It was already late at night, but Izzy was still sitting in front of the Digimon Analyzer. It was a device he'd built by modifying his own computer—just place a Digivice on it and you could upload and read Digimon data. Right now he had his Digivice plugged in and was repeatedly searching through the stored information, but no matter how he dug, he couldn't find a single word about Armor Digivolution.
Normally, when he couldn't find what he wanted through the Digimon Analyzer, he would log into Tai City's central computer and search there. But ever since the Diaboromon incident three years ago, Tai City had been sealed off, and Izzy was no longer able to access the central system.
So now he could only rely on the Digimon Analyzer, and its database simply couldn't compare to Tai City's central computer.
"Sigh…"
Izzy let out a helpless breath and abandoned the fruitless work he'd been at for three straight hours.
"Forget it. Tomorrow I'll just ask Tai to give me a login terminal for Tai City's system. Then I'll really be able to learn more about the Digital World."
Izzy wasn't the only one still busy this late at night.
Ken was also sitting alone in a pitch-black room, fingers tapping at the keyboard in front of him. The glow of the monitor washed his face into a ghastly white. Displayed on the screen were the Digi-Goggles he wore in the Digital World.
The bell rang to signal the end of class.
Kids poured out, joking and chatting as they walked down the road home. But inside the school building, a few shadowy figures were sneaking down the corridor toward the computer lab.
The shadows opened the door—Davis and the others.
The Digimon hiding in the computer lab—Chibomon and the rest—cheered as their partners finally arrived. Only Poromon and Upamon looked disappointed, because their partners still hadn't shown up.
"Where's Yolei?"
"Cody didn't come either?"
"Give it a minute, they'll be here soon," Kari said to comfort them.
Right as she spoke, Yolei came hurrying in carrying a bag. She'd brought snacks from her family's convenience store and handed them out to the Digimon. Chibomon and the others swarmed her, snatching at the food. Gatomon just watched them stuffing their faces and squabbling, looking completely exasperated.
Yolei turned on the computer, and the gate to the Digital World appeared on the screen.
"The gate's open."
"All right, let's move out!" Davis said, full of fighting spirit.
"Wait, Cody isn't here yet," Kari called, stopping the impatient Davis.
"Cody? What is that guy even doing?" Davis grumbled.
Right then Cody was still locked in mortal combat with the thing he hated most in the world: a tomato. He stared at it, not knowing how he was supposed to take a bite. Even the teacher at his side was starting to look pained, but Cody stubbornly held to his resolve—he was going to eat that tomato no matter what.
"Let's watch some TV to kill time," Yolei suggested.
Everyone crowded around the television. On screen was a special report on the famous boy genius, Ken Ichijoji. The anchor rattled off his achievements one by one, and his teachers praised him to the skies—a textbook case of that infuriating "perfect child from someone else's family."
Just as everyone was still reeling at this genius kid, Cody arrived.
With everyone finally gathered, the children were ready to depart at last.
"Gate to the Digital World, open! Chosen Children, move out!"
Meanwhile, the boy genius Ken Ichijoji was walking home by himself, utterly indifferent to everything around him. Hurting other living things gave him an inexplicable sense of pleasure, and he was just as cold toward his own family.
Once inside the Digital World, Ken once again donned his Digimon Emperor outfit and took up his whip. The Digimon who saw him all fled in terror.
Right now he was riding on a Tuskmon, chasing down an Elecmon. After capturing it, the Digimon Emperor kicked it into a prison cell, then sat high above to watch Digimon being forced to fight one another, laughing joyously at the spectacle.
Meanwhile, the kids had also arrived in the Digital World.
The moment they landed, all of their Digivices reacted, and the Digimon Emperor's Dark D-3 Digivice also detected their Digivices.
"Those annoying pests again…"
Following the direction indicated by their D-3 Digivices, the kids headed out, hoping to find new Digi-Eggs for Armor Digivolution along the way. As they walked, they tossed around all sorts of theories about these Digi-Eggs.
Just as they were about to reach their destination, a voice made them all jump.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
The Digimon Emperor's furious shout rang out.
"You jerk, last time you really did a number on me!" Davis yelled, charging straight at the Digimon Emperor and swinging a fist—only for it to pass right through. Unable to stop his own momentum, he went sprawling on the ground.
"This is only a hologram, not his real body," T.K. said, proudly playing armchair expert after the fact.
"Why can ordinary humans like you get into the Digital World anyway?" the Digimon Emperor muttered, ignoring Davis entirely.
"What do you mean, 'why'?" The question left everyone baffled.
"Only the Chosen Children are supposed to be able to come here in the first place."
