As Conner picked up the four Ability Gems Ophanimon had left for Patamon and Gatomon, the sanctuary fell into a profound, contemplative stillness. The pearlescent and golden spheres cast a warm, shifting light across the wooden floorboards, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. The weight of everything we had just learned from the Great Angel settled heavily over our shoulders. We were not just a random strike team anymore; we were a necessary, independent variable in a cosmic stalemate. I watched Conner carefully tuck the divine crystals into his Digivices storage space, his jaw set with a new, quiet determination.
Beside Kaldur, Agumon scratched the back of his reptilian head, breaking the tense silence. "So, what should we do now?"
Kaldur stood tall, his Atlantean tattoos catching the ambient light of the church. He looked over our battered but resolute group. "Now, all the questions we needed answered have been. All our errands are finished for now. We return to our lodging or continue to explore the village. This is still a rest day, after all."
We all nodded along, the adrenaline of the divine encounter finally beginning to drain away, leaving a hollow exhaustion in its wake. But before we could file out of the double wooden doors and back into the vibrant chaos of Primary Village, my mind latched onto a lingering tactical gap. I remembered an incredibly important question I had completely forgotten to ask earlier. I was originally going to ask the shopkeeper Piximon back at the general store, but Wally and his big mouth had made it utterly impossible to stay longer than absolutely necessary. Wally had managed to insult the entire religious foundation of the digital world in a matter of seconds, forcing us into a hasty retreat.
I turned to our Piximon, the brutal trainer who was currently hovering silently near the altar, going over everything he had just heard. A lot of Ophanimon's revelations were clearly new information for him as well, judging by the deep frown on his fuzzy pink face.
"Hey, Piximon," I said, stepping forward. "Sorry to bother you, but I have just two important questions. First, how exactly do we use Ability Gems? Like, we know you guys hold them in your soul, but how do we actually equip them? Do we just have Tentomon and the others swallow them or something?"
My question made the others pause in their tracks. Wally blinked, and Conner looked down at the Digivice on his belt, clearly realizing that none of us actually knew the mechanics of the power-ups we had just acquired. Everyone turned to Piximon.
The Ultimate-level trainer broke out into a wide, genuinely amused smile at the idea of eating the solid crystals. "No, you do not eat them. You just place the Gem you want to use on your chest, and then you visualize an empty slot, like on a wall. Then you imagine the Gem being placed inside that slot, and that's it."
He tapped his own chest with his staff to demonstrate. "But remember, there are only three of them allowed at one time to avoid soul damage, and you can, of course, replace any of them if you get better ones later. Actually, I had already had a few ready for you in the training area we were originally going to before all this started. But looks like you've been to the general store if you know about them already. Well, that was a waste of money."
Piximon shrugged casually. He obviously wasn't seriously bothered by the waste of money or the time it had taken him to prepare them for us, or we might have felt slightly guilty. It was just another pragmatic reality of our chaotic journey.
"Okay, thanks," I said, committing the visualization process to memory. It made sense in a world governed by digital laws, magic and mental interfaces. "For my second question. Now, you said that the Dark Network spans the entire Server Desert, right? And most of the continent. The training grounds are also in the desert. Then how were we still able to go Champion when Devimon's forces attacked us there? Because Ikaris said that the network sends out a signal that should prevent that. So the question is, maybe there are certain areas where the effect doesn't reach, or maybe it's something they turn on or off? I want your opinion on it."
The rest of the team leaned in, realizing the gravity of what I was asking. This was incredibly important. If it was the former, then we needed to desperately find some of the areas where the signal didn't reach. If we could fight Etemon and his forces in those specific blind spots, then at least, if we haven't gotten the rest of the crests yet, Gomamon, Biyomon, and Palmon could help in their Champion forms. Their Ultimate evolutions wouldn't be on a strict, deadly timer anymore. It would completely shift our tactical disadvantage.
