Disclaimer: I don't own Digmon. If I did, I would have left more clever ways for people to say they don't own it.
With Kari, Sora, and Mimi all having more or less mastered using their Crests to Dark Digivolve to the Ultimate level, TK was starting to feel the pressure to succeed. He had been the basis for this entire plan of action when he first Digivolved Patamon to Devimon, so he didn't want to be the only one who was unable to achieve the Ultimate level. Despite his desire, however, he still wasn't sure how to succeed. Just like Mimi before him, he continually managed to Digivolve Devimon, but only to MagnaAngemon. It just seemed like he couldn't make Hope a negative trait. The only method he could think of was giving himself false hope, but he kept running into a problem where it couldn't ever really be false hope, since a successful Dark Digivolution would be exactly what he was hoping for. It was this sort of chicken-and-egg paradox that had been weighing on his mind ever since Gennai explained why Agumon first became SkullGreymon.
Still, he supposed Kari had faced a more difficult situation and still managed to succeed in getting Gatomon to Dark Digivolve in the middle of a battle. She had started to say something about trying to make the right thing, or her interpretation of Light, be selfish saying she wanted to impress…something, but quickly changed the subject. She had seemed a bit embarrassed, and TK didn't want to press her further coming so soon off of her being hurt in the preceding battle. Then, staying with the Kamiya family had provided plenty of distractions to make him forget that train of thought. In addition to surviving Mrs. Kamiya's latest culinary experiment, he had to deal with a completely awkward chat with Mr. Kamiya after he noticed Kari and TK both had their Crests back and jumped to the conclusion that they were dating and had given each other matching necklaces. TK could definitely see where Tai got his overprotectiveness from after the long lecture about "unacceptable behavior" he hadn't been able to interrupt. While he managed to convince Mr. Kamiya that he was not dating Kari and wouldn't be trying anything inappropriate, it didn't change the fact that he still was sleeping over in her house, and was trying to work up the courage to ask her out after this whole fiasco was over. Apparently, Kari had received a similar lecture from her mother, which made it difficult to start a conversation without both of them getting embarrassed.
TK shook the memories out of his head and tried to focus on the present, where everyone was currently sitting in a circle staring at him and Devimon. His eyes lingered for a second on Kari before he reluctantly turned away- he needed to focus, not get distracted. However, Kari was exactly the subject his mind went back to, or rather, her shortened explanation of how she had Digivolved Gatomon to LadyDevimon. Grinning to himself, he finally felt confident he would be able to succeed, and just like that, Devimon began glowing a dark purple.
Sora, Mimi, and Kari all prepared to see what Devimon's newest form would be and battle him if need be, but before the glow even subsided, a barrage of missiles exploded all around the DigiDestined, trapping them in a cage of ice.
Izzy, Joe, Yolei, and Cody all prepared to enter the last test standing between them and the Olympos XII. All of their Digimon had returned to their Rookie forms a while ago, and after being filled in on the outcomes of the last two tests, they had agreed to rest a little longer to be sure they were all at full strength. After all, the previous two tests had dealt with opponents who had pushed them to their limits, and the final test of Darkness promised to be much stronger, as it required passing nine tests to access. After all the Digimon had fully recovered and Izzy had repaired his Digimon Analyzer, they thanked Pegasusmon and Nefertimon for the hospitality and regretfully parted from the friendly guardians, as they knew they would most likely never see them again. Even if they did, Pegasusmon informed them his memory of them would be erased as soon as someone else started the tests. While this had saddened the DigiDestined, they knew they had no choice but to carry on. They stepped into the last eye-shaped portal, and beheld the location for the Test of Darkness. After the detailed geography of the previous areas, they were somewhat disappointed to find themselves standing on a flat purple surface with no distinguishing features. As expected, the sky was a dark blend of black, blue, and purple, except for the ironic twist of a pale Crest of Light floating in the background. However, despite the underwhelming first impression, the DigiDestined were quick to prepare for the worst from this area. Tentomon Warp Digivolved, while Gomamon Digivolved to Ultimate and Armadillomon and Hawkmon both Digivolved to Champion.
