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Chapter Text

Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi was in a bad mood. This was nothing new, of course, the captain was almost always in a bad mood unless he was discovering something new or proving his superiority to a foe in a display of power and sadism. However, this particular mood was worse than usual, which was understandable given the circumstances.

“I hereby call this meeting of the Gotei 13 to order,” Captain-Commander Yamamoto punctuated his proclamation with a thump of his walking stick against the floor, which echoed through the building. Standing in this hall were the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13, some of the most powerful people in the three worlds, and none of them were happy. The dust was barely settling from the war with the traitor Sosuke Aizen and now some new crisis has reared its head.

“The first order of business. Captain Kurotsuchi, have you made any progress on determining the nature of the soul disappearance phenomenon?”

Mayuri gritted his teeth. Once again, he was forced to stand in front of the squads and admit he had no idea why souls were disappearing from the cycle of reincarnation upon leaving Soul Society for the world of the living.

“I still have not determined the cause of the phenomenon,” he said through clenched teeth. “I have ruled out hollow activity, the souls becoming trapped in a Valley of Screams, and even Quincy activity. I have even considered the possibility of an incursion from hell, but all my hypotheses have been disproven.”

“What does that leave?” asked the Captain-Commander.

“I don’t know,” admitted Mayuri. “This phenomenon is completely unprecedented. If you would agree to my proposal, I could directly observe what is happening to these souls.”

Yamamoto paused for a moment to consider, then nodded. “Very well. Given the danger this phenomenon poses to the cycle of souls, your proposal is approved.”

“Thank you, Captain Commander,” Mayuri felt a sense of satisfaction that almost made the remainder of the meeting’s pointless discussions tolerable. He could already feel the anticipation that came with putting together the final steps of an experiment and knowing that soon, answers would be his. 

Rukon district 67 was unremarkable in every sense of the word. The slums here were indistinguishable from those of any other district this far out and no Shinigami of any particular renown had emerged from the rabble living here for as far back as Mayuri cared to check. Tonight, however, the place would enter the annals of Soul Society’s history. As midnight passed, the few souls still awake would see a fog rolling in. They would probably think nothing of it, though this particular weather phenomenon was thoroughly unnatural. Drifting in the fog were thousands of microscopic machines designed to be inhaled. Once inside the body, they would attach to the soul and remain present even through reincarnation. It was then that the fog’s secondary property would activate. 

By morning, district 67 would be devoid of human life. 

Back in his laboratory, Mayuri Kurotsuchi watched the redout of several computer screens, modifications to his brain allowing him to focus on multiple sources of information simultaneously. The sacrifice of a Rukon district was necessary, though only Mayuri, devoid of such useless restrictions as “morality” would be willing to suggest and carry out the task. Yes, there would be some slight instability in the cycle of souls due to so many reincarnating at once and Japan would experience an unexpected baby boom, but as long as the Shinigami did their jobs, the problems would be smoothed over within a few decades. 

Data began streaming in as the souls of district 67 began to die and return to the paths of Konso. As expected, the vast majority of them traveled to the world of the living to settle in their new bodies and once again begin life as humans. Those ones weren’t what Mayuri was looking for. He had chosen to annihilate an entire Rukon district to ensure that, statistically speaking, at least a few of the souls would undergo the disappearance phenomenon. This time, he would be able to track those souls and see what was happening to them. 

“Curious.” Nemu, standing ever vigilant, did not respond to her captain and father thinking out loud. If he wanted a response from her, he would demand it. “The souls appear to be reaching the world of the living before they disappear. Yet the manner of their vanishing is unclear and does not match hollow predation or any known Fullbringer ability. Perhaps if I modify the hollow detection program I can better track their progress…” he trailed off and he typed on the keyboard for a while.

“What?” 

Nemu quickly turned to look at her father. For her, this may have well been a shout of surprise. She had never heard her father sound so utterly bewildered. 

Mayuri began pacing around the room, muttering to himself. “Human technology… that advanced? Artificial life… akin to a gigai? No, that doesn’t make sense… requires further observation…”

Nemu was desperately curious to find out what could have left her father in such a state, but she knew better than to ask him. Speaking out of turn was one of his largest pet peeves and had earned her punishment on more than one occasion. Despite her curiosity, she had no choice but to wait. 

At last, Mayuri stopped his pacing and addressed her. “Nemu, obtain a hell butterfly and prepare an expedition team. Do not mention any of this to anyone outside the division. Let them think we are still investigating the soul disappearances. I will confirm my hypothesis in person first.”

“Yes, father,” said Nemu. Then, she took a risk. Mayuri may backhand her for this, but her curiosity got the better of her. “What hypothesis are you testing?”

Fortunately, Mayuri was not in the mood for violence at the moment and almost absentmindedly answered her. “It seems the humans have managed to do within a few decades what a  thousand years of Shinigami history could not and made a new world.”

Soul Society runs on tradition and order. Everything has its place and everything is done a certain way. For example, the knowledge of the creation of a Senkaimon, the gateway between Soul Society and the world of the living that bypasses the Dangai, is exclusively meant for members of the Kido Corps. However, Captain Kurotsuchi cared about tradition even less than he cared about the wellbeing of his subordinates and learned how to make one anyway.

“Err, Captain, is that safe?” Akon and a group of four other members of Division 12 stared at a very strange Senkaimon. The usual shoji door had been covered, some might say mutilated, with bizarre machinery. 

“Of course it’s safe,” snapped Mayuri, “I built it.” He stood on one side of the door. On the other, stood Nemu. She held a jar containing a hell butterfly, which itself had similar modifications as the Senkaimon. 

Mayori turned to address the gathered expeditionary force hand-picked by Nemu. “I have modified this Senkaimon and hell butterfly to alter the destination. Rather than traveling to the human world, we will be going to a new realm that is within yet separate from the world of the living. Our bodies will also be converted from reishi to a form of information that world is made of. And before any of you start babbling about safety, I sent a basic mod soul through and it came back intact.”

Several members of the group did visibly relax after the last comment, but Akon remained serious. “You think this world is related to the soul disappearances?”

“I do,” replied the captain. “I believe that souls that should be going to humans are instead ending up in this data world and ensouling beings that exist there instead. For reasons I have yet to determine, those souls are not being returned to the cycle. The purpose of this expedition is to learn about this new world. And me explaining things to you idiots is wasting valuable time. Let’s go.”

Nemu released the hell butterfly from its jar and the seven members of Division 12 followed it through the modified Senkaimon. The usual corridor of light was marked with strange geometric shapes and scrolling numerals of translucent blue. The passage through the Senkaimon took longer than usual, but just as some of those present started to worry that something had gone wrong, the exit appeared and the scientists stepped into a world no Shinigami had ever seen before.

The sky was a strange greenish-blue and covered with green lines in the shape of a grid and clouds of unnatural colors. The land was similarly segmented, looking as though someone had cut up multiple landscapes and stitched them together. Here there was a forest of colossal trees that abruptly transitioned into a desert, which was terminated in a perfectly straight line by a set of ruins from wildly different human cultures and times surrounding a lake in the shape of an equilateral triangle. From between land and sky flowed streams of numbers and unknown characters.

Just as bizarre were the inhabitants of this new world. Even standing atop a high cliff, the Shinigami could see flocks of flaming birds, a living jet plane, and a serpentine dragon with a skull-like face flying through the segmented sky. On the ground below a herd of bright orange dinosaurs wandered through a pink grassland while something the Shinigami had assumed to be a line of small volcanoes stood up and walked away.

“Are you going to stand around gawking or are you going to get to work?” the angry voice of Captain Kurotsuchi snapped his subordinates out of their stupor. He pointed down at a segment of land near the base of the cliff marked with a forest of neon signs. “There appears to be a settlement there. Bring me some of the native creatures and don’t take long. I will be vivisecting something today. Try to ensure it isn’t you.”

Four of the Shinigami apologized and quickly dropped off of the cliff toward the village below. Only Nemu and Akon remained with Mayuri. Mayuri cocked an eyebrow at Akon. “Well? Out with it.”

“Captain, you said this was a data world made of information and that the humans created it. Are you implying what I think you’re implying?”

Mayuri’s grin grew wider. “Indeed I am. We are currently inside humanity’s global computer network. A world shaped by computer data. A Digital World, you might call it.”

Chapter Text

Sistermon Ciel relaxed in the branches of a tree, examining her nails after a hard day at work touring the Digital World. Like her sisters Blanc and Noir, she helped out the legendary Royal Knights, though she was more of a loner than the other two, who preferred to stick with Hack- no, it’s Jesmon now. Fortunately, this particular region of the Digital World seemed relatively quiet, so there was no harm in taking a good night’s sleep.

No sooner had Ciel thought that than the tree began to vibrate. At first subtly, but then becoming violent. 

“What the- woah!” Ciel was shaken clear off of the branch and landed in a heap on the ground. Grumbling in discomfort, she looked up to see a veritable parade of Digimon moving past, all looking concerned and afraid.

“Woah! What’s going on here?” Ciel, jumping in front of a Monochromon to get it to stop. The dinosaur Digimon was pulling a cart that held a group of small Digimon.

