Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. (Not that it really matters because I have lost so much of the audience because of this fourth novel it seems. But I did not write it as the primary motive. This ties into my goal of proving Takari can be canon and how it all fits together in one overarching story. What you are reading now is basically everything that has happened from the villain's perspective. Rei is kind of a monster, not quite a full digital entity, not quite human, but a dark viral force not to be trifled with.)
We have seen so far how Rei is tied to the story and just how he became this digital dark entity. And it looks like he is winning this battle with little to no serious resistance. I mean he just slaughtered the original digimon from season one with ease. Well, with him bodily sleeping and having Terrormon do it. But I hope you are all seeing this start to line up. More than that I hope I still have an audience once this is done instead of patting myself on the back after this long and arduous journey.
Chapter Sixteen: The Light of Devastation
Ever since that day he had slaughtered the resistance all the enemy could do was retreat and retreat, more and more as he swallowed up territory converting the Digital World into viral data data bit by data bit.
He contemplated what to do with the data, but as for the landscape data he had followed blueprints and formed a moat for the castle and built around it a darker sinister winding pathway, resembling a labyrinth. Dark viral Digimon lay in its traps, anxious to snag any intruders for lunch.
He walked along with his butler, his hands behind him following alongside him as they headed down the pathway. Their were multiple dead ends, traps, and of course viral digimon like snakes, bats, and creatures from the deep too horrifying to name, the most terrifying of which walked right beside him.
"So my Lord, I hope it pleases you," Cthulusmon said. "Everything is on schedule for this to be completed within days. Only those that know the path have any way of getting inside."
"I am confident," Rei replied, his mind elsewhere. "You of course searched through this data for the possibility of the missing digimon data?"
"Yes, Lord, like a fine tooth comb," he answered, a bit shifty since their last encounter. Rei knew he had engraved the fear of Rei Kurenada into him.
"Good," he said. "As for now, maintain course. If we keep our assault up the Digital World will not survive another month. Then we can focus on capturing the Digital Creator and cement my takeover of the Digital-
"-My Lord! My Lord!" a voice shouted in the distance."
"My Lord I think I hear something, Cthulusmon observed listening. "Will you allow it to approach your presence or shall I dispose of it?"
"Let it stand," Rei snickered. "Let's see if it knows the way through the labyrinth."
Rei listened as the digimon struggled and flailed, screaming and grunting as it went through obstacle after obstacle after going down incorrect paths until finally a Darkgazimon appeared covered in scrapes, cuts, bites, and bruises.
"I thought you said this labyrinth would prevent any intruders from getting here," he scolded Cthulusmon.
"Never you mind Lord," he chuckled. "The digimon here know not to kill other viral types."
"Then I will overlook this one's survival," he scoffed as the Dark Gazimon threw himself at his feet.
"Rise," he commanded, the digimon instantly jumping up.
"My Lord," the Darkgazimon said fearfully, "I regret to inform you that our forces have received a terrible blow. Viral data digimon have been destroyed sir."
"A casualty or two is of no concern," he replied. "If that is all you have to say I will kill you for wasting my time," he said coldly.
"N-no!" the Darkgazimon stammered. "That's not what I mean! It's how they are dying!
"Then tell me at once," he commanded.
"There is a being that resembles yourself sir," he said. "I have been told it's with a digimon I have never seen before! It looked incredibly mighty and powerful!"
"Really?" he said clenching his teeth with a grin. "What else can you tell me?"
"The Digimon is called Noblemon. The other being is well, I don't know how to describe it."
"A name?"
"That's just it sir. It never called itself a name. But it did say something weird."
"And that is?"
"He called himself 'Homeostasis's Champion.'"
After hearing of the disturbing news Rei had retreated back to his own private quarters, his fingers weaved together thinking about the startling revelation.
"A human in our world?" he pondered. "And he is called Homeostasis's Champion. Who could that be? And how are they connected to the Digital Creator?" he contemplated.
He could not let himself be at ease knowing this threat that had appeared had to be extinguished.
"No," he said perishing the thought of him going out there. He looked at his chessboard he had set up in his room imagining the Digital Creator had been setting up to make a move.
"All this time I've been laying the foundations slowly expanding my territory while fortifying my defenses," he mused. "And yet, the Digital Creator's response has been very minimal. Why? Why has he not laid out a stronger hand? Even this Digimon and the human did not seem to be doing anything except holding back my forces causing carnage, but not racing over here. If the Digital Creator had overwhelming power this game would have already ended."
Rei Kurenada stood up determined and fell back asleep on his bed, his arms spread out.
