Before I could react, Terranaughtmon's reinforced tail lashed out. The Plasma Quake Tail, glowing with orange plasma energy, slammed into the ground where Thor had been standing. Thor, who had been charging his next Mjolnir strike, was caught in the shockwave.
THUMP
He stumbled back, a grimace on his face. The force of the impact had clearly messed with him.
"This beast is tougher than any Jotunheim troll!" Thor roared, shaking his head to clear it.
Mjolnir, usually so devastating, seemed to barely make a dent. Thor struck again, a powerful swing aimed at one of the deepest cracks in Terranaughtmon's chest armor. The hammer hit, sparking violently.
CLANG
The crack deepened slightly, but the Digimon didn't even flinch. It was like hitting a mountain with a pebble. The sheer durability of this thing was ridiculous. My Corona Blaster, Angewomon's Celestial Arrow, LadyDevimon's Darkness Wave—all of them hit, leaving more of those glowing orange fissures, but nothing that looked like a killing blow.
This wasn't a fight about hitting harder; it was about hitting smarter. We were wasting energy just trying to overpower it. Terranaughtmon was too heavily armored, too resilient. We needed to change tactics, and fast.
"New plan!" I roared, my BurningGreymon form adjusting in the air. "Spread out! Target its joints, its legs, its energy conduits! We need to slow it down, not just bash it!"
Greymon and Garurumon heard my command. They changed their focus, no longer aiming for direct, head-on assaults.
"Nova Blast!"
Agumon unleashed a stream of fiery breath, aiming for Terranaughtmon's knee joint. The flame washed over the area, seeking to superheat and warp the metal.
"Fox Fire!"
Gabumon followed, his blue flames freezing the same joint, attempting to make the metal brittle through extreme temperature changes. He moved carefully, using his caution to find the right angles.
MailBirdramon ascended higher, gaining a better vantage point. His Plasma Cannon began to fire in rapid succession, targeting the glowing orange energy conduits that snaked across Terranaughtmon's armored back and shoulders. He was looking for a way to disrupt its internal power.
ZAPZAPZAP
Ballistamon positioned himself between a group of scattered SHIELD agents and the advancing Terranaughtmon, becoming a living shield. He braced his bulky frame, ready to absorb any stray attack.
Gatomon and BlackGatomon, now back in their Rookie forms but still brimming with the afterglow of their Ultimate evolutions, continued their probing strikes. They were fast, agile, darting around Terranaughtmon's feet, trying to trip it, to annoy it, to keep its focus split.
Thor, meanwhile, was relentless. He ignored my call for diverse attacks, his warrior's pride focused on a single, unwavering goal: to break through Terranaughtmon's chest plate. He swung Mjolnir again and again, each blow a thunderous impact, trying to find the one spot that would yield.
BOOMCRACK
The constant barrage was having an effect, albeit a slow one. The energy cracks on Terranaughtmon's armor were more numerous, more pronounced. It was still standing, but its movements were slightly less fluid, its roars a little more ragged. We were wearing it down, piece by painful piece.
But Terranaughtmon wasn't going to just stand there and take it. I saw its single eye narrow, its head beginning to glow with an eerie, orange light. Its visor started to retract, revealing the building energy within.
"It's charging the Obliteration Beam!" I roared, my voice echoing across the desert. "Thor! Get clear!"
But Thor, stubborn as an Asgardian ox, didn't hear me. He was too focused, too deep in his own fight, his eyes fixed on the chest plate he was trying to shatter. He wound up for another swing, Mjolnir a blur of motion.
The Obliteration Beam fired.
WHOOSH
It was a blinding, orange-white torrent of destructive energy, wide enough to swallow a tank, aimed directly at Thor. He saw it coming at the last possible second, his eyes widening in pure shock. He tried to move, but he was too close, too committed to his attack. He was going to be vaporized.
My heart lurched into my throat. No!
Just as the beam was about to hit, a blinding golden light erupted from the sky. It wasn't the sun, but something far more potent, far more ancient. A figure descended, moving with impossible speed, a blur of gold and majesty.
SHIMMER
Odin.
The All-Father, clad in his regal golden armor, Gungnir held high, slammed the spear down. A wave of golden energy burst from the tip, a powerful, shimmering shield that met the Obliteration Beam head-on.
CLASH
The two forces collided in a deafening explosion of light and sound. The ground shuddered violently, and a cloud of dust and sand exploded outwards, obscuring everything.
I could barely comprehend what I was seeing. Odin? Here? This was a complete, total deus ex machina. I hadn't even considered it a possibility.
The dust cloud still hung thick in the air, but I could make out Thor, now standing, looking at Odin. His surprise was clear, even from this distance.
"Father?" Thor asked, his voice raw.
Odin, still holding Gungnir, his golden armor gleaming even through the grit, nodded. The All-Father looked regal and ancient, exactly how I imagined him from the myths.
"Are you harmed, my son?" Odin's voice boomed, cutting through the ringing in my ears.
"I am well, Father," Thor replied, then frowned. "But... what are you doing here? I thought you were in the Odinsleep."
Odin's gaze shifted, taking in the chaos, then landed on me. His eyes were sharp, evaluating, seeing more than just BurningGreymon.
"I could not allow my son to be slain by this beast," Odin said. "I awoke, though not fully recovered. I shall require your aid, Thor."
He then looked at me, his gaze almost piercing through my draconic form.
"And yours, Beast of Flame."
I felt a rush of something I hadn't expected: relief. Pure, unadulterated relief. Odin was here. This was a game changer, a true cheat code for this fight. Even if he wasn't at full power, he was Odin.
"Right!" I roared, my voice still crackling with fire. "Glad you could make it to the party, All-Father!"
Terranaughtmon, seemingly unfazed by Odin's dramatic entrance, began to stir, shaking off the dust and rubble. It shifted its massive weight, its single orange eye fixing on Odin. The Destroyer's armor was still intact, those glowing fissures healing even as we watched. This thing was a nightmare.
"It's regenerating," I called out, my internal voice a mix of awe and renewed determination. "The Destroyer fragments are making it near-invincible. We need to hit it harder than it can heal."
Odin didn't waste words. He lifted Gungnir, and a golden light erupted from its tip, a stream of pure energy that slammed into Terranaughtmon.
CRACKLE
The beast roared, a sound of digital pain. The golden energy was different, more potent than anything we had thrown at it. It wasn't just physical damage; it was tearing at its data.
Thor, reinvigorated by his father's presence, charged with Mjolnir, a battle cry on his lips. He wasn't just hitting it; he was aiming for the glowing conduits on its armor, the weak points I had pointed out. He was finally listening.
"For Asgard!" Thor bellowed.
***
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