#corrupteddarkness

What a lovely specimen. He could be useful for his experiments.

That’s what Ken thought when he saw the other from a distance. Without knowing anything about them as he watched the other be walked up to the crown’s dais.

Of course, he didn’t expect to actually be allowed to experiment on the servant yet. All new servants were kept off the list of allowed specimens until they did something bad or the crown was certain the original master didn’t want them back.

Ken stayed in the shadows, watching the proceedings without being able to hear their low voices, and fully knowing that only weak digimon wouldn’t know he was there. Then his name was called for and he marched out of the shadows towards the dais.

“Ken, this one is yours.” The Lord of the Castle stated calmly. Ken blinked behind his purple tinted sunglasses.

“I already have Wormmon, Lord Milleniummon. A human is useless to me.”

“Even a human that can shift between organic and digital? At will?” The dragon chuckled, no doubt having their own agenda for giving Ken such a useful new servant.

Another human like himself and Ryou-san? And one not empowered by Milleniummon? Oh all the possibilities for how and why it happened. What differences might be between them.

“Thank you, milord. Must I be… careful with him?”

“He’s yours.”

Ken thanked the crown again, before leading the boy away. Once far enough, he stopped and turned around to examine his new servant properly.

“Call me Master Ken, you’ll do as I ask, when I ask it. Some of your duties will be to fetch me food and drink at appropriate times. Your name and digital form?”

Kouichi Kimura was no longer. When given the corrupted spirits of darkness, the chosen had lost his humanity just as Cherubimon had designed. But instead of being drafted into the war, the newly christened Duskmon, warrior of darkness, was assigned to the powerful digigod known as Milleniummon.

Duskmon was a clean slate with all the power of a warrior and no strings attached. Well, except for those that kept him under command. He didn’t know - couldn’t remember - what else there was. The warrior figured that it was simply... destiny that he became the prince’s plaything.

As the heir apparent lurked within the shadows, the spirit could sense their presence even in a lower powered form. As Ken was called forth, the warrior lowered to a knee, bowing his head before them.

Kouichi could have been mistaken for a relation of the prince. But under the influence of the spirits of darkness, Duskmon’s lower form appeared slightly different. The usual dark blue eyes seemed purple due to the glassy red data flowing through him, and black lines dripped down over his cheeks.

This was the first time he was trying this since he was a pre-teen. Opening a Dark Gate on his own; he’s opened plenty to and from the Digital World. Ken was, understandably, wary of doing so, since the last time he did, he sent the Demon Lord of Wrath here. But he had no reason to fear Daemon now.

Not when he was so close to stopping this charade for good. He wouldn’t have to smile and feign being like the other Chosen. He just had to master creating the Gates.

Of course, his testing was going to have to wait since he near-instantly felt a dark presence when he landed. It didn’t feel like Daemon.... or Dragomon. It felt nothing like a Dark Tower digimon, much too powerful.

The hesitance in his response hummed just beneath his f r a g i l i t y, his unwillingness to admit the words registered. His gaze wandered from the reflection’s eyes, to lips, to the jacket across shoulders matching his own. The radiation. The fear.

He could taste the poison, still trapped behind the layer of glass, shielding himself from the mirror beside him.

“I know.”

The words bit at his tongue like the way a snake nips at a mouse. After an eternity of waiting, anticipating the perfection moment to pounce. A sl i  t h er forward, careful, laced with the venom to KILL.

The snake missed, whether by his own fault or a twist of luck, intention….

Not even the snake knew.

This girl always made Ince curious- but she also terrified him. Those blue eyes would go blank and she would do something terrifying- like nearly killing Tunc. But this time he felt a stabbing pain in his side.

He vanished in a wisp of shadows, appearing in a place he knew he'd find help. Tears were threatening his vision- but the sight of a familiar male made him run over and hug onto his leg tightly, blood dripping down the child's side.

"I’m the Warrior of Darkness. And your worst nightmare."