Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. And I am tired of saying that.
Homeostasis and the Digimon Sovereign really let Rei Kurenada have it, but, they were not careful in their execution enough so now basically he is fiddling his way through things trying to take advantage of their attack. You have to admit he is indeed cunning. Nothing more than that this time. We are approaching where I am on right now for the 19th chapter so it may take a little while to update past chapter eighteen. Please stay patient. Once this is done I will blitz through the final novel.
Chapter Seventeen: The Viral Digital Path
Rei stood in the darkness contemplating his next move. His servant seemed ready at his beck and call while at the same time managing the new entities from his data with menial tasks rebuilding the labyrinth albeit a smaller one based off what literal information had not been annihilated by Homeostasis's consuming light that nearly finished off all of them.
"My Lord," he said, "I'm sorry if this troubles you. We will make every effort to rebuild your kingdom. And then one day we will go back and claim the Digital World."
Rei sighed sitting down on a makeshift throne made of left over faulty data. "It's not necessary at this time," he said one hand resting on his knuckle.
"Lord?"
"The whole ordeal with Homeostasis has reduced my willingness to take over the Digital World by force. If we tried again surely we would be crushed."
"But what about your Kingdom Lord?" Cthulusmon questioned.
"It's been delayed," he said. "But all is not lost Cthulusmon. From copying the data of the four guardian digimon we will have the power necessary to defeat our enemies, but now is not the time."
"Then what shall we do?"
Rei tapped the arm stool of his throne and started scratching it. "Change tactics. This is going to take some time to process," he said. "After all the Digital Creator has dealt us a heavy hand."
"How shall we proceed?"
"Bide your time," he responded. "Would it be of interest to you to know I learned something far more interesting than my kingdom being destroyed?"
"Lord? What possibly could you have learned to make up for all of this destruction?"
He grinned staring at his hand. "Something most curious," he said. "Homeostasis's composition."
"What? Is she not a digimon?"Cthulusmon wondered in awe.
"No, she is not," he said. "Neither is she 'human'. She is an anomaly of sorts. And Cthulusmon those four creatures power that I will turn into my own Digimon? I now know what they will look like even before making them."
"But how?"
"Because Homeostasis is made from those same digimon not even created yet."
Cthulusmon stared at him incredulously. "That should not be possible. No, it's impossible."
"But it still is," Rei responded nonchalantly. "This indeed creates a paradox. How could Homeostasis's make up contain the digimon's data that I copied and have yet to turn into Digimon? What do you think Cthulusmon?"
"Hmm," he contemplated. "Could it be she herself is being utilized by the Digital Creator using your own designs and plans? Maybe running interference?"
"The situation is more complicated than that," Rei replied closing his eyes. "I think that in all of this we are getting responses back from three different sources. Time seems to flow differently between here, the earth, and the Digital World. Yet, even if somehow the Creator is able to manipulate time to destroy my plans this still makes no sense."
"In what way exactly?"
Rei weaved his fingers together and stared into the darkness ahead of him. "On a cosmic level the Digital Creator has made a heavy move."
"So it wasn't just nearly destroying this dimension?"
"No. That was only a part of it. By showing Homeostasis to me and learning about the details he has basically forced me to make a move before I have even made it. Now I have to create the circumstances to where this is indeed possible."
"I'm afraid I do not follow."
"It's like this," Rei responded forming a piece of digital data in his hand. "The Digital Creator has powers that can manipulate 'time' and how does he do that? He utilizes the digital composition of things and creates them in a 'stream'," he said making hundreds of digital particles appear and form what looked like a universe above him."
The sight looked amazing to behold, but he only used it for illustration.
"I have been in my own time analyzing the contents of what a digimon is made of Cthulusmon. On the surface it appears to be nothing more than digital fragments of data randomly put together," he added making a variety of different color data hang in the air with the illusion of a universe particles he created.
"Then what is so different?" he asked. "And may I add Lord what is different about viral digimon and the digital creator's digimon?"
Rei chuckled to himself. "Simple. It's the patterns."
"Patterns?"
A digimon is written into a very specific code. They are written like self performing programs. In the human world we use these 'formulas' to perform advanced mathematical studies and experiments."
