Chapter 100: Creature of the Light

Thomas Kasuto

SkullCaliphmon’s Castle

 

“Now…our fight begins,” SkullCaliphmon said. I drew my sword and Zelda reached for a Talisman right before SkullCaliphmon pointed upward. “Look up. The sky…it is clearly visible, and there’s not a cloud in sight!”

Shit, he’s right! The moon was brightly shining down on everything in the castle, leaving not a speck of shadow around. He’s…immortal!

“With the moon shining down this brightly, you won’t even be able to so much as hurt me, let alone kill me!” SkullCaliphmon laughed.

“Final Elysion!” A beam of light shot out from above Zelda’s head and hit the Mega Digimon point blank. The attack created an explosion, kicking up sand and dust that hid SkullCaliphmon from view.

“Gallantmon!” I gasped. The tall Digimon Spirit stepped between us and approached SkullCaliphmon.

“You came here without me asking you to?” Zelda asked. “…I had forgotten you were able to.”

“I apologize for that,” Gallantmon said. “I hope you do not mind me coming here; it seemed as though you were in danger.”

“No, I don’t mind. Thank you for your help, Gallantmon.”

“You think he helped you?!” SkullCaliphmon scoffed. “An attack like that couldn’t dare to come even remotely close to killing me under the moon’s light!”

“He…isn’t hurt?!” Gallantmon exclaimed. “I had heard he was immortal, but this is unbelievable!”

“Gallantmon, we need to find some way to get him into the shadows!” Zelda said. “He won’t be immortal anymore, then!”

“You are correct,” SkullCaliphmon said. “You could also wait until morning…but you’ll all be dead long before either of those things happen! Sirocco Sword!” Gallantmon jumped in front of us, letting the unseen attack strike his shield. “Protect yourselves all you like! My winds can pierce through steel without effort!” As if on cue, the sides of Gallantmon’s round shield fell off as though they had been cut through. The corner of Gallantmon’s cape floated away in the same manner. “Look at that! Pretty clean, huh? No jagged edges or anything!”

“…Gallantmon…do you think you could force him outside of this castle?” I whispered. “His immortality ability is only effective while standing inside this castle.”

“I shall try…”

“You will wear the face of despair when I am finished, Spirit; Grave Danger!” SkullCaliphmon raised his hand, with his palm upwards; countless tombs popped out of the stone floor and began flying in the air around Gallantmon.

“Royal Saber!” A blast of lightning shot out from the tip of Gallantmon’s lance, striking each of the flying tombs and turning them to dust. However, more tombs popped out of the floor to take their place. When Gallantmon finally pointed his spear at SkullCaliphmon, the Undead Digimon merely laughed.

“Now, dance, my tombs! Dance!” SkullCaliphmon began waving his enormous sword around in the air as if it were a conductor’s baton. All of the tombstones rushed forward and hit Gallantmon, each of them shattering into smaller, jagged pieces of rock that cut through Gallantmon’s armor and what was left of his shield. With his legs trembling, Gallantmon struggled to remain standing. SkullCaliphmon ran forward and hit Gallantmon over and over with his dual-bladed sword. Gallantmon weakly hit the floor, disappearing.

No…even Gallantmon was defeated by him?! This isn’t good…

“Now…you two…” SkullCaliphmon walked up to the two of us. “At your current rate, you’ll run out of Spirits to hurl at me before you both die. You have no chance of escape in my trap-filled castle. So, my question to you is this; how will you spend your last moments? Begging for mercy? In each other’s arms? Fighting back?”

“We aren’t going to die here,” I whispered, drawing my sword from its scabbard. “You are.”

“How will that happen? How are two Humans going to stop me?” SkullCaliphmon asked. “Oh…but I guess one of you isn’t a Human, though.” My heart skipped a beat, and I glanced over at Zelda. “Poor, contemptible creature…you are neither Human nor Digimon, the two races created by the Goddess. You have somehow deluded yourself into thinking these allies of yours care about you and love you. Your very existence is baffling…and your life is without meaning.”

“SkullCaliphmon, shut your mouth!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.

“…You’re wrong,” Zelda whispered. “My friends…they all care about me…and I care about them…”

“That is not possible,” SkullCaliphmon said. “Who could ever love a half-breed subhuman? You are a disgusting presence.” Unable to contain my anger, I ran up to SkullCaliphmon and rammed my fist into his skull, sending him flying through the air. The Digimon landed on the ground behind his throne, where he was completely covered by its shadow.

A shadow?! Then…if we can hit him hard enough… SkullCaliphmon sat up, and put a hand to his skull, below his right eye where I had hit him. Between his bony fingers, I could see that I had made a few small cracks. Although, that may not be necessary…

“Damn, you hit hard; I wasn’t expecting to feel that,” SkullCaliphmon said, wrapping his fingers around the hilt of his sword.

“You’re finished.”

“What are you talking—” When SkullCaliphmon looked up at me, the part of his skull that I had struck fell apart, caving in and leaving a large hole behind that took his right eye with it. “What?! How did you do—”

“Look down.”

SkullCaliphmon did as he was told. His remaining eye cringed. “Shadows?! Here?! How is that possible?!” The Undead Digimon scrambled to stand up and leave the shadows provided by his throne. I kicked a rock that was near my foot, and it hit him in his other eye, making another hole. In a final effort to escape, he reached his arm out into the moonlight.

