With a Howling roar you step up into the air and leap towards the Knightmon, both forelimbs rising up for a single hammering strike. She doesn't deign to take the smashing attack, instead simply darting beneath your airborne form.
A month ago you would have been forced to waste time landing before following, but now all you have to do is turn and kick. Your rear-paws impact against newly hardened air, sending you shooting after the dodging knight.
Her sword flashes up into a one-handed block, catching your paired claws before they can strike home.
"A heavy blow Gryzmon. Well struck." Her body straightens back up, casually ripping the enormous sword free and taking up her stance again. Turning to present you with her right shoulder and sweeping her blade out in a tightly controlled twirl.
"Zehaha." You grin viciously down at the Knightmon, return her nod, then advance, fore-limbs hung low. In return the enemy moves forward to meet you, shuffling forward lightly on her armored boots and transitioning into a simple thrust.
It's a simple stab, impeccable in its execution and nearly blinding in its speed. A flick of your left wrist bats the blurring weapon away, before your right arm lances out into a short downward sweep. The knight pulls her lead arm back and sways aside, letting your attack pass mere millimeters from her shoulder. She strikes on the return, throwing a horizontal cut at your hips, but your low guard intercepts the crisp blow.
Tremors of pain flow up your arm from the deflection, but you grit through them and press on.
Side stance narrows profile, presents smaller target... easier evasion.
Your opponent shuffles back a step and leans away, dodging your Crescent Dawn, then snaps forward into a countering lunge. Before it can strike your right war-gauntlet intercedes, taking it on the knuckle and sending her blade screeching past. Slivers of metal fly up from your war-gauntlet along with another bout of shock.
Swift retreat and advance, easy shift between defense and offense. That should mean…
This time you step diagonally around her, pivoting your weight into a short but powerful downwards hook directly at her back. *Fonte's* right arm bends back, catching your spiked knuckles just before her shoulder-and is sent sliding to the water's edge as a result.
Style leaves back and chest more vulnerable to sideways strikes… but that was allowed to land.
"I see you've found your head warrior." The *pink* Knightmon muses happily, slowly walking back to the center. "But I wonder, are you truly strong? Or will you fold under pressure like so many other weaklings?"
The next few seconds prove that as she truly goes on the offensive. A pair of short cuts pepper your guard, blowing your forepaws away and allowing the Knightmon to send a shallow thrust out to pierce through your gut. You ignore the fleshwound and push forward, bringing both gauntlets down for a simultaneous strike at her back and chest.
Fonte's arm simply blurs left, then right, smacking your limbs away in a nearly instantaneous motion while leaving two new gashes on your chest. Reflexively you raise both paws back into a guard, but she twists her wrists and thrusts through the small gap between paws, stabbing you a second time.
Amazing.
The enemy's swordplay is in a word exquisite. Agressive speed paired with near flawless technique that renders both your attacks and defense near worthless. Your size actually works against you here, simply leaving more surface area for her to strike.
It's a far cry from the predictive counters and heavy blows you employ and something you find yourself respecting.
"Dumb, dumb, dumby! All you've been doing is fighting with this evil guy! What about the plan huh? You're ruining it!"
Evil? Plan? Focus.
"Your plan?" The Knightmon asks, completely stumped by the question. Fonce raises a hand up to rub at the bottom of her helmet, clearly thinking hard on the subject. A second passes, two three. A full five second later, the Knight snaps her fingers and nods. "Yes my lady your plan! I'm kidnapping you so your friend can-"
"Sssssh! Ix nay on the plan say idiot! Just hurry up and kick this bear's butt!"
"B-but guardian! We're having a true battle of grit and honor! A proper duel for the sake of my sworn liege… liegess? He's even using some sort of spell to try and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat! I can't just interrupt him… it… it would be improper!"
The much smaller digimon leans forward and punches at your opponent's armored head… with expected results.
*Whump*
"Ow…*sniff*"
"Don't cry lady Drop!" The *kidnapper* carefully sets down her sniveling *target* and carefully begin to check on the Legendary Warrior's bruised knuckles.
...
You're starting to be confused on the whole *kidnapping* subject.
"Hehehehehe, still a crybaby. Ya sure know how to pick'em prick."
"Hnph. Quiet glassjaw. Don't make me shatter you."
All of their yammering has granted you the time needed to finish the last ones and zeros of Flame Weapon Shroud.
An inferno of roaring purple flame flares to life around each of your war-gauntlets. Shimmering air sizzles around your claws, burning under the intense, furious heat. This wild, dark fire isn't what you expected, but it'll work just as well.
