Kimeramon was still rampaging across the surface of the sea. The kids' Digimon were completely outmatched. Luckily, the Digimon Emperor was too busy to personally command Kimeramon right now, so the kids could still stall it with strategy—but after keeping up a running fight for so long, they were reaching their limit. Even Tentomon had to jump in just to draw aggro so the others could rest for a moment.
Kimeramon's Heat Viper kept lancing down into the ocean, blasting up towering sprays of water.
Darcmon and Halsemon set Kari and Yolei down on a floating islet, then rushed back into the fight to swap out the constantly endangered Tentomon.
Screeching, Tentomon barely twisted away at a hair-raising angle from another Heat Viper. That scorching beam skimmed past Tentomon's body and slammed into the Digimon Emperor's base.
T.K., who had the Digimon Emperor pinned and was happily pummeling him with left and right hooks, paused when the base shook. The Digimon Emperor seized the opening, heaved T.K. off to the side, snatched up the whip he'd thrown away earlier, and snapped it toward T.K.
T.K. grinned and caught the whip with one hand.
"What?!" the Digimon Emperor blurted, horrified—if T.K. could catch it, why had he taken that hit earlier?
T.K. yanked the whip hard, pulling the Digimon Emperor into a stumble, then drove his fist straight into him, knocking him down again—and went right back to the left hook, right hook beatdown.
"Sticky Net!" Wormmon panicked when he saw Ken Ichijouji pinned on the ground under T.K. and rushed to help, but T.K. hadn't come alone. Patamon burst forward from behind him and fired an Air Shot, blowing Wormmon's attack back into his face and knocking Wormmon onto his back, tumbling in a round little roll.
"Looking for a fight?" Patamon landed, voice sharp.
"Don't you dare touch Ken," Wormmon said, getting back up—standing, not crawling—staring Patamon down.
The two Digimon locked eyes in perfect understanding… and then started swinging. Well—brawling.
"Tempest Wing!" Halsemon spun his body into a tornado and charged Kimeramon. Darcmon slashed out with both blades, sending multiple energy arcs carving toward Kimeramon's chest.
The tornado struck Kimeramon's head and vanished without a sound. Not a scratch—like it had never been hit at all. Darcmon's energy slashes were ripped apart by Kimeramon's skeletal claws.
"So what are we supposed to do now?" Halsemon said helplessly. After the failed strike, he shot upward fast, trying to open distance—never noticing the demon claw roaring down from above.
"Gah!" Halsemon cried out as Kimeramon smashed him down. He slammed hard onto the Digimon Emperor's base, skidded a long distance, and went limp—unconscious.
Kimeramon swooped in and fired another Heat Viper. Darcmon lunged, dragging Halsemon aside just in time. The beam grazed Darcmon's wing; she could feel the feathers on her wing nearly igniting from the blistering heat. The shot missed them—but hit the base with a deafening blast, punching a massive hole through it.
T.K. was still tangled up with the Digimon Emperor when, above them, a searing pillar of light tore through a wall and blew a matching hole in the wall opposite. The sheer force made T.K. freeze for a moment.
"What was that?" T.K. looked up at the opening—only to see that patchwork, cobbled-together Digimon roaring as it flew past the hole.
"That's my creation—Kimeramon! Pretty amazing, right?!" the Digimon Emperor crowed from under T.K., still wearing that smug look. "Even if you add up all your strength together, you still can't beat him!"
T.K. could clearly see Darcmon and Halsemon clenched in Kimeramon's two claws.
"Patamon, Armor Digivolve," T.K. said, standing up and no longer bothering with the Digimon Emperor.
"Patamon, Armor Digivolve—Pegasusmon!"
T.K. climbed onto Pegasusmon's back, then glanced over his shoulder. "Ken—next time, I'm coming back to settle this with you for real."
And with that, he didn't look back again—Pegasusmon carried him out of the base in a flash.
"Ken…" Wormmon stepped forward, anxious.
Ken pushed himself up with one hand. His eyes were unfocused, drifting, empty. "Useless…" he muttered, then staggered deeper inside without looking at Wormmon, ignoring Wormmon's calls. There was something bleak about him, as if the light had drained out—until the darkness swallowed him whole.
