him.
Behind Examon was the charging, centaur-like form of a Zanbamon. He was from Kowloon Co., and he brandished a giant zanbato and a smaller katana. He intended on intervening in their fight and taking Examon down while his back was turned.
With a growl, Dorbickmon rushed forwards. Examon stiffened and became guarded, wondering if Dorbickmon had tricked him again or was still intent on being defiant. However, the dragon mercenary merely pushed past Examon’s wing and summoned the Tyrant Collbrande in his hands in a giant flash of flames.
Examon turned around, moving his wing, and saw the Zanbamon charging him. To his shock, Dorbickmon stepped out in front of him and began charging the demon Digimon.
Dorbickmon scowled and dashed towards the Zanbamon, swinging the Tyrant Collbrande back behind him as he wound back for a strong swing.
“What?!” the Zanbamon demanded, seeing that Dorbickmon was making ready to attack him. He began to swipe down with his smaller sword.
Dorbickmon dodged the blade and countered swiftly. He swept the blazing broadsword clean through the Zanbamon’s body, instantly reducing the mercenary to data. As the particles of data parted beside him, Dorbickmon turned around, sword in hand, and faced Examon, his form accented by the embers that drifted off of his sword,
“Dorbickmon…” Examon said with shock at his action, staring at Dorbickmon with wide, appreciative eyes.
“…Don’t say anything,” Dorbickmon muttered, looking away with embarrassment. He began to sheepishly walk back to Examon. “And quit looking at me like that! …Oh, Yeah. And pick up your weapon so you can actually defend yourself while you’re at it. Cripes…”
Examon managed a smile and walked over to pick up the Ambrosius lance. Despite the pain surging through his body, he bent down and lugged up the heavy lance, gripping it in his hands.
Dorbickmon raised one of his bloodied arms and rubbed the back of his head uncertainly. “So… what the hell happens now?” he asked, glancing at Examon before looking around at the battle surrounding them.
“You should get out of here,” Examon told him, gazing around at the battle as well, trying to find the other Royal Knights and get an idea of how the battle was going.
“I don’t like to back down from a fight. I’ve got a reputation to think of,” Dorbickmon replied with a tiny grin.
“So, what do you sugg--“
Examon’s words were drowned out by a thunderous roar reverberating across the clearing. Both Examon and Dorbickmon turned and saw a giant circle form in the sky.
“Digitalize of Soul!” Alphamon: Ouryuken called out, his black form hovering in the air, beneath the glowing, magical circle.
From within the circle emerged a giant, glowing creature. It was draconic in nature and had a body of a shimmering, white aura, though it appeared to be solid in form. Its sheer size put even Wyvern and Hinukamui to shame. The monster roared as it swept out of the circle and descended towards DarkKnightmon on Alphamon’s request.
“****. I’d hate to be DarkKnightmon right now,” Dorbickmon spoke.
“Alphamon looks different… And his Digitalize of Soul attacks don’t usually look like that…” Examon mused, watching as the creature that Alphamon summoned crashed into DarkKnightmon violently, tearing away large chucks of his armour and flesh.
DarkKnightmon tried resisting the indomitable attack but he eventually succumbed and was thrown to the ground viciously. The creature then turned its attention to several mercenaries who went to try and attack it. It swept its arm out and immediately atomized them in one broad stroke before disappearing. Alphamon slackened when the creature vanished; using Digitalize of Soul in that manner was incredibly tiring, especially if used for a prolonged amount of time.
“DarkKnightmon’ll be feeling that later,” Dorbickmon pointed out, watching as DarkKnightmon tried to pull himself up and as Alphamon: Ouryuken flew down to meet him with his sword.
Examon frowned and continued looking around. Magnamon, RhodoKnightmon, Craniamon, and Gankoomon were in the thick of the battle over to the east edge of the combat zone. Sleipmon still seemed to be over at the base of the World Tree, defending it and aiding where he could. He couldn’t see UlforceVeedramon or Dukemon anywhere, nor could he see Omegamon. He saw Duftmon fire a beam of shadows into Kowloon’s ranks when they attempted to regroup. He also saw Dynasmon in the thick of combat with MirageGaogamon not too far away.
“Examon!” a voiced called out.
Both Examon and Dorbickmon turned to see Dukemon and Grani hover down beside them. Dukemon’s Aegis shield was glowing and pointed at Dorbickmon, as if it was brimming with an attack. Only one of the triangles in the circle pattern on the face of the shield was unlit.
“Is everything okay, Examon?” Dukemon asked, eyeing Dorbickmon suspiciously.
Examon smiled at Dukemon. “Yes… Dorbickmon has changed his ways.”
Dorbickmon looked at him with one eye and rubbed the back of his sore neck. “I wish you wouldn’t say it like that…”
Dukemon frowned and jumped off of Grani’s back, landing in front of the mercenary. He stepped up to him and looked into his eyes with a mix of suspicion and warning. “Have you?”
Dorbickmon turned to face Dukemon and puffed his chest out. “I’m not trying to kill Examon anymore and I haven’t attacked you on sight.” He raised his hand and tapped Dukemon’s visor with his claws. “Tin head.”
“Smart idea,” Dukemon retorted. “So I can trust you alone with Examon?”
“Yeah,” Dorbickmon responded toughly. “I’m done with DarkKnightmon.”
Dukemon narrowed his gold eyes as he leered at him. “Good to hear it… We’ll be keeping an eye on you, just in case.”
“I know. Just tell your hero friends not to attack me,” Dorbickmon responded.
Dukemon turned and glanced at Examon. “You sure about him?”
Examon looked at Dorbickmon thoughtfully. “Yes… This time, I’m sure.”
The crimson knight nodded. “In that case, be careful, you two.”
“You too, Dukemon, Grani,” Examon told them.
Dukemon lunged onto Grani’s back. “We’ll be around if you need us!” he called to Examon. “Let’s go, Grani!”
“Good luck,” Grani told them before flying off with Dukemon.
Examon watched as the knight and his mount flew away, quickly rejoining the battle and taking on the aerial mercenaries. After a few moments Examon readied his lance.
“You’re still planning to fight?” Examon asked, glancing over at Dorbickmon.
Dorbickmon nodded over to the World Tree. “It’s not the sort of battle you can just walk away from,” he said in response.
“You’re going to fight on whose side, exactly?” Examon followed up, eyeing Dorbickmon inquisitively.
“…My own side,” Dorbickmon answered, turning and looking at Examon. When he saw by the look on Examon’s face that that wasn’t the answer that he was hoping to hear, Dorbickmon elaborated with an emphatic sigh. “Relax, I’m not going to beat up on the Royal Knights’ forces if they leave me alone. But I’m not stupid enough to pick a fight with Kowloon either.”
“Then what’s left?” Examon asked him.
Dorbickmon turned and nodded with his head into the distance. Examon pivoted to see what he was looking at, while still standing on guard to make sure that he wasn’t going to be attacked again.
They watched as Alphamon and DarkKnightmon clashed on the ground. White and black power tore out from around them and all of the surrounding combatants made sure to give them a wide berth to avoid getting caught in their crossfire.
Alphamon swept the Ouryuken down on DarkKnightmon, who deftly dodged it. When the Ouryuken lodged itself into the ground, a fissure of energy sliced through the earth, creating a cascade of sediment and a deep rut in the ground. DarkKnightmon responded by driving his shoulder blade into Alphamon’s armour and wing, shoving him back strongly. He then pushed him away and raised the Twin Spear to fire a beam of shadows at Alphamon’s body.
