I'm just a diplomat. I don't have that kind of power

Footage of the monster in New York appeared on the small screens in front of the delegates at the conference. It had been filmed and uploaded by minor media outlets that had not qualified to enter the United Nations headquarters.

Between the skyscrapers stood a hulking monster with six demon wings. Its head resembled a sheep's, with enormous horns, and its entire body was blackish brown. Its eyes were bloodred, and chains encircled all four limbs.

Belphemon: Rage Mode!

Its sleeping form had been rather cute, but this Belphemon in rage mode was nothing but hideous and terrifying.

Simply standing there, it looked like an emissary of hell, a demonic beast that would destroy the world.

One roar shook New York City, shattering the skyscrapers' windows into snowflakes of glass.

In an instant, it was as though the apocalypse had arrived!

"A demon!"

"No, it's Kurata!"

Mo Si saw that the two horns on Belphemon's head glowed green.

That was a characteristic of bio-Digimon.

Ultimate-level bio-Digimon had red patches on their heads, while those at the highest, Ultimate stage had green patches.

Belphemon's horns had turned green. It had definitely become a bio-Digimon.

In the original story, however, Belphemon's horns had not changed. Apparently, the current Kurata's technology fell short of his original counterpart's.

That was also because of Mo Si. She had exposed Kurata's true colors early, leaving him ostracized in the human world and hunted in the Digital World, unable to orchestrate everything as he had in the original story.

In fact, even as Kurata used his trump card, Belphemon, to sabotage the peace talks, he had originally intended to keep his identity hidden.

After all, he had never shown Belphemon to outsiders. No one would immediately associate it with him.

He could do whatever he pleased behind the guise of Belphemon!

But he had never imagined that Mo Si, armed with the original script, would identify him at a glance.

"What? That Kurata? How did he turn into that?" the Japanese delegate asked in surprise, acting as though he knew absolutely nothing about bio-Digimon technology.

A delegate from another Asian country remarked pointedly, "According to the files, he developed bio-Digimon technology, which allows humans to fuse with Digimon and obtain their powers."

Those words left the Japanese delegate looking rather uncomfortable.

"Oh?"

Some people's eyes lit up.

Others narrowed their eyes, trying their best not to betray anything.

Bio-Digimon technology could not only grant humans the powers of Digimon, but also make people with physical impairments healthy, and even restore vitality to the elderly.

In other words, among those present, there were not only people who knew about this technology, but possibly people who had seen it firsthand or undergone the relevant procedures.

Others were focused elsewhere and asked, "Why is Kurata here?"

"He must be trying to sabotage the peace talks! Kurata no longer holds Japanese citizenship. All his actions represent him alone," the Japanese delegate hastily declared, severing any ties to avoid bearing responsibility.

"Ah! It's coming this way!"

In the footage, Belphemon was walking toward them.

Danger!

Everyone's heart tightened, and they looked hopefully at Mo Si.

Perhaps this angelic Digimon could drive away the demon and save humanity, just like the angels of legend.

Besides, she had remained calm and composed throughout the crisis. Clearly, she had something to rely on.

Mo Si shook her head. "I'm just a diplomat. I don't have the kind of power needed to stop him."

"Huh?"

Then why are you so calm?

But that no longer mattered.

"Wh-what are we supposed to do?"

Suddenly, three young people appeared in the footage with three Digimon and launched an attack on Belphemon.

They were members of New York DATS!

Ever since Digimon's existence had been confirmed ten years earlier, DATS branches had been established around the world. The more developed a region's internet technology, the more likely Digimon were to appear there, and the greater its need for DATS.

But unlike Tokyo, where Digimon appeared almost every day, New York might go an entire month without a single appearance.

The members of New York DATS consequently lacked experience. At present, they could only evolve their partners to the adult stage.

Naturally, that level of strength could not handle Belphemon.

Sure enough, they were swiftly defeated.

Next, attack helicopters were deployed!

Fighter jets were deployed too!

Bullets, shells, and missiles rained down in a furious barrage, yet none of those weapons could even penetrate Belphemon's hide.

Useless! Useless! Useless!

By contrast, Belphemon only needed to tilt its head slightly. Pitch-black flames surged from its mouth and shot into the sky. Like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, they turned every aircraft overhead into dirty bursts of fire in an instant.

Debris fell to the ground, turning New York City into a sea of flames.

The apocalypse!

Hell on earth!

"We're done for! We're done for!"

"Next, they'll probably use strategic nuclear weapons..."

"Are you kidding? Nuclear weapons, and strategic ones at that? We'd get caught in the blast, along with countless people in New York."

"Heh. Do you think the people at the top care about those numbers?"

"..."

Everyone whispered among themselves, arriving at a terrible conclusion.

Gradually, people began sighing, their faces turning pale.

Someone would surely destroy Belphemon at any cost. And everyone present, along with every resident, tourist, and homeless person currently in New York, would be that cost.

