The figure flipped effortlessly out of the darkness, scattering the incoming fireball with a casual backhand strike. Every movement spoke of strength far surpassing any previous opponent.
In that instant, everyone got a clear look at the Digimon—it wore a bright yellow monkey costume and dark sunglasses...
...Etemon, a Virus-type, Ultimate-level Digimon, classified as a puppet-type.
Etemon was a puppet-type Digimon who, through countless battles, had finally earned a powerfully augmented monkey suit. It specialized in dazzling speed and agility, confusing enemies' perception before delivering devastating blows with thunderous force!
A Digimon boasting superb hand-to-hand combat abilities… even if its appearance hardly suggested such prowess.
Earlier, Etemon had arrogantly declared something like, "If I catch you myself next time, you're finished," as if it hardly cared enough about Zero's group to make a special trip.
Clearly, that had just been bluster—Etemon obviously took this incident very personally, enough to seek them out immediately that same night.
Petty, unpredictable, and vindictive… in a sense, it was a classic villain archetype without any deeper motivations worth exploring.
Unlike Devimon, a fallen angel at least capable of deeper narrative nuance, Etemon represented pure malice, plain and simple…
It needed no tragic past, no noble goal—"I'm evil because I damn well feel like it! Who cares about grand dreams or deep grudges?"
In the Digital World's chaotic era, anyone with enough strength could establish a power base and vie for dominance.
And in these troubled times, evil could run rampant, doing as it pleased without restraint.
Etemon likely had no real ambitions or long-term plans—just using its strength to indulge its whims, enjoying each day as it came.
Such behavior aligned perfectly with typical stereotypes about monkeys, probably explaining Etemon's birth from precisely these stereotypes' data.
"Tsk tsk," Etemon made a show of shading its eyes and surveying the scene, finally fixing its gaze mockingly on Zero.
"...So, show me something worth my time~"
Zero wasn't interested in trading words. Seeing the main enemy had come knocking, he immediately stepped forward, engulfed by brilliant evolution light—
"Oh?"
Etemon's voice held a trace of curiosity as it noticed the swirling glow around Zero. Digivolution itself wasn't surprising—after all, if Zero truly were just a Rookie, he wouldn't have dared provoke Etemon.
But within that light, Zero's form rapidly expanded, becoming a massive, pitch-black beast covered in countless battle scars—MasterTyrannomon, one of Zero's three established evolutionary lines.
If Zero really wanted peak combat performance, RizeGreymon would've been his best choice…
…But Zero intended to train and refine all three of his evolutionary paths. Moreover, RizeGreymon was his secret ace for Myotismon. Revealing that card too soon would diminish its effectiveness. Cards played best when kept hidden until truly needed.
Most of the well-known powerful enemies on Server Continent—Myotismon and the Dark Masters—were unsuitable for practice. They required full commitment and zero margin for error.
Only Etemon fit the profile perfectly: strong enough for solid training, but not overwhelmingly dangerous—a perfect experience gift package.
Thus, seeing this precious gift deliver itself to his doorstep, Zero naturally felt thrilled.
The pitch-black behemoth emerged from the blinding light, charging headlong toward Etemon. Seeing this, Etemon flipped effortlessly with one hand, intending to gracefully evade Zero's charge and strike from behind.
Unexpectedly, as though Zero had anticipated its movement from the start, he abruptly sprang upward, perfectly calculating Etemon's trajectory mid-air, smashing straight into it.
The computing power of an Ultimate Digimon's DigiCore matched a supercomputer. Zero, having also inherited processing capabilities from the Metal Empire, had calculation abilities far surpassing most Ultimate Digimon.
Back then, Andromon had relied precisely on this predictive advantage, effortlessly dismantling Zero and Hajime's attacks, easily dominating their two-on-one fight.
Only because the Black Gear later degraded Andromon's processing capabilities—and with Zero and Hajime boosted by their Crests—were they finally able to overcome it by sheer brute force.
Now, both Zero and Etemon were Ultimate-level, roughly equal in data volume. In terms of pure power, Zero wouldn't lose, and one-on-one was even slightly superior.
Adding his predictive computing advantage, it was impossible for Etemon to simply brute-force a victory. Zero's first blow landed cleanly.
"…Guahh!"
Etemon made a ridiculous squawk, theatrically clutching its stomach as it flew backward, somersaulting twice mid-air before landing with a pained grimace.
"Cough—timeout, timeout!"
