Right now, Zero had already accomplished half of the targets he set for himself: he'd secured the Crests and obtained the DigiAlloy.
...The remaining goals were simple—kill Myotismon and seize the gate to the Real World.
The task itself wasn't particularly difficult. With Zero's current strength, even if Myotismon was at his strongest at midnight with a full boost, it was unlikely he'd be a match for Zero in a one-on-one fight.
The only issue was that once Myotismon fell, the Dark Masters behind him would inevitably take action. Even if Zero delayed attacking indefinitely, as soon as Spiral Mountain was completed, the Dark Masters would launch their invasion regardless.
The Dark Masters' earliest trigger for action was Myotismon's death; their latest was the completion of Spiral Mountain. Within this interval, Zero still had control—but beyond that, their movements became unpredictable.
So, the heart of the matter was whether Zero could grasp a trump card capable of contending against the Dark Masters within this window...
...Namely, unlocking Mega Digivolution!
With the glow of the Crests and the Holy Plan activated, it was clear the Host Computer had recognized Taichi and Hikari as saviors. Therefore, of the originally promised two Mega-level quotas, Zero undoubtedly had secured one.
As for the other spot, it would be between Hikari and Rina. Of course, if they concentrated resources originally meant for eight people onto three individuals, abandoning six Ultimates to stack another Mega wasn't impossible either.
The ideal scenario would be three Megas for three people. In a three-versus-four scenario, at least in terms of raw power, they'd no longer fall short compared to the Dark Masters.
Moreover, considering the Dark Masters had Puppetmon—that walking disaster of terrible intelligence and worse social skills—it wouldn't be difficult to separate and take them down individually.
In fact, the odds of success might even be higher than with the original eight…
...
The mission to eliminate Myotismon had officially reached Zero's schedule. He quickly assumed control of Etemon's former base, immediately reactivating the communication network, successfully reconnecting with their home base in the Southern Desert and the Unmanned Mechanical Factory on File Island.
"How's this, microphone volume okay?"
Zero tinkered with the communication device. After a burst of static, Piximon and Andromon's figures appeared simultaneously on two separate screens.
"No problems… connection successful. Hehe, I've already heard the news~"
Piximon, at the Fairy Lake base, waved cheerfully at Zero. "The Greymon of File Island who conquered Etemon's base and freed all his enslaved Digimon… Your reputation is already spreading across Server Continent, y'know~"
Zero shook his head indifferently. Fame like that wasn't particularly useful to him right now—his influence wasn't yet enough to rally anyone behind him as a banner.
Just like on File Island back then, Zero had repeatedly halted Devimon's invading forces and earned considerable renown. Yet, when it came to forming an anti-Devimon alliance… they'd still relied on Andromon and Monzaemon as leaders.
Zero's current situation was similar. He had fame, sure—but not yet enough to call and have a million respond.
But at least it was a good start. Keep working at it, and the day would come when a single wave of his arm would gather countless followers…
…Of course, assuming he survived that long.
"For the Dark Army, Etemon's fall wasn't a huge loss, but it was still a significant blow. If you can take out Myotismon next, that'll deal even greater damage," Piximon said seriously.
"But," Andromon's mechanical voice interjected calmly, "that also means you'll directly confront the true threats afterward."
Everyone here knew the Dark Army's true strength, so there was no need for subtlety. Andromon continued:
"For this decisive moment, we'll spare no effort in providing support."
Zero immediately turned to Andromon's screen, smiling slightly. "Speaking of which, I've secured the 'stuff.' With Etemon's communication network, our data transmission capacity is vastly improved. How's your side looking?"
A hint of joy immediately appeared in Andromon's tone. "Perfect timing. The design blueprints and modification modules here are ready. Once materials arrive, we can begin immediately."
Previously, Zero had left behind partial data on the Light of Evolution. Combining this with the Black Gears had unlocked the technology line for Hyper Gears. Now, with Zero on the threshold of Mega-level, he naturally stored this new data carefully as well.
He'd back up the related information and send it along with the DigiAlloy.
