Kamotz
God of Monsters
Kaladesh
Vs. Sir Dagonet - Craniamon
Svarog Rodsyn
"God's Breath!" the Royal Knight shouted. A sphere of force erupted around him and stifled Svarog's flames. He surged forward and drove his spear into Svarog's gut. It struck through the sun god's armor and cut deep, forcing Svarog to cut his attack and fall back.
"End Waltz!" Dagonet's power surged and hammered into Svarog. He felt the breath suck from his lungs and his fires nearly extinguished from the Knight's overwhelming strike. A swift shield-strike sent Svarog reeling, and a kick sent him flying right into Stein.
"You've failed at your task, little god," Dagonet said, staring down at the two Guardians. "Your arrogance was assuming that we Royal Knights were the focal points of this attack. So you fought us instead of going where you were truly needed." He glanced over his shoulder to the center of the city. "And now Kaladesh lies in ruin for your meddling. And the humans you sought to protect are trapped here."
He was right, Svarog realized grimly. The land and skies were thick with the Royal Knights' forces. If the Tamers were to escape, their only route was the rail lines running out of the city, and the Knights' forces would not let that happen.
==\=/==
Kaladesh
Vs. Sir Percival - Magnamon
Thor Odinson
Percival dashed forward, weaving back and forth as he closed the gap between himself and Thor, moving so quickly that Thor could barely follow his movements. He struck, a hard-hitting kick aimed at Thor's head, but Thor managed to raise his arm and block the blow. He expected, as before, to be thrown from the force of the strike; for the power to crash through him and knock him off his feet. But this time was different. His arm held, his footing held; he weathered the blow with little more than a tightening of muscles and gritted teeth.
The Royal Knight hovered in place, stunned for a brief instant, but an instant too long. Thor struck back with a huge haymaker, drilling into Percival's unguarded midsection. A thunderclap exploded from the impact and Percival was sent flying into the midst of Kaladesh proper. Thor stood still in momentary disbelief at his own power before gathering his thoughts and tearing after him. A powerful wind kicked in his wake and sent soldiers on both sides flying.
He tore through Kaladesh, following the path of ruin Percival had left in his flight. He burst through homes made of marble and brass before colliding with the Royal Knight towards the center of the city. A rolling wave of force exploded from their impact and struck a nearby fountain. A masterpiece of painstakingly-sculpted bronze filigree bent, twisted, and crumpled. Percival threw a vicious elbow that struck Thor's cheek, but only succeeded in knocking the thunder god's head to the side, leaving Percival stunned once again. Thor powered back a half-heartbeat later, slashing a wide arc with his sword.
Percival avoided the blade's edge, weaving out of its range, but the cascade of power that followed crashed into him and sent him tumbling back. He righted himself and skid to a stop, pushing through and weathering the wave's onslaught. The city behind him didn't fare the same. Entire swaths of buildings buckled under the pressure of Thor's attack. It continued, collapsing the roof of the Kaladesh central rail station.
A chorus of screams erupted as the station imploded. A mass of Tamers and their partners went diving for shelter. The line of evacuees was severed as the next - and last - train fled the station.
"You don't have the ability to control that power of yours, Odinson," Percival growled. His voice lacked any of his previous bravado, but rang with fury. "You're just like them. All potential, no prowess. And because of that, we're going to win."
Percival blasted Thor with a torrent of golden energy, pushing him back. The knight then took to the air and raced towards the station, his body glowing; he blazed towards the humans and their partners, defenseless in the rubble beneath him.
"Magna--"
"Pyro Barrage!" a voice shouted, interrupting Percival's attack. A barrage of fire splintered around his golden frame and forced him to alter his course. "You won't escape me. ROYAL KNIGHT!" A BurningGreymon roared down from the sky, chasing after him. A few flaps of her flaming wings and she was upon him, striking with fiery claws.
"I don't have time for you," Percival said. He caught her wrist and twisted it sharply, forcing her to her knees. "You're not even worth my time to begin with."
"Why you--"
"Magna Punch!" Percival struck a massive uppercut on the BurningGreymon's jaw that sent her flying, engulfed in golden energy. He turned back to the cowering humans, but another Digimon, a TigerVespamon, stepped into his path.