Of course, Zero wasn't about to give a damn. At this point, you could call a timeout or even kneel and call him daddy, and it wouldn't help one bit!
With eyes fierce, the pitch-black beast opened its mouth, gathering golden-red flames before unleashing a massive fiery torrent.
Zero had already honed his fire-manipulation skills thoroughly along GeoGreymon's evolutionary route, seamlessly applying that expertise here. The Master Fire instantly engulfed Etemon in roaring flames…
"Nice!"
Watching from afar, Taichi couldn't help cheering. Even the five Drimogemon nearby looked delighted. Zero's strength far exceeded their expectations. Etemon was undoubtedly powerful, but right from the start, it had been completely suppressed.
Yet at this moment, a black flash suddenly gleamed from within the flames. Immediately afterward, the inferno split open violently—Etemon surged out like a cannonball, smashing head-first into Zero's body.
The force was no joke. Zero stumbled back two steps. Taking advantage of the recoil to bounce upward, Etemon quickly lifted its right hand, rapidly gathering a dark orb of energy—
Dark Spirits, one of Etemon's signature techniques, firing a ball of darkness capable of annihilating matter. It could be unleashed with minimal preparation, seamlessly inserted into nearly any movement combo, catching foes off-guard.
Though weaker than techniques requiring prolonged charge-ups, its strength lay in near-instant release and minimal energy consumption, allowing continuous use without strain.
By contrast, Zero's Trident Revolver packed tremendous power but couldn't withstand rapid firing without overheating even its Digizoid-reinforced barrels…
…Each had strengths matching their respective tactics. Etemon's strategy relied on fierce melee combos; a versatile skill that fit neatly into any combo was incredibly valuable.
Barely steadying himself after two backward steps, Zero saw the dark energy ball hurtling toward him. He immediately countered by spewing flames directly at it.
The flames collided head-on with the dark sphere, both attacks instantly neutralizing each other.
At once, both combatants resumed fighting stances—
Round one had seen Zero leverage his predictive calculations to dominate Etemon, but Etemon had quickly regained momentum.
Warm-up now concluded; next came the real battle.
Both combatants paused briefly, staring each other down—and simultaneously charged!
MasterTyrannomon itself evolved from a Tyrannomon tempered by countless battles, every inch transformed into a lethal weapon.
Battle-hardened scales absorbed tremendous physical impacts; razor-sharp claws rivaled legendary weapons; its thick tail swept like an iron whip; and dense muscles provided inexhaustible raw strength.
Etemon, too, represented the pinnacle achieved by puppet-type Digimon. Both combatants specialized in raw power and physical prowess, exchanging blows ferociously—
Their fists and claws blurred in collision, shockwaves booming and violently buffeting the surroundings.
Hikari and Taichi had long retreated under Drimogemon's protection. The valley's surface was stripped bare by the raging winds stirred purely by their battle, as though a sudden hurricane had erupted—with Zero and Etemon at its core.
This tempest wasn't created by special skills; merely shockwaves from their savage melee!
Zero's computational advantage meant he wasn't disadvantaged in melee. Yet after initial exchanges, Etemon astonishingly relied on sheer combat instinct to gradually match Zero's predictive maneuvers.
Such pure, battle-born instincts inspired genuine admiration—
Incredible…
Zero inwardly praised him…
Puppet-type Digimon weren't typically combat specialists, yet Etemon had shattered inherent racial limitations through relentless training.
Even in the original story, after being hurled into dark space and repeatedly destroyed and reborn, enduring torment that would drive others insane, Etemon instead used that pain to refine itself, eventually evolving to Mega and escaping.
Though a bastard in every sense, its determination deserved recognition.
Their fists clashed once more, immense force hurling them apart. Etemon flipped gracefully, landing solidly and laughing boisterously.
"Hahaha! Fantastic! Been ages since I've had this much fun!"
But evidently, Etemon wasn't the type to respect a strong opponent and forgive grudges. Powerful enemies only heightened its fighting spirit, driving it to defeat them at any cost.
Focused solely on strength, it hardly cared for weak Digimon. Its Candlemon subordinates had already perished, caught in earlier crossfire, reduced to mere data.
Thanks to Zero's intentional protection, Taichi, Hikari, and Drimogemon safely escaped unharmed.
Satisfied with the battle experience and valuable combat data gathered from Etemon, Zero knew it was now time to wrap things up—
"Time to finish this…"
MASTERTYRANNOMON—SLIDE EVOLUTION!