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Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
Chapter 14: Forlorn Hope​

Duftmon stood at the apex of a small hill.

A soft wind blew through his blond hair from behind him, causing it to lightly blow against his back. He rested his hands on the hilt of his sword, whose tip stuck into the ground. Meditatively, his green eyes surveyed the grasslands below. Apart from the incline he was on, the terrain was largely flat and nondescript. There was a series of small hills in the distance, much like the ones around him. The sides of the plain were flat and predictable, much like the field itself. He had chosen this area.

This was to be their battlefield.

Several days had passed since Examon and Dukemon’s encounter with Black Pincer Company. They had returned to the Royal Knights with what they had found, and their hideout was taken under control and cleared out. Despite the fact that there was good evidence that it was the mercenaries and their unknown client that attacked Castle Albion, it didn’t change the fact that the Metal Empire had attacked the Royal Knights before. It also didn’t change that fact that the Metal Empire had moved into the territory to the west of the Mamemon Kingdom, with full intent to attack the Mamemon Kingdom itself. The Royal Knights were still at war.

Under OuRyuumon’s command, the Strike Forces had gone ahead and set up camp north of the Champion River. Duftmon, along with Dukemon, Craniamon, Dynasmon, and RhodoKnightmon, arrived yesterday afternoon. The battle group was to intercept a sizeable D-Brigade advance force that was trying to take control of the hills to the south of the Mamemon Kingdom. The Royal Knights needed to stop them so that they wouldn’t be able to flank the small country.

The battle was to be today. He could already see the D-Brigade getting into formation on the opposite end of the field. They had accepted Duftmon’s challenge. Standing on the hill opposite to him, he could just barely make out the figures of the enemy commanders.

Duftmon watched as the Strike Forces got into formation in the fields below. The Strike Forces were sub-divided into two groups: the Ground Strike Forces and the Aerial Strike Forces. Every so often, depending on the battle, there were special groups assembled from the Order’s members, such as a long-range bombardment detachment or a group to serve as countermeasures for a particular type of Digimon. For this particular battle, Duftmon deemed it unnecessary.

At the moment, Duftmon had divided the Ground Strike Forces more or less evenly in a standard formation. The strongest troops were at the center and they were the brawn of the fighting force whose job it was to advance and break the enemy lines. Slightly weaker but more manoeuvrable contingents made up the left and right wings of the formation, whose job it was to flank and counter-flank. Meanwhile, the Aerial Strike Forces flew to the rear of the Ground Strike Forces. Their job was to provide aerial cover, bombardment, high-manoeuvre flanking, and air superiority.

In addition to the Strike Forces, Duftmon also borrowed a team of Shield Guards to act as the vanguard for the Strike Force’s center. Their job was to protect the Strike Forces from attacks using their high defence capabilities. Duftmon also took a handful of scouts for scouting the enemy and light skirmishing.

As much as he watched his own forces get into position, Duftmon watched the movements of the enemy forces equally as much. He read the enemy’s movements. The battle had started before a single attack was launched.

“Hmph,” Duftmon calmly scoffed, closing his eyes. “Amateurish…”

Dukemon looked over at the tactician curiously. He was sitting on hill with his Gram and Aegis in hand. Also nearby was Dynasmon, who was cracking his knuckles and seemed to be eager to get the battle started. Further down the hill was RhodoKnightmon, who lazily relaxed in the grass and watched the clouds pass overhead. Not far off was Craniamon, who was alternating between doing stretches and practicing his combat form.

“What is?” Dukemon asked him.

“The enemy’s formation,” Duftmon responded, tapping his foot. “He’s waiting for me to place the rest of you before placing his own troops. He honestly thinks that he can direct the tide of battle now, but he’s really just reacting to me. With amateur tactics like that, he has already lost.”

Dukemon stood to his feet and stretched. “You think so…?” the crimson knight mused. “Our formations seem pretty standard too, though.”

Duftmon gave him a sideways look. “That is intentional; I am allowing for the greatest degree of flexibility from our soldiers. I expect the D-Brigade Commander to make a rookie mistake that we might be able to capitalize on. Our Aerial Strike Forces will be the key element in this battle; they will be able to take advantage of the mistake before the enemy is able to correct it.”

“What makes you think the enemy commander will make a mistake?” Dukemon questioned the leopard knight.

“I suspect that it is either Fujinmon or Suijinmon in charge. While the D-Brigade excels in special operations, they are not yet proven in standard warfare. They have little practical experience on the battlefield, aside from their naval feats in the Pirate Wars. However, pirates aren’t exactly what you would call ‘challenging foes’,” Duftmon explained. “Especially not compared to a master tactician and an experienced, well-trained army.”

“Don’t underestimate them, Duftmon,” Dukemon said. “They wouldn’t go to war if they weren’t ready.”

“The Metal Empire went to war because we dared to stand up to them. Now they have to brandish their rusty weapons and make a show of opposing us, because they know that their empire is built on flimsy ground. It is pure bluster without any real substance,” Duftmon answered. The brown armoured tactician turned his head when he saw the patrol of scouts returning.

The Horusmon flew forwards and landed on the hill before them. His feathers were a bit ruffled, but he was otherwise fine. “Sir Duftmon,” he spoke, bowing his head upon landing.

“What have you to report?” Duftmon questioned.

“We got into a minor skirmish with the enemy when we penetrated the enemy lines,” the Horusmon responded. “We confirmed that the enemy commanders are Suijinmon and Fujinmon. It seems like Suijinmon has taken up the role of tactician.”

“I expected as much,” the tactician responded. “This battle is too concentrated so he will be sitting out. His firepower is useless here. Was there anything else?”

“There is actually…” Horusmon answered with a thoughtful frown. “We saw a large detachment of D-Brigade troops in the distance, far beyond those hills. About fifty in number. It was strange…”

Duftmon closed his eyes. “That is their rear guard,” he answered confidently. “Standard tactics. Suijinmon is cautious and likely insecure about having a field battle. He wants to protect his rear so that he won’t be surprised and made to look foolish in front of Chaosdramon after his last failure.”

Horusmon bowed his head. “With the utmost respect, Sir Duftmon, I’m not sure about that… It looked like they were doing something. I couldn’t tell what, but they were definitely doing something strange. I remember seeing a Breakdramon.”

“Most likely it is a D-Brigade sub-commander,” Duftmon said with a dismissive wave. “It is definitely their rear guard.”

Horusmon frowned uncertainly but nodded. “Yes, Sir,” he answered, flying off to meet the rest of the returning scouts.

Before Dukemon could say anything, he noticed OuRyuumon flying up towards them. The Captain’s serpentine body snaked through the air as he flew over. After swooping down, the gold dragon landed in front of them.

“Duftmon,” OuRyuumon said to him. “Does the formation of the Ground Strike Forces look good?”

Duftmon looked past him and nodded. “Spread them out a little bit more. Otherwise, it’s fine,” he stated.

“And the Aerial Strike Forces?” OuRyuumon asked.

“They will hold back for now. Have them provide bombardment for our advance and take care of the enemy fliers, but don’t let them get too far ahead or break rank,” the Royal Knight told him. “We will begin in twenty minutes.”

OuRyuumon nodded and flew off to consult with his leftenants.

Dynasmon walked over and folded his arms. “Where do you want us?” he asked. RhodoKnightmon and Craniamon walked over to him as well.

“Dynasmon. You and Dukemon take the left flank. Go to the front of the wing. You’ll see how Suijinmon reacts; he will counter you just as expected,” Duftmon responded. He then looked past the two dragon men to Craniamon and RhodoKnightmon. “RhodoKnightmon, you take the center. Craniamon, you take the right flank.”

“Huh?” Craniamon questioned, his eyes narrowing with displeasure. “You want me to take the flank? I should take the center. They’ll be in the thick of the fighting.”

“I feel like I would be best suited in Craniamon’s place on the flank,” RhodoKnightmon concurred. “I don’t want to get bogged down in a heavy melee when I am better at using my speed our advantage.”

“Rather, Craniamon wants to satiate his bloodlust and you want an easy job on the flank where the fighting is reduced,” Duftmon curtly clarified. He looked at Craniamon. “I have placed you in these positions based on your abilities. You are on par with Sleipmon for the best defence capabilities. I need your skills to bolster the right flank’s power and defence.” He then turned his gaze to RhodoKnightmon. “And your high offence and versatility are required in the center. Both of you can handle that, can’t you? I have a plan for this battle, you realise.”

RhodoKnightmon lowered his gaze with annoyance. “Yes, I can, Duftmon.”

Craniamon scoffed and looked away indignantly. “Fine. I still think it’s waste of talent,” he brusquely responded.

“Think that all you like. As long as you do your job like you are supposed to,” Duftmon countered offhandedly. He placed the Shoumatsu no Tsurugi against his shoulder, tapping it against his armour. “It is almost time. Dukemon, Dynasmon, please get into your positions now. Make sure that the enemy sees you.”

Dukemon exchanged looks with Dynasmon. “Alright,” he agreed. “What about the force that Horusmon mentioned?”

“You mean the rear guard,” Duftmon stated certainly. “In the worst case scenario, they will come to reinforce the main force in the late stages of the battle once the table has turned. In the best case scenario, the battle will be over before they have the chance to act.”

“Well, okay,” Dukemon said with a compliant nod. He turned to the larger dragon man beside him. “Let’s go, Dynasmon.”

Dynasmon cricked his head to the side, popping his joints. “Okay. Wish us luck,” he said, beginning to walk down the hill.

“Keep your LRACs on and adjusted to the right frequency.”

Dukemon and Dynasmon made their way to the bottom of the hill, where the large amounts of Strike Forces were getting into an orderly formation. They made their way through the lines and uttered encouraging words to the Digimon that they passed. The two Royal Knights walked out in front of the army and made their way over to the left flank.

As they did that in full view of the D-Brigade army on the opposite end of the battlefield, Duftmon gazed at the enemy forces. He grinned when he saw Suijinmon directing the remainder of his troops over to their right flank in order to compensate for the two Royal Knights on the Order’s left flank. Duftmon knew that Suijinmon had been waiting to see where he would place the majority of the Royal Knights, and then placing the rest of his soldiers to bolster that side.

“As predictable as I thought. What a disappointment,” Duftmon mumbled to himself, shaking his head. He glanced at the two remaining Royal Knights. “When you two get in position, we will begin our advance. Tell OuRyuumon.”

RhodoKnightmon and Craniamon nodded. They began to stride down the hill towards the field. RhodoKnightmon walked through the lines to the center formation, while Craniamon walked along to the right flank.

The rose knight walked up beside OuRyuumon, who stood at the front of the army, beside Leftenant Grademon, who commanded the Ground Strike Forces, and Leftenant Shoutmon X4K, who commanded the Shield Guards. The dragon captain, the golden warrior, and the caped, shield-bearing mecha turned towards RhodoKnightmon.

RhodoKnightmon glanced at them and then looked forwards at the D-Brigade army. He could see them finishing up their formations. “We are starting now,” RhodoKnightmon told them.

OuRyuumon looked over his shoulder at Duftmon, who continued standing on the hill to command the battle.
Duftmon raised his rapier over his head and then gracefully pointed it forwards, signalling to advance.

OuRyuumon looked forwards and drew his scimitars, pointing the Gairyu Udaijin ahead of him. “Advance!” he called out to the Strike Forces.

Shoutmon X4K followed suit with his glowing sword. “Go, Shield Guards! Don’t let a single attack through!” he ordered, raising his silver shield in front of him and leading the advance ahead of the Ground Strike Forces.

Duftmon watched from the hill as the center of the army began to move forwards. The two wings moved in tandem with the center so that it wasn’t exposed at any point. At the back of the Order’s army was a Dondokomon who drummed on his head in order to set a rhythm for the march and adrenalize the Order’s soldiers.

The tactician gazed across the battlefield to the enemy side. “Valiant effort, Suijinmon, but this battle was over before it even began...”

-

Suijinmon stood on the hill on the opposite end of the battlefield, watching as the Royal Knights began to advance towards them. He quietly raised one of his oversized, mechanical Accel Arms, signalling to the D-Brigade troops to begin their engagement.

“Good luck, troops. Commence bombardment,” the red armoured machine spoke calmly.

The din of cannon and gunfire suddenly erupted. As the D-Brigade mechanized infantry began launching a salvo of munitions, the cacophony of metal and gunpowder deafened this side of the battlefield. Tankmon, Tankdramon, Megadramon and Gigadramon began firing their shells, bullets and missiles.

The frontline of the Order’s army withstood the attacks using their thick shields and bodies, allowing the bullets to deflect off and the shells to explode in front of them without much damage. Meanwhile, the Aerial Strike Forces launched their own barrage of attacks to intercept the salvo of missiles before they could rain down on the forces below. A series of explosions blossomed and thundered across the sky as the munitions exploded.

As the first round of D-Brigade attacks faded, the Aerial Strike Forces responded with their own set of attacks, which blasted into the frontlines of the D-Brigade’s aerial forces and the advancing ground troops. Suijinmon narrowed his eyes as he watched the colourful attacks explode across the landscape and some of his soldiers were deleted.

He closed his eyes and released a calming breath through his vents when he sensed Fujinmon land beside him on the hill.

The slender, green Digimon gracefully touched down beside the bulky, crimson tactician. Fujinmon’s Critical Arms were activated and the two beam blades hummed from the energy they emitted. He turned his head and looked up Suijinmon. “Will you be sitting out of this battle, Suijinmon?” he asked the Waterfall Commander.

Suijinmon opened an eye and glanced down at Fujinmon. “Affirmative. It is up to me to see that this battle goes according to plan,” he responded. “I would not be of much use in this situation anyways.”

“Very well,” Fujinmon responded, his green, wire-like hair blowing in the breeze. “The wind is against us. Where do you want me?”

Suijinmon glanced over to their right flank, opposite to the Royal Knights’ left flank where Dukemon and Dynasmon were. “Go to the right with the others, please. Keep Dukemon and Dynasmon occupied.”

“I can do that,” Fujinmon calmly informed him. He looked over his shoulder. “By the way, the subterranean taskforce is progressing nicely.”

“Good,” Suijinmon responded, glancing over to his left flank, which was sparse in comparison to his right flank. “I will try to get the timing right.”

Fujinmon nodded. “I will take my position, then,” he said, floating up into the air. “Your plan had better work, Suijinmon. I don’t plan on being in Chaosdramon’s sights when he demands answers for a defeat.” The Hurricane Commander gave Suijinmon a final look before flying off to join the right flank in their advance.

“Understood,” Suijinmon answered, his gold eyes scanning the battlefield as explosions and flames erupted on both sides of the battlefield. “I hope this works as well.”

-

“We’re closing distance!” Shoutmon X4K called out as he continued leading the advance, blocking a burst of bullets with his shield in the process. “Prepare to fall back, Shield Guards! It’s the Strike Forces turn! But let’s give them a farewell shot first! BURNING STAR CRUSHER!”

The knight-like mecha swept his fiery Star Sword down and unleashed a massive wave of blazing energy across the grass and into the enemy lines. The blast enveloped two Tankdramon and caused them to crumple under the pressure and burst into data. The rest of the Shield Guard who were capable of ranged attacks also fired off their shots into the D-Brigade’s lines. Once their parting attacks were gone, they stepped back and receded into the lines of the Ground Strike Forces.

OuRyuumon and RhodoKnightmon now stood at the head of the army, watching as the Aerial Strike Forces rained down on the D-Brigade’s lines. OuRyuumon raised his scimitar over his head. “Okay! Hold fire, Aerial Strikes! Cover us and await orders! Ground Strikes, we’re moving in to keep the D-Brigade from using all that damn firepower on us! They’ll want to keep us at a range, but we need to close in and show them what it means to really fight!”

RhodoKnightmon nodded. “I shall get things started and cover your charge. Good luck, OuRyuumon. Stay safe for Alphamon, okay?” he said to him coyly. The rose knight then dashed out in front of them and charged the D-Brigade’s lines, drawing their fire.

OuRyuumon blushed at his words and snarled angrily. “CHARGE!” he roared, flying forwards after the Royal Knight.

RhodoKnightmon gracefully sprinted across the grass, managing to avoid all of the bullets, tank shells and attacks, ripping up the ground around him. With acrobatic finesse, he lunged into the air and spun around while throwing his Pile Bunker forwards.

“Urgent Fear!” he called out, throwing his Pile Bunker into the front plating of a Tankdramon and unleashing enough pressure to rip straight through the Digimon’s mechanical body.

Even as the shrapnel, oil and data was still dispersing from the blast, RhodoKnightmon began to extend his ribbon-blades out and strike around him with lightning speed. The blades stabbed into the surrounding Metal Empire soldiers and reduced them to data fragments.

Meanwhile, OuRyuumon caught up to the Royal Knight, shooting through the air as his body shimmered with a golden aura. “Ougai!” he shouted, sending himself crashing through the D-Brigade’s ranks and obliterating those in his path with his swords and draconic energy.

His Ground Strike Forces were right behind them and they soon drove straight into the well-disciplined enemy with a series of attacks.

-

Meanwhile, Dukemon and Dynasmon were closing in on the D-Brigade’s right flank with the rest of the Order’s left flank running behind them. The two Royal Knights sprinted ahead to clear the path for their comrades behind them. Dukemon gripped the Gram lance in his right hand and held his Aegis tightly in his left. Meanwhile, Dynasmon’s claws were brimming with elemental power and his body was enveloped in a bright, blue aura of Wyvern’s energy.

Ahead of him, the two Royal Knights spotted Fujinmon leading the charge towards them. There were about a hundred Digimon behind him. Dukemon eyed Fujinmon and then looked at Dynasmon. “Do you want to take him or should I?” he asked the brawny dragon knight.

Dynasmon shot him a grin. “Go ahead. I’ll have my claws full with all of the others,” he responded, the adrenaline clear in his voice.

“You got it. Just shout if you need me,” Dukemon said with a touch of levity to his voice.

Dynasmon laughed. “I should be telling you that, Duke!” he responded, flapping his wings and racing forwards. “Let’s do this! Breath… of… WYVERN!”

His roar matched Wyvern’s as the aura beast swept out from his body and flapped its mighty wings to shoot ahead of him. The dragon snarled and swooped forwards, crashing into the D-Brigade’s right flank’s heavily guarded lines. A good portion of Sealsdramon, Tankdramon, and Assaultmon were vaporized immediately. The resulting explosion caused temporary disarray in the D-Brigade’s ranks, but thanks to the army’s extreme discipline, the ranks were quickly closed and an onslaught of counter-fire ensued.

Fujinmon elegantly flew to the side to avoid the nearby explosion. He felt the heat and energy impact against him, but he kept himself steady in the air. The Hurricane Commander narrowed his eyes and began spinning his body, drawing powerful gusts of wind. “Marut Cyclone!”

The green cyborg whirled his body around and whipped up blasts of wind that he hurled towards the Royal Knights’ ranks. Dukemon raised his shield as the violent gusts of wind swept towards him. The buffeted the Aegis strong enough to blow the Royal Knight back several meters, though he just barely managed to stay standing as his boots skidded through the grass. The other bursts of wind cut into the Order’s ranks and sent Digimon flying through the air.

“I might just try that too!” Dynasmon snarled, flying forwards and outstretching his claws in front of him. “Dragon’s Roar!” From the gems on his palms, he unleashed two blasts of concentrated wind. They swept into the D-Brigade’s ranks, blowing the lighter Digimon away violently.

Dukemon narrowed his eyes and resumed his charge towards Fujinmon. As he dashed, he gathered radiant, white-blue energy at the tip of his lance. With a grunt, he lunged into the air and thrust the Gram forwards. “Royal Sabre!” he shouted as he unleashed a burning arrow of holy energy from the weapon.

The blast streaked through the air towards Fujinmon, but the Hurricane Commander was swift enough to dodge it. Fujinmon jetted towards Dukemon, poising his two Critical Arms and preparing to strike. “You’ll have to do better than that!”

“I intend to!” Dukemon countered, lunging into the air and matching his charge.

The pair clashed with Fujinmon’s beam sword striking against the Aegis while Dukemon tangled the Gram against the D-Brigade Commander’s other Critical Arm. They broke off from the stalemate and momentarily pulled back. Then each opponent went in for an aggressive stab. Dukemon bashed the energy blade aside while Fujinmon parried his lance thrust.

As the two Ultimate-level Digimon dueled, Dynasmon surged into the D-Brigade lines, throwing a massive punch that sent the mechanized soldiers flying. A Gigadramon attempted to fire two missiles down at the Royal Knight, but Dynasmon looked up in time to notice the barrage. He aimed his palms and fired a laser from each of them, detonating the two missiles in midair.

Dynasmon then lunged into the dissipating fire and smoke of the explosions and closed in on the Gigadramon. Grabbing the serpent by the tail, he swung him around a couple of times before releasing him and sending him flying into the D-Brigade’s ranks.

No sooner than when he let go did Dynasmon begin to attract ranged fire once again, with a couple of shells exploding against his chrome digizoid armour. The Royal Knight was knocked back a few meters, but he spread his wings out to stop himself. He grunted and dusted himself off with a hand. “This might be a tough fight after all…”

-

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the battlefield, Craniamon was leading the right flank against the D-Brigade’s left. They were at about the same point as Dukemon and Dynasmon’s group, but were facing less resistance, much to Craniamon’s inward disappointment.

“God Bless!” he shouted, bringing up a barrier in front of himself and the Order soldiers behind him in order to block a particularly heavy salvo of missiles. The munitions exploded against the barrier and kicked up smoke and dirt in front of them.

After a few seconds, the barrier fell and Craniamon dashed forwards. An Assaultmon some distance in front of him began opening fire on the Royal Knight with his various machine guns. As he ran, Craniamon raised the Avalon in order to deflect the hundreds of bullets aimed at his body. Cascades of sparks showered from the black shield, but Craniamon pressed onwards. Once there was a break in the fire, Craniamon sprinted forwards and stabbed the Claiohm Solais through the Assaultmon’s body.

Completely absorbed in the battle now, Craniamon’s red eyes glanced around for his next target. He saw a MagnaGarurumon unleash a laser from his cannon towards him. Craniamon quickly brought up his shield and held against the attack, letting the beam part around his defence.

Craniamon grunted and jumped away as a missile landed at his feet. Upon landing, he held his double-headed spear over his head and started spinning the weapon rapidly. “End Waltz!” A tunnel of wind and electricity began to form, catching the remaining missiles up within the folds of air. They spun around before the electricity caused them to detonate in bright flashes of light. At that point the vortex caught the MagnaGarurumon and a few of the D-Brigade aerial Digimon, throwing them around the supersonic cyclone violently.

Once they were dealt with, Craniamon took a moment to breathe and survey the situation. He noticed that the amount of soldiers on the D-Brigade’s left flank, while relatively substantial, was noticeably weaker than those at the center and the right flank. “This is barely a challenge at all,” Craniamon muttered. “There’s so many more enemies in their center and right flank. Stronger ones too. Somebody screwed up here and I have to pay for it.”

“Craniamon!” Duftmon’s voice spoke up on the LRAC.

Craniamon temporarily placed the Avalon shield into his black digizoid armour and raised the LRAC to his visor. “Yeah? What is it?” the violet Royal Knight asked with annoyance. “I’d say I’m busy fighting right now, but that’d be a lie.”

“Don’t get too far ahead of our center or left flank. Maintain a position relative to theirs, understood?” Duftmon said to him authoritatively.

“Fine, but it’s barely a challenge over here on the right flank,” Craniamon responded, unaware that there was a Sealsdramon using optical camouflage who was sneaking up behind him with a combat dagger. “At this rate, we’d be put to better use reinforcing our center or pushing forward harder to make the flank crumble and putting pressure on their center.”

“Maintain a gradual advance and keep pressure on their flank. By all means, destroy their left flank, but the actual job of flanking the center will be that of the Aerial Strike Forces. They will deliver the decisive blow that will take Suijinmon out at the knees,” Duftmon ordered.

“Can’t I be involved in that? I haven’t even worked up a sweat,” Craniamon protested, still not reacting to the cloaked Digimon behind him. The Sealsdramon appeared behind Craniamon, preparing to stab him in the neck. Just he lunged, Craniamon offhandedly punched the Sealsdramon over his shoulder, breaking the Digimon’s visor and causing him to crumple to the grass. “It’s insulting,” he went on to say nonchalantly.

“I don’t care. Keep in formation,” Duftmon told him. “Message complete.”

Craniamon rolled his eyes and rushed forward, slashing the Claiohm Solais into the D-Brigade ranks in front of him.

-

Duftmon watched from the hill as the Royal Knights and their forces fought on the battlefield. He carefully watched the distribution of enemy soldiers and the relative success of each section of the battle.

The battle was going slowest on the left flank where Dukemon and Dynasmon were, due to the high concentration of D-Brigade troops and the presence of Fujinmon. Things seemed to be going as expected at the center; there was a push and pull, but the Royal Knights were slowly gaining ground.

Duftmon’s eyes rested on the right flank where Craniamon was. He could clearly see that the D-Brigade forces were weaker there and quickly ceding. “Suijinmon, you fool… By moving your troops away from your left flank and moving them to your right flank to bolster against Dukemon and Dynasmon, you have severely compromised your formation. That flank is weak and it won’t be long until it crumbles, leaving the rest of your army vulnerable,” Duftmon mused as he stared at the D-Brigade’s left flank, which was quickly losing ground and soldiers to Craniamon and the Ground Strike Forces.

“It is time to end this,” Duftmon said to himself with smug finality. He raised his hand so that he could speak into the LRAC around his wrist. “Leftenant HippoGriffomon, do you read me?” he inquired.

The white gryphon flying at the front of the Aerial Strike Forces looked down and raised his paw up to his beak. “Confirmed, Sir Duftmon. What are your orders?” he asked into the LRAC around his ankle.

“Now is time for the Aerial Strike Forces to act,” Duftmon informed him. “Hook around the right flank and deliver a swift, decisive blow to the D-Brigade’s left and center. End this here.”

“Understood, Sir,” HippoGriffomon responded. He turned his eagle-like head to his aerial troops. “Come on! We’re going on a flanking run and hitting them where it hurts! Follow my lead and watch out for anti-air fire!”

Over-sergeant Paildramon, HippoGriffomon’s second-in-command, nodded and turned to the rest of the Aerial Strike Forces. “You heard him. Advance and stay in formation. Be mindful of your surroundings,” she elaborated.

With those words, the gryphon leftenant soared quickly to the right and began to circle around the battlefield at a wide angle. The hundred-some Aerial Strike Forces followed his lead, jetting through the sky after him in a disciplined formation that favoured their left side. They flew along the right side of the field, passing over the right flank of the Strike Forces.

Duftmon watched from his vantage point as the Aerial Strike Forces manoeuvred to begin their assault. Once they broke through the D-Brigade army’s central lines, the army would crumble and be forced to either retreat or face destruction.

The tactician folded his arms and closed his green eyes certainly. “You were a fool to think you could match me… That first battle in Saversburg was no more than a fluke caused by Sleipmon’s idiocy. Remember that, Suijinmon…”

-

On the opposite hill, Suijinmon calmly watched as his forces lost ground and suffered casualties on their left flank. He gazed at the Order’s Aerial Strike Forces as they flew to meet up with their land-based allies on the left. He knew that this was to take advantage of the weakening flank.

Suijinmon closed his eyes. “Good… He fell for the bait, after all,” he rumbled.

The Waterfall Commander’s eyes snapped open, the gold optics hardening. He waited until the majority of the Aerial Strike Forces were in the middle of the battlefield as they circled around to attack them.

“The tunnelers should be in place. It is time to turn things around,” Suijinmon murmured. He raised his giant Accel Arm into the air.

He brought the steel limb down like a hammer, causing it to smash into the grass and soil of the hill. The impact sent vibrations shooting through the ground, hard enough for the ground to tremor.

Once the thunderous crash had subsided, Suijinmon calmly retracted his arm and watched the battle continue.

“Now for Phase 2…”

-

Craniamon grunted as he drew the Claiohm Solais from the MagnaGarurumon’s chest. As he narrowed his eyes, he glanced around perceptively.

For a moment, he looked up at the sky. He could see HippoGriffomon and the Aerial Strike Forces progressing overhead as they flew towards their destination. As they soared, they fired attacks at the enemy fliers, felling them with ease. Craniamon was a bit annoyed that they got to have all the fun.

However, Craniamon took a few steps and crouched down, strengthening his guard. Something wasn’t right.

He looked at his surroundings guardedly. The Royal Knight could feel vibrations in the ground. The earth was definitely trembling beneath his feet. At first, he had assumed it was just the usual concussion of attacks hitting the ground or the vibration of tank treads. However, the vibrations were too constant and too strong for either of those.

Craniamon grunted and gripped his polearm and shield tighter. He turned his head to a nearby MetalGreymon of the Ground Strike Forces. “Hey! Do you feel that?” he called over to him.

Before Craniamon could get a reply, a sharp burst sounded out to his right. This was followed by a roar and a loud, mechanical drilling sound.

Craniamon spun around and looked with incredulous eyes as the gigantic body of a Breakdramon suddenly burst out from underground, sending a wave of earth into the air. The giant, mechanical, dragon beast lumbered from the ground, and towered over the Order’s soldiers. As soil fell from his giant body, dozens of D-Brigade soldiers began to pour out of the underground tunnel that the Breakdramon had dug. It was exactly to the right of the Order’s right flank, exactly where the majority of the Aerial Strike Forces were. The D-Brigade reinforcements marched out in an orderly fashion and began attacking the surprised Order soldiers, deleting several in the process.

The violet Royal Knight’s red eyes glared up at the Breakdramon. “What the hell…?”

The Breakdramon unleashed a roar and began to swipe his giant arms at the Aerial Digimon.

HippoGriffomon looked over his shoulder with a stunned expression at the appearance of the sudden influx of Digimon. “What?!” he demanded. “Over-sergeant Paildramon, redirect fire to the right! Sir Duftmo- AAH!”

He was interrupted when one of Breakdramon’s arms crashed down on him, throwing the gryphon to the ground violently.

“HippoGriffomon!” Craniamon called out. He narrowed his eyes. “Strike Forces! Hold your ground and fight back!” he ordered them. “Paildramon, you’re in charge now that HippoGriffomon’s down.”

“Yes, Sir,” Paildramon responded, glaring. She pivoted in the air to face the new threat and aimed her hip cannons towards the organized swarm of reinforcements. “Desperado Blaster!”

Beam blasts began ripping from the dual cannons and started to tear through the swell of reinforcements, deleting a few Sealsdramon and Troopmon. She narrowed her eyes when the holes in the ranks were quickly filled. Paildramon turned to her fellow Aerial Strike Force troops. “Regroup and hold the line! Lay down heavy fire!” she ordered. The dragon Digimon grunted and shot to the side when the Breakdramon tried to stab one of his drill-tipped tails into her. After evading, she turned and began unleashing a barrage of beam bullets into the metal appendage. “Desperado Blaster!”

With the mechanical titan momentarily distracted, Craniamon then vaulted into the air to attack the Breakdramon. “Over here, ugly!” he called out so that the giant Ultimate level focused on him.

The Breakdramon swung one of its crane arms at Craniamon, but the knight jumped over the swipe and used the arm to propel himself higher. He lunged towards the Breakdramon’s face, but the giant mechanized dragon activated his drill nose and bore down on Craniamon.

Craniamon raised the Avalon, causing the drill to screech against the metal and send sparks shooting out as it tried to drill through. Although Craniamon could feel himself getting pushed back, managed to get a good swipe against the Breakdramon’s face before getting thrown to the ground.

“D-Damn it…” Craniamon grunted, righting himself on the ground. “This isn’t good… Duftmon!”

-

“Duftmon!”

The tactician in question stared incredulously at the Breakdramon and his hundred-something reinforcements that had burst from the ground. His previously smug and assuming expression had morphed into one of stunned shock and disbelief. He watched as the Breakdramon and began to wreak havoc on the Aerial Strike Forces and the Ground Strike Forces over on the right flank. The wave of reinforcements began to surround them and cut them off.

“Duftmon, what was that?!” RhodoKnightmon asked over the LRAC.

“Duftmon, what the hell is going on at the right flank?!” Dukemon demanded. “Is that a Breakdramon?!”

The bewildered tactician didn’t respond. He was in a state of disbelief.

“Im…possible…” he whispered, his green eyes wide. “He… He…”

“DUFTMON!” Dukemon shouted over the LRAC. “Do you – rrgh! – r-read me?!”

Duftmon was snapped out of his trance. He quickly raised the LRAC to his mouth, his eyes not leaving the battlefield for a second. “Y-Yes!” he stammered. “I read you!”

“What happened?!” Dukemon asked him roughly, his voice haggard and panting. His grunts of effort could be heard over the communicator; it was clear that he was still in the middle of fighting Fujinmon and the D-Brigade as he talked.

“I—“ Duftmon was about to say that he wasn’t sure, but he caught himself just in time. “Reinforcements tunneled underground to launch a surprise attack on our right flank!” he explained, his voice missing the calm, superior demeanour that is usually held. “The Aerial Strike Forces and Craniamon’s group are fighting them.”

“How are they doing?!” Dukemon asked him urgently.

“What the hell is happening to my forces?!” OuRyuumon snarled over his own LRAC.

Duftmon looked over at the right flank. He could see the reinforcements surrounding them. The Aerial Strike Forces had been stopped in their tracks and were getting hit hard. The Ground Strike Forces were trying to hold their own but they were getting pushed back. He winced. “They…”

“We’re surrounded!” Craniamon spoke up. After a moment, he grunted angrily. “I… I’m having trouble with the Breakdramon. I think I can take him, but… we’re taking a beating here. Don’t know how long we can last.”

“What should we do, Duftmon?” Dynasmon also asked over the LRAC.

Duftmon didn’t reply. He stared at the Breakdramon with grimacing eyes, watching as he slammed a giant crane arm into another Order soldier. “How could this have happened? How could I be made to look like such an incompetent fool?

“Duftmon, respond!” Dynasmon shouted over his audio communicator. The tactician still didn’t answer.

-

Dukemon glared as he briefly looked at the LRAC on his wrist. However, he hardly had time to say anything else before Fujinmon was upon him again.

“It’s rude to ignore your opponent!” Fujinmon told him, shooting towards Dukemon at high speeds. He held his Critical Arms out in front of him, over his head, and began to spin his body like a drill.

Dukemon grunted as Fujinmon tore towards him, trying to drill through his defences. He raised the Aegis to block his charge and he could feel the heat of the dual beam blades on the metal of the shield. Despite being able to hold against the savage attack, he didn’t want to risk doing so for too long. “Nothing personal! Gram Slash!” He swiftly stabbed the Gram at a wide angle, striking Fujinmon’s armoured side with the tip of the Gram.

While not powerful enough to break through Fujinmon’s metal body, it was forceful enough to send the Hurricane Commander flying through the air. With Fujinmon temporarily out of the way, Dukemon could focus on Duftmon and the deteriorating situation on their right flank. He raised his wrist communicator.

“Duftmon!” he shouted into the device. No reply. He snarled. “Damnit, Duftmon! You’ve gotten us out of worse situations than this! Focus!”

The words seemed to have an impact, as Duftmon responded this time. “I am thinking!” he replied, irritation in his voice. “Give me a minute!”

“We may not have a minute!” Craniamon’s voice growled over the LRAC, his words somewhat distorted by the sound of the Breakdramon’s drill. “They’re all over us. A lot of wounded. I can’t do anything about it ‘til I kill this Breakdramon!”

“Try and hold them off!” Duftmon told him.

Dukemon glanced over at the opposite side of the battlefield. He could just barely see that the D-Brigade reinforcements were gaining ground over their right flank. He knew that the situation was bad. He wanted to minimize as many friendly casualties as he could.

His attention was drawn away when he saw Fujinmon shooting towards him again. The green cyborg Digimon soared towards him and performed a forwards flip. He brought his two beam swords down on Dukemon.

The Royal Knight grunted and blocked the strike with his shield. “Royal Sabre!” Dukemon countered. He pressed the Gram against Fujinmon’s chest and unleashed a mighty beam from his lance, square into Fujinmon’s body. The Hurricane Commander shouted with pain and anger as he was thrown across the ground.

After stabbing a blade into the ground to stop himself, Fujinmon swept his other Critical Arm out and released a concentrated blast of wind. “Marut Cyclone!” he spoke, launching the heavy gust of wind towards the crimson knight.

Dukemon grunted and tried to shield the blast, but it was powerful enough to knock him off of his feet and throw him back through the air painfully. The Royal Knight winced and prepared for the landing, but he felt something catch him from behind.

He looked over his shoulder and saw Dynasmon there. Dynasmon gave him a nod and put him down on the ground. “Things aren’t going well,” he observed.

“I know,” Dukemon responded, looking down at his LRAC. “Craniamon. What’s going on?”

“I took a few chunks out of the Breakdramon, but we’re still getting overwhelmed,” Craniamon grunted. “We’re getting pushed into the center. What should we do, Duftmon?”

“Damn it…” Duftmon said, the reluctance clear in his voice. “Retreat!”

“Retreat?!” Craniamon demanded incredulously.

“It is a tactical withdrawal! It’is the only way to salvage this!” Duftmon told them. “Pull back on all sides!”

“We can’t pull back; we’re cut off!” Craniamon explained irately. “If our center pulls back, then the D-Brigade center will advance and we’ll be completely encircled!”

“The center will support you as you break through!” Duftmon insisted.

“It won’t work,” Craniamon tersely explained.

“We’ll do our best to help your flank, Craniamon,” RhodoKnightmon told him. “Make a steady withdrawal.”

“We will, but we’ll need more than that, Rhodo,” the violet knight explained.

Dukemon narrowed his eyes as he stared at the LRAC. After a breath to solidify his resolve, the crimson knight spoke up. “Leave it to me.”

“What?” Dynasmon asked sceptically.

“Pardon?” Duftmon questioned as well.

Dukemon raised the Gram and looked towards the D-Brigade forces. “I’ll break deep through their lines and cause disarray from the rear. They’ll be forced to turn their attention to me. I’ll cover the retreat; just get everybody out of here,” he explained steadfastly.

“What? You plan to act as a decoy?” Duftmon challenged incredulously.

“Are you nuts, Dukemon?” Craniamon demanded.

“I’m doing it,” Dukemon responded stubbornly. “It’s the only way.”

Duftmon frowned on the other end of the LRAC. “Perhaps, but…”

Dynasmon stared at Dukemon. He grinned and shook his head. “I’m going with him,” he announced.

Dukemon looked at his comrade with surprise. However, instead of denying him, he gave him a grateful nod.

“This is idiotic,” RhodoKnightmon stated.

“Idiotic but necessary,” Dynasmon answered. “We’ll be okay. Just get your asses out of here before we lose any more soldiers. This will buy enough time to escape with the wounded.”

“…Very well,” Duftmon stated with recognition. “Give us as much time as you can.”

“What? Are you actually agreeing to this, Duftmon? It is beyond foolish!” RhodoKnightmon asked in amazement.

“They are right. It is the safest option,” Duftmon informed him. “It has the highest chance of success.”

“Not for them,” Craniamon muttered disapprovingly.

“They volunteered. They are aware of the risks,” Duftmon stated, closing his eyes. “Sound the retreat!”

The tactician lowered his LRAC and looked towards the distant flank, eyeing Dukemon and Dynasmon with a faint wince.

Dukemon turned around to the Ground Strike Forces behind him. “The retreat order has been sounded! Fall back!” he ordered them. “Maintain your lines and cover each other as you pull back!”

The crimson knight watched as the Order soldiers obeyed dutifully, although with some reluctance. They maintained a steady stream of fire towards the enemy D-Brigade ranks as they pulled back. Dukemon turned around and saw that the D-Brigade flank was beginning to move towards them.

Dynasmon looked at Dukemon and grinned, Wyvern’s aura already brimming around his body. “You ready, Dukemon?” he asked him with adrenaline-fueled excitement in his deep, growly voice. “Time to give these guys a shock.”

“I’m ready when you are,” Dukemon told him, raising the Gram and coursing energy around its shaft. He raised the weapon and levelled it with the D-Brigade troops.

Dynasmon smirked and his pupils shrunk with primal excitement. He raised his claws and aimed the gems on his palms. “Let’s do it. Dragon’s Roar!”

“Royal Sabre!”

In tandem with each other, the two Royal Knights unleashed three beams straight through the organized ranks of the D-Brigade’s right flank. The beams swept through them, vaporizing a dozen D-Brigade soldiers and opening up a path straight through to the opposite side of the battlefield.

“Let’s go!” Dukemon shouted, dashing forwards into the opening.

“I’m with you!” Dynasmon assured him, flapping his wings and following overhead.

Fujinmon watched incredulously as the two Royal Knights tore straight through the D-Brigade’s ranks. “What?!” he demanded. “What are they doing?”

Dukemon grunted and struggled forwards, stabbing his lance through Digimon that tried to attack him, and bashing others away with his shield. Likewise, Dynasmon punched away Digimon who tried to attack him directly, and launched elemental beams from his hands into their ranks.

Fujinmon narrowed his eyes and gave chase. He soared after the two Royal Knights, who seemed intent on making it to the rear of the D-Brigade army.

Suijinmon watched from the hill as the two Royal Knights tore through his right flank, trying to get as far as possible. He stared at them incredulously. “What do they think they’re doing…? Are they insane? Or simply that reckless…?”

Dukemon used his shield to plow through the last of the D-Brigade soldiers and burst out through the rear of the flank. Dynasmon was right behind them, plowing through the soldiers with his bare claws. The two Royal Knights dashed towards the base of the hill that Suijinmon was positioned on. Ignoring him completely, they turned their attention to the rear of the D-Brigade’s center and flanks.

“Time to really get their attention,” Dynasmon stated, Wyvern’s aura intensifying as a broad grin grew on his face.

Dukemon nodded and dug his feet into the ground, aiming the Aegis. His silver and gold shield began to glow with holy splendour. As the light intensified, the triangle designs on the face of the Aegis started to light up, one by one.

Meanwhile, Dynasmon summoned his primal draconic energy from his body. Wyvern emerged from his body with a roar, flapping his wings and shooting into the air.

“Final Elysion!

“Breath of Wyvern!”

A massive beam pulsed from the Aegis and coursed through the back of the D-Brigade’s center and left flank. Wyvern snarled and flew alongside the beam, sweeping through the D-Brigade’s ranks and crashing straight into the middle of them. A massive explosion of light blue energy tore through their lines, and Dukemon’s beam swallowed up the Metal Empire soldiers and obliterated them.

When the smoke cleared, dozens of D-Brigade soldiers had been deleted. Suijinmon was left calmly simmering. He narrowed his eyes and raised his Accel Arm up. “Fujinmon! Troops!” his deep voice boomed. “Attack those Royal Knights! Leave the others for now.”

The D-Brigade troops, now totally aware of the two Royal Knights behind them, began to prioritize Dukemon and Dynasmon over the retreating Order forces. The hundreds of troops began to pour back towards the base of the hill, while simultaneously covering their own retreat so that the Order soldiers didn’t take advantage.

“Accel Arm!” Suijinmon grunted, bringing his mighty arms down onto the hillside and releasing high powered shockwaves.

“Marut Cyclone!” Fujinmon responded from the opposite side, unleashing super-compressed blasts of winds towards the two Royal Knights.

Dukemon and Dynasmon noticed the incoming attacks and acted quickly. They lunged out of the way as the shockwave tore through the ground where they were standing.

Dynasmon shot Dukemon a grin as they quickly started to get surrounded. “This is where things get interesting!” he exclaimed, crouching down and readying his claws.

-

(Continued in the next post)
 

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
(Continued from the previous post)

-

Duftmon watched from the hill as the Strike Forces retreated forwards him. They made their way around the hill rather than going over it, as there were many Digimon who were injured and needed to be carried. The tactician helped to organize the retreat, standing upright and holding himself with dignity, even in the face of failure.

“Yes, meet up with the supply group at the temporary camp at our bridge crossing. Prepare first aid and send for stretchers,” Duftmon ordered a scout, who promptly flew southwards ahead of the retreat.

OuRyuumon flew through the sky and came to a stop over the hill. There was blood dripping from his body, but it was hard to tell whether it was his own or an enemy’s. He lugged Leftenant HippoGriffomon over his back, who was slumped against him and unconscious. The Strike Forces captain growled and pointed in the direction of the retreat. “Keep it moving, Strike Forces! Nice and orderly!” he ordered. “If you can walk on your own, help those who can’t!”

He looked down and saw Duftmon. The dragon flew down and landed in front of him, partially so that he could readjust the gryphon on his back. “Duftmon!” he exclaimed. “What do we do next?”

Duftmon turned and looked at OuRyuumon. “Continue the retreat. We are making for our camp south of the Champion River. I’ll have a scout get more physicians from Saversburg,” he responded with willful calmness.

“What?!” OuRyuumon demanded in disbelief. “What about Dukemon and Dynasmon?! We’re going to back them up, right?!”

Duftmon stalled. “…Back them up how?” he asked, his voice carrying a sense of futility. “Half of the Strike Forces are no longer fit for battle. Tell me, how can we launch a counterattack like this?”

OuRyuumon growled and narrowed his adrenaline-filled, violet eyes. “All we need to do is give them an opening to retreat! We can’t just leave them!”

“I’m with OuRyuumon,” Craniamon exclaimed, marching over while hauling a wounded Cyberdramon and Lighdramon under each arm. “Leave it to us.”

“That may be a risky endeavour, given the amount of D-Brigade troops still standing…” RhodoKnightmon stated, walking over as well.

“Retreat,” Duftmon insisted. “If we don’t use this opportunity to do so, they will have given us this chance in vain.”

OuRyuumon scoffed. “That’s just a fancy way of saying, ‘**** ‘em; I’m saving my own ***,’” he countered disdainfully.

“Yeah,” Craniamon agreed. “What about Rule Three of the Royal Knights’ Code? ‘A Royal Knight never leaves another Royal Knight in his time of need’?” he stated pointedly. “We’re supposed to abandon our comrades and leave them for dead?”

“That’s all well and good, but it isn’t practical!” Duftmon retorted firmly. “You could end up in the same situation as them. Besides… they are most likely worth more to the Metal Empire alive than dead…”

“Oh, that’s okay then!” Craniamon sarcastically said.

RhodoKnightmon sighed. “As much as I hate to admit it, Craniamon, Duftmon is right. We have no choice but to retreat for now…” he explained. “We have to place our trust in Dukemon and Dynasmon. They are depending on us to get the others to safety and prepare for what comes next. We cannot let them down.”

“Maybe we should ask them over the LRAC,” Craniamon said defiantly.

RhodoKnightmon gave him a resigned look. “You already know what they would say. They would tell us to retreat,” he informed him.

Craniamon scoffed and looked away. “It’s too easy,” he muttered bitterly. Before continuing up the hill, he shot Duftmon an icy glare. “Alphamon will be hearing about this…” he assured him before walking by him with the two wounded soldiers.

Duftmon was silent.

RhodoKnightmon gave the tactician a nod before passing by him. OuRyuumon snarled in frustration before spreading his wings and flying off with his leftenant, heading to the front of the retreating forces.

Once they were gone, Duftmon clenched his fists and stared into the distance. He could still see the flashes of Dukemon and Dynasmon’s attacks, but they were beginning to get more infrequent. He was able to see that they were now completely surrounded. The tactician hoped that they would be smart enough to surrender.

Duftmon turned away bitterly and walked up the hill. Once at the top, he descended down the other side.

-

Dukemon and Dynasmon stood back-to-back as they found themselves completely surrounded. There were numerous cracks in their armour as well as cuts on their bodies. Around them was grassland scarred with heavy fighting. It was filled with craters, furrows and deep cuts.

No matter which way they turned, there were D-Brigade Digimon aiming at them. Ultimate-level Digimon made up the front of the encirclement. Even the sky above them contained D-Brigade soldiers, namely Fujinmon, who hovered in place, ready to strike.

Suijinmon locked eyes with Dukemon, who narrowed his own defiantly.

“You have achieved your objective; you distracted us for enough time to allow your comrades to get away,” Suijinmon pointed out calmly. “There is no point in dragging this out even longer.”

Dynasmon raised his claws in a defensive posture and glanced over his shoulder at the Waterfall Commander. “What are you gonna do? Try and kill us?” he asked, chuckling a bit despite breathing heavily. “You’ll have a hell of a time bringing me down for good.”

“I would prefer if it didn’t have to come to that. Drawing this fight out any longer would cost me many more soldiers,” Suijinmon reasoned logically. “I would rather you surrender peacefully.”

“Surrender, huh?” Dukemon questioned sceptically.

Fujinmon touched down in front of Dynasmon, although not lowering his swords. “It would be in your best interests. Unless you think that you can beat all of us…” he pointed out, his voice clearly carrying undercurrents of victory.

Dynasmon gritted his teeth and placed his winged back against Dukemon’s caped one. They all knew that the two Royal Knights were in a bad situation. There were still a lot of Digimon around, including numerous strong ones like Fujinmon and Raijinmon.

“Please do not prolong this. Surrender is the easiest option for all of us,” Suijinmon explained, trying to appeal to logic. “Even for two Royal Knights, the chances of a successful escape are slim. I think you realise that.”

“There has been enough bloodshed today, don’t you think?” Fujinmon questioned.

Dukemon exhaled behind his visor. He lightly elbowed Dynasmon and turned his head, looking over at his comrade. “What do you want to do?” he whispered to him so that the D-Brigade couldn’t hear them.

Dynasmon glanced at Dukemon. “I dunno…” he whispered back. “We probably have a better chance if we do what they say… What do you think?”

Dukemon nodded. “Yeah… I think you’re right. It’s not a great option, but it’s not a great situation we’re in, either,” he said.

“So… We’re doing it?” Dynasmon asked quietly.

“Yeah…”

Dynasmon nodded and stood up straight.

Dukemon took a step forwards, prompting the D-Brigade soldiers to tense up. Instead of attacking, Dukemon released the Gram and Aegis, allowing them to fall to the ground. He removed the LRAC from his wrist and then crushed it underfoot. He sighed and raised his hands.

Dynasmon released a breath, crumpled his LRAC in his palm, and raised his claws as well.

“We surrender.”

The D-Brigade troops relaxed noticeably.

Suijinmon closed his eyes and sighed with relief. “Thank you. Now, please cooperate…”

-

It was night by the time the remaining three Royal Knights returned to Castle Albion. It had been a long, sombre, and somewhat awkward ride on the Locomon. Duftmon had been sitting in the corner of the train car, lost in his thoughts. Craniamon had been seething below a thick layer of frost. RhodoKnightmon tried in vain to make conversation, but became well aware that he had neither a receptive audience nor a suitable situation to do so.

OuRyuumon and the Strike Forces had stayed behind in their temporary military camp to the south of the bridge. They received medical aid from the Order’s and Saversburg’s physicians, and many of them were not fit to travel. They also had to make sure that the bridge they constructed was secure.

The Royal Knights, on the other hand, needed to tell the others what had happened, particularly with regards to Dukemon and Dynasmon. A strategy meeting would be required.

Once they arrived, Duftmon, RhodoKnightmon, and Craniamon walked down the great hall, towards the council room. The Royal Knights had been summoned for a meeting upon the arrival of the three returning knights.

Upon arriving at the large doors, Craniamon took the initiative to push them open. The three walked inside and saw that all of the Royal Knights were sitting there, waiting. There was an aura of defeat around the three that only increased when they saw their comrades looking at them.

Alphamon stared at them directly from the Empty Seat on the opposite end of the table. All of the Royal Knights noticed immediately that Dukemon and Dynasmon were mysteriously absent. Looks of shock, confusion, and worry began to appear on the faces of the Royal Knights. Alphamon lowered his gaze.

“…What happened?” he asked them.

None of the three Royal Knights sat down in the five vacant seats. They felt as though they were on trial for what happened.

Before any of the others were able to respond, Duftmon took a step forwards. “The battle… was a failure,” he announced.

The shroud of worry grew thicker across the council room. Omegamon furrowed his gaze. “Where are Dukemon and Dynasmon?” he asked nervously, his voice echoing. He said what everybody else was thinking.

Craniamon grunted and glared at Duftmon for a moment before folding his arms. “Taken prisoner…”

Incredulous reactions erupted from around the table.

“What?!” Gankoomon demanded. “How?!”

Omegamon’s expression morphed into a bitter grimace. “It can’t be…”

Alphamon gently closed his fist. “What exactly happened…?” he questioned, trying to remain calm at the news.

Duftmon calmly closed his eyes and folded his arms behind his back. “There was a failure of leadership,” Duftmon responded.

Craniamon nodded in agreement, pleasantly surprised that Duftmon was taking responsibility.

“Craniamon utterly failed to maintain our right flank in response to a surprise ambush from D-Brigade reinforcements,” Duftmon declared with calm resolution. “Because of that, our flank collapsed and was surrounded. This prompted Dukemon and Dynasmon to make a foolhardy rush deep into enemy lines. We used this time and distraction to withdraw our troops from the battlefield, but Dukemon and Dynasmon were encircled.”

Craniamon’s blood red eyes widened and he turned towards Duftmon incredulously. “…What did you just say?” he questioned, his voice brimming with fury. “Did you just have the chrome digizoid balls to stand there and say that we were responsible for your screw up?”

Duftmon looked at Craniamon with a look of sincere innocence. “It’s the truth,” he stated matter-of-factly. “You were in charge of the right flank.”

Craniamon strode up to the tactician and towered over the leopard knight intimidatingly. “You were the one who made the damn plan in the first place. You were the one who gave the go ahead for Dukemon and Dynasmon’s decoy plan. You were the one who underestimated Suijinmon and brushed off the scout’s report about reinforcements! Don’t think I didn’t hear you!”

“Enough,” RhodoKnightmon chastised them, his demeanour completely serious. “If we are going to tell the others what happened then we need to tell them the truth.”

Duftmon was unperturbed by Craniamon’s icy menace. Craniamon glared at Duftmon but backed off and turned to the other Royal Knights. “Yeah, tell them the truth, Rhodo,” the violet Royal Knight said pointedly.

Alphamon’s brows furrowed. “Please…”

RhodoKnightmon nodded. “The battle had been going well initially. We were gaining ground for awhile and delivering heavy damage to the D-Brigade. Craniamon was on the right. I was on the center. Dukemon and Dynasmon were on the left. The D-Brigade placed a heavier concentration on their right flank, leaving their left sparsely defended. When their left flank began to break, Duftmon ordered the Aerial Strike Forces to circle around and deliver a decisive blow at the D-Brigade’s core. When they were on the move, a large amount of D-Brigade reinforcements led by a Breakdramon burst from the ground and began wreaking havoc on our right,” the rose knight explained. “They apparently drilled an underground tunnel. As Craniamon said, a scout had mentioned seeing a large amount of D-Brigade troops far back behind their army and said that they were doing something suspicious, but Duftmon stated that they were the army’s rear guard. Anyways, our flank was taking heavy damage and was surrounded. This prompted Duftmon to call for retreat. In order to free up our troops so that they could retreat, Dukemon and Dynasmon insisted on breaking through the D-Brigade’s line and attacking them from behind. They acted as decoys so that we could retreat.”

“Of course. Blame the tactician whenever the battle goes wrong. It is never the ones carrying out the orders,” Duftmon sarcastically spoke.

RhodoKnightmon gave him a look. “It was the truth.”

Alphamon frowned at Duftmon and rose to his feet. “Is this true, Duftmon?” he asked him.

Duftmon scoffed and looked away, as if unwilling to address the challenge.

Alphamon narrowed his crimson eyes. “Duftmon.”

Duftmon turned and locked eyes with Alphamon. “Craniamon should have held that flank. Dukemon and Dynasmon shouldn’t have done something so reckless and stupid,” he fired back defensively. “If you want to blame anybody, blame them!”

“Enough!” Alphamon thundered angrily. “The one who’s looking to blame people is you, and I’ve frankly heard enough blaming out of you to last me a whole cycle…”

The Royal Knights exchanged glances. It was rare to hear Alphamon get that angry, even with Duftmon.

“It isn’t my fault that the battle went wrong!” Duftmon insisted, glaring back at Alphamon. “So, it must be somebody’s fault.”

Alphamon matched his gaze. “If it is anybody’s fault then the king’s share of it seems to land at your feet,” he stated strongly. “It sounds like the only reason that Dukemon and Dynasmon took such drastic action is because you made a tactical error.”

“Pardon me?!” Duftmon protested, stepping towards the table.

“You wouldn’t even consider the fact that Suijinmon might have a secret advantage,” Craniamon said, his tone adversarial. “You got cocky. And you screwed up RhodoKnightmon’s and my placement as well.”

“I refuse to hear that from you!” Duftmon acerbically retorted. He turned and glared at Alphamon. “I have led our forces to victory on the battlefield time after time! You have just been waiting for an opportunity to pin a failure on me! You have a personal grudge against me, Alphamon!”

Alphamon narrowed his eyes angrily. “I’m not looking to blame you, Duftmon! But when you start throwing false accusations at your comrades without ever looking to yourself, I have to say something,” he explained to him sharply. “This isn’t like Saversburg where you can point to Sleipmon and say that he made a mistake. In fact, Sleipmon actually took responsibility after the battle, which is more than can be said for you right now.”

“I did nothing wrong!” Duftmon maintained adamantly. “The tactical theory was sound! How was I to know that they were burrowing underground?!”

“You ignored reconnaissance information,” Alphamon stated. “You made a mistake. And now Dukemon and Dynasmon have been taken prisoner. And we lost… how many?”

“Eight were deleted. Quadruple that were injured,” RhodoKnightmon informed him.

Alphamon winced and nodded. He looked at Duftmon. “Well?” he asked him, anger still lacing his words. “You honestly accept zero responsibility for the battle?”

Duftmon folded his arms, looking away with a grimace. “It wasn’t my fault…”

Alphamon clenched his fist. “It’s never your fault, is it?”

Omegamon looked at Alphamon. “Alphamon…” he said dissuadingly.

“No, Omegamon,” Alphamon replied firmly. “Duftmon is a Royal Knight. He needs to learn that he has to take responsibility for his actions.”

Duftmon narrowed his eyes and looked at Alphamon. “Pardon…?”

“You are our tactician, Duftmon. The best tactician we have ever had, actually,” Alphamon told him. “The Royal Knights – the whole Order – place our trust in you when we agree to go along with your tactics. Just like they trust in me when I send them into battle...” He looked at Duftmon with a deep gaze. “Don’t abuse that trust. And don’t turn your back on your responsibilities.”

Duftmon glanced away, his resolve beginning to weaken. “I’m not…”

“That’s exactly what you’re doing when you blame others for your own shortcomings,” Alphamon forthrightly explained. “You made a mistake in this battle, Duftmon. I don’t know if you are actively trying to shift the blame or if you honestly believe that you did nothing wrong. Either way, you have to accept the truth.”

The leader of the Royal Knight walked around the table and stepped up to the tactician. As a sign of good will, he placed his hand on Duftmon’s shoulder. “I’m not looking to blame anybody, Duftmon. ‘You win some, you lose some,’ as they say. Sometimes we lose; it’s a fact of life. It’s impossible to win every time,” he told him. “And I know it isn’t easy to admit that you made a mistake… especially not for you… However, you can’t keep blaming others for your faults.”

Duftmon grimaced and looked away from his gaze. He didn’t even want to look at any of the other Royal Knights. “I… I understand…” he answered weakly.

Alphamon nodded warmly, tempering his earlier fire with understanding. “Good…”

Duftmon opened his mouth to speak, but he thought better of it and stopped himself. The leopard knight turned around, towards the exit. “I… will take my leave now,” he explained, his back to the Royal Knights. “I need to write up an after action report. …A factual one.”

Without another word, he walked out of the council room and closed the doors behind him.

Craniamon scoffed. “Serves him right…” he muttered, folding his arms. “By ‘facts’ does he mean ‘Duftmon facts’ or ‘everybody else facts’?”

“Craniamon…” Omegamon urged him, trying to keep the peace after the argument. It was hard enough being without Dukemon and Dynasmon without also being at each other’s throats.

Alphamon sighed. “It isn’t easy for Duftmon to admit that he’s wrong,” he pointed out. “Sorry about that, everyone. I try not to get angry like that, but it needed to be said sooner or later. I didn’t enjoy it… but it was time he realised.”

“I’m surprised it took this long,” Gankoomon nonchalantly said aloud. “It’s about time someone put him in his place.”

“Look who’s talking,” UlforceVeedramon said with a soft chuckle, his pair of crutches leaning against the table.

“I can’t help but feel kind of bad for him though…” Sleipmon admitted, looking towards the door.

“What do we do about Dukemon and Dynasmon?” Magnamon asked with a worried frown.

“I don’t know yet,” Alphamon admitted, his brows furrowed with concern and thought. “It’s too early to come up with a rescue plan… We’ll get them back somehow, though. I promise.”

-

An hour passed and the council meeting had long since adjourned. The Royal Knights agreed to take up the issue again the next day. There would be a lot to discuss and it would be better to do so when everyone was rested.

Duftmon holed up in his room, away from everybody else. His whole room was neat and orderly. It contained a creaselessly-made bed, a series of bookshelves full of alphabetically-arranged books of his personal collection, and a dresser full of precisely-folded clothes.

He sat at his desk, which was tidied to perfection. His fingers typed away at the keyboard and he stared at his computer. The tactician dutifully wrote his after action report, from the battle preparations until the end of the battle. He was absorbed by the process. He had hardly looked up from the screen since beginning.

There was a knocking at the door of his bedroom. “Hey, Duftmon!” UlforceVeedramon’s voiced called out. “Are you in there?”

Duftmon didn’t reply. He just continued typing the battle account.

UlforceVeedramon tried the doorknob, but found that it had been locked. He attempted to knock on the door again. “Duftmon! Come on, open up! Are you alright?” he asked from the other side of the door.

Duftmon closed his eyes and momentarily stopped typing. However, seconds later, he continued to ignore him and kept writing.

UlforceVeedramon sighed and stepped away from the door. He leaned on the crutches under his shoulders and looked at Omegamon and Sleipmon, who were with him.

“No reply?” Omegamon asked.

“No. I told you, Sleipmon,” UlforceVeedramon said to the large beast Digimon. “He always does this when he’s angry or upset. He gets in a pout and closes himself off; Duftmon can give a cold shoulder as bad as Craniamon. It’s worse than your Odin’s Breath.”

“It was still worth trying…” Sleipmon said with a shrug. “I thought he might appreciate the gesture, at least.”

“Duftmon? Nah…” UlforceVeedramon responded. “He’s not into that emotional stuff.”

Omegamon rubbed the back of his neck. “He probably just wants to be alone. I doubt he wants to see us right now. It’s understandable…” he reasoned. He looked away and sighed, unable to help but worry about Dukemon and Dynasmon.

“I guess…” UlforceVeedramon agreed. “He and Alphamon have had some arguments before, but that was the first time Duftmon had ever been put on the spot like that. I mean, I don’t blame Alphamon, but it was tough to watch.”

Sleipmon sighed. “Yeah… Maybe I’ll try again before I go to bed,” he explained.

Omegamon nodded. “Let’s leave him alone for now,” the white armoured Royal Knight suggested.

“Okay,” UlforceVeedramon responded, using his crutches to walk down the corridor.

As the three Royal Knights walked off, Duftmon continued to write his report. The last thing that he wrote was ‘Under my orders, the Aerial Strike Forces proceeded on their flanking manoeuvre. We were caught unawares when D-Brigade reinforcements…’

Duftmon stopped writing. He stared at the Digi-letters, stalling on what top put next. He closed his eyes and put minimal amount of pressure on the keys as he thought about the battle and, more importantly, his own role in it. He began to type but then suddenly stopped and slammed his finger onto the delete key.

“Damn it!” he uttered, driving his fist down onto the desk with a resounding thump.

Duftmon opened his eyes and grimaced, placing his face in his hands as he leaned forward on his elbows. “Damn it…” he whispered. “He’s right… It… It was my fault…”

He winced as he stared into his palms. “How could I have been so damn foolish…? It was such a simple oversight… It could have been so easily avoided…” he spoke with pain in his voice. “I just dismissed those reinforcements out of hand because I assumed…” Suddenly, he balled his fists up tightly. “I assumed… Never assume in tactics… It’s so basic…”

He grimaced further when he thought deeply about his words. “I assumed that Sleipmon would kill Suijinmon. I assumed that Suijinmon was incompetent. I assumed Dukemon and Dynasmon would act rationally if something went wrong.”

The tactician lowered his hands and stared down at his lap. “My own fallacies lost us that battle… I was just too proud to admit it to myself…” he thought bitterly. He closed his eyes and reflected on Tactimon’s words to him. “Was Tactimon correct…? Have I been doing something wrong this whole time…? Do I actually need to take Digimon into consideration instead of just tactical inputs? But… that’s preposterous… The whims of a single Digimon can’t decide the outcome of a battle… Can they…?

Duftmon grimaced and clutched his head. He felt beaten down and he was getting a splitting headache. He had enough of thinking about the battle. He saved the progress of his report and turned off his personal computer, leaving him sitting alone in the dark.

He walked over to his bed and got inside of it, uncharacteristically forgoing his usual night time routine. Listlessly, he pulled the covers over his head and buried himself underneath them.

Duftmon meditated on his actions, unable to hide them from himself any longer. “How could I possibly be such a failure…?
 

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
(Another two part chapter. The two parts are going to have different names from each other for thematic reasons.)

Chapter 15: Steel Will (Part I)​

“Dimension Scissor!”

GranKuwagamon skimmed through the night sky towards a Royal Knight patrol. A bright arc of energy discharged from his long, black pincers and streaked through the air. It cut at the fabric of space as it soared.

The Megadramon scout it was aimed at, in turn, launched a volley of missiles from his cannon arms. “Genocide Attack!”

The sickle-shaped blast cut into the missiles, causing a chain of explosions that lit up the darkness. The Megadramon lowered his gaze and kept his cannons pointed towards the fading explosions.

“Grand Death Screw!” a voice hissed from behind the Megadramon.

He quickly looked over his shoulder and saw stunned to see GranKuwagamon behind him somehow. “How did he--?!”

GranKuwagamon spun his body like a black, horizontal tornado, tearing through the air like a drill. His whirling body slammed into the Megadramon’s back and tore through him with his pincers and claws. The Megadramon released an agonized roar as GranKuwagamon bore through him and reduced him to data.

A JewelBeemon, who was the leader of that scouting team, sneered at the loss of his teammate. “Retreat!” he ordered the two remaining scouts – a Pegasmon and a Yanmamon.

However, it was too late.

“Mjölnir Thunder!” Blitzmon shouted from within the forest below. He slammed his sparking fist into the dirt and unleashed a high-powered blast of electricity. The spear of lightning coursed upwards and engulfed the Pegasmon scout. The attack shot through him and he burst into data particles as well.

“Catastrophe!” GranKuwagamon spoke, wheeling around through the air and descending on the nearby Yanmamon. The dragonfly Digimon attempted to speed away, but GranKuwagamon quickly caught up with him. He grabbed the Yanmamon in his pincers and unleashed a swath of dark energy that disintegrated the Digimon completely.

JewelBeemon watched furiously as his two remaining scouts were deleted. “Damn it…” he growled. Knowing that he had to make it back to base, he turned around and began shooting through the dark sky at full speed. He had to tell the Royal Knights what happened here.

He saw GranKuwagamon approaching him so he slashed his spear down at light speed. “Spike Buster!” he called out, unleashing a shockwave that pushed the giant, ebony beetle away. With the mercenary temporarily distracted from the blast, he tried to use the opportunity to get a lead on the mercenaries and out-fly them.

“Hahahah!” Bolgmon cackled from below the forest canopies. “Where do you think you’re going?! Field Destroyer!”

A high output beam burst through the trees and streaked into the sky, lighting up the night. JewelBeemon turned and saw the beam hurdling towards him. “No!” he yelled, trying to brace himself before the laser washed over his body and vaporised him.

The blast continued on into the clouds above before diminishing with a hiss of residual energy. The Order patrol was gone.

Once certain of their destruction, GranKuwagamon slide-evolved back into his GrandisKuwagamon form. With his red eye, he cast a lingering look across the dark landscape to make sure there was nobody that they missed. After a few moments, the bug mercenary turned away and proceeded to fly down to the forest floor to meet with the other two members of Black Pincer Company.

GrandisKuwagamon touched down on the mossy ground and released a breath. “That’s done…” he said as Blitzmon and Bolgmon made their way over to him. He adjusted the Gran Killers over his wrists.

“At least we don’t have to worry about them finding our hideout anymore,” Bolgmon said, rolling over the forest floor on his tank treads, his horn cannon still smoking.

“I wonder why that is!” GrandisKuwagamon said accusingly, shooting the larger Digimon a glare. “Oh, that’s right. Because they already found our hideout, ransacked all of our stuff, and made sure we can never go back there. All thanks to a certain, trigger-happy *******!”

“Change the record already!” Bolgmon fired back. “They were looking for us! They were going to find our hideout anyways!”

“Maybe, but you didn’t have to paint a huge friggin’ bull’s-eye on us. We could have escaped with our money and stuff,” GrandisKuwagamon insisted. “Do you know how much money we lost?!”

“Yeah, I do! Blame the damn Royal Knights, not me!” Bolgmon argued.

Blitzmon folded his arms and leaned against a nearby tree. “We’ve completed this job. Our reward should help to put a dent in our losses,” he explained. He looked at GrandisKuwagamon. “But we might have to stay on this contract for longer than we intended, if we want to make back the money we lost…”

GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye and looked away. “That’s a nice idea, but will the client still need us now that we’ve been found out? If the Royal Knights know what we’ve been doing, there wouldn’t be any point in us trying to play the two groups of tin cans off of each other,” he pointed out.

“We don’t know for sure that we’ve been discovered,” Blitzmon countered. “Maybe they just wanted to take us down because we’re mercenaries. The client could still use us.”

“That’s exactly what’s happening. We’re being used,” GrandisKuwagamon argued. “I don’t like being used, even if it’s for a profit. I mean, I know, we’re mercenaries and I don’t expect people who use our services to have our best interests in mind, but I don’t want to end up being somebody’s scapegoat just because they dangle cash in front of us. This guy will cut us loose as soon as we stop being useful to him. Hell, maybe he was the one who tipped off the Royal Knights.”

“Now you’re being paranoid, Grandis,” Blitzmon said.

“I’m being realistic,” GrandisKuwagamon replied. “Somebody sold us out to the Royal Knights. They didn’t just come across our base by accident.”

Blitzmon sighed with annoyance. “Maybe. It doesn’t matter. We need the money,” he stated emphatically. “We’re not a big operation, so we can only take on jobs one at a time. We just lost almost all of our reserve money and we don’t know when we’re getting our next job. For now, we should keep working under this contract until we make back some of what we lost. It’s our only steady flow of income right now. We didn’t escape the gutters just to wind up back there again.”

“Yeah, and we didn’t escape death that day just to do something to get us deleted,” GrandisKuwagamon countered. “We’re not up against gangs or adventurers here. We’re up against big players with big armies. I just don’t want to press our luck too much.”

“We’ll be fine, Grandis,” Blitzmon assured him. “Let’s just see what Wizardmon says once we tell him we’ve finished this job. Then we can gauge what he wants to do.”

“I’m with Blitzie,” Bolgmon said, folding his cannon arms. “If the Royal Knights are going to be on our asses anyways, we might as well get paid for it.”

GrandisKuwagamon turned away and looked into the dark forest with a reluctant gaze. “…Fine. We’ll do that,” he agreed. “It depends on what he wants us to do.”

Blitzmon glanced at GrandisKuwagamon. “There’s gotta be a way for us to make some money on the side, though...” he mused.

“Yeah…” GrandisKuwagamon agreed, thinking to himself.

“We shoulda kept one of those scouts alive and ransomed him off to the Royal Knights,” Bolgmon suggested with a nonchalant shrug.

Both GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon turned and looked at each other with enlightened expressions. Dark grins formed on their faces and they turned to Bolgmon.

“You know, Bolgie… That’s surprisingly not a bad idea…” GrandisKuwagamon exclaimed with a grin.

-

“Bless Fire!”

The rapid sound of gunfire cracked across the castle shooting range. Sistermon Noir aimed her two Anthony guns and unleashed a storm of bullets towards BaoHackmon, who was poised fifteen meters down the shooting range. The swift popping of the automatic fire resounded as the bullets tore from the machine pistols.

Wearing his red, goggled hood over his head, BaoHackmon narrowed his golden-yellow eyes and dug his four feet into the grass before dashing off. The bullets impacted the ground where he was standing and sent tufts of grass flying up in his wake. BaoHackmon darted to the left as fast as he could, hearing the whirr of bullets shooting behind him. Sistermon Noir began to lead him by shooting in front of him. BaoHackmon winced as a few bullets ricocheted off of his armoured body, prompting to him to skid to a stop and sprint in the opposite direction.

The dragon ducked his head and kept his body as low as he could while he ran. The bullets impacted around him and his face was sprayed with dirt. His gaze hardened and he lunged into the air to avoid the projectiles. With impressive agility and flexibility, he somersaulted in the air and dove back towards the ground as Sistermon Noir raised her guns to shoot at him in mid air.

As soon as he landed, he dashed in the opposite direction, using the claws of his fore feet for boost and his bladed hind legs for control. He dipped his head as a bullet whizzed past his snout. He seemed to be faring pretty well against the assault.

However, Sistermon Noir halted her fire and adjusted her aim before firing another burst. This time, the bullets slammed into BaoHackmon’s side. BaoHackmon released a gasp and was knocked onto his side.

Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode, who had been watching the whole thing, winced at the impact.

“S-SIS!” a voice squeaked disapprovingly. “What in Yggdrasil’s name are you doing?!”

“Yuh-oh. Busted,” Sistermon Noir muttered, lowering her smoking machine pistols and turning around. The black-garbed human Digimon saw her younger sister running over.

“H-How many times have I told you not to shoot at BaoHackmon?!” Sistermon Blanc demanded, although visually looking more worried than angry. She held a hand to her mouth and looked over at BaoHackmon. “Are you okay, BaoHackmon?” she asked, walking over to him.

“I’m fine…” BaoHackmon insisted, wincing and pulling himself to his feet.

“Chill, sis,” Sistermon Noir replied, tapping her shoulder with one of her guns. “I loaded them with rubber bullets. They weren’t real ones.”

“You still could have taken his eye out if you weren’t careful,” Sistermon Blanc reprimanded her older sister.

“I’m always careful!” the older sister replied with her usual chipper tone as she holstered her weapons. “You’re such a worrywart.”

“It’s fine, Blanc-chan,” BaoHackmon insisted as he steadied himself on his feet. “I asked for this. I wanted to train hard.”

Imperialdramon Dragon Mode walked over to them and looked at BaoHackmon. “You did a pretty good job dodging those bullets too,” he complimented his friend.

BaoHackmon sighed and shook his head. “Not really, Peri,” he responded with disappointment. “It wasn’t good enough. I was too slow to react.”

“Yup! That’s for sure!” Sistermon Noir teased him.

Sistermon Blanc and Imperialdramon shot her a look. “It’s not easy to dodge bullets at that close of a range,” Peri insisted. The large dragon smiled encouragingly. “I sure couldn’t do it and I’m an Ultimate-level.”

“And I’m just an Adult-level. Thanks for the reminder,” BaoHackmon muttered, dipping his head deflatedly.

Imperialdramon winced. “Oh, come on. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m saying you did great!” he insisted.

“I screwed up at the end. How am I ever going to get as good as the Royal Knights at this rate?” he said with a sigh. He kicked at the ground with frustration. “Gankoomon-sensei doesn’t let me go on any missions.”

“Well, duh,” Sistermon Noir said. “If Gankoomon thinks you’re not ready, then you’re not ready.”

BaoHackmon glared at this. “But I am ready! All I do is train in the castle! How am I ever going to get any real combat experience if nobody ever lets me out of these walls?!” he complained.

“Huh. And to think, you were practically salivating the first time we came to Castle Albion,” Sistermon Noir pointed out, closing her eyes and nonchalantly putting her hands behind her head. “How quickly they get cynical.”

“That’s not what I mean!” BaoHackmon insisted with frustration. “I love it here, but I feel like I’m not improving fast enough! Sensei seems like he’s always too busy to train me anymore. With everything that’s going on lately, I’m getting forgotten about! It’s not fair!”

“We can still train you…” Sistermon Blanc suggested, twiddling her fingers.

BaoHackmon sighed and pulled his red hood back so that it rested on his caped back. “I know. And I appreciate it. But… I need to see some actual combat if I want to improve. That’s what Sensei and the Royal Knights did. I can’t stay sheltered like this forever, and I can’t expect them to take time out of their busy schedules to teach me.”

“So, if that’s how you feel, take some initiative,” Sistermon Noir suggested bluntly. “Do something instead of whining about it, kiddo.”

“N-Noir!” Sistermon Blanc complained at her goading. “B-BaoHackmon, you should really just be patient… You can’t just get strong overnight. And you’ve improved a lot since you first started training.”

BaoHackmon sighed and stared at the ground.

Imperialdramon Dragon Mode looked at him empathetically. “She’s right. Just give it time,” he suggested. “Come on, BaoHackmon. Let’s go get something to eat.”

“Fine…” BaoHackmon responded, beginning to walk along the grass from the shooting range. He and Imperialdramon walked around the training grounds and headed for the courtyard road that led the way to the main building’s entrance.

As the two dragons started to walk past the large barracks buildings, Imperialdramon looked down at his friend as they plodded onto the stone road. “So… What’s bothering you?” Imperialdramon asked him curiously.

“It’s like I said, Peri,” BaoHackmon replied, scuffing his claws against the ground as he walked. “I feel like I’m not getting better. I know I have the ability to improve, but I don’t have the right outlet. Sensei doesn’t let me do anything, and now I’m just a useless hanger-on to the Order.” The teen dragon growled a bit at his own words.

“Nobody sees you that way,” Peri assured him.

BaoHackmon looked up at the larger dragon Digimon. “I see myself that way,” he explained. “I want to be a Royal Knight, not just Gankoomon-sensei’s apprentice forever!”

Imperialdramon sighed. “Give it time…” he told him.

“How much time, Peri?” he asked rhetorically. “Noir-chan’s right. If I don’t take action myself, then who will? I can’t expect others to improve myself for me. I have to do something.”

“Like what?” the large, blue dragon asked sceptically. “If you want, I could put in a recommendation with my over-sergeant for you to join the Reconnaissance Squadron…”

“Thanks, but that’s not really enough…” BaoHackmon responded. “I need to prove myself, somehow.”

“Don’t do anything reckless, BaoHackmon. Nobody in the Order needs that right now, after what happened at the battle…” Imperialdramon said with a sigh.

BaoHackmon winced at the mention. He felt terrible about the news that Dukemon and Dynasmon had been taken prisoner. Morale in the Order wasn’t great at the moment. BaoHackmon looked away as he and Peri walked down the road, past the blacksmith and the various shops that had permits to sell inside the castle. “Don’t remind me…” he muttered grimly.

Peri looked at BaoHackmon inquisitively. “…Does that have something to do with this sudden mood change?” he asked him. “I bet it does…”

BaoHackmon grimaced as he walked up to the entrance of the main building and opened the pair of double doors. He walked inside the entrance hall and made his way up towards the foyer. “Okay, I guess it does. I’m worried about Dukemon-shishou and Dynasmon-shishou,” he admitted. “They got taken prisoner after saving the Strike Forces, and now it’s like nobody’s doing anything to try and rescue them.”

Imperialdramon walked up the few stairs and onto the landing that led to the foyer doors. “Be patient. You know full well that the Royal Knights wouldn’t just forget about them. Rule Three of the Royal Knights’ Code, remember? It takes time to prepare a rescue operation, you know.”

The caped dragon sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I know… I guess I am being impatient. I… get like that when I’m worried…” he admitted. “I just hate that I can’t be of any help to anyone…”

“After we get some lunch, let’s do something to take your mind off it,” Peri suggested. “Why don’t we spar? You owe me a rematch after you kicked my butt last time.”

BaoHackmon smiled a bit and walked into the foyer. “Yeah, sure…” he complied.

As the two walked into the marble, octagonal entrance area, they could hear voices coming from the closed, double doors on the other side of the foyer. BaoHackmon raised an eyebrow and walked over to the doors, listening in inquisitively.

Imperialdramon blinked and walked over. He watched as BaoHackmon pressed his ear up against the door to try and hear the conversation. The dragon could hear Gankoomon speaking with Alphamon, Omegamon, and Magnamon.

“And what the hell’s with Duftmon?” Gankoomon asked. “He’s been disappearing and acting weird for days.”

“He took the loss pretty hard,” Magnamon answered.”