His digitized spirit manifested once more within Terrormon, the skulking undead knight-like being, carrying his own malice and hatred. Even though it carried within it a little bit of Skamon's Digital Code this creature seemed devoid of any soul now, just bits and pieces of the remains of vague memories.
"Terrormon," he said within himself, the demonic entity ceasing and kneeling to him.
"You have performed admirably and have caused great suffering throughout the Digital World. Now for sure they know fear for dying if they are reborn," he chuckled.
The digimon did not say anything, but waited for him.
"You are a part of my soul, and, if you prevail then so will I. I have come to you to impart more of that, but also strip the presence within you preventing you from truly blossoming," he said reaching out his spirit and soaking in the digital information of Skamon into a digital egg.
Terrormon grunted out as Rei separated a part of himself into Terrormon giving him a part of his malice, while infecting him with a lie. "You will be stronger the more you wield this malice," he encoded into him.
"Terrormon, you are now the Overlord of Darkness Terrormon. Your mission is to become the Overlord to the Digital World and purge it of any rebels. You will not bow for anyone, but with your cunning and power rule with an iron fist. Anyone that opposes you will be destroyed, and I have given you my malice and part of my own soul. You will control hundreds, no, legions of evil digimon and slaughter our enemies starting with the human and digimon team currently in the world. You will also forget about me and seek to establish yourself using the dark ocean as your throne room. I do now declare this to be law and impart to you the power to summon all of your power at once. Should this power be defeated and everything goes accordingly then surely that will be the sign of my return to the Digital World," he said snapping his fingers, Terrormon awakening.
With that, Rei Kurenada, made his leave, appearing back in his room, remarkably serious. He knew that eventually Terrormon would be facing the human who had crossed into the Digital World and the digimon known as Noblemon.
When the interaction happened he would be sure to get as much data as he could from it, but still this was no time to wait.
"My servant, Cthulusmon," he said, Cthulusmon appearing instantaneously.
"My Lord?"
"Match all data of all digimon together for me. Separate into the elements that all of them have in common. We are going to need a new weapon to fight the enemy."
"Very good my Lord. Is our castle going to be attacked soon then? Are they storming the gates?"
"No, I have sent out a servant to open the doors the minute Terrormon and the human and digimon fight him."
"Open the doors? Whomsoever would even try to get through would be insane just to stay in the same kingdom as you Lord?"
Rei held up his fingers scoffing as he wagged it. "Patience my dear servant. Patience. To lure in your opponent you have to be vulnerable. I doubt the Digital Creator would allow any attempts to destroy me to be foiled."
"They will fail," Cthulusmon replied bowing his head. "And Homeostasis will fall by your hand."
"Of course," he admitted. "However, I am not ready with the preparations. Within a day we will be ready. Terrormon will fight Noblemon and the human tomorrow and that's when he will make his move," he grinned.
He did not know how much time had passed. Eventually the two of them would cross paths and while Noblemon and Terrormon and this unknown human were fighting surely the Digital Creator would make his move. He had to, but still he did not know how he could do it.
"Perhaps he will utilize holy digimon," he mused thinking back to how he destroyed Angemon and Angewomon. They were not formidable to defeat Terrormon though. Yet, if the Digital Creator had a power greater than even Terrormon then-"
"-My Lord," His butler said appearing and interrupting his thoughts. "It is ready."
Rei asserted himself standing up. "Bring it forward."
It was now the day of the attack. Little skirmishes happened here or there; Rei suffering minimal casualties and he kept chewing up the Digital World expanding his influence.
He monitored the Digital information flowing in realizing that Terrormon on his own seemed to be getting closer and closer to the target.
"It seems today is the day of that clash," he said, the Dark Gazimon agreeing with him.
"Yes sir," one said. "Everything is ready. Is today going to be the day the fate of the Digital World is decided?"
"Of course," he snickered. "That is unless the enemy is more powerful than I anticipated. Holy digimon are the antithesis to viral data after all."
With that he sat on his throne waiting for the enemy to appear. Terrormon's data of where he destroyed his enemies filtered into him and he noticed that at last he had made contact with the digimon/human team.
"Well sir?" His butler said stretching one arm over his throne.
"Get into position," he commanded. The enemy will soon be upon us."
"My Lord My Lord!" A Darkgazimon cried running up to him.
"What is it?" he said. "I thought I commanded all of you to get into position."
"Their is some kind of monster out there!" he whimpered.
"What? Monster?"
He listened in as viral data stopped filtering into him.
"Have the lines been stopped? I'm not getting anything anymore."
