How Myotismon Saved Christmas (Digimon/PMMM)

[tzeench]

Hmm, interesting as usual Talos~

[X] Resist.

Pfft, we didn't come all this way just to join with a daemon lord like that. Also he's the reason un is dead. And could have killed phantomon.

Good thing we brought who we did then.

 

[Talos]

"Bow to me." The words were so much more than mere sounds to you. Like a hook which ran into your very soul; you were being commanded by the essence of darkness. Every fibre of your being derived from that power struggled to follow its will. Even as your own stubbornness raged at the spell which seemed to have been cast over you. It was not a battle of wills, but more like defying nature itself.

One of your legs began to buckle. You raged.

No! I won't let this happen, I will not be overcome!

But it seemed you had little choice in the matter. Despite the fact that your soul rebelled at the very idea, your body was born of the same darkness Daemon ruled over. You fought and struggled, until it felt like your very bones would be ground to dust, and your muscles shredded by the shards. You might have screamed, but your mouth was pressed tightly closed, your teeth gritted.

Daemon watched over your struggle, and though his face was shrouded by the hood he wore, you knew that he would be smirking. You managed to move one of your arms; it took all of your will focused into that single piece of your body, and even so, it was like the muscle was burning. Inch by inch, as though moving over broken glass. You felt his will like a vice which constricted your body, it left no room to disobey, no room for thought. No room for rebellion.

"Is this the best you can do?" Daemon asked. "The chosen of the spirit of darkness, born from Loweemon's power. A mega level Digimon, humbled by my merest word. You thought to stand against me? You can't even stand in my presence!"

Where was Phantomon? But then, you thought this must be much harder for him. You at least had Loweemon's influence to moderate the command. Phantomon had no such protection.

Your second knee buckled, and you were almost kneeling. You screamed at yourself to resist, but your iron will was being worn away by a sea of dark intent. He was focusing on you and you had to break that, even the smallest distraction!

"Why?" You gasped through clenched teeth. "Why are you doing this?"

"I am surprised that you can talk." He said. "The fact is that you cannot fight my will for much longer. Your body is weakening even as we speak, and my power only grows. Behold!"

He gestured to the runes behind him, which were now taking on a much deeper darkness to them. Still building up to whateve rhe had made them to do.

"This is one of my many masterpieces. The most impressive yet." He chuckled. "I am sure you have an eye for spellwork, what did you think of it?"

"It was... adequate." You grunted.

"As though you could have done better. But keep going, I understand. You need to convince yourself that your will is not being overrun. It won't be long now."

"What does it do?"

"You don't know? You know the tale of my descent and yet you do not know what my purpose here? I thought it was obvious. After all, the tales speak of seven Demon Lords."
"You can't break the seal." You said. You were starting to see colours bursting in front of your eyes like flowers. Still, you urged your hand – the one part of you that was still under your control – on to its goal.

"Who said I need to break it?" He laughed. "I'll admit it was impressive. A time-locked seal meant to hold for all eternity itself. In order to even attempt to crack it, you would need a form of time-travel on your own, as well as a massive source of power such as an ancient spirit. Lucky me."

"Why?"

"Because I can."

Your lungs were on fire; your chest was ringed in iron; your head was pounding and every bone felt like it was being skewered by a dozen shards of glass. You couldn't think straight anymore, and every second which passed clouded your mind even more.

You fell to the ground in a heap; your chest heaving in pain and strain. Daemon looked over you.

"Have you finished? Have you realised how futile it is to resist? Your power is impressive, for a fallen angel, but you have not wholly let go of your past. And you cannot resist me until you do. One cannot be born both of shadow and light, Myotismon. The forces struggle, and in the end, they destroy you."

"Not before I destroy you." You hissed.

"Really? Are you going to destroy me like that? Kneeling on the ground?"

"No." You said slowly, your hand had finally found its goal. "Like this!"

With the last burst of strength in your body, you brought your blade slashing upwards through the air. It glinted, and the dark metal seemed to drink in the shadow around it. Daemon hissed as it struck his arm; the blade shrieked as it rebounded, but a trickle of dark blood splashed onto the floor.

Then you were free. The pressure faded and you realised you could move again. Daemon was examining his arm with interest; you saw a shallow slash marred with blood which traced the line of the bone.

"Well, this is going to be interesting." He said. "Let's see if you can do it again."

The force of his will had now faded and you staggered to your feet; every second more of your power returned and your mind was sharpening again too. But it would take a few seconds before you were returned to your peak power. It didn't seem like Daemon was about to give you that time.

"Slash Nail." From one of his hands, there burst a long serrated talon-like nail, quickly followed by two others. They glowed with a sinister power as he brought them into an offensive position.

"This attack can pierce the armour of a Royal Knight, and has several times in the past. Let's see if yours can do any better!"

Then he charged in a flurry of speed. You brought your blade and parried, but the force was transmitted through the blade and you felt your shoulder protest. Then one hand went to the blade and jerked it away, the second jabbed right for your chest.



You are now in a fight with Daemon. Your power is not yet fully returned, and he seems to be toying with you. What do you want to do?

[] Delay him by fighting a defensive battle - it will give you time to regain your strength.

[] You decided to take the offensive, and try to drive him back.

[] You will call Phantomon out of his hiding place and attack together.

[] Write In.

 

[Robotninja]

The mooks are witch familars, or acting as such.
Hmm. Fighting offensively won't work. We are low on power, and he is stronger than us. So defense and double teaming. If there is one thing we know, it's dark overlords want to toy with us and see our best and break us. He wants a new minion rather than a corpse. Plus we can get him invested in breaking us instead of merely destroying us. That gives us time to recover power and Phantamon(a mere insect) to bust in with the power of friendship at just the right time.

