Shiren returns to the West in an all-new roguelike dungeon crawler for the Nintendo Switch, Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island. After receiving a vision of a mysterious girl held captive by a terrible monster, Shiren and his ferret companion race fight their way to Serpentcoil Island to find her. Do you have what it takes to rescue her?
The game features procedurally generated, promising hours of gameplay and replayability. The art is so cute! I never played any of the Shiren games, so the mechanics seem unique and interesting. I am definitely adding this to the list of games I need to try.
Thank you for your patience and continued support. I hope to catch up with the official release this week. Make sure you always support the original. If you enjoy this project, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!
Yueling zips through the digital world on the back of her dragon Digimon Hisyaryumon. She is dressed in her formal DigiPolice uniform, clearly pressed and finely decorated. Hisyaryumon’s obsidian scales shine as brightly as the ember-colored gem on its forehead.
Hisyaryumon suddenly changes direction, diving towards a group of code crackers. Each controlled a cyborg-type Digimon. They scramble as they see the dragon, but Hisyaryumon is too quick. Hisyaryumon knocks them out with very little effort.
“Code Crackers Contained,” Yueling announces through her radio.
“You’re sharp as ever captain,” Satsuki replies.
“Spare me the flattery and call in processing.”
“On it!”
Satsuki’s Numemon waddles onto the scene. It kicks one of the unconscious Digimon as it begins to secure the criminals.
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
“What’d we catch, Hisyaryumon?”
“The usual. A bunch of Cyborg-types used for data collection.”
“So it seems,” Yueling replies as she scans Hisyaryumon’s report.
“Looks like they were after state secrets. Judging by their tools, I would guess they were hired by someone overseas. It appears that a few are still in operation. We could send them back with a little souvenir,” Hisyaryumon continues maliciously.
“If your hunch is right, this is above our pay grade.” Yueling continues to read the report. “Why not? I’m feeling playful today. Send them something nasty.”
“As you wish,” Hisyaryumon says cheerily as he gets to work on the restrained Digimon.
Yueling watches from inside the Digicore. Easy days like this made her think of the old days. With nothing to distract her, she gets lost in a memory.
I wonder what Kosuke is up to?
Yueling walks into Ryusenji Laboratories. The air conditioner hums, blowing cool air into the room. The desks are cluttered with papers and books. Large server racks are pushed against one of the walls. The professor sits at his computer, absorbed in the letters moving across his monitor
“Good Morning Professor,” she says cheerily. The clock on the wall reads 6 p.m.
“Good morning,” he says without looking up.
“Got some mail for you,” she says, setting the pile of letters on his desk.
“Mhm,” Ryusenji grunts.
“I delivered your mail! Can you acknowledge me with your words and eyes please? I don’t want you calling me later asking for your mail!”
“There!” Ryuseji announces suddenly, pointing at the screen. “There’s the bug. Who wrote this aweful code?!”
“You probably.”
“No…It couldn’t have…Could it?” The professor becomes distressed by his question looking over the code again.
“Has my proposal for a proper server room been approved? It’s freezing in here.” Yueling puts on a jacket she keeps hanging over a chair.
“Theyre going to move the entire campus over the next few years. They aren’t approving any new projects until everything is settled.”
Yueling shrugs. “I’m just trying to help.”
“I keep telling them how important our work is. I hear investing in our field is quietly exploding around the world. Our advantage could disappear overnight,” Ryusenji grumbles without lifting his eyes.
“Maybe we should pack up and go overseas then.”
“You can’t seriously be suggesting that,” answers a gravelly voice. Kosuke pops his head from his makeshift cot from between the server racks. He wipes the sleep from his eyes as he makes his way over.
“Slept in the office again?” Yueling asks.
Kosuke nods as he runs his hands through his unkempt hair and lets out a big yawn. The scruff on his beard had grown thick, and it was clear he’d been wearing the same clothes for several days.
“At least wash your face and brush your teeth. Did you at least bring a change of clothes?
“About that…”
The door busts open. A petit woman barges through carrying several takeout bags.
“Feeding time!” She begins organizing the spread on the large table they use for meetings.
“Good! I’m starving.” Kosuke answers.
“Here’s your change of clothes,” the woman says, tossing Kosuke a paper bag.
“Saya…Did you go all the way to Kosuke’s house to get him a change of clothes?”
