[Lost in Time AU: R/n managed to escape her cage but soon realizes she can't escape Belial's fortress because it's a spaceship, and she'll die if she steps outside, so R/n begrudgingly makes her way back to throne room; wondering how she was gonna get back in her cage? when she was roughly grabbed off the floor by an angry Babarue that was ordered to guard her, but fell asleep.]

Babarue: There you are! You little rat, I've been looking for you everywhere!

R/n, wincing: What a coincidence, Barbie. cos I've been avoiding you everywhere!

Babarue, eye twitches: *growls in frustration and starts squeezing R/n hard.*

[R/n struggles to breath in his grasp and wheezes in pain, she starts to see spots cloud her vision, and it seemed like Babarue was seriously gonna kill her! R/n felt suddenly an overwhelming sense of regret and sadness that she'll never see Riku or her Bel again, however neither Babarue or R/n had noticed the large figure enter the throne room.]

Kaiser! Belial, standing behind Babarue: What do you think you're doing?

[Babarue gasps and whirls around only for Belial to grab him by the neck, the shorter alien gasped as his hands went to grasp and struggle against Belial's wrist causing him to toss R/n aside! Belial acted quickly throwing Babarue like rag-doll sending him flying across the room and crashing through a wall; while his free hand caught R/n who was gasping for air and coughing as the dark-ultra carefully placed her back in her cage before turning his sights on Babarue who was now weakly calling for help and trying to crawl away from his incoming doom.

R/n had never been so happy to see the shutters on her cage go down. because if the sounds of carnage coming from outside was anything to go by, then Belial was making sure that Babarue's death was slow and incredibly painful. Needless to say, R/n had a new guard in the form of a Darkclops and didn't try to escape for a while...]

Galactic Emperor Kaiser Belial!

The threezeroX Ultraman Belial figure, designed by Japanese artist Ryu Oyama.

BOO

You just got Bambelioozled idiot, that means no clout no sauce no juice no paper no bread

The amanojaku is nothing but a fool with limited resources. Quick cut to her food supply lines and her army will have no choice to expose themselves out into the open to try and steal out of desperation into sending her forces right at the better defended militarized installations that houses the resources she needs funding her war efforts.

" What is there to cut in this horrid aftermath of the war the food is scarce. They all had been desperate... Not even seija and her army could not survive things worst than death. "

Observations on BelialVamdemon

I want to note that the rest of the fight with BelialVamdemon is actually pretty good. The kids realizing that they're fighting him in a hyperbolic space where there aren't really any rules and then using that to simultaneously evolve their Digimon into a separate copy of every form at once? Reminds me of the first Bill Cipher fight from Gravity Falls.

But it's the confrontation in the Digital World that gets really good, because this is where the show pulls the trigger on a major theme that's been steadily building in the background of its plot coupons.

Adventure 02 is about having the freedom to be whoever you want to be, regardless of what society may think of it. You don't have to be rich. You don't have to be successful. You can be a weird little gremlin if that's what makes you happy.

This was most directly discussed in BlackWarGreymon's arc, where he and Agumon literally discuss it out loud with words. BWG spends his arc searching for a purpose, a meaning to his existence. He's looking for someone to tell him who he's supposed to be. And Agumon is the one person asking, "Well, who do you want to be?"

But we also see it with the Dark Spores plotline, especially in Ken. The Dark Spores make kids who bear them exceptional in athletics and academics. It makes them very good at doing the things that society says they're supposed to be doing. It takes away their personal ambitions and instead makes them into exemplary cogs in the societal machine. And they are miserable.

The Digimon Kaiser? He was miserable. Lashing out on sadistic whims looking for a way to feel good about himself. But he sure was very good at sports, and I guess that makes him valuable?

This gets personified in BelialVamdemon, who is literally powered by the misery of Dark Spore children. He's wearing the theme on his nose here. Once the kids realize it's okay to be a weird little gremlin instead of a star soccer player who gets A+ grades, their positivity erases Belial faster than you can say Magic of Friendship.