“Monsters!” declared Monochromon. “The monsters are coming from Index Mountain and kidnapping innocent Digimon!”

“It’s horrible,” said one of Monochromon’s passengers, a Burgermon. “They’ve taken over Neon Forest and set up some kind of encampment. None of the Digimon they kidnap ever come back.”

“A group of some of our fighters tried to attack, but they were killed,” added a Pillomon passenger.

“Least they managed to take a few of the monsters down with them,” said Monochromon, bitterly. “Weird thing is though, the dead ones didn’t turn into data. They just, uh, stayed there and stopped moving. Never seen anything like it.”

Ciel frowned. Monsters that kidnap Digimon and aren’t reborn as Digi-eggs when they die? She had never heard of anything like that before, but clearly they were up to no good. 

“Don’t worry, everyone,” she announced loudly. “I work with the Royal Knights. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

There was muttering amongst the crowd at the mention of the Royal Knights and Monochromon spoke up again. “I hope you’re right, but something big is coming. I feel it in my code. I just hope by the time it’s over, us little folks haven’t been trampled on.”

Sistermon Ciel bid the fleeing Digimon farewell and took off in the direction they were coming from. All thought of sleep was banished from her mind. There was work to be done.

At her top speed, it took Sistermon Ciel almost an hour to reach her destination and by then, the sun had all but vanished over the horizon. Fortunately, the multicolored glow of hundreds of neon signs let her preserve her night vision. Hiding behind a rock, the stealthiest of the Sistermon sisters looked out at the remains of what had once been a village. The place had been razed to the ground and replaced with a small tent city. Moving among the tents and tending to strange machines were the monsters the refugees had spoken of. 

They shared her body plan: two arms, two legs, a head each with no tails or wings. However there was far too much variation between them for them to all be the same species of Digimon. Their facial features were all different, ranging from subtle variations of eye color and shape to some of them having wildly different colors and shapes of hair. They were also different heights and many had body plans akin to a wingless Angemon while others were closer to a wingless Angewomon. While they all wore black robes and a sheathed sword, much of their attire was personalized to some extent. Were they a new Digimon species with much more variation than most or were they something else entirely?

As Ciel watched, one of the monsters approached a pair of others. It pulled a wheeled cage behind it that contained an imprisoned Shoemon that was unsuccessfully trying to kick its way through the bars.

“Another one?” Asked one of the pair of monsters.

“Mhmm,” muttered the one with the cage. “The captain requested one of the more artificial-looking ones for the next vivisection. He’s been going through them like crazy.”

“I think he can at least conclude these ‘Digimon’ all have lungs,” said the only one that hadn’t spoken yet. “They certainly can scream while he’s cutting them open.”

Ciel’s grip tightened on her sword. It sounded like the monsters were torturing innocent Digimon! She couldn’t let them get away with that. That’s not what Gankoomon would do.

Well Gankoomon would charge in bellowing as loud as possible and start knocking heads together. She would take a stealthier approach.

As the cage-puller passed the other two, Ciel snuck behind them, her sword drawn. “Shirotsume Ichimonji-Giri,” she whispered and one of the two was cut nearly in half before it could respond.The other one started, but before it could yell out, a hidden knife popped out of Ciel’s sleeve and embedded itself in the monster’s eye, causing it to twitch and fall to the ground.

Unfortunately, Monochromon was right about the creatures not dissolving after death, forcing Ciel to stuff their limp bodies behind a sign before following the cage-puller.

“Byakusai,” two throwing knives hit the cage-puller, one each in the head and back of the neck, and it promptly collapsed. Shushing the surprised Shoemon, Ciel quickly patted the body of the cage-puller down and retrieved a key ring. 

“Go straight that way and don’t stop until you reach the woods,” she whispered to Shoemon after opening the cage. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“Bakudo #4: Haniwa!” Yelled several voices. Golden glowing ropes shot out from behind the signs and lashed around Ciel, quickly wrapping her up and holding her in place. 

“Congratulations,” out from their hiding places stepped a new set of monsters. Three of them had the glowing ropes extending from their hands while another two stood by them. One of them had robes cut to expose its legs and a body with the proportions of BeelStarmon, though much plainer in features. The other, however, looked positively monstrous. Its face was different from the others, black and white with a lipless grin and something that could be horns or a bizarre headdress covering the top of its head. It wore a second white robe over the usual black ones. It spoke again. “You managed to get farther into my research station than any of those brutes the other day did. It seems there are those among you Digimon who can prioritize brains over brawn after all.”

“Who are you?” demanded Sistermon Ciel as she struggled against her bonds. 

“I hardly think you are in the position to ask questions. As for me, I will enjoy interrogating you. I have so many drugs and methods of torture that need testing on data lifeforms. Bring it to my lab,” the monster turned to leave and the three binding Ciel began to pull her along.

Some Digimon may have fallen into despair or fought utility against the superior numbers of these monsters. But Sistermon Ciel was no ordinary Digimon. She was a special agent trained by and loyal to the Royal Knight Gankoomon. 

“Sistermon Ciel… Awaken!”

The glowing power of Ciel’s mode change blasted the golden ropes clear off her and sent the three monsters holding them flying. When the light faded, there stood Ciel, now taller, her face covered by her wimple and her torso exposed and bearing the glowing symbol of the stigmata. This was normally the form she took to fight, but today, her mission was different. Quick as a flash, she scooped Shoemon into one arm and fled. In two great leaps, she almost cleared the edge of the Neon Forest. One more leap and she would be away into the night.

Out of nowhere, the creature that had been standing by their leader, the one with the legs and large chest, appeared in midair in front of her, one leg raised. In one downward swing, its heel crashed into Ciel’s head, sending her crashing into the ground. Ciel rose to her feet, spitting up gravel, as the monster landed in front of her.

“Run,” Ciel whispered to Shoemon, who she then released. She then stepped up to the leggy creature, sword extended in challenge. “I am Sistermon Ciel, loyal servant of Gankoomon of the Royal Knights, protector of the Digital World! Who are you?”

The creature cocked its head to one side. “I am Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi of division 12 of the Gotei 13.” Its voice was far more pleasant than the other one’s, but was flat and seemed to lack emotion. 

“Why are you doing this?” demanded Ciel. “Who are you people?”

“I have been ordered to retrieve you by my captain and father,” replied Nemu. Then, in a flash, she was right in front of Ciel and landing a punch right in the Sistermon’s side, sending her flying into some nearby signs where she lay still.

Nemu approached the unconscious Digimon, ready to take it to her father. She reached down when suddenly-

“Tohhō!” Ciel kicked out, hidden blades popping out of her shoes and stabbing into Nemu’s thighs. For the first time in their encounter, Nemu emoted, gasping in pain.

Ciel leapt to her feet. “Shirotsume Ichimonji-Giri!” she declared as she swung her sword, but the enemy was suddenly far out of reach.

“Hado #31: Shakkahō,” Nemu pointed her finger and a burst of red Kido shot toward Ciel, who was forced to dodge. Nemu prepared another burst, when a sudden blow to the back of her head knocked her off-balance.

Ciel’s eyes widened as she saw Shoemon bounce off of Nemu’s head, unbalancing the startled lieutenant. Not wasting the opportunity, she dashed forward sword in motion. “Shirotsume Ichimonji-Giri!” Her sword slashed and Nemu’s leg fell to the ground, severed. 

For a second, Ciel thought she should finish the job and decapitate her enemy, who lay moaning on the ground and trying to staunch the flow of blood, but the sound of feet hitting the pavement and Shoemon landing on the ground reminded her that she had a greater mission. 

“Just because your boss tells you to do something evil doesn’t mean you actually should,” Ciel spat toward Nemu before picking up the Shoemon and disappearing into the night. As lower-ranking members of the division surrounded her, she allowed herself to lapse into unconsciousness, dreading her father’s reaction to her failure. 

At least I managed to get some tracker microbes into her , thought the Lieutenant as darkness took her. 

Sistermon Ciel didn’t stop running for miles and miles, until she caught up with the refugee caravan. Dropping off Shoemon with the grateful refugees, she politely refused their offer for shelter. Though she was tired and hungry after the fight, she had one more thing she needed to do before passing out. 

Traveling to one of the streams of characters that flowed from sky to land, Ciel took a breath and walked in. Using the data streams that flowed through the Digital World was risky. She was intermingling her pitiful quantity of data with the very stuff of the Digital World itself. Like a pebble in the path of a flood, she ran the risk of being washed away, destroyed by the vast flow of data. However, for someone in her profession, using the data streams was necessary. 

Ciel allowed her data to reach through the stream while keeping herself intact through sheer willpower. In an instant, she was everywhere in the Digital World at once. It would be so easy to let go, allow herself to dissolve and be lost, but she refused. Searching out one data signature amongst the countless individual Digimon that filled the Digital World was not easy, but Ciel was intimately familiar with the one she sought out. When she and her sisters were urchins on the street, staring and desperate, he had come to save them and she owed him her undying loyalty. WIth that kind of connection, it was no surprise that she located Gankoomon quickly.

“Hey, old man,” said the Sistermon to the Royal Knight, “We have a problem.”