“Yep! I also brought you a pork bowl. I hope you’re hungry,” Saya beams as she hands Yueling her bowl.
Yueling reaches into her pocket “Thanks. Here, how much do I owe..”
“None of that. It’s dad’s…I mean the professor’s treat.”
The four sit and eat their lunch. The room fills with chatter and laughter over the hum of the air conditioning.
Make sure you always support the original! If you’ve been enjoying my version, don’t forget to like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. Thank you so much for reading!
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
The Digital World is vast and full of mystery. Its biggest mystery lies hidden behind its impenetrable firewall. Early Code Crackers swarmed to the Digital World in search of answers to this mystery. Many put their lives on the line in the name of discovery. Somewhere along the wall was the gateway to the other side, and one brave code cracker was destined to find it. After years of exploration, it is widely believed that the Vortices that appeared indiscriminately along the wall were gateways to the other side.
While most Vortives appear randomly over the wall, one takes its permanent residence at the center of the wall slums. Tartarus and his small team find themselves at the edge of this vortex, with the intention of seeing what’s on the other side.
The expedition starts smoothly. The code crackers and their Digimon work in perfect unison as they make their careful descent toward the void. Suddenly, a swarm of Digimon appear above them.
Megadramon rears back and raises his arms, taking careful aim at the oncoming swarm.
ERADICATION ATTACK!
The cannons at the ends of his arm open up with a swarm of missiles, each exploding its target. The attack leaves a hole in the swarm, but the hole quickly fills with more Digimon.
“There’s too many of them, I can’t hold ’em off for long!” Marvin says from within Megadramon.
The guardian Digimon attack like a swarm of Locust. Megadramon continues to fire, holding back the swarm for the time being.
Dorumon stops his trek and floats in place as he watches the swarm. The small-wing fox waves his tail eagerly.
“Time to get to work Dorumon” Tarturus says from within its core. “Initiate phase 3!”
“Right!” Dorumon shines brightly as it Digivolves into a large strange dragon. Large silver leathery wings beat in the air, holding it up.
DoruGreymon, Ultimate, Beast Dragon, Data
Metal Meteor
A massive metal orb begins to form over DoruGreymon’s head, drawing the swarm’s attention. The crystal on DorGreymon’s forehead begins to glow. Strange runes of light appear on the face of the orb. It slowly starts to drop into the vortex. The swarm of Digimon moves to push away the projectile, but the orb continues its descent unmolested.
“Let them try,” Tartarus smirks as he watches the swarm’s vain attempt to stop their attack.
The orb continues to drop, crushing the piles of Digimon until it finally makes contact with the gateway. The orb looks like a tiny pebble against the vast mouth of the vortex. The impact lets out a high-pitched screech.
“Begin decoding! This can still work,” Tartarus commands.
Inside the Digicore, Tartarus starts typing away furiously at his console. A small meter begins to fill across his screen. 20%…25%….
Cracks begin to form on the gateway letting light slip in from the other side. It groans under the growing strain.
“The gateway is breaking!” Tartarus says to himself.
The remaining guardians swarm DoruGreymon in a desperate attempt to stop the attack.
Seeing this, Marvin shouts, “We have to buy them more time, Let’s go!” The group launches a final desperate defense.
The grinding sound goes silent as the orb stops moving. The decoding progress bar stops at 30%.
“What’s happening?” Tartarus barks.
“Process terminated. This is as far as we can get with a single prototype Digimon,” DoruGreymon says cooly.
Tartarus slams his fists on the console. “Dammit. Just like we predicted.” He lets out a heavy sigh.
“The gate requires a tripartite key. We need all three attributes in order to crack it. We need Virus and Vaccine prototype Digimon for this to work.”
“Yueling’s Ryudamon is a Vaccine type, all we need is a virus type…” Tartarus gets lost in thought, staring at the gateway. “Whatever lies beyond the gateway is going to change the world. I don’t know how, but we’re going to change it!”
The metal orb begins to crack, letting the sounds of grinding and bending metal. The symbols on its face fade as the ball breaks into pieces and fades to dust.
“They’re here! The Royal Knights!” DoruGreymon shouts.
“Everyone fall back!” Tartarus shouts. Tartarus and his team flee without hesitation.
“The Royal Knights….” Tartarus mutters to himself as he takes one final glimpse at the gate behind him.