And then they all get Digimon. Because they wanted to be Chosen Children, and you can be whatever you want to be. It's sweet.

More Ultra Dimension Cards to be released at the end of July

Think this is the non canon set

Tho I do note that they release the V1 forms, Tiga Dark and Kaiser Belial, basically obscure/obsolete forms which is noteworthy since they dont really release such forms for merch until much much later. Not sure if it even means anything at this point

However, another noteworthy thing to point out here is that Kaiser Belial is designated as a Kaiju Dimension Card, whilst if yall rmb, Belial's base form was designated as a Ultra Dimension Card. Sounds like your typical TsuPro that cant decide what to designate Belial as in merch

The Strongest Sister's Rage

Hagane wo Tsugu Mono: Ryuga rushes to where the Horrors are, leaving Souma to contemplate his blade. At the building, a woman is saved from 3 Horrors by the arrival of the Swordsmen of AGORA, Ryuga, Mutsugi and Koyori arrive soon after. With Horrors still arriving from upstairs, they plan to have Mutsugi erect a barrier, but Ryuga, knowing Souma will come, has them wait until he does, promising to prevent any Horrors leaving. Igusu and Ron head upstairs to try and suppress the masses, after the majority in the lobby are sealed Ryuga sends Obi and Koyori after them. After telling Koyori to run if she has to, Mutsugi asks why Ryuga is so sure of Souma, Ryuga asserting Souma is in skill a match for Godou. Obi and Koyori send Igusu and Ron further up, exploring the floor, Obi finds a woman hiding, though Obi is almost as nervous as her, but they swear to protect her even as more Horrors come, chasing them back to the entrance, Ryuga and the Priestesses holding the Horrors off as Obi evacuates the woman, in the scuffle, Koyori is saved by Soma's arrival, he affirms that he is ready. As soon as Obi returns Mutsugi begins erecting the barrier, the others fighting the Horrors until Souma sends Ryuga after the Gate. Igusu and Ron return as well, and with no success so far, Ron suggests Souma give a good idea and his misdeeds will be forgotten. With Zaruba sensing stronger Jaki, Ryuga fights his way higher, as Souma lures a crowd of Horrors to Koyori, who sends them through a portal to a closed off area where the AGORA swordsmen wait. Souma admits he sent them too many but they think they can handle it, as more appear Koyori sends them to other enclosed spaces. Igusu warns Obi especially to fight harder if he wants to match Souma, as Souma and Koyori keep a whole swarm contained. In order to contain the Horrors they have left, the 3 AGORA swordsmen each summon their HAGANE and use a combined technique. With all their targets cornered, Koyori uses a blinding technique to disorient the Horrors and escape, allowing Mutsugi to seal them with a barrier. Ryuga finds the room the outbreak started in, and when the phone rings answers, hearing a strange voice before it disconnects. Zaruba informs him the phone is the Gate, but before he can seal it the lead Horror, Kazamatsuri, enters, Ryuga relying on his senses to cut it down. As dawn comes, the remaining Horrors are burnt away by daylight, and Ryuga seals the Gate. The voice, male, declares it understands now that the Night of Dawn is the first step, and that it is going to SEKIGAN Forest.

New Generation Stars: Ignis shows Yuka how to set up the GUTS Hyper Key to record data, and the robot decides to show battle records of this dimension, showing the time Z, Geed and Zero fought the Belial Fusion Kaiju, and uploading Z's data to the Hyper Key, though the result is a Sevenger Key. With Yuka wanting to see more of Riku, she's shown when Geed and Zero battled Gyeron, and gets annoyed the two had forms she didn't get to see as Geed's data is added to the Key. She's further shown Zero and Ultimate Force Zero battling the Darkness Five and Kaiser Darkness, which adds Zero's data to the Key, completing it as the STORAGE Key. Ignis, who hasn't been able to as Akito to make these keys thanks to winding up here, leaves it in Yuka's hands while he seeks treasures in this world, leaving an annoyed Yuka with the robot.

