Disclaimer: Once again, I don’t own Digimon or any of its characters. I do own every
original character introduced in this story, including Matsuki Takako and Tanaka Rei.
INTRODUCTION TO GOSPEL
Chapter 02
I Belong to You
GCIM
GLOBAL CENTER FOR INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
Complete and Systematic Compendium of Human Knowledge
XANADU
Report Number: G-0009
Version: B-06
Date: 2032/12/10
Presented by: Kitagawa Kenta
Name: Matsuki Takako
Current Age: 29 (Unconfirmed)
Sex: Female
Current State: Single
Birth date: Unknown
>basic 2016-2018_
It seems Takako-san had every single movement carefully devised and planned long before
she escaped the Zohar Laboratory. As soon as she was a free woman, she didn’t waste time
looking for reinforcements for an urgent invasion of the Spirit Tower. It is obvious for us
that she knew exactly what the consequences of her actions would be, but she never
imagined an extra chain of events that would alternately take place from that point, and
would be of utmost importance during the short but very critical war between the
Archangels, leaded by Matsuki Takato and the Royal Knights, leaded by Alphamon.
Related References: X-Antibody; Huanglongmon; Royal Knights; Tanaka Rei
>back_
>Yggdrasil_
Yggdrasil: Also known as the Tree of Knowledge, it was thought to be a religious
metaphor until its existence was proved by Matsuki Takako and confirmed by the
Archangels on during the last Holy War. It originally existed as a source of balance,
intended to regulate the effects of the forces of good and evil in the Universes. That
explains the secrecy of its location, at the base level of the Spirit Pillar, in the very center
of the Apex, a dimensional plane not entirely physical, yet not entirely digital. Its roots
extended everywhere in the Digital World, absorbing information which it used for the
fulfillment of its purpose. The amount of data it contained on the moment of its death could
only be measured half a decade later with the Statistical Theory for Self-Determinant
Evolutionary Algorithm Compression originally proposed Izumi Koushiro and completed
by Takaishi Takeru. More information on Yggdrasil here.
>back_
>Seeds of Sephiroth_
Seeds of Sephiroth (Sephiroth Cards): The origin of the Seeds of Sephiroth can only be
explained by interpretation of the original Gospel manuscript. According to Takaishi
Takeru’s interpretation (later revised by Henry Wong, Terriermon and Izumi Koushiro,
whose version was further revised by the Alpha-G Team), the Seeds of Sephiroth were
hidden inside the trunk of the Tree of Knowledge, Yggdrasil, by the Archangel Gabriel at
the end of the original Holy War. The Seeds of Sephiroth were retrieved by Matsuki Takako
after destroying Yggdrasil.
Being ten in total, matching the number of Archangels, the Seeds instantly reacted when in
close range to the Archangel they belonged, transforming into Sephiroth Cards the moment
they were touched by their owner. Each of the ten cards, except for the Kether Card, had as
primary function to allow the physical materialization of the Omnivice Traits to aid their
Masters in battle with the help of the legendary beasts which originally guarded the two
trees of Heaven.
>exit_
Northern Boundaries of the Southern Quadrant
January 6, 2016
“Are we there yet?”
“For the nth time, no!”
“…buddy…”
“…yeah?”
“Do you even know where we’re going?”
“Not a clue.”
“You know we could be eating New Year Party’s leftovers…”
“I don’t think they could have lasted this long.”
“Well, we could be anywhere but here, doing anything! But here we are, doing absolutely
nothing. I swear, if we wait one more day, spiders will start making their webs on me!”
“BlackTerriermon…”
“That Omnivice of yours could take us home in no time.”
“Maybe, but remember that Takako is the Omnivice Trait, and I don’t think she’ll agree to
that.”
“So, basically we’re stuck to waiting.”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
After a while, the Tamer known only as DC and his not so faithful partner,
BlackTerriermon, decided to settle for the day. It wasn’t such a tough decision, considering
that they didn’t have anywhere to go in the first place. The further they went north, the
more the scenery changed. What had once been the much too familiar wasteland, the most
usual sight in the Southern Quadrant, had now become a pretty green field, where a cool,
refreshing breeze blew and the sky was always clear and blue. But the most interesting
thing about this scenery, and what drew DC’s and BlackTerriermon’s attention was what
they saw at the faraway horizon.
It could only be described as “something bright”. It was, literally, the world’s end. Like a
huge wall of pure, white energy, the barrier that separated the very center of the Digital
World from the four quadrants. Beyond that barrier, DC could only guess. But it helped
explain why he and his partner had not spotted another Digimon since two or three days
before. It was as if every Digimon unconsciously chose to stay as far away from the Apex
as possible.
Both human and Digimon sighed contentedly, closing their eyes and taking on the cool
breeze on their faces. It was in moments like those when all was right with the world.
They barely noticed they weren’t alone before it was too late.
“Kaiser Nail!”
BlackTerriermon looked behind them and, in an act of basic reflexes, pushed his Tamer
away from him and received the full blow.
“BlackTerriermon!”
DC looked at the attacker, recognizing it in an instant. BlackWereGarurumon lowered its
head in a predatory manner, his lupine eyes fixed on BlackTerrriermon. To the Tamer, it
was a matter of whether BlackTerriermon could resist an Ultimate Digimon’s sneak attack
or not. Considering than he is part-data, and how he had stayed immobile for a while
already, DC guessed the answer was no.
Once BlackWereGarurumon considered it was safe enough, he took a step to approach
BlackTerriermon and deal the killing blow, when a wall of black flames obstructed the
path. Both BlackWereGarurumon and DC blinked in unison, and only then began looking
for a reason to such a phenomenon. However, the wall of flames would not allow DC to get
any insights on the cause, when it expanded until it became a circle of flames with Black
WereGarurumon on the center. The virus Digimon stretched his neck to look at the other
side of the circle, for whoever was becoming such a burden to what should have been an
easy kill.
It seemed to DC that the enemy Digimon saw something he didn’t, for it suddenly leapt
over the flames, ready to strike at something invisible to the human. Then, there was a
blinding light, followed by flames. More flames that he had ever seen before. The whole
place was showered with black flames, wrapping him and completely blocking his sight.
DC raised his arms and protected his face, but the heat was tremendous, and it threatened to
disintegrate his skin…until he noticed the flames weren’t burning him at all.
“Ah…oh…huh?” DC, as confused as he was, couldn’t help but feel an awkward familiarity
in this scene.
“BLACK MOON FLARE!!!!!!”
A scene from the recent past returned to him, and he gasped right about the same time the
flames began to recede. When the flames were completely gone, he found BlackTerriermon
walking towards him. DC tilted his head.
“Hey…weren’t you…?”
BlackTerriermon shrugged. “Why don’t you ask her?” He said, pointing at a figure that was
approaching them. DC looked at the newcomer and gasped.
She seemed to have taken a blanket and used it to cover herself. Her head popped out of a
hole in the perfectly white blanket. Eventually, Matsuki Takako stopped a few feet away,
her bare feet stepping on the now barren land. And it was then when DC noticed that the
black flames had been more than an illusion. As well as destroying Black WereGarurumon
(or so he guessed), they had destroyed everything in a radius of about 300 feet. Grass, trees,
rocks, everything. Except him and his partner.
“Archangels are immune to the more destructive effects of the Digital Hazard. And your
Digimon belongs to the darkness, so it is expected for him to be healed by its power.”