I just saw that Gordian Quest is coming to the Switch on October 26th, and I am excited. I think deck builders might be my favorite genre, and I am always looking for a new one to get into. The game is out now for PC via Steam and GoG for those of you who don’t have a switch or don’t want to wait.
Gordian Quest is a deck builder RPG roguelike. Choose from 10 playable heroes and over 700 cards to make it through the 4-act story. With three different game modes, crafting mechanics, and procedurally generated levels, I can see this game providing hours of gameplay and a lot of replay value.
I am a huge fan of the art, and the gameplay looks like a lot of fun. I know I could grab it now for the PC, but I prefer to play my chill deck builders from the comfort of my couch. You can pick up Gordian Quest for $19.99, but you can preorder it now for $17.99 on the Nintendo eShop.
If you enjoy these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!
I know I am a little behind on releases. Work has been hectic, and I haven’t had much time to work on these. Thank you for your patience and continued support. I’ll do my best to catch up! I think I’ll start posting updates on Mastodon if that’s an easier way to stay updated, but let me know if there are better options. Make sure you always support the official release, and don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share these with your friends!
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
Onminomon floats over the two Digimon. Its armor glows from the energy gathering at the tip of the cannon. Omnimon aims it at Helloogarmon, who continues to wriggle in pain. The metallic wolf at the end of the cannon glistens preciously as arcs of energy spill out of its mouth. Omnimon releases the beam. It comes crashing down, engulfing Helloogarmon in a blinding white spotlight of frozen energy before vanishing in the same instant.
Hellogarmon lays motionless, its body and flames left frozen by the blast. Inside the Digicore, Eiji writhes in agony. He vaguely remembers the ice beam washing over them as he slowly loses consciousness. His body burns with unbearable pain. He feels his life slowly fading as he desperately tries to hold onto consciousness.
Eiji’s vision blurs and darkens, but he can still make out the outline of the holy knight as it moves towards them. He struggles to concentrate, but he can make out the menacing blade thirsting for their lives. In his struggle with consciousness, Eiji can make out his own name written in the strange runes that decorate the face of the blade.
“Delete all!” Omnimon’s words fall onto Eiji with a soothing calm. As Omnimon readies for his final blow, Eiji becomes at peace with death. Eiji welcomes the darkness.
CRACK
Omnimon stumbles from a blow to its back.
“Loogamon!” an unseen voice shouts.
Pulsemon?…the familiar voice pulls Eiji back from the darkness. His vision clears as he watches Kazuchimon crash into Omnimon, sending both Digimon flying.
The force of the vortex picks up the flying Digimon and pulls it towards its center. Omnimon struggles to pry Kazuchimon off, but Kazuchimon holds on tightly. Omnimon brings down heavy blows that leave Kazuchimon bruised and bloodied, but Kazuchimon remains unfazed. The vortex continues to pull them closer and closer to its pit.
“Eiji” Leon’s voice crackles from the distance. His voice is barely audible.
“Let go Leon…You have to let go. The vortex is sucking you up!” Eiji shouts back helplessly.
“This…Knight…the last…” Leon’s message comes in gargled with static.
Eiji tries to move but finds himself frozen in the darkness. His body still aches from the bast. His eyes swell with tears, “LEON!!” Eiji watches as his friend is pulled farther and farther away.
“I’m sorry Eiji. I don’t know if you can still hear me. This whole thing is fucked. I tried to save you…I just didn’t know what else to…” his message cuts off. Eiji sits in the silent darkness of the Digicore.
With one sharp elbow, Omnimon frees itself from Kazhuchimon’s grip and turns its attention to Eiji.
Shido Ittetsu!
Before Omnimon can make its escape, an electromagnetic barrier forms around the two Digimon.
“You aren’t getting away!” Leon shouts. Around him, alarms blare loudly as Leon uses the last of his mindlink energy to seal Omnimon. Kazuchimon grapples Omnimon. Omnimon struggles as its limbs become locked in the hold. It turns its head to glare at Kazuchimon. Leon stares back at the angry eyes. “For as long as I’ve got left, you’re not going anywhere.”
Eiji continues to watch as Kazuchimon and Omnimon inch closer to the core.
“They’re nearly through…” Eiji says to himself.
Suddenly, the Digicore around him springs to life. Monitors start to fill with data and status updates. Eiji’s commands begin to register. He fights through the pain and begins typing furiously.
