…
With Filmon and Togemon's help, Mimi and I quickly climbed up to the hallway where we were ambushed, climbing through the same window that MadLeomon smashed in his surprise attack.
What was surprising was the state of the hallway. It looked like it had gone through hell itself: burned walls, large holes from explosions, part of the hallway was completely collapsed, while another part looked like Swiss cheese with so many holes in it.
I looked around in astonishment; it looked like something straight out of a war movie.
"What happened?"
"Eyesmon fled. We managed to hit him several times with our attacks, but he started firing a bunch of lasers from his eyes as he ran at full speed toward the stairs," Joe explained as he wiped the dust off his glasses with a handkerchief before pointing to Sora and Birdramon, who seemed to be slightly battered. "Birdramon used his body as a shield so we wouldn't suffer serious damage; it doesn't look like he was hurt much, but I still don't think it was a pleasant experience."
"Ugh! We've only been here a few minutes and I already hate this place!" Mimi exclaimed in annoyance as she wiped the dust off her hat. "Doesn't Vamdemon have a maid to clean up or something?"
"Well, you always said you wanted to visit a castle someday, didn't you?" I joked as I approached the middle of the hallway, taking a closer look at the mess. "Being a Disney princess and all that."
"Yeah, I remember you once showed up dressed as Cinderella during a school festival, or at least that's what was supposed to happen, but you got the date wrong and showed up a day before the festival. You were the talk of the classroom for that whole week," Izzy commented, trying in vain to suppress the smile on his face.
Mimi's face quickly flushed with embarrassment, but when she tried to speak, she was quickly interrupted by another voice.
"I can smell Eyesmon," Garurumon said suddenly, causing all eyes to focus on him, looking back toward where we had come from. "If we follow it quickly, it might lead us straight to Vamdemon."
"And, consequently, it will also lead us to the Cards," Joe muttered thoughtfully with a doubtful expression on his face.
"Isn't this a trap set by Vamdemon to ambush us again?" Sora asked with a grunt as she approached with her arms crossed. "They say the third time's the charm, right?"
I shook my head. "I don't think so, and even if it were, we almost defeated two of his Commanders at the same time; I don't think he has anything more powerful than them, apart from Vamdemon himself... but..."
'There was also the possibility of overwhelming us with numbers and throwing a bunch of Child Digimon at us with a few Adult Digimon; not to mention Wizardmon, Eyesmon, and the last Commander...' I completed my reasoning in my mind, unsure of what to do next; my gaze wandered thoughtfully until it stopped on Izzy and Garurumon.
I could feel a metaphorical light bulb lighting up above my head.
"Garurumon, can you smell or hear other Digimons nearby?" I asked the sky-blue wolf frantically before fixing my gaze on Izzy. "Izzy, can you connect your computer to the castle?"
Izzy looked confused for a moment, but Garurumon quickly followed my command and closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them and fixing his gaze on me. "No, I can't hear anyone. The only scent, apart from ours, is that of Eyesmon."
Izzy seemed to grasp my idea as he quickly approached a wall of the castle.
"Let's see..." Izzy muttered as he typed quickly on his computer, opening and closing tabs faster than my eyes could follow. Finally, a 3D image of Vamdemon's castle formed on the screen. "That's strange, there's no one on the upper floors of the castle, yet there are three red dots, two of them seem to be next to each other; and the one I assume is Eyesmon is descending rapidly between floors... Wait, is this a cave system? How big is this place?"
"That doesn't matter." I clapped twice, drawing everyone's attention to me. "Quick! We need to take down Eyesmon before it joins the others! Mount up and let's finish off that stupid ink blob!"
"That's just what I wanted to hear." Matt let out a small smile as he mounted the huge blue wolf, and a moment later, TK joined his older brother. Angemon simply watched impassively as everyone moved around, quickly giving us orders.
Birdramon took his position while Sora, Mimi, and I climbed onto his back. Filmon climbed onto Kabuterimon's exoskeletal back along with Izzy, while Togemon sat on one of the blue insect's enormous hands.
"Izzy, lead us!" Exclaimed Sora with a steely look in her eyes.
The red-haired boy paused for a moment before Kabuterimon began to move with a buzzing sound. "Follow me!"
"Okay, let's get this over with," I thought with clenched teeth as Kabuterimon began to move, and with him, the whole group advanced with a firm and determined step.
***
"Tailmon! Wizardmon!" I called out with a roar as I quickly moved through the many corridors, descending rapidly into the deepest parts of the castle. "Where the hell is everyone?! Damn it! For once I need those stinky Devidramons... What is Vamdemon thinking?!"
I cursed over and over again mentally as I passed through the countless branches that made up the enormous cave. MadLeomon's barbarian had been overwhelmed by two Digimon from those damn Chosen Children! It didn't make sense, he had managed to fight quite well against the hedgehog and the wolf before! Why couldn't he stand up to the cactus and the hedgehog?!
