A/N: Happy posting day people!

Zero: Yay!

True Glint: Zero, I told you last time to get back in the story.

Zero: Yeah, but now I'm bored. So I thought I'd come annoy, um I mean help you introduce the next chapter.

True Glint: Thanks, I guess. Anyway here is chapter 35. 36 will be up Wednesday with 37 being the final chapter on Saturday next weekend. Enjoy this story while it lasts...

Digimon Tamers 2: The Rise of Zero

Chapter 35

The time had come.

All eight party members were gathered in the park where Ryo was planning on arriving to bring them to the digital world. Eight because Shadow had digivolved during the night, proving that he was a Blood Renamon after all. He stood next to Renamon, looking like a splitting image of his father who stood across on the other side of the group. It seemed Renamon's manipulation had already taken over Shadow since he hadn't looked Zero's way since they arrived. Rika was stood next to Zero, but within a close enough distance to her partner, for now, to not arouse suspicion.

No words were exchanged between the eight, except the usual greetings when they arrived, as they all stood in silence. Tension was high, but none seemed affected by it.

Sure enough, right on cue a digital field appeared where they stood. The familiar shapes of Ryo and Cyberdramon walking towards them.

"Ready?"

"Let's get this done." Zero replied, speaking for all present.

Ryo did some things with his devices he had that no one could properly see before a white light surrounded them all. Before they knew it, they were in their way to the digital world once more, but for a new reason.

"Oof!"

Zero was the first up from their ridiculously high fall that caused no injury.

'That makes absolutely no sense! A fall that great would easily kill all of us.'

The others soon recovered, proving their lack of injuries and further confusing Zero.

"You okay Zero? You seem confused." Takato asked.

"Ah forget it. It wouldn't make sense either way."

No one else asked what he meant as he began to walk towards the location the dark digimon were assembled. No words were said during their half an hour journey, each to their own thoughts as they closed in on their objective.

They stopped in a tree line to observe the army with their own eyes for the first time.

"It's grown a bit since yesterday, but still only five Ultimates." Henry commented.

"No, only four. One was deleted in a power dispute before I left to get you here." Zero grinned at Ryo's information.

"Really? That just makes it easier for us." he turned to the others, carefully avoiding Renamon's eyes. "You lot can biomerge to Mega right? It may seem like overkill, but there are too many to fight otherwise. Shadow, you are still just a Rookie, but if you purge their data as I explained to you yesterday as you delete them, you should be able to reach Champion or Ultimate, thus giving you the edge. But don't do anything reckless, that's my job."

"Got it." Zero didn't ignore the fact Shadow didn't address him as his father. Renamon remained silent. Their mark was already gone by the time they woke, their bond gone with it. She didn't seem to notice though.

'The feeling of betrayal, how I have missed you.'

Zero shook the thought from his mind and turned back to the army. "Just remember, the dark Sovereign is mine and mine alone. Otherwise, have fun." He finished with a manic grin as he burst from the tree line, running with blazing paws towards the army. Behind him he heard the initialisation of the tamer's biomerge programs as Shadow caught up with him, acknowledging him as the leader but not his father. Sakuyamon, Galantmon and Megagargomon joined them from behind as they closed in.

'This is it. Now or never.'

Zero put on a burst of speed to put distance between him and the others to give him room, before he released all the data he had stored inside him. A bright sphere surrounded him as his digivolution began.

"Blood Renamon... Digivolve to..."

The sphere grew suddenly, becoming there times its previous size as his body reformed rapidly. Muscles rewound themselves around his digital matrix as black and silver fur recovered him, crimson claws flashing in the light. The sphere exploded outwards revealing his new form.

"... Blood Kitsumon!"

Standing at three times the height of his Rookie form he didn't look much different. More feral looking without a mane and longer claws, no arm guards or symbols on his body. To complete the look, six magnificent tails swished behind him with a life of their own.

"Nice look Zero." Sakuyamon said, obviously the Rika part of her though. "So this is your Ultimate form, most impressive."

"Why thank you." His voice was much deeper now. "Let's get this on!"

He ran faster now easily putting distance between him and the others. The dark digimon were just noticing their charge and began to rally around their leaders. Zero smirked, close targets were what he wanted. He dropped to running in his hands and feet, flailing his tails out behind him.

"Blood Bath!"

An incandescent red beam erupted from the tip of each tail and slammed into the amassing horde before him. Six large red explosions scattered the dark digimon in all directions, taking out a fair number of them in a single attack.

Before they could rally again, the others were in on the fight. Attacks were sent between the two sides as digimon clashed with digimon, the dark types outmatched by the the three biomerged Megas and Zero's Ultimate form. Shadow was looting the data and purging as fast as he could, soon taking his Champion form as Blood Fenrimon and deleting his own share of the army.