Gotchard: Thanks to Hooper1, Ichinose has secured TriCera, but Renge seems in an unusual mood, it takes Hotaro's mother to realise she's in love. Speculating it's Spanner, the others follow her, and see her approach with a gift as he has a bouquet, but they pass, Renge is actually one of many admirers, of all ages and genders, of a blond ikemen, Kajiki is also among the admirers. Kyouka has brought Spanner to his parents' grave, and discusses the problem of Minato, now unsure of his goal. Greyon is disappointed by Minato's failure and, at Atropos' suggestion, enhances Clotho's strength with gold, and she attacks Kyouka, but Valvarad easily holds her off, and a Smilodon Malgam that arrived decides they must fall back, to Clotho's frustration, but in seeing Prince Zukyun and his admirers hatches a plan. Prince Zukyun seems to encourage finding their own sense of beauty. Hopper1 has been freaking out since seeing Zukyun, and Sabimaru sees message boards if people talking about friends and families becoming obsessed with him and becoming enervated, as we see one devotee become, but all still profess admiration of him. Sabimaru realises Hopper1 was identifying Zukyun as ZukyuMpire, and they decide to confront him. He admits to being a Chemy, snapping Renge out, and is able, like Wrestler G, to possess Ichinose, Sabimaru and Renge in turn to demonstrate his power. Clotho and the Malgam decide to let him gather more power, and when ZukyuMpire runs off to Zukyun the world, Renge and Sabimaru take care of the people while Ichinose and Kudoh pursue, only to be caught out by Clotho and the Malgam. During the battle Clotho forcibly merges with KaMantis, Fire Gotchard matches using AppareSkebow, and Valvarad joins in for payback, using AngelCopter Custom to defeat both Malgam. However, Clotho refuses to give in, and forcibly merges with KaMantis and SabeLiger, forming a Malgam from two different categories. Meanwhile, ZukyuMpire prepares to save everyone, beginning to create a giant heart in the sky.

Kingohger: Tikyu is devastated, the Ohsama Senta broken, Gira alone is able to stand, Dugded asking if he really wants to continue fighting. Earlier, Yanma unveiled a plan to combine the Royal Powers to turn God King-Ohger into a robot capable of matching Dugded at universal scale, unfortunately though, the plan requires Jeramie's immortality, now lost. They're hoping they can get to Hakabaka and ask Ryneol for advice, but then Dugded appears and declares he's wiping the slate clean right now. As the Kings fight him, and Yanma confirms he wouldn't be able to get the plan working even in 24 hours, the Kings initiate Evacuation Plan 0. The retainers lead the people to the shelter, while each bringing a white bag on the King's orders, and Racles ensures everyone can make it. When they are assembled, Caucasus Kabuto Castle arrives, and Racles tells those assembled to board and that the Shugods will come for anyone left. Suspicious, Douga opens his bag, despite orders not to do it until safe, the other Retainers keep Racles from stopping him, and finds the Founder's Crown. The others open their own bags to find the symbols of rule, and Gerojim finds the Venomix Shooter, which projects a message from the Kings. As their ancestors did 2000 years ago, they want their people to flee to another world and complete the plan by recreating the eternal life, giving their own lives to ensure the plan can be competed someday, refusing to be defeated until they see God Caucasus Kabuto take off. The Retainers are aghast at Racles for going along with this plan, and he has to tell that of course this isn't what he wants. The retainers point out that this might mean they survive, but will just consign them to another 2000 year misery. It was miraculous for the Kings to come as far as they have, but only they have a chance. Racles dismisses them as fools, agrees, and prepares to lead them back to the fight, only for Goroge to try and rile the crowd to take the Symbols as their only chance of survival. Except the actual Goroge turns up, easily identified by Boone as being more annoying, and the revealed Kamejim is challenged by Racles, who is even more angered when he appeals to their one time friendship. Kamejim drops an attack to make the people cower, but before anything else can happen a door to Hakabaka opens and an emissary emerges, Deathnarok VIII. Dugded drops meteors of Shugoddom, knocking the whole team down, with only Gira managing to stand, and questions if he really wants to keep going.