The blast washed over Alphamon’s body, but he quickly tore the Ouryuken out of the ground and cut through the shadowy pillar, tearing the shadows away from his form. Alphamon then rushed forwards and cut the sword across DarkKnightmon’s battle-worn body, totally shattering the golden crest on his chest. As fragments of gold flew off DarkKnightmon’s armour, he plunged the Twin Spear into Alphamon’s side and fired. A destructive burst of shadows tore out and ripped through Alphamon’s armour, burning his hip and exposing it to the elements.
Alphamon Ouryuken swung his poleaxe down and DarkKnightmon swept his lance outwards. The two weapons clashed and the strength of their collision sent a miniature shockwave out, just strong enough to blow their capes back. Despite the fact that each black knight had multiple wounds all over their bodies, they were still determined to fight on until their foe was defeated.
Examon turned and looked at Dorbickmon, to see why he was looking over there.
Dorbickmon’s yellow and purple eye turned and looked at Examon. He smirked darkly. “I know one way to end this battle…” he said with a toothy grin. “Kill the guy who’s going to pay everybody.”
Examon frowned and looked over to the clashing knights. “…DarkKnightmon?” he asked him.
Dorbickmon grinned and nodded, wheeling the Tyrant Collbrande around in his claws. “Just leave it to me, bucket head,” he told Examon.
“Dorbickmon…” Examon replied uncertainly. “I don’t know about this…” Although he didn’t say anything, Examon was still a bit apprehensive about Dorbickmon’s loyalties, and worried that he might he considering attacking Alphamon instead. He really doubted it after everything that happened between, but Dorbickmon had fooled him before, so there were still a few traces of uncertainty.
“Trust me,” Dorbickmon told him. “I’ve been handling myself fine long before you came around again.”
Without giving Examon a chance to reply, Dorbickmon gripped the Tyrant Collbrande and began walking towards the clashing knights.
Examon began to go after him, but a beam of energy pierced through the air in between Dorbickmon and Examon, stopping the dragon knight from following him. He turned and saw that the beam had come from MirageGaogamon, who continued to fight Dynasmon nearby. Examon frowned and flapped the Caledfwlch wings, flying upwards and watching Dynasmon fight with MirageGaogamon, as well as Dorbickmon.
Dynasmon was covered with slash marks and his armour was cleaved in several places. MirageGaogamon was in a very similar state; his cape was in tatters and his armour looked like scrap metal. MirageGaogamon was faster, but Dynasmon was much stronger.
As Examon kept an eye on the three of them, he went back to sniping the enemy mercenaries with lasers and shells.
Meanwhile, Dorbickmon ran across the battlefield, knocking down whoever tried to get in his way. Despite this, he refrained from killing them, instead just using his incredible strength to shove them aside.
He closed on the two, growing closer to the clearing in which they battled. Dorbickmon watched as the two swung their weapons again and clashed metal in an intense lock of metal and sparks. He gripped the blazing Tyrant Collbrande tightly in his right hand and began to stalk towards the two warriors.
He had to be careful. Alphamon would immediately regard him as an enemy, and DarkKnightmon would have his guard up when he saw Dorbickmon’s weapon. As a result, Dorbickmon slowly approached from directly behind DarkKnightmon, who was obstructing Alphamon’s view.
Dorbickmon shadowed DarkKnightmon, stealthily edging towards him with his flickering blade.
“Even though you have OuRyuumon’s power, I’m still strong,” DarkKnightmon told Alphamon: Ouryuken, narrowing his cold eyes at his foe as each struggled for dominance by pushing against one another’s blade. “Doesn’t that show you how weak you both are?”
“Together, he and I are stronger,” Alphamon countered, pushing harder against DarkKnightmon’s Twin Spear. “It’s the same with Omegamon and I… and all of the other Royal Knights as well!” He sneered and began to push the lance back, attempting to breach DarkKnightmon’s defence. “Isn’t it the same with you and DeadlyAxemon as well?!”
“Yes, but we’re strong together because we are powerful!” DarkKnightmon said with a grunt, pushing hard against the Ouryuken and forcing him back just slightly. “We complement each other. You and OuRyuumon couldn’t be a worse partnership. Have you already forgotten his lies and lack of morals?!”
“No,” Alphamon answered, glaring. “But he’s willing to change. And so am I. The ability to change and adapt is a great strength. However, you’re fixated solely on your changing the Digital World to the way that you want it. You’re not willing to bend or adapt at all, DarkKnightmon. Is that strength?”
“Is giving up in the face of adversity strength?” DarkKnightmon countered with his own question. “I thought determination was supposed to be admirable.”
“We both want the same thing, DarkKnightmon!” Alphamon shouted with frustration as sparks flew between them from their grinding weapons. “Why are we fighting at all?!”
“Alright then! If that’s the case, tell your Royal Knights and soldiers to throw down their arms and kneel before me!” DarkKnightmon challenged.
Alphamon grunted and narrowed his eyes, giving DarkKnightmon his answer.
“You see? You won’t,” DarkKnightmon told him. “This isn’t all my fault. We both want the same thing, but you only want peace on your own terms. You want me to submit to you, but you have no intentions of submitting to me, even if it meant peace.”
“How can I?” Alphamon protested. “Submitting to you would be the end of the Order. It would be the end of more than just that.”
“Then you can see why I can’t submit to you,” DarkKnightmon responded. “I would be betraying the Digimon of this world.”
“You’ve convinced yourself that the Order is an obstruction or an enemy! You’re ignoring all the good that we’re doing!”
“It isn’t enough!”
As they quarrelled, Dorbickmon slowly crept up on DarkKnightmon, closing in on him as his back was turned. The Tyrant Collbrande blazed in his claws as he stalked towards DarkKnightmon with fiery eyes. He stealthily raised his arms and poised the sword, aiming the tip at the center of DarkKnightmon’s back.
DarkKnightmon continued struggling against Alphamon. He had been unaware of what was going on behind him, but he soon began to feel a nearby heat against his back. Wondering what it was, he angled the Twin Spear slightly and saw the shimmering of fire reflected in the metal. His face darkened.
“…MirageGaogamon!” he suddenly shouted loudly. “Dragon Down!”
“What?” Alphamon: Ouryuken questioned, frowning with confusion. He shifted his body slightly, expecting to be ambushed by MirageGaogamon. When he did so, he suddenly grew incredulous upon seeing Dorbickmon from over DarkKnightmon’s shoulder, preparing to stab him from behind.
MirageGaogamon stopped mid-slash when the code words reached his sensitive ears. He turned his attention away from Dynasmon and turned around immediately, looking towards DarkKnightmon.
That was when he saw Dorbickmon preparing to strike. His wide eyes soon narrowed with hate. Fury coursed through MirageGaogamon’s body at the sight of Dorbickmon betraying DarkKnightmon and getting ready to kill him. Completely ignoring Dynasmon, MirageGaogamon took off in a flash of blue, racing towards Dorbickmon and DarkKnightmon.
“HEY!” Dynasmon shouted after him, but he was soon accosted by a nearby mercenary whom he blasted apart with his hand laser.
