Chapter 92: Doomed to the Darkness

Thomas Kasuto

Nymphaea Province

4 Days

 

“It’s been over a week,” I said, looking around at the snow and ice-covered desolation. “We’ve left Neptunemon alone in this place for eight days…”

“He’ll be fine,” Statuedramon said. He sighed, and a white vapor escaped from his snout. In spite of the cold, he continued walking forwards with us, and hadn’t complained once. “He was frozen in place by IceDevimon for about one hundred years; I’d think battling a Digimon he’s already killed should be a cakewalk for him.”

“And that’s precisely why I’m worried,” I said, glancing over my shoulder at the Rookie Digimon. “He was frozen for such a long time; surely his battle instincts have been dulled quite a bit in that time, not to mention the fact that his body must be unused to moving, and the sudden change of being freed from the ice. I’m surprised he’s even alive, since IceDevimon’s ice usually kills whoever touches it in an instant.”

“But…he was frozen inside of that ice, and he’s still alive,” Zelda said incredulously.

I nodded in agreement. “Yeah…The Digimon of the Celestial Vanguard…they’re really something else.” The eternal blizzard of the province had been raging ever since we set foot in this frozen wasteland, picking up where it had left off when Belphemon momentarily ended it as we left the province several days ago. I found the perpetual coldness of this land very refreshing compared to the scorching winds of the desert. I looked ahead, faintly making out two huge figures in the distance through the blinding snow. “I think I see them!”

“Where are they?!” Statuedramon asked. One of the figures was thrown into the air, landing on the ground in front of us. “Neptunemon!”

“Ugh…you…three…” Neptunemon looked at us. “Did you…find it?”

“It’s right here, Neptunemon,” Zelda said. She held the lance that had once belonged to her sister in her hands, which were trembling from the cold. The other figure in the distance jumped up and landed on top of Neptunemon.

“You…bastard…How…are you this strong?!” Neptunemon asked.

“There’s no need for you to know that,” Belphemon said, beginning to laugh as Neptunemon coughed up blood.

“GET OFF OF HIM!” Statuedramon hurled himself at the larger Mega, who swatted him away with one of his chains. The Rookie landed on top of me as I was about to attack, burying us both in the snow as we hit the ground.

“Rejoice, Neptunemon,” Belphemon said. “The death you’ve been longing for is nearly here!”

“No…please don’t…kill me,” Neptunemon said.

“Interesting choice of words for you to use, since you were the one to kill me over five hundred years ago!” Belphemon roared.

“Come forth, SaberLeomon!”

“Fuck off!” Belphemon struck the Digimon Spirit with his claws as soon as he appeared, making him vanish once again. “Gift of Darkness!” Belphemon thrust his claws into Neptunemon’s neck. Neptunemon’s body thrashed around in agony; his arms flailed in the air helplessly as blood escaped through the hole in his neck, staining the pure white snow a deep red.

“NEPTUNEMON!”

“Heh heh heh…right where you got me last time,” Belphemon said. “Serves you right. Now…scatter into oblivion!”

Statuedramon and I dug ourselves out of the snow just in time to see Belphemon forcefully jab his knee into Neptunemon’s chest before the dying Digimon’s data vanished.

“Neptunemon…” Hannah’s lance slipped from Zelda’s fingers, hitting the red snow the same instant as her tears.

“That’s it…you’re fucking dead!” Statuedramon shouted. Belphemon stuck his claws into the ice before Statch, looking down at him.

“I have heard of what you are capable of, Rookie,” Belphemon said. “They say you bested Hydramon and Machinedramon in a matter of seconds.”

“We will not fail,” I said, bending down to pick up Hannah’s lance.

“You could still hope…to succeed…but it will not grant you anything apart from a swift and painful death!”

“If you really think you can…then just try getting past me!” Statch and I turned around; Gallantmon stood behind us, staring down Belphemon.

“Gallantmon…I thought…you left,” Statuedramon said. “I saw you in Mandala last time, but I forgot to ask…”

“…Things happened,” Gallantmon said. “…Since I stayed in this realm for as long as I did, it seems I am capable of coming over whenever I please.”

“A Spirit crossing over all by himself? Unheard of!” Belphemon scoffed.

“Belphemon; you and many others are responsible for my master’s grief,” Gallantmon said.

“Your master?! Last I checked, you Spirits still have your own free will, and are able to make decisions for yourself. Yet, you claim this girl to be your master?!”

“…Yes. There was a period of time where I had left her, and at a critical moment, all because I was selfish. Even so…when we met up not too long ago, she treated me with kindness, and was concerned about my well-being, even when I attacked her. You are right; even as Spirits, we do not have what you would call ‘masters,’ but this girl… I possess an overwhelming urge to protect her, and even though I am dead, she treats me as an equal. Zelda…is my master! Royal Saber!” A surge of lightning fired off from Gallantmon’s spear struck Belphemon in the face.

“If this is all the strength you possess…this will be over very quickly!” Belphemon said. “That is good…I’m beginning to get drowsy…”

“Then allow me to permit you an eternal slumber! Final Elysion!”

“Lampranthus.” Gallantmon became surrounded in black flames, stopping him from attacking. My shaking hands gripped the lance I held tightly, and without thinking, I ran forth and thrust the tip of its blade into Belphemon’s leg. The Mega Digimon roared violently, trying to swat me away with his claws and chains, but failing. I looked up, looked at his face; his eyes were narrowed in intense agony, and his breathing was labored.

Odd…a small prick like this shouldn’t be causing this much pain…

“I don’t understand it either,” Gallantmon said, as if reading my mind. “But I ought to use this to my advantage…shouldn’t I?”

“Give it everything you’ve got, buddy,” I smiled.

“Final Elysion!” Gallantmon’s shield unleashed a devastating beam of light from its center aimed directly at Belphemon’s chest. The resulting explosion left a cratering and bloody hole where the attack hit. Blood came spilling out his chest in large spurts, and dripping from his mouth in small droplets, as he fell, dying, to the red snowy ground. Breathing faintly, he slowly shifted his eyes to look at me. I stood my ground, still somewhat amazed by the fact that such a large Digimon had been defeated. I had seen him fall before, but this time, his power was at its zenith.

“Not…bad…but…you…haven’t won yet,” Belphemon gasped. “Don’t even think…that this means…you have any hope of winning…Your hopes…are doomed…to the darkness…” Belphemon closed his eyes one final time, and disappeared. I let out a sigh of relief, picking up the spear that fell to the ground when Belphemon turned back into small bits of data.

“We…we actually got one of them,” Statuedramon said.

“Yes…And now…only eleven remain,” I said. “And with one gone, their power diminishes.”

“So you think,” said a celestial and feminine voice.

I turned around and saw a pair of glowing, golden eyes staring down at us from atop an icy slope.