It was dusk.
The afterglow of the setting sun stained the horizon red.
"What a strange sight..."
In her dorm room, Mo Si gazed at the sunset outside her window and sighed in wonder.
The sunset was beautiful, of course, but it happened every day. It was hardly enough to make her marvel at its strangeness.
But if someone saw the setting sun sink upward into the horizon, they would have to admit it was quite a sight.
That was exactly what Mo Si was seeing.
The sun was setting upward!
This spectacle wasn't caused by some upheaval in heaven and earth. Her perspective was simply upside down.
She was in her Blood Queen form, standing upside down on the ceiling with her head below her feet.
From a distance, she looked like a bat hanging from the ceiling!
That was why the sunset appeared upside down to her.
Yet even as she stood on the ceiling, her beautiful golden hair still extended toward her waist rather than hanging in the direction of actual gravity.
This was a strange ability granted by the Myotismon Soul. As though chakra clung to her feet, she could stand on any surface she wanted, walking on ceilings and walls as easily as level ground.
Even water worked. She had tested it in the bathtub.
Since she could fly, standing on walls, ceilings, or water wasn't particularly useful. Still, being able to do it meant her control over her Blood Queen form had improved further.
Every bit of progress was worth celebrating.
"Take Over Magic, release!"
She flipped back down to the floor and released her transformation at the same time. Warmth spread through her body as her power changed from darkness back to holy power.
She raised her right hand, and a ball of purple light appeared in her palm.
This was holy power.
The holy power spun and shifted in her palm, changing just a little faster than before.
"My control has improved too." Mo Si smiled in satisfaction.
Angewomon said, "You might be able to learn that move now."
"Which move?" Mo Si asked.
"Holy Bubble," Angewomon said.
"Hmm... let's eat first."
There was no rush to learn a skill, nor could she master one in an instant. Mo Si left her room and headed to the DATS cafeteria.
It was mealtime, and quite a few people were in the cafeteria, including researchers in white coats and Digimon such as Etemon and Mushroomon. Thomas H. Norstein, Yoshino Fujieda, Miki Kurosaki, and Megumi Shirakawa, however, were nowhere to be seen.
Mo Si assumed they had already eaten and thought nothing of it. She ordered a serving of Digimon Food.
After finishing her meal, she headed to the Command Room.
The moment she opened the door, she saw everyone's grave expressions.
Even Marcus Damon was frowning, his face tense.
The sound of the door drew everyone's attention. When they turned and saw that it was Mo Si coming in, disappointment crossed their faces.
"What's wrong?" Mo Si asked in confusion.
Marcus Damon in particular looked so miserable. Was that really an expression a hotheaded brute like him should be wearing?
"We're waiting for authorization," Yoshino Fujieda said.
"What authorization?" Mo Si asked.
"Authorization to deploy."
The video evidence Saint had sent had been submitted two hours earlier. But with so much at stake, Commander Hashiba, DATS's direct superior, and the director of DATS had gone together to persuade the higher-ups.
Those big shots had convened a meeting to discuss it, but there was still no decision.
"They're that inefficient?" Mo Si sneered.
The big shots upstairs had finally started holding them back. Truly... a time-honored tradition.
People who sat in offices had no understanding of the urgency on the front lines.
Grumbling inwardly, Mo Si looked at Kudamon. Couldn't they act first and report afterward?
Although Kudamon couldn't see Mo Si's eyes, he still felt her gaze and imagined the burning look she must be giving him.
Had he still been in the mood Mo Si had goaded him into yesterday, Kudamon probably wouldn't have stayed here waiting for authorization.
But now Kudamon had calmed down. He suppressed his impulses and chose to put the bigger picture first.
If they succeeded this time, they could open the way for peaceful coexistence between the two worlds!
Still, Mo Si's silent challenge reminded Kudamon of himself yesterday, so he explained, "We wait to secure a better victory."
Mo Si knew that, at this point, all she could do was wait a little longer.
After all, Kudamon was their main force in the operation against Kurata. His decision was what mattered.