Examon looked over upon hearing the words resound. His body stiffened when he saw Dorbickmon getting ready to attack DarkKnightmon. He immediately looked down to try to locate MirageGaogamon where he remembered seeing him fight Dynasmon. However, all he could see was a streak of azure heading towards Dorbickmon.
“No!” Examon snarled, aiming his lance at the ultra fast Digimon. He fired a Pendragon’s Glory attack from the muzzle of the lance. The laser crashed down towards MirageGaogamon, but hit right behind him, unable to hit something of such speed at such short notice. An explosion blossomed up but MirageGaogamon was undeterred.
Dorbickmon plunged the Tyrant Collbrande towards DarkKnightmon’s back. “DIE!” he shouted, shoving the massive blade forwards, burning through DarkKnightmon’s cape and into his armour.
But Dorbickmon suddenly stopped.
Dorbickmon felt a stabbing pain in his back and chest, causing him to halt in his tracks. He released a breathy grunt and felt the warmth of blood trickle down his chest from the white-hot sensations that he suddenly felt inside of him. Dorbickmon looked down and saw three long blades sticking out of his chest diagonally. The claws were coated with his blood, which proceeded to trickle down his back and chest scales.
Dorbickmon’s eyes slowly widened with rage, pain, and disbelief as he realized what had happened. Through the indescribable agony, he managed to sense a presence behind him that he hadn’t been able to notice just seconds earlier.
“I always knew you couldn’t be trusted,” a voice whispered in his ear, “mercenary scum…”
MirageGaogamon stood behind him, one of his bladed gauntlets embedded in Dorbickmon’s back, running him clean through.
Examon’s eyes widened with horror when he saw this.
A low, incomprehensible, snarl of rage and agony escaped Dorbickmon’s throat and he looked forwards at DarkKnightmon as the Tyrant Collbrande began to vanish in a wisp of flames. “You… You… bast…tard…” he struggled to growl.
“I always expected this to happen at some point, Dorbickmon,” DarkKnightmon calmly explained, too focused on Alphamon to bother looking over his shoulder at him. “It was just a matter of getting you before you got me…”
Dorbickmon’s wild eyes burned with wrath. “…Fu-!? RRAAGH!” He was cut off by his own roar of utter pain when MirageGaogamon ripped the claw blades out of his back, sending more blood streaming out. Dorbickmon just stood still, breathing heavily, his form wracked with anguish. As his blood dropped to the grass, he stared at DarkKnightmon’s back blankly. His muscles went increasingly slack.
“You received exactly what you were due,” MirageGaogamon told him. He raised his gauntlets up and crossed them in front of his chest, preparing to finish Dorbickmon off. “I’m glad that it was me who DarkKnightmon tasked with killing you, should the need arise.”
Dorbickmon’s eyes narrowed and a pained hiss escaped his tightened mouth. He awaited the final strike.
“Dorbickmon!” A voice shouted behind him. “Avalon’s Gate!”
Examon flew through the air with a cold determination, speeding towards them. He aimed down the length of the Ambrosius as he soared. Next, he pulled the trigger.
A round exploded from the end of the Ambrosius and plummeted down. The shell canister exploded on contact with MirageGaogamon’s back, unleashing a torrent of electricity. The current coursed through MirageGaogamon’s plate armour, electrocuting him.
MirageGaogamon let out a howl as the electricity flooded through his body, causing his muscles to contract and spasm. He arched his back and uncrossed his arms with pain.
Dorbickmon managed to turn his head and glance over his shoulder upon hearing Examon’s voice. He watched with shock as MirageGaogamon behind him was subjected to his attack.
A sudden fire reignited within Dorbickmon’s badly wounded body. Seeing an opportunity, he unleashed an unearthly roar and summoned the Tyrant Collbrande in his hand in a huge inferno. With a sudden second wind, fueled solely by rage and adrenaline, Dorbickmon spun around and raised the Tyrant Collbrande high over his head. He swung the burning toward and brought it down on MirageGaogamon.
The Tyrant Collbrande impacted MirageGaogamon’s shoulder with enough strength to knock him to his knees. The blade cleaved through his shoulder and tore down into his chest, stopping at the center of the wolf snout in the middle of his form.
MirageGaogamon released an incredulous, agonized breath as he observed the blazing Tyrant Collbrande embedded in his body, the fiery edge right in his digicore.
At this, DarkKnightmon looked over his shoulder and stopped.
Dorbickmon grunted as the adrenaline began to wear off. The Tyrant Collbrande extinguished in both his hands and MirageGaogamon’s body. Weakness overtook him; his trembling legs gave out and he fell to his hands and knees, panting haggardly. Blood dripped from the holes in his body and saliva trickled from his tongue, but despite this, the dragon man looked up and glared at MirageGaogamon.
Blood flowed out of MirageGaogamon’s gaping wound, matting his fur and armour. Unable to use his left arm any more, he raised his right one. He gazed at DarkKnightmon and extended his hand towards him weakly.
“DarkKnightmon…” he breathed. He watched as his data began to fragment and float away from his extended arm. “I wished… that…”
MirageGaogamon’s features dulled and his body slowly slackened. His clawed hand dropped limply to his side and he hunched forwards slightly. His body then fractured into a mass of data and floated away on the breeze.
DarkKnightmon watched with an unreadable expression as MirageGaogamon died and his data dispersed. “…Mirage… Gaogamon…” he thought to himself.
His gaze hardened and he released a furious shout. DarkKnightmon railed against Alphamon, slashing through his defences and throwing him back. “Twin Spear!” he shouted, unleashing a blast from his spear into Alphamon’s body.
Meanwhile, Examon landed beside Dorbickmon, whose limbs trembled with pain.
“Examon… Damn it…” Dorbickmon grunted, glancing over at him.
“You… You need to lie down,” Examon told him, his usually steady voice trembling. He took hold of Dorbickmon’s arm and slowly laid him down on his side before flipping him onto his back.
Dorbickmon released a sharp groan of pain as his back pressed against the ground. “Rrrgh! D-Damn… ****…” he breathed and swore, slowly reaching up and clutching the holes on his chest.
“Don’t move, Dorbickmon,” Examon ordered, taking his wrist and forcing his arm back down. “You’re too hurt.”
Dorbickmon exhaled and slowly shook his head. “I’m… finished…” he said aloud. He then managed a short chuckle that was cut short by a surge of pain shooting through his body. “Hah…! Just I was… turning over a new leaf too… Can you believe it?” Dorbickmon asked, looking up at Examon. “What… a ***** of a… situation… that I end up like this… with you…”
Examon grimaced and pressed his hands down on the holes in Dorbickmon’s chest. “No… I won’t let you die!” he proclaimed.
“What are you talking about…?” Dorbickmon asked him. “Get out of here. Leave me…”
Examon’s eyes widened as a stray beam streamed towards them. It tore along the ground and closed in towards them. The Royal Knight extended his massive Caledfwlch wings and curled them around himself and Dorbickmon, cocooning them inside. The beam slammed into the armoured exterior of the wing and deflected off, spreading out into the nearby dirt.
The Royal Knight winced at the attack, but kept his wings around himself and Dorbickmon even as the beam faded. He shielded them within the armoured dome.
Dorbickmon looked up at Examon. “What are you doing…?” he asked weakly, still feeling his hands on the bloody, crimson scales of his chest.