“SkullCaliphmon…you are the one who lead a meaningless life,” I said. “Make sure to tell your friends in the Dark Area that.”

“This is…not…the end…The others…they will—” I stomped with all my might on SkullCaliphmon’s shaking arm, shattering the bones and breaking his arm clean off. SkullCaliphmon’s skeletal body faded into dust, and was carried off by the wind, leaving his cloak, sword, and crown behind, all of which faded away soon after.

I looked at Zelda, who was looking steadily down at the ground. “Are you okay?” I asked.

“…I…I have been called worse,” Zelda said. She turned to smile at me and said, “I’ll be fine. I won’t cry…You don’t need to worry.” I sighed, and smiled back at her.

“If you ever need to…you know where to find me,” I said. “I’ll always be there for you.”

“Tommy…thank you.”

I placed my arm around her shoulders and the two of us turned to leave.

Lupinemon

The Savage Prairie

Shendu Territory

 

The stars were brighter than they had been for a long time. “That must mean another of our number has been defeated,” I said to myself. “Us twelve darknesses that darken Arcadia, and with it, the light of hope…Our deaths brighten the stars’ light…” I was undisturbed by our vanishing comrades. Belphemon, Hydramon, Myotismon, they were all weak in my eyes. They were indeed powerful, but they let themselves be killed. A sure sign of weakness. Taking my mind off of them, I looked back up at the sky. Each star twinkled and shined. It was breathtaking. “I suppose that’s another good thing that comes of each of us dying…”

“Care to repeat that little comment?” Without turning around, I knew who stood behind me; I could tell by the stench of iron that came from his armor.

“Greetings, Generalmon,” I said.

“You do not seem very agitated over the recent events that befell our group,” Generalmon said. “You do know that each of these deaths make the rest of us weaker, correct?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“And yet, you do not care? DeathPhantomon has informed me that SkullCaliphmon has fallen as well.” Generalmon remained silent for a few moments, as if expecting a reaction from me. I wasn’t going to give him one, of course. “Lupinemon…you do not belong with us.” That comment surprised me; I turned and bared my fangs at the Warrior Digimon, growling. “You are not like the rest of us.”

“Explain yourself before I tear you limb from limb, Generalmon!”

“…You can hide behind your empty words as often as you wish,” Generalmon said. “You say you are a Demon Beast…but you are really…an Exalted Beast.”

“Are you questioning my loyalty to the Order?!” I roared. “How dare you?!”

“I dare because I know it to be true!” Generalmon retorted. “You are a creature of the light, not meant to walk amongst the shadows. Your presence dissipates the darkness we loyal to the order need in order to thrive here, outside of the Dark Area!”

I flung myself at the heavily-armored Digimon, but he swatted me away with his large axe.

“Take that anger and direct it at the members of Lachesis — and not at me — if you truly wish to prove your loyalty.”

I turned my head to glare at Generalmon, but he was gone. My heart was beating rapidly, and I could hear it easily in the silence of the night.

“…Members of Lachesis, huh?” I looked up at the sky. “Yeah…I’ll pay them a visit…”

Chapter 99: Echoes from the Crypt

Thomas Kasuto

Saias’s Villa

 

The unknown Digimon stopped walking when Zelda and I stepped outside. Its pitch-black armor reflected the light of the sun, and he held a large, sheathed katana. It simply stood there as we approached it.

“Who are you?” I asked warily.

“You are the ones…fighting the Order of the Enchantress…correct?” The Digimon spoke slowly and unsteadily, but in a clear and firm voice.

“Who are you?” I repeated. The Digimon held out his sheathed blade. We both took a step back as he brandished his weapon.

“Foolish creatures who seek to change the course of destiny; I am a servant of the Order’s twelve! My name is Tactimon, and I am SkullCaliphmon’s only living knight from the days of old!” the Digimon thundered. Almost instinctively, I glanced up at the sky upon hearing SkullCaliphmon’s name.

It’s almost night…I wonder if the servant suffers the same weakness as the master? I put my hand to my sword, but Tactimon held up a hand to stop me.

“Your deaths will be much less agonizing if I am not required to use my sword.”

“Then don’t draw your sword,” I said. “Better yet, stay still so it will be easier for me to kill you!”

“Why have you come here?” Zelda asked. “Is SkullCaliphmon too afraid to show his face during the day?”

Tactimon glared down at her. “His Grace SkullCaliphmon’s powers are limited during the day,” he said. “It is only under the light of the moon where he becomes truly immortal.”

“And as soon as he steps out of that light, he can be killed as easily as you or me,” I said. Tactimon’s eyes narrowed with contempt.

“Be careful, Tommy,” Zelda whispered into my ear. “I can sense…a strange power emanating from his sword.”

A strange power…now I see…

“You will never find out, because right here…right now…you shall all perish!” Tactimon yelled. In an instant, I drew my own sword, and both weapons clashed. Sparks flew in the air at their contact. My face was mere inches away from Tactimon’s as Tactimon vowed, “I shall fight you all to my very last breath with every ounce of strength that I possess!”

