I OWN NOTHING

I want to keep going, to keep moving forward, to finish this. But at the same time, I fear the road ahead, I am terrified that something may or may never work.

XXXXXX

"The mountaintop is where he rests, we just need to keep moving." BlackGatomon told everyone as they walked up a trail.

"I hope we really get there before those other kids." Naruto said with a glare, "Devimon has hurt one too many people when he first started. I can't wait to end it."

Naruto and the others looked at the mountaintop with a glare, "The entrance is hidden there. Expect him to greet us." BlackGatomon warned the group.

"Alright, so we got to beat up your pops till he cries, right?" Flamemon grinned and cracked his knuckles.

"Do not get in the way, and I mean it." The black feline told him, although not as coldly as before, "Dying pointlessly won't make it as satisfying as it should be." she held up her claw and moved forward, "Because, once everything's said and done, we have much more to do, Naruto."

Grinning cheekily, he rolled a shoulder, "You're finally going to tell me what it is you want to do once he's down, then."

Firmly, she nodded, "Consider it a reason to make sure all of us make it out alive."

"Worry not, I'm not letting Naruto-san go down!" Ranamon cheered, her hands on her beloved's shoulder and a sweet smile on her face.

Grinding her teeth, BlackGatomon spoke next to do anything regarding the boy's flushed cheeks, "It goes for you, too. Don't be mindlessly flaunting yourself, it won't work."

"Jealous I got something to flaunt?" yes, the two were done being subtle.

"As if I'd need to, not when my time is sure to come." The black feline grinned at the frog girl, both locking glares and worrying the boy between them.

"Kitmon, are you ready?" Naruto asked to try to get everyone's attention to the matter at hand, though his pleading look gave away his intentions to escape the fight.

"Yurp!" the fox burped after finishing the last of his meal to be fully energized. He and Naruto were prepared for battle from the start.

For once, Devimon was smirking as he loomed over a black gear with purple, vein-like marks on it, "You think you're safe, but it's nothing but an illusion..."

With a snap of his fingers, a wall at his large stone hideout opened, revealing countless gear-shaped Digimon called Hagurumon nailed to it. All of them were forced to rotate, darkness emanating from every enslaved Digimon and drained by tubes sticking out of the wall. Said tubes lead to an opening on the floor, from which black gears popped out, fell into a chute, and landed with the many others he had.

One of them cursed the devil, "Machinedramon-sama will punish you for this!"

Scoffing, the devil held up the Darkness Crest, forcing the living gears to cry as their bodies to release more dark energy, "And soon I'll become his equal." Devimon smirked, "But your usefulness is limited. Be grateful I still have ideas on how to profit from your services, Hagurumon." He approached them, extending up a claw.

Painful screams echoed in his abode, while the unlikely party walked into a flat, circular area near the entrance. Kuramamon was at the lead, resting his wooden sword on his shoulder with Ranamon at his right, Flamemon slightly behind at his left, and BlackGatomon behind them. Said tiniest member of the current quartet stared at the entrance, two large stone doors built into a cave. Inside, her home.

"I know there's no love lost between you and your dad," Naruto started, turning to the tiny feline, "but are you ready?"

"I'm actually sad..." the cat girl said softly, "I only get to destroy this place once."

"She is." Flamemon replied flatly, before staring nervously at the entrance, "Ok, what's up next?"

Before BlackGatomon answered, a loud cackle turned their attention to someone behind them, "Long time no see!" shouted Ogremon mid-jump.

Quickly, Kuramamon brought up his wooden sword, and stopped the green Digimon's bone club with it. The strike caused wind gales to blow BlackGatomon and even Flamemon back. Both used their clawed feet to skid to a halt while Ranamon used her arms to shield herself. Kicking the fox on the chest, Ogremon shoved Kuramamon back. Angry at not only seeing the beastly Digimon back, but getting pushed back easily, Kuramamon rolled over his back to get quickly on his feet. With an enemy like Leomon's rival before him, he raised his bokken and got ready.

"Ogremon, what're you doing here!?" Naruto asked furiously, while Kitmon grew worried, "Why is he here now of all times?"

