Zero could only helplessly watch as the angelic Digimon plunged into the Dark Ocean—after all, he was merely an observer in this dream. Even if this weren't a dream, Zero would still be powerless to intervene.
That shadow's strength was so terrifyingly absurd, crushing dozens of angel-type Digimon with casual ease; Zero had no chance against an enemy of this level.
That power even brought a certain name to his mind…
But right now, he couldn't verify anything. Instead, Zero found himself fixated on the fate of the angel Digimon.
Alright, at this point, I've pretty much guessed where this dream is coming from, and why exactly I'm seeing it.
In the Dark Ocean, the angel desperately struggled, helplessly bound by a vortex formed from surging black waves.
Unable to flee, unable to resist—he could only stare in despair as he was slowly swallowed up by darkness.
"'Messengers of God?'" Watching the angel's pitiful struggle, the shadow laughed as if deeply satisfied. "You've lost the guidance of the Light of Evolution—yet what has your God done for you? The order of this world is crumbling to pieces; what has your God done to protect it?"
Every word of mockery drew a furious shout from the struggling angel:
"Silence! Do not blaspheme our God!"
The shadow swooped down, skimming the ocean's surface, seizing the angel by his hair and roughly dragging him upward. Seeing the angel grit his teeth in pain, the shadow laughed in twisted delight.
"Your comrades were all slaughtered by me and my followers—yet what did your God do for you then? What bullshit 'God'… This world has no need for gods. Strength alone is the sole truth! Praying in a world without gods—is there any act more laughable?"
The angel clearly wanted to refute these words—but not a single sound came out. After all, just as the shadow said…
…The Light of Evolution was lost, order had collapsed, and the world was sinking deeper into chaos. The "God" who should have appeared to restore balance at a time like this showed no signs of acting.
This world already had no God left…
Countless prayers unanswered, countless efforts yielding no hope, desperate battles against legions from the Dark Area—resulting only in brutal defeat after brutal defeat.
God… where exactly are you?
Have you truly abandoned us?
The shadow released its grip, letting the angel slowly fall toward the black abyss below.
"Heh… utterly boring."
The shadow's voice suddenly grew cold, apparently losing interest in this "game" altogether. Perhaps it might have found it amusing if the angel remained defiant—if he'd stubbornly held onto faith, giving it the pleasure of crushing him bit by bit.
But instead, just a few simple words had shattered his spirit. Fighting such a weak opponent was a total waste of time!
Anyway, it had been merely a fleeting whim—just let him sink into oblivion…
The shadow turned to leave, but just then, a loud wave surged from behind it.
"?"
It halted in its tracks. Behind it, the black ocean surged into an enormous whirlpool, and from the very heart of that vortex, a figure struggled to "crawl" out from the abyss…
…Yet it no longer resembled the angelic form from before.
Pure white feathers were now dyed pitch-black, eyes scarlet red, limbs slender and sharp, claws terrifying—its figure now mirrored a demon straight from some ancient mural.
The shadow paused, carefully observing the angel who had been "reborn" from the Dark Ocean.
"I retract my earlier words," the shadow spoke, voice brimming with newfound delight. "…You really are a fantastic fellow!"
Without hesitation, the reborn demon lashed out at the shadow with a vicious claw—yet the shadow nonchalantly blocked with one hand.
"No need to hurry… You're far too weak right now~"
The shadow's tone had grown leisurely, even patient.
"Go forth and become strong—stronger than anyone else. Once you reach that point, you may unleash your fury upon me, upon your God, and upon this entire world~"
The shadow stepped back gracefully, bowing elegantly toward the newly born demon as if addressing an audience on stage.
"Currently, I'm seeking comrades dissatisfied with this world's existing order. If you truly manage to become strong enough to astonish me, and stand once more before me, I would be delighted to invite you as one of my companions. Ah yes, how rude… I haven't introduced myself yet…"
The shadow's voice rose dramatically into a lofty pitch:
"…My comrades and I rule over the Dark Area. We are known as the Dark Masters! Heh, the name might be unknown for now, but don't worry—soon enough, our strength will be engraved into the minds of everyone in this world~"
As it spoke, the shadow gradually faded into darkness, its figure dissolving bit by bit. The moment it vanished completely, one last phrase drifted on the wind:
"Farewell, fascinating fellow—of course… if a day of reunion ever truly comes~"
With that, the dream's recollections ended abruptly. Zero awoke immediately, finally understanding the cause of this dream: it must've been because he'd absorbed Devimon's data—particularly fragments from its shattered DigiCore. Some memories were inevitably preserved within.
The visions he'd just seen were Devimon's memories.
An angelic Digimon defeated by the leader of the Dark Army, its faith utterly destroyed, transforming into a demon within the Dark Ocean. It had even made an agreement with its conqueror—to grow stronger, strong enough to someday confront him again.
Unfortunately, Devimon clearly wouldn't get that chance anymore.
"Zero! Hey, Zero!"
Suddenly hearing someone urgently call his name, Zero instantly snapped awake. Opening his eyes, he saw Rina's worried face.
"What's wrong, Rina?"
"It's Hajime-chan—she seems to be having a nightmare! I've tried everything, but I can't wake her up!"
"?!"
Zero's mind jolted sharply, instantly realizing something…
Shit, could this be because of absorbing Devimon's data?!
Fully awake now, Zero immediately evolved into Agumon without another word and rushed over to Hajime's side.
At this moment, Hajime's expression was twisted in pain, trapped in a nightmare she couldn't escape, eyes tightly closed, groaning helplessly.
"Hajime-chan, how do you feel? Wait—Rina, what about the Digivice scan?"
"I tried it already—it's useless…"
Rina looked panicked as well. Realizing Hajime was acting strangely, she'd immediately tried everything she could think of—none of it worked, forcing her to wake Zero to examine the situation.
At that exact moment, a dense black mist burst forth violently from Hajime's trembling body.
"!"
Before Zero or Rina could react, Hajime slowly staggered upright. Her body, shrouded in black mist, swiftly erupted with light, evolving at shocking speed…
"Eh…?"
Rina hadn't even used her Digivice—which meant Hajime had evolved purely by her own power?
No—this situation clearly had something to do with the bizarre black mist…
Within the dense fog surrounding Hajime's body, a sinister outline faintly emerged…
…Devimon's figure!
Damn it! Is that bastard Devimon still alive?!
Having witnessed Devimon's memories firsthand, Zero now understood its obsession: it refused to accept death before having another chance to confront that shadowy figure.
Could it be that very obsession allowed Devimon's spirit to linger in this world?
Hajime seemed to have been possessed by that lingering obsession. Her evolved form, Garurumon, now glared at Zero and Rina with burning scarlet eyes. And then, with a deafening roar…
…The black mist around her frantically poured into Hajime's body, causing her to undergo another sudden transformation.
Devimon and Garurumon—
—JOGRESS DIGIVOLUTION!!!
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