Chapter 58: Romancing the Stone

Thomas Kasuto

Cyprus Wasteland

One Day

 

Statuedramon’s mouth fell open in horror as he caught his first glimpse of Cyprus Wasteland. Scattered across the landscape were millions of rocks.

“How the fuck are we ever going to find this one rock?!” he asked. I looked at the barren landscape before us; even though it was the middle of the day, the sky was a perpetually deep orange, and it reflected upon the landscape, turning everything in sight the same color.

Everything is exactly as it was described in every book I’ve read about this place… Statuedramon’s anguish did not seem unfounded, as I continued looking around the vast wasteland. There was nothing but rocks lying on the ground as far as the eye could see. “As far as I can tell, all the rocks here look to be a normal color for rocks; I’d think a purple one would stand out.”

“So…we just start looking around for a rock that might be purple?”

“That’s about all we can do for now,” Zelda said. 

Sephyrus

 

“So, what’s the plan, S?” Michalis asked. His voice was filled with vigor and energy to spare, though his body looked as though he were on the verge of collapse. I certainly couldn’t blame him; the heat of Cyprus Wasteland was appalling, and even worse than that of Cyprus Desert due to its lack of a strong wind.

“We wait.” I looked down from the small plateau from where we hid ourselves. Thomas, Zelda, and Statuedramon were not even a mile away, but they had no idea how close we were to them.

“For how long?”

“Until they find the stone. Then, we take it from them, saving us the trouble of trying to find it. Afterwards, we can take it to Marigold Spire to the East. That was where Myotismon was brutally murdered by Beowulfmon.”

“Oh…is mother already at the spire?”

“There is no need for her to travel to a place as harsh as this one,” I said. “She taught me her spell; the one in the ancient language. If all goes as planned, and you are able to distract the three of them long enough if necessary, then Myotismon will be free.”

Thomas Kasuto

1 Hour

 

“…Thomas, are rocks edible?”

“No, Statuedramon.”

“…What about the dirt? It’s starting to look like chocolate powder…”

“Get the dirt out of your mouth, Statch.” Even without turning around, I knew what he was doing.

“You’re mean!” I heard him reluctantly spit the dirt out, though from the sound of it, it was more from disgust at the taste rather than from me telling him to.

“I’m aware of that.” I grinned.

“…Man, this is taking forever! I wonder how Zelda’s doing…” Statuedramon glanced over at her just as she bent down to pick something up.

“Thomas! Statuedramon! I think I found it!” Zelda walked over to me, and in her hand was a vibrantly purple rock.

“No way! That’s it, all right!” Zelda handed Statuedramon the rock. The Rookie Digimon gripped it tightly, and a flare of golden flames began circling him. “All right! Let’s take this back to Apollomon so he can deal with it!” Statuedramon began walking ahead of us to the desert.

“Oh, I’m so glad I did something right for a change!” Zelda said, looking very pleased with herself. “I could never do anything right when I was just a little girl!”

“…Zelda…there’s something that I’ve been meaning to ask you,” I said as she handed me the Horcrux. “It’s about your lack of self-esteem. Have you always been like this?”

“As far as I can remember…I have been. Because I’m one of the Marked, my mother would always yell at me and insult me, as if it were my fault she carried the mark as well. I eventually began to believe all the things she said about me — and I’m sure I will for the rest of my life — that everything is my fault, that I’m not smart, that I’m not pretty, that I—”

“Zelda, you cannot believe anything she told you about yourself that made you feel bad,” I whispered. I placed her small hand in mine, and looked into her lovely eyes. “I am grateful to her for bringing you into this world, but you just can’t believe any of those lies. Do you believe me when I tell you how beautiful you are? Do you believe me when I tell you that I love you?”

“I…maybe? I’m not sure…” She looked up at the sky, and smiled. “…When I was younger, growing up in Adonis Village with Anna…At night…at any time during the night after my mother passed out drunk after yelling at me…I would always go outside, and look up at the sky, at the stars…they always looked so pretty to me. I often dreamed about becoming a star…I remember thinking to myself when I was five or six years old that, if I could become a pretty star, then I would be able to prove my mother wrong…”

“Zelda…you are more beautiful than any star in the sky.”

“…Thomas…”

“You’re the kindest person I know, Zelda. If you didn’t take the time to help me, I could have lost my arm, and if you weren’t smart, you wouldn’t have been able to treat that wound. I love you, Zelda. I promised that I’d always be there for you, and that I wouldn’t ever let you cry again. Those are promised I intend to keep.”

“Thomas…I love you, too…You were the first person who was ever nice to me after I had parted ways with my sister…”

“Thomas, we’ve got a problem!” Statuedramon shouted, far ahead of Zelda and me. I glanced at him, seeing Michalis and Sephyrus approach him. “Stand back; I have a rock, and I’m not afraid to burn your asses with it!”

“We have come for that very stone,” Sephyrus said. “Hand it over, or suffer the consequences!”

“…Think fast!” Statuedramon gripped the stone, and a stream of golden flames shot out of it at the two Bio Hybrids.

“Bio Hybrid DNA Charge! Bio Hybrid Digivolve to, BioPremenitmon!” Michalis stood behind the Mega level Bio Hybrid as he took the flames emitted from the stone in the face. “Thanks for finding the stone for us; it saved us the trouble!” BioPremenitmon trudged through the flames and picked Statuedramon up by his wrist. “The stone. Hand it over.”

“Let go of him!” I brandished my sword and attempted to stab BioPremenitmon’s arm, but the tip of my blade bounced off his scales. Statuedramon suddenly began screaming, and I looked up to see that BioPremenitmon’s grip had tightened around his wrist until Statch’s fingers unraveled themselves from the stone.