Takako said, answering DC’s silent question. Then she smiled.
BlackTerriermon tugged at his Tamer’s pants, and DC looked down.
“Did you hear that? I belong to the darkness! I’m cool, you suck! I’m a badass!”
BlackTerriermon slept quietly next to the bonfire, letting go a subtle snore every once in a
while. DC leant against a nearby tree, sitting on the cool grass, his eyes staring at the now
closer light at the horizon. Now the wall looked more like a giant white flame flashing
brightly yet remaining as a straight line, never growing or decaying.
Takako looked up at him from her comfortable position, her head leaning against his right
shoulder. Even if her body asked for sleep, she could tell the boy had many questions which
required answers. Yet he never insisted, and she greatly appreciated that. Talking about
Gospel was not as easy as she made it look. Such is the burden of one who knows too
much.
“That’s the Wall of Jericho. It conceals and protects the sacred land of Yggdrasil, the very
center of the Digital World, the Apex. No ordinary Digimon can break through the wall.
Not even the four Sovereign Digimon could even think of doing it. Only extremely special
and extremely powerful beings can marvel at the mysteries of the Apex. And that’s where
we are going now.”
The gentle breeze made the barely-clothed girl shiver, forcing her to seek warmth from the
other Tamer’s body, something he found slightly uncomfortable.
“So you are saying we’ll have no problem getting through the wall?”
Takako smiled weakly, her drowsiness slowly but surely taking over her.
“Of course. You’re the mighty Sandalphon, the Archangel of the Kingdom. And I’m
Matsuki Takako, Archangel of the Foundation. My younger brother is the great Matsuki
Takato, the first man, Adam Kadmon, the one who is human, angel, demon and God at the
same time.”
DC whistled softly. “Well, if you put it that way…”
“See? There’s nothing to worry about. But there’s the matter of what’s inside…”
“Huh?”
“But we’ll deal with that when it comes. Momentai.”
DC sweatdropped, not feeling any more secure than before. “…okay…”
“Okay, so it was far after all.” DC muttered to himself, his body glistening with sweat and
his breathing ragged and clearly exhausted.
They had walked non-stop, all the way to the Wall of Jericho, only stopping for the
occasional meal, and that was saying a lot, since DC’s rations were practically nonexistent.
With one eternally hungry Digimon and a third mouth to feed, DC had had to mimic Jesus
Christ and multiply his food to the impossible limit. Fortunately for the group, Takako
wasn’t much of an additional burden, for two reasons. The first one, of course, being her
special design, courtesy of Project Asmodeus. Unlike her brother, she had learned to
control her own metabolism with scientific precision, which allows her to preserve even the
smallest remaining traces of energy, making her body an almost 100% efficient machine.
Of course, she couldn’t work at the top of her potential when she was saving energy, which
extended the duration of their trip to the Wall of Jericho. Besides, DC couldn’t help but
notice the extreme drop in Takako’s temperature.
“Cold like a corpse,” he said, to which she replied with a playful punch and blown
raspberries.
The second reason is even more obvious. Takako had just recently escaped the A.D.A.M
room, and she was just giving her first uneasy steps into the real world, and that included
eating solid food. DC wasn’t surprised that she was just taking tentative bites every now
and then.
Eventually, they reached the Wall. DC and BlackTerriermon could barely keep their eyes
open against the excessive brightness.
“Bye, bye, retinas, huh?” The small Digimon muttered. DC nodded quietly. Takako seemed
to be ignoring them, now completely focused on breaking through the powerful barrier.
“DC, honey?”
“What is it?” The Tamer replied instantly, and then he realized what had just happened.
“Stop teasing me!”
“Do you know how the original Wall of Jericho was destroyed?” Takako asked, ignoring
DC’s complain. The boy shrugged.
“I might know. Bible History escapes me right now.”
“Trumpets. Hundreds of trumpets, at the same time, created a sound wave strong enough to
reduce the invincible fortress to rubble. They called it a miracle, I call it wave resonance. In
the end, both miracles and physics principles are consequences of the Higher Entity’s will.”
Takako raised her right hand, almost touching the bright white wall of holy energy in front
of her.
“In a world of zeroes and ones, the same principle applies. I have to create a resonant data
chain. Of course, not even I can do something like that by myself that easily.”
Takako turned to DC and smiled sweetly. “So we’ll camp here for while and wait!”
DC and BlackTerriermon felt their jaws drop. “Then why we’ve been rushing to come here
in the first place!?”
Takako giggled cutely. “Well, I could do it right now, but you wouldn’t want your sweet
little Takako-chan to get too tired, would you? Besides, who would protect you when the
big, meany Digimon attack you?”
A HUGE sweatdrop went down both Tamer and Digimon’s foreheads. “Whatever,” DC
muttered.
Another giggle. “I knew you’d understand. You’re the best!”
DC slowly turned his head to the Digimon next to him. “BlackTerriermon.”
“Yep?”
“Did I have any other choice?”
“…not really.”
“…thought so.”
So, Takato’s sister is at the edges of the Apex…
Goddramon, the Dragon God, quietly meditated on the recent events. It had been quite
peaceful over at Infinity since Takato destroyed Daemon, a few months before. Especially
since Takeru and Patamon didn’t go over to visit anymore. Well, the little winged Digimon
paid his respects every once in a while. Goddramon didn’t mind Takeru’s sudden lack of
interest in Infinity. That was the point of dissolving the Triad on the first place. Besides,
Takeru was too busy training Kamiya Taichi in the fine crafts of Digimon Taming. Adding
his further studies of the original Gospel text, and he guessed the blonde Takaishi was a
very busy young man at the moment.
There was little he could do, anyway. At least Takeru and Patamon would be active
participants in the Last Holy War. In fact, he thought it was better for him to be forgotten.
Of course, he knew that was impossible. Alongside his position as the original Sovereign,
eons of time had given him skills and knowledge unmatched, especially certain…innate
ability to predict future events. He was surprised to see how Takeru’s Event Matrix often
agreed with his own predictions.
And such, he had predicted his own death. The question was by whose hands he would die.
Maybe the enemy would finally make his way to Infinity. Maybe Tachikawa Takato was
his would-be slayer. Or maybe some of his so-called friends would become his enemies
once they found out the truth. Maybe Takeru himself will kill him. Or Taichi, or maybe
even Takato…
But that wasn’t important. For now, he had to complete his purpose, granting Omnivices to
those who were to become the Archangels.
So far, six of the ten Omnivices had owners.
The Emerald Omnivice, Pauline, for the Archangel of Wisdom, Takaishi Takeru, Ratziel.
The Pearl Omnivice, Ayla, for the Archangel of Understanding, Kamiya Hikari,
Tzaphquiel.
The Blackpearl Omnivice, Shinobu, for the Archangel of Beauty, Kamiya Taichi, Raphael.
The Diamond Omnivice, Helena, for the Archangel of Victory, Ichijouji Ken, Haniel.
The Opal Omnivice, possessed by Matsuki Takako, for the Archangel of the Earth, DC,
Sandalphon…
…and the Ruby Omnivice, Ruki, for the Archangel of the Crown, the Primum Mobile,
Matsuki Takato…the first man, Adam Kadmon, and the first Archangel, Metatron.
Six Archangels have been acknowledged as such, by receiving their Omnivices.