Helloogarmon rises slowly. It shakes off the last bits of frost. Its few lingering flames go out, leaving a charged werewolf skeleton. Hellogarmon splashes through black dirty puddles as it stumbles to its feet. It begins to glow and shrink as it turns back into Loogamon. It takes another step before falling back to the ground.
“Loogamon!” Eiji shouts excitedly, as he appears suddenly next to his fallen friend. He kneels beside Loogamon, “Hang in there buddy.”
“…Eiji…What’s…going on?” Loogamon makes out weakly.
“I’ll tell you later.” Eiji lets out a sigh of relief, forgetting for a moment about the danger around him. But reality hits him suddenly. Eiji looks toward his disappearing friend and shouts, “Leon! Get out of there! You win Leon, I’ll quit! Just get out of there!” The whirl of the vortex drowns out his words.
Eiji watches as Kazuchimon and Omnimon disappear into the Vortex. A moment later, it disappears. The sky fills with an eerie peacefulness. Around him, the world goes silent. Eiji begins tending Loogamon’s wounds. Tears fall down his cheek as the realization hits him. There was nothing more he could do.
Spasms of Stupidity fell into my inbox, and I thought I would share it because it is a neat concept. Spasms of Stupidity is a roguelike wargame for pc reminiscent of the DragonForce game for the Sega Saturn. The game is still in its early stages, but I can see the potential.
You command a legion of demons on a campaign to take over the world. There are skill trees, item crafting, and a campaign to complete. You will arrange your troops, set your orders, and watch as your army does battle. As you play, you will unlock new characters, skills, and items to help you with future runs, which is to be expected from any roguelike. If you enjoy war simulators, especially ones on a large scale, this project might be worth supporting. There are some complexities and mechanics I am I am brushing over, but the video does a better job of showing them in action.
The game is still in its early stages, and looking for funding on Kickstarter. The Kickstarter launches on November 1st. It isn’t going to be for everyone, but with diligence, I can see it satisfying in its niche. Always be mindful of backing a Kickstarter, but someone has to bid on the little guys.
If you want to stay up to date on the news, check out the Steam and Epic Games Store pages. If you’ve been enjoying these updates, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.
I’ve been excited about Drakantossince learning about it at GDC. Drakantos is a free-to-play pixel art MMO coming to PC and mobile devices. Instead of classes, players can choose from a roster of 21 unique characters to set off on their adventure. I love the art, the voice acting sounds amazing, and what I’ve seen of the story has me curious. I’ve written about the game in previous posts. Make sure you check those out if you want more details. If you’ve enjoyed these updates, make sure you like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends!
Well, developers just dropped a gameplay trailer, and I can’t help but stay excited for the release. If you are a fan of early-era Runescape, this game may be for you. The gameplay looks relaxing, but there seems to be enough challenge involved to keep it engaging. The boss fights to look like a ton of fun, and it looks like there is an emphasis on party play. I am always in favor of a game that helps foster a strong community. It is too early to tell from the images and video how good this game will be, but I am interested. Hopefully, we get a demo soon. I’ll be following Drakanto’s development closely to report on any major updates, but you should join the official Discord so you are always up to date. Don’t forget to add Drakantos to your wishlist!
I know my posts are still irregular, but I am getting close to catching up to the book. Once I catch up, I will be back to a set posting schedule. Make sure you support the official release. Thanks again for supporting my translation! If you’ve been enjoying them, don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends.
When the soft glow of Digivolution fades, Eiji finds himself in a silent and dark Digicore. Something isn’t right.
“What’s going on?” Eiji’s voice echoes. There is no response.
A strange black creature stands where Loogarmon did. A werewolf of pitch black bone and eyes full of blinding rage. Besides it falls two long arms ending in long sharp claws. Large spikes run down its back in rows of two. A long skeletal tail slams into the earth behind it.
It stands on its hind legs and lets out a roar. Its body bursts into flames as it comes down on all fours. It thrashes and wriggles violently as its claws dig furiously into the earth, propelling it towards Kazuchimon. It closes the distance before Kazuchimon has a chance to react. The creature lunges at Kazuchimon, claws and fangs digging deep into the flesh. Kazuchimon drops its blades as he tries to grab onto the creature and push it away. Pain shoots through its body fangs dig deeper into its neck.
