Frontiers Unexplored

39) Ashen Metal

Vritramon knew that it was now or never. 

Ophanimon's sacrifice had caught him by surprise, but he wasn't allowing himself to absorbed by his shock for much longer than he had to. He was fully aware of everything that was riding on the present battle, and he wasn't about to let Ophanimon down by going against her final wish that the Legendary Warriors would be able to purify Cherubimon and save the Digital World. He knew what he had to do, and he was going to do everything he could to accomplish that goal. 

The fire inside of him had been burning with confident passion ever since he returned from his adventures with the Dark Trailmon. He could feel it dancing at his core as he watched Aerismon finish the absorption process on Ophanimon's Fractal Code. There was no other choice for him than to embrace the fire within, and he was more than happy to do so. 

He could feel the warmth spreading outwards, and part of Vritramon knew what it meant before he even saw the sudden explosion of Fractal Code that surrounded him. His form began to change slightly, and his deep red armor was suddenly highlighted with gold on his knees and chest. Black waited beneath the surface of both colors, and bright red patches appeared on his shoulders. The helmet that he wore as Agunimon framed his features, and a mane of wild yellow hair fell down his back. His orange wings remained the same as before, fighting to keep him aloft. 

His tail stayed the same as well, but it wasn't the only beastly feature that he possessed in this form. White claws stuck out from his feet, two on the front of each foot while one was at the back. Yellow streaks of armor stuck out from his arms, and the edges were sharp. Flames sparked across the surface of his body, and he relished in the familiar sensation. He was going to allow this newfound strength to fuel him in the coming battle. He had to if he wanted to stand any chance of winning against Cherubimon. 

"Aldamon!"

 He didn't even fully register the fact that he had achieved his Hybrid form. Instead, the Warrior of Fire simply rushed forward, and flames gathered around his hands to create the illusion of him becoming a comet. He charged through the air with his arms outstretched, and he slammed into Cherubimon with everything that he had. In the name of Ophanimon, the Celestial patron who had granted him such strength in the first place, he couldn't lose. 

Much to Aldamon's surprise, Cherubimon actually stumbled backwards, his eyes wide in wild surprise. He was clearly angered by the final actions of Ophanimon, but he still refused to give in and allow the Legendary Warriors to succeed. He created a sphere of dark energy and attempted to hurl it in Aldamon's direction, but the Warrior of Fire created a twister of flames that blocked out the strike before it could make contact with his body. The shadows fizzled out of existence a moment later, and Aldamon grinned at the realization. 

He glanced down at his hands, admiring the new power that he had come to possess. It truly was incredible that he was capable of so much. He had been Vritramon for so long, and yet, there he was at the next stage. He could feel the sudden rush of strength flowing through his body just as naturally as blood did, and he moved forward to attack Cherubimon once again. He needed to succeed. They all did. 

Aldamon wasn't the only one to do damage in the subsequent charge. Aerismon managed to get off a few attacks using the rapier that they held to tightly. Thundramon unleashed a blast of electricity as Daipenmon sent a series of snowballs hurtling through the air. The combined force of the four Legendary Warriors forced Cherubimon backwards once again, and the segments of pale white, pink, and yellow slowly began to spread outward. The Celestial Digimon breathed heavily in his exhaustion, and Aldamon concluded that Ophanimon's attempts at purifying him were maintaining their effects even after her defeat. 

Zephyrmon swept down from the skies alongside Cygnusmon. She attacked with a series of twisters that tore mercilessly at the visible pink on Cherubimon's upper body. Cygnusmon unleashed a shower of stars that poured down on Cherubimon's head. The Celestial Digimon threw up his arms to try and guard the attacks, but he ultimately wasn't able to do much to keep himself safe.