“Thank you very much,” Sephyrus reached up with his other hand and took the stone. “We’ve gotten what we came here for. Let us go, Michalis; to Marigold Spire! Shadow Evolution; Gryphonmon! Quickly, Michalis; get on!”

“You fools are too late; Myotismon will be released!” Michalis laughed as he jumped onto Gryphonmon’s back. “And this time, there won’t be anything you can do about it!” Gryphonmon spread his massive wings and flew off, leaving the three of us behind.

“Damn it…now, we’ll never catch up to them,” Statuedramon said.

“No, we can still make it!” Zelda said. “Come forth, Dynasmon!”

“What is it you desire, milady?” Dynasmon asked as soon as he materialized.

“The three of us need to get to Marigold Spire as soon as possible!”

“Understood.” Dynasmon bent down picked up all three of us, and in an instant, we were in the air.

Sephyrus

Marigold Spire

 

“It is done, Michalis!” I exclaimed. The stone lay before us, emitting a bright light just as the necklace did when SkullCaliphmon had been summoned. “Myotismon, I call to you from the other side!” A black hole formed underneath the stone, and a cape-wearing Digimon flew out.

“You are not Lilithmon; who are you?!” Myotismon asked.

“My name is Sephyrus; I have freed you on behalf of our lady, for she could not be bothered to travel to a place with a climate as severe as this,” I replied. Myotismon sighed impatiently.

“Well, whatever. But what took you so long?! Surely my Horcrux would’ve been hidden in a place where it could’ve easily have been found!”

“I’m afraid not, Sir; your rock was buried in the sea of stones that is the Cyprus Wasteland. Furthermore, we had to allow our…rivals in the Horcrux hunt to find your stone first so it would be easier to retrieve.”

“Your rivals…you refer to the people who murdered SkullCaliphmon?!”

“Yeah, those are the ones,” Michalis said. “They always feel like they have to interfere with our work.” As Michalis spoke, Dynasmon, the same one that had attacked me in Mandala two weeks ago, popped up behind him, carrying Thomas, Zelda, and Statuedramon. “Speaking of whom…”

“You shall interfere no longer!” Myotismon shouted. “Crimson Lightning!”

Chapter 57: The Celestial Vanguard

Thomas Kasuto

Saias’s Villa

9 Hours

 

“Apollomon, where have you been?!” Dianamon yelled as the two of us let ourselves in. “You still haven’t fully recovered from when Lector stabbed you two weeks ago! You are in no condition to be fighting like Thomas and Pheragas!”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry I made you worry,” Apollomon said, weakly grinning at the female Mega Digimon.

“So, just to be clear, you weren’t worried about me?” I asked.

“Oh, you know I worry about you too, Thomas; but I know you didn’t get stabbed a while ago — well, I guess you did, but…Oh, you know what I mean! And you, Apollomon; you’re going straight to bed!”

“I can’t…not yet,” Apollomon said. “There is something I must tell everyone…It is about the Horcruxes. Everyone should here this.”

“…Fine. I’ll gather them up,” Dianamon said. “But after you tell us what it is you need to tell us, you are going straight to bed, mister!” Apollomon laughed quietly to himself, amused, as Dianamon strode off.

Lilithmon

Mandala City

 

“Damn it, damn it, damn it! Those bastards!” I paced back and forth around the empty center of the sunken city. “It wasn’t enough for them to murder SkullCaliphmon, but they had to go and attack me?! Unforgivable!” I looked down at my bare stomach, were the shirt had been burned away by Apollomon’s attack. “These burns don’t look too bad, I suppose, and hopefully not too noticeable…But I can’t let them do it again! If the image of my beauty is wrecked by hideous burns…”

“My lady, your beauty remains intact and as flawless as ever,” Sephyrus said. “There is nothing those plebeians can do to ruin your beauty in any way. In any case, our main concern should be the state of your friends.”

“…You’re right as always, Sephyrus,” I said.

“So, are your friends going to be pissed that SkullCaliphmon got his head caved in, mother?” Michalis asked, sitting atop a destroyed marble column.

“Yeah, probably…Well, there’s nothing I can do about it. After all, it’s not my fault that Thomas killed SkullCaliphmon! They shouldn’t be too mad at me for something beyond my control!”

“What would you have us do, Milady?” Sephyrus asked. “If you wish it, the two of us shall continue to gather the Horcruxes you created. In your stead, if you wish.”

“If your friends are going to be pissed at you, you should let us get the Horcruxes for you and free them instead,” Michalis said.

“…You’re right,” Lilithmon said. “Very well. Sephyrus…I will teach you the spell…the spell that will free my comrades from the Dark Area.”

“As you wish it, my lady,” Sephyrus bowed.

Apollomon

 

“So, vut is it you vished to tell us?” Pheragas asked. I took a deep breath in, and looked around. Dianamon sat right next to me, eyes constantly flickering back and forth between my eyes and my old wound. Sitting on a couch directly across from me was Luna, with Chrysania snuggled right next to her, and Pheragas standing behind them. BlackGaomon and Statuedramon sat in the middle of the floor, and Thomas and Zelda sat together on yet another couch, holding hands. All but Thomas had looks of confusion of varying degrees.

“It’s about Lilithmon,” I said. “She’s back.” Complete silence befell the room.

“Well…can’t exactly say I was expecting that,” BlackGaomon said.

“You were all affected by her selfish desires, so I think it is only fair that I tell you what little I know about her,” I said. “First of all…Lilithmon was not born of darkness. She was born an angel Digimon named Ophanimon. However, she soon fell to darkness, becoming the evil Digimon we are all familiar with.”

“Lilithmon…was an angel?” Chrysania asked. I nodded.

