In front of a towering spire, a pitch-black iron dragon warrior stood in solitary pride. Its cold gaze pierced directly through the massive gates of the tower.
"Seraphimon, I know you're in there. Come out and settle this once and for all! Otherwise, you know the consequences."
After a moment of silence, the gates swung open. A Digimon with five pairs of black wings flew out. It wore a helmet embedded with crossed star-marks that obscured its face, and its entire body radiated an eerie, sinister glow. Its form moved like a phantom, tracing an arc through the air before hovering.
"BlackWarGreymon... will you ever give this a rest?" The blackened Seraphimon did not hide the annoyance and irritation in its voice.
"It won't end until I've struck you down." BlackWarGreymon's eyes were ablaze with battle intent.
"I've been kind enough to let you go the last few times. Do you take my mercy for weakness?" Seraphimon snorted. "Since you insist, don't plan on leaving. This time, I'm not holding back."
"That suits me just fine."
A whirlwind of sand and dust swept past as the two Mega-level Digimon charged simultaneously. Seraphimon drew a broadsword, clashing against BlackWarGreymon's claws. The resulting shockwave surged outward like a tidal wave.
The two were locked in a stalemate.
This guy's strength has increased again. He's already stronger than me, what a monster! Seraphimon thought. At this rate, I'm at a disadvantage in close quarters. I can't let him stay in melee range.
With a flap of its wings, Seraphimon retreated backward, putting distance between them. BlackWarGreymon, unwilling to let a rare, powerful opponent escape, saw the smooth, featureless shield on its back split into two, forming wings. It soared into the sky in rapid pursuit.
Maintaining its guard, Seraphimon let out a cold sneer. It clapped its hands together, condensing seven black orbs of energy before thrusting them forward.
"Seven Hells!"
"Bring it on!" BlackWarGreymon raised its hands, and a massive orange-red orb of fire instantly manifested in the air, hurled forward with a swing of its arms.
"Terra Destroyer!"
Upon contact, a thunderous explosion erupted. Flames shot into the sky, illuminating the dark, cloud-covered expanse. The resulting hurricane plowed the ground over and over, leaving a crater hundreds of meters wide at the center of the collision.
As the dust settled, Seraphimon hovered in mid-air, its feathers ruffled, but its aura only grew more intense. "Impressive. You've improved quickly. A few battles ago, you wouldn't have been able to withstand that. I admit, you are finally worthy of being my opponent."
However, while it was busy delivering its speech, BlackWarGreymon, who bore several wounds, wasn't even looking at it. Instead, he stared off into the distance, muttering, "This scent... it's so familiar..."
Without a word, he spread his wings and flew toward the direction giving him that strange sensation, leaving Seraphimon standing there in a daze. "...What's wrong with this guy now?"
BlackWarGreymon flew west at top speed. He soon encountered three figures. He bypassed the insignificant LadyDevimon and a human child, his gaze locking onto the young human man in the center.
His pupils contracted sharply. After a brief pause, he accelerated toward them. Mid-flight, he twisted his body violently, spinning until he became a horizontal tornado.
"BlackWarGreymon, have you lost your mind?!" LadyDevimon yelled, feeling the sharp wind pressure. She immediately threw her slender body in front of Aomori, shouting with a "ready-to-die" resolve, "Great King, let me protect you!"
Inspired by LadyDevimon, Koichi also transformed and rushed to the front.
"...Don't block the way. You two, move aside." Aomori flicked his wrists, tossing LadyDevimon and Koichi into the distance. Facing the incoming Black Tornado, he slowly reached out a single hand and grabbed the sharp claws at the front.
The tornado stopped dead, revealing BlackWarGreymon's stern face. A smile played on Aomori's lips as he used his strength to slam the dragon warrior into the ground.
After a "brutal" and "inhumane" thrashing that left LadyDevimon and Koichi trembling in fear, BlackWarGreymon lay flat on the ground, unable to rise.
"Wanting to fight the moment we meet? LadyDevimon was right; you really are a battle maniac." Aomori knelt down and patted its chest, releasing dark energy to help replenish the Digimon's strength.
"I just wanted to see how far the gap between us still is. It turns out it's much larger than I imagined, even though I've grown so much stronger over the years..." BlackWarGreymon spoke softly.
LadyDevimon had never seen him so weak and gentle.
"Comparing yourself to me is just asking for a headache. Comparing yourself to your past self is enough." Aomori withdrew his hand and smiled. "Or compare yourself to your old friends, like your student Agumon."
"In a one-on-one, it is no match for me. Even with its human partner, I hold the advantage," BlackWarGreymon said plainly as he stood up.
"It sounds like it has suffered quite a bit at your hands."
"As an instructor, that is my responsibility."
"Heh, I'm starting to like you more and more." Aomori chuckled. "What about Gatomon? She should be able to evolve into Angewomon on her own by now, right? Is she a match for you?"
"Yes. She remains in her Angewomon form constantly now. As for strength... we are at about a four-to-six split."
"Four for her, six for you?"
"No. I am the four."
"?" Aomori looked surprised. "You can't beat her?"
"Her abilities counter mine," BlackWarGreymon replied succinctly. "And... she works harder than I do."
"Oh?" Aomori looked forward to meeting her even more. "Do you know where she is now?"
BlackWarGreymon shook his head. "I have been in this Digital World for a long time. I don't know her current status. But she is likely doing the same as me, searching for your trail in another Digital World."
"Right, I understand." Aomori patted the dragon's leg. "I'm heading back to the original Digital World. What about you? Coming with us?"
BlackWarGreymon shook his head. "Knowing you are safe is enough. I want to stay here and continue to hone myself, to reach new heights."
