You know, I'm thinking: since Endurance's soft cap is 180, at least when the Endurance Talent is E, that tells me that the other E-ranked talent stats are probably around the same as well, possibly higher for Fortitude. Agility's is probably like 160 since its talent is lower. Strength probably has the highest soft cap at like 200 for E-ranked Talent.
What I'm trying to say is, stat gain is going to start slowing down more and more soon.
[] Help Beat against that other insect digimon. That KoKabuterimon. He may not want anyone's help, but so what? Flamemon would probably tell you that a hero doesn't wait until someone asks for help.
===
You look over towards the wounded Wormmon, grit your teeth, and step up beside him. Sorcerymon's first spell moves past your lips for a seconds time, and you extend a paw the injured insect digimon. The medallion you'd been given the night before the festival weighs heavy in your bag, a potent reminder of what has to be done.
I'm not… I won't abandon him. Beat doesn't want my help but, I can't just stand by and let him fight alone. While he's not my friend, that doesn't matter, Flamemon-A hero wouldn't stand by and let another mon get deleted like this.
"Interesting." KoKabuterimon practically hums, sending a glance your way. "This should be a fun bout to carry out."
"Don't!" The beaten Wormmon snarls, but you ignore his protests and finish your spell, letting the holy energies wash over his small body. In the next moment the many bruises and cracks vanish entirely, leaving him back in a fully healed state. His small size actually comes in handy here, because there's, well less of him to heal. If you'd been hurt even half as bad it would have taken multiple castings to recover. You were just lucky Wizardmon hadn't had much time to beat on you, or else the single spell you'd used on yourself earlier wouldn't have cut it.
"No," You reply harshly, taking a moment to return the other rookies glare. He stays staring at you for perhaps half a moment before scoffing and turning his attention back on his original target. Perhaps it's the wind playing tricks on your ears, but you hear him mutter something that grudgingly sounds like him saying "...Thanks."
A sudden gust of wind buffets the clearing as Ardat straightens up from her slightly embarrassed posture, then slams the handle of her broom into the ground, kicking up a small explosion of dirt and dust.
"Very well Beat! Verge! Big Bug!" She crows, thrusting her free hand up into the air for what is obviously dramatic purpose. "Your match shall officially be witnessed by the most beautiful and powerful of-"
You ignore the rest of the speech; you've heard the like a dozen times by now, and instead take this brief pause while KoKabuterimon is distracted to look around. That green dinosaur Ardat had attacked is gone, and judging by her display in the last battle it's only fair to assume she deleted it. You wince at the notion, then spot Scratch near the opposite side of the clearing. He's still *fighting* the bestial digimon - if only in the technical sense, as you have a feeling he could end things at any time. The champion's body is covered in a patchwork of wounds, dozens of shallow slashes from where the Gladimon's sabers had sunk into flesh, leaking a mass of data. However, your sergeant isn't finishing it off for some reason, only choosing to dodge its many mad blows instead.
Pidmon and that scary black bird with too many teeth are still gone, and you can't help but feel a twinge of fear for your newly made friend's life. However, you force the feeling down; it won't help, not right now. You just have to trust the angel to handle things.
Sparks, who's also nonplussed at the ongoing speech, shoots you an urgent looks and motions with his fiery head turns towards the cage. He punches towards it and waves for you to come with him, but you shake your head in a refusal. The crippled Candlemon blinks at that, his waxy face looking slightly horrified, but then he grits his teeth and nods his body. Sparks turns away, then with a nervous nod clenches his remaining fist and hops off towards the captives by himself.
"-so as I desire and decree, you may begin!" Ardat finishes her speech with a jump that sends her soaring into the air, then with a single whisper her broom comes to life, leaving her hand and zooming underneath her body to act like a seat as she watches the incoming altercations.
KoKabuterimon, who'd been waiting patiently throughout the entire speech, looks up towards the hovering Witchmon and gives her a nod of what seems like respect. Then he lets out another mocking chuckle and puts one foot forward. Despite the frantic pace of the battles around you, he's taking his time. Your ally, however, is not. He explodes from his position in a very acrobatic twisting flip, directing his pincers towards the larger rookies' glistening green eye. KoKabuterimon turns his head slightly and then jerks it to the side, letting the attack smack against his large blue horn instead with a very small crack. Beat glances off the hard appendage and tumbles past, temporarily leaving you alone against the powerful digimon.
He steps forward once again, ignoring the assault and looks up at your stance with what feels like amusement.