Goddramon had a special recognition to Takato for his successful evolution, surpassing
even his own creators’ expectations. Now he was indeed Adam Kadmon, the first man,
designed to be a God by the means of the original Sistema Sephiroticum, as such was the
way of the Higher Entity.
Not even Goddramon knew just how far the limits of Takato’s new potential were, but he
was sure the boy would learn how to use them properly. Besides, he was in good hands.
Alice’s hands, to be precise.
But that has proven to be quite an interesting experiment…
Indeed, Goddramon was greatly impressed by the unexpected improvement of Takato’s and
Alice’s relationship in such a short amount of time. In the little less than three months
Takato had been in America, their relationship had reached a level that would make anyone
believe they had been friends forever. Not that Alice would ever admit something like that,
since she spent most if not all of her time making Takato’s life impossible. Of course,
Takato never fell behind, making every day an endless chain of discussions and silly
fights…well, most of it Takato doing the discussing and fighting, Alice being cold as an
iceberg and all that. Goddramon did nothing but feel pity of poor old Rob McCoy, who had
to deal with the two teenagers and their simmering tension.
Everything was according to plan. Gospel would take place; that was a fact.
As for that moment, it was time to acknowledge the seventh Archangel. The Archangel of
the Foundation, Gabriel.
“I summon thee, Luna, Priestess of the Moon. You who once tamed the legendary beasts of
ancient times, Behemoth and Leviathan, I call for your power.”
“I am here, Lord Goddramon.”
Effectively, the newest Omnivice trait was revealed in her glory. She looked rather short,
but her impressively black hair and her piercing gaze broke any illusion of weakness her
size may give. And her eyes were her more distinguishable feature. Her eyes, as well as her
long nails, glowed with mystical silver. She wore what looked like traditional Chinese
clothing, her legs barely covered by two straps of blue and silver cloth falling down from
her front and her back. She carried a small silver staff with her right hand, which ended at
the tip with four pairs of silver wings protectively wrapped around a huge jade.
“The time has come for you to join your new master.”
“I understand.”
And she was gone.
“And the Jade Omnivice shall meet its Master. We’re one step closer to Apocalypse.”
“DC! Buddy! Wake up, dammit!”
BlackTerriermon groaned when he received nothing but mumbling for an answer. “You
asked for it.”
Takako looked behind her when a trail of groans, cries and curses reached her ears.
BlackTerriermon had resorted to more…physical means to wake his Tamer up.
“Damn it, ouch! Hey! I’m up, I’m up! Gee, you do know those horns of you hurt, right?”
Takako growled. “You know, I could use some silence, right now, dear.”
DC tasted venom in her tone of voice, so he wisely chose to shut up. BlackTerriermon
didn’t even think. Nobody could stop him when he was in the mood for endlessly talking,
but he also knew when to shut up.
“Thank you,” The girl said; her frown now replaced by her usual sweet smile. Then, she
raised her right hand to the Wall, and DC gasped.
“What!? When did you-“
“Shhh!” Takako insisted, and DC sighed. While Takako got ready for whatever she was
about to do, he focused his attention on the Omnivice.
It was a clear green, unlike Takeru’s dark green Omnivice. However, they both had their
metallic appearance in common. Her card slot was white, and a silver trim went around the
edges of the artifact. But the most interesting detail of this Omnivice was the four black,
demonic wings that adorned the object, and the four silver crescent moon shapes on each
wing.
“Releasing the third seal.”
Understood.
“Third special ability, Corruption Wave.”
Corruption Wave pattern activated and amplified.
All of a sudden, there was a hole in the wall. It was barely the size of Takako’s hand, but it
grew every second. Five second later, it was the size of DC’s Digimon. Half a minute later,
a small child would easily fit through it.
One minute and seventeen seconds later, Takako stepped inside the Forbidden Territory.
She then looked behind her, at the two still figures looking at her.
“Now what are you two waiting for?”
Both DC and BlackTerriermon stepped uneasily inside the Apex. Takako smiled and made
a gesture with her hand, asking them to look at the new place they had just arrived to. DC
and BlackTerriermon did as told, and gasped.
The sight was breathtaking.
The grass was greener than any grass they had ever seen, and patches of flowers and small
clusters of beautiful trees adorned the seemingly endless plains. He could see the fine blue
line of a river at the distance, and a lake right where the river began…or ended, DC wasn’t
sure. But what he was sure of was the absolute lack of any animal life form.
“Such a pretty place…” DC muttered.
“And so empty…” BlackTerriermon added. Takako nodded.
“Once inside the Apex, leaving is as easy as walking through the Wall. The Wall allows
anyone to leave, but no one to enter. That’s why those few who are allowed to live here
prefer to remain here, and never leave.”
“But you made it look so easy to get here.” The young man commented.
“Well, that’s because I had it easy. Just like a physical object can be destroyed by using a
resonating wave at the appropriate frequency, I added a code that could break through the
Wall’s original code. Resonating data, you could call it. Of course, that requires absolute
control of the Digital Hazard, something not even my brother has yet. Besides, this Jade
Omnivice could take my Hazard Code and multiply it in an instant, overwhelming the
Wall’s digital structure in seconds.”
DC looked at Takako’s right arm. “The Jade Omnivice, huh?”
“Yep. Ruby, Emerald, Diamond, Opal, Jade, Pearl and Blackpearl. Now only Topaz,
Amethyst and Sapphire remain sealed. But they, too, shall be released soon. And when that
time comes, Gospel will start, and we’ll have to be ready. That’s why we’re going where
we’re going.”
“Oh…where are we going, anyway? Are we going back to your lab?”
“Back to Zohar? I’m not insane, sweetheart. I just managed to escape that place, believe me
when I say I’m not very eager to go back there. Besides, the true enemy is there, so going
there would only grant us a painful death at this point. I think I’ll leave the task of
destroying the Zohar Laboratory to my wonderful little brother.”
DC looked at the smiling girl and couldn’t help but let go a smile of his own. “It’s cute.”
“What’s cute?” Takako asked him.
“The way you always smile whenever Takato is mentioned. It’s not the way you always
smile. It’s like you have your normal smile…and your ‘Takato’ smile. You must care a lot
about him.”
The girl blushed and sheepishly looked down. “Of course…he’s my family…and I love
him so much…”
Then her smile turned into tears. “I’m so glad…I’m so glad he has made it so far. I’m so
glad I could meet him…”
The girl sniffed and got rid of the tears with her blanket-robe. “I can’t wait to see him
again. And when I see him, I’ll never leave his side again. But I can’t see him yet. That’s
why I have to do this.”
Her face changed to a face of determination. “Let’s go. To the Spirit Pillar.”
DC and BlackTerriermon looked at the tall silver obelisk standing proud in the distance,
glowing with an eerie power. They could sense there was something incredibly powerful in
there. Was it a power, some sort of weapon Takako wanted for her brother? Or was it an
enemy Digimon? He was supposed to be Takako’s guardian, but he wondered just how
much he could look after her before it changed the other way around.
Was he protecting her? Or was she protecting him?
DC gulped notoriously. “Why me?”
“What?”
“N-nothing!”
Takako frowned slightly. “I heard something.”
“Ah-uh…it’s nothing, really.”
“The more you say it, the less I believe it.”
BlackTerriermon groaned. “Oh, just spit it.”