"See guardian! He's done already... you. Just added fire to your weapons?" The wommon murmurs, actually slumping down in disappointment. You glare down at her, wrath swelling in your core. Instead of letting it take control, you lean on your desire to land a single hit and wrangle that energy into fueling your body.
So with a deep breath, you take another step forward pivoting your weight and moving to enact the *winning* maneuver. Your left fore-limb sweeps out wide, gaining the maximum possible power in a slow, predictable arc. She'll parry this and easily at that, but you're not aiming to directly hit her.
Memories tickle at the corner of your mind, La-Ardat thrusting her hand up at Count with a raging scream.
"Gale Claw!"
The painfully hot sheath of flame around your paw detonates in a jet of whirling lavender, bursting past Fonte's berserk blade and hungrily clawing into her face. A shrill scream pierces out from the Knightmon's lips, even as her motion continues, knocking away your paw.
With the opponent blinded and reeling, you go with the force of her deflect, pulling the limb back, twisting your hips around and channeling the newly found momentum into a painfully fast, hooking swipe.
Fonte's guard is bypassed entirely and there's no hope of evasion, even for a mon as fast as her. Your right war-gauntlet streaks into her breastplate, maring the Knight's insignia and shaving off a sliver of the metal. Satisfaction and victory flood out from your core at the shrieking sound. A testament of your physical ability and skill.
Oh god, a fuel-air bomb. A corrosive viral data to the face fuel-air bomb.
Verge needs to either pick up some subtlety or his friends need to play safer pranks.
Some day he's going to melt a face off permanently.
"See! Help Beat! Save me before she carries me off!"
"Just… stop this." Beat groans, rubbing at the newly formed crack in his skull. "Were you ever in danger?"
"I-I was, and am. The life of a goddess is a fearsome one! I'm always under grave, unfathomable danger."
*Glare*
"O-okay… maybe I-umm. Exaggerated things a little?" The Ranamon admits, poking her index fingers together. "It's just been so long since we've seen each other and you being my champion and all. And I was worried you'd forget about me so I thought if you could save me like old times then maybe-"
"Oh for god's sake. You called in a mission and *faked* a freaking kidnapping because you wanted to see *broody* over there?"
"M-maybe?"
"Ha! Well that makes our job easier, but this was easily the stupidest shit I've ever seen.."
"You shouldn't have lied *Lady* Drop." Pit admonishes the smaller mon, before breaking out into a smile. "But it is good that we've all met up once more!"
"Um… who were you again?" The angel flinches back as if struck, his smile falling apart as his face turns desperate.
"Wh-who am I? I'm-we met a few times. You told me it was great that I was trying to become Seraphimon!"
"He's going to be fine." Drop says, dismissing his worry with a wave of her hand. "I bet that evil guy is going to surface any second now!"
…
"Wait for it. Any second..."
"Hey…" Angewomon slowly moves over to peer at the *trench* of water. "Do any of you know if *hefty* can even swim?"
Fonte slowly raises a hand, drawing the group's attention.
"No but… there was a clang sound when my sword hit his bones. Are they made of metal? I mean, I fell in once and had to be fished out."
One moment you're basking in glorious success and the next, boiling water is suddenly pouring into your mouth. Thinking becomes incredibly difficult for some reason, all you feel is a deep pain in your skull.
Three points:
1) Flame Weapon Shroud DOES work on our teeth
2) While the fire can't hurt us, the steam the flashboiling water becomes can.
3) The only way it'd stop shooting hot steam into Verge's head with his monstrous Special stat is if he was facing upwards and generating rocket propulsion to sink even faster.
No the problem is that you don't have any way to properly maneuver. Between your fur and heavy (still blazing) paws, trying to move only serves to send you tumbling about in place. To make matters worse, the number of physical pathways down below the surface proves to be minuscule. On your current path it's nothing but a literal straight shot down into utter blackness… and you're sure you're falling faster the deeper you go.
There's another entire level of the city around, with thousands of digimon swimming to and fro around branching dark blue towers. All of which would be out of reach even if you weren't sinking at ridiculous speeds.
A SeaDramon bumps into you at what looks like full swimming speed for some reason and then rebounds away his head now a shade of dark black from the heat. The *tackle* barely pushes you any distance at all.
You fight against the headache and channel energy into your Void-Steps… but the water is thicker than air, more resistant to having energy poured in. With enough time you could adjust, but with the rushing liquid sweeping your power away there's no good way to keep it in place long enough to try.
