Chapter 63: Nameless Challenger

Thomas Kasuto

Shendu Territory

 

“Can you see anything yet?” Zelda asked. Her voice was filled with concern. “Your eyes don’t hurt anymore, do they?”

“I can’t see anything, I’m afraid,” I replied. The two of us had been sitting alone on the beach with our, or at least my, back against what felt like a tree. The entire time, Zelda sat with her arms wrapped around my shoulders, as if to keep me safely in place while I couldn’t see. “My eyes still burn quite a bit from that attack, though.”

“Aww, poor baby…” Zelda intertwined her fingers in between my own as I felt her lips press up against my right cheek.

“Zelda…you haven’t…you’re still wearing your bikini, aren’t you?”

“I don’t want to let go of you for a second while you’re still like this!” Zelda exclaimed. “I don’t know what it’s like to be blind, but I’m not going to leave your side if I can help it! I could never…abandon you…”

Wow…I have the sweetest girlfriend in the world… I smiled and placed my arm around her waist, enjoying the moment and the soft and silky feel of her skin. I gently brushed my fingertips across her belly, and I could feel her laugh as my fingers worked their way around her navel. Without warning, I felt Zelda shift nervously. “What’s wrong?”

“…Someone’s coming again…”

“Who is it? Is it Luna?”

“No…It’s a man…” I noted a small tinge of fear in her usually calm voice. “He’s walking up to us.” Soon, I heard the footsteps of the man as he walked through the sand of the beach. “Who are you?”

“…I…do not know,” the man said. “It seems I have forgotten.”

“What do you want with us?” Zelda asked.

“There is a swordsman in your embrace; a particularly well-known one from where I came from,” the man continued. “I wish to challenge him.”

Luna

Acacia City

Shendu Territory

 

Where are those two?! My eyes were frantically scanning the sky, hoping to find BioBeelzemon. I can’t believe I lost sight of that bastard! Though it was only for a brief moment, an incandescent surge of white light filled the sky. By Goddess Arcadia…I’m too late! They’ve already—

“Welcome to the plane of the living, Generalmon,” an unfamiliar voice said. I turned around, seeing a clearing near the outskirts of Acacia. There, I saw Michalis standing with another man I could only assume to be Sephyrus. In front of them was a heavily armored Digimon whom they addressed as Generalmon. So as not to be noticed, I hid myself behind a tree.

“Skip the pleasantries, Sephyrus,” Generalmon said. “I’m interested only in conversing with Lilithmon…so that I may remove her head from her body.”

“But…that would prevent the rest of you from being freed!” Michalis said.

“Not necessarily,” Sephyrus said. “I am capable of doing so as well, remember?”

“Yeah, but they’d all be weaker without her around, right?”

“The child is correct. You may be capable, Sephyrus, but without Lilithmon — without all twelve of us — our power is diminished. Unfortunately, she must live on so all twelve of us can remain at full power,” Generalmon said. “Now, the only thing that I need to do is find a way to revive SkullCaliphmon, Myotismon, and Belphemon without need of foolish Horcruxes so that that can happen.”

“Not so fast, Generalmon,” Sephyrus interrupted. “You…do realize where you are at the moment…do you not?”

“No…please, enlighten me, Father Sephyrus.”

“At this moment, we stand in the outskirts of Acacia City of Shendu Territory. The exact same city where you were killed by Omnimon.”

“Did you say…Acacia?”

Sephyrus nodded. Generalmon snapped his fingers, and a large, imposing axe materialized in his gauntlet-covered hands.

“Hey, where are you going?” Michalis asked as the tall Digimon began to walk toward the city.

“With this axe, I shall tear even the universe itself to shreds!” Generalmon roared. “But first…Acacia must fall. This eyesore of a city must pay for the injustices it has given!”

This city…did something to him?! Why? Wait! Maybe…maybe that could be why Generalmon is an evil Digimon… Generalmon’s heavy footprints interrupted my train of thought as he again began advancing toward the city. Whatever; it can wait! Right now, I have to stop him! I ran out of hiding and placed myself between the city and the behemoth of a Digimon.

