"Seems we have company..."
Barely had those words been spoken when a flame flickered in the distance—a biological missile hurtling toward them, leaving a blazing trail behind.
"Scatter!"
At the Digimon Kaiser's immediate command, his mounted Airdramon quickly dispersed their formation, just as the missile came roaring into range.
"Intercept it!"
His second command came swiftly; dozens of attacks intersected mid-air, striking the incoming missile. Under that intense barrage, the missile detonated in mid-flight, sending flames and a mushroom cloud billowing into the sky.
"Heh... what a lively greeting. Well, it'd be rude not to return the favor, right?"
The Kaiser raised his arm, then sharply thrust it down—
"Prepare to deploy 'that'!"
The Monochromon pulling the carts halted immediately, swiftly unloading the tall, slender shapes hidden beneath thick covers. Flipping his hand, the Dark D-3 Digivice appeared instantly in the Kaiser's palm.
Barely had he finished that motion when a glowing figure descended from the horizon, landing confidently in front of the Kaiser's forces.
"Yo~"
Zero raised a claw and waved leisurely in greeting to the Digimon Kaiser from afar.
"I heard the Dark Army got itself a fifth commander—apparently a human. Thought we'd drop by to say hello first~"
The Kaiser ignored Zero entirely, focusing instead on Taichi, Hikari, Koushiro, and Rina standing just behind.
"You all arrived in the Digital World before me, so perhaps I should politely call you my senpai..."
His words sounded courteous, yet the tone held no respect at all—only cold disdain.
"...But such an interesting game—surely you're not thinking of monopolizing it all for yourselves, senpai?"
At these words, both Taichi and Hikari's faces twisted sharply.
"A game? Don't tell me... you actually think everything you've done is just a game?!"
Taichi's furious shout was met with a cold, indifferent response.
"Isn't it exactly that? Don't underestimate me. I'm rather skilled at games, especially strategy and conquest types. But a game without proper opponents quickly becomes boring…"
He tilted his chin upward confidently. "So, senpai, won't you become my opponents? Though honestly… considering you've had so much time yet managed only to build that pitiful little 'Resistance' of yours… and to bring along just four Digimon companions? Frankly, it's rather pathetic…"
"…"
Listening to this boy speak, Taichi and Rina experienced an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu.
This guy… really saw everything before him as nothing more than a game. To him, Digimon were merely strategic units whose lives and deaths could be casually dictated.
NPCs and mere gaming pawns—not living beings with hearts.
Gatomon couldn't take it anymore and immediately shot back.
"This isn't a game! We're risking our lives out here!"
Yet, the Kaiser's previously mild tone instantly turned icy.
"I was speaking with my senpai. When did a mere Digimon like you earn the right to interrupt? Senpai, you're rather poor at disciplining your subordinates. Disobedient subordinates should be taught harsh lessons."
This time, it was Hikari who'd had enough.
"Gatomon is my friend! She's not some subordinate!"
For the mild-mannered Hikari to raise her voice like this showed just how deeply the Kaiser's words had wounded her. But the Kaiser himself simply blinked in surprise before bursting out laughing in realization.
"Hahaha! Ah, I see now... No wonder you've barely managed to gather this shabby group in all this time. Seems you weren't taking this game seriously from the start. Even a game should be played with all your might. Allow me to teach you... how to really play!"
Dark energy surged from his Dark D-3 Digivice. The thick covers flew away, revealing the black, towering structures beneath.
Seven or eight Dark Towers landed, rooting themselves firmly in place. Boosted by the Dark D-3, the Digimon accompanying the Kaiser within the Towers' radius roared in unison, swiftly Digivolving.
In a blink, a fearsome army of hundreds of Ultimate-level Digimon formed ranks, glaring menacingly at Zero's group.
"It's not too late to surrender now. If we start fighting... your precious 'Digimon Partners' might suffer terribly, senpai~"
The Kaiser deliberately emphasized the words "Digimon Partners," openly mocking them.
Rina shook her head slowly, wagging a finger at him playfully.
"Ah, I see now—our dear kouhai doesn't get it at all~"
"What?"
Her attitude clearly irritated the Kaiser.
"Digimon power isn't something that can be measured just by numbers, you know~"
"Then let's put it to the test… Attack!"
Apparently done talking, the Kaiser sharply waved his hand, and the legion of Ultimates surged forward aggressively.
"I know you've already achieved Mega-level power, but under the influence of the Dark Towers, you'll be limited to Ultimate at best. With just four of you, how do you intend to fight me?!"
