The first round of probing ended with Devimon springing an ambush, transforming into the super-giant demon, and decisively suppressing the battlefield. In the second fierce battle, Zero and Hajime activated the power of their Crests and successfully turned the tables, defeating the super-giant demon.
Now, in the third confrontation, Devimon absorbed all the Black Gears controlling the Devil Army, fully restoring its power, yet also releasing all the Digimon previously under its control.
It had assumed these freed Digimon would immediately hide away to avoid falling under its control again—but Devimon never imagined they would actually dare to strike back.
They were clearly just garbage it could easily crush underfoot…
"...Don't get too cocky!!"
The super-giant demon was now genuinely enraged. But Zero could sense clearly that Devimon's anger didn't come from being "underestimated," but simply because the situation had exceeded what it considered to be "common sense."
It believed itself utterly invincible on File Island. No one should dare defy its will—those who did had long since been disposed of, leaving only a handful of scattered voices unable to stir up any real trouble.
Yet now, so many Digimon came charging forward. Many among them were so weak they couldn't even withstand a single blow from Devimon—yet they still fearlessly threw themselves at it.
Why…
…Choosing to fight when you know you can win is a matter of attitude, but choosing to fight when you know you'll lose is a matter of intelligence.
That's how it should be…isn't it?!
Then why is this happening!
Precisely because it couldn't comprehend this, Devimon felt such fury. This unexpected situation was challenging its fundamental belief. Once the faith it held onto was shaken, even a being as powerful as itself began to feel "fear."
"Fear? Me?"
…I'm afraid of these worthless pieces of trash?!
For Devimon, this might be a truth even harder to accept than death…
Until Zero's voice rang out:
"…No, what you fear isn't us—it's that we've shattered the laughable belief you stubbornly cling to. Of course, I doubt you even understand what I'm saying."
People shouldn't fear the dictator; rather, it's the dictator who should fear the people's power. Ordinary beings are always unaware of the true strength they possess.
Right here, right now…
"Witness the art of dragon-slaying ignited by a single spark!"
Mobilizing the masses and gathering countless tiny sparks into a revolutionary blaze—this method was all too familiar to Zero. But Devimon clearly couldn't grasp this concept.
Therefore, there was only one thing it could do…
…Use overwhelming power to crush everything! Only then could it restore the crumbling belief in its heart, reaffirming that "the weak must obey the strong" was an unshakeable truth!
If Devimon could no longer sustain this belief, it suspected it might lose everything it had.
Digimon evolution itself was a mysterious phenomenon. Aside from the Metal Empire's strict pursuit of technological ascension, many Digimon evolved through a sort of "idealistic" boost.
Just like the Crests' power, which drew from intense emotional resonance to awaken potential—an inherently "unreasonable" power exclusive to main characters.
And a similar idealistic boost had partially contributed to Devimon's own tremendous strength. Originally an angel-type Digimon, its DigiCore had been corrupted in the Dark Ocean, twisting it into its current form.
Its strength far surpassed ordinary Champion-level Digimon, even surpassing many ordinary Ultimates, precisely due to the unwavering belief that granted it this idealistic power boost:
…The weak must obey the strong—and it was precisely that strong one!
As long as Devimon held onto this belief, it could continuously empower itself. Yet now… Zero had undermined the very foundation of its power!
If Devimon couldn't stabilize its belief, it truly would lose this overwhelming strength.
Its claw slashed outward, creating violent whirlwinds that swept several Digimon unable to dodge quickly enough. With another effortless swipe, it shattered them into data.
"Do you see?! This is what happens to those who defy me! So, all of you—"
But before it could finish speaking, a volley of fireballs and lightning strikes smashed against its body. Under cover from other Digimon, Zero and Hajime had approached…
The Trident Revolver was still in cooldown, so Zero swung it like a club, ruthlessly slamming it straight into Devimon's face. Explosive grenades followed, forcibly interrupting its endless chatter!
"…So what? Finish your sentence!"
The heavy blow smashed painfully into its face. But more shocking than the searing pain was the relentless barrage of attacks raining down from all directions.
They didn't stop. They weren't afraid. They didn't retreat…
…The super-giant demon tried to shatter the weaker Digimon's fighting spirit with its terrifying power, forcing them into retreat… but none of it worked.
The attacks continued. Even though these attacks couldn't even scratch Devimon, the Digimon attacking seemed convinced they could succeed.
Believing in tiny miracles—that was "Hope." And the power to turn hope into reality was called "Light"…
From Rina's Digivice, a brilliant white glow began radiating…
In that instant, every Digimon joining the fight against the giant Devimon began glowing faintly with white light.
"!"
Another coordinated attack arrived, and this time, those special moves previously unable to even pierce Devimon's defenses actually managed to stagger it back two steps.
"This can't be… How could something this absurd happen?!"
In Devimon's eyes, new Crests appeared above Zero and Hajime's bodies…
…One person, bearing two Crests?!
Courage ignited Light; Friendship brought Hope!
Empowered by two Crests simultaneously, Zero and Hajime became a gigantic body of glowing brilliance.
The intersecting rays of light formed a massive net, binding Devimon's huge body within…
There could be no better opportunity than this. Even though the Trident Revolver still hadn't fully cooled down, if they missed this golden chance, they might never get another.
Zero directly pressed the burning-hot barrel of the gun against Devimon's body. The Trident Revolver began releasing blinding electric arcs and billowing smoke.
If it overloaded, then so be it; if it broke down, who cared—out with the old, in with the new!
This one shot would be worth everything!
As the saying goes, once or twice may fail, but there shouldn't be a third. This time, they would settle things once and for all, so…
"…DROP. DEAD!!!"
The Trident Revolver exploded with an earth-shaking roar. From the shattered gun emerged a dazzling burst of light as brilliant as the sun, utterly engulfing Devimon's enormous body.
In that instant, the dark clouds that had blanketed all of File Island were blown away by that burst of blazing light, leaving behind nothing but a clear, cloudless sky…
---
A/N: Devimon's arc has wrapped up. Also, regarding some readers asking about the original Adventure cast's screen time, I'll briefly answer here:
Taichi and Hikari will definitely participate directly in the adventure. As for the other six kids, their appearances will depend on plot needs—they might end up as background characters. After all, writing an eight-person ensemble story is just too difficult. Even in the original Adventure storyline, many characters faded into the background later on.
Besides, there are many other characters beyond the original Adventure cast I'd like to include, so the distribution of screen time will be very tight, requiring some sacrifices.
Additionally, the plot will feature quite a bit of Real World content and characters. Incidentally, this story's Real World is essentially a multi-anime crossover setting. Of course, the combat system will remain exclusively Digimon-related—no mixing of other elements…
Alright, that's it~
...
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