Given his dramatic proclamation, you expected Garummon to make an attempt to drag you both in front of his master. AncientGreymon would, logically speaking, desire to meet with the server's newest Demon Lord. If only to assess her threat to the Sephirot.
Instead you find yourselves sitting down in a local tea shop, drinking a delightfully sweet barrel of *milk tea*. Unexpected, but not an unwelcome development. The Legendary Warrior sitting across from you defaults to his normal glare, masking any other emotions he might display, which is… at this point you believe it's most likely not intentional.
Zeha, he really reminds me of Gnaw sometimes. I pray that he and Iris will be watching my final match.
"Speak then." Ardat murmurs imperiously before taking a shallow sip of her milk tea.
"What arrogance has given you the idea that you can call us to a meeting."
A few moments pass in silence as the Legendary Warrior of Light grumbles over the answer, before finally he nods.
"The Sephirot will not be pleased to know that Bulwark is now dealing with Demon Lords."
"We are no more Demon Lord cret-ahem, Garummon." Ardat corrects herself for… some reason. However you're not sure why she glances at you afterwards.
"You are fortunate enough to be in the presence of this server's first and only Lilithmon! The Great Misstress of Desire, Wind Sorcerery and-" As the womon's *explanation* of her titles go on, something strange happens. The tension in Garummon's body and aura gradually fade, until eventually the Ultimate shakes his head.
And you're split on what it could mean.
Either he's written her off as a non-threat, or consigned her for execution. It's difficult to tell…
"I've heard enough." The wolf digimon growls, cutting Ardat off somewhere around *Glorious future Empress of destiny*. With that your rival turns to you and lets out a harsh snort.
"I'll inform my master that the newest Demon Lord isn't the evil he fears."
"Evil? We are above such meagre concepts such as good or evil!" Ardat lies before breaking out into a wicked cackle. Something both you and the Holy digimon ignore.
"The non-threat your companion poses aside-"
"H-hey! We're very threatening! Verge tell him!"
"-I had a personal matter to discuss." Garummon continues, still ignoring your lady, despite the Lilithmon's attempta to be threatening by waving her claws in fronts face.
"Hmm?" Putting down the barrel, you learn forward (ignoring Ardat's increasingly childish complaints) and give the former-mercenary your full attention. "Would this be about my next match, or Grademon?"
"Grr, that was obvious feline." He grumbles back, not denying your guesses.
"Both. Grademon first. I heard she vanished after a talk with Leopardmon. She joined Bulwark."
"Aye…" You acknowledge, frowning openly at his topic of discussion.
"Grr?" The cyborg tilts his head, confused by your tone
. "I thought you of all mon would be excited to have her as an ally."
"She has been… disappointing." You admit, thinking back on your last few interactions with the womon. "She was swayed over by Greed, and abandoned her vengeance because the foe was too powerful." A very strong sense of bitterness enters your tone, anger borne of immense disappointment. "Grademon was not the warrior paragon I believed." Beside you Ardat stops her mindless chatter, and smiles openly as if she'd just won something.
No matter, my Lady's strangeness is not important at the moment.
Again Garummon surprises you. Instead of being shocked or disappointed he just snorts again.
"So she's not the perfect womon you thought she was?" The Legendary Warrior barks, slapping a paw down on the table, nearly toppling his bowl of tea. You hold back a glare at his attitude, and the next moment his form shifts, reverting back to
Wolfmon.
"Chevalier Verge." His next words are much softer, his Champion frame's tone absent of the previous derision.
"Your perspective… I think it's led to you being unnecessarily harsh on her."
"Come again?"
"No she deserves it." Ardat chimes in smugly… and is ignored.
"You see the matter as Grademon abandoning her companion because of weakness." He explains, and you can't fault his reasoning there.
"But your own viewpoint on the matter has blinded you to other possibilities."
"That is… unlikely?" You try and retort, but hesitate. That isn't a possibility you'd considered before.
"I met her blade to blade, and Grademon was not a warrior that would give up that easily.." Wolfmon continues solemnly.
"Where you see her putting down vengeance as abandonment, I theorize that her laxity stems from another place." He looks past you and lets out a long breath.
"Vengeance is not the only path, there are those that choose to put it down in order to end the cycle of violence. Grademon saw the result of that path firsthand with Angemon, and I believe she chose to end it herself."
This time you glare at the Champion with full force,
despising the very notion he's suggesting. You couldn't imagine doing something like that. It would've been weakness, pathetic, sniveling
weakness to just give up on beating Repulsa. And finally defeating her in battle, as a Mega no less… It had brought you great catharsis, and a sense of peace. This time your response is much firmer.
"I disagree." You rumble, before taking another swig of your tea. "I defeated Repulsa, just as I defeated the Vortex Isle forces seeking vengeance upon myself and Pit. If their deaths cause more warriors to seek my life." You place down the barrel with slightly more force than intended, shattering the empty wood into nineteen pieces. "Then so be it." Ardat flinches, but Wolfmon nods calmly as if having expected such a reaction.
"A mon is rarely all evil, or all good." He murmurs, meeting your heated gaze without fear.
"Deleting some may be necessary, but what of their friends? What of their family? Will you delete every digimon that comes seeking vengeance for those that perished at your hand?"
Ridiculous, vengeance is… hold Verge. Is this the philosophy Gramps was trying to teach us at the village? It rings… so similar.
===Choose One:
[]Yes, you would delete them if they came seeking your life. If they would run to their own deaths, then so be it.
[]This is not a question with a simple answer. It would have to be on a case by case basis.
[] No, you're strong enough at this point to remain non-lethal unless forced. At this poiont, a quick Spinal-Tap is enough to handle all but the strongest Ultimates
[] Write in:
===
AN: I was gonna write this up yesterday but had a pretty bad relapse. Feeling much better today though! This one was a real fun one to writer, I dig the whole philosophy thing more than I thought. Tomorrow, the match with Angemon starts! 