Okay, so Verge CAN get out of here on his own, eventually, by Void Stepping his way up and out.
Probably easier if he can find a solid structure to grip along the way though, so he can recharge his energy.
You know a part me me wonders when the rest of the squad figured out Verge's metal skeleton... and if anyone could actually on the occasions they get exposed.
Physically speaking Verge was originally, a smol mole terrified of his own shadow. Seeing GryzVerve with his dark fur, red eye, teeth, weapon and scar would make him faint.
Personality wise? It's just as bad if not worse. Mentally Verge was a pacificist horrified by the idea of deletion and wanting nothing to do with violence.
He quite literally threw up after finding out Gnaw deleted that hawkmon.
Current Verge likes fighting and is more than okay with deleting others.
Anyway looking at the wiki... I find it funny that two of the Heavy Hitter options I like for Verge both have potential Mega evolutions before that.
Craniumon has the whole HiAndromon thing... which I still fully support for Verge's Mega if we do go RK path.
But at the same time Baihumon as the most likley Sovereign also has some Mega predecessors in SaberLeomon/DinoTigermon... one of which is already a case of a Mega evolving into another Mega.... you know that's probably one of the more likley ways for a Sovergin to show up without the whole fusion thing.
Also while I'm thinking about Sovereigns where exactly does Haunglongmon rank among heavy hitters considering the thing may or not be a fusion of all the Sovereigns... or does it highly depend on how many Sovereigns make it up like with some of the other Jogress mon do with their own components? I know Lucemon apparently can seal one but that doesn't really say all that much how the fight went down beyond that Lucemon apparently thought it better than trying to delete the thing. It could imply he wanted to be merciful due to not being crazy yet or it could imply his Rookie form just couldn't beat it in a fair fight, so I'm on the fence on that one.
Also while I'm thinking about Sovereigns where exactly does Haunglongmon rank among heavy hitters considering the thing may or not be a fusion of all the Sovereigns... or does it highly depend on how many Sovereigns make it up like with some of the other Jogress mon do with their own components? I know Lucemon apparently can seal one but that doesn't really say all that much how the fight went down beyond that Lucemon apparently thought it better than trying to delete the thing. It could imply he wanted to be merciful due to not being crazy yet or it could imply his Rookie form just couldn't beat it in a fair fight, so I'm on the fence on that one.
Nah. It's actually a consequence of his special getting so high combined with Wrath influence. Verge's natural esteoric colour is a darker purple, which is now able to overwhelm the base spell's *natural* hue. Wrath corruption is also literally making it stronger. Most of that can be laid at Chimairamon's feet.
As a note, this move? It would be pretty freaking deadly on anything close to his level. Unfortunately Fonte was tough enough to tank it without much issue. Well, thanks to blinking at least. Otherwise her eyes would be really darn wounded.
Hehe. As a fresh champion he came of as pretty generic. In fact he still probably does when compared to your average Pidmon or Angemon... well mostly. He's a bit less spiteful nowadays.
3) The only way it'd stop shooting hot steam into Verge's head with his monstrous Special stat is if he was facing upwards and generating rocket propulsion to sink even faster.
You know a part me me wonders when the rest of the squad figured out Verge's metal skeleton... and if anyone could actually on the occasions they get exposed.
As a note, this move? It would be pretty freaking deadly on anything close to his level. Unfortunately Fonte was tough enough to tank it without much issue. Well, thanks to blinking at least. Otherwise her eyes would be really darn wounded.
"Blub, blub, blub."
Unable to form proper words-three hundred and sixty-five-air and water exhaled as bubbles. Three hundred and sixty-six. Mayhaps-
*Whump*
A sudden collision between your left shoulder and an aquamarine pathway stops the line of thought dead in its tracks. The ramp of stone shatters under your obscene momentum, sending chunks of broken rock scattering in every direction. Fortunately at least the sound and shrapnel are both blunted by being underwater. It still hurts though.
Ouch.
Fortunately, the impact also serves to sharply decrease your sinking speed, meaning when you strike the next road a moment later, it merely cracks in half. You strike the third bridge even lighter, only chipping away a small bit of material and finally coming to stop.
Spirits above. It's done. How long was I… three hundred and nine divided by… ah. I was falling for six minutes plus nine seconds. For distance… I couldn't measure the speed exactly, but it felt was slower than going through the air… I think.