"Kokoko, another defensive fighter?" He notes, lifting up his arms up to form a posture nearly identical to your own. The only difference being that comparatively, his arms are much thicker, leaving far less of his body uncovered. "I'm sooo scared of fighting little Beat and his oh so big replacement. Whatever can I do to win?"
...replacement?
You can't help but feel like you're both being mocked somehow.
With a cry of "Mach Jab!" you lunge forward and toss a probing punch towards his guard. Honestly, you needn't have bothered, it just bounces off the thick chitin of his muscular arms and causes pain to shoot down your paw. Beat attacks again, looping a line of silk around the larger digimon's neck from behind in an attempt to pull his head back, but the much stronger and heavier digimon just snaps his head forward, leaving the Wormmon to bounce off the back of his body.
The ridiculously tough rookie's clawed feet dig into the ground, and in the next moment bursts forward in a flash of unexpected speed. While he's not nearly as fast as that Wizardmon, you're left hard pressed to react as he brings back one massive clawed limb for a punch, and then thrusts it towards your chest.
What hits your arms doesn't feel the strike of a rookie. His speed, power, and the sheer durability of his shell combine to form an attack that nearly shatters your bones in one hit. A trio of massive incisions open up across your arms, cutting through flesh like butter as his *punch* blows through your defense and strikes home.
Pain, all too familiar, blossoms across your chest as three more wounds are opened up as his attack continues through, the sheer force sends you tumbling back head over heels. The world twists and turns strangely and confusion clouds your mind as you limply roll across the clearing. The feeling is almost peaceful, as for a few blissful seconds the pain and the violence just fade away. Clarity only comes with another sharp spike of pain as your side hits a stump, expelling the air from your chest… along with a large cloud of pulverized data.
"No!"
Spell. Got to. Heal.
"Disa-point-iiiiing!" The insect sings, every stomp of his foot bringing him closer. "I thought that maybe someone biiiiig like you might be able to fight me; but just like my dear old friend Beat, it was all show and no substance." You struggle back to your feet, keeping your head turned away from the rookie to prevent him from seeing your spellcasting. "Is this all your new friend can do? I wonder how mad you'll get if I delete this one too?" "Worm Wheel!"
*Plink*
"Kokoko! Gotcha~!"
Knowing that another attack is coming, you make to dive away as his footsteps get closer.
"Perhaps you'll do a better job as fuel for my evolution! Kokok-Argh!" You turn in surprise at his sudden cry of pain, and see one of Scratch's blades plunged deeply into the KoKabuterimon's left arm. Beat drops from the now limp set of claws and circles back around the bigger rookie.
The soothing energies of Sorcerymon's spell washes over your body once again, knitting cuts closed and restoring pulverized matter, but isn't quite enough to heal the damage inflicted by his attacks.
"Is this what it's come to?!" The now incensed rookie snarls, "A champion interrupting my fight?!" He turns over to glare at Scratch, who ignores the words in favour of thrusting his remaining sword into the bovine digimon's mouth, then up through his skull. His interruption gives you enough time to recover, to think. "Come over here and try that again!" the now angered rookie yells at your commanding officer, spreading his arms wide in a clear gesture of challenge. The small champion in question doesn't even look at him, instead turning to look at the forest where Pidmon had vanished.
I don't stand a chance against him. Mach Jab didn't even scratch him.
You privately admit barely holding back a snarl from your lips. The drills at the end of your paws rev up angrily, sending a blunt whirring sound through the air. You pause, look at the weapon on the end of your nose, and have a hard time not smiling.
His shell is tough, but my nose and claws… They're designed to break through hard surfaces!
You pivot, raise your left foot to avoid tripping over the stump, and come down in a dead sprint, running towards the now taller rookie on all fours. He's so busy yelling at your sergeant that he either doesn't see you coming, or doesn't think you're a threat... "Drill Spin!"
The tip of your nose snakes in between the limbs of his left side, and smashes into the chitin with an ear-splitting screech. Metal wars against organic matter, as the two hardened materials struggle to withstand the force of the impact. Unfortunately (for KoKabuterimon that is) you're far larger than a normal rookie and have the full power of a sprint behind the blow. His armor begins giving way, large cracks working their away up and down the frame as your nose slowly bores through his side.
"Erg-that is enooough!"
Another heavy blow crashes into your skull as rookie lashes out with a backhanded smack. It's only a glancing hit, but that's still enough to send you reeling away, pain lancing through your brain like a bolt of lightning. Out of the corner of your eye, you spot Beat slumped in place, actual tears leaking from his eyes. The Wormmon closes his bright blue orbs and whispers something.