"Silver Blaze!" Pegasusmon rose and fired a burst of holy light that struck the claws gripping Darcmon and Halsemon. The sacred radiance burned; Kimeramon flinched and loosened its grip. Darcmon and Halsemon tore free and escaped immediately.
"Kimeramon… stopped?" T.K. stared. After Darcmon and Halsemon got away, Kimeramon simply froze in midair, motionless.
"Then let's get out of here—now!"
The kids fled the airborne fortress and the horrifying Kimeramon. Riding on two floating islet-ships, Patamon, Hawkmon, and Gatomon were so exhausted they fell asleep. Only Veemon still had energy—he hadn't even gotten to join the fight.
"If only I could fly…" Veemon said sadly, embarrassed.
"Don't say that. You can't fly, but we've got our own way of fighting," Davis said, still full of confidence, pumping everyone up. "Anyway, we rest first—then we keep chasing the Digimon Emperor."
"Yeah."
June Motomiya stared blankly at the bay and the huge city across the water. Stiffly, she turned back to the elderly couple beside her. "Um… excuse me, this is…?"
"This is Lake Hamana," the couple said, acting like they'd done her a massive favor.
June had nothing to say. She turned back toward the glittering city again and let out a helpless sigh. "I said I wanted Lake Yamanaka… Matt…" She could only pour her longing out to the sea.
Night had fallen in the Digital World, too. Digimon returned to their homes, turned on their lights, and enjoyed dinner in peace.
But far off, in one town that looked bright and calm from a distance, pillars of flame kept bursting skyward. A small black shadow flew over the town, spraying fire again and again, turning everything into an ocean of flames.
Kimeramon rampaged above the rooftops, firing Heat Viper after Heat Viper to ignite house after house—reducing Digimon to data that vanished. Countless buildings burned, dyeing the sky red. Thick smoke blotted out the heavens; even from far away, you could see the rolling black clouds climbing into the sky.
The town's Digimon flooded into the streets, scattering in every direction to escape the Heat Viper beams—but it was useless. Again and again, Digimon were hit and disintegrated into ash. Behind Kimeramon sprawled ruin, firelight, and choking smoke, with drifting data dancing through the air like a hymn of death.
Not far behind Kimeramon flew the Digimon Emperor's base. Wherever it passed, neat rows of Control Spires rose in its wake.
"Hahahaha!" The Digimon Emperor stared at the screen showing Kimeramon slaughtering everything in sight, laughing so hard his face twisted. "Good! Run! Be afraid! The Digital World is mine now—mine! Hahahaha!"
Wormmon crawled in and saw it all. Looking at Ken, who seemed to have completely lost himself, Wormmon's eyes filled with grief.
"Ken… is this what you wanted? Is this really what you wanted…?"
From a mountaintop, the kids watched the once-peaceful town become a silent dead city under Kimeramon's rampage. Smoke drifted over the ruins as Kimeramon and the Digimon Emperor's base left the destroyed city behind and headed for the next one.
"Damn it, Kimeramon…" Davis clenched his fists, shaking with rage. "How long are you going to run wild?!"
"What a terrifying monster," Raidramon said, staring at Kimeramon's horrific destructive power in deep unease.
"No goal at all—just attacking for the sake of attacking," Digmon growled furiously, watching it go.
"Is it going to destroy our Digital World—" Halsemon started.
Before he could finish, Cody cut in, voice trembling with fury. "Is it going to keep going until it destroys everything it sees?!"
"How could…" Yolei whispered, unable to accept it.
"It's unforgivable—creating a Digimon like that… it's unforgivable," T.K. said through clenched teeth, condemning the Digimon Emperor's sin.
"Do we just stand here and watch him destroy the Digital World?" Kari challenged herself—and everyone.
"I'll call my brother—" Kari lifted her head.
"Absolutely not!" T.K. shouted so loudly everyone flinched and turned to him. He balled his fists, forcing the words out. "If we rely on Tai for everything, then what does it even mean that we were chosen?"
"He's right. We have to defeat the enemy with our own strength. We can't just think, 'Tai will handle it,'" Cody said, unwavering.
"Yeah! We can beat Kimeramon. Everyone—heads up!" Davis said, fired up.
"But where are they even going?" Tentomon asked, confused, watching Kimeramon and the Digimon Emperor's base flying away.
Cody looked in their direction. Across the endless desert, a long pipeline—blatantly different from the surrounding landscape—stretched out in a straight line, vanishing into the distance on both ends.