Chapter Text

It had ultimately taken a summons by the Captain-Commander himself, delivered through the modified Sekaimon by a quivering unseated officer, to pull Mayuri away from his studies of the Digital World. While he was never happy to be interrupted while in the middle of his work, Mayuri was in a particularly bad mood today. The deaths of three of his officers to the Digimon Sistermon Ciel had set back his studies and cost him two valuable research subjects. At the very least, Nemu’s leg had been easy to reattach, though the girl was still recovering from his punishment for losing the battle. He did at least concede that the tracker microbes she has managed to infect the Digimon with could prove useful. At the very least, they would give Division 12 plenty of warning should it choose to return. 

The only thing that could salvage this day in Mayuri’s eyes was the chance to lord his superior intellect over the buffoons who shared his rank in the Gotei 13.

“I call this meeting of the Gotei 13 to order,” declared Yamamoto, predictably punctuating his statement with another thump of his walking stick. “To begin, has any progress been made regarding the soul disappearances?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” replied Mayuri, causing everyone else in the hall to look his way. “I have discovered that souls leaving Soul Society have become redirected to a new artificial world existing within human computing technology and have begun ensouling the lifeforms there.”

There was a brief pause, then the hall burst into a flurry of noise as almost everyone present began talking at once. 

“Impossible!” “How could this happen?” “Are they strong?” “What the hell?”

“SILENCE!” The voice of Captain-Commander Yamamoto cut the din short. He then looked back at Mayuri. “How can you be sure of this?”

“I’ve been there,” Mayuri responded. “I’ve confirmed that the lifeforms, Digimon they call themselves, do possess human souls. Furthermore, their souls follow a cycle of reincarnation as well, but entirely within their Digital World. Upon the death of a Digimon its body dissolves into raw data, the Reishi of that world, and reconstitutes itself as an egg from which a new Digimon with the same soul emerges. Thus, souls may enter the Digital world, but once there they do not leave to return to the cycle of souls.”

“You found this out in your usual manner, I take it?” there was a tone of disapproval in Captain Ukitake’s voice that Mayuri discarded as irrelevant. 

“Indeed. I have set up a research station in the Digital World for eight days now and have examined many of the locals thoroughly.”

“So much for diplomacy,” muttered Captain Kyoraku in a voice he probably thought was too low for Mayuri to hear. 

“You should have come straight to me with this information,” Yamamoto admonished Mayuri. “But for now, we must decide what to do about this situation. Is there a way to return these souls to the cycle?”

Mayuri shrugged. “I have a few ideas, but nothing definitive yet. I do suspect that souls have been entering the Digital World for far longer than we realized. It is likely thanks to advances in human technology that the Digital World has grown large and populous enough for the quantity of souls it takes up to become noticeable to us.”

“Screw all of that, are they strong?” Captain Zaraki’s voice cut into the conversation.

Mayuri rolled his eyes at the muscle-brained idiot that called himself a captain. “Some are. They progress through a life cycle of multiple levels with distinct physiologies and abilities. Similarly to the life cycle of a Menos Grande, it is often through battles that a Digimon will level up, though consuming each other is not required. I have cataloged five levels, though I suspect there is another. An average digimon of level four would be a match for a seated officer. One of level five would be a match for a lieutenant. If, as I suspect, level six Digimon exist, they would be captain-level or even more powerful. Multiple Digimon I interrogated mentioned a group they call the Royal Knights, guardians of the Digital World I suspect to be among the most powerful of their kind.”

Zaraki’s grin widened at the mention of the level Six Digimon and Royal Knights.

“Before you jump in and start fighting, we should think things through,” interjected Captain Ukitake. “If diplomacy is an option with the Digimon, we should attempt it. None of us want another war so soon after Aizen.”

“I agree,” added Captain Kyoraku. “Many of you in this room are too young to remember the genocide of the Quincies, but I can assure all of you it is not something we should aspire to repeat.”

“And yet it may be necessary if this Digital World continues to upset the cycle of souls,” mused Yamamoto, stroking his beard in contemplation. He sat in silence for a moment before speaking again. “Captain Kurotsuchi, focus your research on methods to return the Digimon souls to the cycle. Captains Ukitake and Kyoraku, I want you to make contact with these Royal Knights or any other Digimon governing body that may exist. Focus on making peace if at all possible. Captain Soifon, instruct the Onmitsukido to help with scouting this new world. The rest of you, build up your forces. If war is unavoidable, let us be as prepared as possible.”

With that said, the conversation turned to other matters and Mayuri quickly lost interest. 

In the Digital World another meeting was taking place. One with fewer participants but just as monumental. 

In the middle of a great hollow tree stood Duftmon, strategist of the Royal Knights. The feline knight certainly was not one of the most intimidating of their number, but he was by far the most cunning. So useful was Duftmon’s skills of deduction and strategy that he rarely left the great Drasil Tree, instead giving advice and direction to the other Knights as they embarked on their quests. 

Around the edges of the Drasil Tree were thirteen holographic projectors, one for each of the Knights. Closer to the interior were smaller projectors used for those outside of the noble order. Currently, one of each was in use. One at the tree’s edge displayed the hologram of a gruff and highly humanoid Digimon wearing a pair of tengu geta and white coat draped over a black armored bodysuit. From his back emerged the flaming form of a dragon. This was Gankoomon. The other projector displayed Sistermon Ciel, her white dress and gentle features making her stand out against the armored forms of the others. 

“And that’s when I contacted Gankoomon,” Ciel could tell that Duftmon was not impressed by her presence. Gankoomon was an outlier amongst the Knights for his willingness to work with common digimon, after all. If she was bothered, she didn’t show it. 

“I see,” responded Duftmon. “Your concern was warranted. This matter certainly should be investigated.”

“I’m on my way there now,” said Gankoomon in a gruff voice, “but even with me calling in a favor from a Locomon I’m a week away at best.”

“I will see which Knight is closest,” said Duftmon. With a gesture of his hand, a vine extended from the floor of the tree, sprouting a giant leaf which displayed a touchscreen. 

“Hmm, it appears the closest Knight is your apprentice, Gankoomon. Hailing him now.”

Another projector activated and the image of a snarling monster appeared in the Drasil tree. It roared at the sight of two Royal Knights and one Sistermon, before a sword suddenly pierced its neck and slashed upwards, bisecting the beast’s head. 

“And stay down!” declared Jesmon of the Royal Knights, a white, humanoid mechanical dragon wearing a red cape. He then did a slight double take as he noticed being projected into the Drasil Tree. 

“Lord Duftmon, master, greetings.”

“Hail, Royal Knight,” Dukemon said as a formal greeting. Gankoomon was less formal.

“You don’t need to call me ‘master’ anymore, brat. You’re a Royal Knight now.”

“I’ll stop calling you ‘master when you stop calling me ‘brat”,” replied Jesmon.

Gankoomon snorted. “Yeah, that’ll happen.”

“If we could get to business,” said Duftmon, a tone of annoyance in his voice. 

Jesmon apologized and listened as Duftmon and Sistermon Ciel recapped the situation of the mysterious monsters kidnapping and torturing Digimon. 

“I understand. I can get there in a day or two at top speed.”

“I’ll meet you there,” volunteered Ciel. “Be good to see Blanc and Noir again.”

“Does the big tree have anything to say about this?” Asked Gankoomon. 

“Lord Yggdrasil,” Duftmon stressed the proper name of the master of the Digital World, “has not communicated with me on this matter.”

None of them were surprised. Yggdrasil was a very hands-off deity who rarely personally directed its Knights. 

Soon after, the meeting ended and Duftmon was once again alone in the Drasil Tree. The most cunning of the knights drummed his fingers against a branch, contemplating the situation. Yet again, his eyes drifted to one of the hologram projectors. The one known to the Knights as the empty seat because its Knight never appeared before the others. Ever since the founding of the illustrious order, a legend had circulated that the holder of the empty seat would only appear when the Digital World needed it most. Every time a new crisis reared its head, Duftmon couldn’t help but wonder if this was the time the empty seat would finally be filled. 

Mayuri had finally returned to the research station in the Digital World where, even prior to the Captain-Commander’s orders, he had already begun planning on how to return the Digimon souls to the cycle. He did have a vested interest in keeping the worlds in balance, after all. The collapse of the universe would ruin his work. 

As Mayuri walked into his temporary lab, he was greeted by the sight of Akon directing a group of unseated officers as they wheeled in a Kido cage containing a snarling hollow in the shape of a humanoid armadillo. 

“Welcome back, Captain,” said Akon. “We were just preparing to start the test.”

“No sense waiting any longer,” replied Mayuri. “Get to it.”

Akon nodded, and called over another officer, who brought a wheeled cage containing one of the rabbit-like level 3s known as Gotsumon. The little brown Digimon was pitifully crying and pleading for mercy. 

Ignoring the Lopmon’s pleas, Akon pointed at one of the officers, who nodded and performed an incantation. One of the walls of the Kido cage opened up. Not large enough to allow the captured hollow to escape, but plenty large enough for Akon to dump the Lopmon in, which he did, the barrier sealing shut behind it. 

Mayuri watched with interest as the Lopmon tried to press itself against one corner of the cage, its hands covering its mouth to try to hide its sobs in a desperate attempt to remain hidden. A futile gesture, as the hollow leapt upon the quivering Digimon and forced the pitiful into its mouth. It took several bites for the Lopmon to die and dissolve into data. 

