Frontiers Unexplored

22) Built of Starlight

"What do you think we should do from here?" Mayumi asked him, nudging at Haroi with her elbow. She had taken out her D-Tector after the two tucked themselves away behind the tree, and her knuckles had grown oddly pale from the pressure of gripping firmly at the device's grips. 

"I think that it might be safer for us to switch over," Haroi answered in a whisper. "If they're peaceful, they'll just think that we're regular Digimon. If they decide to lash out, we'll be ready to defend ourselves... I guess you're going to be able to have some fun as Kirismon just like you were hoping to."

Mayumi nodded her agreement. She frowned lightly and leaned around the tree to try and pick out the words being murmured among the crowd. The chaos made it hard to fully understand what was happening, but there was one cluster of syllables that rang in her mind with a ferocity she never would have anticipated. 

"They work for Cherubimon," Mayumi told Haroi breathlessly. "Didn't those Digimon who attacked us back at Abraxas say that they were soldiers working for Cherubimon too?" Even if she phrased her words as a question, both Mayumi and Haroi were fully aware of the truth. They were going to have to fight their way through if they wanted to get out of this situation. 

Haroi looked down to his D-Tector and let out a sigh. "The signal on here is clearly coming from the top of that pillar," he said softly. "We're going to have to find a way to get past them... Are you ready to try and do this again?"

Mayumi peered around the tree once again before turning her attention back to him. "I think that they're all on the weaker side... It seems they're here to try and grab whatever's waiting for us at the top of that pillar, but we're just going to have to beat them to it. What do you say to that?" she questioned, a playful smirk playing at his lips. 

Haroi took in a deep, heavy breath before pressing the activation button on his D-Tector. A ring of data appeared around his fingers, and Mayumi followed his actions a few seconds later. They shared smiles briefly, though Haroi's shaky expression was clearly created of nerves and rushing adrenaline while Mayumi's wide grin had come from excitement and anticipation. Light exploded forth as the two scanned the Fractal Code around their hands on the scanners at the top of their D-Tectors, and they were encased in cocoons of light. 

The illumination earned them the attention of the nearby Digimon. As soon as the shift was completed, Kirismon and Orionmon shared brief nods with one another before rushing forward. With that, the battle began, and chaos covered the clearing surrounding the chasm with the pillar at its center. 

~~~~~

Junpei and the rest of the Legendary Warriors had been walking for quite some time. They had left behind the beach and were traveling towards Rose Morning Star, bringing them through a forest of thick trees and suppressive humidity. Junpei raised one hand to wipe sweat from his brow before shoving his D-Tector haphazardly into his pocket. He tied his jacket around his waist as a way of trying to avoid the heat. The rest of the group seemed to share such a sentiment, as all those who were wearing second layers had removed them in favor of something a bit cooler. 

Bokomon had been so excited to figure out where the Beast Spirit of Thunder was located, and the rest of the team had seemed optimistic about this new information as well. Junpei seemed to be the only exception, but he had still managed to force a smile to prevent them from worrying. He had seen what the Beast Spirits were capable of, and he really didn't think that he was going to be able to fight the power of what was waiting for him. 

Junpei knew himself incredibly well, far better than he would have liked. He was fully aware of his many weaknesses, and one of his greatest flaws had to be his lack of control. Junpei was mercurial and overly emotional, allowing his temper to get the best of him at the worst of moments. He lacked the undying hope of the rest of the team, and brightness had scarcely existed in his life until he came to meet them not long beforehand.