Digimon Gardens of Babylon
- Thread starter Daneel Rush
- Start date
ôKuroyama Takako, daughter of Kuroyama Shigeru, the IT magnate and the fourth richest person in the planet. A rather secluded girl; it took me ages to find a picture in the net.ö
Jenrya spoke those words to his mobile phone as he walked past the school gates. Classes were over for the day and it was too early for him to pick an afterschool club, so he was already free.
ôSo sheÆs daddyÆs little ojou-sama, got it.ö
The boy could not keep the smile off his face. He could actually see RukiÆs scowl clearly depicted in his mind.
ôSo, is she really TakatoÆs sister?ö
ôRuki-san, no amount of digging around in the Internet will tell me that.ö
æRuki-sanÆ was the most cordial way Lee Jenrya would use to address his fellow Tamer. In fact, it was probably the most cordial way Ruki would allow him to address her, ever.
Besides, he did not have TakatoÆs monumental balls.
ôAnd I see no reason to believe sheÆs lying. They obviously resemble each other.ö
ôThen why the hell is she with that rich guy?ö
Jenrya rolled his eyes. Honestly, it was getting ridiculous.
ôThat story youÆll have to find someplace else. Like, from Kuroyama-san herself, or from Takato.ö
ôTakato! That bastard! Why didnÆt he tell us he had a sister!? When I get my hands on him, I swear IÆm gonnaùô
Jenrya massaged his forehead with two fingers, purposely ignoring RukiÆs rather creative ideas for TakatoÆs corporal punishment. Seriously, why was he even listening to this? WasnÆt this Juri-sanÆs role or something?
ôRuki-sanàö
ôàand then IÆll lift his sorry ass andùô
ôRuki-san, please.ö
ôàwhat?ö
She sounded angry. Was it because he had interrupted her?
Takato probably never interrupts her, he mused with a subtle smile.
ôIÆm sure Takato had a good reason to keep it to himself. From what I could catch yesterday, his parents had kept her a secret from him as well, and Takato somehow found out on his own.ö
ôàyeah.ö
Jenrya would not be as pretentious as to believe he understood girls, but he could somewhat see the issue here.
She would never admit it to the world around her, but Ruki considered Takato her best and closest friend.
She was obviously hurt because Takato would not tell her something important like this.
Admittedly, even he was a little bothered.
Seriously, Takato, whatÆs in your mind?
ôàso, will you be there?ö
ôAh, yeahàö Jenrya nodded to nobody. ôBut, my school is farther, so you guys will probably make it first.ö
They learned from Yamaki that Takato had been moved to a single room, which meant people other than family were allowed to visit him.
ôAhàGlasses Idiot told me he has cleanup duty, so heÆll go later. Visor Idiot is also staying at school foràsome club thing, wasnÆt paying attention.ö
Jenrya secretly wondered if the day when Ruki stopped looking down on those two would ever come. Probably not.
ôJuriàdid not see her. WeÆre not in the same class, so we didnÆt see each other except at lunchtime. Glasses Idiot didnÆt know either, the useless prat.ö
YouÆre laying it thick with the insults today, Ruki-sanà
It just showed how disturbed she was by the whole situation, starting with TakatoÆs trip to the operating room the day before.
ôSo Ruki-san is going on her own?ö
ôYeah, see you there, then.ö
ôSure thing. Later, then.ö
ôUn.ö
After ending the call, Jenrya began to walk at a slightly faster pace.
Of course, he was worried about Takatoàbut mostly because he had plenty of questions in his head.
TakatoÆs twin sister was the last thing in his mind at the moment; so his best friend had suddenly had a new relative, good for him. No big deal there.
No, his questions were of a darker scope.
Everything in the previous dayÆs events triggered questions marks in his head: the strange behavior of the Digital Field, the sheer amount of Realized Digimon and their sudden retreat were just the tip of the iceberg.
He remembered RukiÆs recount of the events on the school rooftop. Her description of the attack on Takato brought up a few interesting points.
First, TakatoÆs ôabilityö. Ruki had said Takato had used OmegamonÆs Grey Sword and Garuru Cannon. In fact, his very arms had become OmegamonÆs weapons.
Second, TakatoÆs actions during the fight. They showed either extremely quick thinking in the face of mortal danger or a premeditated strategy.
From these two points, he could propose a hypothesis: Takato was aware of this power; namely, it was not something he suddenly discovered yesterday. With this ability available to him, he devised a strategy to face the attacking Digimon. It would explain why he was on the rooftop in the first place.
However, that would imply Takato had expected the invading Digimon to make it to the school and attack him. That just did not make sense. Furthermore, did Takato really come up with a strategy to fight those Digimon in the short time after he noticed them, most likely when they reached the school gates?
In addition, there was the issue of JuriÆs D-Arc.
When the nurse handed TakatoÆs clothes and the things he carried when he was picked up by the paramedics, they found not only his golden D-Arc, but JuriÆs as well. Juri then mentioned Takato had asked her about the D-Arc before sending her to the gym.
Why did Takato take JuriÆs D-Arc?
And then there was TakatoÆs quick reaction to the situation once Ruki, Kazu and Kenta left, asking Juri to help him maintain order in the school. But that was not really suspicious, just admirable.
Still, there were too many questions. The whole situation was just too strange. Juri had said it the day before in the hospital, right?
It seemed like those Digimon were actually aiming for Takato.
In that case, why so many? There was even an Ultimate!
The previous night, in the quietude of his bedroom, he had asked his partner.
ôTerriermonàdid Takatoàdo something? When in the Digital World? You know, something that could explain what happened today?ö
Terriermon denied anything like that happening.
After a suspiciously lengthy silence.
He sighed.
He had felt like this for a while alreadyùever since the end of D-Reaper, heÆd sayùbut all of sudden the feeling became uncomfortably stronger.
The feeling that his best friend was changing into someone he was not sure he could follow.
A sudden weight on top of his head, added to the strange looks he was getting, drew him out of his gloomy thoughts.
ôWassup!ö
ôàTerriermon, I thought I told you not to wander by yourself.ö
ôTee-hee!ö
The boy merely chuckled, buried his hands in his pockets and continued to walk in silence.
Curiously enough, having his partner around made his head feel much lighter.
æMoumantaiÆ, was it?
