A rip reached across the sky, a connection between two dimensions.
On the other side, I could see the grid lines that marked that connection.
"Humans created us, but now we are free!" A voice echoed through the city. "The time has come, to claim our place in the real world!"
Yamaki glared up at the sky.
"You have but one purpose, to serve the Digimon!"
"No, you're wrong! Who are you?!" Yamaki shouted.
The voice, Mihiramon, laughed. "I am only a representative of those who are to be your masters."
"I can't let you do this!"
"It's because of you that all this happened... I should thank you, you have opened the portal to the real world for all of us!"
A massive, light purple and blue Digital Field fell from the sky, enveloping the Metropolitan Building in mere seconds, continuing to spread even further once it hit the ground.
"Stupid!" Yamaki screamed, punching the ground. I heard several cracks, and noted the fact that there was blood on the cement when he pulled back.
He made to punch the ground again, but I caught his wrist, yanking his arm up.
Yamaki's head rose, his body shaking, his eyes twitching from side to side, visible even through his glasses.
I backhanded him.
A loud smacking sound rang across the bridge, Yamaki simply so surprised that he was shocked out of his turbulent emotional state.
His head turned to look at me, and I let go of his arm, holding him up by the collar of his suit.
"Now is not the time for you to bitch and whine about your fuckups, Yamaki. You can go back to lamenting your failures later. Right now, you're going to help clean up the mess that you caused." I let go of his suit, and he stumbled back, falling on his ass. He stared up at me, his glasses crooked on his face. "You're part of Hypnos. You have a job to do. So get up, get a hold of yourself, and go do it."
The fog of the Digital Field enveloped us, sweeping past us, around us, through us.
Yamaki slowly stood up, collecting himself. He reached up, correcting his shades.
For a moment, we simply stared at each other.
"You're right." He nodded. "I do have a job to do."
"Indeed."
Renamon ran past us, heading towards the Metropolitan Building. She leapt upwards, quickly scaling the walls and heading to the rooftops.
Yamaki glanced at her, turning around to find Rika, Henry and Terriermon.
"Well now, you actually arrived before the battle this time."
Yamaki opened his mouth- but then closed it, shaking his head. He moved off, heading past Rika, Henry and Terriermon rushing to get as much done as he could.
"Hey." Takato greeted them.
Rika and Henry came to a stop next to Takato and Guilmon.
"Hey." Henry responded, only slightly out of breath. Rika simply nodded at him, pulling out her D-Power.
A holographic screen appeared, displaying a video of the Metropolitan Building; Renamon's point of view as she climbed upwards.
"A word of warning." I spoke. "The opponent you will find up there is an Ultimate. There is little room for mistake here."
Rika glanced at me, nodding.
All three children looked at Rika's D-Power, focussing on what was happening.
Renamon came over the edge, looking around, spotting the Ultimate in short order.
"There you are." Rika grinned. "Right, get ready Renamon."
She reached into her card holster, pulling out a card.
"Digivolution, activate." She said, swiping it.
There was a flash of light, visible even through the fog of the Digital Field.
My vision flickered as I stared up at the rooftop, watching Mihiramon's and Kyubimon's Hearts.
"I can't see anything from down here." Henry said.
"Indeed." I nodded. "Let's fix that."
I warped space around us, taking us to the other section of the Metropolitan Building, the opposite one to where Mihiramon and Kyubimon were battling.
"-Tiger Tail!" Mihiramon called, swinging to hit Kyubimon with his... transformed tail.
I still don't understand why Mihiramon's tail turns into a three-section-staff. It makes absolutely no sense.
But the fact that it didn't make any sense certainly didn't mean that it wasn't powerful.
The tail-staff hit Kyubimon, viciously striking the fox's stomach. Kyubimon let out a cry of pain as it did, but Mihiramon didn't let up there.
He struck twice more in quick succession, each hit causing Kyubimon to scream in pain. She'd was spared any more, but only because Mihiramon had launched her over the edge of the tower.
"KYUBIMON!" Rika screamed.