What’s going on? Eiji watches the attack from within the Digicore, but he can’t sense his partner. He tries to connect like he’s done many times before, but there is no response. “Loogamon?” Eiji asks desperately as he types furiously at the control console. But Eiji is locked out. He has no control.
The beast lets out a blood-curdling roar. He bangs his fists at the monitor. The creature’s stats read, “Ulitame. Deamon Beast. Virus…)” But there is no name.
Eiji stares at the stats. “We did it…Loogamon made it to Ultimate…” His words felt empty. The words on the screen are meaningless. This creature isn’t Loogamon. Nothing about this felt right.
Eiji’s hands fall to his side as he becomes overcome with hopelessness. He watches as the beast tears into Kazuchimon. He listens to the creature’s hungry rage.
“Your Digivolution failed! It’s out of control!” Leon shouts.
The familiar voice snaps Eiji from his trance. “Out of control?…. Failed?….”
“Eiji can you hear me? You’ve lost control….Dammit!” Leon’s voice barely carries over the beast’s commotion. “You weren’t ready. Look at what you did!” Leon’s voice is angry.
Eiji watches helplessly from within the Digicore.
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
Helloogarmon. Eiji reads the name as it appears on his monitor. This is my fault…
Eiji wanted to win. He wanted to be strong. He wanted to prove to everyone he was strong, but not like this. Helloogarmon continues to tear into Kazuchimon.
“LOOGAMON!” Eiji yells “I know you’re in there. Come back buddy. Please come back.”
Leon reads over the data.
“Helloogarmon?” There is nothing controlling thebeast but its rage. It would spread and destroy everything in its path like a virus. “I don’t understand how an Ultimate level Digimon can be this strong…” An alarm goes off. “Dammit. Time’s up…” Leon looks down at the flashing monitor. The levels were getting dangerously close to the C Line. He couldn’t stay mindlinked any longer.
“You’re probably running out of time too, huh?” Eiji’s voice comes over the come. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to keep Kazuchimon up for long. The plan was to make you waste all your energy before…Loogarmon went beserk…”
“Eiji..”
“This is all my fault. I’m sorry.”
“You have to focus! This thing is still your partner. You have to focus to stop it from rampaging.”
“I’m trying, but it’s not…” The sounds of error messages cut him off. “I can’t hear Loogamon’s voice…”
Kazuchimon struggles to keep Heelogarmon back. Its strength was beginning to give and the pain was becoming too much to bear.
“You have to get out of here Leon. You can’t stay here. You’re running out of time!” It was clear from Eiji’s tone that he had given up.
“I’m not leaving until you swear to quick code cracking! I’m going to save you. Whatever it takes!”
“Leon…” Why is he so determined? Why is he still here?
The two had grown apart, there was no reason for Leon to still be here.
“Why can’t you let it go?”
Leon goes quiet for a moment before finally answering, “Flight 626…”
“What?”
A high speech squeal cuts them off. Kazuchimon is finally able to get a hold of Hellogarmon before flipping it into the electric barrier. A pulse of energy courses through Hellogarmon as it makes contact with the wall. Helloogarmon falls to the ground. Its flames extinguish leaving a blackened wolf flinging and writhing in pain.
Eiji almost blacks out from the pain of the impact. His fingers fire away furiously at the console. “Come on Loogamon. I know you’re in here…”
Helloogarmon continues to writhe in pain. Kazuchimon stands over it, tending to its own wounds. Blood pours from the bites and scratches that run over its body.
“Flight 626 fell because of a Machinedramon.”
“I know..”
“I didn’t pay attention to the passenger manifest…Eiji, I’m sorry..”
“You’re not making any sense Leon.”
Leon takes a deep breath. “There was a huge fight on the network while the flight was in the air. The U.S. Army’s counterterrorism unit was working on stopping the attack but…I couldn’t do it Eiji I wasn’t strong enough…I’m sorry…” Leon’s voice breaks as he grows silent. “I couldn’t save those people…I couldn’t save your parents.”
“But why…Why are you apologizing?”
“Because…You’re my best friend.”
A mournful silence falls over the two friends. Eiji continues to type furiously. “You didn’t kill those people Leon, that dictator did.”
‘But it was my responsibility. I was supposed to stop them…If I don’t stop you from being a code cracker, you cou…”
“Stop lumping all of us together. I’d never do that!”