Jenrya spoke those words to his mobile phone as he walked past the school gates. Classes were over for the day and it was too early for him to pick an afterschool club, so he was already free.
ôSo sheÆs daddyÆs little ojou-sama, got it.ö
The boy could not keep the smile off his face. He could actually see RukiÆs scowl clearly depicted in his mind.
ôSo, is she really TakatoÆs sister?ö
ôRuki-san, no amount of digging around in the Internet will tell me that.ö
æRuki-sanÆ was the most cordial way Lee Jenrya would use to address his fellow Tamer. In fact, it was probably the most cordial way Ruki would allow him to address her, ever.
Besides, he did not have TakatoÆs monumental balls.
ôAnd I see no reason to believe sheÆs lying. They obviously resemble each other.ö
ôThen why the hell is she with that rich guy?ö
Jenrya rolled his eyes. Honestly, it was getting ridiculous.
ôThat story youÆll have to find someplace else. Like, from Kuroyama-san herself, or from Takato.ö
ôTakato! That bastard! Why didnÆt he tell us he had a sister!? When I get my hands on him, I swear IÆm gonnaùô
Jenrya massaged his forehead with two fingers, purposely ignoring RukiÆs rather creative ideas for TakatoÆs corporal punishment. Seriously, why was he even listening to this? WasnÆt this Juri-sanÆs role or something?
ôRuki-sanàö
ôàand then IÆll lift his sorry ass andùô
ôRuki-san, please.ö
ôàwhat?ö
She sounded angry. Was it because he had interrupted her?
Takato probably never interrupts her, he mused with a subtle smile.
ôIÆm sure Takato had a good reason to keep it to himself. From what I could catch yesterday, his parents had kept her a secret from him as well, and Takato somehow found out on his own.ö
ôàyeah.ö
Jenrya would not be as pretentious as to believe he understood girls, but he could somewhat see the issue here.
She would never admit it to the world around her, but Ruki considered Takato her best and closest friend.
She was obviously hurt because Takato would not tell her something important like this.
Admittedly, even he was a little bothered.
Seriously, Takato, whatÆs in your mind?
ôàso, will you be there?ö
ôAh, yeahàö Jenrya nodded to nobody. ôBut, my school is farther, so you guys will probably make it first.ö
They learned from Yamaki that Takato had been moved to a single room, which meant people other than family were allowed to visit him.
ôAhàGlasses Idiot told me he has cleanup duty, so heÆll go later. Visor Idiot is also staying at school foràsome club thing, wasnÆt paying attention.ö
Jenrya secretly wondered if the day when Ruki stopped looking down on those two would ever come. Probably not.
ôJuriàdid not see her. WeÆre not in the same class, so we didnÆt see each other except at lunchtime. Glasses Idiot didnÆt know either, the useless prat.ö
YouÆre laying it thick with the insults today, Ruki-sanà
It just showed how disturbed she was by the whole situation, starting with TakatoÆs trip to the operating room the day before.
ôSo Ruki-san is going on her own?ö
ôYeah, see you there, then.ö
ôSure thing. Later, then.ö
ôUn.ö
After ending the call, Jenrya began to walk at a slightly faster pace.
Of course, he was worried about Takatoàbut mostly because he had plenty of questions in his head.
TakatoÆs twin sister was the last thing in his mind at the moment; so his best friend had suddenly had a new relative, good for him. No big deal there.
No, his questions were of a darker scope.
Everything in the previous dayÆs events triggered questions marks in his head: the strange behavior of the Digital Field, the sheer amount of Realized Digimon and their sudden retreat were just the tip of the iceberg.
He remembered RukiÆs recount of the events on the school rooftop. Her description of the attack on Takato brought up a few interesting points.
First, TakatoÆs ôabilityö. Ruki had said Takato had used OmegamonÆs Grey Sword and Garuru Cannon. In fact, his very arms had become OmegamonÆs weapons.
Second, TakatoÆs actions during the fight. They showed either extremely quick thinking in the face of mortal danger or a premeditated strategy.
From these two points, he could propose a hypothesis: Takato was aware of this power; namely, it was not something he suddenly discovered yesterday. With this ability available to him, he devised a strategy to face the attacking Digimon. It would explain why he was on the rooftop in the first place.
However, that would imply Takato had expected the invading Digimon to make it to the school and attack him. That just did not make sense. Furthermore, did Takato really come up with a strategy to fight those Digimon in the short time after he noticed them, most likely when they reached the school gates?
In addition, there was the issue of JuriÆs D-Arc.
When the nurse handed TakatoÆs clothes and the things he carried when he was picked up by the paramedics, they found not only his golden D-Arc, but JuriÆs as well. Juri then mentioned Takato had asked her about the D-Arc before sending her to the gym.
Why did Takato take JuriÆs D-Arc?
And then there was TakatoÆs quick reaction to the situation once Ruki, Kazu and Kenta left, asking Juri to help him maintain order in the school. But that was not really suspicious, just admirable.
Still, there were too many questions. The whole situation was just too strange. Juri had said it the day before in the hospital, right?
It seemed like those Digimon were actually aiming for Takato.
In that case, why so many? There was even an Ultimate!
The previous night, in the quietude of his bedroom, he had asked his partner.
ôTerriermonàdid Takatoàdo something? When in the Digital World? You know, something that could explain what happened today?ö
Terriermon denied anything like that happening.
After a suspiciously lengthy silence.
He sighed.
He had felt like this for a while alreadyùever since the end of D-Reaper, heÆd sayùbut all of sudden the feeling became uncomfortably stronger.
The feeling that his best friend was changing into someone he was not sure he could follow.
A sudden weight on top of his head, added to the strange looks he was getting, drew him out of his gloomy thoughts.
ôWassup!ö
ôàTerriermon, I thought I told you not to wander by yourself.ö
ôTee-hee!ö
The boy merely chuckled, buried his hands in his pockets and continued to walk in silence.
Curiously enough, having his partner around made his head feel much lighter.
æMoumantaiÆ, was it?
Takato silently watched the city outside the hospital roomÆs window, purposely ignoring his motherÆs eyes on him.
He needed no special powers to figure out what was in her mind. He did not even need TakakoÆs input.
She had told him, had she not? When the doctors stepped out of the operating room, the first thing they did was not to announce his wellbeing. Instead, they called for Yamaki and exchanged words away from the others, his mown mother included.