His words stunned them.
"Ah?"
"Then why are you here?" Davis blurted out the obvious question.
"Because I am one of the Chosen Children."
"You're a Chosen Child?"
"You too…?" The kids were dumbfounded.
"In short, the fact that you even exist really pisses me off. You've got no right to receive the same treatment I did," the Digimon Emperor said viciously.
"You've already been tainted by darkness. The seeds of darkness have taken root inside you," a familiar voice spoke up behind them. "Don't keep sinking deeper into that power. If you do, there'll come a day when you regret it."
"Tai!"
"Tai!"
"Tai!"
"Big brother!"
"Tai!"
Tai walked up with Agumon at his side and continued, facing the Digimon Emperor's hologram.
"The moment you think you're controlling the power of darkness is exactly when darkness is controlling you instead. Right now, you can still turn back. Don't wait until there's no way to undo anything before you start regretting it."
"Hmph. I don't have a clue what you're talking about. But this time I'm not going to let you all get on my nerves again."
The Digimon Emperor's hologram faded.
Next, a gigantic red dinosaur stepped out with the Digimon Emperor astride its back.
"A true Chosen Child has to be perfect, like me—not nobodies like you," he said smugly.
"You really were one of the Chosen Children—but that was in the past. Now, without borrowing the power of darkness, you can't even come to the Digital World anymore, am I right?" Tai pressed him.
"What? …Tch. You annoying…" the Digimon Emperor ground out between his teeth.
"You're no longer a child chosen by the Digital World. Give up the power of darkness, Ken. What you already have is far stronger than anything darkness can offer you."
"Shut up! The Digital World belongs to me. All of you should just get lost! Go, Tyrannomon!"
Tyrannomon was a red, primal dinosaur-type Champion Digimon, a feral beauty out of prehistoric times. With its powerful forearms and massive tail, it could knock down anything in its path. Despite its fearsome look, it was quite intelligent and, thanks to its steady nature, easy to handle. Because of that, beginning Tamers prized it highly and raised it carefully—a quintessential "starter" Digimon.
Its special attack was a stream of deep-crimson fire the same color as its body, Fire Breath.
Slash Nail (Slash Nail) — A diagonal swipe using its razor-sharp, powerful claws.
Dino Kick (Dino Kick) —
Wild Buster (Wild Buster) —
"Let's fight, Davis!" Veemon said, brimming with fighting spirit.
"Right! Armor Digivolution!"
"Veemon Armor Digivolve! Flaming Courage—Flamedramon!"
"You really think the same old tricks are going to work on me twice? I can't stand idiots like you," the Digimon Emperor said with open contempt.
"What an infuriating guy…" Davis's anger gauge was already in the red.
Tyrannomon charged with unstoppable momentum. It was so fast that before Flamedramon could even react, it had already smacked him flying with one huge claw.
In mid-air, Flamedramon twisted his body, using the spring of a tree branch to propel himself back toward Tyrannomon and launched his signature attack:
"Flame Fist!"
But Tyrannomon just casually flicked its tail, shattering the Flame Fist, then barreled in again.
Greymon slammed in from the side, ramming Tyrannomon away and knocking it into the forest, flattening a whole swath of trees.
"Go, Armadillomon!" Cody shouted, terrified Tai would have Greymon kill the Digimon again.
"Armadillomon Armor Digivolve! Steel-hard wisdom—Digmon!"
"Hawkmon Armor Digivolve! Beating wings of love—Halsemon!"
"You really think you've got the numbers on your side?" the Digimon Emperor drawled, idly flicking his whip.
As his words fell, four more Tyrannomon appeared all around them, and in the sky, four Snimon flew in to join them.
"What's with this? You expect me to take on four of them all by myself?" Yolei looked around and, in despair, realized only her Digimon could fly.
Gatomon also stepped forward into a fighting stance, ready to leap in at any moment.
Off to the side, Patamon wore a deeply frustrated expression.
"Why am I the only one who can't Digivolve…? I want to fight too…" he whispered.
"As long as I've got my Dark D-3 Digivice, forget about Digivolving," the Digimon Emperor sneered. Then he realized Agumon could still evolve freely and hurriedly changed the subject. "My slaves—attack!"
"Fire Breath!" "Fire Breath!" "Fire Breath!" "Shadow Sickle!"
The kids' Digimon didn't dare take the attacks head-on. All they could do was desperately dodge while also keeping one eye on their partners' safety.
T.K. watched his partner Patamon fruitlessly puff out Air Shots that barely scratched the enemy, until Tyrannomon casually swatted him aside. Patamon slammed into a tree and slumped there, unable to move.
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