"Very well. You've grown up; you should have your own pursuits. There's no need to stay by my side at all times." Aomori encouraged him. "Mega is not the end for a Digimon. Go find your next peak."
"Yes!"
Leaving Koichi behind for BlackWarGreymon to "discipline," Aomori chose not to finish off the lingering Lucemon himself. Instead, he followed LadyDevimon back to their original Digital World.
…
Wide, paved roads, rows of buildings, and various aircraft darting across the sky.
"The change is massive," Aomori remarked, looking at the scene after using the space-time conversion device. If he hadn't seen that the pedestrians were all Digimon, he would have thought he was in a futuristic human city.
"Of course. In Digital World time, you've been gone for centuries, Boss."
The speaker wasn't LadyDevimon, but Akihiko Kayaba, who suddenly emerged from the ground. He seemed to have known Aomori was coming and showed no surprise.
"You still haven't forgotten your dream. Acting as a GM again? The data of the entire Digital World must be under your watch. And..." Aomori looked up at the massive floating city in the sky and shook his head with a smile. "You created another brain-burning game? It looks much bigger than SAO."
"How could I give up on a dream so easily?" Kayaba put his hands in the pockets of his white lab coat, explaining this new version of the world in a flat tone.
"I registered a game company in the real world and developed a Full Dive system that allows humans to enter and exit the Digital World. The main difference is that it targets teenagers aged 14 to 18. They have infinite possibilities and the highest compatibility. Of course, it's not a 'death game' this time."
Despite his flat tone, Aomori could sense his excitement. Living in a world like this was a dream come true for him.
"Congratulations."
"Thanks. Do you want to go in and see?"
"Maybe another time. I want to find Angewomon first. Do you know where she is?"
"Angewomon... she should be in the SY14 Digital World. LadyDevimon knows how to get there."
Aomori glanced at the panicked LadyDevimon. "Lead the way."
"YES!!!"
…
Crimson earth, crimson sky, this was a world of pure red. In this world stood a giant creature over 700 meters tall. Its face was like a single eyeball, with two fan-shaped horns behind its head.
Standing on the earth near it were several Digimon that looked entirely out of place. One of them looked exactly like a beautiful woman, save for the eight pristine white angel wings on her back and the helmet covering her eyes.
She was the Angewomon Aomori was looking for.
"We can't let it spread any further, or the whole world will be in danger." Her voice, cool and melodious, drifted through the air. "Gallantmon, MegaGargomon, Sakuyamon, and Justimon, let's go together!"
"Right!"
Beams of red, green, and blue light erupted from their hands, launching an attack against the terrifying creature known as the D-Reaper. Simultaneously, Angewomon used her wing-sash as a bow, drawing a brilliant arrow of light and firing.
Amidst a series of explosions, the D-Reaper was split in two.
"It's useless. I will not be defeated by you. The Digital World and the Human World are destined to be deleted and return to chaos!"
"Dammit! What should we do?" The group was at a loss.
Just then, a huge hole tore open in the sky, and two figures flew out.
"This scent is..." Angewomon suddenly looked up toward one of the figures. "It can't be... I could never mistake it. Master, you're finally back!"
Tears streamed down her face as she flapped her wings desperately, wanting to reach her master's side.
"You all must die!" The D-Reaper launched an attack at the same time. Countless tentacles obscured the sky, blocking the path to Aomori.
"Get out of the way! Move!" Angewomon roared. Her body erupted in dazzling light. Her light clothing was instantly replaced by heavy armor, and an extra pair of wings appeared on her back.
"Angewomon evolved?!" The others were shocked.
Having evolved into Ophanimon, she unhesitatingly hurled the javelin in her hand at the D-Reaper. The holy aura attached to the spear instantly disintegrated the tentacles and left a massive hole in the creature's body.
"Bastard! What is this power?" Its regeneration speed slowed significantly. Seeing the opening, Gallantmon and the others rushed forward to pummel the D-Reaper.
Having thrown the spear, Ophanimon ignored the D-Reaper entirely, flying into the sky and opening her arms toward the master she had missed for so long. She threw herself into Aomori's embrace like a bird returning to its nest, a sweet, happy smile on her face.
"Master, Master! I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too." Aomori patted her helmet and smiled. "You've grown up."
"Heh." Ophanimon gave a soft hum and buried her face in his chest. "It's been hundreds of years. I thought you didn't want me anymore."
"How could I not want such a cute little puppy?"
"I'm not a little puppy anymore!" Ophanimon grabbed Aomori's hand and placed it on her face. "See? I look just like you now. You can even think of me as a human."
"In your dreams." Aomori flicked her nose, making her let out a soft yelp.
"Mmm, that felt kind of good. Do it again!"
"..."
"Tch!" LadyDevimon, standing nearby, had been forced to watch this display for too long. Her eyes were red with envy and jealousy. Dammit! I'm the one who found the Great King first, why didn't he reward me? But due to the gap in strength, she buried her resentment deep in her heart. Simultaneously, she felt a burning desire to evolve. Once I reach Mega, the Great King will surely look at me differently!
After clinging to Aomori for a while, Ophanimon finally remembered her friends were still fighting below. "Master, Master, wait for me. Once I finish off that ugly thing, I'll come back to stay with you."
Her face was flushed red, a stark contrast to her usual valiant and cool demeanor. If Gallantmon and the others saw this, they would surely think she had a virus. In truth, her previous coldness was just a mask; meeting Aomori had exposed her true nature.
"No need. They've already handled it."
As soon as Aomori finished speaking, the red covering the sky and earth began to recede rapidly. The Digital World and the Human World had, once again, been saved and welcomed peace.
————
NOTE: This fic has been completely translated. If you want to read the whole story head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]