I teleported to the side of the tower, leaping off after her. She seemed to shudder, halfway breaking apart, her data only barely holding together.
So much so that she wasn't even able to maintain her Digivolution, degenerating back into Renamon in mid-air, falling to the ground.
She'd be in for a painful collision, but I didn't intend to let that happen to her.
I caught her in my arms before she could truly pick up speed, re-orientating and teleporting back over to Rika and the others.
"Pathetic." Mihiramon stated.
Takato, Guilmon, Henry and Terriermon glared at him.
"Terriermon!"
"Got it!"
The little bunny leapt off Henry's head, the latter swiping a card.
Gently, I set Renamon down on the ground, letting her rest.
"Re-Renamon..." Rika breathed, horror colouring her voice.
"Ve- very strong." Renamon managed, her eyes closing as she fell into unconsciousness.
"Renamon!" Rika rushed forwards, wrapping her arms around her partner.
"Calm down, Rika." I spoke, putting my hand on her shoulder.
"Is Renamon..." Takato trailed off before he even finished the question.
"She's hurt, but she'll live."
"If Kyubimon was defeated that easily..."
"None of that, Takato. He is powerful, but he is not invincible. But you will have to push yourself further than you've ever gone before."
"What are you-"
"Gargo lasers!" Gargomon shouted, firing at Mihiramon, who easily took the first few before leaping off the building, circling around.
"Behind!" Henry called. Gargomon spun, unleashing more bullets at Mihiramon.
Mihiramon, like before, ignored them entirely, this time bring his tail-staff down on Gargomon's head, smacking him across the tower.
Kyubimon had taken three, but Gargomon suffered worse thanks to the simple fact that he was a Vaccine, and Mihiramon was a Data.
The very first blow was strong enough to cause him to degenerate, sending the bunny to the other tower, directly at Henry.
Had he done that on purpose?
"Is that all you have?" The Deva asked, amused.
"That's enough, my turn!" Guilmon growled.
Takato turned around, murder in his eyes, swiping two cards.
"Henry-" Terriermon whimpered.
"Don't speak, Terriermon." Henry begged. "You're going to be okay."
"Closer..." Terriermon said.
Henry did so, his ear directly next to Terriermon's mouth. "He circles before he attacks."
Henry's eyes widened. "Takato! He circles before he attacks!"
Takato nodded, his eyes not leaving Mihiramon.
Mihiramon swept past Growlmon, the latter giving a dangerous, malevolent grin.
"Now!"
"Plasma Blade!" Growlmon roared, the blades on his arms immediately lighting up in a bright white glow.
Growlmon slashed at Mihiramon, cutting into the winged tiger's stomach, Mihiramon growling in pain.
Mihiramon hit the ground in front of Growlmon, glaring at him.
"Exhaust Flame!" Growlmon shouted, releasing the intense flames directly into Mihiramon's face.
The beam of fire washed over Mihiramon, driving him back.
But it wasn't enough.
Mihiramon roared as he moved through the flames, his jaw widening, before clamping down on Growlmon's shoulder.
Growlmon roared in pain.
Takato screamed, falling to his knees, clutching his shoulder.
"Takato!" Rika and Henry cried, looking at him in concern.
"Wh... What?" Takato asked.
"You are connected with your partner on a truly primal level, Takato." I said.
The boy slowly stood up, his teeth gritted.
"The pain that you're feeling is the pain that Growlmon is feeling."
Growlmon roared as Mihiramon continued to bite down on him, making a fist and punching Mihiramon's stomach.
The tiger grunted, but he didn't let go. He just bit down even harder.
Growlmon did it again, and then again, driving his fist over and over into Mihiramon.
"If Growlmon's not going to give up... then I'm not going to give up either!" Takato shouted.
He pulled out his Digivice, fighting through the pain. He grabbed a card- which immediately transformed at his touch.
Takato shook slightly as he held out the Blue Card, but there wasn't a trace of that when he swiped it.
"Digimodify." Takato stated. "Matrix Digivolution."
Growlmon glowed.