However far you may have fallen, the resulting pressure from being underneath so much water has become physically painful. It's a struggle to so much as move under the ridiculous weight pressing down on your body.
In other words, it's some of the best physical conditioning you could have hoped for. Every laboured movement, every jolt of pain is just an indication that your body is adapting, becoming even stronger. This is just one more challenge to be overcome.
Waiting for either Beat or HippoGriffomon to come get you isn't an option. Neither of your fellows are built for swimming and even if they could reach these depths, their vision can't deal with the pitch blackness that comes along with being so deep. With the local aquatic digimon being just as skittish as their surface counterparts, the only mon that can get you out of this mess is you.
Of course, you make sure to be careful when climbing up the various ramps. A single slip could send you spiraling even further into the seemingly infinite depths. Sinking further might result in not being able to move at all and that would be… awful to say the least. Another reason to be careful are the many sweeping currents criss-crossing the city (ordered in a strangely artificial manner) if you're not careful in walking through them one might drag you off the road. The aquatic digmon use them to get around, but you're not exactly able to swim. Between said currents, the depth pressure and your wounds, attempting to slide down to a rookie would be foolish.
At least the view is interesting.
Indeed whoever designed this place certainly had a keen sense of aesthetics, the broad pillars rising up from the depths are spaced perfectly to allow the many branching buildings and paths to exist without being in each other's way.
It's overall quite sparse compared to Alt or Hub City, but this place more than makes up for it in depth.
Water Temple City has even more peculiarities up its sleeve however. In your hours of crawling, dragging and walking you come across a number of whirlpools flowing up towards the surface or down towards the further depths. There are clearly artificial in nature and you even spot mon riding them towards some unknown destination. Attempting to use one does cross your mind. But with your weight… it would probably be a bad idea. Simply not worth the risk when you can climb naturally.
After two hours of steady progress moving up the diagonal ramps (during which the depth pressure steadily decreases) you're approached by small, stocky mon that seems to be an amalgamation of humanoid and more *fishy* traits. A Hangyomon, your mind affirms. He(?) waves his harpoon at you in a bid to get attention, them motions for you to follow him towards what looks like some sort of warehouse with a shimmering square entranceway.
You cautiously follow the direction, being careful to keep an eye out for anything resembling a trap and finally shoulder through the entrance a minute later. Upon passing the shimmering field you're met not with more water, but familiar air.
Instinctively you try to take a breath, but the water lodged in your chest has other ideas. It takes a minute to cough it all out before you move on to performing a healing spell. It's only after your wounds have been mended that the small mon speaks.
"Welcome to my humble place Bellator Verge." Now that, that puts you on edge. But if the Ultimate is disturbed by your narrowed eye he doesn't show it. Instead he bows low in greeting. "It was unfortunate that I could not reach you sooner. I dared not to attract the suspicion of Calamarmon's guards."
Helping me earlier would have attracted the attention of her guards? How-Focus. There is something more important to say first.
"I am at a disadvantage here. You know who I am but, I cannot say the same for you."
"Ah, my apologies for the rudeness. You may call me Hangyomon, a member of the resistance."
Resistance?
"You're resisting something then…"
What could *it* be? The Gloaming? No, they lack a major presence here. Then it has to be-
"Calamaramon?"
"That is correct Verge, you're quite sharp aren't you?"
You cock your head at the odd statement, then look down towards your claws. They are indeed quite sharp, but you're not sure what that has to do with anything. In the end you shrug and move on to the topic at hand.
"Bringing me here and introducing yourself as a member of *the resistance*... it must mean that you want something from me, correct?"
"Yes. We do. But first... you need to know why." The aquatic digmon says with a sad sigh. "This city's ruler is an evil despot of the worst sort. She stole the Beast Spirit of water, then used its power to mercilessly wipe out the priesthood and turn their temple into her own personal palace." Your core burns at the injustice present in his words, but you calmly stop it from bubbling free. While what he's saying is in fact a horrible atrocity… it must have happened a full century ago and there's depressingly little you can do about it. Hangyomon carries on ignorant of your emotional bout, his voice now tinged with a hint of anger. "This entire city... it was built off that as nothing more than a tribute to her own ego."
You think back on the many, many statues present within the city and nod.
"I do not find any of this difficult to believe." You admit, knowing full well the moral depths some mon can sink too. "But… I'm sorry to inform you that I do not believe my squad can intervene."