[X]Delay

 

[croaker]

What do we have on us?

The Grief Seed?

Anyhow:

[X] You decided to take the offensive, and try to drive him back.

This might end up backfiring, but I don't think he wanted to fight us. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bother with the "hide away in a corner and wait for him to trap himself" trick, or the good ol' "kneel before me" trick. He also recently got out of prison, and if the Time Lock is anything like the Dark Ocean, escaping it takes a toll on stamina. The time we have to recover, the more he gets to recover.

In the meanwhile, Phantomon is off doing his thing with disrupting the sigils. Probably should not disturb him.

Anyone else?

 

[Robotninja]

That has a point, but we are getting pressed badly already. We want to taunt him and get him invested in crushing us, then let Phantamon wreck his plan.

 

[croaker]

Playing defensive might bore him though.

Anyone else with input?

 

[Robotninja]

Playing defensive might bore him though.

Anyone else with input?

Click to shrink...

Not if we taunt him properly.

 

[Vanathor]

[X] You decided to take the offensive, and try to drive him back.

 

[Talos]

Battling a Demon Lord was harder than you ever could have anticipated. It was not that he had more power than you – though he undeniably did, it was not that he was stronger than you, though when the two of you clashed, it was not exactly an easy test, but it was simply that he was clever and fast. Two traits you had never really associated with Daemon before. He was the Demon Lord of Rage, of betrayal and anger, so which part of that said he was going to be so damn slippery?

He met you using only his nails, long sharpened blades which crackled where they met the steel of your own sword. The two of you struck and parried, getting a taste of the other's style. Daemon was fast and wicked, constantly setting up traps within his own guard. You would leap for a hole, only to find it plugged, and a parry streaking for your unprotected side. His speed was high as well. . Myotismon would have been overcome instantly, but you still held a slight edge.

Very slight indeed.

At each clash of blades, you saw the glint of malice tinged with humour in his eyes, and knew that he was limiting himself just to draw the battle out.

Well that was fine! With a surge of energy, you unleashed a series of cuts and slashes to drive him back. His hand flashed with speed, and the sound of a dozen parries rang out, but you took it in stride and launched a new overhead strike. He cursed and dodged, turning to the side and trying to ram into your chest.

You intercepted with your blade, and with a grunt drove him back a step. Like lightning, your sword struck him in the shoulder and loosed a small trickle of blood. Behind your helmet, you felt a savage grin form and loosed a laugh.

"Is that the strength of a Demon Lord! First blood to me!"

"The foolish words of a knight." Daemon's rich voice betrayed no anger. "First blood is hardly a reason to celebrate against a foe of my power."

The wound was not deep, for he was on you with a renewed fury. His nails blazed with a dark light that you knew would bring only death, and so you parried and wove a web of steel between you and he.

Sweat trickled down your forehead, and you felt the ache in your shoulder build. The wounds you had taken earlier leeched your speed away now when you needed it most, and you could not help but imagine what it would feel like to be run through by those nails.

You stabbed for his chest, but he caught the blade between two nails and yanked it to the side. Your whole body screamed as he pit his muscles against yours, and you fell. Time slowed, and you saw him race forwards.

His blade jabbed down at your leg; the armour crumpled like it wasn't even there, and you felt a burning infection from the nail. A cry tore its way from your throat before he backhanded you into the nearest wall.

Your leg was going numb now, but you drove your blade into the ground, and leaned on it as you stood.

This wasn't working; he still had that same effortless air that he had at the start of the battle, but your lungs were burning, and your muscles felt like they could not go on much more. Maybe if you had come in at full power, but right now? He was toying with you!

Your eyes narrowed. How long had it been? Since you left the others to his attack? Surely there had been more deaths by now... surely...

No! You would not allow him that victory. You turned your thoughts to iron, and focused them only on the fight. As you did so, you also devoted a tiny part of your own power into the leg he had cut. The infection was alive, a malevolent shade which chortled to itself as it played havoc with your muscle.

No more. A thought and your own power rose against it. It didn't even have time to realise its error before the shadows about it became chains and it was consumed. Your leg still hurt, and the wound bled, but it was not cursed.

You raised your blade to him, and gestured.

"Not quite enough to down me, I think."

"The Spirit of Darkness bestows many gifts." He observed. "That curse would have killed anyone else in seconds."

You charged; a trail of blood in your wake. Your every muscle afire, and yet you refused to yield. An aggressive attack hadn't worked, and a defence would only slow your doom. Therefore, your next avenue would be that which came naturally to all Digimon of the Dark Area. Trickery.

Seconds before the clash of blades, you let your mind wander and touch that semi-mind of the blade. In a single mental burst, you outlined a plan and felt its tiny nod. Again, the world slowed around you. This time, you knew that you had no chance if this failed. Your portioned off your power, and this time fed the lion's share to the blade.

At the last second, you twisted. Turned your slash into an overhead strike. He darted forwards and blocked squarely across the blade. You grinned, and with all the strength to you, you shouted a mental command to the blade.

"Shadow Strike!"

The dark power poured from the metal, and you saw the nails shatter. Daemon's eyes widened in surprise as you cut him right down the middle! Dark blood spilled forth, and he tried to stagger away but you were not to have it. Remembering an old trick taught to you by Ophanimon, you reversed the strike and charged.

The second slash cut upwards from the chest, and drew a second line of gore. Shock radiated from the mega as you finished the combination, raising a fist and howling.

"Shadow Play!" A stream of darkness burst from your fist, and turned into a river which swept up the mega. Caught in the churning, burning ocean Daemon did not even scream as he was smashed into the far wall of the building, and sank slowly to the ground.

You stood in silence. Chest heaving. Body aflame. Your eyes trained on the body. You waited for that flash of shadow which would mark it as a trick; that grind of malice, the dark humour sparkling in his eye.