Examon gazed down into Dorbickmon’s eyes with a look of resolve. “I’m staying…” he answered. “This time… I’m not going to leave you.” He pressed down firmly on the wounds to staunch the bleeding and stared at Dorbickmon with a steadfast resolve in his emerald gaze. “I’m going to stay by your side, Dorbickmon…”
Dorbickmon stared at Examon in wordless disbelief. He didn’t know what to say. He opened his mouth to speak but then closed it and turned his head weakly, looking away.
“…****. You Royal Knights and your morals…” Dorbickmon said, staring away from Examon. If it weren’t so dark in the shield of wings, Examon may have been able to see the gracious, emotional smile on Dorbickmon’s face.
The Royal Knight just had to make do with staying by Dorbickmon’s side and keeping him alive. Within the protective barrier of the Caledfwlch, Examon remained with him.
This time, Examon would make sure that his friend was alright…
-
(Finished in the next post)
Chapter 29: The Light of Friendship (Part II)
Examon flew to the side as a mass of stone hurled towards him. The giant stone missed and hurled into a crowd of fighters. “Dorbickmon…” he spoke levelly. He leered across the fire-singed grass and unearthed mounds and craters of dirt.
Dorbickmon glared at Examon and tore the Tyrant Collbrande from the ground, hoisting it into the air and swinging it out to the side. The dragon man started bolting across the ground towards Examon. “I’m taking you down, Examon!” he snarled.
The corners of Examon’s mouth curved down and he flapped his wings, flying up and back through the air. He aimed his lance at the charging mercenary. “Dorbickmon, stop this,” he told him, doing his best to remain calm and level headed. “I don’t want to fight you.”
“You don’t get to pick and choose!” Dorbickmon shouted, stabbing his blade into a nearby rock pillar as he ran.
Tapping into the mass of dragon veins again, he summoned a huge rock from behind Examon that smashed through the Royal Knights’ ranks before plowing into Examon’s back.
Examon managed to turn around halfway and use his left wing as a shield against the boulder, but the impact was powerful enough to still knock him down from his elevated position. Dorbickmon took this opportunity to lunge at Examon with his sword. He slashed the Tyrant Collbrande down and cut it across Examon’s wing and diagonally down his armoured chest.
A strained snarl ejected from Examon’s throat as the armour ripped and superheated. The blade cut across his scales and he had to choke back the bile rising in his throat from the agony of the attack. Acting on instinct, Examon lashed out with his left arm, striking the side of his hand and claws across Dorbickmon’s face, forcing them away from each other. They both landed on the ground and stumbled back, but Examon soon followed up by whipping his long tail out. The tail wrapped around Dorbickmon’s arms a few times, squeezing him and holding him in place.
Dorbickmon snarled out flames and resisted against Examon’s long appendage. “I’ll rip this tail apart, Examon!” he warned him.
Examon ignored Dorbickmon’s threat and aimed the Ambrosius at him at close range. As soon as he pulled the trigger, he released his tail from around Dorbickmon’s body. The tail quickly uncoiled and a cylindrical shell launched from the lance and flew towards Dorbickmon.
Expecting this, Dorbickmon released a Dragon Breath Tonic Fire attack that he had been forming in his mouth, forgoing calling the attack due to lack of time. The flames washed over the incoming shell and caused it to pop from the inside. When it exploded, the munition released several metal ball bearings. While not lethal against the heavily armoured Dorbickmon in this situation, they were able to pierce through the flames and slam into his chest armour, forming cracks all over it and weakening the metal severely.
Dorbickmon sneered as some of the cracked metal cut against his scales and caused bruises to form. He ignored the relatively minor pain and began to ready his sword. “Tyrant Collbrande!”
“Avalon’s Gate!” Examon countered, squeezing the trigger of his lance. Moving faster, a second shell burst from the Ambrosius and spiralled towards Dorbickmon.
Dorbickmon swung his blade down, but this time he was too slow for the projectile. The shell slammed into his armour and burst open while he was in mid-swing. As the metal cracked open, data emerged from the shell and went into the cracks of Dorbickmon’s armour, getting through to his scales. His chest began to tingle and go numb, similar to the feeling of one’s limb falling asleep. The dragon man’s eyes widened with confusion and anger as the numb, paralyzing feeling began to go through his chest muscles and towards his limbs.
“What the hell is this?!” Dorbickmon demanded, staggering towards Examon and trying to resist the lack of feeling in his muscles. He charged at Examon despite his increasingly sluggish movements. The closer he got to Examon, the more that he slowed, struggling to move his limbs. “Damn… you…!”
“It’s a paralyzing virus,” Examon explained, lowering his weapon slightly and walking towards Dorbickmon. “It’s temporary.”
Dorbickmon was forced to a stop and he planted his sword into the ground to keep himself standing. “Damn it… Versatile ammo, huh…?” he asked, glaring at Examon as sweat dripped down his face.
“Now will you listen to me?” Examon questioned. He stopped in front of Dorbickmon and looked in his eyes calmly.
“You fricking cold fish…” Dorbickmon heaved, gripping his blade tighter and trying to keep balanced on his obviously numb legs. “Like I have a choice…”
“You do have a choice, Dorbickmon,” Examon informed him, stopping in front of the mercenary but still holding the lance in both of his claws.
“And what choice is that?” he grunted, glaring up at him.
“You can stop all of this,” the crimson Dragon Emperor said to him. “We can move past this.”
“Who the hell do you think I am?” Dorbickmon growled. “We’re in the middle of a massive battle, you naïve idiot! Besides, you’re making it sound like I’m in the wrong!”
Examon frowned. “You’re attacking the World Tree and many good Digimon just to get at me. But... I know that I’m in the wrong too.” He sighed and lowered the Ambrosius further. “I’m sorry, Dorbickmon… I’m so sorry that I hurt you… I was a coward. It was my gekerin; all Coredramons have one and you must have brushed it. It just… made me lose control. Like I said, when I regained my senses, I was so scared… so selfish,” he sincerely explained with a grimace on his face.
Dorbickmon couldn’t help but be surprised by the amount of emotion in Examon’s usually stoic gaze. He eyed him with a raised brow and a weakening scowl.
Examon gripped the handle and shaft of the Ambrosius tightly. “I betrayed your trust… and you were nearly reformatted because of me.” He looked down at Dorbickmon with a restrained but intense gaze. “If I could go back, I would stay with you…”
Dorbickmon narrowed his eyes. However, his eyes soon closed and he began to bow his head. “Examon…” he said, his voice softer than usual. “I know…”
With shock, Examon gazed at Dorbickmon. “You do…?” he asked him with both surprise and hope in his tone. “You believe me?”
“Yeah…” Dorbickmon said with a small smile. He let his one of his hands slide off the Tyrant Collbrande, and he slowly lifted it up towards Examon amicably. “You’re a stubborn bastard. I’ll give you that.”
Examon began to smile and he let go of the Ambrosius’ shaft to reach towards Dorbickmon’s hand to take it.
Dorbickmon smiled darkly.
“SUCKER!” he shouted, suddenly grabbing Examon by the wrist. Using the sword still stuck in the ground, he harnessed the power of the dragon’s veins and ripped a huge shard of rock from the ground behind the Royal Knight. The rock ripped from the depths of the earth and crashed into the back of Examon’s legs and tail, cutting against them and knocking him to his knees. Dorbickmon pulled the Tyrant Collbrande from the ground and slashed it towards Examon’s body.