"I'm sorry Floramon..."
That is enough for KoKabuterimon to change targets as turns his head towards Beat and growls.
"Really Beat? After everything I did you're just going to give up?!" He stamps forward, sounding offended. "Where's all that anger, that pride to be the very strongest that you bragged about!" You shake your head to clear away the mindfuzz and eye the armor on his side. It's weakened, even broken where the tip of your nose ground through his natural guard, and leaking miniscule amounts of data. You look down at the claw on your left paw and nod to yourself.
This can work. It will
The bruised and beaten Wormmon looks away, not daring to meet KoKabuterimon's eyes. Your shared foe emits a clacking noise of condensed disgust, and raises a foot above Beat, clearly intending to squish him with a single step
"Deleting you when you're pathetic like this would be meaningless!" He snarls, before raising his limb higher and taking on a more playful tone again. "But IIIII suppose that sums up your wretched existence nicely."
Prancer dances side to side, happily welcoming the tall smirking figure along with Tanemon.
"D-do you want to be my friend too?"
The tall, wispy digimon seems to consider the offer for a moment, her clawed hand reaching up to carefully rest on her chin. Repulsa's mouth twitches, warping into a sadistic smirk. A moment later she casually raises a foot slightly into the air and brings it down in an imperceptible blur of motion.
Your roaring form smashes into the stubby insect, arms wrapping tightly around his midsection. The power of wrath floods your limbs, giving you the strength to not only grapple but lift the heavy rookie into the air before he can end your ally's existence. The opponent might be stronger, but without leverage that strength is meaningless. You plant your feet, bend back and strain your arms to throw him up.
The suplex buries KoKabuterimons horn, and most of his head into the stump you'd crashed against earlier. Splinters fly, and you step back just in time to avoid another backhand. Even when only able to use on arm, KoKabuterimon easily rips himself free from the stump, then turns to face you. He seems a little dizzy, but besides that not meaningfully hurt.
"I've had enough fun!" He snarls, stomping his feet into the ground for another dash. "Scoop-" The claws on your right paw begin to spin again in preparation. "-Smash!"
He bounds forward as a blue juggernaut of unstoppable force, and you Focus.
Step right.
His horn speeds towards your side.
Loosen body. Spread arms. Too fast and low to block.
The blunt horn plunges through your right side from sheer force alone, smashing digital flesh and bone aside.
Wrap limbs around body.
The insect digimon lifts his head up in an effort to toss you into the air, but your arms tighten in response, keeping you interlocked with the smaller digimon. Everything hurts, your chest, your head, even your arms, but letting go means deletion. If you do he'll shake you apart.
Claws. In. Weakened. Side.
KoKabuterimon thrashes in pain as your paw digs into his weakened armor then slowly begins piercing through. His remaining working arm slams against your back painfully, but while his stubby nature makes him an amazing triker, it works against him here. He can't move it far enough to build up any speed.
Healing!
Your opponent continues screaming in pain but instead of continuing his attempt to smash you free, he breaks into a sprint, clearly aiming to smash your body against one the many trees past the clearing.
A thick line of silk ropes around his leg mid-step. Normally this would never have worked, but now he's carrying your weight as well as his own.... The Wormmon pulls with one last anguished scream.
"Die!"
He falls forward onto your body, interrupting your spell before it can finish (You hear another rib crack. You're pretty sure that makes all but three of them). On the other (literal) paw, it drives your drill through the final barrier and deep into KoKabuterimon's insides.
I...I did it. I-we wo-
That's as far as you get before the enemy rookie flares with white energy. With every last bit of strength his dying body can muster, the heavy insect presses down harder on your right side, stopping your claws from going any deeper and buying him the precious few seconds he needs.
"KoKabuterimon Digivolve To!"
No.
With new, vestly stronger force, the horn is ripped free through your side, tearing your torso open and exposing your digicore to the elements. Your limbs are forced aside as the grappled digimon grows. The evolution ejects your claws free, ending your final hold on him and letting you drop to the scuffed dirt.
"Verge!/Verge!"
In a flash of white the rookie is gone. And in his place..
God damn shonen hero lines, always evolving just when it fucks up all kinds of ducks. I swear they have some kind of evolution clause that makes this shit more likely the longer they live.
Whelp, time to get a unholy beat down and hope we can buy enough time for our wind mage to smite this bugger. As there is no one else on the field that currently that can do shit to this guy now.
