Once again, the kids and the Digimon fight Tyranterramon, this time with the help of a reborn Five Regions' Guardian, who is not as de-powered as Jiji and Baba. This book is only about half over, so they don't beat him yet. They do gain new allies, though, and this chapter sets up an important detail for the climax of the book: the existence and nature of Legacy Codes, which are fractal codes (like the ones introduced in Digimon Frontier) which contain the lingering powers and memories of a Digimon who is about to reconfigure and wants to preserve something of who they are. When the characters refer to the power to control fire given from Phoenixmon to SkullMeramon, they are discussing the transfer of Phoenixmon's Legacy Code to SkullMeramon.
Chapter Ten
The Legacy of Phoenixmon
I watched as the flames overtook Chickomon. I was almost overwhelmed by the heat of them from all the way over here. There was no way that he had survived at their center. To my surprise, however, as the flames swirled ever higher and ever hotter, I saw a figure rise within them. There was a burst of light, and the flames dispersed, “Chickomon, Warp Digivolve to!” The figure stood forty to forty-five feet tall. He had the body of a muscled man, protected by silver armor that covered his chest and shoulders, and leather armor which covered his pelvis and thighs. His hands were those of a human, but he had the head of a Brachiosaurus, and his lower legs and feet were stretched out mechanical dinosaur legs and feet. Over his enormous meaty hands appeared massive mechanical four-fingered gloves, a missile in each finger, and from his back sprouted fiery red-feathered wings, “MagnaBrauntomon!”
MagnaBrauntomon spread his wings to a width of one and a half times his height. He pushed off of the ground with both legs and his strong, reptilian tail. He flapped his wings and soared toward the foe.
SkullMeramon summoned up a wall of fire. But MagnaBrauntomon was angry. Like his partner, he’d had more than enough of all of this senseless violence between supposed allies. He flapped his wings, blowing enough of the flames away that he was able to punch through what remained and hit SkullMeramon in the face. He was thrown onto his back, but he rose quickly. He ran at his foe, fist raised, and punched. MagnaBrauntomon followed suite. Just before their fists could meet, the massive winged form of Birdramon appeared, dropping to the ground between them. She threw open her wings, throwing the two battling Digimon to the ground.
“Stop this ridiculous posturing!” Birdramon cried. “Tyranterramon is our mutual enemy. We should be fighting with each other, not against each other!”
SkullMeramon stood up and turned to face his most recent assailant, saying, “Who are you to give commands to the mighty SkullMeramon!?” That’s when he actually took a good look at Birdramon. When he did, he dropped to his knees, “Y-you are my master! You are my master reborn at last!”
SkullMeramon cupped his hands near his chest, and from within his body a glowing orb emerged. “This Legacy Code was given to me by the original Mountain Guardian. It contains her power, and her memories! With this Code, you can live again!”
Birdramon looked confused as the orb flew from SkullMeramon’s hands and sunk into her chest. There was an intense flash, and Birdramon changed form. She was a humanoid winged beast with broad red wings, eagle-like legs, and an eagle’s head, covered by a yellow helm. Her body was covered in red feathers, marked by Native American-style patterns. She threw open her arms and spread her wings, “Birdramon, Digivolve to, Garudamon!”
The forty-foot-tall Bird-Man Digimon looked down at her talon-like hands and said, “I remember it all now. I remember the Sovereign giving me the power to Digivolve to Phoenixmon. I remember repelling Tyranterramon from my mountain by summoning the fire from the volcano. I remember my second battle against Tyranterramon, alongside my fellow Guardians. I remember receiving the injuries that led to my death. And I remember dying.”
I was shocked, but before I could even register my disbelief, the ground shook under my feet. Oh no! I turned just in time to see Tyranterramon step into view. “I wonder if you’ll remember dying this time too,” he said, his voice booming with power.
Garudamon and SkullMeramon turned to face the oncoming foe. My team, my allies and I did as well. “Tyranterramon!” said Garudamon. Her eyes narrowed, “Get out of my region at once!”
“You have no business commanding me, Bird. You were able to defeat me last time we fought here because you and I were the same Level, and you possessed the ability to control fire.”
“I’ve retained that ability,” Garudamon countered.
“But,” Tyranterramon replied, “I am several times more powerful now, and you are only a Perfect Digimon.”
“You forget,” I said, “that Garudamon has us to fight by her side.”
I nodded to my team mates, and they brandished their Digivices, saying as one, “Initiate…”
Sarah, Jen, and Jeremy called, “…Warp Digivolution!”
Kristin called, “…Digiplayer Digivolution!”
“Ponymon, Warp Digivolve to…”
“Coltmon, Warp Digivolve to…”
“Mechmon, Warp Digivolve to…”
“TechnoPupmon, Direct Digivolve to…”
“TechAngewomon!”