Examon – hurt and frustrated – moved his wing and used the Caledfwlch as a shield against the sword. The conflagrant blade impacted the chrome digizoid armour and rebounded off. He plunged the Ambrosius towards Dorbickmon’s shoulder, but the mercenary grabbed hold of the shaft and held it out to the side. “Dorbickmon…!”
“Doesn’t feel great being attacked and betrayed while your guard is down, does it?!” Dorbickmon asked him with a wild grin. He swiped his sword outwards and expelled it in a flurry of flames. He then grabbed hold of Examon’s protective wing and pulled it outwards with superior strength, trying to get past the barrier to Examon.
Examon grunted as Dorbickmon got past the wing and jumped to his feet, charging and bringing his fist towards Examon’s face. He caught Dorbickmon’s fist with his claws while the other hand dropped the Ambrosius to the ground. “Dorbickmon!” he shouted with an uncharacteristic passion in his words. “The only one you’re fooling is yourself!”
“What?!” Dorbickmon yelled angrily. He lashed out with his other hand and drilled his jagged, metal gauntlet across Examon’s face.
Examon winced and grabbed Dorbickmon’s arm after it connected with his face. Despite the pain in his face, he pulled against the arm and leered at Dorbickmon while slowly standing to his feet. “You aren’t attacking me with nearly as much intensity as you used to…” he told him as fresh blood trickled from his lip. “You’re holding back…”
“Like hell I am!” Dorbickmon retorted, rushing forwards and headbutting Examon right in the snout.
A flash of crimson and pain clouded Examon’s vision. However, he managed to hook Dorbickmon’s nose horn with his own and lock him in place. Dorbickmon swore and tried to pull away from Examon’s hold, finding it difficult with Examon’s horn and claws to contend with. However, he did so aggressively, causing Examon great pain as he struggled to grapple with the mercenary.
“You… rgh… are!” Examon told him sharply, glaring into Dorbickmon’s yellow-violet eyes. “Just like the other day!”
Dorbickmon snarled and wrenched his left arm away and drilled it into the mangled armour of Examon’s gut.
Examon hunched over slightly but remained resistant in spite of the pain. He grabbed hold of Dorbickmon’s arm again, digging his claws into the dragon’s scales to hold him more aggressively.
“That was… a mistake!” Dorbickmon protested savagely. “I should have run you through!”
“But you didn’t!” Examon insisted passionately, pulling with his nose horn to make sure that Dorbickmon wasn’t able to tear away. “You chose not to!”
“I knew you didn’t have the balls to go through with it!” Dorbickmon shouted intensely, droplets of his saliva sputtering onto Examon’s face with every word roared. “That’s why I stopped!”
“You know that’s a lie!” Examon insisted, struggling to keep a hold on Dorbickmon’s other arm. He took hold of one of the spikes jutting out from the metal vambrace on his forearm.
“I don’t know that!” Dorbickmon countered agitatedly. He began to build up fiery energy in the cannon ports of his breastplate. The cylinders began to glow a bright orange as they prepared to fire two blasts at Examon at point blank range. However, Dorbickmon cringed and the heat and power began to fade away. “I… don’t know!”
“Yes, you do, Dorbickmon!” the crimson Royal Knight told him. “You just won’t let yourself admit it…!”
“What. The hell. Do you. Know?!” Dorbickmon protested, using his strength to get the better of Examon and push him up against a half-destroyed stone pillar that he had created. He glared into Examon’s calm eyes; his own were filled with emotion and contrasting shades of anger.
The tips of Examon’s horns scraped against the rock behind him. He raised a foot and pressed it against Dorbickmon’s stomach to keep him from getting too close. “I know that you still have a good heart.”
“You don’t know anything about me! I’ve killed a lot of Digimon!” Dorbickmon shot back, a few embers flickering between his jagged teeth.
“So have I…” Examon answered. “But that doesn’t mean it still isn’t true.”
Dorbickmon winced and snarled. Examon could feel his struggling becoming weaker. “You expect me to listen to the idealistic crap a Royal Knight spits out?!” he asked, the passion in his voice more restrained now.
“No… but I’d like you to listen to your old friend… One who wants to make amends for hurting his best friend so badly,” Examon said, looking into Dorbickmon sincerely.
Dorbickmon’s eyes widened. He shut his eyes and unhooked his horn from Examon’s. After harshly pulling his arms away, Dorbickmon took a few steps back and grabbed his own face, swearing.
“****! Damn it!” he shouted with frustration. “What the hell is wrong with you, you bastard!? Why won’t you leave me alone?! Why can’t I get you out of my damn head since fighting you at Wyrm’s Edge?!”
Examon slackened and stepped away from the pillar behind him, panting with exhaustion. He kept his eyes on Dorbickmon.
“Why aren’t I into this damn campaign anymore?!” Dorbickmon demanded, glaring at Examon. “I’m supposed to want to kill you! I wanted revenge! That’s the whole reason I started this thing!”
“Maybe you want something more now…” Examon suggested, his gaze level with the mercenary. “Maybe you want to move on.”
Dorbickmon grimaced and lowered his hand from his face, his eyes shimmering as they glared at his counterpart. “I was supposed to move on once I killed you…” he told him.
“But you can’t do that, can you…?” Examon asked him calmly.
After a few moments of Dorbickmon looking like he wanted to fire back, he found that he wasn’t able to. Instead, he looked away. “Tch…” he scoffed, his emotions fizzling out. “Stop talking like that. Don’t act like you know what’s going on in my head.”
“But I’m not wrong,” the Royal Knight spoke. “Am I?”
Dorbickmon merely lowered his gaze, continuing to glare into the battle that unfolded around them. Even as a beam whizzed by his head, he didn’t move or react.
“…No…”
Examon looked up at Dorbickmon’s reply. “So…” he said. “If you don’t want to take revenge on me…”
“Then what’s the point of me fighting here?” Dorbickmon finished with a frustrated grimace.
Examon nodded and walked towards Dorbickmon. “I really am sorry about everything, Dorbickmon…”
Dorbickmon gritted his teeth and turned so that his back was to Examon. “…I know,” he answered.
A small smile formed on Examon’s face.
Dorbickmon scoffed and glanced over his shoulder. Suddenly, shock formed on his face. He swung around to face Examon, looking past him.
Behind Examon was the charging, centaur-like form of a Zanbamon. He was from Kowloon Co., and he brandished a giant zanbato and a smaller katana. He intended on intervening in their fight and taking Examon down while his back was turned.
With a growl, Dorbickmon rushed forwards. Examon stiffened and became guarded, wondering if Dorbickmon had tricked him again or was still intent on being defiant. However, the dragon mercenary merely pushed past Examon’s wing and summoned the Tyrant Collbrande in his hands in a giant flash of flames.
Examon turned around, moving his wing, and saw the Zanbamon charging him. To his shock, Dorbickmon stepped out in front of him and began charging the demon Digimon.
Dorbickmon scowled and dashed towards the Zanbamon, swinging the Tyrant Collbrande back behind him as he wound back for a strong swing.
“What?!” the Zanbamon demanded, seeing that Dorbickmon was making ready to attack him. He began to swipe down with his smaller sword.