“You’ve already helped the Sons of Chaos attack Nation X, and look what you did to Loogamon. As a hacker…I have to stop you, even if you are my friend.” Kazuchimon razes its lightning blades over its head. “I’ve got enough time for one more attack. I’m taking you back Eiji…”
A loud boom breaks Kazuchimon’s concentration. The barrier around them shatters and fades. “Dammit, did already reach the limit?”
A loud metallic howling noise fills the junkyard. A large hole rips at the top of the barrier revealing a massive black hole in the sky. Wind blows chunks of debris and junk data toward the hole. From the center, a figure appears.
Mega. Holly Knight. Vaccine. Omnimon
A large shining knight steps out of the vortex and turns its attention down at them. Its armor glistens, even in the dim light. A cap flows neatly behind it. Its right arm is a powerful-looking cannon, a sword falls from its left. Strange runes light up the face of the sword. Its voice carries over the chaos, “Delete all!”
I was sent Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless to review a little after my previous post. I’ve been excited about this title since the first announcement and was planning on buying it regardless. I am very fortunate to get the chance to review it for my site, but I won’t let this sway my opinions on the game. This will be my honest review of the game. If you’ve been enjoying my reviews, make sure you like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends.
This is a cute game with stunning visuals, a fantastic soundtrack, and fun gameplay. Do not let how cute this game looks fool you. This game is difficult if you don’t take it seriously. I found the stages appropriately challenging and the mechanics engaging. I played the game on Easy, which was appropriate for my skill level. Although I never found the stages impossible or frustrating, it was easy to wipe if I wasn’t playing strategically. If you’ve never played a strategy game, it has terrific tutorials to get you started.
The story is a little on the silly side, with a general cheesiness I found charming. It has a cast of tremendous actors that make the cut scenes such a delight to sit through. I can see this being a niche game due to its tone, but the gameplay is fun enough that it won’t matter. The story is self-contained enough to exist on its own. While you won’t need to play any of the other games in the series to enjoy Disgaea 7, you are going to.
Aside from the combat, what I love most about this game is how much you can do at the base. Between stages, you get access to all these shops where you recruit new heroes, learn new skills, buy items, vote for buffs, and do other administrative stuff to prepare for the next stage. As goofy as this game looks, I spent a lot of time planning things through, and I loved every minute of it.
Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless releases in North America on October 3rd on PlayStation, Steam, and Switch for $59.99. If it’s not yet on your wishlist, it should be.
I know these have been random as I try to catch up the the novel. I’ll be sure to be back on a set schedule once I do. Thanks again for your support! I put a lot into these translations, so I hope you’ve been enjoying it so far. Make sure you support the original story and leave me some love if you can. Don’t forget to share this with your friends!
Pulsemon zips through the sea of data, blurring through it in flashes of bright yellow light. Bellow him sit mounds of junked data stacked in messy, unorganized heaps reminiscent of a landfill. Occasionally, Pulsemon summons a small hologram map with marked-off coordinates.
“It’s somewhere around here,” Pulsemon says as it compares the map with their surroundings. They had ventured out of the Walled Slums into an area past the Rusted Coast. They were looking for a hole in the firewall that separated the human world from the Digital world. Somewhere over these heaps of rotting wreckage was a vortex that could be a doorway to the other side.
“I’m not picking up any more readings,” Pulsemon says as it continues its flight.
“Let’s head down there,” Leon says from his place in the mindlink. Pulsemon lowers itself toward the ground. Around it, pieces of the environment glitch, blurring or continually blinking in and out of existence.
Leon looks around at the empty baron wasteland. “So this is just a floating island of garbage.”
Leon looks out into the horizon towards the firewall. It appeared like a massive moon or planet as it towered over the highest peaks of garbage. Its scale is breathtaking, but the secrets it held within would be more. What lay beyond the firewall? A planet? A galaxy. Humanity has only achieved blurry glimpses beneath the veil, and here Leon stood at the precipice.
“You sure it’s not a bad tip?” Pulsemon interrupts. “This doesn’t look like a place Tartarus would hang out in.”
Leon wakes from his trance. “No, it’s a solid lead.”
“I don’t know…” Pulsemon’s words are shrouded in worry. “This feels like a trap. The Sons of Chaos are still pretty pissed about the whole Machinedramon thing.”
“You can handle a few Sons of Chaos goons, can’t you?”
“It just looks dangerous is all…” Pulsemon’s voice trails off.