"I see, so that is what the creator is doing. Though I still don't see how."
"Then I will explain it to you. A digimon behaves according to the laws of this world. Those 'laws' are written into part of their own structure. They circulate through the digimon as a 'memory' wherein they can't go outside of the laws."
"Such as?"
"Well how about this one," he said using digital information to write in a code in the universe above him. 'A Digimon is not allowed to willfully kill another being.'
Cthulusmon frowned. "But that's not true of all digimon is it Lord? We fight with them all the time."
"Exactly my point. You were created after this law had been created. And those digimon are still able to fight you nor do they still try to kill their own kind."
"Then what does this mean?"
"Two things. One. Once a law has been created not even the Digital Creator can redact them. He places himself even within the scope of his own laws or so I suspect."
"Why would he do that?"
"Who knows, but, before you were here when I first met the Digital Creator here he wrote into the code of the angels I destroyed the permission to destroy me. He did not attack me himself or destroy me himself. Why do you think that is?"
"He was afraid of you Lord?"
"Hardly. He either did not have the power to do so or he has forbidden himself from taking a life. He let's others do that work for him. Not even he will break his own rules. So, if we theorize that the Digital Creator can move within the different times this tells me he is omnipresent."
Cthulusmon looked lost. "If that's the case haven't things changed now since he isolated this world from the Digital world?"
"Yes it has," Rei replied smiling. "It's now under my jurisdiction. It's under my control now. Which means we can now operate without the digital creator having any knowledge about my plans."
"That is indeed a plus in our favor," Cthulusmon reasoned.
"But that's not the best part about this," Rei said. "I can read digital data and see the thousands of formulas that have been written," he said. "That feature is unique specifically to digimon."
"Is that how I am written as well Lord?"
"Would you like to find out?"
Before Cthulusmon could respond Rei held out his hand and completely broke him apart into digital pieces all except his mind.
"I know you are there Cthulusmon. You are aware of my presence and what I am doing. So watch how I craft you."
With that Rei held up both of his hands, Cthulusmon's digital data hovering in the air.
"In the past you were a powerful digimon known for providing assistance. You were kind. You were compassionate. You were transparent. You were free spirited, but," he said, his viral data twisting the law of those qualities, "Once you came here you became heartless. You were crafty. You were a servant, and you were bonded to obey me," he replied.
"With those twisted formulas to name a few, and the numerous others you were made Cthulusmon," he said throwing them altogether, Cthulusmon looking at his hands having been reconstructed.
"Fascinating," he said. "So really you are like the Digital Creator."
"Hardly," he scoffed. "I am nothing like that imperfectionist. I am a perfectionist. And all of my pieces will play their part like the keys on a finely tuned piano. And I am the pianist," he said holding out his hand playing as if he would a piano, dark digital code flying around the universe crafting all kinds of dark digimon, but ones not nearly as powerful.
"If you can do this Lord then surely you know how to handle Homeostasis."
"Not necessarily," he responded. "Though her composition is of the viral digimon I have yet to create I am not able to read her formula. She is obviously not a digimon yet she can function in this world and the digital one."
"Lord, I fail to understand," Cthulusmon wondered.
"Come on Cthulusmon think about it," he said affirmatively. "If Homeostasis's formula can't be seen because of her digital information what does that mean?"
"It means that she does not have a purpose or a formula she follows?"
"No to the first, but yes to the second."
"Okay then," he said placing one claw on his chin, "then she does not-"
His eyes lit up in wonder. "-She doesn't obey the laws of this world! She has been placed in a world that does not follow the laws!"
"Now you're getting it," he responded getting up and patting him on the back. "I will be confronting the Digital Creator later with this revelation, but it tells me that we can defeat the Digimon Creator. He is temporarily omniscient where his laws reside, his word is contradictory, but he is not perfect. And therefore he might be a 'creator', but he is not a god. And if not a god then they can be destroyed."
"But isn't there a risk of their being a digital law you can't read?"
Rei smiled snidely. "Their is none. And even if there was one I would use it to my advantage."
"Truly this is incredible," Cthulusmon noticed. "But Lord how does that help us right now at this moment?"