With these resources and the Unmanned Mechanical Factory's technology, unlocking at least one Mega-level evolution line for Zero was almost guaranteed.
Add to that the resources promised by the Host Computer for Taichi and the others, and Zero already had two Mega-level routes in hand.
Though these trump cards weren't fully secured yet—since the promised resources hadn't arrived—it was enough to give him solid confidence.
At the Unmanned Mechanical Factory, he could simply leave Andromon to manufacture the necessary enhancement modules; it was merely a matter of time.
On the other side—the Crests—he still needed the right trigger.
The Crests required emotional stimulation, and emotional outbursts required opportunities. The perfect candidate for this trigger was undoubtedly Myotismon.
Thus, Zero firmly resolved that on the day of the final battle against Myotismon…
…That'll be the moment of my very first Mega Digivolution!
He eagerly anticipated his first Mega-level form. Of course, following the storyline, this would only be the beginning. Eventually, Zero would surely acquire multiple Mega-level forms.
Never mind anything else—besides Taichi's and the factory's paths, Rina was still in the Real World. Her DigiSoul eruption alone could reliably open yet another Mega route.
But no matter how many Mega forms awaited in the future, the critical step was always the first one.
A first time was always worth commemorating~
"So, preparations for the decisive battle with Myotismon have officially begun," Piximon stated, seriousness entering his voice.
Piximon had secretly operated on Server Continent for a long time, tirelessly fighting against the Dark Army.
Yet Zero, arriving on Server Continent less than a month ago, had already defeated Etemon as an opening move… and now eagerly prepared to challenge Myotismon himself.
Truly deserving of a hero chosen by fate—his growth speed was beyond anyone's imagination…
Now Zero had taken over most of Etemon's territory. With Etemon's base and Fairy Lake in the Southern Desert as his centers, he'd quickly seized nearly one-fifth of Server Continent.
Of course, this wasn't yet a real "force," nor had Zero occupied the territory as a ruler. He simply stood as a liberator openly declaring war on the Dark Army.
Naturally, while many Digimon hated the Dark Army, even more feared it. Zero's actual mobilizable forces amounted to nothing but Fairy Lake's pitiful five Drimogemon and about a hundred miscellaneous stragglers he'd gathered.
Actually, initially it was only in the double digits. Zero's defeat of Etemon attracted some opportunists who hopped aboard.
Zero's policy was simple: welcoming anyone sincere in resisting the Dark Army, and letting those fearful to leave freely.
But for those thinking of infiltrating to sabotage…
Sorry, traitors received no kinder treatment than enemies—in fact, they faced even harsher punishment!
Fortunately, they numbered only a hundred or so. With such a small group, ensuring internal purity wasn't too challenging. Fewer people meant easier management…
This ragtag army was mostly made up of Drimogemon and Gotsumon—labor-types without any real fighting ability. They were essentially a construction crew.
Expecting them to conquer territory was laughable. If the Dark Army's combat forces saw this miscellaneous troop, they'd probably collapse laughing.
Thus, Zero's role was less a rebellion leader fighting the Dark Army, and more akin to commanding a third-rate militia of old, sick, weak, and injured stragglers…
Yet even so, as their commander, Zero alone was enough to stomp most of the Dark Army's combat units into the dirt.
So apart from construction, this ragtag team's most critical duty in battle was probably shouting encouragement from the sidelines…
"Oh well, having at least some manpower beats doing everything myself," Zero concluded pragmatically.
...
The night before formally setting off, Gatomon quietly slipped out of the base, standing beneath the lonely crescent moon in the wilderness.
After a short wait, a thin crimson mist drifted downward, coalescing into a small bat before her.
A familiar voice emerged:
"I've already received the news. It seems your mission is going smoothly?"
Gatomon bowed coldly. "Yes, Myotismon-sama… Etemon was successfully eliminated. His subordinates dispersed by Zero, though he's kept some powerless construction workers."
"Heh, calling themselves rebels while leading such a pathetic bunch of invalids. I bet they're mostly freeloading trash," Myotismon mocked, accurately describing Zero's motley crew.
"Now…have you learned what their next move will be?"