“I do not know the specific details of how it happened, but apparently, she was not the only angel Digimon to fall into darkness,” I continued. “Another Digimon called Cherubimon, being desperately loyal to Ophanimon, fell into the darkness with her, and they both became corrupted, Fallen Angel Digimon. That was when she befriended the other ten most powerful Digimon in existence. Now, Ophanimon and Cherubimon were part of a three Digimon group known as the Celestial Digimon, along with a third Digimon called Seraphimon.”

“Seraphimon?! Wait a minute; I just remembered…he was the Digimon we met in Yew, Thomas!” Statuedramon exclaimed. “Like…two or three weeks ago…and we forgot to tell Apollomon about him…”

“Yes, Seraphimon has always been a bit of a loner since those days long ago, always traveling across Arcadia. Anyway, Seraphimon, fearing the evil Lilithmon, Cherubimon, and their new friends would spread, formed a group of twelve Digimon, rivaling their number, known as the Celestial Vanguard. I…was a part of that group.”

“You? But…didn’t all of that happen over five hundred years ago?” Statuedramon asked.

“Yes, well, I am over five hundred years old,” I laughed. “SlashAngemon…he was also a part of that group. All twelve of us were charged with defeating one of the evil Digimon, who had formed a group known as the Order of the Enchantress. I was the only one who had failed…my mission was to try to reason with Cherubimon to bring him back from the darkness, or to destroy him…and I failed at both attempts. Seraphimon tasked himself with defeating Lilithmon, and SlashAngemon was tasked with defeating a Digimon known as SkullCaliphmon.”

“…That’s how you knew where to find Lilithmon when the Bio Hybrids took the necklace,” Thomas said. “SlashAngemon was the one who killed him…and he told you where it happened.”

“That is correct; I believe Lilithmon is now attempting to free all of her friends from the Dark Area. To do that, she needs the Horcruxes she made for them before she was killed. Also, she can only free her friends in the place they were previously killed. That is how I knew where SkullCaliphmon would be; because SlashAngemon killed him in Cyprus Desert, so I knew that was where Lilithmon would be going.”

“Apollomon, what exactly is a Horcrux?” BlackGaomon asked.

“I can answer that,” Luna said. “A Horcrux is an inanimate object made by a powerful magic-user that places a small portion of someone’s soul — not necessarily that of the mage — into said inanimate object. If that person is killed or dies, then the mage can bring that person back to life, but only once. You see, when they come back, that little bit of their soul in the Horcrux joins back up with the rest of their soul, and afterwards, the mage can then proceed to make another Horcrux for that person if they so desire.”

“That’s why you didn’t die when you were stabbed in the chest, Thomas,” I said. “If the soul of a Digimon is infused with into a Horcrux, then whoever is in possession of the Horcrux will gain some of the abilities of that Digimon. SkullCaliphmon was apparently an immortal under special circumstances — ergo, you had that same immortality when you wore his necklace.”

“So, we just need to keep killing those Digimon as soon as Lilithmon brings them back, right?” BlackGaomon asked.

“Correct; their true power comes from all twelve of them being alive at once. If all twelve of them were to walk Arcadia at once…then they would be nearly unstoppable,” I said. “What makes them even more dangerous is that some of them have powers unique to them, and foreign to other Digimon of the same species. For example, among them is a Myotismon capable of using fire attacks, and legendary golden flames, at that.”

“Do you know where any of the other Horcruxes are?” Thomas asked.

“…Only a few of them,” I replied. “In Cyprus Valley, there is a stone containing the soul of one of those Digimon. Also, I believe that Knight Commander Saias had one as well…”

“Saias?! No way!” Statch exclaimed.

“Yes; I believe his sword may have been a Horcrux, as well. It would be best if we could retrieve them as soon as we can, because it’s possible that Lilithmon knows about them as well. Pheragas, I would like for you and BlackGaomon to go to the old military base to see if you can find the sword. Thomas, I would like you, Zelda, and Statuedramon to go to Cyprus Valley to find the stone.”

“Well, why not just send us to the ocean to find a specific droplet of water?” Statch asked sarcastically.

“Is there anything about the stone you could tell us that would make it easier for us to find it?” Zelda asked.

“If you hold it, you’ll be capable of utilizing pyrokinetic force,” I said. “And for some reason, I think it may be purple…I…don’t know if that information will help you…”

“So, basically, we’re looking for a purple rock that will let us use legendary flames when we hold it,” Thomas said.

“If we’re going to go that far south, we should hurry,” Statuedramon said. “The valley is a long way away from here, and those Bio Hybrids may have already started heading in that direction.”

“Right; BlackGaomon and I vill go to de military base so ve can find dat sword,” Pheragas said.

“Don’t follow them, Apollomon,” Dianamon said to me in a stern voice as soon as Thomas and the others left the villa.

“Yes, mother,” I said sarcastically. Dianamon rolled her eyes as she walked out of the room.

Pheragas Danved

Yew

20 Minutes

 

“I don’t see how we’re going to find anything buried underneath all of that rubble,” BlackGaomon said. The military base where Apollomon fought Saias stood before us, a smoldering mess of debris and charcoal. Instead of deciding to rebuild this base, the knights decided to build another one in a completely different location, leaving this destroyed one alone, abandoned and untouched for the moment.

“Look on de bright side, BlackGaomon; at least dare von’t be any knights to get in our vay,” I said. I turned over a huge mound of burnt rubble, finding nothing but charred ashes underneath. “Dat is a good ting; dis might take a vile…” 

“Do you remember what his sword looked like?”

“I tink it may have had a black handle…”

“…Do you think it would be too much to hope that the sword just got burnt up altogether, making its use as a Horcrux worthless?”

