Chapter 61: The Phantom Unleashed

Thomas Kasuto

Mandala City

 

“You three are the ones who killed Lilithmon a year ago,” Belphemon said. The gigantic Digimon licked his lips.

“I’ve never heard of a Digimon eating Humans before,” Zelda whispered. Belphemon greedily looked down at her.

“You’re a bit on the scrawny side, Human woman; there’s hardly any meat on your bones at all,” Belphemon said. “I should save you for later, Human woman, so I can make you as fat as I can get you. A lot of fattening up would do wonders for your flavor! What was your name, again? I can’t quite remember.”

“The only thing you’re going to know is what it’s like to die a second time!” I retorted.

“…So…you think you can kill me, small Digimon?” Belphemon asked. “I don’t really care what you or anyone else thinks. Let’s just get this over with so I can go back to sleep! Gift of Darkness!”

“Come forth, Gigasmon!” As soon as Zelda summoned him, the Mineral Digimon reached up and caught two of Belphemon’s claws before they touched the ground.

“You wish to have a strength contest with me, Spirit?”

“Me no care how strong you is! Me will protect master!” Gigasmon said.

“Hah! Good luck with that!” Belphemon said. “My claws are clad in the flames of hell! You think someone like you could withstand their heat?!”

“What should we do?!” Statch whispered frantically. “There’s no way any of us could beat a Digimon this powerful! And I don’t wanna get eaten!”

“Oh, relax! I’m the one he’s going to fatten up!” Zelda whined.

“Should we go back and get Apollomon?” I asked. I looked calmly at Zelda, and admired how calm and composed she looked in the shadow of that enormous Digimon.

“I don’t think we have time for that!” Statch said. “Lilithmon is in Yew as we speak, summoning another Digimon! We need to hurry up and kill this one before that one gets out! But…I’m not big enough to fight a Digimon like this…”

“Big enough…Statuedramon, aren’t you capable of Digivolving?” Zelda asked.

“Not that I know of. I know most Rookie Digimon with a Human partner like me can do it, but I just don’t know how it’s done.”

“Without Apollomon to help us, Zelda, I think you might be the only one who can stop Belphemon,” I said. “The Digimon you summon are the only ones strong enough to stop him.”

“Enough! I grow weary of this!” Belphemon roared. “Lampranthus!” One of the chains coiled around Belphemon’s wrist moved on its own and struck Gigasmon across the head. The Digimon Spirit tumbled over backward and was struck again by two more of Belphemon’s chains before the larger Digimon swatted him away with his claws. Belphemon roared victoriously as Gigasmon vanished.

“…Okay. I’ll try not to let you down, Thomas,” Zelda said.

As if you ever could…I smiled as I watched as Zelda held up an arm to summon another Digimon. “Come forth, Dynasmon!” she commanded

“Dragon’s Roar!” Dynasmon unleashed an attack that struck Belphemon directly in the chest, managing to move the larger Digimon back a few feet.

“Eating Digimon Spirits is no fun,” Belphemon said. “Get out of my way so I can eat those Humans! Even though she’s way too skinny, that girl looks especially soft and tender…” Belphemon began to drool.

“Never; Breath of Wyvern!”

“Gift of Darkness!” Belphemon’s claws cut through Dynasmon’s attack, the flames of which dispersed into the air and vanished. Dynasmon was effortlessly swatted to the ground by the enormous talons before disappearing. “Done yet?”

“Come forth, Leomon!” Zelda yelled as the Champion level Spirit materialized,

“Fist of the Beast King!”

“Lampranthus!” Belphemon flailed the chains around his arms, striking Leomon across the side of his head and his shoulder before he could attack.

“No! Leomon!” She began to run to her Spirit’s side, but I held up my arm to stop her from getting any closer to Belphemon.

“Don’t worry; I’ll be fine…” Leomon, with a trembling arm, tightly grasped the hilt of his sword and removed it from its scabbard.

“Lampranthus!”

“Beast Sword!” Leomon quickly swung his blade, slicing clear through Belphemon’s chains before they were able to hit him.

“Gift of Darkness!”

“Leomon Digivolve to, SaberLeomon!” SaberLeomon, standing on his hind legs, was almost as tall as Belphemon; he let out a threatening roar that shook the entire city. Belphemon, with a look of near-concern on his face, halted his attack and drew his arm back.