He could guess that, by this point, his parents had already been briefed by Yamaki. In fact, any person with a modicum of intelligence would have noticed at some point.
Considering the injuries he took in that fight, there was no way he should be this healthy less than 36 hours later. He did not even spend a day in intensive care!
It was unsettling, to be seen by his own mother with those eyes. However, there was no point in pretending to be a mere human.
He was special. He was unique. That made him immensely happy.
If the price of being special was to carry the fate of the world on his shoulders, then so be it.
There was a knock on the door, and he sighed in response.
So, it began.
He held back on rolling his eyes when then nurse stepped in.
ôIÆll be taking Takato-kun for an X-ray~ö
Matsuda Mie got on her feet, a frown on her face.
ôI was not told anything about an Xùô
The end of the sentence ended in her throat.
ôIÆm terribly sorry~ö the merry, beautiful nurse apologized. ôIt was decided all of a sudden, but it shouldnÆt take long.ö
Takato did not bother hiding his feelings and offered her mother a look of pity she could not notice.
The emptiness in her eyes was disgusting.
ôIn that case, IÆll go get something to eat, Takato,ö the woman said with an empty expression and a voice devoid of vitality as she walked to the door.
ôSure,ö Takato responded with a sad voice. ôTake your time.ö
Like that, he was left alone with the nurse, which immediately became the focus of his attention.
ôàyouÆre not very subtle, are you?ö
The smiling nurse tilted her head cutely.
ôàwhat gave me away?ö
TakatoÆs facial expression screamed ôare you stupid?ö
ôThe fact that the average Japanese woman is nowhere near as tallàand definitely not that voluptuous. And Japanese women generally donÆt have silver hair. And IÆm pretty sure the uniformÆs skirt is not supposed to be that shortàand the dress should not show that much cleavage.ö
The visibly amused woman blinked a few times, and then she laughed, allowing the disguise to fade away, revealing disturbing amounts of black leather.
ôCongratulations on evolving to Perfect level,ö Takato allowed himself to say.
He quickly came to regret it when the fallen angel jumped on the hospital bed, straddling her legs on either side of his waist.
ôThank you very much, Takato-sama.ö
The boy did his very best to remain unfazed by the curvaceous Digimon on top of him.
ôàI think I liked you best when I could pet you.ö
ôOh, who says you canÆt do it anymore, Takato-sama?ö Her sultry voice dropped as she leaned her face closer to his. ôThereÆs now a lot more me to stroke and caress.ö
ôIÆdàrather not.ö
The lady in leather smirked. ôI guess not. I canÆt have you before Lilithmon-sama.ö
ôJoy.ö
LadyDevimon giggled. It sounded rather disturbing for some reason.
ôOh, Takato-sama, please never change. Now, shall we get going or will I have to knock you out?ö
The boy made a face.
ôThatàshould not be necessary.ö
Now, how would he get out of this oneà?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With both elbows on the armrests and his entwined fingers in front of his mouth, the slightly-forward-leaning Takato opened his eyes and pierced Lucemon with a determined glare.
ôàIÆm ready. LetÆs begin.ö
Lucemon grinned gleefully.
ôGood.ö
And Lilithmon shuddered.
What was this sudden atmosphereà?
It felt like electricity flowing through the air, a sudden coldness and a distant rumbling all together.
What was this tension? Why did everything seemàdarker, all of a sudden?
She knew, of course, but it did not diminish the surprise in the slightest.
So far, besides Takato and Lucemon, the only ones allowed within the game room were the servants who poured tea and served pastries to the two players.
The first year it had been a Witchmon from BarbamonÆs armyùtechnically, she belonged to Beelzebumon, but in his absence Barbamon had very subtly claimed possession of his horde. She was allowed to stick around for a while even after evolving to Bastemon, but Lucemon saw no point in having a Perfect fulfill the role of maid, and thus had her replaced for BlackTailmon from LilithmonÆs SororitÚ Salace.
This was LilithmonÆs first time in the game room. Thus, it was the first time she was witness to it: TakatoÆs and LucemonÆs ôbattleö.
Even if LucemonÆs posture had not changed in the slightest, she could notice the sudden tenseness. It was not nervousness; it simply could not be.
Excitement? Expectation?
Even after five years of continuous playing, did the prospect of challenging Matsuda Takato still entice him so much?
BlackTailmon had shared many fascinating tales of the twoÆs battles to her and her many ôsistersö. How many times had she been asked to narrate the whole story of the TamersÆ fight against D-Reaper?
The female Demon Lord did not expect much from the basic move she had proposed, but, still, it was an enviable chance.
She wanted to see, with her very own two eyesàwhat it was that drew her lord Lucemon towards Matsuda Takato.
A fierce skirmish of words then began.
ôIÆll have you first verify that you recognize the move, Takato,ö Lucemon struck first.
It was a simple argument: if Takato did not know what was coming to him, he would not lose automatically, but he would be immediately placed at a serious disadvantage.
ôSimple: LadyDevimon, disguised as an employee of the hospital, will abduct me to an unspecified location.ö
ôAllow me to add to that statement: an unspecified location where Lilithmon of the Maou will ravish him until sheÆs thoroughly sated.ö
ôThank you, Lilithmon,ö Takato promptly deadpanned.
ôYouÆre welcome, darling.ö
Lucemon nodded. ôVery well. Now I will answer any questions concerning the setting. I swear on my pride I will answer with nothing but the absolute truth, in that it requires no further examination or proof. I reserve the right of choosing what and how to answer.ö
Takato nodded as well. It was a little protocol they had agreed upon very early in the game, and after five years Takato could be sure Lucemon would not break promises made on his fundamental pride.
ôRepeat what I say: LadyDevimon is the only Digimon you have deployed in your move.ö
ôLadyDevimon is the only Digimon I have sent after you in this move.ö
ôThatÆs not what I told you to say.ö
LucemonÆs subtle smirk was as unsettling as ever.
ôI never agreed to say that.ö
Takato nodded. So he could not fully discard the possibility of other Digimon.
ôRepeat what I say: LadyDevimon is the only Digimon in the hospital.ö
Lucemon nodded curtly.
ôAt the moment, LadyDevimon is the only Digimon in the hospital.ö
Takato grimaced. æAt the momentÆ.
That could not possibly be more ambiguous. As far as he knew, a thousand Digimon could step into the hospital a second later.