Dorbickmon dodged the blade and countered swiftly. He swept the blazing broadsword clean through the Zanbamon’s body, instantly reducing the mercenary to data. As the particles of data parted beside him, Dorbickmon turned around, sword in hand, and faced Examon, his form accented by the embers that drifted off of his sword,
“Dorbickmon…” Examon said with shock at his action, staring at Dorbickmon with wide, appreciative eyes.
“…Don’t say anything,” Dorbickmon muttered, looking away with embarrassment. He began to sheepishly walk back to Examon. “And quit looking at me like that! …Oh, Yeah. And pick up your weapon so you can actually defend yourself while you’re at it. Cripes…”
Examon managed a smile and walked over to pick up the Ambrosius lance. Despite the pain surging through his body, he bent down and lugged up the heavy lance, gripping it in his hands.
Dorbickmon raised one of his bloodied arms and rubbed the back of his head uncertainly. “So… what the hell happens now?” he asked, glancing at Examon before looking around at the battle surrounding them.
“You should get out of here,” Examon told him, gazing around at the battle as well, trying to find the other Royal Knights and get an idea of how the battle was going.
“I don’t like to back down from a fight. I’ve got a reputation to think of,” Dorbickmon replied with a tiny grin.
“So, what do you sugg--“
Examon’s words were drowned out by a thunderous roar reverberating across the clearing. Both Examon and Dorbickmon turned and saw a giant circle form in the sky.
“Digitalize of Soul!” Alphamon: Ouryuken called out, his black form hovering in the air, beneath the glowing, magical circle.
From within the circle emerged a giant, glowing creature. It was draconic in nature and had a body of a shimmering, white aura, though it appeared to be solid in form. Its sheer size put even Wyvern and Hinukamui to shame. The monster roared as it swept out of the circle and descended towards DarkKnightmon on Alphamon’s request.
“****. I’d hate to be DarkKnightmon right now,” Dorbickmon spoke.
“Alphamon looks different… And his Digitalize of Soul attacks don’t usually look like that…” Examon mused, watching as the creature that Alphamon summoned crashed into DarkKnightmon violently, tearing away large chucks of his armour and flesh.
DarkKnightmon tried resisting the indomitable attack but he eventually succumbed and was thrown to the ground viciously. The creature then turned its attention to several mercenaries who went to try and attack it. It swept its arm out and immediately atomized them in one broad stroke before disappearing. Alphamon slackened when the creature vanished; using Digitalize of Soul in that manner was incredibly tiring, especially if used for a prolonged amount of time.
“DarkKnightmon’ll be feeling that later,” Dorbickmon pointed out, watching as DarkKnightmon tried to pull himself up and as Alphamon: Ouryuken flew down to meet him with his sword.
Examon frowned and continued looking around. Magnamon, RhodoKnightmon, Craniamon, and Gankoomon were in the thick of the battle over to the east edge of the combat zone. Sleipmon still seemed to be over at the base of the World Tree, defending it and aiding where he could. He couldn’t see UlforceVeedramon or Dukemon anywhere, nor could he see Omegamon. He saw Duftmon fire a beam of shadows into Kowloon’s ranks when they attempted to regroup. He also saw Dynasmon in the thick of combat with MirageGaogamon not too far away.
“Examon!” a voiced called out.
Both Examon and Dorbickmon turned to see Dukemon and Grani hover down beside them. Dukemon’s Aegis shield was glowing and pointed at Dorbickmon, as if it was brimming with an attack. Only one of the triangles in the circle pattern on the face of the shield was unlit.
“Is everything okay, Examon?” Dukemon asked, eyeing Dorbickmon suspiciously.
Examon smiled at Dukemon. “Yes… Dorbickmon has changed his ways.”
Dorbickmon looked at him with one eye and rubbed the back of his sore neck. “I wish you wouldn’t say it like that…”
Dukemon frowned and jumped off of Grani’s back, landing in front of the mercenary. He stepped up to him and looked into his eyes with a mix of suspicion and warning. “Have you?”
Dorbickmon turned to face Dukemon and puffed his chest out. “I’m not trying to kill Examon anymore and I haven’t attacked you on sight.” He raised his hand and tapped Dukemon’s visor with his claws. “Tin head.”
“Smart idea,” Dukemon retorted. “So I can trust you alone with Examon?”
“Yeah,” Dorbickmon responded toughly. “I’m done with DarkKnightmon.”
Dukemon narrowed his gold eyes as he leered at him. “Good to hear it… We’ll be keeping an eye on you, just in case.”
“I know. Just tell your hero friends not to attack me,” Dorbickmon responded.
Dukemon turned and glanced at Examon. “You sure about him?”
Examon looked at Dorbickmon thoughtfully. “Yes… This time, I’m sure.”
The crimson knight nodded. “In that case, be careful, you two.”
“You too, Dukemon, Grani,” Examon told them.
Dukemon lunged onto Grani’s back. “We’ll be around if you need us!” he called to Examon. “Let’s go, Grani!”
“Good luck,” Grani told them before flying off with Dukemon.
Examon watched as the knight and his mount flew away, quickly rejoining the battle and taking on the aerial mercenaries. After a few moments Examon readied his lance.
“You’re still planning to fight?” Examon asked, glancing over at Dorbickmon.
Dorbickmon nodded over to the World Tree. “It’s not the sort of battle you can just walk away from,” he said in response.
“You’re going to fight on whose side, exactly?” Examon followed up, eyeing Dorbickmon inquisitively.
“…My own side,” Dorbickmon answered, turning and looking at Examon. When he saw by the look on Examon’s face that that wasn’t the answer that he was hoping to hear, Dorbickmon elaborated with an emphatic sigh. “Relax, I’m not going to beat up on the Royal Knights’ forces if they leave me alone. But I’m not stupid enough to pick a fight with Kowloon either.”
“Then what’s left?” Examon asked him.
Dorbickmon turned and nodded with his head into the distance. Examon pivoted to see what he was looking at, while still standing on guard to make sure that he wasn’t going to be attacked again.
They watched as Alphamon and DarkKnightmon clashed on the ground. White and black power tore out from around them and all of the surrounding combatants made sure to give them a wide berth to avoid getting caught in their crossfire.
Alphamon swept the Ouryuken down on DarkKnightmon, who deftly dodged it. When the Ouryuken lodged itself into the ground, a fissure of energy sliced through the earth, creating a cascade of sediment and a deep rut in the ground. DarkKnightmon responded by driving his shoulder blade into Alphamon’s armour and wing, shoving him back strongly. He then pushed him away and raised the Twin Spear to fire a beam of shadows at Alphamon’s body.
The blast washed over Alphamon’s body, but he quickly tore the Ouryuken out of the ground and cut through the shadowy pillar, tearing the shadows away from his form. Alphamon then rushed forwards and cut the sword across DarkKnightmon’s battle-worn body, totally shattering the golden crest on his chest. As fragments of gold flew off DarkKnightmon’s armour, he plunged the Twin Spear into Alphamon’s side and fired. A destructive burst of shadows tore out and ripped through Alphamon’s armour, burning his hip and exposing it to the elements.
Alphamon Ouryuken swung his poleaxe down and DarkKnightmon swept his lance outwards. The two weapons clashed and the strength of their collision sent a miniature shockwave out, just strong enough to blow their capes back. Despite the fact that each black knight had multiple wounds all over their bodies, they were still determined to fight on until their foe was defeated.