"Missed me!? I know you did!" Ogremon cackled and then hooked a finger at himself, "Devimon-sama has given me the chance to exact my revenge on you for getting Leomon killed!" he angrily aimed his bone club at the fusion, "Last I recall, I called dibs on ending his life!"

"Don't you..." something snapped, "...dare say his name!" running at Ogremon without any idea of what to do, Kuramamon swung his bokken at him. Ogremon easily parried the strike, readying a punch, only to be shocked when the tinier, Rookie-level Digimon fusion punched him on the gut! Just like last time Naruto delivered such a strike, the green Digimon was pushed back.

And the fox's anger just kept fueling him. Using only one hand to wield his wooden sword, he raced at Ogremon and started swatting him, striking him as hard as he could with no finesse. But when Ogremon fell on one knee, the beastly Digimon grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at the fusion's face. Dirty-fighting was his specialty, after all, and he had no shame. Blinded by the dirt, Kuramamon instinctively swung wildly at the air with his wooden sword. Ogremon easily kicked him, knocking him down.

"Kyaha! This is getting good!" the evil Digimon cheered while he jumped again, his club held over his head with both hands.

"Whipping Waves!" Ranamon shouted. A cannonball of water they had kept bottled slammed into Ogremon, knocking him ass over kettle, "Touch a single hair on him and die a worthless death." Her red, blank eyes and angry row of rather sharp teeth said she'd keep her word. Despite being part frog, she possessed quite sharp fangs that would've scared any normal person. Naruto and any Digimon were not normal.

Ogremon cackled and got up, "Kyahahahaha, you're making this fun! Dammit, I'm getting pumped!"

Rubbing the dirt off his face, Naruto growled at himself, "Shit, even after what Leomon told me, I-" Kitmon snapped him out of it, "Scold yourself later, get better now!" grinning, Kuramamon inwardly nodded at his other half, "Right!" he gripped his sword, blue fire emitting from it, "Spirit Fire!"

Jumping over it, the green Digimon mocked the fox, "Idiot, where are you-"

"Dark Vapor!" Ranamon declared, firing off her own attack.

When the acid cloud and the fire collided, the same thing that happened when both she and her crush fought repeated itself. Acid sprayed everywhere, getting Ogremon to yelp as some of it got his hair while using his club managed to stop the rest. However, he saw in horror how his weapon melted, useless. Grinding his teeth, he threw it at the floor and roared at the two.

"You'll pay for this!" he screamed, fuming.

"Thanks, Rana-chan!" Naruto told her with a smile on Kuramamon's muzzle.

It made the frog girl giddy, her cheeks flushed, "Don't even sweat it!" she then turned to Ogremon with a determined look, "I'm not letting this guy get-"

"Sis, behind you!" Flamemon's cries alerted her to turn around.

"I'm not alone either!" another Ogremon hollered after he had snuck behind, his own bone club raised high only for it to be stopped by Kuramamon's sword.

Flamemon was currently dodging attacks as best he could, using his own to push back another Ogremon, "Flame Claws!" he exclaimed, but his enemy swatted his attack with his club.

"They're multiplying, how!?" BlackGatomon asked when jumping over two Ogremon, dodging their strikes to kick one on the face, jump off it, and slash the other across his eyes.

One of them cheered as more appeared out of nowhere, "Devimon-sama gave me a special gift." He said and turned to show the same black, purple-vein covered gear on his back, "And that's not even all. Because I am a part of him, I can now show you what real power is like!" he cackled as he sunk into the shadows, before reappearing behind Kuramamon after he had pushed off his enemy, "Damn fool!"

Swinging his club down, he smashed and nearly broke the bone on the fusion's head. Both Kitmon and Naruto grunted when their world spun around in pain. But rather than falling down, the blond forced his body to slide a foot forward to not face-plant. Growling in anger, he let out a guttural, animalistic yell and turned to strike Ogremon, who had just sunk back into the shadows.

"Naruto-san, to your left!" hearing Ranamon, he turned where she told him and tried, and failed yet again, to strike the large sharp-toothed Digimon.

