He watched the darkness rage against the sky and the light. Shadows spilled against the stark white of his armor. The ShineGreymon, though he didn't know her, was screaming in pain. He knew that much. The darkness was consuming all, drawing everything into its black heart. He'd seen such a phenomenon once before, when Imego's Kaiser Mode drank in the world.
The Transcendent Sword flicked out from his WarGreymon arm and Hyperion stepped forward, ready to intervene.
"No," the voice whispered in his ear. It was a mind-bending voice, maddening and seductive at the same time. "It is not time yet. These events must come to pass. You cannot reveal yourself to them until the time is right. They must suffer, and you cannot stop it."
Hyperion sheathed his sword and sighed angrily, frustrated with himself and his own inability to act. He turned his back to the darkness, to the pain of his former allies.
"Yes, my master," he whispered back. "I hear, and I obey."
=====
Dracul Samhain watched the events from his great castle. The crystal sphere on the crystal pedestal showed him everything and allowed him to communicate with everyone. He watched as Nova's darkness was snuffed out, and he gave a little chuckle.
"So disappointing," he laughed. "I had such high hopes for her." He turned to the figure at his feet. "Just like I had such high hopes for you, Rhea Ophania."
Rhea Ophania lay sprawled at Samhain's feet. The Ophanimon was half-naked, clothed in little more than torn sheets and robes, and her hands were chained together. An Unholy Ring was bound around her neck, suppressing her powers. She was a broken angel, the mere plaything of Samhain. He lifted her face towards him and stared sadistically into her scared and broken green eyes.
"But you wouldn't join me," Dracul Samhain whispered. It was a mind-bending whisper, maddening and seductive. "Your heart was just a little too strong. And so you must suffer...you all must suffer."
Rhea said nothing. She simply shut her empty eyes and tried to turn away. Dracul Samhain sighed with boredom and dropped her back to the ground. He walked over to the red crystal sphere and pedestal and used it to speak to his Black Hands.
"Lazarus. Siegfried. End this now," he said. "Our experiment is over and I've grown bored with this game."
"Yes, master," the Black Hands whispered back. "We hear, and we obey."
=====
Lazarus had received his orders. End this now. And that's what he would do. He had figured that a magic duel against Kairi was pretty much useless. They could counter and re-counter each other all day, but with Karmas beside her, Lazarus would never be able to get in close with his swords. Karmas had to be taken out of the way first.
The Piedmon let out a sharp whistle, and a pair of Diaboromon leaped forward. One grabbed Kairi while the other jumped onto Karmas. With his massive strength, Karmas was able to grab the monster and smash it to the ground. He pummeled it with his mighty morning-star weapon and blasted it with ice until it erupted into a cloud of data particles. Karmas was about to go help Kairi when he heard another whistle.
"Hey, stupid," Lazarus said with a smirk. "Over here." He held up a large white sheet and swung it like a matador would to a bull. Karmas hated the insult to his intelligence and raged forward, swinging his morning-star with all his might. Lazarus stepped to the side, however, and Karmas simply raced right by him. They continued this little dance, which served to amuse Lazarus to no end while it only infuriated Karmas. He charged one more time, but this time he found himself smothered in the white sheet.
Kairi finally succeeded in dispatching the Diaboromon on top of her and turned to see Karmas disappear beneath the white sheet.
"What did you do to him?" she demanded angrily. Lazarus just laughed some more and held up a little keychain doll...of a Vikemon! "No!" she screamed.
Lazarus grabbed his four swords--two in each hand--and dashed forward. He ducked under Kairi's swinging staff and slashed across her chest. He attacked with surgical skill and pinpoint accuracy. Kairi cried out and fell back under his assault. She clutched her bleeding wounds as Lazarus moved in, watching her with cold, snake-like eyes. He made his move: he grabbed two swords and plunged them towards Kairi, intent on stabbing her through.
But Fabian leapt between them, and Lazarus's swords pierced through him instead. The Piedmon was upset, but not entirely unpleased. He did enjoy the look of pure terror on Kairi's face as she realized what Fabian had done for her.