Examon turned and looked at Dorbickmon, to see why he was looking over there.
Dorbickmon’s yellow and purple eye turned and looked at Examon. He smirked darkly. “I know one way to end this battle…” he said with a toothy grin. “Kill the guy who’s going to pay everybody.”
Examon frowned and looked over to the clashing knights. “…DarkKnightmon?” he asked him.
Dorbickmon grinned and nodded, wheeling the Tyrant Collbrande around in his claws. “Just leave it to me, bucket head,” he told Examon.
“Dorbickmon…” Examon replied uncertainly. “I don’t know about this…” Although he didn’t say anything, Examon was still a bit apprehensive about Dorbickmon’s loyalties, and worried that he might he considering attacking Alphamon instead. He really doubted it after everything that happened between, but Dorbickmon had fooled him before, so there were still a few traces of uncertainty.
“Trust me,” Dorbickmon told him. “I’ve been handling myself fine long before you came around again.”
Without giving Examon a chance to reply, Dorbickmon gripped the Tyrant Collbrande and began walking towards the clashing knights.
Examon began to go after him, but a beam of energy pierced through the air in between Dorbickmon and Examon, stopping the dragon knight from following him. He turned and saw that the beam had come from MirageGaogamon, who continued to fight Dynasmon nearby. Examon frowned and flapped the Caledfwlch wings, flying upwards and watching Dynasmon fight with MirageGaogamon, as well as Dorbickmon.
Dynasmon was covered with slash marks and his armour was cleaved in several places. MirageGaogamon was in a very similar state; his cape was in tatters and his armour looked like scrap metal. MirageGaogamon was faster, but Dynasmon was much stronger.
As Examon kept an eye on the three of them, he went back to sniping the enemy mercenaries with lasers and shells.
Meanwhile, Dorbickmon ran across the battlefield, knocking down whoever tried to get in his way. Despite this, he refrained from killing them, instead just using his incredible strength to shove them aside.
He closed on the two, growing closer to the clearing in which they battled. Dorbickmon watched as the two swung their weapons again and clashed metal in an intense lock of metal and sparks. He gripped the blazing Tyrant Collbrande tightly in his right hand and began to stalk towards the two warriors.
He had to be careful. Alphamon would immediately regard him as an enemy, and DarkKnightmon would have his guard up when he saw Dorbickmon’s weapon. As a result, Dorbickmon slowly approached from directly behind DarkKnightmon, who was obstructing Alphamon’s view.
Dorbickmon shadowed DarkKnightmon, stealthily edging towards him with his flickering blade.
“Even though you have OuRyuumon’s power, I’m still strong,” DarkKnightmon told Alphamon: Ouryuken, narrowing his cold eyes at his foe as each struggled for dominance by pushing against one another’s blade. “Doesn’t that show you how weak you both are?”
“Together, he and I are stronger,” Alphamon countered, pushing harder against DarkKnightmon’s Twin Spear. “It’s the same with Omegamon and I… and all of the other Royal Knights as well!” He sneered and began to push the lance back, attempting to breach DarkKnightmon’s defence. “Isn’t it the same with you and DeadlyAxemon as well?!”
“Yes, but we’re strong together because we are powerful!” DarkKnightmon said with a grunt, pushing hard against the Ouryuken and forcing him back just slightly. “We complement each other. You and OuRyuumon couldn’t be a worse partnership. Have you already forgotten his lies and lack of morals?!”
“No,” Alphamon answered, glaring. “But he’s willing to change. And so am I. The ability to change and adapt is a great strength. However, you’re fixated solely on your changing the Digital World to the way that you want it. You’re not willing to bend or adapt at all, DarkKnightmon. Is that strength?”
“Is giving up in the face of adversity strength?” DarkKnightmon countered with his own question. “I thought determination was supposed to be admirable.”
“We both want the same thing, DarkKnightmon!” Alphamon shouted with frustration as sparks flew between them from their grinding weapons. “Why are we fighting at all?!”
“Alright then! If that’s the case, tell your Royal Knights and soldiers to throw down their arms and kneel before me!” DarkKnightmon challenged.
Alphamon grunted and narrowed his eyes, giving DarkKnightmon his answer.
“You see? You won’t,” DarkKnightmon told him. “This isn’t all my fault. We both want the same thing, but you only want peace on your own terms. You want me to submit to you, but you have no intentions of submitting to me, even if it meant peace.”
“How can I?” Alphamon protested. “Submitting to you would be the end of the Order. It would be the end of more than just that.”
“Then you can see why I can’t submit to you,” DarkKnightmon responded. “I would be betraying the Digimon of this world.”
“You’ve convinced yourself that the Order is an obstruction or an enemy! You’re ignoring all the good that we’re doing!”
“It isn’t enough!”
As they quarrelled, Dorbickmon slowly crept up on DarkKnightmon, closing in on him as his back was turned. The Tyrant Collbrande blazed in his claws as he stalked towards DarkKnightmon with fiery eyes. He stealthily raised his arms and poised the sword, aiming the tip at the center of DarkKnightmon’s back.
DarkKnightmon continued struggling against Alphamon. He had been unaware of what was going on behind him, but he soon began to feel a nearby heat against his back. Wondering what it was, he angled the Twin Spear slightly and saw the shimmering of fire reflected in the metal. His face darkened.
“…MirageGaogamon!” he suddenly shouted loudly. “Dragon Down!”
“What?” Alphamon: Ouryuken questioned, frowning with confusion. He shifted his body slightly, expecting to be ambushed by MirageGaogamon. When he did so, he suddenly grew incredulous upon seeing Dorbickmon from over DarkKnightmon’s shoulder, preparing to stab him from behind.
MirageGaogamon stopped mid-slash when the code words reached his sensitive ears. He turned his attention away from Dynasmon and turned around immediately, looking towards DarkKnightmon.
That was when he saw Dorbickmon preparing to strike. His wide eyes soon narrowed with hate. Fury coursed through MirageGaogamon’s body at the sight of Dorbickmon betraying DarkKnightmon and getting ready to kill him. Completely ignoring Dynasmon, MirageGaogamon took off in a flash of blue, racing towards Dorbickmon and DarkKnightmon.
“HEY!” Dynasmon shouted after him, but he was soon accosted by a nearby mercenary whom he blasted apart with his hand laser.
Examon looked over upon hearing the words resound. His body stiffened when he saw Dorbickmon getting ready to attack DarkKnightmon. He immediately looked down to try to locate MirageGaogamon where he remembered seeing him fight Dynasmon. However, all he could see was a streak of azure heading towards Dorbickmon.
“No!” Examon snarled, aiming his lance at the ultra fast Digimon. He fired a Pendragon’s Glory attack from the muzzle of the lance. The laser crashed down towards MirageGaogamon, but hit right behind him, unable to hit something of such speed at such short notice. An explosion blossomed up but MirageGaogamon was undeterred.
Dorbickmon plunged the Tyrant Collbrande towards DarkKnightmon’s back. “DIE!” he shouted, shoving the massive blade forwards, burning through DarkKnightmon’s cape and into his armour.
But Dorbickmon suddenly stopped.