“Yeah? Whenever I try to talk to him, but he just passes by without even acknowledging me. At first, I thought it was just him being his usual arrogant self. But I tried insulting him to get a rise out of him and he still didn’t respond. I didn’t even get an eye roll or a huff.”

“It’s just his way of dealing with it,” Omegamon responded. “He isolates himself from others. He buries himself in a book after arguments or stressful situations. It’s a means of forgetting about it. He eventually calms down and gets on with it.”

Alphamon sighed. “It’s been a few days though… Maybe I was too hard on him…” he suggested remorsefully. “I shouldn’t discount his feelings just because he doesn’t show them often.”

“It needed to be said, Alphamon,” Magnamon assured him.

Gankoomon scoffed and folded his arms. “Duftmon’s a big boy. He should know how to take a little criticism.”

“Even so, I should probably talk to him and clear the air,” Alphamon said. “Both on a personal level, and based on the fact that we need his help with coming up with a potential rescue plan.”

“Well, good luck,” Gankoomon told him. “You might have to grovel.”

Alphamon smiled a bit behind his helmet. “It wouldn’t be the first time…” he responded resignedly.

“More importantly, what are we going to do about Dukemon and Dynasmon?” Magnamon asked, frowning deeply and worried about his friends. “What do you think the Metal Empire plans to do with them?”

Alphamon sighed and scratched his forehead. “I’m not sure… Take them back to Facture, maybe? I don’t know how worried we should be… Will they receive an amiable imprisonment or will it be a vindictive one? Will they be interrogated for information?” he asked aloud with a grimace. “It’s hard to tell with the Metal Empire. I at least suspect that they won’t be ransomed to us; the Metal Empire has no need for money, and I doubt they would want to release two Royal Knights in the middle of a war.”

Omegamon winced and nodded. “We need to get them back somehow,” he said, his tone worried and gloomy. “We have to make sure that they’re alright.”

The black Royal Knight looked at Omegamon sadly. He knew that the white knight was particularly worried about Dukemon and Dynasmon, even though he tried to hide it. “We will, Omegamon.”

“Don’t worry about them. They’re tough,” Gankoomon stated casually. “We’ll figure something out.”

BaoHackmon couldn’t help but frown at his sensei’s lack of urgency towards the situation.

“I suppose…” Magnamon responded, although he sighed and rubbed his eyes, obviously not having had much sleep. “We need to think of something quick though… I want to get them back… We can’t leave them to the Metal Empire much longer,” he stated adamantly. He lowered his clawed hand and frowned. “…And there’s also that other thing. Black Pincer Company’s mystery client who’s supposedly paying them to attack us and make us think it’s the Metal Empire.”

Alphamon narrowed his eyes as he thought about it. “That is worrisome… The spies and Dorbickmon are working on it, but, apparently, it isn’t an easy trail. I don’t like the idea of some Digimon working in secret, trying to create chaos in the Digital World for unknown reasons.”

Gankoomon shrugged and placed his hands in his pockets as if the situation were simpler than they were making it out to be. “Whoever it is, we’ll just trash them,” he said aloud, walking towards the doors leading to the foyer. “That’s what the Royal Knights do, right?”

Alphamon couldn’t help but smile at Gankoomon’s confidence. “When you put it like that, it sounds so simple, Gankoomon.”

The red haired Royal Knight looked over his shoulder at the Lord of the Empty Seat and flashed him a smirk. “It is that simple,” he responded.

As Gankoomon approached the doors leading to the foyer, he placed his foot against them and roughly pushed it open, hard enough to hit BaoHackmon and send him crashing to the floor. “…Huh? BaoHackmon?” he asked, looking at his squire sprawled out on the marble floor of the foyer. At first, he arched an eye inquisitively, but then he frowned with realization. “You were eavesdropping…”

Imperialdramon Dragon Mode immediately arched his back to stand up as straight as a quadrupedal dragon could. “We’re sorry, Sir Gankoomon!” he apologized, bowing his head. “We were just going to lunch and—“

BaoHackmon groaned and stood to his feet, rubbing his cheek. “What was that about Black Pincer Company, Sensei?” he asked his teacher curiously, unapologetic for eavesdropping. He looked over at Alphamon, Omegamon, and Magnamon. “Sir Alphamon-shishou,” he said extra-formally. “What’s going to be happen with Sir Dukemon and Sir Dynasmon?”

Gankoomon placed his fist on BaoHackmon’s head and pushed downwards. “Nothing you need to know about, kid,” he answered in a rebuking tone.

BaoHackmon frowned and pulled his head away. “S-Sensei!” he complained, blushing with embarrassment as he glanced at the other onlooking Royal Knights. “I’m not a child!”

“And you’re not a Royal Knight either, so leave this stuff to us,” Gankoomon said to him firmly.

BaoHackmon looked up at him defiantly, a nerve obviously getting struck by the comment. “…How am I ever going to become a Royal Knight if you keep treating me like this!” he protested. “You won’t even let me go on a single job outside of the castle! I’m not helping the Order at all!”

Gankoomon moved his arms out of his jacket, fists lightly clenched. However, he positioned his arms so that he folded them across his chest. “Okay then… You want to help the Order? Go eat lunch, go to the cafeteria kitchen, and go help the staff clean the dishes,” he said in a no-nonsense voice.

The teenage dragon was stunned into incredulous silence. He looked up at Gankoomon, his gold eyes wide, disbelieving and questioning, and his mouth partially open, as if asking if Gankoomon was joking. “…Are you serious, Gankoomon-sensei?” he asked in partial amazement. “You want me to clean the kitchen? I helped sweep the damn hallways last week; you expect me to get better by constantly making me help the maintenance staff? I want to be a warrior, not a maid!”

“You want me to stop treating you like a child? Then stop whining like one and take some responsibility!” Gankoomon scolded him, taking BaoHackmon by the hood and lifting him off of his front legs so that he was at eye-level with him. He stared at him sternly. “Unless you think that throwing a tantrum like a little kid is a good way to prove that you’re Royal Knight material, that is…”

BaoHackmon clenched his jagged, draconic teeth and uttered a snarl. He stared back at Gankoomon defiantly. The dragon was very aware of the stares of Alphamon, Omegamon, and Magnamon. He could feel his face heating up from the sheer embarrassment of Gankoomon treating him like a child in front of them. His stare of defiance momentarily lapsed into a grimace, but his resolve hardened again and he pushed Gankoomon back, forcing the Royal Knight to release him.

BaoHackmon dropped to the ground and he glared at Gankoomon with a flushed, furious expression. “How am I supposed to take on responsibility when you won’t let me?!” he shouted. “I’m mature enough and I’m strong enough to do more than I’m doing now! You always talk about not liking authority, but you love having authority over me! You’re such a hypocrite, Sensei!”

“What?!” Gankoomon demanded, growing furious and clenching his fist at the tone that his student was taking with him. “What the hell did you say?”

BaoHackmon snarled and lowered his gaze with Gankoomon. Now he just wanted to embarrass Gankoomon as much as he had been embarrassed. “You heard me. I think I know why you’re holding me back. You’re worried about the student outshining the master!”

Gankoomon lashed his arm out with a swift, decisive strike across BaoHackmon’s metal cheek.

BackHackmon’s eyes widened as the slap caused his head to jerk to the side. He could immediately feel a numb pain in his cheek. Gankoomon gritted his teeth and retracted his hand, which bore a bloody cut across the back of his hand from the impact with BaoHackmon’s firm, jagged face.

For a moment, BaoHackmon was stunned. It wasn’t from the slap; Gankoomon had disciplined him physically more times than he could remember. It was the fact that he did so in full view of his heroes. He could see Alphamon, Omegamon, and Magnamon wince and look away awkwardly. The perception they must have of him now… It was this that caused BaoHackmon’s emotions to flare up.

BaoHackmon’s eyes began to shimmer and glisten as tears began to form in the corners of his eyes. However, he refused to show any weakness. He hardened his gaze and slowly turned his head back towards Gankoomon, who he looked up at with a defiant glare. “Still treating me like a kid, huh, Gankoomon-sensei…?” he spoke, his voice rebellious, yet quivering a bit. “Well… I’ll show you how far I’ve come…”

The dragon shut his eyes and looked away. “I’ll prove it!” he yelled. BaoHackmon snarled and ran off down the hallway, just as a tear was able to escape his eye.

“B-BaoHackmon!” Imperialdramon called after him. He hastily saluted Gankoomon and the others before trying to give chase.

Gankoomon released a breath and raised his hand to rub his forehead. After a moment, he turned around and looked at the three Royal Knights. “Teenagers…” he said dismissively.

“Will… he be alright?” Magnamon asked, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

“Yeah, Hackmon knows how to take a hit,” Gankoomon explained, flexing his sore fist, which oozed drops of blood down his fingers.

Omegamon glanced at Magnamon. “Well… we should get going. We need to speak with Captain Knightmon.” Omegamon winced a bit. “Then I want to check on Grani…”

Magnamon nodded and began walking. “Good luck with Duftmon, Alphamon…”

Omegamon placed a hand on Gankoomon’s shoulder as he passed by him. The two walked across the foyer and began heading outside.

Alphamon watched the two leave before turning his attention to Gankoomon. “…Are you okay?” he asked him.

Gankoomon looked down at his bloodied hand and raised it. “Huh, this? It’s nothing,” he insisted with a dismissive wave that sent a drop of blood onto the floor. “I just forgot how tough Hackmon’s scales are.”

“I didn’t mean physically,” Alphamon said, folding his arms and looking at Gankoomon with an inquisitive yet caring look.

Gankoomon shrugged nonchalantly. He walked down the great hall for a few paces before suddenly stopping behind Alphamon.

“…When he was younger, he used to look up at me with wide eyes… full of admiration,” he muttered. “…The way he looked at me today, I’ve never seen that before…”

“I see…” Alphamon turned around and placed his hand on Gankoomon’s jacket-covered shoulder. “…I noticed that you called him ‘Hackmon’,” he pointed out with a slight smile.

Gankoomon grunted. “…Did I?” he mumbled, raising his non-bloody hand and scratching the corner of his mustache with a finger. “…Maybe the kid’s right. Guess I do sometimes treat him like he’s still a Hackmon.” He released a soft breath. “The fact is… he’s changing more than I like to admit… He’s growing up. What happened there was proof of it… He never would have dreamed of speaking to me like that before.”

Alphamon removed his hand from Gankoomon’s back. “We all change. We grow and evolve; it’s the nature of Digimon,” he explained. “It’s up to us to make sure that BaoHackmon changes for the better… He has so much potential.” Alphamon walked up beside Gankoomon and looked at him. “He’s your student, so I don’t want to impose, but… maybe it is time that you give him some more responsibility. I know that you challenge him heavily in your own way, but he needs to experience new and different things if he wants to grow and become stronger. That’s how the rest of us grew.”

Gankoomon scratched the hair on the back of his head as he thought about what Alphamon said. “Yeah… Maybe. To be honest, I’ve been thinking about it, but… the kid still has a lot to learn. Not just about combat, but about the world. I know he’s got the capability, but I don’t know if he has the maturity.”

“He seems to have a good head on his shoulders… Think about it, Gankoomon,” Alphamon advised him. “He might surprise you.”

“Yeah, he might,” Gankoomon admitted. “…I’ll think about it, Alphamon.”

He turned and raised his bleeding hand. “I guess I better go patch this up before I get anymore blood on Imperialdramon Paladin Mode’s nice floor. …Don’t you have a sour-faced tactician to visit?”

Alphamon smiled and nodded. “Yes, I do,” he responded. “I’ll see you, Gankoomon.”

Gankoomon nodded and parted ways with Alphamon, who made his way to the left staircase in the nearby foyer.

Alphamon walked up the stone staircase to the second level of the castle. Once reaching the top, he walked out from the wide set of stairs, into the hallway on the bedroom wing. The Aloof Hermit looked down the long corridor towards Duftmon’s bedroom. From what he could tell, the door was closed, but he wasn’t sure if that meant that the tactician was inside or not.

The black Royal Knight began to head down the hallway. He began to near Duftmon’s room, but he was interrupted when a tall, gold figure appeared in his view. OuRyuumon walked down from the staircase that led up to the third level, where the captains’ quarters were. The Strike Forces captain stopped when he saw Alphamon.

“OuRyuumon?” Alphamon greeted, walking up to him. “I had heard you were back...”

“Huh, Alphamon? Hey…” he acknowledged in response. “I just got back this morning.” He looked off to the side, his violet eyes narrowed with bitter contemplation. “It doesn’t feel right though…”

“The Strike Forces need to recuperate here for a bit,” Alphamon reassured him. “Now that the Saversburg military repaired the bridge that the D-Brigade destroyed, the Strike Forces don’t have to protect the temporary one that they built.”

“Yeah, but still…” OuRyuumon muttered, frowning deeper.

Alphamon smiled at him. “…We’ll get them back,” he told him, knowing what OuRyuumon was thinking. He was worried about Dukemon and Dynasmon. To be honest, Alphamon was concerned as well, but he couldn’t let it show. Back when Omegamon had been captured by DarkKnightmon, his worry had a negative effect on the rest of the Order. He had to be calm and composed about the situation.

OuRyuumon looked at Alphamon. “Yeah… Good,” he responded, folding his arms across his gold chest. It was through this action that Alphamon noticed the bandage around OuRyuumon’s forearm.

Alphamon looked at the wound. “You’re hurt… May I?” he asked, gently taking OuRyuumon’s arm in his hands and inspecting the bandaged limb.

“Oh. It’s just a cut…” OuRyuumon assured him, looking down at the wound as well. “Standard for a battle. No big deal.”

“I’m glad to hear it…” Alphamon responded with a touch of relief to his voice. He looked up at the tall dragon. OuRyuumon returned the look and their eyes locked for a few, quiet moments.

After a moment, both Digimon looked away sheepishly. Alphamon lightly released OuRyuumon’s arm and glanced at him. “Um, OuRyuumon…” he began uncertainly.

At this, OuRyuumon smiled sweetly. “We should focus on getting Dukemon and Dynasmon back…” he suggested to him.

Although he was initially surprised, Alphamon returned the smile. “Yes… Yes, you’re right…” he agreed.

OuRyuumon raised his claws and ran them through his violet hair, trying his best to appear cool. “So, uh… Where are you headed? Might tag along.”

“I’m going to talk to Duftmon,” Alphamon responded with a knowing grin.

“…On second thought, I think I have some things to do,” OuRyuumon said with a smirk.

Alphamon chuckled. “I didn’t think so,” he replied. “Don’t overdo it, OuRyuumon. Give that cut some time to heal.”

“Yeah, okay,” the serpent dragon responded. “Might see you later if I’m not busy with Strike Forces stuff. Don’t have a whole lot of time now that HippoGriffomon’s stuck in bed.”

Alphamon gave him a nod. “Just do what you need to do. The Strike Forces need you right now,” he said to him.

“Yeah, okay…” OuRyuumon answered, beginning to pass Alphamon.

The black knight watched as the tall dragon made his way past him. “Wish me luck,” he added.

OuRyuumon grinned and walked past him. “Good luck. You’ll need it,” he told his friend before heading down the stairs behind him.

The leader of the Royal Knights smiled over his shoulder as OuRyuumon walked down. Once he was gone, Alphamon became serious once again when walked down the corridor towards Duftmon’s room.

The black knight stopped in front of the door to the tactician’s bedroom and gave it a few firm courtesy knocks. “Duftmon?” he asked. “Are you in there?”

There was silence. Alphamon was just about to raise his hand to knock one last time, but before his knuckles could reach the door, he was interrupted. “Please, come in,” Duftmon’s voice said from beyond the door.

Alphamon tentatively opened the door and walked inside of Duftmon’s room. He saw the slender Royal Knight sitting on the edge of his bed. The blinds were closed over the windows, so the room was dark except for a lamp on the nearby desk.

Duftmon was staring down at his book, but he looked up once Alphamon entered. He had a tired look in his eyes. “Yes, Alphamon?” he questioned contemplatively.

Alphamon frowned and walked over to the bed, prompting Duftmon to place his book down and stand up. “You seem tired, Duftmon…” he observed. “Are you alright?”

“My sleep routine has become dishevelled…” the tactician admitted faintly. “I keep thinking about the battle. I have thought about nothing but that battle for the past few days…”

Alphamon winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “Duftmon…” he spoke gently. “I’m… sorry for coming down on you so forcefully. If it seemed like I was laying most of the blame at your feet, that wasn’t my intention.”

Duftmon closed his eyes and folded his arms, bowing his head. “Don’t be ridiculous, Alphamon… It was my fault. The responsibility for the outcome of that battle was entirely mine,” he admitted after turning and looking away.

The black Royal Knight stood and looked at Duftmon in shock. Alphamon was stunned at this admission of fault from Duftmon. Such a thing was almost unheard of. It made it clear to Alphamon just how serious the situation was.

“Duftmon… I hope we didn’t make you think that…” Alphamon said to him diplomatically. “You know as well as anybody that the situation in battle can change rapidly. It was a small oversight. The tide of battle is fluid and chaotic, so you can’t take it to heart.”

Duftmon winced. “It was a massive, battle-ending oversight. A gigantic blunder… To assume that those reinforcements were their rear guard…” He shut his eyes and clenched his fists. “It was my own fault, Alphamon… I have been thinking about it for days, and that is my conclusion. I should not have blamed the others for my shortcomings…”

Alphamon sighed and took a step towards him. He placed a hand on Duftmon’s winged shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t blame yourself, Duftmon…” he said to him, although inwardly thinking that he never thought he’d have to say that to the tactician.

“What am I supposed to do, then?” Duftmon asked, turning his green eyes away from Alphamon. “Refusing to blame myself was precisely what I did before. I dismissed the blame onto others. However, the truth of the matter is that I’m to blame…”

The leopard knight narrowed his eyes reflectively. “I made a mistake… I… I don’t know what to do with mistakes, Alphamon…” he admitted sullenly.

Alphamon rubbed his shoulder. “…You learn from them so that you don’t make the same mistake twice,” he said to him.

Duftmon turned and looked at Alphamon. “…How?” he asked him with questioning, insecure eyes. “I need to know… What am I doing wrong, Alphamon…? I have been thinking about it constantly, but…”

Alphamon’s gaze softened as he looked into Duftmon’s eyes. “I don’t know if I can answer that, Duftmon…”

The blond haired Royal Knight turned his head and looked down, sighing. “…I’ve been thinking hard about what Tactimon said to me in Saversburg. He says that I’m too impersonal… That I treat others like pawns…” he spoke. Duftmon closed his eyes. “I… realize that I am not the best Digimon when it comes to social situations and interpersonal relations… Other Digimon seem to get annoyed by me.”

“Well…” Alphamon admitted. “If I can speak honestly, you do sometimes come across as superior and disdainful…”

“I did gather that much…” Duftmon responded, some of his sarcasm still lingering despite his beaten down mood. “However… what Tactimon said keeps resonating for some reason… He sounded so convinced, as if he could see a glaring flaw within me that I couldn’t. Sleipmon, as well… They said that I distanced myself from my forces… that I was too focused on logic. They said that I have to take them into account for my tactics to succeed.” Duftmon grimaced with frustration. “But I have taken them into account! I placed Craniamon, RhodoKnightmon, Dukemon, and Dynasmon based on where I needed their strengths!”

Alphamon looked at Duftmon with thoughtful eyes. “…If I may, Duftmon… That might be it. You placed them based on where you needed them to be. You, as a tactician, needed them placed in certain positions, based on the objective strengths and weaknesses of their abilities, correct?” he asked him.

“Exactly… As I always do. So, what is the problem with that?” Duftmon replied, genuinely confused.

“Well… I wouldn’t say there’s something inherently wrong with that…” Alphamon admitted. “But… there is more to a Digimon than just their abilities. They are more than just a set of skills. I’ve noticed that whenever you wanted to add an additional Royal Knight to our ranks, you wanted them to fit a certain role… Examon for long-ranged support for example, or Sleipmon for mid-ranged attacks and agility. I think that’s the point where your interest in other Digimon ends: anything beyond how they can be useful for the Order.”

Duftmon frowned and thought about his words.

Alphamon gripped Duftmon’s shoulder before removing his hand. “There is so much more to Digimon than that. They have personalities, styles, methodologies, preferences… They might not always match up with your own views.”

Duftmon grimaced and looked away. “Why do you think I…?” he sighed and cut himself off.

Alphamon smiled. “You do have to take those variables into account…”

“…Variables…” Duftmon murmured distastefully.

“Yes… I know you hate them. You like everything to be ordered and structured in a certain way. Your cleanliness, your rigid schedules, your detailed plans… They’re all methods of preserving order and eliminating variables, aren’t they?” Alphamon asked him.

The brown-armoured Royal Knight frowned at his words. “…I… suppose?” he offered noncommittally. “I have never thought about myself like that…”

“I have thought about you a lot. I’ve thought about each and every one of you, Duftmon,” Alphamon explained kindly. “It’s my responsibility to get to understand all of you. These social connections are paramount to the wellbeing of the Order… I learned that after I failed with DarkKnightmon…” Alphamon sighed and then turned to look at Duftmon. “Dynasmon and Dukemon are the sort of Digimon who would risk themselves if it meant saving others. Craniamon prefers to be in the thick of the fighting, challenging strong opponents. RhodoKnightmon likes to have space to move freely,” he explained. “I know that you can’t create tactics to suit a single Digimon, but you do have to take these things to heart when you are asking them to go into battle. Digimon can’t be forced into a certain role. They are individuals... I do think there is truth in the idea that you have to understand the Digimon you’re commanding. That’s how I try to operate, at least.”

Although wincing at the idea, Duftmon nodded. “I… I see…” he responded. “So that’s what Tactimon meant…” Duftmon turned his head to look back up at Alphamon. “I… don’t think I can do that. I can’t… do what you do, Alphamon. I am unable to talk like this… and make those connections. I cannot simply change overnight, even if what Tactimon said about me is true.”

“Nobody expects you to, Duftmon,” Alphamon told him warmly. “Nobody can change just like that… However, you recognize that you need to do something differently. That’s a big step…”

“Mhm…” Duftmon replied broodingly. “I… simply do not wish to give the Order a bad name…”

“You don’t have to worry about that, Duftmon,” Alphamon reassured him.

Duftmon nodded. He briefly locked eyes with Alphamon and opened his mouth to say something. After a moment, he looked away, thinking better of his words. “Your input is…” He turned his face away sheepishly.

“Appreciated… Alphamon.”

Alphamon couldn’t help but smile. He gave Duftmon a light pat on the back. “You’re welcome…” he said. “Can we expect you to help formulate a rescue plan? You are our tactician after all…”

At this, Duftmon stood up a bit straighter. “Of course…” he replied, turning back to face Alphamon.

Alphamon nodded. “I’m glad to hear it,” he said, beginning to turn to leave. “But perhaps you should have a nap first.”

“Perhaps…” Duftmon stated, closing his eyes.

“I’ll see you soon,” Alphamon said to his fellow Royal Knight.

Duftmon nodded quietly.

Alphamon looked at Duftmon for a moment before turning back to the door. He walked away and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

-

(Continued in the next post)
 

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
(Continued from the previous post)

-

BaoHackmon sat alone in one of the alcoves of the castle’s first floor corridors. He was seated on a cushioned bench, where he sulked and thought about what had happened. He hated that Gankoomon embarrassed him in front of the Royal Knights. He was made to look weak and child-like. It was his goal to become one of the Royal Knights, but if Gankoomon kept treating him like that, they would never be able to respect him as an equal, let alone think he was prepared to take on the responsibilities of a Royal Knight. It burned him up inside.

The armoured dragon grimaced and rested his chin on the soft, red fabric. He wanted to prove them wrong somehow. He needed to prove that he was capable.

His thoughts were distracted when he noticed one of the torches cast a shadow down the hallway. He glanced over with his gold eyes and saw Grani floating down the corridor.

BaoHackmon lowered himself against the seat more, partially worried that Grani had been told about what had happened to him. However, Grani didn’t even look at him. The Zero ARMS just floated past the alcove that BaoHackmon was in, not even acknowledging that he was there.

This struck BaoHackmon as strange. Grani had extremely good eye sight, so there was no way he didn’t see him. It was as if he was distracted. There seemed to be a sombre aura hanging over the Reconnaissance Captain’s form. BaoHackmon frowned and peered out of the nook, glancing down the hallway as Grani hovered down it.

He watched as Karatenmon turned a corner and headed towards Grani’s direction.

“Hey, Grani,” Karatenmon called out to him. The raven man cocked an eyebrow with curiosity when Grani didn’t respond. “…Grani?”

Grani still failed to reply. He kept heading towards the spymaster while completely engrossed in his thoughts. The way he was going, Grani was going to end up crashing into Karatenmon.

“Woah, there. Stop, Grani!” Karatenmon stated just as the avian dragon was about to fly into him. He raised his taloned hands and gently placed them on Grani’s wings, gently stopping him before he could collide.

Grani blinked and looked up from the ground at the sudden obstruction. “Karatenmon…?” he asked. He looked away sheepishly, embarrassed by his carelessness. “My apologies. I didn’t notice you there. I was… thinking.”

Karatenmon grinned a bit and removed his hands from the Zero ARMS. “You nearly crashed into me and I was walking right towards you. You must have been thinking awfully hard,” he pointed out. The crow Digimon’s smile vanished. “…Are you okay?”

Grani sighed dismally. “I… was thinking about Dukemon,” he admitted. “I am… worried about him…”

The corners of Karatenmon’s mouth turned down. “Oh… Sorry, Grani. I should have guessed,” he answered sympathetically.

“You have nothing to apologise for,” Grani assured him with a deflated calm. “I just can’t help but feel frustrated. I wasn’t there to help him. I’m angry that he went and did something so reckless…”

BaoHackmon overheard their exchange. He winced at the mention of Dukemon. He, too, wanted to get both he and Dynasmon back. He respected the two Royal Knights greatly, and he hated that they had been taken prisoner by the Metal Empire. He stayed in the alcove, listening in while also keeping himself out of sight.

“You know him better than anybody, Grani. If there was a chance that he could help his friends, Dukemon would risk anything,” Karatenmon stated with a faint smile.

“That is part of what annoys me,” Grani explained. “It is hard to be too angry with him when he is doing something noble.” The Zero ARMS sighed and dipped in the air a few inches. “I just wish that he thought about the consequences of his actions before he lets his impulses take over. He can be so reckless…”

“It’s possible to think and deliberate too much, though,” Karatenmon debated. “Sometimes you just have to act in the moment if you think it’s the right thing to do.”

Grani looked up at Karatenmon with a bland, exasperated stare. “How come I always get stuck with the foolish, impulsive, disobedient ones?” he asked dryly.

Karatenmon grinned and rubbed Grani’s head with his hand. “You need us to balance out your analytical, rule-abiding stoicism.”

Grani scoffed and pulled back. “I’m not sure that I can agree with that,” he responded. Despite his humour, after a few moments, Grani began to grow worried again.

The avian spy captain picked up on this. “Don’t worry, Grani. We’ll get him back,” he assured him, his voice optimistic and reassuring. “I’ve already sent some of my spies and infiltrators. It’s possible that they might be able to rescue them without a big operation.”

Grani closed his eyes and released a soft, sceptical breath. “If you’re in charge, I suppose we have nothing to worry about,” he stated with playful sarcasm. However, after a moment, he looked up at Karatenmon with subtle appreciation. “Thank you, Karatenmon.”

Karatnemon offered a kind smile. “Of course…” he told him. “Just don’t worry about him. Dukemon will be okay.”

A faint, hardly noticeable wince graced Grani’s blue eyes. “No… That isn’t all. Something happened…” he explained to the spymaster.

At this, Karatenmon frowned. “What? With Dukemon and Dynasmon?” he asked.

“No… I received news from MailBirdramon. Apparently one of our patrols went missing last night. It was a four-Digimon patrol and not a single one has returned…” Grani explained. A breath escaped his beak. “They’ve been deleted… Most likely by Black Pincer Company.”

Karatenmon’s eyes hardened. “What? Black Pincer Company?” he asked.

Grani nodded bleakly. “Yes… Judging by the coordinates where the patrol last made contact, it is likely that the mercenaries were heading north after we captured their hideout from them,” he explained. “Dorbickmon said that they had been hired to take down one of our patrols. I should have guessed that they would still follow through after we took their hideout from them. I was careless… I should have managed the patrols more carefully.” The Zero ARMS bowed his head and winced.

“You can’t blame yourself, Grani. They could have attacked at any point,” Karatenmon assured him. “Besides, we don’t know for sure that they were deleted. We should send a team to investigate. What were the coordinates?”

“Zeta-Lambda sector. Exact coordinates unknown. Perhaps around the forest there. The Forest of Memories,” Grani replied informatively. “However, if we send a team, we need to make sure that it’s strong enough to engage those three Digimon. They are deceptively powerful. I don’t want to endanger the investigation team in case they’re ambushed.”

“Fair enough,” Karatenmon agreed. “Let’s head to the war room and discuss how to handle this.”

“We should let one of the Royal Knights know as well,” Grani stated.

BaoHackmon’s eyes hardened with resolve as he listened in on Grani and Karatenmon. “Zeta-Lambda, huh…? If I can find Black Pincer Company first, then there won’t be any danger. I can take those three down; I just have to be smart about it. I’ll prove it to Sensei. I’ll prove it to the Royal Knights that I have what it takes.” he thought to himself. “I’ll take down those three criminals and show off what I’m capable of in the process…

He laid in wait as Grani and Karatenmon made their way down the corridor away from him. Once they were gone, he walked out of the alcove with a new found resolve in his eyes. He had a mission and he fully intended on carrying it out to its conclusion.

The dragon raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. Now he just had to figure out where Zeta-Lambda sector was…

-

BaoHackmon waited outside of the cafeteria. He didn’t really want to go inside in case any of the Royal Knights were in there, but he knew that Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode was probably in there. He tapped his foot eagerly as he waited for his friend to come out; he knew that Peri was a slow eater.

Just as he was going to risk venturing inside, he saw a large, familiar mass of blue, white, black, and red pass through the spacious doorway. BaoHackmon sprung into action.

“Peri!” he greeted, grabbing one of Imperialdramon’s forelegs with his own and began to pull the dragon, who was over twice his size, down the corridor.

“Gah! BaoHackmon?” Imperialdramon Dragon Mode exclaimed with surprise, not expecting to see him again so soon. He allowed himself to be pulled and he looked down at the white dragon. “Are you okay? I was worried.”

“Yeeaaah, I’m fine,” BaoHackmon assured him. “I just needed to vent by going a couple rounds with the punching bag. Don’t worry about it.”

“That’s good,” Peri answered. “So… Where are we going?”

“The library. I need your help,” BaoHackmon explained, pulling him around a corner to the right, heading to the stairs that led to the basement level. “You’re recon, so you know maps and geography and stuff, right?”

“Yeah, that’s the first thing we’re taught,” the large dragon responded. “Captain Grani made us memorize all of the different sectors on the continent. Names and landmarks too. It was hard work.”

BaoHackmon grinned. “Good. I was hoping you could teach me a few things,” he said.

Peri looked at him curiously. “Does this mean you’re considering joining Recon after all?” he wondered.

“I dunno. I’m just looking into it. It’ll be useful information to know, no matter what I do,” BaoHackmon explained noncommittally. “Everybody in the Order should know about geography.”

Peri blinked and turned to look down at his friend. “I never thought I’d hear you say that…” he said with a grin. “It sounds like Sir Gankoomon hit you harder than I thought.”

BaoHackmon rolled his eyes as he pulled Peri into the expansive library. “Very funny. So, where are the maps at?” he questioned.

“The map copies are over in this corner. Don’t rip any,” the helmet-wearing dragon explained, making his way over to the corner where the collection of maps was stored.

“I won’t. I’ll get us a table,” BaoHackmon said, making his way over to one of the tables in the front area of the library. He found a table large enough to place a map on and sat beside it, waiting for Imperialdramon to return.

Peri walked to the table, holding a rolled up map in his tail. He spread out the map and angled it so that BaoHackmon could see it easily. “I got one of the ones of the whole continent.”

“Great!” BaoHackmon exclaimed, smiling broadly. He tilted his head and looked at the map before him. “So… For example… If I wanted to find Zeta-Lambda sector, how would I do that?”

“That’s a good place to start,” Imperialdramon Dragon Mode explained, sitting down so that he could raise his forelegs. He pointed with the spike protruding from his oversized claws. “First, you look at the axes. There’s the X-axis and the Y-axis, and they’re both labelled from alpha to omega. So, if you want to find somewhere that you know the coordinates of, first look at the X-axis, so zeta…” He pointed to the left side of the map.

BaoHackmon followed along, only half-interested. He was more concerned with finding the actual location rather than actually learning this stuff.

“Then you follow it along until you reach lambda, which would be around here…” Peri stopped his claw near a forest to the north-west of the Free Area. “See? So, Zeta-Lambda sector is around the Forest of Memories. Right here.”

BaoHackmon gave the map a look over, to see where Splendour’s Reach was relative to the Forest of Memories. After studying the map for a few more moments, the dragon grinned, confident that he could get there. “Okay, thanks, Peri!” he said to him, walking away from the table and heading towards the library exit.

“Huh?” Peri asked, blinking and looking over at BaoHackmon started to leave. “Where are you going? We only just started!”

“I just remembered that I have a job I need to do!” BaoHackmon called back as he walked out into the corridor. “Don’t wait up!”

“BaoHackmon!” Imperialdramon called after him. The young, Ultimate-level dragon sighed when he didn’t get a response.

BaoHackmon ran up the stairs to main floor. He knew that if he wanted to get to the Forest of Memories before dark, he’d have to leave right now. He bolted down the halls as he made his way to the exit. His metallic limbs clinked against the smooth, stone flooring with every step. BaoHackmon ran down a long corridor towards the foyer.

Just as he neared the end of the corridor and approached the marble entry way, he saw Gankoomon emerge from the stairs on the opposite side of the foyer. Gankoomon stepped out and began to get in his path, looking at his student calmly.

BaoHackmon’s golden eyes hardened, some of his residual anger flaring up again. “Get out of my way!” he said harshly, making a sharp turn to the left. The dinosaur Digimon ran into the entrance hall, dashing down it towards the exit.

Gankoomon frowned. “BaoHackmon!” he shouted after him.

BaoHackmon knew that if Gankoomon knew what he was up to, there would be no way he would get away with it. “Just leave me alone, Sensei!” he called back over his caped shoulder. Although he really was still angry at Gankoomon, he played it up as an excuse to get away from him. He just hoped that Gankoomon wouldn’t try to follow him.

Gankoomon released an irritated sigh as he watched BaoHackmon run outside. He always did this whenever they had an argument. Gankoomon decided that it was better to just let him cool down. He knew that they’d probably just end up having another fight given the nature of their temperaments at the moment.

He turned and continued down the castle corridor. Little did he know, BaoHackmon had other plans.

-

The hours went by and the afternoon had completely passed. The sun had almost set, and the sky was a blackish-blue hue. Stars flickered over head, and two half moons were positioned on opposite ends the sky.

BaoHackmon jogged along the grassy plains in intermittent bursts. He wanted to move quickly, but he didn’t want to tire himself out, knowing that he would have to fight Black Pincer Company. He had taken the Locomon Rail a third of the distance and then travelled the rest by foot. It had taken him all afternoon. Luckily for him, he was in peak physical condition, and Gankoomon had taught him pathfinding and tracking skills. He was fairly sure that he was on the right track.

As he ran, his hooded, crimson cape fluttered against his back. BaoHackmon jogged up the side of a small hill and stopped at the crest of the mound. Sure enough, he sighted something from the vantage point. He grinned at what he saw.

In the near distance was a sprawling forest filled with spread out trees. He was sure that it was the Forest of Memories. Due to the darkness, it was hard to make out much of anything other than the outlines of the canopies. The dinosaur Digimon squinted his eyes and looked around the landscape. He sniffed a bit and took in the scent of the area.

I smell smoke,” BaoHackmon noted to himself. He looked around the area carefully. He could just barely make out several, singed tree branches strewn around the ground a dozen meters from the base of the hill he was on. “Looks like there was a fight here…

The dragon frowned and began to walk down the hill towards the patch of grassland between the hill and the edge of the forest. Once he was down there, he looked around cautiously. He was able to see a large gap in the tree canopy. It looked as if something had vaporized the trees there.

BaoHackmon narrowed his eyes and ducked his head down, scanning the area alertly. “This must have been where the patrol was deleted… Black Pincer Company can’t be too far away…” he thought to himself as he carefully advanced towards the forest.

He could smell smoke. It smelled fresh. The armoured dinosaur made his way to the edge of the forest. He leered into the darkness of the woods. In the distance, he could see a faint glow of light.

BaoHackmon cautiously stepped inside the forest. He was pretty sure that it wasn’t one of those random flames or patches of light that sometimes floated through forests. It looked more like static fire. He suspected that it was a campfire.

The dragon narrowed his eyes as he quietly headed towards it. He knew he needed to stealthy. “It must be Black Pincer Company…” he thought to himself.

BaoHackmon crept forwards through the forest towards the distant flame. A chill crept down his scales as the weight of what he was doing finally sank in. He began to wonder if he could really manage fighting Black Pincer Company or not. He began to breathe a bit heavier and he could feel a tightening feeling in the pit of his stomach. He began to doubt himself.

Despite BaoHackmon’s fears, he pressed on as quietly as he could. To be a Royal Knight, one had to be brave. He knew that he needed to trust in his capabilities, even if he had doubts. He steeled his willpower and pressed forward, remaining ever vigilant. He figured he might have a fighting chance if he could take on each of the three mercenaries one-by-one. He knew he needed to scout out their campsite before making a move.

The dragon Digimon released a quiet breath and moved with his body close to the ground. He was mindful of his feet and made sure not to step on any noisy twigs or hit any stones.

As he drew nearer to the flames, he ducked behind a tree and some shrubbery and glanced out cautiously. BaoHackmon could see a campfire burning in the middle of a gap in the forest. However, to his surprise, there were no Digimon near the fire. The area was deserted.

BaoHackmon arched an eyebrow with confusion. “Huh?” he whispered to himself. He didn’t know why there would be a campfire lit if there was nobody there. An uneasy feeling began to loom over him.

He looked all around him carefully. There was nobody there. All he could see was darkness. BaoHackmon winced and stepped out from behind the tree. He began to wonder if he should go back to the castle. He was seriously considering it.

It was then that a cold chill swept down his back. The dinosaur’s gold eyes widened with terror. He could sense a presence standing directly behind him.

BaoHackmon slowly turned his head, daring to look over his caped shoulder.

GranKuwagamon stood directly behind him. The giant, black insect smirked, entertained by the look of stunned horror that formed on BaoHackmon’s face. “Surprise,” he greeted. GranKuwagamon swung his massive arm around and drove his clawed fist into BaoHackmon’s plated side.

BaoHackmon was thrown through the air and his back slammed into the trunk of a tree. He released a winded cough and then fell to the ground, barely managing to land on his feet. The dragon winced at the numb pain in his back but forced himself to stand up straight and look at his opponent.

To his shock, GranKuwagamon was already rushing towards him, coiling his arm back and poised to strike. BaoHackmon snarled and leapt into action. He lunged to the side and rolled out of the way right as GranKuwagamon unleashed a mighty punch. His claws sheared through the tree with ease and caused the trunk to come crashing down with a thunderous crash.

BaoHackmon spun around and clenched his teeth. “Burn Flame!” he shouted, unleashing a torrent of flames from his maw towards GranKuwagamon.

GranKuwagamon narrowed his eyes when he saw the swathes of fire billowing towards him. He darted out of the way, narrowly missing getting enveloped by the inferno. He flew to the side and slashed his pincers forward.

BaoHackmon watched his movements and tried to blow more flames towards him. However, the dragon was stunned when GranKuwagamon seemed to disappear behind a tree; there was no way an insect Digimon that big could hide behind such a skinny trunk.

It was then that he realized that GranKuwagamon hadn’t hidden. He teleported. Out of the corners of his eyes, he saw GranKuwagamon shoot out of a spacial rift nearby. The ebony bug closed in on BaoHackmon and drove his foot hard into BaoHackmon’s cheek.

The dinosaur Digimon let out a cry of pain and was sent flying off of his feet. He winced when he hit the ground and skidded along it for several meters. Despite the pain in his face and the metallic taste of blood inside his mouth, BaoHackmon wasn’t about to just give up. He rolled over and got to his feet, digging his limbs into the ground before shooting off across the forest floor.

“You don’t know who you’re dealing with, do you?” GranKuwagamon said to him, watching the Adult-level Digimon as he tried to resist him. “Did you really think you could mess with us? You realize that I’m an Ultimate-level Digimon, right? You’re smart enough to understand what that means? Hell, maybe you’re not.”

“Shut up!” BaoHackmon shouted, dashing towards GranKuwagamon in an unpredictable charge. “I’m going to take you down, you oversized beetle!” The dragon dashed to the side and then zigzagged back towards GranKuwagamon. He lunged into the air and his front claws suddenly ignited, becoming wreathed in flames. “Fif Cross!” he shouted, slashing his claws down in an ‘X’ motion.

The flames slammed into GranKuwagamon’s side. The insect narrowed his eyes at the fire against his carapace, but he seemed otherwise unaffected. He lashed his arm out and swatted BaoHackmon out of the air.

The dragon winced as he slammed into the ground and tumbled across it inelegantly. He came to a rolling stop and levelled a defiant glare at GranKuwagamon. He tried to straighten his legs and stand up once more.

At this, GranKuwagamon couldn’t help but smile. “You’ve got guts, kid. It’s just too bad you don’t have any common sense,” he told him, his large body becoming consumed with a dark-grey light. “Slide Evolution. GrandisKuwagamon.”

BaoHackmon narrowed his eyes when he saw GrandisKuwagamon emerge in his lither but arguably more dangerous form. “…Great, so now you’re even uglier,” he said defiantly.

GrandisKuwagamon smirked and adjusted the Gran Killer gauntlets over his forearms. “Mouthy too…” he observed. He started buzzing his X-shaped wings and started zipping towards BaoHackmon, poised to strike.

BaoHackmon growled and lunged into the air, spinning his body around so that he could lash out with his bladed tail. “Teen Slash!” he shouted, slashing his tail blade towards GrandisKuwagamon.

GrandisKuwagamon caught the tail easily before the blade could strike him. He whirled around in mid-air and launched BaoHackmon towards the sky. “Do it!” he called out.

“Hahah! With pleasure!” Bolgmon shouted out ecstatically from nearby. He burst through a thick bush, driving at full speed. His cannons spun rapidly and brimmed with electricity. “One fried lizard coming right up! Ultimate Thunder!”

He launched two, interconnected electric spheres from his arm cannons. The lightning bolas whipped through the air towards BaoHackmon, who reached the apex of the flight.

Wincing, BaoHackmon watched as the two spheres of lightning spun towards him. He tried his best to brace himself, but the electricity wrapped around his body and surged through him. BaoHackmon let out a pained scream as the lightning shocked him. He fell to the ground in a heap, his body twitching and trembling.

“D-D-Damn… it…” BaoHackmon swore, growling in pain and protest. He winced in pain and tried to stand up on his legs, but he his limbs buckled and he collapsed to the ground. The dragon Digimon narrowed his eyes and hissed again, once more trying to stand up, leg-by-leg.

“Hell, he’s still trying to fight?” Bolgmon observed, rolling over to GrandisKuwagamon, who landed on the ground and watched BaoHackmon. “I weakened my shot so that I didn’t accidentally toast him but it should still’ve been enough to lay him flat.”

GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye and stared at BaoHackmon. He watched as BaoHackmon locked eyes with him and stared back at him with a look of fury and defiance. He leered at BaoHackmon’s angry eyes. GrandisKuwagamon scoffed and shook his head. “Tch… Stupid kid… Should know when to give up…”

“I’m not… a kid…” BaoHackmon responded in a snarl, his voice scathing. He grunted with pain and effort, driving his bladed foot into the ground to try and steady himself. “I won’t… give up… Not to… the likes of you…”

“Oh, shut up.” Blitzmon appeared from behind a tree and walked up behind BaoHackmon. He casually drove an electrically charged fist into BaoHackmon’s back, hard enough to knock him flat against the ground. This time, BaoHackmon didn’t get back up.

“Thank you!” Bolgmon whimsically chimed out to Blitzmon, rolling over to him.

GrandisKuwagamon followed, approaching the beetle man and the unconscious dragon. The black insect stopped and folded his arms, looking down at BaoHackmon. He nudged his unmoving body with one of his black feet. “So… What d’you guys thing?” he asked the two, deep blue insect Digimon with him.

“He can’t be with the Royal Knights, can he?” Blitzmon stated. “There’s only one of him and he’s only an Adult-level. Not enough to investigate a missing patrol.”

“He talks like a Royal Knight. He looks like a Royal Knight. He’s even got the damn cape,” GrandisKuwagamon pointed out. “You think he just wandered into the Forest of Memories this late at night? He’s probably alone so that he didn’t draw as much attention to himself while he investigated.”

Blitzmon shrugged noncommittally. “Maybe…”

GrandisKuwagamon stared at the unconscious dragon. He turned towards the large, tank Digimon beside him. “Take him, Bolgmon. Bring him back to our real camp,” he told him. “We’ll find out how much this kid’s worth…”
 

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
Chapter 15: Saviour (Part II)​


“Oshishou-sama! Hinukamui-sensei! Watch this!”

Hackmon dashed across the ground, his red cape fluttering behind him as he ran.

“Fif Slash!”

The young, white dragon leapt into the air and poised his keen claws. He swept his foreleg outwards and sliced his claws diagonally through the trunk of a tree. The claws cut all the way through the wood, so the tree ended up sliding down its trunk. The base of the medium-sized trunk impacted the ground and then slowly toppled over with a large crash.

Hackmon turned around and looked at his master with a proud, expectant smile. He saw Gankoomon standing a few meters away, watching him with folded arms. The golden aura dragon, Hinukamui, watched from above Gankoomon as his draconic power rose up from the humanoid Digimon’s shoulders.

Gankoomon didn’t respond. His expression appeared stern and unmoved. He watched the tree fall over and glanced at Hackmon, his arms folded.

At this, Hackmon’s smile faded and his head drooped. He glanced away from his master, disappointed that he didn’t seem impressed. He had practiced for weeks and he thought he had done a pretty good job, but now he began to doubt himself.

However, after a moment, Gankoomon grinned and walked over. “…Good form, Hackmon. You’ve improved,” he told his disciple, placing a hand on his caped shoulder.

Hackmon beamed at his sensei’s compliment. “It’s thanks to your training, Oshishou-sama!” he replied happily.

“Don’t be so modest. You’re the one that has to use that training to grow,” Gankoomon assured him. “Right, Hinu?”

Hinukamui gave a throaty grunt of approval.

“Also, quit being so formal,” Gankoomon told him.

Hackmon smiled and laughed a bit. “I feel like I can take on Adult-level Digimon now.”

Gankoomon grinned at his confidence and reached down to pat his head. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. If you try to bite off more than you can chew, you might end up getting hurt. It’s a hard thing to do, but you’ve gotta know your limits.”

“I’ve never seen you worry about your limits, Sensei,” Hackmon teased, smiling up at him.

Gankoomon lightly knocked his knuckles on Hackmon’s head. “That’s because you’ve never seen me take on someone I couldn’t handle!” he responded matter-of-factly.

“That’s because Sensei’s so strong!” Hackmon declared, smiling and nodding to himself. “One day, I’m going to be as strong as you and the Royal Knights. Please keep training me!”

Gankoomon grinned and folded his arms. “I’m not sure I like being lumped in with your precious Royal Knights!” he declared. “But… Hmm… What do you think, Hinu? Should we keep training the kid?”

Hinukamui grinned and folded his arms with deliberation, before releasing an affirmative grunt.

Gankoomon laughed. “Guess that settles it! You’re in luck, Hackmon!”

Hackmon smiled broadly and leapt up to hug Gankoomon’s waist. “Thank you, Sensei! I’ll try really hard! You won’t regret it!”


-

BaoHackmon grimaced, his eyes tensing up and his teeth clenching as he began to wake up. He opened his eyes drowsily so that he could see where he was. The dragon found himself directly at ground level, his chin resting on some emerald moss. He released a grunt that caused dirt to puff up in front of his horned snout. After blinking some of the dirt away, BaoHackmon began to grow more aware.

In front of him, he could see that he was still in the Forest of Memories. It seemed to be daytime, which was clear from the eerie strands of sunlight that shone down between the spaces in the canopy. BaoHackmon realized that he was lying belly-down on the forest floor. The dragon stirred his sore body, attempting to push himself up from the dirty ground. He moved his hind legs first, scuffing his bladed feet against the earth.

Next, BaoHackmon attempted move his front pair of legs. His eyes widened with fear when he realized that he couldn’t budge them an inch. It came to his attention that his fore legs had been pulled behind his caped back and tied together with rope. He struggled to try and get his claws free, but due to the shape of his feet and the tightness of the rope, he was unable to.

He grunted and looked over his shoulder to try to see his bound legs. He saw that the end of his tail was also tied with his ankles, so that he wouldn’t be able to use the blade at the end to cut the rope, presumably. “H-Hey!” he shouted out in a mixture of anger and panic.

He glanced forwards again when he heard movement. BaoHackmon saw a pair of black, clawed feet step into his vision. The pair of legs stopped right in front of him, prompting him to look up.

GrandisKuwagamon stood over him, arms folded. He stared down at BaoHackmon with a single, intimidating red eye. BaoHackmon hated to admit it, but everything about the black insect was intimidating. “Look who’s awake,” GrandisKuwagamon said aloud.

“L-Let me go right now!” BaoHackmon demanded, glaring up at GrandisKuwagamon despite his nerves. He struggled on the ground, trying to pull his legs out from behind his back, but he could hardly move the strained limbs due to the awkward angle they were in.

GrandisKuwagamon lifted his foot and placed it on top of BaoHackmon’s head, lightly pushing him further into the dirt. “I might be wrong, but from where I’m standing, you’re not in much of a position to be giving orders, kid,” GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically pointed out.

BaoHackmon glared and released a grunt from his nostrils that sent dirt shooting up from the ground in front of his snout. He felt some relief when GrandisKuwagamon removed his foot and took a step back, as if to make room.

The dragon’s attention turned towards Bolgmon, who rolled over to him. His body stiffened with trepidation at the oncoming tank treads, but he relaxed temporarily when Bolgmon stopped in front of him. BaoHackmon looked up and again felt dread when he saw Bolgmon extend a long, metal needle from his right cannon arm.

Bolgmon looked down at him with an unhinged, entertained leer. “I strongly suggest that you behave yourself while you’re still with us,” the giant, tank Digimon told the prisoner, waving the sharp needle dangerously close to BaoHackmon’s snout. “If you don’t… you’re not going to have a very good time…”

BaoHackmon winced and stayed quiet.

GrandisKuwagamon walked over and placed his hand on Bolgmon’s arm, gently guiding it away from BaoHackmon. “Careful where you wave that thing. Don’t want to accidentally poke his eye out,” he said to him.

“Yet,” Bolgmon said with a laugh, retracting the needle back into his arm.

BaoHackmon looked up at GrandisKuwagamon. “What are you going to do with me…?” he asked him, trying his best to cover his nerves. “…Delete me?”

GrandisKuwagamon leered down at the dinosaur Digimon. “…Heh. I could tell you were with the Royal Knights,” he stated. Upon seeing BaoHackmon’s expression of protest, GrandisKuwagamon explained. “Don’t deny it. You came here to investigate that patrol that disappeared. If you were just an innocent traveller, you’d be confused and probably pissing yourself by now.”

BaoHackmon grimaced and turned his head away slightly. He was too honest to try and deny it. He doubted he’d be very convincing anyways. “You didn’t answer me…” he muttered indignantly.

“We’re not going to delete you,” GrandisKuwagamon explained. “We’re ransoming your ***. Your Royal Knights ransacked our hideout and took all of our hard-earned cash. You’re going to get us our money back.”

“Not likely,” BaoHackmon protested rebelliously. “I bet that ‘hard-earned cash’ was mostly stolen or gotten through ransom, extortion, and other dodgy jobs.”

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. “Please. Spare me the sanctimony and the lecture. I’m not taking it from a jumped-up, cape-wearing lizard who can’t even stand up,” he nonchalantly responded, walking away with a dismissive shrug.

BaoHackmon levelled a glare at him and tried again to free his forelimbs. “The Royal Knights will rescue me… Just you wait!” he exclaimed with a renewed sense of confidence.

“It’d be easier on everyone if they just gave us our money back. No bloodshed, no hassle…” GrandisKuwagamon explained, looking over his shoulder at his captive. “I just hope those Royal Knights aren’t as dumb as I think they are.”

“The Royal Knights aren’t dumb!” BaoHackmon shouted defensively, starting to bear his draconic teeth. “You’re dumb if you think they’ll let you get away with wiping out a Royal Knight patrol and capturing me!”

GrandisKuwagamon frowned and pointed at himself. He then looked over at Bolgmon. “We didn’t wipe out a Royal Knight patrol…” he responded incredulously. “We were travelling through the forest when we came across the Royal Knights’ patrol fighting with some Metal Empire patrol. It was pretty brutal. They took most of each other out, and then the two surviving D-Brigade soldiers escaped into the forest. Then they ran into us and we gave them a little bit of payback.”

“Yeah. It was damn satisfying too,” Bolgmon stated, glancing at the black insect and following up his lie.

BaoHackmon narrowed his eyes at them. “Please. You were just talking about how you wanted to ransom me to get your stuff back,” he sceptically pointed out.

“Why would we wipe out a whole patrol if we wanted to ransom one of you for our money back?” GrandisKuwagamon asked him. “We would have kept one of them alive. All we did was take advantage of a convenient situation.”

BaoHackmon frowned. “I guess…” he muttered, conceding that he had a point. He glanced at the humanoid, ebony insect Digimon. “Still… The Royal Knights will come get me. They’d never leave a member of their Order behind. They’ll save me!”

GrandisKuwagamon couldn’t help but let out a mocking laugh. “That’s a cute thought…”

“If they don’t bring us our cash, you better hope they do come rescue you,” Bolgmon warned him.

The dragon Digimon stifled a grimace. He raised his head, though he could only move it a few centimeters from the ground thanks to his position. “Where’s the other guy…? The one that hit me,” he asked, looking around the campsite.

He had been so concerned with his own situation that he didn’t really take in his surroundings. It was a different campsite from the one that he had initially come across; he assumed that that one must have been a decoy. There were two beds on the ground made of soft, thick leaves. There was also a campfire that was currently extinguished. Over near the beds were a few miscellaneous items and a box of food.

“Blitzmon’s off making sure that our offer gets delivered to the Royal Knights,” GrandisKuwagamon explained. He walked over and sat down at the base of a tree. He crossed his legs and pressed his winged back against the trunk. He turned his crimson eye towards BaoHackmon. “So… What the hell are you doing out here on your own? Who’s the idiot here: you or whoever’s in charge of you?”

BaoHackmon grimaced and looked away, forced to put his cheek against the dirt in order to do so. “Nobody ordered me to… I came out here to investigate on my own,” he responded. The more he thought about it, the more ashamed and idiotic he felt. It was obviously a bad idea, but he was so worked up about proving himself to the Royal Knights, that he ignored his misgivings.

GrandisKuwagamon scoffed. “I dunno what you were thinking. I guess you’re the dumb one, after all,” he said to him, not caring that he was salting his wounds.

BaoHackmon didn’t reply.

GrandisKuwagamon placed his hands behind his head, running his fingers through his orange hair. “Make yourself comfortable, kid; you aren’t going anywhere for awhile…”

The dragon Digimon winced and placed his chin against the dirt. He realised that he didn’t have much choice but to do just that.

-

“What the hell do you mean he wasn’t in his room?!”

Gankoomon stormed down a corridor of one of the barracks buildings. He had a deep frown on his face and he was scowling enough for his teeth to show. Following behind him were the two Sistermons.

“It’s like I said, Imperialdramon said BaoHackmon never showed up to their shared room,” Sistermon Noir replied, her own brows furrowed.

Sistermon Blanc followed behind her older sister, using her as a shield from Gankoomon’s anger. “Imperialdramon said he wasn’t there all night. The bed wasn’t even slept in,” Sistermon Blanc offered meekly from behind Noir’s shoulder.

The Royal Knight strode quickly out of the barracks, his white jacket blustering behind him. “Where the hell could he have gotten to?! He didn’t leave the castle grounds, did he?” he muttered.

“Who knows? I hear you made him pretty mad,” Sistermon Noir said with shrug.

Gankoomon shot her a dangerous look. Sistermon Blanc squeaked and hid behind Noir. “So did you, Sis!” she reminded her.

“All I said to him was to stop sulking and take some initiative,” Sistermon Noir replied. “That was before Gankoomon decked him.”

The red-haired warrior rolled his eyes and made for the main building. “You girls ask around and see if anybody’s seen him. I’ll talk to the others,” he ordered.

“Okay, gotcha,” Sistermon Noir agreed, taking Sistermon Blanc and walking off towards the castle walls.

“BaoHuckmon’s going to be sorry when I’m through with him!” he shouted, driving his fist into his palm as he walked up to the main building’s entrance.

The Knightmon and Mystimon guards that flanked the entrance suddenly tensed up upon seeing Gankoomon storming towards them. They could easily tell that he was seething with rage. Even though Gankoomon hadn’t been in the Order over a year, his hot-blooded anger was legendary. Neither of them wanted to do anything to upset him when he was like this. They quickly moved to open the main building’s doors for him.

“I can open a door myself!” Gankoomon angrily shouted, walking past the guards and pushing the doors open hard enough to send them swinging against the inside walls.

“S-Sorry, Sir Gankoomon!” the two guards quickly exclaimed, bowing.

Gankoomon walked inside the entrance hall, his determination in every stride. As he made his way up the hall, he thought to himself with a sneer. His worry manifested as anger. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt for what had happened yesterday, and he wondered if he had been too hard on BaoHackmon. He knew that although BaoHackmon acted tough, he had a sensitive heart underneath.

The Royal Knight walked into the foyer and looked around. He needed to find some of his fellow Royal Knights. Fortunately for him, he could hear voices coming from the great hall before him. Gankoomon opened the doors and walked into the vast, grandiose hall. He could see Alphamon, Omegamon, Duftmon, and Examon walking down the great hall towards the council room at the other end. Floating along beside them was Sparrowmon, one of the scouts.

“—and the courier who gave me that letter said a Blitzmon hired him,” Sparrowmon explained, pointing to the open letter in Alphamon’s hands.

“This is terrible news,” Alphamon spoke with a dire expression.

Duftmon nodded. “As if we needed this on top of everything else at the moment,” he agreed, folding his arms.

“We need to find Gankoomon and tell him,” Omegamon said.

“Tell me what?” Gankoomon’s voice rang out, echoing down the great hall.

The group momentarily froze. They looked over their shoulders to see Gankoomon marching down the great hall towards them. They could tell from his body language and the atmosphere around him that he wasn’t happy. It tended to be painfully obvious where Gankoomon was concerned.

“Gankoomon…” Alphamon said, turning around fully in order to face him.

Gankoomon walked up and stopped in front of him. “What’s going on, Alphamon?” he demanded.

“It’s bad news, I’m afraid… It’s about BaoHackmon,” Alphamon explained with a light wince. He offered Gankoomon the letter they had received so that he could read it himself.

Gankoomon brusquely took the letter and began to read it. “Black Pincer Company?” he mumbled, reading on.

With each passing sentence that he read, he became angrier and angrier. His expression turned into a deep scowl, his teeth clenched tightly, and he gripped the edges of the letter tight enough to crinkle the paper. Upon finishing reading the final sentence, Gankoomon tore the paper apart viciously. “I’M GOING TO CRUSH THOSE BUGS!” he shouted, Hinukamui’s flames dancing on his shoulders as his emotions flared.

“Don’t be rash, Gankoomon,” Alphamon told him, placing his hand on Gankoomon’s arm.

“That’s easy for you to say!” Gankoomon protested fierily, wresting his arm away from Alphamon’s hand.

Alphamon gave him a cool, intense stare to rival Gankoomon’s fiery passion. “Don’t forget that two of my best friends have also been taken captive…” he reminded him in order to put things into perspective. “I know what you are feeling right now. We’ll get BaoHackmon back, but we need to be smart about it.”

Gankoomon grunted, his teeth still clenched, though he seemed to be trying to control his anger. “These Black Pincer guys are ruthless. I know how they operate.”

Omegamon frowned. “Should we consider paying the ransom? It’s not as if it’s our own money,” he suggested.

“That sets a dangerous and unacceptable precedent,” Duftmon replied. “It would make us appear weak and it would encourage more kidnappings of members of our Order.”

“I agree with Duftmon,” Examon spoke. “We need to strike these mercenaries down and rescue BaoHackmon.”

“That’s easier said than done. Black Pincer Company is good at eluding us,” Alphamon replied pensively. “And I don’t think they’re the type to make hollow threats.”

Gankoomon growled. “How the hell did they even get BaoHackmon?!”

“One of the guards said she saw BaoHackmon leave the castle yesterday afternoon,” Grani explained, floating over.

“Grani, sir!” Sparrowmon exclaimed, quickly saluting him.

“Did he run off after the argument with you?” Omegamon questioned, looking at Gankoomon and remembering their quarrel the previous day.

Gankoomon winced and clenched his fists. He recalled seeing BaoHackmon run outside when he last encountered him. “Yeah…” he admitted.

Zero ARMS: Grani stopped beside the Royal Knights. “I hypothesize that Black Pincer Company may have been the ones who deleted one of my patrols on the night before last. I was planning to send a team to investigate Zeta-Lambda sector today, but in light of this news…” He frowned and trailed off.

“It might be dangerous,” Alphamon agreed. “However, it would be helpful to know where exactly they are.”

“They may still be in the Forest of Memories,” Grani suggested.

Duftmon folded his arms. “Perhaps we can send one of MetallifeKuwagamon’s scout pods to investigate. They excel at forest-based stealth reconnaissance,” he pointed out. “Once we figure out their location, we can formulate an operation to rescue BaoHackmon.”

“Tch,” Gankoomon scoffed, turning away and beginning to walk down the great hall. “He’s my responsibility. Whatever happens, I’ll find the solution.”

Duftmon eyed Gankoomon as he walked away. “Don’t be ridiculous. We need to be smart about this,” he advised him. “Rushing in with nothing but emotions is sure to fail; we already have enough Royal Knights in danger at the moment.”

Gankoomon shot him a piercing look over his shoulder. “And whose fault is that? Planning and strategy didn’t exactly work there, did it?” he sniped.

Duftmon grunted and closed his eyes, not appreciating that reminder. “That doesn’t mean that ‘making it up as you go along’ is a viable alternative,” he responded calmly.

Alphamon frowned and looked at Gankoomon. “Duftmon’s right, Gankoomon. Please don’t go after them on your own,” he beseeched him. “We don’t want to put BaoHackmon in danger.”

Gankoomon sighed and turned forwards, heading towards the foyer. “I won’t!” he called back with frustration.

Upon walking out the doors to the foyer, he muttered, “…Yet.”

Alphamon sighed and turned towards the others. “How has the scouting been going, Grani? Have they found Dukemon and Dynasmon?” he asked him.

“I’m afraid not,” Grani responded with regret. “They have been taken into Metal Empire-dominated territory, so it is difficult for our scouts to safely penetrate the area. Given the nature of their eastward advance, it seems that the Metal Empire has convinced the Dual Chess Monarchy to give the D-Brigade freedom of passage through their territory. They are likely being taken to Facture.”

“That is an accurate assumption,” Duftmon agreed. “They require an active supply line from their territory. Perhaps we should send an envoy to the Dual Chess Monarchy, though I doubt they’ll have much room to act.”

“Perhaps.” Omegamon looked at Alphamon. “We really have a lot to deal with lately…”

Alphamon nodded contemplatively. “We do… At least we’re keeping busy,” he said with a bit of irony. He began to walk down the great hall. “Let’s go speak to Metallife about that scout pod. We can’t take too long to act.”

-

The afternoon passed and dusk overtook the Forest of Memories. The sun had set, and the sky was black with a couple grey clouds obstructing the moons and stars.

Darkness lingered over the makeshift camp, warded off only by the rippling flames of the campfire. GrandisKuwagamon sat cross-legged in front of the burning sticks and tinder. He stared into the fire with a deep meditative gaze. The reflection in his compound eye was that of a crimson inferno.

The snapping of a twig in the dark of the forest tore GrandisKuwagamon’s attention away. He shot to his feet and readied his Gran Killers.

“It’s me. I’m coming in,” Blitzmon said, emerging from the darkness.

GrandisKuwagamon slackened and Bolgmon looked over from several meters away. “About time,” Bolgmon said, irritated.

“What took you?” GrandisKuwagamon asked him edgily. “I was starting to think you got taken down.”

“I picked up some more food,” Blitzmon responded, holding up a bag. “You’re welcome.”

GrandisKuwagamon glanced over at BaoHackmon. The captive dragon was still lying on the ground a few meters from the campfire. He had his head against the dirt and pointed away from the mercenaries. GrandisKuwagamon walked by him and made his way over to Blitzmon, who walked up to Bolgmon.

“So? How’d it go?” GrandisKuwagamon asked him.

“They got our demands,” Blitzmon assured him. “I wasn’t followed.”

“You weren’t, but we were,” Bolgmon replied, pointing with a cannon arm across the campsite.

As Blitzmon looked curiously, GrandisKuwagamon walked over to where Bolgmon had been pointing. He reached down and picked up a golden, six-legged, metal bug that was a little bigger than GrandisKuwagamon’s palm. It had three holes straight through it from where GrandisKuwagamon had stabbed it.

The black insect brought it over to them and showed it to Blitzmon. “I found a recon drone spying on us,” GrandisKuwagamon explained, tossing the deactivated drone to Blitzmon. “What do you think? Is it from the Royal Knights or the Metal Empire?”

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes and looked the scout pod over in his hands. “I doubt the Royal Knights have this kind of technology… It seems more like Metal Empire stuff,” he suggested.

“That’s what I said,” Bolgmon said, glancing at GrandisKuwagamon. “But he didn’t believe me.”

GrandisKuwagamon ignored the large, blue tank Digimon. “If that’s true, we’re screwed. We don’t need another D-Brigade team coming after us along with the Royal Knights,” he stated, glaring off to the side. “I’m starting to think we should cut our losses and get our asses to Dark Point, ASAP. Regroup and take a few low key jobs until we’re off the radar again.”

“Don’t be stupid, Grandis!” Bolgmon protested incredulously. “We’ve come all this way. We’ve got a ransom to collect and we’ve got a payment on the way for dusting that patrol. We’re not losing our entire hideout and coming up with nothing!”

“I’m with Bolgmon on this,” Blitzmon explained, making it known to GrandisKuwagamon that he was outnumbered. “Most of our reserves were in that hideout. We can’t afford to start from almost nothing. We need to build up some cash in any way that we can. That means doing things like this and continuing our contract with Wizardmon’s client.”

GrandisKuwagamon growled irritably. “Yeah? And what if they show up with twelve Royal Knights instead of the ransom payment?” he countered. “And that contract… Where does it end? The D-Brigade’s onto us. The Metal Empire’s onto us. The Royal Knights are onto us. We’re too damn exposed. Can’t you see that? What crazy job are they gonna make us do next?”

Bolgmon scoffed and folded his arms. “****, Grandis. When did you get to be such a wuss?” he asked with a grin.

GrandisKuwagamon shot him a narrow leer. “I’m not a coward. I’m being realistic,” he explained emphatically. “How long do you think we’re going to be able to keep this up for, huh? Not only are we going up against the self-appointed network security and number-one Yggdrasil-fanboys, but we’re also up against the empire of military-grade tin cans who disappears you for looking at Chaosdramon the wrong way. Now, we’re pretty damn good at what we do, but do you really think we should get sandwiched between that?”

“We’ll be fine, Grandis,” Blitzmon insisted, eyeing him as he folded his arms. “We just have to do this smart. Besides, we don’t know what our client will want from us next.”

“That’s the damn problem,” GrandisKuwagamon retorted. “You guys are too naïve to see it.”

Blitzmon shook his head. “You’re the one who’s naïve, Grandis. If you think we’ll be able to last on the money that we have in Dark Point…” he informed him. “I’m not saying there’s no risk. But it’s high risk, high reward.”

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and folded his arms. “We have previous clients who know we can get the job done.”

“Our goodwill will only last us so long,” Blitzmon argued.

“We’ve got a contract right in front of us,” Bolgmon protested. “You know how unsteady merc work can be, especially with a small company like ours. We’ve had a dry spell for the past few months. Who knows how long that’s gonna go on for?”

GrandisKuwagamon scowled and glanced down at the ground. “…Fine, I’ll go along with it for now. Just until we get our cash back,” he conceded albeit reluctantly. “Just don’t get greedy.

“We won’t,” Blitzmon said plainly. “It’s the company we’re thinking about, not ourselves.”

“Good,” GrandisKuwagamon said with a sigh. “So am I.”

Blitzmon gave a swift glance to Bolgmon. “…Bolgmon, let’s go scan the perimeter before we go down for the night.”

“Yeah, sure,” Bolgmon said, rolling into reverse so that he could turn around.

“Want me to come?” GrandisKuwagamon asked, eyeing the two blue insects as they turned away.

“Someone has to watch the campfire and the prisoner,” Blitzmon reminded him.

“Sure,” GrandisKuwagamon nonchalantly answered, turning around and walking away from the pair.

The black, humanoid insect listened as his two mercenary teammates made their way off into the forest. He glanced over his shoulder at them and proceeded to walk past the fire, over towards BaoHackmon.

The dragon Digimon was still lying on the ground with his face pointed away from the mercenary. GrandisKuwagamon had assumed that he was asleep, but as he approached the captive, he realized that that wasn’t the case. GrandisKuwagamon could hear the sound of sniffling, and he also noticed subtle movements coming from BaoHackmon.

GrandisKuwagamon stepped up to the bound dragon and stood over him, looking down. To his surprise, he saw that although BaoHackmon’s eyes were tightly shut, he wasn’t asleep. In fact, he was quietly crying. The insect mercenary saw a tear dripping down his horned snout, and BaoHackmon was sniffing and clenching his face tightly.

The bug Digimon sighed with mild annoyance and incredulity. “Cripes. Seriously? For ****s sakes,” he said to BaoHackmon. “What the hell are you crying for?”

BaoHackmon’s face heated up with embarrassment and he opened a gold eye, red and irritated due to the tears, so that he could look up at the mercenary standing over him. Not wanting to show weakness in front of his captor, BaoHackmon quickly turned his head and wiped his cheeks against the nearby moss. “I’m… not crying,” he insisted, although his shaky voice betrayed him.

GrandisKuwagamon folded his arms and looked down at him with an unconvinced expression. “Uh huh… So… what’s that wet stuff comin’ out of your eyes? Brain juice?“ he asked sardonically.

BaoHackmon winced and looked away. “I got dirt in my eyes from lying on the ground,” he insisted.

“Yeah, right,” GrandisKuwagamon dismissively responded, using his foot to lightly nudge BaoHackmon’s caped back. “What’s the real reason? You didn’t dislocate your shoulders trying to escape, did you?”

“N-No…” BaoHackmon replied, sniffing.

GrandisKuwagamon stepped over BaoHackmon so that the dinosaur Digimon was facing him. “In that case… I know the reason,” the mercenary explained, looking down at him. “Honestly, kid. Grow a pair and take it. Deal with your bad decision. …What the hell were you thinking, coming out here on your own? What did you think was going to happen when you came across us?”

BaoHackmon grimaced. “I don’t know… I thought I could bring you guys to justice. I wanted to prove that I could… that I was strong enough…” he mumbled shame-facedly.

“Tch… Justice, huh?” GrandisKuwagamon muttered. “That’s a nice idea… But what do you really know about justice?” he asked him. “That’s the problem with the Royal Knights. They fill your head full of nice, idealistic concepts, but they hole themselves up in their castle without knowing how the world really works. They think they can just step in whenever they want and bring ‘justice’ to ‘evildoers’ or some ****. If any of you knew anything, you’d know the world isn’t so black and white.”

“You’re wrong!” BaoHackmon fired back defensively, glaring up at GrandisKuwagamon. “The Royal Knights aren’t out of touch with the world at all! Their ideas aren’t nonsense! They travel the world, talking to all sorts of different Digimon!”

“That’s what you think, huh? Funny, I never saw them when they were really needed,” he responded with a bitter tinge to his words.

BaoHackmon let out a grunt. “Then you didn’t look hard enough!” he countered. “They’re always helping people in need. Always! Don’t you remember the Night of Falling Stars?”

“Tch,” GrandisKuwagamon grunted. “All I remember about the Night of Falling Stars is that religion caused a ****-load of Digimon to end up dead.” He looked down at BaoHackmon with a cynical stare. “Hell, were you even alive then, kid?”

BaoHackmon winced and looked away. “Yeah, I was…” he responded. “I might not have seen them in action, but I know that the Royal Knights did a hell of a lot to stop the Demon Lords. They even tried to stop the falling pieces of the Sky Colony!”

“Yeah, well they missed a few pieces,” GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically responded.

A grimace formed on BaoHuckmon’s face. “It wasn’t their fault.”

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. He squatted down in front of BaoHackmon and stuck his Gran Killer in the ground to keep himself balanced. “So, you’re part of the Order and you’re a Royal Knight fanboy. Guess that means you’re a big believer in Yggdrasil, huh?”

“Yeah, I believe in Yggdrasil,” BaoHackmon replied, frowning. “I mean, who else created the Digital World?”

“Tch. Figures... The Royal Knights are an order of zealots, after all,” GrandisKuwagamon muttered to himself. “…So, what about Huanglongmon, huh? Big, gold dragon who also apparently created the Digital World and then split himself into the Four Holy Beasts, only for them to sit around and do jack ****? How can there be a Yggdrasil if he supposedly exists? And how can there be a Huanglongmon if Yggdrasil supposedly exists?”

“Uh… I don’t know. Some Digimon believe that the existence of one doesn’t necessarily exclude the existence of the other,” BaoHackmon offered.

“Isn’t that convenient?” GrandisKuwagamon said in an acerbic tone. He stared at BaoHackmon intensely. “So…? Where is he? This Yggdrasil. Why doesn’t he do anything to help the Digital World?”

“That’s what the Royal Knights are for!” BaoHackmon debated, frowning at GrandisKuwagamon’s sudden interest in the subject.

“If he’s all powerful, why does he need twelve do-gooder bucket heads to do his work for him?” the black insect continued.

BaoHackmon winced. He wasn’t particularly well-versed in these things. “I-I don’t know! What do you care?” he fired back.

GrandisKuwagamon caught himself after a moment. He blinked and then rolled his eyes with a sigh. “What do I care…? Why am I debating philosophy with a little kid, for ****’s sakes?” he asked himself, rubbing his forehead.

BaoHackmon glared at him. “I’m not a little kid. I’m an Adult-level Digimon,” he corrected emphatically.

“Who was blubbering to himself because he was scared,” GrandisKuwagamon pointed out teasingly.

“I wasn’t crying because I was scared!” the dinosaur Digimon shot back.

“So you admit you were crying…” GrandisKuwagamon said with a grin. “Okay, why were you, then?”

BaoHackmon winced and looked away. “…It’s… because I made things harder for everybody,” he admitted with a shameful grimace in his gold eyes. “I snuck off without permission because I wanted to come here to take you guys down. Now, I got myself captured and put the Royal Knights and Sensei in an awkward position. I want to become a Royal Knight, but I completely blew it. I got cocky and now I’m not even sure if I deserve to be a Royal Knight anymore…”

“I guess that explains it…” GrandisKuwagamon muttered. “So, you wanna be a Royal Knight, huh…?” He grinned and shook his head. “I don’t know if that’s cute or sad.”

BaoHackmon looked up at GrandisKuwagamon with a bland glare. “Can you be any more patronizing?” he sarcastically fired back.

“Let’s face it, kid. The situation you’re in doesn’t exactly inspire confidence,” he matter-of-factly explained. GrandisKuwagamon stood to his feet. “But you’ve got ambition and drive. If you’ve got that much, who knows?” He glanced down at BaoHackmon. “You’ve already got the blind idealism part locked down. Now you just need to have the skills and luck not to get yourself killed by then.”

“…If you’re trying to give me a pep-talk, you’re doing a terrible job,” BaoHackmon said to him flatly.

GrandisKuwagamon scoffed at this and turned away. “What do I care about you? You’re just my hostage,” he reminded him, his tone changing. He dropped a small cloth in front of BaoHackmon’s face. “And if you’re going to start bawling again, do it into that. Nothing worse than a snot-nosed dragon.”

A little surprised, BaoHackmon glanced down at the cloth and then back up at GrandisKuwagamon, but the insect Digimon was already walking over to one of the makeshift beds. “I’m not going to,” he assured him. BaoHackmon frowned with discomfort as a sense of nostalgia washed over him. “…I felt like I had that conversation before…”

“Yeah,” GrandisKuwagamon nonchalantly said as he lay down on the bed of leaves. “This place’ll do that.” The black beetle man placed his hands behind his head and he gazed up at the night sky. “Get some rest. Bolgmon’s on guard duty first, so you’ll want to be asleep for that.” For emphasis, GrandisKuwagamon raised his pincer-laden head and glanced down at BaoHackmon. “Oh… and don’t try anything stupid. You won’t get very far.”

BaoHackmon winced and placed his plated cheek down on the cloth. That wasn’t a terrible idea that GrandisKuwagamon suggested. “Fine…” he mumbled, closing his eyes.

Despite the dragon’s guilt and concerns, he was exhausted. It took him only a few minutes for him to fall asleep. His mind drifted and faded until he was consumed in the abyss of unconsciousness.

-

(Continued in the next post)
 
Last edited:

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
(Continued from the previous post)

-

Flames.

Swelling flames.

A tempestuous blaze ripped through the darkness, consuming all that entered its path. The fire fed on wood, tinder, and organic matter. Explosions thundered and bombarded the landscape. Trees snapped like twigs before igniting inside a roaring inferno.

Detonations ripped through buildings and Digimon. Beams vaporized all to dust. The high-powered lasers enveloped everything in their path and tore the village asunder. The blaze swelled higher and higher, unleashing clouds of choking smoke and ash. Buildings caved in, crushing whatever was below.

Blasts resounded at all sides, with deep, unrestrained laughter as their chorus. The flames and slaughter continued until nothing remained left in their way.

Nothing remained.

Almost nothing.


-

BaoHackmon winced and opened his eyes. He found himself in the same place as before. His stiff, aching forelegs were still bound behind his back, and he could feel his face against a bed of cool moss. The dragon began to regain his bearings as he woke up.

It was still the middle of the night. He could see the fire still burning, though it was dimmer than before, graced with only a few embers. BaoHackmon’s gold eyes darted around the campsite. He wanted to take stock of the three Black Pincer Company members.

He could see Bolgmon on the other side of the fire. He was slumped forwards and appeared to be asleep. BaoHackmon was surprised that he could sleep like that, but he supposed it was more efficient than lying down. The dragon looked around for Blitzmon, but he was unable to find him. He assumed it was his turn on guard duty.

BaoHackmon then looked over towards GrandisKuwagamon. He was lying in the same place, on the bed of leaves. BaoHackmon frowned curiously as he observed the black insect. GrandisKuwagamon was breathing heavily. His body was tense, and he was tossing and turning in agitated, erratic movements. He was asleep, but he rolled from his right side to his left, and then onto his back, repeating the process in no particular order. The mercenary’s fists were clenched and he was murmuring incoherently under his breath. It looked as though he was having a nightmare.

He wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t help but feel bad for his captor. BaoHackmon watched the mercenary writhe and fidget. There was an air of fear and desperation about him. Despite how tough and ruthless the mercenary had seemed before, in the present moment, he looked so vulnerable. It was almost like seeing a different Digimon… BaoHackmon winced; he could empathize with the unpleasant feeling of having a nightmare. The dragon gazed at him with a pensive frown. He didn’t take any pleasure in watching GrandisKuwagamon suffer.

The dragon couldn’t walk over to him and nudge him, due to the fact that his front legs and tail were tied. Instead, he opted to try from a distance. “Hey!” BaoHackmon called over to him.

GrandisKuwagamon hissed and woke with a start, tensing up and stabbing directly in front of him with his Gran Killer. The ebony insect Digimon shot to a sitting position and looked around alertly, checking for immediate threats. He drew heavy breaths and beads of sweat ran down his carapace. When GrandisKuwagamon realized that he wasn’t in any immediate danger, he released a sigh of relief and lowered his two Gran Killers.

It was then that he realized that BaoHackmon was staring at him. GrandisKuwagamon turned his head away sheepishly. “…You’re still awake?” he asked, trying to play it off like it was no big deal.