Time was an aberrant concept within the game room. Most of the time it moved in tandem with the flow of time in the real world or even a little faster; when he was particularly bored at school he would often drift into the game room and waste time with Lucemon and his minions.
However, during these ôgame battlesö, time could stall almost to a standstill and lengthy periods of hostile exchange could take place in but an instant of real world time. While extremely convenient for the game itself, it was a problem for Takato: he had no way to predict the changes in the flow of time, so he never had an accurate estimate of just how much time he had to defend himself against LucemonÆs moves.
So far that never seemed to be a problem for his angelic opponent, though.
ôExplain LadyDevimonÆs mind control ability, or whatever it is she did to Mom.ö
Lilithmon looked at her liege, silently wondering whether she should take care of that particular explanationùshe was a LadyDevimon at one point, after all. However, the fallen angel quickly answered.
ôLadyDevimonÆs ability, Bewitching Temptation, places her victims in a state of hypnosis in which they obey her commands to the letter.ö
ôMeans to resist it?ö
ôNone if the target is a human. They will even follow obviously harmful commands,ö Lucemon responded with a taunting smirk Takato did not react to. Instead, the young boy eased himself back in his seat, his left elbow resting on the armrest while his right hand drummed on his thigh.
ôàdefine æhumanÆ.ö
ôWhat?ö Lucemon spat out, as if TakatoÆs latest question were some sort of bad joke.
ôWhat I said: define æhumanÆ for the purpose of the effect of LadyDevimonÆs power.ö
The angel frowned; it took him a moment to figure out the intent behind the question.
ôAh, I see. Yes, as partially digitalized beings, Bewitching Temptation would not succeed automatically on you, Makino Ruki, Lee Jenrya or Akiyama Ryo. However, if I were allowed to place bets, I would not bet on Ruki and Jen to be able to fight the charm, ufufufu~ö
ôàI seeàvery well.ö
LucemonÆs smile widened just a bit. Takato was about to begin his counteroffensive.
The boy grinned mischievously.
ôàwhen LadyDevimon flies out the window with me on tow, witnesses call the authorities. Fighter planes are deployed from Okinawa and take her down. IÆm pretty sure I could survive that.ö
When LucemonÆs eyes glowed a malevolent red for a second, Lilithmon unconsciously stepped back. However, Takato was only struck by a sharp glare.
ôLadyDevimon would be gone and unreachable before anybody even considered calling the Americans, donÆt be ridiculous.ö
Takato shrugged. ôLost nothing by trying.ö
ôOnly my humor.ö
ôIÆm not here to entertain you, Lucemon,ö Takato pointed out before leaning closer to the center table, his right arm reaching for the chess board. ôBut, if what you want is a serious move, well, here it goes! My move!ö
Lucemon leaned closer as well. He was ready.
Takato reached for his most reliable piece and lift it off the board.
ôRuki arrives to my room before LadyDevimon leaves withùô
Lucemon slammed a piece in the empty space in front of where RukiÆs piece had stood.
ôMakino Ruki will not make it to the hospital in time,ö Lucemon stated with sickening glee, thoroughly enjoying TakatoÆs stunned expression.
It was time to play.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the real world, without any hint or possible explanation, a Digital Field came into existence around Makino Ruki.
Lucemon would later point out her expression was strikingly similar to TakatoÆs in that moment.
Panic ensued as the citizens of Shinjuku were already well acquainted with the significance of this fog appearing out of nowhere.
RukiÆs mobile then rang, and the girl almost rolled her eyes at that. She knew Hypnos could track her via GPS, so they were probably calling to tell her a Digimon was Realizing in her vicinity, like she could not see that herself.
The girl noticed the area was very quickly becoming eerily emptyùif anything, Japanese were quickly to react in response to a threat. Buildings would be locked and those inside would remain as quiet and still as possible and pray for the best.
With situations like this suddenly sprouting out again, how could they convince anyone to see Digimon as anything other than a threat?
ôRuki,ö the disembodied voice of Renamon spoke to her right ear.
ôI know, I know.ö
She ran.
The time when she faced the incoming enemy face to face like some sort of superhero was over.
An ambush was just so much more efficient.
But then she stopped.
It was cold.
An annoyingly familiar, unsettling kind of cold.
He needed no special powers to figure out what was in her mind. He did not even need TakakoÆs input.
She had told him, had she not? When the doctors stepped out of the operating room, the first thing they did was not to announce his wellbeing. Instead, they called for Yamaki and exchanged words away from the others, his mown mother included.
He could guess that, by this point, his parents had already been briefed by Yamaki. In fact, any person with a modicum of intelligence would have noticed at some point.
Considering the injuries he took in that fight, there was no way he should be this healthy less than 36 hours later. He did not even spend a day in intensive care!
It was unsettling, to be seen by his own mother with those eyes. However, there was no point in pretending to be a mere human.
He was special. He was unique. That made him immensely happy.
If the price of being special was to carry the fate of the world on his shoulders, then so be it.
There was a knock on the door, and he sighed in response.
So, it began.
He held back on rolling his eyes when then nurse stepped in.
ôIÆll be taking Takato-kun for an X-ray~ö
Matsuda Mie got on her feet, a frown on her face.
ôI was not told anything about an Xùô
The end of the sentence ended in her throat.
ôIÆm terribly sorry~ö the merry, beautiful nurse apologized. ôIt was decided all of a sudden, but it shouldnÆt take long.ö
Takato did not bother hiding his feelings and offered her mother a look of pity she could not notice.
The emptiness in her eyes was disgusting.
ôIn that case, IÆll go get something to eat, Takato,ö the woman said with an empty expression and a voice devoid of vitality as she walked to the door.
ôSure,ö Takato responded with a sad voice. ôTake your time.ö
Like that, he was left alone with the nurse, which immediately became the focus of his attention.
ôàyouÆre not very subtle, are you?ö
The smiling nurse tilted her head cutely.
ôàwhat gave me away?ö
TakatoÆs facial expression screamed ôare you stupid?ö
ôThe fact that the average Japanese woman is nowhere near as tallàand definitely not that voluptuous. And Japanese women generally donÆt have silver hair. And IÆm pretty sure the uniformÆs skirt is not supposed to be that shortàand the dress should not show that much cleavage.ö
The visibly amused woman blinked a few times, and then she laughed, allowing the disguise to fade away, revealing disturbing amounts of black leather.