Piximon sighed, his wings drooping slightly as he hovered closer. "Yes, the training grounds are in the desert. But what you haven't considered is that they are special. It is considered sacred ground. The Dark Network's cables cannot enter the area. They have tried many times, but the cables always break down completely after a full thirty minutes. Sometimes less, but never more of being in the area. So no, I am sorry, there are no blind spots you can take advantage of for Gomamon and the others to still go Champion."
I felt a cold weight settle in my stomach. Piximon had unfortunately crushed that small tactical hope before it had fully formed. The continent was a complete dead zone. We were going to be fighting an Ultimate-level warlord with half our team functionally crippled.
"I understand. Thank you," I said softly, adjusting my utility belt as we finally left the church. The bright sunlight of File Island hit our faces.
We gathered on the stone steps overlooking the recovering village, deciding on what to do next. Conner patted Gatomon's head and looked toward the commercial district. "I am going back to the general store," he announced. "Since the Gems Ophanimon gave Patamon and Gatomon are several times better than the ones I originally bought, I am going to trade them in for two better ones, or at least the best medium-grade one they have for Gatomon. Since she is going to be our main fighting force, given she is the only one who is naturally at the Champion-level, the Dark Network's De-digivolution function will not work on her."
It was a brilliant observation. I nodded approvingly. Gatomon was our ace in the hole. If Etemon thought he could completely disarm us just by turning on a jammer, he was in for a rude awakening. We all wished Conner luck on finding a good fit for her.
Kaldur adjusted his water-bearers. "I will resume helping Leomon and Ogremon with reinforcing the village perimeters. While most of the corrupted Digimon on the island may be dead and those left disorganized without Devimon, but they are still a roaming threat. We cannot leave the babies undefended while we prepare for our own departure."
Wally slung an arm over my shoulder, grinning widely. "Dick and I decided to wander around the village together. Maybe get some lunch while we are at it. I am starving, and I refuse to fight a war on an empty stomach. Plus, I think Gabumon wants to show me this weird fruit he found near the river."
"Try not to insult the local flora this time, Wally," I muttered, though I couldn't help but smile.
With our plans set, we agreed to meet back up at the central fountain by dinner time. We splintered off into the bustling streets of Primary Village. As Wally and I walked, I took in the sights of the recovering digital society. Baby Digimon were playing tag between the newly grown data-trees, their laughter a stark contrast to the devastation we had fought through just days prior. It reminded me exactly why we had chosen to stay. The weight of tomorrow loomed heavily on our minds, but for this one afternoon, we could just be kids walking through a miracle.
***
High above the digital plane, safe within the absolute perfection of my Divine Space, I turned off the massive holographic projection showing the team as they split up to do their own things. The blue-tinted light faded from the polished marble of my throne room, leaving only the ambient glow of the artificial constellations overhead.
I leaned back into the plush cushions of my throne, the cushions shifting smoothly against my skin. The Young Justice team was performing exactly as I needed them to. They were terrified, motivated, and utterly convinced of the narrative I had spun for them. But while they were preparing for their little desert excursion, I had my empire to build.
After thinking about it for a few quiet moments, I decided to get started on making my angel army. Ophanimon's little lore drop had set the stage beautifully, but if I was going to sell the illusion of a massive cosmic war and future ones like it, I actually needed the soldiers to back it up ones that can leave the Dungeon anytime if necessary. With my current Divine energy, if I wanted them as strong as I envisioned, I could only make two or three a day. These angels would be true Divine Servants ones that I can do whatever I want with without having to go through the System first, just like the Eternals. Because of that, I was completely on my own. The Dungeon God System wouldn't help me in making them, offering no energy supplements or safety nets this time around.
For now, I would start with the lower-class angels. I didn't quite have the power to seamlessly create the Three Great Angels or the archangels yet. Well, I could, but if I stretched myself that thin, they would probably be weaker than even their TV show counterparts. A weak archangel was worse than no archangel at all, so they were not a good option just yet. But soon. Very soon.
I pulled up my servant menu with a flick of my wrist, dismissing a dry warning from the System about energy conservation. I opened the recreation section, stepping down from my throne to the center of the grand hall. I closed my eyes, letting my divine form expand, the tribal tattoos pulsing with intense, burning heat and light as I drew upon my own divine power.