“Well?” asked Mayuri. “Did it work?”

Akon looked at a tablet in his hand as he aimed a fleshy sensor at the hollow. “Confirmed. The Digimon’s soul was consumed by the hollow.”

Mayuri’s grin widened. “Excellent. Phase 1 of Project D-Reaper can now begin.”

Chapter Text

Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake blinked as they stepped into unfamiliar sunlight. As two of the Gotei 13’s most experienced captains, they had been to Soul Society, the world of the living, Hueco Mundo, and even a Valley of Screams in an incident both would much rather forget, but they had never been somewhere like the Digital World before, with its patchwork landscape and gridded sky. 

“One day,” said Shunshi Kyoraku, “you and I will get to visit somewhere that isn’t on the brink of war.”

“The fake Karakura town wasn’t exactly a vacation,” responded Jushiro Ukitake, “and I’m fairly certain this won’t be either.”

“You never know, some of the Digimon could be knockouts running a beach resort.”

Jushiro smirked at his old friend’s jests. “Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t get Nanao to do this for you.”

“I tried, but she kicked my ass,” replied Shunsui. “Literally, she kicked me in the ass. She’ll be taking care of the division instead. Honestly, they’ll probably barely notice I’m gone.”

Jushiro nodded. “Rukia is a bit green, but I’m sure she’ll take care of things well enough.”

The two arrived at a booth where an Onmitsukido agent handed them a packet of paper containing their observations over the previous day.

“Hmm,” Jushiro muttered while reading the report. “Looks like a caravan of Digimon traveled south-southeast after Division 12 set up camp here.”

“That means they probably aren’t fond of Shinigami right now,” responded Shunsui, thinking of Captain Kutotsuchi’s usual methods of examining new specimens, “but talking to the locals is our best bet for tracking down the Royal Knights.” He sighed, “Why did the old man have to put us on this job, huh?”

“Because we can take care of ourselves and aren’t going to start a fight over something stupid,” replied his friend without looking up from his reading. 

“Well there you go making sense again,” Shunshi grumbled. 

Jushiro looked up from his reading. “I’ve known you long enough to know that this isn’t just your usual laziness. You’re acting like war is inevitable when we haven’t even started the mission yet.”

Shunsui shook his head. “Change is coming, Jushiro. Maybe the biggest change in our history. In my experience, change doesn’t happen without people getting crushed along the way. Even if everything goes perfectly on this mission, somebody is going to get hurt.”

Into a forest clearing filled with displaced Digimon descended a Royal Knight. As the common Digimon began to whisper among themselves at the appearance of a legendary hero, Jesmon released two Sistermon sisters from underneath his arm and they promptly ran toward the waiting form of the third of their number.

“Blanc!” “Ciel!” “Noir!”. The three sisters joined in a group hug, then split apart and began a long-practiced routine.

“Sweet!

Sublime! 

Stupendous!

Super Sistermon squad unite!”

Their group pose done, Ciel walked over to Jesmon, who had been watching them with amusement. “You really hit a growth spurt since the last time we met. It’s going to be weird to not think of you as Hackmon the student anymore.”

“I’m still getting used to it myself, to be honest,” replied Jesmon. “It’s been a long time, Ciel.”

Ciel nodded. “I wish it could be under better circumstances, but that’s the nature of the job, isn’t it?”

Jesmon started to reply, but then went quiet, and suddenly shot off into the surrounding trees.

“What do you think that’s about?” asked Noir as the sound of breaking wood reached their ears. Ciel could only shrug in response. 

After a short wait, Jesmon emerged from the trees, a struggling creature held in one hand. “You were being watched,” he said, his voice now serious. “Is this one of the monsters, Ciel?”

Ciel examined the creature as it tried futilely to escape from Jesmon’s grasp. “Looks like it, but this one’s dressed differently.” Indeed, this creature was dressed entirely in black, with only its eyes, nose, ears, and hands exposed.

“Who are you?” demanded Jesmon.

The creature stopped struggling and looked around at the group of Digimon. “I will tell you nothing. Torture me all you want, but I will die before failing in my duty.”

“We’re not going to torture you!” Blanc was aghast at the very suggestion.

“Perhaps this creature’s superiors will be more willing to talk in exchange for its life,” said Jesmon. “We will set out immediately. But first,” Jesmon turned to face the watching crowd of refugee Digimon and spoke to them all.

“Digimon! I am Jesmon of the Royal Knights and I have come to investigate the appearance of the creatures that have driven you from your homes. Should they be evil, nothing will stay my hand from destroying them. Should they be amenable to reason, I will negotiate with them. But no matter what, I swear upon my honor as a Royal Knight that you will be able to return to your homes.”

As the Digimon cheered, Jesmon allowed the three Sistermon to climb onto him and get a good grip before lifting off and flying in the direction Ciel indicated. 

Nemu was lost in thought. Most of it was on her father’s demands for Project D-Reaper and handling the logistical problems of moving resources through the modified Senkaimon (which the members of Division 12 had taken to calling the Digital Gate) and arranging the capture and live delivery of hollows. However, for some reason, her mind kept going back to her battle with Sistermon Ciel. The Digimon’s last words kept playing back in her head.

“Just because your boss tells you to do something evil doesn’t mean you actually should.”

It was an absurd thought. Of course she should obey Captain Kurotsuchi. She would not exist without him so it was her obligation to follow his orders, even give her life if she needed to. So why wouldn’t the Digimon’s words leave her head?

A lower-ranking member of the division walked by and Nemu felt a flash of jealousy. Unlike almost every other member of the Gotei 13, she had no Zanpakuto and she found herself wishing she had one. Shinigami with Zanpakuto always had a partner, the spirit of their sword born of their own soul, in whom they could confide, but Nemu had no one. 

A beeping noise brought Nemu out of her thoughts and she pulled up a display on her monitor. After examining it for a second, she pressed some keys and called up her father.

“What is it?” Snapped Mayuri.

“The tracker microbes I planted in Sistermon Ciel show it is moving toward us at very high speed. Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake left the outpost recently and their trajectory will intersect with Sistermon Ciel’s soon. 

“Go. Observe them and report back”, replied Mayuri before cutting the connection. 

Nemu quickly made her way outside. Catching up to the Captains in time to observe what would happen would require pushing her body to the limit, but if that was what was needed, so be it. Her father could always put her back together again. 

Jesmon flew low over the ground, a height better for avoiding being spotted. The terrain he flew through was mostly scrubland broken up by towering stacks of automobiles, which Ciel confirmed meant he was moving in the right direction. This height did, however, mean it took him a bit longer than usual to notice the two creatures approaching from the other direction. They apparently noticed him as well, as one of them waved a hand and created the image of a large white flag.

“Hello Digimon-san!” called out Shunsui as the approaching Digimon slowed to a stop at the sight of the illusory Kido flag. “I don’t know if you use the same symbols we do, but where we come from a white flag means we want a truce to talk.”

The Digimon nodded and drew closer, allowing the two captains to get a good look at it. It was humanoid, but the similarities to a human ended there. It appeared to be mechanical, made of white metal with golden highlights. Instead of feet, its legs ended in silver swords, and a red sword adorned its tail. The head was distinctly draconic and seemingly lacked a mouth and a red cape was tied around its neck. In one hand was clutched a member of the Onmitsukido. Three other Digimon who had been clinging to it dropped to the ground. These looked like human girls wearing the attire of a western human religion, each with its own colors, and they all carried weapons: a trident, a sword, and a pair of guns.

“I accept your offer of truce,” said the Digimon in a voice that seemed soft for its intimidating frame, “if your companion shows itself.”

“Yes, I was thinking the same thing,” replied Shunsui. “Come on out, please.”

From behind one of the stacks of cars came Lieutenant Nemu, looking worn out from her journey. She said nothing to explain herself, but walked up to stand next to the two captains.

“You!” exclaimed the Digi-girl with the sword, who pointed accusingly at Nemu.

“Why don’t we start by introducing ourselves,” Jushiro interjected before anything could get out of hand. “I am Captain Ukitake, commander of Division 13 of the Gotei 13.”

“Captain Kyoraku of Division 8 at your service,” Shunsui tipped his straw hat.

“Lieutenant Kurotsuchi of Division 12,” said Nemu in her usual monotone.

“And the lady you have there is a scout from the Onmitsukido, the stealth corps,” Shunshi added, referring to the person still held in the Digimon’s hand.”

“I am Jesmon of the Royal Knights, protector of the Digital World, and these are my companions,” Jesmon allowed the three Sistermons to give their own names.

“Well isn’t that convenient, we were looking for the Royal Knights,” Shunsui said jovially. 

“Indeed,” added Jushiro. “We wish to negotiate peace between our peoples.”

“Is that why you tortured innocent Digimon?” Sistermon Ciel’s accusation rang out and caused both captains to internally wince. She especially glared at Nemu, who somehow found herself unable to meet the Digimon’s eyes.

Why? Why do I feel so... guilty? I’ve never felt like this before over father’s test subjects, so why now?