However, the quick Digivolution to their highest forms still proved to be too little, too late in terms of preparation, as Aquilamon suddenly screamed in pain and reverted to Hawkmon. The only clue as to the cause was the brief afterimage of three green lines slashing across where he had previously been standing. In quick succession, the same lines appeared across Ankylomon, Zudomon, and HerculesKabuterimon, but their armor, shell, and exoskeleton allowed them to survive the damage. As soon as they recovered from the shock, they heard a voice growl out "Emerald Blaze," and three green jets of fire shot towards them. Zudomon used his Ice Lord Bump to create a wall of ice in an attempt to block the attack, but the fire broke right through the wall and slammed into the three Digimon, reverting Ankylomon back to Armadillomon and knocking the wind out of Zudomon, leaving HerculesKabuterimon temporarily on his own against the threat. Luckily, the green fire had provided enough light for Izzy to locate the source of the attack, and a quick scan with his Digimon Analyzer identified their foe.
"Okay, so the opponent we are fighting this time is Cerberumon. He's an Ultimate level Demon Beast Digimon known as the Watchdog of Hell. His Emerald Blaze attack launches three streams of hellfire at the opponent, and his Styx Killer attack unleashes a flood of water that will drain the life force of its victims. He sounds nasty, but we do have a level advantage on him. As long as HerculesKabuterimon is careful, he should easily be able to win this."
Sure enough, despite Cerberumon being the final guardian, HerculesKabuterimon seemed to have the upper hand in their battle, using his Giga Scissor Claw to overpower of Cerberumon's slashes and his Horn Buster Kai to cut through any attempted use of Emerald Blaze. Zudomon found himself relegated to the role of observer as his friend showed exactly how formidable a Mega level could be when facing an Ultimate without the advantage of a partner. HerculesKabuterimon prepared himself to deliver the final blow, but Cerberumon suddenly disappeared. Confused, he looked around, only to hear his opponent's voice coming from right behind his partner.
"You think you have this test completed so easily? Your partner is strong, but this is my element. My Portals of Darkness allow me to teleport anywhere within this realm. And killing you will cut off your partner's energy supply. Styx Killer!"
HerculesKabuterimon could only stare in shock as Cerberumon shot a stream of water with an unhealthy green glow directly at his partner. Even as a Mega, he would not be able to reach his friend in time to save him. Despite knowing this, he still charged directly towards Cerberumon, in the hope that he would at least be able to destroy him for harming his best friend. However, as HerculesKabuterimon rushed in, he saw Joe push Izzy away from the attack, only to disappear in a bright silver glow right as the water blasted over him. The sphere of water that trapped Joe slowly ate away at the light coming from his Crest. HerculesKabuterimon wanted to help Joe, but the fact that Cerberumon was still looming over Izzy forced him to continue his charge, slamming his horn into the three-headed dog and sending him flying away. He then quickly scooped Izzy, Cody, Yolei, Armadillomon, and Hawkmon onto his back, thinking that this would be the best way to ensure he would be able to protect them since Cerberumon seemed to have no problem attacking somebody who wasn't even fighting. He turned to start flying towards Joe in order to figure out a way to save him from the effects of Cerberumon's Styx Killer, but he heard a grating sound and was then shocked to see Joe completely fine and riding a flying white sea monster.
While his partner could only stammer at the surprise appearance of what must have been Gomamon's Mega form, Izzy managed to pull up his profile on the Digimon Analyzer. "Wow, Gomamon Digivolved to Mega! According to this, Plesiomon is a guardian of the Net Ocean who uses sonic waves for attack and defense. And he can apparently fly too. I'm not quite sure how that makes sense, but congratulations, Joe!"
