Chapter 8: The Silent Groove

Author Note: I hope you will enjoy the chapter! As usual, feel free to tell if there is a Digimon you want to see to appear in the story. I see what I can do. (Does not include Appmons.)

While Rescue Team from Yggdrassil were dealing with the Black Knights, Omnimon Zwart and ChaosDukemon, chosen of Illiad had since reached far corner of the Silent Groove – domain of Minervamon – an open plain with olive trees here and there, along with what remnants of broken down pillars laying on ground.

"So, this is it?" Saki asks, with Firamon and Lekssmon not too far away, burning lion and white rabbit also looking around.

Aegiomon nods. "That is right. Minervamon's personal temple is deeper in the Groove." He then looks around. "However, that does not mean this will be easy. There are bound to be digimon on our way through here."

Ogremon just laughs. "Then we just smash through – as simple as that!" This comment makes everyone but his tamer, Kane, frown – with Kane himself laughing a bit.

As if direct reply for what Ogremon said, something does show up – Digimon shaped like a silver star, accompanied with round armored knight and smiling gray ball-like digimon with red gloves and boots.

"Hey! What you think you are doing here!?" Star-shaped one calls out as trio make their way closer.

"We're just passing through", Kurata replies. Dobermon however would remain on guard – something Kurata would notice. "…Something wrong?"

"Right, right. Not many do visit through Silent Groove", star speaks again. "I'm Starmon, and these are Gladimon and Mamemon", he states, introducing the rest of the group. He then pauses a bit, staring at the humans for a moment. "Say, I can't say I have seen Digimon like that before in Illiad."

"We're actually humans…" Kouta says, to which Coelamon first nods, but then pauses and just stares at Kouta as if he said something weird just now.

"Humans?" Mamemon asks, looking a bit confused for a moment.

"They mean those who live in another world from ours", Starmon states to Mamemon.

"You mean Yggdrasil?" Mamemon asks, looking at Starmon, who face-palms.

"No, that another other world."

"Ooooh", Mamemon says, nodding a bit, then pausing. "Wait. How did they get to Illiad?"

"That… Is a good question", Starmon answers, looking at the group, expecting answers."

"Uh… We we're-"Hiroto is about to answer as Gryzmon cuts in. "They were brought in by some dimensional rift. Trying to help them to return home."

"Ah, I see", Starmon says. "Honestly, since those two Royal Knights attacked at us, things have been strange."

"Yeah… Even boss has been more secluded than before – and before she loved to play with us." Mamemon agrees.

"Boss?" Hanabi asks, tilting her head a bit.

"Yeah, Minervamon", Gladimon answers. "She does not really leave her personal area anymore. I wonder what's wrong."

"That does sound strange", Kurata agrees.

"We should get going-"Dobermon begins to say as he sniffs air, eyes widening for a moment. "This scent… Incoming!"

No sooner than Dobermon gives the sound of alarm, something crashes behind the group – A digimon with white armor with purple markings, limbs shade of brown, and single orange eye glaring at the group.

"Parallelmon!" Aegiomon calls out, getting ready to fight. "This is not good…"

"Parallelmon?" Jin asks, getting ready for the fight as well.

"It's a Mega Level Digimon like Dianamon, a powerful Virus Type, designed to hunt for tamers", Dobermon answers. "Intruder must have made it to attack us…"

"T-this is bad!" Starmon stutters a bit, as does Mamemon, both back away, before start to run away.

"Cowards!" Gladimon calls out, drawing out its sabers. "I don't know who you are, but you are trespassing – and clearly have ill intentions! En Garde!" He calls out as he jumps at Parallelmon. "[Wheel Rush]! Gladimon then begins to spin rapidly as it tries to cut Gladimon – only causing the twin rapiers to snap to his shock.

Parallelmon glares at Gladimon for a moment before raising its clawed arm, before swinging it at Gladimon.

"Watch out!" Saki calls out, diving in and pushing Gladimon out of the attacks way along with herself, tamer hunters claw leaving deep gash in ground.

"Saki!" Coronamon and Lekismon call in unison, and then glare at Parallelmon before attacking. "[Fira Bomb]!" "[Moon Night Bomb]!"

Two attacks land on Parallelmon, but do hardly anything more than distract the digimon for a moment while others help Saki and Gladimon up.

"TARGET – TAMERS. MISSION – CAPTURE OR DELETE", Parallelmon's roaring voice echoes as eye begins to glow. "[ABSORBENT BANG]! As it calls the attacks name, a claw-shaped energy blast is shot from its eye.

