Chapter 40: Even the Fierce Beast Wants to Become a Partner of Justice!
The night sky above the Digital World was suffocating, a thick, impenetrable ink that swallowed the stars. Ever since Devimon's reign of terror began, a heavy, oppressive dread had settled over the Village of Beginnings. Though the village's ancient magic offered a fragile sanctuary, every Digimon knew the truth: the abyss was always watching. The threat of the dark lord hung over them like the Sword of Damocles, a silent promise of impending doom.
Yet, amidst the pervasive despair, a few bizarre exceptions existed.
Case in point: the three Bakemon that Tai had previously beaten to a pulp.
When news reached them that Devimon had ruthlessly purged the entire graveyard sector—wiping out every last one of their ghostly brethren—these three Bakemon suddenly felt a deep, overwhelming wave of gratitude toward the DigiDestined. Being beaten up and taken prisoner in the Village of Beginnings was the best thing that had ever happened to them.
Now, they practically vibrated with eager fighting spirit. They had appointed themselves as Kari's personal assistants, hovering around the medical ward to help tend to the injured Digimon. Truth be told, they had originally wanted to follow Tai. But the goggle-wearing boy had bluntly called them "too ugly to look at," leaving them no choice but to pivot to his little sister. Kari, with her boundless gentle empathy, didn't care about their spooky, jagged-toothed appearances.
"Good, good, good~!"
"Great, great, great~!"
"Why are the DigiDestined so wonderful?"
"Why are the DigiDestined so magnificent?"
Over the past few days, the self-proclaimed 'Three Bakemon Brothers' had completely rewritten their haunting chants. Their newfound joy was magnified a hundredfold when they compared it to their past lives under Devimon's tyrannical rule. Oh, the sheer misery of that existence! They had been worked to the ectoplasm without a single scrap of compensation, forced into the most grueling, soul-crushing labor imaginable.
And now? Sure, the medical ward was busy, but fluffing pillows and carrying bandages was a vacation compared to building dark spires. Best of all, they were actually getting paid! Aegiochusmon—the newly evolved form of Elecmon—had been handing out actual food rations as wages.
This, they thought, is the life a Digimon was meant to live!
Overflowing with sycophantic zeal, the three ghosts floated over to Kari, their jagged mouths stretched into wide, ingratiating grins.
"Hehehe~ Lady Kari, our rounds are complete!"
"Do you require anything else of your humble servants?"
"Just say the word! We'd gladly offer up our wives, our mothers, and our children for your sake!"
The lead Bakemon paused, his hollow yellow eyes blinking in sudden confusion. "Wait a minute... do we even have wives, mothers, or children?"
The second ghost scratched his white cloth head. "No, idiot. We hatched from Digi-Eggs. We don't have mothers."
As for wives? The three ghosts exchanged awkward glances. They didn't exactly have the anatomy for that.
Kari stared at the three floating ghosts, a helpless sigh escaping her lips. She wanted to tell them they were being a bit too loud and getting in the way, but her sweet nature simply wouldn't allow her to be harsh.
Instead, the young girl offered a soft, exasperated smile. "I don't have anything else for you to do right now, guys. If your chores are finished, please go get some rest. Don't push yourselves too hard, okay?"
It was a gentle dismissal, as polite as humanly possible. Unfortunately, the Bakemon Brothers lacked the basic social programming to understand subtlety. Instead of leaving, Kari's genuine concern acted like a spark to dry tinder, igniting their dramatic passion all over again.
"See?! The DigiDestined are absolute saints!"
"Thank you for worrying about us, Lady Kari!"
"But we are Ghost-type Digimon!"
"Ghost-types don't need sleep! We never get tired!"
Kari's smile strained at the edges. "Ah... haha..."
As the three ghosts began to harmonize in a bizarre, off-key song about their endless stamina, Kari's polite facade threatened to crack. But before she could try to dismiss them again, the temperature in the courtyard plummeted.
A voice—smooth, cold, and dripping with malice—slithered out from the surrounding shadows.
"Oh? Is that so? Then why is it that when you worked for me, you never displayed such... diligence?"
The air froze. Every Digimon in the vicinity stiffened, an icy spike of pure terror driving straight through their DigiCores.
Panic erupted, but a few quick-thinking veterans reacted instantly.
"It's him! Devimon!"
"Protect Lady Kari!"
"Form a perimeter! Move!"
These were the patients Kari had tirelessly tended to over the past few days. Despite the primal, paralyzing fear radiating from the dark lord, their gratitude overrode their instincts. Roaring battle cries to mask their terror, they threw themselves at the towering, bat-winged silhouette stepping out of the ink-black night.
Leading the desperate charge were three formidable Champion-level Digimon: Mojyamon, Meramon, and Shellmon!
Yet, as the trio launched their coordinated assault, Devimon didn't even blink. He didn't bother to adopt a fighting stance. With a casual, almost lazy sweep of his elongated arm, a shockwave of dark energy erupted outward.
The impact was devastating.
"Guh—!"
"Aaagh!"
The three Champions were swatted aside like annoying insects, crashing heavily into the dirt.
"How... how is he this strong?!" Meramon gasped, his flames flickering weakly as he struggled to rise.