Zero had faced off with one of the leaders, a dark Paildramon who lead a quarter of the army that was in the process of being wiped out. A gruelling fight had ensured between them, Zero getting blasted a few times by the dark type's 'Desperado Blaster' and Zero giving it a taste of his 'Blood Claw' attack, similar to his Rookie's 'Blood Paw' but focused on his claws and not his whole paw. The duel came to a close by Zero unleashing his 'Blood Bath' into dark Paildramon's chest and deleting it outright. After a short data absorption and purging session, he rejoined the fight noticing the other three leaders had fallen to each of the Megas in their party.

After a couple of hours of intense fighting, the army was destroyed. There was no sign of the dark Sovereign yet, but it was bound to notice the sudden lack of minions it now had. However their party was in bad shape.

All the biomerged Megas were wiped, human and digimon alike were utterly exhausted with numerous non-critical injuries. Shadow was also exhausted, de-digivolved back to Rookie and nursing his own injuries. Zero was still in his Ultimate form with small injuries, the data he had absorbed restoring some of his health.

"So care to tell us how you got your new form Zero?" Takato asked between breaths.

Zero was about to answer when all the digimon sensed the arrival of a large powerful digimon, marking the arrival of the dark Sovereign. Zero looked towards the source and saw the dark leader for the first time.

Simply put, it was massive. Elaborating slightly, it was bloody massive. It stood well above any of their biomerged Megas, possibly three times the size of Megagargomon and the same size wide. It seemed to loosely resemble a giant winged horse, not unlike a pegasus, but with four wings instead of two. It's tail was split into three at it's base, with each tip split into two for a forked look. It's hooves, if they were hooves, had midnight blue claws at their fronts sharpened to wicked points. It stood upon its hind legs as a semi-bipedal form, showing it's over muscular chest and flexing its forelegs as arms. Its head swung round to face the party, a deep snarl of rage sounding from its horrific toothed maw.

"Well, that's ugly." Terriermon's ice breaking comment didn't help.

"Looks like I get my fight after all."

"Zero, you can't take him alone." Henry's tired voice called across.

"And which one of you plans to help? You are all wiped and unable to fight. This was always my fight anyway." With those words said he strode towards the dark Sovereign, deathly calm about the ensuing fight. He had gotten half way there when Shadow raced past him.

"No Shadow! Get back!"

He wasn't listening, his speed carrying him towards the dark Sovereign as readied his 'Blood Paw' attack. Before he could swing his fist, the dark Sovereign shifted ever so slightly and released a colossal black fireball right into Shadow's path.

"No!"

Zero watched his son's burnt and broken form soar through the air and land in a crumpled heap. He raced towards him, dreading what he might find. His fears were confirmed as he beheld his son.

His fur was almost completely burnt off, several strands of data pealing away from countless holes in his digital matrix. His arms and legs were stuck out at incorrect angles, evidence of broken digital bones. His injuries were beyond severe, each one life threatening. His breathing was raspy and shallow, he didn't have long left in this life.

"Why?"

"To prove.. I am stronger... Than you, father..."

"You need to prove nothing to me. The fact you carry my digital data inside you is proof enough of your strength." He could hear Renamon's cries from behind him, though he ignored her for now.

"I am sorry... Father... I turned her... Against you... For my own.. Gains in power..."

"What do you mean?"

"Mother... Renamon... I made her... Push you away... So I could get... Her support more than... You... I see now... It was wrong... I still wasn't... Strong enough to... Beat you..."

"Son. We were never enemies. All I ever wanted a peaceful life with you and Renamon. No fighting, no life endangering moments, just us three. Or maybe more... But that's beside the point. I was always proud of you, even if you haven't been around for long. You are my son, first and foremost and always will be. There is no need for fighting between me and you. There isn't a single thing I wouldn't have done for you."

"And here... We are.. I was a... Fool to believe... You were... My foe... It was me... All along... That I... Fought against... My own greed... Has cost me... My life..."

Any more words were halted as Shadow began to glow an eerie blue as his digital matrix began to break apart, great strands of data pulling themselves out of him as he disintegrated where he lay. All that remained was the crater he had formed when he landed.

No one moved during this time, Renamon planted with grief as the others expressed their own sorrow. Zero though had a different reaction.

Shadow was his son, even if he had turned Renamon against him for whatever reasons. He had betrayed him, stolen his life from him, yet he was still his son. Nothing would change that.

A great rage built inside him, a rage long since forgotten. His eyes narrowed as his fists clenched, anger pouring out of him in great torrents. Levelling his heated, hate filled gaze upon the dark Sovereign, he snarled out one final line.

"I will kill you!"

A sphere of data surrounded him again, growing rapidly as his body contorted and shifted within. Fur was ripped off, only to reform in new locations. A howl of rage erupted from the sphere as he changed.

"Blood Kitsumon... Digivolve to..."