“…Pathetic. So, this is all the strength you have?” I asked. Tactimon gasped quietly in surprise. His sword lowered. “I do not even need to use half of mine against you!” All in one motion, I batted his sealed sword away with my own and struck the side of his arm, forcing him back a few steps. Tactimon stared up at me, bewildered and with his free hand covering the bleeding wound on his sword arm.

“How?! I am a Digimon, and you are nothing more than a mere Human!” Tactimon shouted. “How are you this strong?!”

“You forget who you’re dealing with — or maybe you never knew,” I said. “I am an assassin. I live in the shadows, and I have successfully murdered every last target given to me…even Mega level Digimon. And you, Tactimon—” I pointed to the Digimon’s sword. “—your true strength lies in your strategical abilities, and not your physical strength. It’s your sword…your sword is your power, isn’t it?” Tactimon remained silent. “Your sword…it has some special abilities, doesn’t it? That’s why you keep it chained in your scabbard, right?”

“…You found out so quickly,” Tactimon said. “You’re quite an observant one; I can see how you would make a good assassin. But how did you know about my sword? You are only a Human!”

“You can thank my girlfriend; she has the ability to sense things that only a Digimon could sense, and not a Human.” Tactimon’s head turned to Zelda.

“Then…you carry the Mark?”

 Zelda’s face went blank with shock. “…You know about us?” Her voice trembled.

“I can sympathize with you, young lady,” Tactimon said. “The way you must have been treated…ALL those carrying the Mark are treated as such, and yet, you seem to be an exception.”

“Tactimon…do you—”  

“What a cruel twist of fate,” Tactimon interrupted. “To be mistreated horribly for something that cannot be helped. That sort of thing should not happen to you…” Tactimon lowered his head. “…Rather…what I should say…that sort of thing should not happen to us…”

“…You do have it,” Zelda whispered. Tactimon showed us his injured arm, where my sword had hit him. In the middle of the blood I had drawn was the Mark.

“…I almost laughed out when you hit me, in the exact same place as this accursed Mark,” Tactimon said. “I had hoped…that you would have removed it completely with your attack…”

“That would not have worked,” Zelda said. “My mother…when I was young…she cut the skin off the back of my hand — she did the same to my sister’s back, where her Mark was — in the hopes that it would disappear completely. But…no matter how many times she did it, the Mark would always return…She eventually drove herself mad from desperation, and I was always frightened that she would cut off my hand…Tactimon…there is no way to get rid of the Mark.”

“I see…that is most unfortunate,” Tactimon sighed. He looked up at us; his pure yellow eyes almost seemed to be filled with sadness. “I…I cannot continue this fight…I cannot fight a fellow Marked…I cannot fight against one who treats us fairly…” Tactimon knelt down before us and placed his sword down on the lawn. “I surrender to the both of you. Do with me what you will. You may…even dispose of me if you wish, assassin.” I looked down at him, feeling nothing.

“Why did you come here in the first place?” Zelda asked.

“…SkullCaliphmon…His Grace…wanted you dealt with…I volunteered for the job, but…I didn’t know you were also Marked,” Tactimon said. “I…I didn’t know…” Tactimon began to weep quietly into his hands.

“Tactimon. Why did you come here?” Zelda repeated gently.

“SkullCaliphmon…he told me…to kill you all…”

“Is your word to your master so irresolute that you will give up as easily as this?” I asked. Tactimon stared up at me in surprise. “I…am not a soldier. I cannot stand the knights of Valencia Territory and what they do. But I do fight as part of a guild, and I do have a master, just as you do, Tactimon. When he gives an order, I follow it — and not just me; everyone else in my guild does, too. We do so not because he is simply the one in charge; we do it because he is worthy of being in charge. That is something he has proved time and again. Is your bond with SkullCaliphmon really that weak?!”

“…Say whatever you want. I…will not do something as unjust as inflict suffering on one who has been through Hell.”

“Tactimon…you FOOL!” The sky darkened with thick clouds. Directly above us, the clouds swirled and formed a thin but powerful tornado that hit the ground between us and Tactimon. When it was over, SkullCaliphmon stood in its wake. “How dare you chose not to obey an order of mine?!”

Tactimon cowered before his master. “Your Grace…please, forgive me…”

“And now, you’re begging for forgiveness after giving up on life?! You’re a disgrace to my other knights hundreds of years ago, Tactimon!” SkullCaliphmon barked. The tall Mega Digimon held his sword up in the air, and spun it around in a circle. “Echoes from the Crypt!” The wind began to pick up around the four of us, gradually growing stronger and louder until a tornado formed around us. The wind blocked everything around us from sight, and for a moment, it felt as though I had been lifted up off the ground. Zelda kept a tight grip on my arm the entire time. I blinked. The winds were gone. We no longer stood in the front lawn of the villa; instead, we stood in the worst possible place.

“This is…SkullCaliphmon’s castle?!” Zelda asked. I looked up. The sky had darkened with nightfall. The moon was in plain sight.

How…did this happen? What was that?!

“Pretty neat, huh?” SkullCaliphmon asked. Behind him was a large, ornate throne. “With just one attack, I brought all of us to my castle, hundreds of miles away from where we were, in only a few hours!” SkullCaliphmon’s head turned to look at Tactimon. “Tactimon, let me make one thing very clear to you; I order you to fight them! This is no longer a request!”