“…You wish to stop me?” Generalmon asked. Were his eyes visible, I was certain they would be glaring at me.

“So, those two have sent their bikini-clad witch to do their fighting for them, have they?” Sephyrus asked.

“Yeah, she sure is,” Michalis said, staring at me.

“Michalis, please refrain from ogling the witch,” Sephyrus said.

“A witch?” Generalmon’s helmet turned to face Sephyrus. “Is she any threat to us?”

“I cannot say for sure, as I have never had the honor of seeing her magic.”

“If you do not know, then she must not be very imposing. Stand aside, witch!”

“I don’t know why you have a grudge against this city, but I can’t let you destroy it,” I said. I snapped my own fingers, and a small orange flame twisted around my arm. I snapped again, and the flames leapt toward the Digimon, igniting him in a raging inferno that was so intensely bright, it darkened the sky.

“As I thought…you are no threat to us.” Generalmon trudged through the flames, his violet-colored armor not even singed and shining beautifully. “But you…you look…familiar…”

“I’ve never met you in my life,” I said. After a moment, Generalmon sighed.

“…I know how to deal with you spellcasters…you spend all day studying your magic, leaving you no time to train your body. You, my dear, I could snap like a twig with only a single hand.”

“I’d like to see you try!” I taunted, forming another wisp of flames in my hand.

“Permission granted!” Generalmon stuck his axe blade-first into the soil, and as I prepared to attack again, the huge Digimon ran toward me with a speed that shouldn’t have been possible with all the armor he wore. “Ferreo Pugni Dæmonis!” I had been completely caught off guard by his speed, and Generalmon, taking advantage of my surprise, rammed his huge fist into my belly. I fell over backwards as blood spilled out of my mouth. The blood promptly fell and landed on my face as soon as I hit the ground.

Zelda

 

“You wish…to fight him?” I pulled Thomas’s head up against my chest. “But…he…”

“Enough chatter. Only one wielding a sword has the ability to vanquish me…for once and for all,” the man said. He snapped his fingers, and two long blades formed in his hands. “I wish to eliminate those strong enough to do so. I have been killed many times…and each time I am reborn, I am unable to remember any of my past lives. I wish only for it to end.”

“No, you can’t! Thomas—!”

Thomas placed his hand over my shoulder, as if to stop me. “It’s okay,” he said. Struggling, he stood up and felt around for his sword.

“…You are blind?” the man asked. He sighed, and said, “Well…there is no honor to be found in murdering someone at a severe disadvantage, but if it means keeping my own life and memories intact, then I will do what I must.” The man’s long black hair, tied up in a ponytail, shook slowly and freely in the air as a light breeze moved past us. “Or, if you’d prefer…I can fight the both of you. That would be ideal for me; you two appear to be lovers. Is there any offspring of yours in her belly? A child that could potentially grow strong enough to vanquish me?”

“Thomas…please…” I reached up and grabbed his hand. Smiling, Thomas bent down and kissed me on the lips.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered as he pulled me into a hug. “I won’t die. Like you did for me, I will never leave you behind. But I won’t let you fight this man. He’s too strong, and I am not going to risk losing you.”

“Thomas…” Finally, Thomas was able to find his sheathed sword at his waist, and in no time, it was in his hands.

“So…you really wish to challenge me, even with your disability,” the man said.

“Only if you promise me you won’t hurt Zelda!” Thomas said.

“Attacking a defenseless woman would go against the code of chivalry. You have my word of honor. Now, let us begin!”

“No! Thomas, please! Don’t do this!” I felt my heart racing faster than ever at the sight of this man. Something about his very presence seemed familiar, but I did not recognize this man in any way.

“Don’t worry…I’ll keep you safe,” he replied. “I will always…keep you safe.” Thomas gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, but the nameless swordsman was already behind him. By the time Thomas noticed this and turned around, he had already been viciously cut by the twin swords, and he fell to the ground, bleeding and unmoving.