Kouga Saejima: Is that a horror behind her?

Kaiser Belial: AH?! YOU DARE ACCUSE ME OF BEING A FILTHY ABOMINATION FROM THE DEPTHS OF MAKAI? I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD FO-

Koishi Yakumo Pulling him back: Sorry-! Sorry-! He has anger issues he won't harm a fly..!!!

Hsien-Ko-Erebus: Ahh, I understand Kouga is a bit of a grouch himself he wouldn't harm a fly unless you're a horror! ^^

Kouga Saejima: A grouch?

Kaiser Belial: Hmph, this is tiresome wasting my time with these people...

Koishi Yakumo: Belial, we talk about this...

Just found out about Kaiser Belial and I’m losing my mind

He looks like a multiple-time widower whose rich husbands all died under mysterious circumstances.

Dreaming To Reality: Oneiromancy Chapter Twenty One - 01

It was a Digimon Kaiser fort alright. Despite the unusual flags everywhere, Ken could see himself creating a place like this, with well fortified buildings and advanced machinery to assist the workers in finishing their tasks more efficiently.

It was strange though. From what Ken could see, the Digimon enslaved here were wearing black cloth bands instead of Evil Rings or Evil Spirals. Was this just a mistake of the dream world, or some change in the narrative of the darkest period of his life made up by Belial Vamdemon for some sinister purpose?

Ken had no idea, and a large part of him didn’t want to know. He didn’t want to be here at all, hiding behind a crate of supplies and watching the Digimon he enslaved toiling about him. The fact that they all seemed so cheerful, so normal as they chatted while going about their work just made him even more convinced that this was all a dream.

Despite calling Ken here, Neemon wasn’t anywhere in sight when he warped in through the Digital Gate. He hoped that didn’t mean that the little yellow Digimon had gotten captured and enslaved. Neemon was his only real ally in this nightmare of a reality… such as it was.

An image of the dream version of Daisuke suddenly popped into Ken’s head.

An unwelcome heat flooded Ken’s cheeks, and he shook the thought away. No. As kind as Daisuke had been to him, the spiky haired boy was still a fake made to… distract him? Lower his guard?

Convince him that this was reality?

In any case, Ken couldn’t rely on Daisuke or Chibimon or anyone else they said was on their side. His real jogress partner, his real wife, his real family, his real life were all waiting for him outside of this place.

Ken was an adult, and adults knew when to let their childhood dreams die.

Cautiously, Ken crept along from cover to cover, mindful of the band wearing Digimon going about their tasks all around him. He had no idea that he had been spotted even before he snuck into the fortress, or that someone was stalking his every move no further than arm’s length away from him.

Neemon made no sound as he watched Ken peer around a corner then cower back at seeing a couple Bakemon already drifting down that particular hallway. He remained silent even though he felt like laughing at the panicked expression on the human child’s face. He could hear Ken’s heart beating fast and hard with fear, see the faint hints of perspiration on the child’s brow.

Ken was afraid, and that fear was delicious.

[Lost in time au]

Kaiser! Belial: there are two kinds of workers in my army—

R/n: Oh no, lemme guess... Casualties and survivors?

Belial. leans in close to her cage: Would you like to join the ranks casualty, little worm?

R/n, snorts: You won't kill me, Belly... Or rather you can't. Deep down you can't bare the thought of ruling over your so-called empire with no one to show off it to ...Or maybe, it's just being alone in general that really scares you.

Belial, jaw starts to quiver:

{Belial lets out a low growl and closes the shutters on R/n's cage the former ultra took a sharp breath as he walked out of his throne room and paused as he walked passed a mirror and felt a chill go through him when he saw his former self staring back at him powerless and pathetic; mocking him... Belial's fist clenched as his mind replayed R/n's words.

Belial was drawn out of his thoughts by the sound of shattering and a dull pain in his hand. He blinked and saw that he had punched the mirror out. Belial let out bitter chuckle at how pathetic he was acting and took few seconds to collect himself before turning to one of his servants.]