Was it the modification I had made to him?
Maybe the Armed Mode I created just weakened him somehow; yes, it must have been that. Damn it.
I didn't expect the Children to take action against us so quickly! It had barely been an hour since the attack on their base! Not to mention the damn Sacred Digimon that accompanied them at all times, I still feel like the Sacred Energy from that attack is burning inside me; weren't Vamdemon and the Devidramon supposed to have wiped out all the Sacred Digimon on the Continent?
'Damn it! Not even Wizardmon with preparation could do much to that winged bastard! And he's the strongest of us all!' I thought wildly as I crossed the corner, only to stop when I came across the figure of Tailmon sitting on a rock sharpening her long claws with that typical indifferent look on her face.
"Tailmon!" I exclaimed, causing the cat's ears to twitch slightly at the shout; the cat looked at me with a frown as I approached right next to her. "Where is Lord Vamdemon? We need his help to—"
Before I could finish my sentence, Tailmon's body melted like mud before revealing Wizardmon with a blank stare pointing his staff directly at me.
"Magic Game"
I couldn't even react before I felt dozens of thick chains wrap around me, immobilizing me completely, even though it should have been possible to turn into ink. It took my dazed mind two fractions of a second to catch up; and I could only feel anger and fear rising up my spine, running through every line of code in my being.
"What—what is this?!" I shouted indignantly, trying in vain to free myself from the chains, only to receive an electric shock that ran through my entire body, causing my scream to echo throughout the cave. "What was that... y-you... Wizardmon, what does this mean?!"
The humanoid wizard, on the other hand, gave me a cold, repulsive look, as if he were contemplating a piece of trash that didn't deserve his time.
"I'm going to ask you one question, and I expect you to answer correctly," said the wizard in a serious tone, without changing the expression on his face. "Or you won't like what happens next... understood?"
The cave was plunged into a tense silence, barely broken by Wizardmon's extremely controlled breathing as he stared at me with an intensity that seemed to pierce my soul. Meanwhile, my hundreds of eyes desperately searched for an escape, frantically turning in all directions.
I had no choice. I could only nod as hundreds of scenarios formed in my head.
'Has he gone mad?!' I thought.
Wizardmon remained silent for a couple of seconds that seemed like an eternity before speaking in a slow, piercing voice.
"Is it true that you were going to betray Vamdemon and take his place as leader of the Nightmare Soldiers?"
I answered without thinking.
"N-No! I would never do such a thing—AGHHHHHH!!"
Before I could finish, another shock, this time more powerful than the last, surged from the chains and began to burn my body from within. I screamed, a cry of agony that was lost in the darkness.
When the shock finally ceased, I found myself paralyzed, my body shaking and the air poisoned by the smell of burning wood. My mind, dazed and drunk with suffering, took a second to focus on the figure of the wizard in front of me.
Wizardmon's shoulders trembled slightly, as if an internal storm was struggling to break free. His eyes, which had previously reflected calm, dilated like grids, trapping every flash of his feelings. In that instant, a heart-wrenching struggle could be read in his eyes: burning anger, deep pain, soul-tearing sadness, and betrayal that cut like blades.
It was as if a torrent of icy water had coursed through my body, leaving me breathless, when a single thought echoed loudly in the depths of my being.
They knew.
He knew.
"N-It's not what it looks like—" I whispered desperately, trying to deny the confession that couldn't escape my lips. But before I could finish, a cold, merciless voice echoed through the air:
"Magic Game."
Suddenly, dozens of rocky stakes burst from the ground with relentless violence, piercing my body everywhere. A scream of agony escaped my lips, tearing through the silence and echoing deep within the caves.
"Magic Game."
My pleas were lost in absolute silence, completely ignored. As magical energy swirled around me, an invisible, cutting wind pierced through me, tearing me into smaller and smaller pieces. Every fragment of my being scattered in a whirlwind of pain and despair, feeling the magic mercilessly fragment me, leaving me on the edge of the boundary between the digital and nothingness.
My vision blurred with each passing second. I felt the Data in my body slipping away, as if my digital essence were slowly crumbling. One by one, my visions faded, disappearing into darkness. Pain coursed through me with every passing moment, a stream of anguish that ran through every line of unstable code, which was erased and tried to rebuild itself only to be brutally torn apart and crushed with a simple, ruthless gesture from the wizard.
With what little strength I had left, I forced myself to consume my own Data, my own lines of code, my own body. Every fragment of my digital existence became desperate nourishment to keep me standing. In that state of agony, I unleashed an overwhelming mental wave directed at the wizard, a final resistance charged with rage and determination.
"G-Gun-g-gen"
Fush...