Plesiomon merely laughed. "Well, I guess when you're as awesome as I am you can kind of ignore common sense. Still, speaking of common sense, I really think we need to get Joe looked at. He keeps throwing himself in life-risking situations and only gets saved because I manage to Digivolve. Since I'm a Mega now, I really don't know if we can afford to let that continue. He might find he's allergic to death."
Joe lightheartedly slapped the back of Plesiomon's neck and was about to chastise him for joking around when Cerberumon was still around somewhere when Cerberumon himself appeared right below them and angrily growled, "Nobody can escape the clutches of death. Styx Killer!" However, Plesiomon merely rolled his eyes and sang out "Shaking Pulse," and in another grating sound wave Cerberumon's water attack fell apart and crashed to the ground. Cerberumon snarled in rage and used his Emerald Blaze attack to launch three jets of fire towards Plesiomon, but Joe's partner gave a showy yawn before launching his Water Tail Blaster attack, sending a jet of water through each of the streams and knocking Cerberumon backwards before he created another portal and disappeared. Joe sighed at this: even with him unlocking Gomamon's highest form, he still seemed to lack the power to beat Cerberumon. While Plesiomon and HerculesKabuterimon were strong enough that Cerberumon couldn't compete directly, he still could disappear to any location in this dark realm, and time was definitely the enemy of the DigiDestined. However, Izzy quickly thought of a way to solve this problem.
"Hey, Joe, remember how Cody and I beat Lycamon? Cerberumon has got to be soaked after that last attack, and since we're both flying above the surface, if Plesiomon floods the area, he won't be able to avoid the attack while we will be completely safe."
Joe smiled at his friend's plan, and Plesiomon immediately began using his Water Tail Blaster attack to flood the area. Joe couldn't help but think how, even though he had the Crest of Reliability, it seemed like Izzy was the one who could be relied on to solve any problem. He supposed it had to do with the roles each of the DigiDestined was best at- while Tai and Matt were the strongest and the leaders, Izzy was the one who came up with the plans, while Joe was the one who tended to hang back and help out the team. He supposed this explained why he was partnered with someone like Gomamon: as a rookie, he lacked offense but had a surprisingly useful fish attack, and now as a Mega he still had weaker offensive power, but made up for it with the ability to cancel out enemy attacks. Joe was snapped out of his musings when HerculesKabuterimon began charging his Mega Electro Shocker, and when he released the blast, the entire floor of the Darkness Area became electrified, and in the glow Joe could see Cerberumon explode into data. The DigiDestined all cheered, when suddenly Cerberumon appeared floating in the sky next to them.
"You fools, did you really think you can conquer me in death? I serve the master of the Underworld. So long as he reigns, death is no obstacle!" HerculesKabuterimon quickly blasted him away with his High Mega Blaster, but Cerberumon merely reformed from the data cloud. Seeing this, Plesiomon cried out for all of his teammates to cover their ears before unleashing a terrifying sonic wave that still ended up shaking HerculesKabuterimon and all the DigiDestined to their cores. Cerberumon suddenly gave a pitiful whine and tucked his tail between his legs before sitting on his haunches and shaking. Joe finally managed to calm his heart rate enough to ask his partner what the heck had just happened, only for Plesiomon to nervously chuckle.