About three minutes later, a voice came through the computer. "DATS, deploy!"
The speaker sounded elderly, but his voice was charged with passion, like a general about to lead a charge.
"Finally!"
Marcus Damon straightened up and rubbed his hands together, looking ready to burst into flames.
Thomas H. Norstein sighed helplessly.
Yoshino Fujieda shrugged. "Marcus, we're handling logistics."
Marcus Damon's face froze. Right. They couldn't take part in this operation.
Damn it!
This sucks!
But they weren't strong enough yet. There was nothing they could do about it.
"Go, Kudamon."
Captain Satsuma strode outside DATS headquarters and took out his Digivice.
"Digisoul, beyond the limit!"
Kudamon leaped high into the air. In a blaze of dazzling light, the little fox half a meter long transformed into a massive beast resembling a centaur clad in red armor.
A crossbow was mounted on his left hand and a shield on his right, while six iron hooves supported his equine body.
Sleipmon!
Ultimate level, Vaccine attribute, Holy Knight type!
"That's an Ultimate..."
Marcus Damon, Thomas H. Norstein, Yoshino Fujieda, and the others who had followed Captain Satsuma outside stared in stunned disbelief.
This was their first time seeing an Ultimate.
They had never imagined such a powerful Digimon had been beside them all along!
As a Digimon, Mo Si had sharper senses than humans and could perceive much more.
The Sleipmon before her was no ordinary Ultimate. He was one of the Royal Knights, emissaries of the god of the Digital World. Even among Ultimates, his power was exceptional-the difference between a first-rate fighter and a peerless master.
Simply standing there without doing anything, Sleipmon radiated the presence of a mighty warrior.
So powerful!
Meanwhile, Saint was having a much worse time.
Having become an ally of justice, Saint was already prepared to die. But if he could avoid it, he naturally hoped to stay safe and preserve his life so he could continue devoting himself to the Path of the Saints.
However...
"Get in, Saint."
Kurata brought Saint into a secret room, pointed at a capsule inside, and spoke.
The capsule was made of glass and filled with clear liquid.
Saint was familiar with it. This was the Modification Capsule used to implant Digimon.
Put simply, it was a surgical tool.
Though Kurata was a thoroughly evil man, he kept his promises. If he said he would give someone power, he did. Now, he intended to implant a stronger Digimon into Saint.
However!
Saint, whose heart was devoted to the Path of the Saints, was in no hurry to gain power.
Earlier, he had gone to an empty stretch of the Digital World and bombarded it under the pretense of venting his anger. He had hoped to buy time, thinking Kurata would have been arrested or even eliminated by the time he returned.
Yet when he came back, Kurata was perfectly fine.
No one had attacked at all!
What the hell was DATS doing? Why were they taking so long?
Even with his heart devoted to the Path of the Saints, Saint had nearly burst into a stream of curses.
Outwardly, he could only keep playing his former self and follow Kurata to the Modification Capsule.
"Saint, what's wrong?" Kurata asked, puzzled by his hesitation.
Saint knew he would be in danger if he was exposed, so he had no choice but to strip off his clothes and jump into the Modification Capsule.
The capsule was full of liquid, yet he could still breathe inside it.
With his hands in his pockets, Kurata smiled. "Before implanting your new power, we need to extract the Thunderbirdmon inside you. It'll itch a little, so bear with it."
Itch?
No, that was putting it mildly.
In truth, the pain felt like having his bones torn out and his tendons ripped free.
"Aah!"
As his agonized screams rang out, the liquid in the Modification Capsule gradually turned from clear to red.
Ten minutes later, the extraction was complete!
"..." Saint's face darkened, his eyes gleaming viciously.
It wasn't just Thunderbirdmon that had been extracted, but Chirinmon's spiritual energy as well.
That meant Saint had become scum again.
His memories, however, hadn't vanished. He clearly remembered everything he had experienced at DATS headquarters, and it filled him with fury. "Kudamon! You bastard! How dare you control me!"
"Huh?" Kurata froze, utterly baffled.
What the hell had gotten into him?
Before you continue