"Gabumon stays back to handle any follow-up evolutions from Piedmon—everyone else, go!" Tai said in a low, steady voice.
The kids' Digimon nodded and began to evolve.
"Agumon—warp Digivolve to WarGreymon!"
"Biyomon—jump Digivolve to Garudamon!"
"Tentomon—jump Digivolve to MegaKabuterimon!"
"Gomamon—jump Digivolve to Zudomon!"
"Palmon—jump Digivolve to Lillymon!"
"Patamon—jump Digivolve to MagnaAngemon!"
"Gatomon—Digivolve to Angewomon!"
Freshly evolved, the Digimon surged forward to meet the Nightmare Legion's troops.
Gabumon watched the battle with a trace of envy, not quite understanding why he'd been held back.
Matt seemed to catch his partner's doubt and went to Tai. "Tai, why isn't Gabumon joining the fight?"
Tai pulled his gaze from the battlefield. "Piedmon hasn't shown himself yet. NeoMyotismon—WarGreymon can handle him. No need to bring out MetalGarurumon and burn stamina. We have to preserve fighting strength right now. At the very least, Gabumon needs to keep enough energy to maintain Omnimon's power after DNA Digivolution."
Matt nodded. "Got it." He turned back to his partner. "Alright, Gabumon—rest up for now. You heard Tai. We're going to need you at full power when Piedmon appears—so we can beat him."
"I will, Matt," Gabumon said with a firm nod.
"Fist of the Beast King!" "Magma Punch!" "Sub-Zero Ice Punch!" "Predator Cannon!" The allied Digimon who'd come to support the children unleashed their signature moves, clashing with the swarming Impmon and Nocturnmon of the Nightmare Legion. Though the enemy was numerous, they were no match for Leomon and the others; waves of foes were cut down. But still more Impmon and Nocturnmon pressed in, throwing themselves forward without end.
After launching another "Fist of the Beast King," Leomon drew the blade at his waist and cut down a rushing Impmon. A Nocturnmon charged from behind; Leomon felled it with a punch. He frowned at the seemingly endless tide. Around him, Frigimon and Meramon were beginning to falter. "This won't do… Looks like we'll have to do it this way." Golden light burst from Leomon's body.
"Leomon—Digivolve to Golden SaberLeomon!"
Golden SaberLeomon—an ancient Beast Digimon boasting sonic burst speed, shrouded in mystery, said by some to be the bestialized form of Leomon. With instantaneous acceleration, it could evade even the swiftest assault. Its massive twin fangs and keen claws possessed tremendous destructive force—a Mega Digimon feared and revered. Its finisher "Golden Arrows" fired innumerable hardened mane-quills, tougher than steel; the poison in the quills paralyzed those struck. Its "Shattering Claw" ripped enemies to tatters.
Leomon's tall form vanished, replaced by a Digimon with a pelt of gleaming gold and two huge sabers jutting from its jaws—Golden SaberLeomon.
"Golden Arrows!" Countless steel-hard quills shot from Golden SaberLeomon's mane, peppering Impmon and Nocturnmon. Those struck wailed and fell, bursting into data. With Golden SaberLeomon's arrival, the pressure on Meramon and Frigimon eased; a line that had been close to collapse steadied at once.
"Gaia Force!" WarGreymon raised both hands high, gathering massive energy and hurling it at NeoMyotismon.
"Demonheart Moonstrike!" Dark power swelled in NeoMyotismon's chest and blasted out, striking WarGreymon's attack. The two forces met in a glare and a roar.
"Great Tornado!" WarGreymon pressed his hands together above him and spun, drilling straight for NeoMyotismon.
"Nightmare Assault!" A flood of Mawfiends—familiars that devoured a Digimon's vitality—swarmed from NeoMyotismon toward the spinning WarGreymon. They struck the cyclone and were flung away, having no effect at all.
NeoMyotismon tried to respond—but WarGreymon was already upon him. With a flurry of slashes, the razor "Dramon Killers" carved across NeoMyotismon's body.
WarGreymon came out of the spin behind him and halted. Behind WarGreymon, NeoMyotismon's body fell in three pieces, then shattered and dispersed into data.