“MechAngemon!”
“Decimatormon!”
“TechnoWeremon!”
I plugged my Digivice and Digiplayer together and inserted both the Digidisk of Courage, and the Digidisk of Friendship, calling, “Initiate, DNA Warp Digivolution!”
“Serpentmon…”
“BlackColtmon…”
“…DNA Warp Digivolve to! InfernoKnightmon!”
Before he knew it, Tyranterramon was facing down seven Ultimate Level Digimon, five Perfect Level Digimon, and a handful of Adult and Child Level Digimon. Garudamon summoned a ball of fire from the crater above, and the mighty flames wreathed her arms and her wings.
“With the data of the Mountain Core,” said Tyranterramon, “I’ll finally have to power to sense the location of the Final Core. I will be unbeatable!”
“You’ll never reach the Mountain Core,” said Garudamon. “We won’t let you.”
“You can’t defeat me,” said Tyranterramon. “Not before I reach the core.”
“We don’t need to defeat you,” I replied. “You can only absorb a core if your power is near its peak. All we have to do is weaken you enough that the core is outside your reach. Once you’re unable to absorb the Mountain Core, you’ll barely be a threat.”
I looked up at Garudamon, “Want to get this started?”
“You know it!” She rose into the air and spread her wings, calling, “Wing Blade!” A bird shaped blade made of pure fire erupted from her wings. The fire from the volcano fed it, and it grew to many times its original size. Tyranterramon tried to block the attack, but it curved around his defenses, burning him and holding him in place as it continued to swirl around his body.
But before the attack could deal lethal damage, and before the other Digimon could fire their own attacks, Tyranterramon, with great effort, threw his arms open wide and flung the fire away. He punched, sending waves of energy at the temple in a desperate attempt to get his hands on the core.
“No you don’t,” said InfernoKnightmon. He rose up and took the full force of the attack. InfernoKnightmon, once Tyranterramon’s superior, was thrown like a rag doll through the air. He fell and hit the rocky ground below, sliding for several yards before he stopped, unmoving.
While Tyranterramon was busy attacking InfernoKnightmon, Decimatormon seized the opportunity to attack Tyranterramon from behind. Enraged, Tyranterramon turned and punched, hammering Decimatormon in the chest. Decimatormon fell, and was caught by TechnoWeremon.
“Are you okay?” the smaller machine asked.
“Yeah,” Decimatormon answered, “I’m okay.”
I watched as the Digimon circled their opponent, launching attack after attack. Tyranterramon continued to deflect most of the attacks, but thanks to the damage from Garudamon’s fire, the attacks that made it through actually seemed to be doing him harm. Due to this, Tyranterramon actually seemed to be getting desperate. I didn’t notice at the time, but the Mountain Core was beginning to flash again in response to all of the fighting.
At the same time TechnoWeremon jumped up, kicking
Tyranterramon in the face, but as he fell back to the ground,
TechnoWeremon was caught by the leg by the infuriated Tyranterramon.
Tyranterramon swung him, slamming him into the angels, and then into
Garudamon. Finally Tyranterramon slammed TechnoWeremon into the ground
and let go. TechnoWeremon de-Digivolved to TechnoPupmon and fell
unconscious. Tyranterramon raised his fist and swung it, aiming to crush
the tiny robotic dog. “Noooo!” Kris cried. There was another flash
from within the temple, and TechnoPupmon woke up. He jumped out of the
way at the very last second and turned to face his opponent. Kris’
Digivice came to life, and TechnoPupmon began to change.
“TechnoPupmon, Warp Digivolve to,” He grew until he was humanoid and about six feet tall. He was essentially human in appearance, wearing a black shirt and tattered jean shorts under a blue, green striped wolf-skin cloak draped over his shoulders, secured by a sash around his waist. The head of the skin covered his eyes and head like an oversized hood. His hands were robotic and shaped more like wolf’s paws. His legs and his neck were clearly mechanical as well. Attached to his left arm appeared a green beam shield, and a cloth mask covered his mouth, “CyberGarurumon!”
The limber new form jumped through the air at lightning speed, flipped, and kicked off of Tyranterramon’s swinging fist. He kicked Tyranterramon in the face, knocking him back, and then took aim with his right palm, holding his right arm with his left hand, and called, “Cyber Wolf-Claw!” Energy built in his palm, discharging in the form of a thick leaf green beam. It hit Tyranterramon in the face and eyes, blowing his faceplate away. Tyranterramon clutched at his face and stumbled back. As he did, CyberGarurumon removed his sash, letting his cloak flutter free, revealing several missile launchers embedded in his back. They emerged and fired as CyberGarurumon called, “Cyber Wolf-Bite!” missile after missile fired, curving and hitting Tyranterramon in his torso and head. He cried out in pain, fell and landed hard on his back.