"No you can't. Not directly." The stock mon admits. "While Calamaramon is a sick, sadistic monster. The Host isn't willing to risk enraging the City-States, even if she oppresses her citizens and personally tortures others for fun the Choir wouldn't dare interfere. Any changes must occur from within."
You wince at the description of the city leaders antics and the Host's unwillingness to intervene. What he's saying is making sense, but...
"Why would the inhabitants stand for this?"
"It's simple I'm afraid. Any and all attempts to rebel would be flattened by Calamaramon's personal guard. She has a small army of armor-digimon and a large personal guard made up of only the very strongest Ultimates."
I see. That is… a significantly powerful fighting force.
"But… the worst thing is Calamaramon herself. Being bonded to a Beast Spirit has given her power beyond ken and she's accrued powerful sorcery in her long life. Even an army wouldn't be able to defeat her."
That sounds… hopeless.
Memories flash to the forefront of your mind, Count's laugh. Repulsa's giggling. Two mon whose overwhelming power you still can't truly fathom catching up to. You grit your teeth, fighting back the urge to strike something, anything. It takes another few seconds to finally calm down.
If it's like this for them… but. What can we do against a mon even more powerful than Count? What would a hero… what would Agnimon do?
…
He'd help.
The medallion in your bag tugs down, suddenly very heavy.
"How can I provide assistance." You half-snarl, prompting a toothy smirk from the aquatic digimon.
"Very nice Verge. We have a way of accomplishing the impossible. It just requires one thing from your squad. The digimon known as Drop must be removed from this city before night three days hence." You blink at his words.
"Erm, could you please repeat that?"
"Very well Verge. We need your squad to remove the digimon known as Drop from this city before the night in three days."
"Waaaaaaah! Help! Beat! There's a big scary digimon, help!"
You're starting to doubt the competence of this *resistance*. Drop being a threat to their plans is like… actually you can't think of a comparison for this.
Spirits below.
While it's true you've only met her a handful of times… every one of those encounters has further cemented her as… well you don't know how to classify that either.
Maybe… the opposite of competent and dangerous? Focus. There has to be another reason behind their request, something I cannot see as of yet.
"Can you tell me why?
"I'm sorry Verge, I can't. But…" He trails off into a rumbling laugh. "Fwofwofwo. I promise that it'll all be revealed on the fourth night."
… right.
With that the Ultimate reaches back and pulls out a plastic tube from his back and offers it towards your head.
"This is a written copy of my message just in case. Please make sure it reaches the hands of *Imperius Pit*."
"I see. Very well, I will."
… but Drop. Really? How… how would she even affect them?! This doesn't make any sense!
"Ah yes. Verge there's one last thing. I can take you directly back to the surface, but only if you're willing to slide down."
Calling me by my rank and name. And knowing that I can slide down… how?... ah. He won't answer that either, will he?
=Choose One:
[] Yes. It would be best if you reunited with your squad as fast as possible so you can tell them about Hangymon's request.
[] No. You'd be too vulnerable and you don't trust Hangymon… plus moving under the water pressure is great training. (+14 Strength, 12.5 Fortitude, 12.5 Endurance, 11 Agility)
General Fighting: 147.50/180->148.75
Martial Arts, Maul (Gryzmon) Style: 91.75/180->94.25
===Authors Note: By my calculations, Verge fell roughly 8000 meters. Which means 11,774 PSI of crushing depth. For reference, saltwater crocodiles bite down with 3,700 PSI.
[X] No. You'd be too vulnerable and you don't trust Hangymon… plus moving under the water pressure is great training. (+14 Strength, 12.5 Fortitude, 12.5 Endurance, 11 Agility)
Something ain't right here...Drop wanted to be an idol. She's not even going to be in the city that long is she?
[X] No. You'd be too vulnerable and you don't trust Hangymon… plus moving under the water pressure is great training. (+14 Strength, 12.5 Fortitude, 12.5 Endurance, 11 Agility)
Something ain't right here...Drop wanted to be an idol. She's not even going to be in the city that long is she?
Like Calmaramon is hella old so she probably knows or at least has a hint of human spirit+beast spirit=???
It's weird Drop is allowed to run free...or not Fonte is scary as hell and LordKnightmon does have the little problem of Power=Justice so 'personal hobbies' aside as long as Calmaramon continues to be strong and maintain a stable territory then a subordinate with LordKnightmon tendencies would be satisfied but still only one and making an obvious fake mission reaching our weirdly OP squad?
There's something funky in the water and I don't like it, the fact that the series used Hangyomon as subbordinates of Dragomon does not fill me with confidence either
