Chapter 15: The Angel's Gambit
NeoDevimon.
An Ultimate Level Digimon.
The name echoed in Mizuki's mind, accompanied by a flood of data. It was an evolved form of Devimon, artificially enhanced by some unknown party. This forced strengthening came at a terrible price—its consciousness was completely dominated, a mere puppet dancing on its master's strings. The mask fused to its face, Mizuki recalled, was a control device, designed to suppress NeoDevimon's own power and enslave its will.
Recalling this information, the initial shock in Mizuki's eyes faded, replaced by a calm, calculating focus. Whether NeoDevimon was in control of itself or not was irrelevant.
He had only one objective: defeat it.
"LadyDevimon, are you ready?"
A sharp, predatory grin spread across her face. "Ah, I've been waiting for you to say that, Mizu!"
As the words left her lips, her tattered black wings snapped open, and in a flicker of distorted space, she vanished, reappearing instantly behind NeoDevimon.
The corrupted Digimon reacted with inhuman speed. It spun, its monstrous claws raised to intercept the attack from its blind spot. A screech of metal on metal rang out as its claws met her dark spear.
"You have a fondness for ambushing from behind," NeoDevimon's voice grated, distorted and metallic from behind its mask.
"I learned from the best," she shot back, her voice dripping with contempt. The memory of Devimon's cowardly attack still burned.
The dark spear in her hand became a blur, weaving a crisscrossing web of deadly strikes that sealed off NeoDevimon's every path of retreat. LadyDevimon was channeling all her lingering fury from their last encounter into this assault.
Even as he parried the storm of blows, NeoDevimon continued its psychological warfare. "Such tactics are expected of my kind, a creature of darkness. But you... have you no awareness of your true nature as a Holy-type Digimon?"
"Shut your mouth!" she roared. "And die!"
In an instant, her thrusts accelerated. Her spear moved so fast it left shimmering afterimages, blooming like a constellation of deadly stars directly in front of NeoDevimon's mask. The sheer ferocity of the offensive forced the larger Digimon back, putting it squarely on the defensive.
Finally, with a powerful, sweeping strike, LadyDevimon broke through its guard, sending NeoDevimon staggering back through the air.
"I'll finish you with this!" she declared. Her spear dissolved into particles of data, her hand reforming into a hand of sharpened claws. She raised it high. "Darkness Wave!"
From the space before her, a shrieking torrent of countless bats, formed from pure dark energy, poured forth, a living tide of shadow that threatened to consume everything in its path.
Observing the dense, swirling swarm that now dominated the sky, the six crimson eyes visible through NeoDevimon's mask narrowed. It reached forward with one clawed hand. The motion seemed almost casual, yet it tore a vicious rift in the air itself, a slash that looked capable of ripping space asunder.
"Guilty Claw!"
The two powerful streams of dark energy collided with a deafening boom. A violent shockwave erupted from the point of impact, sweeping in all directions. Had they been fighting on the ground, the Village of Beginnings below would have likely been annihilated by the aftershock.
"To use dark power against me..." NeoDevimon's voice was laced with arrogant amusement. "LadyDevimon, you truly are underestimating me!"
"You're right," she replied, her voice suddenly calm and clear. "In that case, I'll use the power that will be your undoing!"
"What?!"
Before NeoDevimon could process her words, a brilliant beam of light pierced through the heart of the dissipating dark energy. It was like the first light of dawn, and under its radiant glow, the shadows recoiled at a visible rate, hissing and dissolving into nothing.
And through that cleansing light, an attack had already reached NeoDevimon.
It was an arrow, radiating an aura of pure, sacred power.
LadyDevimon—no, that was not her name anymore. By perfectly balancing the two opposing powers within her soul, she could shift between forms at will.
Her name was now Angewomon.
"What! A Holy-type Ultimate Level Digimon!" NeoDevimon reeled in shock. "Damn that LadyDevimon, she hid this power from me!"
The Holy Arrow was already upon him. With no time to dodge, NeoDevimon could only cross its claws in a desperate attempt to catch the projectile. The moment its flesh touched the arrow of light, an excruciating, burning pain erupted from its palms. The sizzle of holy data overwriting its own corrupted code was a sound of pure agony. He knew that if he held on for even a second longer, his claws would collapse, disintegrated by the clash of opposing energies.
But—
"Don't underestimate me!" he roared, a surge of pure rage flooding his system. "My darkness cannot be extinguished by mere light!"