“There are 13 divisions of the Gotei 13,” Jushiro tried to explain. “Each of which rules itself mostly autonomously. The division that first found your world was Division 12, the research and development division. I assure you, the rest of us are not enthusiastic about that captain’s methods, but we have no authority over him.”

“And yet you tolerate them,” Jesmon’s voice was accusatory.

Because Captain Kurotsuchi has made himself so vital to the Gotei’s operations that at this point we literally can’t go without him . Both captains shared the same thought. It wasn’t an easy one to think, to know that the organization dedicated to safeguarding and shepherding the souls of mankind had allowed itself to become reliant on a madman.

Seeing the two failing to answer, Jesmon spoke again. “If you wish for peace, then you must release your hostages. All of them. I will release mine as well. Then, we can negotiate.”

Shunsui and Jushiro gave each other a look. Those who are close to each other can often learn to convey an entire statement with just a look and they had been close for hundreds of lifetimes. Jushiro and Shunsui could practically have a whole conversation with just a few gestures. They didn’t need that to know what each other was thinking now. Mayuri Kurotsuchi would not willingly give up his test subjects. The only thing that could make him do so would be a direct order from the Captain-Commander himself, and even then, Mayuri may try to keep a few in secret. Still, what choice did they have but to try? 

“I will see what can be done,” Nemu’s statement surprised even herself. Where had that come from?

“In that case, you might as well come with us to negotiate in person,” said Jushiro. “We give you our word that you and your companions will be granted safe passage.”

“Then let us go now,” Jesmon declared as he lowered himself to allow the Sistermons to climb back onto him. “On the way I expect an explanation of who you are and where you came from.”

As the three Shinigami turned to lead their new Digimon companions back to the research station, Shunsui and Jushiro allowed themselves to feel a moment of hope. Jesmon was clearly reasonable, after all. Perhaps this may not end in blood after all.

“Fascinating,” murmured Akon. “You've converted a hollow into something akin to a Digimon.”

Captain Kurotsuchi’s newest creation stood before them, its new form unrecognizable from its previous armadillo-like appearance. It was now a purple sphere with a central, mechanical eye. From beneath its body extended green cables and scything blades extended from each arm.

“Indeed,” responded Mayuri. “The prototype for Project D-Reaper, combining the soul-stealing power of hollows with a Digimon’s data nature and capacity for evolution. I believe I shall call it Gizmon.”

Chapter Text

Locomon’s engine chugged as it drove across the Digital World, transporting a Royal Knight to his destination. While Locomon primarily transport cargo, they also come with a passenger section that is quite comfortable and a great way to travel. Naturally then, Gankoomon decided to stand on the roof instead. He would say, if asked, that standing against the wind the whole way helped strengthen his muscles and resolve. 

Not being a flight-capable Digimon, Gankoomon did not have the kind of innate senses to hear something small against rushing wind. It was his intense training that allowed him to detect the faint noise behind him despite the tempest. Looking over his shoulder, Gankoomon saw a book appearing from nowhere and growing to giant size. The book opened and out of its pages floated a humanoid Digimon whose body was covered entirely in robes and a hood. 

“Wisemon,” Gankoomon grunted in greeting. The mystical Digimon was well known to the Royal Knights, for they considered themself a scholar and frequently observed major events occurring in the Digital World. Most of the Royal Knights tolerated their presence but did not bother speaking to the scholar. Gankoomon was not most Knights and had spoken to Wisemon on many occasions. 

“Hail, Royal Knight,” responded Wisemon as they shrunk their book down to pocket size and stored it away in their robes. “I have come regarding the situation you are voyaging to.”

“Why not go directly there?” Asked Gankoomon. 

“Because I cannot,” explained Wisemon, “I record the present, but I can glimpse the future, or rather the many futures. The future is not a book to be read but an infinite chain of possibility, branching forever like an eternal tree. With each choice and action made by living beings, some branches are pruned while others begin to sprout. Normally determining which events will occur is an impossibility. However since the visitors from another world came, the branches of the future have begun to converge on only a few possibilities. My presence would risk shifting the balance to the worst future. I must take steps to ensure that future is not the one that comes to pass”

Gankoomon looked back. “I thought you just recorded what you see, not interfere.” 

“Indeed,” agreed Wisemon, “My oath is to record the flow of history, not to determine its flow. However, what I have foreseen is so terrible it must not come to pass.”

Gankoomon frowned. “What future is so bad you’d break your oath like this?”

Wisemon shuddered. Wisemon never shuddered, they were dispassionate, aloof, and perpetually calm. For something to have so rattled them spoke volumes. 

“The future I have foreseen ends, Lord Gankoomon. The infinite tree of possibility is cut down. There will be no more branches, no more possibilities, no more life. For any world. It will be the end of history.”

“You’re talking about the end of the world,” said Gankoomon. “If what you’re saying is true I need to call in all the Royal Knights.”

“Indeed,” replied Wisemon, “though if my prediction is correct, Lord Jesmon will soon contact your order with dire news. I must go now. My predictions show me steps I can take to avert the end, though I do not yet understand why they are necessary. I know I must contact you again later, and I hope to soon understand why.”

With that, Wisemon left the way they came: enlarging their book and stepping through it like a door. The book then shrank to a point and vanished. 

“Locomon, keep going, but be prepared to reroute,” Gankoomon called down to his ride. As Locomon called back an affirmative, Gankoomon stood in silence, pondering what he had just heard. 

Jesmon, what the hell have you gotten mixed up in?

“In the place we come from, life and death exist in two worlds: the world of the living, inhabited by humans, and Soul Society, inhabited by souls. When a human dies, their soul travels to Soul Society and exists there for some time before returning to the world of the living and being born again as a human. Sometimes, however, this cycle goes wrong and a soul will linger in the world of the living. If it lingers too long, it will become a monster called a hollow, which exists to consume souls. To protect the cycle of death and rebirth, powerful souls came together to slay the hollows, purifying their souls, and helping the lingering souls pass along. They called themselves Shinigami and founded the Gotei 13. 

This has been the state of affairs for centuries, but recently something changed. Human technology has advanced extremely rapidly in the last few hundred years. It appears, through means we do not yet understand, that somehow a world was born within human technology, shaped by their behavior and ideas. Souls have started leaving the cycle and entering this world, where they took root in the native life. You are the result of this.”

Jesmon stared at Captain Ukitake in disbelief over his words. “You’re telling me my world is artificial?”

Jesmon was accompanying Captains Ukitake and Kyoraku and Lieutenant Kurotsuchi back to their organization’s base, the three Sistermons clinging to him. 

“We don’t know,” replied Ukitake. “This is all very new to us. We only discovered your world less than a month ago.”

“The one who did the discovering was Captain Kurotsuchi, who is a genius but has a rather loose connection with morality,” added Captain Kyoraku. “He did not inform the rest of the Gotei 13 until he had already started studying Digimon. Had the rest of us known, we would have insisted on doing things differently.”

“And why do you want to study us?” asked Jesmon. 

“The souls that flow into your world aren’t returning to the cycle,” said Captain Ukitake. “They stay here instead. That’s damaging the cycle of life and death. We want to try to find a way to repair the cycle that lets us all live in peace.”

“And if you cannot?” Jesmon’s question hung over the two captains. They knew they had to tread carefully here. The wrong answer could lead to war.

“We don’t know,” admitted Shunsui. “This is uncharted waters for us. We have no idea what’s going to happen.”

“I seen” replied Jesmon. “If peace is possible I will work toward it.” He left unsaid what would happen if peace was not an option. Everybody present already knew what he meant. 

“Ah, looks like we’re almost here,” Shunsui broke the awkward silence as the group approached the research station in the Neon Forest. 

Their approach did not go unnoticed. Even if the 5-meter tall Royal Knight wasn’t obvious enough to the Onmitsukido guards, Shunsui’s customary pink kimono made him stick out like a sore thumb. The group slowed to a walking pace and the three Sistermons jumped to the ground to continue the trek on foot. The shinigami noticed that rather than walking, Jesmon hovered just above the ground, which made sense. It would probably be hard to walk when one had swords for feet. 

“I don’t like this place,” said Sistermon Blanc. “Everyone’s staring at us.”

“Well Jesmon does stick out a bit,” replied Noir, hooking a thumb at the Royal Knight who was taller than most of the buildings here. 

Jushiro found himself nodding to that statement. It wasn’t often you met someone who made Jidanbo look short.

Shunsui caught the attention of one of the Onmitsukido messengers. “Send word to Captain-Commander Yamamoto that we have made contact with one of the Royal Knights. We may need his authority as part of a truce.”

As the Onmitsukido saluted and ran off toward the Digital Gate, Nemu spoke up. “I will attempt to convince my father to release his test subjects. I believe he will be more receptive to me.”

At the captains’ nods, she turned and walked toward Captain Kurotsuchi’s lab. While her face remained as blank as ever, her mind was racing. Where did these new thoughts come from? She had never thought twice about father’s test subjects before, but now she felt pity for them. 