High above, Angewomon and LadyDevimon still fought, their duel as fierce as ever. Kari cheered her partner from below while the two celestial opposites clashed in midair.
"Celestial Arrow!" Angewomon loosed a shaft. "Darkness Wave!" LadyDevimon hurriedly cast her own technique to block it—but in that instant, a massive horn lanced through her from behind, ripping her to pieces. Her data scattered and faded. MegaKabuterimon had slipped into the fight; catching LadyDevimon off guard, he'd finished her with "Horn Buster."
"Hammer Spark!" Zudomon brought Vulcan's Hammer down hard on the charging Cerberumon. Thud—the blow landed; cracks spidered out from the impact. Cerberumon howled, spewing green Hellfire from shoulders and heads, torrents of it ripping toward Zudomon.
"Shadow Wing!" Garudamon's supersonic vacuum blade shredded the oncoming emerald flames.
Cerberumon's monstrous regeneration was no joke—within moments, the damage Zudomon had dealt had already knit closed.
Zudomon and Garudamon exchanged a glance, grasping their foe's healing ability more fully. Cerberumon roared and lunged for them. Garudamon beat her wings and soared high; Zudomon planted himself, hammer braced across Cerberumon's path. The hellhound slammed into the weapon with a boom.
Claws gouged at the earth as Cerberumon pushed; Zudomon bore down on the haft, trying to force him back. The two locked in a test of strength.
Above, Garudamon folded into a dive, talons extended—air friction wreathed them in searing flame.
One of the armor-heads on Cerberumon's shoulders sensed the threat and looked skyward. He tried to dodge, but locked with Zudomon he couldn't break away.
Crunch—Garudamon's blazing "Crimson Claw" punched straight through Cerberumon's body, tearing a gaping hole. Cerberumon screamed. Zudomon seized the opening. "Hammer Spark!" The crushing strike blew the wound wider. "Shadow Wing!" Garudamon's slash carved across him—Cerberumon wailed, split apart, and burst into data.
Across the field, MagnaAngemon and Phelesmon hovered, a long distance between them, each silent, each staring.
As if at a signal, both moved at once. Holy light coated MagnaAngemon's sword; Phelesmon caught the first cut on his trident. At arm's length they glared into one another's eyes, forcing more and more power—then broke apart again.
"Black Statue!" A beam of darkness speared from Phelesmon. MagnaAngemon's Beam Shield flared, catching the ray. He slashed, sending several arcs of sword-aura; Phelesmon twirled his trident and swept them aside with ease.
"Demon's Shout!" Curses packed into Phelesmon's voice—space rippled where the howl passed.
MagnaAngemon traced a circle with Excalibur; the ring solidified into a gate etched with sigils—"Gate of Destiny." Its pull surged. But Phelesmon suddenly whirled—MagnaAngemon was already behind him. The ambush spoiled, MagnaAngemon chopped; Phelesmon jammed his trident across to block. Straining against both the suction at his back and the sword at his front, Phelesmon faltered. Inch by inch, MagnaAngemon forced him toward the yawning Gate.
"Wicked darkness—go to the other side and be judged," MagnaAngemon intoned, voice ringing with sanctity.
"What right do you have, self-styled holy one?" Phelesmon snarled.
"Vanish into the endless void!" MagnaAngemon cried. Light surged along Excalibur—Phelesmon winced, eyes seared, raising an arm to shield them. MagnaAngemon seized the instant, hewed with all his might, and shoved Phelesmon back into the Gate of Destiny.
Watching Phelesmon vanish beyond it, MagnaAngemon turned, finding only scattered Impmon and Nocturnmon left. The Gate's gravity swelled again. Wailing, the remnants of the Nightmare Legion were dragged in and swallowed. Thus the Nightmare Legion was annihilated.
Yet even with that victory, Tai did not relax—for one last foe remained, the strangest and deadliest of all.
Into the quiet came measured footsteps—tap… tap…—drawing closer. The children looked up toward the sound. A human-shaped Digimon approached, face hidden by a jester's mask, four magic swords sheathed in a box on his back. He was the last Dark Master—and their strongest enemy—Piedmon.
Slowly, Piedmon drew near, that same enigmatic smile fixed upon his lips.
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