Percival barely even slowed, and tackled the insect through a wall. He pressed his face into the dirt.
"Hey. Somebody wanna get this clown offa me?" the TigerVespamon grumbled. He struggled against the Royal Knight's grip, but Percival was simply too strong. "Oh, come on!"
A two-sword slash crashed against Percival's defenses and stunned him long enough for the insect Digimon to scurry away and set down beside his "savior." A Gaiomon crouched low and glanced his way out of the corner of his eye.
"Are you alright, Trowa?" the Gaiomon asked, not letting his guard down.
"I hate everything about this, Duo," the TigerVespamon grumbled. "What ever happened to all our random wanderings? When did we become people who FIGHT ROYAL KNIGHTS?!"
"When our Lady Lucia asked us to," Duo answered, full of resolve. He glanced the other way as a QueenChessmon stepped beside them.
"I never commanded you two to do this," she said, her voice almost-cracking. "I told you it was your choice."
"And here we are," Duo assured her.
"Isn't this lovely," Percival mocked, his arms crossed smugly. "An insect, a soldier, and a princess that's a bit too far from her kingdom. Who do you think you are to challenge me?"
"Together?" Lucia asked, glancing towards her Gaiomon vassal.
"Together," he nodded.
"Yeah, whatever," Trowa rolled his compound eyes.
The three fighters charged Percival, and he took to them in kind. He sent their attacks glancing off his bracers, pivoting through their defenses, and then landed a series of powerful kicks and punches to their broken guards. Trowa was knocked through the air, Duo was flattened into the ground, and Lucia was thrown into a nearby pile of rubble.
"Little help, Rhys?" Trowa shouted over his shoulder to a VictoryGreymon. But said dragon was occupied in holding up a massive pile of rubble that was threatening to fully cut off the Tamers from their escape route on the trains.
"Little busy, Trowa," he said through gritted teeth. His eyes widened in panic as Percival stalked towards him. Humans of various shapes and sizes struggled to squeeze past Rhys's massive frame and into the tunnels beneath the station, pushing against one another in a panic.
Percival raised a glowing hand.
"Please don't," Rhys begged, straining under the weight of busted brass and crumbling copper. "They've done nothing. You have to see that. You're a Royal Knight! You have to protect the innocent! They're innocent!"
"None of them are innocent," Percival said solemnly. "And they'll destroy our world if we let them."
"No wait--"
"Magna Blast!" A golden streak of light slammed into Rhys and sent him flying into the wreckage. The mass of twisted metal collapsed behind and atop him a half-moment later.
The humans, several dozen strong, stopped and turned. They scrambled, trying to escape into the wreckage, or over it, or anywhere away from Percival. The Royal Knight watched them from the corner of his eye, but paid them little mind.
"Vermin," he muttered, his armor alighting with a golden glow, the telltale beginnings of his Magna Explosion. "You don't deserve to exist in our world." Sparks cracked across his armor. "Magna Explosion." Light swelled around him and expanded outward. Tamers and their Digimon cried out in terror.
Thor dropped from the sky, a crashing streak of lightning. He slammed into Percival and forced him to the ground. He howled in determination as Percival's attack blistered his palms, and threw the flat of the White Sword's blade in between them. Thor focused all his will into the sword, commanding it to hold strong, to weather and dissipate the energy of Percival's attack without annihilating everything around them.
And for once, the White Sword obliged. Thor sprung back, his white armor smoking and his sword still held firmly in his grip.
"Damn you, Odinson," Percival growled. He struggled to his feet, breathing heavily. His fists lit with golden energy, but it fizzled weakly.
"Let's end this," Thor snarled, raising the White Sword.
"Stop," Lucia barked. She hauled herself up. Beside her, Trowa and Duo followed suit. "You have to stop this, Lord Thor." She glanced to the Tamers and their partners. "They cannot survive the two of you clashing this close. There's nowhere for them to run to!"
"The trains--"
"They're cut off," Lucia interjected. Her eyes were wild and desperate. "Rhys tried holding up the entrance but...None of them can make it to the trains anymore. And those trains can't get out. Not with the Knights and their armies everywhere."