There was none. Seconds ticked by....

Had you done it? It seemed impossible that it could have been that easy. Sure, you'd been cursed, cut, and used up almost all of your power but it had gone by so fast, and he hadn't even used any attack but one!

Distantly, you head a clang. The sword had fallen from your hands. The world was going dark, and you couldn't fight it. You toppled, but were caught by a pair of gentle hands. Phantomon's voice at your ear.

"I cannot believe you did that...."

[] "Nor I." You shook your head to clear the exhaustion. "The runes should be inactive now. Let us retrieve the Soul Gem."

[] "It was too easy. Either he underestimated me badly or.... Phantomon return to the group being attacked. Anubismon may be in great danger."

[] You couldn't fight much longer; the darkness swallowed you and you were glad of the rest.

[] Write In.

 

[Vanathor]

[X] "Nor I." You shook your head to clear the exhaustion. "The runes should be inactive now. Let us retrieve the Soul Gem."
[X] Fly up and grab the Statue of Light as well.

 

[Robotninja]

[X] "Nor I." You shook your head to clear the exhaustion. "The runes should be inactive now. Let us retrieve the Soul Gem."

If he is still alive and going after Anubismon, we can still wreck his plan. We need Phantamon to make sure we trigger no trap.

 

[Talos]

[X] "Nor I." You shook your head to clear the exhaustion. "The runes should be inactive now. Let us retrieve the Soul Gem."

If he is still alive and going after Anubismon, we can still wreck his plan. We need Phantamon to make sure we trigger no trap.

Click to shrink...

Well, you can't actually fly as DuskMyotismon but point taken.

 

[Talos]

"Nor I." You said, shaking your head to clear away the weariness which threatened to pull you down into that dark abyss of sleep. Later, you promised yourself. Not yet. There are still tasks to be accomplished. "Let's check the runes. With the death of Daemon, they should be inactive."

The pair of you walked back to the circle, which seemed to have escaped the worst of the battle. The runes' colour had died back down to a dull blue, which you regarded as a good sign, however it was clear that the spell was still in operation despite its caster's demise. You dropped to your knees, and ran one hand along the side of the circle. You felt the ebb and flow of power as it was fed into the spell; the growing strength in the centre of the circle. You felt the hiss and spitting of the liquid light which was being gathered, and you tried to trace the source of it.

Yes, one of them led into the Spirit, which you had expected, but the vast majority of the magic was coming from elsewhere. A tiny connection fed into the Soul Gem, but not enough to power the runes. You followed the connections with your mind, visualising it like a great web of a Dokugumon. In some places, it was thin as tiny strands like hairs reached across a vast void, and in others, dozens of threads intertwined to create a rope of pulsing energy. The runes were the middle of the web, and the tributaries that fed into them what you were looking for. You cast your mind along the web, knowing that Phantomon was doing the same. You felt his presence at your side like a welcome friend, and together the two of you began to prise apart the secrets of this circle.

A mental nudge, and Phantomon pointed out the location of a hidden pool of magic, buried in the wall of the tower about mid way up. Faint traces led you to more, and you realised that Daemon had set the spell up to be self-sufficient. An interesting choice, as it meant he had less overall control, but it did mean it would continue on in the event of his death.

You let your mind flow from one reserve to the next; noting that the size of each was small enough that it would be quickly drained. The spell was not meant to be a continuous one then, or if it was, he had been providing most of the power.

Fascinating as this way, it still didn't present you with a way to disable the runes. You could cut the power from the reserves, but the runes themselves took energy from the gathered energy below the alter. It would take several hours for them to burn through it all. By then, the spell would likely have been cast.

Brute forcing the spell was not a prospect you relished. It was cast by a Demon Lord, after all and nasty surprises tended to be their stock in trade.

Speaking of. Even as you had that thought, you sensed movement from the wall where Daemon had been thrown. Pausing only to send a mental burst to Phantomon, you reluctantly disengaged from the spell. The world of the normal swam back into focus around you, and so did your pain. Wincing at the sudden on-rushing, and resisting the urge to go back to the spell, you looked to where you had sent your foe.

There was no pool of blood on the ground where he lay. Though the two long gouges had certainly "been deep enough so that pink, wet meat showed through even now. He simply refused to bleed. The demon had managed to lean his back against the wall, propping himself up so that he could look you in the eyes. Your gaze met his, but this time there was no clashing of wills. Instead, you got the sense of...amusement? As though this was all some big game to him.

"My congratulations..." He said, his voice was a bit weaker and you heard the pain in it. Ha! Blood or no, you'd hurt him and he didn't seem to be about to simply walk it off. "That technique with your blade... it caught me quite by surprise. Most elegant."

"How are you still alive?" You asked, though you knew the answer already. Dark Magic was what held his twisted form together. The legends agreed on that point at least; a Demon Lord could not be destroyed easily, for his will was like a physical being in and of itself, and so long as he had even a shred of power, his body would not disperse into data. At least...not easily.

He continued as though he had not heard your questions.

"Yes. I have not seen such mastery in quite some time." He broke down into a sort of wet chuckle. "I see that we are not dissimilar at all."

"If you mean that we both Fell?" You said. "Then that's true of nearly all Devimon. It hardly makes us unique. What made you fail was your lack of a response to my attack, and surprise was what guaranteed that wasn't it? You didn't think that a Demon Lord like you was even at threat by a being like me. So you just played with swords instead of attacking with your real powers. That's what brought you down."

"Arrogance?" He said. "Is that what they called it when you spoke like that to them? In the Dominion?"