With a final, desperate bellow, he channeled all his power into his claws and forcibly shattered the Holy Arrow that was pinning him in place.
He had no time to catch his breath. Angewomon's follow-up assault was already underway.
"Holy Arrow!"
"Holy Arrow!"
"Holy Arrow!"
Unleashing three fully-powered Holy Arrows in rapid succession, Angewomon could feel the sacred energy within her draining at an alarming rate. Yet, her movements showed no sign of faltering.
'Mizu said that once you seize the advantage, you never give the enemy a moment to breathe!'Recalling the strategies Mizuki had drilled into her, she swiftly nocked a fourth arrow onto her celestial bow. The entire gambit—hiding her ability to become Angewomon—had been his idea as well.'Always keep a trump card hidden,'he had told her.'Strike when they least expect it.'
For NeoDevimon, this strategy was a living nightmare. Faced with an opponent who was mercilessly pressing her advantage, he could find no opportunity to regroup, forced into a desperate, passive defense.
"Damn you, Angewomon! You have no honor for a Holy-type!" he snarled between parries.
Fortunately for him, light and darkness were natural counters to one another. As long as one side's power didn't completely overwhelm the other's, maintaining a stalemate was possible. And as he used his Guilty Claw to deflect the arrows of light, NeoDevimon was carefully observing his opponent.
'Continuously firing her special move at full power must be costing her dearly,'he thought, a sliver of hope piercing his rage.'If I can just hold out until her energy is depleted, I might just have a chance to counterattack!'
The first Holy Arrow was knocked aside by a well-timed Guilty Claw.
The second found its mark, piercing one of NeoDevimon's legs. But before the holy power could spread and corrupt his body, NeoDevimon, with shocking decisiveness, swiped his own claw through his thigh, severing the entire limb. The mangled leg dissolved into motes of data as it fell away.
Taking advantage of the opening created by his self-mutilation, the third and fourth arrows slammed into his wings, one on each side.
'He didn't aim for my vital points, but for my wings?'Feeling the searing burn spreading across his back, NeoDevimon couldn't help but let a grim smile curl his lips, even amidst the pain.'Indeed. This fledgling Digimon is still far too green, lacking in true combat experience.''Ultimately, she's only this mu—uh!?'
His body seized.
NeoDevimon felt a sudden, paralyzing stiffness, and for a moment, his mind went blank.
"What's going on!? Why can't I move?"
From across the battlefield, Angewomon's voice, cold and determined, reached him. "I finally caught you... NeoDevimon!"
As she spoke, a brilliant purple light erupted from the points where the arrows had struck his wings. Beams of energy shot out, connecting to form a cage of light that trapped NeoDevimon completely.
Angewomon took a deep, steadying breath, suppressing the deep fatigue that was beginning to set in. She straightened her arms, bringing her hands together in front of her chest. This was her other ultimate attack, a power distinct from her Holy Arrow.
"Heaven's Charm!"
An attack infused with all of her remaining will and determination shot forth from her open hands. A pillar of powerful, purifying light instantly enveloped NeoDevimon. The intense, burning sensation ripped a mournful, agonizing shriek from its throat.
"Ahhhhh! You damned Holy-type!"
"But—but—I won't die so easily!"
"Hnngh... AAAAAHHH!"
Perhaps it was an obsession born from the abyss, or perhaps it was the madness of a soul entangled in darkness. The six eyes behind NeoDevimon's mask spun wildly, and the mask itself began to crack, fissures spreading across its surface like a spider's web. Even under the full force of her ultimate attack, he was withstanding it, pushing back with sheer, insane willpower.
Seeing this, Angewomon's expression fell. Not far away, Elecmon and Leomon watched with looks of dismay. The final blow hadn't been enough.
Only Mizuki's expression remained unchanged, as if he had anticipated this outcome from the very beginning. His gaze never left Angewomon, filled with an unwavering, absolute trust.
"Heh... heh... What a pity, Angewomon," NeoDevimon rasped, panting heavily as the light from Heaven's Charm finally faded. "If you hadn't wasted so much power on those Holy Arrows earlier... I imagine I would be dead by now..."
As he spoke, he stared intently at Angewomon. Under his gaze, her form began to flicker, her data fluctuating unstably. It was clear she had expended too much holy power in one go.
Though it wouldn't cause a data collapse like in the past, she could no longer maintain her Angewomon form.
With a soft sigh of resignation, the brilliant white wings and holy rings vanished, and she reverted to the familiar form of LadyDevimon.
The first round of their battle had come to an end.
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