Percival smirked. "We knew the Council would try something," Percival said. "We didn't know who they'd send, but we knew they'd send someone. And of course you'd come after us. The rest of your rabble wouldn't be able to handle our soldiers, and our mission would be successful. Kaladesh has fallen. The humans here are ours, and they will be expelled from our world."
"No," Thor snarled. He gripped the White Sword tighter.
"Thor!" a shout cried out from the skies. Michael dropped down gracefully and landed beside the Odinson.
"Michael, the humans--"
"I heard," Michael nodded, glaring at Percival. "I left Okatsu and another to hold of Guinier, but I don't know how much longer they'll last. We need to get as many humans out of the city as possible. The ones already on the train." He glanced over to the Tamers hiding in the rubble. "We can't save these."
"I will not abandon them," Thor insisted, lightning sparking at his anger. "Leave them to the Knights' fury? Never."
"Some of them or none of them, Thor," Michael shot back, his voice low. "That's all we can hope for right now. We didn't see their plan and we have to pay for it now."
"We're not the ones who will pay," Thor snapped.
Michael had no response for the thunder god, but turned to Lucia, Duo, and Trowa. "Get as many as you can carry to the train. We'll rally the Guardians and provide cover for them to escape the city."
"No, you'll do nothing of the sort," Percival declared. He lit with brilliant gold and dashed forward, but Thor met his charge.
"That's not your call," Thor snarled through gritted teeth. With a burst of strength he grabbed Percival and carried him through the ruins away from the assembled Tamers and up into the air.
"Face it, Thor," Percival growled, pushing against his flight. "None of them will make it out of here any other way except back to their own world. You've lost!"
"Maybe. But so have you!" Thor cried out. "Omni Sword!"
The thunder god struck; the White Sword illuminated the entire sky with its cascade of power. Percival didn't even perceive the attack, he merely heard the words and then felt its power roll through him. He didn't even have the chance to cry out in pain before his world went white and he plummeted from the sky.
Thor floated still for a moment, allowing the wash of energies to dissipate into the air around him. Everything seemed to vibrate violently from the power he'd unleashed. Below he could see Percival's still form and the wreckage left in his wake.
"Odin's Blood, what have I done?" he whispered in shock. All that power...it was too much. How was he ever supposed to get used to that kind of power? Percival lay injured, possibly near death, on the ground below. How many other Digimon had he killed by simply not being aware of what he was doing? How much of Kaladesh had he left ruined in his wake? He should have wielded the sword like a scalpel, or an artist's brush. Instead he was hacking away like a butcher, and spilling cans of paint all over the floor like a fool.
He shook away his insecurities. It wasn't the time to dwell on mistakes; not yet, anyway. There were still humans and Digimon that he could help. Michael was already circling the battlefield, a shining point of light amidst the smoke and the fire; he was gathering the Guardians, ushering them and any Tamer pairs they could towards the remaining trains.
It wasn't enough. Even if they each carried two humans and two Digimon that still left several dozen abandoned behind them. How could they possibly choose who leave behind?
Thor dropped low, his silver wings shimmered through the heat. He felt his control over the Paladin Mode begin slipping. He had minutes, at most, before he was forced to relinquish it.
"Svarog. Stein. Get them to the train!" he shouted over the sounds of battle. The two were still engaging Dagonet, still playing into the Knights' tactics. He left them to heed his call and plowed forward, punching through the Royal Knights' ranks and making room at the front of the train.
"Go!" he ordered the Locomon. Despite its fear the train Digimon did as instructed, and Thor leapt atop on of the cars to continue fending off attackers. He could hear the screams and sobs of the Tamers below him.
As the Locomon began its building escape, Thor could see the rest of the Guardians making their way hurriedly towards the train. Even the others - the QueenChessmon, the Gaiomon, and the rest of that group were on their way. Svarog and Stein barreled through the Royal Knights' ranks. Theo flew through the air, fighting off anything in his way. Behind him flew Artanis, carrying an armload of humans. Henry dashed over what was left of rooftops, firing behind him with one hand, a human in the other, and her partner spitting fireballs from his shoulder. Shula and Frost had de-merged and stumbled their way onto the train alongside Tessa and a group of four tamer pairs. Denys and Fiona brought up the rear, Denys firing back to keep soldiers off their tail. Aria and Okatsu followed suit with Hoshiko. They were followed by a Tamer and a Sirenmon that Thor didn't recognize, but no other humans joined them. That left only Michael and…
"GET OFFA ME, YOU WING-HEADED SCUM!" a snarling howl of fury carried up even past the roar of battle. Michael pulled his way into sight, literally dragging a frothing Samael behind him. The fallen angel was cut up, bruised, and bleeding, but seemed intent on breaking free of Michael and rejoining the battle. "I'M GONNA KILL HER!"