"That's just it," the digimon wheezed. I-"
"Lord!" another one yelled out hurrying over to him covered in burns. "We must counter attack right away!"
"Did you see this monster?" he asked. "Report."
"Well Lord," he winced in pain, "I-"
"-Taking too long," he said lifting up his hand, the viral digimon screaming out as he broken him down and absorbed the data.
"I see," he said staring at the front doors. "So she is on her way here. But what power is this that obliterates any viral information it touches?"
"Cthulusmon!" he called out.
"My Lord?"
"The situation has drastically changed. The enemy is far stronger than I anticipated. It's heading straight for us and we are not able to slow it down."
"Yes Lord," he said. "What is the plan?"
"Prepare the emergency measures. DKOCN62498."
"It is that drastic Lord?"
"You'll see for yourself," he warned.
The Darkgazimon ran around in panic mode preparing themselves as other digimon donned black digichronium armor, Rei Kurenada also himself having armored up. True it did not protect him against holy type attacks, but it did prevent physical attacks from causing damage. Even if he could heal himself with his army it was no good. He could not have demoralization on the battlefield. He had to appear strong.
Him and all of his viral digimon forces gathered themselves in the external castle Rei sitting in his throne room. This had been his original plan to fool his enemy, for within the castle depths he had a safeguarded area in place in case the tides were turned against him.
He waited tapping his throne for the enemy to appear. From outside the external walls dark viral data digimon cried out as they were eradicated, the walls starting to vibrate. Not even the labyrinth could dissuade whatever force had started to head his way.
His army seemed a bit nervous, but aggressive as if they were cornered animals.
"Protect our Lord!" a Darkgazimon commander shouted.
The front doors of the castle throne room started to pound as from the other side the last line of defense could be heard being devastated, the digital data starting to slowly appear through the walls.
Rei shook his head a bit anxious. Not even mega level digimon could stand a chance against whatever the Digital Creator had sent against him, but, what was it?
"Do not falter, gather yourselves!" he said standing up, throwing his arm down. As soon as whatever comes through that door do not rest until you have annihilated it!" he shouted, the pounding on the doors getting harder.
He clenched his fist as the pounding intensified, his throne room shaking. Just a little bit more and the doors would-
-Before he could finish realizing the situation the doors flung open and in it stepped four radiant creatures the likes of which he had never seen. One happened to be a long dragon of sometime. Another a two headed giant turtle. Their was also a massive wolf or tiger like beast with stripes and lastly what looked liked a massive phoenix with four wings.
Yet, even with all of that, compared to the blistering presence in the midst of them that had no form, but somehow out of the radiance he thought he could see the outline of what looked like a human girl. Her head tilted as if she looked at him causing him great distress.
"So you are the one devastating my army," he said callously. "I commend you for making it his far. The Digital Creator certainly must have sent his best if he's that desperate to beat me."
"Digital Creator?" the outline of the light girl questioned. "Who is that?"
The response puzzled Rei wondering about her. "Are you not here by his orders?"
"I am here of my own volition," she said. "And I am here to restore balance."
"Restore balance?" he questioned. "What are you talking about? Just who do you think you are?"
"You already know," she said, Rei starting to feel a shiver up his spine, amazed he could even feel it.
"Well then," he said holding up his hand. "You indeed must be desperate to lump garbage and data together. But these viral monsters you see before you are all of my own making," he said.
"Truly this has been a fine moment in our game Digital Creator," he declared, but the being in front of him looked not the slightest perturbed by him.
The form in front of him pointed what looked the outline of an index finger right at him. "I declare," she said, "By the will of the Digital World that you are to be extinguished. Therefore my servants," she said calmly. "Cast judgment."
With that the four holy beasts started to attack damaging the walls, destroying digimon and even aiming at Rei Kurenada who commanded his forces to attack them, some landing attacks, but they were glancing blows hardly doing any damage. He knew this would not be good as the cries and groans of his forces left him with few left in the presence of this overpowering force.
"And now it's your turn to be judged," she said. "And the threat will end."
With that the surging pain of lightning from Azulongmon coursed through him, his body seeking to immediately replace itself with castle data. But then fires from Zuxiaomon burned the repairing data, the flames sticking to him. After this the ground rumbled as the giant turtle unleashed some sort of green beam towards him with double the power coming from him, the burns intensifying his body barely able to keep it together.
"We have him," she declared. "Finish him Baihumon!"
With that a fiery black and yellow force shot from his mouth towards Rei Kurenada, Rei fighting the furious attacks coursing through his body overwhelming him, but he was still intact.