DC sighed. “Oh, I just…I just wondered why you chose me in the first place. I mean, there
are much better Tamers to guard you, right?”
Takako smiled sweetly, almost compassionately. “I was wondering when you’d ask.”
“You were?”
“Yep! True, I could choose any other Tamer, or any of the other Archangels. I could have
chosen Takaishi-san, or even my sweet brother. But I chose you. And you want to know
why.”
“Yeah, that pretty much sums it, right, buddy?”
“What the Digimon said.”
“Do you know what a valkyrie is?”
“Well, isn’t it one of those Norse goddesses that send souls to Valhalla?”
“Precisely. According to Norse mythology, valkyries gather souls of dead warriors to aid
the Gods in their eternal struggle in Valhalla. And just like strong, experienced warriors are
needed in Valhalla, strong, experienced Tamers, Archangels and Digimon will be needed at
the Last Holy War. Unlike the other Archangels, you don’t precisely have much battle
experience. I can’t send you to what will most likely be Armageddon without any
experience at all.”
“So you chose me to train me before sending me to what will most likely be my death,
right?”
“Oh, you’re such a pessimist.”
“Worst case scenario, dear.”
“Wiseass.”
“Oh, so the lady has a dirty mouth after all!”
“BlackTerriermon!”
Takako laughed. “But, really…it doesn’t really matter why I chose you. I don’t regret it.
What’s really important is that right now…”
Man and woman looked at each other, his gaze neutral, hers a mixture of compassion and
bitter joy.
“…I belong to you.”
West Shinjuku, Tokyo-3
January 9, 2016
5:02 A.M.
Tanaka Rei yawned for the fifth time in the two minutes she had been awake that day.
Groggily, she stood up and off the bed, her nightgown loosely caressing her knees. It was
still dark outside, and her parents wouldn’t wake up until half an hour later. They always
had trouble waking up on Mondays. She calmly walked over to her personal computer and
turned it on, yawning again before seating in front of the screen. It was a pretty powerful
machine, which she got for Christmas. She had asked for it since the day she left the
hospital, once she was allowed to go after her miraculous recovery from, well…a whole
house falling on her. Her parents had thanked the heavens for not taking her away from
them and now there was no request she could make that they wouldn’t grant her. After all,
she was the daughter who escaped death.
She wanted a computer, she got a computer.
The usual loading of the computer’s operating system was suddenly interrupted, and a
cloud of static filled the screen. Concealed within the static, the shape of a dragon’s head.
“Tanaka-san.”
“Lord Huanglongmon.”
“The girl is here. The one like Matsuki.”
Rei had been utterly surprised when she was explained the details of Project Asmodeus and
Matsuki Takato’s origins. The fact that the boy she was so obsessed with had been
artificially created to contain the soul of a possible new incarnation of the Higher Entity
had to be the coolest thing she had ever heard. There was definitely nothing uninteresting
about Takato. It had been a little hard to believe, but Huanglongmon wasn’t the kind of
creature that would make up such an intricate story. Her surprise was only greater when she
was told Takato had a sister. Of course, she wanted to meet her. It seemed her chance had
finally come.
“How long before she arrives?”
“An hour or so.”
“What will be your course of action?”
“She’s too much of a threat. Her control over the Hazard surpasses even her brother’s. She
must be destroyed. Yggdrasil cannot be tainted by her hand.”
“How many Royal Knights are you going to send?”
“Most of them are in scouting missions. Only two of them are standing guard at the Pillar’s
main gate. It should be enough.”
“If she’s as powerful as you say, I wouldn’t be so confident. Send Grademon to stand guard
right next to Yggdrasil. I’m on my way.”
“She’s not alone. Another of the so-called Tamers is with her.”
“Then incapacitate him first. We have a chance when she’s alone, it’s useless otherwise.”
“It’s a pretty sight, I must admit.”
“Yeah.”
“Anyway, no point in delaying the inevitable. Let’s go.”
Takako calmly walked, while a much more nervous Tamer/Digimon duet followed her. Of
course, Takako knew exactly what to expect, unlike the other two, who were waiting for an
enemy to leap at them in any moment.
Much to their surprise, the Spirit Pillar didn’t have any gates or protection at its entrance. It
was, as simply as it’s said; a large hole on the base of the tall silver obelisk. Takako didn’t
stop and calmly walked inside.
The insides of the Spirit Pillar were slightly darker than the outside world, but the three
could still marvel at the wonderful sight before them. It could be said that the heavenly
scenery that was a constant in the Apex reached its peak inside the Pillar.
“Welcome to the properly named ‘Garden of Eden’,” Takako muttered. The other two
barely heard her, too amazed by the incredible beauty of that place. The walls were clear
and pretty like fine crystal, and the bluish ceiling portrayed a gigantic drawing of a muchtoo-familiar cabalistic Tree of Life. The fact that there was, indeed, a ceiling ten meters
above them told DC that the pillar had more than one level.
“What’s on the other floors?”
“I have no idea. This is my first time here, too, you know?” Takako answered. “Now keep
quiet, we’re almost there.”
DC and BlackTerriermon looked in front of them, where what could be nothing but the
Tree of Knowledge, Yggdrasil, stood tall and mighty. It was, by far, the biggest tree both
Tamer and Digimon had ever seen. Even from a distance, its trunk looked huge, and its
branches and leaves seem to extend for dozens of meters everywhere around. DC wondered
how far its roots really extended.
“That’s Yggdrasil, the Tree of Knowledge. Its roots extend through all four quadrants,
absorbing information like real trees absorb nutrients from the soil. It takes cares of
balancing the forces of good and evil in the Digital World. In other words, when there are
many vaccines, it creates more data-types, when there are many data-types, it stimulates the
birth of Virus Digimon, and when viruses have grown like the plague, it makes sure
vaccines even the odds. It could be said that the birth of every Digimon is directly
determined by Yggdrasil.”
“Whoa…neat,” BlackTerriermon muttered.
“It’s quite an impressive sight, Yggdrasil. It’s a shame it has to go.”
“…what?”
“Precisely that’s why we’re here, my friends,” Takako explained. “We’re here to destroy
Yggdrasil.”
DC blinked. Hard. “You have to be joking.”
“Do I look like someone who is joking? Come on, let’s go.”
Takako resumed her walk. DC and BlackTerriermon didn’t move an inch. Takako stopped
again.
“What is it now?”
“W-why?” DC barely managed to mutter. Takako sighed.
“There’s no need for Yggdrasil anymore. Hence, it has to be destroyed. Don’t you know
that for the creation of the new world, the old world has to disappear first? The new world
my brother will create cannot rely so deeply on one single structure. It’s a weakness.”
Takako was about to resume her march once again, but her right foot stopped in midair.
“It’s about time.”
“What?”
“Well, you don’t think such a valuable thing like Yggdrasil wouldn’t be guarded, right?”
“Luna! Release the Second Seal!”
You don’t have to tell me!
“Unholy Barrier!”
“Extreme Jihad!”
Takako’s barrier surrounded the trio before dozens of beams of golden holy energy blasted
them from above. Takako smiled.
“So it’s Magnamon, huh? You got it easy this time, sweetheart!”
“BREATH OF WYVERN!”