But despite Samael's objections, Michael was able to force him onto the train.
"Can this move faster?" Michael called out, knocking away a Mistymon that had hopped on board. A pack of Raidramon chased behind and were quickly catching up with the Locomon. In the air, AeroVeedramon and Wingdramon were closing in fast.
"Not unless you want me to blow a gasket and get us stranded!" the Locomon shouted back.
"I'll heal you; just get us as far as you can, as quickly as you can," Michael ordered. He slashed at a swooping Wingdramon. Beside him, Samael literally tore the guts out of an unfortunate Raidramon, and Svarog filled the sky above with fiery arrows.
With a roar of effort, the Locomon charged. Steam flew from his engine, sparks erupted from the tracks behind him. Michael dashed through to the front of the train and placed a hand on the Locomon's back. He felt the Digimon begin to buckle and sent a surge of healing light into him.
Thor growled, neither of them would last long in that fashion. He raced along the tops of the train cars towards the back, fighting off more of the Knights' soldiers while struggling to remain rooted to the roof. He had to force them back and get enough of a lead that Michael and the Locomon could slow down.
He drew on the White Sword. One more time, he thought to himself; he could feel his control slipping. His body shook with the effort it took to just raise the sword high. He poured his power into it and its light erupted. The Royal Knights' soldiers let out their startled cries and dove away, falling back suddenly and quickly to avoid being annihilated by the weapon's power.
But Thor held back. With the sword aloft and alight, he held until their pursuers were no more than a mass in the distance and too far to pose a threat. Only then did he allow the power to dissipate, for the Paladin Mode to fall away, and his body to drop.
Vs. Sir Dagonet - Craniamon
Svarog Rodsyn
"God's Breath!" the Royal Knight shouted. A sphere of force erupted around him and stifled Svarog's flames. He surged forward and drove his spear into Svarog's gut. It struck through the sun god's armor and cut deep, forcing Svarog to cut his attack and fall back.
"End Waltz!" Dagonet's power surged and hammered into Svarog. He felt the breath suck from his lungs and his fires nearly extinguished from the Knight's overwhelming strike. A swift shield-strike sent Svarog reeling, and a kick sent him flying right into Stein.
"You've failed at your task, little god," Dagonet said, staring down at the two Guardians. "Your arrogance was assuming that we Royal Knights were the focal points of this attack. So you fought us instead of going where you were truly needed." He glanced over his shoulder to the center of the city. "And now Kaladesh lies in ruin for your meddling. And the humans you sought to protect are trapped here."
He was right, Svarog realized grimly. The land and skies were thick with the Royal Knights' forces. If the Tamers were to escape, their only route was the rail lines running out of the city, and the Knights' forces would not let that happen.
==\=/==
Kaladesh
Vs. Sir Percival - Magnamon
Thor Odinson
Percival dashed forward, weaving back and forth as he closed the gap between himself and Thor, moving so quickly that Thor could barely follow his movements. He struck, a hard-hitting kick aimed at Thor's head, but Thor managed to raise his arm and block the blow. He expected, as before, to be thrown from the force of the strike; for the power to crash through him and knock him off his feet. But this time was different. His arm held, his footing held; he weathered the blow with little more than a tightening of muscles and gritted teeth.
The Royal Knight hovered in place, stunned for a brief instant, but an instant too long. Thor struck back with a huge haymaker, drilling into Percival's unguarded midsection. A thunderclap exploded from the impact and Percival was sent flying into the midst of Kaladesh proper. Thor stood still in momentary disbelief at his own power before gathering his thoughts and tearing after him. A powerful wind kicked in his wake and sent soldiers on both sides flying.