“…No. I…refuse to fight these two,” Tactimon said firmly, standing to face SkullCaliphmon. “Do whatever you want to me, but I will not hurt—” SkullCaliphmon picked up his sword and shoved it deep into Tactimon’s face until it emerged through the back of his head. 

“Sheesh, it’s just talk, talk, talk with you, isn’t it?” SkullCaliphmon wiped the blood off his weapon as Tactimon’s data vanished. “Hah, preposterous. What could have driven him to choose his own demise?” SkullCaliphmon turned to look at Zelda and me. “Now…our fight begins.”

Chapter 98: Time of Action

SkullCaliphmon

Cyprus Desert

 

“The rest will follow shortly,” Thomas said. “Let’s go back to the villa; we need to tell Pheragas what happened.”

Those bastards! How dare they murder Myotismon?! In my anger, I crushed the crystal sphere given to me by DeathPhantomon which I had been using to watch the members of Lachesis — their witch, in particular, especially when she took a shower. Though I am only bone, I crushed it with ease. The shattered pieces rained down on the floor before my throne. He…the kid really looked up to me! He was just trying to make me proud of him, so what do I do?! I send him to his death, that’s what I do!

“Careful, your grace; DeathPhantomon didn’t give you too many of those,” Tactimon said.

“…Yeah…you’re right…” I looked up at the knight; as always, he was kneeling before me. “Apologies, Tactimon…I rarely get angry like that.”

“I understand, your grace. Myotismon…his passion for remaining alive was perhaps the greatest among the Order.”

“In a way, his death suited him,” said a voice from the shadows.

“Who goes there?!” I asked, startled by the sound of the new voice.

“No need to get so tense, Mr. Skeleton King…” A golden wolf stepped out of the shadows.

“Lupinemon…what do you want?” I asked. Tactimon rose from the floor before me and backed up against a wall as the newcomer walked up to me and casually lay down on the floor in front of my throne.

“I had a bit of an unwelcome detour while I was in Nymphaea; I came here to the desert to warm myself up a little.” The sunlight seemed to reflect right off the Digimon’s fur; I had to keep myself from covering my empty eye sockets, reminding myself that I had no eyes to go blind with. “Since I was already here…I thought I might as well pay you a visit.”

“Well, your timing couldn’t be any better,” I said, drumming my fingers impatiently on the arm of my throne. “Myotismon was killed a few minutes ago.”

“Oh, was he, now? That is a shock…” Her voice sounded unsurprised, almost sarcastic. “Hmph. No big loss there…”

I stuck the two blades of my sword into the stone floor, two inches away from Lupinemon’s snout. “I’ll have you know that Myotismon was an excellent Digimon, and—”

“—And you’re the only one who feels that way,” Lupinemon yawned. “Which reminds me…you still owe me for letting those…kids into your castle a while ago.”

“No I don’t.”

“No?”

“Our deal was for you to lure them into my castle so that I could kill them,” I said. “I didn’t kill them because of Flamedramon’s intervention. If you want me to ‘owe’ you, I’d suggest you find them and lead them back here.” I was expecting Lupinemon to acquiesce, but to my annoyance, she stood her ground.

“Not happening,” Lupinemon snorted. “Our enemies are intelligent, the swordsman and summoner in particular. The swordsman was able to deduce my incapability of compressing the weight of my Digimon form while in my Human form simply by looking at Linoan’s footprints. And then there’s the summoner; she has Digimon instincts and senses, but Human intelligence to make reason of them. She will be a dangerous adversary.”

“What’s your point, Lupinemon?!” The golden wolf looked at me over her shoulder.

“They will not fall for the same trick twice, SkullCaliphmon, not even the Digimon that accompanies them — he may not be the brightest, but he’s very cautious, which will make it harder for us to trick even him.”

“Well, nobody said you had to trick them to get them to come here! Force them if you must! Just bring them here so that I can put an end to them!”

“I refuse.” Lupinemon turned away from me. “If you do not owe me anything…then I certainly do not owe you anything. If you want them dead so badly, get up off your bony ass and slay them yourself!”

“You dare insult His Grace?!” Tactimon barked. “Ally of his though you may be, I shall have you hanged for—”

“Who are you to threaten me, worm?” Lupinemon asked in a smug voice. “You are merely a servant of one of the Order’s twelve — granted, you are the only one aside from DeathPhantomon’s servants. Know your place.” Lupinemon left the room, and vanished as quickly as she had appeared.

“The nerve of that bitch!” Tactimon spat.

“Leave her be, knight,” I said. “I am quite used to her, and right now, she is the least of our concerns.”

“Our concerns…Your Grace, I’ve a proposition for you.” Tactimon knelt down before me once more. “Your Grace, allow me to find those accursed Humans who slayed Myotismon. Allow me to bring them to you.”

“No, you don’t need to go through all that trouble,” I said. “…Just kill them in their own homes. That will suffice for me.”

“Yet, Lupinemon—”

“I only told Lupinemon to bring them to me because I did not trust her to kill them. That girl…no matter how many times she says otherwise — no matter how many times she says that she is a Demon Beast — she cannot hide the stench that comes with being an Exalted Beast.”