“Dat may not be a vise decision; ve should just find de sword so ve can go back to Apollomon.” I began walking to another area of the base when, upon hearing the flapping of a giant pair of wings, faint, but growing more distinct as I could hear it approaching, I stopped.

“What’s wrong, Pheragas?” BlackGaomon looked up at me.

“…I hear someting. Somevun is coming…By air…”

“You mean, like a flying Digimon?” I nodded. The shadow of a huge Digimon flew over us, and a barrage of flames and lightning bombarded us from the sky. “It must be the Bio Hybrids!”

“Yes, it is a good ting dey did not go aftuh dose kids,” I said.

Just then a voice from above us announced, “Missing you was not an accident. If you do not hand over the Sword of the Earth’s Crust, we will not miss again.” Whoever spoke to us had a deep, booming voice, and it was easy to tell what he was saying despite being so high up in the sky.

“Give us a goddamned minute! We haven’t even found it yet!” BlackGaomon said.

“I intend to keep it that way. Our master desires that sword to be in his possession, along with all the other Horcruxes. Leave this place now, and there’s a chance you’ll survive.”

“No way! We won’t let Lilithmon get her hands on the Horcruxes!”

“…So be it. You have sealed your fate!” More flames rained down upon us, surrounding me and BlackGaomon in a ring of fire. A flash of green was the last thing I saw as something struck me from behind, leaving me to fall unconscious from the blow and from the smoke produced by the flames.

Chapter 56: The Skeleton King

Sephyrus

Cyprus Desert

9 Hours

 

It was nearing midnight by the time the swirling sands of Cyprus Desert came into view. It was a cloudless night, and the moon was nearly full. Lilithmon stopped walking instantly, and looked up at the sky.

“Soon…very soon, the first of my friends will be freed from the Dark Area,” Lilithmon said. Her skin and clothes were still stained with Irene’s blood, if one looked closely enough, though she didn’t seem to be bothered by it.

“Forgive my ignorance, Mother, but how exactly are you going to free anyone from the Dark Area?” Michalis asked. “They’re dead…dead, and gone forever…”

“I was sent to the Dark Area, but I came back to you, my son,” Lilithmon said patiently. “You know what a Horcrux is, don’t you?”

“Yeah…a little while ago, Sephyrus told me it holds a very small portion of the soul of a Human or a Digimon.”

“Correct…as the one who created these Horcruxes, I am able to use the Horcrux to call forth the Digimon in the Dark Area who has their soul trapped within the Horcrux in question, but only once. Once I have brought them back, the portion of their soul that lies resting in the Horcrux will join with the remainder of the Digimon’s soul, leaving me unable to bring the Digimon back again should he or she be killed — unless, of course, I make another Horcrux for them. The little details are of no concern to you, dear child…”

“Yes, ma’am…”

“Do you have any other questions before I begin?”

“…Just one…how come we had to come all the way to Cyprus Desert to free this Digimon? Couldn’t you have brought him back from anywhere?”

“Unfortunately, no…the Cyprus Desert was where SkullCaliphmon was killed…that is why we must be here...though I was never sure why that was a necessity for this spell. Now, if that is all the questions, I would like to begin. If anyone attempts to intervene, stop them at all costs!”

“Understood, Milady,” I said.

“Yeah, sure,” Michalis said.

“Very good.” Lilithmon placed the necklace into the sands of Cyprus and closed her eyes. She began speaking in a quiet, mumbling voice.

“What is she saying?” Michalis whispered to me.

“It’s an ancient language, one from over 500 years ago, so it’s even older than I am,” I replied. “I’m afraid I don’t know what it is she’s saying. I never took the time to learn it…”

Thomas Kasuto

 

“Oh, no…we’re too late! She’s already started!” Apollomon said quietly. To my surprise, there were a few trees that were a part of Lotisea Province nearby for us to hide behind. “We have to do something…before she conjures up a Digimon from the Dark Area!”

“Well, then, let’s go and stop her!” I whispered back. Apollomon nodded, and the two of us stepped out from behind the trees and over to the evil Mega Digimon. Michalis and Sephyrus watched silently as we did.

“There is no way for you to emerge victorious,” Sephyrus said. The [LSF3] calm man pulled out his gray Digivice and placed a hand over it. “Bio Hybrid DNA Charge! Bio Hybrid Digivolve to, BioPremenitmon!”

“You are too late! Mother will summon forth all her friends from the Dark Area…and there’s nothing you can do about it!” Michalis grabbed his Digivice, and did the same as Sephyrus. “Bio Hybrid DNA Charge! Bio Hybrid Digivolve to, BioBeelzemon!”

 “Fools; you mean to face the one and only Apollomon in combat?! Is it your aim to die?! Or have you forgotten that I killed BioBlackWarGreymon all by myself?!” Apollomon asked.

“…He does have a point,” BioBeelzemon said.

“If you wish to back down, suit yourself,” BioPremenitmon said. “I, however, fully intend to obey the orders given to me!”

“Thomas[LSF4] , stand back while I fight these two; that’s an order! Solblaster!”

Reluctantly, I jumped back out of the way and watched the fight around me.

“Shadow Evolution; Aquarimon! Goddess Urn!” Aquarimon summoned forth a huge eruption of water from her vase that doused the flames of Apollomon’s attack.

“You…you dare mock me by turning into my friend?! The friend that you murdered?! I’ll fucking kill you! Phoebus…” Apollomon raised his arm and prepared to attack, but when he looked down, his arm began trembling, and his fist unclenched itself.

“Apollomon…please…don’t h-hurt me,” Aquarimon said, tears streaming down her face. “I’m sorry…please, don’t…hate me…for what I’ve done…”

“…I…Irene…” Apollomon’s raised arm fell limply to his side. I, too, felt taken aback at the sight of the Digimon that greatly resembled Irene.

