Chapter 54: In the Flesh

Sephyrus

The Savage Prairie

Elphierr Territory

 

“Sephyrus, you actually remembered where I would show up…How…romantic,” Lilithmon said. Her ghostly form stood tall and loomed above us; she gave off a pale blue glow, and could partially be seen through.

“How could I forget? It was the first time I had ever laid eyes upon anything as breathtakingly beautiful as you,” I whispered. “And it was then…when we first met…when we decided to gather quintessence. My lady…would you consider joining us once more? We need your guidance.” 

“Yes…well…as tempting as gathering quintessence with you again sounds, I’m afraid I must decline. I have…other matters to attend to. I’m afraid I don’t have the luxury of finding any more. Now, I must hurry and find a body for my spirit before—”

“Hey, Lilithmon!” Adrian walked up to the Mega level Digimon. His brow was furrowed, and his eyes were but angry slits, like those of a Sandiramon. “If you’re not going to look for quintessence anymore, then give me what you promised me for helping you! I worked my ass off for four years! The least you could do in return is give me what I asked for!”

“…What did I promise you? Oh…the Spirits of the Legendary Warriors,” Lilithmon sighed. My heart skipped a beat when she did. She was only a spirit, but her voice sounded the same as it did a year ago, and every time I heard her voice, my heart raced. “Honestly, Adrian; did you expect a story as ridiculous as that could ever be true? That story was only a myth, Adrian; the Legendary Warriors, the Spirits…they were never real.”

“What?! I…I’ve been working my ass off, risking my life, for NOTHING?!” Nobody noticed the faintest of smiles on my lips. I, of course, knew that Lilithmon had been lying to Adrian all along, as she had been doing to Irene, and all of the other Bio Hybrids. I simply counted myself among the lucky for not desiring anything for loyally serving the beauteous Lilithmon.

“It certainly seems that way, doesn’t it?” Lilithmon’s pale ruby lips twisted into a wry smile. Her ebon robes fluttered in a passing breeze.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!”

“I’m afraid not; now, step aside.”

“Oh, no; don’t think I’m going to let you get away so easily!” Adrian pulled his Bio Link Digivice from his pocket, placing the palm of his hand over it. “Bio Hybrid DNA Charge! Bio Hybrid Digivolve to, BioArbormon!”

“…Are you making an attempt to intimidate me, Adrian?” Lilithmon asked, a bored look forming on her ghostly face. “In case you’ve forgotten what Sephyrus told you…I’m a ghost. I have no physical form. You are incapable of hurting me. However, if you insist on fighting me, allow me to find a body worthy of me, first.” Lilithmon turned her back to the Bio Hybrid. She began smiling once again. “You may not have to wait long…I believe I have found…the perfect vessel for my spirit!” Lilithmon raised a translucent right arm, and pointed at Irene. “Irene…you’ll do. They don’t come more endearing than you.” With a scared look on her face, Irene cowered behind me, tightly gripping the sleeve of my robe.

“Do not resist, child; it will be less painful for you,” I said.

“No…please…”

I grabbed Irene’s arm and hoisted her effortlessly up off the ground. “She’s all yours, Milady.”

Michalis and even BioArbormon looked on with looks of fright and shock on their normally dour faces as Lilithmon’s spirit dove into Irene. The young girl shrieked an ear-splitting cry for my help. In the blink of an eye, Lilithmon’s ghostly form was nowhere to be seen, and I dropped Irene into the grass just as she coughed up a small puddle of blood.

“Irene? Are…you okay?” Michalis asked nervously.

“Irene…is no longer with us. I…am in control!” Lilithmon began laughing maniacally and uncontrollably, though this only resulted in her coughing up more blood. “Damn it…can’t…control…” Lilithmon lifted up one of Irene’s arms just as one of her fingers fell clean off. Veins began bulging out everywhere, and many areas of her skin ripped open at random and began surging and oozing with blood. Her small dress became ripped and tattered in some areas.

“Mother…what’s happening?!” Michalis asked.

“My lady, what is going wrong?!” I asked. Lilithmon slowly turned her head to me, and I could see that Irene’s eyes had widened considerably in pain. She was breathing heavily, and clenching her fists as hard as she was able to.

“She’s…struggling…too powerful…need more…quintessence…” she then turned to look at Michalis, and pointed at him. “You…kill…Adrian…Give me…his…quintessence…”

“Understood,” Michalis nodded. “Bio Hybrid DNA Charge! Bio Hybrid Digivolve to, BioBeelzemon!” BioBeelzemon unholstered his shotguns and pointed them at BioArbormon’s head. “Sorry I’ve got to do this to you…just taking care of business. You understand.”

“How can you still work for her, Michalis?! For all you know, she may not give you what she promised you!” BioArbormon said. “She’s not even your mother! Your mother was the woman you murdered! Don’t let her trick you like this! You’re smarter than that, right?”