“An Exalted…Then she—”

“That girl is far too affiliated with the light for her own good,” I said. “If she isn’t careful, that could get her into a lot of trouble…or even killed.”  The thought of Lupinemon being killed filled me with delight, but at the same time, I knew I couldn’t act on desire alone. If she were to die, then the rest of us would grow weaker.

“…Is there any danger of her turning traitor, Your Grace?” Tactimon asked.

“I do not believe it would ever come to that, Tactimon,” I said quickly. “However…the fact that she is an Exalted Beast…could inadvertently drive her to lead us all to our ruin, as well as our demise; both us, and our enemies.”

“Your Grace, I shall personally see to it that that never happens,” Tactimon said. “I shall place my life on the line, if need be. I will go after the vermin at Lachesis, but if I come across Lupinemon in doing so…do not expect me to show any mercy.”

“…Act as you see fit…Tactimon…my final knight from the days of old.”

Zelda

Saias’s Villa

 

For the past two days, Thomas had done little more than sit and stare out the large bay windows of the villa’s spacious living room. He barely ate, and I was unsure if he had even slept the night before. He sat on a window bench, with his left side towards the window and his legs pulled up against him, and every once in a while, I would see his head turn, as if he had seen something. His face was pale with exhaustion and drenched with sweat.

“No need to worry about him,” Luna said, placing a hand over my shoulder from behind. “I’ve seen him go two weeks without eating before…although, come to think of it, that may have been because of the Stingmon that had nearly skewered his stomach at the time…”

Nearly skewered?! How can you be…Maybe it would be better if I don’t ask. “Well, I’m going to worry about him anyway,” I said. “He must be exhausted; he hasn’t been eating or sleeping, and he’s been fighting and walking constantly for the past few weeks…Isn’t there…anything we can do for him?”

“…You’re so adorable,” Luna cooed in a soft voice, lightly pinching my cheek.

“He’s thinking about Apollomon, isn’t he.”

“I guess it has been a while, but our orders from him were to wait a week until going to fight SkullCaliphmon if Apollomon hadn’t returned by then, and it hasn’t been a full week yet. If Thomas wants to spend that time waiting and hoping Apollomon will return, then we should let him.”

“But…if he’s busy worrying about Apollomon, then won’t he be distracted in battle?” I asked.

“I doubt it. Thomas isn’t the kind of guy to get distracted like that. After all, he hasn’t been once distracted by that cute face of yours while fighting alongside you and Statch, has he? And don’t say anything like you don’t think you’re attractive enough to catch anyone’s attention, because even though your modesty is rather endearing, it is unbecoming of such a beautiful girl.”

“…I’m sorry…I just don’t know any other way to think about myself…” I could feel myself grow more and more flustered by the minute.

“You have nothing to worry about, is all I’m saying.” Luna smiled down at me, gently sweeping some of my hair away from my face. “If it’d make you feel better, you can ask him yourself; he is right there.”

I looked up at the sorceress, and smiled back at her. “…Chrysania…has a wonderful mother,” I said.

Luna’s smile widened. “Zelda…you’re free to think of me like a mother, too, sweetie,” she said softly. “I remember what you told me about your own mother, how she hurt you like that, and…well, if you ever need someone like that to talk to…” Luna nervously rubbed the back of her neck, looking up and away. I placed my arms around the woman’s slender waist and hugged her.

“Don’t worry, Luna; even if there’s no one else I can go to, I know I can always turn to you.” Giving the sorceress one final smile, I pulled away and walked over to Thomas. I softly whispered his name, making him flinch back in surprise. His surprised expression faded when he saw me, turning into a very exhausted-looking smile.

“How are you?” he asked. His voice was hoarse, shaky, and raspy; whether it was from thirst or not having been used in some time I wasn’t sure.

“…I should be asking you that.” I sat down on the bench directly in front of him. Our backs were propped against the wall. Like every other thing in the villa, the window seat was rather large and spacious, and I was able to sit with my legs out in front of me, with my feet pressed against his. “Are you okay, Tommy?”

“I am…fine…”

“Apollomon and the others will be fine. They will return, and it will be any day now,” I reassured him.

“…I’ve…been thinking about what to do about SkullCaliphmon,” Thomas said. “Part of me wants to continue waiting for Apollomon to return before we fight SkullCaliphmon…Then, there’s another part of me that remembers just how…easily SkullCaliphmon defeated Apollomon last time, and that was back when it was only him, Lilithmon, and Cherubimon alive. But now, there are nine of them, and I doubt Apollomon would be able to help us much against him…” Thomas rested his forehead in his hand. “I’ve been trying to decide what would be the best thing for us to do…but I just can’t get my mind off Apollomon. We don’t know where he is, we don’t know where he went, we don’t even know if he’s still alive! Hell, we don’t even know what happened to Seraphimon! And if it’s not him I’m thinking about, it’s Lilithmon. We have to stop her, I know that; but every time I think of a way to stop her or any of the others, a new problem just pops up in my head.”

“Do you…regret your decision?” I asked. I scooted myself closer to him and drew my legs up against my body, with my arms resting atop my knees and with my feet resting atop his. “When you were asked to become our temporary leader, you accepted. Do you regret it?”