“Okay, so you didn’t get it that easy. Too bad,” Takako added cheerfully, playfully biting
her tongue, right before the huge dragon of energy attempted to break through the girl’s
barrier. DC and BlackTerriermon embraced themselves, feeling how shockwaves of energy
rocked them from every direction, their loud explosions bombarding their ears. How
Takako managed to stay on the exact same place without moving a muscle was beyond the
duo’s comprehension.
“Hey, look!” BlackTerriermon exclaimed, his little finger pointing towards the ground. His
Tamer looked down, noticing how the flowers around Takako slowly degenerated and
wilted before fading into data which was absorbed by the young girl.
“The Digital Hazard absorbs and consumes data from everything around it. Why are you so
surprised?” Takako explained.
Eventually, the smoke and dirt caused by the continuous explosions dissipated, and two
large shapes were now obstructing Takako’s way to the Tree of Knowledge.
“Dynasmon and Magnamon, right? Pleased to meet you, I am-“
“We know who you are, female Vessel of the Hazard. Lord Huanglongmon warned us
about you. Your powers are indeed impressive, even if they reek with corruption and
decadence. It’s a power that shouldn’t exist,” Dynasmon interrupted her.
“You’re nobody to decide what should or shouldn’t exist. The Digital Hazard is as much a
part of the will of the Higher Entity as you or me. And I have a name. It’s Takako!”
“Then how come you have decided the end of the sacred tree, Yggdrasil?” Dynasmon
inquired, ignoring Takako’s complaining.
“I’m just helping my brother create his new world.”
“At the expense of our Digital World?” Magnamon, a much more emotional Digimon than
his partner, exclaimed.
Takako smiled. “It’s an affordable price. Besides, this world is destined to disappear
eventually. I’m just making sure there will be a future after the end. It’s not that different
from what your master has in mind, is it?”
“He thinks he has the right to judge who can or can’t become a part of the new Digital
World he wants to create. Doesn’t he know that he is nothing in front of the grand scheme
of things?”
“Shut up! We will create a perfect new world, where evils like you won’t exist!”
Magnamon shouted.
“Ha!” Takako laughed mockingly. “So I’m evil now, huh? Your stupidity amazes me,
Royal Knight. What happened to honor, courage, pride and all that crap? What kind of
honor drives you to scourge the Digital World; destroying the ‘unworthy’ and allowing the
‘worthy’ to live for the ‘perfect’ new world you speak of! You’re nothing but stupid
puppets of a stupid God. Yet, as stupid as you are, we both aim for the same goals, it’s only
your methods which are wrong.”
“So destroying Yggdrasil is right, huh?” Dynasmon muttered with spite.
“I don’t know. I just follow the path which has been settled for me. History will decide
whether my choices were right or wrong. I do know my choices are better than yours, of
that I’m certain. But as I said, we have a goal in common, Royal Knight. It’s a shame we
couldn’t be allies.”
“This is no time for regrets, woman, for you will die today,” Dynasmon concluded. Takako
chuckled and shook her head.
“That’s not for you to decide, Royal Knight. If I die today, it will be because of his will. If
you’re destroyed today, it will be by my brother’s will. But I doubt either of us will die
today. I am his sister, and I don’t think my brother wishes my death. And you….he ignores
your existence, and if even if he knew you, I am certain he would have bigger, greater plans
for you. Now, if you may excuse me, I have work to do.”
Takako walked over to the Royal Knights, very intent on continuing her trek to the Tree of
Knowledge. Dynasmon and Magnamon prepared themselves for battle.
“Fools. Away with you!” Takako exclaimed, and a powerful gale hauled both Digimon
upwards, throwing them like weightless feathers. A few seconds later, they hit the ground
with a loud thump.
“Do not be afraid, Royal Knights, for I shall not be your opponent today. Maybe on another
occasion, I’d be glad to. For now, enjoy yourselves sparring with my lovely colleague,
Sandalphon.”
DC blinked and pointed at himself. “Huh?”
Takako chuckled and winked. “Cover me while I finish the job, okay, sweetheart?”
With that said, she walked away. DC sweatdropped. BlackTerriermon gasped.
“Why don’t you just ask me to delete myself!?”
“BlackTerriermon…”
A furious growl caught DC’s attention, as Dynasmon had already stood up and spread his
wings to stop Takako from reaching the Tree of Knowledge.
“Ah, um, mister!” DC shouted nervously, but it was enough of a distraction, as Dynasmon
was now looking at him.
“Um…you heard the girl…I…I’ll fight you now.”
Dynasmon snorted while Magnamon flew over to him. “Another of Matsuki’s minions…do
you have the slightest idea of what you’re doing?”
DC winced. Ouch! Tough one…
“Your face shows your inner doubts, human. How can you allow her to go on with such an
insane idea!? How can you help her destroy the sacred Tree of Knowledge? What did she
do to dominate you the way she does?”
DC blushed and shook his head. “She’s…I’m here by my own free will.”
Am I?
B-but…Takako can’t be evil…can she? No! She just can’t!
A flashback.
“I can’t wait to see him again. And when I do see him, I’ll never leave his side again. But I
can’t see him yet. That’s why I have to do this.”
DC blinked a few times.
She said she’s doing it for her brother…her brother…her love…her feelings…those feelings
are real…
“…and a person who can love like must be a good person,” he finally concluded.
BlackTerriermon, digivolve to…BlackMegaGargomon!
“I don’t know what she’s trying to accomplish by doing what she’s doing, but my heart
tells me I must believe her. I can tell her acts are right, since her acts are made out of love.
But you are incapable of feeling love, so you’ll never understand.”
“I didn’t know you could be philosophical, buddy.” BlackTerriermon’s voice could be
heard commenting.
“Well, you learn something new every day, don’t you?”
Magnamon was the first to strike, dashing a few feet closer to unleash his attack.
“Extreme Jihad!”
“Gargo Blades!”
Surprisingly enough, the black Digimon’s blades pierced through the holy beams like a
knife through butter.
“Hey! That hazard did wonders on you, BlackTerriermon!”
“Oh yeah! I’m back, I’m high, and I’m ready to kick behinds!”
“Dragon’s Roar!”
Dynasmon’s attack surprised them, sending them rolling away, crushing hundreds of
flowers in the process.
“Why do we have to be so damn slow?” DC muttered.
They knew they had the speed disadvantage. They always had the speed disadvantage. The
day they found a Digimon slower than MegaGargomon would be the day BlackTerriermon
stopped making fun of DC’s lack of a girlfriend (“Takako doesn’t count!” The Digimon
always says between laughs). So their only option was to attack right on, and hope to hit
harder than them. He was about to get up when Magnamon’s right knee came out of
nowhere and hit right on the fortress Digimon’s forehead, making him tumble and fall back
to the ground, further crushing the innocent flowers under his immense weight and size.
“To hell with him not even being an Ultimate, that HURT!”
“BlackTerriermon, that’s enough!”
BlackMegaGargomon had a good look of Magnamon hovering a few meters above him
when Dynasmon completely covered his sight, pining him against the ground.
“I’m more than enough to dispose of you, human.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“BlackTerriermon!”
BlackMegaGargomon unlocked his shoulder bolts, and his twin giant missiles were ready
to be fired. Dynasmon’s eyes widened for a second.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
DC shrugged. “I’ve done it before.”
“Sure thing he’s done it before. His friends call him ‘Kamikaze Dude’. And for someone
who’s not even his girlfriend. Dude, women really hit you hard, don’t they?”