"Quite simple Cthulusmon," he said walking forward to the barrier where his power and the power of the four Sovereign had gone. He then forced his hand into it, a holy light burning him, but Rei copying the pattern of the barrier into his hand.
He winced grasping it, the pattern firmly in this mind.
"My Lord! What are you doing?"
"Creating a way Cthulusmon," he said taking his burnt hand, walking towards him and sticking his hand in him, Rei transmitting the DNA into Cthulusmon, Cthulusmon groaning out in agony.
"Lord? Why?" he grimaced on the ground. "What did you do?"
"I have saved you," he replied. "I can't get through the barrier. Right now the barrier is healing itself and though I can't get the 'power' for myself, I have to use it to complete the self fulfilling prophecy the creator set up about Homeostasis.
"But how Lord?" he winced.
"Watch," he said hovering over to the barrier and holding up his hand.
"All of you digimon. All of you not marked with the copied holy seal. As your Lord I require your lives!" he exclaimed, a lot of digimon looking up at him in horror. With that he held up his hands and turned all of them into a giant protruding spear on his hand.
"What are you doing?" Cthulusmon wondered.
"Completing the prophecy," he answered. With that he gathered all of his strength, grasped the spear and plunged it into the shield Rei extending the Dark digital make up of his hand through it.
A surge of holy light shocked him through his system, Rei fighting it as he extended his burning hand down into the depths away from him. Though he could not see, amidst the agony he could feel the difference in digital data.
He stared down at his body starting to dissolve slightly in some areas, knowing he did not have long before he completely dissolved, cracks appearing in his flesh.
"Is it worth it all for this?" Cthulusmon asked desperately. "Lord!"
"It's all within my reach," he groaned at last after experiencing such a severe shock he touched one of the bits of digital information that contained his power. Then he winced as he found three others completing his task.
"I-I see them," he grinned, suddenly starting to have a coughing fit. He wiped his mouth of a strange substance and through the surge of holy burning against him he kept it firmly in his mind as he pulled it back out, the images hovering in front of him, Rei barely able to keep the copied data together.
He quivered intensely from the holy burns, an electricity permeating through him, but Rei not relenting. If he lost the images of the data he saw it all would have been for nothing.
He manifested the images of the four pieces of information he had memorized and reached forward with all of his might touching them, implanting the power source of the digital information into the information in front of him.
He sighed heavily as four massive beasts appeared to him, bowing their heads in reverence and respect.
Rei panted heavily walking forward to one, his hand on it's dragon-like snout. "900 B.C. The Mountains of Lasai' Ailles coordinates 92 degrees north, 70 degrees east 10:42 a.m. June 21st." With that he closed his eyes pulling up the data from where this had first been noticed in the creation of Homeostasis and extracted it to that point making it disappear casting it's data in what appeared to be slight slivers in his dark prison.
He then went over to the next one, what looked like a giant sea serpent, much greater than even the Metal Seadramon digimon class. 400 B.C. The Waters of Albra Lithe. He fought through his agony tearing himself up as he finished casting the other three away.
In total the Dark Dragon, the Serpent Tortoise, The Flying Wraith Bird, and the Ravenous Tiger. All of these he sent out having done all in his power to pinpoint the origins of Homeostasis and when they first began, but, it was these four creatures, these dark digimon that had originally been used to confirm her existence.
With the beings gone, no longer in sight Rei had lost all strength. He collapsed on his back arms stretched out breathing heavily.
"My Lord will you be all right?"
Rei could barely managed to breathe looking up at his hand as part of himself had already started to dissolve.
He nodded his head, Cthulusmon forcing him up holding him around the shoulder.
"Th-there," Rei said pointing towards the end of the wall. "Take me there. Watch, and wait," he huffed.
He nodded his head. "I understood what you did to me back there. You not only implanted the code of the barrier to destroy it once I am destroyed, but you gave me instruction. Do You truly think their will come a time where more humans will come and destroy this world to free that power?"
Rei smirked nodding his head. He could barely do much else.
"Then I will be their host. I will await your instruction when further Dark Viral data arrives in this domain."