“Just stay sharp Pulsemon.” An uneasy silence falls over them as they look over the landscape.
HOWLING FIRE
A fireball tears through the air. It’s heat searching for an unsuspecting target, but Pulsemon is quick to react. The fireball narrowly misses as it flips out of the way. The fire ball lands with an explosion, leaving behind a crater of burning data.
“That was close,” Pulsemon chips as he lands into his battle stance.
“Hey Pulsemon,” Loogamon says as it steps into view. Small embers lick around its maw as it gives a hungry smile.
“Eiji?” Leon lets out. There is a bit of shock in his tone before he forces composure. “So you’re one of leaders now?”
“Nope, just a rookie.”
“Sure you are…” Leon can’t hide the disappointment that clings to his words.
Minor Impulse
Pulsemon begins to glow a bright yellow as a bolt of lightning jumps from its body and lands with a crash as Loogamon leaps out of the way.
“That was almost impressive,” Pulsemon taunts.
“I wasn’t even trying.” Loogamon gives a mocking grin.
“Whatever you say mutt.”
“Bring it on Sparkles.”
The two Digimon stare each other down.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised a code cracker is a criminal.”
“I was happy to see you Leon. It was nice catching up, but this is business. You messed up, now you have to deal with the consequences.”
“So you here to collect our bounty?”
“In a way, it depends on how our talk goes.”
“Get to the point Eiji.”
“If you promise not to interfere with the Sons of Chaos, we’ll let the… incident with the Machinedramon go.”
“You know I can’t do that.”
“I knew it wouldn’t be that easy, but it was worth a shot.”
“Look, if you need money, I can help you. You don’t have to do this.”
“I am not your charity case,” Eiji barks.
“But I can help you…”
“I choose how I want to live my life. You come to me after all these years and expect me to betray my ideals… for money?”
“Ideals? I thought you became a code cracker because you needed money.”
“You don’t get it,” Eiji’s voice trembles with anger and frustration. “Why don’t you go back to your cushy life and focus on school and leave me to mine.”
Leon knew there was no getting through to Eiji. He is a code cracker now, and it was Leon’s duty to hunt them down. Leon gives out a sad sigh as he appears as a hologram next to Pulsemon.
“The professor is using you Eiji. I’ve seen too many code cracker pass through the professors doors. He uses them up and tosses them like the garbage around us. And, you’re no different than them…”
“What did you say?!”
Pulsemon vanishes.
Electric Rush!
Pulsemon appears above Loogamon and comes crashing down in a bolt of lightning. Loogamon barely jumps out of the way, only feeling the heat of Pulsemon’s electricity as it brushed past.
Loogamon lands on a wobbling piece of floating debris.
“Stay away from the professor!” Leon shouts. “He doesn’t need any more worthless code crackers.”
“So this is what it’s all about? That’s how you really feel? You just don’t want anyone else getting close to your precious professor.”
The two old friends stood on opposite ends. They weren’t the same kids they were back then. Time had torn them apart, and both had a job to do.
“You really want to lose to me so badly? Fine! Pulsemon, let’s get serious.”
“Right!”
Pulsemon glows as its silhouette grows. When the light fades, Boutmon stands where Pulsemon did. It cracks its knuckles and smiles as bolts of static run down its body.
Boutmon rushes Loogamon, letting out a series of electric punches and kicks. Loogamon is able to dodge them as its fur begins to stand, charged with static. One of the kicks crashes through the piece of debris holding them up, breaking it to pieces.
Loogamon lands, kicking up dust and dirt. Its gaze fixed on Boutmon.
“Loogamon, it’s our turn!”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Loogamon lets out an earth shaking howl as it digivolves into Loogarmon.
Its massive crimson claws dig into the earth as its body tenses. Flames lick from its iron muzzle. The large feathers down his arms and neck shake in the breeze.
The two champion Digimon stare each other down intensely.
“That’s a cute champion form, but it’s going to take more than that Eiji!” Leon taunts.
“Just like we practiced Loogarmon!”
“Hey sparkles, I don’t want to hear any crying when I beat you.” The fur down its back begins to stand as flames build inside its maw.
Howling Burner!
Loogarmon whips the flames around to form a large wall of fire. Loogarmon disappears behind the smoke and flames.
“Cute trick!” Boutmon shouts.