“I just woke up…” BaoHackmon responded, frowning at him. “…Did you have a nightmare?”

GrandisKuwagamon winced at the fact that he had shown weakness. “Tch,” he responded nonchalantly, still not looking at him. “It’s this damn forest…” he explained.

“The forest?” BaoHackmon asked him.

“Never been?” GrandisKuwagamon questioned offhandedly. “It’s called the Forest of Memories for a reason… You know that constant sense of déjà vu and nostalgia that’s creeping inside of you… Those vivid dreams… memories… That’s what this forest does. It makes you remember…” He grunted. “Can’t wait to get out of this damn place.”

BaoHackmon’s brows furrowed as he thought about it. He had been having weird dreams the past two nights too. He also had a lot of familiar feelings that he couldn’t quite place. The way the fire burned brought back memories of him sitting around a fire with Gankoomon and the Sistermons. He could also swear that he smelled the distinct scent of Gankoomon’s jacket… “Gankoomon-sensei never brought me here,” he explained. “He’s my, uh, teacher.”

“Smart,” GrandisKuwagamon muttered. “Some Digimon like it, most hate it. The nostalgia’s novel until you remember something you want to forget.”

“So… What did you dream about?” BaoHackmon asked him inquisitively.

“Nothing you’d want to hear about,” GrandisKuwagamon said dismissively.

BaoHackmon squirmed and pivoted on the ground so that he could face GrandisKuwagamon directly. “It must have been pretty bad to make someone like you so edgy,” he pointed out. He looked at GrandisKuwagamon carefully. “…Something you want to forget?”

GrandisKuwagamon turned towards him and narrowed his eye. “Don’t push it…”

“Sorry,” BaoHackmon muttered, glancing down. He braved looking up at GrandisKuwagamon again. “It’s just… I used to have nightmares too. About my village getting destroyed…”

GrandisKuwagamon gazed at BaoHackmon quietly. “Your village was destroyed?” he asked him.

“Yeah… It was a long time ago. During the Night of Falling Stars,” BaoHackmon explained a bit awkwardly. “I don’t remember much… Just that I lost a lot that night.”

The bug Digimon rubbed the back of his head and looked off to the side. “The Night of Falling Stars, huh?” he asked sheepishly. “…Falling debris?”

“I dunno. Probably… I was pretty young at the time and I don’t remember much,” the dragon responded. “All I remember is seeing the Sky Colony coming down and then it suddenly splitting apart into lots of different pieces. I know the Royal Knights helped to break it up in order to minimize the damage. After the damage was done, I left the village – or what was left of it. I wandered for days until I passed out from exhaustion. It was then that Gankoomon-sensei found me and looked after me.” The corners of BaoHackmon’s mouth curved upwards at the memory. “When he realized that I didn’t have anywhere to go back to, he said I could come with him.”

“Hm… Your village was still destroyed. Don’t you resent the Royal Knights for not stopping it?” GrandisKuwagamon asked him, levelling his crimson eye with him. “For not saving your village?”

BaoHackmon smiled and shook his head. “Not at all… The damage would have been much worse if they didn’t do anything to stop the Sky Colony from falling. They saved a lot of Digimon and they defeated the Seven Great Demon Lords who caused all the destruction in the first place. They do stuff like that all the time. They can’t always be successful but they try their best for the good of all Digimon. Even when they fail, they try their best.” The dragon smiled warmly. “I want to do that… I want to be a Royal Knight so that I can protect people too.”

“Tch…” GrandisKuwagamon eyed him. “Even after all that happened to you, you can still be idealistic and naïve? …You’re something, kid. It must take a lot of energy to fool yourself so much.”

BaoHackmon frowned at him. “I’m not a kid. And I’m not naïve or fooling myself,” he responded. “You’re just cynical.”

“I’m realistic,” GrandisKuwagamon corrected. “Through bitter experience.”

“Like what?” BaoHackmon asked him. “Don’t you have a home? Family?”

GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye briefly. “…Nope,” he responded coolly. He readjusted the ebony, metal Gran Killers on his arms.

“What do you mean?” BaoHackmon questioned with a deepening frown. “What happened?”

The mercenary stood to his feet and shot the captive a sideways look. “Let’s just say you aren’t the only one who lost things…” he said in a near mumble.

At this revelation, BaoHackmon couldn’t help but wince. “Oh…” he replied in a deflated, sympathetic voice. “I’m sorry…”

“Yeah, save your pity. I don’t want or need it,” the bug Digimon told him curtly as he turned his winged back to him. “It was a long time ago. I’m a new Digimon now. I learned a hell of a lot since then.”

“You became a criminal,” BaoHackmon stated. “Is that really a good thing?”

GrandisKuwagamon looked over his shoulder at BaoHackmon. “Do you really think it’s that black and white?” he asked him. “The things I’ve done… The things we’ve done… it was all so that we could survive.” He locked eyes with him. “We didn’t have anybody to rescue us like you did. It’s a harsh world and we didn’t want to just roll over and die. We did what we needed to.”

BaoHackmon winced and looked away. “Oh…” he responded, feeling somewhat guilty. He never really thought of it like that…

GrandisKuwagamon turned around to face BaoHackmon. “BaoHackmon, right…?” he asked him.

“Uh, yeah…” the dinosaur Digimon responded, still thinking about GrandisKuwagamon’s previous words.

The black insect looked down at him and gave him a firm, meaningful look. “Your heart’s too big… If you’re not careful, then one day you’re going to end up dead,” he warned him.

BaoHackmon frowned and shook his head in disagreement. “No… I don’t think you’re right,” he argued. “It’s not wrong to care about others.” He looked into GrandisKuwagamon’s eye. “And I don’t think you really believe that… If you didn’t care at least a bit, why did you give me this?” BaoHackmon gestured with his head to the cloth in front of him.

“You really think that meant anything?” GrandisKuwagamon asked him rhetorically. “This is what I’m saying; you’re naïve. You see the best in people.” He narrowed his eye at BaoHackmon. “I could wrap you around my little finger if I wanted. All it’d take is a sob story. You wouldn’t even see it coming when I stabbed you in the back.”

“Then what do you care? Let me walk around in my so-called dream world! Use it against me like you say you would,” BaoHackmon retorted, matching his leer. “You’re saying this stuff because you care! You don’t want me to end up getting hurt. You’re just like Sensei!”

It was as he said the words that BaoHackmon’s eyes widened with sudden understanding. He realized that Gankoomon’s intentions weren’t to hold him back, but to protect him. That was why Gankoomon was so intent on BaoHackmon getting more experience before he got involved in combat. Despite the Royal Knight’s harshness and strictness, he had his best interests at heart. BaoHackmon couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt as he remembered their argument.

“Think what you want. I know the truth,” GrandisKuwagamon countered, hissing a bit. “I’ve survived this long because I only look out for myself. I don’t care about anybody else. It’s the same with Blitzmon and Bolgmon. Black Pincer Company is all we’ve got.”

“So, which is it, Grandis?” Bolgmon suddenly spoke up, drawing BaoHackmon and GrandisKuwagamon’s attention. “Yourself? Or Black Pincer Company? Which comes first?”

GrandisKuwagamon glared over at his comrade, who he hadn’t realized was awake. “…What?” he asked, tensing slightly.

Bolgmon smirked a bit and rolled over to him. “Because, to be honest, I’ve been wonderin’ that lately. All I’ve heard from you recently is how you want to save your own ***,” he pointed out. “You want to ditch our contract because you’re worried about putting your *** in danger.”

GrandisKuwagamon turned and walked up to Bolgmon to face him directly. “The hell? You’re really gonna question my commitment after everything I’ve done for us? After everything we’ve been through?” he asked him scathingly. He leered up at Bolgmon with silent intensity. “I was the one who came up with Black Pincer Company. I’m the one who hooked us our first job. If it weren’t for me, we’d still be fishing cash out of the gutters or stuck in prison for theft.”

“There it is again. ‘I’. ‘Me’. Let me remind you that you just said, ‘I only look out for myself. I don’t care about anybody else. It’s the same for Blitzmon and Bolgmon’,” Bolgmon stated pointedly.

“You’re taking that out of context!” GrandisKuwagamon angrily growled. He regained his composure and levelled a fiery yet cool gaze at his larger comrade. “You’re just hearing what you want to hear, aren’t you, Bolgmon? It’d be convenient if I was the odd ‘mon out!”

BaoHackmon listened as the two insect Digimon argued. He tried to use the opportunity to wiggle out of his bonds, but he was making slow, ineffectual progress.

“Dunno what you’re talkin’ about,” Bolgmon said dismissively, looking down at GrandisKuwagamon with his ever-present smirk. “And hey, it’s not just me who’s noticed how you’ve been acting. It’s Blitzmon too. We’ve been talking.”

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and rolled his eye. “Yeah, I’m sure you’ve been whispering in his ear as you try to cuddle up to him at night,” he taunted.

Bolgmon glared and raised his cannon arm, preparing to punch. “Why you! You’d better get in line or else I might convince him that we’re better off as a two-Digimon group!” he warned, his arm beginning to spin and spark dangerously.

GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye and raised his Gran Killers. “Try me, fat-***! And since when did you make yourself our leader?” he fired back.

“You’re the self-appointed leader out of the three of us!” Bolgmon protested. “You’re always the one calling the shots!”

“Oh, so that’s what this is about!” GrandisKuwagamon said with a smirk. “You’re jealous!”

“Enough!” Blitzmon called out, walking over from the darkness of the forest. “I could hear you two fifty meters away.”

The two insect mercenaries looked over to see Blitzmon walk up to them with a scowl. BaoHackmon was disappointed by the interruption, as he lost an opportunity to try to escape.

“Nobody’s in charge. We each have a 33% share in this mercenary company. And nobody’s cutting anybody else out either,” he said firmly. “We each have a 100% stake in making sure this company prospers.”

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and lowered his Gran Killers, taking a step back and looking away. “Tch… Yeah. Fine. It’s this damn forest. It’s putting me on edge.”

Bolgmon rolled in reverse, sneering. “Same… Damn memories. I keep thinking about that night,” he muttered.

Blitzmon nodded. “Me too…” His cold gaze landed onto BaoHackmon. “But don’t forget our current situation. Ignore everything else and focus.”

GrandisKuwagamon released a meditative sigh. “…Yeah. We have to be ready. The Royal Knights might show up before the meeting time tomorrow morning. And they might be bringing the heat instead of the cash,” he agreed, thinking clearly again now that he was able to put things into perspective. He glanced at Bolgmon. “We good, Bolgie?”

Bolgmon gave him a grudging look. “Yeah…” he conceded, although it sounded forced.

“Nice that you two could settle that,” Blitzmon said, folding his arms. “Don’t need to give our guest any ammunition.”

BaoHackmon retaliated with a bland stare. “As if I can do anything…”

“But maybe I can…” a voice said from within the dark forest.

The three members of Black Pincer Company suddenly turned towards the voice and brought their guards up. GrandisKuwagamon raised his Gran Killer claws and crouched down, ready to strike. His crimson eye glistened as he looked towards the voice.

Meanwhile, Blitzmon grabbed BaoHackmon by the hood of the cape and lifted him off the ground with one hand, his other palm sparking with electricity. He looked over at Bolgmon, who began gyrating his cannon arms in order to generate electricity. “Bolgmon! What do you see?” he asked him.

Bolgmon stared into the darkness as numbers flashed across his vision. His targeting system was working at full capacity. He made sure to scan the whole area. “I only detect one.”

“Are you sure?” GrandisKuwagamon asked, looking around the whole perimeter guardedly. “There could be more of ‘em. It’s too soon.”

“It’s only me,” the deep voice assured them. A humanoid figure emerged from the shadows.

Despite the light pressure around his throat at Blitzmon holding him up, BaoHackmon squinted to try to get a good look at the Digimon. It was initially hard to see into the darkness, being so close to the fire. However, the dim light of the fire’s embers helped to illuminate the Digimon. To BaoHackmon’s disbelief, he recognized the Digimon as Gankoomon.

“S-Sensei?!”

Gankoomon stepped forwards with slow, cautious steps. His arms were spread out disarmingly. “I’m alone,” he told them, looking around at the three mercenaries. Gankoomon locked eyes with BaoHackmon, but the dragon winced and looked away shamefully.

“You’re early,” GrandisKuwagamon told him, glaring across at Gankoomon and not lowering his guard for a moment.

Gankoomon flashed him a confident smile. “I’m not here with the money,” he explained casually.

Blitzmon frowned and brought his electrically-charged fist closer to BaoHackmon’s face.

GrandisKuwagamon raised his Gran Killers and stretched his pincers. “If you came here thinking you can beat us and take BaoHackmon back, you’ve made a big mistake. You’re outnumbered and we have a hostage,” GrandisKuwagamon explained to him. “Black Pincer Company has a policy: in business, we make good on our word. We don’t make idle threats.”

“Neither do I,” Gankoomon explained, keeping his hands distant from his sides. “But I didn’t come here to fight. I came here to negotiate.”

BaoHackmon’s eyes widened. “What?!” he asked in disbelief.

Blitzmon gripped BaoHackmon’s hood tightly and held up the large dragon in front of him. “Our price is non-negotiable,” he informed him.

“The ransom’s not what I came to negotiate,” Gankoomon explained firmly. “It’s the hostage.”

“He stays with us until we get paid,” GrandisKuwagamon replied unwavering. After he spoke, he glanced around to make sure that Gankoomon wasn’t just buying time. He signalled to Bolgmon to keep an eye out.

“Does it have to be him?” the Royal Knight questioned. “It could be anybody from the Order, couldn’t it?”

Bolgmon frowned and cocked his head to the side. “What the hell are you getting at?” he asked him, although not lowering his electricity-loaded arms.

Gankoomon placed his hands on his hips. “I’m saying… wouldn’t a genuine Royal Knight be a better hostage than some kid who only mops the floors?” he proposed bluntly.

BaoHackmon’s eyes widened with stunned shock. He stared at Gankoomon with disbelief. “S-Sensei!” he protested.

Blitzmon blinked. “What?” he asked, just as dumbfounded as his hostage.

GrandisKuwagamon gazed at him sceptically. “Are you serious? What the hell are you trying to pull?” he asked him, making his doubt perfectly clear. “If you think we’re going to fall for that…”

“I’m being serious,” Gankoomon answered, the depth and cadence of his voice conveying the gravity of his proposal. “If you want the Royal Knights to pay up, use me instead. We have a code, you know. One of the rules is ‘Never leave another Royal Knight in their time of need.’ They wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize me.”

“Gankoomon-sensei! You can’t!” BaoHackmon argued in a mixture of anger and worry.

“I don’t buy it,” GrandisKuwagamon stated, leering at the red-haired warrior. “You’re really offering yourself up as a hostage? The other Royal Knights just let you do this? Please. It’s gotta be a trick.”

“It’s no trick,” Gankoomon assured them, ignoring BaoHackmon’s protests. “The others don’t know I’m here. That’s why I’m here before the meeting time.” He slowly looked at all three mercenaries. “You know that I’m more valuable than he is.” He glanced over at BaoHackmon, who looked back at him with worried eyes, pleading him not to do this.

“Don’t, Sensei! You can’t just run off and do this!” BaoHackmon protested. “Think of the Royal Knights!”

“Like you did?” Gankoomon responded firmly. “You ran off and got yourself in this situation! You’re telling me that I can’t do the same?!”

BaoHackmon winced guiltily. “I already know that I screwed up! I know I put myself in danger and made things harder for everybody else! I’m sorry! You don’t have to do this to teach me a lesson!” he begged him.

Gankoomon shook his head. “I’m not doing this to teach you a lesson,” he told him stubbornly. “And it’s not good enough to just be sorry! You have to do something about it! That’s what I’m doing now!”

GrandisKuwagamon took a step towards him. “Yeah, you’re probably a better bargaining chip than the kid,” he admitted. “But what’s your angle? Why do this? If it’s just so that we untie him and you can make your move…”

The Royal Knight turned to face GrandisKuwagamon. “Because he’s my student. BaoHackmon is my responsibility and I failed him.”

BaoHackmon looked over at Gankoomon with a sad grimace. “I don’t need you to do this for me, Sensei…” he insisted defiantly.

“I know you don’t,” Gankoomon admitted, staring at him directly. “But I want to do this.”

GrandisKuwagamon glanced over at Blitzmon. “What do you think, Blitzmon?” he asked him.

Blitzmon frowned with thought, still not letting go of the prisoner. “Having him as a hostage would make them more likely to pay up… We might even be able to ask for more than just our stash,” he reasoned.

“Bolgie?” GrandisKuwagamon asked, glancing over at the large Digimon who kept his cannons trained on Gankoomon.

“Heh! Yeah, sounds good to me!” Bolgmon agreed.

GrandisKuwagamon nodded and eyed Gankoomon pensively. “…Okay, then.”

Gankoomon leered back at the dark insect. “Just so we’re clear, this only happens if you release BaoHackmon,” he said emphatically. “You need him to go back and tell the Royal Knights how the situation has changed, after all.”

“Deal,” GrandisKuwagamon agreed.

“But if you try anything funny, BaoHackmon gets it,” Blitzmon warned him.

“I know,” Gankoomon answered.

“Oshishou-sama!” BaoHackmon protested, struggling in Blitzmon’s grip. He was tempted to drive his bladed foot into Blitzmon’s shin, but before he could, Blitzmon released his grip on the dragon’s hood. BaoHackmon fell to the ground with a painful thud, landing on his chest. He grimaced and exhaled breathily from the impact. The dinosaur Digimon looked up at Gankoomon desperately.

GrandisKuwagamon looked at Gankoomon. “Slowly raise your hands over your head and get down on your knees,” he commanded him. The insect mercenary glanced over at Blitzmon. “Untie him and then throw me the rope.”

Blitzmon nodded and placed his foot on BaoHackmon’s caped back before kneeling down. He began to untie BaoHackmon’s forelegs and tail, all the while keeping his lightning-wreathed fist close to BaoHackmon’s face as a deterrent for both Gankoomon and BaoHackmon.

Gankoomon raised his hands up slowly and got down on his knees, complying with GrandisKuwagamon’s commands.

BaoHackmon winced with guilt as he watched. He could feel relief around his forelegs as blood suddenly came rushing into the sore, unused limbs. Blitzmon finished loosening the rope before pulling the rest of it off.

GrandisKuwagamon walked over and collected the rope so that Blitzmon wouldn’t have to get up from BaoHackmon. They didn’t want him and Gankoomon making a break for it as soon as he was free to move. The black insect Digimon then walked over to the Royal Knight guardedly. “Don’t try anything,” he warned him.

“I’m not that dumb,” Gankoomon insisted, keeping his hands up and watching GrandisKuwagamon as he circled around behind him.

GrandisKuwagamon approached Gankoomon from behind and grabbed hold of his arms. He roughly pulled Gankoomon’s arms behind his back and began to tie them tightly with the rope. He was relieved when he found that Gankoomon was compliant. GrandisKuwagamon skillfully tied the limbs so that the Royal Knight wouldn’t be able to escape. He finished with a knot and then hauled Gankoomon to his feet.

Gankoomon grunted and looked over his shoulder at GrandisKuwagamon. “And your end of the bargain?” he said to him.

GrandisKuwagamon turned and nodded at Blitzmon. The blue beetle man got up from BaoHackmon, releasing the pressure from his back, and took a step back so that he could stand.

BaoHackmon winced and pushed himself to his feet. He glared at GrandisKuwagamon. “Let Gankoomon-sensei go!” he demanded. “Please, GrandisKuwagamon!”

“BaoHackmon!” Gankoomon thundered, staring fierily at his protégé. “This is one of the times where it’s better to think with your head instead of your heart. Don’t ruin this opportunity by trying to resist, and do what I say. Please.

The dragon grimaced with regret and reluctance as he gazed over at the Royal Knight. “But what about you?! I can’t just leave, damn it!” he protested.

“GO! I’m not doing this for nothing!” Gankoomon ordered him. He locked passionate gazes with BaoHackmon. “I’m trusting you to go back to the Royal Knights and tell them what I’ve done! Don’t let me down!” He clenched his fists. “Now, go!”

BaoHackmon snarled and reluctantly dashed off into the dark forest.

Gankoomon watched with relief as he disappeared into the night.

“Touching…”GrandisKuwagamon stated, watching as BaoHackmon rank off. He pushed Gankoomon along to the other side of the camp. “Okay, sit down,” he told Gankoomon, pushing him into a sitting position. He looked at Bolgmon. “Keep an eye out.”

Gankoomon sat down cross-legged and stared into the shadowy forest where BaoHackmon had ran. He was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Now all he had to do was think about himself.

-

BaoHackmon dashed through the forest, jumping over roots and rocks. His stiff legs ached with every movement, and his clawed and bladed feet dug into the ground with each step, causing dirt to shoot up behind him.

A pained, frustrated growl escaped his lips. His teeth were clenched tightly and his face muscles were tense and rigid. His angry, gold eyes were narrowed and moist. A rogue tear escaped the corner of his eye and flew behind him as he sprinted forwards.

“Damn it! Damn it!” he growled. “It’s my fault! It’s my fault they have Sensei!” he snarled to himself.

The teenage dragon shot through the Forest of Memories, his emotions driving him to go faster. “I need to do something… I can’t just leave him…” he thought to himself as he ran. BaoHackmon winced with guilt and frustration. “But… the last time I ran off and disobeyed orders, I got captured and caused Gankoomon to be where he is now. If I go back, I’ll just ruin things again.

BaoHackmon growled at his own helplessness. His distraction caused him not to watch where he was going. His legs were still weak from not being used.

His front left foot didn’t raise high enough to avoid a root jutting out of the ground. The dragon caught his foot on the root and ended up falling face first into the dirt in front of him. BaoHackmon winced as he skidded to a stop.

“D-Damn it… Damn it!” he cried out in frustration.

BaoHackmon shut his eyes tightly as they burned and stung with emotion. “I can’t leave Gankoomon-sensei! I can’t let him come to my rescue all the time!”

BaoHackmon snarled as a tear trickled down his cheek. “Rule Three of the Royal Knights’ Code… A Royal Knight… doesn’t leave another Royal Knight…” he spoke, his voice quivering with passion and emotion. “And I’m…”

He remembered the image of the Sky Colony debris falling towards his village in the night sky.

“I’m…”

Determination flooded through his body. BaoHackmon briefly recalled his first memory of Gankoomon. Hackmon was lying on the ground exhausted, but Gankoomon kneeled down to offer him water. He had passed out, and the next thing he remembered was Gankoomon taking care of him.

BaoHackmon tensed up with emotion.

“I’M GOING TO BECOME A ROYAL KNIGHT!”

The tear creeping around the corner of BaoHackmon’s snout suddenly began to sparkle. The bead of liquid shone brightly, and then that radiance grew to envelope his entire body, illuminating the dark forest around him.

BaoHackmon’s tearful eyes snapped open to reveal a passionate, adrenalized stare, burning with determination. Then the light of evolution consumed him completely.

“BaoHackmon CHOU-SHINKA…!”

BaoHackmon’s resplendent, shining body began to grow and change. First, he stood on his four legs, but he soon rose to stand on only his hind legs. As BaoHackmon changed, the blazing glow surrounding him began to fade away when he reached his final state.

The white, plated texture of his body remained very similar, as he retained the same sort of armour from head-to-toe. It was bladed and futuristic in appearance. He gained vambraces, spaulders, and leg armour that adorned intimidating spikes. The nose horn on his snout also remained, with his head keeping its metallic, draconic shape, but becoming more dignified. Around the tips of the spikes were gem-like ornamental notches that glimmered in the darkness. The ones on his upper body were red in color, while the ones on his lower body were light blue, matching the clear, sky blue crystal encrusted on his upper body.

His body became humanoid in stature. His forelegs became arms with three claws at the end of them. Protruding from the bracers covering his forearms were long, jagged, crimson blades that glistened in the residual light of evolution. His tail grew even longer, and the blade at the end became fully connected to his tail, taking on the same hard, red, glowing material that the other two blades had. The new Digimon, formerly BaoHackmon, stood up proudly and majestically.

“…SaviorHackmon!”

As SaviorHackmon stood, his long, crimson cape blustered behind him majestically. It was still connected to him by the goggle-clad hood that was wrapped around his neck. His gold eyes were no longer tearful, but passionate, caring, and determined. He took a step forwards on his new feet, which had blades extending from their toes and heels.

SaviorHackmon spun around and began dashing back the way he came. He moved swifter and more gracefully than he ever could have hoped to as a BaoHackmon. The draconic warrior swept through the Forest of Memories like a crimson meteor. His mantle fluttered behind him as he shot around the trees, giving him the true appearance of a hero.

His bladed feet lightly touched the ground with each step. He could feel a new, refined power flowing through him. He had been training for this, but he must have tapped into a deep well of power that was inside him. Although he was still unaccustomed to the new, bipedal body, SaviorHackmon carried on through sheer adrenaline and determination. In the moment, he found himself able to carry himself on two legs without too much problem, although his movements were occasionally awkward.

SaviorHackmon was less focused on himself than he was on rescuing Gankoomon. He felt as if he would be able to in this new body. The dragon somehow felt more confident and mature. He narrowed his eyes and gazed ahead of him. SaviorHackmon was able to see the dim glow of the campfire in the distance. He knew that he was closing in.

With reinvigorated determination and passion, SaviorHackmon bolted across the ground, using his arms and tail to stay balanced as he sprinted. The dragon man Digimon closed in on the camp, his speed only increasing as he drew closer.

He made it close enough to see the three figures of Black Pincer Company standing around, and Gankoomon sitting down with his arms tied behind his back. BaoHackmon grunted and kicked off of the ground, jumping into the air and tapping into the instinctive nature of evolution.

“Rage Streit!” he shouted, lunging into the air and extending his bladed foot out in front of him.

Bolgmon looked up and raised his cannons in alarm. “Incoming!”

“What?!” GrandisKuwagamon demanded, spinning around and beating his wings.

SaviorHackmon surged forwards and drove his bladed fist straight into Blitzmon’s armoured chest, right as the beetle man turned around. Blitzmon grunted in pain as he was thrown off of his feet and sent crashing into the trunk of a tree.

Gankoomon watched with a stunned expression as SaviorHackmon crashed into Blitzmon and sent him flying. He looked like BaoHackmon but he wasn’t, yet was. “What… What the hell?!” he demanded, his eye twitching behind his metal visor. “BaoHackmon?!”

SaviorHackmon turned towards Gankoomon. “Sensei!” he called out, his voice noticeably deeper than before. He took a step towards Gankoomon, aiming to free him.

“Damn it! I don’t think so!” Bolgmon shouted, his cannons spinning rapidly. Electricity gushed from the generators in his arms. “Ultimate Thunder!”

Two spheres of lightning surged out and began twisting towards SaviorHackmon. The dragon man lunged into the air to avoid the attack, causing the electricity to crash into a tree and blast it in half. Although he managed to evade the blast, SaviorHackmon found GrandisKuwagamon already upon him.

“You should have listened to your Sensei, kid!” GrandisKuwagamon rebuked him, stabbing his right Gran Killer towards the armoured dragon Digimon.

SaviorHackmon raised his arms, crossing his twin blades in front of him to block the stab. He managed to stop the long claws just short of hitting his face. However, the force behind the thrust was enough to throw SaviorHackmon back towards the ground.

Meanwhile, as SaviorHackmon landed on uneasy footing, Blitzmon pulled himself up from the base of the tree, obviously angry. All three of the mercenaries turned their attention towards SaviorHackmon.

Gankoomon gritted his teeth. At this rate, SaviorHackmon would be outnumbered. He knew he needed to act sooner than he planned. “Damn it!” he grunted, straining against his bonds. Gankoomon’s shoulders ignited with golden energy. “Hinukamui!”

The Royal Knight sneered and stood to his feet, bending forwards. “Jishin! Kaminari! Kaji! Oyaji!” he shouted. Gankoomon’s jacket blazed with gold flames. Hinukamui unleashed a passionate roar as the golden dragon rose up from Gankoomon’s form.

Hinukamui turned around and slashed his claws down at Gankoomon’s back, tearing through the rope binding his wrists. Gankoomon pulled his arms out and clenched his fists, a smirk forming on his face. “Okay. I’d say this makes things even!”

SaviorHackmon glanced over his shoulder at Gankoomon. “Sensei!”

“What the hell?! A dragon?!” Bolgmon exclaimed furiously.

GrandisKuwagamon hissed as he watched their prisoner free himself. “****…” he muttered. “Just try us! We took on two Royal Knights, already! You two don’t stand a chance!”

“Let’s just see!” Gankoomon fired back, cracking his knuckles. “Now, you puny bugs are gonna pay for pissing me off!” He unleashed Hinukamui towards GrandisKuwagamon, who hovered in the air.

GrandisKuwagamon grunted as Hinukamui soared towards him aggressively. The dragon lashed out with his claws, but GrandisKuwagamon was quick to evade, deftly avoiding Hinukamui and his strikes. GrandisKuwagamon soared down towards Gankoomon, flying towards him head on. Gankoomon grunted and launched his fist towards GrandisKuwagamon, but the black insect swerved to the side at the last second. He landed beside Gankoomon and spread his pincers wide.

“Grandis Scissors!” GrandisKuwagamon spoke as he snapped his pincers shut towards Gankoomon’s neck.

Acting quickly, Gankoomon managed to duck just before GrandisKuwagamon closed his forceps. He felt could feel the breeze of the deadly chop, showing him just how narrowly he avoided it. Staring at GrandisKuwagamon’s chest, Gankoomon coiled his fist back. “Tekken Seisai!” he shouted, slamming his fist into the carapace of the bug’s gut.

GrandisKuwagamon’s eye widened with pain and he felt himself lurch forward, winded, before being thrown through the air. His winged back connected with the ground, but he quickly flipped to his feet, ready to meet Gankoomon’s charge.

When Gankoomon lunged at him with his next punch, GrandisKuwagamon blocked it with the armoured side of his left Gran Killer before stabbing towards Gankoomon with his right Gran Killer. Gankoomon ducked his head to the side, feeling the metal length of the inner claw brush against his cheek. He kicked his foot forwards, but GrandisKuwagamon caught the limb and performed a sweeping kick to take out Gankoomon’s grounded leg.

The Royal Knight fell to the ground on his back, but he was able to use his leg to throw GrandisKuwagamon over his downed body. GrandisKuwagamon fell to the ground but landed in a roll so that he would be able to recover easily. Both got to their feet and spun around to face the other.

“Idiot!” GrandisKuwagamon taunted. “I excel at hand-to-hand combat.”

Gankoomon smirked in response. “So do I!”

The two warriors lunged for each other, unleashing the full force of their battle acumen.

-

Meanwhile, SaviorHackmon lunged backwards as Blitzmon fired a bolt of lightning at where he was standing. The lightning flashed in front of him and exploded the ground before him. As he flew through the air, he glanced at a nearby tree.

Undeterred, SaviorHackmon drove his bladed feet into the tree behind him and held on with a claw to give him a height advantage from halfway up the trunk. “Meteor Flame!” SaviorHackmon yelled, opening his mouth and released rapid-fire bursts of flames towards Blitzmon.

Blitzmon used his speed to dash to the side as the flames enveloped the ground nearby. However, SaviorHackmon trained his fire onto Blitzmon, and the flames began to catch up to the insect Digimon. Blitzmon winced as he raised an arm to protect himself from the flames that began to lick at his body.

“Field Destroyer!” Bolgmon shouted from nearby, digging his cannons into the ground as he launched a high-output laser from his horn turret. The beam howled as it soared towards SaviorHackmon and the tree that he was on.

SaviorHackmon narrowed his eyes and lunged off of the tree as the torrent of positrons shot towards him. He threw himself out of the way of the beam, which consumed the tree and the one behind it, reducing the wood to ashes and data. SaviorHackmon felt himself being pushed through the air by the wave of the blast, but he managed to right himself and land on the ground.

He turned his attention towards Bolgmon, who stood up straight and pivoted towards him. SaviorHackmon took off towards Bolgmon aggressively so that he wouldn’t be able to launch ranged attacks at him.

“Haha! It’s too bad you won’t be able to use that new form of yours for very long!” Bolgmon announced with a cackle, spinning his electricity charged arms as they aimed at SaviorHackmon. “Ultimate Thunder!”

SaviorHackmon watched as the dual spheres whipped towards him and quickly closed in on him. Right before they were about to wrap around and electrocute him, SaviorHackmon jumped into the air to avoid them. “Rage Streit!” he called out, shooting down towards Bolgmon with his bladed foot extended.

There was enough distance between them for Bolgmon to raise his large, metal arms up to block the kick. His armour and sturdy stature held against the blade. Bolgmon smirked and pushed back against him. He pulled his arms away and drove his hefty cannon arm into SaviorHackmon’s chest, throwing him back.

SaviorHackmon winced at the powerful blow and felt Blitzmon’s presence behind him. When he heard the call of ‘Thor’s Hammer’, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Blitzmon throwing his lightning-imbued fists towards him. The dragon man Digimon acted quickly, swiping his tail outwards and blocking the fist with his bladed tail. However, Blitzmon had favourable momentum, and he sent his lightning-charged hands into SaviorHackmon’s caped back, sending electricity shooting through his form.

The Perfect-level unleashed a shout of pain as he was thrown forwards. He managed to hit the ground running, but he landed off balance and stumbled for several meters, still unused to his new form. This moment served as an opportunity for Bolgmon, who was cooperating with Blitzmon. The giant, insect tank charged at full speed towards SaviorHackmon as the dragon tried to regain his balance. “Gigantic Impact!” he shouted, ripping across the dirt and the campfire with the intent of slamming into SaviorHackmon with his full velocity.

SaviorHackmon winced as he finally caught his balance. He looked up to see Bolgmon speeding towards him. He didn’t think he’d be able to escape in time. He raised his arms in preparation for what would be a very painful impact.

“Chabudai Gaeshi!” Gankoomon roared, tearing up a piece of bedrock from the ground and flipping it towards Bolgmon.

Bolgmon closed in on SaviorHackmon, ripping across the ground in a full body tackle. “Take this, you little—GAH!” Bolgmon looked to the side just in time to see the massive, stone slab crash into him. The rock shattered around his armoured body and hit him with enough strength to throw him off of his treads and crash to the ground.

SaviorHackmon looked over to see that Gankoomon had aided him. He smiled at his mentor and nodded.

However, GrandisKuwagamon was quickly upon Gankoomon, slashing his Gran Killers down. The long, deadly set of claws just narrowly missed cutting across Gankoomon’s chest. He stabbed forwards again, this time, able to cut along Gankoomon’s side with one of the bladed claws and draw blood.

Gankoomon snarled and drove his fist into GrandisKuwagamon’s mouth in response, sending the ebony mercenary staggering backwards. GrandisKuwagamon took a wild, defensive swipe in front of himself before spitting out a glob of blood. Gankoomon clutched his side to try and staunch the flow of blood, all while Hinukamui began to rise from his back again.

-

(Continued in the next post)
 

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
(Continued from the previous post)

-

Meanwhile, Blitzmon glanced at Bolgmon, who was swearing as he tried to awkwardly push himself back up so that he was on his treads. The beetle man turned his attention to SaviorHackmon. “Mjölnir Thunder!” Blitzmon exclaimed, sending his fist crashing into the ground and launching a lightning bolt towards SaviorHackmon.

The dragon man turned and saw the blast shooting towards him. SaviorHackmon narrowed his eyes and dashed to the side just in time for the lightning to streak by him in a flash of white. He sprinted across the ground and leapt towards Blitzmon. SaviorHackmon growled and raised the crimson blades on his arms and tail.

“Trident Sabre!” SaviorHackmon called out, slashing his spiked arms down while stabbing forwards with his tail blade.

Blitzmon raised his arms to block the incoming blades. He then generated an anti-gravity atmosphere around himself to increase the speed of his movements. He swept his arm down to try and block the tail blade, but he was slightly too slow. Although he managed to divert the blade, it still cut along the side of his orange body suit, drawing a shallow but painful cut.

Blitzmon winced. “Lightning Blitz!” he growled, sending lightning surging from his horn and into SaviorHackmon’s body.

The dragon man released a cry of pain and writhed as the electricity sparked through him. Despite his pain, he stubbornly opened his mouth. “Meteor Flame!” he roared, unleashing multiple bursts of flames onto Blitzmon.

The deep blue insect man growled with pain as the flames burned against his armour and blasted him back. He lunged into reverse and sent another bolt of lightning shooting from his horn and down at SaviorHackmon.

SaviorHackmon grimaced lunged away just as the blast struck the ground in a flash of light and sparks. He shot towards Blitzmon, poising his blades. “Trident Sabre!” he shouted, cleaving his three blades towards Blitzmon.

“Megaton Punch!” Blitzmon retaliated, shooting up to meet him.

The two Digimon collided and threw each other apart violently.

Meanwhile, Gankoomon was busy contending with GrandisKuwagamon while Bolgmon levelled ranged blasts at him. Sweating, the Royal Knight deflected a stab from the panting insect, and then retaliated with a punch to GrandisKuwagamon’s upper carapace.

The black insect jumped back when Bolgmon launched an Ultimate Thunder attack at Gankoomon, not wanting to get caught up in the lightning as well. When the electricity surged towards Gankoomon, the warrior turned and reached into the ground, tearing up the ground, tree roots and all, and throwing it into the incoming blast to protect himself. The orbs of lightning slammed into the up-turned ground and exploded, pelting Gankoomon with shards of rock, dirt, and strands of electricity.

Gankoomon wasn’t finished yet. He snarled as Hinukamui swept out of his body. “Jishin! Kaminari! Kaji! Oyaji!” he shouted, prompting the blazing aura dragon to sweep forth, towards Bolgmon. Hinukamui roared as he descended onto Bolgmon with crushing power. Despite the devastating impact, the mechanical Digimon’s defences were strong enough to prevent any serious damage, even as the ground exploded around him.

GrandisKuwagamon saw an opportunity while Gankoomon was exerted and distracted by both Bolgmon and the explosion. He grinned and flew to the side, blending in with the night. When Gankoomon turned his attention to where GrandisKuwagamon had been standing, he was annoyed and perplexed to see that he was gone. The Royal Knight raised his fists and looked around his surroundings warily.

The black, insect mercenary crept forwards, using tree trunks, downed canopies, and bushes as cover. When Gankoomon turned his back to him, GrandisKuwagamon suddenly rushed forwards, his Gran Killers poised. He raised his arm and drove his Gran Killer towards Gankoomon’s blind spot.

“Desperado Blaster!”

Beam bullets tore up the ground around GrandisKuwagamon and buffeted his armoured body. GrandisKuwagamon grimaced as his form was pounded by the blasts, and he was forced to stop his attack in order to bring up his Gran Killers to block the projectiles.

Shocked, Gankoomon wheeled around and drove his fist towards GrandisKuwagamon. The insect had good enough reflexes to leap away and fly into the air at a safe distance. With several meters of space now between them, both Gankoomon and GrandisKuwagamon whirled around to see who had attacked.

They saw a female Paildramon standing on the branch of a tree. She had her claws on her hip cannons, which she aimed at GrandisKuwagamon.

“What the hell?” Gankoomon asked, recognizing Paildramon as the one from their Order.

GrandisKuwagamon’s red eyes locked with hers and he gave her a deep glare. “Who the hell are you?” he demanded.

Paildramon calmly stared at him. She then looked over her shoulder, into the dark of the forest canopies. “Attack,” she commanded, looking forwards at GrandisKuwagamon again. “Desperado Blaster!”

Her hip cannons ignited as beam blasts began ripping from their muzzles. The bullets whizzed through the air towards GrandisKuwagamon, who had to fly swiftly and agilely in order to avoid them. In tandem with her own attack, a barrage of other attacks began shooting from the dark and into the campsite. There were at least a dozen sources, given the number and variety of different attacks. It was hard for the mercenary to count in the darkness and the sudden chaos.

“Damn it!” GrandisKuwagamon hissed, ducking as a beam burst narrowly missed his head. He looked across the campsite, watching as explosions started detonating around Bolgmon and Blitzmon.

SaviorHackmon jumped away from Blitzmon once the attacks started. “Gankoomon-sensei!” he called over with a frown. “What’s going on?!”

“Looks like reinforcements!” Gankoomon called back.

“Slide Evolution! GranKuwagamon!” GrandisKuwagamon growled, morphing into his larger GranKuwagamon form. “Dimension Scissors!” He launched a glowing arc into the flashing dark of the forest from where the attacks were coming. It sliced through the trunks of trees, but missed hitting any of the attackers.

GranKuwagamon scowled when his large body began to draw more fire. An explosion detonated against the side of his carapace, rocking him in the air. He hissed and looked over at Blitzmon and Bolgmon, who were returning fire but were being pushed back by the overwhelming number of attacks. “Blitzmon! Bolgmon!” he shouted over to them, zipping over towards them.

“We need to leave!” Blitzmon called over to GranKuwagamon.

“I know!” GranKuwagamon answered, shooting towards them.

Paildramon narrowed her eyes and flew after him. “Not so fast,” she stated, raising her right hand. “Esgrima!” Cables shot from her hand and soared towards GranKuwagamon.

GranKuwagamon glanced over his shoulder with an annoyed glare at the incoming projectile. “Don’t test me!” he warned her, lashing his arm out and swatting the cables away before they could stab or wrap around him. He beat his wings quickly and flew over to the other two mercenaries. “Zone Black Hole!”

The black insect landed on the ground and tore open a hole in the damaged earth using his pincers. The rend opened up to reveal a black abyss underneath him. GranKuwagamon grabbed hold of Blitzmon and Bolgmon before leaping into the rift. The spacial void snapped shut as soon as they disappeared inside, right as a beam tore along the ground.

SaviorHackmon watched with a pensive frown as GranKuwagamon disappeared.

“They’ve escaped,” Paildramon said with a disappointed glower. She raised a hand. “Cease your fire! Secure the perimeter!” she called out to the other reinforcements, prompting the attacks to stop.

Gankoomon walked over to SaviorHackmon as Paildramon flapped her wings and landed nearby. BaoHackmon looked over at the Royal Knight. “Sensei, are you okay?” he asked him, looking over Gankoomon’s somewhat wounded body with concern.

“Yeah, you?” Gankoomon asked, noticing the damage on SaviorHackmon’s own body.

SaviorHackmon nodded and panted. He was sore and exhausted, not just from the fight, but from the past two days. “I’ll be fine…” he insisted.

Paildramon walked over to the two and saluted Gankoomon. “Sir Gankoomon. I’m sorry if we interrupted,” she stated a little sheepishly.

Gankoomon looked around to see about twenty Digimon emerge from the darkness. They all seemed to be from the Order’s Aerial Strike Forces. He turned and looked at her with a slight grin. “Nah, it’s fine, oversergeant,” he responded. “It’s probably good that you all showed up, actually… I’m just surprised. Why are you here?”

“When Sir Alphamon had heard that you had snuck out to rescue BaoHackmon, he ordered us to reinforce you,” Paildramon explained. “I led the team since Leftenant HippoGriffomon is still recovering from his injuries sustained in the battle.”

Gankoomon nodded. “I appreciate it, Paildramon. We had our hands full,” he responded gratefully.

Paildramon nodded politely. She turned and looked at SaviorHackmon. “And how are you?” she asked him, wondering about his wellbeing after the ordeal.

“I’m… fine…” SaviorHackmon responded weakly. In actuality, he was having trouble keeping himself up. His eyes were half-lidded and his legs were uneasy. Now that the combined adrenaline from both the new evolution and the fight was wearing out, he was spent. “Thanks… I’ll… be…”

SaviorHackmon’s legs suddenly buckled and he collapsed. Gankoomon suddenly reached out and grabbed him before he could hit the ground. SaviorHackmon became engulfed in light and he reverted back into his Hackmon form. Gankoomon looked down at the dragon in his arms to see that BaoHackmon had passed out from exhaustion.

Paildramon blinked and looked at Hackmon. “I guess he used up all of his energy…” she deduced. “He’ll need more practice before he is able to hold that new form.”

Gankoomon grinned as he looked down at Hackmon. “Yeah…” he agreed. He gently lugged the metal dragon over his back, holding Hackmon’s legs to keep him steady.

Paildramon watched as Gankoomon carried his student but noticed his own tired state. “Are you sure you don’t want some help, Sir Gankoomon?” she asked him. “If you want me or one of the other Strike Force members to take him…”

Gankoomon shook his head and began to walk through the Forest of Memories with Hackmon on his back. “Thanks… but I’ve got him,” Gankoomon responded, letting Hackmon rest against his broad back.

“He’s my responsibility, after all…”

-

Gankoomon, Hackmon, and the rest of the Aerial Strike Force team returned to Castle Albion at around dawn. Gankoomon and Hackmon spent most of the day recovering and getting looked over in the medical bay. It wasn’t until the early evening, after a lengthy rest, that they were released. Both mainly just had bruises and cuts – nothing too serious.

It was around supper time in the castle, and the Order troops were making their way into the main building and towards the cafeteria.

Alphamon strode alongside Gankoomon, who meandered with his hands in his pockets. The Leader of the Royal Knights gave him a sideways leer as they walked down a stone corridor towards the cafeteria.

Gankoomon smiled a bit. “Come on, say it,” he said, looking over at Alphamon. “What I did was reckless, stupid, thoughtless…”

“I would, if I thought it would do any good,” Alphamon stated, although with a faint touch of comedy to his voice. He looked over at the Royal Knight. “First, UlforceVeedramon. Then, Dukemon and Dynasmon. And now, you. What are you all trying to do to me? You know that those three mercenaries were a match for Examon and Dukemon. There was no sure guarantee that you would win.”

Gankoomon rubbed the back of his neck. “Hey, don’t underestimate me. I had a plan,” he responded. “And I think I could’ve taken them if I had to.”

Alphamon rolled his eyes and walked ahead. “See?”

The red-haired knight grinned sheepishly and sped up his pace to lock step with Alphamon. “Oh, come on…” he said cheerfully. After a few moments of no reply, he rolled his eyes. “Look, I’m sorry. I know you guys were planning a rescue operation for him, but I needed to do it myself. He’s my responsibility.”

“Needed to?” Alphamon contended. “It sounds like you’re treating him like a kid again.”

Gankoomon frowned and walked beside the black knight. “Yeah, I realise that that’s what I’ve been doing… but that wasn’t the reason I tried to rescue him,” he explained. He released a sigh and scratched his red hair with a hand. “I did it because it was my fault, so it was my responsibility to make things right.”

Alphamon smiled a little. “Everything turned out fine, I suppose,” he explained. “I know you’re independent and you hate rules and formalities, but be aware of the rest of us next time, alright? You are a Royal Knight now, and the rest of us are here to help. There’s a saying, ‘A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle.’ …I suppose it’s twelve, in our case.” He turned his sagely smile to Gankoomon. “We’re a team, Gankoomon.”

Gankoomon sheepishly scratched his cheek with a finger. “Yeah, I gotcha,” he conceded in reply. “You’re right…”

Alphamon nodded and looked forwards to the cafeteria doors as they reached the end of the hallway. “…So, how is BaoHackmon? Or should I say ‘SaviorHackmon’?” he asked him as they walked inside the crowded dining hall.

Gankoomon grinned and thumbed towards the kitchen beyond the cafeteria’s serving counter. “He’s good. Good enough to help out in the kitchen for dinner,” he explained.

The black knight raised an eyebrow and looked at Gankoomon curiously. “I know you want to punish him for being reckless, but isn’t it a bit soon?” he questioned.

“Huh?” Gankoomon asked. “It was his idea. Said he wanted to make up for all the trouble he caused everyone,” he explained with a warm grin. “He also said it would help him get used to his SaviorHackmon form.”

“Can he hold the form yet?” Alphamon wondered.

“It might take a few weeks until he can stabilise the form,” Gankoomon explained. “I was surprised at how long he held it yesterday though.”

Alphamon smiled at him. “If the bonds are strong enough, one can find themselves doing incredible things for the Digimon they care about,” he explained.

Gankoomon smirked and walked over to the waiting queue. “I gues—“ He was interrupted by a sharp shout and the sound of metal things crashing to the ground. The cacophony came from the kitchen.

“Gah! I’m sorry, RhodoKnightmon-shishou! I’ll clean it up!” SaviorHackmon’s frantic voice could be heard.

Gankoomon looked at Alphamon with a grin. “Sometimes…”

Alphamon chuckled a bit and got in line with Gankoomon. However, at the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but worry about the two Royal Knights who were still missing.
 

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
Chapter 16: Sanctuary​

“DAMNIT!”

Bolgmon fired a blast from his arm as he tore across a pinkish, rose-hued landscape. The burst of electricity slammed into a ‘falling rocks’ traffic sign ahead of him, despite the fact that they were in the middle of an open field that spanned for kilometers, with not a mountain in sight. The metal sign melted and crumpled upon being struck by his blast. It then burst into particles when the structural integrity of its data was destroyed.

It was a sunny morning as Black Pincer Company headed north. The temperature was mildly warm and the sweet scent of flowers drifted on the wind.

GrandisKuwagamon looked down from the air as he flew several meters above the cyborg insect. Bolgmon was pissed; he was never one to hide his feelings. GrandisKuwagamon grunted and glanced over at Blitzmon, who flew beside him. Blitzmon, on the other hand, was definitely one to hide his feelings. It made him hard to read, even for GrandisKuwagamon. He had been flying quietly ever since they escaped the Forest of Memories the previous night.

GrandisKuwagamon himself was kind of pissed off from the whole situation.

“I can’t believe we came away empty-handed!” Bolgmon angrily stated as he rolled across the pink field.

“We tried and failed,” Blitzmon said philosophically. “It’s not like we lost anything else during that side job.”

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and glanced away. “We didn’t get our money back. That would have been nice.”

“If nothing else, there’s the reward money that we’ll get for deleting that patrol,” Blitzmon explained.

A sigh escaped the black insect’s mouth. “I guess. So, we should head to Fulminus to meet up with Wizardmon,” he stated. “Good thing we headed north when we escaped.”

The dark blue beetle nodded. “We’ll need to be frugal for awhile,” Blitzmon added. He turned his head and matched his green eyes with GrandisKuwagamon’s own red one, leering at him emphatically. “And we’ll need to keep up that contract.”

“Tch,” GrandisKuwagamon looked away grudgingly at the idea. “Yeah, I know… Barring anything damn near suicidal.”

“Fair enough,” Blitzmon agreed.

Bolgmon glared ahead of them. “Just as long as I get a chance to vaporize those bastards…” he responded balefully. “I’m getting really sick of those damn Royal Knights.”

“Yeah, great idea, Bolgie. Look how we ended up last time you tried to vaporize them,” GrandisKuwagamon reminded him with bitter sarcasm.

“That wasn’t my fault, damn it!” Bolgmon fired back. “Would you shut up about that already, Grandis?”

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye and continued flying through the air. “Whatever. Just focus on making sure we get to Fulminus. If we get lost, it will be your fault,” he told their logistics expert.

Bolgmon glared up at him and drove ahead. “Fine, whatever,” he responded curtly.

GrandisKuwagamon beat his wings rapidly and glided along the wind. As he soared across the field, he reflected on the events of the previous night.

…Stupid kid.

-

Meanwhile, there was Metal Empire activity in the north of the continent. After the tactical victory in the battle against the Royal Knights’ Strike Forces, the D-Brigade flank was in position, cutting the Mamemon Kingdom off from the south. This allowed the D-Brigade’s main forces to advance and prepare for the main assault, which was to take place within the coming days.

As the preparations took place, a small but powerful team of D-Brigade soldiers moved away from the temporary military camp where they had been staying. They were headed to the rear lines, where the command and support base was located.

The D-Brigade team in question was a team of ten Ultimate-level Digimon, plus Commander Fujinmon. A strong team was required, since they were escorting the two prisoners taken during the last battle: Dukemon and Dynasmon.

Dukemon and Dynasmon walked side-by-side down a dirt road leading west. They were surrounded on all sides by the eleven elite D-Brigade soldiers. Four Darkdramon encircled them as they walked, three moving along the road and one flying overhead to make a pyramid formation. Lingering at the back of the column was the towering, mechanical body of an UltimateBrachimon, who lumbered along and used his long, saurian neck to watch from a high altitude. Walking behind the Darkdramon group was a HiAndromon and Gundramon, while a Justimon and MetalGarurumon walked in front of them. Flying along to the right of the group was a MagnaGarurumon, who kept his watchful eye on them. Lastly was Fujinmon, who flew back near the UltimateBrachimon. He floated along on the wind as he kept focused on the two Royal Knights below.

Dynasmon and Dukemon were led down the road by the armed escort. Their arms were crossed behind their backs and bound with sturdy, metal chains – enough to be certain that they wouldn’t escape. The two Darkdramon behind them each held one of the chains in one of their hands and their sharp Gigastick Lances in the other. Both Royal Knights eyed the formation on their captors, but didn’t put up any resistance.

Dynasmon grunted and fidgeted with the chains binding his large claws. His hands were positioned in such a way that his palms faced inwards, in order to prevent him from blasting anybody. Likewise, Dukemon’s Gram and Aegis had been confiscated, and were currently being carried by the HiAndromon several paces behind them. Upon realizing that he wasn’t getting anywhere, Dynasmon momentarily gave up and looked over his shoulder at Fujinmon.

“Hey, Fujinmon!” the wyvern knight called out to the Hurricane Commander, forgoing any formality. “Isn’t all this a bit overkill for us? Shouldn’t these guys be preparing for the upcoming invasion?”

Fujinmon hovered forwards, his Critical Arms resting at his sides as he increased his flight speed. “I don’t really think so… You shouldn’t underestimate yourself, Dynasmon. You are both Royal Knights after all. The two of you are more than capable of wreaking havoc if given so much as a centimeter,” Fujinmon lightly responded, knowing what he was angling at. “Besides, you did just try to kill us a few days ago. I know from first-hand experience how dangerous you both are. I’m sorry about the extensive precautions, but I hope you can appreciate why we needed to impose them on you.”

Dynasmon grunted and clenched his fists with annoyance. “Flattery doesn’t make me feel any better,” he muttered under his breath.

Dukemon looked over his caped shoulder as well. “Where are you taking us?” he asked Fujinmon. “We’ve been moving from military camp to military camp for the past couple days.”

Fujinmon floated closer, over the Gundramon and HiAndromon, so that he could talk at a normal volume. “We are taking you both to our command base where you will be placed inside one of our Valvemon transports. From there, you will be transported back to the Metal Empire. Facture, specifically.”

Dukemon eyed the green-armoured cyborg suspiciously. “And then what?” he questioned.

“That is not for me to say. That decision will be made at Emperor Chaosdramon’s discretion,” Fujinmon explained. “I doubt he would do anything too horrible… Although, I imagine that, since your Order is at war with us, it would be in our best interests to have you both removed from action.”

Dynasmon frowned dangerously at the slender Commander as he gracefully glided on the wind. “So, we’re going to be locked up in some rusty Facture prison?” he asked him directly.

“Like I said, it is up to the Emperor. I’m just hypothesizing,” Fujinmon assured them. “Maybe he’ll be lenient…” The Hurricane Commander didn’t sound convinced by his own words.

“Great…” Dukemon muttered blandly. “And when will we get there, exactly?”

“In a few hours,” the green mecha Digimon answered. When he saw both of the Royal Knights turn forward again, Fujinmon floated back to his place near the back of the spread out column.

After a minute of walking, Dukemon feigned stumbling over a rock and used Dynasmon’s larger body to catch himself. Dynasmon glanced over at Dukemon curiously and helped to steady the crimson knight using his broad shoulder. “Sorry,” Dukemon told him, before leaning in and whispering. “We need to escape before we get to that command base,” he stealthily said to him in a hushed tone.

“Easier said than done,” Dynasmon whispered back. “These chains are tough; might even be chrome digizoid. Their formation is well-thought out too. It’d be hard to make an opening in it.” He glanced around the area. “Where are we, d’you think?”

“Eastern outskirts of Chessmon territory, I’d say. Terrain south of here isn’t too rough for a little while. There’s a river that we’d need to cross, though. Further south is forests and mountains that we can disappear in,” Dukemon explained, his voice still quiet. He glanced over his shoulder at the HiAndromon behind them. “I’ll need to get my gear back. When do you want to do this?”

Dynasmon frowned as he thought about it. “We should probably wait… Keep an eye out for an opening,” he suggested quietly. “We’ve only got one shot at this. If we blow it and get caught, we’re really screwed. They wouldn’t let us get away with it twice.”

Dukemon nodded. “Yeah… We need to pick our moment,” he agreed. “There’s no guarantee it’ll work, but we have to try.”

“What are you two whispering about?” asked the Darkdramon who was holding Dukemon’s chains.

“Nothing,” Dukemon replied, not looking over his shoulder.

The Darkdramon leered at them suspiciously. “Are you sure about that?” he pressed him.

Dynasmon turned his horned, draconic head and looked at the guard. “If you have to know… I was talking about how a lady talked me into doing something like this once and it was pretty kinky,” he stated all-too-convincingly. “I can go into details if you want.”

The Darkdramon guard flushed and looked away, thoroughly unprepared for that response. “I-I see… I’d prefer if you didn’t,” he replied. “If you need to talk, keep it audible.”

Dynasmon couldn’t help but smirk. “Well, okay. So, I was standing there, naked, and then—“

“I didn’t mean about that!” the guard protested.

“Refined as always, Dynasmon,” Dukemon told him with a smirk behind his helmet.

Dynasmon chuckled a bit. “Hey, it worked,” he muttered in response. He leaned over towards Dukemon and whispered. “So… When you’re ready and see a good opportunity, give me the signal. No rush.”

Dukemon nodded and continued to be led along. He kept a watchful eye on the state of their guards as he walked. It wouldn’t be an easy escape and there was no guarantee that they would even get past a few meters, but he couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t try.

-

Back at the Royal Knights’ castle, it was around noon time. The sun was at its peak in the sky, and it cast light down across the castle grounds. The training grounds were crowded as the Strike Forces and Defence Forces drilled in preparation for the war. Most members of the Order were busy with their various jobs and responsibilities at this time.

The same was true for SaviorHackmon, who stood in the great hall with a large mop and bucket. He hummed to himself mirthfully as he mopped the floor, spreading water and suds across the smooth, marble tiles. He held the long mop carefully in his clawed hands and partially used it to keep himself steady on his legs as he cleaned the floor.

The new Perfect-level Digimon cleaned the great hall’s floors diligently. He was about a third of the way done, but it was a big great hall with a lot of area to cover.

A deep but jovial voice called out from behind the dragon man Digimon. “Is that you, Bao—sorry—SaviorHackmon?”

SaviorHackmon turned around and spotted Imperialdramon Dragon Mode walking into the great hall. He smiled upon seeing his friend. “Hey, Peri,” he greeted, pleased to see the larger dragon.

“Did you get a personality upgrade when you evolved to that form? Because I swear that you’re in a good mood while mopping the entire great hall,” Peri observed light-heartedly. “Aren’t all these chores supposed to be punishment for running off, doing stupid stuff, and worrying all of us?”

SaviorHackmon maintained his grin despite Imperialdramon Dragon Mode’s ribbing words. “I don’t mind it. It’s good practice for getting used to this new form,” he explained in his deeper and more mature voice. “Besides, I’m in a good mood. …But your claws better not be muddy.”

Peri chuckled and waved his large foot to show that it was clean. “We’ve been doing evasive flight manoeuvres all morning, so we haven’t seen much ground. I just came in for some lunch,” he explained. “So, spill. Why are you in a good mood?”

The white dragon man smirked proudly and used a claw to polish the blue crystal on his chest. “Guess who’s joining the Strike Forces?” SaviorHackmon explained with a smug grin on his face.

Imperialdramon blinked. “Really? That’s great! …You’re not pulling my leg, are you?” he asked, shocked by the news.

“Gankoomon-sensei said I could,” SaviorHackmon told him excitedly, his jubilation obvious on his face. “I’m trying out in five days!”

“I’m glad to hear it, but I have to admit, I’d rather you joined the Reconnaissance Forces,” Peri told him with a soft smile.

“Sorry, Peri. It’s just not my style,” the caped dragon responded with a confident smirk. “I’m an offence kind of guy. I mean, look at his body!”

Imperialdramon chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Bladey. I noticed,” he snarked at him. “You’ll probably start small, you know. Like I did. It won’t be high-stakes rescue missions right away. Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah, sure I am,” SaviorHackmon replied contently. “I’m sure I’ll have to do a lot of training and busy work first. It’s one step closer to becoming a Royal Knight, though. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“That’s surprisingly mature of you. Before, you couldn’t wait to do some daring mission to prove yourself, and you weren’t satisfied until you did something of that calibre,” Peri pointed out to him.

SaviorHackmon gave him a knowing smirk. “Yeah, and look where that got me. Taken hostage by mercenaries,” he responded. “I know that I’m going to have to put the effort in if I want to become Royal Knight material. I know they all had to do the same thing to get as good as they are. I’m just happy that now I have the chance to improve myself.”

Peri smiled at him. “Well, good. I don’t have to worry about you pulling anymore reckless stunts, then,” he teased.

“Hey, I wouldn’t go that far. Look at who my sensei is,” SaviorHackmon countered with a laugh.

The large, blue dragon laughed a bit. When his snicker faded, he began to grow more serious. “…So, uh… What was it like…? Being with those mercenaries?” he wondered, frowning as he thought about it.

“It’s not something I want to happen again,” SaviorHackmon admitted, his eyes tightening as he remembered. “They were so tough, cold-blooded and violent. Bolgmon was the worst… he seemed like it, at least. He kept threatening and insulting me. I think he enjoyed it…”

Peri glowered faintly. “And the other two? Blitzmon and GrandisKuwagamon?”

SaviorHackmon continued to mop the marble floor. “Blitzmon… I don’t know. He seemed reasonable, but I couldn’t get a good read on him. The way he sometimes looked… It was unnerving,” the dragon man Digimon explained. “As for GrandisKuwagamon… He was the one that I talked with the most. He’s so cynical and dismissive of everything. He was kind of a jerk too. But…”

“But…?”

“…But, for some reason, I get the feeling that he’s not a bad guy deep down,” SaviorHackmon explained, although uncertainly. “He just seems angry and resentful rather than evil. I mean… I got the feeling he wasn’t all bad. Maybe it’s true for the other two, as well. I don’t know exactly what they must have gone through. It must have been bad though.”

Imperialdramon Dragon Mode looked at SaviorHackmon sceptically. “I don’t know. Don’t get too sympathetic, SaviorHackmon. Are you sure he wasn’t playing mind games with you? They might have been doing that ‘good guy - bad guy’ thing,” he responded. Imperialdramon narrowed his eyes. “Besides, don’t you think they were the ones who deleted our patrol? Or do you think it was the Metal Empire like they said?”

The humanoid dragon sighed and stopped mopping. “I don’t know, Peri. Examon-shishou did say that they were hired to delete one of our patrols. Some of the stuff GrandisKuwagamon said about it being the D-Brigade made sense too though. It’s hard to know for sure.”

“I guess so…” the large dragon admitted. “…Hey, is it true that those Black Pincer guys are data absorbers?”

SaviorHackmon frowned and looked down. “I’m not sure. I didn’t exactly ask…” he admitted.

Peri smiled at him. “Well, you definitely had a lucky escape.” He began to turn around. “Anyway, I’d better go get lunch before my break is up. Good luck with the mopping.”

SaviorHackmon nodded and began gliding the mop across the golden-beige marble again. “By the way, Peri… How’s the search for Dukemon-shishou and Dynasmon-shishou going?” he asked him, a look of concern emerging on his face.

The dragon turned his helmeted head as he began to walk down towards the double doors leading to the foyer. “I don’t know the details; the elite patrols are the ones searching for them. They’re behind the Metal Empire’s lines, so it’s difficult for us scouts to penetrate, but we’re able to slip past every so often. The teams involved are focusing on the routes back to Facture, since that’s where they’re probably being taken,” Peri explained. He gave SaviorHackmon a slight smile. “I’ll keep you updated if I can. I know a rescue operation’s being prepared.”

“Thank you…” SaviorHackmon answered, turning his attention back to cleaning the floor. He had to take a deep breath to calm his impulses. He wanted to help two of his most respected heroes, but he knew that in order to do that, he would need to become stronger and more disciplined, rather than running off again.

However, he knew that this would take time. He hoped that Dukemon and Dynasmon would be fine, even if he couldn’t personally help out.

-

A few hours passed from noon.

The D-Brigade prisoner escort continued to walk down the stone-paved road. The two captive Royal Knights remained in the middle of the column, led along by the Darkdramon guards directly around them.

Dukemon walked alongside Dynasmon, both of whom gave subtle glances to each other as they inspected the nearby D-Brigade Digimon. They glanced upwards when they saw Fujinmon fly overhead.

“We are almost at the command base,” Fujinmon explained to them, looking forwards. In the distance was a series of shapes, mainly small, makeshift, metal buildings. More prominent than them was a giant, golden octagon with legs. It was the Valvemon that the two Royal Knights were to be transported in for the rest of the journey.

Dynasmon and Dukemon exchanged looks with each other. They both knew that if they were put inside that Digimon, it would be even harder for them to escape. These last two kilometers would be their last chance.

Dukemon eyed Fujinmon as he flew forwards to speak with the MagnaGarurumon at the front of the column. The crimson knight turned towards Dynasmon. “Dynasmon,” he said to him to get his attention.

Dynasmon slowed down slightly so that he was a pace behind Dukemon. “Yeah?” he asked him. Dynasmon looked down at Dukemon’s chain-bound hands, which were tied over his cape so that the fabric didn’t conceal them. This allowed for Dynasmon to see Dukemon give him a quick thumbs up gesture.

“I was just wondering— Grah!” Dukemon’s words were interrupted by a sputter of pain. Dynasmon had stepped on Dukemon’s long, white ponytail, causing his head to jerk back and for Dukemon to stop suddenly and fall to a knee. “Damn it!” he uttered, feeling genuine pain at the motion.

“What’s going on?” the Darkdramon holding Dukemon’s chains demanded, walking forwards to see what was wrong.

The Darkdramon that was walking in front of them also stopped and turned around see what was going on.

“Crap! Sorry!” Dynasmon exclaimed, stopping his walking and moving his foot off of Dukemon’s hair. “I stepped on his hair! Are you okay, Dukemon?”

“Y-Yeah…” Dukemon said with a wince, adrenaline beginning to flow through his body. He looked over his shoulder and gave Dynasmon a look. Dynasmon nodded.

The Darkdramon who was holding Dynasmon’s chains stepped over to them. “Get him up,” he told the other guard.

Just as Darkdramon in question approached Dukemon from the side to pull him up, the Darkdramon who was speaking stepped up behind Dynasmon.

Dynasmon suddenly spun around to face his Darkdramon captor, who had been looking at his comrade. Just as the Darkdramon tensed up and looked back at Dynasmon, the wyvern knight acted. Unable to use his hands, he headbutted the end of the Darkdramon’s snout with his armoured forehead, sending the dark dragon man staggering back. Dynasmon then jerked his head to the side and slashed one of his draconic horns across the Darkdramon’s jaw.

As the Darkdramon snarled with pain and dropped to the ground to clutch his bleeding face, the Darkdramon attending to Dukemon turned in shock. This gave Dukemon his opportunity. He sprung up and drove his own helmeted forehead into the guard, colliding painfully with the Darkdramon’s chin. As the guard was sent reeling back, Dukemon spun around and unleashed a powerful back kick to the Darkdramon’s abdomen.

As the second guard was floored, the remaining two Darkdramon sprung to attention. “Commander! They’re resisting!” one of them shouted to Fujinmon.

Fujinmon spun around with shock. Upon seeing what was happening, his crimson eyes narrowed.

Dynasmon snarled and raced towards the Darkdramon in front of them as the guard raised his lance to fire. The dragon knight rushed the guard like a charging bull and slammed his armoured shoulder into the Darkdramon. The Darkdramon was knocked off of his feet and sent crashing onto his winged back.

Once the guard was temporarily dealt with, Dynasmon looked over his shoulder. “Dukemon!” he called out to him.

Dukemon looked over and saw that Dynasmon’s body emit bright blue power. He watched as the draconic energy of Wyvern began to consume the Royal Knight’s form and rise up. Dukemon leapt over to Dynasmon, standing behind him.

“Breath of Wyvern!” Dynasmon roared, sending Wyvern shooting from his body and ascending into the air.

The first thing Wyvern did as he surged out of Dynasmon’s body was grab hold of the Darkdramon overhead that was about to use his ‘Terrible Gaze’ paralyzing attack on the two Royal Knights. Wyvern then roared and hurled the Darkdramon from his claws, straight into the HiAndromon that was holding Dukemon’s weapons.

As the two tumbled to the ground, Wyvern then turned to Dynasmon and grabbed hold of all of the chains binding the Royal Knights wrists, breaking the metal bonds with his strong aura claws. Wyvern moved his attention to Dukemon and broke the chains restraining him as well.

Dukemon smirked and pulled his arms away. “Thanks, Wyvern!” he thanked the large dragon as he dashed over to the HiAndromon. He leapt into a roll as the Gundramon began to open fire on him with his revolver arms, sending sparks and chunks of stone road and metal shooting up around the Royal Knight. Just as Dukemon stopped moving, he picked up the Gram and Aegis just in time to move his shield in front of him. A barrage of bullets slammed against his holy shield before ricocheting off harmlessly. “Dynasmon!”

“Gotcha! Let’s make our move, Wyvern!” Dynasmon shouted, pointing at the Justimon and MetalGarurumon. Wyvern roared and made his final action by swooping down and crashing into the two D-Brigade Digimon, crushing the road under his might and throwing the two Ultimate Digimon through the air.

Fujinmon and MagnaGarurumon winced as they were blown back through the air from the shockwave after trying to fly over to support their comrades.

Using the explosion as cover, Dynasmon flapped his wings and began flying to the left, heading south across the grassy field. “Royal Sabre!” Dukemon shouted, firing a beam of light from his lance into the mechanical gun dragon. Using the opening, Dukemon dashed off with Dynasmon, quickly catching up to the dragon man as they made their escape south.

Fujinmon glared as he saw the two Royal Knights making a break for it. “Apprehend them! Open fire!” the Hurricane Commander ordered. “Gundramon, UltimateBrachimon, fire! The rest of you, after them!”

For emphasis, Fujinmon began tearing through the sky after the two Royal Knights, commanding the wind so that it was at his back to boost his speed. “Marut Cyclone!” he shouted, unleashing a high powered blast of wind towards Dynasmon from behind.

Dukemon glanced over his shoulder. “Incoming, Dynasmon!” he warned him.

Dynasmon sensed the coming blast of wind and spun onto his back so that he was briefly flying upside down. He raised his claws in front of him. “Dragon’s Roar!” he shouted, unleashing dual blasts of wind from the crystals on his palms. The blast of wind slammed into Fujinmon’s own surge of condensed air. Although Dynasmon’s was weaker, it served to weaken and negate Fujinmon’s attack enough so that only a strong gust of wind impacted Dynasmon, sending him flying faster through the air.

Fujinmon narrowed his eyes and raced to catch up with him.

“Ultimate Blast!” the UltimateBrachimon roared, firing a cannon blast from the golden gun port hidden on its chest. As a giant beam surged across the grass towards the two Royal Knights, Gundramon began unleashing a salvo of gunfire with the multitude of guns making up his body.

Dynasmon glanced over as he could see a flood of light coming from behind them. “Heads up!” he called out to Dukemon, swerving to the right as he continued to fly as quickly as he could.

Dukemon held the Aegis behind him to protect his back from bullets as he ran. He heard Dynasmon’s warning and lunged diagonally to the left. The sizzling beam streaked by him, passing in between the two Royal Knights, and scorching the grass. Dukemon winced and glanced towards the beam, feeling its heat as he kept up his sprint. “Damn, that’s some firepower!” he exclaimed. As the beam began to fade, Dukemon glanced up to see Fujinmon closing in on Dynasmon. “You’ve got company!”

“I know!” Dynasmon shouted back, hearing the whirring of Fujinmon’s two Critical Arms behind him.

The Hurricane Commander closed the gap between himself and Dynasmon. Just as he got into arm’s reach, he raised his right Critical Arm over his head and then swept it down towards Dynasmon’s wing. Dynasmon veered to the left suddenly, narrowly avoiding the reddish-yellow laser blade that brushed by him. The wyvern knight then wheeled around and drove his fist towards Fujinmon.

Fujinmon swiftly avoided the punch and flew parallel to Dynasmon. “You won’t escape. Critical Arm!” he stated, elongating his blades and slashing them vertically down on Dynasmon.

Dynasmon gritted his teeth and quickly raised his hands to catch the blades. “Dragon’s Roar!” he stated, shooting energy from the palms of his hands right as the blades descended on him. Using this concentrated energy, he was able to stop the beam blades from cutting into him. With the momentum of Fujinmon’s strike halted, Dynasmon used his superior strength to overpower Fujinmon and push him back.

Fujinmon narrowed his eyes and retreated a few meters. “Marut Cyclone!” he called out, unleashing hurricane force winds at close range that Dynasmon wouldn’t be able to avoid. The winds swept up Dynasmon and threw him through the air violently.

“Dynasmon!” Dukemon called out. He glared and outstretched his right arm to the side, aiming his Gram lance at Fujinmon as he ran.“Royal Sabre!”

Energy spiralled around the lance before shooting from the tip in a flood of light. The laser shot up at a diagonal angle, slamming right into Fujinmon’s side. The emerald armoured commander grunted with pain as the engulfed him and he was thrown some distance away.

With Fujinmon’s attention diverted, Dynasmon was able to flap his wings and catch himself. He looked over at Dukemon and gave him a thumbs up before flying forwards. He looked ahead of him and could see a rushing river. A span beyond that was a dense, far-reaching forest that stretched a long way.

“Dukemon! There’s a river up ahead!” Dynasmon shouted to him. “Can you make the jump?!”

“Only one way to find out!” Dukemon called back in response, sprinting towards it. “Let’s try to lose them in it!”

“Agreed!” Dynasmon responded, flapping his wings powerfully as he rushed forwards. He veered downwards as a large, glowing laser flew over his head and burned into the ground far ahead of him. He glanced behind him and saw several of the Darkdramon, the Justimon, the MetalGarurumon, the MagnaGarurumon, the HiAndromon, and Fujinmon all chasing them. He grunted as the two Garurumon Digimon launched a salvo of missiles towards them. “Breath of Wyvern!”

Wyvern aggregated from Dynasmon’s body and coursed outwards from his back. The three-eyed dragon flapped his powerful, blue wings, sending strands of draconic energy out with every flap. Wyvern rushed out and swept through the barrage of missiles, creating a series of detonations in mid-air which kept the pursuers at bay. He then soared along the ground, tearing up the earth, before driving himself into the ground several meters in front of the D-Brigade Digimon. This created a giant explosion that billowed into the air with a shockwave strong enough to blast many of the Digimon back. The blast also served as a cover for the two fleeing Royal Knights.

Dukemon and Dynasmon reached the edge of the rushing river. Dynasmon flapped his wings and began to fly over it. Dukemon, meanwhile, took a running jump to try and lunge over the river. He managed to just barely clear the river and land on the other side. “Dynasmon!” he called out, continuing to run upon landing.

“Got it!” Dynasmon responded, spinning around and raising his claws. “I picked up this trick from a certain, goggle-wearing Greymon! Dragon’s Roar!” he called out, unleashing blasts of fire energy from his hands. The flames tore along the length of the river. As soon as fiery power touched the water, they began to hiss and sizzle. The fire evaporated to create a thick haze of steam all along the river. The veil of hot, smoky, water vapour further helped to conceal their retreat.

Dynasmon swooped down beside Dukemon and landed so that he could run alongside the crimson knight. The two Royal Knights sprinted across the grassy bank and into the thick forest, where they disappeared into the concealing terrain.

Fujinmon shot through the lingering energy cloud of Wyvern and was incensed to see a second cloud of smoke a hundred meters in front of them. He couldn’t see the Royal Knights at all and assumed that they had slipped into the forest. That would make finding the pair of escapees extremely difficult.

He turned around and swept his Critical Arm outwards with frustration, realizing his situation. The blast of wind from his swipe cut through the veil of steam and caused it to disperse more quickly. The group of D-Brigade soldiers stopped when Fujinmon did. He looked over at the HiAndromon, who was the last to catch up with them. “You, HiAndromon!” he said, flying over and landing in front of him. “Why in the Digital World were the Royal Knights not restricted with power inhibitors? Why were they able to use their abilities?!”

The HiAndromon froze and rigidly saluted his superior. “I, er, wasn’t ordered to implant power inhibitors on them, Commander!”

“Royal Knights are Class-A prisoners; protocol requires that prisoners of that class be restrained with power inhibitors on top of everything else. You shouldn’t need to be ordered!” Fujinmon rebuked him in frustration. “The security of the prisoners was your and the Darkdramons’ responsibility.”

“I-I’m sorry, Commander! I have made a grave error!” the HiAndromon apologized profusely.

“Never mind that now. There may still be time to catch them. Search the forest!” Fujinmon ordered, turning around and pointing a Critical Arm towards the forest.

“Yes, Sir!” the chorus chimed.

The D-Brigade team obeyed and began to advance towards the river. Fujinmon led the way, flying through the air and clearing away the steam with an irritated, determined expression. “I am not going to be held accountable by the Emperor and the other Commanders for this screw up!

-

Meanwhile, as the Royal Knights made their south, Black Pincer Company continued heading north.

GrandisKuwagamon grunted and reached the peak of a tall hill. He climbed up the verdant mound and stood at its apex for a good vantage point of the surrounding landscape. Blitzmon flew up and landed beside him. Bolgmon lingered behind, putting his engine into full gear to make it up the slope.

The black insect narrowed his red eye as he gazed out across the grassy landscape. In the far distance, to the northwest, he could see a sizeable forest filled with lush trees. Surrounding the forest’s perimeter were grassy fields and hills. It was a humble forest, and it wasn’t as nearly as busy as others. It had a serene quality about it. GrandisKuwagamon’s gaze softened when he could just make out a small dirt road leading out of the forest.

“Restart Forest…” GrandisKuwagamon muttered, gazing from the top of the hill at the forest in question.

“Just like we thought… The landscape was familiar,” Blitzmon stated, folding his arms as he stood beside GrandisKuwagamon.

Bolgmon finally made it to the top of the hill, releasing a burst of steam from his vents when he did so. He rolled up behind GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon. He looked to see what they were staring at. “Damn…” he murmured. “Sure brings back memories, huh?”

“Not good ones,” GrandisKuwagamon muttered, walking away from them and beginning to walk down the opposite slope of the hill.

Bolgmon frowned and followed GrandisKuwagamon, prompting Blitzmon to descend down the northern face of the hill as well. “We’re not gonna have to go in there, are we?” he asked them. “I think we can bypass it.”

“Yeah, let’s do that. No reason for us to go there anyways,” GrandisKuwagamon replied with a nonchalant shrug.

“Agreed,” Blitzmon concurred bitterly, making his way down the hill. “Let’s just head straight. There’s a road ahead, so it shouldn’t be hard to find Fulminus using that.”

“Yeah,” Bolgmon agreed, speeding up down the hill.

“We’re not being chased anymore. You don’t have to rush,” Blitzmon told him.

“Let’s just get there,” Bolgmon stated irritably. “I’m sick of sleeping outside.”

As GrandisKuwagamon made his way down the hill with an informal saunter, he couldn’t help but glance over at the distant forest. “Yeah, me too,” he muttered. “Let’s get to an inn and get smashed.”

“I hear that,” Bolgmon agreed, although without his usual enthusiasm.

Blitzmon walked silently behind the pair. “Sure.”

Bolgmon smirked over his shoulder. “Hell, even Blitz wants to get blitzed,” he joked. “It must be bad.”

The three mercenaries of Black Pincer Company made their way to the bottom of the hill and started walking across the grassland. They took a direction that avoided Restart Forest completely. Instead, they headed for a dirt road that curved along the beautiful, rolling grasslands.

They trio walked up the path, wordless as they passed by the distant forest.

-

(Continued in the next post)
 

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
(Continued from the previous post)

-

Dukemon dashed over roots and bushes as he ran through a forest. Dynasmon was hot on his heels, running just a few meters behind his fellow Royal Knight. They had been running for hours. It was no longer the afternoon but the early evening. The sun was descending in the sky in its cycle around the Digital World. They could tell by looking through the spaces between the forest canopies that the sky was a deep orange and that the sun was setting.

The Royal Knights were no longer even in the same forest that they had entered in. They had left that one a few hours ago, crossed several plains, and travelled south into a completely new forest. In the rush and chaos of their escape from their pursuers, neither of the Royal Knights realized it, but they were heading through the Forest of Equilibrium.