After emerging on the door with his body's lower-half fused to the shadows, Ogremon taunted the group, "See!? You can't touch me! As of now, I'm part with one of the most powerful beings in this world! And you will pay!" he glared at Naruto, aiming a finger at him, "Do you think you're angry!? You've no idea what it feels to boil inside like I do! I'd gladly let Devimon-sama use me however he feels like, so long as I get to kill you! You, who took my chance from finally defeating Leomon, just make me sick!"

"Feeling's mutual." Kuramamon said sharply before Beta-evolving, becoming Kagemon.

"Don't think a fancy new form will help you!" the large Digimon growled furiously, "You took away what gave me a reason to wake up every morning, what would you know!?" Ogremon asked and threw his fist forward. "Pummel Whack!"

"Spirit Blade!" the fire arrow and the dark attack crashed against each other, creating an explosion that sent some of the unlucky Ogremon clones flying off.

The power behind both attacks sent them flying, making them disappear in clouds of dust. Seeing that the clones weren't that resilient, Kagemon started to make quick work of them. Hefting his large katana on his right shoulder and holding it with only one hand, the were-fox raced at the ogres. What Ogremon expected was that five of him would easily overwhelm him, not to see all five stagger back after a single swing.

"Gah, what the Hell!?" he gasped in shock, and then grew angrier, "Argh, more! More of me! Come on!" Several angry and ready Ogremon popped from shadows on the floor and charged at Kagemon and the others. Ranamon was busy shooting Dark Vapor attacks, or using the water cannonball to knock them back as fast as possible. BlackGatomon's quick movements and claws made sure that they couldn't touch her. And Flamemon's attacks allowed him to keep his distance from the stronger Digimon.

But the furious Kagemon was another story. Singlehandedly gripping his large sword, the fox man started to swing it from one side to the other, cutting seven Ogremon at the same time before spinning around. His spinning slash allowed him to push back six that were trying to strike him. He turned to face them and casually extended his katana to the side, blue flames engulfing the large slab of steel that made its blades.

"So long." He coolly told them with an icy glare, and then stabbed the ground, "Soul Flame!"

Seeing the fiery geyser that erupted from the ground and engulfed his copies, leaving only the few that the smaller Digimon were dealing with, made Ogremon cringe, "W-What the Hell!? Since when was this brat so strong!?" then he yelped when a Spirit Blade attack went after him, forcing the green Digimon to merge into the shadows to avoid sharing the hole the wall he had been on got.

Emerging behind Kagemon by jumping out of his shadow, Ogremon attempted to slam his bone club on the fox's head, but the enraged were-fox turned around and their weapons clashed. Ogremon flinched when his club gave in, leaving a small gash while the enormous steel board Kagemon used as a sword didn't get a scratch. Retreating seemed like a good option, but he forgot that the fox had company.

"Flame Claws!" he heard behind him as a fireball slammed into his green back, singing his hair.

"Ack, little brat!" he cursed and turned to Flamemon, who was grinning cheekily.

"Got him, Aniki!?" he asked, and ducked under another Ogremon's club, running forward and shooting another fireball at the original's back, "Flame Claws!"

"Like we'd let you!" five clones shouted, getting in the way to protect the real one, for two seconds.

"Whipping Waves!" the familiar water cannonball rocketed them off into the sky until only a sparkle could be seen. Ranamon struck a pose with a two-fingered salute, "Kagemon-san, give it your all!"

As the fireball hit its mark, Ogremon cringed when feeling the gear on his back starting to crack, "Dammit! Don't think it'll be that easy!" he jumped off and sent six copies of himself after Kagemon.

Gripping his katana with both hands, aiming the tip at the incoming clones, Kagemon glared, "Out of my way." He said coldly and stomped forward, slashing diagonally and cutting two, then another with a horizontal slash, and with another step and a yell, he finished the last three with, "Soul Flame!" shouting his attack's name, he swung the blade, and let out a blast of azure fire that made the Ogremon disappear.

Chasing Ogremon like a predator, Kagemon brought up his sword and immediately slammed it down. However, from the ground three more Ogremon appeared, taking the blow for their original. The were-fox ground his teeth at the retreating green Digimon. Or at least Ogremon thought he was escaping until a small paw slammed into the back of his head, shoving him out of the shadows he attempted to merge with.

"Don't let him escape!" the feline Digimon urged him.

