Zero was fully aware that a storm destined to sweep through this Digital World was secretly brewing—and the chosen saviors of fate had yet to appear.
Passively waiting for a protagonist to rescue them would mean placing his fate entirely in someone else's hands.
If there had been no other choice, that might've been fine. But Zero was now sure he had at least some chance to grasp fate for himself. Given that choice, holding destiny in his own hands was undoubtedly the safest bet.
Of course, he wasn't some arrogant loner who thought he could ignore everyone else as long as he himself became strong. The importance of companions—or rather, comrades—went without saying.
If they wanted to deal with Devimon, obviously they'd need enough comrades, uniting with everyone they possibly could.
Fortunately, this wasn't difficult to achieve. After all, there were plenty of Digimon on File Island unhappy with Devimon's tyranny. Joining forces wouldn't be hard at all.
Thus, with Devimon's castle as their ultimate destination, Zero, Rina, and Hajime embarked on an RPG-like journey, beating monsters and recruiting teammates.
A group of ToyAgumon—assembled like LEGO blocks—came rushing at them, spitting block-shaped fireballs, surrounding Zero's party from all sides.
"Zero, Hajime… Get ready!"
By this point, Rina was already completely familiar with the routine. She immediately raised her Digivice, pouring in DigiSoul. Zero and Hajime charged ahead at once.
White radiance enveloped the pair. The dinosaur and beast, both at Champion level, swiftly showed their might. The ToyAgumon facing them clearly weren't worthy opponents, collapsing one after another in mere moments.
Rina had just raised her Digivice, preparing to scan and dispel the Black Gears inside them, when suddenly, she felt the ground beneath her feet tremble violently.
Zero immediately understood, urgently shouting to his teammates:
"Watch out—a strong enemy is coming!"
The moment the words left his mouth, a barrage of pink, heart-shaped bubbles flew rapidly from afar. Zero and Hajime simultaneously unleashed red and blue flames, destroying the incoming bubbles mid-air.
Immediately after, from the direction of the bubble assault, a figure leapt skyward, tracing an astonishing arc, and slammed to the ground with an explosive boom.
…It was a delicately crafted stuffed toy, bright-yellow fabric stitched into a chubby, harmless-looking shape. Short limbs, coupled with a round, waddling body, radiated nothing but cuteness.
…It was simply a teddy bear—nothing unusual about its shape.
If it were half human-height, seeing a cute girl hugging it would undoubtedly be a heartwarming scene. If it were life-sized, it would make an excellent pillow, a gift sure to melt any girl's heart into pink fluff.
…But this damned thing was nearly the same size as Zero's evolved form, and had smashed out a crater more than three meters wide upon landing. Now, that cute image was completely obliterated.
Rina's Digivice instantly displayed the corresponding information…
[Monzaemon]
Vaccine-type. Ultimate level.
A Toy-type Digimon adored by children and weaker Digimon alike, due to its cute appearance and overflowing heart of love.
As an Ultimate, its power was naturally trustworthy. Monzaemon itself wasn't aggressive by nature, but the glowing red eyes clearly showed that something was seriously wrong right now.
Normally, it loved playing with others. But now, controlled by a Black Gear, it had become a dangerous Digimon—ignoring others' wishes and forcibly binding them to its side to play.
In terms of fighting strength, Monzaemon wasn't as powerful as Andromon—after all, Andromon was a specialized battle-type Digimon. Still, an Ultimate wasn't something to underestimate lightly.
Zero and Hajime surrounded it together. Monzaemon swung its arms, easily knocking away ToyAgumon unfortunate enough to be caught nearby, and charged head-on toward the two of them.
A three-way collision erupted, powerful impacts forcing all combatants back. Monzaemon gleefully patted its belly.
"This is fun! Again, again!"
As it spoke, it opened both arms wide, clearly intending to hug the pair. But given Monzaemon's physical strength, a tight hug from it would likely snap a few ribs. Zero hurriedly dodged aside—
"…Hey! Who the heck's playing with you?!"
Even as he complained, Zero spun swiftly around behind Monzaemon with a drifting tail-swing, launching a Mega Flame attack from behind.
Just as Monzaemon turned, preparing to counterattack, Hajime leaped high into the air, blue flames gathering in her mouth. With her airborne leap, she spat flames downward.
The simultaneous pincer attack came without even needing a verbal signal. After over a month of nonstop battles, their coordination had become increasingly seamless.
Caught off-guard, Monzaemon took Zero's Mega Flame directly, sent flying and crashing heavily onto the ground. Rina immediately sprinted forward, pointing her Digivice toward it.
"Scan!"
White light flooded out. A series of Black Gears flew from Monzaemon's body, and the crimson glow in its eyes slowly faded away…
"…Eh?"
Monzaemon quietly sat up from the ground, confusedly reaching its stubby arm toward its head. Unfortunately, when its short limb was finally needed, it was tragically inadequate—failing to reach its own head.
Seeing its clumsy, harmless appearance, utterly devoid of the earlier violent aggression, it was clear the Black Gear's control had been broken.
"What just happened…?" It glanced around bewildered.
Only then did Zero and Hajime confirm the fight was over.
"You were being controlled by Devimon, but don't worry—we removed the Black Gear. And also, we'd like your help in fighting Devimon."
About a week had passed since leaving the Unmanned Mechanical Factory. Along the way, Zero and Hajime had freed at least a dozen Digimon from Black Gear control, slowing Devimon's conquest and gradually forming a resistance force against him.
Although their group was still small now, given enough time, Zero believed they'd gather enough Digimon to crush Devimon through sheer numbers.
After hearing their explanation, Monzaemon seemed agreeable enough. Just as Zero prepared to discuss their next steps, the sky suddenly darkened.
"…?"
Zero stopped speaking. Rina and Hajime looked upward, puzzled.
The previously clear blue sky was now covered by thick black clouds that seemed to appear from nowhere, blotting out all light. Behind the clouds, the sun transformed into a strange, blood-red orb.
At that instant, a chill wind blew across them, sending shivers inexplicably down everyone's spines.
"…What's going on? Why'd things suddenly turn creepy?"
Rina hadn't quite grasped the situation yet, but Hajime appeared to recall some terrible memory, her voice trembling slightly:
"This is…oh no. It's him…!"
Who was 'him'?
…Well, the answer was already painfully obvious.
The very next moment, a sinister, bone-chilling laugh echoed from all around them:
"You lot have been causing me quite a lot of trouble lately. Allow me to…greet you personally."
Alongside the voice, a shadow abruptly appeared like a ghost. A pitch-black claw, deadly and swift, suddenly swung straight toward Rina.
"Rina—look out!!!"