It was a forest filled with rays of light, soft streams and verdant trees. It was a place of tranquility. It was also a spiritual place with connections to Huanglongmon.

The two dragon knights jumped over a log and passed around some trees and underbrush. Finally, Dynasmon slowed to a walking pace and called out to his comrade. “Hey, Dukemon!” he yelled out to the crimson knight ahead of him. He placed his clawed hand against a tree and leaned forwards, panting heavily. “Let’s stop… We’ve gotta be in the clear…”

Dukemon stopped and turned around to look at Dynasmon. He was breathing heavily behind his visor as well. “D’you think so?” he asked him, heaving in air.

“I haven’t seen any D-Brigade since before we crossed that plain awhile back. I think we’re good,” Dynasmon insisted, still gasping for air.

“Thank Yggdrasil…” Dukemon stated, leaning back against the tree trunk behind him. “We need a break.”

Dynasmon nodded and started walking at a relaxed pace. “That wasn’t fun…” he remarked, raising an arm to wipe the sweat from his face.

“Yeah… I’ve had some rough escapes before, but that one’s definitely up there,” Dukemon agreed.

“My legs are killing me… so are my arms,” Dynasmon muttered, walking up beside Dukemon.

“Same. I’m exhausted,” Dukemon replied, walking with Dynasmon through the forest. He glanced around the forest and up at the sky. “We should keep moving. It’s getting dark… Don’t know about you, but I don’t feel great about sleeping in the forest with Fujinmon and the others potentially at our heels. Wouldn’t want to wake up in a cold cell in Facture.”

“You’ve got a point,” Dynasmon concurred. He looked around quizzically. “But where the hell are we?”

“…Good question. And how much forest is left?” Dukemon wondered. He turned and looked at the winged dragon man. “Want to fly up and check it out?”

“Sure,” Dynasmon replied, flapping his mighty, violet wings. He flew up from the ground and ascended towards the canopies. He soared upwards and rose above the canopies before stopping and looking around from his vantage point.

He was relieved that he wasn’t able to see any pursuers behind him. This prompted Dynasmon to look forward. There was forest all around them, but they seemed to be close to the end of the forest. There were only a few kilometers of woods left before the landscape turned into beautiful, green hills and fields. Dynasmon could also see some sort of large building at the edge of the forest. It piqued his curiosity.

Dynasmon flew back down to Dukemon and landed beside him. “We’re almost at the edge of the forest. Just two more kilometers, I’d say. We can probably be out in a half hour,” he explained to his friend. “I also saw some kind of building, I think?”

“A building?” Dukemon asked, continuing to walk forwards. “I hope it’s an inn or something.”

“Please, let it be an inn. I’d give anything for a beer right now. And maybe a cute lady…” Dynasmon said with a grin.

Dukemon chuckled and rolled his eyes as he walked forwards with Dynasmon. “I’ll try not to feel insulted,” Dukemon teased playfully.

The two Royal Knights continued walking through the forest. It was no longer than half an hour of walking until they could see the edge of the woodland. Dukemon and Dynasmon walked to the edge of the forest and looked out from the trees. They were stunned at the landscape before them.

They stepped out to see rolling, emerald hills and grassland spanning for kilometers in front of them. The setting sun cast orange light across the blades of grass, causing them to glow and shimmer. The whole landscape was beautiful and tranquil. It was an idyllic scene.

Further down along the tree-line was a large building complex constructed at the forest’s edge. It extended some distance into the forest and seemed to go underground as well. The architecture was adorned with stylized ornamentation and religious symbols.

Upon closer inspection, it looked like it was a humble monastery. The largest building was a divine temple. While large enough to loom over the nearby trees, it wasn’t grandiose like the shrines to Yggdrasil and Huanglongmon, or like the grand cathedrals of the Sky Colonies. It looked very much at home around the natural landscape of the forest, so much that the environment was incorporated into the building’s design. The monastery added to the beauty of the landscape. Around the front of the building was a large garden of beautiful flowers, and there were groves, orchards, and vineyards further down along the fields.

The Royal Knights looked at the main cathedral. It was through that temple that the rest of the monastery could be accessed. There were no walls or gates, so it was to be assumed that all were welcome.

“A temple?” Dynasmon asked.

“Looks like it. It must be for the Religion of Light since the Two Faiths don’t have buildings of worship like this. But I’m kind of surprised to see a cathedral of the Heavenly Choir here of all places… they usually stick to the Sky Colonies,” Dukemon responded, wondering to himself.

“Think they take guests?” the violet dragon man stated with a slight grin. “Maybe they’ll take pity on a couple of sorry escapees.”

Dukemon chuckled and began to walk over to the dirt path leading up to the cathedral. Dynasmon followed him and walked up to the cathedral. The building was long and tall. It extended deep into the forest, where other parts of the building expanded out from it. It was all made from stone, which had been polished and sculpted with ornamentation. Although the monastery seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, it had elegant architecture.

The Royal Knights walked up to a pair of large, wooden doors. The double doors were polished and engraved with beautiful, floral carvings. Dukemon took hold of one of the metal door knockers on the door and proceeded to knock with a deep, echoing clang. He then released the metal rung and the two waited patiently for somebody to answer.

It took nearly a minute, but finally, the two doors slowly opened. Both Dukemon and Dynasmon stood up straight in an effort to make their dirty and tired bodies look more presentable. Given that this monastery was affiliated with the Heavenly Choir, or, at least the Religion of Light, they both expected to see an angel Digimon on the other side of the doors.

Both of the Royal Knights were surprised when the doors opened to reveal a tall, slender, insect man. Both the warm glow of the setting sun and the equally hearth-like radiance of the cathedral’s interior seemed to make his body glow. His form was humanoid in stature and it shone with a resplendent, golden hue. Over top the lustrous, gold carapace, there were black stripe designs. They covered his forearms, his uniquely jutting upper body, his thighs, knees, and feet, giving him a hornet-like appearance. His body was lean, agile, and lithe. His insectoid form had a sleek, somewhat jagged design. He had dull spikes protruding from his knees. He also had a set of three, narrow, gold pipes that came from behind his biceps and curled around them to connect to the thick, gold plates over his shoulders.

Most strikingly, the insect Digimon had a long, crimson scarf tied around his neck. The two ends of the red muffler draped down his back, between the two pairs of thin, clear insectoid wings that extended from his back and pointed downwards. The TigerVespamon turned his bug-shaped head to look at the two Royal Knights. He had large, red, compound eyes on the sides of his face. Above them was a black, V-shaped crest that has a curious design of three, glowing green dots at its base. The triangular design of the dots matched the ones on his lower abdomen and his shoulder armour. As the Royal Knights looked at him, his black, vertical, insect mouth opened to speak

“Good evening,” the TigerVespamon greeted. His voice was calm, serene, ethereal even. It was tranquil and stoic, yet light and wispy at the same time; it made the insect Digimon sound unexpectedly enlightened. “How may I help you?”

Dukemon and Dynasmon exchanged brief looks. “Is this a cathedral of the Heavenly Choir?” Dukemon asked inquisitively.

“It is, indeed,” the golden insect man replied courteously. As he spoke, he quickly looked the two Royal Knights over. “Are you in need of aid?”

“Actually…” Dynasmon responded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Do you happen to offer sanctuary? It’s getting dark and we’re in a bit of a predicament.”

The TigerVespamon quietly thought for a few moments. “…We do… however… Is the predicament grave enough that I will be required to get my swords?” he cautiously questioned.

Dukemon shook his head reassuringly. “No, we lost our pursuers a few hours back. Even so, we don’t really want to sleep outside, given the circumstances. Would we be able to stay here for the night?” Dukemon asked him. “Or, if it’s too great an inconvenience, would you be able to direct us to the nearest town?”

“I will have to ask Father Angemon,” TigerVespamon serenely explained, bowing his head politely. “Please, come in.”

The two Royal Knights thanked him and wiped their feet off before entering. Dukemon and Dynasmon both believed that Yggdrasil was the creator of all things, so they were somewhat unfamiliar with the Religion of Light. They knew some of the basic tenets of the faith, and the fact that it originated from the Yggdrasil faith before splintering off and becoming its own thing. It was followed largely by Angel and Fairy Digimon, most of whom populated the Sky Colonies – large, floating cities in the clouds.

TigerVespamon pushed the doors closed with his black, humanoid hands. He turned around and walked further inside the cathedral, his movements soft and graceful like a soft breeze. The Royal Knights followed him.

They began to walk down the long nave of the cathedral. The walls were made of stone and the floor smooth, white marble. There were no seats – just open space. The only objects in the nave were the stone arcades, which were a row of beautiful archways that separated the center of the nave from the side aisles. The two Royal Knights looked around curiously. There were grand, colourful murals of angel Digimon and celestial light on the high ceiling of the monastic cathedral. Dim rays of light shone through the large oculus of the ceiling, casting light down into the otherwise dark hall. As they walked, their heavy steps echoed down the nave to the other end of the large room, where the apse and altar was.

“There is no need, TigerVespamon,” a soft, deep voice spoke.

Both TigerVespamon and the Royal Knights looked to see a humanoid Digimon walk out from a corridor attached to the wing of the cathedral. He was a tall, slender male Digimon garbed in a pristine, white body suit that covered all but his face. Six, majestic wings filled with white feathers extended from his back. His long, golden hair flowed behind him as he walked out onto the transept. The hair hung down from a metal helmet that covered the top half of the Digimon’s head, concealing his eyes beneath. The angel Digimon also wore a belt with a sun-shaped buckle, from which a long, blue sash hung down between his legs. The colour of the sash matched the long, digi-letter emblazoned ribbon that coiled around his right leg and left arm.

The Angemon smiled warmly at the guests as he stopped in the middle of the floor and waited to greet them. TigerVespamon walked up to the angel Digimon and then stepped to the side in order allow the two Royal Knights to speak with Angemon.

“It is an honour to have the Royal Knights visit our humble monastery,” Angemon spoke with a smile. “Of course you are welcome to stay here.”

TigerVespamon looked at the Angemon curiously and then at Dukemon and Dynasmon. “The Royal Knights?” he questioned. “These are…? Forgive me, I had no idea…”

Dukemon removed his Gram lance as he approached and extended his hand. “Hello. Thank you for generosity,” he politely greeted. “I’m Dukemon and this is Dynasmon.”

Angemon reached out and shook their hands. “My name is Angemon, Keeper of the Light,” the angel Digimon explained. “I am the one in charge of this monastic mission.” He looked over at TigerVespamon with a smile.

“Pardon me. My name is TigerVespamon,” the golden insect man stated, remembering that he forgot to introduce himself.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Dukemon said to them. He looked at Angemon curiously. “So… Father Angemon – that’s the correct title, right? – this is a mission? I was wondering what this cathedral was doing so far from the Sky Colonies. The Heavenly Choir is a highly organized, structured theocracy, so it’s a little odd to me to see this little place way out here, isolated from the Three Great Angels.” Dukemon scratched his cheek sheepishly, hoping he wasn’t being insulting. “Uh, no offence.”

“No offence taken, Sir Dukemon. Indeed, you’re correct. In fact, this place was built a few decades ago to help spread the word of the Religion of Light,” Angemon explained with a smile. “I was assigned here personally by Archangel Dominimon, Celestial Commander of the Dominions, acting under the authority of the Three Great Angels. I know that the Heavenly Choir is generally very insular, but we occasionally make some attempts to branch out and gain followers. I suppose you could say that this mission was an experiment.”

Dynasmon nodded and looked at TigerVespamon. “I see… So, are you a convert?” he asked curiously.

“Oh, um… No… Well, I suppose, sort of…” TigerVespamon awkwardly replied, a bit tongue-twisted at how to reply.

Angemon smiled and placed a reassuring hand on TigerVespamon’s shoulder. “TigerVespamon, here, is an orphan. I found him and took him in about eighteen years ago, after he lost his hometown. He grew up here, and, currently, he is a novice thinking of joining the monastery permanently. Before that, he assisted me and the others here with various duties.”

TigerVespamon nodded quietly and politely.

Dynasmon arched an eyebrow at him. “Oh, you are? Wouldn’t the Royal Base take care of you, in that case?” he asked innocently.

TigerVespamon winced faintly and sheepishly tugged at his scarf with a finger. “No, um… I am not from the Royal Base, actually… Despite the fact that I am a TigerVespamon, I have no connection to the Royal Base… to be honest. My base evolution line is not that of FunBeemon,” he responded, starting to grow self-conscious.

Dynasmon frowned curiously and rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, sorry… But didn’t you say that your name was TigerVespamon…? Isn’t ‘Tiger’ the codename given to the Royal Commandos of the Royal Base’s ‘Covert Honey Corps’? Wouldn’t it just be, well, Vespamon?”

TigerVespamon looked away, still subconsciously fiddling with the collar of his red muffler. “Err… I… perhaps? This is just the name that came to my mouth when I evolved from DinoBeemon… It was not my intention to deceive anybody. I am not trying to pass myself off as a Royal Commando…” he insisted, his voice remaining calm despite his obvious discomfort.

Dukemon elbowed Dynasmon and shot him a look. “Dynasmon…” he muttered to his comrade, rebuking. “You’re insulting the poor guy.”

“Huh?” Dynasmon asked, blinking. He realized his faux pas and rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, uh, sorry… I wasn’t trying to accuse you of anything. I was just confused.”

“I-It’s an honest mistake,” TigerVespamon assured him, looking away just as sheepishly. “I should be the one apologising.”

“No, no…”

Angemon looked at TigerVespamon and smiled. “What’s in a name anyways…?” he asked rhetorically. “Right, TigerVespamon?”

After a moment, TigerVespamon composed himself and nodded calmly. He looked at Dukemon and Dynasmon. “Is there anything that we can get you?”

“Can you tell us where we are?” Dukemon asked them.

“This place is located on the southern edge of the Forest of Equilibrium,” Angemon explained. “Several kilometers south of here is Restart Forest. There is a town called Vernal Spring that is a few kilometers east of here, as well. I hope that helps.”

Dukemon smiled. “Thanks. It does.” He looked at Dynasmon. “We could probably just head there and sleep at an inn. We don’t want to inconvenience these guys.”

“Yeah, but we pay the innkeeper with what exactly?” Dynasmon countered. “I didn’t exactly bring my coin purse into battle the other day.”

“Please, please. You are both more than welcome to stay here,” Angemon insisted. “It is no trouble at all.”

“If you’re positive,” Dukemon replied, smiling. “We’ll make it up to you somehow.”

Father Angemon smiled and shook his head. “There is no need. All are welcome here in their time of need,” he explained. “On the contrary, you have both done more than enough to help us. The Heavenly Choir may live atop the largest clouds in the Sky Colonies, and we may have a different faith from the majority of Digimon, but, despite those differences, we haven’t forgotten how you aided us in the past.”

TigerVespamon looked at the Angemon beside him. “You mean during the Night of Falling Stars, Father Angemon?” he inquired, remembering the infamous event.

“The climax of the Heavenly War,” Dukemon said, frowning and folding his arms. “The civil war in the Sky Colonies between the Heavenly Choir and Lucemon’s rebel faction. Between the Three Great Angel loyalists and the heretics.”

Angemon responded with a pensive, solemn nod. “It is not my place to make judgments, but, yes, that was the crux of it. Apparently, Lucemon had broken from the canon some time before, and was secretly gaining followers who questioned the truth of the Being of Goodness – God. It was a schism,” the learned angel explained. “News of the heresy was leaked to the Heavenly Council. I can’t say for sure who made the first move against the other, but soon, fighting broke out inside the Sky Colonies. Both sides branded the others as heretical. Many of our brothers and sisters ended up falling and becoming demons in the process. The war culminated in the Night of Falling Stars, the heaviest, bloodiest, and final day of fighting in the Rebellion.”

Dynasmon nodded. “The day that the Seven Demons tried to drop Sky Colony: Empyrea onto the Digital World… That was the moment that us Royal Knights knew we had to step in and intervene. We were still comparatively small at the time, and we were divided on whether to step in and fight in the war or not,” he explained. “Some of us didn’t think that we should be intervening in the schism of a splinter religion.”

“We are eternally grateful that you did,” Angemon explained, bowing his head politely. “Although Empyrea was completely destroyed from the fighting, the Digital World was spared a catastrophic, cycle-ending calamity that would have ensued if all of it had hit the ground. Though, that is not to understate the devastation caused by the Night of Falling Stars…”

“Yeah… Fair dues, though; the Warrior Ten stepped in before we did,” Dynasmon explained, smiling and rubbing the back of his head. “I remember getting a few choice words from AncientGreymon saying that we were dragging our heels with politics. I’d been friends with them before, but that was the first time we officially worked together with the Warrior Ten.”

“The Royal Knights, the Warrior Ten, and the Three Great Angels defeated the Seven Great Demon Lords and the surviving heretic leaders. Then they stripped them of their powers, and sealed them away in the Dark Area, correct?” TigerVespamon questioned thoughtfully. “I have read a great deal of Heavenly Choir history. The official Heavenly Choir sources omit this part, but there was an inquisition in the Sky Colonies afterwards, attempting to root out heretics and Lucemon supporters. Is that true?”

Dukemon nodded grimly. “Yeah… Both our Order and the Warrior Ten warned them not to, but there was only so much that we could do to stop them. It was hard for us to dictate to them from the ground of the Digital World,” he explained. He looked at both Angemon and TigerVespamon curiously. “Pardon me for saying so, but you both seem to have an… objective view when it comes to these things. It’s a bit untraditional, given your ties to the Heavenly Choir…”

Angemon chuckled a bit. “We don’t disagree with the canon of the Heavenly Choir, by any means. However, we live down here, far removed from the Sky Colonies. We have to accept certain facts; not everything is entirely black and white,” he explained. “For that reason, our ideas may diverge slightly from that of the current Heavenly Choir.”

“Like what?” Dukemon asked curiously.

“The nature of the Being of Goodness in relation to Yggdrasil and Huanglongmon,” Father Angemon replied. “There has been a long running debate among our theologians, even before the Exodus to the Sky Colonies. Some believe that God is, in fact, the same being as both Yggdrasil and Huanglongmon. However, others believe that God is an individual entity separate from Yggdrasil and Huanglongmon. Within that, some acknowledge the existence of Yggdrasil and Huanglongmon, while others believe that the Being of Goodness is the only creator being.”

TigerVespamon nodded in agreement. “Here at the monastery, we believe that God exists along with Yggdrasil and Huanglongmon. We respect the rights of others to believe in what they choose, and we hope that others respect us as well,” he explained.

“That’s fair enough to me,” Dukemon replied with a grin. “I did wonder why you guys made a monastery here, right at the edge of the Forest of Equilibrium. I don’t know the details exactly, but didn’t this place used to be occupied by Huanglongmon before the Great Sealing?”

“That’s correct,” Angemon responded, nodding. “Although, we believe that the forest may have special qualities related to the creation of the Digital World. Some of our brightest scientists have been studying it.”

“Yeah?—“ Dynasmon began to speak, but a large growl sounded out from his stomach. He smiled sheepishly and scratched his cheek with a claw. “Uh… Sorry. I’m pretty hungry. We haven’t really eaten much the last few days.”

Angemon chuckled lightly and turned to TigerVespamon. “TigerVespamon. Please go and fetch Brother Pidmon from the cloister. Ask him to prepare something extra to eat for our guests,” he gently instructed him.

“Yes, Father Angemon,” he answered. He turned away and walked down one of the corridors, going deeper into the building.

“Thanks. I’m on the verge of passing out from hunger.” Dynasmon said to the angel Digimon, as they followed Angemon down a different corridor.

“How are you both otherwise?” Angemon asked them. “Do either of you need healing? We have some very good physicians here. TigerVespamon has also been studying the medical field for a few years now, actually.”

“We’ll be fine, thanks,” Dynasmon assured him. “Nothing some food and rest won’t cure.”

“May I ask what happened?” the holy abbot inquired as he led them down a stuffy corridor. Like all the hallways in the monastery, it was lit with floating pockets of holy light within stylised sconces on the walls. “If it is confidential, I understand.”

Dukemon smiled a bit behind his helmet. “Oh, no. We were just reckless in battle and ended up getting taken prisoner by the Metal Empire. We made a daring escape earlier and then we were chased by the D-Brigade, but we shook them off awhile ago,” he explained nonchalantly.

Angemon couldn’t help but smile. “I see…” he mused. “What it must be like to be a Royal Knight… The romantic and daring adventures you must have. I might have liked to do something like that in my younger years.”

Dukemon chuckled and placed his hands behind his head as he walked. “Yeah, I bet it seems like that. Nobody ever talks about all of the reports and administrative stuff that we have to do, though.”

Dynasmon groaned. “Ugh… We’ll have to write reports of what happened to us during and after the battle. Maybe we should go back to Facture after all…”

Dukemon laughed and patted the wyvern knight’s shoulder. “I can understand that. I’m not looking forward to the chewing out I’m going to get from Grani. Not to mention the others,” he stated light-heartedly.

The angel Digimon smiled and looked over his shoulder at them. “You are free to stay as long as you want,” he offered.

A chuckle escaped Dynasmon’s mouth. “Tempting, but I think we’ll head out tomorrow morning, if that’s okay,” he explained. “We’ve already been missing for a few days, so the sooner we get home, the better.”

Angemon nodded. “Very well,” he responded serenely. “Until then, please, make yourselves at home. After you eat, I’ll have somebody show you to your sleeping quarters.”

Dukemon smiled appreciatively. “You’re very kind,” he thanked him.

Angemon shook his head and continued walking ahead. “It is our policy to take in anybody who needs help. Please, relax and recuperate. It sounds like you have had a hard couple of days.”

The two Royal Knights nodded and reached the end of the hall. As they turned the corner, the aroma of delicious food entered their nostrils, and they were suddenly very glad that they stumbled across this remote monastery. They decided it was a very good idea to follow Angemon’s advice. They would eat heartily and then crash out in their beds for a long, much-needed rest.

-

The next morning, both Dukemon and Dynasmon were on the move again. After a long, fulfilling sleep at the monastery, both Royal Knights were refreshed and ready to go. After thanking Father Angemon and his fellow monks for accommodating them, the two Royal Knights set off from the cathedral and began heading east towards Vernal Spring.

Vernal Spring was a trading town that served as a stopping point for many travellers and adventurers. This was built around a crossroads that led in many different directions across the continent. It served as a handy point from which the Royal Knights could begin to travel home from, as a road would inevitably lead back to the Free Area.

A third companion accompanied the two Royal Knights, however. TigerVespamon guided Dukemon and Dynasmon from the monastery to Vernal Spring.

It was a sunny day out, and the warm light beamed down across the green landscape. The sky was a clear blue, and there were only a couple clouds floating overhead. They walked down a smooth, dirt road, surrounded by grassy fields on all sides. Not far ahead of them was the town of Vernal Spring. It looked pleasant and lively for a town of its size, but it wasn’t as nearly as big or busy as a city. The group of three wasn’t far from one of the several entrances to the town – the western entrance, in their case.

TigerVespamon walked ahead of the two Royal Knights by a few paces. Dukemon and Dynasmon walked side-by-side and looked at the golden insect man as he strode with a smooth gait.

“You really didn’t have to guide us, you know,” Dynasmon insisted. “We could have found it on our own. I mean, it’s appreciated, but… you didn’t have to go to the trouble.”

“I know. It isn’t any trouble,” TigerVespamon responded calmly. “I had to go to town to run some errands regardless.”

“For Angemon?” Dynasmon wondered. Upon seeing TigerVespamon nod, he thought for a moment. “What’s it like living there?”

“It is quite enjoyable,” the hornet Digimon replied. “There is a substantial library, so there is a lot to read and study.”

“A library, huh? Are you a bookworm?” Dynasmon asked him with a smile.

“I suppose you could say that. I enjoy reading, and I also practice meditation. Father Angemon often tests me with thought-provoking questions, dialogues, and stories, as well,” TigerVespamon responded, nodding to himself. “However, I am also learned in combat and the art of precision self-defence. HolyAngemon – a former Captain of the Heavenly Choir’s Powers – has educated me in these things. As one of the few Ultimate level Digimon in the monastery, it is my duty to defend it from those who would threaten it. Fortunately, I have not had to put those skills into practice very often.” He looked over at Dukemon and Dynasmon.

“Impressive,” Dukemon mused, thinking to himself as he walked along.

TigerVespamon flushed a bit. “I was not trying to boast, by any means. I was just attempting to explain,” he insisted. He looked over at Dukemon and Dynasmon with a light look in his red, compound eyes. “I am confident that my abilities are nowhere near the calibre of yours.”

Dynasmon grinned. “Hey, you never know. Come to think of it, I can’t think of the last time I’ve fought with somebody from the Heavenly Choir,” he thought aloud. “I’d be kind of interested to see your fighting style.”

“Perhaps next time you visit, I might be able to demonstrate,” TigerVespamon suggested. “However, please do not overestimate my abilities. I would hate to be a disappointment.”

“Maybe you’re being too humble,” Dukemon said with a chuckle. “You’ve done pretty well for yourself with somebody of your past.”

TigerVespamon looked at the crimson knight curiously. “My past? Oh… You mean ‘that’.”

Dukemon nodded. “Both Dynasmon and I lost our hometowns too, so we know what it’s like. It could have ended a lot worse for us,” he explained empathetically. He then thought to himself, “Me especially…

TigerVespamon looked forward and nodded. “Yes. Thank you,” he calmly answered. “However, that was a very long time ago. I have moved on from it, and I choose not to let it define me. I do not see the point in dwelling on the past. I am simply grateful to Father Angemon for giving me a new life.”

Dukemon smiled and nodded understandingly. “That’s the right idea; make the most of what you have. That’s what we did.”

“Yeah. Eventually,” Dynasmon agreed, placing his claws behind his horned head as he walked forward. He looked ahead and saw that they were almost at the entrance to Vernal Spring. He could see a multitude of Digimon meandering around the roads of the town.

The main roads were busy but not crowded. There was plenty of room to walk on the streets. The three walked into the town and looked around. Along the busy roads were various shops, inns, taverns, and other places attractive to travellers. There were stores selling food, adventuring equipment, weapons, and various other supplies.

The Royal Knights walked with TigerVespamon up one of the primary roads of Vernal Spring. It led straight through the town to the eastern edge, while also connecting with other main roads that branched out in different directions. They walked past a few Digimon: the large, green reptilian body of a Tuskmon, the slender lupine body of a WereGarurumon, and the short, hobbling, rocky figure of a Gotsumon. There were many more Digimon like them wandering around the busy town.

As they walked up the wide, stone street, Dukemon turned and stared into a nearby bakery and café with outdoor seating. There was a fragrant smell of baked goods that wafted into the street. “Ooh, a café,” Dukemon stated, gazing at the building, very tempted by the delicious smells as he stepped up to the window. He had to keep himself from drooling. “Do you think they have croissants…?”

“Focus, Dukemon. You can ask Rhodo to make you some when we get back,” Dynasmon told him with a grin, pulling the Royal Knight along before he could wander over.

“Hey!” Dukemon protested.

“We don’t have money, remember?” Dynasmon pointed out. The violet Royal Knight looked at TigerVespamon. “So, where are you going, TigerVespamon?”

“I am just going to the other edge of town where the market is located. I need to buy some ingredients for the week’s meals,” he explained.

Dukemon looked at Dynasmon. “We should look for a map and find out how to get home from here,” he suggested.

“What? Please. We don’t need a map. I’ve been through here a bunch of times,” Dynasmon insisted indignantly.

“Uh huh. I don’t trust you not to get us lost,” Dukemon stated with a grin. “I’m finding a map.”

“No maps! I can lead us home blindfolded!” the larger dragon man said stubbornly.

“Riight… You do that, I’m still looking a map,” Dukemon replied.

Dynasmon shot him smirk. “Did you leave the directions to Grani all the time? No wonder he’s the Captain of the Recon Squadron while you need a map,” he joked.

“I did not.”

As the two Royal Knights walked and talked, TigerVespamon slowed down in order to reach into the brown satchel that was slung over his shoulder. He began to pull out a coin purse to check to make sure that he had enough money. However as he did, the large, broad-shouldered body of a Volcamon brushed past him, accidentally nudging the insect man well enough to drop the purse to the ground.

“Sorry,” the Volcamon grunted half-heartedly as he continued his walk.

“Pardon me,” TigerVespamon politely responded. He stopped and bent down in order to pick up the coin purse, allowing the two unaware Royal Knights to walk ahead without him.

He took the bag in his hand and secured it within his black fingers. As he began to stand up straight, he heard a door swing open several meters to his left. Three figures emerged from the café there, talking loudly amongst themselves. TigerVespamon couldn’t help but overhear.

“Okay, we’ve slept in real beds and now we’re fueled up. Now let’s move our asses and get to Fulminus. Then we can go to Shroud for a breather.”

TigerVespamon turned and saw the body of a black insect man walking out of the café. He didn’t recognize him, but something about him put him ill-at-ease. He watched as the GrandisKuwagamon walked out onto the street, followed by a Blitzmon and a Bolgmon.

“Sounds like a plan,” Blitzmon agreed, following him out onto the street and rubbing his satisfied gut.

Bolgmon rolled after the two insect men. As his treads began driving on the solid, stone road, Bolgmon glanced around and noticed TigerVespamon looking at them. “Looks like we’ve got an admirer.”

GrandisKuwagamon glanced at the TigerVespamon with a mixture of suspicion and irritation. “What the hell do you wan—****!” GrandisKuwagamon interrupted himself when he looked past the hornet Digimon and saw Dukemon and Dynasmon several meters up the road. He recognized Dukemon from their encounter in the UDC.

Just as the rest of Black Pincer Company turned to notice the two Royal Knights, both Dukemon and Dynasmon began to turn around to see what happened to TigerVespamon. Dukemon looked over at the golden insect Digimon. “TigerVespa-- ?! Dynasmon!” he suddenly warned, spotting Black Pincer Company and swinging around to face them.

“Black Pincer Company!” Dynasmon shouted, sneering and raising his claws. Dukemon glared and readied the Gram and Aegis.

The three insect Digimon of Black Pincer Company tensed up as well and took defensive postures, raising their arms in front of them.

TigerVespamon was initially confused by the rapid developments. He looked between the two sides and immediately felt hostility. He summoned his dual beam swords, the Royal Meisters, and took several steps back towards the two Royal Knights. Once at their side, he looked at the three insect Digimon guardedly. “Black Pincer Company…?” he asked with both curiosity and wariness. His crimson eyes began scrutinising the three.

“A mercenary company with a lot of crimes to answer for,” Dukemon explained, narrowing his eyes at the insects. “They recently attacked us.”

“Mercenaries…?” TigerVespamon questioned, gazing suspiciously at GrandisKuwagamon and the two, azure bug Digimon beside him.

“Easy now…” GrandisKuwagamon warned the two Royal Knights, glaring at them with his Gran Killers poised to strike at a moment’s notice. “You really don’t want to do this right now.”

Dukemon grunted and took a cautious step forwards, prompting the three mercenaries to put their guards up even more. “As if we’d let you escape after last time,” he threatened.

“You got the damn kid back; what do you care?!” Bolgmon snapped, aiming his cannon arms at them. The mechanical appendages began to rotate in order to build up electricity.

Dynasmon cocked an eyebrow. “Kid?” he asked. “What are you talking about?”

GrandisKuwagamon deduced that this meant that they didn’t know about when they took BaoHackmon as a hostage. “Look… Royal Knobs…” the dark insect began. “It’s in nobody’s best interests to start a fight right now. Let’s just go our separate ways… You get me?”

“You’re joking. You think we’d just let known criminals walk free?” Dukemon challenged, not lowering his lance for a moment.

TigerVespamon kept taking in the situation. Although he appeared calm, his mind was working quickly. He felt edgy for some reason. Something unsettled him about those three.

GrandisKuwagamon tilted his head back and smirked at the Royal Knights. “Okay… So, attack us. Give us your best shot,” he challenged Dukemon and Dynasmon. He then gestured around at the busy street. Their standoff was beginning to attract a crowd of onlookers who were hoping to see a street brawl. Even those Digimon who were just walking by caused the street to be crowded.

Dukemon and Dynasmon exchanged cautious glances.

“Come on, Royal Knights. Come and deliver your holy justice onto us. We’re just vile scum,” GrandisKuwagamon said with a confident smirk. “…But I gotta warn you… Attack us, and things are gonna get messy real fast. This is a busy street after all… You really want to start throwing beams around here? A lot of Digimon could get hurt, and that’d be a real shame, wouldn’t it? Not that we care, but I doubt it’d be very good for your image…”

TigerVespamon locked eyes with GrandisKuwagamon, calmly reading him. GrandisKuwagamon turned his crimson eye to return TigerVespamon’s stare. It was then that TigerVespamon suddenly dropped his two beam swords to the ground. He recoiled in shock and stared at the three mercenaries, visibly stunned.

Dynasmon glared at them. “You’d use these Digimon as hostages?!” he snarled angrily.

Blitzmon smirked darkly. “If it means surviving, of course we would,” he added onto GrandisKuwagamon’s threat.

“You don’t want to know how much destruction I can cause when I really let loose,” Bolgmon warned with a savage grin.

“That’s disgusting,” Dukemon spat, shooting them a furious leer. He glanced around at the crowd. Although several of the Digimon were frightened by the threat and began to get out of the way, there were still enough Digimon around the area for the Royal Knights to worry about their safety.

“So what’s more important to you?” GrandisKuwagamon asked them, grinning. “Getting the bad guys? Or saving the good guys? I know you like to view things in that black and white sort of way.”

TigerVespamon clenched his trembling, black fists. “Un…thinkable…” he whispered.

“Yup. We’re rotten to the digicore,” GrandisKuwagamon exclaimed. “That’s how you know we’re not messing around here.”

“You’re bluffing,” Dynasmon challenged, gritting his teeth angrily.

“Want to take that chance?” GrandisKuwagamon asked him, crossing his Gran Killer claws in front of him.

Dukemon and Dynasmon exchanged wordless looks that exchanged subtle cues of communication. Neither of them wanted to let Black Pincer Company go, but they both knew that starting a fight in a crowded place like this would be a disaster. Even if they were careful with their attacks, there was no guarantee that their three bug opponents would care about who got in their way. Dukemon and Dynasmon exchanged reluctant nods.

“Get out of our sight,” Dukemon ordered the three mercenaries. “Don’t make yourselves regret this opportunity.”

“We never let an opportunity go to waste,” Blitzmon assured him, keeping his sparking fists up as he slowly began to back away.

“Sometimes the peaceful option is the better option,” GrandisKuwagamon said with a smirk, also slowly backing up and refusing to turn his back to them. “And don’t bother following us. I’m really good at giving people the slip.”

“I still prefer blowing **** up,” Bolgmon stated, although driving in reverse as well.

Dukemon and Dynasmon stood where they were, their weapons still poised. They watched warily as Black Pincer Company retreated, but they didn’t pursue. When there was a large amount of distance between them and the Royal Knights, the three mercenaries finally turned around and made a break for it. They turned a corner and ran up another busy street leading further into the town.

When Black Pincer Company disappeared from sight, the two Royal Knights slackened.

“Damn it…” Dynasmon muttered. “That could’ve been a good chance.”

“We couldn’t risk it,” Dukemon said with a sigh. “I’m not up for fighting in the middle of a crowded town.”

Dynasmon grunted and rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, me neither. Still… it’s frustrating. Even if we wanted to go after them, GrandisKuwagamon can escape through those portals, right?”

Dukemon then turned towards TigerVespamon curiously. “Are you alright?” he wondered, briefly recalling his reaction during the standoff.

TigerVespamon leaned down and picked up his Royal Meister swords. It wasn’t immediately easy to tell with his insectoid facial features and his calm demeanour, but he was visibly shaken. He picked up his blades and began walking down the road the way that he came. “I… Pardon me… I must… I need to go…” he explained, his serene voice now completely aloof. He walked away from the Royal Knights and headed back in the direction of the monastery.

Dukemon frowned and watched as he walked away. “Didn’t you say that you had to go shopping?!” he called after him.

The golden insect Digimon either completely ignored him or was too distracted to hear him. He just kept walking.

The crimson knight frowned as he got further and further away. The crowd of Digimon had dispersed as well. He looked at Dynasmon. “What’s with him?” he wondered.

“It was probably his first time being in a real confrontation before. I doubt he gets that kind of adrenaline sitting around reading books in a monastery. It probably shook him up,” Dynasmon suggested.

“I guess so…” Dukemon supposed. “What do you want to do?”

“He’ll be fine,” Dynasmon reasoned. He thumbed over his shoulder, down the road heading east. “Let’s go home. We’ve wasted enough time.”

Dukemon sighed and nodded. “Yeah… You’re right,” he agreed with his fellow Royal Knight. He turned around and began walking beside Dynasmon down the sun-lit road. Ahead of them were rolling, green fields that gave off a sense of optimism in response to the dire situation they had faced yesterday.

“Let’s go.”
 

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
Interlude​

Fujinmon stood in Chaosdramon’s austere, metallic throne room after having returned from the command base. He was in Chaosdramon’s palace in Facture, where an air of tense silence loomed. The Hurricane Commander stood before his emperor, his green, v-shaped head bowed and concealing his grimace.

Chaosdramon towered over Fujinmon, even as he sat on his massive, metal throne. His red digizoid backpack was plugged into the large throne, which was fixed to the ground. His crimson eyes stared down at his subordinate, cold and calculating.

“So…” the giant dragon cyborg reverberated. “You mean to tell me that you were able to take Dukemon and Dynasmon prisoner, but you allowed them to escape while transferring them back to Facture?” There was no anger evident in Chaosdramon’s stoic, monotone voice, but Fujinmon could tell by the words he chose that Chaosdramon wasn’t happy.

Fujinmon bowed deeper. “I apologize, Emperor, but I didn’t allow them to escape,” he insisted. “It seems that one of my subordinates did not follow proper protocol when dealing with Class A prisoners. Neither of the Royal Knights were restrained with power inhibitors. I have already punished him personally for his blunder.”

“You speak in a way that distances yourself from the mistake, but as that officer’s superior, that blunder rests at your feet, Commander Fujinmon,” Chaosdramon explained to him, narrowing his eyes ever-so-slightly. “As one of the Storm Commanders, you are expected to take responsibility.”

Then doesn’t the fault also lie with you, Chaosdramon, since I am your subordinate?” Fujinmon wished he could say. However, the Hurricane Commander held his tongue. “Yes, Emperor Chaosdramon. I apologise. Such a mistake will never be repeated.”

“I expect that it won’t,” Chaosdramon spoke in his terse, mechanical voice. He locked eyes with Fujinmon. “Despite the fact that you were once a staunch supporter of JumboGamemon, you have proven yourself to be a loyal and capable subordinate.” Chaosdramon clenched and relaxed his giant, metal pincer. “I would hate for your loyalty to be called into question.”

Fujinmon narrowed his eyes at the veiled threat. However, he maintained his composure. “So would I, as I am your loyal Commander, Emperor. It would wound me deeply for my dependability to be put into doubt. I will not disappoint you in the future,” he responded, although he secretly had to choke out the words. They left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Chaosdramon nodded expressionlessly and relaxed his claw. “Do you happen to know where JumboGamemon went when he was exiled?” he questioned.

“Of course not,” Fujinmon replied, standing up straight. “I have zero ties with him and his loyalists.”

The red digizoid clad emperor looked at Fujinmon. “Then, perhaps it will interest you to know that I had him assassinated,” he explained with cold indifference.

Fujinmon’s eyes widened with shock. “W…What?” he questioned, attempting to appear calm. “This is the first that I have heard of this…”

“I personally gave the order to a specialized D-Brigade group. I assembled the group myself to ensure the loyalty of the members, and the group was disbanded immediately after the completion of the mission,” Chaosdramon responded.

Fujinmon looked up at his emperor, attempting to rein in his anger and accusatory glare. “Why was I not told of this? Do Commanders Suijinmon and Raijinmon know about this?” he questioned.

“They do not. I managed the operation myself. Due to the sensitive nature of the operation, the less who knew about it, the better. I had to be assured of their loyalty so that JumboGamemon wouldn’t be warned,” Chaosdramon responded, keeping a close eye on Fujinmon. “Is there a problem, Commander?”

So, what you’re saying is that you don’t trust me,” he thought to himself. The Hurricane Commander closed his eyes and released a calming breath. “No… I am just surprised. I prefer not to be kept out of the loop.”

“That was not my intention,” Chaosdramon breathed, as if venting steam. “I simply had to be careful. I hope you understand.”

“Of course…” the slender, green cyborg replied. “Shall I return to the Mamemon Kingdom?”

“Yes. Everything is in place,” the giant monarch answered. “Now, all that is left is to strike and crush that pathetic kingdom in a single blow.”

“When shall we start the assault?” Fujinmon questioned.

“In three days. That is what Suijinmon recommended,” Emperor Chaosdramon answered. “I trust that you know what to do?”

Fujinmon nodded. “Of course, Emperor.”

“We will decimate their puny army and take control of Haganemame City. Then we will get rid of that incompetent, jumped-up, so-called monarch, PrinceMamemon. We will purge anybody who resists us and absorb that speck of a state into the Metal Empire,” the giant machine Digimon declared. “If anybody dares to question us, we will show to them exactly what the Metal Empire it capable of.”

Fujinmon nodded silently. “May I take my leave to the front lines now?” he asked him

“Go,” Chaosdramon told him. “Relay to Raijinmon and Suijinmon that we will begin in three days.”

Fujinmon bowed and turned to leave.

“And, Commander,” Chaosdramon spoke, stopping him. “…Do not fail me again.”

The Hurricane Commander turned forwards with a narrowed gaze. “Understood…” he answered. With that word, he strode out of the throne room and began to make his way back towards the D-Brigade camps on the outskirts of the Mamemon Kingdom.

-

Meanwhile, Black Pincer Company was in a bar in the town of Fulminus. As usual, the three insects sat at a corner table, with plates of food and glasses of alcoholic drinks in front of them. The bar itself wasn’t as seedy as the ones they normally frequented. It was fairly clean and the patrons seemed to generally be well-mannered Digimon.

GrandisKuwagamon put a small, green fruit in his mouth and ate it. He glanced over when he saw a familiar Digimon enter the tavern. It was Wizardmon. GrandisKuwagamon gestured over with his head.

Wizardmon spotted the three mercenaries and walked over to their table. The short mage Digimon got onto the empty seat that they had saved for him. “Hello again,” he greeted them.

“Yo,” GrandisKuwagamon responded, putting his fork down. “We finished our job. That patrol is done.”

“Not without great personal cost, either,” Blitzmon added, tapping his finger on the table.

Wizardmon frowned. “Ah, yes… I heard about that. Your hideout was discovered,” he stated.

Bolgmon narrowed his green eyes at the wizard Digimon suspiciously. “How did you hear about that?”

“Our mutual client told me,” Wizardmon explained.

“Is there anything he doesn’t know?” GrandisKuwagamon asked him dryly.

Wizardmon fiddled with the rim of his hat. “He is very well-informed,” the magician replied. He looked at the three mercenary Digimon. “In fact, it is because of what happened to your hideout that he decided to give you a bonus for this job. A fifty percent increase on what was originally agreed upon. I hope that helps to compensate you.”

Blitzmon’s eyes widened with delight and surprise. “Fifty- percent?”

“Score!” Bolgmon spoke, punching the air with a cannon arm.

“Really? What’s the catch?” GrandisKuwagamon questioned, although he didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth too much.

“No catch. My client values your service, so if this makes you able to continue working for him, then it is an acceptable arrangement,” the mage Digimon stated.

“Okay. Sounds good to us…” GrandisKuwagamon responded, folding his arms and leaning his winged back against the seat cushion. He eyed Wizardmon. “It sounds like you know this client more than you let on before.”

“I’m acquainted with him… I do other jobs for him besides just give you your payments, after all,” Wizardmon explained sheepishly. “It is because of him that I am able to research.”

“Research what?” the black insect man asked.

Before Wizardmon could reply, Bolgmon interrupted. “Who cares?!” He looked at Wizardmon. “Can we see all that money?”

“O-Oh, of course,” Wizardmon answered, waving his wand and causing a case of money to appear on their table.

Blitzmon took the case and began to count the money inside. “It’s like he said,” the azure and yellow insect man replied as he looked through the money. “There’s definitely extra.”

“Well, thanks,” GrandisKuwagamon said. He looked at the intermediary for their client. “So… what exactly does your client want? I don’t like taking these jobs without knowing where it’s going.”

Wizardmon sighed and tugged at his collar. “…He wants a war between the Metal Empire and the Royal Knights.”

“Thought so… Why?” GrandisKuwagamon questioned.

“I can’t say,” Wizardmon responded apologetically. “Perhaps he’ll tell you himself when you meet him.”

“Meet him?” Bolgmon wondered.

“He wishes to meet with you all eventually,” the mage Digimon explained. “He says he prefers to know his clients, but, due to his situation, he needs to make sure that those who work for him are trustworthy.”

“Fair enough,” GrandisKuwagamon supposed. “When?”

“He will tell me when he’s ready, I presume,” Wizardmon responded. “Now… He has another job for you three.”

Blitzmon nodded and closed the case. “Good. We need the money right now,” he responded.

“What’s the job?” GrandisKuwagamon asked him, leaning forward and placing his arms on the table.

“Do we get to blow anything up?” Bolgmon wondered with a smirk.

Wizardmon frowned and tugged at his collar again. “Well…”

-

Back at Castle Albion, the Royal Knights and the captains were in the middle of a meeting. The ten Royal Knights and four captains were situated in the council room, with the knights sitting around the round, stone table, and the captains lingering behind their seats. A large map of the continent was sprawled out across the table.

“—and the Metal Empire’s main prison is located here in Facture,” Grani explained, looking at the north-west part of the map. He hovered behind Dukemon’s empty seat, as he would usually do when Dukemon was present at the meeting. “That is likely where the Dukemon and Dynasmon have been taken, correct, Karatenmon?”

“That’s right,” Captain Karatenmon explained, in one of the occasional moments where he was serious. “I have asked my spies to get clearance into the prison and find out which cells they will be in. If they can’t, I’ll have a team sneak in and break them out. It’ll be a highly risky operation, given the strength of Facture’s security.”

“If you require any Aerial Guards to cover your escape, just tell me,” Captain Knightmon said, standing with his arms folded.

Duftmon frowned, tapping his finger on the table top. “This isn’t right,” he spoke, a bit uncomfortable. “This isn’t the proper venue to be speaking about operations; we should be doing this in the war room.”

“Does it matter?” UlforceVeedramon asked with a faint smirk. “It’ll be a waste of time to move now. Let’s just focus on getting Dukemon and Dynasmon back.”

The tactician squirmed in his seat and continued tapping his finger on the table. “I know that that is the main priority. Even so, proper protocol demands that we discuss these matters in—“

“Moving on,” Gankoomon interrupted, leaning back in his seat and placing his hands behind his head. “So… Will this operation be just your infiltrators? Or will you need a Royal Knight or two?”

Karatenmon smirked and folded his arms. “Well… Having the extra firepower wouldn’t hurt in case the escape gets messy. Even though a lot of the D-Brigade is away on campaign, there’s no way they’d let the security of Facture suffer. Stealth is essential though. If anybody wants to volunteer…”

Duftmon raised his hand. “I volunteer,” he stated, closing his eyes.

UlforceVeedramon blinked. “What? You, Duftmon?” he asked, turning and looking at the tactician.

“Really?” Examon wondered, surprised as well.

The slender, brown-armoured knight folded his arms. “Is that really so surprising?” he replied defensively. “Are you suggesting that I don’t pull my weight around here?”

“Aren’t you more concerned with the war with the Metal Empire?” Gankoomon questioned, arching an eyebrow.

“Going on this sort of mission alone isn’t really your style,” Craniamon concurred, his glowing, red eyes observing the blonde-haired leopard knight.

“Hmph,” Duftmon scoffed. “I take missions just like the rest of you. In fact, this is a mission of great importance, so that is all the more reason why I should go and make sure that it is executed perfectly.” Duftmon opened his green eyes and glanced down at his lap. “After all, it is my responsibility...”

The sound of the council room doors opening silenced any response. “That’s very sweet, but it won’t be necessary, Duftmon,” a familiar, confident voice sounded out.

All of the Royal Knights and captains turned towards the voice. The large, double doors swung open and two figures strode in from the great hall.

It was Dukemon and Dynasmon.

The room was stunned to silence as the two missing Royal Knights walked into the council room as bold as brass.

Grani’s blue eyes widened with shock before suddenly lighting up with joy. “D--…”

“Dukemon!” Omegamon exclaimed, standing up from the table.

“Dynasmon!” Magnamon called out happily, standing up as well.

The table erupted with surprise and relief upon seeing the two Royal Knights free and safe. Dukemon and Dynasmon started to become sheepish – grinning, rubbing the backs of their heads, and waving in response to the relieved reactions of their friends and comrades.

“Well, well… look who decided to show up,” Gankoomon said, looking over his shoulder with a broad smirk. He looked at Dynasmon. “I can’t believe you managed to get yourself captured, Bull-face. But I guess you’re back safe and sound now.”

“Took you guys long enough,” UlforceVeedramon exclaimed with a happy grin, standing to his feet without the use of a crutch.

“You had us worried,” Sleipmon stated with a relieved smile.

“Very,” Examon added, grinning as he looked at Dukemon.

Dynasmon scratched his cheek. “Sorry…” he answered with a sheepish grin.

Dukemon chuckled a bit as he rubbed the back of his helmeted head. “Yeah…” he agreed.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” Craniamon grunted, folding his arms as he eyed them.

“Oh, don’t be like that, Craniamon. Just be relieved that they have returned,” RhodoKnightmon exclaimed. “This calls for a celebratory dinner!”

“It’s a bit late at night for that, Rhodo,” Examon responded. “They probably want to rest.”

“Eat, then rest,” Dynasmon stated, smiling excitedly at the idea. “Are there any leftovers? Hey, can I get some risotto?!”

Before he could get a response, both of the returning Royal Knights saw another Royal Knight stand up. They were surprised when they saw Duftmon move from his seat and walk up to them. The tactician stopped in front of Dukemon and Dynasmon, leveling a cold glare at the pair.

Dukemon and Dynasmon exchanged glances. They both expected one of Duftmon’s chastising rants about how they screwed up his tactics or did something reckless. They prepared themselves for the worst.

After a few tense seconds, Duftmon grunted and looked away from them. “…You idiots,” he muttered softly. “Do you have any idea what you put us through…?”

Both of the Royal Knights were briefly stunned. It wasn’t anywhere close to the reaction they had been expecting. “…Sorry,” Dukemon apologised sheepishly. He didn’t really know what else to say.

“Think before you act, next time,” Duftmon told them bitterly. Without a word, he turned around and began to make his way back to his seat.

Although he felt guilty, Dynasmon couldn’t help but be a little amused. “…Were you worried about us, Duftmon?” he asked with a half-smile.

“Hmph,” Duftmon murmured in response. He went and retook his seat, sitting with dignified poise. “Why in the Digital World would I worry about you?”

Dynasmon let out a boisterous laugh. “You had me worried there for a second!”

Dukemon chuckled as well, though he made a note to talk to Duftmon later.

However, his smile faded when he saw Grani float over to him. His gaze softened when he looked at the Zero ARMS, who stopped in front of him and hovered at eye level. He was able to see past the calm of Grani’s blue eyes. “Grani…” he spoke, his voice soft with guilt.

“…What an irresponsible, reckless, stupid stunt that you pulled,” Grani told him, his sapphire eyes piercing into Dukemon. “You could have been imprisoned, tortured, deleted...”

“…I’m sorry for worrying you,” Dukemon replied with a wince. He looked up at the rest of the Royal Knights. “All of you.”

Grani closed his eyes and released a somewhat uneven sigh. “…It’s just like you to get out of such a mess unscathed,” he spoke, opening his eyes again and looking at the crimson knight with a veiled look of levity. More than humour, it was his relief that shone through his calm façade. “Thank goodness you’re back.”

“Thank goodness indeed,” Alphamon spoke, smiling as he rose to his feet. “Are you both alright?”

Dukemon smiled and walked forward to pat Grani’s head. “Yeah, we’re both fine. Just exhausted, really,” he responded.

“You are lucky that that is the worst of it,” Grani reminded.

Omegamon released a sigh of relief. “Can you tell us what happened?”

Dynasmon shrugged and walked over to the table. “We got taken prisoner and they were bringing us to their prison in Facture. We escaped on the way and ran south until we lost them,” he explained, taking his seat. “Yesterday, we stopped at a little monastery and stayed there for the night. We’ve been travelling here since this morning.”

“That’s pretty much it,” Dukemon agreed, going and sitting down in his seat as well. “What have we missed?”

Gankoomon grunted. “A lot,” he said, folding his arms.

“Gankoomon did something stupid too,” UlforceVeedramon explained, smiling broadly.

Dynasmon cast Gankoomon a ****-eating grin. “Really?” he asked, leaning in curiously.

“We can discuss that later,” Alphamon responded.

Craniamon gave the two returning Royal Knights a look. “You guys should go get checked by Duskmon,” he advised.

“I agree,” Omegamon said. “The main purpose of this meeting was to come up with a plan to rescue you both. Now that you’re both safe…”

Dukemon smiled at Omegamon. “Yeah, but hold on a second,” he said. “What about the Metal Empire and the Dark Area stuff?”

“You’d know more about what the Metal Empire’s doing than we would,” UlforceVeedramon pointed out lightly.

“They didn’t exactly talk about their plans in front of us,” Dukemon responded with a grin. He rose a hand to stroke his chin. “But we did stay at their military camps for a couple of nights. It definitely looked like they were preparing an imminent assault on the Mamemon Kingdom.”

“We suspect that they will launch an attack within a matter of days,” Duftmon stated with a nod. “It puts us in a difficult situation. There is no guarantee that we will be able to make it there in time. In addition to timing, they have taken the southern flank of the Mamemon Kingdom, which serves to protect their main army from our northward advance.”

Dynasmon frowned at his words. “Isn’t there anything that we can do?” he asked, reluctant to just stand by and do nothing. “I mean, we can’t just sit on our hands and let them get away with it.”

“There is still plenty that we can do. It is just unlikely that we will be able to reach the Mamemon Kingdom in a timely fashion and be in a favourable position to stop them from taking Haganemame City,” Duftmon explained. “We will have to break through that southern flank.”

“The guys who beat us before?” OuRyuumon asked, cracking his knuckles. “I’m itching for a rematch.”

“It is likely that we will be able to defeat that army if we were to put more of our forces into the attack, but time is still an issue. We may have to cede Haganemame City to the Metal Empire and confront them afterwards instead,” Duftmon explained.

“But if they take Haganemame City, then isn’t that it?” UlforceVeedramon questioned. “Doesn’t that mean they’ve won? The reason they started this war was to get back at PrinceMamemon for allegedly stealing those blueprints. Wouldn’t they be satisfied after that?”

“Perhaps,” Duftmon reasoned, although with a hint of scepticism in his voice. “Even so, we can’t be sure about what they might do afterwards. We may have to wait and see.”

“Unfortunately, that’s true,” Alphamon agreed with the tactician. “However, that doesn’t mean that we’ll just let them have their way. We’ll send our forces north, gauge the situation, and retake Haganemame City if we need to.” The black Royal Knight frowned as he spoke. “I just hope that PrinceMamemon will act in the best interests of his people. He can’t honestly consider putting up a fight against the D-Brigade. He should surrender peacefully and wait for us.”

“Remember who we’re talking about here,” UlforceVeedramon reminded him with a chuckle.

“As for the Dark Area,” Duftmon began, “the meeting about how the best way to deal with the weakening stability of the Dark Area has began. Imperialdramon Paladin Mode and Anubismon have attended in order to explain the situation to the attending members. I will be keeping track of the daily progress via encrypted messages.”

“The Mesozoic Kingdom has agreed to help us as well,” Omegamon added. He walked over to Dukemon’s seat and looked down at him insistently. “Now… the medical bay?”

Dukemon grinned a bit and released a sigh. “Okay, okay…” he said in a reluctant but teasing voice. “We’d better go, Dynasmon. You know how Omegamon gets when he’s stubborn.”

Dynasmon chuckled and stood to his feet. “Fine, okay.”

“You are really in no position to be talking about stubbornness,” Grani reminded Dukemon, huffily floating towards the door.

Dukemon laughed a bit and looked at Omegamon as he stood up. “Looks like I’m still in trouble.”

“You did do something reckless,” Omegamon stated. “Noble, but reckless.”

Alphamon smiled a bit. “It seems we’re finished here,” he spoke. He looked at both Dukemon and Dynasmon with a warm gaze. “It’s good to have you both back.”

Dukemon rubbed the back of his head but smiled. “It’s good to be back, Alphamon.”

-

“Not good, not good, not good…”

In his dome-shaped palace in Haganemame City, PrinceMamemon paced back and forth in his throne room. He walked across the carpet, his hands folded behind his large, yellow, spherical body. His eyebrows were furrowed with anxiety and concern, and his usually present smile was curved downwards into a frown. The echoes of his boots hitting the floor reverberated throughout the throne room.

His chief advisor, Mercuremon, calmly stood before the restless monarch, watching with an eyeless face as the large king paced back and forth In front of the throne. The steel Digimon made of mirrors raised one of his shields to look at himself in the reflection.

“Please try to remain calm, Your Majesty,” Mercuremon suggested, not looking up from the mirror.

“How in the Digital World can I remain calm?!” PrinceMamemon exclaimed, rubbing his face with his hands. “The Metal Empire is going to invade us any day now, and my loyal subordinates are nowhere to be seen!”

“The Royal Knights were routed in the battle to our south several days ago. They have likely made a tactical withdrawal in order to regroup,” Mercuremon dismissively stated, lowering his arm and looking at the king. “Your Majesty, I am not sure that you should depend on the Royal Knights. They were reluctant to get involved to begin with.”

“But they wouldn’t leave their king at the mercy of that thuggish brute Chaosdramon!” PrinceMamemon insisted, kneading his thick cheeks with his hands. He looked at Mercuremon with wide eyes. “They simply wouldn’t! The Royal Knights are loyal and just!”

“Even so…” the metal aristocrat spoke. “They may not be able to help us immediately. It would be a mistake to put all of our faith in them.”

PrinceMamemon’s lip trembled. “Th-Then what should I do, Mercuremon?! Please tell me!”

Mercuremon turned away from the Mamemon monarch. A smirk grew on his lips. “…What do you want to do, Your Majesty…?”

PrinceMamemon took a breath to try and compose himself. “I… I don’t want to be made a fool of by Chaosdramon!” he exclaimed. “I don’t want to surrender to him under humiliating conditions!”

“Those are likely the only conditions that he would offer,” Mercuremon stated. “So… Would you like to resist him?”

The large, yellow monarch frowned. “He has a very sizeable army, does he not? Can we win? The D-Brigade outnumbers us greatly…” he reasoned.

Mercuremon turned around to face PrinceMamemon. “Do you trust me, Your Majesty?” he asked him.

“Of course, Mercuremon!” PrinceMamemon stated worriedly. “You are my most trusted advisor!”

“Then I ask that you leave it to me…” he beseeched the monarch. “I am a master strategist, after all. I will ensure that we will persevere against this threat to our kingdom.”

“Do you really think you can do that?” PrinceMamemon questioned nervously.

Mercuremon cast a reassuring smile at the king. “I am positive. I will ensure that our kingdom is spared. Just leave it in my hands,” he asked PrinceMamemon. “I will make sure that Chaosdramon respects the throne of the Mamemon Kingdom.”

This was what PrinceMamemon wanted to hear. “Splendid, Mercuremon! I knew I could count on you!” he exclaimed, his demeanour suddenly becoming confident and cheerful once again. “Do whatever you need to do! You have my full blessing!”

Mercuremon bowed before PrinceMamemon. At the nadir of his bow, he couldn’t help but smirk to himself. “I thank you, Your Majesty…” he spoke.

The mirror Digimon then stood up straight and turned around. “I shall begin the preparations. I will have somebody send word to General PlatinumNumemon,” he assured his king as he began to walk away.

“I leave it in your capable hands, Mercuremon,” PrinceMamemon chimed, his optimism returning in full force.

Mercuremon’s lips smirked deeper as he walked towards the exit of the throne room. Once he reached the end of the room, he strode out and left the doors open behind him.
 
Last edited:

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
Chapter 17: Deception​

Dorbickmon strode up a stone road towards the seedy city of Shroud. He was here to continue to ongoing job for Karatenmon. He was tasked with finding out more about Black Pincer Company. Particularly, he needed to find out who was hiring and paying them to attack the Royal Knights.

The crimson dragon man sauntered up the road towards the walled city at a casual pace. The data storm that lingered over Shroud was fairly calm today, and some sun even shone through at intermittent intervals. Dorbickmon felt the rays of sun against his red scales as he walked up to the toll booth outside of the city’s gates.

Dorbickmon walked up to the window the gatehouse and looked in. As he expected, he could see the imp-like body of an Evilmon reading a magazine with a flushed, perverted grin on his face. Dorbickmon cleared his throat to get his attention. “How’s this issue of everyone’s favourite dirty magazine?” he asked with a toothy smirk.

“It—shut up! I’m reading it for the articles!” the Evilmon protested, snapping the magazine shut. He levelled an irate leer with the dragon man. “What do you want?”

Dorbickmon flashed him his ID, which gave him permission to enter and exit the city without paying a fee.

“Fine, go in. Just a minute,” the imp Digimon responded, flapping the stubby wings on his back and giving the guards the signal to open the gate.

Dorbickmon watched as the gates creaked open. After waiting, he walked forwards and entered the busy city. As he entered, he rolled his head around to pop the joints in his neck. He then cracked the knuckles of his claws and grinned to himself.

Think I’ll have a look around the shops today. Then I’ll stop by the Severed Arms tonight and see what information I can wrangle up. I’m sure Karatenmon’s bribe money will go along way here. Just have to speak to the right people…

-

A few days elapsed from Dukemon and Dynasmon’s return to the Royal Knights. Within those days, the D-Brigade made their final preparations for the invasion of the territory west of Haganemame City. The assault was now ready to begin in full.

Commander Raijinmon stood at the head of the ranks of the D-Brigade’s primary assault force. Behind him were over a thousand D-Brigade troops, all of whom were making final preparations before getting into formation. They checked their weapons and ammo, and went over battle tactics.

Raijinmon stared into the distance, towards Haganemame City. He could see the thousands of the city’s metal dome buildings sparkling in the horizon. Between his army and the city were dozens of kilometers of flat grassland. Although the terrain itself was flat and generic, the landscape was haphazardly littered with appliances and electronic junk. There were refrigerators, toasters, computer monitors, televisions, stereos, dishwashers, bathtubs, and other such things strewn across the fields. None of them appeared to be in working order. The Junk Plains of the Mamemon Kingdom served only as minor obstacles for the D-Brigade.

A veil of flat, grey clouds covered the sky, darkening the landscape somewhat. It caused Raijinmon’s shimmering gold body to stand out against the shadowy backdrop. Raijinmon stood before his soldiers with his hands crossed behind his back, poised at ease. He observed the Mamemon Kingdom’s army, which waited several kilometers away, in front of the outskirts of the city. It was a sizeable army, but it was still dwarfed in quantity, size, firepower, and discipline by the D-Brigade. Raijinmon felt cautiously confident.

He heard a pair of feet touch down behind him. Raijinmon turned and saw Fujinmon land gracefully. “Fujinmon,” he greeted.

“Are your divisions ready?” Fujinmon asked the Thunderclap Commander.

Raijinmon nodded at the green, sword wielding Hurricane Commander. “Yes. Are yours?” he wondered in response.

“More or less. Just getting into formation on the left,” Fujinmon explained. He nodded across the junk-covered fields. “How does our enemy seem?”

“Don’t ask,” Raijinmon muttered, turning forwards again. “I’m hoping they surrender.”

“What?” Fujinmon lightly asked, walking up beside the gold cyborg and looking at him curiously. It was rare to see Raijinmon turn his nose up at a chance to prove himself. “You aren’t eager for this battle?”

“Not at all,” Raijinmon responded, folding his arms and bowing his head with a brooding gaze.

“Why not? This is your first field battle. You are always talking about how you want to make a name for yourself as a capable commander,” Fujinmon pointed out, his words bordering on playful. He glanced at the Thunderclap Commander with a more serious gaze. “Do you have doubts about this campaign, perhaps?” he wondered.

“It isn’t that,” Raijinmon responded, turning and looking at Fujinmon. “The enemy commander who is supposed to oppose me is a PlatinumNumemon. A PlatinumNumemon.” He winced and looked away. “A PlatinumNumemon,” he repeated emphatically. “You know what mutant Digimon can be like. I can smell their army from here… Even if we win a sweeping victory here, I wouldn’t mind at all if this battle stayed out of the history books. If I even so much as hear the words ‘Thundercrap Commander’ after this, I’m going to do something drastic.”

Fujinmon couldn’t help but release a chuckle. “Don’t overreact. You are far too concerned about how you are perceived, Raijinmon,” he told him.

Raijinmon gave Fujinmon a dry stare. “And you aren’t, Fujinmon? You’re lenient on the mistakes of your soldiers because you don’t want them to resent you. Just recently, you only gave that HiAndromon a stern warning after he made an error that allowed Dukemon and Dynasmon to escape,” he reminded him defensively.

“I am just naturally kind,” Fujinmon insisted huffily. “I’m not fixated on commanding respect like you are.”

“More accurately, you don’t like being disliked. You’re afraid that somebody with a grudge against you will start whispering about your past as a JumboGamemon supporter,” Raijinmon perceptively replied.

Fujinmon shot him an annoyed glare. “My loyalty is unquestionable. Besides, at least I’m not obsessed with victory in everything I do, unlike a certain someone who fears failure. You’ll do anything to make a name for yourself and become famous… Admit it, Raijinmon, you secretly want to become the thirteenth Royal Knight,” Fujinmon retorted.

“I wasn’t questioning your loyalty,” Raijinmon firmly stated. He released a defeated sigh. “…Enough of this. I’m not trying to argue. Let’s stop before either of us says something seditious.”

Fujinmon sighed. “Very well. I apologise. I wasn’t trying to be accusatory,” he spoke evenly. His red eyes grew pensive for a few moments. “But while we are on the topic… I don’t have anything to worry about when it comes to JumboGamemon. …He has been deleted.”

Raijinmon looked at his green companion with shock. “What..? When?” he asked incredulously.

“I don’t know. Awhile ago, by the sounds of it,” Fujinmon replied. “Chaosdramon ordered the assassination himself. He only just told me about it when he was rebuking me and questioning my loyalty.”

“What? But that’s… How come we didn’t hear about this?” Raijinmon questioned with a deep frown in his golden eyes.

Fujinmon gave his brawny, gold counterpart a meaningful look. “He went behind our backs to order the assassination. He picked the team himself. It’s obvious that he doesn’t trust us,” he explained. “Not just me, but you and Suijinmon as well.”

Raijinmon folded his arms and glanced away with a wince. “We should stop talking about this, Fujinmon,” he advised him. “We need to focus on the battle.”

Fujinmon calmly nodded. “Very well… Just don’t ignore what I said,” the Hurricane Commander beseeched his comrade. He placed the metal side of his inactivated Critical Arm on Raijinmon’s shoulder battery, prompting Raijinmon to glance at him. “Good luck in the assault, Raijinmon. …I will be at your side, aiding you in your victory.”

The Thunderclap Commander gave Fujinmon an appreciative look. “Thank you, Fujinmon,” he responded softly. “I know.”

Without another word, Fujinmon flew into the air and began gliding off to his divisions over on the left flank. Raijinmon watched as he flew before turning around and facing his own divisions of D-Brigade troops, who were now standing and flying in formation. The thousands of Digimon were in orderly rows and columns, dutifully awaiting Raijinmon’s command.

Raijinmon stood up straight and placed his hands behind his back, an aura of reserved confidence and authority emanating from the Thunderclap Commander. “Formations A, B, C, D, E, and F!” he spoke, turning and looking across all of the D-Brigade soldiers. “As your Commander, it is my honour to be leading you into battle for the sake of the Metal Empire. I trust that you are all ready, prepared, and capable?”

“Yes, Commander!” their voices rung out in unison.

“As I expected. You are soldiers of the D-Brigade, after all. You are the best of the best. Many of you have passed Selection-D with exemplary results. You are disciplined, capable, efficient machines who own the battlefield,” Raijinmon told them with an inspiring voice and an intense gaze. “Will you follow me, your faithful Thunderclap Commander into the battle? Will you help me ensure victory over those who dare oppose us? Will you demonstrate the might of the D-Brigade?”

“Yes, Commander!” the chorus repeated.

“Then come! March forward and let us grasp victory!” Raijinmon stated, turning around and pointing forwards dramatically. He began marching across the junk-loaded field in the direction of the enemy army. The golden-beige commander was relieved to hear the militaristic melody of footsteps and engines behind him. It served to embolden him as he marched. It would take at least a couple hours for the D-Brigade to get into range and position. Part of him still hoped that the Mamemon Kingdom would spare him this indignity.

-

Meanwhile, in Haganemame City, PrinceMamemon was busy watching as the bad situation progressed. He stood on a balcony that jutted out of the western side of his giant, dome palace; the balcony overlooked a good portion of the city, as well as the Junk Fields beyond the city’s outskirts. He peered through a giant, gold telescope that was set up on a sturdy, metal stand.

He could see the Mamemon Kingdom’s army standing in front of the western edge of Haganemame City. He tilted the telescope up in order to look further into the distance. He could see the D-Brigade steadily advancing and moving around the appliances. It was a terrifying sight to see such a large army approaching his city.

“Why is that army still advancing?!” PrinceMamemon demanded, stepping back from the telescope. “Why isn’t our army doing anything?!”

Mercuremon calmly stood behind him, near the door of the balcony. “Because if we were to go out and attack the D-Brigade directly, our army would be devastated,” he explained. “I advised General PlatinumNumemon to await my – I mean ‘our’ - tactical advice before doing anything.”

“I see,” PrinceMamemon stated, gripping the railing of the balcony tightly. He squinted his eyes and gazed into the distance at the approaching D-Brigade. “Well, the D-Brigade is fast approaching. You said that you had a plan, didn’t you? Isn’t time running out?”

“Yes, I do, and yes, it is, Your Majesty,” Mercuremon responded, eyeing PrinceMamemon with his nearly featureless face. “Shall I go now?”

“Please, do!” PrinceMamemon exclaimed nervously. “Go to PlatinumNumemon at once! And send for the Royal Knights! We need their assistance now more than ever.”

“We are blockaded from the south. It would be hard to send for them. I will see what I can do, Your Majesty,” Mercuremon assured him. The humanoid mirror Digimon bowed deeply. “Just try to stay calm. Place your faith in me and I will salvage this situation as best as I can.”

“V-Very well, Mercuremon,” PrinceMamemon stated, turning around and looking at him with visible concern. “Do your best.”

Mercuremon stood up straight. “Of course, Your Majesty,” he responded. The aristocrat turned around and began gracefully walking inside the palace so that he could make his way down to the front line of the battlefield.

-

Far to the south of these events, three Digimon were taking a different course of action.

GrandisKuwagamon lay on a grassy hillside. The sun beat down across the landscape from overhead, warming his smooth, black carapace. His Gran Killers lay beside him, and his hands were placed behind his head, cushioning his reddish-orange hair from the grass. His single crimson eye stared up at the sky.

Blitzmon sat beside him, keenly looking across the landscape. At the bottom of the long hill was flat grassland that stretched for kilometers. Running parallel to the hill they were on was a railroad that spanned across the whole grassland and far beyond. It was the main Locomon Rail line. The insect man kept his eyes over to the right, eyeing the southern part of the rail tracks.

Bolgmon was some distance away, further down the hill and over to the left. He was hunched over with his cannon arms on the ground. The gun port of his horn was aimed into the distance, and the tracking screen that emerged from his back was activated. He seemed to be testing it out.

“Anything yet?” GrandisKuwagamon asked Blitzmon nonchalantly, still gazing up at the sky.

Blitzmon looked over at Bolgmon, but the cyborg insect seemed to still be testing out his targeting systems. “Doesn’t look like it,” he replied to GrandisKuwagamon.

The ebony bug Digimon quietly continued to watch the clouds float overhead. He scoffed. GrandisKuwagamon couldn’t help but think about BaoHackmon’s words to him.

He couldn’t understand why that Digimon thought that he cared about what happened to him. He wondered: did he really give that impression? He couldn’t help but wonder why he talked to BaoHackmon so much that night at all. GrandisKuwagamon told himself that it was because he was bored. However, that didn’t explain why he gave him advice. BaoHackmon said that it was because he cared what happened to him. GrandisKuwagamon narrowed his eye. Why would he care about that? It didn’t make any sense. He advised the dragon just because he hated idiocy.

GrandisKuwagamon stood to his feet, dismissing his thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to think about trivial stuff like that, he figured. He picked up his Gran Killer gauntlets and slipped the metal guards over his forearms.

“It’s coming!” Bolgmon called out to the other two humanoid insects.

Both GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon turned their heads and looked to the south. They could see the distant figure of a Locomon, pulling along several train cars.

GrandisKuwagamon clenched his fist. “You think you can read me? You don’t have a clue about who I am. Don’t fool yourself, you naïve brat,” GrandisKuwagamon thought. He looked over at Bolgmon. “Are you in position?”

“Yeah, just waiting for the right moment,” Bolgmon responded, placing himself comfortably on the hill. He kept his head steady so that his cannon horn didn’t move at all. The tracking system on his back fluctuated with readings and digi-letters as it waited for a target to come into range.

“Whenever you’re ready, Bolgie,” GrandisKuwagamon responded, folding his arms and gazing across the landscape.

“Don’t miss,” Blitzmon added.

“Like I would,” Bolgmon replied. He narrowed his green eyes and locked onto a target. Once he was satisfied with his targeting, he smirked. “Okay… Field Destroyer!”

A fully charged beam surged from the muzzle of his cannon. The recoil of the beam was enough to send Bolgmon skidding back into the hill, but he kept his aim straight despite its immense power. The pillar of positrons streamed through the air towards the railroad and the oncoming Locomon.

The Locomon was chugging along the tracks at a swift but steady pace. The large, blue locomotive Digimon kept driving forwards as usual. As he chugged, his attention was diverted by the flash of light coming from the hill far ahead of him, to his left.

Locomon frowned curiously and inspected the flash of light. He noticed that it started to move and grow bigger. It was after a few moments that his eyes widened and he realised what it was. A beam attack.

“Attention, all passengers!” he announced, his calm voice becoming hurried while trying to remain serene. “Please calmly brace for a sudden stop and possible impact!”

Locomon grimaced and slammed on his breaks, causing sparks to shoot out wildly from the train tracks and wheels. The beam streaked ahead of him at a diagonal angle. The torrent of energy slammed into the railway tracks a few hundred meters in front of him. The metal crumpled and melted before breaking into data, just as the beam caused a ground-shaking detonation.

The ground in front of him was obliterated by a massive explosion that caused the intense blast. Locomon kept pressing his brakes hard, trying to come to a screeching halt before he could hit the explosion and the destroyed tracks. He couldn’t do it with the amount of momentum that he had picked up. Locomon slammed into the shockwave of the explosion, and the force of both was enough to knock him off of his tracks.

“Hang on!” Locomon shouted, wincing as his metal body derailed. He careened to the side and soared towards the grass. He grimaced as he slammed into the grassy ground with a mighty crash, releasing a wave of dirt and grass from around his face. The coal car and the passenger carriages that he was towing were the next to crash into the ground. Locomon and his cargo skidded along the grassy field, his coal cascading everywhere, and the Digimon passengers getting thrown around inside the carriages. They finally came to a stop after several moments, the locomotive lying in the grass in a mess of train cars.

Over from the hill where the shot was fired, the three mercenaries observed the damage.

Bolgmon stood upwards with a gleeful smirk on his face. The interior of his horn’s bore was red-hot from the beam, and smoke wafted up from the cannon muzzle. “Haha! Did you see that?! Damn, that was satisfying!” he announced cheerfully.

“Mission complete,” Blitzmon calmly said, folding his arms. “Let’s get out of here and head back to Shroud.”

“Yeah,” GrandisKuwagamon responded, prompting Blitzmon to start flying into the air and Bolgmon to speed up the hill. The black insect’s gaze darkened as he stared at the derailed Locomon. “We’ll do what we need to do to survive. We always have, and we always will. …Cross me again, kid, and I’ll kill you. If you’re too naïve to realize that, then that’s your own damn fault.

With that GrandisKuwagamon turned and started beating his X-shaped wings. He flew after Blitzmon and Bolgmon and it wasn’t long until they disappeared from sight.

-

Back in Haganemame City, the battle had almost begun. The Mamemon Kingdom’s army was lined up outside of the western edge of the city. It was composed mostly of the Mamemon species, puppet Digimon, mutant Digimon, and machine Digimon. There were quite a few soldiers there, but they paled in quantity and preparedness to the D-Brigade’s army.

The D-Brigades had stopped their advance about two hundred meters away from the Mamemon Kingdom’s army. They were preparing their ranged arsenal, which was boundless in number. To the south of the Haganemame City, Suijinmon and his flank had surrounded the capital and prevented any escape or reinforcements. However, the D-Brigade didn’t advance or fire any shots. Raijinmon was hoping that they could settle terms.

At the back of the Mamemon Kingdom’s army was a slimy, silver mollusk Digimon with wide, gold wings. He flapped his wings and flew back and forth, giving out orders to the army. The PlatinumNumemon was the general of the military. He made this evident by wearing a pair of aviator glasses over his long, googly eyes and having several medals stuck to his chest.

“You! Is that fixed turret up and running yet?!” he called out to a MetalMamemon, who was working on a Mugen Cannon that had been salvaged from a scrap yard and repurposed into a stationary artillery cannon. PlatinumNumemon flapped his wings and spun around, looking over to the left part of the army with lowered sunglasses. “You lot! Spread out more!”

“General?” a voice asked from behind him.

General PlatinumNumemon whirled around to see Mercuremon walking down the road that led out of Haganemame City. “Ah! Royal Advisor Mercuremon!”

The mirror Digimon stepped up to him and looked around. “May I ask how things are going? What are your plans?” Mercuremon asked him.

“Things are going. We’re just readying our technological defences now,” the slug-like general explained, licking the bottom rim of his sunglasses with his oversized tongue. “We plan to let the D-Brigade make the first move and then blow them away!”

Mercuremon turned and looked across the battlefield sceptically. “That’s it…? You plan to face the D-Brigade in a field battle?” he asked him. “You’ll be annihilated.”

“We’re making do with that we can. It’s really our only option!” PlatinumNumemon explained. “Normally, we would prefer to use guerilla tactics, but that would put all of Haganemame City in danger, so…”

“That is not the only option…” Mercuremon explained, placing his hands on his hips. “That is why I’m here.”

“Oh? Has King PrinceMamemon sent you to give us your tactical advice?” the general asked him curiously.

“His Majesty has told me to take care of the situation. I have his blessing to do what I think is best to get us out of this terrible position,” Mercuremon responded.

PlatinumNumemon readjusted his aviators using one of his wings. “Well, okay! Tell me what you want me to do and we can talk it out!” he exclaimed.

“Simple…” Mercuremon spoke calmly. “I want you to do nothing.”

The slimy mollusk general looked at the tall mirror Digimon blankly. His sunglasses slipped down his face as he stared incredulously “Do… nothing…?” he questioned.

“Precisely, General,” Mercuremon answered. He extended his arm out towards the expansive forces of the D-Brigade. “Do you really think that we are able to defeat that?”

“Well… Maybe…?” PlatinumNumemon offered, although none-too-convincingly.

“Don’t fool yourself, General. Lives are at stake here,” Mercuremon spoke. “I have already made my decision. I am going to negotiate for peace with the Metal Empire.”

“Wh-What?! But that’s…!” PlatinumNumemon reluctantly uttered. “After all that’s happened, they’ll give stiff terms for surrender!”

“I am prepared for that,” Mercuremon replied. “However, now is not the time to let pride get in the way of common sense. You must realise the futility of the situation, General; we can either make peace or we can watch as all of these loyal soldiers are crushed under the weight of the unstoppable machine that is the D-Brigade. Which would you prefer?”

PlatinumNumemon winced. “I… I see your point, Mercuremon,” he responded weakly, his eyes drooping.

“Good… So, I trust you will stand down and not do anything to obstruct the peace negotiation?” Mercuremon asked him.

“…This is what King PrinceMamemon wants?” the general asked him.

“PrinceMamemon has given me control of the situation and has accepted my actions,” Mercuremon answered, choosing his words carefully.

The general sighed. “Very well… Let me know how the negotiations go,” he said to the royal advisor.

“I will,” Mercuremon said, beginning to walk towards the gap between the two armies. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. “Is it safe for me to walk out there?”

