[Digimon World – Odaiba, Tokyo]
"Wow... look at all the tall buildings! Is this a high-tech world? It looks so fun!"
Hu Tao had just stepped through the portal, and her eyes were already wide with wonder. Unlike the fantasy landscapes of Teyvat or the ancient beauty of the Xianxia world, this place was a concrete jungle. Skyscrapers, neon signs (though unlit), and massive television towers dotted the horizon.
However, the city was currently a warzone.
The streets were littered with debris. The sky was choked with a thick, unnatural black fog that blocked out the sun. Though it was daytime, the city was cast in perpetual twilight.
Jean looked around, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. "The air is thick with evil energy. But it hasn't coalesced yet. VenomMyotismon hasn't resurrected."
"Yeah, we have to wait a bit," Hu Tao checked her pocket watch. "That clock tower over there says 5:00 PM. According to the prophecy Su Han told us about, the Undead King resurrects at 6:06:06 PM. We have an hour."
Zilali, the Naaru floating beside them, hummed softly. Its geometric body pulsed with holy light, instinctively pushing back the dark fog in their immediate vicinity. The oppressive atmosphere lifted slightly, allowing Jean and Hu Tao to breathe easier.
Hu Tao turned to her partner. "Agumon, can you Digivolve to Ultimate yet? I feel like Champion-level won't cut it today."
"Of course I can!" Agumon puffed out his chest. "I train with Gatomon every day, and I spar with the Shogunate soldiers! I'm super strong now!"
Agumon was highly competitive. Because Hu Tao favored Gatomon's cute appearance when they first met, he had trained relentlessly to prove his worth. He was grateful to Su Han for the endless supply of high-grade food and cultivation resources.
"I wish I could Digivolve to Ultimate," Su Han's Gatomon sighed, her ears drooping. "I spar with Agumon, and we're evenly matched, but I just can't break through. Master said if I reach Ultimate (Angewomon), I can turn into a humanoid. Then I can walk around town and eat cake instead of being treated like a pet cat."
"Patience," Jean smiled, patting the cat's head. "Your time will come."
While they waited, Hu Tao scouted the area.
"I don't like this terrain," she muttered, tapping her chin. "When I use my Spirit Soother technique, my soul leaves my body. If my physical body is just lying on the street, one stray attack from a giant monster will crush it. And I can't move my soul too far from my body."
"That is a problem," Jean agreed. "We need a secure location for you."
Just then, the roar of an engine broke the silence.
A white car skidded around the corner and stopped near them. The doors flew open, and a group of children spilled out.
"Hey! Over here! Big Sisters, it's me! Tai!"
Tai (Taichi Kamiya), Matt (Yamato Ishida), Kari (Hikari), and the rest of the Chosen Children ran toward them.
"I knew it!" Tai grinned, adjusting his goggles. "I saw you through my telescope. I recognized your outfits from when Miss Lisa saved us on Server Continent! You're from Teyvat!"
"Tai, stop messing around," Matt scolded. "Myotismon's fog hasn't lifted yet. We have a crisis."
"I know, I know," Tai rubbed the back of his head.
He turned to Jean. "Big Sister, do you know what's going on? We defeated Myotismon, but the fog is still here."
"Because you only defeated his physical shell," Jean explained calmly. "He is an Undead-type. He is currently absorbing the data of his fallen minions to resurrect into a Mega-level."
"Mega-level?!" Izzy (Koushiro) gasped, checking his laptop. "Gennai said something about a prophecy... 'At the hour of the beast, the undead king will reveal his true form.'"
Matt's father, who had driven the car, looked at Jean and Hu Tao in confusion. "Who are these people? Knights from the West? Are they cosplaying?"
Hu Tao's eyes suddenly locked onto the car.
"Hey, mister! Can I borrow your metal box?" Hu Tao pointed at the car. "I need somewhere to hide my body during the fight."
"Hide your body?" Matt's father blinked. "Are you not fighting?"
"Oh, I'm fighting!" Hu Tao grinned mischievously. "I just fight with my soul!"
Before anyone could ask what that meant, Jean took charge. Time was running out.
"Listen to me, children. You need to trigger the miracle evolution now, before he resurrects. Do you have the Arrows of Light and Hope?"
"Yes," T.K. and Kari nodded, their Digimon (Angemon and Angewomon) standing ready.
"Good. According to the prophecy, angels must shoot arrows of Light and Hope into the bodies of the loved ones of those they wish to protect. Shoot Tai and Matt."
"Shoot them?!" Izzy panicked. "With real arrows? They'll die!"
"Trust me," Jean said, her voice filled with absolute conviction. "It will work."
The children hesitated, but seeing Jean's unwavering confidence, Tai and Matt nodded.
"Do it," Tai said.
Angewomon drew her bow. Angemon summoned his javelin.
Two streaks of holy light shot forward, striking Tai and Matt squarely in the chest.
Instead of blood, a brilliant column of light erupted from the boys. Their Digivices glowed with blinding intensity.
"Agumon Warp Digivolve to... WarGreymon!"
"Gabumon Warp Digivolve to... MetalGarurumon!"
The light faded.
Standing before them were two absolute powerhouses. WarGreymon, a bipedal dragon warrior clad in Chrome Digizoid armor, and MetalGarurumon, a massive, missile-loaded cybernetic wolf.
"We did it!" Tai cheered, pumping his fist. "We have two Megas! We can beat Myotismon!"
"Don't get cocky," Jean warned, drawing her sword. "VenomMyotismon feeds on pure malice. Your two Megas are strong, but they lack the specific Holy and Exorcism attributes needed to put him down permanently. We will assist you. Just remember—leave the finishing blow to us."
"Why?" Matt asked.
"Because if you kill him, our boss won't pay us," Hu Tao laughed, her body slumping against the car door.
Whoosh.
A semi-translucent Hu Tao stepped out of her physical body, surrounded by six adorable, floating flame-ghosts (Spirit Soothers).
"Whoa! A real ghost!" Tai reached out to poke one of the flame-ghosts.
"I wouldn't do that, kiddo," Hu Tao giggled. "My spirits burn with the Pure Yang Flame. They'll melt your finger off."
Tai quickly retracted his hand.
Jean turned to the other children. "Stay near Zilali. Her light will protect you from the dark aura. The battle is about to begin."
Su Han's Gatomon trotted over to Kari's Gatomon.
"How did you evolve to Ultimate?" Su Han's Gatomon asked curiously.
"Through the Crest of Light," Kari's Gatomon replied.
"Light, huh..." Su Han's Gatomon looked at Zilali, deep in thought.
Suddenly, the sky turned blood red.
The clock struck 6:06 PM.
RUMBLE.
The ground shook violently. A vortex of dark energy swirled in the center of the city.
With a roar that shattered the glass of every building within a mile radius, a colossal monster clawed its way out of the earth.
It was hideous. A massive, beast-like lower body, a grotesque torso with a demonic face on its abdomen, and a vampiric upper body.
VenomMyotismon.
"I WILL CONSUME EVERYTHING!"
A shockwave of red energy blasted outward, instantly leveling two nearby skyscrapers.
The children fell to their knees, paralyzed by the sheer, crushing pressure of a Mega-level demon.
"It's huge..." Tai whispered, his bravado gone. "Can we really beat that?"
Jean stepped forward, her sword glowing with Holy Light.
"We have to."
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