"That's—" Cody's face lit up. Then, seeing how low the base was flying, an idea snapped into place in his mind—one that could destroy the Digimon Emperor's base and stop it. (Please recommend)
In the dark night, a blaze of fire shone brilliantly, driving back the blackness and lighting up everything around it.
Tai, Matt, and Izzy sat around a computer, reading the kids' report from today.
"So that's Kimeramon…" Tai murmured, staring at the crisp, clear photos Kari had sent—shots from every angle. Ken Ichijouji really was a genius. He'd managed to create a Digimon like Machinedramon—one assembled from the strongest parts of different living Digimon. Even if someone else had helped him behind the scenes, it still wasn't something to underestimate.
Izzy studied the photos of each section and listed it out: "Kabuterimon's head, plus Angemon and Airdramon's wings. Triceramon's tail. Garurumon's legs. The body is Greymon's, and the hair is MetalGreymon's. And the claws come from Devimon, SkullGreymon, and Kuwagamon. Kimeramon is basically a fusion of the strongest parts of so many Digimon."
"The Digimon Emperor really thinks he's some kind of creator?" Matt said flatly.
"Does he really think he can control everything?" Tai began, then paused. "Kimeramon is obviously just copying Machinedramon's successful example, and…"
Right then, Cody sent a message: they'd spotted an oil pipeline ahead of the Digimon Emperor's base, and he wanted to know if Izzy could use it to stop the base from advancing.
Izzy hurried to look up the pipeline's origin. Tracing it back, he found it ran from an offshore drilling platform.
"Oil pipeline… undersea oil field… crude oil… flight altitude…" Izzy's eyes widened. "Ah! I've got it!"
"You figured something out?" Matt asked quickly.
Izzy's hands flew over the keyboard as he ran the numbers to see if the idea could work. "If everything goes right… we might be able to stop the base's movement." Then he messaged Cody and the others immediately. "Cody, Agumon and the others will meet up with you soon. Get ready—once you're in position, the operation starts." Izzy's face was tense.
Kimeramon led the way, with the Digimon Emperor riding the base close behind, only a few meters above the ground. In the control room, Ken watched the live feeds of his masterpiece from every angle, grinning—he couldn't stop himself from laughing.
But in the middle of that smug laughter, a sudden, unbearable stabbing pain tore through his head. Ken dropped into a crouch, clutching his skull, a strangled groan slipping out as cold sweat poured down.
"Ken, what's wrong?!" Wormmon sprang over, frantic.
"I'm fine," Ken gritted out—yet nothing about his voice sounded fine.
"Take a break, okay? You've been attacking all night without sleeping," Wormmon pleaded.
"I'm fine," Ken insisted again, but inside his head, a familiar, sinister voice whispered coldly:
"Once you become part of the darkness… you can't escape."
"What did you say?"
"Look under your feet."
Ken glanced down—and saw a black, gaping hole opening beneath him, with himself positioned right at its center. Below was a warped, twisted scene; he couldn't make out anything in the distance, but he could feel the terror of that bottomless darkness.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Ken screamed in fear.
"Ken—!" Wormmon's voice snapped him back to reality. "Ken, are you okay?!"
Ken gulped air like a fish pulled from water, drenched in sweat until his clothes clung to him.
"Heh… heh… heh!" The Digimon Emperor stood up again, forcing that smug posture back into place as if to crush his fear under it. "Go, Kimeramon! I'm going to become the true emperor of this Digital World! Hah! Hah! Hah!"
Agumon, Gabumon, and Tentomon crept up to an oil outlet, hiding behind the pipeline and watching Kimeramon and the base closing in fast.
Kimeramon's massive body crossed over the pipeline and flew forward. Agumon and the others immediately twisted the valve, opening the outlet. Under the force of the pressure, crude oil blasted upward dozens of meters, completely coating the front end of the base.
"Pepper Breath!"
"Blue Blaster!"
"Super Shocker!"
All three Digimon fired their attacks at once, igniting the oil. Roaring flames spread instantly, wrapping the Digimon Emperor's base in fire and racing across its surface in every direction. In moments, the entire base became a burning inferno.
Meanwhile, Davis and the others waited on a nearby mountain for the base to reach them. The entrance was nearly level with where they stood. Raidramon leapt hard and jumped straight inside, and the kids followed, charging into the base.