"The Dominion regards many things as arrogance." You said. "But that hardly makes it true. I prefer to think of it as-"

"-Pride." The mega took the word right out of your mouth. "That's what you were about to say, wasn't it? Let me tell you something about pride, my boy. It is not the destructive force that others would make it out to be. Is it wrong to take pride in one's blade-work? Or pride in a job well done?"

"Does the job involve genocide?" You snapped. A bit inelegant of you, but that crushed rib was making you a mite testy.

"Well then, another question. Is it wrong to have pride in your job? Is it wrong to know that the safety of millions depend on you, and that a higher power reached down and choose you – you out of all the countless beings ever to exist, as the one to hold that position? Is it wrong to be proud then? What about when you have served for centuries, turned on your own mentor when he betrayed that same Light which selected you, and cast him down? Is it wrong to have pride that your faith did not waver even then?"

"You are trying to tempt me. It isn't working."

"What about when eventually, after centuries of service, of saving others and putting your own life at risk, after the sacrifice of so many friends, and the wars raged in the name of pace, it turns out that Light is nothing but a lie? That there is no higher power, and that all you have done is for nothing? What happens to your pride then, my friend? I'll tell you. It turns into anger."

"You're telling me why you Fell. I already knew that, what's so important you had to spend your last moments informing me of it?"

"Telling you." The same dark chuckle as before. "No... I am merely passing down to useful advice to a would-be successor."

"What do you mean?" You asked. " A successor in darkness? I do not think. If you expect me to take up your mantle, you will be disappointed."

"Not quite what I meant. That technique; the one you used against me. I froze because it had been so long since I had seen it. You see, I invented it so long ago. It is nice to know that it has been passed down the line of Seraphimon. I am to guess, you were supposed to be the next."

Your heart beat faster; you'd known it sort of, in a vague way. Why else would Seraphimon and Ophanimon take such an interest in you? Why else would they teach you all they had, and allow you access to things most Angemon had never seemed to get? Why had they checked up on you so often, and asked you so many questions...

"But you fell before that, I would bet. Same as me." He laughed. "Same as me! Don't you get it? The fools never admitted the truth, that the power they serve is a hollow shell! You fell and that proves that you have some sight more than most. So nice to see that all of my descendants are not fools."


[] "If I fell, it was for a totally different reason than you. You betrayed the cause you stood for! You cause chaos wherever you appear, what kind of angel forsakes the world?!"

[] "The same as you? And yet, I brought allies with me, and I have friends at my side, and when this is over, I shall return to my comrades in the city. Where are your friends, Daemon?"

[] "Enough. I am an old enough devil to know when one is trying to twist words into a noose. I will have none of this talk." *return to the circle of runes*

[] Write in

 

[Robotninja]

[] "If I fell, it was for a totally different reason than you. You betrayed the cause you stood for! You cause chaos wherever you appear, what kind of angel forsakes the world?!"

Simply because the light does not exist doesn't mean we can't make it exist.

 

[Deadly Snark]

Oh come on Myotismon, you seriously never figured it out that you were intended to be Ophanimon and Seraphimon's successor? It was kind of blindly obvious.

[X] "Hmm, interesting. As reward for entertaining me let me tell you something interesting in return. Do you know the difference between us? You fell because when faced with the truth of the world you crumbled. Because of that weakness you turned all your great and terrible powers towards a meaningless path. You lashed out, like an angry child. All you sought to do was to destroy and bring others down to your level for your own personal satisfaction.

How utterly wasteful.

I, on the other hand, accepted the truth and I made it into my strength, I was not humbled by the truth, by rather I was inspired by it. With my power I sought to protect others, to create great things and to elevate the world into a gentler, kinder, better reality for everyone.

I have the vision and I have the future.
All you have is that weakness that chains you to your hate, to you past, unable to even contemplate great deeds.

Don't compare me to a weakling like you."

 

[croaker]

Sorry guys, I'd like to pontificate and duel with him philosophically, but we need to taunt him in order to him spill about his plan to thwart the Time-Lock.

[X] "The same as you? And yet, I brought allies with me, and I have friends at my side, and when this is over, I shall return to my comrades in the city. Where are your friends, Daemon?"

 

[Talos]

Oh come on Myotismon, you seriously never figured it out that you were intended to be Ophanimon and Seraphimon's successor? It was kind of blindly obvious

Click to shrink...

It wasn't really that obvious; I mean, sure he was in the inner circle but he always assumed that Ophanimon's interest in him came mostly from watching him grow up rather than actually having a position in mind. Of course, back then he was an Angemon and less practical-minded and after the fall of the Dominion he has hardly put much thought to the matter.

 

[Robotninja]

Sorry guys, I'd like to pontificate and duel with him philosophically, but we need to taunt him in order to him spill about his plan to thwart the Time-Lock.

[X] "The same as you? And yet, I brought allies with me, and I have friends at my side, and when this is over, I shall return to my comrades in the city. Where are your friends, Daemon?"

Click to shrink...

His plan will fail due to him dying. It wasn't deathproofed.
Come on. Who doesn't want to tell the first demon lord "Your plan is small time. If there is no meaning in the light, than I shall simply create that meaning."

 

[croaker]

His plan will fail due to him dying. It wasn't deathproofed.
Come on. Who doesn't want to tell the first demon lord "Your plan is small time. If there is no meaning in the light, than I shall simply create that meaning."

Click to shrink...

An interesting choice, as it meant he had less overall control, but it did mean it would continue on in the event of his death.

Click to shrink...

wot?

 

[Talos]

You regarded the demon for a moment. "I suppose from a certain point of view, you're right." You said. "But then, most anything can be said to be the truth '' from a certain point of view''. Words are easily twisted, Daemon but you'll find me no easy prey. The circumstances of our situations are similar, but the details could not be more different. You fell because of your pride, when you discovered that there was no higher power that you could serve, that you had been created humans, your pride was shattered and turned to rage, but rage alone does not make a cause."