Nodding, Kagemon readied his blade, "Bloody Wing!" As one, everyone gasped when a smirking Devimon parried the blow with his red-energy covered wing. Everyone except Kagemon, whose anger was palpable, "Ah yes, your anger still fuels you." He gave out a soft chuckle through his nose, "But, do you think it can save others?"

"I'm in no mood for your games!" Kagemon yelled and pushed back, the two fought for dominance but none gave an inch.

"Power like yours is limited, but mine keeps growing." Devimon mocked him, "Soon, I'll surpass you, and it's because those seven children's lives will end soon."

"What!?" Naruto knew the devil wouldn't joke about that.

"As we speak, Ogremon's copies are attacking them." He smirked widely at the fox, "Can you end my life before theirs are taken?"

Kagemon tried to strike Devimon with a punch, but the evil Digimon had already sunk into the shadows, taking Ogremon with him, "Bastard!" Kagemon roared, placing his sword on his back.

"We can't let him escape!" BlackGatomon exclaimed and raced forward only to be picked by Kagemon by the scruff of her neck.

"We can't let those kids die either!" Naruto told her, Kitmon growling, "Are you nuts!? It's obviously a trap!"

"Y-Yeah, Naruto-san!" Ranamon didn't like disagreeing with him, but she could see the obvious, "Just saying that out of the blue is suspicious enough. Devimon must have something planned."

"Even so, what if he wasn't?" Naruto asked, determined to go.

"Like a scumbag like him has any worth to his word, Aniki!" Flamemon argued, "Besides, we got him on the ropes. It's villain 101 to try to fool us."

"And if there's one chance he's telling the truth, no matter how small..." Naruto clenched his teeth. The way he had his hands on her head and ground his teeth conveyed a complex message, "I can see what you're all saying, and I agree, dammit! But if he's telling the truth and someone is going to die, I don't want to give him the satisfaction!"

His friends were frozen in place, a question in their minds, "What do we do...?" BlackGatomon asked, a hand on her chin, and then she glared at Kagemon, "You can drop me now."

"Sorry." He replied and gently lowered her. She was about to speak, but was rudely interrupted.

"Haven't forgotten me, have you!?" Ogremon reminded them of his existence when popping out of a shadow, along with some clones, "I have a mission here: and that's being a pain! And you're not getting to those stinking damn brats easy!" he surrounded them with more copies of himself, "Everyone, don't let them near those kids! I'll make sure to bring their heads for him to see!"

"Dammit..." Kagemon growled as the original left, feeling nauseous from the fury twisting his gut.

"Go!" Ranamon told him, surprising him, "Naruto-san, we're strong enough to hold our own! Besides, we know you'd kick yourself if you let those kids suffer." She gave him a grin, "Consider this us trying to improve ourselves. Now go be the dashing hero you are!"

"Rana-chan..." he was moved.

"You heard her, Aniki!" Flamemon said, "I may not be that strong, but I'm not dying easily either!"

"You heard the fools, go!" BlackGatomon urged him.

Nodding, Kagemon raced forward, his partners at his side to take on the Ogremon. He jumped over three, slashing one behind them while his allies took care of the many that tried to hit his back.

Meanwhile, some people weren't having a fun time.

"What do we do!?" asked a group of human children, specifically a blue-haired boy with glasses carrying a seal-like Digimon with an orange Mohawk on his shoulders.

Behind them was a platoon of Ogremon, laughing while chasing them, "Sorry, Joe, if I hadn't wasted my energies..." the seal apologized meekly.

"Don't worry about that and run!" yelled a tiny orange reptilian Digimon that could be considered a T-Rex plushy.

"Everyone's out of energy, dammit!" cursed a blond boy with a sleeveless green t-shirt. "TK, stick close to me!" he yelled as he pulled the smallest child, a blond boy with a green cap.

"Brother, up ahead!" the youngest member of the group aimed a finger at more Ogremon, five of them chortling amusedly.

"Since when were there so many of them?" asked a large beetle-like Digimon, "I thought this island only had one, and Leomon usually deals with him."

"Didn't you know?" one of the Ogremon asked tauntingly, "Leomon's dead. And sadly it wasn't because of me, but a boy like you!"