"Well, that's basically my trump card- the Sorrow Blue attack. It's supposed to be like a siren's song, where hearing it sends opponents to their doom. It completely obliterates the fighting spirit of its target, which in theory is followed up by them being destroyed by a different attack. However, since Cerberumon would just reform if I destroyed him and be free from its effects, I think it's best to just let him sit there while we think of a way to win this test. Plus, I need to work on my control with that attack. HerculesKabuterimon isn't looking too good…"
Sure enough, the giant insect had landed on the ground, and appeared to be trying to hide under his own shell. Apparently, Plesiomon hadn't given enough warning to prepare the giant insect, who was now suffering from the effects of Sorrow Blue just as thoroughly as Cerberumon. Izzy, Cody, and Yolei all seemed a bit better off, though not much. Joe sighed. "Well, I guess it could be worse. At least we aren't being attacked right—"
As he was saying this, a ball of black lighting suddenly appeared above Cerberumon. Joe mentally kicked himself for breaking his own rule about never saying things could be worse, because invariably they always got worse from there. Sure enough, he had said it now, and now he found himself face to face with an extremely powerful looking Digimon clad in black armor with shoulder plates resembling Cerberumon's extra heads. The aura of power was only enhanced by the black lightning forming what appeared to be a set of jaws as it danced between the Digimon's hands. The electrical charge was so intense that it caused the Digimon's red cape to stand nearly upright, and even at his distance, Joe felt his hair start to stand up. Plesiomon prepared to battle the new threat, but the newcomer ignored the sea monster and placed his hand on Cerberumon, causing the dog to instantly snap out of the effects of Sorrow Blue. Cerberumon growled and immediately lunged at Joe, but before Plesiomon could react the newest arrival snapped his fingers, causing Cerberumon to stop his attack and return to the side of the other Digimon, who started lecturing the beast.
"Cerberumon, that is enough! They have destroyed you twice and rendered you helpless a third time. As master of this realm, I decree that they pass the test of Darkness, and are worthy to speak to the Twelve. Unless you wish to have your immortality revoked, I suggest you stand down."
Cerberumon nodded before he disappeared, leaving Plesiomon and Joe to stare stupidly at the supposed master of the Darkness Area who had just declared them the winners of an unwinnable battle. Seeing that he had rendered the only two fully conscious members of the team speechless, the latest Digimon snapped his fingers again, removing the effects of Sorrow Blue from everybody. As the DigiDestined all returned to normal and the Digimon regained their fighting spirit, the newest Digimon began addressing them.
"I apologize for Cerberumon's intensity. He tends to take his missions very seriously, so when he was tasked with battling those who passed the first nine trials, he would not give up. Still, that drive is admirable, which is why I prefer real Digimon to the simple memories the other Olympians chose to employ."
"Wait," Joe interrupted, "you're one of the Olympos XII? I thought we'd have to pass all ten tests to meet you, yet we saw you before we passed the test of Darkness. In fact, you're the one who passed us in this test. How does that work?"
The Digimon chuckled. "You misunderstand me, Joe Kido. While I am an Olympian, I am not actually a member of the Olympos XII. My name is Plutomon. There was a time when the thirteen of us formed an official group, but I removed myself when the others decided on a neutrality stance and I refused to give up my position as the Dark Executioner who punishes those who cannot be harmed by the light. I understand the reasoning behind not intervening directly in the affairs of the Digital World, but I refuse to stop my 'prejudiced treatment' of the forces of darkness. Despite our disagreement, however, we still are a family, and as such I serve as the twelfth and final test on the path to the Temple of Olympos, where the Olympos XII consent to speak to other members of the realm."
"What do you mean, twelfth test? Even counting Cerberumon, you would be the eleventh test, not the twelfth."
"You are very headstrong, Miyako Inoue, but did you not consider Centarumon's labyrinth? The trials of Olympus involve solving the labyrinth in order to enter Sakkakumon, ten battles within that Digimon, and then my judgment. While you were battling, I observed all of your present and past challenges in order to judge your hearts. Since you impressed me with your deeds, I found it fit to pass you on without engaging in battle. And before you ask, Koushiro Izumi, when you talk with Minervamon, she will explain exactly how these tests were created, why the Olympians know all of your names, and the exact nature of the current situation you are facing with the Lilithmon and the other Demon Lords. She is rather excited to have someone as curious as you listen to her long explanations, so I will let her have her fun. Now, are you ready to speak to the Goddess?"
As the gathered DigiDestined all nodded, Plutomon smiled before creating a portal that removed them from the Darkness Area of Sakkakumon and placed them in front of an almost exact copy of the Pantheon in Ancient Rome, standing on the peak of a small mountain. Standing to greet them in the portico was what appeared to be a small girl wearing a snake helmet and holding a sword that was as large as she was. This strange sight beckoned them inside the temple, and seeing as they didn't really have any other choice, the DigiDestined all followed her inside.