“Regret it? No way!” What had once been a worn-down, almost gloomy expression turned into a look of confidence. “If I regretted it, I wouldn’t be sitting here trying to think of what would be the best thing for everyone. I knew it would be difficult, sure, but I’m not going to give up; I accepted the job, so I’ll see it through to the end.” I smiled at him.

“That’s one of the many reasons why I love you so much, Tommy; you see everything through to the end, and you try your hardest to keep all of us safe,” I said. “Trying to think of what would be best for everyone is a difficult task. You knew that, but you accepted the burden regardless, and you’re working hard to ensure you keep your word. But Tommy…you’ve been working so hard, that you’ve been neglecting your own needs and wants. I don’t want to see you make yourself sick — or worse — over this. Please…come eat a meal with the rest of us, okay? And our bed is so cold and lonely without you for me to snuggle up against…”

Thomas reached out and placed a hand over the top of my head. “I’m sorry…You said I’ve been neglecting myself, but it seems that I’ve neglected you more,” he said. “I’m sorry.” His hand moved down, and he gently moved his fingers against my cheek, brushing away a tear. A kind and gentle warmth sprung up in the middle of my chest at his touch, and I couldn’t help but smile. “I’ve missed seeing that beautiful smile of yours…just seeing it makes all my worries vanish.”

“I’m glad I was able to help you,” I said softly.

Thomas looked directly into my eyes. “You do so much more for me than you ever know, Zelda. You’ve saved my life plenty of times on the battlefield, even when we first met and didn’t know each other. Your smile eliminates all my fears and worries. You are the person that keeps me going, and you are the light that keeps me from falling into a pit of despair, or into darkness itself.”

I…I had no idea… He had begun looking out the window once more, and with an inattentive expression on his face, he absently began stroking the tops of my feet in the same manner he did when he stroked my hair at night whenever I would wake up after a nightmare. I never knew I had done so much for him! Instinctively, my feet flinched back, without his notice, as soon as he began to slowly roll my toes between his fingers; I had to stifle my laughter. How many times have I told him how ticklish I am? Guess he hasn’t forgotten… I didn’t mind, though. I smiled. He had never forgotten, nor would I want him to; though, based on his forlorn expression, I doubt it was on his mind. He would always have playfully done something like this just to try to get on my nerves, and no matter what I said, I always enjoyed it. His fingers would always linger on my navel, which I encouraged him to do, not only because I loved the way it felt when he would gently stroke it, but because I was very well aware of his preferences. His touch was always so gentle, and he’d always stop whenever I asked him to…I would guess. I never have, of course.

After a while, he turned his gaze from the window back to me and said thoughtfully, “Zelda…before I met you, I was only an assassin. All I did was kill people for a living. That was all I did, and I did it without a second thought. My life had almost no meaning. But now…now that you are in my life…my life has meaning. Because you are here with me, I have someone I can protect. You give my life meaning. You are my light, Zelda. I love you.”

“Thomas…I…” My face had reddened a considerable amount, and I hid it in my arms. Would now be…a good time to say it? Probably not…Either way, what if he says no? Oh, but I’ve just got to know! “Tommy…when all of this is over…when Lilithmon and the others are all dealt with…” My heart was beating very rapidly; I feared it would burst through my chest. I felt so nervous, and I was certain my face was redder than it had ever been. The palms of my hands and my face were perspiring in my nervousness, and to me, the room felt like it was broiling.

“What is it?” Thomas asked, giving me an encouraging smile. “You can tell me.”

“When…when all the members of the Order are all gone…we…w—we should…g—get…” In my own light-headed nervousness, the word I was trying to say would not come out, as if it had vanished without a trace from my very memory. However, I had forgotten all about it when Thomas’s eyes immediately darted to the window. His entire body turned around, and on his face was a look of almost fearful shock. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

“…Someone’s coming,” he said.

“Is it Apollomon?!” I looked out the window; the person I saw was, to my dismay, not Apollomon, nor anyone I knew, for that matter. The person — clearly a Digimon — was walking up to the villa through the scorched grasses of the lawn. “Who is that?”

“I don’t know,” Thomas said, rising slowly to his feet. “Let’s go see.”

Chapter 97: Blood and Thunder

Myotismon

 

The moon hung low in the sky; the city of Yew basked in its light. “In another few hours, the sun will rise,” I said to myself. “I’ll have to make this quick.”

I looked down at the large city from the sky and smirked, baring a single fang. I spread open my cape to signal my bats. In an instant, hundreds of bats descended, their small black bodies swirling around me as they awaited my command.

“This is a rush order, boys; I don’t care, I don’t want to know how, just wreak a little havoc on the city below. Just enough to grab the attentions of those self-righteous bastards who dare to stand against us!”

My bats complied, flying down to Yew. In no time, the streets were coated in blood. The air was filled with the screaming of the victims of my bats. My smile broadened. If this doesn’t get their attention…I don’t know what will!

Thomas Kasuto

Saias’s Villa

9 Hours

 

“What if we just get Dynasmon to blow up the entire castle for us?” Statuedramon asked. “If that castle of his caves in on him, that would save us the trouble of actually having to fight SkullCaliphmon.” We had been sitting around the living room since returning from Yew, trying to brainstorm ways to fight the remainder of the Order.