“Darkness Claw!” BioBeelzemon rammed into the dumbstruck Apollomon, knocking him down to the ground.  Apollomon tried to move, but BioBeelzemon slammed his boot on the side of the Mega’s face. “You’re about to get what you deserve, Apollomon! Double—”

“—And now, the ritual is complete!” Lilithmon shouted from a few feet away. “SkullCaliphmon, I call to you from the other side! Join us, and put an end to the lives of the miserable wretches who murdered the eleven of us!” The necklace began emitting a pale blue light, and the sands around it began swirling madly in the air. Lilithmon began laughing maniacally as a black hole formed under the necklace, and a skeletal arm reached up from the circle. The arm pulled its body the rest of the way out, and standing before us was a rather tall, cloaked, skeletal Digimon holding an enormous, two-bladed sword, the likes of which I have never seen.

“I am free!” the Digimon said.

“…Unbelievable…a Digimon from the Dark Area,” BioBeelzemon said, his tone of voice giving away the fact that he was obviously impressed. “Mother…you really are something else, conjuring a Digimon like this…”

“I’m not just any Digimon; I’m SkullCaliphmon, an ancient king of the desert sands; lord of the desert breeze!” SkullCaliphmon said.

“‘Lord of the Desert Breeze?’ That doesn’t sound very impressive…”

“Careful, now; even the gentlest breeze has the potential to become a raging hurricane, capable of smashing through solid rock!”

“…Whatever you say, Your Majesty,” BioBeelzemon smirked.

“SkullCaliphmon, it is wonderful to see you again,” Lilithmon said. “That is, good to see you alive, and not in the Dark Area!”

“Oh, Lilithmon, I’m always dead! I’m a skeleton, remember? By the way, I saw your…glorious return from death…when you popped out of that rather cute Human girl. It was kind of icky…a little too much blood and gore for my taste. I don’t really like icky and creepy things,” the skeleton said. “Now, remember; the two of us are not as strong as you’d like for us to be.”

“What do you mean?”

“Our power comes from the lives of all twelve of us. Our lives, Lilithmon, and nine of us are still not alive. As we are now, even a Human could kill us!” SkullCaliphmon laughed to himself. “As I am sure you are well aware…”

“…Right. I’ll have to remember that…”

“Now, who is that that your crony steps on?” SkullCaliphmon pointed at BioBeelzemon.

“That’s Apollomon,” BioBeelzemon said.

“Really? The Apollomon? The ruler of Lachesis? That Apollomon?” SkullCaliphmon looked down at the struggling Mega. “You, BioBeelzemon, and you, BioPremenitmon!” SkullCaliphmon looked at the two Bio Hybrids. “You two boneheads stand down! I haven’t killed anyone in a few hundred years; I want to make sure I haven’t lost my touch!”

“Yes, sir,” BioPremenitmon, still in the form of Aquarimon, immediately turned back into Sephyrus. BioBeelzemon reverted back to his Human form without another word. In an instant, Apollomon was back on his feet, standing face-to-face with SkullCaliphmon.

“Don’t be too depressed if I defeat you; I used to be quite powerful,” SkullCaliphmon said.

“I could say the same to you, except that I still am powerful,” Apollomon retorted. SkullCaliphmon whistled, looking impressed.

“Bold words, o mighty one! Let’s see if you live up to your reputation, then! If you lose, you’ll look like quite the bone-afied blowhard!”  SkullCaliphmon began laughing to himself.

“…Your puns are terrible, as I’m certain your fighting skills are,” Apollomon said. “Whatever; let’s get this over with!” Apollomon clenched his fists, and SkullCaliphmon swung his blade effortlessly through the air. Instinctively, I reached for mine, but I stopped myself.

Apollomon told me to wait here…Apollomon ordered me to wait here while he dealt with them…But there’s no way he can win! He still hasn’t fully recovered from when Lector stabbed him in the hip.

“Arrow of Apollo!”

“Grave Danger!” SkullCaliphmon raised his hand, with his palm upwards, and a giant tombstone emerged from the sand. Apollomon’s attack hit the tombstone, which then crumbled back into sand. “Now, dance, my tombs! Dance!” SkullCaliphmon began waving his enormous sword around in the air as if it were a conductor’s baton; countless tombs popped out of the sand and begun flying in the air around Apollomon. Every now and then, one of them would crash into him, shattering into a few jagged stones that would cut through his skin, and even his Phoebus Blow attack was strong enough to protect him. “Well? What do you think, mighty one? Am I strong or what?!”

“Solblaster!” The sphere of flames on Apollomon’s back spread itself out, enveloping all of the flying tombs in their flames and making them melt. “You’ve picked the wrong Digimon to fight, SkullCaliphmon!”

“I was just thinking that of you, Apollomon! Crossfire Hurricane!” SkullCaliphmon began swing his sword in a circle, and Apollomon’s flames followed suit. They began to form a ring of fire around Apollomon, leaving him in the middle of them. SkullCaliphmon then brought the blades of his sword down into the sand, making the flames swirl around the sky as a single stream of fire. The skeletal Digimon then pointed at Apollomon, and the flames struck Apollomon directly in the chest. “So, now what do you think? That attack has absolute command over wind, and it can even be used to manipulate flames like yours! If anything, you chose the wrong opponent!” Apollomon didn’t reply; he was screaming in pain and agony as he was burned by his own flames. The flames soon vanished, and Apollomon was left, brought down to one knee and covered in minor burns with steam flying off his body. He glared up at the opposing Mega level, and tore his bandages off from around his waist, throwing them to the side.

Apollomon…I’m sorry, but it looks like I’m going to have to disobey your orders again!

“I’m not…finished yet,” Apollomon said between labored breaths, as if he had read my mind.