“BlackTerriermon…”
“Okay, okay. Radiation Missiles!”
Dynasmon’s reflexes were quick enough to react before the giant missiles traveled the less
than half a meter that separated both Digimon. The Holy Knight quickly rolled aside, barely
avoiding what would have been one hell of an explosion. Magnamon, who was still
hovering above his enemy, wasn’t that lucky. Since Dynasmon was holding
MegaGargomon with his own body, the flying Royal Knight couldn’t get a good glimpse of
the machine Digimon’s intentions until Dynasmon moved aside, revealing a deadly pair of
missiles headed towards him.
That, followed by one hell of an explosion.
DC’s and BlackTerriermon’s surprise would be great when they spotted an unconscious
Veemon after the smoke dissipated.
“Well, that was…kind of quick, if you ask me,” BlackTerriermon muttered.
“Well, we’re half-data, aren’t we?”
“And those are some hell of a pair of missiles, aren’t they?”
“Uh-huh.”
Dynasmon looked at his fallen comrade, not really showing much concern. “No wonder
he’s the weakest one of us. It is of no importance, he was more a burden than an advantage.
Now we shall fight our best.”
“You don’t really mind at all I rendered him unconscious, do you?”
“Why should I? He fought his best, to protect that which is precious to us. He’s fulfilled his
purpose. He should feel proud of himself.”
DC sighed. God, the stupidity…
“Whatever,” the boy finally concluded.
Dynasmon let out a fierce growl and BlackMegaGargomon started his approach, as fast as
possible.
“BREATH OF WYVERN!”
“Darkness Pummel!”
Takako stopped her calm stroll when yet another explosion reached her from behind, this
time even stronger than the last one.
Wow, seems like they’re having a blast over there…literally.
Though I doubt Sandalphon-sama is having much fun, Takako-sama.
What did I tell you about the “sama” thing, Luna-chan?
B-But, ma’am, it’s hard not to…you ARE Matsuki-sama’s…
Bleh…I bet my brother wouldn’t like it, either…
Takako resumed her walk, as each step lead her even closer to her objective that day. It
would be Luna who would interrupt her this time.
…you think?
What?
You think Matsuki-sama would mind the way I…
Takako blinked. Was it that important for Luna? Should she use her brother’s influence to
make Luna behave the way she wanted her to?
Sure thing! A lot, I’d say. And I know him better than anyone else!
…I…understand…Takako…chan.
That’s the way! Now let’s go!
Hmm…I don’t think so.
How come?
Enemy Digimon at 12 o’clock and approaching.
The new Digimon was tall and seemingly human in shape, but his face couldn’t be seen
under his gold helmet. Most of his armor was golden in color, but Takako recognized it as
more than armor, more like an exoskeleton. Some of his tough and tight muscles could be
seen coming out of such armor at some points, mostly his legs and his upper arms.
Everything else was golden, except for the crimson shoulder pads, the three huge crimson
claws on each foot and the long (slightly torn and ragged) blue cape wavering on his back.
His helmet resembled a dragon, yet Takako also noticed some insect-like features. The
helmet was pointy at the back of his head, yet Takako could see it because it pointed
slightly upwards. It also had a pair of appendages on both sides. Long and sharp, they also
pointed backwards. Finally, two huge appendages that would have looked like long, sharp
golden horns if they didn’t come out of his back and pointing upwards. Of course, his most
interesting feature, at least to Takako, were the two thin sheaths on both sides, probably
holding two deadly katana.
“Now you are a Digimon I’m not familiar with. May I have your name, if you are so kind?”
The Digimon stared at the girl curiously. “…Grademon.”
“Nice to meet you. I am Matsuki Takako.”
“…nice…to…meet you.”
Takako easily noticed there was something wrong with this Digimon. It was as if…he
barely knew how to talk. Or maybe he wasn’t used to talking. Or maybe he just didn’t like
talking.
“I take it you’re with the Royal Knights. You definitely look like a Royal Knight to me.”
Luna…
I’m very sorry, but…
No info on this Digimon?
Truthfully, Takako was a little wary at that point. It wasn’t very often when she had to deal
with unknown things. Even if she was only beginning to experience a real life, she knew
most things that could be known thanks to her divine nature, which gave her almost infinite
knowledge. Hence, meeting with an unknown Digimon made her worry…a little bit.
Meanwhile, Grademon seemed to be pondering his answer.
“The title ‘Royal Knight’ means little to me. If you have to know, I’m a warrior Digimon,
Ultimate level, Vaccine type. My special attacks are Cross Blade and Grade Slash, as you
soon shall see for yourself.”
Takako blinked. “That’s…very nice of you. But, really, I have things to do, and you’re in
my way. Could you please step aside?”
Grademon blinked under his helmet. “I…I’m deeply sorry, but that’s not possible,” he said
as he revealed his twin swords. They were rather simple, with their golden handle and
everything. Simple but deadly, of course.
“So there’s no way around you, huh?” Takako pouted. “Umm…well…I’m sorry.”
Takako hadn’t finished those words when Grademon began his pre-emptive strike,
disappearing in the blink of an eye from Takako’s sight.
He’s insanely fast! Luna-chan, whereTakako couldn’t finish her thought, as the cold feeling of a sharp blade against her throat
interrupted her.
“You…you are good, really good,” Takako muttered. “Are you sure you’re just an
Ultimate? I’m sure you could take out some Megas by yourself.”
“I am an Ultimate Digimon, ma’am. This power is nothing compared to what I can do in
my Mega Form.”
Ma’am…I hate being called “ma’am”. I feel like an old hag.
“Maybe…maybe you’re stronger than my brother, at least at this point. I’ll be looking
forward to the day you fight him.”
“Unfortunately you won’t be there to see your brother fall.”
“I wouldn’t make such assumptions, my friend.”
It was then Grademon felt something under his feet. As he looked down, he noticed how
every flower and grass around Takako had died, changing the once beautiful field in a
decayed scene from a cheap horror movie. He looked around, to see how the decadence
seemed to expand further and further, until it reached the limits of his sight. At such rate,
the whole Spirit Pillar would corrupt under the will of the Hazard. And maybe…
“Yggdrasil!” The Digimon cried, right before a blast of dark energy erupted from Takako’s
body, followed with an explosion which hit Grademon at point blank, sending him flying
dozens of yards away from the girl. However, his cries of pain were clouded by the terrible
sound of black flames consuming everything. In the center of the black inferno, Takako
sighed sadly, honestly grieving over what would be lost that day.
Isn’t it such a pity, Luna-chan? This place has been the center of the Digital World for
eons. And now, just because a Digimon seriously threatened me, the Spirit Tower shall fall.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was only after Yggdrasil. Why does it have to be so
hard?
“Why don’t you just give up!?”
“I could say the same thing to you, Dynasmon!”
Dynasmon and BlackMegaGargomon had reached a still point in their battle. Their hands
now locked in a tight grip; it had become a matter of sheer strength. BlackMegaGargomon
now had the obvious advantage of size and weight. DC and BlackTerriermon had found the
way to change their greatest flaw into a critical aid against their opponent.
Everything was on their side, until Dynasmon remembered he had legs. Then,
BlackMegaGargomon had to deal with both the grip on Dynasmon’s hands and the endless
kicking his sides were receiving.
“I’m…ouch! Getting…ouch! Tired…damn it! Of this guy!”
