Episode Nine: The Beast

Kylie:<Yeah. Don't you want to see your partner again?

BlackWarGreymon: "That dream is unobtainable. No matter how strong I become, I still have no way to the Material World."

BlackWarGreymon shakes its head, hopefully getting Roatha's dumb ass to let go.

BlackWarGreymon: "I'd he unrecognizable in this form if she even remembers me. My memories of her fade with each battle and soon her Tag & Crest will mean nothing to me."

It holds the Tag and its cracked Crest in Euryale's direction.

BlackWarGreymon: "I want someone that bears the same Crest as she did to hold on to this."

*Roatha does not let go. He might not even realize that he's still holding on.*

R"We got there just fine."

E"I'm not taking that so you can just go off yourself. But if a friend gave it to me so he could go get fixed up, that would be different."

Lunamon:<Nothing is unobtainable!>

Kylie:<Could we have her name and a message? Would that make you feel better?>

Taiyo: "He said her name was Carly."

BlackWarGreymon: "I have no intention of ending my own life. I know my time is limited and accept that. Getting it repaired would mean little. I'd still have no reason to continue carrying it. The mark it bears has only been a reminder of my fading and unrealistic dream."

Azuma: "If it's his last wish, shouldn't we respect that?"

Lunamon:<There's probably thousands of people named Carly. We need more to go on.>

E"It's called 'the Crest of Courage,' not 'the Crest of Quitting.' And suicide by inaction is still suicide. How would it, in any way, be honorable to anyone for me to take that under these circumstances?"

BlackWarGreymon drops the Tag & Crest in the sand.

BlackWarGreymon: "It was I who did not defeat the monsters that became Millenniummon. Myself and my comrades were not strong enough to defeat the Demon Lords in a lasting manner and now I am not strong enough to rectify what I have brought on both worlds. My only feat of strength was rejecting The Priest's offer to slay the Children of Hope & Light in exchange for a way to the Material World."

It steps back away from the group, presumably dragging Roatha's dumb ass with it as he refuses to let go of what could tear him in half like tissue paper.

Azuma: "How do you intend to die?"

BlackWarGreymon: "The same way I have lived all these years. Wracked with regret and guilt for those I have slain and those I could not or did not save."

Maybe I will see her in my next life.

Terriermon:<So you'd rather die than work towards redemption? How would early feel about this?!>

*Being a dipshit, Guilmon sniffs the tag & crest & takes it in his mouth while Euryale isn't looking. Aroma takes a nervous step forward, wringing her hands & staring at the ground.*

A"Um...Mr. Black War Greymon? I--I just want to say it's--that it's not your fault. You did your best. Please don't die."

It tastes like sand, metal and glass.

BlackWarGreymon: "There are many roads to redemption. The one I currently take is one of them."

Hopefully Roatha let go because BlackWarGreymon is taking flight.

*He did not, because I want to see how this goes.*

*Kylie yells after him*

<Death isn't redemption!>

*Terriermon digivolves to Rapidmon and flies after BWG to catch Roatha if/when he falls*

BlackWarGreymon takes off, Roatha's grip likely begins to loosen up with his sweaty palms as it picks up speed.

Azuma: "He's going to get himself killed."

*Dorugreymon flies up after Roatha, who uses one hand to put Black War Greymon in a choke hold.*

Rapidmon:<What the hell are you doing?!>

BlackWarGreymon ignores all of them as they are not his problem. A lesser monster would've ripped Roatha in two ages ago.

R"Seeing how long I can hang on to this dragon-man for reasons I don't fully understand."

Much like the day before, energy blasts begin to assault them from the water.

Mermaimon rises from the sea, anchor in hand, sending energy blasts their way with each swing.

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By now the island the others are on is out of view. BlackWarGreymon begins to descend down on another island, featuring a cluster of rocks.

*Rapidmon returns and starts and lands near Eve, then fires at the water*

*Dorugreymon follows.*

R"So...what're you up to now?"
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*Meanwhile, Euryale returns to her Gallantmon form & shields them. She takes this opportunity to blast Mermaimon with Elysium Blaster. Lilamon floats upward & also blasts lasers at her.*

Mermaimon dives down into the water. Azuma & Hitomi switch up Digimentals, Tylomon and Manbomon taking off into the water after Mermaimon.

Plumes of water shoot up as the three battle it out under the sea.

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BlackWarGreymon: "I continue my journey. You rejoin your comrades."

*Kylie and Lunamon biomerge, and Biyomon digivolves to Karatenmon*

Rapidmon:<Great, now we have to sit here.>

R"Unfortunately, I appear to be stuck."
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<"Hopefully, they have enough sense to try to beach the mermaid.">

The sky begins to darken for some in explainable reason despite there not being any indication of an approaching storm as well as the tide begins to pick up.

Beneath the ocean, Mermaimon is surrounded by a sphere of water, light shining inside it.

Mermaimon: "Mermaimon....Digivolve!"

The sphere bursts pushing the two Armor Levels away, revealing AncientMermaimon who rises from the sea, trident in hand and begins assualting the beach dwellers with ice bullets.

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BlackWarGreymon stares up at the darkening sky.

BlackWarGreymon: "A Mega's appeared."