“I…guess I could ask him if he would be able to do that,” Zelda said.

“Or, we could ask him to fly us in there,” I suggested. “SkullCaliphmon’s castle doesn’t have a roof so he can remain immortal in the moon’s light; Dynasmon could just fly us down into any room that SkullCaliphmon is and fight him there. That way, Dynasmon wouldn’t be wasting all of his energy trying to destroy the castle instead of helping us destroy the Digimon that lurks within.”

“Why do I get the feeling that all of our victories over these Digimon are going to be because of those Spirit Digimon?” Statuedramon asked.

“A lot of them are Mega levels; equal in power maybe even to Apollomon and Seraphimon,” I replied.

“Yes; Gallantmon, SaberLeomon, and Dynasmon are all very strong, and since they’re Spirits, there is no way for them to die,” Zelda said. “But they still feel pain, and all the same emotions that we do. If they become badly injured while here, we must wait for them to recover before we ask for their help. And I’d feel bad, asking them to do all of this work…”

“I know. Because they are more than just powerful Digimon helping us in fights…They are our invaluable friends,” I said.

“And from the way they act, you’d think that they were all your bodyguards, Zelda,” Statch added.

“It’s because they’re all just drawn to her sweet and charming personality,” I said. Zelda’s face reddened, but she smiled as she shyly lowered her head.

“So, that’s the plan, then?” Statuedramon asked. “If Apollomon hasn’t returned by the end of next week, we’ll be going to SkullCaliphmon’s castle?” I nodded. “Can’t wait; cracking that bastard’s skull is going to be so much—” The front door swung open, nearly falling off its hinges in the process as Pheragas ran into the living room.

“Thomas…you ah going to vant to see dis,” the large man said, breathing heavily.

Great; who is it this time? Calmly, I stepped outside only to find that the pale blue sky was filled with smoke.

“Dat smoke is coming from Yew,” Pheragas said. “I don’t know vut it is, but dare is too much smoke for it to be a forest fire. It seems dat somebody is attacking de city.”

“…It’s like they’re trying to get our attention,” I said.

“In that case, it’s probably a trap,” Statuedramon said. “What are we going to do, Thomas? You going to go see what’s going on?” Zelda already stood at my side, awaiting my orders.

“I don’t see how I could not. This is what we do, after all.”

“…Ah, hell. Fine, I’ll go with you,” Statch said resignedly. “Even though it’s most definitely a trap,” he added under his breath.

“The three of us will be back soon, Pheragas,” I said.

“Do not get yourselves killed over dare,” the warrior said.

“We won’t.”

It took only ten minutes for us to find ourselves in the burning capital city. Smoke filled the air as its scent filled my nose. The streets were stained with blood. The flames that covered nearly everything in sight were gold in color. Even from more than ten feet away, I could feel their heat and intensity.

“This is Myotismon’s doing,” I said.

“YOU THREE!” A pair of baleful blue eyes gleamed through the thick, dark smoke, looking down at us from up in the sky.

“Myotismon…”

“Do you know why this is happening?” The Ultimate Digimon hovered down through the smoke, landing on top of a burning building in front of us. The golden flames reached his chest, but his body was not singed in the slightest.

“I have a feeling you wanted us to come here,” Statuedramon said.

“The reason you…killed…all of these innocent people…it was just so you could fight us, right?” Zelda asked.

“That is correct!” Myotismon’s voice thundered through the smoke-filled sky, making the golden flames surrounding him flicker menacingly. “SkullCaliphmon believes — and I do too, of course — that as soon as you are all dealt with, we will have no more problems keeping our freedom.”

“Well, Myotismon, I hope you had fun taking all of these lives,” I said. I drew my sword from its scabbard. “Because they will be the last lives you will ever take!”

“You made a big mistake, challenging us,” Statuedramon said. “With Hydramon and Belphemon down for the count, the rest of you should be significantly weaker. When we kill you…what do you think will happen to the other nine?”

“You are only an Ultimate level Digimon,” I said. “You’ll be a lot easier for us to kill than the other two.”

“SILENCE!” Myotismon yelled. “The others might only wish for their freedom, but I want something more! They may not care about having the entire continent under their thumbs, but I do! What good does our freedom do for us if we don’t spend our days doing things like this?!”

“…I get it now,” I said quietly. “The others have yet to do something like this because they want to keep the freedom they didn’t have for so long. Like SkullCaliphmon…he doesn’t want to go back to the Dark Area, so he’s just sitting in his castle…”

“I’ll have you know that SkullCaliphmon is not just sitting around!” To my surprise, Myotismon had suddenly apparated in front of me. “SkullCaliphmon is not that kind of Digimon!”

“So, what is he doing?” Statuedramon asked.

“…He…he’s…strategizing.”

“Right, well, while he’s busy ‘strategizing,’ we’re going to break into his castle and kick his bony ass back to the Dark Area.”

Myotismon looked down at the shorter Rookie. “I should tell you that I am in an extremely foul mood!” Myotismon snapped. “If we allow you three to roam free, it will severely hinder our desires!” A large hand clasped itself around Myotismon’s shoulder. The Ultimate Digimon looked up and stared into the face of Gigasmon. “…You were the one to kill me last time!”