“A Digimon the same size as me? I thought Machinedramon was the only one,” Belphemon said.

“I have people I’m fighting for; you cannot hope to be a match for me,” SaberLeomon growled.

“Well, either way, let’s try to make this quick,” Belphemon said. “I’m getting tired of all this moving around…”

“Howling Crusher!” SaberLeomon reared up on his hind legs and shoved one of his front claws into Belphemon’s chest. Blood came surging out, staining SaberLeomon’s yellow fur orange.

“…Well? Aren’t you going to scream in agony like everyone else?” I asked.

“I would…but…it’d take too much…of an effort…” Belphemon smiled and looked down at the three of us. “Well done…I completely underestimated you, so I held back…If we ever fight again…you won’t win…this easily…” Belphemon, still smiling, fell over lifelessly as his body turned to small bits and clumps of data.

“My lady, I shall be taking my leave for now,” SaberLeomon said before disappearing.

“We’ve got to go after Lilithmon now!” Statuedramon said.

“She said she was going to Yew, right?” I asked.

“Let’s go; she’s probably summoning that Digimon as we speak!” Zelda said. I gently took her hand in mine as the three of us left the submerged subcontinent of Mandala.

Sephyrus

Yew

 

“DeathPhantomon is free!” Lilithmon exclaimed. The three of us stood in a secluded area of the city, and we were hidden from sight by a few warehouses. The jewel lay on the ground at Lilithmon’s feet, and beneath it, a black hole opened up, with a rather large, cloaked Digimon quickly flying out of it.

“It’s good to be free again,” DeathPhantomon said. “Well, Lilithmon, it seems as though thou art keeping up thine end of the bargain after all. The punishment I had in store for thee will have to remain as little more than a fond, fond memory.”

“Oh…thank you, DeathPhantomon,” Lilithmon said.

“On the other hand…” DeathPhantomon continued. “It seems that thou art failing to keep us here once we have been brought back. Alas, SkullCaliphmon, Myotismon, and even Belphemon hath fallen in battle. Lilithmon…if this keeps up, thy sweet, enjoyable punishment will turn from dream to reality.”

“Belphemon’s dead, too?!” Michalis exclaimed. “How could a Digimon as big and powerful as him be defeated so soon?!”

“It shall forever remain a mystery,” DeathPhantomon shrugged. “Belphemon hast begun his near-eternal slumber upon once again upon returning to the Dark Area.”

“Rest assured, DeathPhantomon; I highly doubt a Digimon of your skill would fall as easily to those Humans,” Lilithmon said.

“Of this, I have little doubt,” DeathPhantomon agreed. “For I shall not face them in battle.”

“You what?!”

“It seems as though all those who face those Humans are destroyed. I shall make mine escape before they arrive.”

“You coward! How can you be afraid of two Humans and a Rookie level Digimon?!”

“Thou may call it whatever thou wishes to; I call it keeping myself alive, free from the Dark Area. And so now, I shall bid thee a fondest farewell.” DeathPhantomon bowed as well as he could for not having any legs, then flew away.

“Oh, well…maybe it is better this way,” Lilithmon sighed. “He is right; at least those Humans won’t be finding him…Well, come on; let’s get back to Mandala.” Michalis and Lilithmon began walking away, and I prepared to do the same, but I stopped when I heard someone approaching.

“You are too late,” I said as I heard Thomas and Statuedramon walk up to me.

“Too late…you mean…the Digimon…has already been summoned?” Statuedramon asked, completely out of breath, as if he had run all the way over here.

“Yes, but you have no reason to be concerned,” I said.

“Why is that?” Zelda asked.

“The Digimon we summoned, DeathPhantomon, has run away, so to speak. He has no quarrel with you, and would prefer not to share the same fate as his allies.” I turned around to look at the three. “If you are fated to do so…then you will fight him. Of this, I have no doubt.”

“So, where are you going to go for a Horcrux next?” Thomas asked.

“I am unsure. We do not know the locations of any more off the tops of our heads. It is actually quite possible that you will get to a few of them before us. But just know that we’ll always be there to get them back.” Without another look behind me, I walked off after Lilithmon and Michalis.

Thomas Kasuto

Saias’s Villa

20 Minutes

 

It was nearing the end of the day and close to sundown by the time we had made it back to the villa. Apollomon was the only other person that sat with the three of us in the living room as we retold what happened.