“Well, then, by all mean; show me what else you’re capable of!” SkullCaliphmon cackled.

“Phoebus Blow!”

“Sirocco Sword!” Apollomon stood up, but he was forced back down once again when SkullCaliphmon swung his sword, striking him multiple times across the face, chest, and stomach. “Even a fire Digimon like yourself can’t help but scream in pain when struck with this sword, which strikes as painfully and sharply as the scorching sirocco wind, capable of reaching speeds as fast as a hurricane!” Apollomon raised a trembling arm and clenched his fist, preparing an Arrow of Apollo attack. “Sirocco Sword!” SkullCaliphmon swung his sword in the air once again, and Apollomon was knocked over onto his back by an unseen force. “See? I don’t even have to make contact, and this sword can still kick some major bony ass!”

“Excellent job, SkullCaliphmon,” Lilithmon said.

“What are you talking about? I’m not even finished with him yet! Sirocco Sword!” SkullCaliphmon brought his enormous sword downward towards Apollomon’s neck. I ran as fast as I could up to the skeletal Digimon, and sighed with relief when I saw that SkullCaliphmon’s sword made contact with mine, rather than Apollomon. “You…I remember you…You were in Mandala when Lilithmon was killed for the second time! I saw you get killed, meatbag! What are you doing still walking around?” SkullCaliphmon asked.

“He was wearing the necklace,” Lilithmon replied. “Your Horcrux.”

“My Horcrux…The Immortal Necklace…Well, I suppose that makes sense…Horcruxes infused with the soul of a Digimon gives whoever is in possession of that Horcrux any special abilities they have…I am immortal during special circumstances. I wonder if those circumstances apply to whoever wears the necklace.”

“…You said you were weak enough for a Human to kill you,” I said.

“Yes; the only reason Apollomon wasn’t able to do so was because I was able to perfectly counter his attacks,” SkullCaliphmon said. “I am weaker without all twelve of us here, and perhaps even you could easily kill me, Human.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! There’s no way this…kid could defeat you!” Lilithmon said.

“…We shall see,” SkullCaliphmon said. The opposing Mega Digimon raised his sword and swung it at my head, barely missing it by a few inches. “Huh…this bonehead’s pretty fast. I like that! Makes the hunt that much more enticing! Keep running, being of flesh; make this game of cat and mouse as enjoyable as possible!”

“If it truly does take a Human to kill someone like you, then I shall do everything in my power to do so!” SkullCaliphmon threw his blade, narrowly missing my head once again. His sword kept flying through the air until it found its way into a tree of Lotisea Province several feet away.

“Damn it! Now my…frickin’ sword’s…stuck! This is why I hate frickin’ forests!”

Perfect! Hopefully…this will kill him! I ran up to the Mega Digimon and stabbed him in the side of his skull.

“…You…boner…” SkullCaliphmon brought his hand to the side of his head where my sword had struck, and several cracks had begun to form on his head. In a matter of seconds, his skeletal body dissolved and crumbled into dust, leaving his crown, cloak, and sword behind as his dust mixed into the sands of Cyprus Desert. Lilithmon stared, pale-faced and wide-eyed as I wiped the remnants of SkullCaliphmon off my blade.

“You…what…WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST DO?!” Lilithmon shrieked.

“You can keep trying to bring your friends back from the Dark Area all you like; you will never prevail,” I said.

“That was…a job well done, Thomas,” Apollomon said as I helped the Mega Digimon stand up.

“DAMN YOU BOTH!” Lilithmon ran toward us, her right claw extended.

“Solblaster!” Apollomon threw a scorching orb that hit Lilithmon in the middle of her stomach, burning through her shirt and searing her skin.

“Milady, we must retreat for now,” Sephyrus said, bending down to pick up the partially buried necklace. “You cannot waste any more energy dealing with these fools.”

“…Fine. We must hurry and find the next Horcrux!” Lilithmon, protectively placing her left hand over her belly to cover the relatively minor burn, turned and ran off, with Michalis and Sephyrus close behind.

“Should we go after them, sir?” I asked.

“No…you would be unable to defeat all three of them by yourself, and I would be of no help to you as I am now,” Apollomon said. “Let’s return to the villa…I’m sure the others are wondering where we are, and I’m certain Zelda misses you. When we get back…I’ll tell you everything.”

Chapter 55: The Body in the Burlap

Thomas Kasuto

Mandrake Town

24 Hours

 

The Thanatos Bandits are different from other organization of bandits. For one, they’re a great deal more intelligent — some of them could even read — and very, well, organized. That, I’m sure, is what makes them more dangerous to fight than other bandit groups; they know how to read any sort of terrain well, and can — and will — cleverly plan out their formations on the spot as soon as they are faced with one from our group or, more uncommonly, a squad of Valencian Knights. They were also stronger than most other bandits, as banditry, to the Thanatos Bandits, is a way of life more than it is to other groups, and when they are not burning down settlements or killing innocent people, they would train day and night to strengthen their bodies. They were also more inclined to rape than other groups. The very sight of them made me feel ill — not because fighting them could be considered a challenge — but because they all reminded me of Clive. The two Human men whispering to each other also bore a striking resemblance to him in terms of the same glint of perversion in their eyes, and the same nasty grins. They stood in front of me, completely unaware of my presence as I hid myself in the shadows of a darkened hallway of a very old palace, abandoned for ages.

And these two are the leaders of this group, I thought. Once these two are taken out, the rest will fall like Flymon. I was concealed behind a stone archway, and Statuedramon stood directly across from me on a stout, square pedestal meant for a sculpture. He stood unmoving, without so much as blinking, making him look like an actual bronze statue. The two bandits finally finished speaking to each other and began to leave. They walked past Statuedramon; a devilish grin spread on his face, and he jumped off the pedestal, aiming to ambush the bandits and attack them with his sword and…he landed face first on the floor behind the two. I rolled my eyes. The bandits heard him fall and quickly turned around.