"So," he said opening his eyes staring at them with hatred. "Do you think this is enough to quell my malice? My wrath?!" he accused.
"Altogether!" the being shouted as all of the digimon sovereign attacked at the same time, Rei struggling as his body pulled apart dissolving into particles. He cried out in agony having been reduced to a particle state.
"It is done," Homeostasis said. "Destroy the castle. Leave not a trace behind."
The digimon froze confused, Homeostasis in her outline looking around wondrously at them. "Why can't you move? What is happening?"
Rei could not help but chuckle aloud proud of himself even in his decrepit state. His laugh echoed all throughout the castle.
"You fell for it," he said forming an outline of himself and his grinning teeth and malevolent eyes. "The moment you stepped into these walls your defeat had already been assured."
"Explain," she said. "Their is no way the Digimon Sovereign could be destroyed."
"Ah, then I shall," he said. "The Digimon Sovereign's power had been copied on that seal you all have walked on the moment you set foot in here. As soon as my body had been destroyed that seal sapped all of your power and is now a part of my own," he declared.
"So that was your goal," Homeostasis seemed to contemplate. "However, it appears as though this battle is over. We have gained more ground," she declared.
"How so?"
"Terrormon is no longer a threat. While we did lose both Akama the human and Noblemon your captain has been reduced to simply a mega level digimon and has been contained in a weaker form. It has been judged and destroyed."
"That's rather cold of you," he admitted. "But I suppose that is the purpose of pawns after all. They were meant to be sacrificed."
"All for the noble goal of your eradication," she confirmed. "Up until this spot I'm standing on your kingdom has been eradicated. Your links to the outside world have been severed and you are banished from the Digital World," she declared.
Rei scoffed. "So you say, but it's not over yet. What do you think happened to the sealed power of your mightiest holy digimon? I have taken it and I am forming beings of my own with their data. As soon as they are complete just as you have done all of this to me, so I will do it to all to you."
"It will not happen," she declared, her outline lining up. With that all of the digimon fused together into a golden beast, it's glow and roar shattering the castle walls and all surviving digimon around it.
"This is your end Terrormon!" She declared. "Absolution!"
With that an explosion kicked in as his castle started to crumble around him.
"It shall not be!" he declared. "Initiating Code DKOCN62498!" he declared.
An explosion of light met a surge of darkness as all of the viral digimon broke apart and lit up in a swarm flooding over the intruders enveloping them and casting them out of the reaches of the castle, the castle having been all but destroyed, save Rei Kurenada, and Cthulusmon in it along with a newly created barrier created from the light.
The hours passed as Rei slowly healed from his wounds, all of his black digichronium armor having been torn and dissolved. He stood in the empty domain of darkness once more, his domain completely severed from going into the digital world, but yet somehow floating on top of a vast and wide ocean of dark digital code that he had set off to oppose Homeostasis's onslaught. Most of the castle had been gone, but, the dark ocean, despite the devastated light that had threatened to burn it, it still remained. And so did the power he had copied and manipulated for himself, albeit not only had it been trapped, but it had been sealed somehow by the power Homeostasis had just emitted from the remaining strengths of all the beasts combined.
"It's as if nothing has changed," he sighed looking at his reflection in the water. He could not feel anything anymore from the outside. His conquered territories had been restored and the Digital World had completely severed his presence from it. Terrormon his proxy had been defeated and he knew the digital world would be at peace.
"Curses," he groaned. "That was indeed a fine move Digital Creator," he grimaced holding his shoulder, his body still slowly repairing from the slight dark digital data that had been left.
"My Lord," a familiar voice said as Cthulusmon appeared. "It has been accomplished as you intended. However, due to the attack that power has been sealed in the inner sanctum."
"As is most of my power," he said clenching his fist knowing it had not returned. "Truly the power of holy Digimon and the Sovereign are not to be trifled with. And as of right now we cannot obtain the very power we need."
"Well then, Lord, where does that leave us? We are trapped between the Digital World unable to expand your influence and your power. We're between a rock and a hard place."
Rei sighed out sniffing the air a bit frustrated. Despite all that he had gone through, all of his preparations it had all been but for naught. Surely his power would eventually return when he healed, but for the most part he had been crippled by the Digital Creator.
"Fret not Cthulusmon," he chuckled sniffing the air greatly.
"Why Lord? Is this not the appropriate situation to?"
"Oh far be it," he noticed. "But the air has an intoxicating scent to it. A smell I am quite familiar with that brings out the best in me."
"And what is that Lord?"
"The smell...of negativity."