Only for a movement from Wizardmon to transform the waves back into Data, which he quickly absorbed into himself. The scene fell into a tense silence as he fed on my despair, turning my struggle into his own strength.
"I hate liars..." he whispered in a cold tone, barely audible, but I felt it so close to me that I could almost feel his spiteful breath brushing against my skin. "But I hate traitors even more—"
"W-Wait—"
"—Bolt Break"
One last flash, one last breath, one last line of code.
And then...
Nothing.
There was no mercy.
Not for me.
***
A veritable storm of Data raged around me. I let the Data enter my body unconsciously while my mind was a whirlwind of uncontrollable emotions; I had to breathe deeply for a while until I could be sure I wouldn't do anything stupid.
'The amount of Data that idiot had was quite a bit lower than I expected, but considering that the Chosen Children had kicked his ass, it wasn't surprising,' I thought distractedly as I flexed my hand, feeling a slight increase in power, not too much, but it was something I could work with. Especially that new special attack: Gungen.
In the distance, I could hear powerful footsteps echoing in the silent cave. Quickly, I turned around and, with a Blink that seemed to move the world around me, I teleported to the room with the pentagram on the floor. My eyes softened as I looked at the motionless figure of my best friend lying on the floor with her ears drooping.
"Tailmon?"
"..." Tailmon's gaze remained fixed on where the portal had been, where our Lord had been "... he's gone."
I nodded, remaining silent for a few seconds. Swallowing my fear, I hesitantly stretched out my arm, clenching it into a fist for a moment before placing my palm on Tailmon's head.
"Wizardmon?" Tailmon's confused gaze almost made me stop, but in her eyes I could see a battle of emotions forming deep within her.
"You..." I began before losing my strength and falling silent for a second, thinking carefully about what I was going to say. A slight tremor in Tailmon's body was all I needed to know what to do.
The die was cast.
"...do you want to go after him?" I asked with all the seriousness I could muster. It was stupid to go after our former boss, who had betrayed our loyalty and trust just a few minutes ago.
But if that's what she wanted, I would do it for her.
"I..." Tailmon's voice broke for a few seconds before she regained her composure; she was still fragile, but this time more determined than before. "Y-Yes... I want... I want to know why... why he left us here. Weren't we supposed to be a family? That we would never... that we would never betray each other?"
"I want to... know, even if it goes against... against what you said." Tailmon's hands clenched into fists; I could feel the heat in those words and how difficult it was for her to say them out loud.
I nodded solemnly before stopping stroking Tailmon's furry head and walking to the center of the room. Right in front of the pillar.
'I was supposed to set a timer once the DigiLink was open so that it would close after we entered and no one else could use it," I thought angrily. "We were supposed to invade the Human World to wipe out the Chosen Children once and for all, but the Children are still here... so what's the point of going to the Human World now? Why? What's the real reason?'
I placed my hand on the pedestal. The Cards, which had previously been black with intricate orange decorations resembling circuits, had changed color to a bright white, while strange golden lines began to spread from the cards and engrave themselves into the stone of the pedestal.
Sighing, I placed my hand on the pedestal, letting the magic do its part.
[-DigiLink-03 Status: In use-]
[-DigiLink-03 Stability: Stable-]
[-Gate Status: Open-]
[-Gate Stability: Stable-]
[-Gate Connection: Beta-DF-011.wrld to Human.wrld-]
[-Open DigiLink-01: Estimated Time: 8758:32:17-]
[-Open DigiLink-02: Estimated Time: 8758:32:16-]
[-Open DigiLink-04: Estimated Time: ERROR:ERROR:ERROR-]
I hissed as confusing and incomplete information connected to my DigiCore; I couldn't understand all the information, but at the same time I knew what every bit of data that constantly entered and left me meant.
I cursed mentally as I was forcibly ejected from the DigiLink. My hand smoked and tingled intensely; it felt like holding a red-hot iron rod.
Letting the healing magic flow into my hand, I turned my gaze to the portal in front of me. It wasn't Data, not entirely, but it wasn't real either, not entirely. It wasn't magic either, I was sure of that; could it be 7D6? That would make sense, as I've never seen it in action so I can't be sure.
This was something that was beyond my understanding of the world. That hurt my pride, ouch.
"Well?" I asked as I turned to face the little cat and offered her my hand. "Are you coming?"
Tailmon looked at my hand uncertainly; for the first time in many years, she was no longer hiding behind that empty mask of efficiency and devotion. For the first time in years, I felt as if an old friend had returned to being herself. Not the perfect servant or the boss's favorite pet. But that fearful and stubborn cat who had an iron will at all times.
Hesitantly, Tailmon's small hand joined mine.
And with a final nod, we both crossed the portal...
...
A/N: Okay, this chapter was, in a word: complicated. I feel like I could have written it a little better, and there are still parts that don't quite convince me, but I don't want to delete them.
It's a strange feeling.
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