He tore through Kaladesh, following the path of ruin Percival had left in his flight. He burst through homes made of marble and brass before colliding with the Royal Knight towards the center of the city. A rolling wave of force exploded from their impact and struck a nearby fountain. A masterpiece of painstakingly-sculpted bronze filigree bent, twisted, and crumpled. Percival threw a vicious elbow that struck Thor's cheek, but only succeeded in knocking the thunder god's head to the side, leaving Percival stunned once again. Thor powered back a half-heartbeat later, slashing a wide arc with his sword.
Percival avoided the blade's edge, weaving out of its range, but the cascade of power that followed crashed into him and sent him tumbling back. He righted himself and skid to a stop, pushing through and weathering the wave's onslaught. The city behind him didn't fare the same. Entire swaths of buildings buckled under the pressure of Thor's attack. It continued, collapsing the roof of the Kaladesh central rail station.
A chorus of screams erupted as the station imploded. A mass of Tamers and their partners went diving for shelter. The line of evacuees was severed as the next - and last - train fled the station.
"You don't have the ability to control that power of yours, Odinson," Percival growled. His voice lacked any of his previous bravado, but rang with fury. "You're just like them. All potential, no prowess. And because of that, we're going to win."
Percival blasted Thor with a torrent of golden energy, pushing him back. The knight then took to the air and raced towards the station, his body glowing; he blazed towards the humans and their partners, defenseless in the rubble beneath him.
"Magna--"
"Pyro Barrage!" a voice shouted, interrupting Percival's attack. A barrage of fire splintered around his golden frame and forced him to alter his course. "You won't escape me. ROYAL KNIGHT!" A BurningGreymon roared down from the sky, chasing after him. A few flaps of her flaming wings and she was upon him, striking with fiery claws.
"I don't have time for you," Percival said. He caught her wrist and twisted it sharply, forcing her to her knees. "You're not even worth my time to begin with."
"Why you--"
"Magna Punch!" Percival struck a massive uppercut on the BurningGreymon's jaw that sent her flying, engulfed in golden energy. He turned back to the cowering humans, but another Digimon, a TigerVespamon, stepped into his path.
Percival barely even slowed, and tackled the insect through a wall. He pressed his face into the dirt.
"Hey. Somebody wanna get this clown offa me?" the TigerVespamon grumbled. He struggled against the Royal Knight's grip, but Percival was simply too strong. "Oh, come on!"
A two-sword slash crashed against Percival's defenses and stunned him long enough for the insect Digimon to scurry away and set down beside his "savior." A Gaiomon crouched low and glanced his way out of the corner of his eye.
"Are you alright, Trowa?" the Gaiomon asked, not letting his guard down.
"I hate everything about this, Duo," the TigerVespamon grumbled. "What ever happened to all our random wanderings? When did we become people who FIGHT ROYAL KNIGHTS?!"
"When our Lady Lucia asked us to," Duo answered, full of resolve. He glanced the other way as a QueenChessmon stepped beside them.
"I never commanded you two to do this," she said, her voice almost-cracking. "I told you it was your choice."
"And here we are," Duo assured her.
"Isn't this lovely," Percival mocked, his arms crossed smugly. "An insect, a soldier, and a princess that's a bit too far from her kingdom. Who do you think you are to challenge me?"
"Together?" Lucia asked, glancing towards her Gaiomon vassal.
"Together," he nodded.
"Yeah, whatever," Trowa rolled his compound eyes.
The three fighters charged Percival, and he took to them in kind. He sent their attacks glancing off his bracers, pivoting through their defenses, and then landed a series of powerful kicks and punches to their broken guards. Trowa was knocked through the air, Duo was flattened into the ground, and Lucia was thrown into a nearby pile of rubble.
"Little help, Rhys?" Trowa shouted over his shoulder to a VictoryGreymon. But said dragon was occupied in holding up a massive pile of rubble that was threatening to fully cut off the Tamers from their escape route on the trains.
"Little busy, Trowa," he said through gritted teeth. His eyes widened in panic as Percival stalked towards him. Humans of various shapes and sizes struggled to squeeze past Rhys's massive frame and into the tunnels beneath the station, pushing against one another in a panic.
Percival raised a glowing hand.