“It should be. …Bring a flag, just in case,” PlatinumNumemon explained.

Mercuremon nodded. “By the way, if the Royal Knights happen to show up, send them away. I don’t need their interfering,” he spoke, turning and walking past the Mamemon Kingdom soldiers.

“B-But I couldn’t…” PlatinumNumemon mumbled to himself, unable to consider saying such a thing to the Royal Knights.

Mercuremon walked off across the junk-strewn field, heading towards the D-Brigade. He decided to forgo taking a flag, doubting that they would be rash enough to shoot at him.

Raijinmon was standing in front of his soldiers, giving out orders in preparation for the battle. His attention was drawn by the reflective sheen of Mercuremon’s mirrors as he crossed the halfway point between the two armies. Raijinmon

“Commander,” Raijinmon’s giant junior officer – a Mugendramon – spoke. After getting his attention, he pointed with his claw at Mercuremon.

“Let him approach. They may want to settle terms,” Raijinmon responded, stepping out onto the field. The gold-armoured commander looked over to his left and hailed to Fujinmon, who also spotted the lone Mamemon Kingdom Digimon.

Fujinmon flew away from his flank and soared over towards Raijinmon. As the Thunderclap Commander grew nearer to the steel aristocrat, Fujinmon flew down and landed beside Raijinmon. “A negotiator?” he asked his fellow Storm Commander.

“So it seems,” Raijinmon replied, eyeing the humanoid mirror Digimon walking towards them. “We should hear him out. Emperor Chaosdramon wanted a battle, but I’m sure we can find a satisfactory alternative.”

“I agree,” Fujinmon responded with a glint in his eye. “It is fortuitous that Suijinmon isn’t here to serve as Chaosdramon’s mouthpiece.”

“Give him more credit. I doubt Suijinmon wants a battle either, especially after the number of losses his group took to the Royal Knights during the last battle,” Raijinmon stated.

“I suppose. Even so, we should play it cool and see what we can get out of this,” Fujinmon responded, beginning to close the gap between them and Mercuremon.

“Of course,” Raijinmon agreed before walking up to Mercuremon.

Mercuremon stopped in front of the two commanders and bowed. “Good day,” he greeted politely. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Mercuremon, the royal advisor to PrinceMamemon.” He extended a hand.

“Ah, yes. We know of you,” Raijinmon replied, taking his green, metal hand and briskly shaking it.

Fujinmon nodded at him politely. “We are Raijinmon and Fujinmon, two of the Storm Commanders. We are Chaosdramon’s proxies on the battlefield. We speak for him in military affairs,” the green Hurricane Commander explained brazenly.

“What about political affairs?” Mercuremon asked with a smirk.

“The emperor trusts our good judgment,” Fujinmon responded calmly. “I take it that you wish to negotiate? It must be clear to an intelligent Digimon like yourself that your army is outmatched in every way.”

“Indeed it is,” Mercuremon conceded. “And, yes, I do wish to negotiate. However, there are many Digimon, PrinceMamemon included, who do not wish to simply give up and let the Metal Empire walk all over them.”

Raijinmon frowned and looked at Mercuremon, scrutinizing him. “If your monarch wants to fight, then what are you doing here?” he questioned the royal advisor.

“His royal majesty can be stubborn and unreasonable,” Mercuremon explained with a smile. “It often falls to me to choose the best path for the Mamemon Kingdom and allow him to take the recognition for it. It has been my job to work behind the curtain for the good of the kingdom. However… as a royal advisor, my loyalty is to the crown… not necessarily the king. PrinceMamemon would sacrifice this army and kingdom for his selfish pride. I simply want to make a deal that will ensure the Mamemon Kingdom’s survival.”

Raijinmon and Fujinmon exchanged subtly pleased looks. “You do realise that we hold all of the cards here,” Raijinmon stated. “Whatever the terms for peace will be, they will be at our pleasure.”

“I acknowledge that we have more to lose from fighting this battle than the D-Brigade does,” Mercuremon agreed. He turned and looked at both commanders individually. “You could handily defeat us. However, I’m sure you both know that it wouldn’t be a gentle stroll. We are still capable of causing a lot of pain and discomfort to you. Our army has high-powered lasers… smart and capable soldiers… and an unspeakable abundance of trash and fecal matter. They won’t go down without a fight. I am sure that you would both like to avoid an unpleasant battle.”

Raijinmon released a half-chuckle. “…If the terms are right,” he responded. He eyed Mercuremon. “Are you in a place to do this?”

“All I need to do is speak to General PlatinumNumemon and tell him that the negotiation went well, and he will surrender,” Mercuremon explained.

“And PrinceMamemon?” Raijinmon asked him.

Mercuremon smirked at his question. “…He won’t be a problem if he is removed from power, will he?” he explained.

“Your true intentions revealed…” Fujinmon spoke, calmly observing the advisor. “I suppose you wish to take his place? That is the real reason why you are here, isn’t it?”

“Am I that transparent?” Mercuremon asked with a soft chuckle. “But think about it… As long as he is in power, he will cause a stir. He has been rallying against the Metal Empire heavily, even seeking help from the Royal Knights. Wouldn’t it be better if somebody sympathetic to the Metal Empire were in charge?”

“I suppose…” Fujinmon agreed. “So, what exactly is it that you want?”

“I propose this: I will hand you the ‘keys’ to the Mamemon Kingdom… and, in exchange, you help me remove PrinceMamemon from power and install me as the new king,” the aristocrat explained. “Emperor Chaosdramon does want PrinceMamemon gone, does he not?”

Fujinmon looked at Raijinmon for his opinion. Raijinmon raised a hand to rub his metal chin pensively. “He does… but we need more than that,” Raijinmon explained, his voice level and commanding. “He have suffered a humiliation in response to the actions of your king and we have invested a lot into this campaign. Such a deal would only be sufficient to the Emperor if we absorbed the Mamemon Kingdom into our empire as a client state. You will still be in charge of Mamemon Kingdom affairs, so long as you are loyal. We need somebody who is knowledgeable of this kingdom to be in charge anyways.”

“And we will also need those blueprints back,” Fujinmon added.

“That is acceptable to me,” Mercuremon responded. “You can trust me with that responsibility.”

Raijinmon extended his hand. “So, do we have a deal?” he questioned.

“Of course, Commander,” Mercuremon replied, smirking as he shook Raijinmon’s hand to solidify the deal. “I will go back and tell the general to surrender. Then, you may enter Haganemame City and we can pay PrinceMamemon a visit.”

“Very well,” Raijinmon spoke, retracting his hand with a satisfied expression. “Thank you for your cooperation.”

Mercuremon bowed. “It is my pleasure, Commanders,” he responded. He stood up with a smile and turned around to walk back towards the Mamemon Kingdom’s army.

Fujinmon turned and looked at Raijinmon with a light grin. “That went well,” he pointed out. “It seems you won’t have to be called the Thundercrap Commander after all.”

“Good. If so much as one fragment of dung hit me…” Raijinmon narrowed his eyes and folded his arms, shuddering at the idea. “Anyway… You should go and tell Suijinmon. I will go and tell our soldiers what is happening. I will have to write a letter to the Emperor as well.”

“Very well,” Fujinmon replied, gently stepping off the ground and rising into the air. “Wish me luck. I may need it.”

“Good luck,” Raijinmon spoke, nodding to him.

Fujinmon flew off towards the south of Haganemame City. As he did, Raijinmon turned around and began walking back to the D-Brigade army.

The golden cyborg strode towards his army, thinking to himself. “I consider that a victory…

-

Black Pincer Company sat in their usual bar in Shroud – the Severed Arms. It was the early evening in the cloudy, shadowy city and they had returned from their mission to attack the Locomon Rail system. The bar was warm and the sharp, thick scents of alcohol and bar food filled the building. The bar was filled with rough-looking Digimon; it was hard to find an empty table since it was the peak hour for serving customers. The sound of chatter and loud chewing and drinking resonated in the air.

The three mercenaries sat in front of the bar counter, each with a drink in front of them.

“Ahhh…” Bolgmon sighed with contentment after knocking back a shot of Requiem Oil. “Nothing tastes better than a nice drink after finishing a job.”

“Don’t drink too much,” Blitzmon advised him, nursing his pint of fizzling beer.

“Let him relax a bit,” GrandisKuwagamon said with a grin. “We haven’t been able to unwind in awhile. This makes a nice change.”

“If you want to lug his heavy, drunken *** off to bed, be my guest, Grandis,” Blitzmon responded, taking a sip from his drink.

GrandisKuwagamon chuckled. “Fine. Don’t drink too much, gear head,” he told Bolgmon.

“Whatever,” Bolgmon dismissively responded, waving his battery arm. “Another shot here!”

The door of the Severed Arms opened so that another patron could walk in. GrandisKuwagamon casually looked over his shoulder to see who entered. His relaxed demeanour disappeared when he saw the Digimon who entered.

Dorbickmon stepped into the bar, looking for a drink to satisfy his thirst. The dragon mercenary began to walk up to the bar counter, but he stopped when he noticed Black Pincer Company sitting there. Dorbickmon locked eyes with GrandisKuwagamon, who was staring right back at him. On reflex, Dorbickmon looked away, pretending that he didn’t recognize him.

He came to the bar to try to get some more information on Black Pincer Company and their client, but he didn’t expect the three bug Digimon to be there themselves. However, he knew that, now that GrandisKuwagamon saw him, he couldn’t just walk out or else he’d look even more suspicious. Dorbickmon decided to walk over to an empty table and waited to be served.

GrandisKuwagamon eyed Dorbickmon suspiciously for a bit longer before turning around. “Don’t turn around. Dorbickmon’s here,” he said to Blitzmon and Bolgmon.

“Huh?” Bolgmon asked, beginning to turn his head.

Blitzmon grabbed hold of Bolgmon’s horn to keep him from obviously looking over. “Don’t look,” he told him. Blitzmon let go and looked at GrandisKuwagamon. “…We don’t know for sure that he’s the one leaking our information, Grandis.”

“No, but it’s a damn good bet,” GrandisKuwagamon responded, taking a bite out of the piece of meat on his plate. “…Somebody’s trailing us and giving our information out to people. Don’t you think it’s a bit weird how he keeps showing up around us? First, it was at the inn where we were attacked after talking to Wizardmon. Then it was in Dragon’s Peak, right before the Royal Knights came directly to our hideout. Now he’s here again, in our regular. That’s not suspicious?”

“I guess…” Blitzmon conceded. “It has to be someone, and it’s not Wizardmon. That wouldn’t make any sense.”

GrandisKuwagamon looked across the counter at the Sagitarrimon bartender, who was busy filling a few glasses with amber-coloured ale. “Hey, Sagi!” he called out to the familiar bartender.

The draconic centaur turned and looked over at the three insects. “What’s up, Grandis? I’m kinda busy,” he responded.

“It’ll be quick. D’you know that Dorbickmon over there?” GrandisKuwagamon asked him, subtly nodding over his shoulder to the crimson dragon man in question.

Sagitarrimon glanced over at Dorbickmon and then went to serve the drinks to a different part of the counter. Once he was finished, he walked back to where Black Pincer Company was. “Yeah, I’ve seen Dorbickmon around here. He comes in from time to time, but he started coming in here more than usual recently.”

“Was he asking about us?” Blitzmon followed up.

“…Yeah, a few times,” Sagitarrimon replied, although somewhat hesitant about answering. “Wondered where he could find you. And that Wizardmon client of yours too. Maybe he was looking for a job.”

The three mercenaries exchanged looks with one another. All of them grew even more suspicious and ready to act.

Sagitarrimon noticed their demeanours change and began to regret his words. “Uh, you didn’t hear it from me, though. Consider it an anonymous tip from a friend. I don’t need the hassle, okay?”

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes and looked at GrandisKuwagamon. “…What d’you suggest we do?”

“We could grab him and then beat the truth out of him,” Bolgmon suggested.

GrandisKuwagamon smirked. “I’ve got a better idea…”

-

(Continued in the next post)
 
Last edited:

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
(Continued from the previous post)

-

Back in Haganemame City, PrinceMamemon paced back and forth inside his lavish palace bedroom. His expression was wrought with fear, disbelief and apprehension. His large, round body sweated profusely and he wrung his crown in his hands.

PrinceMamemon walked back out onto the balcony. He looked down onto the streets of Haganemame City and saw D-Brigade troops continuing to march into the city. They had been doing this for the past hour, securing key points in the city. There was no violence, but the situation was clear to the king: somebody had surrendered without his permission and now he was in deep trouble.

“I cannot believe that this is happening!” he exclaimed, walking back inside. “I am the king! How could this be happening?!”

The king’s attention was diverted when he heard a knocking on the door of his royal bed chambers. PrinceMamemon turned towards the door. He had piled a table, several chairs, a lamp, and myriad pillows up against the door in order to barricade himself inside.

“Who is it?! Go away! I am not here! The king has absconded!” PrinceMamemon called out frantically without really thinking.

“It is Mercuremon, Your Majesty,” Mercuremon stated calmly. “Open the door.”

“Mercuremon! What in the Digital World is going on? Why have we surrendered!? Where are the Royal Knights?!” PrinceMamemon demanded, although still not opening the door. “Why is the D-Brigade traipsing through the city like they own the place?!”

“The Royal Knights are not coming,” the royal advisor explained. “Open the door, if you please.”

“I do not ‘please’! I want to know what is going on, Mercuremon!” PrinceMamemon exclaimed agitatedly, tapping his foot. “You told me that you would deal with the Metal Empire!”

“That is exactly what I did, Your Majesty. This is what is best for the Mamemon Kingdom,” Mercuremon explained from the other side of the door. “Now, please, open up.”

“…No!” the Mamemon monarch stubbornly said.

Mercuremon sighed. “Very well… We will do this the hard way…” He turned to the Digimon beside him. “Commander, if you please?”

Suijinmon stepped up and raised his heavy, metal arms. “Infiltrating the barrier. Accel Arm!” he droned. The giant, red machine Digimon drove his giant arms into the door. The sturdy metal tore through the opening and released a shockwave that shattered the door, chairs, and table into splinters, and the pillows into shards of fabric and feathers.

“Gwah!” PrinceMamemon cried out, scampering into his walk-in wardrobe.

Raijinmon walked in first, followed by Suijinmon and Fujinmon. They entered the royal chambers and looked around, but couldn’t immediately see PrinceMamemon.

“Where did he go?” Suijinmon asked, scanning the room. “I didn’t hit that hard…”

Mercuremon sighed and walked inside after the three Storm Commanders. “Your Majesty? Please come out. You may want to show some dignity in your last few minutes as king,” he advised him.

The closet door slowly opened and PrinceMamemon skulked out. After his sheepish appearance, PrinceMamemon’s emotions suddenly came back to him. “Mercuremon! What is the meaning of this?!” he demanded, pointing at Mercuremon and completely ignoring the trio of commanders.

Mercuremon sighed and placed his hands on his hips. “Must I really spell this out for you as well, Your Majesty?” he asked with exasperation. “You are being overthrown.”

“What?! No! I won’t have it!” PrinceMamemon protested. “Tell the army to resist!”

“I have already told the army to surrender,” Mercuremon explained, smirking smugly. “It is over, Your Majesty.”

“What…?” the round, yellow monarch demanded, just now realising what had happened. “Mercuremon…? This is your doing?!”

“You have done this to yourself, PrinceMamemon,” Mercuremon informed him. “I merely aided the transition.”

“Why you… you… duplicitous, treacherous… two-faced…!” PrinceMamemon sputtered, glaring and clenching his trembling fists.

Raijinmon took a step towards PrinceMamemon and folded his arms. “PrinceMamemon, you have one of two options. You may either go into exile and never presume to return here, or be placed under arrest. Which do you prefer?”

PrinceMamemon glowered. “You… You… This is… unthinkable…!” he could barely manage.

Fujinmon stepped up beside Raijinmon. “Well, Your Majesty…?” he asked, eyeing the large sphere Digimon. “I apologise, but these are the terms that were agreed upon. You trusted Mercuremon with your authority, did you not?”

“I didn’t mean it like this…! Mercuremon! You betrayed me! You betrayed the Mamemon Kingdom!” he declared, pointing his finger at Mercuremon accusingly.

“Be reasonable, Your Majesty,” Mercuremon spoke, his voice free from guilt. “Instead of trying and failing to compete with the Metal Empire, it would be better to work under them as a client state. That way, we can truly prosper. We wouldn’t have to worry about them trying to crush us. The loyal and hardworking will be rewarded.”

“You mean you will be rewarded! You want this crown, is that it?!” PrinceMamemon declared, throwing his crown at Mercuremon.

Mercuremon calmly raised a shield and deflected the crown. “Gracefully accept defeat, Your Majesty.”

“Indeed,” Suijinmon spoke, meandering forwards and standing on the other side of Raijinmon. “…Your decision?”

PrinceMamemon took a few steps back with fear as he observed the three Storm Commanders before him. “I… I… You’ll never take me alive!” he declared. “Smiley Warhead!” He ran towards the bedroom wall and crashed through the metal barrier, flying out of the palace and towards the ground.

The three D-Brigade Commanders watched as he landed on the ground in a roll. PrinceMamemon rolled for several meters before springing to his feet, unharmed. He then began dashing down the streets of Haganemame City, heading for the eastern exit. “I am going to my summer palace to meet with the Royal Knights!” he yelled over his shoulder at them. “Just you wait! Just you--!” He tripped and fell, rolling for a few more meters before jumping up again and continuing his sprint as if nothing had happened. “—wait!”

Suijinmon narrowed his eyes. “The Royal Knights? …Perhaps we should arrest him, after all.”

“There is no need to worry about that,” Mercuremon assured them. “He calls the Royal Knights his subordinates, but they don’t take him seriously at all. He is a joke to them. It is rather embarrassing, really.”

Raijinmon turned and looked at Mercuremon. “Even so, they won’t come to his aid?” he asked. “They have been working against us all this time.”

“Perhaps, but if that is true, PrinceMamemon won’t make a difference in their opinion one way or another,” the mirror Digimon explained.

“I suppose so,” Fujinmon reasoned. “There is no sense in angering a compliant population by imprisoning their king.”

“Indeed…” Mercuremon stated, folding his arms. “Well, I trust Emperor Chaosdramon will be pleased with this?”

Raijinmon walked to the balcony, gazing down at the thousands of D-Brigade soldiers marching through the streets of Haganemame City. He closed his eyes and nodded.

“Of course… This is what he wanted, after all…”

-

Dorbickmon sat at his table in the bar in Shroud. There was a mug of ale in his hand that he took a drink from every so often. He sat across from a Gigadramon, who he chatted with casually. More than either of these things, he was concerned with Black Pincer Company. The red mercenary occasionally glanced over at the group of three insects when they weren’t looking.

“—and then I held my cannon to his face and yelled, ‘you’re not getting off until you pay me every bit of money we agreed!’ He went as pale as a Bakemon and paid every bit!” the violet, serpentine, dragon cyborg exclaimed to Dorbickmon with a laugh.

Dorbickmon chuckled. “You gotta get tough with clients now and then. They think they know the game better than we do,” he responded. “And they think that just because we’re hired muscle, we can’t do basic math.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” the Gigadramon replied, taking a glug from his own drink.

“Anyway, good talkin’ with you,” Dorbickmon said, getting to his feet and nodding over his shoulder. “I’m gonna go pay up and get out of here.”

“See ya,” the cyborg dragon told him.

“Later,” Dorbickmon replied, turning to his left. Just as he was about to walk over to the bar counter to pay for his drinks and food, he saw GrandisKuwagamon walking over to him. Blitzmon and Bolgmon followed after the black insect Digimon.

Dorbickmon internally cursed, but managed a grin when GrandisKuwagamon strode up to him.

“Look who it is,” GrandisKuwagamon stated with a foreboding grin. “Dorbickmon, right?”

“Hey, you remembered,” Dorbickmon responded, trying to smile disarmingly.

“Hard not to when we keep running into each other,” the ebony mercenary spoke, a smirk in between his pincers. “Funny how that keeps happening, isn’t it…?”

“What a coincidence, huh?” Dorbickmon responded, shrugging and maintaining his friendly grin.

“Then again, this is our usual bar,” Blitzmon spoke up from behind GrandisKuwagamon, leering at Dorbickmon with suspicious eyes.

“Strange how we never really noticed around here until recently,” Bolgmon added, wearing a broad, ****-eating smirk that was reflected in his narrow, gleeful eyes. “We know the faces of most of the Digimon in here. Yet you never really showed your face around us until that night we were attacked at the inn.”

Dorbickmon couldn’t help but grit his sharp, draconic teeth defensively. “Huh? I come here a lot. Ask around. People have seen me in here,” he responded, although not wanting to sound too guilty. He grinned a bit. “I go to bars all over the continent. Cloudspire, Dragon’s Peak, Dark Point, Shroud… I’m not picky as long as the grub’s good.”

“Yeah, we remember seeing you at Dragon’s Peak…” GrandisKuwagamon spoke, looking Dorbickmon in his violet, draconic eyes. “We were talking with a client while you were in earshot. A day later, the Royal Knights attacked our hideout and raided the whole place.”

“Damn. That’s a *****,” Dorbickmon responded nonchalantly. He locked eyes with GrandisKuwagamon, revealing heavy intensity in his stare. “Hey… It sounds like you’re implying something…”

GrandisKuwagamon was undeterred by his subtle warning. “Maybe I am…” he responded coolly. He smirked and looked around at the bar around him. It was teeming with mercenaries and criminals just like them. Most of them didn’t care for the Royal Knights, and the Royal Knights certainly didn’t care for them.

Suddenly, GrandisKuwagamon turned away from Dorbickmon and addressed all of the patrons on the bar. “Hey, everyone!” he called out, gathering the attention of the rough Digimon filling the tavern. “You know the Royal Knights?! The guys who are constantly on our backs and waiting for their chance to haul us into prison?!”

An outbreak of boos and swears were his response. Dorbickmon snarled in his throat, taking a step backwards and glaring at GrandisKuwagamon. He didn’t like where this was going at all.

“Oh, you do, huh?” GrandisKuwagamon answered. He grinned and turned back to Dorbickmon. “Well, this guy – this big, ugly dragon right here – he’s been working for the Royal Knights! Hell, he’s been feeding them information about us! I know for a fact that Dorbickmon here leaked sensitive information about our merc company to the Royal Knights! They came down on our asses like a lightning bolt! I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s working on the rest of you guys as well!”

Dorbickmon felt a bead of sweat trickle down the back of his head. He clenched his claws and looked around the tavern, watching as menacing eyes full of anger and scorn began to settle on him from every direction. He could see Digimon beginning to rise to their feet – big ones. He felt a sinking feeling in his chest as watched as all of the Digimon around turned against him.

The dragon mercenary snarled at GrandisKuwagamon. “You lying bastards!” he growled, taking another step back and narrowing his eyes at him. “Where’s your evidence?!”

“Tch. Evidence,” Blitzmon responded, folding his arms and leering at the dragon. “Your actions right now are the only evidence we need. Your eyes, your words… Don’t even bother denying it. We know liars.”

“I bet you do! You’re the biggest liars around! Don’t listen to a bunch of data absorbers!” Dorbickmon shouted out in an increasingly desperate attempt to put doubt in the minds of the mercenaries that were starting to surround him.

“That’s rich,” Bolgmon said with a cackle. “If you guys want to leave a Royal Knight spy hanging around Shroud, that’s your business. If you don’t want first dibs, we’re happy to take care of him ourselves. We’ll just get to have all the fun!”

GrandisKuwagamon smirked. “But if you guys do want to help us teach him a lesson, the more the merrier,” he explained. “Who knows what kind of useful or incriminating info he has?”

Sagitarrimon winced from behind the bar. He didn’t like these developments one bit. “Grandis, wait—“

“Get him!” the massive, muscular form of a Vikemon shouted, leaping over a table and charging for Dorbickmon.

The whole tavern erupted and the mercenaries poured towards the dragon mercenary. The wave of angry criminals and mercenaries descended on Dorbickmon. Even the Gigadramon that Dorbickmon had been talking to flew up and drove his metal claw towards him.

Dorbickmon snarled and dodged the swipe, grabbing the Gigadramon by the arm and throwing him towards some of the charging mercenaries so that their path would be obstructed by his long, serpentine body. He turned and saw the Vikemon charging at him, preparing to grab him. Dorbickmon rushed forwards and drove his fist right into the Vikemon’s snout. The giant polar bear growled and staggered back with pain, clutching his bleeding nostrils and crashing into some of the mercenaries behind him.

Black Pincer Company all grinned at their handiwork and hung back to watch the show from a safe distance.

A DeathMeramon took a swing at Dorbickmon with his chain-wrapped fist, but the dragon ducked under it and drove his fist into the humanoid Digimon’s abdomen. The DeathMeramon was thrown onto a table, causing it to break under his weight. Next, a Mummymon released bandages from his arm that wrapped around Dorbickmon’s forearm. However, the dragon man spewed a swath of fire out from his mouth that reduced the strands to ashes, using his Dragon Breath Tonic Fire attack.

Dorbickmon snarled and held his arm out, starting to summon his fiery blade to defend himself. “Tyrant Collbrande!”

However, right as he was summoning the flaming sword, the giant, leonine form of a Regulumon grabbed hold of Dorbickmon’s right arm. He yanked Dorbickmon hard enough to release his hold on the sword, causing flames to be extinguished.

The Vikemon that Dorbickmon had punched ran over with blood staining his furry snout. He levelled a heavy blow with Dorbickmon’s mouth, causing his head to jerk to the side. The Vikemon then grabbed hold of the dragon man’s other arm and heaved him onto the table.

“Hold him down!” one of the angry participants shouted out.

Dorbickmon snarled and resisted stubbornly, squirming under the hold of the two muscle-bound Digimon. He could taste blood in his mouth from the savage punch, but it only served to fuel his adrenaline and make him fight back harder. As the two giant mammal Digimon pinned his arms on the table, he drove his foot up and kicked the Regulumon in the face.

With the mercenary recoiling in pain, Dorbickmon retracted his right arm and drove his fist into the Vikemon’s face again. The giant polar bear snarled at the blow but retaliated by biting down hard on Dorbickmon’s armoured hand, sending pain shooting through it. Dorbickmon growled and responded by slashing the Vikemon’s cheek with his claws and then ripping some white fur out for good measure.

The Vikemon released a sharp yell of pain and anger. He quickly responded by open-palm punching Dorbickmon right in his face, sending his head back against his spiked collar. Regulumon was quickly upon the dragon again, drilling his fist into Dorbickmon’s gut, tearing a garbled growl from the crimson dragon man.

“Keep him down! Use DeathMeramon’s chains!”

“Yeah! Let’s show him what happens to Royal Knight spies! Give him a lesson he won’t forget!”

Dorbickmon grimaced as he felt a hand grab hold of his throat and pin him down. He tried kicking with his foot again, but another set of hands grabbed hold of his ankles.

“Damn… it…!” he snarled, gargling a mouthful of blood that pooled up in his maw after trickling in from his numb lips. “I don’t… THINK SO!” he roared with adrenaline and fury. “Take THIS!”

He unleashed two blasts of fiery power from the gun ports on his pectoral muscles. The dual streams of fire slammed into the Regulumon and Vikemon, exploding upon impact and throwing the two Ultimate level Digimon off of him. The two jets tore through the ceiling and the blast was strong enough to cause the table he was lying on to collapse.

Free from the various holds, Dorbickmon had more freedom of action. He snarled and sat up, blood trickling from his mouth and his chest heaving. “Dragon Breath Tonic Fire!” he shouted, unleashing a torrent of flames from his mouth all around him in order to drive the mercenaries back.

As the flames swelled in the air around him, the endangered dragon merc used the opportunity to scramble to his feet and make a break for the door. He could see the threshold several meters away. He just needed to get there. Dorbickmon dodged a forceful swipe from a Callismon before he violently threw a WereGarurumon out of his way. Behind him, he could hear the sounds of the mercenaries gaining on him, so he summoned his sword once again. “Tyrant Collbrande!” he roared, igniting the massive broadsword of fire within his claws.

As he ran towards the exit, Dorbickmon swiped the blade behind him, cutting into the armour of a mercenary who began to close in on him. The Digimon flew back onto the mercenary behind him, causing a temporary obstruction. Dorbickmon used the opportunity to crash through the large doors and stagger out into the dark street. The mob of mercenaries, adventurers, and criminals began pouring out into the street after him, but they were slowed by the bottleneck that the relatively narrow exit created.

Dorbickmon grunted, panted, swore, and snarled as he sprinted down the stone street. The Tyrant Collbrande lit up the darkness as he ran. Aware that there were still mercenaries chasing after him, Dorbickmon stabbed the burning blade into the street as he ran, dragging it through the rock with all the strength that he could muster.

“Burning the Dragon!” he shouted, tapping into the Dragon Veins that ran throughout the Digital World. Shards of rock began tearing up from the street, breaking the concrete and sending pillars of rock shooting into the air, straight down the road. These served to act as further obstacles between Dorbickmon and his pursuers, who were beginning to lose ground to the adrenalized dragon.

Dorbickmon looked over his shoulder and saw that there was a good amount of distance between him and his attackers. This prompted him to extinguish the Tyrant Collbrande so that it would be easier for him to slip into the night.

The dragon man continued dashing up the road. He knew that he was still being chased, and that the Shroud police would be arriving in a matter of time. He snarled, blood dripping from his face, and kept running up the streets of the city. He knew that he had to get out of Shroud as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, back at the Severed Arms, Black Pincer Company were enjoying themselves in the wake of the live entertainment.

“Hahaha! That was a hell of a show!” Bolgmon laughed. “Hope they catch up to the bastard!”

“Heh, even if they don’t, he won’t be a problem for us again, now that he’s exposed,” Blitzmon added with a dark smirk.

GrandisKuwagamon chuckled. He turned around to look at the Sagitarrimon bartender, who was looking thoroughly pissed. “Sorry, Sagi. Couldn’t help myself,” he told him, shrugging and grinning.

“Assholes… Look at this mess. You’re helping to clean this up,” Sagitarrimon told him with an annoyed glare, gesturing around at the spilled drinks, destroyed tables, and singed wood. “And you’re paying for the damage.”

“Add it to our tab,” GrandisKuwagamon responded nonchalantly. He smirked and looked out the door, still hearing the sounds of the horde of mercenaries chasing after Dorbickmon.

“It was worth it to get a bit of sweet revenge…”
 

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
Chapter 18: Escalation​

A stark, quiet ambience lingered in the Royal Knights’ council room. A meeting had been called to discuss recent events and what to do about them.

All twelve Royal Knights sat around the round, white table in the center of the room. The Captains of the four forces stood (or hovered) behind the Royal Knights. Each held a teacup and tea saucer in the hands or claws – even Grani skillfully held them with claw like arms, using a blend of perfect balance and the ring-like handle on the side of the teacup.

There was an atmosphere of anticipation in the grey room. Each Royal Knight waited as Imperialdramon Paladin Mode walked around the table with a few large kettles, pouring them each a cup of their preferred tea individually. The founder of the Order wore a blithe smile on his face as he took his time pouring the drinks. He even made sure to ask whether each Digimon wanted cream and sugar.

Some of the Royal Knights were happy to go along with it, but others were impatiently waiting for the meeting to begin.

Duftmon had his arms folded and his eyes closed, quietly waiting for the meeting to begin, although he really did enjoy tea. Alphamon, Craniamon, and Dynasmon were also eager to start the meeting. The rest of the Royal Knights didn’t mind waiting and were happy to have some tea.

“Thank you, Imperialdramon,” Sleipmon said with a smile as his teacup was filled with the warm, orange liquid.

“You’re welcome, my dear Sleipmon,” Imperialdramon Paladin Mode said light-heartedly.

Sitting beside Sleipmon, Gankoomon prodded the delicate teacup in front of him disdainfully. “I never know what to do with these dainty, flimsy teacups…” he stated dismissively. “I always use a tea bowl. That’s how real men drink tea!”

“I think we have those too,” Imperialdramon responded, stopping and thinking back to where the tea equipment was stored. “I can get you one, if you’d pref—“

“Gankoomon will be fine,” Alphamon assured him. He looked over at Gankoomon with meaningful eyes and urged him not to complain so that they could finally start the meeting.

Gankoomon rolled his eyes behind his visor. “Yeah, fine… Green tea, please. Thanks, Imperialdramon. And I drink it straight.” he replied, watching as the white-armoured dragon man walked over and carefully poured him his emerald-hued tea.

“And last but not least…’ Imperialdramon Paladin Mode said, walking over to Alphamon and flashing him a teasing grin. “I already know what you take, oh, Aloof Hermit. It involves anchovies and lime juice. Or have you moved onto new realms like natto and seared eel?”

“Ugh,” OuRyuumon groaned after he took a sip of tea from his cup. “Please don’t enable his weird drinking habits, Imperialdramon. You’ll make me sick. It’s hard enough to get Alphamon to drink tea and coffee normally.”

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode laughed, but the rest of the Royal Knights stayed decidedly quiet at his words.

Alphamon rolled his eyes as well, but couldn’t help but smile. “Red tea with a drop of cream, even though I won’t be able to maximize the flavour without such additives,” he stated, giving OuRyuumon a playful, sparring look. The Royal Knight then looked up at the blue dragon man. “Can we finally begin now?” he dryly asked Imperialdramon.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode chuckled and began pouring Alphamon’s red tea. “You’re being more aloof than usual today. I’m nearly done…” he said, concentrating. He finished pouring the tea and then added a drop of cream. Next, the dragon man Digimon placed the kettles on the table and patted Alphamon’s shoulder. “Okay, go ahead.”

“Why, thank you,” Alphamon spoke with a dry undertone. He glanced up at the sky blue dragon paladin who stood between Omegamon and himself. “I suppose we should start with the biggest issue.”

“You mean how the D-Brigade took Haganemame City yesterday?” Dukemon asked, having already heard from Grani.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode folded his arms and nodded. “I heard about that while I was up in Saversburg,” he explained. “I was initially surprised that you guys didn’t intervene, but then I heard about what happened to the Locomon.”

Grani dipped his beak into the teacup and took a polite sip. “Yes... Due to the derailing, we were unable to consider transporting our forces quickly enough to intervene against the Metal Empire,” he explained, floating behind Dukemon.

Duftmon lightly tapped his finger against the teacup in his hand. “I suspect that the D-Brigade sabotaged the railway in order to delay our advance north to Saversburg and the Mamemon Kingdom. It effectively delayed our intervention until after they captured Haganemame City. It is a clever, if unscrupulous tactic,” the tactician explained.

Dukemon narrowed his eyes. “But to attack a Locomon carrying innocent passengers…” he disdainfully said, clenching his fist.

“This is who we’re dealing with,” Craniamon stated, his glowing, red eyes hardening. “The D-Brigade uses cowardly, underhanded means.”

“Digimon are working on getting Locomon back on the rails and fixing the track, but it should take some time,” Grani explained.

“What should we do?” UlforceVeedramon asked. “Should we bother getting involved? PrinceMamemon was kind of asking for it, after all… Besides, now that he’s out of power, won’t the Metal Empire settle down? It might not be a good idea to provoke them after they got what they want.”

“Should we let the Digimon of the Mamemon Kingdom suffer because of the idiocy of one Digimon?” Magnamon challenged. “Besides, we can’t let them get away with their actions, after everything they’ve done.”

“Fair point, I guess,” the azure Royal Knight submitted. “Still, what do we do now that they’ve taken Haganemame City?”

Alphamon closed his eyes in thought. “I’m reluctant to commit to a full scale battle if we don’t have to. Especially after what happened last time,” he mused.

“I will not fail this time,” Duftmon assured them. “We mustn’t let the Metal Empire do as they please. To do so would give them an incentive to conquer more. We must make it clear to them and any others that this is unacceptable. The justice of the Royal Knights is absolute. Our power - our justice - must be respected.”

Alphamon opened the golden orbs of his eyes and turned them towards Duftmon. “I know, Duftmon. And you have a point,” he admitted. “We shouldn’t let ourselves be seen to be pushed around by Chaosdramon and his D-Brigade. It would set a bad precedent for others. However, I don’t want to go storming into Haganemame City and put a lot of innocent Digimon in danger just for our own sake.”

“There are other options,” Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode pointed, running his claws through his blond hair.

Omegamon looked at Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode and nodded. “Perhaps we can advance to Saversburg to put pressure on the D-Brigade, and then see how they react?” he suggested.

“That seems like a good plan to me,” RhodoKnightmon spoke, folding his arms. “It may coax the Metal Empire out of the Mamemon Kingdom and provoke them to attack us.”

“Given the size and power of the D-Brigade, we may need to use our military and a majority of us Royal Knights,” Examon pointed out, thinking about it in logical terms.

“I’m ready for round two,” Dynasmon stated, punching his large fist into the palm of his other hand.

“The Strike Forces are ready and willing,” OuRyuumon spoke, looking over at Alphamon.

“As are the Defence Forces,” Knightmon concurred.

Alphamon stroked his chin. “Well… That sounds like it may be our best idea, Omegamon. I’d like to see how the situation progresses if we go up there,” he spoke. He looked around at the table. “Why don’t we put it to a vote? All those in favour?”

All twelve of the Royal Knights raised their hands in favour of the idea. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode also held up his hand.

The black armoured leader of the Royal Knights turned and looked up at the white and blue paladin. “If you want a vote, you have to officially join the Order, Imperialdramon,” he teased him.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode chuckled and shrugged. “Hey, you guys have twelve members. What if there’s a six-six split? Unless you get a new member, that means I’ll have to come down here whenever you need a tiebreaker,” he pointed out.

“Hmm, you do have a point,” Sleipmon mused, thinking about it. “It’s never come up so far, but it could happen.”

“I suppose so,” Alphamon replied, admitting that Imperialdramon was right about that. “However, now isn’t the time to be thinking about that. I’m sure if we end up in a stalemate scenario, we can think of a temporary solution.”

Gankoomon nodded and folded his arms. “That’s what rock-paper-scissors is for,” he declared.

Alphamon gave Gankoomon a look that told him exactly what he thought of that idea. “I’m sure that we can do better than that…” he flatly replied. “Anyways… it’s decided. We’ll begin preparations for advancing north to Saversburg. We should speak with the Council of Seven and the mayor of Saversburg about this first, though. While we’re going to do this regardless, it would be better to have their tacit approval so that we don’t put them in an awkward situation.”

“That seems reasonable,” Omegamon agreed, looking at Alphamon.

Dukemon nodded. “Okay!” he declared, standing to his feet. “So, I guess we need to come up with a plan.” He turned and looked at the four Captains. “You guys okay with this?”

“Yes, Sir!” Knightmon declared, saluting.

“You bet, Dukemon,” OuRyuumon agreed, levelling a toothy smirk from the other side of the table.

“Of course,” Grani calmly agreed.

Karatenmon placed his hands on his hips and grinned. “The Stealth Forces are good to go,” he affirmed as well.

Alphamon smiled. “Good,” he spoke. “Thank you. Let’s convene for now and we can begin devising our strategy tomorrow.”

“Before that—may I, Alphamon?” Duftmon asked the Knight of the Empty Seat. Upon seeing Alphamon nod, he looked at Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode. “How is the Dark Area discussion going in Saversburg?”

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode smiled in response. “It’s going rather well, actually. The first week was pretty rough, but after that first hurdle, we’ve started making good progress. We’re discussing the possibility of a com—“

The founder of the Royal Knights was interrupted when the double doors of the council room swung open loudly. Everybody stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the unannounced Digimon.

“HELP ME, MY ROYAL LOYAL KNIGHTS!” PrinceMamemon sputtered, stumbling into the council room. He was out of breath and his large, yellow cheeks were a deep crimson. He looked like he was about to cry.

An annoyed silence swept through the council room.

“…PrinceMamemon?” Alphamon asked incredulously.

“Alphamon! It’s horrible!” PrinceMamemon cried out, wandering shakily towards the round table.

“Sir, you can’t go in there!” a black KnightChessmon castle guard spoke, looking at the Royal Knights apologetically as he followed the large monarch inside. “I’m sorry. He walked straight past us…”

Alphamon sighed. “It’s fine. We will allow it,” he explained, albeit with obvious reluctance.

“Sir,” KnightChessmon replied, turning around and walking back into the great hall, closing the doors behind him.

“Hello there,” Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode greeted, smiling and waving amicably at PrinceMamemon.

“It’s horrible! Horrible!” PrinceMamemon declared, walking around the table towards Alphamon on the opposite side. As he approached, he grabbed hold of Omegamon’s cape and blew his nose on it. “Alphamon, do something!” he begged.

Omegamon’s eye twitched and he looked over his shoulder at the large Mamemon standing behind him. “…What… seems to be the problem?” he asked, trying not to sound too irritated.

“Tea?” Imperialdramon offered.

“Yes, please! Lots of sugar!” PrinceMamemon replied, sniffling and twiddling his fingers. “And I have been forced out of my own home!”

“Oh? Go on,” the white-armoured dragon man asked, going to pour some tea for the distressed Digimon.

“What exactly happened?” Alphamon questioned. “We heard that the D-Brigade took over Haganemame City.”

“They did!” PrinceMamemon exclaimed, taking the cup of tea and sipping it. He immediately recoiled and his face scrunched up. “It’s too hot! Mercuremon always made my tea cooler than—Wah! Mercuremon! My loyal servant! How could he?!” he suddenly cried, tears welling in his eyes again.

Omegamon sighed when PrinceMamemon grabbed his cape again and wiped his face on it. “What’s wrong…?”

“Mercuremon… He betrayed me!” PrinceMamemon announced, now clutching the white and red cape like a security blanket. “He betrayed the Mamemon Kingdom to the Metal Empire!”

Magnamon blinked. “Mercuremon? Your advisor? But why?”

“I don’t know! He has always been so loyal and hard-working!” PrinceMamemon replied, sniffing hard. “The last time I saw him, he said that he wanted to take over the Mamemon Kingdom for himself! The Metal Empire must have brainwashed him! Yes, that’s it!”

The Royal Knights exchanged glances. “How did he betray you?” Examon inquired for further details.

“I believe he told our army to surrender to the Metal Empire so the D-Brigade could march right in unopposed…” PrinceMamemon replied.

“That may have been the smartest decision anyways,” Duftmon explained. “There is no way that your army could have defeated the D-Brigade.”

“E-Even so! He then led Raijinmon, Suijinmon, and Fujinmon straight to my palace!” PrinceMamemon explained. “Th-They said I either had to leave or be arrested!”

“You should consider yourself lucky,” Dukemon stated, folding his arms. “Metal Empire prisons aren’t fun.”

“Lucky? But my kingdom’s gone! I’m the king!” PrinceMamemon protested pathetically. “My people need me! You need to help me take it back!”

“We have already discussed that. We’ll see, PrinceMamemon,” Alphamon explained to him.

“But you must! I’m your king!” PrinceMamemon stated.

Alphamon fixed a stern stare with PrinceMamemon that caused the monarch to hide behind Omegamon. “PrinceMamemon… I’m sorry to be blunt, but I need to make this perfectly clear to you,” Alphamon began, his voice firm and commanding. “We are the Royal Knights. We have no kings. We are subordinate only to justice, righteousness, and Yggdrasil.” He looked straight into PrinceMamemon in order to emphasize his words. “Whatever we choose to do, it is our decision, not yours. As the Lord of the Empty Seat, I will not risk my friends’ lives on somebody else’s wishes. Do you understand me? You have already dragged us into one conflict through your recklessness. It is up to us what we will do now.”

PrinceMamemon half-heartedly opened his mouth to protest, but quickly thought better of it. He grimaced as Alphamon’s words sunk in, and he nodded. “Y… Yes, Alphamon… I understand…” he weakly responded.

“As a leader, it is your job to understand that the weight of your decisions affects those who work under you,” Alphamon advised him. “The Mamemon Kingdom may be small, but do not take your actions lightly or for the wrong reasons.”

“Yes… Well… I’m not a leader anymore, am I?” PrinceMamemon said with a deflated sigh. He plopped down on the floor and sulked noticeably.

“Was he ever one to begin with?” UlforceVeedramon whispered to Craniamon in jest.

“Certainly doesn’t act like it,” Craniamon muttered back.

Unaware of the quiet joking at his expense, PrinceMamemon turned to Alphamon with sombre, needy eyes. “May I stay here for the time being? I have nowhere else to go…” he questioned in a feeble, demoralized voice.

“I’m sorry, PrinceMamemon. I can’t allow that,” Alphamon responded apologetically. “If you stayed here, it would look like we were harbouring you and imply that we have been working together all along. I know that the Metal Empire has already attacked us, but we can’t afford to give them any reason.”

“B-But what if they’re after me?!” PrinceMamemon exclaimed, his voice quivering with fear.

“Isn’t there anything we can do, Alphamon?” Magnamon asked, unable to help but feel bad for him. “We have to do something…”

Alphamon sighed and rubbed the back of his head. “…We can pay for lodgings in Knights’ Cross. You’ll have armed bodyguards to protect you, though if the Metal Empire gave you the option to leave on your free will, I doubt you’ll need them. But still, if it makes you feel secure…”

“Thank you. That will do,” PrinceMamemon replied, obviously relieved, but still very much deflated. He grabbed hold of Omegamon’s chair and used it to help pull himself to his feet. “In that case, I shall wander around until somebody is ready to take me there.”

The royal Mamemon bowed to the Royal Knights and then walked around the table. He stepped up to the closed double doors and prepared to open them. As he raised his hands to pull the doors open and walk out into the great hall, he took a deep breath.

Just as PrinceMamemon began to pull the doors, they suddenly burst open from the other side. PrinceMamemon released a surprised wail as the doors opened in his face and he was sent rolling unceremoniously across the floor.

Everybody immediately looked to see what had happened. To their shock, they saw Dorbickmon push the doors open and stagger into the stone council room.

Dorbickmon had a wild look in his draconic eyes. His sweat-laced chest was heaving and his body looked wracked from exhaustion. Dark blood was crusted onto his snout and neck, dried against his scales. His face was bruised and swollen, and he bore his rows of teeth in anger and pain. After a few steps into the council room, Dorbickmon’s legs buckled and he fell to his hands and knees.

“Dorbickmon!” Examon exclaimed with worry. He stood up from his seat and rushed over to Dorbickmon to check on him.

Karatenmon observed him with a furrowed gaze – Dorbickmon was working as a spy for him, so he couldn’t help but feel concerned as well. “Dorbickmon, what happened to you?” he asked him. Unlike usually, his voice was calm and deadly serious. It was times like this that his ninja instincts kicked in.

Alphamon frowned and rose to his feet. “Are you hurt?” he asked the large, crimson dragon man.

“N-No, I’m fine,” PrinceMamemon responded, lying on his back and rubbing his face.

“I think he meant Dorbick-kun,” UlforceVeedramon pointed out with levity in his voice.

Examon placed his claws on Dorbickmon’s shoulders and gently tried to help him to his feet. “We need to get him to Duskmon,” he said to the other Royal Knights.

Dorbickmon released a tired and guttural snarl. “I’m fine, Examon. Now quit lookin’ at me like that, already,” he grunted dismissively. The dragon mercenary pulled himself to his feet and stood on uneven footing, making a point to not let himself be supported.

“You’re hurt. You need to get checked out,” Examon insisted, insisting on holding Dorbickmon steady. He looked him over for visible wounds.

“Later,” Dorbickmon replied, trying to pull his bicep away from Examon.

Karatenmon stepped forward. “Dorbickmon, what happened?” the raven man asked him again.

“Black Pincer Company found me out. They somehow realised I was working for you guys. Dunno how,” Dorbickmon responded gruffly between breaths, glancing up at Karatenmon.

The avian spymaster frowned. “Your cover was compromised?” he questioned.

Dorbickmon brought a hand to his sore, bruised face. “Yeah… The three damn bugs announced that I was a Royal Knight informant in a busy bar in Shroud. You can imagine that went over well…” he grunted, folding his arms and looking away indignantly. “The whole bar swarmed me. I just barely escaped.”

“That must have been something,” OuRyuumon stated, smirking faintly at the idea.

“Damn,” Gankoomon said, folding his arms. “That won’t go away anytime soon. You’ll probably have a bounty on your head.”

“You’re telling me…” Dorbickmon answered with a sigh. “News like this gets around fast. I can say goodbye to Shroud, Dark Point, and my other usuals for awhile. Hell, I doubt I can even go back to Dragon’s Peak...”

Karatenmon winced. “I’m sorry, Dorbickmon. I shouldn’t have asked you to go after Black Pincer Company so regularly. I should have expected them to realise when they’re being tailed.” The spymaster lightly bowed. “I made a mistake.”

Dorbickmon released a half-growl, half-exhale as he shook his head. “Forget it. S’my own damn fault. I was probably too obvious. I knew I wasn’t cut out to be a spy; it’s just not in my nature...” he insisted. The rough dragon man released a grunt and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m no use to you as a spy now, and I’m not going to be able to take any jobs until this blows over… How the hell am I going to make any money?”

Examon frowned and walked over to Alphamon. “Alphamon, can I ask you a favour?” he beseeched the black-armoured Royal Knight.

Alphamon looked at Examon. “Sure. What is it?” he questioned, although he suspected he knew already.

“Can Dorbickmon stay here at the castle until this blows over?” Examon asked him. “He got into this situation because he was trying to help us out. I think it’s only fair that we help him.”

“You want him to stay at the castle?” Duftmon asked sceptically. “Where he can wander around and learn our secrets?”

“He wouldn’t do that, Duftmon,” Dukemon replied. “He doesn’t have any reason to betray us.”

The tactician frowned at Dukemon. “He may sell information about us to buy his way back into the good graces of the criminal underworld. You can’t deny the possibility,” he suggested.

Dorbickmon shot Duftmon an annoyed look. “One, I’m not that stupid. Two, I don’t even want to stay here. I appreciate the thought, Examon, but I don’t need your guys’ protection. I can take care of myself.”

Examon turned and calmly gazed at Dorbickmon. “You need a place to stay. It’s safe here,” he explained logically.

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll be fine,” Dorbickmon insisted with a dismissive shrug.

“He gets to stay here but I don’t?!” PrinceMamemon complained.

“You’re lucky you’re getting as much as you are, with the stuff you put us through,” Gankoomon explained to PrinceMamemon with a distasteful scowl.

“The same could be said for Dorbickmon,” Craniamon dryly pointed out.

Dorbickmon rolled his eyes. “Thanks a lot. After I nearly got my horns pulled off helping you guys,” he retorted to the violet knight.

“You got paid for it,” Craniamon reminded him standoffishly.

Examon sighed with exasperation. “Dorbickmon, stop being stubborn,” he said firmly, locking his green eyes with Dorbickmon. “Stay here for awhile. It’s not charity or weakness – it’s being smart. Where else are you going to stay?”

Dorbickmon opened his mouth to retort, but he realised that Examon had a point, prompting him to sneer and look away. “…Dunno,” he muttered, his resolve starting to weaken. “The UDC?”

“You said that Dragon’s Peak might not be safe,” Examon argued.

“I don’t mind risking it,” Dorbickmon muttered, folding his arms and looking away from Examon. “I don’t need your help.”

Alphamon stood up from his seat and walked over to Dorbickmon. “Examon has a point. It would really be best if you stayed here for awhile. We don’t mind at all; we take care of the Digimon who put themselves in danger to help us,” he explained.

Dorbickmon grunted and shrugged. “…Okay, whatever!” he said with irritation. “Fine… Guess I don’t have much choice anyways…” he conceded with an indignant mutter.

“Good,” Examon said, grinning with relief and patting Dorbickmon’s back.

Dorbickmon winced as Examon’s hand struck a bruise. “Ow! Watch it, Examon!” he complained.

Examon chuckled softly. “Don’t be a baby,” he responded. He turned to Alphamon. “Thanks, Alphamon. Are we finished here? I want to get Dorbickmon to the medical bay.”

Alphamon nodded. “More or less. Imperialdramon, can you update me on the Dark Area talks later?” he asked the white paladin.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode nodded. “Yeah. I’ll tell you what we’re thinking about. They’re still working out the kinks, but it’s better than what we had before,” he answered.

“Don’t forget to tell us about it,” Omegamon added, standing to his feet.

“I suppose I can just read the top secret record written by our transcriber,” Duftmon replied.

PrinceMamemon looked down and pressed his fingers together. “Um, what about me…?” he asked meekly.

“Ah, yes,” Alphamon spoke, turning over to the Captains. “Captain Knightmon, can you?”

“Yes, Sir,” Knightmon agreed, walking over to PrinceMamemon. “Come along, your majesty. I will pick out some guards and then show you where you will be staying.”

“I don’t want any mean ones!” PrinceMamemon exclaimed, following Knightmon out into the great hall.

Once he was gone, UlforceVeedramon turned to Alphamon with a grin. “Be honest, Alphamon. The reason why Dorbick-kun’s staying here while PrinceMamemon-sama isn’t is because PrinceMamemon’s too annoying to have around all the time.”

Alphamon smiled a bit. “The reason is what I said it was. …But there are a lot of factors that went into that decision,” he admitted slyly.

“Feel sorry for the guards that have to look after him,” Dukemon said lightheartedly. “Talk about high-maintenance.”

“Anyways,” Alphamon spoke, turning to the table of Royal Knights. “Meeting adjourned.”

The twelve Royal Knights rose to their feet and made to leave, as did OuRyuumon, Grani, and Karatenmon.

Karatenmon walked over to Examon and Dorbickmon, nodding to them both. “Mind if I come along? I want to talk to Dorbickmon after he gets patched up,” he explained.

“That’s fine with me, Karatenmon,” Examon replied, beginning to pull Dorbickmon’s arm over his shoulders to help him walk.

Dorbickmon pulled his arm away slowly and gave Examon a stubborn, somewhat annoyed look. “I can walk just fine, Examon. Quit fussing over me,” he responded.

As Grani floated by, he looked at the two Digimon. “Somebody has to fuss over stubborn, reckless, crimson, dragon men,” he pointed out in a calm, playful voice. “Right, Examon?”

“I heard that, Grani!” Dukemon called over to the Zero ARMS. Grani smiled and flew over to Dukemon to walk out the door with him.

Examon grinned at Dorbickmon. “Okay then. You look like you got hit by a Trailmon, but go ahead and walk,” he said to him.

Dorbickmon rolled his eyes and began walking, making sure to keep himself steady with every step. “See?” Dorbickmon pointed out dryly. “I’ve been in worse situations than that.”

Examon sighed at his macho comrade, but smiled and followed him. The Royal Knights cleared out of the council room and dispersed in the great hall. The preparations for the journey to Saversburg would soon begin.

-

Omegamon stepped outside of the main building of the headquarters. He took in a breath of fresh air and straightened his body. He enjoyed the feeling of the mild, late afternoon air against him. The breeze was refreshing as it blew across the black fabric of his body and underneath this armour.

The sun was low in the sky as it began to set. Overhead, the clouds were a pinkish-violet colour that made for a beautiful sunset.

The white knight’s blue eyes stared into the distance as he thought quietly. Just as Omegamon began to start walking again, a voice behind him called out.

“Hey, Omegamon!” the strong but warm voice hailed him.

Omegamon turned around and saw Imperialdramon Paladin Mode jog out of the castle and run up to him. The white knight smiled at his fellow white-armoured warrior. He was amused by Imperialdramon’s constant energy; it was just like Imperialdramon to be unable to stay in one place for very long. He supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised that Imperialdramon chose not to settle down with them when they founded the Order.

“Imperialdramon?” he asked his friend curiously. “Is something up?”

The sky blue dragon man grinned and stopped beside Omegamon. “No, I just wanted to talk. Are you busy?” Imperialdramon Paladin Mode asked him.

Omegamon shook his head. “I was just going for a walk around the castle,” he explained in his soft, shared voice. “Do you want to join me?”

“Sure,” the smiling warrior responded, walking alongside Omegamon.

They walked up the main street of the castle where all the shops and services were located. Digimon of the Order passed by and saluted the two Digimon. Omegamon nodded and saluted back at the passing soldiers.

As they made their way towards the castle courtyard, Omegamon looked at Imperialdramon. “Was there something particular you wanted to talk to me about?” he wondered.

“No. I just wanted to chat. Like old times,” Imperialdramon Paladin Mode explained with the casual smile that he was known for. “So, how are you, Omegamon?”

“I’m good. Just busy with everything that’s been going on,” Omegamon explained, looking forwards. “And you?”

“Oh, you know. Thinking about the Dark Area and world security. Stuff like that,” Imperialdramon nonchalantly replied.

Omegamon couldn’t help but chuckle. “That’s just like you…” he said with subtle warmth.

“What is?” the white armoured, blond-haired paladin asked.

“You being so relaxed, even when you’re trying to take something seriously,” Omegamon pointed out with a lighthearted look in his eyes.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode smiled. “Hey, I can afford to be relaxed; you were always the sensible one between us.”

“It feels like such a long time, doesn’t it? Since the times that we adventured together,” the alabaster Royal Knight mused.

“Ages ago,” Imperialdramon stated, placing his hands behind his head as they walked towards the barracks and the training grounds. His crimson eyes glanced at Omegamon. “Hey, you’ve come a long way since then,” he added in a teasing voice.

Omegamon looked at him. “Do you think?”

“Yeah. Remember, you had trouble saying two words to other Digimon in public without me around. Now you can command a whole army,” Imperialdramon explained.

Omegamon flushed. “It isn’t always easy,” he pointed out. After a moment of thinking about it, he spoke up. “And you’ve changed too. You aren’t nearly as reckless and headstrong.”

“I’m not? Shame, I’ll have to work on that,” Imperialdramon Paladin Mode joked. He observed Omegamon with a light grin. “You also have a lot more friends now, other than just me. I’m glad about that.”

Omegamon nodded. “So am I…” he mused. He looked at Imperialdramon. “Though, I’m glad you’re still around.”

The white paladin cast a warm smile towards him. “Of course I am. I know I’ve been flighty in the past, but, well…” He trailed off sheepishly. Imperialdramon rubbed the back of his head, idly running his blue fingers through his blond hair. It seemed as if he was regretting something.

“You’re there when it matters,” Omegamon responded, continuing to walk up the stone road.

It was Imperialdramon’s turn to get embarrassed. “Not always… I mean, if I was…” he remembered back to what Omegamon Zwart had said to him about Imperialdramon leaving when the Order was founded.

Omegamon sighed. “Don’t blame yourself for that, Imperialdramon… We both made mistakes. I could have been honest about my feelings, but I wasn’t. That was one of my faults... That’s always been one of my flaws. That was probably the main reason as to why I was susceptible to the dark data; I had those repressed, negative feelings I’ve been bottling up inside me” he explained to him.

“Even so, I should have been there. You’re always there for your friends,” Imperialdramon Paladin Mode said, glancing away sheepishly. “You’ve saved my blue butt more times than I can remember. …Hell, it’s because of you that I have this form now.” He gestured to his white armoured body. “You gave me your power back during the Armagemon crisis. I should have been there for you too.”

“It’s reciprocal,” the Royal Knight assured him, looking at him meaningfully. “I gave you my power because I trust you with my life.”

Imperialdramon felt his cheeks heat up. “It was nothing,” he mumbled. He was never good at serious conversations. “…Anyways…” He looked at Omegamon. “How are you and Alphamon doing? Are things good?”

Omegamon smiled at his friend’s typical behaviour. “They are… We put everything that happened behind us awhile ago. There’s no lingering resentment on either side…” he said with gratefulness in his voice.

“Good… I know how close you two are,” Imperialdramon said with his own smile. “…I didn’t want to ask him, but are he and OuRyuumon back together?”

“I don’t think so, but they’re still as close as ever,” Omegamon explained.

Imperialdramon nodded, thinking to himself. “…What about Dukemon? How’s he?”

“Dukemon?” Omegamon asked questioningly. “He’s fine… Why?”

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode chuckled and scratched his cheek with a finger. “No reason. Just curious how you two were getting along too. We’ve known him back since our adventuring days, after all.”

“We’ve been fine…” the white Royal Knight answered. He gave his friend a bland look. “If you are looking for gossip, ask UlforceVeedramon or RhodoKnightmon…”

Imperialdramon laughed more. “Hey, I’m just interested!” he insisted, turning down the road and heading over towards the staging grounds on the east side of the castle. “I want to know what I missed while I was up in Saversburg trying to think of ways to save the world.”

Omegamon smiled and rolled his eyes. “You know, in your role as the founder of our Order, you have a certain mystique and gravitas around you. Are a lot of Digimon disappointed when they meet you in person?” he playfully said to his friend.

“You only say that because you know me so well. I can pull off that heroic charisma, you know. Unlike your good self,” Imperialdramon replied, nudging him with his elbow. “All I need to do is strike a pose, spread my majestic wings, let the wind blow through my hair, and speak in my deep, commanding voice. It doesn’t take much to make Digimon swoon.”

A soft laugh escaped Omegamon’s mouth. “You’re hopeless,” he said, walking beside the dragon man and continuing their trek around the castle.

-

(Continued in the next post)
 

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
(Continued from the previous post)

-

Back in the castle, Dukemon walked down one of the stone corridors of the headquarters. There was one particular Royal Knight that he wanted to speak with.

Dukemon strode down the wide hallway. The soft, rippling sound that his cape made as he walked harmonized with the hum of the glowing torches on the walls. He made his way towards the stairs leading to the basement. The metallic clanking of his boots against the rug-covered floor announced his presence.

I think I saw him go this way…” Dukemon mused to himself as he headed towards the stairs.

“Dukemon? Where are you going?” a voice asked from behind him

Dukemon glanced over his shoulder and saw Grani floating around a corner. He noticed the Zero ARMS looked at him with inquiring, sapphire eyes. Dukemon grinned. “You’re not following me, are you? I’m not going to run off and get myself captured again, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Grani shot him a flat gaze. “Really. Because it wouldn’t surprise me in the least,” he sarcastically replied. “I’m merely asking.”

“I’m looking for Duftmon. I want to speak to him about something,” Dukemon responded.

“Oh? That sounds serious,” Grani mused.

“Not really. …Or, at least, I don’t think it is… I guess I’ll find out,” the white and red knight answered, scratching his cheek with a finger. “Have you see him?”

“I think you are headed in the right direction,” the avian dragon informed him. “It shouldn’t be too hard to find him. Outside of battle, his movements are predictable. Good luck with whatever it is.”

Dukemon nodded. “I’ll let you know a little later, Grani,” he replied. As Grani flew off, Dukemon made his way to the stairs to the basement.

Just as Dukemon was about to head down the stone staircase, he noticed a familiar figure out of the corner of his eyes. Down a side hallway that led to the corner where the stairs were located, Dukemon noticed the familiar, slender, brown body of Duftmon walking over.

Dukemon turned to face him and gave him a disarming smile behind his helmet. “Duftmon. Just the Digimon I was looking for,” he greeted.

Duftmon stopped and cocked an eyebrow curiously. “Hmm?”

“Where are you headed?” Dukemon asked him.

“I was headed to the library to read the transcriptions of the Saversburg meetings,” Duftmon responded, raising a folder of papers that he was holding. “Why do you ask?”

“Great! I’ll come with you and we can talk there,” Dukemon exclaimed.

Duftmon levelled an incredulous look at Dukemon, as if he just said that he wanted to marry an Armagemon. “…We can’t talk in the library, Dukemon. That is the first and foremost rule of library etiquette. Did you not read the list of rules that I posted on the door?”

“How about the chapel, then?” Dukemon suggested.

“That would be disrespectful to Yggdrasil and any Digimon who may be in there,” Duftmon countered. “…What is wrong with speaking right here?”

“I want to talk to you in private. …How about a broom closet?” Dukemon playfully offered.

Duftmon stared at him flatly, his green eyes seriously unamused. After a few moments, he released a sigh. “Very well. We can speak in my bedroom. Is that private enough?”

“Works for me,” Dukemon said, putting his hands on his hips.

Duftmon nodded and turned around to head to the stairs leading up to the second floor. Dukemon followed the leopard tactician as he strode up to the second floor. The pair of Royal Knights walked down the hallway of the Royal Knights’ sleeping quarters, towards Duftmon’s room.

Duftmon opened the door and walked inside, allowing Dukemon to follow him. He stopped a few meters inside his room and turned around to face Dukemon. “Please do not move anything or make a mess,” he told him.

“I won’t touch a thing,” Dukemon promised him, putting his hands up innocently.

“Why do I doubt that?” Duftmon mumbled. He looked at Dukemon directly. “What is it that you wish to speak about?”

Dukemon closed the door behind him and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Uh… you, to be honest.”

Duftmon frowned with both curiosity and scepticism. “…Me?” he tentatively questioned. “In what way?”

“Well…” Dukemon walked over and sat down on Duftmon’s bed, inadvertently creasing the blankets with his weight as he sat. You’ve seemed different ever since Dynasmon and me got back.”

Duftmon bristled at the newly made creases in the blankets, but remained quiet. Instead of reprimanding him, he turned to face Dukemon, arms folded. “’Dynasmon and I’,” Duftmon corrected his grammatical error. “…Have I? I certainly haven’t noticed. Perhaps you are imagining it.”

Dukemon smiled a bit. “No… I’m definitely not. You’ve been… more understanding.”

Duftmon grunted and felt a bit insulted. “More understanding… Was I not understanding before?” he questioned pointedly, closing his eyes and tilting his head up back indignantly.

Dukemon chuckled. “Let’s be honest, Duftmon. You’re not exactly a sensitive Digimon…” he pointed out light-heartedly.

“You can be quite the reckless boor yourself,” Duftmon defensively countered. However, after a moment, he released a sigh and folded his arms. “But, yes, I am aware of that…”

Dukemon couldn’t help but blink at Duftmon’s personal insight. “You are…?”

“Are you saying that I am not self-aware?” Duftmon pressed the crimson Royal Knight.

The dragon man rubbed the back of his head. “Well… Yeah…” Dukemon admitted sheepishly.

“Hmph…” Duftmon scoffed, turning his head away. “As if you are.”

Dukemon smiled and shrugged. “Neither of us is perfect. I’d be the first to admit that I’m not,” Dukemon stated. He looked at Duftmon with an amused expression. “But being self-aware isn’t exactly your forte.”

“…I suppose you are right…” Duftmon admitted, somewhat reluctantly. “I am not adroit at social situations… I am honest with my opinions; as a tactician, I have to be… However, I say things in a manner that upsets Digimon. I may not know the right things to say, but I am aware of other Digimons’ reactions towards me. I suppose I cannot help it. I have to be honest.”

Dukemon smiled and patted the spot beside him on Duftmon’s bed. “Sit down,” he offered.

Duftmon stared at the spot with hesitation. He didn’t particularly want to sit next to Dukemon - especially not that close in proximity. “I would rather not…” Duftmon spoke.

“Oh, come on. It’s rude to stand over somebody while talking to them,” Dukemon teased.

“I didn’t ask you to sit,” Duftmon muttered, although reluctantly walking over and sitting on his bed. He sat down with poise, making sure that there was some distance between himself and the knight who he knew had a poor sense of personal space. “There. Are you satisfied?”

Dukemon grinned and rolled his eyes. “You and I are very different…” he pointed out.

The leopard knight stared at Dukemon with sarcastic eyes. “You don’t say…”

A chuckle escaped Dukemon’s mouth. “Well, it’s true. I’m reckless and impulsive, while you’re calculating and measured. I make decisions based on emotion; you make them based on logic. I’m good with Digimon; you’re good with strategy and intellectual stuff. I’m sociable and you’re not. I have a hot temper, while you have an icy one,” he stated, looking at Duftmon.

“I do hope that you aren’t just figuring this out now…” Duftmon muttered, his voice still dripping with sarcasm. “Yes, Dukemon, you and I are extremely different.”

Dukemon grinned at the shorter, skinnier Royal Knight. “Now that’s one thing we have in common; we’re both honest to a fault. That’s probably why you and I argue so much,” he observed. “Even if we aren’t always honest with ourselves.”

Duftmon winced and looked away from Dukemon. “…It was that self-obliviousness that lost us the battle and got you and Dynasmon taken prisoner…” he murmured.

The crimson knight turned his head and looked at Duftmon. “What was that?”

“Nothing at all,” Duftmon insisted, closing his eyes and straightening himself up.

Dukemon eyed Duftmon quietly for a few moments. He then sighed and bent forwards, placing his forearms on his knees. “I know it was a stupid thing that I did. I got myself and Dynasmon captured. It was a reckless plan. I know how worried I made everybody,” he stated, looking down guiltily. “In fact, I’m surprised that you took this long to say anything. I expected you to be down my throat as soon as I got back.”

“Fool,” Duftmon muttered, shooting a sideways glare at Dukemon. “That… wasn’t what I meant…” He looked away again, growing embarrassed.

Dukemon blinked. “Huh?”

I was the one who wasn’t self-aware. I was overconfident and dismissive of other Digimon’s opinions. I couldn’t see past my own ego. That caused me to make a fatal mistake…” Duftmon spoke, his fists tightening on his lap. “I should have listened to the scouting report. What happened in that battle was my responsibility and mine alone. It is because of that that you and Dynasmon were forced to take drastic action… I…” Duftmon looked to the side opposite from Dukemon. His words were in a barely audible mumble. “…I apologise…”

Dukemon was stunned into silence. He gazed incredulously at Duftmon, unable to believe what he just heard. For several moments, he just stared at the blond hair of the back of Duftmon’s head, since the tactician had looked away in order to hide his blushing face. After a few seconds, Dukemon scooted closer to Duftmon. He raised his hand and placed it on the tactician’s shoulder, squeezing it.

Duftmon tensed up when he sensed the knight’s proximity and felt Dukemon’s large hand on his winged shoulder. He wasn’t particularly good with emotional physical contact. He didn’t know how to react to it. Nevertheless, he reluctantly allowed it, as he expected such a thing from Dukemon.

“Don’t worry about it, Duftmon. We all make mistakes. We just have to make sure that we learn from them,” Dukemon spoke, his voice warm and understanding.

Duftmon glanced over his shoulder, his cheeks still heated with embarrassment at his admission of fault. “Yes… That is what I am trying to do…” he responded. “It isn’t easy, you know…”

“It’s never easy, trying to change something about yourself…” Dukemon said. His words were soft with understanding. “What exactly do you think you need to change?”

“I believe that I need to be more considerate of other Digimon. In many ways…” Duftmon admitted. “I have heard several times that I need to understand the Digimon that are beneath me.”

Dukemon smirked. “Let me stop you right there. You aren’t going to make any progress as long as you consider other Digimon to be beneath you,” the crimson Royal Knight pointed out in a playful tone. “You may be a genius, Duftmon, but that doesn’t mean you’re better than us simple Digimon because of it.”

“Ah… So, you believe that Digimon should be judged on other qualities apart from intelligence,” Duftmon spoke, thinking to himself. “How do you judge Digimon, then?”

“I don’t,” Dukemon answered, frowning slightly. “Or, I try not to… I don’t like to be judged, so why should I judge other Digimon?” Dukemon rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about his words. “I guess that’s my point. You shouldn’t judge Digimon based on shallow things. You have to understand them. Every Digimon has good qualities and bad qualities, as well as personalities, quirks, and past experiences that make them who they are.”

“This is complicated…” Duftmon said with an annoyed sigh.

Dukemon laughed a bit and rubbed the leopard knight’s shoulder before letting his hand slide off. “Okay, let’s try this…” he suggested. He looked at Duftmon directly. “Tell me about yourself.”

Duftmon blinked and looked at Dukemon with confusion. “Why in the Digital World would I do that? You already know enough about me,” he responded with distaste.

“Not really… You never talk about your past. I didn’t even know that you had a friend at the Xuanwumon University,” Dukemon stated. “I feel like I don’t know you as well as I should, and you haven’t really made an effort to find out much about the rest of us. Why don’t we start there?”

Duftmon sighed and looked as if he just ate something bitter. “…Very well… If we must…” he replied with emphatic reluctance. “What would you like to know?”

“Hmm…” Dukemon hummed, thinking about it for a moment. “Okay. What was it like growing up? What were your parents like?”

“Mm…” Duftmon frowned a bit as he thought about the question. “I come from a wealthy, prominent family of noble lineage. I descend from the founder of Saversburg, who was also a great military general. My mother was the mayor of Saversburg for several years when I was young. My father was the general of the Saversburg military at around the same time. He was… strict,” Duftmon remembered.

Dukemon gazed at Duftmon with immense curiosity. It wasn’t every day that Duftmon was so willing to talk about himself. “Strict?” he asked.

“Yes. As their only son, I was expected to carry on the good name of the family. I received private tutors and went to an elite school. I was expected to be well-versed in myriad subjects and disciplines,” Duftmon responded in a neutral, explanatory way. “Politics, martial studies, grammar, history, etiquette, science…”

“That must have been hard…” Dukemon said empathetically. “Didn’t you ever want to do other things?”

“Not especially…” Duftmon admitted. “My father was very strict, yes, but I was always interested in learning new things. It was only slightly burdensome.”

“Didn’t you have time for friends or just relaxing?” the larger Royal Knight asked him.

“I didn’t have any friends,” Duftmon answered without any regret or bitterness in his voice. “I wasn’t very good at making any, and I wasn’t particularly interested in doing so anyways. I much preferred studying. It was only when I started attending Xuanwumon University did I begin to socialize more. I debated with Tactimon and other students on various issues. I enjoyed finally being among Digimon who could challenge my intellect.”

“Tactimon. One of the generals of Saversburg’s army, right?” Dukemon mused. “So, he was your first friend?”

“Colleague. He, Blastmon, and I led the Saversburg Army against the Death-X invasion,” the tactician corrected.

Dukemon sighed and smiled with resignation. “Colleague. Right…” he conceded. “And I know the rest. We noticed your efforts as a general and tactician, so we invited you to join the Order.”

“Correct,” Duftmon answered. “…Although, my parents are still a constant irritation. Even as a Royal Knight, they insist that I marry and produce offspring. That will not be happening. I have absolutely no interest in the romantic or sexual associations with the opposite binary gender. I don’t see the sense in creating more Digimon when there are more than enough already. Is that so hard to grasp?”

At this, Dukemon smirked but held back his laughter. “No, I didn’t think you would be…” he responded. “…Okay. I feel like I understand you better now,” the caped Royal Knight said with a smile. “Let’s try me now. You ask the questions.”

“What should I ask?” Duftmon questioned.

Dukemon shrugged. “Whatever you want to know about me that you don’t already know,” he answered. “It’s practice.”

“Very well…” the brown armoured Royal Knight agreed. He thought for a few seconds about what he wanted to ask. He then looked up at Dukemon. “When did you first get the Digital Hazard? Were you born with it? Or did you receive it at some point? Has it activated before?”

At this, Dukemon went silent. He squirmed uncomfortably in place on the bed and looked away from Duftmon with annoyance and uncertainty. Unbeknownst to Duftmon, he had just put his defensive walls up.

Dukemon shot Duftmon a look, although he attempted to play off his reaction with a grin. “Okay, lesson two. You can’t ask Digimon personal things like that. You have to gauge what’s acceptable to ask someone,” Dukemon explained, having no intention on answering the questions.

“Hmph. You just told me to ask whatever I wanted to know about you. I was curious about the Digital Hazard so I took that into my decision making,” Duftmon huffily answered, folding his arms. He levelled an annoyed stare at Dukemon. “Besides, you just asked me about my past. Can I not ask about yours?”

Dukemon sighed and rubbed his head with mild irritation. He didn’t want to be a hypocrite, but he also didn’t really want to talk about that aspect of himself. He hated being associated with the Digital Hazard. He felt there was more to him than just that, but he felt like it dominated others’ perceptions of him.

“Okay, look…” Dukemon conceded. “I’ll tell you a bit about my past. …The truth is, I was born as a roaming Digi-egg in a small village that no longer exists. I was raised in an orphanage until I was adopted. I didn’t have the mark of the Digital Hazard until I became a Guilmon, but it’s possible that it existed latently before then. A seer from the city of Brighthelm was visiting. He identified the mark as the Digital Hazard, which meant I had the potential to cause immense damage to the Digital World’s security and create a worldwide calamity. That’s how I first found out about it,” he explained, obviously uneasy about it.

Duftmon nodded. He gazed at Dukemon with inquisitive eyes, as if he was reading an interesting book.

Dukemon glanced at Duftmon. “Anyway… Things were normal for awhile. But when I was a MegaloGrowmon, raiders attacked the town and killed everybody. Afterwards, I travelled the Digital World with Grani. Over those years of helping people and honing my skills, I met Alphamon, OuRyuumon, Omegamon, Imperialdramon, Magnamon, Dynasmon, and DarkKnightmon. That’s pretty much it,” Dukemon explained, purposefully skimming over the details between the attack and when he started going adventuring.

“I see…” Duftmon responded. “So, you met the founding members of the Order over that period…”

“Yeah… My good friends…” Dukemon said, smiling fondly. He looked over at Duftmon. “You know… despite how often you and I are at each other’s throats, I count you among them… My friends, I mean.”

Duftmon frowned at this and felt uneasy. He wasn’t entirely sure how to react to it. “I see… Err… Thank you, I suppose…” he half-heartedly replied.

At this, Dukemon couldn’t help but laugh. “It is so worth it to get soppy just to see the look on your face,” Dukemon teased.

Duftmon shot Dukemon an annoyed glare. He stood up and folded his arms. “If you are just planning to tease me, then I think we are finished here.”

Dukemon chuckled. “Oh, I’m kidding,” he said, standing to his feet as well. He placed his hands on his hips and looked at the tactician. “Besides, I did mean it.”

The slender Royal Knight glanced away. “Very well,” he uncomfortably acknowledged. He felt obliged to say something in return. “And you… are a good Royal Knight.”

Dukemon laughed again. “I’ll take it.”

Duftmon released a huff and began to straighten out the sheets of his bed. As he did so, he glanced out of the corners of his green eyes at Dukemon. “’Friends’…” he began, his tone thoughtful. “They really mean a lot to you, don’t they, Dukemon…?”

At this, Dukemon grew serious but still retained a small smile. “Yeah, they do… I don’t have a family and my hometown is long gone. My friends are the most important things to me,” he explained.

“Mm…” Duftmon murmured in thought. “A lot of the other Royal Knights feel the same way, I have noticed. You all talk about friendship as if it is this great, empowering thing…”

“Well, it is, Duftmon…” Dukemon responded. “My friends give me strength. Because of them, I’m a better a fighter - a better Digimon… They mean everything to me.”

“I see…” Duftmon spoke. “I have never seen the benefits to it. Meaningful social interactions have never done anything for me.

“You’re missing out, Duftmon,” Dukemon said to him. “Most of us consider you our friend. You should open yourself up more. It’s nice to be able to have Digimon you can trust, who you can laugh with, cry with, share your experiences with… I’d be half the Digimon that I am today if it weren’t for all of you.”

At Dukemon’s impassioned words, Duftmon stood up straight and folded his arms. After a few moments of thought, he nodded to himself. “Very well… Perhaps I should try this ‘friendship’ and see if there are any merits to your words. As a Royal Knight, it is my duty to be the best that I can be. I also must prove whether there is actually any benefit to the concept using empirical methods. I shall have to take notes and do some research…”

Dukemon burst into laughter at this.

Duftmon glared with irritation at Dukemon’s chortling. “…What? What is so amusing?” he asked him, clearly annoyed. “I am being serious.”

Dukemon tried to reign in his laughter. “So-Sorry. I’m n-not laughing at you,” Dukemon responded between chuckles, rubbing an eye with a finger. “It’s just so like you…” He took a deep breath and smiled broadly at Duftmon. “Hoo… Friendship has to be a natural thing, Duftmon. You can’t overanalyse it…”

“Everything can be analysed,” Duftmon insisted. “I have my own way of doing things, Dukemon. Now, if you would kindly excuse me, I need to go to the library to read the transcription of the Dark Area meetings.”

Dukemon grinned and slung his arm over Duftmon’s shoulders, walking out of the room with him. “Okay. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I know you hate things like that,” he gratefully mentioned.

Duftmon tensed up and slid out from under Dukemon’s arms. “Very well. It is fine,” he insisted. “It was an enlightening experience.”

“Oh! Then we should do it again sometime!” Dukemon exclaimed with a playful grin.

Duftmon shot him a leer. “That won’t be necessary, Dukemon. Don’t get carried away,” he responded firmly. “You should go back to your duties.”

Dukemon smiled and watched as Duftmon walked away. “Is it possible? Did I actually make progress with him? He really has changed…” he thought to himself pensively. He looked down introspectively. “Well, if Duftmon of all Digimon is trying to change, then…” He sighed and fingered at the Digital Hazard symbol on his chest armour, his doubts beginning to emerge again. “I’ll see…

-

Fujinmon watched as a brigade of D-Brigade soldiers marched down the largest road of Haganemame City, a thoroughfare that led from one end of the city to the other. Cyborg and machine Digimon made their way through the newly captured city in an orderly, efficient fashion.

