Recap / Digimon Fusion E8 "Meltdown in the Magma Zone!"

Japanese Title: Fierce General Tactimon, Close In!

AncientVolcamon^note Here referred to as AncientVolcanomon in the dub where the previous episode referred to him as Volcanomon begins to attack, causing the cavern to destabilize. Taiki refuses to fight back as a battle would bring the ceiling down on everyone's heads. After conferring with Ballistamon, Taiki surrenders. The others try to stop him, but Cutemon asks them to go along with it on the chance that they'll find his parents. Taiki agrees to hand over the Xros Loader, but instead gives BlueMeramon a fake one created by Ballistamon, surprising everyone except for Shoutmon who is fooled by the ploy. Taiki asks to be taken to the prisoners^note tells AncientVolcamon to calm down, sending AncientVolcamon into another rage. BlueMeramon has the Yukidarumon^note Referred to here as Frigimon in the dub in another inconsistency with the previous episode chill AncientVolcamon out again. AncientVolcamon agrees to take Taiki and the others prisoner and orders a report be sent to Tactimon. BlueMeramon has Xros Heart placed with the other prisoners. On the way to the dungeon, Shoutmon continues to rage at Taiki, who reveals his deception to Shoutmon. Dorulumon is impressed with Taiki's plan. At the dungeon, the Meramon guards throw Taiki and the others in with the other prisoners and leave via a collapsible bridge over lava. Shoutmon is unable to break through the bars, which are electrified, and Cutemon learns from the other prisoners that his parents were taken to another zone the previous day. Taiki and Dorulumon cheer Cutemon up by reminding him that that means his parents are still alive.

Tactimon arrives in the Magma Zone and a Troopmon informs him that AncientVolcamon has captured Xros Heart. Tactimon initially orders that they be executed, but decides to handle things personally when he hears that Dorulumon is present as well. Baalmon offers to help with the execution, but Tactimon refuses. Baalmon tells Tactimon to watch out for a betrayal and leaves.

In the dungeon, Taiki tries unsuccessfully to rally the prisoners into an escape plan. Taiki and the others start digging an escape tunnel and the prisoners join in when Shoutmon convinces them that they have nothing to lose and Taiki says he'll fight for them. Dorulumon joins the efforts as they begin to make progress. AncientVolcamon asks a recovered DeathMeramon to examine the Xros Loader he obtained and DeathMeramon instantly identifies it as a fake, sending AncientVolcamon into a rage just as the prisoners reach the surface. As they exit the tunnel, Taiki and the others find DeathMeramon waiting for them with a group of Meramon. Taiki DigiXroses Shoutmon and Ballistamon to Shoutmon X2 and equips him with the Star Axe by DigiXrosing Starmon with the yellow Pickmons. Shoutmon X2 defeats the Meramon easily, then evades all of DeathMeramon's attacks and blasts him into a cliff face. AncientVolcamon surfaces and causes Shoutmon X2 to revert to Shoutmon and Ballistamon with a single attack. Taiki DigiXroses Shoutmon, Ballistamon and Dorulumon into Shoutmon X3 and adds Starmon and the regular Pickmons to form Shoutmon X4. Shoutmon X4 blocks a second attack with his sword and counterattacks, but AncientVolcamon blasts him into a cliff with a ranged attack. Taiki buys time for Shoutmon X4 to recover by summoning three Agumon^note Misspelled as "Augumon" in the dub with a DigiMemory and has Shoutmon X4 plug AncientVolcamon's volcano with a boulder, deflecting AncientVolcamon's attackback into his body. Shoutmon X4 blasts AncientVolcamon into the side of a mountain, causing a huge explosion. Shoutmon X4 splits apart, but before Xros Heart can celebrate their victory, Tactimon appears with the rising sun and knocks them all to the ground with a single blast. Tactimon tells them that Dorulumon used to work for him.

Tropes

• Attack Reflector: The bars in the dungeon, as Shoutmon finds out the hard way.
• Barbie Doll Anatomy: Done in a couple of places with the Meramon in the dub to make their backsides less obvious. Notably missed with BlueMeramon, though.
• Body Horror: AncientVolcamon swells up grotesquely when Shoutmon X4 plugs his volcano.
• Collapsing Lair: Narrowly averted. AncientVolcamon is fully capable of causing this, as is Shoutmon X3. Taiki surrenders to avoid bringing the whole cave down on his friends and the prisoners.
• Combination Attack: How the Agumon DigiMemory works.
• Convection, Schmonvection: AncientVolcamon's lair has lava pits in the main room and in front of the dungeon but in true Lethal Lava Land fashion, neither the main characters nor the prisoners are any worse off for it. Taken to a ridiculous extreme when getting marched across the metal bridge to the dungeon doesn't bother them in the least.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Shoutmon X2 has an even easier time fighting several Meramon than in the previous episode. DeathMeramon also goes down a lot more easily than before.
• Diagonal Cut: Shoutmon X2 does this on about half of the Meramon that DeathMeramon brought with him for a One Hit Poly Kill.
• Engaging Chevrons: Once again, two DigiXros sequences to get Shoutmon X4.
• Equippable Ally: Starmon and the Pickmons form the Rare Star Sword for Zenjirou and the Star Axe for Shoutmon X2.
• Eye Catch: The one with Agumon, Garurumon, Guilmon and V-Mon.
• Fireballs: The three Agumon combine their fire attacks into a large one.
• The Great Escape: Tunneling variant. It goes a lot more uneventfully than most examples.
• Hand Blast: Tactimon sends everyone except Dorulumon flying a short distance with one of these.
• Harmless Electrocution: Shoutmon is on the receiving end when he tries to break through the bars in the dungeon.
• Inconsistent Dub: AncientVolcamon and Yukidarumon's dub names are different from what their introductory text said in the previous episode.
• I Surrender, Suckers: Taiki surrenders and hands over a fake Xros Loader so that he can help the prisoners escape.
• Lava Pit: The dungeon has one below to discourage escape. It's accessed via a collapsible bridge.
• Mass "Oh, Crap!": When Xros Heart and the prisoners realize that AncientVolcamon has caught onto Taiki's deception, they wisely make a break for the tunnel exit.
• One Hit Poly Kill: Shoutmon X2 pulls one on several Meramon with the Star Axe.
• Spell My Name W Ith An S: The dub renders the name on the DigiMemory as "Augumon".
• We Need a Distraction: The Agumon DigiMemory is used this way so that Shoutmon X4 can recover from AncientVolcamon's attack.
• Wham Line: Courtesy of Tactimon.
  Tactimon: Let me tell you something interesting. Dorulumon attacked and destroyed many Zones as my right-hand man.
• Wrestler in All of Us: AncientVolcamon's Atomic Bomber attack is styled this way.