“‘Ey, dis thing ain’t really a statue!” one of the bandits said.

“That’s good; it was freakin’ me out!” the other bandit said. “It was too scary-lookin’ to steal!”

“Ow! Goddess, that fucking hurt!” Statch exclaimed. He picked himself up off the floor and rubbed the front of his snout. Their backs were to me as they observed Statuedramon as the Rookie level Digimon began to ramble on about…something. I wasn’t paying attention. I quietly drew my sword, and without making a noise, I ran across the hallway unnoticed, behind the bandits. I snuck up behind the one closer to me and clasped my hand over his mouth as I slit his throat with my sword. He was dead in an instant and hit the floor with a dull thud. His friend noticed and wheeled around to face me. I stabbed him in the chest as Statuedramon stabbed him in the lower back. He, too, hit the floor, dead, when we removed our swords. “Well, that was easy,” Statch said.

“What about the bandits they commanded?” I asked.

“Already dealt with,” Statch replied. “Hardly any Digimon among them; it was pretty easy.”

“So, we’re done here?” Statuedramon nodded.

“The people they’ve captured have been freed, the leaders are dead, and the other bandits completely vanquished,” the Rookie said. “Sounds like we’re done to me.”

Saias’s Villa

4 Hours

 

“Thomas, Statuedramon…welcome back,” Luna said as the two of us slowly and exhaustedly strode up to the villa. The witch sat herself on one of the chairs of the villa’s front porch, shaded from the bright light of the gently setting sun by the porch roof. “You weren’t gone nearly as long as I thought you would be.”

“That’s ‘cause the bandits took one look at me and ran like hell!” Statuedramon boasted as he jumped onto the porch. “Seriously. Some of them actually did that.”

“I thought you told me you killed them all,” I said.

“Oh, well, I did that, too, of course. Some of them ran, though.” I sighed, smiling down at the short Digimon as I reached for the front door. Luna grabbed my arm and forcefully pulled it closer to her.

“You’ve bled…you’re bleeding…again,” the witch stared at the back of my hand with a crazed look in her golden eyes.

“Yes, that does tend to happen in our particular line of work…Luna! Is that really necessary?!” I yanked my arm away just as Luna began licking up the wet blood that had stained it.

“Oh…oh, I’m sorry!” Luna’s face immediately flushed bright red once she had realized what she had done. “Sorry…I just…I saw all that blood, and…well, when I see blood, I just lose control of myself…”

“What else is new?” Statuedramon asked sarcastically. “There’s not even that much; just a small trickle…”

“Ooh, but now that I’ve tasted it, my stomach hungers for more!” Luna’s eyes were glued to the blood on my hand and running down my arm. She made another attempt to grab my arm, but I had moved too far away from her for her to reach me.

“Yes…well, you enjoy yourself,” I said. “Statch and I are going to get something to eat. Feel free to join us if you begin hungering for food instead of blood.” I opened the villa’s front door and was greeted by Zelda when Statch, Luna, and I walked inside. Smiling sweetly, she kissed me on the lips once I had closed the door behind me.

“I’m glad you’re back; I missed you,” she said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t have gone with you…”

“It’s not your fault; it was Apollomon’s idea,” I said. “He said it was a good idea for the two of us to not go together when we’re out on jobs. He said if whoever we fight discovers we’re together, they’d be able to use that to their advantage by holding one of us hostage…or something to that effect.”

“A load of crap is what it is! The two of you can take care of yourselves!” Statuedramon said. “Also, I’m always there with you! When I’m around, nothing bad like that will ever happen! Does he really think I’d let something happen to you kids?!”

“Or maybe he doesn’t want you two to get distracted,” Luna suggested. “If you know what I mean.”

“Yes, well, all the same, I agree with Apollomon to a certain point. Zelda, I love you, and I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you, but I seriously think Apollomon might be overestimating the mental capabilities of some of the bandits we fight.”

“And that’s assuming some of them even have mental capabilities,” Statch added. “Hey, you still have that necklace Zelda gave you, right?”

“Of course I do.” I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the necklace that had once saved me from death. “I keep it in there so it won’t break.”

“If one of you was to be kidnapped by some bandits and held hostage or something, and the one that was being held hostage was wearing the necklace, then wouldn’t that ruin their plans?”

“I suppose it might…”

“Statuedramon, what if the one that isn’t wearing the necklace got kidnapped?” Luna asked. “They’d have an easily killable hostage, and then nothing would be accomplished.”

“Who would kill a hostage?! That’s just plain wasteful!” Luna and Statuedramon began arguing. Zelda sighed and walked closer to me. As I continued staring down at the necklace, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned but saw nobody.

“What’s wrong?” Zelda asked.

“I thought I saw……never mind. It’s nothing to worry about.” I was staring down at the beautiful gemstone in the center of the necklace when, without warning, an unseen force struck me in the head from behind, and I fell to the floor in a daze.

“Thomas! Are you okay?!” I heard Zelda ask. I was only half conscious, so it just as easily could have been anyone else. The room was spinning and my head was pounding, but when I reached up, I couldn’t feel any physical wound. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“Hey, where’d the necklace go?!” Statuedramon asked. I looked into my hand and gasped; the necklace was nowhere to be seen. A knock on the door broke the silence. Hesitantly, Statuedramon opened the door.

“Nice to see you again, lizard.”

“…BioBeelzemon…” Statuedramon began slowly backing away from the open door. The Bio Hybrid followed him, holding a shotgun aimed right at Statch’s face.