The sound of marching footsteps sounded out in precise unison. The mechanical drone of engines rumbled as mechanised Digimon drove behind the columns of soldiers.

The thousands of D-Brigade soldiers made camp outside of the city, where a small D-Brigade base was being constructed. Their mere presence was enough to keep the Mamemon Kingdom in line. The D-Brigade Digimon who weren’t policing the city were gathering in the south east of the city to await further orders.

Fujinmon pensively viewed the passing D-Brigade soldiers, making sure that everything was in order.

“Fujinmon!” a voice called out from nearby.

The Hurricane Commander turned and saw Raijinmon and Suijinmon making the way over to him. Raijinmon strolled down the side of the road, keeping pace with the slower Suijinmon. Suijinmon was larger than some of the small buildings in Haganemame City.

“Oh, Raijinmon, Suijinmon,” Fujinmon greeted, nodding his V-shaped head in acknowledgment.

“How is the organization of our forces going?” Suijinmon questioned, plodding up to him with heavy footsteps that caused the smooth sidewalk to rumble.

“Fine. They are gathering at the staging area as planned,” Fujinmon explained.

“Good,” Suijinmon spoke, stopping in front of him.

“Why?” Fujinmon wondered.

Raijinmon stood beside his fellow Storm Commanders. “We have news,” he explained, folding his arms behind his back. “Chaosdramon will be arriving here any minute.”

Fujinmon blinked with surprised. “What? The emperor?” he asked. “Why is he coming here? Is he displeased that we didn’t destroy their army?”

“He said that he didn’t mind as long as our force was demonstrated,” Suijinmon assured the green cyborg. “He just wants to see the newly conquered city for himself. He may want to talk to Mercuremon as well.”

“He will probably want to congratulate us on our successful operation as well,” Raijinmon noted.

Fujinmon frowned. “So, is that it? What happens next, now that our objective has been completed?” he asked them.

Raijinmon shrugged. “I suppose it’s up to the emperor,” the gold cyborg explained. “He decides on the overall strategic objectives of war. We do the rest.”

Suijinmon looked at his two comrades. “There is still the Royal Knights to consider.”

“It depends on how they react, I suppose,” Raijinmon stated with a frown.

Their conversation was interrupted by a trembling in the ground. There was a soft thundering in the distance, which struck a slow rhythm as it echoed through the city. They were the sound of heavy footsteps.

The three D-Brigade Commanders turned to see Chaosdramon walking into the city. He made his way down the wide, main road of the city, as it was one of the few in Haganemame City that could actually fit him. The giant dragon cyborg towered over all of the surrounding, dome-like buildings, and his footsteps were strong enough to cause the structures around him to tremble. If the Mamemon civilians weren’t hiding before, they were now.

“There he is,” Raijinmon stated, looking down the road at the massive, crimson Digimon trudging up the street towards them.

“It isn’t every day that the Emperor leaves the borders of the Metal Empire,” Fujinmon noted.

Suijinmon hummed with agreement. “He is often too busy micromanaging our empire. His majesty is very diligent. It must be important if he has come out here to Haganemame City,” he mused.

It took a few minutes for Chaosdramon to finally reach the trio of Commanders. Once he did, Raijinmon, Fujinmon, and Suijinmon all bowed.

“Good day, Your Majesty,” Raijinmon spoke, raising himself from the bow.

“How do you like the new addition to our empire?” Fujinmon questioned, gesturing around to the city.

Chaosdramon released a soft grunt. “It is small and inconsequential,” his voice echoed as he looked around at the buildings, most of which he could step on with ease. “Apart from a few trivial technologies, there is nothing for us to gain here. However, it is the principle that matters.”

“Indeed. Our power has been demonstrated quite nicely, Your Majesty,” Suijinmon explained. “Have you come to admire our new possessions?”

“In part,” Chaosdramon rumbled.

“Will you see Mercuremon?” Raijinmon asked. “He has sworn loyalty to us, and he wishes to present you with the blueprints that were stolen from us.”

“Later,” Chaosdramon said dismissively. He looked around Haganemame City. “Is there anywhere in this puny town that we can talk in private? I wish to discuss sensitive information with you three.”

Raijinmon looked at Chaosdramon curiously. “Er, yes. I believe there is a factory warehouse at the eastern edge of town that isn’t currently in use. We were planning to repurpose it as a hangar for our mechanized Digimon. It should be able to fit you,” he explained.

“That will do,” Chaosdramon stated. He raised his claw arm and hailed his two Darkdramon bodyguards who were flying behind him. He gestured to them to continue following him. “This way.”

Suijinmon walked alongside Chaosdramon obediently. Fujinmon gave Raijinmon a questioning look. The gold Thunderclap Commander frowned curiously in response, also wondering what Chaosdramon wanted. Both he and Fujinmon followed down the street as well.

“So, the operation went smoothly?” Chaosdramon questioned.

Suijinmon looked up at Chaosdramon as his vermillion body meandered beside the giant emperor. “Not a single Digimon lost in the main assault,” Suijinmon stated proudly. “The only problem was that battle against the Royal Knights, but we overcame them in the end. Although at a dearly bitter cost to my soldiers.”

“There was also the debacle where Dukemon and Dynasmon escaped,” Chaosdramon noted.

Fujinmon narrowed his eyes and looked to the side quietly.

“That wasn’t Fujinmon’s fault,” Suijinmon put forward, not wanting Fujinmon to be blamed. “It was an oversight on my part. I should have allowed for more soldiers to go as the prison escort.”

“Suijinmon,” Fujinmon told him calmly, beginning to feel guilty. “That isn’t neces—“

“Never mind that now,” Chaosdramon spoke authoritatively, interrupting the Hurricane Commander. “There are more important things to deal with.”

“Such as the incorporation of the Mamemon Kingdom into our society?” Suijinmon suggested, continuing to walk along.

“That is simply one such goal,” the red digizoid plated colossus responded in his hollow, mechanical voice.

Raijinmon frowned at his mysterious words. “Is there something we’re missing, Emperor Chaosdramon?” he asked him.

“I have been doing a lot of thinking, Commander Raijinmon,” Chaosdramon responded to the cream-coloured cyborg. “You will see soon enough.”

After awhile of walking, the group made their way to the outskirts of Haganemame City, where there was a large warehouse positioned next to a sizeable factory. The factory was currently closed due to the invasion, and the area was under D-Brigade control. The warehouse was over thirty feet tall, and it had a pair of metal doors that were nearly as tall as the warehouse itself. They were currently wide open so that Metal Empire workers could transport the contents out of the warehouse, but the doors could be closed and locked securely. The interior was mostly cleared out of its contents, so it was beginning to look more like a hangar.

“Clear the area,” Chaosdramon commanded the three Storm Commanders. “Consider this situation as Class 1 confidentiality.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Suijinmon spoke, meandering towards the warehouse. He walked inside and asked the Metal Empire workers there to clear out.

Fujinmon flew forwards and did the same with the Digimon outside of the warehouse. After a few minutes, the Digimon left and made themselves scarce as ordered.

Chaosdramon turned towards his two Darkdramon bodyguards. “Make sure that nobody comes near,” he ordered them, before craning his large, dinosaur head towards the warehouse. “Let’s go, Raijinmon.”

“Yes, Emperor,” Raijinmon complied, walking forwards and going inside the spacious building.

Suijinmon was already inside, waiting for them. Fujinmon landed beside Raijinmon and began to enter with him. The interior of the warehouse was almost completely empty. All that was left were several large crates that were against the steel walls of the building. There were also plenty of giant, sturdy chains either lying around the floor or hanging from the ceiling as part of a complicated pulley system designed to lift and move heavy things in and out of the warehouse.

“Will this do, Your Majesty?” Suijinmon’s voice echoed in the spacious warehouse as he turned towards their emperor.

“Yes, this is fine,” Chaosdramon spoke in response.

Raijinmon closed the giant doors of the warehouse behind him and then walked up to Suijinmon and Fujinmon, who stood in front of Chaosdramon. “What is it, Emperor Chaosdramon?” he wondered.

“As I said, I have been thinking long and hard about this campaign,” Chaosdramon explained, turning his crimson eyes down to look at the three smaller Commanders. “You three have done an excellent job so far.”

Fujinmon frowned at his choice of words. “So far?” he asked.

“Yes,” Chaosdramon tersely breathed. “We aren’t stopping here.”

Raijinmon blinked with surprise. “We aren’t…? But our objective has been achieved, hasn’t it?” he inquired on confusion.

“Our initial objective…” Chaosdramon said. “But… the Metal Empire is the finest kingdom in the Digital World. Our technical prowess, our strength, our discipline… We machine Digimon are the pinnacle of Digimon evolution: between our sturdy bodies, our exceptional power, and our sharp minds… nothing should stand in our way. Why shouldn’t we expand our influence to reflect that?”

Raijinmon raised an eyebrow sceptically and quickly glanced at his two comrades for their reactions. “Are you sure, Your Majesty…?” he asked him.

“That is rather aggressive,” Fujinmon agreed, feeling comfort in Raijinmon’s scepticism.

Meanwhile, Suijinmon was silent as he processed the information and considered Chaosdramon’s words.

“Do you disagree?” Chaosdramon asked them, levelling a cold, displeased leer at the three.

“No, Your Majesty,” Suijinmon assured him. He looked at Raijinmon and Fujinmon with a wordless but emphatic gaze.

“Of course not, Emperor,” Raijinmon replied. “I’m just surprised… We have been isolationist for decades. It’s a dramatic shift to do what you suggest.”

“Indeed. We aren’t saying it’s a bad idea; it’s just surprising,” Fujinmon agreed.

“Keeping to ourselves was a policy started under JumboGamemon,” Chaosdramon pointedly replied. “I am not JumboGamemon. …Besides, the idea of borders is becoming outdated. The Royal Knights have no regards for them. Why should we? Digimon roam and intermingle freely just like in the olden times where borders were nonexistent. If we have the power to expand our control, why shouldn’t we?”

“It could cause further war,” Raijinmon pointed out.

“We are already at war with the Royal Knights,” the crimson, steel titan explained. “If anything, this total victory over the Mamemon Kingdom and the Royal Knights has shown how much we are capable of. We passed through the Dual Chess Monarchy – they could make a useful addition to our empire.”

Fujinmon smiled a bit at his ambitious words. “You may have a point, Your Majesty,” he concurred.

Raijinmon looked at Fujinmon with surprise, not expecting for the Hurricane Commander to agree so readily. “I suppose invading the Dual Chess Monarchy is an option.”

“It wouldn’t take much invading,” Chaosdramon rumbled confidently. He turned and looked at Suijinmon. “What do you think, Suijinmon? You have been quiet…”

“If you wish it, Your Majesty, I will obey,” Suijinmon assured him. “I am positive that we can do it.”

“Then we will conquer the Dual Chess Monarchy,” Raijinmon complied.

Chaosdramon shook his head. “I have a bigger plan than simply conquering the Chessmon… We can do far better than that,” he explained.

“What do you suggest, Your Majesty?” Suijinmon asked.

The towering cyborg released a breathy grunt. “The army of Saversburg attacked us previously, did they not…? Saversburg are staunch allies of the Royal Knights… I think it’s time we taught them that the Metal Empire is not to be trifled with,” he explained with a glint in his blood red eyes. “They have one of the largest cities in the Digital World, and they have a thriving economy. It will be more difficult than either the Mamemons or the Chessmons, but the reward is worth the risk.”

The three Storm Commanders exchanged glances but all bowed with compliance. “So, Emperor, you mean…” Raijinmon began.

Chaosdramon nodded. “Yes… We will invade Saversburg,” he declared. “Nothing will stand in our way… not even those pathetic Royal Knights.”
 

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
Chapter 19: Ambition​

The skies over Saversburg were thick with impenetrable, grey clouds. It was early in the morning, so the clouds were a dark, murky grey, and there was hardly any light across the grasslands. Shadows cast over the green fields and hills, giving the landscape a dusky atmosphere.

Several kilometers west of the large city of Saversburg were one of the giant sky waterfalls that fell from the firmament and emptied into the Champion River. The mist and spray of the crashing pillar of water cascaded across the surrounding grass. The sound of the gallons of falling water hitting the ground was reminiscent of a booming roar.

Scattered around the base of the waterfall and the edges of the river were shipwrecks. Several naval vessels lay on their sides in the grass, as if they had somehow run aground from the river. However, that wasn’t possible since the waterfall came from the sky, kilometers above. They were really just more oddities of the Digital World.

On the apex of one hill was a wooden galleon, complete with majestic sails and a thick, wooden hull. There were many different kinds of ships. There was a beached, rusted dreadnought on the opposite side of the river, which was never operable to begin with. Some distance away was a derelict cruise ship, lying scuttled in the grass.

In the hull of the galleon was a massive hole, large enough for most Digimon to enter. The hill that the ship was stranded on was tall enough to overlook much of the landscape to the west. Inside the hole were three Digimon, watching from the vantage point and lying in wait within the shadows. The dark of the hull’s interior cast enough shadows over them to conceal them from view.

Inside the gaping puncture, GrandisKuwagamon looked through a spyglass with his single, red eye. Using the handheld telescope, he peered into the distance, across the grassy fields and over the apexes of the distant hills.

Bolgmon sat nearby and gazed out of the hole in the ship as well. “See anything?” he asked.

“It’s probably still too dark,” Blitzmon responded. The azure insect man leaned against the wooden wall behind him, which was the ceiling of the toppled ship’s cargo hold. He stood up straight and walked over to his two comrades.

“Hold up,” GrandisKuwagamon said, staring through the telescope. “…Damn, it really is the Dick Brigade. Looks like they’re crossing the river to invade Saversburg. They’re still a few kilometers away.”

“Let me see,” Blitzmon said, stopping beside GrandisKuwagamon and holding his hand out.

GrandisKuwagamon lowered the spyglass and passed it to Blitzmon. “Go nuts,” the black insect told him.

As Blitzmon peered through the scope, Bolgmon magnified his own vision and gazed into the distance. He could see the vague silhouettes of Digimon traversing the new bridge that spanned the tumultuous river. They were definitely coming from the Mamemon Kingdom to Saversburg.

“I see them,” Blitzmon confirmed, narrowing his eyes.

“Ditto,” Bolgmon said, adjusting his optics for better vision. “Lots of them… Can’t make them all out at this range, but I can tell it’s no greeting party. …Hey, weren’t there supposed to be guards on that bridge?” he asked.

“There aren’t anymore,” GrandisKuwagamon figured. “I’m guessing the D-Brigade took care of them nice and quietly, just like they tried to do with us.”

Bolgmon glanced at GrandisKuwagamon. “Well, we’re not being paid to do quiet this time,” he reminded him.

“Yeah, I know,” GrandisKuwagamon replied shortly. “Our all-knowing client wants us to take a chunk out of the D-Brigade. He wants to make them angry. Only, I don’t like facing down a D-Brigade army. Playing war’s an idiot’s game.”

“Hit and run tactics, Grandis. It’s no different from before,” Blitzmon assured him. “We do what we always do: strike hard and then melt away in the shadows.”

“We just have to wait for a scouting patrol. They always send scouts ahead of an attack party,” Bolgmon pointed out.

“Just don’t shoot them until you’re sure you can hit ‘em this time,” GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically reminded him, thinking back to their encounter with the Royal Knights in the UDC.

“**** you,” Bolgmon muttered to him, shooting the black insect a sideways glare.

“Whatever. I’m still not sure about this. These missions are getting more and more overt. That means we’re going to be more exposed. I don’t care if Wizardmon says things are coming to a head soon,” GrandisKuwagamon pointed out.

“We just have to be smart,” Blitzmon responded, lowering the spyglass. “I think Wizardmon’s right. Things are coming to a close here. Just look at what’s going on: the Metal Empire invaded the Mamemon Kingdom and now they’re attacking Saversburg of all places. The Royal Knights won’t stand for that.” He closed his eyes. “All we have to do is do our job well, weather the storm, get paid, and then we can go back to doing what we do best.”

“I guess so,” GrandisKuwagamon said, though a bit reluctantly.

Blitzmon then smirked darkly. “Isn’t it amazing to think about…?” he asked, prompting curious looks from GrandisKuwagamon and Bolgmon. “To think, all those years ago, we were orphaned street rats - stealing food, hawking stolen goods, petty crime… Now the Order of the Royal Knights and the Metal Empire are going to war because of us. Doesn’t the power feel good? Think of the control we have…”

Bolgmon released an amused laugh. “Hey, you’ve got a point! ****, I never thought of it like that,” he stated, finding himself liking the idea. “We’ve got the Royal Knobs and the Dick Brigade dancing to our tune.”

GrandisKuwagamon turned away and stared into the darkness of the cargo hold. He thought about Blitzmon’s words carefully. His compound eye narrowed slightly, the bright red sheen of the sphere offset by the darkness around him.

“It’s not true control though… It’s a sucker’s control. That’s the problem,” GrandisKuwagamon spoke, his voice brooding. He turned around and looked at Blitzmon. “We’re not the ones pulling the strings here. It’s our client, whoever the hell that is. We’re just pawns in his game, doing whatever he tells us because he dangles money in front of us. I make my own decisions. That’s true control.”

Blitzmon locked eyes with GrandisKuwagamon. “We’re nobody’s lackeys. We’re selling our services and skills. That’s our job, remember. Our client needs us as much as we need him. Maybe more. Just don’t forget… we need jobs to make money,” he reminded the ebony beetle man pointedly.

“Yeah, I know how our business works, Blitzmon,” GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically replied. He decided to drop the conversation. He knew he couldn’t change their minds and he didn’t want to press the topic. “Whatever, just hand me that telescope.”

Blitzmon passed the spyglass to him and watched as the humanoid insect gazed through it, into the distance. “It’s a hell of a feat though…” Blitzmon mused aloud. “How does our client keep getting this information? The D-Brigade is so disciplined and secretive. I doubt most of the officers knew about this operation until they were given their orders yesterday.”

“Yeah, I’ve been wondering that too,” Bolgmon agreed, folding his cannon arms.

“Why do you think I’m so suspicious?” GrandisKuwagamon asked. “Maybe he’s got somebody on the inside of the D-Brigade. Or maybe he’s in the D-Brigade.”

“And he’s hiring us to attack the D-Brigade?” Bolgmon retorted. “That’s dumb.”

“Maybe it isn’t. Maybe he’s playing for power… Anyway, it’s just speculation,” GrandisKuwagamon answered, shrugging.

“Shh,” Blitzmon suddenly hushed them. He tightened his gaze as he stared through the spyglass. “Something’s coming.”

Flying in the sky was a contingent of five D-Brigade scouts. The recon team was heading east, in their general direction. Among them were the draconic, cyborg bodies of a Megadramon and Gigadramon, the metallic pterodactyl Pteranomon, the humanoid, wolf form of a MachGaogamon, and a scout-class Mechanorimon piloted by a Sealsdramon.

“It’s a D-Brigade patrol. Probably scouting ahead of the attack,” Bolgmon said, smirking.

“That’s our cue,” GrandisKuwagamon stated. He turned and looked at Bolgmon. “Bolgie?”

“Yeah, I know,” Bolgmon responded, planting his arms into the ground. Still concealed inside the hull of the boat, Bolgmon began to take careful aim. The targeting screen emerged from his back and he began to track the five scouts flying through the sky.

“Wait until they get close. If you miss, we’re screwed,” GrandisKuwagamon firmly told him.

“I get it. Shut up already and let me focus,” Bolgmon fired back, trying to focus on the five D-Brigade scouts in the distant sky.

Blitzmon looked at GrandisKuwagamon. “We should get ready too,” he suggested.

“Yeah,” the insect mercenary agreed. He took a few steps back, deeper into the cargo hold of the ship, his black carapace melding into the darkness. “Slide Evolution… GranKuwagamon.”

The large interior of the ship briefly flashed as GrandisKuwagamon’s body glowed and he formed into his much larger, quadrupedal form of GranKuwagamon. GranKuwagamon stretched his arms and looked at his two comrades. “We’ll go when you fire, Bolgie,” he explained.

“Got it,” Bolgmon answered, narrowing his eyes as he gazed at the approaching scout team. “Just another minute should do it…”

Blitzmon nodded and walked over to GranKuwagamon. He climbed onto the bigger bug’s back and waited. “Everybody remember the plan?” he asked.

“Just make sure to wipe them all out before we escape,” Bolgmon stated. After a few seconds, the tracking system on his back locked on to the targets. “Got ‘em… Haha…”

“Start the countdown,” GranKuwagamon said as he began to build up dimension-warping energy in his long, jagged pincers.

“Five…” Bolgmon spoke, starting to pour positrons into the chamber of his massive horn cannon.

While Bolgmon counted down the seconds, lightning danced between Blitzmon’s fists and up the length of his horn.

“Two…” Bolgmon said, narrowing his emerald eyes. “One… Field Destroyer!”

His cannon ignited with a swell of positrons that ripped through the hull of the ship, burning the surrounding wood to splinters and then ash. The effulgent beam lit up the darkened, dawn sky and streaked towards the disciplined aerial formation of scouts as they flew through the sky.

“Incoming!” the Gigadramon shouted, noticing the beam hurdling towards them. However, no sooner than he could get the words out, the beam was already upon the surprised patrol.

The laser swept through the middle of the formation, decimating the Megadramon and Pteranomon scouts immediately. The three survivors broke away from the beam that cut straight through their ranks, quickly trying to evade the attack and regroup.

“Zone Black Hole!” GranKuwagamon hissed, tearing open a dimensional rift in the air that was large enough for him to pass through. Right as Bolgmon was pushed back from the back-blast and as the beam started to diminish from his horn, GranKuwagamon shot through the hole with Blitzmon as his passenger.

The three remaining scouts began to get their bearings after the unexpected attack. “It came from that ship!” the Gigadramon exclaimed, pointing his cannon arm towards the shipwrecked galleon on the apex of the hill. He turned to the MachGaogamon and the piloted Mechanorimon. “Report back to command that we’re under attack!”

“Affirmative!” the Sealsdramon replied, piloting the Mechanorimon and turning it around. Just as he began flying back towards the D-Brigade army that was still a few kilometers away, a rift appeared in the sky.

GranKuwagamon shot out of the rend and tore through the air towards them. Blitzmon kicked off his back and flew independently of GranKuwagamon, his body sparking with electricity.

“I don’t think so!” GranKuwagamon exclaimed, veering in front of the Mechanorimon’s path.

He raised his giant insect arm over his head and stabbed it down into the Mechanorimon. GranKuwagamon’s long, deadly claws pierced through the glass of the Mechanorimon’s cockpit, straight into the Sealsdramon pilot. There was a shout of pain and blood sprayed onto the shattered glass surrounding the cockpit. With the pilot deleted, the Mechanorimon ceased functioning and dropped out of the sky, crashing into the ground.

“What?!” Gigadramon demanded, spinning around to look at the new Digimon that seemed to arrive out on nowhere.

GranKuwagamon then turned his attention of the MachGaogamon, who hovered in place using his jetpack. “Dimension Scissor!” he shouted, unleashing an arc of energy from his pincers.

The sickle of energy sliced through the air and cut straight through the MachGaogamon’s body as he turned around to face him. The arc carved into him and caused the engine on his back to explode in a blast of sparks and data.

The Gigadramon was unable to react to his fellow soldier’s deletion; Blitzmon was already surging towards him. He raised an arm to fire one of his missiles, but to his surprise, Blitzmon was already upon him.

“Thor’s Hammer!” Blitzmon growled, driving his electrically charged fists right down on the dark dragon’s head and sending static power shooting through him.

With his opponent momentarily stunned, Blitzmon slammed his knee straight into the Gigadramon’s chin, sending him flying upwards. Blitzmon then bent down and hooked his large, blue horn on Gigadramon’s chest, throwing him over his head. “Lightning Blitz!” Blitzmon exclaimed, unleashing the massive amount of lightning that was stored in his horn.

The lightning cracked and flashed as it shot up towards the sky. The bolt of electricity tore through the Gigadramon’s chest and shorted his body.

“Lightning Bomber!” Blitzmon shouted, gathering lightning at the tip of his horn where it aggregated. He beat his insect wings rapidly and shot upwards. Quickly closing the distance, Blitzmon thrust his horn into the Gigadramon’s chest. Electricity exploded out of the dragon cyborg’s back and he was reduced to a cloud of data.

Blitzmon slackened and looked around to make sure they didn’t miss anybody. It appeared that all of the scouts were deleted.

“Dimension Scissors!” GranKuwagamon suddenly shouted, unleashing a blast of dimensional energy that tore into the inoperable Mechanorimon. The machine Digimon exploded in a ball of flames, leaving a crater of flames and dissolving shrapnel.

Blitzmon looked over at GranKuwagamon. “Got him that time?” he asked.

The black insect flapped his wings and rose into the air beside Blitzmon. “Just making sure it didn’t store any information about us that the D-Brigade could find in its memory banks,” he explained. “Now let’s get the hell outta here. There’s no way they missed that.”

Blitzmon nodded and shot through the air at high speeds towards the ship that they hid in. GranKuwagamon matched speeds with him, gliding through the sky and not wanting to wait around much longer.

Bolgmon already drove out of the galleon and was speeding along the grass in the direction of Saversburg. He looked over his shoulder and saw GranKuwagamon and Blitzmon catching up to them. The large tank Digimon hailed them by waving his arm. “Hey, Grandis! How ‘bout a quick exit!” he suggested.

“Yeah, no ****!” GranKuwagamon called back. He turned and looked at Blitzmon, nodding at him.

Blitzmon flew over and grabbed hold of GranKuwagamon’s back once again. Once he was secure, GranKuwagamon swooped down and descended on Bolgmon.

GranKuwagamon grabbed hold of the armoured insect, he slowed his speed and sliced his scissor-like mandibles shut. “Zone Black Hole!” he said, once again cutting through the fabric of space and opening up a temporary portal in the fabric of the Digital World. The black demon bug disappeared inside, vanishing from the fields kilometers west of the city.

Moments later, Black Pincer Company emerged back in Saversburg. They appeared on a city street with a couple Digimon walking up and down the road. When the exited the portal completely, the dimensional gateway snapped shut behind them. GranKuwagamon dropped Bolgmon to the sidewalk and touched down so that Blitzmon could hop off his back. The three mercenaries dusted themselves off and began walking as if nothing had happened.

Blitzmon smirked and looked at GranKuwagamon, who walked along on his four black legs. “See? Easy money.”

GranKuwagamon grunted. “Yeah, yeah. When Bolgmon doesn’t screw it up,” he said half-teasingly, nodding over his shoulder at the tank Digimon behind them.

Bolgmon narrowed his eyes at GranKuwagamon and quietly rolled after them. A dark glare formed in his sharp, green eyes.

You’d better be careful, Grandis. I’m getting really ****ing sick of you,” he thought to himself scornfully. “We’ll see who screws who…

-

To the west of Saversburg, the Mamemon Kingdom remained fully under Metal Empire occupation. The majority of the D-Brigade was on campaign in Saversburg, and most of the remainder were in the process of invading the Dual Chess Monarchy. However, there were still a couple special formations that remained in Haganemame City to maintain control and order. They also served to protect the D-Brigade’s supply lines and guard against potential revolts from the newly subjugated population.

Overseeing this transition period was Mercuremon with the help of Metal Empire agents.

Mercuremon resided in the large, dome palace of Haganemame City. At several stories high, it loomed over all of the other buildings in the city, even the factories on the outskirts of the city.

The usurping aristocrat was reluctant to go out in public in these early stages of the transition of power from PrinceMamemon to him. Although he branded the surrender of the Mamemon Kingdom as a decision that ensured their very survival, there were some who said that this was a blatant power grab and that he colluded with the Metal Empire to overthrow their true ruler, PrinceMamemon. Mercuremon decided to stay out of sight until things smoothed over. As he did this, he planned his next moves.

Mercuremon sat on his newly acquired throne. Floating nearby him was a Digimon composed of a large gear and two smaller gears for his arms. The Hagurumon was a trusted subordinate of Chaosdramon.

“Has D-Brigade’s intelligence team detected any whispers of discontent?” Mercuremon asked Hagurumon curiously.

“General PlatinumNumemon has been expressing some regret of letting you surrender, but he hasn’t made any indication that he is willing to rise up with his army” Hagurumon noted. “Some of your peers on the other hand… Some nobles and wealthy merchants and entrepreneurs have been meeting in secret. They think that you usurped the throne and are in our pocket. They want to do something about it, I suspect.”

“I expected as much,” Mercuremon responded with a half-amused smirk. “I’m sure they’re just mad that I thought of it first.”

Hagurumon floated in front of him, his body clicking audibly as the cogs of the gears knocked together. “They could prove to be a thorn in your side,” he pointed out.

“Yes, we will have to get rid of them - throw them in jail and make an example of them. That should scare PlatinumNumemon and the others into obedience,” Mercuremon responded with a calm, unconcerned tone. “Can you have the D-Brigade stage a sting operation?”

“I will have to get military permission, but it shouldn’t be a problem. That is in line with what we also want,” Hagurumon assured him.

Mercuremon smiled as he looked at Hagurumon. “…Do you wonder why I betrayed my king and took his throne from him? I’m sure it must be hard to trust a traitor,” he mused.

“On the contrary, you made the rational decision, by all accounts,” Hagurumon responded logically. “If you listened to PrinceMamemon’s protests, then your army would have faced total destruction.”

“It’s true, much of my decision was based on protecting our tiny nation from one foolish Digimon’s utter stupidity,” Mercuremon responded, taking some pleasure in musing about these things. “But I didn’t have to take the throne. I could have allowed somebody from the D-Brigade to take it, or suggested a suitable replacement from within the Mamemon Kingdom.”

Hagurumon nodded contemplatively. “So… Why did you?” he asked.

Mercuremon smirked smugly. “I confess… Some of the things that my rivals are saying about me is true. I am greedy, ambitious, and opportunistic,” he stated. “I wanted to take the throne of the Mamemon Kingdom… but only as a stepping stone.”

Hagurumon looked at Mercuremon inquisitively and allowed him to continue.

“You see… I always felt held back. This kingdom… this minuscule, unimportant place that we call the Mamemon Kingdom… The most that I could expect was serving as the right hand of an oaf of a king. He would never be able to make an impact anywhere, and neither would I,” Mercuremon explained.

The pair of lips within the mirror grinned further. “However… all that has changed. Now that the Mamemon Kingdom is under Metal Empire control, I have more room to… manoeuvre,” he mused. “I will now be able to impress Emperor Chaosdramon with my unwavering loyalty, my competence, and my unparalleled administrative skills that have kept this kingdom afloat in spite of PrinceMamemon… You see, Hagurumon, I wish to rise through the ranks of the Metal Empire. As a Digimon of steel, this is perfectly possible to do; merit is rewarded in the Metal Empire, is it not? …The limits are endless, especially in a magnificent empire like yours…”

Mercuremon chuckled. “In fact, I am confident that I could successfully poise myself to become Chaosdramon’s successor. The ruler of the Metal Empire… Now, wouldn’t that be an upgrade?”

“Indeed it would, King Mercuremon,” Hagurumon stated neutrally.

Mercuremon smirked. “But… that is far in the future,” he stated. “There is still much to do in the present.”

“Especially now,” Hagurumon responded in agreement.

“That reminds me, the D-Brigade is planning to attack Saversburg, yes?” the shimmering aristocrat wondered.

“Yes, in several days,” Hagurumon answered.

“Hmm…” Mercuremon hummed. “The mayor of Saversburg wouldn’t be bad either… But, I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. There is still an economy to stabilize and generous trade deals with Facture to deal with. I suppose we should get back to work.”

“I agree, Mercuremon,” the Hagurumon complied.

Mercuremon smirked and quietly thought to himself. “But one day…

-

Back at Castle Albion, preparations were under way for the journey to Saversburg. The whole Order was busy getting ready for the long trek and potential combat. At the moment, they were unaware of the Metal Empire’s plans to attack Saversburg itself.

All of the Royal Knights, the Captains and lower officers, and the soldiers were busy getting ready. This left one Digimon in an odd situation as everybody else prepared.

Dorbickmon paced back and forth in the basement hallway. There was an annoyed sneer on his face, and his rows of jagged teeth could be seen behind his swollen lips. He fidgeted with the bandages that were wrapped around his right hand, occasionally flexing his clawed fingers.

“You really shouldn’t agitate that,” Examon suggested, walking down the hallway towards him.

Dorbickmon grunted. “Would you stop acting like my mother? You’re the one being agitating!” he barked.

Examon stopped and frowned at his words, confused as to what angered Dorbickmon so much. “…Sorry. Did I do something wrong?” the Royal Knight asked, walking up to the mercenary.

Dorbickmon winced and folded his arms, looking away from Examon. “Tch… No... ****! I just can’t stand this!” he growled in frustration.

The taller dragon looked at Dorbickmon inquiringly. “Can’t stand what?” he calmly questioned.

“Being here,” Dorbickmon explained. He turned around and looked at Examon. “No offence. It’s nice and everything, but I feel… I dunno – trapped. I’m stuck around the castle all the time and I feel like I’m constantly under watch – either from Digimon who don’t trust me or from Digimon like you who are constantly looking after me.”

Examon rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, I didn’t know I was being overbearing. I’ll try to give you some space,” he sheepishly responded.

Dorbickmon released a cross between a sigh and a growl. “I’m just used to being independent. I like being on my own. I don’t like needing to depend on people.”

The winged dragon nodded. “…I guess I can understand that. When I first joined the Order, I was the same way. I didn’t know how to work with other Digimon either,” Examon admitted.

“Yeah, well, I’m not planning on joining the Order,” Dorbickmon stated decisively. “I just want to get back to doing what I do best: being a merc.”

“Well, you can’t do that as long as you’ve got a metaphorical bounty on your head, so the best you can do is wait for it to blow over,” Examon responded with a calm, matter-of-fact tone.

Dorbickmon clenched his teeth and scratched the back of his head irritably. “Lucky me…”

Examon placed his clawed hands on his hips. “You should try to relax. Do you always get this annoyed and surly?” he asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

The red mercenary shot Examon a look. “Yeah. I do,” he emphatically responded.

The dragon opposite Dorbickmon nodded in understanding. “I guess that explains the decades long grudge you held against me,” Examon mused.

Dorbickmon stared at him blankly. “…Was that a joke?” he asked, his voice sounding like it was on a knife edge.

Examon half-winced and half-smiled with a sheepish expression. “…Sorry. Was it in bad taste?”

“Heh, I’m just surprised you had the balls!” Dorbickmon replied, unable to help but grin. “Maybe there’s still hope for you, after all.”

“…How come I’m the one who feels insulted here?” Examon muttered.

Dorbickmon let out a laugh. However, after a moment, he flattened out his smile and tried to grow serious again. He nodded over his shoulder, gesturing at Examon to walk with him. When Examon complied, Dorbickmon started walking down the basement corridor.

“So…” Dorbickmon began, glancing over his shoulder to the large dragon Digimon walking a few meters behind him. “Shouldn’t you be preparing for… whatever it is you guys are preparing for? A war, I’m guessing?”

“I’ve finished my personal preparations,” Examon explained. “I’m having a short break before I go help the others oversee things.” He looked at Dorbickmon. “We’re going to Saversburg now that the Metal Empire captured the Mamemon Kingdom.”

“Should you be telling me that?” Dorbickmon asked, staring directly at Examon with a serious look in his violet eyes. “Isn’t that secret information?”

Examon looked back at him. “It’s fine. I trust you,” he assured the mercenary.

“You shouldn’t,” Dorbickmon responded, looking forwards again. He could sense Examon’s questioning gaze at the back of his head. “I’ve lied to you a few times. It’s been a year since I was trying to kill you. I could take information like that to the Metal Empire…”

Examon furrowed his red brows at Dorbickmon’s words. “Would you, though…?” he asked rhetorically. “I thought we were trying to move beyond all that. …Aren’t we?”

Dorbickmon folded his arms and looked away. “Yeah…” he muttered. “Still… Don’t be naïve, Examon. Even when I was trying to kill you, you took every fake olive branch I offered. If things went differently, I might’ve deleted you.”

“I’m not naïve, Dorbickmon,” Examon explained coolly. “I was trying to right a wrong.” The Royal Knight sighed and rubbed his arm. “Well, not ‘right’… but ‘try to make amends for what I did’… I know I don’t have the best social skills, but I’m not completely oblivious. I get that you have a certain perception of me and the Royal Knights, but…”

“Look,” Dorbickmon awkwardly said as he raised a hand to rub the back of his neck. “I’m not making judgments… I’m just trying to give you some advice. There’s worse Digimon than me out there. Just…watch your back. That’s all I mean,” he explained, not making eye contact.

“I will,” Examon replied sincerely. “Thanks…”

“Uh huh…”

The two crimson dragons walked in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments. As they passed the alcove that led to the library, Dorbickmon shuffled along and was quick to break the silence. “So… How does living here compare with the UDC?” he asked, opting for small talk on instinct. “Maybe that’s a dumb question. It’s pretty comfortable living here.”

“It’s… different,” Examon admitted, frowning to himself as he thought about it. “I don’t know how to describe it… When I first joined, I had a lot of trouble adapting. I felt out of place… and not just because I’m a dragon Digimon among a bunch of humanoid Digimon. I was used to being alone… It took awhile, but now I feel like I belong…”

“And the UDC?” Dorbickmon asked

He glanced down as he wandered behind Dorbickmon. “It’s funny…” he spoke, although his voice didn’t sound all that mirthful. “As I began to feel like I belonged here, I felt increasingly out of place in the United Dramonic Coalition…”

Dorbickmon glanced at him. “Out of place?” he questioned, stopping and leaning against the cool, stone wall of the corridor.

Examon stopped beside him. “I grew up in the UDC, and I was their protector for decades. But now… I feel like they see me differently. They see me as a Royal Knight rather than as a fellow Dramon.”

“Does that surprise you? That title carries a lot of clout. Besides, isn’t that what the Royal Knights are all about?” Dorbickmon asked with a shrug. “Standing above petty distinctions like borders, species, and where you’re from, you know, so that you can save the world and crap?”

“I guess so… Maybe I was naïve after all, thinking that I could join the Royal Knights and have everything stay the same with the UDC.” Examon explained wistfully. “They have an army now, instead of me as their protector…”

“If **** went down in the UDC, the Royal Knights would still go to help, right?” Dorbickmon asked rhetorically. “Anywhere in the Digital World, that’s the case too. You guys help out all over the place. So, you’re still their protector, aren’t you? You just don’t live there anymore.”

Examon smiled a bit. “I guess…”

“Anyway, you’re not the only one that doesn’t feel at home there,” Dorbickmon informed him. “I spend most of my time travelling around the Digital World on mercenary jobs. Even though I’m there a lot, the UDC just isn’t home to me anymore.”

“Is that because of me?” Examon inquired, feeling a bit guilty. “I mean, because of what happened between us?”

Dorbickmon frowned for a few moments. He thought about the memory. Before long, the unreadable expression turned into a toothy grin. “Look, just because I plotted to kill you in revenge for you nearly deleting me, it doesn’t mean that everything I do revolves around you somehow,” he bluntly dismissed the idea. “When I was strong enough, I wanted to travel the Digital World and see all the different places for myself. I had a thirst for adventure and excitement. That’s probably why I didn’t run into you earlier.”

Examon chuckled a bit and scratched his cheek sheepishly. “Okay. I guess that’s a relief… So, you’ve been a mercenary for a long time?”

“Yeah. Even went to the eastern continent of Colossus for a year or two, but it wasn’t for me, so I came back,” Dorbickmon explained. “That, and I had a bad run in with the law over there.”

The Royal Knight rolled his eyes. “Why am I not surprised?” he said with a sigh.

“Chill, Examon. I’ll play nice for your knight friends while I’m staying here,” Dorbickmon said with a smirk. “Wouldn’t want to make you look bad.”

“It’s a bit late for that,” Examon responded, smiling. “You didn’t exactly make a good first impression.”

Dorbickmon grinned and shrugged nonchalantly. “What can I say? I make friends everywhere I go.”

“Well… at least you’re in a better mood now,” Examon pointed out.

Dorbickmon crossed his arms across his muscular, armour-covered chest and leaned against the stone wall. “Guess so,” he answered noncommittally. “Anyway, I’ll be fine. Maybe I can find somebody to spar against and get it out of my system.”

“Heh. Just don’t go overboard. I know how passionate you can get,” Examon pointed out.

“Maybe I should spar against you,” Dorbickmon said with a competitive smirk. “I had you on the ropes last time we fought.”

Examon smiled calmly. “I was holding back,” he teased.

Dorbickmon scoffed and puffed his chest out. “Like hell you were. By the end of it, you were giving it your all,” Dorbickmon insisted.

“Maybe.” Examon grinned and looked Dorbickmon’s form up and down. “Besides… you can’t win. You’re too short.”

At this, Dorbickmon’s eye twitched. “…Short?!” he demanded, standing up from the wall. He walked right up to Examon and placed his chest against the Royal Knight’s, surprising Examon with his boldness and indignation. Dorbickmon then stood up as straight as possible, raising his head and tilting his horn up. “…Yeah. I knew it. I’m taller!”

“Y-You are not,” Examon insisted, standing up straight as well. On comparison, Examon was taller than Dorbickmon by a few inches. “I’m taller.”

“…The horns don’t count!” Dorbickmon shouted passionately, putting his body even straighter.

“I wasn’t counting the horns,” Examon answered steadily, although with a subtle air of smugness that Dorbickmon hated.

“I’m taller, damn it!” Dorbickmon challenged, standing on his toes. “I want an arbitrator!”

Examon chuckled and walked past Dorbickmon, heading down the corridor to the stairway leading up to the first floor. “Are you hungry?” he asked, deciding it was best to end the argument there. “I want to grab some food before I got back to work.”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll eat you under the table!” Dorbickmon competitively stated, following the dragon Digimon to the cafeteria. “I’ll show you I’m taller sitting down too!”

-

Elsewhere in the castle, Magnamon walked down a wide, spacious hallway, decorated with ornate archways and ceiling vaults. Lanterns hung from chains attached to the ceiling. Each lantern was filled with swirling beads of glowing light, creating a bright radiance that lit up the large hall. High up of the right wall of the passage were several clerestory windows that allowed rays of light to beam in at a diagonal angle. The light caused Magnamon’s golden armour to shimmer brilliantly. At the base of this wall was a long furrow filled with water that spanned the length of the gallery. At equidistant points, there were fountain spouts that poured gently streams of water into the fountain, creating the relaxing sound of pouring water. On the opposite side of the gallery were a few stone benches attached to the wall. There were digi-letters carved into the stone surface of the wall that mentioned the Royal Knights’ responsibilities. It spoke of Yggdrasil, the Royal Knights’ authority and responsibility for Net security, as well as their obligations towards each other and all Digimon.

This hall was called the Gallery of Reflection, and it was supposed to provide a place for introspection and soul-searching.

Magnamon walked down the stone gallery, gazing at the tranquil water nearby. The soft dribbling sound of the water was interrupted by a pair of metallic footsteps behind him.

“Hey, Magnamon,” a deep voice said.

Magnamon looked over his large, shoulder plate to see Craniamon walking up behind him. “Craniamon, hello,” Magnamon responded, slowing down so that the larger Royal Knight could catch up with him.

The violet Royal Knight stepped up beside him. “Did you come here to think about something?” he wondered.

“Not really,” Magnamon responded. “I was looking for Alphamon, but I do enjoy passing through here.”

“Yeah. It’s quiet,” Craniamon agreed. “Why are you looking for Alphamon?”

“I just need to talk to him about our preparations,” Magnamon responded. As the two started walking down the gallery, Magnamon turned to Craniamon inquisitively. “What about you?” he wondered. It was then that Magnamon noticed a piece of paper in Craniamon’s hand, prompting him to **** a curious eyebrow. “Is that a letter?”

Craniamon looked away sheepishly. “Uh… Yes,” he answered, feeling a bit awkward about it.

Magnamon glanced up at the armour clad Royal Knight. “Who’s it from, if you don’t mind me asking?” he inquired.

“It’s from my father. The mayor of Caer Ygg,” Craniamon responded, his movements and voice slightly more rigid than before.

“Oh…” Magnamon answered, although he picked up on Craniamon’s subtle change in demeanour. “Is something wrong?”

Craniamon shrugged a bit, initially reluctant to respond. However, he soon sighed behind his helmet. “No. It’s just… I never received a letter from him before. Or, the few that I did receive, I didn’t open,” he replied, his ruby eyes glancing down at the paper. “We didn’t have a very good relationship until I went there recently.”

“Oh, I see…” Magnamon said understandingly. “What changed?”

“Dynasmon being a meddlesome blockhead,” Craniamon responded, although with a tiny grin. “He made me see I was being stubborn and unreasonable. My father and I had a big falling out a long time ago, before I joined the Order. Once I became a Royal Knight, I wanted to put all of that behind me and move on to greater things. I was a Royal Knight, after all…”

Magnamon smiled behind his golden helmet. “We’re Royal Knights. We’re too important to have families…” he ironically stated, although with an understanding smile. “I… felt the same way, to be honest,” Magnamon stated. “Once I had this status, this title, I felt like I had to be the best Digimon I could be. I tried to ignore my issues with my father being a great hero.”

Craniamon looked down at Magnamon with interest. “Yeah…?” he pondered curiously. “I didn’t know. But I guess I didn’t exactly talk about my past either…”

Magnamon nodded. “I came to accept myself eventually, but even today, I still have that desire to be best Digimon I can be, because I am a Royal Knight,” he explained. “I guess we both put pressure on ourselves because we’re Royal Knights, huh?”

“I guess so…” Craniamon agreed thoughtfully. “It’s not like there’s anything wrong with wanting to be the best Digimon we can be, though… right?”

“You’re right, just as long as we don’t let it consume us,” Magnamon concurred. “We’re Royal Knights, but we don’t have to be perfect. We’re still Digimon when it comes down to it. We make mistakes, and we have issues sometimes. It’s not necessarily a weakness, I don’t think…”

“I suppose…” Craniamon responded.

“That said, we are still awesome,” Magnamon added with a playful wink.

Craniamon smirked and continued walking along. “I thought that was obvious,” he answered confidently.

Magnamon chuckled. “So…” he stated, glancing over at Craniamon’s hand. “Did you read it yet?”

“Yeah,” Craniamon responded. “It’s nothing too big. Just asking about how I am and stuff. I don’t really know how to reply though… I’m not the best at writing letters,” he admitted.

“I can help you, if you want,” Magnamon offered. “I exchange letters with friends and family in Brighthelm all the time.”

“I bet most of it is you replying to fan mail,” Craniamon teased, glancing at the Knight of Miracles with his gleaming eyes.

Magnamon sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, unable to really deny it. “Not all of it is…” he insisted weakly. “I exchanged letters with my friend Rapidmon a week ago.”

Craniamon continued walking. “Well… I guess you can help, if you want,” he said to his fellow Royal Knight, although in a way that sounded like he was doing Magnamon a favour. “It’s not that I’m bad at it. I just don’t know what to say.”

Magnamon smiled. “Leave it to me. Although, since we’re leaving tomorrow, it may have to wait,” he pointed out.

“No rush,” Craniamon replied.

As the two Royal Knights continued walking up the Gallery of Reflection, they saw a familiar figure ahead of them. It was Duftmon, who was sitting on one of the stone benches against the wall. He leaned against the back of the bench, his head tilted down as he held a book in his lap. The ends of the red sash around his waist draped over the edge of the chair, and he leaned forwards just enough that his blond hair didn’t press against the stone wall. Duftmon’s pensive, emerald eyes scanned the pages of the book in his hand.

“Hey, it’s Duftmon,” Craniamon noted, beginning to head towards the slender Royal Knight.

Magnamon walked beside Craniamon. “Duftmon?” he greeted, announcing their presence. “What are you doing? I thought you’d be busy.”

Duftmon tensed up upon hearing Magnamon’s voice. He had been concentrating so much on the book that he didn’t take notice of them. “Oh…” he said, stalling. Duftmon rose to his feet and closed his book, using one of his fingers as a bookmark. “I have been hard at work all day; I am taking personal time. I did allot some time in my schedule, you realise,” he responded indignantly.

“Sorry. I wasn’t suggesting that you were slacking off,” Magnamon responded diplomatically. He looked down and noticed the book in his hand. “Are you reading?”

“Er… I was, yes,” Duftmon responded, his voice obviously cagy. He not-too-subtly hid the book behind his leg.

Both Craniamon and Magnamon picked up on this. “…What are you reading?” Craniamon asked, his curiosity peaked.

“Nothing in particular…” Duftmon defensively replied, concealing the book further. “Now, if you both are finished, you really ought to—“

Craniamon and Magnamon exchanged nods. “By the way, Duftmon, Gankoomon is smoking inside again,” Craniamon said to him.

“…What?” Duftmon asked, angrily pulling his arms in front of him. He narrowed his emerald eyes dangerously. “…Does he have no respect for the rules or even common courtesy?”

As Duftmon protested, Magnamon eyed the book in Duftmon’s hand. He gave Craniamon another look, wordlessly telling him to continue.

Craniamon noticed Magnamon’s gaze and locked eyes with Duftmon. “And he was sitting in your seat at the council table while he did it,” he added, knowing exactly how to push Duftmon’s buttons. “It looked like he just came in from training SaviorHackmon too.”

This tipped Duftmon over the edge. “What?!” he demanded, one of his eyes twitching with incredulous anger. “He’s doing what in my seat?!”

“Hey, can I see that?” Magnamon innocently asked as he plucked the book from Duftmon’s hand now that the tactician was distracted.

Duftmon tensed up and grabbed for the book. “W- Give that back at once!” he ordered with uncharacteristic distress.

Magnamon dodged the swift grab and tossed the book to Craniamon, who caught the book with ease and used his other arm to block Duftmon from reaching it.

Once Craniamon had the book firmly in his possession, he looked at the cover. The jacket of the book was sky blue in colour. On the cover was a dark blue symbol shaped like the yin yang, but with two sickles branching out on each side. The symbol was the Crest of Friendship. The digi-letters emblazoned across the cover of the book read, ‘Twenty Five Tips to Becoming a Better Friend’.

Craniamon’s face fractured as he struggled not to burst into laughter. His red eyes lit up with pleasure and he quickly gave the book to Magnamon, who read the cover as well.

“Th-This is…” Magnamon stammered, a look of pure delight appearing on his face.

“You’re… reading a self-help book… Duftmon…?” Craniamon asked, pausing between his words to keep his voice from quivering with suppressed laughter.

Duftmon blushed intensely and folded his arms across his chest. He looked away and tilted his head up with utter indignation and embarrassment. “Hmph… So what if I am?” he responded, refusing to acknowledge that it was a big deal.

Magnamon released a laugh and handed the book back to Duftmon as a token of goodwill. “It’s adorable, Duftmon!” he stated, his happy crimson eyes suggested a beaming smile beneath his mask.

“It is not,” Duftmon protested, snatching the book back and standing up straight in a dignified way. “A true Royal Knight works to improve himself in every area.”

Magnamon placed his hands on his hips and smiled at Duftmon. “I’m proud of you! It’s good that you’re making an effort,” he stated, wanting to encourage him rather than make him feel bad about it.

“Hmph. There is nothing to be proud of,” Duftmon responded aloofly. “I am simply reading an informative book about social norms and interpersonal relationships. Is that so strange? It is nonfiction.”

“A self-help book about friendship,” Craniamon made sure to clarify, still wearing a ****-eating grin behind his visor. “I can’t believe that you of all Digimon are reading that.”

“It is my duty as a Royal Knight to—“ Duftmon began stating emphatically.

“Okay, I get it,” Craniamon interrupted.

“I merely wish to learn more information,” Duftmon continued defensively. “I have been accused of not being sociable in the past. It is not as if I am incapable of taking constructive criticism and learning from mistakes that have been made,” he explained firmly, careful not to use any possessive pronouns surrounding the word ‘mistakes’. “Ergo, I am reading literature on the pertinent subject matter. No doubt it is highly rated among intellectuals if it is in our library.”

Craniamon levelled an unconvinced look at Magnamon. Magnamon rubbed the back of his neck. “Then that’s good, Duftmon,” he encouraged the tactician. “Keep up the good work.”

“Furthermore, this is nobody’s business but my own,” Duftmon also made sure to say. “Specifically, I do not want you to go around gossiping about it. Is that understood?”

“We won’t. We promise,” Magnamon assured him with a grin.

“I don’t gossip,” Craniamon responded, folding his arms.

Duftmon released a haughty huff. “Good. You had better not,” he stated. The Royal Knights’ tactician proceeded to look at his watch. “And now I am one minute behind schedule. Thank you both very much.”

Magnamon chuckled and scratched his cheek with a claw sheepishly. “We’re sorry, Duftmon.”

“Instead of lollygagging, you two should make yourselves useful,” Duftmon stated, beginning to turn around and walk up the gallery to the opposite door.

Craniamon rolled his eyes and began to follow him, along with Magnamon. “We were,” he responded. He then muttered. “Maybe you should read that book better.”

“I was just looking for Alphamon, actually,” Magnamon explained. “Have you seen him?”

“I last saw him outside, speaking with Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode. He said that he was going to address the Strike Forces and Defence Forces about our operation,” Duftmon explained.

Magnamon nodded. “Then I’ll help him,” he stated. “I need to ask him about supplies anyways.”

“I’ve got to go pick up Claiohm Solais and Avalon from the blacksmith’s,” Craniamon mentioned. “I want them to be in peak fighting condition if we might be headed into a fight.”

“I am hoping that Dukemon returns soon,” the leopard knight mused. “I must see how his meeting with the Deep Savers went. We will need them for swift transportation with the Locomon temporarily out of commission…”

Magnamon folded his arms across his chest. “It looks like we all have things to do. Let’s get to it, Royal Knights,” he stated tenaciously.

The three Royal Knights did just that, parting ways as soon as they exited the Gallery of Reflection. There were still many preparations that had to be made for the coming stratagem.

-

(Continued in the next post)
 

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
(Continued from the previous post)

-

Half an hour later, Dukemon returned to Castle Albion. He landed in front of the drawbridge spanning the castle’s moat and made his way inside the castle grounds. The crimson and white Royal Knight headed up the large road that formed around the main building of the headquarters. After ten minutes of walking, he strode by the training grounds and made his way to the east side of the castle where the staging area was.

The staging area was a massive, flat courtyard used for the purpose of organizing the various troops, having drills, and as an assembly area. Right now, it was being used to get the Strike Forces and Defence Forces ready for combat. There were hundreds of Digimon gathered there, assembling under the guidance of the captains, leftenants, and a few Royal Knights.

Dukemon could see Alphamon, Magnamon, OuRyuumon, and Knightmon clarifying the plan of action to the two primary fighting forces. They talked about how they would make their way up to Saversburg and then gauge the situation from there. The forces would all be ready to move out within the next day or so.

As he made his way up the road, his metal armour rattled with every step. The sky was grey, and pockets of roaming data could be spotted floating within the blanket of clouds. A soft breeze swept across the castle grounds and blew through Dukemon’s long, white ponytail and his crimson cape.

Dukemon stopped at the edge of the staging area, not wanting to interrupt. He folded his arms and waited. The red and white Royal Knight had half-expected to see Omegamon there too, but, then again, he knew that Omegamon didn’t like speaking up in front of hundreds of Digimon if he could help it.

After a minute, Dukemon sensed a presence behind him. He looked over his armoured shoulder to see Grani gently floating down from the sky and hovering behind him. “Well, if it isn’t my favourite Zero ARMS!” Dukemon greeted with an amiable smile.

“Hello, Dukemon,” Grani replied. There was a subtle look of levity in his blue eyes. “I wasn’t aware that you knew any other Zero ARMS. Should I be worried?”

Dukemon chuckled a bit and turned around. “Oh, you’re the only Zero ARMS for me,” he playfully stated, placing his hands on his hips. “So, how are the Recon Forces doing?”

“We’re all ready to go. Several squadrons will be staying behind with the Castle Guards for normalized patrols around the Free Area, but the majority are ready to head up to Saversburg,” the metal bird-dragon explained.

“You’re ready to move already? Leave it to you to be so organised, Grani,” Dukemon stated with a grin.

“Of course,” Grani calmly answered. “Wars require the utmost organisation and management. Even Karatenmon is doing his part.”

“Still, we probably won’t leave until tomorrow at the earliest,” the crimson Royal Knight informed him. “There’s still a few things we have to get done first.”

Grani nodded. “That gives me time to go over the plans again with my scouts. We will be at the forefront of the operation,” he responded.

Dukemon smiled. “Well, it couldn’t be in more capable hands… claws… talons,” he stated, ending with a sheepish laugh.

Grani rolled his eyes. “Thank you, I think,” he spoke. “And what are you doing, Dukemon?”

“Just waiting to talk to Alphamon. I finished speaking to GigaSeadramon of the Deep Savers about getting transport. Four Whamon and one GigaSeadramon are going to transport us up to Breakwater on the east coast of the Republic of Node,” Dukemon explained.

“Ah, I see,” Grani replied. “That’s good.”

Dukemon nodded. He then looked around the castle grounds curiously. “Hey, Grani, did you happen to see Omegamon anywhere? I’m looking for him.”

“I’m afraid not,” Grani informed him. He glanced at Dukemon inquisitively. “Was there a particular reason you were looking for him?”

“Not really. Just wanted to talk to him about the upcoming operation,” Dukemon answered.

Grani frowned. “Oh…” he said, with a bit of disappointment.

Dukemon tilted his head and folded his arms across his chrome digizoid-clad chest. “What’s with that ‘Oh…’?” he asked.

“Didn’t you say that you were going to tell Omegamon and the others about what you told Examon?” he wondered.

“I will… Eventually,” Dukemon responded noncommittally.

Grani sighed. “You’re procrastinating. Again.”

“We’re in the middle of a war, Grani. And I was a bit busy getting taken prisoner. There’s more important things going on right now than my issues,” Dukemon reminded him. “Besides, it’s kind of a weird thing to say out of nowhere. ‘Hey, guys. You know the Digital Hazard I have? Well, one time I nearly caused a total collapse of the Digital World! Crazy, huh?’”

Grani shot him a dry look. “It’s a start…” he answered. “At this rate, you’ll just put it off. Examon reacted understandingly, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, but why do I even need to? It was a long time ago and if I say anything, the others will just look at me differently,” Dukemon muttered, narrowing his eyes bitterly.

“Because if you don’t, you’ll just keep thinking that,” Grani explained. “You pretend it’s not a big deal, but if it isn’t a big deal then why are you so averse to telling your closest friends?” The Zero ARMS floated up to eye level with Dukemon. “You need to get this off of your chest and prove yourself wrong, Dukemon. I know that you worry about this more than you let on.”

Dukemon winced and looked away from Grani. He hated to admit it, but he knew his rationally-minded friend had a point. “…I’ll do it after this thing with the Metal Empire is finished with,” he responded to the Zero ARMS.

Grani frowned. “Do you promise?” he asked him, not wanting Dukemon to just put it off again.

Dukemon sighed but looked into Grani’s calm, sapphire eyes. “Yeah, I promise…” he answered sincerely.

The red-bodied Zero ARMS closed his eyes with a mixture of relief and thought. “Thank you. Very well, then…”

The holy knight Digimon nodded and rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah… Anyway… So--”

“Dukemon! Grani!” a familiar voice called out from behind the pair.

Dukemon and Grani both turned and looked down the road. They both saw Karatenmon suddenly appear in mid air several meters away from them.

Karatenmon flapped his broad, jet black wings and gently descended towards them. As he landed, the strong buffeting of his wings blew up dirt from the ground. The corvid spymaster touched his talons down onto the stone road and looked at Dukemon and Grani with a serious expression in his red eyes.

Grani frowned, always finding it strange whenever Karatenmon took something seriously. “Karatenmon? What’s wrong?” he wondered.

“I have news,” the crow man answered, holding up a scroll. He looked past Dukemon and towards the staging area where Alphamon was. “I was going to tell Alphamon first, but since you’re here, I’d might as well tell you two as well.”

Dukemon lowered his gaze and looked at Karatenmon seriously. “What is it, Karatenmon?”

Karatenmon opened up the scroll to reveal a long message written in digi-letters. “It’s big…” Karatenmon stated. “One of my spies confirmed with scouts in the Saversburg military. It seems like the D-Brigade is launching a surprise invasion of Saversburg…”

Dukemon’s eyes widened as he read the message written in the scroll. “What?!”

Grani was stunned. He looked at Karatenmon incredulously. “Are you positive? Are you sure your spy got it right?” he asked him.

Karatenmon matched his gaze with Grani. “I’m positive, Grani,” he said, leaving no room for doubt in his voice.

“Captain Grani, Sir!” a high-pitched, androgynous voice called out.

Grani looked up to see the golden, jet-like form of Sparrowmon zooming over to them. “Sparrowmon?” he asked, recognizing his subordinate.

“It’s really important, Sir! It’s massive information!” Sparrowmon declared, panting and obviously out of breath. “It’s the Metal Empire! They’re amassing their army in the northwest to Saversburg! Our patrol spotted them several hours ago and it looks like they’re going to invade!”

Grani frowned at having this news confirmed. “So it is true…”

Karatenmon nodded. “One hundred percent,” he answered. The avian ninja looked at Dukemon who was still reading the message. “Dukemon?”

Dukemon clenched his fist tightly. “This is bad,” he spoke, a look of resolve and determination forming in his eyes. “We have to stop them… We need to stop the Metal Empire once and for all. They’re a threat to network security and the Digital World.”

The Royal Knight rolled up the scroll and turned around, running towards the staging grounds where Alphamon and Magnamon still were talking to the Order troops. “Come on!” he said to the others, dashing across the courtyard. “We need to tell Alphamon!”

-

Later that day, things were progressing quickly in the area to the north west of the free city of Saversburg. The vast majority of the D-Brigade forces had crossed the wide, sturdy bridge linking Saversburg to the Mamemon Kingdom. They had created a temporary military base on the Saversburg side of the bridge in order to secure the strategic position.

By this time, Saversburg and its military was fully aware of the Metal Empire’s presence in their territory. The military was making speedy preparations to defend the free city from what appeared to be an imminent invasion.

At the outskirts of the massive city of Saversburg was a military base, positioned outside so that it wouldn’t be in the way of the busy city. The base had several buildings and a large training ground on the grassy fields, allowing for lots of room for the army to train and manoeuvre. Currently, the base was bustling as the military scrambled to get ready for war.

General Tactimon strode out of the base, gripping his giant, sheathed sword, Jutetsufujin-maru, in one hand, and reading a long, opened scroll which hung from his other hand. He stepped out of the guarded gate leading into the base itself and walked out onto the stone road. This path connected onto the road that led into Saversburg from one direction, and stretched out into the distance.

His black cape flowed behind him as he walked, rippling in the breeze. He didn’t take his eyes off the scroll as he made his way down the road at a brisk pace.

“Tactimon,” a voice said from in front of him.

Tactimon looked up and saw Gaioumon walking towards him, heading up the road from Saversburg. Gaioumon was one of the Digimon who was part of the Dark Area Strategy group that had assembled in Xuanwumon University. Due to his bad history with the Warrior Ten, there was some tension with between him, AncientGarurumon and Anubismon (otherwise known as AncientSphinxmon) but Gaioumon brought a lot of strategic insight to the table that was valuable for the group.

Tactimon had been overseeing the Dark Area discussion when a messenger came in and told him about the threat. A few of the attendees, including Gaioumon, had overheard. However, the session went on for awhile even after Tactimon was forced to leave to attend to the developing crisis.

“Gaioumon,” Tactimon greeted, rolling up the scroll and walking up to him. “I take it you already know what’s going on…”

“Is it true that the D-Brigade has entered your territory?” Gaioumon asked him inquisitively.

“Yes… The guards that were stationed at the bridge haven’t replied and there were reports of fighting earlier. This is a declaration of war on Saversburg,” Tactimon said with narrowed, yellow eyes. “Do you think it’s because we attacked them when they were fighting you and the Royal Knights?”

“It’s possible… Or it could be because Chaosdramon has gotten a taste for conquest,” Gaioumon mused. “He saw how easy it was to take the Mamemon Kingdom, so it could be that he feels emboldened by the victory. Saversburg is an alluring prize, after all… No matter the case, he will undoubtedly use the attack as a pretext.”

Tactimon nodded and placed the scroll under his belt before shouldering the Jutetsufujin-maru. “What will you do?” he asked. “The Council of Seven will undoubtedly want to know about this…”

Gaioumon closed his eyes and thought about his question. “Indeed… I must take my leave and return to New Terminal in light of this information,” he responded. “I have done all I can to help out with the Dark Area problem, anyways. We have a plan; all that is left is figuring out the precise details. That is not my area of expertise. I will leave that to the experts and those who actually have the power and clearance to modify the security data of the Dark Area’s barrier – like Imperialdramon Paladin Mode and the Four Holy Beasts, for example.”

“I understand. I have to focus on the coming war right now as well. The rest comes after,” Tactimon replied, nodding in acknowledgment. He looked at Gaioumon carefully. “The Republic of Node… Can we expect your assistance? I know it’s a lot to ask, but I wouldn’t consider such a question if I wasn’t desperate. I don’t have the exact numbers, but I suspect we are outnumbered. I know it isn’t as simple as ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but any help we can get… would go appreciated.”

“I am not in the position to make that kind of promise. I apologise,” Gaioumon said with a dignified, apologetic bow. “However… a powerful, aggressive Metal Empire would be a worry for the Republic of Node. They would not take kindly to Saversburg, one of our closest allies and trading partners, being taken over.” Gaioumon gave Tactimon a subtle look that conveyed his meaning. “And what is not far south of Saversburg? The Republic of Node, of course…”

“So, you think that they might…” Tactimon spoke, his words trailing off as he thought.

“I can’t say for certain… I can’t say how many soldiers they might send if they agree to go to war. I can’t make any promises to you, Tactimon,” Gaioumon stated. “However, I will do my best as their advisor to lead them to what I think is the best decision.”

Tactimon nodded. “I understand,” he answered, reading the dragon samurai carefully. “Thank you.”

Gaioumon glanced at him, his white hair flowing in the breeze. “In the meantime, I suspect that you will have the Royal Knights fighting on your side. That should help to even the odds,” he stated. He smiled faintly. “And I doubt that AncientGreymon of the Warrior Ten will sit idly by as a tyrant invades Saversburg.”

Tactimon continued his piercing gaze, which tried to get beneath Gaioumon’s icy, impenetrable exterior and dig out the information that he concealed to himself. “And if the Republic of Node did help us, could we expect your personal help?”

“Perhaps,” Gaioumon offered. “I am a warrior as well as an advisor and tactician.”

“And is that okay, with the Warrior Ten potentially there?” Tactimon prodded. “I can’t have you fighting each other over whatever history you have with them. I don’t need a battle within a battle, especially not one where the stakes are so high.”

Gaioumon smiled knowingly behind his helmet. “I am a professional, Tactimon… I will not involve myself with the Warrior Ten or KaiserGreymon. Rather, you don’t have to worry about me stabbing them in the back. That’s what you are thinking, isn’t it…?”

Tactimon gave him a look. “You can’t blame me for making sure… I know how volatile some of their personalities are… and your past precedes you. I have to account for everything.”

“No, I understand. Don’t worry. I will behave myself,” Gaioumon assured him. He bowed before Tactimon. “And now I must return to New Terminal. I wish you luck, Tactimon.” When he rose again, he offered his hand. “Do your best, and I shall do mine.”

Tactimon nodded and shook his hand firmly. “I appreciate it, Gaioumon,” he responded.

Before turning around, Gaioumon nodded behind Tactimon. “I believe that’s for you,” he pointed out, eyeing into the distance. Gaioumon then began making his way back into Saversburg for his journey back to New Terminal.

Tactimon turned around and saw a Digimon running towards him. It was a beast man Digimon, jogging on two, canine legs. His face was that of a wolf, surrounded by an orange mane and accentuated by a drill-shaped horn coming from the visor on his forehead. His body was clad with thick, metal armour that shimmered in the faint light. Over one of his metal hands was a shield armed with three, sharp claws on the bottom. In the other was a long, drill-like lance. As the JagerDorulumon jogged towards Tactimon, his white and orange cape flapped behind him, and his long orange hair blew in the breeze.

“Tactimon, Sir!” JagerDorulumon called out, running up to him from the grassy field.

“JagerDorulumon,” Tactimon said to his second-in-command as the beast warrior came to a stop in front of him.

JagerDorulumon stopped to catch his breath, panting for a few moments before standing up straight and composing himself. “General,” he greeted, saluting. “I’ve spoken to our scouts.”

“Good. What did they find?” the demon tactician asked. “How large of an enemy force are we dealing with?”

“It isn’t good, Tactimon,” JagerDorulumon explained, a grimace forming on his face. “It seems to be most of the D-Brigade. There’s over ten thousand… Plus, there are probably more back in Haganemame City and Facture.”

Tactimon narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin with his thumb and index finger. “I see… We don’t even have half that many soldiers,” he responded. “Where are they? What are they doing right now?”

“Currently, they’ve set up camp at the bridge fifteen kilometers to the northwest of the city. They seem to be consolidating their position and protecting their supply line while they prepare to invade,” the beast knight informed him.

“I see… I doubt they’ll wait more than a couple days. We’re probably lucky that they’re playing smart and not rushing to attack. That gives us a bit more time to prepare,” Tactimon mused, turning in the direction that JagerDorulumon described.

“And gather allies,” JagerDorulumon suggested. “I think we’ll need them. We can’t stand against the strength of the D-Brigade alone.”

Tactimon sighed and looked away from his second on command, staring into the distance. “I hate to admit it, but you’re probably right. Even with the best tactics, it would be hard to make the most of them with our numerical disadvantage,” he conceded.

“All three of the Storm Commanders are there. And scouts reported seeing Chaosdramon himself arriving just a few minutes ago,” the orange wolf man added.

At this, Tactimon frowned. His mind worked quickly. “Emperor Chaosdramon…? What’s he doing there?” he asked. “It couldn’t be that he…” Tactimon trailed off.

The black armoured demon man looked at JagerDorulumon. “Get someone to send for General Blastmon. I need to talk to him about our defences. And also send a messenger down to the Royal Knights. If we’re going to defend Saversburg, we’re going to need them and soon.”

“Yes, Tactimon,” JagerDorulumon complied, racing off towards the military base.

Tactimon watched him run off. After a few moments, Tactimon narrowed his eyes and tightly gripped the Jutetsufujin-maru as he bitterly cursed the situation.

Duftmon, you and the Royal Knights had better show up to help us. If there was ever a time that we needed your assistance, it’s now. Do not let me down…

-

The three Storm Commanders were busy organizing the D-Brigade. They were preparing most of the forces for the coming attack in a few days time. Before they could invade Saversburg, they needed to make their tactics and arrange the D-Brigade accordingly, as well as secure their position in case the Saversburg army tried to drive them off first.

D-Brigade scouts constantly patrolled their perimeter, as well as venturing deeper towards the city itself. Any activity from Saversburg was to be reported immediately. There was a degree of tension after their scouts had been mysteriously attacked that morning.

Presently, Raijinmon, Suijinmon, and Fujinmon were in a large, makeshift tent, going over tactics.

“So, you want to approach from this direction?” Raijinmon asked, looking at a map of Saversburg, leading his finger down across the terrain along the western part of the map.

“Yes,” Suijinmon responded. “The north is too hilly for our mechanized Digimon. It would be ideal if we advanced down this road and then onto level terrain.”

“I suppose that’s fine, but it’s a little predictable,” Fujinmon mused.

“Predictable is acceptable sometimes, as long as we have the strength and discipline to back it up,” Suijinmon explained. “Besides, they already know we are here, considering how they wiped out our advance patrol. We’ve already lost the element of surprise.”

Raijinmon nodded and placed his metal hands on his hips. “And you expect that the Saversburg army will come out to meet us?”

“I believe so. I don’t think they would want to risk the city. However, Tactimon is said to be a good general. He may have some tricks ready,” Suijinmon droned. “What I would like to do is—“

“Excuse me, Commander?” a voice said from outside the tent.

The flap of the tent opened and the gear-shaped body of a Hagurumon floated in cautiously. “My apologies. Am I interrupting?”

“It is fine,” Suijinmon told the child-level machine Digimon. “Do you have something to report?”

“Yes. Sort of,” Hagurumon replied, saluting with his cog arm. “His Highness, Emperor Chaosdramon has arrived at the camp. He wishes to speak with the three of you.”

Raijinmon blinked with surprise. “He’s here at the base?” he said, perplexed at the news.

Fujinmon frowned. “That’s unusual…” he muttered.

Suijinmon turned around. “Then we must meet him. Thank you, Hagurumon,” Suijinmon spoke, walking outside of the tent to find Chaosdramon.

When the red machine Digimon lumbered out of the tent, Fujinmon leaned in towards the Thunderclap Commander. “Hey, Raijinmon… What do you think Chaosdramon wants? This is strange, isn’t it?” he asked his comrade.

Raijinmon closed his eyes and folded his arms in thought. “It is, a bit… Maybe he just wants to see how things are going. Although he typically trusts military matters to us…”

“I wonder how much he really trusts us,” Fujinmon whispered.

Raijinmon shot Fujinmon a look of warning. “You should put those thoughts out of your mind, Fujinmon,” he advised the emerald armoured cyborg firmly. “Suijinmon is already suspicious of you for saying things like that. All it takes is one careless word and you could end up in trouble. Don’t let that happen.”

Fujinmon scoffed and straightened himself up with dignity. “It was just idle talk,” he answered bitterly.

The gold cyborg sighed and began walking. “Come on, Fujinmon,” he told him. “Let’s catch up with Suijinmon.”

There was a shimmer of passion in Fujinmon’s narrowed, gold eyes as he followed Raijinmon out of the tent. However, he closed them and composed himself before striding up beside the Thunderclap Commander.

Suijinmon was several meters ahead of them, making his way through the military camp constructed on the riverbank. There were D-Brigade soldiers all around. The unmistakeable, colossal, crimson body of Chaosdramon could be seen near the bridge, surveying his D-Brigade carefully.

As the three Storm Commanders made their way towards the bridge, the draconic body of a Darkdramon flew down from the sky and touched down beside the three commanders. He saluted and turned to Fujinmon. “Commander Fujinmon.”

Fujinmon gave a vertical salute with his Critical Arm. “How are the Special Recon Task Forces doing?” he asked his subordinate.

“They secured that strategic hill where we were attacked from,” the Darkdramon officer replied. “They are now engaging in zone reconnaissance. There seems to be some activity from the Saversburg military, but we don’t have to worry about them attacking us yet. Mostly scouts checking us out.”

Fujinmon nodded. “Good. Keep an eye on them and let me know if anything changes.”

“Sir,” Darkdramon spoke, beginning to turn around and intensifying the spread of his white wings.

“Oh, and Darkdramon. Meet me later in the evening. There is something I want to talk to you about,” Fujinmon added.

“Yes sir,” Darkdramon complied, sweeping his effervescent wings out and shooting back into the sky.

Raijinmon looked at Fujinmon curiously. “What’s that about?” he wondered.

“Just reviewing overnight patrols,” Fujinmon answered, walking ahead of the two.

“Good thinking. That makes sense,” Suijinmon agreed, plodding after the slender, green cyborg Digimon.

Raijinmon followed after them at a leisurely pace, folding his arms behind his back and observing the D-Brigade Digimon around the camp. His eyes kept going back to the large, red, lustrous emperor who had showed up suddenly. He kept wondering why. He couldn’t help but wonder if Fujinmon was right.

They approached the river bank next to the rushing water. Emperor Chaosdramon was there, standing at the base of the bridge. The bridge was constructed of sturdy metal that arched over the tempestuous Champion River. It showed the impressive skill of Saversburg architects that they were able to build a bridge to support Digimon as heavy as a Chaosdramon or Deckerdramon.

Chaosdramon loomed over the whole campsite. His presence and gravitas was as heavy as his actual weight. As he watched the D-Brigade work, he stood on the stone road, unable to move onto the soft riverbank without sinking into the relatively soft ground. He walked up the road upon seeing his three Storm Commander approaching him.

“Your Majesty,” Suijinmon spoke, slowly coming to a stop and bowing his head in respect.

Fujinmon and Raijinmon stopped beside the massive Waterfall Commander and bowed as well.

Chaosdramon raised his vice-like claws. “At ease, Commanders,” he told them, allowing the three to relax.

“Emperor,” Raijinmon spoke, standing up straight again. “What are you doing here?”

“We were unaware that you were coming,” Fujinmon agreed. “We thought you were organising things back in Haganemame City.”

“I was. I decided to come here,” Chaosdramon rumbled in a deep, breathy reverberation. He stared at them with his cold, crimson eyes. “My presence doesn’t cause a problem, does it?”

“Of course not, Your Highness,” Suijinmon insisted. “Was there a particular reason that you wanted to visit us?”

“Yes…” Chaosdramon spoke, his intimidating whisper melding into a hiss of steam escaping the vents on his giant, metal backpack. “I have decided… I am going to personally oversee this invasion.”

Raijinmon took a step forward. “W-What? You want to… what?” he asked incredulously, but trying his best to choose his words carefully.

Fujinmon’s eyes widened, but his look of surprise swiftly changed. He closed his eyes calmly and seemed to passively accept the development.

Suijinmon frowned with both shock and scepticism at this idea. “Your majesty…? But…” He stalled, finding himself having trouble speaking against his superior. “In what capacity?” he asked, deciding to give a neutral response.

“I intend to invoke my martial powers – as the Chief Commander of the D-Brigade,” Chaosdramon stated firmly. “I am the ultimate head of the D-Brigade, if you recall. I am not just the ruler of the Metal Empire.”

“O-Of course, Emperor Chaosdramon…” Raijinmon spoke, frowning pensively at his choice of words. It was as if Chaosdramon wanted to remind them that the D-Brigade didn’t belong to the Storm Commanders, even if they did most of the work.

“But, Your Majesty…” Suijinmon dared to speak up. “You know that you can leave the invasion to us, correct? We will not disappoint you.”

“I never implied that you would, Suijinmon,” Chaosdramon answered, turning his imposing gaze to the comparatively smaller, red, machine Digimon. “However, this is my decision. Our invasion of Saversburg marks a new era in Metal Empire’s history. I will not be the one who sits around on his throne while his subordinates do all of the work. I will not rest on my laurels. I will be the one who leads the Metal Empire to victory and prosperity… with my own claws.” He narrowed his blood red eyes. “I am the Metal Empire. I will make everybody remember what I am capable of.”

“B-But it is dangerous, Your Majesty,” Suijinmon protested.

Chaosdramon shot Suijinmon a look. “I was a soldier once. I became an officer in the D-Brigade thanks to my skills. Do not underestimate my sheer power and efficiency, Suijinmon. It wasn’t just my intelligence that allowed me to overthrow JumboGamemon. It also needed my skill and muscle.”

Suijinmon winced. “Yes, Emperor, I know, but if what if something were to happen to you?”

The blood-hued eyes of the emperor narrowed. “And just what would happen to me?” he challenged.

Suijinmon decided to stay quiet. He didn’t dare dispute Chaosdramon any further. “…Nothing. I apologise, Your Majesty…”

“Good…” Chaosdramon stated. He turned and looked at Fujinmon. “Do you have any objections, Fujinmon?” he tested the Hurricane Commander.

Fujinmon opened his eyes and looked up at Chaosdramon serenely. “None at all, Emperor. If this is what you wish, then you are more than welcome to lead the D-Brigade, as is your prerogative…” he answered cordially.

Chaosdramon nodded before looking at Raijinmon. “Raijinmon?”

Raijinmon straightened up and folded his arms behind him in his usual posture. “Of course. We are lucky to have your experience aiding us in battle,” he agreed.

“Yes, Your Majesty…” Suijinmon murmured, not wanting to challenge Chaosdramon, but worrying about his emperor’s safety.

“Good,” Chaosdramon rumbled. He moved around on his heavy, half-organic legs, turning towards the thousands of soldiers around the large camp. “How is the state of the D-Brigade?”

“At peak operating capacity,” Raijinmon assured him. “We will be ready in a few days at the latest.”

“And Saversburg?” Chaosdramon asked. “I spoke to some of the officers when I first arrived. Apparently one of our patrols has been wiped out?”

“Yes…” Suijinmon answered.

“Then they attacked us first. That gives us all of the justification we need to respond with crushing force,” Chaosdramon declared. After a moment, Chaosdramon shook his head. “No… Our strength is the only justification that we need. No more playing politics with other states. No more compromising and putting up a front. I am a general, not a politician. …Politics… That fleeting moment in the history of the Digital World is soon coming to an end.”