"What would you know of a cause?" The demon spluttered. "What would you know of a goal worth your life? Have you ever served a power greater than yourself? Have you ever served perfection and then found that it was all a lie? That you are the greatest being in this rotten world, and that there is no power to overlook it all? Death is preferable to that, utter desolation preferable to that!"

"But that's not a cause." You said. "That's a motivation. I think I know a bit more about it than you would like, Daemon. You said it, we're alike. The sword cuts both ways. I don't think you even have a cause. I think that you exist as a sort of ghost. You don't really live for anything, because the one perfect thing in your life was stolen away from you. You don't have anything to promise, so you can't rally people to your cause. Trickery and lies are your tools because the truth would show you to be an old remnants of a time long ago. A good overlord knows when to mix truth and lie, but you never do that. I wondered why, but when you said we were alike it struck me. You don't speak the truth because the truth hurts. You were an archangel, chosen to oversee and protect the Digital World, yet when the time came for the test you failed and were cast down. You were not worthy of that task, and so your pride turned to rage. Your rage isn't at everything else, but rather at yourself. You want to destroy the world of humans because of what you believe, but I assure you when you have, you will find no relief."

You laughed, realisation spreading through you as the words came from somewhere deep inside.

"The fact is that whatever was left of that angel died a long time ago. You were infused with the power of the Dark Area and corrupted. Your mind twisted, and your pride which had been your greatest trait as an angel turned against itself and destroyed. You know, the more I think about it, your Crest is well chosen. You're anger, Daemon. But not at the world, not at anything but yourself. Deep down, you know what you have become and you hate yourself for it. Maybe that's why you let me hit me, maybe you wanted to die."

"Theories upon speculation." He spat. "Can you prove any of that?"

"I don't need to." You said. " I've been through that, but I was pulled out at the last second. You...you've marinated in the Dark Area for so long I doubt that you can be saved. If there's anything left of the original Seraphimon, I hope that he's insane, because this is the closest thing he could get to hell. The sad thing? I don't think it was even your fault."

"You lie!" He hissed, his charming facade cracking in half as the conviction of your words hit him. "You wouldn't understand! You were raised later. We were the first! The first angels! We fought Lucemon, we saved the world! We deserved a saviour! We deserved a Light!"

"And there wasn't one, and you couldn't handle it." You said. "You say that you are my future, but I do not think so. There is one key difference between your little rebellion and mine. I have friends. I came here with a group, I battled your monsters with others, and when this is over, I'll return to my comrades who have stood by me for as long as I have walked this path. I've never been alone, but you Daemon? Where are your friends?"

"My friends..." He said slowly. "Will be here very shortly indeed."

"Of course you're trying to unseal the Demon Lords." You said. " I guessed that, but how? That Seal was perfect and used by the Royal Knights themselves to lock your kind away. How do you intend to break it?"

"Figure it out if you understand me so well." He chuckled. "I suppose that I should give thanks to you. After all, without you and that idiot CurseDevimon I would not have discovered the power of a Soul Gem. Especially one related to time."

"Doesn't help." You said. "The Seal is timelocked as well, otherwise you'd all have broken out by now. Time travel doesn't help here."

"Not exactly, but what about time travel combined with the power of an ancient spirit?" He said. "Of course, that'd still not be strong enough but I was hardly upset about that. You see, emotions can be a bit like magnets." He was lost in his own rant now, so you simply listened and tried to pick out the important parts. "Positive emotions attract each other, and negative emotions do the same. Using this principle, I realised that the source of power was right here in the human world! You know that human emotions are particularly powerful in our world. So I simply set about containing them. Easier said than done, of course but I soon figured out a way. You see, the answer came in the form of the Spirit of Light I recovered from an old shrine in a dead city.

Spirits are not beings born of this world, obviously. Their existence is much more ethereal, and they feed off emotions. I realised that by setting up Lobomon as the cap of my spell, I could attract positive emotion from all across the world! I'd have preferred Loweemon, of course, but he was not so easily found. I tied Lobomon into my spell, after I crushed his will of course, to prevent nasty surprises. Using his power, I intended to crack the seal open but..."

"It was still too strong." You said, and he nodded in agreement.

"It was a masterful work." He admired in the reluctant tones of one master praising another. "The Seal grows stronger the longer it remains intact, and the time lock would not allow me to strike it at a more vulnerable point of time. In addition, I had sacrificed most of my power escaping, so I could not even hunt down the other Spirits. For a time, I admit that I thought I was lost... then an idiot called CurseDevimon discovered how to draw forth the power of a Soul Gem, and I realised that I could use one in my rituals. So I searched until a...fitting candidate was found and wrote it in. Now, my ritual was connected to mankind with a much stronger bond. Love, how sickeningly pathetic. But it was enough for me, with that connection I was able to drain the positive emotions from even more humans, children especially. That's why I choose this time of year for my ritual."

"You mean..." You paused, not even sure if you should say the words. It sounded so stupidly cliché, like it was something you'd read in a bad pulp book. It was crazy, and it was insane, but it was possible, and the way he was speaking left no possibility for escape.

"You mean you actually drained the joy from children at Christmas to power your evil ritual?" Honestly you were a bit impressed. Not even at your darkest times would you ever have conceived of an idea like that.

"Oh yes. Humans are pathetic creatures; inferior to Digimon in many ways but their one redeeming quality is that their emotions are very powerful. With the gathered strength of the Spirit and the joy of mankind, why, I'll crack the Seal wide open. Thanks to the particular skills of this Soul Gem, I won't even have to worry about triggering the timelock."


"I think not." You said. "Because now I will disable your runes, and stop this spell before it can be properly begun."