This time, their objective was clear: destroy the engine room and stop the base.
They ran through a long, narrow tunnel. Before long, the space ahead opened up—
A gigantic chamber of steel plates spread out before them.
"What?!" Davis, still riding Raidramon, stared in shock. One second they'd been weaving through a rocky tunnel, and the next they were surrounded by steel walls like some high-tech fortress.
Ahead was a huge cylindrical space with bridges connecting out in every direction. At its center stood a pillar that stretched beyond sight—no visible top, no visible bottom. One glance told you it mattered.
The kids stepped to the edge, peering up and down—nothing but endless height and depth. They couldn't help but gasp.
"That's it—that's the engine room!" T.K. shouted, pointing at the central junction.
"Awesome! Once we get there, we can stop this stupid thing for good!" Davis said, thrilled.
"Ken, they're here…" Wormmon said, watching the kids' figures on the monitor, then turning to Ken.
"They came again, huh? Then I guess I have to give them a proper welcome!" the Digimon Emperor said, still smug—and ordered Kimeramon to turn back.
"Alright, let's go!" Davis was just about to head down when he heard a door opening behind them.
The kids spun around. A massive door that looked like part of the wall slid open, and a swarm of Bakemon—each fitted with a Dark Ring—came shrieking out, diving straight at them.
"What a warm welcome," Yolei said with a confident smile. They weren't the helpless newbies they'd been when they first arrived in the Digital World.
The kids surged forward with their Digimon, unleashing special moves:
"Blue Thunder!"
"Scarlet Leaves Scatter!"
"Gold Rush!"
"Shooting Star!"
"Dancing Sword!"
The Bakemon were slammed by the barrage. The Dark Rings shattered one after another, and within moments the Bakemon lost all fighting strength.
The kids and their Digimon forced open that door and sprinted down the corridor, bursting into another enormous space. Crates were stacked everywhere in layers, scattered throughout—no telling what was inside.
Then—
A cracking sound split the air.
They looked up. A fracture ran across the steel ceiling. It spread, then the entire ceiling shattered with a thunderous crash, steel shards and chunks of stone raining down. The kids shouted and scrambled for cover.
A huge Digimon covered in mismatched patterns dropped through the opening—
Kimeramon.
More Bakemon drifted in from all sides, gathering near Kimeramon. They hovered there with vicious expressions, glaring at the kids and their partners.
"Damn it—just a little more and we'd have reached the engine room," T.K. said bitterly, so close to success only to be blocked.
"Davis, you—hide!" Raidramon suddenly spoke, shocking the kids. Usually, the kids fought alongside their partners. "Kimeramon is strong. If we don't combine all our power, we have no chance."
"Got it! Raidramon, good luck!" Davis jumped off and ran to the side.
"T.K., leave this to us," Pegasusmon urged.
"Pegasusmon…" T.K. watched anxiously.
"No need to worry, Kari." Darcmon set Kari down gently.
"But…" Kari hesitated.
"It's fine. Yolei, get down—now," Halsemon said.
"Okay!" Yolei hopped off and sprinted aside.
Once the kids were all hidden behind a pile of crates, far from the combat zone, the Digimon's fighting spirit flared like wildfire.
"Everyone—let's go!"
Raidramon, Pegasusmon, and Halsemon charged first. Behind them, Darcmon hurled multiple energy slashes, then snapped her wings and shot forward. Digmon unleashed his attack too—several golden drills spinning as they tore toward Kimeramon.
The Bakemon in front of Kimeramon lunged in with savage eyes. The kids' Digimon attacks hit them first, wiping them out—while Kimeramon simply stayed still, watching without moving as the Bakemon were erased.
"Heat Viper!"
Kimeramon abruptly opened its mouth and fired a blistering beam. The Bakemon caught in the line of fire were instantly reduced to ash. The beam didn't slow—charging on toward Raidramon, Halsemon, Darcmon, and Pegasusmon.
The four Digimon barely managed to dodge, but even the shockwave from Heat Viper's passage smashed into them, launching them violently into the walls with heavy impacts.
Digmon was swatted away by one of Kimeramon's claws and slammed into the wall hard enough to spiderweb it with cracks.
"So strong…" Davis stared, stunned by Kimeramon's overwhelming power.