"W-What!? You're kidding, right!?" a yellow bipedal Digimon with a fur cowl asked, "Leomon wouldn't lose that easily!"

"It's true, one of you can become a Digimon unlike anything I've seen, and because of him Leomon was killed!" he wasn't lying, but twisting the truth enough with inward glee and outer anger.

"Wait, what do you mean someone like us, aren't we the only humans here?" the only male brunet asked with a finger aimed at his goggles-wearing self.

"You've got nothing to worry about, because you'll join him soon!" Ogremon yelled, "Everyone, let them have it! Pummel Whack!"

Getting shot from both sides, the children looked at the way down, and clenched their jaws when seeing a forest down a very, very steep slide. With their Digimon reading their minds, everyone jumped down, let a loud collective scream, and did their best not to roll on the way to the forest. Once they reached the trees, they kept hightailing it with Ogremon hot on their heels... and right in front of them!

"Oh come on!" the girl with the pink cowboy hat exclaimed, close to crying, "Someone, please! Help us!"

"Soul Flame!"

"Gyah!" exclaimed the Ogremon who disappeared from the burst of fire that incinerated them.

Arriving at the right time, Kagemon landed in front of the kids, his katana hefted on his shoulder before he smirked cockily at Ogremon, twirled it, and placed it on the magnetic plate on his back. The other Digimon stared confusedly at him. None of them had ever seen a creature like the fox before, or anything resembling or close to an evolutionary line around.

"W-Who's that supposed to be!? Another good Digimon that may turn bad!?" Joe asked, shaking.

"No, I don't think a Digimon like that has ever existed..." the beetle from before said.

"Wait, he's distracted with Ogremon. Let's run!" the older blond in their group exclaimed.

"No, let's fight!" the brunet said, "While they're busy dealing with each other, the Digimon can eat to recover their energies."

Ogremon grinned as the three-tailed fox raced at him, "Let's have a blast! Pummel Whack!" he shot his signature attack, which Kagemon cut through, literally, "Dammit!"

Getting back into the flow, the large fox man charged at the clones before him and started wildly slashing singlehandedly. Everyone who looked would've seen gales of wind from how fast his swings were. Each and every Ogremon in his way was swatted out of the way. Although, due partly to his anger and punch-first-questions-later attitude, all Kagemon did was swing the enormous piece of steel wildly.

Effective, yes. Brutal, indubitably. The fusion didn't have any reason to stop or anything that could really do so. All the Ogremon were cannon fodder and the real one realized it. Merging into the shadows, he tried to attack him from a good spot. Emerging right behind him while he kept running, he threw his club at his back. But at the same instant, Kagemon slammed and sunk his heels into the ground and cut it.

"Don't hide." Naruto coldly snarled at him, "Soul Flame!" he exclaimed and slammed the sword on the ground. Ogremon yelped and tried merging again into the shadows, but it was too late. The fire created a geyser that sent him flying into the sky, where Kagemon followed him. Hefting his sword on his shoulder, he gripped it with both hands and swung it down.

The other children were feeding their Digimon, but watched in amazement how the fox cut their pursuer in two coldly and without remorse... Or so, everyone thought.

An all too familiar voice to Naruto taunted him again, "How does it feel being so foolish?" the black gear showed him the image of none other than Devimon on one side.

"Bastard." He growled and was ready to cut the gear, but it flew out of his reach.

"This gear is too valuable to waste it on you, but this test is all I needed." Devimon's face on the gear mocked him with a smirk, "You fell into my trap from the start, and now, to see it come to its only conclusion!"

"What!?"

Devimon was having a hoot, "Feel how pathetic you are knowing those kids are under my illusion! You have saved them from Ogremon, but at what price!? Enjoy true hopelessness before you sink into everlasting despair!" the gear flew off, letting Kagemon land.

And he fell in front of the fully restored Digimon, "Can we really beat the guy who killed Leomon?" a pink bipedal bird asked.

"We don't have another choice." The older of the blond brothers said.

"Wait!" Naruto tried to argue, "I'm not your enemy!"

He said that...

But Devimon's shadow appeared on a tree, and it twisted to smirk at him, "What they heard is..." he said, and Kagemon didn't like the fearful looks on the kid's faces, "I'll kill you all. Just like Leomon."