I started the process. I would make three Angemon.
After my previous experience with forging the Eternals, the actual mechanics of creation were slightly easier, though the sheer power required remained staggering. I visualized the data. I imagined their massive, feathered wings, pristine and blindingly white. I pictured their featureless silver helmets, the holy crosses etched into the metal. I defined their voices, making them resonate with unwavering authority and perfect devotion. I coded in their attack abilities, the Hand of Fate and the Staff of Holy Light.
But I didn't stop there. Unlike the standard model Angemon from the anime that had to wait until they reached the Ultimate level to properly heal others, I wove restorative algorithms directly into their Champion-level cores. They had healing abilities now. It was noticeably weaker than an archangel like MagnaAngemon's, but highly effective for battlefield triage. I pushed further, threading my divine authority into their very code, making them capable of some very small divine miracles: small-scale teleportation to navigate the dungeon worlds instantly, telepathy for perfectly silent coordination, and the most important one all holy type Digimon will have from now on Conjunction to pool their holy energy for stronger barriers, attacks and healing abilities basically the more of them there are on the battlefield the stronger as a whole they are and the easier it is to preform actual miracles meaning if there are enough of them even lower-class angels can do stuff like raise the dead back to life let alone the archangels. They should be capable of some small scale reality-bending powers like stopping time for example.
The energy drain was immense. Sweat beaded on my forehead, sliding down my face and stinging my green eyes. The throne room hummed with a deafening frequency as the void answered my will, spinning raw divine power into physical matter. I gritted my teeth, forcing the final strands of logic and loyalty to lock into place.
Finally, after two grueling hours of uninterrupted work, the blinding flash of creation subsided.
My angels were done.
The three Angemon hovered a few inches off the marble floor, their six wings folded respectfully behind them. The moment they gained consciousness, they immediately dropped to the floor, kneeling down just like the Eternals had when they were first created. They bowed their silver-helmeted heads in perfect unison, their muscular frames trembling slightly with the raw power of their recent birth.
The middle Angemon, made to be a garrison leader was slightly taller than the others and radiating a slightly warmer aura, took the lead. He looked up, his unseen eyes fixing upon my divine form with absolute reverence.
"Great one, how can we be of service to you?" the Angemon said, his voice a perfect, echoing harmony of devotion. "Please, we live to serve you."
The other two beside him nodded along, their golden staffs clinking softly against the polished floor.
I smiled, a happy but exhausted look spreading across my face. My chest heaved slightly. I did use about seventy percent of my total energy reserves to create them, leaving me feeling hollowed out and incredibly tired, but the sheer satisfaction of seeing my will made flesh erased the discomfort.
"Good," I said, my voice echoing with godly resonance. "You three are but the first in my angelic forces. You are the foundation of what is to come. For now, you will guard the entrance to the throne room. Let no one enter without my express permission."
"Yes, we understand, my Lord. It shall be done," said the garrison leader angel.
They rose gracefully, turned with military precision, and walked off toward the massive double doors of the hall, taking up their positions like marble statues.
I watched them go, immensely pleased with my growing pantheon. Their forms were flawless, a perfect blend of my memories and my divine authority. I slowly walked back up the steps and laid back on my throne, letting the cool stone and cushions soothe my tiered muscles. My breath was shallow, my body craving sleep, but my mind was entirely too active. I closed my eyes to relax, sinking into the velvet cushions lining my stone throne. I had completely drained my reserves for the day, but I wouldn't be resting for long. Ikaris was scheduled to come back from his monitoring duties in about thirty minutes. Once he arrived, I could finally indulge in the concubine arrangement Ajak had so brilliantly suggested. My pulse quickened slightly and despite my fatigue I could feel my cock start to slowly harden. I smiled into the quiet, absolute privacy of my Divine Space. It was time to have some fun, let off some of this divine stress, and truly reap the rewards of being a god.