"Although the timing is earlier than I expected, it's great to finally see you! I've always wanted to meet you..."
High above, Apocalymon looked down at Moss and Kari Kamiya, chuckling in a low, eerie voice.
It was creepy. Terrifying.
Moss pulled Kari protectively into her arms, cutting off Apocalymon's monologue. "I'm not a partner Digimon chosen by the prophecy."
Hearing this, Apocalymon paused, scrutinizing Moss and Kari again, then noticed the Digivice in Moss's hand.
A Digimon, a human child, and a Digivice.
What else could that mean?
Hmph, trying to fool me?
Apocalymon sneered, "Do I look like an idiot?"
Moss considered. "Maybe not, but I think you might be mentally unstable."
Kari thought, Isn't that a bit harsh for a first meeting...?
"Unstable? Hehehe..."
Apocalymon chuckled coldly, not denying it. Instead, he let out a deranged howl: "Of course I'm unstable!"
Kari blinked, surprised.
He actually admitted it?!
Apocalymon raged, "All Digimon need long, repeated evolutions. But we—those interfered with during our evolution—disappeared during the process!"
His claws dug into his own shoulders, slicing into the flesh as green-black ichor oozed from the wounds, like putrid garbage.
"Ew!" Kari recoiled.
Moss turned Kari's face away. "I used to digivolve into Sukamon, even into Nothingness sometimes. So I sort of get how you feel..."
"Shut up!" Apocalymon snapped, angered. "You chosen Digimon dare to joke now? You don't understand anything!"
Moss sighed. "I told you, I'm not a Chosen Digimon."
Apocalymon ignored her and continued ranting, "I am the embodiment of all those Digimon buried in cold, sorrowful darkness!"
His pupils shrank to pinpoints, his aura growing more terrifying. "Why?! Why do you get to laugh in the sunlight while we cry in the dark?!"
Moss responded calmly, "Yeah... why indeed?"
Kari looked up at Moss. She's like the straight man in a comedy duo.
"We have feelings too! We want to live, to have friends, justice, love!"
"Really?" Moss asked.
"Are we just useless trash to the world? Don't we have any meaning? We just want to contribute too!"
Though Apocalymon's voice was loud, Moss had seized the conversational upper hand with a few words.
And now, she pressed that advantage.
"Of course you're a hero!" Moss declared.
Kari blinked. Wait, what? He's a hero?
Apocalymon was also stunned.
I'm... a hero?
Moss continued, "You bear the burden of countless failed evolutions. You kept their rage from destroying the world. That's noble."
Kari didn't get it completely, but her years of watching comedy told her a twist was coming.
Sure enough, Apocalymon slowly withdrew his claws from his shoulders, the wounds instantly healing.
Regeneration!
He lowered his arms and stared at Moss. "You're trying to manipulate me with flattery, huh...? This world belongs to us. Anyone disrupting that must be destroyed!"
The evil side emerged.
All the righteous talk was just a ploy to crush the hopes of the Chosen Children and enjoy their despair.
But this angelic Digimon—Moss—was different. She praised him?!
Her flattery was smooth. Too smooth!
Apocalymon snarled, "All light shall be cursed!"
A tentacle shot out from his polyhedron body, shaped like a DNA spiral, ending in a pentagon tipped with five metallic claws.
From within the pentagon, black arms emerged, forming sharp cone-like weapons.
"Darkness Wave!"
It was one of LadyDevimon's techniques, using a claw to pierce the enemy. But Apocalymon had ninety-nine of them!
They came from all directions, aiming to skewer Moss.
"Eight-Wing Fist!"
Moss's eight wings extended, glowing with golden light.
Like energy disks, each feather became a blade, slashing through the Dark Swords like a hot knife through butter.
Hundreds of broken shards rained down.
Apocalymon was shocked. That was ninety-nine swords! Even Mega-level Digimon would run!
Yet this angel shattered them instantly?