"Bastard..." Kitmon growled while Naruto was too furious for words.

"So long as they're under the illusion you're their enemy, that's enough for me." Devimon chuckled, "After all, can you kill those who Leomon wanted to help from the start?"

"Damn you!" Naruto yelled, ready to step forward, only to see six glowing lights!

"Greymon!" yelled an enormous, orange, blue-streaked T-Rex.

"Garurumon!" exclaimed a large blue wolf.

"Birdramon!" screamed an enormous orange bird.

"Kabuterimon!" shouted a four-armed, winged insect.

"Togemon!" said a giant, living cactus.

"Ikkakumon!" declared a fuzzy, enormous walrus with a horn.

Both Naruto and Kitmon groaned, holding the blade with both hands, "Just my luck..." Kagemon slowly turned around, and slammed his sword against the ground tiredly. He rose up, even as the six Champion Digimon stood against him, his hand slowly bracing against his sword, "I'm sorry, I can't lose to you guys… There's a cat I care about that I need to help. I need to stop Devimon. I need to get stronger… So!" Refusing to back down, run, or escape, he ran right at them with a loud cry of, "I won't die just yet!"

He slammed his blade against the four arms of Kabuterimon, the two skidding back even as Kagemon spun about acrobatically. He heard steps and reacted on instinct, swinging a foot back to kick Greymon's face. Then, the fox man flipped overhead while knocking the giant insect in the stomach with his other leg when the enormous beetle charged at him. Flames dashed over his body before he had to flip out of the way to dodge a huge fireball shot from the recovering dinosaur's mouth.

"Nova Flame!"

"Damn!" he grunted in shock as he dodged the fireball.

Said fiery projectile melted rock to slag, even as the wolf blasted out a cyclone of blue fire with a furious howl, "Howling Blaster!" Flipping away, the were-fox was sucker-punched by the giant cactus, who rammed him across the face and slammed him powerfully against a tree.

With a loud shout, she began pounding him against it relentlessly with both fists, boxing him like he was a sandbag, "You! Stupid! Evil! Jerk! What did Leomon ever do to you!? Why did you kill him!?" Both Kagemon's hands were limp against the tree, while her fists dented his body against the bark until Togemon asked that, then they shot up and blocked both her fists.

"I… didn't… DO IT!" He howled even as fire erupted over his body and made the cactus stumble back in pain, "I wouldn't kill someone who'd try to help a demon like me!" he snapped angrily.

"Stop lying! Harpoon Torpedo!" The walrus-like Digimon howled before he pointed his horn at Naruto, firing it and several more at him like missiles. To avoid each missile, he had to furiously dance about, then fling his sword forward like a spear! Such attack smashed Ikkakumon into the charging Garurumon and made both tumble about, before the bird flew above his head and flapped her wings rapidly.

"Meteor Wing!" A storm of fireballs shot down and exploded on top of him, forcing him to fall flat on his face.

"Dammit, these guys are strong..." he grunted while trying to get up.

"Stay down!" Greymon shouted, ready to stomp on him.

Naruto yowled angrily, even as he pushed himself up, dashed forward, grabbed Greymon's leg, and threw him overhead. Then, Kagemon leapt forward to grab his sword before he was met with all five Digimon blasting him at once. Fire erupted all around him, kicking up dust and masking him. The six dropped down, panting as they were weakened from fighting after the rush of the chase.

"Tough jerk..." Togemon growled as she turned into a green humanoid with a pretty flower on her head, trying not to tear up.

"Wait, is that..." a boy with messy red hair asked.

"I'm alive... right?" Naruto panted in relief and awe, holding the massive sword as a shield while the fusion's body started to become more visible as the dust fell. Everyone saw Kagemon slowly groaning and getting up, then stumbling and falling on one knee. Due to the exhaustion, he couldn't keep his form for long and soon the transformation ended, revealing Naruto and Kitmon just as his friends rushed towards his location.

Things looked bad for all of them as the shadows writhed, and from their abyssal depths, Devimon rose up laughing darkly, "That's it… I have already have won!"

"W-Who's that guy!?" a girl with a blue helmet asked in shock.