"[Grau Lärm]!" Dobermon suddenly calls out, roaring – causing Absorbent Bang suddenly disperse – and Parallelmon stagger a bit.

"What just…?" Jin asks, looking at Dobermon for a moment.

"Grau Lärm, "The Gray Roar". Dobermon's technique which seals opponents powers…" Aegiomon explains. "I don't know how long it works on a Mega like Parallelmon, but it at least interrupted his attack."

Parallelmon would quickly recover from stagger, and stare at Dobermon a bit. "INTERFERENCE DETECTED. TARGET LOCKED." The eye then begins to glint once more, before it swings its arm in wide arc, sending Dobermon and Aegiomon flying backwards, followed by another swing which hits Coelamon, Kiwimon and Ogremon.

"It's too strong…" Lekismon and Firamon say, though Saki does not clearly have intentions to give up.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Voice then suddenly booms across the Groove, catching attention of everyone as dust cloud begins to approach the group and Parallelmon. Soon enough, figures shape would become clear – human-sized figure wielding a massive sword with carving of two snakes on it, wearing a golden armor and snake-like helmet. "Which one of you bullied my friends!?"

"Minervamon?!" Aegiomon asks, blinking in surprise.

"Him!" Gladimon calls out, pointing at Parallelmon, who then earns a glare from Minervamon.

"Why you… First you intrude the Silent Groove and then dare to bully my friends? Take this!" She then jumps in air and begins to spin. "[Strike Roll]!"

Minervamons blade connects and leaves a deep cut in Parallelmon, who starggers and roars. "DAMAGE SUSTAINED. PREPARING COUNTERMEAS-"

Before it can finish, Digimon partners of the chosen act up in unision, using the moment for their advance.

First one to launch its attack would be Ogremon, who pulls his fist back. "Takes this you cyclops! [Pummel Whack]!" He roars as he sends a shockwave in form of a purple energy blast straight at Parallelmon, staggering it. Dobermon joins then to assault for the combination, black energy gathering to dog digimons mouth. "[Schwaz Strahl]!" As it calls out the attacks name, the beam is unleashed at Parallelmons torso.

Next one would be tag team attack of Coelamon and Kiwimon. "Let's do this! [Fossil Bite]!" Coelamon calls out, sending blades of energy at Parallelmon. "On it! [Pummel Peck]!" Kiwimon calls out, launching smaller version of herself, ChibiKiwimon -a brown bird with metal helmet- at Parallelmon that first explodes and then runs back to Kiwimon.

As ChibiKiwimon returns to Kiwimons side, Lekismon and Firamon launch their attacks in unision once more. "[Fira Bomb]!" Firamon roars, sending a fiery bomb at Parallelmons eye. "[Moon Night Bomb]!" Lekismon calls out, gathering pulling her hand back before punching and sending several water droplets as bombs at Parallelmons torso where it was cut.

Gryzmon and Aegiomon both then jump at Parallelmon for close-range attacks of theirs. "[Stun Beat Blow]!" Aegiomon calls out as his fist crackles with thunder before punching Parallelmon in face, followed up by Gryzmon who winds up his attack. "[Crescent Dawn]!" It then roars as it sweeps Parallelmons legs with his claws, making the mutant digimon lose its balance and fall to the ground.

"Wheel Rush!" Gladimon once more calls out, starting to spin like a top and and trying to slash the Parallelmon with his broken rapiers, not really doing much.

As Parallelmon is about to raise from ground, sky itself begins to rotate, Starmon standing a bit further away, arms raised at the sky. "[Meteor Shower]!" It then calls out, bombarding Parallelmon with meteors as Mamemon closes in, smiling as he winds up a punch. "[Smile Bomber]!" It then calls out, punching Parallelmon – and causing afterwards explosion, causing digimon to fall down to the ground again.

"Is… Is it over?" Saki asks, as Parallelmon lies still. Suddenly it then pushes itself back up, glaring at the group.

"SYSTEM FUNCTIONAL. INITALIZING PROTOCOL-", Parallelmon states, as it prepares to fire another Absorbent Bang.

"Oh, still did not get enough!?" Minervamon snaps, raising her great sword as high as she can. "[Dominion Blade]!" She swings the blade down, causing a sharp shockwave to fly at Parallelmon, leaving deep cut and making digimon stagger notably as data becomes unstable.

Then something unexpected happens – orange tornado bursts from within Parallelmon. "[Great Tornado]!"

The sight leaves everyone shocked as blue, heavily armored wolf would also burst from Parallelmon's body, with human with red hair wearing blue dress and pink short coat, before turning around and facing Parallelmon. "[Ice Wolf Claw]!" As it calls out the attack name, metal wolf reveals weapons all over its body before firing a volley of missiles at Parallelmon – leaving it frozen statue which shatters, data of mutant digimon dispersing.