Rei grinned. "Excellent Steward," he wheezed. He then held his hands out groaning once more unleashing a massive blast of viral data creating another opening in the dark ocean, a large one.
He merely pointed to it, Cthulusmon obeying helping him over towards it. Rei listened hearing all kinds of negativity being emitted through the channels. He could hear the sound of voices coming through their knowing that they had to have been coming from electrical devices, perhaps a telephone.
"Occupy until I return," he barely uttered.
"Of course my Lord," Cthulusmon answered holding him out towards it.
Rei Kurenada closed his eyes and focused in on the negativity. If he could not survive until at least getting nutrition their would be no way he could face off against the Digital Creator. With that, he forced himself into a current between two worlds flowing through it hoping that everything would fall into place.
Rei inched closer hearing the sound of bickering and arguing from an electronic device, the negativity growing stronger the closer he got to it. He followed it, a light calling to him, a massive force of negativity just on the other side.
With that Rei threw himself towards it, him manifesting through a computer, hitting what looked like a desk.
He winced holding it not from the pain, but of the impact. He weakly tried to get up, but had lost all of his strength.
He looked around, his vision hazy noticing he had found his way to an office.
"W-what do you think you're doing here?" A detestable voice said, Rei turning towards it. He noticed a man in his late 40s, a bit pudgy, but every bit a detestable human as he could remember.
"I don't know who you are or how you got here, but you better get out of my office right now before I call the police!"
"Is that right?" Rei rasped. He tried to get up, but felt powerless to do so.
The man scoffed shaking his head. "It's no wonder I can't get any decent workers. You're all drug heads with skin disorders."
Rei sighed out barely able to stand being in the presence of this man. If only he could get his hands on his face.
He could tell from the office environment that the man must have been a manager, and, based off of how disorganized he was he was not a very good one at that. He could barely speak to do anything, but he had to figure something out and fast.
"What's the matter?" he said walking up to him having some fun. "You so strung out you can't even talk?" he suggested placing his foot down on his hand.
Oh if Rei could only had the strength to pull him down.
It's thanks to people like you like my hirelings that I can't spend any time with my mistress. She's a lot prettier than my wife and is a real catch in the sack," he said crudely. You don't care though. Until the police get here you're just going to have to sit there and shut up."
Rei groaned inwardly wondering if he would ever get the chance to be more than a rug for him to spew his crap on. His eyes darted this way and that until he noticed a few papers by his desk. It would not be much, but if he could only cause the big oaf to fall and stretch out his hand then-"
As quick as he could Rei grabbed a few pieces and placed them next to his feet, the man not taking notice.
He would have to get his attention now. With that he grabbed onto his pant leg, the man visibly angered by him.
"What now you're begging me to stop? You don't want the cops coming huh? Well too bad! But if you can buy one of my contracts I might just change my mind!" he chortled.
It was enough for Rei. He suddenly let go of the pant leg, the man almost losing his balance, but caught himself.
"What are you trying to do you lousy bum, make me fall? As if I would fall for a trick like that!" he said angrily lifting up his foot and burying it in Rei Kurenada's face. He kept kicking him, Rei displeased by the result.
As he kept kicking him Rei noticed that for every kick a pile of papers on his desk seemed to move closer to the edge nearly falling on top of him.
Rei smiled towards him, the man becoming enraged even more until at last the papers fell against him, not strong enough to injure him, but due to his odd posture, he became a bit startled by this and when he placed his foot down once more he fell almost backwards, but another slip with his other foot starting to move forward caused him to fall face forward right in front of Rei.
Rei licked his parched lips. This had been the moment he had been waiting for. He barely reached out his hand and placed it on the man's face, the man looking at him oddly.
"What do you think you're doing you frea-
-That was all he would let him say. Rei pulled the negativity from him as he screamed dissolving his entire body into digital particles and incorporating it into himself.
He managed to find the strength to get up, the holes in his body filled with the new digital data. He sighed out still frustrated from the experience, but slightly relieved.
Still, he had not been one hundred percent recovered. Even with all the negativity coming from him it would not be enough.
He then looked at his tattered wardrobe and changed it into a suit. All evidence of his murder had vanished along with the annoyance, but he was still not satisfied.