ôCongratulations on evolving to Perfect level,ö Takato allowed himself to say.
He quickly came to regret it when the fallen angel jumped on the hospital bed, straddling her legs on either side of his waist.
ôThank you very much, Takato-sama.ö
The boy did his very best to remain unfazed by the curvaceous Digimon on top of him.
ôàI think I liked you best when I could pet you.ö
ôOh, who says you canÆt do it anymore, Takato-sama?ö Her sultry voice dropped as she leaned her face closer to his. ôThereÆs now a lot more me to stroke and caress.ö
ôIÆdàrather not.ö
The lady in leather smirked. ôI guess not. I canÆt have you before Lilithmon-sama.ö
ôJoy.ö
LadyDevimon giggled. It sounded rather disturbing for some reason.
ôOh, Takato-sama, please never change. Now, shall we get going or will I have to knock you out?ö
The boy made a face.
ôThatàshould not be necessary.ö
Now, how would he get out of this oneà?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With both elbows on the armrests and his entwined fingers in front of his mouth, the slightly-forward-leaning Takato opened his eyes and pierced Lucemon with a determined glare.
ôàIÆm ready. LetÆs begin.ö
Lucemon grinned gleefully.
ôGood.ö
And Lilithmon shuddered.
What was this sudden atmosphereà?
It felt like electricity flowing through the air, a sudden coldness and a distant rumbling all together.
What was this tension? Why did everything seemàdarker, all of a sudden?
She knew, of course, but it did not diminish the surprise in the slightest.
So far, besides Takato and Lucemon, the only ones allowed within the game room were the servants who poured tea and served pastries to the two players.
The first year it had been a Witchmon from BarbamonÆs armyùtechnically, she belonged to Beelzebumon, but in his absence Barbamon had very subtly claimed possession of his horde. She was allowed to stick around for a while even after evolving to Bastemon, but Lucemon saw no point in having a Perfect fulfill the role of maid, and thus had her replaced for BlackTailmon from LilithmonÆs SororitÚ Salace.
This was LilithmonÆs first time in the game room. Thus, it was the first time she was witness to it: TakatoÆs and LucemonÆs ôbattleö.
Even if LucemonÆs posture had not changed in the slightest, she could notice the sudden tenseness. It was not nervousness; it simply could not be.
Excitement? Expectation?
Even after five years of continuous playing, did the prospect of challenging Matsuda Takato still entice him so much?
BlackTailmon had shared many fascinating tales of the twoÆs battles to her and her many ôsistersö. How many times had she been asked to narrate the whole story of the TamersÆ fight against D-Reaper?
The female Demon Lord did not expect much from the basic move she had proposed, but, still, it was an enviable chance.
She wanted to see, with her very own two eyesàwhat it was that drew her lord Lucemon towards Matsuda Takato.
A fierce skirmish of words then began.
ôIÆll have you first verify that you recognize the move, Takato,ö Lucemon struck first.
It was a simple argument: if Takato did not know what was coming to him, he would not lose automatically, but he would be immediately placed at a serious disadvantage.
ôSimple: LadyDevimon, disguised as an employee of the hospital, will abduct me to an unspecified location.ö
ôAllow me to add to that statement: an unspecified location where Lilithmon of the Maou will ravish him until sheÆs thoroughly sated.ö
ôThank you, Lilithmon,ö Takato promptly deadpanned.
ôYouÆre welcome, darling.ö
Lucemon nodded. ôVery well. Now I will answer any questions concerning the setting. I swear on my pride I will answer with nothing but the absolute truth, in that it requires no further examination or proof. I reserve the right of choosing what and how to answer.ö
Takato nodded as well. It was a little protocol they had agreed upon very early in the game, and after five years Takato could be sure Lucemon would not break promises made on his fundamental pride.
ôRepeat what I say: LadyDevimon is the only Digimon you have deployed in your move.ö
ôLadyDevimon is the only Digimon I have sent after you in this move.ö
ôThatÆs not what I told you to say.ö
LucemonÆs subtle smirk was as unsettling as ever.
ôI never agreed to say that.ö
Takato nodded. So he could not fully discard the possibility of other Digimon.
ôRepeat what I say: LadyDevimon is the only Digimon in the hospital.ö
Lucemon nodded curtly.
ôAt the moment, LadyDevimon is the only Digimon in the hospital.ö
Takato grimaced. æAt the momentÆ.
That could not possibly be more ambiguous. As far as he knew, a thousand Digimon could step into the hospital a second later.
Time was an aberrant concept within the game room. Most of the time it moved in tandem with the flow of time in the real world or even a little faster; when he was particularly bored at school he would often drift into the game room and waste time with Lucemon and his minions.
However, during these ôgame battlesö, time could stall almost to a standstill and lengthy periods of hostile exchange could take place in but an instant of real world time. While extremely convenient for the game itself, it was a problem for Takato: he had no way to predict the changes in the flow of time, so he never had an accurate estimate of just how much time he had to defend himself against LucemonÆs moves.
So far that never seemed to be a problem for his angelic opponent, though.
ôExplain LadyDevimonÆs mind control ability, or whatever it is she did to Mom.ö
Lilithmon looked at her liege, silently wondering whether she should take care of that particular explanationùshe was a LadyDevimon at one point, after all. However, the fallen angel quickly answered.
ôLadyDevimonÆs ability, Bewitching Temptation, places her victims in a state of hypnosis in which they obey her commands to the letter.ö
ôMeans to resist it?ö
ôNone if the target is a human. They will even follow obviously harmful commands,ö Lucemon responded with a taunting smirk Takato did not react to. Instead, the young boy eased himself back in his seat, his left elbow resting on the armrest while his right hand drummed on his thigh.
ôàdefine æhumanÆ.ö
ôWhat?ö Lucemon spat out, as if TakatoÆs latest question were some sort of bad joke.
ôWhat I said: define æhumanÆ for the purpose of the effect of LadyDevimonÆs power.ö
The angel frowned; it took him a moment to figure out the intent behind the question.
ôAh, I see. Yes, as partially digitalized beings, Bewitching Temptation would not succeed automatically on you, Makino Ruki, Lee Jenrya or Akiyama Ryo. However, if I were allowed to place bets, I would not bet on Ruki and Jen to be able to fight the charm, ufufufu~ö
ôàI seeàvery well.ö
LucemonÆs smile widened just a bit. Takato was about to begin his counteroffensive.