"My dear, poor fool. Do you think I'm some cliché villain?" Daemon said, you refrained from pointing out the monologue he had just gone on. "The spell began to power up for its final sequence a few seconds after you arrived. I've been delaying you since."

You spun, a shout dying in your throat as you saw that the runes had started to blacken before your very eyes. How had he done it? You should have noticed! But then, you realised... he wasn't the only one who had been ranting, was he?

A sick feeling in the pit of your stomach rose at the thought that you too had fallen into that particular trap.

"Phantomon! Its a trap!" You snarled as Daemon burst into another dark chuckle.

"You had a lot to say to me, maybe some of it was even correct. If so, let me assure you that you will speak no more." Naked anger burned in his eyes now. "You won't be leaving this place alive."

Before you could reply, you felt his power shift, as though some great weight had been dropped, and now the world angled to it. The room grew darker as every light flickered and then, the shadows reached from the corners of the room.

You raised your guard, ready for an attack but they only reached towards the wounded mega, and soon he was completely obscured from view. Even the shape of his body soon melted away, and then the shadows began to rise up just as the pool had before.

"Myotismon! I need some time to disable this spell." Phantomon said. "I need you to hold him back."

"Sure." You said. "I'll just hold back the mega level demon lord." He didn't answer, and you tried to draw out all the strength you had left. You were terribly aware that it wasn't much.

The tower of shadow continued to build as more and more power was drawn to the core. Where Daemon was soaking it in. Could you strike now? If you did, would it make things worse or better?

Two wings were formed from the darkness; they were long, and not like his last pair. Rather, these ones were at least as tall as you were and topped with jutting red spines! They were connected to a muscular body, covered in thick, dark fur. His hands were now rending talons, his face totally uncovered as the ragged ruins of the robe were flung to the breeze. A leering mouth, twin ruby eyes, and two twisting horns upon a mane of dark hair. Even as you looked on, his size continued to increase, and the wounds you had inflicted to shrink. His feet were similarly armed with curled talons, and his barrel chest rippled with muscles.

His ascent stopped at merely twice your height, and with a flex of muscles the darkness exploded outwards. You braced your feet and remained standing, but your heart was pounding and you could feel the taste of terror in the back of your throat. The whole room was cold; as though you had been plunged into a bucket of ice water. Your arms were almost shaking as the sheer darkness radiated from this being... this wasn't Daemon, there wasn't a shred of the angel he had once been in that leering grin.

This was the Demon Lord himself, in all his dark glory.

Phantomon only needs a few seconds, I can do this.

"Now! You die for what you have said this day!"

"You want my heart? Come and take it!"

"With pleasure."

He charged; it was like the surfing of a tide; a great force of motion unleashed all at once. He was silent in his attack, and somehow that was the worst part. He didn't roar, didn't scream, didn't threaten. Like the inevitable onset of death itself, he was unstoppable. You rushed to meet him, launching into a lightning-fast slash at his wrist. He didn't manage to dodge, and your blade met flesh!

-And melted right through it as though it wasn't there. Skin, meat and bone shifted to shadow even as your blade tried to cleave them, and reformed behind it. You realised too late you had overcommitted!

A claw plunged into your chest and you screamed. Blood poured from the wound; your armour splintered at his merest touch. You felt his nails digging into your skin and bone, looking for your core.

You managed to kick off against his chest, and pushed away despite the agony that the action brought. In another shower of gore, you were free and stumbled to the ground. Your chest was on fire, and your lungs felt like he'd tried to pry them loose. Which he probably had.

Distantly, you heard Phantomon shout a warning, but Daemon had already launched his next attack,. His wings ripped free, and with a beast had kicked up a storm of dark power which lashed down at you. You felt it burn against your armour, but this time it held.

"Shadow Strike!" You sent a trio of crescents rushing towards the Demon, but he leapt out of the way, surprisingly fast for one so big and brought his own clawed hands together.

"Chaos Flare!"

A torrent of fire was sent screaming from the joining of his hands. The heat hit you like a wave as it rushed at you. Instantly, you summoned your power and raised a shield of darkness. It solidified seconds before the flames struck, and you felt it start to burn. Your arms ached, and your core was starting to give you pain. Even as you forced your body to endure, you knew that he still hadn't even used a tenth of his power.

The bleeding wound in your chest stung badly, and your arms felt weak, the shadow-shield was starting to splinter and the fire kept coming. You knew that if it reached you, you would never survive.

Daemon agreed, because he thrust his hands forward a bit, and the force doubled again. A sudden searing in your back muscles brought you to your knees, and you felt the shield flicker.

No! Its going to die!

Panic bloomed in your heart, and you knew you were facing your death. Then, there was a pool of shadows by your feet, and a familiar figure melted from the floor. Phantomon!

"Don't worry, I'm not going to let you fight alone." He hissed. "Listen, I need you to run while you can. I'll distract him for as long as I can. Get Anubismon! He might be the only option we have now."

Your shield cracked, but the second it did you felt Phantomon add his own power to it, and slowly begin to take the burden from you. You saw the shudder cross his body as he felt the sheer power arrayed against.

"Get Anubismon. Get him now."

"Phantomon! Even if I get him right this second, Daemon is far too powerful for you. You'll die within seconds of my leaving."

"Then you'd best make my death worth something, hadn't you?" He growled, the strain now clear in his voice. "I can't run because if I do, he'll go straight for you and I can't allow that! If we both run, nether of us survive. If I run, you die and I won't let that happen, but if you run you're fast enough to get to help before he finishes with me! That way only I die. Its the best route."

"Phantomon, I..."

