Okay, we're finally at the climax!

Btw, I forgot to mention this last time: ust as Rika's form is a modified version of Priestess Mode, Ryo's shadowy form is a modified version of MoonMilliieniumon (the shadowy dragon in the crystal).

(With blindfolds you held us)

Data Fragment 25: Ragnarok

The spider-like monster was torn asunder as a massive two-headed dragon erupted out of it. It roared its name, XeedMillieniumon. Its only intent was destruction.

From another part of the red demon rose three white orbs. One contained a priestess in a fox mask, while the other two each contained an unconscious human boy. Then from the half-deleted battlefield rose several other white orbs, each containing a child or a Digimon. The priestess raised her staff, and they shot off into the sky, where the human world waited for its lost ones. The many data steams tethered to the planet flooded with fleeing Digimon, desperate to escape to one of the sub-worlds.

The scalet demon melted, no longer empowered by its captured humans. Even in this form it was still deadly, however, as the spreading ooze deleted everything it touched.

XeedMillieniumon was overflowing with power, but it was not stupid. It knew that this abhorrent program would only regenerate endlessly. It had infected and assimilated the core of the main world, and it would stay that way until the end of time.

That was why time had to end for this world.

"Time Destroyer!" XeedMillienniummon roared, spewing blasts of black energy from both heads. The incredible lasers cut through the bulbous form of the crimson slime and burrowed into the core of the world itself, condensing into black holes that imploded the core from within. The Digital World screeched almost like a living thing, as the data started to evaporate from it. The data streams connecting it to the sub-worlds corroded away.

However, this still wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to destroy this contagious world. It had to be erased, or the red plague would spread further to the sub-worlds and the real world from its particles.

The two-headed dragon bellowed louder as it snapped the rings of data encircling it with its claws. Its body heavily flickered and faded from the power overload, but it didn't care. "Chrono Paradox!"

Even though no attack was fired, everything shattered like glass and inverted colors. The flying fragments slowly spiraled upward, before splintering to further fragments. The red ooze shriveled and blackened, until it was reduced to meaningless code.

That…should be enough…thought the dragon, before his form started to crumble too. Soon he was little more than the tiny shadowy humanoid from before. Only this time, even this vague form started to vaporize.

Still, he wasn't too concerned. He suspected this would happen, and death wasn't scary for him. He had already died twice. He would just resurrect again later, even stronger than before.

But…

"Why did you stay?" asked Ryo, turning to Rika beside him. She too was dissolving into data. If only her fox mask wasn't still there. "With a form like that, you could at least pretend to be human."

"Just like you?" asked Rika.

Ryo chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it wouldn't be the same, huh? It's…it's not really home anymore, is it? I'm glad we got those kids and their Digimon back, but…"

"I was hoping…you could come back too," said Rika. "I didn't expect you to go all kamikaze time rift or whatever. I thought you were too selfish for that."

"Me too," said Ryo with a laugh. :But…well, being connected with everyone…still being connected with everyone, thanks to Guilmon's virus…It makes it hard to not consider others at least some." Ryo sighed. "What a pain. Oh well…"

They both stayed silent. The dead quiet was calming yet unnerving. In the distance, they saw the many distant lights of the sub worlds, drifting farther apart.

"But these are our worlds now," said Ryo. "And we'll be the Digimon King and Queen of them all. And perhaps we'll even rule the real world too, if this virus connecting all of us persists." He laughed. "Remember how being a Digidestined was kinda contagious in the show? Let's make that an actual thing, so we can call in whoever's infected whenever we want. It'll be great."

"But we're dying," said Rika, her mask finally flaking away. She had the same human face, but the whites of her eyes were black instead. "We won't even get to see any of it."

Ryo grinned wolfishly, even as the last of his data faded away. "Has that ever stopped us before?"

IIIIII

This chapter was tricky since there was so much to cover in so little time, but somehow I managed to get most of the stuff to fit XD. I wish there was more time for the battle itself, but I just ran out of space. Last one will be the epilogue :).