The cathedral halls were silent this time of night. The only sound that penetrated the church were the gentle footsteps of the girl that walked quietly past the pews. Her gentle breathing did little to disturb the reverent peace of the building. Her katana pressed comfortingly against her side. She didn't want Dorumon to come...no, she just wanted there to be herself...her mother...and her Lord.

She knelt down near the front of the church. Her eyes closed, and as she bowed her head, her long locks of brown hair fell around her face, hiding her calm features. She didn't speak, nor whisper. She only prayed, silently, respectfully. The statues of angels around her calmed her, giving her soul rest as she spoke to God, asking Him to relay her love and care to her mother, who hopefully was with him behind those heavenly gates.

Lord...I ask you to please help me while I'm in this strange land...please give me the hope and courage I need to face these creature, and allow me to help them in anyway I can...Please help Dorumon, I know how hard it must be for her to keep me out of trouble... At this, a little chuckle escaped from the girls lips, which echoed trillingly through the cathedral, She's one of the only friends I ever had the grace to have. Please keep her safe as well, a lot of the creatures we have seen look powerful...and I know she is still young...

Taking a deep breath, the girl lifted her eyes to the altar and gave a weak smile. She remembered those times where her parents would go to church every Sunday...practically having to drag her there. But when her mother died...she began to go more frequently, wanting to make up for all the time she would lose since the death...

"Pathetic...speaking to beings who do not exist..." A cold, deathly voice filled the halls as the moon began to shine through the stained glass windows. Amanda's eyes snapped open and she looked up as she felt cold, claw-like fingers rest on her shoulders, "Why do you bother calling upon this...God...when you know he cannot see you in this world."

Amanda felt a chill run down her spine. The nice, warm, comforting feeling of the cathedral almost seemed to have been sucked away. When she looked over her shoulders, she gasped and pulled away, getting to her feet as a tall, demonic form stood above her. His lengthy arm fell back at his side, and a fanged grin formed on his face as he gazed upon her with crimson eyes.

"What? Are you surprised to see a being like me in a place like this?" He asked, a dark chuckle escaping from his lips, "I am real...not that being that you call upon for help. If you're looking for assistance, I should be the one you go to." Throwing back his horned head, the Devimon laughed loudly, filling the church with the evil sound. Amanda backed away in fear, her back pressing against a stone pillar, its warmth stolen by the being that stood before her.

"I won't find help from you." The girl snarled, trying to act brave when her heart seemed to be racing at a hundred miles per second, "I can feel the evil...I hate creatures like you!" As she roared, the walls almost seemed to take on a gentle golden glow, but they once again succumbed to darkness as the creature took a few steps forward.

"Ah, hate me all you wish...Amanda." The girl's eyes grew wide as he spoke her name. The monster smirked, relishing her fear, "That is right...I know who you are. Do you not think I see that light stirring in your heart? That light...it makes us demons...uncomfortable..." The demon closed his eyes, and his wings began to stretch out, "That is why I was asked to snuff it out. I can see now I cannot persuade you to accept darkness into your soul..." The monster's claws began to gleam dangerously, and the girl watched, paralyzed in fear as he drew near to her, "I would say that I am sorry for having to come to this...but as you hate creatures like me...I hate beings of light..." His eyes flew open, "like you!"

The girl cried out as the monster lunged towards her. She quickly twisted around to the side of the pillar just as Devimon's claws stabbed into the marble column. Amanda rushed towards the door, adrenaline flowing through her, driving her onward. As she reached for the handle, she cried out as Devimon's clawwed hand grabbed her arm and threw her down in the center of the aisle. The demon loomed over her, his long arms poised, ready to strike.

"Get away from me!" Amanda cried as she drew her blade and swung it, just as a claw came crashing towards her. Her blade struck against the demon's wrist and he screeched in unbearable pain as his claw crashed to the ground and vanished in a burst of data.

"You little witch!" Devimon roared, holding his stump of an arm, "Look what you did to me!" He spread his wings and gave them a mighty flap as he aimed both his arms at her, both whole and ruined, "Dark Contract!"

Strange runes shot forth towards the girl and she gasped before scrambling to her feet. Devimon laughed as the words reared up and struck forward, wrapping tightly around her, binding her arms to her side.

Amanda grunted in pain as she crashed to the ground. She struggled and squirmed, trying to break free of the letter-like binds, but it was no use, and Devimon was coming straight for her.

"Well, isn't this ironic? A child with light in her heart will be killed in one of the most holy places of the digital world..." Devimon snickered and grabbed the struggling girl by the throat before lifting her above him. Amanda coughed and kicked out at him furiously, gritting her teeth as she felt lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. Devimon smirked as the light in her eyes slowly began to fade, "I'm sure your corpse will be satisfactory enough for me to get my reward..."

The girl's struggling began to slow as she felt herself getting weaker by the minute. As she closed her eyes, possibly for the last time, she forced her thoughts to remain solid enough to make one final request, Please...please let me join my mother...

Devimon cackled as he saw the life nearly flush out of the girl. However, instead of growing paler, her skin began to retain its usual color, and the beast's eyes grew as he felt a strange burning sensation in his claw, "W...what's going on...GAH!" He released his grip on the girl and looked at his hand. No burns showed, but as he gazed upon the human, he saw his attack slowly dissentagrate, releasing her arms.

"N...no! It can't be!" He roared as he backed away.

Amanda noticed her thoughts were clearing, and strength was beginning to return in her body. Her eyes snapped open and she pushed herself to her feet, feeling stronger and stronger every passing moment. A strange, but pleasant warmth spread from her chest to the rest of her body, filling her with courage and life once again. Reaching down to pick up her blade, she smirked before aiming it at the Devimon, "Alright...now we'll make a deal. Give yourself over to the powers of light, or feel the sting of this blade."

Devimon sheilded his eyes. The girl couldn't see it, but he was able to see an outline of some winged warrior behind her, casting a golden glow around her form. He screeched as he felt the burning sensation flood him. The shining wings flapped, sending more light pelting at him.

"I can never go to the side of light...NEVER!" Devimon roared.

"Then fine..." Two voices met the devil's ears, her own, as well as the strong, confident voice of a male angel, "No more will you desecrate this cathedral..."

Amanda rushed forward, unaware of the help she was gaining, and stabbed the blade into the Devimon's chest. The demon screamed as the light flooded him, destroying him bit by bit as his data rose into the air, and with it, the chill and darkness that covered the cathedral like a blanket of mist.

The tip of the katana clanked against the ground as she held it weakly between her thumb and forefinger. The blade itself looked normal, not special, but it had just destroyed a champion level digimon. Rubbing her sore throat, Amanda closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to take in everything that had just occurred. When she had killed the demon, she had felt as if someone had helped her. An angel must have given her the strength to defeat him. No way she could have done it on her own.

She gave a weak smile and looked back at the altar, "Thank you...whoever you are..." Then, sheathing the blade, she stuffed her hands in her pockets and made her way out of the now warm walls of the church. Whatever happened now was just between her and the Lord, and she wasn't going to press the matter anymore as she took a deep breath of fresh air and made her way back home.

((I don't think a girl is going to defeat a Devimon any time soon, with a katana, but I've stretched realism like that before so...yeah. Anyway, I'm not gonna give DEP, since DORUmon isn't featured here, but a nice solo, all the same, though it ended a little too quickly ^-^;;

Gained: 200$, and the following card -

Thread closed~))