“Well, I’m impressed you all managed to defeat Belphemon by yourselves, and I’m even more pleased none of you got hurt,” he said.

“Statch and I didn’t really do much of the fighting; it was all Zelda and her Digimon Spirits that defeated Belphemon,” I said. I glanced over at the woman I love only to find her blushing in embarrassment.

“Well, nevertheless, I’m glad you weren’t hurt,” Apollomon repeated. “However, it is even more troubling to know that a Digimon like DeathPhantomon is roaming Arcadia freely.”

“What kind of Digimon was he?” Statuedramon asked.

“Again, I never fought him, so I only have a vague idea of what he is like,” Apollomon said. “From what I was told, however, I can only surmise that he was an exceedingly cunning and crafty Digimon, one who uses his surroundings, even the shadows themselves, to his fullest advantage, and on the rare occasions he was backed into a corner, he was able to change his form and regain the advantage he previously had. This is not a Digimon you will be able to defeat if you fight him unprepared; however, with the way he fights, there is no real way to be prepared for him.”

“Wow…how could we defeat someone like that?” Statuedramon asked.

“I am uncertain as to how he was ever defeated in the first place, unfortunately,” Apollomon said. “The friend of mine who killed him, Flamedramon, passed away before he was able to tell me how he was successful.”

“Flamedramon?! Hold on a minute—!”

“Oh, yes; he’s not the same Flamedramon we are all familiar with,” Apollomon added quickly.

“If he’s not targeting any of us, then we might not be in too much danger,” I said.

“That may be, but as long as he’s still out there, we should be on our guard,” Zelda said.

“So, what of the next Horcrux?” Statuedramon asked. “Even Sephyrus said that they don’t know specifically where any of them are, so what should our next move be?”

“Well…I have a few ideas of where some might be,” Apollomon said. “But it’s getting late. I’ll tell you what I know tomorrow morning.”

“…Fine,” Statch sighed. The three of us left the living room and began walking upstairs to our rooms. Zelda and I now shared a room, as well as a bed, while Statuedramon had a room all to himself.

“…Tommy?” Zelda asked as soon as I closed our bedroom door. “If Belphemon…if he had made me fat like he said he would’ve…Would you still love me?”

“Of course I would, sweetie!” I walked up to her and embraced her. “He could have fed you until you were bigger than he was, and I would still love you. I will always love you, no matter what.”

“…Thank you, Tommy. I will always love you, too…”

The Next Morning

 

“So, you said you had an idea of where some more of those Horcruxes might be?” Statuedramon asked. All the members of Lachesis stood in the villa’s living room, standing around a map of Arcadia that lay across a table in the middle of the room.

“…Possibly,” Apollomon said. “Over on the other side of the continent, near Shendu Territory…in the ocean…that is where the Medallion should be.”

“If it’s in the ocean, I might be able to get it,” Luna said. “I know of a spell that enables Humans and Digimon to breathe underwater.” Apollomon nodded.

“Good; you’ll go with Thomas and Zelda to Shendu Territory to find that Horcrux, then.”

Shendu...I don’t know what help I would be underwater, but…I glanced over at Zelda. Shendu Beach is said to be really beautiful…that’s something I’d like to share with her…

 “The next one, the Flute, should be somewhere in the Savage Prairie, in Elphierr Territory.”

“I was born in Elphierr Territory, so I know my way around that area,” Dianamon said. “I’ll go search for the flute.”

“And the next one, the Mirror, should be near Lake Viscaria in Lotisea Province.”

“BlackGaomon and I vill go and get dat vun,” Pheragas said. “I need to make up for de vun I lost.”

“You didn’t fail us, Pheragas,” Dianamon said. “None of us knew somebody else might be searching for the Horcruxes.”

“Everybody, proceed with extreme caution,” Apollomon warned. “It is extremely likely that each of your groups will be attacked by those seeking the Horcruxes. Chrysania, Statuedramon, and I will remain behind so not all of our members will be out at the same time, in case you all do get attacked.”

“You know, as much as I hate the thought of being left behind…that’s a really good idea,” Statuedramon said. Apollomon nodded.

“Everyone, make your preparations and depart as soon as possible.”  Luna, Zelda and I all left for our rooms to prepare for our undoubtedly long journey.