No, not pity, sympathy. She actually felt a connection to the Digimon. Were they not both artificial beings that Captain Kurotsuchi had experimented on? She was the result of father’s Nemuri project to create a truly ensouled being and the Digimon were born of humanity’s technology. Were the Digimon different from her? Was Sistermon Ciel right about her father being evil? Father had always spurned concepts like morality, describing them as useless barriers to discovery. Was he wrong? Nemu had a hard time understanding the concept. She was made to be his assistant and not to question him. And yet here she was, considering that he might be evil.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she entered her father’s lab, where he was finishing one of the creatures from phase 1 of Project D-Reaper. 

“What is it?” he asked without looking up. 

“Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake have made contact with one of the Royal Knights and brought it back here for peace talks,” Nemu reported promptly. “However, the Knight, Jesmon, is demanding we release all captive Digimon before negotiations can begin.”

“I will do no such thing,” Mayuri responded without hesitation. 

“I would recommend you release them. I believe a peaceful solution is possible.” 

Mayuri paused his work to give Nemu a look. “You’ve been acting odd recently. I may have to run diagnostics on your brain.”

Nemu shuddered as she remembered Mayuri’s previous tests on her. It took her a second to speak again. ‘I am merely offering my opinion-”

“If I want your opinion I’ll ask for it,” snapped Mayuri. 

Nemu nodded, then added “Captain Kyoraku has requested the Captain-Commander’s authority on the matter.”

Mayuri swore violently before calming himself down. “Fine, if the Captain-Commander is going to get involved I will use this as an opportunity. Phase 1 of Project D-Reaper is ready for a demonstration. Go monitor it.”

Nemu bowed and returned to her terminal. It seemed that her father was going to go through with Project D-Reaper regardless of what she thought and there was nothing she could do about it. 

Or perhaps there was. Not to stop this demonstration, but maybe to stop future ones. There was one man in the worlds that she would consider Mayuri Kurotsuchi’s peer in the sciences. If anyone could find a way to preserve both the cycle of souls and the Digital World, it would be him. Nemu quickly copied the terminal’s information on the Digital World and Project D-Reaper and compiled it into a message ready to send. She hesitated before pressing the button to send it off. This would be the point of no return. She would be deliberately and knowingly betraying her father. This went against her very purpose for being, but as she thought, Nemu realized she couldn’t sit back and do nothing. Project D-Reaper was a nightmare she could not wish on anyone. Gathering her courage, Nemu pressed the button and sent the information to the world of the living. 

Back outside, Jesmon and the two captains waited for news from Nemu or the Captain-Commander. The Sistermons explored the area, but did not venture far from each other. 

“So do the Royal Knights rule the Digital World?” asked Shunsui.

Jesmon shook his head. “We protect the Digital World and its inhabitants on behalf of Lord Yggdrasil, but we do not rule it.”

“Lord Yggdrasil?” asked Jushiro.

“The lord of the Digital World,” explained Jesmon. “Lord Yggdrasil maintains the functions of the Digital World and commands the Royal Knights in times of great danger, but rarely intervenes. There is no central ruler of this world. Digimon are free to live as they please.”

“Well that may make diplomacy complicated-” Shunshi’s response was cut off and his eyes widened. “Jushiro, do you sense that?”

His companion nodded. “What is hollow Reiatsu doing here?”

One of the outpost’s building’s roof opened up and five creatures hovered out of it to hang in the midday sun. They were round and purple, with a mess of cables hanging from below them and strange scythe-like appendages in place of arms. 

“What the hell are those?” asked Noir, but the two captains had no answer to give. They were just as confused as the Digimon. Perhaps more so, as it seemed the Digimon couldn’t sense the powerful hollow Reiatsu emanating from the orbs. As they watched, the creatures turned in the direction they had just come from and shot away in what was unmistakably the use of Sonido. 

“They're heading to the refugee camp!” Jesmon clearly had the same thought as the captains. Waiting just long enough for the three Sistermons to climb onto him, the white dragon took flight. The captains tried to follow, but after only a few flash steps, Jushiro fell back and began coughing up blood. The medicine he had given to suppress his mysterious disease clearly failing him. 

Shunshui turned back to his old friend, but Jushiro yelled “go! I’ll be fine!” Shunshui nodded and resumed following Jesmon and the orbs. 

Jesmon and Shunsui Kyoraku were fast, but the orbs seemed somehow faster. For over an hour they flew across the patchwork scenery as it eventually gave way to forest, getting ever closer to the refugees. When the clearing in the forest where the myriad Digimon were staying came into view, the spherical monsters went on the attack.

“NO!” roared Jesmon as laser beams shot from the single eye each creature had. The Digimon below barely had enough time to look up before dozens were dead, felled by the rain of light. Worse, they did not dissolve into data as they died. Each felled Digimon simply vanished, as though it was never there at all. 

“Tekken Seibei!” from slots atop Jesmon’s wrists burst a pair of swords, which he used to slash at one of the monsters, cutting it cleanly into quarters. In response, two of the creatures turned to him while the remaining pair increased their fire on the refugees. Already, most of them were gone and the rest were fleeing in panic.  The two creatures that turned to Jesmon fired their lasers. Instinctively, he raised his arms to block, but where the beams struck he felt numbness. My data, he realized, these things are absorbing the data of whatever they hit!

“Tekken Seibei!” Jesmon rose in the air, dodging another pair of shots, then flew downward, between the two monsters. The swords on his wrists slashed out and bisected both. 

The remaining two orbs turned toward Jesmon, then looked down at the remains of their comrades. The three dead creatures had not dissolved into data upon death, but now they did, the data flowing into the cables of the two survivors. They grew larger and their scything limbs changed into paper-thin appendages wrapped into helixes.

“We’ll take right,” shouted Ciel. Jesmon nodded and flew upwards again, dodging more lasers. The three Sistermons jumped off of him and fell toward the monster on the right.

“Sistermon Blanc…

Sistermon Ciel…

Sistermon Noir…

Awaken!”

Three flashes of light accompanied the mode changes of the three sisters into their combat forms. 

“Bless Fire!” Noir aimed both of her guns at the monster and fired them. The helical appendages raised to block the bullets, which is when the other two struck.

“Divine Pierce!” “Shirotsume Ichimonji-Giri!” Blanc and Ciel stabbed their weapons into the monster’s metal hide, one in the front and one in the back. They then pushed on the weapons, trying to pry the monster apart.

The monster’s limbs whipped around, wrapping around the two Sistermons, pulling them off of it and lining them up for a shot from its laser. Blanc and Ciel struggled, but they could not free themselves from its grip.

Noir fell from above and shot off another Bless Fire, the bullets peppering the monster’s limbs and filling them with holes. Its eye moved to track her instead, charging to fire.

With paired grunts of exertion, Blanc and Ciel each ripped an arm free of their confinement. Moving in unison, they each held out the arm and Noir fell between them, grabbing their hands. 

“Grand Sister Cruz!” The sisters yelled in unison. From Noir formed a cross-shaped glow that shot forward, shooting cleanly through the monster and leaving a perfect hole through it. The monster fell to the ground in a heap as the three sisters struggled free from its grasp. The remains of the other one fell next to it, having been torn in half by Jesmon. Both carcasses dissolved, their data flowing back to the lab in which they were born.

Survivors! Thought Jesmon, but there were no survivors. The clearing, which had been so full of life just this morning, was a blasted wasteland devoid of life. 

I promised them… I promised them they would return home.

Fury in his eyes, Jesmon turned around to where Shunsui Kyoraku was standing and even the centuries-old Captain felt a moment of fear.

“You. I was a fool to trust you. You call yourselves gods of death and you have brought death to my world.”

“Jesmon, I promise I had no idea this was going to happen,” Shunshi tried to say, but he was interrupted.

“ENOUGH!” roared Jesmon. “This is your only warning. Leave the Digital World and never return or all of you will face the wrath of the Royal Knights!. Now GO!”

Shunsui sighed and flash stepped away. The mission was doomed after all. Sometimes he hated being right. 

Since he was no longer an outlaw marked for death, Kisuke Urahara had started keeping a soul phone on his person, just in case he had a pressing need to get into contact with Soul Society. Most days it went unused, but someone anonymous (though it could only really be a high-ranking member of Division 12) had just sent him a veritable mountain of information he had only just started to read. Something about a new world filled with beings called Digimon. 

“Oi, hat-and-clogs! We got a customer!” The sound of Jinta bellowing interrupted Urahara’s reading. “I’m busy,” he called back.

“Well they’re asking for you!”

Kisuke sighed and put the soul phone back in his pocket. Sometimes it hurt to be popular. 

Walking out to the front, Kisuke raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t Halloween and yet this visitor was wearing robes and a hood that completely covered their body. 

“Are you Kisuke Urahara?” the stranger asked in an androgynous voice. 

Kisuke switched on his retail voice and replied “Indeed it is. And may I ask who wants the help of a humble shopkeeper like me?”

“My name is Wisemon,” replied the stranger. “And I need your help to save our worlds.”

Chapter Text

“I hereby call this emergency meeting of the Gotei 13 to order!” As usual, Captain-Commander Yamamoto’s declaration was accompanied by his staff thumping against the floor. “Captain Ukitake, please explain why you requested this meeting.”

Jushiro stepped forward, his face serious. “Events in the Digital World have taken a turn for the worse. I believe war with the Royal Knights may now be inevitable. Furthermore, I accuse Captain Kurotsuchi of sabotaging the peace efforts and attacking under a flag of truce.”