Suddenly the RhodoKnightmon's ribbon weapons lashed out. They wrapped around Lazarus's neck. Fabian grabbed Lazarus's wrists and pulled his hands away from his swords (which where still embedded in Fabian) and held them up in the air, while the ribbons around his neck began to squeeze and cut.
"You won't hurt them anymore," Fabian said, voice clenched in pain. He struggled with all his might to remove Lazarus's head from his shoulders.
"You're amusing," Lazarus choked out. "I'm almost sorry to kill you." He psychically controlled the four swords and they flew through the air, stabbing Fabian through the chest and torso repeatedly. Fabian's arms slacked, and Lazarus grabbed at the ribbons around his throat. He pulled against them, loosening them just enough so he could breath again.
The swords kept stabbing, spilling blood and data out over the glass and sand.
Kairi cried for him to stop.
And he did.
Lazarus placed a hand against Fabian's chest and let loose with his Final Spell. He blew a hole straight through the knight, and Fabian instantly dissolved into a cloud of data.
Kairi screamed in horror.
Lazarus clutched his throat and breathed a sigh of relief. That had been way too close for his liking. He spotted Kairi, still sprawled out on the ground, consumed with grief for her love and for her friend. Lazarus smirked sadistically. He loved that look of pain, it made him feel truly alive.
He grasped his swords and stalked over to her...
=====
Siegfried had received his orders. End this now. And that's what he would do. He had become bored fighting with Ajax and Balion. As they were, they didn't provide a suitable challenge for a warrior of his caliber. He hoped that would change. They were the ones most likely to match his abilities in battle. If they became stronger, their battle would be absolutely glorious.
But for now, it was over.
Siegfried shouldered his shield into Ajax and in the same motion, unleashed his Judecca Prison. The attack blasted Ajax across the battlefield and embedded him in a glass wall. Siegfried spun around and slashed his lance across Balion's chest before giving him the same treatment he had given Ajax, pounding him into the ground with his Judecca Prison.
The dark knight sensed something behind him and spun around with his shield. He caught Erebus as he tried to attack and knocked him to the ground. He then stabbed the Cyberdramon in the shoulder and kicked him across the glass floor. Siegfried then turned his attention to the grieving Gatmuz.
Siegfried jumped into the air and blasted Gatmuz with his Chaos Disaster. The attack struck the MirageGaogamon in the face and knocked him to the ground. Weakened and distracted as he was from fighting Nova, he couldn't do much to defend himself. Siegfried then attacked Osiris. He slammed his shield into the Ancient's face and buried his lance in between the armored folds of his opponent's belly. He fired his two attacks simultaneously. The Chaos Disaster lanced from Balmung while the Judecca Prison exploded from the Gorgon shield. Osiris was sent flying.
Something gold flashed in the corner of his eye, and Siegfried leaned back just as Caesar flew past him and missed his mark. The Magnamon turned an angry glare towards Siegfried, but the dark knight just laughed it off. He could handle the golden knight on his own, but he wanted him distracted just to be sure.
"Lazarus," Siegfried called out. "Kill them all." Lazarus turned and dropped Kairi to the ground. He raised his swords for a killing stroke, aiming right at her heart.
"Caesar!" Theron called out. "Now! Do it!"
Caesar didn't need to be told twice. He pulled his focus inward, to the great golden sun that was his power. He reached out and grasped the heart of that blazing light and drew it out into the world.
The Crest of Miracles lit before him and Caesar placed his right hand against its glowing surface. Light roared out over the battlefield, more pure and holy than anything the others had ever seen. It washed over the Avengers, warming cold hearts and soothing aching wounds. But for Samhains Black Hands and Legions, it was the light of destruction. It purged the Diaboromon from the desert, rendering them to ones and zeroes.
Siegfried and Lazarus were forced to make a hasty retreat, to teleport away before the light could consume them as well.
Caesar dropped to his knees, exhausted and spent. Around him, the Avengers stirred, their souls warmed by the glow of golden light. They had a long and difficult road ahead of them. This much they all knew...