The boy grinned mischievously.
ôàwhen LadyDevimon flies out the window with me on tow, witnesses call the authorities. Fighter planes are deployed from Okinawa and take her down. IÆm pretty sure I could survive that.ö
When LucemonÆs eyes glowed a malevolent red for a second, Lilithmon unconsciously stepped back. However, Takato was only struck by a sharp glare.
ôLadyDevimon would be gone and unreachable before anybody even considered calling the Americans, donÆt be ridiculous.ö
Takato shrugged. ôLost nothing by trying.ö
ôOnly my humor.ö
ôIÆm not here to entertain you, Lucemon,ö Takato pointed out before leaning closer to the center table, his right arm reaching for the chess board. ôBut, if what you want is a serious move, well, here it goes! My move!ö
Lucemon leaned closer as well. He was ready.
Takato reached for his most reliable piece and lift it off the board.
ôRuki arrives to my room before LadyDevimon leaves withùô
Lucemon slammed a piece in the empty space in front of where RukiÆs piece had stood.
ôMakino Ruki will not make it to the hospital in time,ö Lucemon stated with sickening glee, thoroughly enjoying TakatoÆs stunned expression.
It was time to play.
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In the real world, without any hint or possible explanation, a Digital Field came into existence around Makino Ruki.
Lucemon would later point out her expression was strikingly similar to TakatoÆs in that moment.
Panic ensued as the citizens of Shinjuku were already well acquainted with the significance of this fog appearing out of nowhere.
RukiÆs mobile then rang, and the girl almost rolled her eyes at that. She knew Hypnos could track her via GPS, so they were probably calling to tell her a Digimon was Realizing in her vicinity, like she could not see that herself.
The girl noticed the area was very quickly becoming eerily emptyùif anything, Japanese were quickly to react in response to a threat. Buildings would be locked and those inside would remain as quiet and still as possible and pray for the best.
With situations like this suddenly sprouting out again, how could they convince anyone to see Digimon as anything other than a threat?
ôRuki,ö the disembodied voice of Renamon spoke to her right ear.
ôI know, I know.ö
She ran.
The time when she faced the incoming enemy face to face like some sort of superhero was over.
An ambush was just so much more efficient.
But then she stopped.
It was cold.
An annoyingly familiar, unsettling kind of cold.
Takato stared at LucemonÆs newest piece for a while.
ôàyou are a sick fuck, did you know that?ö
ôFrom you, IÆll take it as a compliment. But, my dear Takato, I do not think you have time to worry about your best friend right now.ö
Lucemon was right.
In all honesty, the predicament placed before Ruki was not really that worrisome. Ruki ate Adult-level Digimon for breakfast. On the other side, it still meant she would not make it in time to save him.
It was not like he could reach his D-Arc and cards in the hospital roomÆs closet; there was no way LadyDevimon would allow him to and, even if he somehow managed to get them, he did not trust his fortune against a Perfect Digimon.
Takato decided to try Plan B. He could already how it would end up, though.
He reached for another piece.
ôJen has quite a few questions he wants to ask me, so he hurries up to the hospital, making it just in tiùô
ôLee Jenrya will not make it to the hospital in time.ö
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A beacon of stillness surrounded by people hurrying in every direction, Jenrya picked his ringing mobile.
ôLee Jenrya,ö
ôItÆs me,ö JanyuuÆs voice came out of the speaker. ôI guess you can see it.ö
ôYeah,ö the boy muttered as he took the sight of the expanding Field around him. ôLeave it to me.ö
ôThereÆs another Field. It justàhappened to appear where Ruki-san was.ö
ôIàsee. Keep an eye on things from Hypnos, please.ö
ôSure thing.ö
Jenrya hung up and then pocketed his mobile.
ôJen, frowning so much canÆt be good for you.ö
The half-Japanese only shook his head.
This cannot be a weird coincidenceù
His thoughts came to a halt when a sudden hypothesis struck his mind.
ôCould it beà?ö
No matter how little sense it made, the very fact the thought had come to him bothered him. If it was true, thenà
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Takato carefully concealed his smile by covering his lips with the side of his right hand.
ôLet me guess,ö he spoke out, doing his very best to look dismayed. ôNo matter what piece I move, youÆll just stall them with a weak piece.ö
LucemonÆs grin revealed two rows of perfect white teeth.
ôThere will be nobody to save you, Takato,ö he taunted with a darkly sweet tone. ôCome on, why donÆt you try another piece? You could have Hirokazu and Kenta go togetheràö
Takato shook his head while staring at the game board. It would not make sense to use those twoùeven if Kenta had an Ultimate for a partner, he would immediately succumb to LadyDevimonÆs power. Even worse, Lucemon might stop using weak Digimon to stall and send an Ultimate against MarineAngemon.
ôHow about Katou-san or little Shao-chan, kukukuku~?ö
Takato looked at JuriÆs piece. LilithmonÆs piece was standing next to it.
ôVery well, Katou-san is supposed to be missing, right? She actually went ahead of everyone else and is currently the closest to the hospital.ö
Lucemon snorted.
ôNot that she would make any difference, but just for the sake of being thorough, Takako is walking to the hospital with her and delays the twoÆs arrivalùô
ôThat wonÆt happen,ö Lilithmon declared, quickly turning her head away from LucemonÆs frightening glare.
ôAnd why would that be?ö
ôYou will excuse me, milord, but there is no conceivable way you could justify Takako not wanting to reach her onii-samaÆs side as soon as possible.ö
Takato made a gesture with his left hand as if presenting Lilithmon.
ôThere you have it.ö
ôTch,ö Lucemon clicked his tongue. ôIt matters not; Katou Juri cannot save you.ö
ôOh, I know that; just wanted to rile you up a little.ö
Lilithmon had to cover her mouth and stifle her laughter.
What to make of this fearless human, who could speak to the most terrible of demon lords in such an insolent manner?
Regardless, Lucemon was very good at keeping his cool demeanor.
ôI would advise against further stalling, Takato. YouÆre out of both options and time.ö
The fallen angel made a gesture to present the lockdown on the board.