“Sorry…but you won’t be needing this little trinket anymore,” BioBeelzemon grinned. Sephyrus suddenly appeared out of nowhere behind him, holding the necklace securely in one hand and a burlap sack in the other.

“I apologize that it had to come to this,” Sephyrus said. He carefully slid the necklace inside one of his robe’s pockets. “However, our lady is in dire need of this.” Sephyrus’s words pulled me out of my dazed stupor. With a small effort, I forced myself to stand up. “We do not have any explicit orders to bring any of you to harm, so I implore that you do not force us to do anything drastic.”

“Your lady…you mean…Lilithmon?” Statch looked up in horror at the two taller men. “But…Thomas killed her a year ago, didn’t he?”

“That’s right; but she’s back!” BioBeelzemon grinned down condescendingly at the shorter Digimon. Statuedramon glared at the two Bio Hybrids.

“…Give that necklace back,” he said through clenched teeth. “Zelda gave that to Thomas…It’s really important to him…”

“I have already explained that we are unable to do so,” Sephyrus said sadly. “However… The two of us are far from ungrateful; we’ll be more than happy to trade you something. We’ll let you have this in return for the necklace.” The priest tossed us a brown, burlap sack, which landed in the villa on the floor with a thud, indicating the presence of something solid inside. “If that is all, we’ll be taking our leave of you for now.” The two Bio Hybrids turned their backs to us and began walking away.

“Get back here, damn it!” Statch began running after the two.

“Don’t tell us what to do; Double Impact!” BioBeelzemon pulled out his guns and shot Statuedramon in the knees, making him fall helplessly to the ground. The two were soon out of sight, all of us alone at the front door with the sack Sephyrus had tossed to us.

“Statuedramon, are you okay?!” Zelda asked, kneeling down beside him. Shaking her head, Luna closed the door.

“Yeah…I’ll be okay…I’ve been hit by worse than this,” he smiled weakly. “I might need one of Luna’s potions, though…So, Thomas, what’s in the sack?”

Why do I have the feeling that there’s something alive in here? I knelt down and slowly opened the mouth of the sack. Or dead, from the smell of it…

“What’s going on? What happened out here?!” Apollomon and Chrysania came running downstairs. “Are you all okay?”

“Well, I got shot in the knees, but otherwise, I’m fine,” Statuedramon said. “Also, two of those Bio Hybrids showed up and stole the necklace Lilithmon said was a Horcrux, but we got a sack in return for it.”

“The Bio Hybrids?! They were here?!”

“Yeah, they said something about Lilithmon being back. So, Thomas, what’s in the sack?” Statch asked once more. I didn’t answer — well, it was more like I couldn’t answer. My eyes were completely transfixed on the contents of the sack. Nausea, dread, confusion…so many emotions and feelings were occurring all at once. I felt myself grow dizzy as tears began to well up in my eyes. “Thomas? What’s wrong, buddy? What’s in there?” I heard Apollomon’s heavy footsteps as the tall Mega Digimon walked up to me. “Thomas?” Apollomon opened the mouth of the sack wider, and gasped.

“……Irene…” Zelda’s face went completely colorless. Chrysania gave a chilling scream and Luna broke down in tears when they saw Irene’s mutilated corpse, thoroughly soaked in blood. Statuedramon slowly backed away from the sack. I couldn’t move; I couldn’t think. In all my years fighting bandits, I had never once seen a body this badly damaged; she had bled from practically every area of her body; her dress had been torn to shreds; her face was eternally frozen in wide-eyed, painful agony; there was a huge vertical split running down the front of her body. After a few minutes of gazing wistfully and silently at Irene, Apollomon finally knelt down and closed the mouth of the sack, tightly clenching his fist around it.

“I’ll…I’ll take care of it…” Apollomon gently picked up the sack containing Irene’s body and as he slowly walked outside, presumably to the villa’s backyard, I could hear him quietly choking back a sob.

“Thomas…is she…is Irene… really dead?” Statuedramon asked quietly. I nodded grimly. Luna had taken Chrysania upstairs, but I could still hear her crying hysterically. “Damn it, it was those two bastards who did it, wasn’t it?! How could they do something so horrible like that to such a sweet little girl?!”

“She didn’t…suffer…did she? Thomas? Did it…look like…she suffered?” Zelda asked tearfully.

“No…please…don’t make me remember it,” I said in a barely audible whisper. I tried to stand back up, but my legs were shaking too fiercely; I had to sit back down. Zelda sat down next to me and placed her arm around my shoulders. For a few moments, we sat together like that until Apollomon came back inside.

“Thomas…we’re going after them,” he said. His hands, arms, and chest were smeared with blood that I could only assume was Irene’s. “We’re going to find those two…and the two of us are going to make them pay.”

“Just the two of you?! By yourselves?! What about me?!” Statuedramon asked. “Those bastards killed Irene; I wanna hurt them, too!” Apollomon sighed. He fiddled with the blood-stained bandaged that were still wrapped around his torso, a nervous habit of his I noticed not long after his fight against Lector.

“You…are injured, Statuedramon. Zelda…take him up to Luna’s room so she can heal his legs.”

“Apollomon…do you know where they went?” I asked.

“They took your necklace, didn’t they?” Apollomon asked. “That means they’re headed for Cyprus Desert.”

“Apollomon, that makes no sense,” Statuedramon said. “At all.”

“I don’t have time to explain! We need to go! Now!” Apollomon grabbed one of my arms and hoisted me to my feet, and the two of us began running as fast as we could. “Zelda; you make sure to take Statch to Luna, okay?!” A confused ‘yes, sir’ was all I heard from her before Apollomon and I turned around a corner, and soon, the villa vanished from my line of sight.

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.