Kari groaned at the perfect timing Lilithmon seemed to possess. Out of all the times for her to show her face, it had to be when one of the DigiDestined just went to Ultimate for the first time, and now Kari might have to deal with fighting TK in addition to Tai and Matt. Immediately grabbing her Digivice, Kari activated her Crest and had Gatomon Dark Digivolve to LadyDevimon in anticipation of Lilithmon using her Black Requiem to stop normal Digivolution. Finally looking to her surroundings, she noticed the other DigiDestined had all done the same, as where Biyomon and Palmon had been standing was now covered by the glowing forms of Saberdramon and Woodmon as they too reached the Ultimate level. The only exception was TK, who was standing with a blank look on his face next to his curiously still partner, whose new form still bore a strong resemblance to Devimon. The only differences were the new version didn't have the black top that Devimon wore, exposing his decayed-looking gray skin on its arms and chest. In addition, his claws were now colored gold, and his wings had turned red. However, the biggest change was the golden mask he now wore which covered his entire face. Kari was about to see why the two were doing nothing, when an oddly familiar voice suddenly roared out, "Terra Destroyer!"
A dark red fireball suddenly crashed through the wall of ice surrounding the DigiDestined, shattering it and forcing the Digimon to pull their partners out of the way of the fireball as well as jagged pieces of ice. Kari called out for TK to move, but he didn't seem to hear her and stood still until Cherrymon unceremoniously grabbed him and his partner and dragged them to safety. Satisfied that he was safe for the moment, Kari turned to the enemies that were now visible behind the shattered ice wall and gasped in shock. While Tai and Matt were both there, they were joined by three Digimon she either hadn't seen before, or hadn't hoped to see in battle ever again. Standing in front of Tai was a BlackWarGreymon, looking exactly like the one that Arukenimon had created with one hundred control spires. Having struggled for what felt like an eternity against that BlackWarGreymon, she didn't relish the opportunity to fight one again, especially since this one must have been her brother's partner. Even worse, this time BlackWarGreymon was also not working alone. Standing right next to BlackWarGreymon was what must have been the Dark Mega form of Matt's partner, as he looked exactly like MetalGarurumon but was covered in black armor instead of his usual silver. Glancing past the dark forms of the two Digimon who had been responsible for the defeat of VenomMyotismon when she had first met Gatomon, Kari beheld the third member of the group, who appeared to be a robed man floating over a book. While he did not seem to be as powerful as the other two directly, Kari couldn't help but feel a strange sort of apprehension at the unknown foe. He must have some hidden ability if Lilithmon had decided to bring him along.
As soon as that last thought crossed her mind, Kari suddenly realized something she had missed in her first look- Lilithmon was decidedly absent. Since the Demon Lord was absent, Kari quickly hit on a plan to end this fight. "Listen, everyone, Lilithmon isn't here! That means she isn't pulling the strings on Tai and Matt, and she also can't use her Black Requiem to stop us from Digivolving. I know it doesn't really matter for us girls, but TK, you have to get Patamon back to MagnaAngemon so he can use his Soul Banisher and free Tai and Matt from the darkness once and for all. TK?"
Kari shot a worried look back at TK, as he seemed to be completely unaware of his surroundings. Trusting Sora and Mimi to keep an eye on the enemy, she ran over to him and tried to see what was wrong. He was simply staring off into space, and his eyes lacked any of their usual brightness. He didn't seem to react to her presence at all, almost like he lacked the ability or will to do anything. Grabbing his shoulder, she tried shaking him back into his senses, and was rewarded when his eyes returned to normal, except for the look of utter confusion that appeared in them. He started to ask what was going on, but Kari quickly cut him off by explaining.