CyberGarurumon landed gracefully on his feet, securing his cloak once again with his sash. As he did, Tyranterramon sat up, only to find himself surrounded by flames extending from Garudamon’s and MagnaBrauntomon’s wings. The Digimon, Gekomon and Otamamon and all, took up position and released their attacks in what they hoped would be the final assault against their foe. Blades and beams and missiles and flames tore at Tyranterramon’s flesh. When he finally managed to rise, he was hunched over, unable to reach his full height. He stumbled forward, toward the temple, and fell to his knees. The temple was just out of his reach.
“You’ve lost, Tyranterramon,” I said. “Even if you were to reach the temple, you’re too weak to absorb the core now. Face it, it’s over.”
But just as the Digimon began to relax, Tyranterramon smiled. He thrust his palm, releasing waves of energy that tore through the temple, slicing the head off of the Phoenixmon statue and throwing it through the air. Another wave shattered the head and the Mountain Core within it. The shards of the core were absorbed into Tyranterramon’s outstretched hand.
I stared in disbelief as once again Tyranterramon was encased in light. As the light spread, Tyranterramon looked me in the eyes and said, “Good try human, but I don’t need to be at full strength to absorb the cores anymore.”
I fell to my knees. Above me, Garudamon said, “We failed. Now there’s only one core left.”
Her words shook me out of my brief stupor. There was no time for self pity or blame. I looked around, surveying the mountains and the clouds that were forming above them.
“We have to get out of here,” I said. “We still have work to do.”
The Digimon scooped us up, and in moments my entire makeshift band of warriors was airborne, souring away from the devastation that I had allowed happen. I looked back, gazing through the rain and the lightning. In the center of the chaos was the indestructible titan known as Tyranterramon.
“TechnoPupmon, Warp Digivolve to,” He grew until he was humanoid and about six feet tall. He was essentially human in appearance, wearing a black shirt and tattered jean shorts under a blue, green striped wolf-skin cloak draped over his shoulders, secured by a sash around his waist. The head of the skin covered his eyes and head like an oversized hood. His hands were robotic and shaped more like wolf’s paws. His legs and his neck were clearly mechanical as well. Attached to his left arm appeared a green beam shield, and a cloth mask covered his mouth, “CyberGarurumon!”
The limber new form jumped through the air at lightning speed, flipped, and kicked off of Tyranterramon’s swinging fist. He kicked Tyranterramon in the face, knocking him back, and then took aim with his right palm, holding his right arm with his left hand, and called, “Cyber Wolf-Claw!” Energy built in his palm, discharging in the form of a thick leaf green beam. It hit Tyranterramon in the face and eyes, blowing his faceplate away. Tyranterramon clutched at his face and stumbled back. As he did, CyberGarurumon removed his sash, letting his cloak flutter free, revealing several missile launchers embedded in his back. They emerged and fired as CyberGarurumon called, “Cyber Wolf-Bite!” missile after missile fired, curving and hitting Tyranterramon in his torso and head. He cried out in pain, fell and landed hard on his back.
CyberGarurumon landed gracefully on his feet, securing his cloak once again with his sash. As he did, Tyranterramon sat up, only to find himself surrounded by flames extending from Garudamon’s and MagnaBrauntomon’s wings. The Digimon, Gekomon and Otamamon and all, took up position and released their attacks in what they hoped would be the final assault against their foe. Blades and beams and missiles and flames tore at Tyranterramon’s flesh. When he finally managed to rise, he was hunched over, unable to reach his full height. He stumbled forward, toward the temple, and fell to his knees. The temple was just out of his reach.
“You’ve lost, Tyranterramon,” I said. “Even if you were to reach the temple, you’re too weak to absorb the core now. Face it, it’s over.”
But just as the Digimon began to relax, Tyranterramon smiled. He thrust his palm, releasing waves of energy that tore through the temple, slicing the head off of the Phoenixmon statue and throwing it through the air. Another wave shattered the head and the Mountain Core within it. The shards of the core were absorbed into Tyranterramon’s outstretched hand.
I stared in disbelief as once again Tyranterramon was encased in light. As the light spread, Tyranterramon looked me in the eyes and said, “Good try human, but I don’t need to be at full strength to absorb the cores anymore.”
I fell to my knees. Above me, Garudamon said, “We failed. Now there’s only one core left.”
Her words shook me out of my brief stupor. There was no time for self pity or blame. I looked around, surveying the mountains and the clouds that were forming above them.
“We have to get out of here,” I said. “We still have work to do.”
The Digimon scooped us up, and in moments my entire makeshift band of warriors was airborne, souring away from the devastation that I had allowed happen. I looked back, gazing through the rain and the lightning. In the center of the chaos was the indestructible titan known as Tyranterramon.
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