Since if he is as bullshit as Flame was, then we are now dealing with someone with the power of a Ultra at this point.
By the 10 this is going to hurt, as you just know he is going to play with us.
Guess that's that then. Unless he's still seriously wrecked by that mauling he just got or a friendly Mega drops in right now, even a newly evolved Hybrid can suplex most Ultimates to death.
And Blitzmon is one of the stronger Warriors. Right up there with Agnimon.
Guess that's that then. Unless he's still seriously wrecked by that mauling he just got or a friendly Mega drops in right now, even a newly evolved Hybrid can suplex most Ultimates to death.
And Blitzmon is one of the stronger Warriors. Right up there with Agnimon.
Yeah, him being in a messed up state isn't likely sadly. Since going through a evolution usually does a full heal on the mon in question, so this guy is most likely back at 100% and fully charge for some more fun.
Yeah, him being in a messed up state isn't likely sadly. Since going through a evolution usually does a full heal on the mon in question, so this guy is most likely back at 100% and fully charge for some more fun.
Nononono, it's not that bad, this is just the continued horrible beating stage of our development. As we are like Guts now, we have to get beaten like a mook whenever someone "Important" shows up.
Does make me hope the dick chilled out though after getting what he wanted. As there is a slim chance he might just bug off since he will be really happy right now.
Like I said, I'm betting the legendary lines get special bullshit trope clauses in their lines. Since this shit keeps happening to everyone of them we run into.
Would make sense too, since their lines are renown for being great heroes and stuff like that is pretty much physical law in the digimon world.
The next half will be coming tomorrow. All I can ask is that you reserve final judgment until then.
I'm not a fan of tragedy, and while it has its place occasionally, my quest is first and foremost essentially a shrunken one. Don't count the party out yet.
I still think our party would be able to hold out against him. We still have Scratch (which from his other fights seems like a pretty high level champion), Ardat (who seems pretty fresh and hasn't fired a spell since her initial battle) and Beat who seems narratively AND mechanically ready to digivolve. It just feels like the right time for Beat to become a champion.
The only people I'm particularly worried about is Verge himself and Sparks.
Also Pidmon who disappeared fighting one of the other champions. We know that in 1v1s this group was apparently favored to win against regular Pidmons so I'm kinda worried with how his fight went since he is by himself
I still think our party would be able to hold out against him. We still have Scratch (which from his other fights seems like a pretty high level champion), Ardat (who seems pretty fresh and hasn't fired a spell since her initial battle) and Beat who seems narratively AND mechanically ready to digivolve. It just feels like the right time for Beat to become a champion.
The only people I'm particularly worried about is Verge himself and Sparks.
Also Pidmon who disappeared fighting one of the other champions. We know that in 1v1s this group was apparently favored to win against regular Pidmons so I'm kinda worried with how his fight went since he is by himself
To be fair to him, he's quite clearly no normal Pidmon. what with his speculated/stated Rookie form having been a Tsukaimon, his Pseudo-Burst Mode state last big fight, and potentially more.
Assuming it's a Virus-type one(they're listed as either Vaccine or Virus in several sources), Pidmon may well have the advantage. especially if something trips his Rage Switch.
Sparks was apparently able to do his job and rescue the prisoners thanks to us keeping Kokabuterimon/Blitzmon's eyes on us instead of him.
Essentially, we ran interference for him.
Ardat really only used her broom to KO Wizardmon, and it was noted that when Scratch threw one of his sabers it appeared to effortlessly pierce through Kokabuterimon's shell. something that took us a proper run-up with our drills spinning full-tilt to do. and we're the one most-suited to Anti-Armor combat out of the bunch!
We pretty badly mangled Kokabuterimon before he Digivolved. Like, a ton more than what happened to Flamemon. So it's possible the energy that had to go into healing that damage during the evolution left him drained. Also, there's two, possibly three fairly powerful Champions here. If it were one-on-one, then I'd be worried, but Beat also proved that even a minor interference can change the tide of battle. It ain't over till it's over, as a wise man once said. And folks, it sure as hell ain't over yet.
We pretty badly mangled Kokabuterimon before he Digivolved. Like, a ton more than what happened to Flamemon. So it's possible the energy that had to go into healing that damage during the evolution left him drained. Also, there's two, possibly three fairly powerful Champions here. If it were one-on-one, then I'd be worried, but Beat also proved that even a minor interference can change the tide of battle. It ain't over till it's over, as a wise man once said. And folks, it sure as hell ain't over yet.