"Please don't," Rhys begged, straining under the weight of busted brass and crumbling copper. "They've done nothing. You have to see that. You're a Royal Knight! You have to protect the innocent! They're innocent!"
"None of them are innocent," Percival said solemnly. "And they'll destroy our world if we let them."
"No wait--"
"Magna Blast!" A golden streak of light slammed into Rhys and sent him flying into the wreckage. The mass of twisted metal collapsed behind and atop him a half-moment later.
The humans, several dozen strong, stopped and turned. They scrambled, trying to escape into the wreckage, or over it, or anywhere away from Percival. The Royal Knight watched them from the corner of his eye, but paid them little mind.
"Vermin," he muttered, his armor alighting with a golden glow, the telltale beginnings of his Magna Explosion. "You don't deserve to exist in our world." Sparks cracked across his armor. "Magna Explosion." Light swelled around him and expanded outward. Tamers and their Digimon cried out in terror.
Thor dropped from the sky, a crashing streak of lightning. He slammed into Percival and forced him to the ground. He howled in determination as Percival's attack blistered his palms, and threw the flat of the White Sword's blade in between them. Thor focused all his will into the sword, commanding it to hold strong, to weather and dissipate the energy of Percival's attack without annihilating everything around them.
And for once, the White Sword obliged. Thor sprung back, his white armor smoking and his sword still held firmly in his grip.
"Damn you, Odinson," Percival growled. He struggled to his feet, breathing heavily. His fists lit with golden energy, but it fizzled weakly.
"Let's end this," Thor snarled, raising the White Sword.
"Stop," Lucia barked. She hauled herself up. Beside her, Trowa and Duo followed suit. "You have to stop this, Lord Thor." She glanced to the Tamers and their partners. "They cannot survive the two of you clashing this close. There's nowhere for them to run to!"
"The trains--"
"They're cut off," Lucia interjected. Her eyes were wild and desperate. "Rhys tried holding up the entrance but...None of them can make it to the trains anymore. And those trains can't get out. Not with the Knights and their armies everywhere."
Percival smirked. "We knew the Council would try something," Percival said. "We didn't know who they'd send, but we knew they'd send someone. And of course you'd come after us. The rest of your rabble wouldn't be able to handle our soldiers, and our mission would be successful. Kaladesh has fallen. The humans here are ours, and they will be expelled from our world."
"No," Thor snarled. He gripped the White Sword tighter.
"Thor!" a shout cried out from the skies. Michael dropped down gracefully and landed beside the Odinson.
"Michael, the humans--"
"I heard," Michael nodded, glaring at Percival. "I left Okatsu and another to hold of Guinier, but I don't know how much longer they'll last. We need to get as many humans out of the city as possible. The ones already on the train." He glanced over to the Tamers hiding in the rubble. "We can't save these."
"I will not abandon them," Thor insisted, lightning sparking at his anger. "Leave them to the Knights' fury? Never."
"Some of them or none of them, Thor," Michael shot back, his voice low. "That's all we can hope for right now. We didn't see their plan and we have to pay for it now."
"We're not the ones who will pay," Thor snapped.
Michael had no response for the thunder god, but turned to Lucia, Duo, and Trowa. "Get as many as you can carry to the train. We'll rally the Guardians and provide cover for them to escape the city."
"No, you'll do nothing of the sort," Percival declared. He lit with brilliant gold and dashed forward, but Thor met his charge.
"That's not your call," Thor snarled through gritted teeth. With a burst of strength he grabbed Percival and carried him through the ruins away from the assembled Tamers and up into the air.
"Face it, Thor," Percival growled, pushing against his flight. "None of them will make it out of here any other way except back to their own world. You've lost!"
"Maybe. But so have you!" Thor cried out. "Omni Sword!"
The thunder god struck; the White Sword illuminated the entire sky with its cascade of power. Percival didn't even perceive the attack, he merely heard the words and then felt its power roll through him. He didn't even have the chance to cry out in pain before his world went white and he plummeted from the sky.
Thor floated still for a moment, allowing the wash of energies to dissipate into the air around him. Everything seemed to vibrate violently from the power he'd unleashed. Below he could see Percival's still form and the wreckage left in his wake.