Belial: Clean that up.

[KAISER BELIAL]

The dispensary gave me sativa by accident whoaaarrgghhhh

I didn’t notice until it was too late

" Koishi sleeps while I remain awake. Once I claim two of my sons I will deal with Yoshika and that amanojaku. How DARE they betray me and threatened the land. Though it is amusing the bloodshed flows but I will deal with them... "

Observations on BelialVamdemon's Vision Trap

The start of the confrontation with BelialVamdemon/MaloMyotismon is less than fantastic. As soon as he reveals himself, his sheer presence makes the entire cast (except Daisuke) so utterly terrified that they refuse to fight and embrace death instead. This feels remarkably OOC, especially for Hikari and Takeru.

Since all of his companions are suddenly useless, Daisuke has to face BelialVamdemon alone, with only the Adult-stage XVmon to fight with. Against all reason, XVmon actually manages to drive back Belial and force him to switch gears to a new strategy.

Belial imprisons everyone in a fantasy sequence of their own greatest desires. It lasts like five seconds before they each break out of it of their own accord, making the whole thing kinda pointless.

It does serve to show us what each of them truly wants most. But. Like. That's not really anything new for half of them. Takeru wishes his family wasn't divorced. Iori wants to visit the Digital World with his deceased father, who always wanted to visit the Digital World. That makes sense.

For the other two? It kinda just serves to draw attention to the disproportionate amount of focus paid to certain characters' home lives. Did you know that Miyako resents having a lot of siblings, and longs to have things in her life that are just her own? Did you know that Hikari's greatest ambition is to unify the Digital and Human Worlds, such that every human has a Digimon partner? No? Well, that's probably because this is the first time it's ever come up.

We've talked about Takeru's home life and personal struggles. We've talked about Iori's home life and personal struggles. We've talked about Daisuke's home life and personal struggles. We've talked about Ken's home life and personal struggles a lot. But Hikari and Miyako's home lives and personal struggles haven't gotten that same level of attention.

Well, that isn't entirely true. It's not like they've been devoid of character exploration episodes. It's just. Not this. Hikari's focus episodes were about the Dark Ocean, a completely supernatural threat that has no bearing on her actual character, wants, or ambitions.

Hikari's kinda just been a static support beam for everyone else to lean on throughout the series. Which is probably why her illusion is the shallowest of them all. "Hikari enjoys seeing people get along with Digimon." This character is so paper-thin that this was seriously the best they could come up with.

Miyako has gotten more attention, but not regarding her siblings and home life. In fact, her episodes tend to focus on her being a Disaster Bisexual. She falls head-over-heels in love with the other boys and girls around her at the drop of a hat. Ken, Mimi, and Mimi's friend Michael have all been recipients of this, off the top of my head.

But for some reason, her illusion focuses on an element of her life that the show hasn't really explored at all. We know that her parents run a convenience store and she has a lot of siblings, but we've never really gotten to know her family and home life beyond that.

And now it's supposed to be an important plot point on par with Takeru's broken family drama, Ken's remorse over the Digimon Kaiser, and Iori's longing for a father he never got to know. And it's just. It's not. The time has not been spent to make it so.

But then again, how important a plot point it actually is? That's debatable, because this amounts to a very quick temptation scene that everyone immediately gets over in like five seconds. I don't like it.

(Honestly, they probably should have let Daisuke get taken by the illusion and had Hikari be the one to come free everyone. We all know what Daisuke's illusion would be. It'd be Hikari reciprocating his affections. He has a well-defined personal ambition, and making Hikari the savior character would avoid drawing attention to the fact that she doesn't. Plus, like, being the light in the darkness is literally her job.

Or, alternately, they could have spent time to properly develop these two characters to the same extent that the boys got. But I digress.)

Tonight's viewing is The Revenge of Belial, and due to some post we both saw a while ago, DH and I cannot stop referring to Kaiser Belial as "the Widow Belial."