Clearly, this was the scene of an accident…
…Let's first examine the state of our three victims.
Leomon's sword had been half-embedded into the ground, the lion warrior himself standing frozen like a guardian deity, completely unconscious yet stubbornly remaining upright.
Hajime, meanwhile, was head-down in a spectacular "headplant" pose, her horn firmly stuck in the earth, proudly showing off the last stubbornness of her dignity.
As for Zero, he had evolved into his Agumon form and now lay sprawled face-down on the ground, one claw dramatically extended forward in a "Don't stop now" pose. Under his claws was flamboyantly scrawled words:
Fuck!
The Toy Agumon who surrounded these victims engaged in a fierce debate but came to no conclusion. They truly couldn't fathom exactly what kind of catastrophic battle had occurred overnight to leave this jaw-dropping scene behind.
Thinking it over again and again, perhaps the only clue to unravel this mystery lay in victim Zero's cryptic dying message…
…What a magnificent "Fuck!"
"Zero, Hajime-chan, good morning~!"
After silently observing for two seconds, Rina stepped forward and cheerfully greeted them…
…Upon which, the three figures who'd previously been posing dramatically quickly stirred, stretching and returning to normal. Seeing this, the Toy Agumon who'd been eagerly spectating instantly scattered, going back to their daily tasks as if nothing unusual had occurred.
"So…what exactly happened here?"
Rina asked, torn between amusement and exasperation. Zero calmly devolved back to Koromon, answering in a perfectly composed voice:
"Nothing major. We were bored last night and decided to do a bit of practical training."
Clearly, they'd gotten so carried away that they'd all lost control, resulting in this spectacular ending.
As for the specific details of their "training," Rina decided it was probably best not to ask. She instinctively felt she'd lose by taking this seriously.
"Well, since you spent all night messing around, aren't you drained at all?"
At this, Zero hopped up and down confidently. "Absolutely no problem! It helped loosen up our bodies. Even if we had to fight several more battles right now, it'd be no big deal!"
"Ah, that's good then~," Rina nodded approvingly, since according to their plan, they would now be leaving Toy Town and preparing for their surprise attack on Devimon's fortress.
Devimon had sustained heavy injuries during their last clash, and there was no way he'd recovered fully yet. If they wanted to finish him off, this was undoubtedly the perfect chance.
Yesterday had been about letting everyone recover from their injuries. After a night's rest (?), their main fighters were now energized, fully prepared to decisively settle things with Devimon.
Zero and Hajime naturally needed no further explanation—they were the key figures of this surprise attack. But now, Leomon also voiced his intention to join them.
"My very purpose for traveling and seeking companions was to defeat that demon. As things stand, joining forces with you all is clearly my best option."
Finding such like-minded comrades was exactly what Zero and Hajime had hoped for.
Leomon couldn't bear Devimon's brutality; Hajime sought revenge for her lost friends. Their goals aligned perfectly. As for Zero, his motive was simpler—he believed as long as Devimon was still breathing, he himself would never make it big on File Island.
Though each had their own reasons, their goals didn't conflict, so their cooperation naturally went smoothly. After saying goodbye to everyone in Toy Town, the four quickly set off toward Devimon's castle.
This time, it was finally time to settle things once and for all!
In the solitude of the castle throne room, the demon slowly opened his eyes.
The injuries from the previous battle obviously wouldn't heal easily. After all, he'd taken nearly ninety percent of that devastating Trident Burst head-on. The severity of his wounds was easy to imagine.
Yet precisely at this worst possible moment, bad news came one after another.
"…Another territory lost, it seems."
Through the mouths of the two Ultimate-level bosses, Zero had already spread the news of Devimon's injury across the island.
With their influence, and centering around the Unmanned Mechanical Factory and Toy Town, the Digimon who'd previously agreed to ally with Zero against Devimon now raised banners of rebellion.
Although most were merely Champion-level, with quite a few Rookie-levels mixed in, at this moment on File Island, their combined strength was no longer something to underestimate. As Zero's group advanced toward Devimon's castle, these Digimon began their own counterattacks from the two strongholds.
The formerly unstoppable Devimon army now met significant resistance. Not only was their conquest of File Island stalled, but the previously captured territories were also gradually slipping from their grasp.
Of course, the current counterattacks weren't yet strong enough to completely overthrow Devimon's army, mostly remaining confined near the two bases.
But it was already sending a message: the demon of File Island wasn't invincible. As long as everyone joined hands in resistance, there was still a chance of victory.
Under normal circumstances, with his conquest so severely hindered, Devimon would've personally acted to suppress these rebellions long ago.
Yet Devimon remained silent. Thus, rumors that he'd been seriously wounded fighting someone became increasingly believable.
Initially, when the news first spread, most Digimon chose to remain cautiously skeptical. After all, even File Island's Ultimate-level natives couldn't match Devimon. Was there really anyone on this island capable of injuring him?
But now it seemed that the demon might truly be wounded.
If that were true, perhaps Devimon wasn't as terrifying as they'd imagined.
Aside from raw power, battles were often decided by mindset—before knowing whether you could win, you had to first dare to fight!
Only when you overcame that psychological barrier could you take your first steps toward victory!
The sparks had been lit; now all they needed was an opportunity to ignite the flames that would sweep away Devimon's forces!
And as for that opportunity…
...
"…Is it my life?"
Devimon laughed coldly. He was fully aware: as the core and soul of his army, the moment news of his death spread, his currently unstoppable legion would collapse overnight.
But would it really be that simple?
Standing from his throne, he glanced to his side. Several Digimon implanted with Black Gears knelt submissively at his feet, worshiping their demonic lord.
Devimon's face twisted into a savage smile as his claws suddenly reached out—
Without even the slightest resistance, the Digimon instantly dissolved into data, swiftly absorbed by the Black Gears within their bodies.
Those gears then flew toward Devimon, rapidly merging into his half-ruined body, repairing and filling in the gaps.
"…Come quickly, then. I'll let your so-called hope, the belief that you can save everyone, plunge you all into everlasting despair!"