...
A large dust cloud rose through the skies in the middle of the desert, within it at least a dozen small shadows could be seen moving in different directions around a much larger shadow. The smaller shadows moved with purpose and with excellent coordination over the larger shadow.
Suddenly, with a loud buzzing sound, the dust cloud cleared to reveal its interior. Large gray insects the size of a 10 year old flew around a strange mass that appeared to be the most grotesque combination of flesh, debris and metal ever seen.
A pitiful moan came from the throat of the mechanized mass as it crawled over itself like some kind of living slime. Moving like flies around the food, the insects attacked the huge mechanized mass one by one without mercy.
"""Bottom Cutter"""
Three insects curved their spear-like needles, and in less than a whirr, all three insects connected squarely against the body of the strange mass piercing its eye, shoulder and head.
The mechanized mass simply let the insects sink their stingers deep into its already rotting body. Any other Digimon Adult would have experienced a very painful experience, but the mechanized mass barely reacted to the pain, in fact, it did not react to the pain, but to the feeling of something sinking against its body.
The mechanized mass could not feel, could not touch, could not smell, could not see, could not taste, could not live.
The mechanized mass moved by instinct.
And its instinct was now telling it.
To attack.
"Ea...ter"
The rotting flesh of the Digimon began to disfigure and move upon itself in a grotesque spectacle eating the three insects slowly, painfully and frighteningly. It was as if the flesh and Data were eating themselves in the most brutal way possible, the sound of as the insects' exoskeletons fragmented into nothingness echoed above the buzzing sounds.
The insects, in desperation, tried to free themselves from the flesh that was slowly enveloping and consuming their bodies, melting them into more putrefying mass. But all that effort was in vain, in a few seconds, no trace of the three insects remained and the mechanical mass had returned to its original state without any apparent damage.
The mechanized mass let out another pitiful groan similar to retching before crawling back into the desert while the insects in the air threw wind cuts at it without causing any damage whatsoever, which only caused them to buzz with more force and anger.
Not far away from the grotesque spectacle, Mimi and Noah along with their Digimons watched this whole process with a look of horror on their faces. Both children were green in the face as they made a great effort not to vomit on the spot.
The texture of its flesh, the jagged movements, the melted skin... everything about the dough looked like it was straight out of hell itself.
"W-What is that thing...?" Asked Herissmon in a low voice, Noah felt first hand the disgust and fear coming from the hedgehog thanks to his bond. "Is that even a Digimon...?"
Shakily Noah raised his Digivice towards the mechanized mass.
[=====]
Name: Raremon
Level: Adult
Type: Undead
Data: ERROR
...
Description: An Undead Digimon whose muscles have all rotted away. It tried to extend its life by mechanizing its body, but it destabilized its body, and its configuration data has begun to break down. However, because it was given life by those machines, it will not die, and survives with this grotesque appearance. Because its body has broken down, its offensive power and mental capacity are nonexistent, and it acts on instinct. It gives off a foul stench from its entire body, so that Digimon up to the Child-level will simply run away, and will not be its opponent until they grow to the Adult-level.
Special Attack: Hedoro, Scar Nail, Eater, Kusai Gas
[=====]
Noah swallowed audibly as he turned his gaze back to the Raremon. Now that he was looking at the mechanized mass more closely, he could make out what appeared to be some sort of arms with tubes cut like fingers at the ends, though it was a bit hard to tell if they were fingers or was the mass of flesh and metal that was detached from its body and reattached showing rotting bones, melted tubes or rusted metals that pierced through Raremon's body giving it at least a bit of shape. The only bits that didn't seem to be trying to break off the Undead Digimon's body were two metal plates that seemed to hold his eyes, even if they weren't looking anywhere.
It was the first time Noah looked at a Digimonn whose type was Undead, the strange thing was that when he tried to get more information about it the Digivice did nothing. It didn't even display the usual 'Information Locked' screen.
Saving this detail for later, Noah went on to analyze the insects.
[=====]
Name: SandYammamon
Level: Adult
Type: Data
Data: 11 / 500
...
Description: A species of Yanmamon that lives in the desert. Unlike Yanmamon, it has a carefree personality, but is merciless against Digimon that enter its territory. Its Special Move is generating a small sandstorm by flapping its wings intensely.
Special Attack: Desert Win, Bottom Cutter, Electro Shocker
[=====]
SandYammamon, thank heavens, was not as grotesque as Raremon. They were simply a gray insect resembling a cross between an ant, a dragonfly and a scorpion; four large eyes were completely emerald green in color, it had a long scorpion tail with a sharp spike at the end, six large legs with finger-like spikes and its body was covered with strong plates of chitin.
Perhaps most bizarre was its huge jaw that reminded Noah of a Xenomorph.