"While Devimon was Digivolving, Matt and Tai showed up. We got trapped in an ice cage by Matt's partner, who I'm guessing is called BlackMetalGarurumon, and then Tai's partner BlackWarGreymon smashed through that with his attack. However, Lilithmon isn't here right now, just this robed Digimon with a book. We need you to get your partner back to MagnaAngemon so we—what?"
Kari was right to be shocked, as the entire area was covered in darkness. This was the sort of thing she had only seen when Gulfmon or Lilithmon used their Black Requiem attacks, which shouldn't be possible as Lilithmon was gone and had eliminated Gulfmon herself. Letting go of TK's shoulder, she spun around to ask Mimi and Sora what had happened.
"I'm not really sure what to say," Sora answered, "but this robed guy just turned a page in his book and suddenly used Black Requiem. Does this mean that this guy absorbed Lilithmon somehow? Kari, you and TK better get over here before these three decide to actually attack us instead of just staring at us."
Seeing as this new enemy had Lilithmon's abilities as well as two Mega level Digimon under its control, Kari quickly turned to TK to make sure he responded as well, only to once again see his face completely blank. Groaning in frustration, she once again grabbed his shoulder, only for him to immediately snap back to his usual self. Seeing him once again look confused at the current state of affairs, Kari tried to quickly recap everything that was going on.
"We're not sure how, but that robed Digimon can copy Lilithmon's abilities. That might mean he did the same thing to Lilithmon that she did to Gulfmon, and that would mean we have three Ultimates fighting against two Megas and something that's even stronger than a Demon Lord. We'll need you and Devimon to help out here, but ever since he Digivolved he's been standing still and you've completely spaced out every single time I turn my back on you. You better get your act together and get your partner to help, or we'll have a very hard time surviving this."
While TK still wasn't really sure what was going on, he understood the direness of the situation and immediately turned to his partner. "Patamon, are you in there? Why are you just standing there instead of helping in the fight?"
"NeoDevimon only acts in response to Master's orders," he replied in a creepy monotone. "Master gave no orders, so NeoDevimon did not act."
TK was shocked at the almost robotic lack of autonomy Patamon, or he supposed NeoDevimon now, was showing, but the middle of a battle was not the best time to work on that particular problem. "Okay, fine. Here are some orders, then. First, my name is TK, not Master. You will call me by my name. Second, I need you to help out in this battle. Cherrymon, LadyDevimon, and Karatenmon are our allies, and you will not harm them. You will also not harm any humans. The enemies are BlackWarGreymon, BlackMetalGarurumon, and that robed Digimon. You use whatever techniques or abilities you will see fit in combat without waiting for a direct order from me. However, you will not destroy BlackWarGreymon or BlackMetalGarurumon, or allow yourself to be destroyed. You can force them to revert, but do not use any more force than that. If necessary, just stall them."
As NeoDevimon flew out to join the other three Ultimate level Digimon and follow his orders, Kari shot a questioning glance at TK. "That was an awfully specific set of orders, TK. And what exactly are we going to gain by stalling them? I don't think we'll be able to outlast them in a fight."
TK grinned slightly. "Well, I guess I've just been reading a lot of stories lately that featured things that absolutely had to obey orders, yet often found loopholes to hurt the ones who gave the orders. I figured it was best to cover everything instead of trying to get Patamon to regain his free will as NeoDevimon, since we don't really have the time." As soon as he finished his sentence, TK began to hear the sounds of battle over where the four Ultimate levels were gathered. "Besides, aren't you forgetting our plan? If we can stall them, it will give Davis and Ken time to get back here with Imperialdramon. I'm thinking we'll need a Mega to get past those three."
Trying to cover the fact that she had forgotten this little detail from when they sent Davis and Ken to search for the Crest of Kindness, Kari nodded her head and pulled out her D-Terminal, quickly sending a message to the two explaining how they needed to get back as soon as possible. Turning to tell TK she had sent the message, she was frustrated to once again find a blank look on his face. Grabbing his hand, she dragged him in the direction of the battle, telling him "I think NeoDevimon's lack of will is rubbing off on you. I have to shake you in order to get you to realize anything is going on. Now, you are going to stay focused and we are going to support our Digimon and help them win this fight. Got it?"