That can't be power from an Ultimate level...
Still, resistance is futile.
He extended another tentacle, this one shaped like MetalSeadramon.
"Ultimate Wave Cannon!"
A torrent of green energy surged toward Moss.
Moss stuffed the Digivice into Kari's hands. "Hold on tight."
Kari nodded and clung to her waist.
Moss held out both hands—one glowing dark purple, the other light purple—and brought them together to form a diamond-shaped aura.
"Chaos Energy Blast!"
The twin-colored beam collided with the wave cannon, shattering it and continuing straight at Apocalymon.
"You have both light and dark... That's impossible..."
BOOM!
Explosive force rocked the dimension.
Moss shielded herself and Kari with her wings as the blast wave hit.
"Did we do it?" Kari asked, hopeful.
"...No. Not yet," Moss replied, disappointed.
As the dust settled, Apocalymon reemerged.
His polyhedron body had a huge hole, part of his head was gone—any normal Digimon would be dead.
But this was Apocalymon.
He wasn't a true Digimon, but the embodiment of the concept of "anti-evolution," the opposite of Yggdrasill's pro-evolution force.
His immortality surpassed even Myotismon's.
Gurgle, gurgle—his body regenerated rapidly, restoring even his energy.
This realm existed beyond the digital world's firewall. Apocalymon was just its manifestation. Destroying him wouldn't erase the will behind him.
"Kari, hold on tight." Moss readied herself. This would be a grueling battle. She doubted she had the energy to win against Apocalymon's unlimited power source.
Still, she had to try.
Kari hugged tighter, feeling Moss's rising heat—a sign of adrenaline.
But then, unexpectedly, Apocalymon calmed down.
"You're just like him," he said.
"Who?" Moss asked.
"The one with all powers: light, dark, dragon, machine, undead... almost every Digimon species."
Moss thought, So... a fusion?
"And most importantly, he had the power to control time and space."
"Millenniummon!" Moss blurted out.
Apocalymon froze, then smiled. "You've met him?"
Moss nodded. "And you?"
"He opened the digital firewall, guiding my power into the Digital World... but also left behind the Digivice prophecy to summon the Chosen Children."
"What? The prophecy was his doing?!"
It included the Digivice design, Myotismon's revival, and even defeating Apocalymon—everything foretold.
Moss had assumed it was an ancient Digimon's vision for the future. But it was Millenniummon all along?
Why?
Entertainment?
Or...
"To be born," Moss said aloud.
"...What?" Apocalymon was confused.
Moss explained: "Millenniummon is a fusion of Chimairamon and Machinedramon. He manipulated time and events to ensure their creation—your invasion birthed Machinedramon's reign, and the Chosen Children's rise ensured Chimairamon's birth in the future. Their fusion creates Millenniummon."
This theory also explained why Millenniummon targeted her: sealing Myotismon early and interfering with canon events could stop his creation.
But more importantly, it played on Apocalymon's pride.
"You were used and discarded by Millenniummon. Help me escape back to the Digital World and I'll destroy him," Moss said.
She could wait twenty days and leave on her own, but Kari would be left behind.
She wouldn't let that happen.
Apocalymon gazed at her. "Unfortunately, even I can't return to the Digital World. I certainly can't send you."
Moss frowned. "Then how do you know all this? Even the prophecy?"
Apocalymon replied calmly, "A friend of mine in the Digital World tells me everything."
"...You have a friend?" Moss blinked. "Who would even dare?"
"Nanomon."
Oh, the crazy guy again.
No wonder he wanted to destroy the world.
Thank goodness Etemon beat him into amnesia.
"Forget it. You're not going back to the Digital World."
Apocalymon chuckled darkly. "Stay here. As a Digimon, you're... entertaining. Heh heh... We'll have plenty of time together."
With a final eerie laugh, he retracted into his polyhedron form and vanished into the shadows.
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Each 25 Powerstones? (1 Bonus Chapters)
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