Devimon ignored their groans of pain. His glowing crimson eyes were locked entirely on the small, trembling human girl standing behind the three Bakemon.
"Bakemon," Devimon purred, his voice a lethal whisper. "I am feeling generous. I will give you one chance. Hand over the child, and I promise I will not punish you for your little... betrayal."
"We... we..." The three ghosts trembled violently, their white sheets rippling in terror. The oppressive aura of their former master was suffocating. Hand her over? Go back to the dark spires?
They looked at each other, their hollow eyes communicating a silent, desperate conversation. Then, their expressions hardened.
"Hey! What are you doing?! Put me down!" Kari yelped in surprise as the third Bakemon suddenly scooped her up in its cloth arms and rapidly floated backward, putting distance between her and the fallen angel.
The remaining two Bakemon spun around, placing themselves squarely between Devimon and the retreating girl.
"Devimon! Do you honestly think we'd ever trust a word you say?!" the lead ghost shrieked, his voice losing its comedic pitch, replaced by raw defiance.
"You slaughtered our brethren in the graveyard! We're going to avenge them!"
"We will never hand Lady Kari over to a monster like you!"
"The old Three Bakemon Brothers are dead! From this day forward, we are the champions of justice! The Three Bakemon Rangers!"
"Eat this, you oversized bat!"
"[Hell's Hand]!"
Giant, rotting, spectral claws erupted from beneath their white sheets, swiping viciously toward Devimon's chest.
Spurred on by the sheer audacity of the cowardly ghosts, the three fallen Champions forced themselves back up. Roaring in unison, they unleashed their signature techniques at the dark lord's exposed flanks.
"[Bone Boomerang]!" Mojyamon hurled a massive, spinning femur that cut through the air with a deadly whistle.
"[Burning Fist]!" Meramon thrust his arms forward, launching a concentrated sphere of white-hot fire.
"[Hydro Blaster]!" Shellmon unleashed a roaring, high-pressure torrent of water from the top of his shell.
Five Champion-level attacks converged on Devimon from all sides. For the first time, the dark lord's arrogant smirk vanished, replaced by a deep, ugly scowl of sheer impatience.
"I only came for the child," Devimon sneered, his voice dropping into a demonic register. "But since you pathetic insects are so eager to die, I will gladly oblige!"
The tattered, leathery wings draped around his shoulders snapped open with the sound of tearing canvas. Dark energy surged down his arms, his elongated fingers stretching into razor-sharp talons.
"[Death Claw]!"
A blinding flash of crimson light tore through the darkness. The air itself seemed to scream as Devimon's claws ripped through the incoming attacks, shattering the fire, water, bone, and spectral energy in a single, devastating sweep. The shockwave caught all five Digimon, sending them hurtling backward into the dirt, groaning in defeat.
Yet, Devimon did not smile at his victory. Instead, his crimson eyes narrowed, his gaze locking onto a new figure standing amidst the swirling dust.
"Elecmon..." Devimon hissed, genuine surprise bleeding into his tone. "When did you evolve?!"
"Devimon! This is the Village of Beginnings! I will not allow your darkness to taint this sacred ground!"
Standing tall and resolute was Aegiochusmon. The Ultimate-level Digimon had arrived just in the nick of time, physically shoving the five Champions out of the direct path of the Death Claw, saving their DigiCores from being instantly crushed.
Aegiochusmon glared at the towering embodiment of evil, his golden eyes burning with righteous fury. The memories of the corrupted Digimon, the shattered eggs, and the terrorized village fueled his power.
"You showed up at the perfect time, Devimon. Today, we settle all our debts—old and new!"
"[Iron Trust]!"
Moving with blinding speed, Aegiochusmon deflected a follow-up swipe from Devimon's elongated arm. Pivoting on his heel, he channeled crackling energy into his powerful goat-like legs and delivered a devastating, high-speed kick directly into Devimon's abdomen.
The impact echoed like a thunderclap. Caught completely off guard by the sheer physical force of an Ultimate-level strike, Devimon gasped, his massive frame launched backward through the air!
Before the dark angel could even hit the ground, the night sky was illuminated by a blinding, searing heat. A massive, roaring sphere of superheated fire shot past Aegiochusmon, hurtling straight toward the airborne Devimon.
"[Mega Flame]!"
"Devimon! You stay the hell away from my sister!"
It was Tai. The goggle-wearing boy sprinted into the courtyard, his face twisted in absolute fury. Beside him towered Greymon, smoke still billowing from the dinosaur's massive jaws. They had heard the explosions and rushed over at breakneck speed.
Still being shielded by the third Bakemon, Kari peered around the ghost's white cloth. Seeing the broad, dependable backs of her older brother and Greymon, the suffocating knot of anxiety in her chest finally began to loosen.
"Tai... everyone..."
But the sweet-natured girl didn't allow herself to relax. Her eyes darted to the cratered ground where Mojyamon, Meramon, Shellmon, and the two brave Bakemon lay groaning. Ignoring the lingering danger, she slipped out of her spectral bodyguard's grasp and sprinted toward her fallen protectors, her heart aching for the Digimon who had risked everything to keep her safe.
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