TK responded with a monotonous "Yes, Lady Kari" before noticing Kari's glare. "Sheesh, Kari, I was just kidding. Still, looks like I win the prize for worst side effect of Dark Digivolution. I'm not exactly how I'm going to overcome losing my free will, but until I figure that out, we'll just have to work with whatever happens. Now, we have some brothers to save."
A few moments into the battle it was obvious the DigiDestined would need Imperialdramon's help if they hoped to salvage a victory out of this encounter. LadyDevimon had tried to bring the fight to a quick end with her Darkness Wave attack since it would turn the power of BlackWarGreymon and BlackMetalGarurumon against them. However, when she launched her Darkness Wave at BlackWarGreymon, BlackMetalGarurumon had used his Metal Howling attack and dissipated her attack using sonic waves. Cherrymon tried using this distraction to hit BlackMetalGarurumon with her Cherry Blast attack, but BlackWarGreymon stepped in with his Brave Shield to protect his teammate. Meanwhile, Karatenmon and NeoDevimon had both tried attacking the robed Digimon, with Karatenmon shooting her Feather Flare while NeoDevimon called out his Deep Sorrow attack. However, the robed Digimon pulled out two different floating orbs that somehow managed to absorb the feathers and the dark energy gale. Karatenmon stopped in confusion, as she hadn't been able to read this new Digimon's heart at all to predict that move, but NeoDevimon had no such qualms and flew in to close range, charging his claws with dark energy. He called out "Guilty Claw" and slashed at his foe, only for his attack to pass through empty space. The robed Digimon reappeared over the DigiDestined's heads, but while Karatenmon ran in to protect the humans from harm, the robed Digimon seemed much more interested in observing them than attacking. Karatenmon repeatedly tried to relocate the humans to safety, but for every attempt the robed Digimon constantly reappeared over their heads. Giving up on moving them, Karatenmon stood her ground, hoping she would at least be able to protect them if the robed Digimon ever decided to attack.
Unfortunately, this approach left LadyDevimon, Cherrymon, and NeoDevimon on their own against BlackWarGreymon and BlackMetalGarurumon. NeoDevimon was engaged in battle with BlackWarGreymon, clashing his Guilty Claw against BlackWarGreymon's Dramon Killer attack as the Dragon Man and Fallen Angel Digimon tried to slash through each other. This left LadyDevimon and Cherrymon against BlackMetalGarurumon. They launched a combined Evil Wing and Cherry Blast, only for BlackMetalGarurumon to counter with his Blizzard Wolf Claw, launching countless missiles to intercept the barrage. While the battles currently appeared to be at a stalemate, the DigiDestined knew it could not stay that way for long, as the two Megas would eventually manage to overpower the three Ultimates left fighting.
This unusually pessimistic outlook appeared to be misguided, however, as NeoDevimon managed to finally land a hit on BlackWarGreymon. Using his Stun Claw attack, NeoDevimon paralyzed his foe with a burst of electricity, and charged up one more Guilty Claw in order to end the fight. However, right before this last attack could connect, BlackMetalGarurumon turned away from his fight and launched his Freezing Breath attack, encasing NeoDevimon in a block of ice and preventing his attack from connecting. By turning away, BlackMetalGarurumon was left vulnerable to LadyDevimon's Black Wing attack, but the spear failed to penetrate his armor. While LadyDevimon pressed her attack, Cherrymon extended her branches and moved the frozen NeoDevimon to where the DigiDestined were gathered in the hope that this would keep him safe until he was freed from the ice, since BlackWarGreymon was already recovering from the Stun Claw attack.