“I share your sentiment, my friend,” DC muttered.
BlackMegaGargomon tried pushing harder, but Dynasmon simply raised his left leg for
another kick. It was about then when the ground began to shake.
“What the-!?” Dynasmon muttered, but the only leg he had on the ground wasn’t enough to
keep his balance and fell on his back, releasing his grip on the other Mega Digimon in the
process.
The earthquake’s intensity seemed to increase with each second; hence both Digimon took
flight and watched the whole place break apart around them. They stared at the flower bed
decaying and dying under them, and the distant crystalline walls crumbling and cracking.
The Spirit Pillar was bound to be destroyed.
Of course, Dynasmon was beyond irate.
“THIS!? THIS is what you wanted!?”
Of course, DC and his partner were left speechless. “I…” …don’t know.
“It won’t end like this, Tamer,” Dynasmon spat before grabbing the unconscious Veemon
and flying away towards Yggdrasil. BlackMegaGargomon didn’t waste time and went after
Dynasmon. Both Tamer and Digimon needed to know what Takako was up to.
“Yggdrasil, the Tree of Knowledge. It is a magnificent sight, indeed.”
Takako stared in awe at the huge tree, feeling like a mere insect in front of its massive
trunk. She could tell that maybe fifty or sixty Takakos would be necessary to hug that huge
trunk, and its shadow covered the area of Buckingham Palace. Its greenery and its
marvelous sight amazed her, as much as the traces of data that floated around the branches
and leaves, traces which could be mistaken for fairies by a less knowledgeable watcher.
It made an odd contrast with the utter decadence that surrounded it, though. The Spirit
Pillar was no longer colorful and beautiful, its flowers now dead and its vast fields
corrupted. Even the crystalline walls, which once resembled sapphires, now looked aged
and damaged, its cracked structure having acquired a dull yellowy white, resembling old
ivory.
“You’ve managed to resist the Hazard so far. I must say I’m impressed, but it has to be
expected by the primary basis of the Digital World, right?”
“Do you have the slightest idea of what you’re doing, human!?” An ominous voice spoke
from above. Takako barely managed to look up before the gigantic shape of Huanglongmon
fell on the ground, making it tremble around him. Takako had to lean against the tree to
remain on her two feet.
“So, the mighty Huanglongmon finally comes down from his throne, huh? My, I’m
honored.” Takako said sarcastically as she fixed her chestnut brown hair, now messy due to
the gust of wind created by Huanglongmon’s fall.
“Do you know what’ll happen should Yggdrasil be destroyed?”
Takako shrugged. “Of course I know. But as I said to your friend Grademon, it’s a price
I’m willing to pay. There are many possible futures ahead of us, but no matter which of
them becomes a reality, there’s no place for Yggdrasil in it.”
“Yggdrasil is the center of the dimensions, and it will remain the center of the new world
I’ll create!”
“So that’s what it comes around to, huh? Your stupid utopia and your insane idea of
‘getting rid of the unnecessary’? My brother can teach the worlds how to exist without
Yggdrasil, stupid dragon! The Tree of Knowledge’s usefulness is over! It’s now become a
weakness! We can’t leave the stability of a whole dimension to depend on the existence of
a single being! Look how far I’ve made it by myself, do you think this tree stands a chance
against the forces of evil!?”
Huanglongmon ignored the girl’s angered gaze and shouted back.
“YOU are the only evil here, an evil that must be disposed of!”
“IDIOT!” Takako shouted at the top of her lungs. “And you call yourself a God-beast!?
You’re just another stupid Digimon, like Zhuqiaomon and Goddramon!”
“Do not dare comparing me to those low-class—”
“You’re NOTHING, Huanglongmon! You hear me? Nothing! And your stupidity will be
your end! Are you just that blind to see what is taking place right under your nose!? Didn’t
you see how the Zohar Lab was built right in front of you, and you did nothing about it!? If
you hate me that much, why didn’t you destroy that damned place when you had the
chance!?”
“I could destroy it then, and I can destroy it whenever I want.”
“Ha! Fool! I’d like to see you try, and see how you and your Royal Knights are deleted
before you even know what you’re dealing with!”
Dynasmon and BlackMegaGargomon were getting closer and closer, flying right behind
Huanglongmon to reach the tree. Hence, they were close enough to hear Huanglongmon’s
last mistake.
“I’ll just have to get rid of you and your pathetic, putrid, accursed brother to—”
The next thing Huanglongmon saw was a bright, blinding white light. And then, there was
pandemonium.
A second after the blinding light, there were nothing but black flames, which consumed
everything. Another earthquake struck the ground, this time much stronger that the first
one. The Dragon God could only watch as the ancient Tree of Knowledge was consumed
by the flames, slowly but surely breaking apart its code, making it a matter of minutes
before it exploded in the greatest burst of data ever seen.
DC learned a valuable lesson that moment…no, make it two lessons. The first one being, of
course, that there is no more frightening force in the Universe than an angered woman.
The second was much simpler. Never, ever, insult Matsuki Takato when his sister’s in
hearing range.
Both Tamer and Digimon, as terrified as they were, could make their eyes look away from
hers. The anger on her face, the burning hatred in her almond eyes, they had seen it before,
in Matsuki Takato’s eyes, in his world’s famous TV show. That time, Takato had activated
the Hazard, and WarGrowlmon had evolved to Megidramon. BlackTerriermon had seen it
more times, during his short visit to the Southern Quadrant, when he had fought Rika’s
Renamon, and when Takako had fought the Nightmare inside the Internet.
But there was a fundamental difference between the two Matsukis: Takako could control
the Hazard with terrifying precision.
They didn’t even notice when Huanglongmon and Dynasmon escaped from the flames.
BlackMegaGargomon disappeared in a powerful light, to be replaced by a human and a
small Digimon, both staring at the girl who was intent in destroying everything around her.
Fortunately for them, the flames didn’t seem to hurt them. At least Takako hadn’t
completely lost it.
It took an hour for the fire to recede, and another hour for the smoke to fade away. When it
was gone, so was the Spirit Pillar, no longer a symbol of majestic power and harmony.
Now it was only a ruin, charred by the Hazard’s flames. The inner garden had become a
black wasteland, a vast sea of ash and corrupted floating data. DC wondered if the fire had
reached the world outside the giant obelisk.
Then, he looked at Takako. The dangerous fire in her eyes was long gone, and now she
quietly stared at the burned remains of the Tree of Knowledge, waiting for something. She
placed her right palm on the black trunk, sliding it softly, as if she could sense something
inside the dead tree.
And without any warning, the trunk exploded. DC expected a shower of wood shards to
shower him, and covered his eyes as a countermeasure, but there was nothing but an
endless stream of data, which swallowed the trio like digital foam. Almost unconsciously,
both Takako and BlackTerriermon started to absorb it, until it disappeared.
“Whoa! I feel dizzy!”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have done that, BlackTerriermon.”
“Oh, shut up! I’ve never felt better!”
They were interrupted by a quiet chuckle in front of them.
“What is it, Takako?”
“This…this is what we came here for.”
Ten glowing spheres floated around Takako, like giant glowworms playing with a forest
fairy. Takako was once again all smiles.
“What in Goddramon’s name are those!?” BlackTerriermon shouted, alarmed.
“These, my friend, are the Seeds of Sephiroth, the secret power of the Archangels.”