Dorbickmon felt a stabbing pain in his back and chest, causing him to halt in his tracks. He released a breathy grunt and felt the warmth of blood trickle down his chest from the white-hot sensations that he suddenly felt inside of him. Dorbickmon looked down and saw three long blades sticking out of his chest diagonally. The claws were coated with his blood, which proceeded to trickle down his back and chest scales.
Dorbickmon’s eyes slowly widened with rage, pain, and disbelief as he realized what had happened. Through the indescribable agony, he managed to sense a presence behind him that he hadn’t been able to notice just seconds earlier.
“I always knew you couldn’t be trusted,” a voice whispered in his ear, “mercenary scum…”
MirageGaogamon stood behind him, one of his bladed gauntlets embedded in Dorbickmon’s back, running him clean through.
Examon’s eyes widened with horror when he saw this.
A low, incomprehensible, snarl of rage and agony escaped Dorbickmon’s throat and he looked forwards at DarkKnightmon as the Tyrant Collbrande began to vanish in a wisp of flames. “You… You… bast…tard…” he struggled to growl.
“I always expected this to happen at some point, Dorbickmon,” DarkKnightmon calmly explained, too focused on Alphamon to bother looking over his shoulder at him. “It was just a matter of getting you before you got me…”
Dorbickmon’s wild eyes burned with wrath. “…Fu-!? RRAAGH!” He was cut off by his own roar of utter pain when MirageGaogamon ripped the claw blades out of his back, sending more blood streaming out. Dorbickmon just stood still, breathing heavily, his form wracked with anguish. As his blood dropped to the grass, he stared at DarkKnightmon’s back blankly. His muscles went increasingly slack.
“You received exactly what you were due,” MirageGaogamon told him. He raised his gauntlets up and crossed them in front of his chest, preparing to finish Dorbickmon off. “I’m glad that it was me who DarkKnightmon tasked with killing you, should the need arise.”
Dorbickmon’s eyes narrowed and a pained hiss escaped his tightened mouth. He awaited the final strike.
“Dorbickmon!” A voice shouted behind him. “Avalon’s Gate!”
Examon flew through the air with a cold determination, speeding towards them. He aimed down the length of the Ambrosius as he soared. Next, he pulled the trigger.
A round exploded from the end of the Ambrosius and plummeted down. The shell canister exploded on contact with MirageGaogamon’s back, unleashing a torrent of electricity. The current coursed through MirageGaogamon’s plate armour, electrocuting him.
MirageGaogamon let out a howl as the electricity flooded through his body, causing his muscles to contract and spasm. He arched his back and uncrossed his arms with pain.
Dorbickmon managed to turn his head and glance over his shoulder upon hearing Examon’s voice. He watched with shock as MirageGaogamon behind him was subjected to his attack.
A sudden fire reignited within Dorbickmon’s badly wounded body. Seeing an opportunity, he unleashed an unearthly roar and summoned the Tyrant Collbrande in his hand in a huge inferno. With a sudden second wind, fueled solely by rage and adrenaline, Dorbickmon spun around and raised the Tyrant Collbrande high over his head. He swung the burning toward and brought it down on MirageGaogamon.
The Tyrant Collbrande impacted MirageGaogamon’s shoulder with enough strength to knock him to his knees. The blade cleaved through his shoulder and tore down into his chest, stopping at the center of the wolf snout in the middle of his form.
MirageGaogamon released an incredulous, agonized breath as he observed the blazing Tyrant Collbrande embedded in his body, the fiery edge right in his digicore.
At this, DarkKnightmon looked over his shoulder and stopped.
Dorbickmon grunted as the adrenaline began to wear off. The Tyrant Collbrande extinguished in both his hands and MirageGaogamon’s body. Weakness overtook him; his trembling legs gave out and he fell to his hands and knees, panting haggardly. Blood dripped from the holes in his body and saliva trickled from his tongue, but despite this, the dragon man looked up and glared at MirageGaogamon.
Blood flowed out of MirageGaogamon’s gaping wound, matting his fur and armour. Unable to use his left arm any more, he raised his right one. He gazed at DarkKnightmon and extended his hand towards him weakly.
“DarkKnightmon…” he breathed. He watched as his data began to fragment and float away from his extended arm. “I wished… that…”
MirageGaogamon’s features dulled and his body slowly slackened. His clawed hand dropped limply to his side and he hunched forwards slightly. His body then fractured into a mass of data and floated away on the breeze.
DarkKnightmon watched with an unreadable expression as MirageGaogamon died and his data dispersed. “…Mirage… Gaogamon…” he thought to himself.
His gaze hardened and he released a furious shout. DarkKnightmon railed against Alphamon, slashing through his defences and throwing him back. “Twin Spear!” he shouted, unleashing a blast from his spear into Alphamon’s body.
Meanwhile, Examon landed beside Dorbickmon, whose limbs trembled with pain.
“Examon… Damn it…” Dorbickmon grunted, glancing over at him.
“You… You need to lie down,” Examon told him, his usually steady voice trembling. He took hold of Dorbickmon’s arm and slowly laid him down on his side before flipping him onto his back.
Dorbickmon released a sharp groan of pain as his back pressed against the ground. “Rrrgh! D-Damn… ****…” he breathed and swore, slowly reaching up and clutching the holes on his chest.
“Don’t move, Dorbickmon,” Examon ordered, taking his wrist and forcing his arm back down. “You’re too hurt.”
Dorbickmon exhaled and slowly shook his head. “I’m… finished…” he said aloud. He then managed a short chuckle that was cut short by a surge of pain shooting through his body. “Hah…! Just I was… turning over a new leaf too… Can you believe it?” Dorbickmon asked, looking up at Examon. “What… a ***** of a… situation… that I end up like this… with you…”
Examon grimaced and pressed his hands down on the holes in Dorbickmon’s chest. “No… I won’t let you die!” he proclaimed.
“What are you talking about…?” Dorbickmon asked him. “Get out of here. Leave me…”
Examon’s eyes widened as a stray beam streamed towards them. It tore along the ground and closed in towards them. The Royal Knight extended his massive Caledfwlch wings and curled them around himself and Dorbickmon, cocooning them inside. The beam slammed into the armoured exterior of the wing and deflected off, spreading out into the nearby dirt.
The Royal Knight winced at the attack, but kept his wings around himself and Dorbickmon even as the beam faded. He shielded them within the armoured dome.
Dorbickmon looked up at Examon. “What are you doing…?” he asked weakly, still feeling his hands on the bloody, crimson scales of his chest.
Examon gazed down into Dorbickmon’s eyes with a look of resolve. “I’m staying…” he answered. “This time… I’m not going to leave you.” He pressed down firmly on the wounds to staunch the bleeding and stared at Dorbickmon with a steadfast resolve in his emerald gaze. “I’m going to stay by your side, Dorbickmon…”
Dorbickmon stared at Examon in wordless disbelief. He didn’t know what to say. He opened his mouth to speak but then closed it and turned his head weakly, looking away.
“…****. You Royal Knights and your morals…” Dorbickmon said, staring away from Examon. If it weren’t so dark in the shield of wings, Examon may have been able to see the gracious, emotional smile on Dorbickmon’s face.
The Royal Knight just had to make do with staying by Dorbickmon’s side and keeping him alive. Within the protective barrier of the Caledfwlch, Examon remained with him.
This time, Examon would make sure that his friend was alright…
-
(Finished in the next post)