"YES!" human on robot wolf calls out, cheering. "I knew you could do it MetalGarurumon, WarGreymon!"

"We got lucky that something disturbed it enough for us to digi-evolve and break out", MetalGarurumon says.

WarGreymon looks at humans and Minervamon a moment. "I am guessing we should thank them for that, Nokia."

After landing back to ground, MetalGarurumon and WarGreymon return back to forms of Agumon and Gabumon, standing next to Nokia who is smiling. "So you were attacking it from outside? Thank you! We have been trying to break out of there for a while now!"

"N-no problem", Saki replies, looking a bit flustered bit. "Still, I did not expect to meet another human here…"

"Huh?" Nokia asks, blinking a bit, before realizing something. "Eeeh!? Where are we!?"

"I am not sure…" Agumon says, looking around. "It looks different than our world", Gabumon replies.

"You are in –my- territory, the Silent Groove of Illiad", Minervamon says, sword on her shoulder. "Usually, I'd just delete you for trespassing, but…" She then looks a bit at Mamemon, Gladimon and Starmon. "Since you helped those guys, I'll let this go unnoticed."

"Thank you!" Nokia and Saki say at same time, both blinking for a moment, and rest snickering.

"So… How did you end up there?" Jin asks, crossing his arms a bit.

"Honestly, I am as confused as you are!" Nokia answers. "It showed up at Yggdrassil without a warning and next thing I know, I and Omnimon were pulled inside!"

"OMNIMON!?" Minervamon asks, drawing out her blade. "So he dares to show up after attacking the Olympos XII's seat of power!?"

"W-Wait!" Saki calls out, trying her best to calm down. " have to tell you something!" Minervamon looks at Saki and then Nokia, and sighs. "Fine, but be quick."

After short explanation based on what they had learned, and information from Nokia about what Omnimon had been doing, Minervamon would look shocked.

"…Wait… You are telling me that you guys…" Minervamon begins, looking at Illiad's Chosens partners. "You are the ones we thought were slain by the knights...?" And then she looks at Dobermon and Ogremon. "And you are Plutomon and that chief of Titamons…" She finally turns to look at Nokia and her partners. "…And Omnimon and Dukemon got blame because of lookalikes?"

"That's what I got about that, yes", Aegiomon says, nodding.

"…By the Illiad…" Minerva says, sitting down for a moment.

"So, what has happened among the Twelve?" Aegiomon asks.

"…Jupitermon- or whoever it is- has appointed new guards to areas whose deity fell, and to hunt down the traitor Venusmon…"

"Guards?" Coelamon asks, raising her brow a bit.

"I don't remember much, but… I know who is in charge of Battle City – Callismon."

Gryzmon frowns. "Great… He is not going to be an easy one to deal with."

"I got an idea!" Nokia then beams up. "Minervamon, right? Want to come with us?"

"Huh?" Minervamon asks, looking bit surprised by this.

"We can see if we can convince any of the remaining Olympos XII we come across to join us on the way!" Nokia explains, smiling.

Minervamon stares at Nokia a moment as if she said something foolish, but then laughs. "You are type who acts before they think, aren't ya?" She asks, but then smirks. "I like that. Count me in!"

Nokia smiles at this. "Yosh!"

Gladimon meanwhile makes his way to Saki. "…I also have to repay my debt from before", small knight speaks up. "I'll be joining your team as well."

Saki blinks a bit, but then smiles. "I see… I am not going to refuse from help. You are welcome to stay as long as you want."

Gladimon nods at this, pleased by this.

Starmon and Mamemon look at each other a bit, and then nod. "Well, while boss is away, we keep the place safe!" Starmon states, starting to suddenly glow, turning golden and gaining sunglasses, evolving SuperStarmon. "You can count on us!"

Back at Throne of Illiad, a hooded human figure would be looking at a monitor in air. "Unfortunate. Parallelmon was defeated…" They then look at another one. "And we have intruders from Yggdrasil, too." They then move their hand, opening another screen, with Reapermon visible on it.

"Boss! I am getting closer to Venusmon, it's only matter of time I-" Reapermon reports, but human just shakes her head.

"No need. Venusmon has weakest offensive power among the Twelve, so we can ignore her for a while longer. I give you another mission…"

To be continued…

What is the plan of Illiad's new ruler, and Reapermon's new mission? Next time, we return to check Yggdrassil's Siege and defense against The Crack Team!

Translations

Grau Lärm = Gray Voice

Schwarz Strahl = Black Beam