“I…was promised nothing. Do you know why? Because I wanted nothing in return for my services…for my mother! I was turned into a Bio Hybrid unwillingly at a young age! I was taken away from my ‘real’ mother, and given power…more power than I could have ever dreamed of! This power I have now…it is the only thing I need. See you later…Adrian; Double Impact!” BioBeelzemon’s attack hit BioArbormon in the shoulders, knocking him over onto his back. Adrian tried to get back up, but Michalis slammed his foot into the middle of his chest, pinning him to the grassy field. “Any last words before I snatch away your life force, Adrian?”

“…You haven’t won yet. Don’t get cocky, you little bastard,” BioArbormon said. “What do you think I’ve been doing this week; nothing? No, no, no…I’ve been training. And you know what? I’ve learned your special trick, Michalis.”

“No…you mean—”

“Roundhouse Punt!” BioArbormon punched BioBeelzemon in the face with enough force to knock the taller Bio Hybrid off his feet. Adrian then stood back up just as he began to glow with the light of Digivolution. “BioArbormon Digivolve to, BioPetaldramon!”

“So…you are capable, after all,” BioBeelzemon said. A wily grin formed on his face, and he said, “Good…this might actually prove to be a challenge! And you know how I hate being bored!”

“Thorn Jab!” BioPetaldramon thrust his tail into the ground. Thorny vines burst from the earth around the shorter BioBeelzemon which held him in place. “Leaf Cyclone!” BioPetaldramon released a maelstrom of leaves from his nostrils, many of which ripped through BioBeelzemon’s clothes and tore through his skin.

“Hurry…up…” Lilithmon wheezed. Irene’s petite body had become completely covered in her own blood, and her clothes completely soaked.

“You ain’t goin’ anywhere!” BioPetaldramon yelled.

“Well, this has been fun, Adrian,” BioBeelzemon said. The expression on his face was as calm as ever. “But now…it’s time to say goodbye.”

“You got that right, kid! So long!” To BioPetaldramon’s surprise, the ensnared Bio Hybrid broke his right arm free of the thorny vines and snapped his fingers, summoning forth a huge, cannon-like blaster that became integrated to his free arm.

“Corona Blaster!” The weapon on BioBeelzemon’s arm fired a destructive wave of bright fuchsia-colored energy at the larger Bio Hybrid, who roared and screamed loudly enough to shake the air itself.

“Damn it…yesterday’s ally…is today’s enemy,” BioPetaldramon muttered as he became completely enveloped in the light of BioBeelzemon’s attack.

“Excellent…Job well done, Michalis,” I said. BioPetaldramon’s body vanished, leaving Adrian’s horribly burned and very dead body behind.

“Quintessence…Give me…his quintessence…ALL OF IT!” Lilithmon was now gasping for air; her skin had become pale and glistening with sweat and blood, making her appear almost translucent. She began dragging herself through the grass toward Adrian’s motionless and unbreathing body.

“Of course, my lady; sit tight for just a moment,” I said. She finally managed to drag her way all the way over to Adrian’s body and wrapped her small hand around one of his legs just before passing out.

“She’s not dead, is she?!” Michalis asked. “My…mother…”

“No, but she will be if I don’t hurry.”

Lilithmon

10 Minutes

 

Before, there was only darkness around me. Now, I stood tall, flesh and bone once more. I was soaked in blood, but I didn’t care; I was just thrilled to be back again.

“My lady…it seems I was successful,” Sephyrus said, kneeling before me.

“Is it always this…bloody, mother?” Michalis asked, grimacing and looking away from me and the corpse of Irene that lay at my feet.

“Yes, it is, my son,” I said, looking at Irene. She had become a disfigured mess of blood, and had a vertical split down the front of her body from which I had emerged, thus explaining the blood that had me completely drenched. Her face was permanently contorted with the agony I had felt mere moments before I had blacked out. “The only other time I did this…it wasn’t so difficult. The woman whose body I took over, she offered no resistance. Irene, I suppose, struggled so much because she had the life force of a Human and a Digimon within her. With the life force of two in that tiny body, I guess she just couldn’t handle a third.”

“Irene was quite strong to begin with, milady,” Sephyrus said. “Michalis…are you uncomfortable with the sight of blood?”

“Well, no, but…you can see her insides and everything…”

“This coming from the young man who stabbed his pregnant mother to death?” I asked, partially amused.

“And his father,” Sephyrus added. Michalis turned away.

“Victoria…was not…my mother,” he said in a darkened tone of voice. “Lilithmon…you are my mother.” Lilithmon gave the young Bio Hybrid a kind smile.

“Well, Milady? You still have the two of us at your service. What will you have us do?” I turned to face the two of them, but mainly looked at Sephyrus.

“Do you remember…the day I died?” I asked. “You stabbed Thomas, but he didn’t die…because of his necklace. That necklace…it is a Horcrux. I need it. I need the other nine just like it.”

“So…you want us to break into that villa where they all live and steal that necklace?” Michalis asked.

“If you would be so kind.”

“It shall be as Milady wishes,” Sephyrus said.