ôNone, and I mean none, of your Tamer friends can help you. LadyDevimon could walk out the front entrance with you if she wanted to, and nobody would stop her!ö
The blond angel giggled. It was sounded cute, of course, but the darker undertone was unmistakable.
ôTo think that you would succumb to such a simple move, TakatoàitÆs disappointingàö he shrugged. ôàbut, it was it was silly of me to expect some sort of dramatic finale as well.ö He shook his head in contempt. ôI guess that, after D-Reaper and your little trip to the Digital World, I expect a little too much from youùô
ôHaa, that wonÆt do.ö
Lucemon frowned, deeply and darkly. He did not like being interrupted.
Takato had taken a posture eerily similar to LucemonÆs, his right leg elegantly crossed over the leg, his left elbow on the armrest and the left side of his jaw gently resting on the longer knuckles of his left hand.
Even his smile, Lilithmon thought, was the kind of thing she would expect to see on her liegeÆs face.
ôàthat just wonÆt do at all,ö Takato continued, taunting his terrible opponent with the dancing mirth in his honey-colored pupils.
Lucemon, the one who apparently had the advantage, suddenly looked tense and disturbed. He wanted to see Takato desperate! Whimpering in the corner he had been pushed into!
Where was this confidence coming from!?
Lilithmon quietly watched the exchange with hitched breath. She feared Lucemon might erase her if she uttered a word at this point.
But, it was so delightful!
ôMy move,ö Takato declared.
ôSpeak,ö Lucemon replied with a steely tone. It somehow made TakatoÆs smile all the more villainous.
ôAfter Katou-san, Ruki was the next to leave towards the hospitalùô
ôMakino Ruki will NOT make it in time!ö the demon lord howled, slamming his small palm on both armrests, the Digital Hazard marks on them glowing menacingly. ôDo not make me repeat myself, Takato!ö
ôOh, but thatÆs exactly what IÆll do.ö
The two opponents stared at each other, both of them harboring poorly restrained emotions. Lilithmon could almost the sparks flying between them and roaring over the game board.
ôàsay it again, Lucemon. Makino Ruki will not make it in time,ö the smirking Takato prodded, much to LucemonÆs annoyance.
ôAnd just what are you trying to achieve byùô
Whatever it was Lucemon realized, Lilithmon did not. She only had eyes for the expression of gaping shock in the normally unflappable leader of the Maou; the kind of expression she had always believed the great Lucemon was fundamentally incapable of displaying.
It screamed æwhy didnÆt I see something so stupidly obvious?Æ
But it was too late.
In a flash of motion, Takato reached for a piece and slammed it in front of his king.
ôThis!ö He roared with the conviction of the victor. ôIs my move!ö
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ôWell, Takato-sama, itÆs about time we get going,ö LadyDevimon announced, getting off TakatoÆs lap and the bed with slow, sensuous moves, as it was expected of her.
Even if he were not in the situation he was currently in, Takato would have probably not felt enticed at all. Looking at the lascivious she-devil sauntering around the bed to make her way to the window, he could only see the obedient little BlackTailmon whose ears he enjoyed scratching.
It was rather disturbing.
ôWe could make our way down the stairs and leave via the front entrance if I wanted to, but this window is just so convenientùô
ôTouhakken!ö were the first words the leather-clad fallen angel heard the moment she opened the window.
There was something strangely satisfying about the sight of LadyDevimon being sent flying across the room, through the door and onto the wall across the adjacent corridor.
ôMatsuda Takato.ö
The boy on the hospital bed offered the newcomer a pleasant smile as he reached for the IV line in his left arm. It was time to leave, after all.
ôGood day, Renamon. You made it just in the nick of time.ö
ôàyou are a sick fuck, did you know that?ö
ôFrom you, IÆll take it as a compliment. But, my dear Takato, I do not think you have time to worry about your best friend right now.ö
Lucemon was right.
In all honesty, the predicament placed before Ruki was not really that worrisome. Ruki ate Adult-level Digimon for breakfast. On the other side, it still meant she would not make it in time to save him.
It was not like he could reach his D-Arc and cards in the hospital roomÆs closet; there was no way LadyDevimon would allow him to and, even if he somehow managed to get them, he did not trust his fortune against a Perfect Digimon.
Takato decided to try Plan B. He could already how it would end up, though.
He reached for another piece.
ôJen has quite a few questions he wants to ask me, so he hurries up to the hospital, making it just in tiùô
ôLee Jenrya will not make it to the hospital in time.ö
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A beacon of stillness surrounded by people hurrying in every direction, Jenrya picked his ringing mobile.
ôLee Jenrya,ö
ôItÆs me,ö JanyuuÆs voice came out of the speaker. ôI guess you can see it.ö
ôYeah,ö the boy muttered as he took the sight of the expanding Field around him. ôLeave it to me.ö
ôThereÆs another Field. It justàhappened to appear where Ruki-san was.ö
ôIàsee. Keep an eye on things from Hypnos, please.ö
ôSure thing.ö
Jenrya hung up and then pocketed his mobile.
ôJen, frowning so much canÆt be good for you.ö
The half-Japanese only shook his head.
This cannot be a weird coincidenceù
His thoughts came to a halt when a sudden hypothesis struck his mind.
ôCould it beà?ö
No matter how little sense it made, the very fact the thought had come to him bothered him. If it was true, thenà
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Takato carefully concealed his smile by covering his lips with the side of his right hand.
ôLet me guess,ö he spoke out, doing his very best to look dismayed. ôNo matter what piece I move, youÆll just stall them with a weak piece.ö
LucemonÆs grin revealed two rows of perfect white teeth.
ôThere will be nobody to save you, Takato,ö he taunted with a darkly sweet tone. ôCome on, why donÆt you try another piece? You could have Hirokazu and Kenta go togetheràö
Takato shook his head while staring at the game board. It would not make sense to use those twoùeven if Kenta had an Ultimate for a partner, he would immediately succumb to LadyDevimonÆs power. Even worse, Lucemon might stop using weak Digimon to stall and send an Ultimate against MarineAngemon.
ôHow about Katou-san or little Shao-chan, kukukuku~?ö
Takato looked at JuriÆs piece. LilithmonÆs piece was standing next to it.
ôVery well, Katou-san is supposed to be missing, right? She actually went ahead of everyone else and is currently the closest to the hospital.ö
Lucemon snorted.