Fujinmon looked at Chaosdramon suspiciously. “Crushing force?” he inquired for confirmation.

“Yes, we will annihilate their army,” the monumental cyborg explained. “And when the Royal Knights show up, we will destroy them too. They are too dangerous to leave alive. With them gone, order will be in our total control. It will be the intelligence, strength, and discipline of the Metal Empire that creates a new world order.”

“Yes, Emperor…” Raijinmon spoke, although the words lingered in his throat.

“You can rely on us, Emperor,” Fujinmon stated.

“Good,” Chaosdramon spoke, turning forwards. He began to walk up the road, further into the military camp. “Suijinmon, give me a complete run down on the situation. This way.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Suijinmon obeyed, lumbering after him.

Fujinmon watched as the two ruby-coloured machines walked off. He waited several moments before turning to Raijinmon. “That was strange, wasn’t it?” he asked his comrade.

Raijinmon frowned with thought. “I suppose it was…” he couldn’t help but agree.

Fujinmon leaned in towards the medium-sized Thunderclap Commander. “You know what that was about, don’t you?” he said to Raijinmon. “That was the Emperor asserting his authority over the D-Brigade. Without explicitly saying it, he was telling us that ‘the D-Brigade is loyal to me, not you.’”

“What?” Raijinmon asked, looking at Fujinmon. “He wouldn’t be so bold. You would think that he would trust his best subordinates.”

“Don’t you think he’s been acting strangely lately?” Fujinmon questioned. “It’s clear that he’s starting to distrust us.” Fujinmon levelled his calm, golden eyes on Raijinmon. “First, he assassinates JumboGamemon without telling us… Then he starts invading our neighbours, completely reversing our long standing, guiding principle of isolation. It’s been ages since we’ve expanded our empire outwards, and we’ve never done so with such blatant aggression. I wonder… that attack on Facture… was it really from the outside? Perhaps the Emperor wanted a pretext to begin these invasions. All of this is far too calculated…”

Raijinmon narrowed his eyes. “Watch what you say, Fujinmon. You are speaking treasonously…” he warned him in a harsh whisper.

Fujinmon challenged Raijinmon’s glare with his own. “So tell somebody. Arrest me yourself if you disagree with what I’m saying. You know that what I’m saying isn’t unreasonable. You’re a smart Digimon, Raijinmon,” he fired back in a hushed voice.

The electric commander winced and turned his gaze away. “I agree that he’s been acting differently in the way that you say… But saying that he planned all of this from the start may be a stretch,” he reasoned.

“Even so… It’s clear that he doesn’t trust us anymore,” Fujinmon explained. “Not even Suijinmon, who is as loyal as a Gabumon. I mean… Chaosdramon came to check on us in Haganemame City, and now he wants to conduct this campaign personally. It’s clear that he’s trying to undermine us.”

Raijinmon closed his eyes. “Perhaps… I’m not sure…” he spoke, his uneasiness obvious in his voice. “Even so, he is our Emperor. All we can do is obey him and prove our loyalty and competence on the battlefield.”

“That is only a short term solution, is it not?” Fujinmon asked rhetorically. “Distrust only grows with time. We need to start thinking about a way to protect ourselves…”

Raijinmon turned away from Fujinmon. He was quiet for a few moments before replying. “…We’ll see…” he answered noncommittally. The Thunderclap Commander turned ninety degrees to look at Fujinmon behind him. “Fujinmon, because you’re my friend, I won’t breathe a word of this conversation to anybody.”

Fujinmon closed his eyes and sighed softly. “I appreciate that, Raijinmon… Just don’t dismiss what I’m saying out of hand… Think about it. One of your greatest qualities is your open mind. Use it, and you can become one of the greatest Digimon in Digital World history.”

Raijinmon stalled. After a few seconds of thought, he quietly turned away from Fujinmon and began walking away from the riverbank and the bridge. Raijinmon walked into the D-Brigade camp and went back to preparing his forces for the battle to come.

As his friend walked away, Fujinmon rose his head and looked up into the sky with what would amount to a smile of satisfaction. “This is it, Chaosdramon… This is my opportunity. After years and years of debasing myself before you, I will finally get my satisfaction.

I will be the one who brings your reign of terror to an end, you damn tyrant…
 

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
Chapter 20: Betrayal (Part I)​

All twelve of the Royal Knights walked up a wide road that led into Saversburg from the south. The road was large enough to support four Mammothmon standing side by side. This was in order to accommodate all the foot and transportation traffic going in and out of Saversburg.

The giant city stood majestically over the surrounding fields. Greeting the Royal Knights at the front entrance was a row of giant, golden archways, known as the Heroes’ Entrance. The multitude of arches that spanned the road towered over even some of the largest Digimon. It was a beautiful sight on the way into the city.

The twelve Royal Knights made their way under the archways and continued towards the entrance. They couldn’t help but notice the amount of Digimon coming out of the city. There were a lot of Digimon who were leaving with their belongings. The essential items were being transported by hand, carts, wagons, or heavy duty Digimon who were in the transport business, who carried large quantities of items. With the amount of Digimon leaving, the Royal Knights felt like they were swimming upstream of a river.

The Royal Knights walked on the side of the road in order to allow the fleeing Digimon to pass in a safe and organised manner. They walked in two columns of six in order to not take up too much room.

The rest of the Order military was about a kilometer or two behind the Royal Knights. Since they disembarked from their Deep Savers transports, the Royal Knights opted to go ahead to Saversburg and prepare for their stay there. Part of the reason for this was that the Strike Forces and Defence Forces would take awhile to catch up with their large numbers. Meanwhile, the Reconnaissance Forces and the Stealth Forces were each doing their own things – scouts were checking out the D-Brigade and the areas inside and around Saversburg, while the Stealth Forces were busy getting information and doing other covert operations. Waiting back at Castle Avalon were the Castle Guards, a handful of scouts and spies, the headquarters staff, and Dorbickmon, just so that the headquarters was well defended.

Alphamon walked at the head of the group with Imperialdramon Paladin Mode. Right behind them were Omegamon and Dukemon. The other nine followed from not far behind.

“There’s a lot of Digimon fleeing the city,” Magnamon mused, looking over at the passing Digimon of all shapes and sizes, from Baby to Perfect level.

“Maybe the mayor put out an evacuation order,” Dynasmon suggested, walking with his arms folded.

“I guess it’s true that the D-Brigade is invading,” Dukemon said, narrowing his eyes. “Not that I’m doubting the reports. It’s just… kind of unbelievable that Chaosdramon would go this far.”

“To think that they would be so bold…” Duftmon mused. “I suppose it makes sense from a strategic point of view, but it was hard to expect this from the Metal Empire. They may be cruel and ruthless, but they generally wouldn’t do anything so risky and audacious.”

“The gauntlets are off now,” Gankoomon spoke up. He nonchalantly placed his hands behind his head as he walked. “What do they have to gain by being careful, especially after everything they’ve done so far? Now that they’ve pissed us off so much, why not try to take as much as they can?” he rhetorically suggested.

“You mean, apart from the fact that we’re going to blast them into spare parts,” Dynasmon responded confidently.

“Yeah, apart from that,” Gankoomon said with a grin.

Examon frowned as he thought about the situation. “So, what should we do?” he asked.

“Simple, Ex-sama. We defend Saversburg,” UlforceVeedramon responded plainly. He grinned and stretched his arms; he was now completely healed from the injuries he sustained last time he fought around Saversburg “That’s all there is to it.”

“In battle?” Examon followed up. “That seems to be the only way we can do that at this point.”

“I’m inclined to agree,” Alphamon stated firmly. “We are at a point where we can no longer shy away from battle with the Metal Empire. Chaosdramon won’t consider diplomacy, so we’ll have to speak respond with a clear voice and a firm hand. It is our duty as Royal Knights to quell this threat.”

Omegamon nodded in agreement. “I think we are all prepared for that,” he stated.

“Yeah…” Sleipmon said pensively. He frowned as he thought about the situation. “This is what we need to do to protect people…”

“Indeed. The Metal Empire has been left unchecked for quite long enough,” RhodoKnightmon agreed, folding his arms. “They must be reminded of what happens when Digimon do things like this. The Royal Knights and our justice aren’t things to be ignored.”

“Yeah. Time to put them in their place,” Craniamon added in staunch agreement, cracking his knuckles.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode looked over at Alphamon. “Do you want me to join in?” he offered, also glancing back at Omegamon.

Alphamon frowned as he thought about the offer. Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode certainly was a force on the battlefield. “Is the Dark Area strategy meeting still going on?” he inquired.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode nodded. “Yeah, they said they were going to carry on until the battle reaches the city.”

“Then you should stay with them,” Alphamon advised. “While your combat skills would be more than helpful, we need a solution to the Dark Area crisis just as much.”

Omegamon nodded with agreement. “I agree, Imperialdramon,” he said to the white-armoured dragon man. “We need to focus on the long term as well as the short term.”

Imperialdramon gave his friends a knowing smile. “And you’re worried I’m rusty and I’ll get myself hurt, right?” he deduced with a chuckle. “Well, I’ll play along for now. Back to fixing the Dark Area it is…” His expression grew serious. “But if you do need me, you know where I am. I might even have to make an unannounced appearance if things get really bad.”

“We know, Imperialdramon,” Omegamon answered appreciatively, with a tiny smile reflected in his blue eyes.

“Thank you,” Alphamon concurred, continuing to walk towards the city gates of Saversburg.

Dukemon patted Imperialdramon Paladin Mode’s shoulder. “You’ll be the first to know,” he assured him. As Dukemon pulled his hand back, he turned and looked to the eastern sky. In the clouds, he could see the distant silhouette of a flying creature. The Royal Knight recognised it immediately.

Grani swiftly skimmed the sky before diving down towards the group of Royal Knights at a gentle angle. “Alphamon, Dukemon,” he called out while approaching the group. Grani circled around them and reared his body back, coming to a soft stop beside them. He hovered beside the thirteen Digimon and floated along at their walking pace. “I apologise for taking so long.”

“No apology necessary, Grani,” Alphamon assured him. “How did the scouting go?”

“It’s as they said in the letter: the D-Brigade is preparing an invasion up by the bridge,” Zero ARMS: Grani responded. “They have started shooting at patrols that get close to them, both ours and Saversburg’s.”

Dukemon narrowed his eyes. “Are you okay, Grani?” he asked him, concern and anger starting to ignite his voice.

“I am fine, thank you. There is not a scratch on me,” he assured his friend.

Alphamon looked at Grani evenly. “What did you see?” he questioned, his tone becoming serious and professional.

“They have started leaving their encampment and they are heading south-east towards Saversburg. Due to the geography, namely the rivers caused by the sky waterfalls north of Saversburg, I predict that they will have to hook around and advance from the west, rather than from the north or northwest, where they would have to cross the rivers and get caught up in capturing more bridges,” Grani explained rationally.

Duftmon nodded in agreement. “Since it’s impossible for the Metal Empire to besiege the city, they likely wish to crush any opposition as swiftly as possible. They have nothing to gain and everything to lose by dragging this invasion out; every moment wasted is another moment given to Saversburg to fortify and recruit allies. Attempting to capture and cross every other bridge from the north would waste a lot of time. They will likely do as Grani says and attack from the west in a day or two,” he deduced.

“How many were there?” Alphamon asked as the group approached the city gates.

“I estimate around 9850 with a 3% margin of error,” Grani answered with computer-like precision. “I would guess that around 70% of the D-Brigade is there. I have sent patrols to the north and the west to make sure they won’t try anything clever without us noticing.” He glanced forwards, noticing a Digimon walking towards them, rather than past them. “Alphamon.”

Alphamon looked forwards. Walking out from the entrance to Saversburg was Tactimon. The dark, regal-looking general strode towards them, as if to greet their arrival. The Royal Knights came to a halt right at the edge of the city as Tactimon sauntered up to them.

“Hello, Royal Knights,” Tactimon greeted, stopping in front of the group. He turned and looked at Duftmon specifically. “Hello, Duftmon. Thank you, all of you, for coming.”

“Salutations, Tactimon,” Duftmon mumbled, sheepishly glancing aside and not looking directly at his friend.

Alphamon nodded. “You didn’t need to come out to greet us personally. You must be very busy with battle preparations,” he stated.

“I am, but it was the least that I could do,” Tactimon responded. “I assume that your presence here means that you will help us?”

“Yes,” Alphamon replied. “We may have gotten you into this mess, after all. It is our duty to end this.”

Tactimon breathed a sigh of relief. “That should help to even the odds a bit…” He looked past the group of thirteen. “Is the rest of your army en route?”

“Yeah,” Dukemon spoke up. “They’ll be here in an hour or two. We just thought we’d go ahead of them and prepare the way.”

Tactimon nodded. “I will personally see to it that you all have lodgings. I know there are almost a thousand of you, so I am not sure if there will be enough space inside of the city… Will a camp out here do?” he asked.

“That should be fine. Thank you, Tactimon,” Alphamon replied.

“Of course. To be honest, it would increase security inside of Saversburg as well, having the Royal Knights right outside,” he explained. He took a calming breath. “We are concerned about D-Brigade infiltration squads getting into the city and sabotaging us or figuring out our battle plans.”

“We can help you on that front,” Magnamon assured him.

Alphamon nodded. “We are comrades in arms now. You can rely on us to fight on behalf of Saversburg,” he added in agreement. He turned and looked at Duftmon. “We aren’t about to let Duftmon’s hometown and one of the greatest cities in the Digital World fall to a tyrant who thinks he can invade his neighbours without us responding.”

Duftmon closed his eyes and bowed his head. “…Yes. We aren’t…” he spoke in concurrence.

Tactimon nodded tiredly. Looking closely at his eyes, stress and weariness could be seen hidden beneath his glossy, gold orbs. “Thank you…” he responded.

Both Alphamon and Imperialdramon noticed Tactimon’s state. “You should take a break, Tactimon,” Alphamon advised him. “How long have you been preparing?”

“Since I first found out. I am fine, however,” he assured them. “Every minute counts.”

“You’re no use to your army like that. Take a break, if only for just an hour or two,” Imperialdramon suggested.

Tactimon sighed, conceding his point. “Very well. But only for an hour,” he accepted, recognizing the wisdom in their words.

Alphamon smiled and folded his arms. “Good… Would you like me to make you some coffee or tea to help you distress? They are both very medicinal in their own ways,” he offered.

Tactimon thought about Alphamon’s offer for a moment. “…One of each sounds good,” he agreed.

All of the other Royal Knights, Imperialdramon, and Grani exchanged uneasy looks. Alphamon had many qualities, but being a good coffee and tea brewer was certainly not one of them. Back when he first started, there were pieces of tea leaves in the tea, and there was usually ground or even whole coffee beans floating in his coffee. Now that he perfected the art of brewing, he has began to add new ‘flavours’ to the liquids, in a display of culinary adventurism. Everyone present has had to choke down his coffee at one point or another. Many have taken to stealthily jettisoning the tea into nearby plants. None of them envied Tactimon’s ignorance.

Still smiling, Alphamon nodded. “Good. To the university, then? Just show me to where you keep everything,” he stated. “Have you ever tried vanilla coffee? Vanilla is supposed to do wonders for stress.”

“That sounds good,” Tactimon said to Alphamon. He nodded at the Royal Knights and turned around, leading them through the largest of the golden archways – the gate to the city. “Right this way,” he informed them, walking inside the bustling city of Saversburg.

UlforceVeedramon looked at those around him. “Should we warn Tactimon about Alphamon’s… art?” he whispered, using the term art with a deliberate degree of sarcasm.

“Let him find out through experience,” Duftmon coolly responded.

“Poor guy…” Magnamon murmured, fiddling with his golden collar.

Alphamon turned around. “By the way, do any of you want some as well? It won’t be any trouble making extra, assuming they have enough ingredients,” he offered with a proud smile.

“No, thank you,” Omegamon quickly said.

“I’m good,” Dukemon spoke up next.

The rest of the Royal Knights tried to rattle off some excuses as quickly as they could, not wanting to be one of the last ones to speak up, as one or two usually had to bite the bullet or else they’d look suspicious. Eventually, Examon and Sleipmon ended up taking pity on the black Royal Knight and agreed to have some, although with faintly sour expressions.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode chuckled at this and continued walking alongside Alphamon. “I’ll have some of your coffee, Alphamon,” he offered, walking forwards. “It’s always an adventure.”

“Great. You always did have a good palette,” Alphamon stated with a hint of excitement. He walked alongside him and put some distance between themselves and the rest of the Royal Knights.

The large group of Ultimate level Digimon were now walking past the walls of the city and into the main road inside Saversburg. It was a busy road with many different shops and services on all sides. The large road continued straight, into the heart of the city. However, many other roads branched off from the main road in different directions, all lined with shops, restaurants, and businesses.

“I swear Imperialdramon actually likes that stuff,” Dynasmon whispered to Craniamon, who was walking beside him. “There must be something wrong with his taste buds.

“Must be,” Craniamon agreed. “I’ve seen tar more appetizing.”

However, as the violet Royal Knight walked, one of the Digimon who was walking up the main street of the city caught his eye. Craniamon stopped and gazed curiously, eyeing a short Digimon as he made his way out of an apothecary and up the busy sidewalk.

It was a Wizardmon. The short demon man Digimon walked along, his head meekly ducked behind his collar to conceal the lower half of his face.

“What the…” Craniamon murmured, stepping further onto the smooth, stone street. He stopped and looked at the Wizardmon carefully. Something seemed familiar about him.

Dynasmon turned and looked at Craniamon, wondering why he went in a different direction. “What’s up, Craniamon?” he wondered.

“That Wizardmon over there, I think I recognise him…” Craniamon replied quizzically. The dark armoured knight decided to test out his theory. He walked across the street, towards the Wizardmon in question. “Hey, you! Wizardmon!”

The Wizardmon froze in place. He turned and looked over his shoulder nervously. He spotted Craniamon walking towards him. It was then that he noticed all of the Royal Knights walking up the main Saversburg road. Their presence attracting attention to them from the passing Digimon civilians.

Wizardmon’s eyes widened with fear. He turned forwards again, half-heartedly pretending that he didn’t notice Craniamon. A ways up the main road was the inn; that was supposed to be his next destination. He contemplated making a break for it, but he knew that that would cast suspicion on him, and he doubted he could get away. Grimacing, Wizardmon took a deep breath and turned around to face Craniamon, who walked right up to him.

“Y-Y-Yes?” Wizardmon questioned. His voice trembled and his legs shook as he looked up at the daunting, fearsome knight that loomed over him.

“Have we met before? I feel like I know you from somewhere,” Craniamon explained, his glowing, blood-crimson eyes squinting at the mage Digimon.

“I… I don’t think so…” Wizardmon offered, glancing to the side, having considerable trouble lying to the face of such an intimidating and powerful Digimon. “I think you, perhaps, could be mistaken…?”

“You sure you don’t know me? I’m Craniamon of the Royal Knights. I’m sure I know you,” Craniamon responded, giving Wizardmon a scrutinizing leer that once again made the demon mage wither. Upon seeing the sight, he was positive that he saw him before. “…I got it. Dusk Village. I remember seeing you in Dusk Village.”

Wizardmon’s eyes widened with terror. “I… I… I don’t recall…” the shy sorcerer attempted.

“Yeah, I definitely remember you…” Craniamon turned his head and called over to the group of Royal Knights, who were slowly making their way up the long road, deeper into the commercial part of the city. “Hey, Examon! Come over here for a minute!”

Examon stopped and looked at Craniamon curiously. He raised an eyebrow and made his way over to Craniamon and Wizardmon. “Yeah, Craniamon?” he wondered, although he looked at Wizardmon with a prying gaze as well.

“You remember this Wizardmon, right? We met him in Dusk Village about a year ago. Remember, when we were investigating those disappearances in Dusk Forest and it was that Tankdramon who had a dark evolution thanks to a dark rift?” Craniamon said, looking up at the larger Digimon and hoping to dodge his memory.

Wizardmon winced at the keen perception that Craniamon had. He looked up at Examon for his response.

Examon blinked and nodded, suddenly placing the appearance into context. He folded his arms across his armoured chest and looked down at the Wizardmon. “Yeah, I remember now. You’re definitely that Wizardmon that we met,” Examon mused. “You were the one who hired that Tankdramon in the first place. It was because you wanted to investigate the dark rifts, wasn’t it?”

Wizardmon winced and reflexively took a step back. He tried to compose himself, not wanting to look suspicious. There was no point in denying it now. “I… Yes, I vaguely remember now… I’m sorry… My memory is shoddy…” he sheepishly apologised, looking extremely uncomfortable.

Craniamon continued to scrutinise the Wizardmon. “So… You’re a scientist with an interest in the dark rifts, aren’t you?” he questioned.

“Yes… I… I research abnormal data,” Wizardmon explained, starting to feel sweat underneath his clothes.

“What are you doing up here?” Craniamon questioned. “You didn’t live in Dusk Village?”

“N-No, I was merely visiting there for research,” Wizardmon replied, fidgeting with his wizard cap. “After I heard reports of Digimon acting differently in Dusk Forest.”

Examon raised a hand to rub the chin of his snout with the dull edge of his claws. “If you’re a scientist studying the Dark Area, could it be that you’re here for a particular reason?” he asked, wondering if this Wizardmon was one of the Digimon part of the Dark Area strategy group. He wasn’t able to ask him directly since the group was supposed to be a secret, but he wanted to press for information.

“What? No!” Wizardmon responded defensively. “I’m… I live here.”

“Yeah?” Craniamon asked him, folding his arms. “If that’s the case, you might not want to hang around. We won’t let the D-Brigade into the city, but it’s better to be safe.”

“Um… Yes, you’re right,” Wizardmon replied. He glanced towards the inn he was supposed to go to. “I just have to…” He stalled. He didn’t want to be followed into the inn, where Black Pincer Company was waiting for him. That would ruin everything. Wizardmon decided that he would need to be smart about this. He sighed with defeat. “Never mind. You’re right. I should leave.”

“Good idea,” Craniamon responded, glancing towards the exit to the city,

“Goodbye then. It was an honour to see you both again, Sir Royal Knights,” Wizardmon stated nervously. Without needing to be told, he submissively began to walk towards the exit of the city. With every step, he worried that he was going to be stopped by Craniamon and Examon again.

Examon watched as the Wizardmon walked off. He turned to Craniamon. “Do you think we should have told him about the Dark Area group?” he asked the violet knight. “If he’s a scientist studying the dark rifts, he might know some useful information that the research group could use.”

Craniamon narrowed his eyes, which were still fixed on the Wizardmon’s back. “…I dunno. I’m not sure if we could trust him with that information,” he said suspiciously.

“You don’t trust him?” Examon asked.

Craniamon shrugged noncommittally. “Didn’t he seem shifty to you? He looked uneasy…” the Royal Knight remarked, turning and looking up at Examon. “I even remember him acting weird back when we first met him.”

“He’s just shy,” Examon reasoned. “Let’s face it, Craniamon. We’re both pretty intimidating Digimon. Dealing with both of us at the same time can be pretty unnerving, especially when he knows we’re both Royal Knights.”

“Still, I always thought it was weird that he hired that Tankdramon to do his researching for him, instead of doing it himself” Craniamon mused.

“Not every Digimon is as brave as you are, Craniamon,” Examon pointed out. “I don’t doubt that he was afraid to go in that forest. I mean, look at him. He looks pretty meek to me.”

Craniamon shrugged. “I guess so…” he supposed. He then turned and looked up the busy Saversburg road. He could see that the group of Royal Knights were some distance up the shop-filled street now. “Come on, Examon. We’re getting left behind.”

Examon nodded and walked alongside Craniamon up the road. They marched at an increased pace to try and catch up with their comrades.

Meanwhile, Wizardmon walked out of the city and breathed a sigh of relief. He cast a look of regret over his shoulder, reached for his wand, and continued walking.

-

Wizardmon had been heading towards the inn on the next corner of the main road leading into Saversburg from the south. It was a large inn, capable of housing lots of Digimon of all sizes. It was known as the Adventurer’s Rest. On the main level of the Adventurer’s Rest was a bar area. Along the side wall was a long bar counter that overlooked the various stools and tables in the room.

Due to the crisis situation going on in Saversburg, there were only a few Digimon in the bar. Among these Digimon were GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon, who sat at a table and ate food. The evacuation order had been sounded, but it seemed like the owner of the inn was going to ignore it and weather the storm.

GrandisKuwagamon swallowed what food was in his mouth and then looked around the bar. “Where the hell is Bolgmon? He’s taking forever.”

Blitzmon shrugged. “He probably got distracted,” he answered, cutting a piece of meat on his plate. “I’m more concerned about Wizardmon. He’s late with our payment.”

GrandisKuwagamon placed his elbow on the table and leaned his chin onto his black hand. “Yeah… There’s that too. He should have been here an hour ago. I guess he got held up,” he mused. He looked across the table at Blitzmon. “So… What do you think?”

“Think about what? Where Wizardmon is?” Blitzmon asked him.

“No. He said that he was going to take us to meet our client finally, remember? As a show of ‘good will’… So, who do you think this client really is?” he wondered, thinking about the question himself.

Blitzmon shrugged. “Whoever it is must have a lot of money to keep paying us like this. Maybe it’s a king or somebody else who wants to make good on the Knights and the tin cans taking chunks outta one another,” he suggested.

“Maybe they just think this is worth the big investment,” GrandisKuwagamon figured.

Blitzmon placed his fork and knife down on his empty plate. “Either way, I don’t want to wait around here for too long. The D-Brigade wants Saversburg for themselves.”

“Yeah… That’s not good news for us,” GrandisKuwagamon pointed out. “We take a lot of good jobs here. If the Metal Empire takes over, then this place turns into another Facture. That’s less business for us. Not to mention we’ve got a bounty on our heads there.”

“We’ve got a bounty on our heads here too. Have you seen the posters?” Blitzmon reminded him. “The Royal Knights must be spreading them.”

GrandisKuwagamon smirked. “It’s not easy being so popular,” he joked.

Blitzmon closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

“Uh… Blitz?” GrandisKuwagamon suddenly asked with incredulity in his voice. “…What the hell is that?”

Blitzmon opened his eyes and was shocked to see a glowing ball in front of them. It hovered over the table between them, bobbing up and down. “The ****?” he questioned.

Something suddenly came flying out of the ball of light and floated down, onto the table. It looked like a piece of paper. The glowing sphere then disappeared.

GrandisKuwagamon took the piece of paper and opened it. “It’s a note…” he explained, his crimson eye scanning the paper. “It says, ‘Sorry. Saversburg not safe. Meet me at Shroud in three days instead. From Wizardmon.’”

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes, not liking the sound of that. “What does he mean, ‘not safe’?”

“I dunno… It’s not because of the D-Brigade invasion, is it?” GrandisKuwagamon asked. He scoffed and shook his head, standing to his feet. “Whatever, let’s find Bolgmon and head to Shroud.”

Just as the two mercenaries stood up, the sound of the inn’s doors swinging open sharply got their attention. Bolgmon speeded inside the lobby and made directly for the bar area. “Guys!” he called out urgently, skidding to a stop in front of their table.

GrandisKuwagamon cocked his head and eyed Bolgmon. “Yo, Bolgie. What’s clogging your vents?” he asked, wondering what got him so worked up.

“Shut up and listen!” Bolgmon heatedly barked, glaring. “We’re in deep ****!”

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about? What’s going on?” he asked him.

“Yeah, what did you do now?” GrandisKuwagamon questioned.

“Nothing, *******! It’s the Royal Knights!” he explained, not in the mood for his wisecracks. “They’re in the city!”

This caused the expressions of the two other members of Black Pincer Company to darken. “What?” GrandisKuwagamon asked, his voice dead serious now. “The Royal Knights are here?”

“Where?” Blitzmon asked.

“I saw them all of them a few blocks away like half an hour ago! I had to drive behind a dumpster!” Bolgmon exclaimed, his emerald eyes wild and angry.

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes into a grimace. “So that’s what Wizardmon meant by danger.”

GrandisKuwagamon hissed and clenched his fists. “That settles it. We’re getting the hell out of here,” he declared.

“We can’t!” Bolgmon retorted. “The Royal Knights’ damn army is setting up right outside the south exit! They’re all over the place! The west and north exits are all loaded with security too! We’ll never make it out!”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” GrandisKuwagamon growled. “Are you sure?”

Bolgmon shot GrandisKuwagamon a look. “Go and check yourself if you don’t believe me,” he snapped at him.

“Fine,” GrandisKuwagamon grunted. “I’ll be back in ten. I’ll see if there’s any way we can all get out.”

Blitzmon nodded. “Don’t get seen,” he told the black insect Digimon

“I won’t,” GrandisKuwagamon responded, walking past them and slipping out the front door.

Bolgmon sneered and watched as GrandisKuwagamon left the inn. He waited a few moments before turning his armoured head towards Blitzmon. “So… Think that’s really what he’s doing?” he asked, floating his suspicion to Blitzmon.

“Huh?” Blitzmon wondered, not understanding what he meant.

The heavy armoured tank gestured over his shoulder towards the door that GrandisKuwagamon. “He might be off saving his own shell right now,” he explained. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“What are you talking about?” the smaller of the two beetle Digimon asked. “He’s going to scout.”

“That’s what he says… It’s hard to trust him these days, don’t you think?” Bolgmon put forward, giving Blitzmon a meaningful look.

Blitzmon frowned at Bolgmon’s words. “Why are you saying that?”

“Hey, I just noticed that he’s been acting weird lately. Ever since we started this contract, he’s been working against us. He’s always looking out for number one,” Bolgmon explained. “I think he cares more about himself than he does about the company. That’s what it seems to me, at least.”

Blitzmon looked away. He thought about Bolgmon’s words, but wore a sceptical look on his face. “I dunno… GrandisKuwagamon has always been loyal to the company, Bolgmon.”

Bolgmon narrowed his green eyes at Blitzmon’s reluctance. “Yeah, but Digimon change. I haven’t forgotten what he said in the Forest of Memories,” the bulky, blue cyborg responded fervently. “He said that he only looked after himself.”

The insect man considered Bolgmon’s points, but he didn’t reply one way or another.

“Grandis can’t be trusted. He may be with us now, but what about later on? What if our client wants to extend our contract? This is good money we’re raking in, but Grandis has been against it from the start,” Bolgmon continued. “He might be a threat to us in the future, Blitzmon…”

Blitzmon frowned and looked at Bolgmon. “If that ever happens, then we’ll deal with it then…” he explained firmly. “Right now, we need GrandisKuwagamon. He’s useful to Black Pincer Company. If he ever becomes more of a burden than a help, then I’ll consider… whatever it is you’re suggesting.” He leered at Bolgmon with a cool gaze. “What are you suggesting exactly? What are you trying to get out of this?”

Bolgmon winced and looked away, folding his cannon arms defensively. “Nothing! I’m just lookin’ out for us, y’know? It was just on my mind.”

“Yeah, well, keep it to yourself,” Blitzmon told him. “We need unity right now. Not suspicion.”

“Fine, whatever,” Bolgmon muttered, glancing off to the side. “But… hypothetically, if it was between us and him, what would you choose?”

Blitzmon shot him a look. “What do you think?” he answered dismissively. The azure and yellow insect turned and looked towards the front desk of the inn. “I’m going to go pay up and check us out of the inn. We need to make a quick exit,” Blitzmon explained. “Think you can come up with an exit strategy?”

“Yeah…” Bolgmon responded with faint bitterness.

Blitzmon nodded and walked out of the bar area and over to the front desk.

As he walked away, Bolgmon gave the insect man a sideways leer. He scoffed with frustration that his plan didn’t work. He rolled over to the table they were sitting at. It was then that a devilish look of glee formed in Bolgmon’s eyes. “Fine… I’ve got another idea anyways…

You won’t ***** about getting rid of GrandisKuwagamon once you see this plan in action…

-

As the afternoon set in, the Royal Knights were getting settled into Saversburg. At the moment, they were largely busy preparing their forces and getting info on the battle situation. They coordinated with the Saversburg military and kept tabs on the movements of the D-Brigade as closely as they could. The Order military was now camped outside of the southern part of Saversburg, with tents and facilities provided by the city. They made their temporary residence around the giant archways near the entrance, flanking the road on both sides.

Currently, the Royal Knights were scattered around different areas of the city, each helping out and offering leadership in their own way.

Duftmon with Tactimon sat in the gardens of Xuanwumon University. They were seated in a small pavilion, surrounded by vibrant green grass and colourful floral arrangements. The stream that flowed through the gardens passed near the pavilion, adding to the serene environment that was supposed to help clear the mind.

They sat on the same bench, near each other, with a platter between them. The metal service tray contained two cups of tea, two cups of coffee, saucers, and additives.

Tactimon held a saucer with his cup of vanilla-flavoured coffee that Alphamon made for him on his lap. Within the blackish-brown liquid was an entire vanilla fruit, half floating at the top of the coffee. The pure, unadulterated vanilla was sickeningly sweet, as was the honey that Alphamon had also added. It was also painfully clear that the coffee wasn’t properly strained, as there were thick globs of ground coffee inside the liquid. It looked more akin to bubbling tar than a drink. He looked at the unappetising cup of coffee with a displeased grimace.

Tactimon then glanced over at the cup of tea to see if it was a better alternative. He could see several bits of… something… floating in the steaming, orange liquid. The demon man Digimon looked up at Duftmon with a bland expression. “I don’t want to insult Alphamon, but… he does know that this isn’t how you steep tea and brew coffee, isn’t it?” he asked.

Duftmon didn’t even bother trying to taste either of his drinks. “He can command an army and successfully lead the Royal Knights, but he can’t make a decent cup of tea to save his life,” he explained, shaking his head. “I have given up criticising Alphamon’s brewing skills. No matter how hard I try, he can’t seem to get it right... or he won’t listen. And he insists that my palette isn’t refined enough. He is obliviously stubborn when it comes this hobby.”

Tactimon smiled and placed the saucer down on the serving tray. “Well, nobody’s perfect…” he mused.

Duftmon folded his arms and stared down at his lap. “…Indeed…” he murmured in response.

The black armoured warrior looked at Duftmon inquisitively. “So… Are you ready to face the D-Brigade again?” he asked him.

The slender tactician clad in brown leopard armour shot Tactimon a look, bristling slightly under the perceived barb. “I take it that you have heard about my last encounter with them,” he stated, his voice cool but with a sharp edge to it. “Where I made an embarrassing error in judgment and lost us the entire battle.”

“I have, yes,” Tactimon responded.

Duftmon turned his nose up and scoffed. “Then I’m surprised that you even want my help,” he stated. “I would have thought that you would take the first opportunity you could to laugh at me. Or is that what you are doing now?”

Tactimon shook his head. “If you think that I want to laugh at you, you couldn’t be further from the truth,” he explained. “I do not wish you ill, despite what you may think. I merely want you to allow yourself to grow and become the best tactician you can be.”

“And why is that, exactly?” Duftmon ask, casting a pensive look towards the Saversburg general. “What do you stand to gain from that?”

Tactimon looked away, somewhat embarrassed. “You challenge me. You always have. You are a good sparring partner,” he explained. “Besides, I simply want you to achieve your full potential… That is what friends want for each other, isn’t it? For example, why do you bother trying to help Alphamon improve his abysmal brewing skills?”

“Self-preservation,” Duftmon deadpanned.

Tactimon chuckled lightly. “Very well…”

Duftmon folded his arms. “…Speaking of full potential, you look terrible. You really ought to take better care of yourself,” he stated, eyeing Tactimon carefully. “I know that you are on the eve of war, but rest is also important. It is the duty of a commander and tactician to get sufficient rest and nourishment so that your mind can operate at peak efficiency and clarity. A strict regimen is absolutely necessary. I tell that to the others all the time. It is irresponsible to work tirelessly when you must command an army on the battlefield within a day or so.”

Tactimon sighed. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. I’ll have a rest this evening. There have just been so many preparations that I have needed to finish,” he explained.

“And how have those preparations been going?” Duftmon enquired.

“Successfully,” Tactimon replied. “The majority of the Saversburg military is formed up and stationed on the western outskirts of the city. They are ready to repel any attack. The city is also on a high security level, both inside and outside. We are keeping a lookout for suspicious individuals and possible Metal Empire spies.”

Duftmon nodded. “Good. The D-Brigade may be at our doorstep as early as tomorrow. They are disciplined and efficient enough to be ready for a full attack tomorrow.”

“Yes, well… Now that you and the Royal Knights are here, we can start devising our tactics,” Tactimon explained.

Duftmon observed Tactimon curiously. “You wish to collaborate on tactics?” he asked him.

“Of course. It could be a disaster if we both made tactics independently. It would be better to have a cohesive plan for both our armies, wouldn’t you agree?’ Tactimon answered.

Duftmon nodded. “Yes, that makes sense,” he answered. “Why don’t we go to the war room in the academy? We can begin there. Is there any word from Gaioumon and the Republic of Node?”

“They promised to send part of their military,” Tactimon responded, standing up and unceremoniously dumping his tea and coffee into the bush outside of the pavilion. “A few hundred plus some special units. In the best case scenario, they will have their forces up by tomorrow.”

“Very well,” Duftmon spoke, standing to his feet as well. “We shall have to take that into account then.” The Royal Knights’ tactician began striding out of the pavilion and into the academy gardens. “Let us go and make the perfect stratagem.”

Tactimon smiled slightly and followed Duftmon towards the large building of the academy. “Is it possible? It’s hard to believe, but…” he thought to himself, looking at the Royal Knight in front of him. “Could Duftmon really have changed…?

-

Suijinmon stood at the edge of the D-Brigade encampment. He watched stoically as legions of D-Brigade soldiers marched across the field, heading south.

They moved with machine-like discipline that was drilled into them at a young age, and reinforced with strict – almost brutal – methods during D-Brigade training. Basic training was hard enough, but the Selection-D process itself was especially gruelling, as only the best of the best could evolve from Commandramon to Sealsdramon. The result of this was an extreme sense of discipline. They learned to put the D-Brigade before their own wellbeing and interests. It also left the D-Brigade Digimon with a strong, almost blind sense of loyalty to their superior officers.

Suijinmon watched as the divisions under his personal command waited to march. He fostered a personal relationship with all of this troops, even the newly joined greenhorns. He knew that their loyalty to him was strong. It was not an overstatement to say that his soldiers would follow him into the Dark Area and back. However, in turn, he maintained a strong sense of loyalty to Emperor Chaosdramon, and he made sure that his soldiers did as well.

The D-Brigade soldiers began their tactical advance to the south before they would turn east and attack Saversburg from the western side. They walked in a rigid, uniform formation, with the ground soldiers marching in a block formation, mainly Child, Adult, and Perfect level Digimon like Commandramon, Sealsdramon, Kokuwamon, Andromon, Guardromon, Mamemon, and various cyborg Digimon. Flanking them were the large, mechanized Digimon like Tankmon, Tankdramon, Mugendramon, SaintGalgomon, Deckerdramon, and the like. Meanwhile, flying above, around, and ahead of the ground forces were the aerial Digimon – Megadramon, Gigadramon, Rapidmon, Cyberdramon, Mechanorimon, MagnaGarurumon, MetalGreymon, and other airborne D-Brigade soldiers.

Emperor Chaosdramon marched at the front of the army, leading them forwards and setting the pace for the rest of the D-Brigade. His giant, crimson body could be seen in the distance, all the way back from where Suijinmon was standing. Fujinmon’s forces were going out first as both scouts and the vanguard, followed by Raijinmon’s forces, and then Suijinmon’s own as the rear guard.

Suijinmon watched patiently as the D-Brigade moved out. He waited for his turn and thought about the tactics for the upcoming battle. Although the Saversburg campaign took priority, he couldn’t help but also wonder how the takeover of the Dual Chess Monarchies was going.

His attention was diverted when he saw the familiar body of Fujinmon, gliding through the air. Fujinmon seemed to be heading back towards the camp, away from his troops, which were making their way south. He couldn’t help but find this curious.

Fujinmon soared on the wind and gently descended towards Suijinmon. He skimmed down the air currents and righted himself as he prepared to land. The Hurricane Commander gently landed in front of Suijinmon.

Suijinmon looked at Fujinmon curiously. “Fujinmon? What are you doing?” he wondered. “Is there a problem?”

“Somewhat,” Fujinmon responded. “I need your help with something, Suijinmon.”

“What is it?” the large, red Digimon asked the smaller, green one. “I’m happy to help, whatever it is.”

“Good. I need you to come with me to Haganemame City,” Fujinmon explained.

Suijinmon blinked at his odd request. “…What? Haganemame City? Why?” he enquired, finding it extremely strange that he wanted to go there right when they were moving out. “Is it that urgent?”

“Yes. I heard that the remaining division of the D-Brigade is running into more resistance than anticipated in the Dual Chess Monarchies,” Fujinmon calmly explained, surveying Suijinmon’s eyes for his response. “One of my officers has requested tactical advice from you. He wants to meet us in Haganemame City for a quick meeting.”

“What? Resistance? I haven’t heard about this,” Suijinmon rumbled, not liking the idea of having to leave the battlefield. “The Chessmon were supposed to give way immediately.”

“I just received news from a messenger. I told him to tell my officer that we would be there,” Fujinmon explained. “Like I said, they are running into unexpected resistance.”

“Can’t your officer make a judgment call?” Suijinmon asked, mild irritation in his deep voice. “We are just leaving to head towards Saversburg.”

“He says that the situation is critical,” Fujinmon explained. “He’s in a tactical quandary, and he could really use your advice, Suijinmon. Please? The Saversburg campaign is important, but what happens if we fail in the Chessmon Kingdom and our supply lines are cut off? We would be isolated. It might even give the Mamemon enough confidence to rise up in Haganemame City. We don’t need that kind of pressure when we are trying to attack Saversburg.”

Suijinmon winced, recognizing that Fujinmon had a point there. “I know… However… We’re just moving out,” he pointed out. “What about the Emperor?”

“I have already spoken to Emperor Chaosdramon and explained the situation. He has given us permission to go,” Fujinmon informed Suijinmon calmly and rationally. “If we leave now, we can be back before our forces even make it into position. It’s only several kilometers back to Haganemame City. We can be back in time for sunset.”

Suijinmon still had a few misgivings about leaving, but he was starting to be convinced. He thought about it for a few seconds. “…What about our divisions?” he asked.

“Just do what I did,” Fujinmon stated. “Have your junior officers lead the advance until we get back.” He looked at Suijinmon with an urging expression. “Please, Suijinmon? It would be a big favour to me, and to the Metal Empire.”

The bulky Waterfall Commander sighed with resignation. “Very well…” he complied. He looked over at the hundreds of D-Brigade Digimon nearby who were preparing to head out on Suijinmon’s signal. “Just let me go talk to my Junior Commander, Darkdramon.”

“I can do that, Suijinmon,” Fujinmon said to him. “I’ll explain everything.”

Suijinmon blinked. “Why?” he asked curiously. “He is my subordinate.”

“If I do it, it will be quicker. No offence intended, Suijinmon, but you are rather on the slow side,” Fujinmon pointed out to his fellow Storm Commander. “The sooner we get moving, the sooner we can get back, you know.”

A sigh escaped Suijinmon. “Very well,” he conceded, beginning to amble around and head towards the bridge so that he could make a start at heading back across the river towards Haganemame City. “Tell Darkdramon that I will be back shortly.”

Fujinmon nodded. “I’ll be right behind you, Suijinmon,” he replied.

The emerald cyborg watched as Suijinmon lumbered down the path leading to the steel bridge. While Suijinmon walked away, there was a satisfied glint in his Fujinmon’s gold eyes. He grinned and began gliding off towards Suijinmon’s D-Brigade troops.

At the edge of the aggregation of Digimon soldiers was a Darkdramon who was giving commands to some subordinates. As Fujinmon approached, the Darkdramon looked over at Fujinmon. He briefly glanced off to the side, noticing that Suijinmon was walking up to the large bridge that spanned the river.

As Fujinmon landed in front of the Darkdramon, the tall, dark blue-scaled officer turned and saluted him. “Sir,” Darkdramon acknowledged.

Fujinmon returned the salute. “You have new orders, Junior Commander,” he told Darkdramon. “Once Raijinmon’s forces finish leaving, you are to lead the advance of the rear guard in Suijinmon’s place. Understood?”

Darkdramon frowned at this odd news. “Uh, yes, Sir…” he agreed, clearly confused and uneasy. He glanced down the beaten path towards Suijinmon, who was walking away. “But… What about Commander Suijinmon? Where’s he going?”

Fujinmon turned his head and looked at Suijinmon as well, making sure to wince. “Well… Emperor Chaosdramon has ordered Suijinmon back to Haganemame City… I’m not exactly sure why,” he falsely explained. “He wouldn’t tell me the details.”

This seemed to make Darkdramon even more perturbed. “But that’s--…” He stopped himself. “What could that be about?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Fujinmon responded. “All that I know is that he wants me to go with him for some reason. I do find it rather odd that the Emperor would want to send our finest commander and tactician away from the army, right on the eve of our largest battle yet…” Fujinmon glanced at Darkdramon, wondering if his words were having any effect.

Darkdramon looked away with a pensive, uncertain look. “Y…Yes, that is a bit odd…” he responded, minding his words.

Fujinmon nodded. “So, can we leave things in your capable hands, Darkdramon?” he asked him.

“Of course, Commander,” Darkdramon responded obediently. After he finished, he stalled for a few moments, looking as though he wanted to say more.

“Yes, Junior Commander?” Fujinmon inquired in a reassuring voice.

“…You’re a good friend of Commander Suijinmon’s, aren’t you, Sir?” Darkdramon asked. “You’ll look after him?”

Fujinmon smiled. “Yes, he is. And, yes, I will do my very best,” he promised Darkdramon. He could sense the worry in Darkdramon’s voice. That was what he wanted to hear; he knew that Darkdramon was no fool.

“Thank you, Commander,” Darkdramon spoke, saluting. “Leave it to me.”

“You are welcome,” Fujinmon responded. “Hopefully this is just a routine mission from the Emperor…”

“Yes… I hope so too,” Darkdramon answered, wincing and turning back towards his troops.

The Hurricane Commander nodded and pushed off of the ground, to take to the air once again. He released a breath and flew through the grey sky to catch up to Suijinmon. As he soared, he looked down at the large, crimson Digimon with concerned and thoughtful eyes.

So far, so good… Now, I just hope that I’m able to convince you…” Fujinmon thought before swooping down to float alongside his fellow Storm Commander.
 

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
Chapter 20: Betrayal (Part II)​

Back in the bar in Saversburg, Black Pincer Company were huddled around one of the wooden tables. GrandisKuwagamon had returned without being seen, but he hadn’t been able to find a safe escape route at any of the main exits. It was like Bolgmon said: there was too much security around the entrances to Saversburg, not to mention all of the patrols on the city walls and lookouts. There was also the fact that the Royal Knights’ and Saversburg’s militaries were everywhere. It was hard for suspicious Digimon like them to get in and out.

“See, Grandis? I told ya you wouldn’t find anything, but noooo,” Bolgmon complained, leering at the dark insect across the table from him.

GrandisKuwagamon rolled his crimson eye. “Whatever,” he replied uncaringly. “Now, Mister Self-Proclaimed Logistics Expert, how the hell are we supposed to get out of here?”

“Shut up and wait,” Bolgmon retorted. He looked back down at the table. A long, metal needle was extended from Bolgmon’s cannon arm, which he used to draw on the wooden table top. He was drawing a crude map of Saversburg and the city districts, complete with the main roads and landmarks etched in the wood. He continued carving the sharp, steel tip through the wood, drawing the rough outline of the Xuanwumon University near the northwestern outskirts of the city. “Just about done…”

A maroon coloured AtlurKabuterimon walked over to their table and looked at them angrily. As the bartender of the inn, he wasn’t particularly happy about these seedy looking bugs vandalizing their tables. “What do you think you’re doing? You can’t carve stuff into our bar tables!” he complained at them.

All three members of Black Pincer Company immediately soured and turned towards the AtlurKabuterimon with annoyed, threatening looks. Bolgmon raised his cannon arm and pointed the long, metal needle in the AtlurKabuterimon’s face. “Oh, I’m sorry! Why don’t I just use your shell instead?” he suggested intimidatingly.

The AtlurKabuterimon bartender raised his four hands up and backed away, reluctantly leaving them alone and slipping back behind the bar.

“Smooth,” GrandisKuwagamon said with a sarcastic grin.

“Oh, zip it,” Bolgmon answered, finishing his rough sketch of the city. “And done…” He then used the needle as a pointer.

The sizeable insect cyborg pointed close to the middle of the city, at a dot right next to a long line that signified the main road leading from the south exit and straight through the city. “So… We’re right here,” he stated. Bolgmon pointed to the four gaps in the rectangle perimeter of the city, which signified the city walls, with the gaps being the gates. “And these are the four gates leading out of the city in each direction.”

“Which are all teeming with soldiers and security,” GrandisKuwagamon pointed out. “And there’s an order for the guards not to let Digimon fly over the walls. It’s a no-fly zone.”

“Which means that we either need to fight our way out through the main gates or try to find a way to sneak out,” Bolgmon stated.

“Fighting our way out seems like a terrible idea,” Blitzmon responded. “But I doubt we’ll be able to sneak out any of those exits either. The Order Digimon would recognise us immediately.”

“Plus, I saw some of our wanted posters in the city, so if we’re not careful, somebody will tip the Royal Knobs off” GrandisKuwagamon pointed out. “There’s gotta be another way…”

“Well, I do have one idea…” Bolgmon informed them, a gleeful look in his eyes.

GrandisKuwagamon looked at Bolgmon and folded his arms. “Yeah? And what’s that?” he asked him. “If it involves blowing stuff up, forget it. You screwed us over enough times by doing that.”

Bolgmon shot GrandisKuwagamon a leer. “Actually, it’s a good idea,” he retorted. He tapped the northwest portion of the map, where the academy was located. “Here. Xuanwumon University.”

GrandisKuwagamon gave Bolgmon a look that asked him if he was an idiot. “…Huh? Don’t tell me that your plan is to go there, take a bunch of smart Digimon hostage, and force them to come up with a plan for you, is it?” he asked in a deadpan voice.

“No!” Bolgmon fired back. “The academy is at the corner of the city, but because the gardens are so big, there’s no wall around it – just towers on each side and a weak fence around the outer perimeter of the university.” He kept tapping the circular spot on the map with the needle pointer. “We should be able to break through there no problem.”

“Since it’s too far for me to use Zone Black Hole from here, I guess that’s not a terrible option,” GrandisKuwagamon supposed. “Then once we’re out of the city, I can ZBH us somewhere safe.” He narrowed his eyes at the map on the table. “It’s a long way from here to there though. We’re risking getting seen by the Royal Knights just going outside.”

“Is it safe going up that way?” Blitzmon asked.

“Yeah!” Bolgmon insisted ardently. “There was barely anybody up near the university last I checked. We’ll be fine.” He trailed his needle between the buildings on the map. We just need to stick to the alleys and only cross the main roads if we need to.”

“We should also wait an hour until it’s dark out,” GrandisKuwagamon stated.

“I agree,” Blitzmon concurred, much to Bolgmon’s chagrin.

Bolgmon folded his arms. “Yeah, fine,” he reluctantly responded, though he wanted to leave immediately while there was still light. “I’ll do a scan to figure out which are the best alleys to take to get to the academy.”

“Sure,” GrandisKuwagamon answered. The black-shelled insect turned away from the table. “I’ll go keep watch outside – make sure the area’s clear.”

“Yeah, okay,” Bolgmon said, glancing at GrandisKuwagamon out of the corner of his eyes. “Don’t get caught.”

“I won’t,” GrandisKuwagamon responded, heading towards the exit of the inn. “And no drinking. We need our **** together to pull this off.”

“Agreed,” Blitzmon spoke.

“Don’t have to worry about that. I won’t be touchin’ a drop,” Bolgmon said with a smirk.

GrandisKuwagamon gave them an offhand wave and made his way out of the inn. As the door opened, the deep blue light of the sunset on a cloudy day could be seen outside. Due to the thick clouds, it was already pretty dark outside. GrandisKuwagamon stepped out into the street and then disappeared into the shadows just as a patrol turned the corner of the road.

Meanwhile, Bolgmon was left inside the inn with Blitzmon. The large tank Digimon looked down at his insect comrade, happy that he had a chance to speak with him in private.

“Hey, Blitzmon…’ Bolgmon spoke up, prompting the bug man’s attention. “This plan to head to the university is pretty good, but I’ve got another plan too…”

Blitzmon looked at Bolgmon with intrigue. “…You do?” he asked him. “What is it?”

Bolgmon pointed to the map, at about three quarters of the way from the inn to the university, up in the northwest of the city. “Right here, off this busy street,” he informed Blitzmon, drawing his attention to that part of the map. “Down an alley next to the road… there’s a big utility hole that leads to the sewers.”

Blitzmon narrowed his eyes in thought. “…The sewers…” he stated with revelation.

“Yeah… The sewers drain out in the big river to the north of Saversburg. If we escape into the sewers, we can go out that way,” Bolgmon explained. “It’s a backup plan in case everything goes to **** with our main plan.”

“Good idea,” Blitzmon replied. “We should tell Grandis about this idea.”

Bolgmon grinned at his friend. “Actually… Don’t ya think it’d be better if he didn’t know?” he suggested innocently.

Blitzmon turned and eyed Bolgmon suspiciously. “…Explain,” he said.

“Well… This is a backup plan, right?” Bolgmon began. “If all hell breaks loose and we’re getting chased by the Royal Knights or something, it might be useful to have a… distraction.” The cyborg Digimon grinned.

“A scapegoat…” Blitzmon mused, considering the possibility.

“Yeah. Say we get spotted, we run up this main road here. We let GrandisKuwagamon go ahead of us, and then we slip down this alley and into the sewers. Then whoever’s chasing us will forget about us and go after Grandis instead,” Bolgmon explained. “I mean, if it comes down to us versus him…”

Blitzmon nodded. “Yeah… But only in the worst case scenario,” he reasoned. “We stick with the main plan. This is just the backup plan.”

Bolgmon wore a satisfied smirk in his eyes. “Deal…” he responded, although he was already happy with the way things were going.

Blitzmon eyed Bolgmon. “And I won’t tell Grandis about this, for obvious reasons…” he added meaningfully.

Bolgmon retracted the needle on his cannon arm and nodded. “Good… Now… let’s get ready for our great escape.”

-

Suijinmon and Fujinmon walked along the outskirts of Haganemame City after a few hours of walking. The sun was past setting and there was a blue-grey glow in the clouds that blanketed the sky. The city of Haganemame City was dark and empty. Ever since the D-Brigade took over, there was a curfew imposed on the city, so anybody out past curfew would be considered suspicious and duly apprehended and questioned by the D-Brigade patrols. This made it so that only the members of the D-Brigade could be seen wandering around the city.

Fujinmon, however, wasn’t bringing Suijinmon into the city itself. He floated along a road that led along the edge of the city. The aerial cyborg Digimon led Suijinmon away from Haganemame City, towards the factory warehouse that the D-Brigade had commandeered and were refurbishing into a military hangar.

Suijinmon followed Fujinmon obediently, but looked towards the large structure at the edge of the factory with curiosity and confusion. As his heavy steps shook the earth around him, the massive Waterfall Commander decided to speak up. “Fujinmon, why are we going this way?” he couldn’t help but wonder.

“We’re meeting him at the warehouse,” Fujinmon explained to his friend.

“Why there?” Suijinmon asked.

Fujinmon looked over his bladed shoulder at the red machine Digimon. “For security reasons.”

“Understood,” Suijinmon complied, figuring that that was sufficient enough a reason. He lumbered after Fujinmon for a few more minutes before they reached the warehouse.

Once they were there, he noticed a Justimon who had been guarding the warehouse walk over to them. He recognized the Digimon as Fujinmon’s junior commander – the one who was supposed to be having trouble in the Dual Chess Monarchy. “Commanders,” he greeted with a salute.

The Justimon then took out a key and unlocked with warehouse for the two Digimon. He pushed open the heavy, durable, metal doors of the large warehouse and allowed Fujinmon and Suijinmon to walk inside.

The interior of the hangar was mostly empty. All of the primary contents had been removed in order to make the building as empty as possible. All that was really left inside was a large amount of thick chains that hung from pulleys on the ceiling and lay strewn around the ground.

Fujinmon looked at the Justimon and nodded. The junior commander nodded and saluted with acknowledgement. “Excuse me, Sir. I will just be a few minutes,” the Justimon stated to Suijinmon.

Suijinmon looked at him curiously. “Very well,” he responded, though he wondered where he was going.

The Justimon turned around and walked out of the warehouse, leaving the two Storm Commanders alone.

Suijinmon turned his attention back to Fujinmon, who stood before him, looking as though he had something to say. “Fujinmon?” he asked curiously.

“Suijinmon…” Fujinmon began, his golden eyes staring at Suijinmon seriously. There was a subtle look of intensity in his refined gaze. “You and I are friends, correct?”

“Affirmative…” Suijinmon answered, frowning at the odd query. “Why do you question that?”

“Because I need to know if you will support me,” Fujinmon stated, not taking his gaze off of the Waterfall Commander.

“Of course I will, Fujinmon,” Suijinmon stated adamantly.

The slender Digimon shook his V-shaped head beneath the green halo that rested overhead. “Don’t say that until you know what I’m going to say…”

“Very well… Then what is it?” the bulky quadruped wondered.

Fujinmon sighed and looked up at Suijinmon. “Suijinmon… how do you feel about Emperor Chaosdramon?” he asked him bluntly. “How well do you think he is carrying out his duties as ruler of the Metal Empire?”

Suijinmon immediately tensed up, becoming defensive and uneasy about Fujinmon’s question. He narrowed his red eyes at Fujinmon with a look that demanded an answer. “F-Fujinmon… What is this? Why ask such a question? It is not our place to question the Emperor,” he answered with cold firmness, like that of resilient steel.

Fujinmon leered at Suijinmon in response. “That is what Chaosdramon wants us to think: that we are only answerable to him. However, that’s nonsense. As the leader of the Metal Empire, he is answerable to the rest of us as well,” he stated angrily. “As he is right now, Chaosdramon is nothing more than a dictator.”

“Fujinmon! That’s treasonous!” Suijinmon exclaimed, his voice becoming animated with shock and frustration. “You can’t speak like that!”

“No, I can’t. You’re completely right. Doesn’t that bother you at all?” Fujinmon demanded. “We can’t speak our thoughts and feelings freely… not even us, the Storm Commanders: the second most powerful Digimon in the Metal Empire next to Chaosdramon himself. Doesn’t that seem ridiculous to you? We’re muzzled by fear. Chaosdramon would police our thoughts to root out dissidents if he were able to.”

Suijinmon grimaced at Fujinmon’s words. “Where… Where did all of this come from, Fujinmon?” he asked him, a faint hint of sadness and worry in his voice. “What happened to you? You should know that these measures are for the sake of security…”

Fujinmon scoffed and shook his head. “You really believe that, don’t you…?” he asked him with disappointed resignation, already well aware of the answer. “To be completely honest with you, Suijinmon, I have been feeling this way for a long time… I was never able to express my true feelings without risking being arrested, exiled, executed, or mysteriously assassinated. And don’t try to deny that – we both know how we operate when it comes to ‘security threats’.”

“But why…? Why, Fujinmon?” Suijinmon inquired, needing to know the answer. “What has changed?”

“Nothing has changed. I have had enough with this constant oppression, Suijinmon! Yes, I supported JumboGamemon back during the power struggle, but I am not defined by who I was loyal to!” Fujinmon stated ardently. He glared at Suijinmon intensely. “And neither are you!”

Suijinmon grimaced. “Don’t do this, Fujinmon… Chaosdramon is a good ruler…” he tried to reason with him.

“No, he isn’t, Suijinmon. Open your eyes…” Fujinmon beseeched. “He oppresses our fellow Digimon, he scares them into staying loyal… He is invading all of our neighbours and he is provoking the Royal Knights. He is power-hungry and paranoid. He doesn’t even trust you, the Digimon who is more blindly loyal to him than anybody else. Did you know that he had JumboGamemon assassinated without telling any of us?”

Suijinmon frowned deeply at his words. “But that is… His Majesty must have had a good reason…” he figured. “One needs to be secretive with important operations…”

“Then why didn’t he tell you about it after the fact?” Fujinmon pressed.

Suijinmon grunted angrily. “Why are you telling me this, Fujinmon? What do you want?” he demanded.

“I want you to help me, Suijinmon…” the green Hurricane Commander requested calmly. “Help me take down Chaosdramon. Help me change the Metal Empire for the better.”

Suijinmon stared at Fujinmon with stunned disbelief. “Fujinmon… You… You aren’t serious…” he breathed. “Do you have any idea what you are saying…?”

“Yes, I do…” Fujinmon answered resolutely. He matched his gaze with Suijinmon’s wide eyes. “I’m asking you as my friend, Suijinmon. Stand with me.”

The Waterfall Commander grimaced and turned on his four legs, staring away from Fujinmon remorsefully. “Do not make me choose, Fujinmon…” he replied bitterly. “Do not do this…”

“Please, Suijinmon… I know that Raijinmon has considered my idea too,” Fujinmon pointed out, trying to convince his friend. “I don’t want to have to fight you, Suijinmon. Stand with us.”

“Do not put me in this situation!” Suijinmon shouted, one of the rare times that the Waterfall Commander lost his cool. He turned and gave Fujinmon a narrow glare. “Chaosdramon is our Emperor. We cannot commit treason.”

“You mean like he did against JumboGamemon?” Fujinmon answered pointedly. His stare softened. “Please, Suijinmon… If you agreed, your soldiers would follow you. My soldiers would follow me. Raijinmon’s soldiers would follow him.”

“Stop saying such treacherous things, Fujinmon!” Suijinmon demanded, glaring at the smaller, emerald cyborg with frustration. “You know what happens to traitors!”

“Yes, I do! That’s why I’m doing this!” Fujinmon fired back with passion of his own. “If you don’t want me to be arrested as a traitor, then join me!”

Suijinmon growled. “That is emotional blackmail!” he angrily thundered. The Waterfall Commander narrowed his eyes and gave Fujinmon a resolute stare. “…No, I will not help you, Fujinmon. I am not about to lose you or Raijinmon to a reckless plan that will never work! Give up this foolish idea!”

Fujinmon narrowed his eyes into a near wince. He could tell that Suijinmon wasn’t giving in. “Please, Suijinmon. Aid me. As your friend.”

“It is because I am your friend that I cannot let you go through with this. If you care about that, do not put me in this situation,” Suijinmon said, his calm voice containing the subtle undercurrents of passion. “Think about your own wellbeing, Fujinmon. Think about the wellbeing of your loyal soldiers… You, as their Commander, have a responsibility to them. What will happen to them if you rise up against Chaosdramon? You will be putting them in danger. If Raijinmon really did agree to your idea… then what about him? He is your friend too. Think about his wellbeing. Think carefully about these things, Fujinmon.”

Fujinmon closed his eyes and bowed his head. He could see that he was fighting a losing battle now. “I know, but…”

“We can figure something out together. We can petition Chaosdramon to change his policies,” Suijinmon stated. He gave Fujinmon a sincere look. “Just forget about this whole idea… You don’t have to worry, Fujinmon. As far as I am concerned, this conversation never happened. I will not tell Chaosdramon about it. You have my word.”

Fujinmon sighed. “I…” he began, but thought better of continuing. “Yes, you’re right… I… I don’t know what I was thinking…”

Suijinmon released a deep sigh of relief. “So, you will forget about this coup idea?” he asked, needing to hear it in his own words.

“Yes,” Fujinmon said, looking Suijinmon in the eyes. “I will…”

Suijinmon sighed with relief. “So… I take it that the problem with Justimon was a subterfuge to get me alone to speak?” he deduced.

“I’m afraid so…” Fujinmon stated slackening his stance and looking over his shoulder towards the large, open hangar door. “Justimon!”

After a few moments, Justimon came into view. He had been keeping watch to make sure that nobody overheard. However, in his hand was a platter with two cups of a black, swirling liquid.

Suijinmon noticed the two cups of oil immediately. “Petrol? Did you have that prepared…?” he asked Fujinmon.

“Yes, I was prepared for either outcome. Either you agreed and we could celebrate… or, as is the case, you disagreed and hopefully you will have a drink with me to show that there are no hard feelings,” Fujinmon offered as Justimon walked up to them. He looked at Suijinmon sheepishly. “I hope that there are no hard feelings…”

Suijinmon sighed and reached his giant Accel Arm out to carefully take the large, metal cup gently between his large, metal digits. “There are none,” he assured. “…These are non alcoholic, correct?”

“Of course. I don’t approve of drinking on the eve of battle,” Fujinmon spoke, carefully taking his own cup between the ends of his two Critical Arms. He raised his glass of oil. “To victory tomorrow.”

Suijinmon raised his own glass. “To victory,” he agreed, bringing the steel cup up to the gap between his eyes and pouring the liquid down his mouth. He didn’t notice that Fujinmon didn’t drink from his glass.

Fujinmon calmly watched as Suijinmon finished his drink.

“Thank you. That was refreshing,” Suijinmon spoke. After a few moments, he began to frown a bit. “Now... Should we… Uh… Should we…?”

A strange feeling began to overtake the large machine Digimon. Suijinmon started to feel dizzy. His legs felt wobbly and his head began to grow heavy and numb. “W-What…? I feel… strange…” he murmured, wincing as the uneasy feeling began to grow stronger. He looked at Fujinmon questioningly. “You said… they were non-alcoholic…”

Fujinmon stood in front of Suijinmon, placing his drink back on the platter. He looked back at Suijinmon with calm, determined, but mildly regretful eyes.

Suijinmon extended his tail for balance and he leaned forwards on his giant Accel Arms, pressing his large, metal hands against the floor of the warehouse. The heavy sensation grew and Suijinmon began to feel himself having trouble holding onto consciousness. He looked at Fujinmon questioningly, now fully aware that it wasn’t alcohol that he ingested. “Fujinmon…? What is…?”

Fujinmon looked away from Suijinmon’s hurt gaze. “I’m sorry, Suijinmon…” he apologised. ‘If you won’t help me, then I at least need you to stay out of my way. I do not wish to have to fight you… Please, don’t take it personally…”

Suijinmon thundered and tried to take a step towards Fujinmon defiantly. “Fujinmon… You…!” he growled. However, the strong sedative that was mixed into the drink had already taken effect. Suijinmon felt his legs buckle and he crashed to the warehouse floor.

Fujinmon sidestepped the Waterfall Commander’s falling body and watched him collapse to the floor with a booming, metallic crash. He waited for a few moments to make sure that Suijinmon wasn’t still cognisant. It was clear that Suijinmon was completely unconscious.

“Good, you got the dosage right,” Fujinmon said to his junior commander.

“Sir. What now?” the Justimon asked.

The Hurricane Commander turned to the Justimon in question. “Restrain him and lock him up securely. He’s strong, but enough of these chains should do the trick,” Fujinmon ordered.

“Yes, Commander,” Justimon said, going to collect the thick chains lying around the hanger.

Fujinmon waited and turned to look at the unconscious Suijinmon with a look of remorse.

I’m sorry, Suijinmon, but I have been waiting for this opportunity for years. I am not about to let it slip by,” he thought to himself, observing the large, knocked out, metal beast. “This is for your own good. Don’t think too badly of me for this…

-

An hour later, it was dark out and night was setting in. Since it was turning into evening, the street was considerably less busy. Most of the Digimon who wanted to flee the city had already done so during the morning and afternoon, which was also a contributing factor to the small amount of Digimon around the usually bustling city. There were still many Digimon who dared to remain in the city in the face of the invasion, and several Digimon could still be seen travelling the streets. However, there were just as many night watch patrols wandering around, keeping the peace and making sure that no D-Brigade spies were walking around.

Alphamon walked alongside Imperialdramon Paladin Mode and Omegamon down the main road that passed from the south edge of the city to the north edge. The road bisected the city down the middle, as it was the main thoroughfare. There were a handful of other Digimon walking up and down that same road, and there were a few police and army patrols wandering the street too, but the road wasn’t nearly as busy as it would usually be.

Alphamon, Omegamon, and Imperialdramon all walked down the middle of the wide road, heading south towards the Royal Knight camp outside of the city. Flanking them on each side were shops that were closed and securely sealed with chains and heavy duty locks.

“Ahh…” Imperialdramon sighed after taking a swig from a coffee cup that he borrowed from the academy. “Nobody makes coffee like you do, Alphamon.”

“That’s for sure…” Omegamon mumbled to himself, low enough to go unheard by his two friends.

Alphamon smiled at Imperialdramon Paladin Mode. “I’m glad you like it. I wanted to try something new with that batch. How’s the taste?” he asked.

“Salty. It has a good texture,” Imperialdramon responded, swirling the liquid in his cup. “That single anchovy definitely brings out the smoky flavour of the coffee beans.” He turned and looked at Omegamon with a wide grin. “Are you sure you won’t be tempted, Omegamon?”

“No, thank you,” Omegamon insisted determinedly. Despite his avid denial, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was some sensory revolution which he and everybody else was missing that these two somehow understood.

“He’s a purist,” Alphamon said. He gave Omegamon a playful smile before looking back at Imperialdramon Paladin Mode. “So… Did you make any more progress with the Dark Area research team since we arrived today?”

“Yeah, we did, actually,” Imperialdramon responded, taking another sip of coffee. “We’re getting into the nitty-gritty of the idea that Xuanwumon proposed and that AncientWisemon elaborated on.”

“And what idea is that?” Alphamon wondered.

The blue scaled dragon man looked around to make sure that there were no Digimon around. “Well, it has to do with what started the instability in the first place.”

“Ah…” Alphamon stated bringing a hand to his chin. “The Dragon veins… The ley lines flowing beneath the Digital World’s surface.”

“Yeah… Since Dorbickmon tapped into the dragon veins deep below the Digital World’s surface to screw up the barrier with the Dark Area pocket dimension, we figure that the dragon veins may also be the solution,” Imperialdramon Paladin Mode explained.

“How?” Omegamon wondered in his light, echoing voice. “It’s one thing to break something, but it’s another to restore it… How do they propose to fix whatever happened with the ley lines?”

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode smiled and thumbed at himself. “Using me,” he nonchalantly explained.

Omegamon was immediately sceptical. He lowered his gaze with the dragon knight. “…How? What is this plan exactly?” he demanded, wanting to know if Imperialdramon was putting himself in danger.

“Okay… I’ll try to explain this. I’m not sure if I understood all the scientific and metaphysical nonsense, but I think I got the gist of it,” Imperialdramon said, folding his arms. “So… the idea is to involve me and AncientGreymon of the Warrior Ten. Only certain Digimon species can tap into the dragon veins beneath the Digital World… that’s why AncientGreymon is needed – his KaiserGreymon form could work too, but he might need to be in his Ancient form so that he has a greater well of power to draw from.”

“I see… I suppose Dorbickmon could work too, in that case?” Alphamon asked, rubbing his chin pensively. “Although, given what he’s told us, I doubt that he has the sheer stamina required.”

“Yeah, that’s why we think AncientGreymon’s the best choice. He has got stamina for days,” Imperialdramon Paladin Mode explained with a smile. “So, once he taps into the ley lines, that is where I come in. I’m one of the few Digimon who has the security clearance and the power to alter the Dark Area. I’m supposed to use the Omega Blade to tap into the data that AncientGreymon is harnessing. Using the ley lines, I’m supposed to reset the Dark Area barrier’s reconfiguration data. In theory, that should reset the barrier’s data and restore it anew, prison intact.”

“’In theory’…” Omegamon mused. “You make it sound so simple.”

“I won’t lie, Omegamon. It’s not simple at all,” Imperialdramon Paladin Mode explained, looking at the black and white knights seriously. “This idea is extremely hypothetical - thought up by a bunch of crazy geniuses. I remember how hard it was for us to create the digital code for the barrier in the first place. It’s probably going to take everything we have to pull it off, and, if we make a mistake, we might just destroy the barrier completely.” Imperialdramon sighed and took a sip from his coffee cup. “But… it might be our best and only option.”

Omegamon winced, his blue eyes narrowing. “I see…”

“What is it that AncientGreymon always says? ‘Who dares, wins’?” Alphamon asked lightly. “I suppose that or ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained’ fits in this situation,” he mused. Alphamon looked at Imperialdramon Paladin Mode steadily. “Anyway, if anybody can do it, it’s you.”

“Yes, it is,” Omegamon agreed, looking at Imperialdramon reassuringly, despite his misgivings.

“Thanks, guys,” Imperialdramon responded, smiling at them. He continued to walk down the dark street. “Anyways…”

Meanwhile, about twenty feet behind the three Digimon, there was movements in the shadows of a dark alley. The movements were silent enough that the Royal Knights didn’t notice them, so the trio of paladins continued making their way down the road.

Moving in the darkness of the alley was Black Pincer Company. GrandisKuwagamon was at the head of the group. His ebony carapace blended into the shadows, so he made the best candidate for leading the team. Blitzmon followed behind him, and, taking up the rear was Bolgmon, who rolled down the alley with his engines on silent. GrandisKuwagamon carefully walked along the wall of the shop and stopped once he reached the corner.

He looked across from himself, up towards the north part of the street. That was the direction that they needed to head. It looked clear, from what he could tell. GrandisKuwagamon peered around the corner of the building he was hidden behind, looking down the opposite end of the road, towards the south. His eye narrowed when he saw Alphamon, Omegamon and Imperialdramon Paladin Mode down the road, walking away from them.

GrandisKuwagamon swore under his breath. He turned around and whispered to Blitzmon and Bolgmon. “Be quiet,” he said quietly. “It’s the Royal Knights.”

There was a sly look in Bolgmon’s eyes. “Got it. Let’s hurry up and cross before that patrol we saw a block away decides to come down this way,” he whispered back.

GrandisKuwagamon nodded and turned around again. He looked back around the corner, trying to keep his pincers as hidden as possible. He could see that the Royal Knights still had their backs to him. They continued to walk, and they made no indication that they were going to turn around. The black insect, half-blended into the darkness, slowly raised a hand and made a signal for them to follow on his command.

After a moment, GrandisKuwagamon gave a thumbs-up and quietly crept out onto the open road. He moved as quietly as he could as he began to cross towards the shadowy alley on the opposite side. Once there was about two meters between them, Blitzmon followed after him. He was emanating a magnetic field around himself to create an anti-gravity state around them, silencing his and Bolgmon’s steps by not physically touching the ground.

Bolgmon watched with a grin as GrandisKuwagamon made it halfway across the road. He waited for a few seconds before it was his turn to go. He rolled after Blitzmon.

As soon as he was out of the alley and into the large, open street, he turned his head to the left and saw Alphamon, Omegamon, and Imperialdramon further down the street. Then, he turned to Blitzmon and GrandisKuwagamon, who had their backs to him as they crossed the street. He smirked darkly. This was his opportunity.

Bolgmon raised his cannons towards the Royal Knights. “****!” he suddenly shouted, acting as if he’d been seen. “Ultimate Thunder!”

His cannons spun into a frenzy and released the built of electricity that gathered at the tops of his arms. As the lightning illuminated the street around them, both GrandisKuwagamon and Blitzmon froze and spun around with dread. They watched as Bolgmon blasted the two electric orbs down the road towards the Royal Knights.

The three Royal Knights heard the voice call out behind them and heard the crackle of electricity. Sensing danger, all three of them pivoted immediately to see the spinning bolas of lightning whipping towards them.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, who was walking behind the two Royal Knights and was the closest to the oncoming attack, turned around and saw the blast first. “Look out!” he called out. Imperialdramon reached over his head and summoned the Omega Blade in a flash of light that illuminated the area around him. He held the massive broadsword horizontally in front of him, one hand on the hilt and one hand on the flat side of the blade.

He braced his golden claws against the street and held the Omega Blade in front of them to block the incoming attack. The Ultimate Thunder blast surged into the sword and exploded on impact with the holy blade. Imperialdramon held against the destructive force of the impact, feeling wind and electricity blowing past his body and kicking up the dirt of the street around them.

“Imperialdramon!” Omegamon called out urgently. He raised his Grey Arm and Garuru Arm, from which the Grey Sword and Garuru Cannon propelled out of.

Alphamon narrowed his eyes and dashed out from behind Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, alongside Omegamon. “That’s Black Pincer Company!” he exclaimed, recognizing the three insect Digimon immediately.

Further up the street, GrandisKuwagamon stared at Bolgmon with a mixture of fury, horror, and dumbfounded incredulity. “Bolgmon, what the hell is wrong with you?!” he demanded. “What the **** are you doing, you *******?!”

“I thought they saw me!” Bolgmon explained, lowering his smoking cannon arms with a broad grin evident on his metal face. “Haha, oops!”

“Bolgmon!” Blitzmon shouted at Bolgmon angrily.

GrandisKuwagamon’s eye twitched with disbelief, not only at his stupidity, but at the fact that he didn’t seem to care at all. His gut instinct had a bad feeling about this. “Damn it! Run!” he shouted, making a break for it up the road.

As soon as GrandisKuwagamon took off in a sprint, Blitzmon and Bolgmon followed his lead. GrandisKuwagamon was several meters ahead of the two blue insects, but they were running and driving right behind him at full speed.

“After them!” Alphamon shouted as he pulled the Seiken Gradalpha from a glowing, magical circle in the air. As soon as the glowing blade of light was in his hand, he began running up the road after the three insect Digimon.

Omegamon grunted and began ripping up the street alongside Alphamon.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode gripped his blade and spread his grey-white wings. “Alphamon!” he called out to the black knight.

“Go and get the others! They’re heading north towards the university!” Alphamon called back to Imperialdramon, not ceasing his pursuit.

Imperialdramon nodded and flapped his wings, lifting himself into the air. He soared over the nearby buildings and went to try to find as many available Royal Knights as he could.

Alphamon spread his wings and skimmed along the street beside Omegamon, trying to close the distance between them and Black Pincer Company. He raised his hand in front of him, and his palm began to emanate with a bright, greenish light. “Digitalize of Soul!” he shouted, unleashing the beam from his hand.

The beam tore through the air and streaked towards Black Pincer Company. He was careful not to hit any buildings.

Blitzmon glanced over his shoulder and saw the incoming attack. “Watch it!” he warned the others, dashing diagonally to the right to get out of the way of the beam. Bolgmon drove to the left while GrandisKuwagamon swerved to the right, allowing the large, emerald beam to pass between them. The shining green laser cast an eerie green long across their forms and the buildings as it skimmed along the road and exploded in the center of the road a ways in front of them.

“Garuru Cannon!” Omegamon shouted, launching his own attack from the Garuru head on his right hand. The cannon launched a high pressure, whitish-blue blast that sailed in the direction of the fleeing mercenaries.

“Here comes another!” Blitzmon called out, looking over his shoulder as he ran up the dimly-lit road.

GrandisKuwagamon hissed and slammed his black foot into the ground, shooting up from the ground and flying along the street for improved mobility. He glanced over his shoulder to look at the swiftly approaching blast and predict where it would hit. Blitzmon saw what GrandisKuwagamon was doing and followed suit, beating his insect wings and veering to the side.

As the icy blast closed in, Bolgmon swore and was forced to sharply jerk to the side, just meters before the beam shot could hit him. The blast impacted the ground with an explosion of ice that coated the ground with the slippery solid and sent icicles and shards of shooting up from the point of impact.

Bolgmon’s treads screeched as he forcibly turned his bulky, metal body and he drifted along the street for a few meters. As he skidded, he suddenly put his gears into reverse and began driving backwards, facing the Royal Knights as he drove away from them. He sneered at his pursuers and raised his cannon arms towards them. “I’ve had enough of you pricks!” he shouted. “Ultimate Thunder!”

A pair of electric blasts pulsed from the two cannons and began shooting towards the two Royal Knights. Alphamon grunted and flapped the wings that protruded from his back, taking into the air and shooting towards, in front of Omegamon. He swiped the Seiken Gradalpha forwards with a mighty heave, sending the blade cutting through the two blasts of electricity. The concentrated lightning exploded and parted on contact with the blade, sending tendrils of lightning across Alphamon’s armour.

Alphamon grunted as the electric residue of the attack streaked across his body, but he fought through it and continued to give chase.

“Alphamon!” Omegamon called to him, deciding to take flight as well. “We need to be careful of the buildings!”

Alphamon frowned. “We can’t give up this opportunity… We may have to do a bit of damage to the city in order to stop them,” he mused. He thought about it for a few seconds. “But maybe there’s another way. Maybe we can corner them in the university gardens.”

Omegamon nodded and continued to speed through the air, soaring up the street below roof-level.

Seeing that the two Royal Knights were still giving chase, Bolgmon hissed and expelled a lot of steam pressure from under his body. After lifting up from the ground, he spun around on his treads with a quick manoeuvre so that he was facing forwards again. He accelerated and drove up beside Blitzmon, who was flying several meters behind GrandisKuwagamon.