“Me no understand how you back,” Gigasmon said. “But me make you go away again for good!”

“Crimson Lightning!” A blood-red whip appeared in Myotismon’s hand, and before Gigasmon could react, the Digimon Spirit was struck repeatedly in the face by Myotismon’s attack before vanishing. Statuedramon ran up to the taller Ultimate, furiously swinging his sword around Myotismon’s head, while the Undead Digimon deftly evaded each attack. “You’re getting on my nerves, Rookie!” Myotismon reached out and grabbed Statch’s sword mid-swing. “You’d be nothing without this weapon! I’ll take great pleasure in destroying it!”

“Fist of the Beast King!” A flaming lion’s head struck Myotismon from behind; the furious Digimon turned around, now staring down Leomon.

“Grisly Wing!” Myotismon’s attack hit Leomon square in the chest, making the Spirit fall over.

“…Geez, I’m bad at this…” Leomon looked up at Myotismon one last time before he was struck by a Crimson Lightning, making him fade away.

“Come forth, Gallantmon!” Zelda cried out. The Exalted Knight Digimon appeared next to her. “I…I’m sorry to call you up so soon after—”

“You do not need to worry,” Gallantmon said. “You may call on me anytime you wish, Zelda.” Gallantmon looked over at Myotismon. “Hear me, Myotismon! I slayed the Digimon known as Belphemon in only a few attacks! What do you think would happen if I hit a Digimon like you with the same attacks?!”

“I doubt either of us will ever find out,” Myotismon said. “Nightmare Claw!” A shadowy entity shot out of Myotismon’s hands at Gallantmon, and though the Spirit held up his shield to protect himself and Zelda, the attack turned him a sinister, gruesome shade of black.

“Gallantmon, are you okay?” Zelda asked.

“I…I’m fine…” Though the Spirit had fallen to a knee, he pointed his lance at Myotismon, firing off a blast of lightning from its tip which Myotismon was able to avoid merely by moving his head.

“Crimson Lightning!” Myotismon’s attack hit Gallantmon’s head repeatedly, soon making the Spirit vanish. Zelda rummaged through her satchel, looking for another Talisman.

“Dynasmon—” Zelda was instantly interrupted, and knocked to the ground by another of Myotismon’s Crimson Lightning attacks.

“ZELDA!” Statuedramon and I ran over to her, but we too were attacked by Myotismon. I picked myself up almost instantly and began to walk over to Zelda. But I stopped when I saw her reach over and pick something up off the ground.

“…A talisman,” she said softly.

“Crimson Lightning!” Myotismon aimed another attack at Zelda as a look of rage flashed in his eyes. I swung my blade and intercepted the attack, cutting through his whip.

“Come forth, Lobomon! Cross forth from the other realm and aid my friends in this fight!” A Digimon I’d never seen before, covered in shining white armor and matching Myotismon in height, appeared in front of Zelda.

“…This fire wasn’t here the last time I was here,” Lobomon said. Looking around, the new Digimon Spirit gazed sadly at the fire that continued to consume the city. “…I guess this means my old master’s dead now. Huh. Oh, well.”

“Lobomon…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to—” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Lobomon interrupted. “Old boss wasn’t the nicest guy, and he didn’t call me up too much, and rarely for battle. So, how can I help you, young lady?”

“I will make you vanish!” Myotismon yelled.

“…This guy, I’m guessing?”

“If it isn’t too much trouble for you…” Zelda said. Lobomon smirked. Myotismon began flying toward the two when Lobomon jumped into the air.

“Lobo…Kendo…” Lobomon looked on as his weapon flew out of his hands, flying straight past Myotismon’s head before crashing through the window of a burning house. “Huh…Well, crap, that didn’t work.”

“…Are you freaking kidding me?!” Statch asked. “How’d you find a Digimon this clumsy?!”

“…Uh…my bad?” Lobomon asked. Myotismon suddenly appeared behind Lobomon, and punched him in the back of the head. Lobomon turned to fight back, but in doing so, he stepped on his scarf and slipped, falling to the ground. Myotismon raised an arm, about to attack once more when Lobomon jumped back up and thrust a sword through Myotismon’s arm. Myotismon fell backwards, and Lobomon pinned Myotismon’s arm to the ground. “Howling Laser!” Using the weapon on his left arm, Lobomon fired a burst of light energy through Myotismon’s back and clear through his chest. Myotismon yelled out when it happened as Lobomon removed his sword from the Ultimate’s arm. Myotismon forced himself up, looking down at the gaping, bloody hole in his chest.

“This…can’t be…happening!” Myotismon’s body began to turn back into small bits of data, to his horror. “I think I’m…I’m dying? No, this…isn’t right…I can’t…I CAN’T…No, please! Don’t…make me…go back…there…” The final bits of Myotismon’s data floated away, lost in the smoke-filled sky, with his golden flames disappearing as soon as he did.

“…My work here is done,” Lobomon said. “That was fun. Call me again whenever.”

“Thank you for your help, Lobomon,” Zelda said. Embarrassedly, Lobomon looked down and away as he glowed in a golden light, and then vanished.

“Well, that’s three down,” Statuedramon said excitedly.

“The rest will follow shortly,” I said. “Let’s go back to the villa; we need to tell Pheragas what happened.”