ôNot that she would make any difference, but just for the sake of being thorough, Takako is walking to the hospital with her and delays the twoÆs arrivalùô
ôThat wonÆt happen,ö Lilithmon declared, quickly turning her head away from LucemonÆs frightening glare.
ôAnd why would that be?ö
ôYou will excuse me, milord, but there is no conceivable way you could justify Takako not wanting to reach her onii-samaÆs side as soon as possible.ö
Takato made a gesture with his left hand as if presenting Lilithmon.
ôThere you have it.ö
ôTch,ö Lucemon clicked his tongue. ôIt matters not; Katou Juri cannot save you.ö
ôOh, I know that; just wanted to rile you up a little.ö
Lilithmon had to cover her mouth and stifle her laughter.
What to make of this fearless human, who could speak to the most terrible of demon lords in such an insolent manner?
Regardless, Lucemon was very good at keeping his cool demeanor.
ôI would advise against further stalling, Takato. YouÆre out of both options and time.ö
The fallen angel made a gesture to present the lockdown on the board.
ôNone, and I mean none, of your Tamer friends can help you. LadyDevimon could walk out the front entrance with you if she wanted to, and nobody would stop her!ö
The blond angel giggled. It was sounded cute, of course, but the darker undertone was unmistakable.
ôTo think that you would succumb to such a simple move, TakatoàitÆs disappointingàö he shrugged. ôàbut, it was it was silly of me to expect some sort of dramatic finale as well.ö He shook his head in contempt. ôI guess that, after D-Reaper and your little trip to the Digital World, I expect a little too much from youùô
ôHaa, that wonÆt do.ö
Lucemon frowned, deeply and darkly. He did not like being interrupted.
Takato had taken a posture eerily similar to LucemonÆs, his right leg elegantly crossed over the leg, his left elbow on the armrest and the left side of his jaw gently resting on the longer knuckles of his left hand.
Even his smile, Lilithmon thought, was the kind of thing she would expect to see on her liegeÆs face.
ôàthat just wonÆt do at all,ö Takato continued, taunting his terrible opponent with the dancing mirth in his honey-colored pupils.
Lucemon, the one who apparently had the advantage, suddenly looked tense and disturbed. He wanted to see Takato desperate! Whimpering in the corner he had been pushed into!
Where was this confidence coming from!?
Lilithmon quietly watched the exchange with hitched breath. She feared Lucemon might erase her if she uttered a word at this point.
But, it was so delightful!
ôMy move,ö Takato declared.
ôSpeak,ö Lucemon replied with a steely tone. It somehow made TakatoÆs smile all the more villainous.
ôAfter Katou-san, Ruki was the next to leave towards the hospitalùô
ôMakino Ruki will NOT make it in time!ö the demon lord howled, slamming his small palm on both armrests, the Digital Hazard marks on them glowing menacingly. ôDo not make me repeat myself, Takato!ö
ôOh, but thatÆs exactly what IÆll do.ö
The two opponents stared at each other, both of them harboring poorly restrained emotions. Lilithmon could almost the sparks flying between them and roaring over the game board.
ôàsay it again, Lucemon. Makino Ruki will not make it in time,ö the smirking Takato prodded, much to LucemonÆs annoyance.
ôAnd just what are you trying to achieve byùô
Whatever it was Lucemon realized, Lilithmon did not. She only had eyes for the expression of gaping shock in the normally unflappable leader of the Maou; the kind of expression she had always believed the great Lucemon was fundamentally incapable of displaying.
It screamed æwhy didnÆt I see something so stupidly obvious?Æ
But it was too late.
In a flash of motion, Takato reached for a piece and slammed it in front of his king.
ôThis!ö He roared with the conviction of the victor. ôIs my move!ö
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ôWell, Takato-sama, itÆs about time we get going,ö LadyDevimon announced, getting off TakatoÆs lap and the bed with slow, sensuous moves, as it was expected of her.
Even if he were not in the situation he was currently in, Takato would have probably not felt enticed at all. Looking at the lascivious she-devil sauntering around the bed to make her way to the window, he could only see the obedient little BlackTailmon whose ears he enjoyed scratching.
It was rather disturbing.
ôWe could make our way down the stairs and leave via the front entrance if I wanted to, but this window is just so convenientùô
ôTouhakken!ö were the first words the leather-clad fallen angel heard the moment she opened the window.
There was something strangely satisfying about the sight of LadyDevimon being sent flying across the room, through the door and onto the wall across the adjacent corridor.
ôMatsuda Takato.ö
The boy on the hospital bed offered the newcomer a pleasant smile as he reached for the IV line in his left arm. It was time to leave, after all.
ôGood day, Renamon. You made it just in the nick of time.ö
Hm.
Well, on one hand, doing so has the obvious effect of not leaving Takato alone when Ruki knows wierd things are going down.
On the other hand, it leaves Ruki to fight an Adult Digimon and Renamon to fight an Ultimate Digimon.
Ruki should be okay so long as she suddenely realizes that she can Card Slash herself; she's the Digimon Queen and is probably loaded down by awesome cards.
On the other hand, if Renamon doesn't evolves, she's screwed. Even if she does evolve, it'll still be a Data vs. a Virus and LadyDevimon has some really dangerous powers. Her Poison attack is one of the most dangerous Perfect level attacks I can think of.
Well, on one hand, doing so has the obvious effect of not leaving Takato alone when Ruki knows wierd things are going down.
On the other hand, it leaves Ruki to fight an Adult Digimon and Renamon to fight an Ultimate Digimon.
Ruki should be okay so long as she suddenely realizes that she can Card Slash herself; she's the Digimon Queen and is probably loaded down by awesome cards.
On the other hand, if Renamon doesn't evolves, she's screwed. Even if she does evolve, it'll still be a Data vs. a Virus and LadyDevimon has some really dangerous powers. Her Poison attack is one of the most dangerous Perfect level attacks I can think of.
Bwahahaha.....I'm lovin' the influences of Umineko in this....Maybe I'm skippnig or not seeing it, but are the words in bold supposed to be in Red?
And you're right Daneel...Battler IS the only one who can handle all that trolling, but Takato seems to be doing well here in his match against Lucemon.
And you're right Daneel...Battler IS the only one who can handle all that trolling, but Takato seems to be doing well here in his match against Lucemon.