"Shut up! Did you mean anything that you said to Daemon earlier about friends? If so, don't you dare let me down now. Your cause is worth more than one life. Monsters like Daemon will keep being born if the world stays the way it is now. The conflict and bloodshed will bred even worse beasts. We don't have a choice, you can't afford to die here but I can."

Damn it all, he was right. You knew he was right. His logic made sense, and his argument would have swayed you but the cost... Phantomon, the only friend you had had your entire life. The one who had never abandoned you even when your mind was swimming in the same madness that now controlled Daemon? Could you abandon him even if he was asking you to?

[] No! Not after SkullMeramon, not after the fall of the Dominion and the loss of everything else you had valued. Cause or not, you would not hang your last friend out to dry. "We stand and fight together."

[] He's right... you don't have a choice, if you die then everything will have been for nothing. All the suffering and deaths that have happened so far will be rendered meaningless if your cause dies with you.

[] "No, Phantomon. You run. I will not allow another friend to die this way. You can pass through walls, you'll be faster anyway and I can hold out longer than you. Maybe I'll die... but I won't accept the cost of your life."

 

[Vanathor]

[X] No! Not after SkullMeramon, not after the fall of the Dominion and the loss of everything else you had valued. Cause or not, you would not hang your last friend out to dry. "We stand and fight together."

 

[Robotninja]

[X] No! Not after SkullMeramon, not after the fall of the Dominion and the loss of everything else you had valued. Cause or not, you would not hang your last friend out to dry. "We stand and fight together."

 

[Talos]

So yeah, that update was pretty energy intensive to write. Hope you all like it.

 

[korat56]

[X] "No, Phantomon. You run. I will not allow another friend to die this way. You can pass through walls, you'll be faster anyway and I can hold out longer than you. Maybe I'll die... but I won't accept the cost of your life."

 

[Talos]

The Wrath of a Demon Lord

"Not a chance." You said. "I am not going to leave you to die here, that would set a horrible precedent." The forced mirth faded from your voice as you continued. "We'll fight him together here."

"No! That we we'll both time! We don't have a chance right now."

"Enough talk!" Daemon howled suddenly, having grown bored of the staling tactics. His fiery attack faded, and you just managed to glimpse him breathing deeply before he spat another stream of flame. This time, it was dark and wicked, twisting like a living thing as it scythed towards the shield you had made and Phantomon maintained.

"Flame Inferno!"

This fire was even hotter, and you knew without a doubt that the shield would not withstand it. You shared a single look with your friend, and the two of you flung yourselves away just as it struck. Tongues of fire chased you down, and you rolled up into a ball to escape their malicious touch. Behind you, you heard the shield shatter in an instant, and a great hiss as the icy wall was totally vaporized!

You twisted and landed on your feet; catching a fleet glimpse of the sky through the new hole before you turned your focus back to Daemon. You were tired, and running on practically no power, yet you had refused to flee, and in doing so you felt almost....free. Free from causes and from duties, at least for the moment, you were fighting only for the life of a friend.

Drawing deeply on reserves you hadn't even known that you had, you sprung to the attack. Three Shadow Strikes quickly whistled towards the demon who growled and raised an ocean of shadow to drown them out.

At the same time, Phantomon set into motion his own; you saw his scythe bristling with energy and with a cry of ''Shadow Scythe'' he unleashed his signature attack. Daemon reached out and caught it with one hand.

His chest expanded and he expelled another torrent of which, sending Phantomon scurrying for cover, but you took that as your chance and leapt to the attack. Daemon twisted, but was too late. Your sword bit deep into the flesh of his wing, and he cried out as dark blood splattered across the ice.

"You'll pay!"

The sharp blade of a scythe dug into his chest as he was distracted by your attack. With a snarl, he reached for your oldest friend but you were ready, and called upon your Shadow Play ability. Instantly, shadows leapt from the corners of the room and bound his arms! His muscles strained, and the bindings bulged; they'd break but not fast enough.

You kicked off from his back and twisted in the air; the space around you grew thick with darkness as you called upon all your power, and gestured towards the demon.

"Shadow Play!"

A massive spike jutted from your palm. With his wing crippled, and his arms bound he had no escape and it rammed right into him. Your arms were pure agony now, and you felt your core pulsing with pain, but you kept right on and forced that attack to work.

"RAAAARGGGHHH!" Daemon howled in anger. "You can't do this! You don't have the power!"

"Watch me." You replied simply. "You said that we're alike Daemon? Then consider this a gift! If you're anything like me, this twisted state must be hell for you. Maybe we can even meet again one day when you're reborn, but for now this is the end. Phantomon, together!"

Your ally and friend appeared at your shoulder as though summoned, and melded his power with your own. You felt better instantly, his steady reserves were not nearly as depleted as your own now, and with his mind to help buffer the pain of your wounds, you reached for your very last shred of strength.

"One more time." You said, and he nodded. The two of you in conjunction felt your powers pulse, and shouted together.

"Shadow Play!"

The spike was fired from your hand as though it were a missile, and crashed through the nearest wall. You felt Daemon's struggling presence, but it was too late now. With a savage grin of victory, you closed your fist.

It detonated. An explosion of shadow and darkness which shook the walls of the buildings. The shock-waves whipped into the room through the new hole in the wall, and you felt the after effects of the attack.

You fell to your knees again, this time you felt that you wouldn't be able to rise even if all seven of the Demon Lords came knocking, but it didn't matter. You'd won.

"We did it..." Phantomon did not sound happy. Stunned, perhaps. "All the power he had, it was like a sun contained in chains of darkness. All squeezed down until it was only the size of the palm of your hand. I didn't think it was possible."

You laughed; letting out all the terror and the panic, and the pain of the battle. For the first time since coming, you felt at peace like the whole world had suddenly fit into place. It was draining, and you were glad it was finally over.