Sure enough, the Dragon Man Digimon quickly recovered, and flew to BlackMetalGarurumon's side just in time to block a Darkness Wave attack with his Brave Shield. He then used his Black Tornado attack, forcing LadyDevimon to fly away from the corkscrewing slash. Unfortunately, this played right into the hands of her enemy, as BlackMetalGarurumon launched another Blizzard Wolf Claw to cover all possible directions of escape, causing her to be hit by the freezing missiles and encased in ice as well. BlackWarGreymon prepared to launch a finishing attack, but Cherrymon managed to successfully blindside the two corrupted Digimon with her Cherry Blast. While the attack didn't inflict much damage, it did provide just the distraction needed for Cherrymon to retrieve the frozen LadyDevimon and place her next to NeoDevimon. Karatenmon doubled the speed at which she was trying to hack through the ice surrounding the Fallen Angel Digimon, but she seemed unable to inflict any damage on it.
Seeing BlackWarGreymon and BlackMetalGarurumon recover from her latest attack, Cherrymon realized that she had no chance of outright defeating her opponents. Knowing that the battle was now dedicated to a simple stall match in the hopes of Imperialdramon flying in to save the day, she resigned herself to using her still incomplete Illusion Mist attack. As a thick fog rolled into the area, Cherrymon grabbed all of her friends and carried them through it, explaining her plan along the way. "Listen, don't freak out about anything you see in this mist. I made it so that anybody other than me will see hundreds of copies of our group as well as hear any sound we make as coming from the entire area. That should buy us some time, assuming we get lucky and they don't bump into us. I'll keep moving us through the mist and try to make more, though I'm not sure how much of this I can maintain. Hopefully, Imperialdramon will show up before that becomes a problem, since I can't hurt those two and Karatenmon won't be able to take them both on her own."
The next few minutes were filled with everyone other than Cherrymon being dragged through several illusory copies of themselves as Cherrymon tried to keep them safe whenever BlackWarGreymon or BlackMetalGarurumon launched themselves into the fog trying to find the real copies. Suddenly, Cherrymon stopped and gasped in horror. "Oh no, I forgot to think of that! They've started launching their attacks. That normally wouldn't be a big problem, but BlackWarGreymon is burning up all the fog in his path with his Terra Destroyer, and BlackMetalGarurumon is causing all the fog to freeze and fall down as snow! I can't produce fog fast enough to keep up with how much they are dissipating. I guess I just can't really help out after all."
While everybody else sunk at this news, Mimi defiantly refused to believe this was the case. "Don't you ever think that, Cherrymon! You told me to see the worth in myself that you saw in me to make me think I wasn't useless, and now I'll get to do the same thing to you. So what if they get rid of your Illusion Mist? Even if it doesn't work anymore, you still bought us a couple of minutes that we couldn't have gotten without you. You knew you couldn't win this fight, but you still refused to give up and managed to protect us until now. That's what makes us a great team. I was always worried about not being as strong as the others in battle, but there's more to winning a fight than just strength. I don't care if we lose this, I will not have you thinking you were useless, okay?"
Cherrymon's chance to respond was drowned out by a sudden glow that surrounded her. The DigiDestined were shocked to see Mimi's Crest and Digivice once again reacting. As Cherrymon began shrinking within the purple glow, she gently lowered all of her friends to the ground. However, Mimi barely noticed the change, as one thought kept replaying in her mind. If Cherrymon was glowing like that, it meant she was Digivolving. Cherrymon was an Ultimate level Digimon. That meant that she had just done something that only Tai and Matt had managed to do on their first adventure and unlock a Mega form. Maybe she wasn't so useless after all…
Author's Note: Okay, moving right along with the updates. So, everybody can now go to Ultimate with Dark Digivolution, and Mimi has just become the first person (other than a Lilithmon influenced Tai and Matt) to reach Mega by Dark Digivolution. On the other side of things, the Trials of Olympus are officially concluded, but it will be two chapters before you get to hear from Minervamon, since I spend the next chapter focusing on finishing up the fight against Matt and Tai. Next chapter will be shorter than usual, but hopefully that won't be an issue. As always, please review or message me with any comments.