Blitzmon glanced over his shoulder towards the Royal Knights and then looked at Bolgmon purposefully. “…Where?” he asked Bolgmon fiercely.

Bolgmon grinned, knowing what Blitzmon was referring to. “Two blocks from here. Alley on the left,” he said as lowly as he could so that GrandisKuwagamon wouldn’t hear.

GrandisKuwagamon, however, couldn’t hear them over the sound of his wing beats and Bolgmon’s roaring engine. He was too lost in his own adrenaline and instincts to care about anything other than the Royal Knights chasing them anyway. He flew in an irregular pattern as he flew up the street, trying to throw the Royal Knights off as he headed for the university gardens at the edge of the city.

Blitzmon glanced ahead at GrandisKuwagamon, who didn’t seem to notice. He turned to Bolgmon and nodded. “Tell me when.”

Bolgmon nodded and glanced over his shoulder at the Royal Knights behind them. They seemed to be getting closer to him, thanks to his relative weakness in mobility. That was a mixed blessing for him. The tank Digimon kept his sights on the buildings to his left, mindful of all the landmarks. He activated the tracking system on his back and began to use that to try and pinpoint the desired escape route in the darkness.

He grunted and focused all of his energy into driving as fast as he could, not wanting to be caught by the two Royal Knights whose attention he purposefully grabbed. Dirt whipped up behind his tank treads as he drove at full throttle. Bolgmon looked forwards and could see a large maintenance alley a block ahead of them. He could also tell that the university was about three blocks away from where they were, judging from the silhouettes of the city wall and guard towers against the cloudy night sky.

“Lightning Blitz!” Blitzmon shouted, turning his head and looking behind him towards the two Royal Knights, who were about fifteen meters behind them. His long, blue horn crackled and glowed with concentrated electricity that flashed within the night. The horn then unleashed a bolt of lightning towards the Alphamon and Omegamon.

Alphamon and Omegamon divided to avoid the attack, which flashed by them and sent the feeling of static across their forms.

Bolgmon looked ahead. They were nearing the alley. The dark corridor between the buildings was in eyesight now. He briefly glanced ahead at GrandisKuwagamon. He also took a second to check on the two Royal Knights tailing them.

He decided that it was time to make his move.

After a few meters passed, Bolgmon suddenly shifted gears and skidded to a stop in front of the alley. He grabbed hold of Blitzmon’s arm and roughly pulled him. “Now, Blitzmon! Go!” he shouted, suddenly blasting his engines and making a hard left towards the dark maintenance alley.

Blitzmon, although being pulled by Bolgmon, beat his wings and flew after him as well, speeding towards the secret escape route.

GrandisKuwagamon heard Bolgmon’s words and suddenly noticed his two comrades disappear from behind him. He stopped buzzing his wings and spun around, still being carried by his momentum. To his shock and confusion, he saw Bolgmon and Blitzmon breaking away from him towards an alley that was ten meters behind him.

“What…?” he asked, stunned and dismayed by their actions. “What the hell are you two doing?!”

“Hahaha!” Bolgmon cackled, turning and giving GrandisKuwagamon a victorious smirk. “Good luck, Grandis!”

Blitzmon looked over at GrandisKuwagamon as well, shrugging as he zipped through the air. “It’s nothing personal!” he called out.

GrandisKuwagamon stared incredulously as his two teammates escaped into the darkness of the alley, leaving him alone on the open street. It didn’t take him long to figure out what was going on. “You… You ****ing traitors!” he shouted after them, hovering in place. He would have shouted more – much more – but he was immediately aware that Alphamon and Omegamon were catching up. They would be on him in seconds if he didn’t move.

The ebony insect man released a long, bitter hiss. He initially tried to go after Bolgmon and Blitzmon towards the alley behind him, but he quickly realised that he would never make it. The Royal Knights were closing in on him too fast. If he tried to go back, he’d be handing himself to the Royal Knights. Instead, he course-corrected his flight and went with the only option he had; he continued up the street, heading to his original destination of the academy.

Behind him, Alphamon and Omegamon watched as the GrandisKuwagamon went straight, while Blitzmon and Bolgmon escaped in the large alley to the left. “Omegamon,” Alphamon stated. “Follow them. I’ll go after GrandisKuwagamon.”

Omegamon nodded. He came to a stop in the air for a moment before shooting off towards the alley, speeding into the shadowy passage. Meanwhile, Alphamon soared past the alleyway, tailing GrandisKuwagamon. He gained some ground when GrandisKuwagamon stopped, but the black insect was swift.

GrandisKuwagamon glanced over his shoulder as he flew up the long road. He was relieved that the second Royal Knight was gone, but still furious at Blitzmon and Bolgmon abandoning him. He was also annoyed that he didn’t have any ranged attacks to throw Alphamon off. He couldn’t slide evolve to GranKuwagamon because he’d lose speed and the ability to manoeuvre in these relatively tight streets.

He saw a large side street up ahead. The mercenary remembered that this street led up towards the academy. He knew that he was almost there. He just needed to go a few more blocks.

GrandisKuwagamon suddenly swerved sharply in the air and shot down the street to the left. The intense beating of his wings caused a low, fluttering behind him.

Alphamon watched the black insect turn suddenly, prompting Alphamon to react quickly during his flight. He too managed to turn down the side street, although not with the same agility that GrandisKuwagamon had. Nevertheless, Alphamon continued pursuing the insect. He wouldn’t let him slip through his grasp again.

-

(Continued in the next post)
 
Last edited:

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
(Continued from the previous post)

-

GrandisKuwagamon shot down the street, swerving from side to side, but not so much that it hindered his speed. At the end of the street, he could see the wall of the city. He briefly scanned the ramparts of the wall, wondering if it was a good idea to fly over it. However, he could clearly see guards on top of the wall, their silhouettes clear against the clouds. He decided he didn’t need more Digimon after him, so he continued on his original course. At the base of the wall was another large road that ran parallel to the wall itself. GrandisKuwagamon knew that that road led up to the Xuanwumon Academy.

He glanced over his shoulder to check on Alphamon. He could see the Royal Knight hot on his tail. GrandisKuwagamon prepared his Gran Killer claws. He slashed one of his clawed gauntlets through a tree on the side of the road, slicing right through the trunk. The tree began to fall as he passed it, teetering over and slowly crashing across the street.

Alphamon narrowed his red eyes as the tree fell in front of him and blocked his path. Instead of stopping, he swiped out the Seiken Gradalpha and slashed the bright blade straight through the tree, cleaving it in two. With the trunk parting in front of him, Alphamon flew through and continued speeding after GrandisKuwagamon. “Stop at once!” he shouted to the mercenary.

“Bite me, tin can!” GrandisKuwagamon shouted back. Upon reaching the end of the street, he took a hard turn to the right. His black form disappeared around the corner and continued shooting up the road beside the wall. The insect man looked ahead of him.

The street was semi-lit by street lamps. At the very end of the road, he could make out a large gap between the walls at the corner of the city. In this space, there was a lot of green foliage from the academy gardens. That would be the perfect place for GrandisKuwagamon to escape.

GrandisKuwagamon accelerated his flight as much as he could, digging deep into his reserves. His lithe, insect body zipped through the air, heading between the wall to his left and the buildings to his right. He was getting closer to the academy. He could clearly see the foliage of the trees. The mercenary glanced over his shoulder and saw that Alphamon was still trailing him. He knew that the Royal Knight wouldn’t give up that easily. He also knew that once they got into the academy gardens, there would be more opportunity for Alphamon to use his attacks, due to all the open space. He wondered if he should have taken advantage of the city and Alphamon’s personal moral restrictions more, but now wasn’t the time for second-guessing.

The mercenary bug pressed his arms to his sides and pulled his legs together to cut down on wind resistance. He increased his speed and shot up the stone road towards the gardens. After thirty tense seconds, he passed by the gap in the wall and flew up the stone path leading into the grounds of Xuanwumon University. He flew into the gardens, zipping over the flowers and foliage.

Alphamon grunted as he flew after GrandisKuwagamon. It was harder to see his body now that they were away from the lights of Saversburg, so he had to track him carefully.

GrandisKuwagamon smirked. He was deep in the garden now. This was his chance. “Slide Evolution! GranKuwagamon!” he spoke, his body flashing brightly for a brief second as his form shifted and grew into his much larger, beetle-like form. Despite his transformation, he continued flying forwards.

In the darkness of the night, he could see a massive tree some distance in front of him, but not much else. The tree was illuminated by twelve, glowing orbs that floated around the trunk of the tree – GranKuwagamon assumed that these were for lighting purposes. In fact, he never remembered seeing a tree that big in the gardens before. Unable to slow down, GranKuwagamon flew towards it. He began to realise that the closer he got, the bigger the tree was – and he had deeply underestimated the scale. After several seconds of flying, the giant bug was forced to come to a stop.

He stared in front of him, incredulous at what he saw. The giant tree was blocking his path. Its trunk was around fifty meters wide, and it had a massive, thick, impenetrable canopy. More than that, the colossal tree was resting on the back of the giant shell of a Digimon. An enormous dragon-tortoise Digimon was resting the middle of the academy gardens, actually asleep in the scenic landscape. Two, golden serpentine heads protruded from the giant shell and rested on the nearby stretch of grass. The twelve orb floating around the tree weren’t lights, but digicores. The Digimon in question was Xuanwumon, the namesake of the academy, and one of the Digimon who had been attending the secret Dark Area discussions.

GranKuwagamon floated in place, his eye twitching with seething frustration and disbelief. The massive Digimon was inadvertently blocking his exit. Due to the giant tree, he wasn’t even able to fly over him easily. Finally, GranKuwagamon’s anger boiled over. “Why the hell is this giant, ****ing, so-called ‘god’ passed out in the middle of the garden?!” he demanded.

Xuanwumon stirred and grumbled deeply, the eyes of his two heads wincing at the noise.

GranKuwagamon cursed up a storm inside his head. Aware of Alphamon immanently closing in on him, he knew that he had to act fast. He hissed and slashed his pincers into the air in front of him. As the jagged scissors moved, they tore into the fabric of space. “Zone Black Hole!” he shouted, ripping open a portal in front of him.

Alphamon sneered as GranKuwagamon prepared to escape. He rushed towards him to stop him, but was unsure if he could make it in time.

GranKuwagamon beat his wings and began to fly towards the abyssal rift in the air.

“I don’t think so!” a voice shouted from nearby. “Tekken Seisai!”

Gankoomon lunged over Xuanwumon’s giant leg and blazed towards GranKuwagamon. Just as the giant insect began to enter the portal, Gankoomon lashed out with his burning fist, throwing a heavy punch right into the side of GranKuwagamon’s carapace.

GranKuwagamon let out a shout of pain as the fist impacted his exoskeleton. The force of the punch pulled him out of the portal and sent him flying through the air. His large, insect body soared for several meters before he was able to beat his wings and collect himself. GranKuwagamon narrowed his red eyes and glared at Gankoomon, who landed in front of the portal. “You…”

Alphamon came to a stop beside Gankoomon. “Gankoomon…” he said, half-surprised to see him there. “Good timing.”

Gankoomon gave Alphamon a grin before turning to GranKuwagamon. “Going somewhere?” he asked the mercenary. “I’ve got a score to settle with you, bug.”

GranKuwagamon hissed. “I don’t have time for this,” he spoke. “Zone—“

“Ulforce Sabre!” UlforceVeedramon called out from behind GranKuwagamon, seeming to appear out of nowhere. He slashed his glowing beam sword down the beetle Digimon’s large back, sending a streak of burning pain shooting down his exoskeleton.

GranKuwagamon snarled with pain, but his sharp instincts and reflexes allowed him to react quickly. He kicked his large, hind leg back and drove the clawed appendage into UlforceVeedramon’s chest, throwing the cobalt Royal Knight away from him.

He also noticed movement from above him. He looked up and saw Craniamon descending from the sky, pointing his Claiohm Solais lance down so that it was poised to stab. GranKuwagamon swiftly swerved to the side, narrowly avoiding being struck by Craniamon.

GranKuwagamon sneered and tried to fly back towards the city, but he had to come to a sudden halt when he saw a shimmering, green pillar of light shooting down from the sky.

“Pendragon’s Glory,” Examon spoke, unleashing an emerald laser from the Ambrosius as he hovered in place in the sky, looking down at the gardens from a high altitude.

As GranKuwagamon came to a sudden stop, the laser tore through the air in front of him, blocking his escape. He swore under his breath and reversed through the air. “Damnit! There’s too many of these damn Royal Knights! Where the hell did they all come from?!” he wondered agitatedly. He looked all around him. There were now five Royal Knights to contend with. GranKuwagamon was in a hyper-alert state; he couldn’t let himself leave a single angle unchecked. His mind worked fast as he tried to think of a solution.

He turned towards Alphamon and Gankoomon with a sneer. Maybe if he could get past them, he could get around Xuanwumon. He decided it was worth a try.

The giant insect began slicing through the air towards them. As he flew through the sky, he began spinning his body rapidly during his flight. The circular rotations picked up speed, and soon his body was that of a ferocious, black, horizontal tornado. “Grand Death Screw!” he shouted, tearing towards the two Royal Knights like a cyclone.

Alphamon and Gankoomon glowered and both prepared themselves as the spinning, dark vortex of jagged pincers and claws. They were about to try and jump out of the way, but Craniamon acted first.

The violet Royal Knight jumped in front of his two comrades as raised the Avalon shield right as GranKuwagamon closed in on them. “God Bless!” he shouted. The Avalon pulsed with energy and unleashed a transparent, bubble-shaped barrier that engulfed the three Royal Knights and protected them from all sides. GranKuwagamon slammed into the barrier and tore against it, though he was unable to get through.

Craniamon narrowed his eyes as he held the barrier up. He watched as the barrier flickered brightly as the tornado-like bug kept up his attack and tried to drill through. As impenetrable as the barrier was, it had the disadvantage of only lasting for three seconds, so it had only limited effectiveness against prolonged attacks. He readied his shield and spear, ready to act as soon as the barrier dropped. “Get ready,” he told the others.

“Leave it to me,” Alphamon spoke, stepping up beside Craniamon and raising his hand. His palm brimmed with green power. “Digitalize of Soul!”

As soon as final word finished, the barrier dropped and GranKuwagamon surged towards them. Alphamon unleashed a bright, emerald beam from his hand, right as GranKuwagamon broke through and swept into them. As the beam fired, the black tornado began to drill against Alphamon’s extended hand, scratching up the palm with sparks and tendrils of energy. Alphamon winced with pain but held steady, continuing to pour his energy into his prolonged beam attack.

The beam parted around GranKuwagamon’s body; it burned against his thick, outer coating but didn’t get past it due to his defences and momentum. However, the beam had enough strength and pressure to push GranKuwagamon back, and ultimately slow his attack. Once the screw attack was slowed enough, the beam slammed into GranKuwagamon and blasted him away.

GranKuwagamon caught himself in the air and hissed as his body smoked from the impact. Despite the heat still against his body, he took the opportunity to think about his situation. “This is bad. I’m in deep ****. They have me surrounded… My body’s too big of a target. Gonna have to evolve back and fight my way out. I’ll never get a Zone Black Hole out like this.

“Slide Evolution! GrandisKuwagamon!” the dark insect called out, his body shining brightly. His form shrank back to his slender, agile, and close-quarters-oriented GrandisKuwagamon body.

GrandisKuwagamon looked around attentively. He flew from spot to spot, not wanting to remain in the same spot for too long and make an easy target for Examon.

Meanwhile, Xuanwumon was finally awoken by the sounds of battle. He opened the eyes of both of his serpentine heads and looked around with confusion. “What’s going on…?” he wondered drowsily.

“Very sorry to disturb you, Xuanwumon,” Alphamon apologised, although not taking his eyes off of GrandisKuwagamon. “We have a bit of a situation.”

Xuanwumon raised his two heads and looked to his side, seeing the Royal Knights standing off against GrandisKuwagamon. He shook his two heads disappointedly. “Fighting in such a beautiful, serene place… What is to be achieved by that?” he asked.

“My apologies, but I’m afraid it can’t be helped,” Alphamon responded, flying into the air and moving towards the city to cut GrandisKuwagamon off from Saversburg. “You may want to get out of here.”

“Oh, I will be fine,” Xuanwumon’s other head stated nonchalantly. “Though I’m afraid I can take no part in this, apart from protecting the university from attacks.”

“I understand,” Alphamon responded, gripping the Seiken Gradalpha in his right hand while aiming his left at GrandisKuwagamon. “We will try to finish this quickly.”

GrandisKuwagamon shot Alphamon a defiant glare. “Don’t underestimate me, you sanctimonious pile of armour! I can still take all of you on!”

“It’s five against one, hot shot!” UlforceVeedramon pointed out to the insect Digimon, flying to GrandisKuwagamon’s other side to flank him from the right as well. “We’re Royal Knights. You should just give up.”

“’Royal Knights’… That’s nothing but a title,” GrandisKuwagamon countered. “It counts for **** in combat. Who cares if you’re the so-called ‘Defenders of the Digital World’?! I’ve fought bigger, badder guys than you before, so don’t flatter yourself. Come at me, if you’re so confident!”

UlforceVeedramon narrowed his eyes and smirked, accepting his challenge. “I highly doubt that, buddy, but you got it!” he spoke, flapping his wings and speeding towards GrandisKuwagamon in a blur. It was seconds before he was upon the mercenary, slashing his glowing blade down.

To the Royal Knight’s surprise, GrandisKuwagamon was deft enough to dodge him. He swerved to the right, narrowly avoiding the vertical swipe as the Ulforce Sabre hummed beside him. This prompted both GrandisKuwagamon and UlforceVeedramon to retaliate.

UlforceVeedramon spun around and extended his wings to stop himself. He raised his left V-Bracelet and extended a second Ulforce Sabre from it. He stabbed it towards GrandisKuwagamon.

GrandisKuwagamon pivoted in the air and stabbed his right Gran Killer forwards. The long, black claws hooked UlforceVeedramon’s beam sword and contended against it as they battled for supremacy. Seeing an opportunity, GrandisKuwagamon smirked. “You idiot. It doesn’t matter how fast you are if you’re right in front of me!” he chastised his opponent. Partially holding UlforceVeedramon in place, GrandisKuwagamon lashed out with his leg. “How’s that leg of yours?” he asked as he slammed his foot into UlforceVeedramon’s left leg – the leg he remembered had been injured.

UlforceVeedramon shouted sharply as pain shot up his leg from the impact. Although the leg was largely healed, it was still sensitive. It caused UlforceVeedramon to pull away from GrandisKuwagamon and momentarily lower his arms.

GrandisKuwagamon took advantage of the moment to lunge forwards, fully intent of stabbing the Royal Knight.

UlforceVeedramon acted quickly. Since they both had the same reach, he didn’t want to try counter-stabbing him. Instead, he deactivated the second blade and activated his defence barrier. “Tense Great Shield!” he said, extending the multidirectional shield from his V-Bracelet.

The black insect’s Gran Killers stabbed into the geodesic dome and was stopped in their tracks. As the sphere grew and extended outwards, it slammed into GrandisKuwagamon and sent him flying away.

“Avalon’s Gate!” Examon called from above, firing a shell out of his lance as he watched what happened. The container shot vertically downwards, breaking apart in midair. The shell released a series of metal ball bearings, which showered down on GrandisKuwagamon, as well as UlforceVeedramon’s barrier, which protected him from the attack. The balls pelted GrandisKuwagamon’s black body and tore up the ground below him. They weren’t strong enough to get through his thick carapace, but they did enough damage to cause bruising and distract him.

Once the attack was over, Gankoomon sailed through the air with his arm coiled back. He closed in on GrandisKuwagamon and unleashed fury onto the bug. “Tekken Seisai!” he roared, slamming his fist, brimming with rage, square into GrandisKuwagamon’s jaw.

GrandisKuwagamon released a grunt and was thrown through the air by the savage punch. He skidded across a bed of flowers, tearing up and crushing the colourful flora beneath him. However, he refused to stay down for even a second. He flipped himself to his feet and saw Craniamon lunging towards him. Craniamon swiped his double-headed spear down on him, but GrandisKuwagamon dashed out of the way. The blade embedded itself in the ground where he had been standing, sending a fountain of dirt shooting up.

The insect man tore through the wave of dirt and stabbed towards Craniamon, but the Royal Knight was ready. He raised the indomitable Avalon shield and blocked his vicious stab cold. Craniamon then lashed out with the Avalon, bashing GrandisKuwagamon back.

GrandisKuwagamon flew backwards and then swerved to the side, narrowly evading Examon’s green laser as it fell from the sky and pierced deep into the ground. The mercenary then agilely flew down, ducking under an emerald laser from Alphamon this time. The Digitalize of Soul attack went over GrandisKuwagamon’s head and streaked diagonally into the sky.

“Hahah!” GrandisKuwagamon laughed insolently, adrenaline flooding through his system. “That’s the best you can do?! It’s five against one, and the mighty Royal Knights can hardly even touch me!” he taunted, half-pissed and venting, and half trying to provoke them into making mistakes. “You Royal Knights talk about honour and that BS, but here you are ganging up on me. I always knew you were full of shit!”

“Okay then,” Craniamon answered, leering coldly and stepping towards him. “Face me one-on-one.”

“No, Craniamon,” Alphamon spoke, trying to keep the Royal Knight’s pride from taking over. “That’s what he wants.” For emphasis, Alphamon flapped his wings and tore towards GrandisKuwagamon from behind. “We aren’t giving up this chance!”

GrandisKuwagamon spun around to see Alphamon descending on him with the Seiken Gradalpha, slashing the sword down vertically. Acting quickly, GrandisKuwagamon crossed the Gran Killers over his head to block the mighty sword strike. With his arms occupied, he kicked Alphamon between the legs.

Alphamon grimaced and felt his knees threaten to buckle. He was forced to weaken the strength behind his attack. He let go on the Seiken Gradalpha to hold it with one hand, and used his free hand to drive his fist across GrandisKuwagamon’s face, around the bug’s raised arms.

The bug Digimon’s head jerked to the side and he spat out a glob of blood. His defence broke, and the sword came slashing down, but he was quick enough to shoot to the side and avoid the descending sword. GrandisKuwagamon spun around as swiped his Gran Killers across Alphamon’s face. The helmet took most of the damage and sparks shot out from the screeching stroke. Alphamon spun around delivered a mighty back kick into GrandisKuwagamon’s chest. As the insect Digimon flew back, Alphamon followed up by turning and extending his left arm. “Digitalize of Soul!” he shouted, unleashing a beam that engulfed GrandisKuwagamon.

GrandisKuwagamon’s braced himself with his Gran Killers, but his chest armour began to fracture under the immense pressure. He hissed with pain and flew out of the laser as it began to dissipate. He flew upwards into the sky and then stopped in night air, heaving.

“You idiotic Royal Knights!” he shouted, brimming with anger. “What the hell are you even doing here?! What are you trying to prove?” He spat out some more saliva mixed with blood. “You’re here in Saversburg to - what? Fight a war with the Metal Empire? Do you even know what the hell you’re doing?!”

Gankoomon gritted his teeth and cracked his knuckles. Hinukamui emerged from Gankoomon’s back in a swath of golden energy. “What the hell are you getting at, bug?” he countered.

“You’re being taken for idiots!” GrandisKuwagamon shouted, a smug smirk on his face. He didn’t care about the contract anymore. Blitzmon and Bolgmon had sold him out. He knew that Black Pincer Company was over. All he cared about now was inflicting as much damage as possible, and hopefully getting out alive in the process. “You don’t even realise it do you? It was Black Pincer Company that attacked your castle! We’re the ones that have been attacking your patrols! We were hired to make you think it was the Metal Empire. Somebody’s been playing you and the Metal Empire off one another, and you fell for it! I mean, you’re about to go to war with them now, you poor, idealistic idiots!”

Gankoomon scowled with anger at his taunting. “Why you…”

Alphamon narrowed his eyes at GrandisKuwagamon. It was true that they had fallen for their tricks before, but Dorbickmon had already told them this information. However, there was more pertinent information that he wanted to know. “Who hired you?” he asked GrandisKuwagamon firmly.

“As if I’d tell you that!” GrandisKuwagamon fired back, pretending that he really did know who their client was. He figured that if they thought he had valuable information, they would be less likely to go fight him to their fullest “I’ve still got a paycheck to pick up!”

“So, you do know?” Alphamon asked, probing for further information.

“Why do you think that I was here in Saversburg? Maybe if you’re fast, you can go and catch him,” GrandisKuwagamon suggested, shrugging.

Alphamon assumed that this was a lie, but he thought it was plausible that GrandisKuwagamon knew the identity of who hired them.

UlforceVeedramon used the opportunity to shoot through the sky like a meteor. Although GrandisKuwagamon tried to react, UlforceVeedramon was too fast. The dragon knight cut along GrandisKuwagamon’s winged back with his laser blade. The sword cut into GrandisKuwagamon’s wings and sent him crashing to the path below.

GrandisKuwagamon crumpled upon hitting the dirt, but he quickly rose to his feet again, just in time to see Gankoomon ready to attack. “Jishin! Kaminari! Kaji! Oyaji!” Gankoomon shouted, causing Hinukamui to surge towards GrandisKuwagamon. The dragon swept across the garden and descended on GrandisKuwagamon, clapping his giant pair of claws together and trying to crush GrandisKuwagamon between them.

GrandisKuwagamon let out an intense shout of effort as he threw his arms out and stabbed his Gran Killers into Hinukamui’s palms, keeping them from crushing him. “Damn it…!” he hissed under the roar of the violent aura around him. He tapped into his inner reserves of energy. His crimson eye burned as he used all his strength to hold Hinukamui back, the power of whom was tearing up the grass around him.

Unfortunately for him, this left him exposed. Gankoomon burst through Hinukamui’s semi-incorporeal body and levelled a punch straight into GrandisKuwagamon’s face. As GrandisKuwagamon staggered backwards, Hinukamui lessened his grip and drifted back onto Gankoomon’s shoulders. Gankoomon dashed forwards and tried to follow up with another punch.

This time, GrandisKuwagamon was ready. He stabbed towards Gankoomon, attempting to skewer him with his greater reach. Gankoomon deftly swerved to avoid the stab, and closed in to deliver a painful blow to the bug’s abdomen. GrandisKuwagamon hissed and fought through the pain. “Grandis Scissors!” he shouted, shutting his pincers towards Gankoomon’s neck with tonnes of pressure.

Gankoomon ducked under the deadly chop, losing a few strands of red hair in the process. He prepared to deliver another punch to GrandisKuwagamon, but he was too slow. GrandisKuwagamon drove his sharp knee up into Gankoomon’s face. When the Royal Knight was forced upwards, he grabbed hold of Gankoomon’s face and then head-butted him with the solid ridge of his forehead above his eye.

GrandisKuwagamon released Gankoomon and allowed him to stagger back. He then kicked Gankoomon in the chest and then followed up with a swipe from his Gran Killer for good measure, drawing a small cut across Gankoomon’s cheek.

“Shining V Force!” UlforceVeedramon shouted, unleashing a ray from his chest that surged into GrandisKuwagamon as soon as Gankoomon was out of the way.

The beam exploded on contact with GrandisKuwagamon and sent him crashing through a stone fountain. The rock water feature crumbled with a large splash. GrandisKuwagamon winced, heaved and swore as he pulled himself out of the wet basin, his body smoking, dripping, and cracked. It was clear that the fight was starting to take its toll on him. He gritted his teeth and glared at the Royal Knights.

“You… Royal Knights think you’re really ****ing special… The so-called ‘Guardians of the Network’! You try to save the Digital World and look after Network Security. Good for you!” he sarcastically taunted, swiping his Gran Killer out for emphasis. “You fight some giant ******* who wants to destroy stuff every so often – you know, that big, important stuff that gets mentioned in all the history books. Some ***-ugly Armagemon or Apocalymon who’s trying to destroy the Digital World or make holes in the Dimensional Wall…” He narrowed his eye at them. “Where the hell are you the rest of the time? Where are you when other Digimon need you? Low-key bandit attacks, small-time raiders… You don’t stop them… Somewhere, there’s a village burning and you’re too busy playing the big heroes of the Digital World to realise it! Hell, you probably don’t even notice! You only step in during big events like wars or cataclysms. You just do all this hero crap to make you feel good about yourselves! You’re self-serving, just like the rest of us. That’s the way the world is…”

UlforceVeedramon sneered. “What?” he asked incredulously. “That’s not true…”

GrandisKuwagamon scoffed. “Tch… For all your lofty ideals, you Royal Knights are just worthless. And that so-called god you worship is just as worthless as you are!” he declared, shooting into the air with a returned vigor. “Yggdrasil, ‘God’. They’re just made up stories.” He turned and pointed his Gran Killers at Xuanwumon. “And the so-called Four Holy Beasts are just ordinary Digimon. It’s all a big sham!”

“It is not a sham,” Xuanwumon spoke calmly, eyeing the bug as he continued to fight. “Perhaps you simply do not want to believe?”

GrandisKuwagamon released a laugh. “Funny! Since nobody can seem to agree on who the real ‘god’ is. Is it Yggdrasil? Huanglongmon? The Being of Goodness? All of the above? Hah! Make up your damn minds! Somebody’s gotta be lying!” he declared. He grunted with effort as he circled around in the air to dodge a beam shot fired from Examon overhead. It skimmed his black feet, but didn’t do any direct damage. When the beam faded, he stopped and raised his Gran Killers, ready to defend against any attacks levelled at him. “Or maybe, if by some cruel, illogical chance, there is some sort of entity that created the Digital World… then they just don’t care. They let the Digital World be as brutal and terrible as it is without lifting a finger or claw or whatever to stop it.”

“That’s not true,” Alphamon spoke. “We Royal Knights are the agents of Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil bears no ill-will towards the Digital World. We serve for the good of the Digital World.”

“Yeah? Do you sit down and have tea-time chats with Yggdrasil then? What does he - she, it, whatever – look like?” GrandisKuwagamon challenged.

Alphamon frowned. “It isn’t that simple, GrandisKuwagamon…” he calmly responded. These weren’t questions that he could answer in a pithy response.

“Uh huh. Whatever. And awfully convenient response,” GrandisKuwagamon dismissively said.

“He exists, GrandisKuwagamon,” Alphamon stated firmly. “I assure you that Yggdrasil exists.”

He glared at the Royal Knights, not wanting to hear their opinions on belief. “You can believe whatever ******** you want. I don’t care anymore. Just get your holier-than-thou butts out of my damn way!”

GrandisKuwagamon flew forwards, trying to soar over Xuanwumon and attempt to escape. He knew his limits, and he was aware that he couldn’t take on five Royal Knights on his own, despite his bravado suggesting otherwise. He knew that his only way out of this was escaping.

However, as he tried to get past Xuanwumon, UlforceVeedramon appeared as a blue blur. The dragon knight stopped several meters in front of him, the V on his chest brimming with holy power. GrandisKuwagamon hissed and shot to the side. He ducked behind Xuanwumon’s digicore, using it as a shield. “You won’t attack his Digicore! Or do you want to try it?!” GrandisKuwagamon shouted out to the Royal Knights. He began flying again, weaving around the twelve digicores that surrounded the massive tree on Xuanwumon’s back.

Xuanwumon eyed GrandisKuwagamon with annoyance at being used as a shield. “Never use a shield that contains a barbed edge,” Xuanwumon’s left head warned. “Mugen!” The god Digimon’s eyes flashed and he released a dark mist from his mouth that billowed through the night sky and consumed GrandisKuwagamon.

“What?!” GrandisKuwagamon asked, trying to beat the mist away with his wings. He tried to fly forwards but found himself confronted by a wall of raging fire. The insect Digimon halted immediately and stared into the flames with a wide eye. He hissed and tried to fly backwards. However, when he looked over his shoulder, there was a billowing inferno behind him as well.

He gritted his teeth and looked around desperately. The fire was all around him, licking at his body. The burning flames and suffocating smoke were all around him. It threatened to consume him. His insides tensed up and he tried desperately to swipe the flames away with his Gran Killers. A cold shiver pierced down his body when he could hear screams and a deep, maniacal laughter echoing around him.

Little did GrandisKuwagamon know, there was no fire at all. It was simply an illusion created by Xuanwumon’s mist. He was swiping his Gran Killers at air.

Alphamon narrowed his eyes and flew up, circling around and stopping several meters in front of GrandisKuwagamon. He raised his hand towards him. “Digitalize of Soul,” he spoke, unleashing a powerful green laser into GrandisKuwagamon that burned at his form and blasted him through the air.

As GrandisKuwagamon was thrown out of the mist, he began to regain his senses. The flames around him were suddenly gone and he was pulled back into reality. “W-What?!” he demanded, wondering what exactly happened. He tried to right himself in the air, but the Royal Knights were ready.

“Shining V Force!” UlforceVeedramon shouted, unleashing a beam blast from his chest. The golden rays burned into GrandisKuwagamon’s side and threw him through the air.

“End Waltz!” Craniamon followed up, spinning the Claiohm Solais over his head, right as GrandisKuwagamon was tossed over him. As he rotated the weapon rapidly, electricity and wind built up in the blades, immediately creating a violent cyclone that enveloped GrandisKuwagamon within it.

GrandisKuwagamon attempted to escape the folds of the wind, but he found himself getting sucked into the vortex. He was thrown around violently, tossed back and forth within the high-pressure wind and lightning. His already beaten body was hammered mercilessly.

When the tornado finally faded, GrandisKuwagamon was somehow still flying in the air. His body was fractured and weary. He heaved and panted, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. The only way he was able to keep himself airborne was out of pure stubbornness and adrenaline.

He levelled a baleful, insolent stare at the Royal Knights. “…That the best… you can do…?” he taunted between haggard breaths. “Well… Oh great Royal Knights…? Maybe you should get… the rest of you to come and finish me off… if you guys can’t…”

“Capture him,” Alphamon commanded the Royal Knights. “I want him alive.”

GrandisKuwagamon released an exhausted, taunting laugh. “How generous… I knew you guys don’t have the balls… But hey, I’m not complaining…” he spoke. His face grew serious. “Still… won’t be that easy…”

High above the academy gardens, Examon hovered in the night sky. He took careful aim with the Ambrosius. He knew which shell was locked in the chamber now. “Avalon’s Gate,” he spoke, pulling the trigger with his claw and firing the ordnance.

The shell burst from the Ambrosius’ muzzle and shot down towards. It collided with GrandisKuwagamon’s back and burst open, sending viral fragments into his carapace. Electricity suddenly started surging through his dark, armoured body.

GrandisKuwagamon howled with pain as a constant wave of electricity tore through him, causing his muscles to go numb. His wings stopped moving and he dropped out of the sky. He fell dozens of feet before crashing into the grass. When he landed, his body still twitched with electricity, which served to incapacitate him.

After a few moments, the electricity subsided. When it did, Examon fired a second shell into GrandisKuwagamon’s back for good measure. This shell burst on contact with the bug Digimon and unleashed a paralyzing agent.

The mercenary winced with pain. He swore and cussed as he pushed himself onto his hands and knees. His arms and legs trembled as he tried to hold himself up, but the paralyzing agent was already taking effect. His limbs began to go numb, and his limbs buckled, causing his body to lurch forward in a bowed, kneeling position.

Gankoomon walked towards GrandisKuwagamon, cracking his knuckles. “I got this, guys,” he told the others, planning to finally put GrandisKuwagamon out for the count.

He stepped up in front of GrandisKuwagamon and coiled his fist back. “Huagh!” he shouted, letting loose his punch.

Before the punch could connect with GrandisKuwagamon’s head, it was caught by a black hand, much to Gankoomon’s surprise. In a final act of defiance, GrandisKuwagamon had pushed himself up to catch the fist in his hand before it could hit him. He glared up at Gankoomon rebelliously. However, that was all he could do.

GrandisKuwagamon’s body and consciousness gave way, and he fell forwards, crashing to the ground at Gankoomon’s feet.

Gankoomon retracted his fist and looked down at the unconscious insect Digimon. He nudged his motionless body with his foot. “Finally…” he grunted. “He’s stubborn, I’ll give him that…”

Alphamon sighed and relaxed, pleased that it was finally over. He flew over and landed on the ground beside Gankoomon. Craniamon walked over, shouldering his spear. Examon and UlforceVeedramon flew over as well.

“We’ve been after this guy for awhile,” Examon pointed out, looking down at GrandisKuwagamon.

“He sure wouldn’t go down easy,” Craniamon mused, prodding his unconscious body with the side of his spear.

“I can respect that,” Gankoomon stated, raising his hand and wiping some blood off of his cheek with his thumb.

Alphamon looked down at the insect Digimon. “Maybe he can tell us who has been working behind the scenes.”

“I doubt he’ll give up that information easily either,” UlforceVeedramon pointed out.

Xuanwumon looked at the Royal Knights with one head. His other head looked up into the sky. “Ah, hello, Imperialdramon,” his right head greeted, looking up at the white armoured dragon man.

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode gave him a slight smile. Flying beside him was Dukemon, who stood on top of Grani. “Hello, Xuanwumon. I hope it wasn’t too noisy,” Imperialdramon said good-naturedly.

“It was nice to have a bit of excitement,” Xuanwumon responded light-heartedly.

Alphamon looked up and saw Imperialdramon Paladin Mode and Dukemon descending towards them. “Imperialdramon, there you are,” he acknowledged as the two Royal Knights stopped beside them.

“Sorry I’m late,” Imperialdramon replied sheepishly. “I managed to get all these guys, but trying to wake up Dynasmon and RhodoKnightmon was a lost cause. Seems like you guys did well enough though. I didn’t think you’d need more than five to take down this guy.”

“You weren’t here,” UlforceVeedramon said with a laugh.

“GrandisKuwagamon, huh?” Dukemon said, hopping off of Grani. He observed the unconscious mercenary. “What about the other two?”

Right as Alphamon was about to respond with uncertainty, a voice called out from nearby.

“Alphamon!” a familiar voice spoke up.

The group of eight turned and saw Omegamon walking out of Saversburg and into the academy gardens. He approached them, but there was no sign of Blitzmon or Bolgmon.

“Omegamon,” Alphamon greeted. “Are you alright? What happened?”

As Omegamon walked up beside him, UlforceVeedramon’s expression soured. “Huanglongmon. You stink, Omegamon. Where were you?” he said with a half laugh.

Omegamon gave him a look. “I was scouring the sewers for the past half an hour,” he informed him. “The Numemon down there were not helpful.”

“Well, you should learn to be more sociable,” Imperialdramon Paladin Mode teased him with a chuckle.

Omegamon wasn’t amused.

“Did you find the other two?” Alphamon asked curiously.

“I’m sorry,” Omegamon apologised. “I lost them.”

“It’s fine,” Alphamon assured him. “The Saversburg sewers are like a labyrinth. It’s no wonder they were able to escape down there.” He looked down at GrandisKuwagamon. “Besides, we managed to get their leader.”

“It seems they were all too pleased to give him up,” Omegamon pointed out, remembering how Blitzmon and Bolgmon left GrandisKuwagamon to save themselves.

“That’s mercs for you,” Dukemon stated. “They always look out for number one.”

Alphamon looked at Grani. “Grani, can I borrow one of your scouts?” he asked the recon captain.

“Of course, Alphamon,” Grani responded.

“Thank you. Could you get them to go to Havelock Prison and inform Reapermon to come here?” Alphamon inquired. “We have a high priority prisoner who needs restraint, transport, and medical attention. I would like to take him to our castle dungeons for the time being.”

“Our dungeons?” Gankoomon asked curiously.

“Yes, I would like to speak with him when we finish up here,” Alphamon responded. He looked down at the beaten down insect. “If we are fortunate, he might have some useful information for us.”

UlforceVeedramon nodded and folded his arms. “Well, that’s one thorn in our taken care of,” he stated. “Now, we just have the Metal Empire.” He turned to the Royal Knights with a grin. “Easy enough, right?”
 
Last edited:

Griff4815

No. 1 Grovyle Fan
Chapter 21: Before the Storm​

It was a busy morning in and around Saversburg. At the break of dawn, scouts had reported that the D-Brigade had formed up a few kilometers to the west of Saversburg. Their whole army was preparing for battle that day.

The combined armies of both the Order and Saversburg were getting ready to move out and meet the D-Brigade in the field. There was a lot of collaboration going on between the two allied armies, as they had to organise in a coherent, effective way. The Saversburg army went on ahead towards the battlefield, being the slower of the two armies. They were relieved when a military force from the Republic of Node showed up a few hours after dawn. It wasn’t their full army, but it consisted of a few divisions and a few specialised teams like the so-called Greymon Five, who were a small but powerful anti-Dramon force. With this addition, the gap in numbers between the D-Brigade and the allied army was weakened, but the D-Brigade still had a numerical advantage.

Outside of Saversburg, the armies were hurrying to get ready. The whole scene seemed chaotic, with Digimon going every which way, but it was actually highly organised. The Saversburg army was gathered on the western outskirts of the large city, and were marching across the road and grasslands towards where the D-Brigade preparing their formations.

Meanwhile, the Royal Knights were busy organising their forces and preparing to move out after the Saversburg army. In the distance, there were already sounds of attacks being launched. The skirmishes between scouts had begun, as the scouts of each sides tried to keep the other away from their armies. These fights were usually short and fleeting, as they were hit-and-run in style. Still beams, flames, and explosions could be seen lighting up the cloudy sky every now and then as the armies prepared to engage each other.

Alphamon walked outside of the Royal Knights’ temporary camp. It was packed full of busy Digimon. The Strike Forces and Defence Forces were getting organised outside of the camp with the help of the Royal Knights. Also around were the Reconnaissance Forces and the Stealth Forces, as well as support crews.

Alphamon strode beside OuRyuumon as they made their way alongside the hundreds of Strike Force Digimon. “Are they ready to go, OuRyuumon?” he asked the Strike Forces’ captain.

“Yeah. They’ll be ready to move out and kick *** in fifteen minutes,” OuRyuumon responded, looking over at his Strike Forces. “We’re just doing last minute equipment checks.”

“Good. We can’t be too far behind the Saversburg army,” Alphamon said to him. He turned and looked over to the equally large Defence Forces. Omegamon and Dukemon were talking with Captain Knightmon. Omegamon noticed Alphamon walking by and gave him a nod.

“It looks like the Defence Forces are ready to go,” Alphamon observed from Omegamon’s gesture.

“Okay. We’ll finish up,” OuRyuumon stated, patting Alphamon’s shoulder before flying off and soaring in front of the Strike Forces where his leftenants were.

Alphamon continued walking alongside the camp. On the outskirts of the makeshift camp were the Digimon from the Republic of Node’s military. They were currently getting filled in by Duftmon and RhodoKnightmon, who were telling them what their roles would be in the coming battle. The Republic of Node soldiers had agreed to follow the Royal Knights’ instructions, so that their combined armies could act cohesively. Gaioumon was among them, having gotten the Council of Seven’s permission to supervise.

The closest group to him was a team of five Ultimate level Greymon – a KaiserGreymon, VictoryGreymon, ShineGreymon, WarGreymon, and BlackWarGreymon. He recognised them as the Greymon Five, a new special shock team that was created when the Republic reorganised their military structure. Since they were busy being told their role by Duftmon, Alphamon decided that he didn’t want to interrupt. However, he noticed that some of the Greymon were staring at Duftmon with fanboy-like glee.

Alphamon smiled to himself and kept on walking. He needed to speak to Captain Karatenmon next to see how the Stealth Forces were doing.

“Alphamon!” a voice called out to the Royal Knight.

The black armoured Royal Knight turned in the direction of the sound. When he looked, he saw a familiar, gold and silver body of a cyborg skulking towards him. He recognised the fearsome, skull-like face of Reapermon anywhere.

Reapermon, the warden of the Royal Knights’ Havelock Prison, stepped across the grass and made his way towards him. The slender Digimon lugged a heavy bag over his shoulder. He looked around the area as he walked over to Alphamon.

“Reapermon, I’m glad you made it,” Alphamon greeted.

“Where is he?” Reapermon asked, cutting straight to business.

Alphamon turned and looked over his shoulder. His eyes landed on GrandisKuwagamon, who was located at the very edge of their camp. The black insect sat cross-legged, his arms and pincers bound with chains. He was under heavy guard by several Ultimate level Order Digimon. “I assume you mean GrandisKuwagamon,” Alphamon spoke.

“Yeah,” Reapermon spoke, his dark, glowing eyes resting on the mercenary. “I’ve been after Black Pincer Company for a long time, and they’ve always eluded my grasp. It’s just a pity I didn’t get to take him down myself.”

“The other two are still missing,” Alphamon explained to him. “But that is a problem for another time. We can’t distract ourselves by taking on too much at once.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Reapermon responded, turning his gaze back to Alphamon. “What do you want me to do with him?”

Alphamon rubbed his chin with his fingers. “Most importantly, get him to our castle dungeons safe and sound. Just restrain him and leave him under watch until we get back,” he told Reapermon.

“The castle dungeons? What do you want from him?” Reapermon inquired.

“He might have important information,” Alphamon explained.

Reapermon nodded slowly. “…I know what you’re going to say, but I can always obtain that information in your absence…” the cyborg jailor offered ominously.

“No, Reapermon,” Alphamon stated firmly. “I know you used to be a bounty hunter, but we don’t operate that way. Just leave him to us.”

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Alphamon. You’re no fun,” Reapermon spoke, playfully eyeing the sharp tip of his sickle arm.

Alphamon smiled a bit. He turned and looked at GrandisKuwagamon. The prisoner was conscious but momentarily docile. “Can you transport him on your own? He’s quite a handful,” Alphamon cautioned. He smirked at Reapermon. “We had to replace two of the guards because he insulted them so badly that he reduced them to tears.”

“Hmph,” Reapermon grunted, tapping his metal exterior with his sharp claws. “I have thick casing.”

Alphamon nodded. “Is there anything you need?”

“No, I have everything,” the bounty hunter-come-prison warden explained, gesturing to the bag over his shoulder. “Heavy duty restraints and inhibitor viruses. I’ll implant some in him to make sure he can’t use his attacks or change forms.”

“Very well. Just don’t be too rough with him,” Alphamon asked Reapermon. “‘A foe today could be a friend tomorrow’.”

“I’d say you’re being idealistic, but I guess I’m proof of those words, huh?” Reapermon stated, shooting Alphamon an ironic grin.

Alphamon chuckled. “Heheh… Well, I can say from bitter experience that you are definitely better as a friend than as an enemy, Reapermon,” he explained. He turned away from the cyborg Digimon and looked at GrandisKuwagamon. “I trust you with him.”

“I’ll behave. But if he’s as mouthy as you say he is, I can’t promise I won’t shut him up somehow,” Reapermon responded.

Alphamon smiled. “Do your best. I’m counting on you,” he said to him.

Reapermon nodded quietly. He folded his arms and looked around curiously. “And how’s everything going here?”

“We’re about to make our way to the expected battlefield,” Alphamon informed him. He closed his eyes with thought. “…It will be a difficult battle, but in times like this, we all have to do our best and work together.”

“Well, if anybody can pull it off, it’s the Aloof Hermit,” Reapermon stated, glancing at Alphamon. He turned and looked over at GrandisKuwagamon. “Well, I’ll go get my cargo and head out. You need to focus on doing your Royal Knight stuff.”

Alphamon nodded. “Very well. He’s all yours,” the black Royal Knight answered.

“Good luck with the fight, Alphamon,” Reapermon told him as he walked away and headed towards the insect prisoner.

“Thank you, Reapermon,” Alphamon said to him, watching as Reapermon made his way over to GrandisKuwagamon and the guards around him.

Alphamon looked around at the Royal Knights’ forces. He hoped that they were all ready for the battle. They would need to be. He didn’t wish to lose any of his fellow Digimon if he could help it. However, it was war. He had to be prepared for that. Order Digimon would likely be deleted. Despite this, Alphamon would do everything in his power to protect as many Digimon as he could.

-

“Urngh… Huh…?”

Suijinmon uttered a deep rumbling groan that almost sounded like a fog horn. He began to regain consciousness after being knocked out since the previous evening.

He slowly opened his red eyes. His vision was fuzzy, so he began blinking to gain his focus. Even when he did, it was hard to see. The area he was in was mostly dark. He could deduce that he was inside somewhere, and he began to make out the faint surfaces of large walls around him.

There were only small rays of light entering the building – there were small apertures near the top of the side walls that allowed for light to shine in from the outside. This allowed him to see inside the building a little better. However, the beams of light in question were tempered by the thick clouds that covered the morning sky outside.

Suijinmon looked around, still trying to get his bearings. He realised that he was in the large warehouse that they had been converting into a hangar. It was then that he remembered the events of the previous evening. He remembered his argument with Fujinmon. He remembered getting drugged. His eyes widened with horror at the realisation. It was the day of the battle and Fujinmon was planning a coup.

He knew he had to stop it.

Suijinmon was lying on his side. He could feel the cool, steel floor against his metal body. He grunted and tried to get up from off the floor, but he felt that he couldn’t. For some reason, his joints were stiff and immobile. Again, he tried to move his body, but he only succeeded in wiggling on the ground, causing the sharp, grating sound of metal friction.

“What…?” he asked in confusion. He glanced down at his large body and began to realise the situation that he was in, based on his sight and sensations.

His four, muscular legs were lassoed together with thick chains that wrapped around all of his ankles. His eyes widened at the realisation that his legs were tied up and rendered immobile, preventing him from standing or moving his heavy body. Suijinmon tried to move his giant, mechanical Accel Arms in order to break the chains, but he found that he was unable to move them either. His massive arms were pulled behind his back and restrained as well. His forearms were folded behind his back and chained together securely, resting against the horizontal part of his back. There were also a few chains wrapped around his upper body and biceps to make sure that he wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the incredible strength of his Accel Arms.

He could also feel that something was wrong with his Accel Arms. He was having trouble even struggling against the chains binding them. It felt as if there was something wrong with the wiring of the machine arms.

“W-What?!” he demanded with anger and shock.

He struggled on the ground, attempting to use brute force to break his way out, but the chains weren’t budging. Suijinmon began to panic, although it was completely internal. His outer exterior seemed calm, but his mind worked like a supercomputer as he tried to think of a way out of his predicament. His thoughts were distracted by the sound of footsteps walking across the metal floor.

Suijinmon stopped his movements and looked towards the noise. “Who’s there?” he demanded, narrowing his eyes angrily.

“It’s me…”

Fujinmon’s form became visible as he walked into one of the rays of light. His green, metal form shimmered as the strands of light reflected off of his body. He stepped forwards for a few more paces before stopping several meters in front of the restrained Waterfall Commander.

“F-Fujinmon?” Suijinmon spoke, his eyes widening. His crimson optics hardened into a glare and looked down at his bound legs and arms. “What is the meaning of this?!” he said in a voice that demanded an answer.

Fujinmon closed his eyes calmly. “I apologise, Suijinmon, but these are necessary measures,” he explained.

“How in the Digital World are these necessary measures?” Suijinmon asked, attempting to remain calm despite his circumstances.

“I tried to convince you to join me, but you refused to turn against Chaosdramon,” Fujinmon explained. “You said that you didn’t want to be put in a position where you had to choose Chaosdramon over me. Therefore, I chose for you. …This is for your own good, Suijinmon; I would hate to fight against you.”

“Fujinmon… Don’t do this…” Suijinmon spoke. He narrowed his eyes and there was a bristling in his deep voice.

“I have to…” Fujinmon responded serenely. “I agree with Chaosdramon about one thing: the status quo isn’t good enough anymore. The Metal Empire is a shadow of what it once was. We’re ruled by fear. We act how we’re told to act – assigned to the roles given to us. Even us, the Storm Commanders, are at the mercy of Chaosdramon’s wishes. …It is time to change that.”

“Fujinmon…” Suijinmon rumbled in protest.

“I know you disagree. You think I’m crazy for even considering the idea… That’s why I had to do this to you,” Fujinmon explained, looking down at him and locking eyes with Suijinmon. “You would try to stop me otherwise.”

“Of course I would. Think about what you’re doing, Fujinmon. This is madness. Please see reason,” Suijinmon beseeched his comrade, staring back up at him.

Fujinmon shook his head. “You are the one who won’t see reason,” he spoke in a voice that suggested that he was completely clear of mind.

“Fujinmon! You’re going to betray, Chaosdramon! He will never forgive that, no matter how hard I try to convince him!” he begged Fujinmon. “If you rise up during battle, he won’t hesitate to delete you! Even if he doesn’t, you’ll be executed afterwards!”

“Not if I win,” Fujinmon challenged.

Suijinmon glared at the green cyborg in frustration. “How do you expect to win? Between Chaosdramon’s forces and the enemy…” He glared deeper. “…I won’t allow you to fight my soldiers.”

“I will not be fighting your soldiers,” Fujinmon responded confidently. “I have a plan.”

“A plan… I’ve seen your plans. They’re too reckless. You never think about the finer details… That’s your problem, Fujinmon; you think you have all the answers when you don’t!” Suijinmon argued. “I’m the D-Brigade’s tactician; I need to be there if we have any hope of winning against the Royal Knights. Release me, Fujinmon! Remove these chains at once!”

“No. If you won’t help me, then you will only run counter to my plans,” Fujinmon stated. “Remain here. I will come and get you after the battle.”

“You won’t make it to the end of the battle at this rate!” Suijinmon protested, struggling and fighting against his bonds. “Chaosdramon will crush you! You are underestimating him!”

You are underestimating me, Suijinmon,” Fujinmon spoke, leering at the large, crimson machine Digimon. “This battle is my only chance.”

Suijinmon rumbled angrily and continued fighting against his chains. “Fujinmon!” he thundered, slamming his heavy tail against the ground in frustration. “Release me at once! You don’t know what you’re doing! Listen to reason!”

“I’m sorry, Suijinmon,” Fujinmon responded, turning his back to him. “This is my chance. I have to take it.” He bowed his head and closed his eyes, as if having more doubts than he was letting on. “This is my best chance. I have to succeed. I can’t do that with you against me.”

The Waterfall Commander released a mechanical hiss as he strained his muscles and joints against his bonds.

Fujinmon glanced over his shoulder, looking past the large, green, halo-like protrusion that jutted out from his back. “I do not intend to lose… but if I do…” he began, regretfully. “Suijinmon, I don’t want you to hate me. You—“

“You idiot…” Suijinmon spoke, grimacing hard with an uncharacteristic amount of emotion in both his pained expression and frustrated words. “Do… Do you have any idea how selfish you’re being…?”

Fujinmon blinked and half-turned around. “Selfish…?”

“You aren’t thinking about anybody but yourself… Do you understand what the effects of your illogical actions will be on the rest of us? Your subordinates? Raijinmon? Myself?” Suijinmon asked him, trying hard to persuade him. No longer was he using logic as his main argument. He was beginning to use emotion. “…Fujinmon… You and Raijinmon are my closest friends… If anything happened to you both… I…” Suijinmon trailed off.

“I… wouldn’t know what to do…” he explained finally.

Fujinmon turned forwards. He made sure that his back was to Suijinmon so that the Waterfall Commander wouldn’t be able to see his weakness and guilt as he grimaced. “…Nothing will happen to us, Suijinmon,” he assured him. “It is because you are my friend that you are here. I know you too well.”

Fujinmon strengthened his resolve and began walking away, heading towards the hangar doors. “I am sorry for putting you through this, Suijinmon. However, it must be done,” he spoke, continuing forwards with determination. “As the Hurricane Commander, I will be the one who will summon the wind of reformation. Chaosdramon is finished.”

“I won’t let you…” Suijinmon spoke, narrowing his eyes.

Despite the fact that he couldn’t move his limbs or even stand, Suijinmon acted. The four cannons on and within his broad, metal shoulders suddenly came to life. All four guns pointed at Fujinmon as he walked away. Suijinmon glared at Fujinmon. “You never focus on details, Fujinmon… You always make little mistakes as a result… You made a very big mistake this time…” Suijinmon explained to him. “You forgot to disable my Mugen Cannons.”

Fujinmon stopped. He stood there for a moment, thinking about what Suijinmon said to him. He gently hovered a few centimeters off of the ground and turned around to face Suijinmon. Fujinmon saw the Waterfall Commander lying there, aiming his arsenal of shoulder-mounted weaponry at him. “I see…” he responded calmly.

“Release me and forget this idea… I won’t let you betray Chaosdramon,” Suijinmon stated, his voice deep and threatening. “Betray him… and I’ll shoot you.”

Fujinmon glanced at his Mugen Cannons and then looked back at Suijinmon. “No, you won’t,” Fujinmon answered confidently.

“I am not joking, Fujinmon,” Suijinmon warned firmly. “Do not test me.”

“You won’t shoot me, Suijinmon,” Fujinmon explained, staring at him directly.

Suijinmon began pouring energy into the Mugen Cannons. “Yes, I will!” he countered.

Fujinmon flew forwards a few paces, right into the cannons’ angles. “…So, shoot me,” Fujinmon challenged, staring into Suijinmon’s eyes.

The loyal Thunderclap Commander growled angrily.

Fujinmon lowered his Critical Arms disarmingly, offering himself up to the restrained D-Brigade commander. “It’s the only way that you’ll get me to stop. If you feel that strongly about it, fire. End this coup right now. For the good of Chaosdramon and the Metal Empire…”

Suijinmon glared back at Fujinmon. The energy in his cannons intensified. “Fujinmon…” he warned.

Fujinmon leered into Suijinmon, calling his bluff. “…Fire, Suijinmon… Like a good soldier…”

Suijinmon inhaled. The beams swelled inside the steel chambers, causing the bores of the cannons to glow brightly. The energy looked as if it would shoot out at any second.

But after several tense seconds, the energy weakened. A hiss escaped from Suijinmon’s body and the energy receded back down the tubes the connected to the cannons. Suijinmon grimaced and lowered his Mugen Cannons, indicating his submission.

“…Thank you, Suijinmon…” Fujinmon said to him sincerely. He turned around and floated away from Suijinmon.

Suijinmon shut his eyes as Fujinmon opened the heavy doors and closed them behind him. He could hear the sound of the doors shutting, and then the metallic clicking of locks. Silence overtook the warehouse and Suijinmon was left alone inside.

Chaosdramon… I couldn’t do it,” he thought to himself bitterly. “Does that mean I care more about them than I do the Emperor…?

Suijinmon opened his red eyes with a tormented look deep behind their pensive lenses. He looked down at himself and tried again to free himself from his bonds. “Fujinmon… Be safe, you imbecile…

-

To the west of Saversburg were sprawling fields of grass. The plains were flat and level, making it ideal territory for mechanized Digimon that ran on treads and wheels. This would be the site of the battle.

On the southern edge of the fields was a tall hill that overlooked the battlefield. Due to the D-Brigade picking this battlefield and arriving first, they held the strategic hill. This hill served as a powerful flank that overlooked the battlefield, and the D-Brigade was already fortifying it with Digimon who had a lot of firepower.

The D-Brigade was still getting into position. Things had been stalled by the absence of Suijinmon and Fujinmon. This allowed the allied armies of the Order, Saversburg, and Republic of Node to get into formation as well. There were thousands of Digimon on each side of the battlefield.

On the east side of the battlefield, the allied forces were nearly ready to fight. The troops were organised into groups depending on their role in battle. They were spacing themselves out from each other based on where on the battlefield they were directed to go. It would be a huge mistake for everybody to clump together, given the D-Brigade’s exceptional long-ranged bombardment capabilities.

The twelve Royal Knights stood in front of the combined army along with OuRyuumon, Knightmon, Tactimon and Gaioumon. Duftmon stood beside Tactimon and Gaioumon, going over the tactics again for clarity.

“To repeat, OuRyuumon, you will be leading the Aerial Strike Forces to capture that hill to the south. We need to secure that left flank and wipe out those bombardment troops otherwise they will decimate our ranks,” Duftmon explained, tapping the ground with his rapier. “A contingent of Shield Guards and Aerial Guards will accompany you, led by Sleipmon and Examon.” He looked at the two Royal Knights in question. “We will need your speed to take that hill as quickly as possible.”

Duftmon eyed Sleipmon specifically before looking away. “Sleipmon, I assume you still do not desire to delete Digimon. Therefore, you may incapacitate them if you wish, just as long as you can absolutely get them to stop firing and retreat. How you do it doesn’t matter,” he said to him meaningfully.

At this, Sleipmon smiled with appreciation. “Thank you, Duftmon…” he responded warmly.

“Moving on,” Duftmon said, quickly changing to the next order of business. “The Saversburg army will be in the middle with their ground, aerial and bombardment troops. This is where the majority of the Royal Knights will be as well. Tactimon will lead this portion of the army. Omegamon, Craniamon, Dynasmon, and Gankoomon will be at the front with our ground Strike Forces, serving as the vanguard on the ground. Your primary objective is to break through the D-Brigade’s lines. Craniamon, Dynasmon, Gankoomon, I take it that this is where you are at your best,” the brown-armoured tactician stated, placing a hand on his sash-clad hip.

Gankoomon smirked and cracked his knuckles. “That sounds about right. The thick of the action is where I shine,” he agreed.

Craniamon nodded approvingly. “Can’t wait…” he spoke, gripping the Claiohm Solais with excitement.

“Bet I can take out more than you, Moustache,” Dynasmon challenged with a grin of anticipation.

Duftmon gave them both a bland look. “That is not to say that you can go jaunting about as you please. The all-important center serves as the anchor for our formations, and it is the area which will see the heaviest fighting. Having a strong, coherent center is the key to success here,” he explained. Duftmon then turned. “Next, on the right will be the Republic of Node’s military combined with the rest of our Aerial Guards and Shield Guards to ensure a sturdy flank. Alphamon, Dukemon, RhodoKnightmon, and Gaioumon will lead the right flank. Supplementing our armies from the rear will be the anti-air forces and the Reconnaissance Forces, who will help us to gain aerial superiority. Aiding them, as well as having flexible roles that allow us to move around the battlefield as needed, will be Magnamon, UlforceVeedramon, and I.”

“Got it, Duftmon,” Magnamon acknowledged, clenching his fists with dedication.

“We will do our best,” Alphamon assured him, looking at Dukemon and RhodoKnightmon.

“We must be allow for flexibility,” Tactimon spoke up. “Suijinmon is their tactician, and, as we now know, he is a very dangerous one. As the battle unfolds, be prepared for split second changes in tactics.”

“With that said, do not stray from the assigned battle plan too much,” Duftmon added.

“Understood,” Omegamon agreed.

OuRyuumon nodded. “Yeah, gotcha. I’m gonna go fill in my leftenants,” he responded. He levelled a look at Alphamon, quietly wishing him good luck in case they didn’t see each other again before the battle started.

Alphamon smiled and nodded back at him. The black Royal Knight watched as OuRyuumon took off into the air, curving his long body through the sky as he flew over to where his Strike Forces were gathered. With his eyes observing the skies, Alphamon noticed another familiar Digimon soaring across the sky.

It was Grani, and the Zero ARMS was making his way towards them swiftly. Grani flew down to the group and stopped in front of them softly, hovering in place.

“Grani?” Dukemon asked, turning and looking at him.

“I’m not interrupting, am I?” Grani questioned, glancing at the Royal Knights.

“Of course not, Grani. Do you have something to report?” Alphamon inquired.

“Yes. I have just come from a reconnaissance run, deep near the D-Brigade’s lines,” Grani explained. His deep, sapphire eyes turned towards Alphamon. “I have confirmed your suspicions.”

“Huh? What suspicions?” Dukemon questioned.

Grani turned and gazed across the reaching field, eyeing the D-Brigade army. There were many giant Digimon visible among their ranks, including a Deckerdramon, a few Mugendramon, a Breakdramon, and a Chaosdramon. “You see that Chaosdramon there?” he asked the Royal Knights, looking at the giant red body that towered over many of the smaller D-Brigade soldiers. “That isn’t just any Chaosdramon. That is Emperor Chaosdramon.”

The Royal Knights turned and looked across the open terrain, staring at the huge, easily-spotted, crimson body of Chaosdramon standing at the back of the D-Brigade troops.

“What?” Duftmon asked incredulously. “He is taking part in this battle himself? But that… is uncharacteristic.”

Magnamon narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. “He was an officer in the D-Brigade a long time ago… An extremely powerful and effective one, from what MetallifeKuwagamon has said. Cold, efficient, merciless, and devastating… This could be trouble for us,” Magnamon pointed out.

Alphamon closed his eyes and rubbed his chin pensively. “They say, ‘In every crisis, there is an opportunity.’ This could be a golden opportunity for us. Opportunities are rare and easily lost,” he spoke sagaciously.

“So, what you are saying is, if there was ever a time to take down Chaosdramon, it would be right now,” Omegamon spoke, looking at Alphamon.

“Exactly,” Alphamon confirmed. “We have been biding our time for a moment to take him down for a long time. We can assume that Chaosdramon will be a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, so this may be unavoidable regardless.”

“You may have a point, Alphamon…” Duftmon mused, thinking about the possibility. “We will have to see how the battle goes, but it will require the power of a Royal Knight to bring Chaosdramon to his knees.” He glanced at the dark Royal Knight. “Alphamon?”

“I will do what I can,” Alphamon stated. He smiled with measured whimsy. “Though, I would feel better having one of you at my side.”

“We’ll be beside you every step of the way,” Omegamon assured him.

Dynasmon nodded and looked at Omegamon. “Have you made sure that Imperialdramon Paladin Mode will stay in the academy with the others?” he asked with a grin.

Omegamon sighed. “I have done all that I can. There’s only so much I can do where he is concerned. I think he’ll focus on the Dark Area, so long as the battle goes well,” he responded.

“It’ll be tough, but we’ve faced worse than this,” Dukemon explained. “I’m not about to let us be defeated by Chaosdramon and the D-Brigade.”

Grani gave Dukemon a look. “If you are overly reckless, I will be very cross, Dukemon,” he reminded him.

Dukemon let out a short laugh but nodded. “Okay, Grani…”

The Zero Arms chuckled slightly before looking at him seriously. “…Are you sure you don’t need me?” he asked him.

“I’ll be fine, Grani,” Dukemon assured him. “You focus on your Reconnaissance Forces.”

Grani nodded. “Very well… Then I suppose I should get back to them now,” he stated. He looked across the gathered Royal Knights. “Good luck, everyone.”

“You too, Grani,” Dukemon said to him, smiling.

Alphamon pivoted and looked at the Royal Knights. “He has the right idea. We should all get to our positions, the battle will be starting soon, yes?”

Duftmon nodded. “On our terms, yes,” he responded. “I am frankly rather surprised that the D-Brigade hasn’t commenced the battle yet. I suppose they must either be still preparing or waiting for us to move.”

Grani glanced at him. “There is still the matter that Commanders Fujinmon and Suijinmon are nowhere to be found. My scouts have swept the entire area to the north, south and east of Saversburg, but they couldn’t see them anywhere. Furthermore, it seems as though most of the D-Brigade is present here, and there haven’t been any other movements of activity. It may be nothing to worry about and they are just hanging back in Haganemame City,” he stated.

“That seems unlikely, given how this is supposed to be a set piece battle, but…” Duftmon frowned and shook his head. “It is worrisome. The D-Brigade is known for stealth. We must remain vigilant.”

“I shall,” Grani stated. The Zero ARMS turned rotated in the air and shot off to reconvene with his scouts.

Alphamon looked around at the gathered Royal Knights. “If we don’t see each other before it all begins… Good luck, everyone. Do your best, look out for each other, and count on one another. Each and every one of you is strong and capable. Show them what the Royal Knights can do,” he told them, looking at the eleven Royal Knights with a commanding but warm and reassuring gaze. “Believe in your bonds, Royal Knights. I’m counting on you.”

“Ooh, I’m getting chills,” UlforceVeedramon said with a light-hearted smile. “I love when you do your rousing speeches, Alphamon. Your one to the troops this morning had a lot more passion, though. Really got my blood flowing.”

“I personally prefer arousing speeches,” RhodoKnightmon stated, placing his hands on his hips. “Alphamon does have quite the sexy voice, however. It’s so calm and commanding.”

Alphamon smiled. “I’ll see you all on the battlefield…” he spoke, giving them a nod before walking away. He walked along the groups of hundreds of Digimon soldiers, making his way to his group at the far right flank of the formation. Dukemon and RhodoKnightmon followed after him, heading to their place half a kilometer away.

As they walked away, Omegamon watched them out of the corners of his eyes. He made a mental note to keep tabs on them during the battle. He walked forward with Dynasmon, Craniamon, and Gankoomon, while the rest of the Royal Knights went to get into position.

Gaioumon stood near Tactimon and Duftmon, also watching as Alphamon walked down the frontline of the allied army. “I have to say… I’m surprised that the Aloof Hermit is taking part in the battle,” he mused, eyeing Alphamon curiously. “He only rarely takes part in Royal Knight missions and conflicts. I believe he has the lowest mission completion rate next to the recently-joined Gankoomon, correct?”

Duftmon leered at Gaioumon. “Yes, that is true… Alphamon normally tries to stay out of missions and, instead, he focuses on administrating the Order,” he replied firmly. Duftmon closed his eyes and folded his arms. “However, that is not to say that Alphamon is any slouch. He is perfectly capable of winning a battle single-handedly, as a matter of fact. He is first-among-equals of the Royal Knights, after all.”

Gaioumon calmly smiled at Duftmon. “Of course. I was not suggesting otherwise,” he explained. “I simply meant that I am surprised that he is personally taking part in this battle.”

Duftmon nodded. “Alphamon acts when it truly matters. He wouldn’t sit back and leave something this big to the rest of us. The thing about Alphamon is that he doesn’t ask Digimon to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself. He is just that kind of Digimon,” the tactician explained in a deliberate, informative manner.

As Duftmon spoke, Tactimon eyed the Royal Knight tactician with a thoughtful gaze. He was surprised to hear him speak that way about another Digimon.

Gaioumon smiled. “So he is… There are some truly interesting Digimon in the Digital World who are like that, aren’t there?” he mused.

Tactimon looked at the black dragon samurai. “I take it you are referring to AncientGreymon as well, aren’t you?” he asked him. “Just what is your history with him, exactly?”

Gaioumon closed his eyes. “That is a very long story…” he answered mysteriously.

“More importantly, will the Warrior Ten be showing up?” Duftmon asked, looking at Tactimon.

“I cannot be certain. We sent a message to their base, but we haven’t received a response,” Tactimon explained.

“They will come…” Gaioumon assured him with a certainty in his composed, deliberate voice. “He will come.”

Tactimon eyed Gaioumon curiously. “…I hope you’re right. We may have the Royal Knights, but we’re still outnumbered by the thousands,” he stated.

Gaioumon nodded. “I am certain of it,” he spoke, narrowing his golden eyes slightly. He turned away and began to walk after Alphamon, Dukemon, and RhodoKnightmon. “I will go prepare the Republic of Node’s troops. I will see you both later.”

Gaioumon walked off, leaving Duftmon and Tactimon together at the head of the army. Initially, there was a pensive silence between the two tacticians. They stood side-by-side, each absorbed in their own thoughts in the face of the coming battle.

Tactimon broke the silence and turned to Duftmon. “…Once again, you have proven me wrong,” he spoke, eyeing the leopard knight.

“Of course,” Duftmon responded matter-of-factly, as if it was a knee-jerk reaction. However, he soon grew confused. “Pardon me, but how did I do that this time?”

Tactimon folded his arms. “I never thought I would say this… but you have changed,” he observed, traces of pride in his voice.

Duftmon frowned quizzically. “I… have changed?” he asked him sceptically. “How?”

“The way you act as a tactician… You’re actually taking into account different Digimon. You sent Sleipmon to take the hill because he would be able to incapacitate the Digimon there,” Tactimon pointed out.

“Naturally,” Duftmon dismissively replied, placing his hands on his hips. “If I allowed a pacifist to go into the thick of battle, he would only get in the way.”

Tactimon looked at him dryly. “I noticed that you also put the most aggressive fighters at the vanguard of the center, where they could really let loose. This further proves my theory,” he added.

“I merely placed them there because that is what any logical tactician would do. They have the brute force and temperament necessary for a vanguard,” Duftmon answered confidently. “Your theory is false, Tactimon. I have not changed at all. I am merely doing what a good tactician should do; I am making the most of the Digimon at my disposal in order to make the most comprehensive and logical set of tactics. That is no different from what I have always done.”

Tactimon couldn’t help but sigh behind his helmet. “You are a stubborn Digimon, Duftmon. Even when I’m trying to be nice…” he stated.

Duftmon gave him a look. “I can’t help it if you are drawing the wrong conclusions…” he casually informed him.

Tactimon scratched his cheek with a finger. “Even so—“

“HEY, TAC-CHAN!” a booming voice thundered out from the hundreds of Digimon soldiers behind them.

Tactimon tensed up. He wore a flat, irritated expression on his face. “I cannot deal with this right now as well…” he mumbled under his breath.

“Tac-chan~!” the voice chimed again, punctuated by the sound of thundering footsteps that sent vibrations through the ground.

Duftmon turned and looked over his shoulder. He saw what appeared to be giant, humanoid, mass of crystal marching towards them, walking between the groups of organised soldiers. The front of the Digimon’s hulking body was composed almost entirely of pristine, flawless crystals that shimmered even in the dim light of the clouded day. He had large, tree trunk-like arms which contained gauntlets that were encrusted with crystals. His head had a hedgehog-like appearance, filled with sharp crystals jutting out from his large body like spikes. Around his waist was a belt that held a breechcloth in place. The cloth hung between his legs, which were covered by polished, metal armour and boots. Swinging behind him haphazardly as he walked was a long tail with a small, crystalline globe at the end of it. A large, black cape with a red interior flowed from his back, blustering in the wind as he marched towards them. Beneath it was a skin tight bodysuit that covered the grey skin of his back, arms, and legs. On his face were a broad grin and an excited look in his black, red eyes.

“Ah, General Blastmon,” Duftmon greeted formally, nodding at the towering figure as he galumphed up to them. “Are the Saversburg troops ready?”

“Ready to kick ***!” Blastmon declared, punching his palm with his fist. He looked at Tactimon. “Are you done your tactics stuff now, Tac-chan? I’m itching to wreck these metal thingamajigs.”

“Please do not call me that in front of the soldiers, General,” Tactimon responded formally, subtly bristling. “…Or at all, for that matter. It is unprofessional and irritating. Refer to me as ‘General’.”

Blastmon yawned and stretched his arms out, pretending not to have heard him. “So, when do we start?” he asked him.

“Soon. Get into position and make sure the soldiers are ready for the battle to begin at a moment’s notice,” Tactimon advised him.

“Got it!” Blastmon declared, excitedly turning around to face the rows of Digimon soldiers. He folded his arms and stood in front of the Digimon dominatingly. “Listen up! We’re about to attack these walking gizmos any second now! Spread out, you hear me?! Things are gonna start exploding soon, and if you’re all clumped together you’re gonna regret it! Put space between you, unless you’re one of the ones shielding the attacks! Air troops, hang back and shoot those missiles down before they get close! Ground guys, help out and try not to get blown up!”

Duftmon observed Blastmon with a raised eyebrow. “He certainly is high energy…” he noted.

Tactimon sighed. “You have no idea…” he responded.

Blastmon then reached out and placed his giant hand on Tactimon’s head. “And listen to whatever General Tac-chan says!” he said emphatically, unaware of Tactimon’s withering glare. “He’s directing the battle and he’s a heck of a lot smarter than you! That goes for Duftie here too! Got it? Got it! Good!”

“Yes, General!” the Saversburg military and the Order’s Strike Forces called out obediently.

Duftmon’s eye twitched at the pet name. “Duftie…?

“General Blastmon…” Tactimon spoke, quietly seething at the large hand on his head and the repeated nickname.

Blastmon blinked and removed his hand. He turned to Tactimon and wondered why there seemed to be a dangerous aura emanating from the tactician.

“…Something wrong, Tac-chan?”

-

Meanwhile, Gankoomon stood in front of the army. He set himself apart from the military and the other Royal Knights, standing ahead of them on the grassy plain between the two opposing forces. His arms were folded and he stared defiantly at the D-Brigade lines several hundred meters away.

Craniamon stood behind Gankoomon, along with Omegamon and Dynasmon. He glanced over at Gankoomon guardedly. “Get back here, Gankoomon,” he told him. “The D-Brigade might try to pick you off.”

“Yeah,” Dynasmon said with a laugh. “That bright red hair makes an awfully tempting target.”

“Tch,” Gankoomon scoffed, undeterred. “I’d like to see them try.”

“At least come back once the bombardment starts,” Omegamon advised him. The white Royal Knight turned when he saw a Digimon running over to them. “SaviorHackmon?”

“Huh?” Gankoomon asked, arching an eyebrow and turning upon hearing the name of his pupil. He looked to see SaviorHackmon dashing across the field from the left. The bipedal dragon Digimon sprinted over with determination as he ran down the frontlines. His bladed feet kicked up dirt and grass, and his crimson cape fluttered behind him as he raced over.

“Gankoomon-sensei,” he spoke, coming to a clean stop in front of them. It was clear from his dexterous movements that he was quite used to his new Perfect-level form now. He turned to the other three Royal Knights and bowed formally. “Omegamon-shishou, Craniamon-shishou, Dynasmon-shishou.”

“SaviorHackmon? What are you doing here?” Gankoomon asked, turning to him with a scrutinizing gaze. “Aren’t you supposed to be working as a messenger?”

“That’s what I’m here for,” SaviorHackmon explained, standing upright. He turned and gave Gankoomon a look. “Although, I don’t know why I have to be a messenger; I’m part of the Strike Forces, not the Reconnaissance Forces.”

“It’s because you just joined the Strike Forces and you don’t have enough experience or training to fight in a massive battle like this yet,” Gankoomon explained firmly, his rigid tone telling SaviorHackmon not to get any ideas about joining in the battle.

Omegamon looked at SaviorHackmon. “Also, the Recon Forces are stretched thin right now. With everything they have to do, they really need the extra pair of hands for delivering messages,” he explained, trying to appeal to his sense of duty.

SaviorHackmon sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I know… I’m not complaining, Sir Omegamon-shishou,” he explained. He raised an arm and rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I feel like I’m not contributing… while everyone else is going to risk their lives. I feel guilty.”

“You are contributing, SaviorHackmon,” Omegamon explained in his soft, echoing, caring voice. “Messengers are crucial in large battles like this. You need to relay vital information like changes in tactics or other developments. Good communication is crucial. Without it, things fall apart…” Omegamon smiled a bit, remembering the problems that poor communication caused for them when DarkKnightmon working against them. “Trust me…”

“Yeah… Yeah, you’re right,” SaviorHackmon spoke, brightening up. He smiled at Omegamon, wanting to show him his eagerness and dependability. “I’ll do my best, Shishou.”

Omegamon nodded and smiled. “I know you will,” he said encouragingly.

Gankoomon eyed SaviorHackmon, scrutinising him. “So, what are you here for again?” he asked him suspiciously. “You weren’t just trying to convince us to let you fight, were you?”

SaviorHackmon looked at his mentor blandly. “No, sensei…” he answered. For emphasis, he held up a piece of paper. “It’s a message from Captain OuRyuumon. He says that they’re in position and ready to go.”

“Good. Thank you, SaviorHackmon,” Omegamon said gratefully. He looked over towards the left flank, which was preparing to move out and take the hill. “I’ll tell Duftmon. As soon as the right’s ready, we should be ready to start.”

SaviorHackmon nodded and began to walk away. “I should get back to work. I have a few more messages to send,” he stated. “Good luck in the battle.”

“Stay outta trouble, kid,” Gankoomon said, glancing over his shoulder at SaviorHackmon.

“Same goes for you, Sensei,” SaviorHackmon answered back before dashing away to deliver his next message.

A tiny smirk formed in the corner of Gankoomon’s lips before he looked forwards. “Mouthy dragon…” he muttered approvingly. Gankoomon went back to staring at the distant enemy. He watched as the D-Brigade troops made subtle movements, but the majority of the forces remained still.

“Isn’t it weird that the Metal Empire is taking so long to attack?” Craniamon asked, folding his arms and looking across the field.

“Yeah,” Dynasmon agreed, frowning suspiciously. “The Metal Empire hasn’t moved for awhile. I don’t understand why they’re just letting us to get organised. Honour isn’t something that you’d expect the Metal Empire to care about.”

Gankoomon grunted. “Maybe they’re planning something…” he suggested. “It just feels too easy. Things are never this straightforward with the D-Brigade.”

Omegamon nodded. “We’ll have to be vigilant,” he stated. He leered across the battlefield, his cool, blue eyes landed on Chaosdramon, who walked back and forth at the rear of the D-Brigade’s lines. “Be prepared for any surprises…”

-

(Continued in the next post)
 
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