Lightning Heel
Boutmons leg builds with electrical energy as it raises its leg over its head. It lets down a sweeping explosive kick through the flames. The flames continue to burn, but for a brief moment, the flames part to reveal Loogarmon and its sinister smile.
“This is my domain!” Loogarmon growls.
Flame Blow
Before Boutmon has a chance to react, Loogarmon becomes covered in flames and lunges towards them.
Fire Breath
Before the wolf can connect, flames fall onto Boutmon from three different directions.
“How?!?” Leon shouts as he searches for the source. Smoke and flames rise from Boutmon’s body. It staggers for a moment before falling to a defensive position. Three Tyrannomon step from the shadows and stares down from their place on top three separate peaks.
“What a dirty trick!” Leon grumbles.
“You didn’t pick up on them Boutmon?” Loogarmon taunts.
There was too much interference from the junk data around them. “They know Leon. This was a trap…” Boutmon’s voice trails off.
Leon scrambles to think of a plan. “So you have to cheat to beat me?”
“I’ll beat you Leon, even if it takes every dirty trick in the book.”
The Tyrannomon retreat out of site. The two champion Digimon continue to stare each other down. Boutmon takes a breath as he changes his stance. Electricity starts to build in his palms. Loogarmon readies a Howling Burner as it watches Boutmon closely.
Buden Blast
Both Digimon release their stored energy. It creates a massive explosive on impact, blowing chunks of junk data and debris flying in every direction. The explosion releases a shockwave. Loogarmon jumps to dodge the impact, but Boutmoun appears below them.
Storm of Blows
Boutmon unleashes a flurry of punches and kicks, each landing hard on the unsuspecting wolf.
The Tyrannomon reappear, letting out torrents of flame that engulf Boutmon, giving Eiji and Loogarmon enough of a distraction to create distance between them.
“Dammit!” Leon lets out as Boutmon lands, its body still searing from the flames.
“Calm down Leon. Look. We’re wearing them down.” Leon looks over at Loogarmon. Its feathers are ruffled and matter. The large Digimon pants heavily.
“Alright, but it’s a little crowded. Let’s make some room Boutmon. Digivolve!”
“Understood.”
A massive bolt of lightning comes crashing down over Boutmon. The force of the impact explodes burning debris in every direction. Kazuchimon stands letting out a terrifying roar.
“The Tyrannomon are scared Eiji, call them back.” Eiji gathers the Tyrannomon back into the dock.
“Alright Loogarmon, be ready for anything.”
Kazuchimon takes a step forward. Its electric blade still points to the ground.
“You’re too week Eiji. You should have quit when I asked you. Kazuchimon!”
Shido Ittetsu
Kazuchimon lifts its hand. It begins to glow as storm clouds begin to gather overhead.
“What the?” Eiji exclaims as he watches the sky. Lightning builds, forming an unnatural cage around them.
“It’s a digital barrier. They’re trying to trap us!” Loogarmon shouts. It leaps as it tries to escape, but it’s too late. An electromagnetic barrier comes crashing down, cutting off their escape.
Kazuchimon slices at debris as it closes in on Loogarmon.
Loogarmon uses its tail to throw a piece of debris at the barrier. It vaporizes on impact. “It’s no use, we’re trapped.”
“Don’t worry, we got this,” Eiji says in an attempt to stay positive.
Kazuchimon stands over them. It looks down at them grimly. They can feel the heat from the blade. Before Loogarmon has a chance to react, the blade slices through its body, leaving behind a searing pain. Eiji loses focus as the pain becomes too unbearable.
“I made a mistake,” Leon says.
“What?” Eiji manages through the pain.
“I shouldn’t have offered you money. I shouldn’t have offered you a way out. I should have knocked some sense into you from the beginning. Give up Eiji, it’s over.”
“No! I…”
“You can’t win Eiji.”
Kazuchimon crosses his blades as energy begins to build between them. Eiji could feel the heat building as he stares down the familiar attack.
Eiji is overcome with desperation. The pain makes it difficult to think straight. “I can’t lose.” Eiji thinks about the professor. About all the times Eiji made him proud. “I have to do better. I want to do something meaningful with my life.” Eiji thinks about his time with Loogamon. “I have to win….We have to win…”
Shinden Shouraiko
The light from the twin blades becomes blinding. They burst with energy. A familiar sensation builds up within Eiji. He feels large amounts of power begin coursing through Loogarmon.