No, oddly enough, now that he was in the real world once more, even though he could not consider himself human he still could not shake an incredible desire. In fact it reminded him of his intimacy with Asaki before her untimely demise.
And yet now, despite his changing he craved her more than ever, but could not figure out why.
Just then, through the office doors a brunette appeared, one whom Rei recognized instantly through pictures on his desk. It had to be the mistress.
"Hey, who are you?" she asked. The brunette had brown soft hair, playful eyes, but a stern strictness to them. Her outfit seemed nicer than her attitude.
"I'm the new office manager," Rei smiled strangely making something up on the spot.
"New manager?" she said incredulously. "Nigoma never told me he was leaving."
"Now, now," he said walking forward to her placing his hand on her cheek. "Nigoma did tell me about you though," he said. "He even took pictures bragging how if anything happened to him because of you he would have your head," he said turning on his charm.
He searched through a festering negativity searching through her recognizing a desperation to keep quiet. "After all, weren't you only with him with the hopes of receiving a promotion?"
"What? I never told that to anyone but him!"
"Well," Rei snickered. "He told it to me."
Her lip quivered, but not out of rage keeping herself under control.
"Just what do you want?"
"Oh not much," he said speaking into her ear. "Thirty minutes. And then your secret will be safe. I promise never to tell a soul. And you can keep the promotion."
Her eyes darted this way and that, but then nodded her head. "We only have fifteen. Otherwise my coworkers will get suspicious."
Rei nodded his head, in the back of his mind noticing more negative thoughts protruding towards the office knowing that her coworkers already knew.
"Delightful. Well," he said putting one hand on her cheek. "Let's make this quick," he said staring at her, realizing she happened to have a slight, albeit very slight resemblance to his former girlfriend.
He bent his face forward and kissed her lips, once, twice, three times. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling through crevasses between her blouse and dress, the nameless marionette panting heavily.
As Rei had his pleasure with her, rendering her of her clothing, all he could think about was the former relationship he had with Asaki. He whispered her name in his head giving him over to carnal lust that not been with him for the longest time.
As he ravished her, the woman no longer reluctant, but enjoying this carnal moment, he realized that though he had become a digital being fleshly feelings should have no part of him, and yet they still had a pull on him. He was not supposed to feel this anymore. But yet, here it was. Maybe in the real world his humanity returned to him? Perhaps, but still, he groaned out for Asaki imagining her in this woman's place all those years ago before any of this mess had come to fruition.
Afterwards, as the woman finished getting her skirt back on, Rei hated himself that this lady had not been Asaki, even though he only imagined it to be so. Yes, she did resemble her, but in a way more revolting now that he could clearly smell an unpleasant reek coming from her, what with how a confident grin crossed her face.
"Well," she said finishing buttoning up her shirt. "That was way more than Nigoma could ever have gotten," she said. "I only played with him, but did not feel so attracted. You are different though," she said walking over to him and grabbing his suit coat. "I think you are incredibly handsome."
Rei felt apprehensive to her touching him, his eyes hiding behind his clenched teeth.
"How about you?" she asked playfully. "Am I not one of the most gorgeous women in the world? Am I not pretty?"
Rei grabbed her hand placing it on his cheek and sniffing the negativity. It had been putrefying, but now it seemed very tasty. "You're right," he agreed smiling. "I think you are very pretty..." he said placing his hand on her cheek and stroking it down the side.
He then grinned sinisterly. "...For trash." With that he grabbed her face, the lady throbbing in confusion and Rei took advantage of her dark thoughts converting her into digital data and repairing the rest of himself.
He then straightened his suit coat and wiped away her touch with his hand as if he had been desanitizing himself.
"The earth really is a feast," he said licking his lips. "Were it not for people like Hiroki or Asaki none of it would even matter. But they've been gone for a long time now. Their is nothing worth any value of wretched humanity anymore."
He then straightened his tie and walked out of the office, amidst a bustle of men and women on the phones, yelling, going over deadlines and contracts. All of this would eventually end. And he relished the day when the static screaming in the background of humanity would eventually be silenced.