That sent a wave of muttering through the room. For a captain to accuse another of something so serious was a rare and dire matter. The only captain to stay totally silent was Mayuri himself, who merely rolled his eyes at the accusation. 

“Enough!” Yamamoto’s voice cut through the din. “Please explain, Captain Ukitake.”

Ukitake took a breath, then launched into his story. “Captain Kyoraku and I made contact with a member of the Royal Knights, Jesmon, and its companions: three Digimon named Sistermon Blanc, Noir, and Ciel. Jesmon had captured a member of the Onmitsukido and we agreed to a truce to discuss peace. Jesmon demanded a prisoner exchange so we returned to the outpost to attempt to convince Captain Kurotsuchi to release his Digimon prisoners. Instead of doing so, he unleashed some creatures with hollow Reiatsu that attacked a camp of Digimon who fled from Captain Kurotsuchi’s activities in the Digital World. Jesmon and colleagues destroyed the creatures and declared that the truce was broken. He demanded that we leave the digital World and never return or face war. Captain Kyoraku remained in the Digital World to guard the outpost while I returned and requested this emergency meeting.”

That set off another wave of conversion in the hall that was once again interrupted by the Captain-Commander. “Captain Kurotsuchi, explain yourself.”

Mayuri grinned and pulled a holographic projector out of his pocket. Activating it displayed a 3D image of one of his creations. “These ‘creatures’ as you so inelegantly call them are my solution to the problem of souls becoming trapped in the Digital World. I call them Gizmon and they are a fusion of hollow and Digimon, combining the hollow ability to consume souls with the Digimon ability to evolve and reincarnate immediately. Already, the ones destroyed in my test have been reborn in my lab in the Digital World. Furthermore, as the Gizmon consume Digimon souls, they will self-upgrade to more powerful forms and replicate themselves.”

“So your solution to the problem is to feed the Digimon to a self-replicating and evolving horde of immortal hollows?” asked Jushiro, his voice full of skepticism.

Mayuri repressed a scoff over the ignorance of his fellow captain. “No. The Gizmon will consume the souls of the Digimon, but will not destroy them. Once enough souls are stored in a Gizmon, it can be moved outside of the Digital World and slain with a Zanpakuto to return all stored souls to the cycle. Furthermore, I made sure the Gizmon have no mind of their own, merely an inbuilt series of directives they follow. One of those is to obey me. When I command it, they will simply allow themselves to be killed.”

“So you propose using these Gizmon to purge the Digital World of souls, then release them to the cycle…” mused Yamamoto. 

“Captain-Commander, I do not think that another genocide is something we consider lightly,” said Jushiro.

“I have never once taken my duty to maintain the cycle of souls lightly,” replied Yamamoto in a stern voice. “I commanded the extermination of the Quincies because they threatened the cycle of souls and the stability of the worlds. If the Digimon do the same, I will act without hesitation or remorse. And as of now, Captain Kurotsuchi’s solution to the problem of souls becoming trapped in the Digital World is the only one that I have been presented with.”

“As we speak, my division is converting more hollows into Gizmon,” said Mayuri. “I can be ready for a full mobilization in two weeks. Faster if the other divisions assist with capturing and delivering hollows.”

“Hmm,” Yamamoto pondered his options. “I expect confirmation that slaying the Gizmon will, in fact, release the souls within. Once I have that, instruct your division to build the army. However, until it is ready I expect you to research peaceful solutions to the problem.” He didn’t give Mayuri a chance to respond before continuing. “Now explain attacking under a flag of truce.”

“Simple,” Mayuri responded with a flippant tone of voice, “the test was pre-scheduled and I was not informed of the truce in time to stop it.”

Both lies, Nemu thought as she stood behind him. She had heard her father lie to the Gotei 13 before, but this was the first time it had bothered her. Another symptom of her mysterious development. 

“In that case Captain Soifon will assign messengers from the Onmitsukido to keep you updated for any major changes.”

Mayuri frowned, but said nothing. Even with no tells in his body language, Nemu was familiar enough with her father to know when he was furious. There were many ways to keep him up to date without requiring the Onmitsukido to follow him around. The Captain-Commander’s intent was clear. He wanted the Onmitsukido to spy on Mayuri and make sure he was following orders.

After the meeting, Nemu followed her father. Mayuri was returning to the Division 12 barracks to check up on some ongoing projects he had neglected since the discovery of the Digital World. All the way there, Mayuri was muttering about the indignity of having his work be monitored. 

“At least the imbeciles won’t be able to understand what I’m doing,” he said as the pair stepped into his personal lab, “all I have to do is pretend to be working on an alternate solution.”

Why not work on a peaceful solution?” Nemu once again found herself speaking up when she would otherwise not. “Why have you decided extermination is the only option?”

“I see no reasonable outcome that doesn’t end in exterminating the Digimon,” Mayuri replied.

“You haven’t tried to find one though,” Nemu pressed. Questioning her father made her feel something she didn’t have a word for. It felt… good. “This is atypical for you. Under normal circumstances you would welcome the new avenues of research. Logically there must be a reason you want to destroy the Digimon instead of studying them.”

“I have no time for irrational commentary” snarled Mayuri, trying to restrain his anger. “Now be quiet until I’m done here.”

A new emotion entered Nemu’s heart: Indignation. How dare he call her irrational when he was the irrational one. Not just about this, but more. How could she have not seen it until now? His behavior wasn’t objective, wasn’t that of a scientist. He was a sadist. Oh he would claim that his actions were all in service to science, but that was clearly a lie. He would kill when a medical exam would suffice, vivisect a live subject when no data would be lost by sedating them. And then there was his treatment of the members of Division 12. These were men and women of science, each having passed through both the rigors of the Shinigami academy and additional scientific training, each ready to advance the cause of knowledge, and Mayuri planted bombs in them. How could someone claim a dedication to science while killing tomorrow’s scientists?

Defiance in her heart, Nemu crossed the room to a certain console. With the press of a button, three canisters popped up, each containing a small blob of tissue and nerve cells floating in a clear preservative. Mayuri stiffened as he saw them, his first three attempts at creating life. His first three failures.

“Is this why, father?” Nemu asked, gesturing to the failed prototypes of Mayuri’s Nemuri project. The project that had created her. “Because the humans managed, by accident, to surpass your best efforts and create a whole world?”

In an instant, Nemu found herself slumped against the wall, pain and redness exploding across her face. Mayuri stood where she had been, the hand that had stuck her still outstretched. 

Mayuri took a few deep breaths to calm himself down enough to speak. “Enough. Your development has clearly gone in a maladaptive direction.” He strode over to Nemu and pulled her up by the arm. Pulling her out of the lab, he continued, “You are confined to quarters until I am done with the Digimon. Then, I'll reset your brain and take a more active role in your development next time.”

Nemu allowed herself to be led to her quarters and shoved inside without a word. Mayuri locked her in, then left. Nemu lay down on her bed for a few hours, her face blank as usual. Then, when she believed enough time had passed for her father to have finished his tasks and returned to the Digital World, she rose again and pulled a panel off of the wall, exposing the wiring within. Mayori would certainly have left security microbes to monitor her, but security microbes could be reprogrammed if one knew how.

Your mistake, father, she thought as she worked, was making me as intelligent as you.

Even as the meeting of the Gotei 13 ended in Soul Society, another meeting began in the Digital World. Within the great Drasil Tree, the forces of the Royal Knights assembled, with only the empty seat remaining absent as usual. Though none of the Royal Knights was obligated to respond to the summons, all had attended. A full conference of the Knights was only called in the most dire of circumstances and none were fool enough to ignore it. 

As usual, Duftmon was the only Knight physically present. The rest attended remotely, their forms projected into the tree by holographic emitters. The three Sistermon sisters also attended, having been invited by Jesmon to give their input. Their holograms were smaller than those of the Knights and stood near the center of the tree’s hollow to show their status as guests but not members of the illustrious order. 

Silence hung over the Drasil Tree as Jesmon finished recounting his tale of the Shinigami and. The silence was eventually broken by Gankoomon.

“I got something to add. While I was on my way to meet Jesmon, I got a visit from our old friend Wisemon. They said their visions of the future showed ‘em the end of the world, but that they’re trying to change what happens. Left after that and I don’t know where to.”

“This is worse than I could have predicted,” mused Duftmon. “These Shinigami are likely the threat Wisemon has foreseen. If their story of the origins of our world is accurate, It is likely they are willing to destroy all of us to protect their cycle of souls.”

“Then we should act now,” said LordKnightmon. “Crush the Shinigami outpost and destroy those present with such overwhelming force as to keep the rest at bay.”

“The one called Captain Kurotsuchi appears to be the primary wrongdoer,” added Dukemon. “In contrast, the ones called Kyoraku and Ukitake appeared more reasonable. Perhaps removing Kurotsuchi could make the rest of the organization more amenable to reason.”

Magnamon shook his head. “An organization is only as good as its least benevolent member. If the rest of the Gotei 13 really disapproved of Kurotsuchi’s activities, they would expel him.”