"Odin's Blood, what have I done?" he whispered in shock. All that power...it was too much. How was he ever supposed to get used to that kind of power? Percival lay injured, possibly near death, on the ground below. How many other Digimon had he killed by simply not being aware of what he was doing? How much of Kaladesh had he left ruined in his wake? He should have wielded the sword like a scalpel, or an artist's brush. Instead he was hacking away like a butcher, and spilling cans of paint all over the floor like a fool.
He shook away his insecurities. It wasn't the time to dwell on mistakes; not yet, anyway. There were still humans and Digimon that he could help. Michael was already circling the battlefield, a shining point of light amidst the smoke and the fire; he was gathering the Guardians, ushering them and any Tamer pairs they could towards the remaining trains.
It wasn't enough. Even if they each carried two humans and two Digimon that still left several dozen abandoned behind them. How could they possibly choose who leave behind?
Thor dropped low, his silver wings shimmered through the heat. He felt his control over the Paladin Mode begin slipping. He had minutes, at most, before he was forced to relinquish it.
"Svarog. Stein. Get them to the train!" he shouted over the sounds of battle. The two were still engaging Dagonet, still playing into the Knights' tactics. He left them to heed his call and plowed forward, punching through the Royal Knights' ranks and making room at the front of the train.
"Go!" he ordered the Locomon. Despite its fear the train Digimon did as instructed, and Thor leapt atop on of the cars to continue fending off attackers. He could hear the screams and sobs of the Tamers below him.
As the Locomon began its building escape, Thor could see the rest of the Guardians making their way hurriedly towards the train. Even the others - the QueenChessmon, the Gaiomon, and the rest of that group were on their way. Svarog and Stein barreled through the Royal Knights' ranks. Theo flew through the air, fighting off anything in his way. Behind him flew Artanis, carrying an armload of humans. Henry dashed over what was left of rooftops, firing behind him with one hand, a human in the other, and her partner spitting fireballs from his shoulder. Shula and Frost had de-merged and stumbled their way onto the train alongside Tessa and a group of four tamer pairs. Denys and Fiona brought up the rear, Denys firing back to keep soldiers off their tail. Aria and Okatsu followed suit with Hoshiko. They were followed by a Tamer and a Sirenmon that Thor didn't recognize, but no other humans joined them. That left only Michael and…
"GET OFFA ME, YOU WING-HEADED SCUM!" a snarling howl of fury carried up even past the roar of battle. Michael pulled his way into sight, literally dragging a frothing Samael behind him. The fallen angel was cut up, bruised, and bleeding, but seemed intent on breaking free of Michael and rejoining the battle. "I'M GONNA KILL HER!"
But despite Samael's objections, Michael was able to force him onto the train.
"Can this move faster?" Michael called out, knocking away a Mistymon that had hopped on board. A pack of Raidramon chased behind and were quickly catching up with the Locomon. In the air, AeroVeedramon and Wingdramon were closing in fast.
"Not unless you want me to blow a gasket and get us stranded!" the Locomon shouted back.
"I'll heal you; just get us as far as you can, as quickly as you can," Michael ordered. He slashed at a swooping Wingdramon. Beside him, Samael literally tore the guts out of an unfortunate Raidramon, and Svarog filled the sky above with fiery arrows.
With a roar of effort, the Locomon charged. Steam flew from his engine, sparks erupted from the tracks behind him. Michael dashed through to the front of the train and placed a hand on the Locomon's back. He felt the Digimon begin to buckle and sent a surge of healing light into him.
Thor growled, neither of them would last long in that fashion. He raced along the tops of the train cars towards the back, fighting off more of the Knights' soldiers while struggling to remain rooted to the roof. He had to force them back and get enough of a lead that Michael and the Locomon could slow down.
He drew on the White Sword. One more time, he thought to himself; he could feel his control slipping. His body shook with the effort it took to just raise the sword high. He poured his power into it and its light erupted. The Royal Knights' soldiers let out their startled cries and dove away, falling back suddenly and quickly to avoid being annihilated by the weapon's power.
But Thor held back. With the sword aloft and alight, he held until their pursuers were no more than a mass in the distance and too far to pose a threat. Only then did he allow the power to dissipate, for the Paladin Mode to fall away, and his body to drop.