In that moment, two of the ten spheres started glowing stronger than the others, spinning
around faster and faster until they became white blurs around Takako and DC. A few
seconds later, they stopped in front of them, no longer in the shape of spheres.
“This…this is a Modify Card!” DC exclaimed.
“A Sephiroth Card, to be precise.” Takako explained excitedly. “It acknowledges you as a
true Archangel. Each Seed will react in the presence of its corresponding owner, and
transform into a card, each with a unique, amazing power. Let me look at yours!”
The girl jumped over to DC’s side and looked at the card. “Wow! That’s so cool!”
The card looked like any ordinary Modify Card, with blue edges and a small bluish box
with text on it, explaining the card’s function on it. Most of the card was a picture, which
displayed a bird coated in black flames, flying in a dark night, with a small full moon at the
top right side. Behind the black phoenix, there were two white circles, with Hebrew text
written above, below and inside them. Finally, at the top left, with a big, silver font, the
kana of the card’s name, which Takako read out loud.
“Ritual of the Black Flame – Divinity’s Breath. Neat!”
BlackTerriermon jumped on DC’s head and looked at the card, too. “Wow, cool. What’s
that white gibberish behind the bird, anyway?”
“That’s Hebrew, idiot,” Takako answered. “The top reads Malkuth, which represents your
Sephira, or sphere of existence. The bottom reads The Kingdom, power of the Elements,
which represents your attribute and your guardian. Finally, the text inside the circle is the
name of the card’s owner, the Archangel Sandalphon.
Takako showed her own card to the duo. Hers was completely different, of course. It
displayed a short girl with black hair and silver eyes wearing ancient Chinese clothes and a
staff with four silver wings and a huge stone at the tip. She had Chinese written all over her,
from her clothes to her hairdo, except for the giant black wolf standing menacingly next to
her. A huge full moon was behind her, and the Hebrew text was spread all over the card,
around the full moon, on a dark blue background.
“Avatar of Lunar Vengeance – Divinity’s Shadow. The Hebrew text says that my Sephira
is Yesod. The rest says The Foundation, power of the Moon, and it acknowledges me as the
Archangel, Gabriel.”
DC frowned. “So this is what we came for, huh?”
“Precisely, now we have to give the other Seeds to the other Archangels.”
“And this is why you had to destroy the Spirit Pillar for, right?”
Takako pouted. “I never intended to destroy the whole place! Just the tree…it was
Huanglongmon’s fault, for being such an ass.”
BlackTerriermon chuckled, and DC pounded the rookie’s head. “Okay…”
“Well, there’s no need for us to stay here any longer, right?” Takako concluded. “Let’s get
out of here. I’m starting to hate this place.”
“Amen, sister!”
“BlackTerriermon…”
And so, the trio started to walk away, but there was one last question left unanswered in
DC’s head.
“Takako…”
“Yes?”
“…what will happen to the Digital World, now that Yggdrasil’s gone?”
Takako thought for a moment. “Well…without a primary balancing force, the Digital
World will go haywire. Digimon will be born and destroyed uncontrollably, and the four
Sovereigns will be forced to hide, unable to control their quadrants anymore. Eventually,
they’ll all change into a degenerated version of the Southern Quadrant, where only the law
of the strong will prevail.”
Takako noticed DC’s and BlackTerriermon’s alarmed faces and sighed. “It was the way it
was meant to be. Yggdrasil had to be destroyed before any plans for the creation of a new
world could start. Now it’s up to us to decide the course of the new change. I am only
offering you an option, my brother’s option, in which he will free the worlds of any binds
and limitations once and for all. I’m not forcing you to stay, of course. You’re free to go
anywhere you want.”
DC stopped in his tracks. Takako walked a few more steps before turning around to look at
her friend. They stared at each other, his confused face conflicting with her pleading look.
After a few seconds which felt like an eternity; his expression softened, and the girl
relaxed.
“I guess I’ll go with you. Besides, I kind of want to know how this whole thing turns out.”
“And we have a score to settle with Dynasmon!”
DC sighed. “Yeah, that too. Not that I’m looking forward to it.”
“Oh, come on! We’ve got to kick his ass!”
Takako chuckled and resumed her walk, followed by the other Tamer. “So, where are we
going now?” DC wondered.
The short girl smiled sweetly, and DC promptly blushed.
“Wherever the wheels of fate take us, sweetheart.”
“Or someplace where we can get her some decent clothes. I don’t want you nose-bleeding
on me, buddy.”
“BlackTerriermon!”
“If I didn’t know you better, I’d say you’re crying.”
“Don’t you think you’re a little late?”
“Would my presence have made any difference?”
“Of course!”
Tanaka Rei shook her head slowly as she walked over to Huanglongmon, who stood sadly
on the remains of the Spirit Pillar. Dynasmon and Magnamon (who had managed to evolve
again) looked at the human with a mixture of disappointment and utter misery. Rei ignored
their looks and focused on the smaller Dorumon, who ran over to her the moment he saw
her. Rei hugged the small Digimon, and frowned at his expression.
“You seem down, little one.”
Dorumon looked away. “That…girl…defeated me.”
“It’s to be expected. She carries the power of the Hazard.”
“If only I had digivolved to the Mega Form, I would’ve…”
“We could stay here and talk about what you could have done all day long, dear, but it
won’t change everything.”
The tall girl walked over to Huanglongmon and softly placed her left hand on his large
head. “You know we can’t give up now, right?”
The Dragon God didn’t reply and Rei sighed. She guessed she could understand the
Digimon’s pain. After all, his whole existence had been devoted to guarding the Tree of
Knowledge. He had done the exact same thing for aeons, and now, all of a sudden, the
reason of his existence was destroyed.
“Lord Huanglongmon…”
“Yes, I…apologize for this moment of weakness. Now we’ll have to act even sooner, and
create a new center for the New Digital World.”
“Indeed. Will you now consider my idea, milord?”
“…yes, I guess I might think about it, Tanaka-san. And you do know now what has to be
done, right? Or do you still have any doubts?”
Rei was taken aback by that question. She looked away from the dragon’s cunning gaze.
“…yes. I’ve always been certain.”
However, looking away from Huanglongmon when answering that question had another
consequence, since it helped her notice something the other Digimon hadn’t even seen.
“Wha…” Rei muttered as she walked over to the new sight. In the middle of the
nothingness, the ashes and the floating data, in the middle of the dead flowers and grass,
there was little patch of clear green grass and colorful flowers. And on that little oasis in the
middle of the darkness, something shiny caught Rei’s attention.
It was a little transparent sphere, which glowed with a faint blue with the “sunlight”. Inside
the sphere, there were two small blue stripes crossed in the shape of an X and seven smaller
red spheres aligned in two parallel rows of three with a lone sphere in between, the whole
arrangement resembling a letter H. Rei carefully extended her right hand until it touched
the sphere, quickly moving it away when it started to glow brighter. When the bright was
gone, there were now two spheres, and the patch of green grass and pretty flowers had
grown larger around the two spheres.
Dorumon, who had witnessed the whole thing, looked at Rei, who had a smile on her face.
“What’s that, Rei-san?”
The girl looked at Dorumon and smiled; her face as radiant as sun.
“…a new beginning.”
End of chapter 2…
Daneel Rush (daneel_ff@hotmail.com)