"Mimi, what do we do?" asked Palmon in a low voice as he tugged at Mimi's clothes uncertainly.
Mimi stopped looking at the disgusting Digimon to stare at her companion. "I... We don't have to do anything, I-I mean, we just came for a walk right?"
Sensing Mimi's stare, Noah averted his life with a grimace as he muttered under his breath. "Really, I wanted to get some Data for Herissmon..."
Mimi looked at him in surprise before her face transformed into an angry grimace. "What?! Wait a minute... you... you tricked Sora?! Didn't you just want to 'stretch your legs'?!"
"Look, we need to get stronger! What if some Digimon like Etemon shows up again?! Tai won't show up to magically save our asses!"
"I don't care! You lied to Sora unnecessarily and for what?! Murdering Digimons like they're animals?! They have lives and thoughts too in case you hadn't noticed!"
"Mimi, I'm just following the rules of this world" Noah replied with gritted teeth and a grim look, before looking towards Raremon and pointing his finger at him. "Besides, do you think that's a life similar to ours?"
"That doesn't-"
"And I never said anything about murdering them like animals, stop being so dramatic" Noah rolled his eyes at her as he decided to explain the reason why he thought neither she and he were murderers. "Digimon can't die, or well not entirely, Digimon when they die leave a part of their Data in the air for other Digimons to absorb and become more complete. However, if a Digimon leaves a small amount of Data in the air, it will transform into an egg somewhere in the Digital World and the Digimon will be reborn, only without memories of its past self."
For Noah this was the main reason he had stopped feeling guilt or remorse when it came to hunting Digimons, seen from a moral point of view it may be a flimsy justification since you are stripping someone of their present self to turn them into someone new.
And if that's the case, can you really call this a rebirth when your new self remembers nothing of their past self? Noah could only continue to justify his actions thanks to the DigiCore, which stored some of the Digimon's experiences before he died.
Although Mimi only got angrier for being called 'dramatic', she paused for a moment to think as a peculiar memory flashed through her head.
"Primary Village..." Murmured the girl in the hat.
Noah raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What?"
"On File Island- CAUTION!" Mimi's eyes widened like saucers as she leapt towards Noah knocking both boys to the ground. The spot where they had been standing before now had a large gash in it.
Mimi and Noah quickly looked up to see two SandYammamon glaring at them intimidatingly as they pointed their needles at both children. Without wasting any time both insects launched themselves directly towards the children.
""Bottom Cutter""
Noah and Mimi closed their eyes out of fear....
...
..
.
When both children opened their eyes again they saw Togemon holding two SandYammamon stingers with both hands.
[-Palmon Digievolved to... Togemon!-]
The eyes of the giant cactus looked intensely at the two insects before spinning its body like a spinning top and throwing them away, without missing a beat, Togemon stopped spinning to jump towards the insects raising both fists.
"Mach Jab!"
Slamming both SandYammamon hard into the ground and kicking up a good amount of sand in the process. Togemon watched as both insects were knocked unconscious against the ground, despite both being Adults Digimons they were not particularly strong, in fact, they were quite weak.
Togemon looked back to see five SandYammamon come out of the arena with a whirring sound and take to the air menacingly emitting clicks with their mouths. The link to Mimi gave her an idea of how frightened the girl in the hat was at the moment.
Before the giant cactus could leap to her rescue, a small flash of white and gold light overtook her.
[-Herissmon Digievolved to... Filmon!-]
"Lightning Stinger!"
Covering himself with electricity, Filmon turned into a yellow arrow as he smashed a good amount of SandYammamon in less than a second. He seemed to have become one with electricity as he tore through the desert insects with utmost ease.
When Filmon stopped, still covered with electricity, the five SandYammamon had been reduced to mere Data.
Noah looked at Filmon with slight surprise, he was pretty sure that 'Lightning Stinger' was not an attack capable of Data Erasing, but it had pierced through all the insects with utmost ease.
'Maybe Filmon was becoming more experienced at controlling electricity' Noah theorized as he recalled the training he did with Gabumon on that beach. 'Ugh, that's another thing we have to do.'
Filmon absorbed the Insect Data before moving right next to Togemon to watch as Raremon was now surrounded by a veritable storm of SandYammamon, the Undead Digimon being its center. Some of the desert insects seemed to have noticed their presence and were quickly flying towards them.
Togemon let out a small mocking laugh as he looked at Filmon.
"What?" Filmon asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You're still shorter than me" Togemon replied with amusement.
Filmon's quills bristled all over as he looked up to see the smirk on the cactus's face. Letting out a defeated sigh, the hedgehog focused on the new herd of SandYammamon approaching.
...
__________________________________________
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