"D-Devimon, the bastard who set us up." Naruto told the group, shocking the other humans.

"Y-You mean the most evil, cruel Digimon on this island toyed with us!?" asked the shocked insect, "Oh no, Izzy, we must run!" but before anyone could do that, the black-clad Digimon acted.

Lifting a hand, Devimon caused the ground under them to shake before everyone was floating in the sky on the chunks of rocks, clinging to them weakly. Suddenly, black gears erupted from Infinity Mountain, flying to the island and making it shake. Large portions of File Island broke apart from its center, floating off into the ocean in different directions thanks to Devimon's powers.

"Devimon!" Naruto shouted, jumping at him despite his exhaustion to punch him.

"You did splendidly!" he cackled at the blond, and his hand shot forward as his arm extended to grab him by the throat, "You fell for it! That attempt of yours to cling to light was your undoing! Exhausting each other! Trying to kill each other while you were at it!"

Despite being yanked by the devil, the boy didn't lose his fighting spirit or the hatred deep in him, "Because I wouldn't let anyone else suffer because of you!" Naruto yelled and tried to kick the devil, only to gasp breathlessly when he tightened his grip on the boy's throat.

"Let him go!" BlackGatomon yelled at him, jumping to try to slash her father only to get swatted aside!

"Oh no!" Ranamon didn't understand why. She hated the cat to a degree, but knowing she meant something to Naruto, and knowing what she had gone through, she couldn't help it. The frog princess jumped and held the one Digimon she competed against for a man's affection protectively like a sister. Both glared at the devil while the blond boy's body started to go limp.

"All that matters now is killing you, Digidestined." Devimon said slowly, the children and exhausted Digimon too afraid to move.

And in that same instant, when everything was too desperate for words, Naruto did what he did best: act without thinking.

"Like I'd let you!" he grabbed the first thing he had, his Digivice, and threw it at Devimon's face.

Suddenly, a bright red light emanated from it, blinding everyone and causing the evil Digimon to scream, "W-What's this pain!? Why is darkness itself hurting me!?"

His yells echoed into the sky as he lost control. The Digidestined and the Digimon felt the rocks they were on fly off into the distance, flying away while Naruto fell to the ground.

Gasping for breath and rubbing his neck, the boy glared at Devimon, "So..." he couldn't help but grin, "You said your darkness overpowered mine, huh? Guess you were wrong!"

Pulling out two kunais to fight the devil only angered the Digimon further, "I'll make you suffer for this! You won't die, you'll feel true ultimate despair before begging for death!"

"Do as you want." Naruto got up on shaky legs, glaring at the Digimon without fear, "I know four Digimon who will back me up no matter what, so don't think I'm afraid!" he twirled the blades and got into a stance, "All I have to do is wait for them, right?" he smirked to taunt him, "Because you need him, you need Kitmon too, don't you?"

"What...?" Devimon's body froze in anger. He was so furious he went through an outburst and just reached the point of plotting for something horrible to put the kid through.

"Do you really need only me?" Naruto asked, "Remember, half of my power comes from him, and you just lost your chance to get it!"

And that was the breaking point.

"Damn you..." Devimon growled lowly, before screaming into the skies, "DAMN YOU!"

He charged at the boy, who stepped forth with a determined smirk.

XXXXXX

And that's my rap!

I know, I'm a jerk pulling out such a cliffhanger. The next chapters will focus on Naruto's Digimon allies being forced to work together with the original Digidestined to try to get back and save him. He, however, has to deal with Devimon on his own. Yeah, you can guess how that's gonna go, so I'll omit that, but do know he isn't fully beaten. As he's told the devil Digimon to mess with him and ruin his victory, Kitmon's needed.

Now a few words from The Lord Of Pages, who helped me with this chapter.

The Lord Of Pages here: Hey guys! I was helpful in basically writing the fight scene at the end, so I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm a huge fan of the Togemon line so I wanted to show her getting some cool moves in with her boxing gloves, I'm sad that Kubuterimon couldn't do more cool stuff this chapter, but we plan on fixing that of course. Now as I'm exhausted from a long work out and want to kick back with my big bro watching the Incredibles with him, I'll cut this short and just say we hope you loved this chapter! See you next time!

Swordslinger out!