#angelslayer

“What is it, Ken?”

“We have some maintenance to take care of.”

“Oh?”

“Someone’s decided it would be fun to defy me. Someone strong. You know what that means.”

Wormmon knew. It meant GrandisKuwagamon. He still didn’t like it. “Are you sure I have to--”

“Yes.”

His antennas drooped. “Okay...”

Within the hour, Ken and his Mega-leveled partner were standing in front of a castle, right in the middle of the rebellious sector. The doors swung open as they approached, as if expecting them. Ken clenched his teeth. How dare someone presume to build a castle in his territory.

Whoever it was had dared to invade his space. Even if the open doors were technically an invitation, he felt like returning the favor. So he stalked in, ignoring the boom as the doors shut behind them.

An angelic digimon descended the center staircase. “Welcome, Ichijouji Ken. GrandisKuwagamon. I am Ophanimon. We have much to discuss.”

“Grandis.” The tone was enough to tell the partner digimon it was time to attack. He lunged, claws extended, prepared to tear Ophanimon to ribbons. She dodged and parried with ease.

“I would prefer if we discussed matters,” she said calmly.

“You want to talk? Fine. Let’s talk. Here’s what I have to say: get out of my territory and don’t come back.”

She shook her head, her expression both gentle and stern. “I cannot do so. Primarily because this territory does not to belong to you. The Digital World belongs to no single soul, Ken. You have been in a relationship with one of my Warriors for some time now, correct? Hasn’t Kouji taught you this?”

“My relationship with Kouji is none of your damned business.” Ken could feel the anger wash over him like a tide, burning hot before cooling into dangerous, calculating, murderous intent. “But fine,” he continued. “I’ll cut back. Is that what you want to hear? I’ll let you keep this area.”

“I do not want you to cut back. I want you to stop. Have you learned nothing in all your years? Consider what you’re doing. You are harming innocents every day. Doesn’t that weigh heavy on your conscience?”

No. “Yes,” he said, in his best I admit defeat tone. Maybe? Oh, who cared?

“You can change, Ken. For the better. You did it once before, did you not?”

Don’t remind me. Yes, he’d fought with the sniveling pack of brats once. He had been vulnerable then. He would not be vulnerable now. The creatures were real, he knew this now. That didn’t mean he owed them anything. “Of course,” he said, complete with a heavy sigh of grief.

He had been fiddling with something in his pocket since Ophanimon had mentioned Kouji. It finally came to fruition when one of his controlled digimon busted through the back walls, roaring and causing chaos. Ophanimon turned around, and as she did so, Ken silently made a signal to GrandisKuwagamon. The motion was clear: strike her, and make it lethal.

Without hesitation, he obliged. His bladed claws tore through her abdomen from behind, wrenching through armor as if it were paper. She screamed, a horrible, anguished sound of a blessed creature dying. It even made Ken flinch.

As Grandis ripped out his claws and stepped back, she toppled to her knees, head jerking sideways as she tried to turn around and look at her murderer. She dissolved into data before her gaze reached Ken’s.

“Bye,” he whispered snidely. Within seconds of her disappearance, the ethereal castle began to crumble around them, shards of tinkling glass crashing down from the ceiling. “Grandis, get us out of here,” Ken commanded. His partner obliged yet again, scooping him up and flying out one of the crumbling windows.