"We did it." You said, happiness tainting your voice. Myotismon would have been more restrained in his victory, but you were a knight damn it! And had just bested your greatest foe yet. The Demon Lord of Anger himself... cast down by a mere knight.

You laughed again. "Its a pity that Yggdrasial didn't see that, he'd probably want to recruit me for his little club!"

This time Phantomon joined in your laughter, and the two of you basked in the relief from tension. It was over; after a long and hard battle against all the odds, it was finally done. At least... until...

"Impressive." The voice. The voice.

All your nerves screamed in protest at the sudden tensing, and you tried to rise but your muscles seemed locked up in icy fear. Impossible. You'd just killed him!

But no. Rising from the shadows in the middle of the room, his bestial face alight with glee was the Demon Lord himself.

"Oh I'm sorry. Did you honestly think my little performance was the truth? ''Oh no, please not the powers of friendship!" He mocked in a nasal voice. "''The powers of friendship are my one weakness'' No."

"How did you survive?" Phantomon asked.

"Easily. I simply jumped between shadows, quite simple really. Also, your attack was not that powerful to begin with. The wound to my wing was unexpected, but other than that, I allowed every single blow."

His lips curled into a grin; his sharp fangs revealed.

"Did you seriously think that a crippled mega and a mid-tier ultimate would be able to kill a Demon Lord? Maybe if you were at full power, that attack might have done something but as it is? No, you're just flies to me. I toyed with you in my first form, and I have toyed with you until now, but I grow weary of it, and the truth is that my spell is nearly ready. Before it is, however, I do believe I promised you a death."

He raised a hand slowly, enjoying the look of fear in Phantomon's eyes. Your friend was frozen, feeling the full presence of the Demon Lord. This was it, you realised. No survival now, you'd burned up all your power and only pissed him off.

A single talon extended towards you and began to hiss and spark.

"Slash Nail."

A thin spear of darkness lunged at you; and you still couldn't move! Your eyes widened as it approached, and your heart grew cold. This was it.

Phantomon was before you in a flash of clothe, throwing his arms wide even as the attack meant for you struck him dead in the chest. Before the pained warning could tear itself from your throat, the lance of darkness turned into a blooming explosion which ripped your friend's fragile body to shreds. Lengthes of clothe fell about you like a lazy rain as his body (or most of it) was flung away.

"No!" Screw the damn wounds, forgetting your exhaustion, rage drove you to your feet. Your eyes saw only red as you drew your blade and charged. Your friend was dead, Phantomon was dead and now you were going to make sure Daemon joined him!

You struck for the monster's chest, intending to run him through, but as you approached you felt an aura of power about his fists.

"Double Dust."

It was like being struck by the first of god himself. Your charge was stopped in a single instant, you bent over, blood and spit striking the ground as your whole chest burned. Your eyes were wide, strength leaving your limbs.

No...

A shower of gore as Daemon extracted his blood-soaked hand from your chest. Gurgling and straining, you tried to move but before you could do more than that, his hand wrapped about the arm connected to your sword and then...

You were disarmed. Literally.

A scream tore free of you, and you staggered away in blind pain. No reason to it, just an instinctive drive to escape. Agony like you'd never known pounded through your body, especially where you arm was...or had been.

You felt what little strength was left in you flee, and your armour vanish to be replaced by your typical evening wear. The evolution had been broken, you were Myotismon again.

Daemon's clawed fist grabbed you by the shirt and brought you into the air, where you hung limply. The pain was too much, you couldn't think.

"Now do you see?" He hissed. "This is the power of a Demon Lord. As far beyond you as you are beyond a rookie."

You didn't reply, your mind awash with pain and grief. Your friend was dead, and your power had not been enough to avenge him.

"No pithy speeches now, Myotismon? No words about our ''shared understanding''? No pleas based on your oh, so precious cause? Well won't worry me friend, you were right. We are different. Where you spoke pretty words and wove poetics about my ''twisted form'' I reserved my power, and when the time was right I simply destroyed you."

You were being moved. You heard the sound of his feet crunching against the ground, and knew that he was going back towards the runes. Soon, you were being held right against the outside of the circle, and felt the crackling in the air that they produced.

"I promise you, there will be no return from this."

With a single movement, he shoved you into the circle, triggering the ''Shield'' runes. A barrier of crackling electricity was raised, meant to repel an attacker he held you firmly within it and so, it surged through your body.

You couldn't scream, couldn't move. The current was ripping through your body and alighting a whole new level of pain that you had never considered. It was like being submerged in boiling water; having it surge down your throat; across your eyes, feeling yourself cook from the inside out.

Your Digital Core was burning, and your whole body along with it. Even with the hell that your body had now become, that was the worst pain. Like a jagged lance of molten bronze stabbed right through your chest. You began to wish for the release of death, but you could not bring yourself to reach for it even then. You held on, grimly, letting the pain wash across you until it felt like you would be driven mad by it. Even then, you did not relent.

"Its a pity." Daemon said. "I could have used a new lieutenant."

A final blast of power, and your Core was overloaded. It exploded with a feeling of an opening floor of daggers blooming in your chest. The pain faded; the world faded.

All was dark.




Next?

[] Light

[] Shadow

[]Sand

 

[Robotninja]

[] Shadow

 

[Talos]

aaaand I forgot to mention something important.

Of the three options you have been given, one of them will result in an end to the quest. Pick wisely!

 

[Robotninja]

[X]Light.

 

[Vanathor]

[X] Light

 

[Deadly Snark]

Since the spirit that he's enslaved is the one of light, that means that picking light might give us a chance to do something with that.

Especially since Daemon thinks that Lobomon has been crushed into oblivion while we know that he's still there. This is pretty much the one thing that he has overlooked.

[X]Light.