Some sat motionless, stunned; others took out their phones, hoping to make one final call to their families...

There were no screams, only silence.

Desperate silence filled the venue of the peace conference. The livestream continued, carrying that despair across the globe.

Silence!

Deathly silence, all around the world!

Mo Si thought that while a nuclear weapon might not be able to harm Belphemon, it would certainly inflict tremendous damage on her. It might even kill her outright!

So she spoke up. "If we combine everyone's strength, we might be able to defeat it."

"Everyone's strength?"

The despairing people in the conference hall brightened, then exchanged puzzled looks.

"Do we have anything like that?"

They were office workers who would struggle even to haul bricks. What strength did they have to combine?

The power to write reports? That would only come into play afterward.

Whether they could survive until afterward was still in question.

They would either die at Belphemon's hands or beneath a nuclear blast.

Of course you don't, Mo Si thought.

Although everyone possessed Digisoul, awakening it required talent.

The people before her did not have it. Perhaps they had possessed the talent to awaken their Digisoul in their reckless youth, but now they had all become jaded, listless middle-aged people.

Those without fire in their hearts could not ignite their Digisoul.

"Full-Body Reception: Venusmon Soul!"

Mo Si raised a hand and pointed. A dazzling True Magic Circle appeared above her head.

It was covered in mysterious patterns that looked impressive even to those who could not understand them.

"Oh!"

Everyone's eyes widened.

Beneath the circle's radiance, Mo Si's appearance changed, taking on a form close to Venusmon's.

"Oh!!!"

Their eyes widened further.

Actually, seen from the front, Mo Si's appearance was slightly more modest than before. Yet somehow, her charm had multiplied. If it had previously been ten, it was now a hundred, or even a thousand.

Then Mo Si lifted her blindfold.

Venusmon covered her eyes to seal away her overflowing charm.

Having received the Venusmon Soul, Mo Si had also inherited this trait of her eyes. Removing the blindfold multiplied her charm tenfold once more.

The worldwide livestream continued.

This peace conference, concerning two worlds, was the largest livestream ever held, and one that concerned humanity's future. Every public screen around the globe was broadcasting it.

Through a screen, people could not experience the full charm of the Venusmon Soul, but they could still perceive a tenth or two of it.

And the instant she removed her blindfold, it was as though people who had spent years in darkness had seen the rising sun.

Light!

"!"

Everyone who witnessed it gasped, feeling as though their bodies and souls had been cleansed.

One word: beautiful!

Two words: so beautiful!

Three words: beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!

Even her haters switched sides at that moment. Even Yggdrasil, deep within the Digital World, watching the livestream through a connection to the human world's network, felt something stir.

This Angewomon really is special.

That was what Yggdrasil thought.

Meanwhile, Mo Si spoke on-screen. "When the wills of humans and Digimon resonate, they release Digisoul. This power can lead humans and Digimon toward a bright future."

Under the influence of Ultimate Charm, everyone around the world watching the scene was filled with hope for such a future.

Then Mo Si changed tack. "But now, someone is trying to destroy our bright future!"

People across the globe flew into a rage.

Which bastard is trying to destroy my bright future with Angewomon?!

"It's him!"

Mo Si pointed to Belphemon on the small screen and continued, "Although he looks like a Digimon, the one controlling him behind the scenes is a man named Kurata Akihiro."

Kurata, you bastard!

Around the world, men and women, young and old, were all utterly furious.

Yggdrasil's emotions were not swayed. Instead, the footage was surprising. This human, Kurata, could actually command Belphemon?!

...But Belphemon is the demon lord who represents sloth. That should be incompatible with this human Kurata's personality.

Sloth was incompatible with any ambitious person.

Those who accomplished great things were diligent.

If it had been the demon lord representing greed, Barbamon, then Kurata would have been a perfect match. Together, they might even have surpassed their limits.

But what Kurata possessed was Belphemon after all. With such incompatibility, how much of Belphemon's power could he actually wield?

Mo Si's voice came through the screen again. "Everyone, don't give in to anger just yet. Give your anger to me."

Give it to her? How?

"Burn, Digisoul!"

No one in the world could remain young forever, but there would always be young people, always people whose eyes brimmed with passionate tears. They were precisely the ones most likely to awaken their Digisoul.

"Ah!"

"Ah!!"

"Ah!!!"

"Burn, my Digisoul!"

Flamelike masses of energy emerged from people all across the world.

Encouraged by Mo Si, those with talent released their Digisoul. DATS branches worldwide detected an explosive surge in digital energy readings.

"I can't believe that's possible..."

At Tokyo DATS, Captain Satsuma stared at the detection results on the screen, so overwhelmed with delight that his head spun.

"Digisoul energy readings are increasing sharply!"

Miki Kurosaki and Megumi Shirakawa dutifully reported the detection results from their operator stations.

Although each individual Digisoul energy reading was hardly strong, their combined total was an unbelievable figure.

Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions...

An immeasurably vast number!