Zero turned back toward Rina and Taichi, hesitating a moment before finally blurting out:
"Then... should we do it his way?"
"Sure thing—let's go, Zero-kun~"
DigiSoul flowed forth, the Crest of Courage flared brilliantly, and under this double stimulation, Zero's body began to transform rapidly…
AGUMON—WARP DIGIVOLVE...
...RIZEGREYMON!
"The strength of Digimon isn't something decided by numbers alone—remember that lesson, kid!"
Roaring out those words, Zero fully extended his wings and launched forward, unleashing a Rising Destroyer that sent the unlucky Digimon at the front flying like rag dolls.
He followed up instantly with Solid Strike mid-charge, the Chrome Digizoid gun barerl on his arm sweeping up four or five enemies and tossing them skyward. Before they even hit the ground, he fired three quick Trident Revolver shots, explosions carving out a clearing in the enemy ranks.
A scorching wind tore across the battlefield, blasts sending sand and stones swirling violently, carving out seventeen or eighteen deep gouges in the earth.
"!"
The Digimon Kaiser had correctly predicted Zero wouldn't use his Mega-level power. But reality slapped him hard across the face—
Do I seriously need Mega-level power to handle these pathetic mobs? What kind of joke is that?!
The sheer gap in combat experience accumulated from countless battles had already grown to an utterly terrifying extent.
As he watched Zero single-handedly dominate his entire army, while Gatomon, Wizardmon, and Hajime stood casually off to the side, not even bothering to join, the Digimon Kaiser finally realized the situation was spiraling out of control.
"LadyDevimon!"
He roared her name in fury, prompting her bitter response:
"At a moment like this, can't you just forget I exist? I'd really rather not go out there to die…"
"You're my subordinate—how can you even say such a thing?"
"Alright, alright…"
LadyDevimon genuinely didn't want to join the battle. Honestly, running away at this point wasn't impossible. But she found herself unable to abandon the Kaiser completely.
…This brat's been having it way too easy since he arrived in the Digital World. Let him take a good beating—maybe it'll teach him a lesson.
Besides, if things really went south, escaping shouldn't be too hard... right?
She sighed, lamenting her fate of changing masters three times—each one worse than the last—as she flew reluctantly toward Zero.
But halfway there, a beam of pure white light halted her advance. Turning her head sharply, she saw that Gatomon had already Digivolved under the power of the Crest of Light.
"Don't think I'll let you off so easily after the way you shouted at my precious Hikari earlier! I don't even need Zero's help—I'll be your opponent myself!"
LadyDevimon's expression instantly darkened upon seeing Angewomon.
She and Gatomon had both served under Myotismon back when she was still a DemiDevimon. During those days, she'd always been overshadowed by Gatomon in every way imaginable.
But then, Gatomon became a traitor, siding with the humans and soaring to success, while DemiDevimon had remained stuck, struggling from place to place.
Old grudges and new jealousies surged simultaneously. Now, as LadyDevimon faced Angewomon, all other matters instantly vanished from her mind…
"Perfect. I've been waiting forever for this showdown. Today, we'll finally settle everything!"
Blood-red clouds gathered rapidly in her hands; Angewomon mirrored her movements precisely, holy light building simultaneously. The two unleashed their attacks at the exact same instant!
Light and darkness, black and white—like reflections in a mirror, complete opposites colliding violently. The women's war had officially begun!
Meanwhile, Zero was single-handedly overwhelming the Kaiser's entire army, while nearby, the two women clashed fiercely. For the Digimon Kaiser—who'd enjoyed nothing but absolute domination ever since arriving in the Digital World with his Dark D-3 Digivice—this sudden reversal was rapidly unraveling his composure.
How can this be? We're both Ultimate-level, but how can that guy be so much stronger? Isn't this game's balance completely broken?!
Just as his army was about to be completely wiped out by Zero alone, something strange suddenly occurred in the sky…
Countless semi-transparent threads fell from above, swiftly connecting to each of the Kaiser's Digimon. A voice echoed downward from the clouds:
"I couldn't bear to watch any longer. You brought so many fighters, yet somehow ended up in this pathetic state…"
As the voice faded, a small, boyish figure wielding a ridiculously oversized iron hammer descended rapidly, swinging down straight toward Zero…
---
T/N: kid u have much to learn
T/N: SORRY I TOOK A SMALL WEEK BREAK!!!!!!!! I ANNOUNCED IT ON THE P WEBSITE AND DISCORD
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