Hajime had beautifully feinted Devimon, luring him straight into a barrage of grenades.
But before the flames of the explosion could even dissipate, a pitch-black claw tore violently through the fire, reaching straight toward Hajime.
It was fast—too fast. Hajime's jet wings were still cooling and temporarily unusable. Without the equipment's support, her movements alone couldn't match Devimon's speed.
A single misstep—and her throat was seized by the ice-cold grip of that merciless claw. She felt it tightening without a shred of mercy, as if intent on twisting her neck clean off.
"Let...me...go!!"
On the other side, Zero swept Leomon and Ogremon aside with one heavy swing of the cannon barrel, firing three consecutive blasts of Mega Shot.
Devimon emerged fully from the raging inferno, smoke billowing ominously off his body, yet his expression showed not a trace of pain.
Holding Hajime's throat in one hand, he casually raised the other, effortlessly scattering the incoming fireballs.
In that instant, Zero had already closed the distance, swinging the huge Trident Revolver with all his might. Devimon responded by thrusting his claw forward again. A piercing, metallic clang rang out as claw collided with cannon.
This time, Devimon finally showed a slight grimace.
The Chrome Digizoid cannon was extraordinarily tough. Without special means, even Ultimate-level Digimon would struggle against it. Devimon's claw trembled, a painful numbness jolting through his hand from the backlash.
Now's my chance!
Seeing Devimon falter, Zero immediately aimed the Trident Revolver's muzzle directly at him. Within the dark barrel, a brilliant orb of golden-red energy rapidly began to coalesce.
"!"
Taking that cannon blast at point-blank would be far worse than merely sustaining injuries—
Devimon instantly grasped the threat and, in a swift decision, threw Hajime roughly toward Zero, simultaneously beating his wings to retreat hastily.
Seeing Hajime tossed toward him, Zero hurriedly lowered the cannon. Thankfully, the weapon had only been charging briefly; stopping it now wouldn't cause any damage.
Zero's attention focused entirely on the falling Hajime, but just then, he sensed two presences rapidly approaching from behind—and Rina's urgent shout pierced the air—
"Zero, behind you!"
Too late.
Two energy blasts slammed into Zero's back, catching him fully off-guard and knocking him off balance.
Damn it, I got careless!
Over the past weeks, Zero had fought many fierce battles. Apart from the one-sided beatdown from Andromon, he had won most other battles handily.
Especially after Hajime's evolution boosted their power, the duo had become nearly invincible on File Island. Now, the only enemy still worth his caution was Devimon—and precisely because he was so wary of Devimon, he'd unconsciously underestimated the controlled subordinates.
Leomon and Ogremon were both powerful even among Champion-level Digimon. Without their new gear, Zero and Hajime wouldn't even be certain of victory against their combined might.
A single moment of negligence had cost him dearly.
Fortunately, Zero's body was tough—after all, he'd previously survived Andromon's brutal punishment without immediately losing combat effectiveness. Thus, even though these two blows hurt significantly, they weren't enough to put him down for good.
Meanwhile, before the battle even started, Rina had already begun dragging the injured Monzaemon safely away from the fight.
Though Monzaemon was huge, it was essentially a giant stuffed toy—light enough that Rina could drag it out of harm's way by its leg without too much trouble.
Once clear, Rina turned back to watch the battle, just in time to see Zero ambushed from behind by Leomon and Ogremon.
She immediately cried out a warning—but just a heartbeat too late.
Knocked off balance by their combined attack, Zero staggered forward, while Hajime crashed down painfully nearby after being hurled through the air.
Yet neither lost their will to fight. Hajime shook her head, struggling back to her feet. Zero spun around, unleashing Horn Impulse that knocked Ogremon away, while Hajime forced Leomon back with two rapid grenade shots.
But the instant those threats were temporarily neutralized, Devimon attacked again, seizing this exact moment of weakness.
Like a ghostly shadow, he struck without mercy at their most vulnerable instant.
Two claws surged forth, capturing both Zero and Hajime by their throats simultaneously and brutally pressing them both to the ground.
"!"
The demonic figure slowly loomed closer, a sinister, cruel grin forming on his face.
"...You two annoying pests wasted so much of my energy. I originally thought of using the Black Gears to enslave you, but now—I've changed my mind. You'd better just die here instead!"
Both of his hands pressed down on Zero and Hajime, who struggled desperately. Even with Devimon's strength, suppressing two at once was difficult enough. Killing them outright on his own would be challenging.
But no matter—he wasn't alone.
He glanced meaningfully at Leomon and Ogremon, who immediately understood. Each raised their weapons, stepping closer.
Leomon gripped his heavy blade; Ogremon lifted his bone club. Zero and Hajime desperately tried to move, but Devimon's claws weren't merely physical attacks.
Devimon's signature move, the Death Claw, carried virus-type power. The moment it touched an enemy, it started corroding their mind, sapping their strength and scattering their concentration.
Unable even to properly fight back, they were helpless, let alone operate their weapons.
Seeing the situation grow critical, Rina acted without hesitation. She clutched her Digivice, lowered herself into a sprint, and suddenly leapt high into the air.
"?"
Devimon was momentarily baffled—what was this girl thinking? Did she have a death wish?
But Rina suddenly grinned mid-air, her Digivice aimed straight at the battlefield.
"Scan!!"
As she shouted, dazzling light exploded from her Digivice. Having never encountered a Digivice before, Devimon was utterly unprepared.
As a first-time ambush, this move was devastatingly effective.
Leomon and Ogremon stopped in their tracks, clutching their heads and screaming in agony. Even Devimon flinched, eyes briefly blinded by the intense brilliance.
"Cough—thanks for the assist, Rina!"
Seizing the opportunity, Zero swiftly regained control of his body. So, when Devimon's vision finally cleared enough to look up, what awaited him was a rapidly building, blindingly radiant orb of golden-red energy directly before his eyes—
"[TRIDENT REVOLVER]!!"
---
...
Umu! I am Nero Claudius—the brilliant Emperor of Rome, the dazzling Saber, the one and only performer who can steal a stage with a single smile!
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