“I am concerned about the idea that our world is artificial, an unintended outcome of another species’ technology,” interjected Sleipmon. “Could we really be the creations of a culture unaware of the effects of its actions?”

“Does it matter?” asked Gankoomon in his usual blunt manner.

There was a moment’s silence in the great hall as those present considered the question. It was Dynasmon, most zealous of the Knights who broke the silence. “Nay. Lord Yggdrasil bade us protect this world and I shall do that until my last breath, regardless of the Digital World’s origin.”

The rest of the Knights nodded in agreement at that.

It occurs to me that if the Digital World is the byproduct of ‘human’ technology, the Gotei 13 could attack our world by attacking that technology.” Sleipmon continued. 

That caused a storm of muttering to go through the Drasil Tree, though Duftmon’s voice soon cut through it. “If the Shinigami wanted to attack us that way, they would not need to have created the purple monsters that Jesmon fought. I suspect that they either cannot attack our world that way or are not willing to. Perhaps they do not know what would happen to our souls in that case.”

Jesmon felt anger grow at the mention of the purple creatures. He could still see the refugees in his mind, remember the promise he made to them.

Remember seeing them cut down and their data consumed by the Shinigami’s creations. 

“Creatures that destroy a Digimon without chance of rebirth. Such evil is only matched by the deeds of the Great Demon Lords of old,” declared Dynasmon with a hiss. 

“If the Shinigami can create such monsters, they truly are a threat to us all,” the deep voice of Examon rumbled through the room. 

“I call for a vote,” said Duftmon. “Who among us believes the Shinigami should be fought.”

Virtually every hand went up.

“In that case, we should know our enemy,” Dukemon continued. “Jesmon, can you and your comrades keep watch on the Shinigami outpost while the rest of us muster?”

“I can and will,” replied the youngest of the Royal Knights. “The Shinigami will not go unpunished for their crimes.”

“So let me get this straight,” said Kisuke Urahara, “You learned about the worlds and cycle of souls from viewing yourself in the future, but your future self only knew about them because they remembered learning them in the past by viewing themself in the future?”

“Correct,” responded Wisemon, the mysterious visitor from a new world.

Kisuke let out an impressed whistle. “Gotta say, I wasn’t expecting to run into a time paradox when I woke up this morning.”

It had been a few hours since Wisemon had first appeared at the Urahara Shop and since then, Kisuke’s mind had been working in overdrive. Between someone in Division 12 sending him a veritable dossier on the existence of a Digital World born from human technology with its own lifeforms to one of those lifeforms showing up on his doorstep with a prophecy of doom, Kisuke had a lot to think about. 

“Based on the information my mysterious benefactor sent me, Captain Kurotsuchi is building hybrids of hollows and Digimon that can absorb the souls of Digimon they kill. It looks to me like he intends to have these ‘Gizmon’ kill Digimon, then release the souls they collect back into the cycle. I see how that would be a threat to the Digital world, but not so much how it would threaten any of the others.”

“My vision of the future is not perfect,” said Wisemon. “I receive only scattered glimpses of possibility. I do not know how the Gizmon come to threaten all worlds, only that they will if the right choices are not made.”

Kisuke leaned forward. “Well we need to start somewhere. What do those visions tell you to do?”

“I know answers lie both within the Digital World and this one. There is a place of learning in this world where secrets of the Digital World’s origin lie. There is a place beneath the Drasil Tree, the home of the Royal Knights, where something important slumbers. I have also seen a phrase that is important: Soul King.”

If Kisuke thought he was done being shocked today, he was very wrong. “What do you know about the Soul King?”

“Nothing,” admitted Wisemon. “The title is meaningless to me. Though not, clearly, to you.”

Kisuke leaned back in his seat to think for a moment. “Let’s see here. We’ve got mysteries to solve, plans to make, and worlds to save.” He grinned. “Where do we start?”

Chapter Text

Being enigmatic must be addicting, thought Yoruichi Shihoin as she, in cat form, rode the top of a train to Tokyo. Kisuke seemed fundamentally incapable of giving someone a complete explanation of what he was thinking. At least this time he had the excuse of leaving in a hurry and promised to give a full update once he and Tessai established a way to communicate between Earth and this new Digital World. 

She sighed. The idea that a whole new world born of technology existed admittedly would have been harder to believe if Kisuke hadn't had one of its inhabitants in the room as he explained what was happening to her and Tessei. Well “explained” was a bit of a strong word for what he did. It was more of a rushed half-explanation followed by Kisuke declaring he and Wisemon were heading off to the Digital World and handing out instructions. Tessei was given directions of helping create a way to communicate between words and to tell Karin Kurosaki that their regular sessions were going to be on hold for a while. Yoruichi meanwhile was told to visit Tokyo University’s department of computer science and look for… something. He didn’t know what, just that there was something related to the Digital World’s origin at a “center of learning”, which Kisuke guessed meant Tokyo U. 

So now Yoruichi had to look for something unknown in a massive university in one of the world’s largest cities on an unknown time limit potentially with the fate of the worlds at stake. So no pressure. 

And then there was what happened to poor Karin to worry about. 

“Hey, are you ok?” 

Karin Kurosaki was jolted awake by an unfamiliar voice. Instead of the ceiling of her and Yuzu’s room, she looked at a strangely-colored, gridded sky with technicolor clouds. Standing over her was a spiky, yellow, furry thing covered wearing clawed sneakers.

Because ghosts weren’t annoying enough. 

Karin sat up and put a hand to her throbbing head. “Is this another one of hat-and-clogs’ stupid games? Tell him I’m not playing.”

“What the hell is a hat-and-clogs?” Asked the creature. 

Karin saw the look of genuine confusion on its face and started to worry. 

“Uh, Mr. Urahara? Tessei? Yoruichi? Jinta? Ururu?” 

“Uhh, did you hit your head or something?” asked the creature in utter bafflement. 

Well crap. Karin gathered her thoughts. This place clearly wasn’t Earth and though her spiritual powers still weren’t on par with a full Shinigami or one of Ichi-nii’s friends, she had enough power to know that this creature wasn’t emitting Reiatsu, which meant it wasn’t a hollow, Shinigami, or any other supernatural thing she knew about. 

“I think I’m ok,” she said. “Where am I? And how did I get here?”

“You’re in the Field Field,” replied the creature. “Are you one of those shiny gummy?”

“You know about Shinigami? Asked Karin. “And no, I’m not.”

“Only heard about ‘em,” said the creature. “But everyone knows that the Royal Knights are on the move and two of ‘em, Gankoomon and Jesmon, are trying to find folks willing to fight them. All I know is they don’t come from the Digital World and you ain’t no Digimon I’ve ever heard of.”

“Ok there’s like 4 or 5 things in that sentence I’m gonna need an explanation on,” said Karin. “This is obviously not my world and I just want to get home.”

“Well I don’t know how to do that, but maybe the elder might. She knows lots’a stuff. But be warned. If you are a shiny gummy trying to sneak into the Digital World then just know I’m a certified and accredited ass-kicker!”

“Shiniga- never mind.” Karin sighed. “I don’t have any better ideas, so sure, I’ll go see your elder. Who are you, anyway?”

“Watch the snark, mister,” replied the creature (“mister?” said Karin, indignantly), “I’m Pulsemon.”

“Karin Kurosaki, not a mister. Now let’s walk and talk. I want to get home as soon as possible. 

Karin realized, as she followed Pulsemon to his(?) elder, why this place was called the Field Field. The landscape was made up of different types of sports fields, complete with gear, all laid haphazardly around and overlapping each other in a chaotic jumble. As the two traveled, she filled Pulsemon in on what had happened. How she had arrived at the Urahara Shop for her weekly lessons from hat-and-clogs, but when she opened the door, she saw him and the other shop regulars plus somebody in robes looking at a glowing hole in the air. Then there was a flash of light and the next thing she knew, Pulsemon was waking her up. This also required her explaining who hat-and-clogs was, plus what kind of lessons she was taking, and stuff about the supernatural…

“So if you don’t want to deal with ghosts, who are you learning about ‘em?” asked Pulsemon.

Karin sighed. “Because someone needs to keep my family safe, and since my big brother lost his powers, I’m the only one of us left.”

“How’d he lose his powers?”

“I don’t know,” Karin felt bitterness seep into her voice. “He won’t say anything about it, even though we can all tell he’s miserable.”

“So ya had to step up,” replied Pulsemon. “I getcha. I’m stepping up too.”

“Oh really? A little guy like you?” Karin jumped at the opportunity to change the subject.

“Size don’t mean everything, missy!” Pulsemon retorted before continuing “My village used to be protected by LoaderLiomon, but when Gankoomon started recruitin’ to fight the Shinigami, e’ signed up. Now the rest of us have to stand up and protect the village ourselves.”

“Protect it from what, exactly?” Karin started to ask, but she was cut off by Pulsemon declaring “There it is!”

The village of the Field Field was built atop what Karin had mistaken for a hill, but was actually the pitcher’s mound of a gigantic baseball field. The various buildings of the village were repurposed sports equipment, from a simple dugout using an oversized cornhole board as roof to fine log cabins made of cricket bats, to tents held up with hockey sticks and draped with volleyball nets. At the center of the whole thing was a lacrosse stick the height of a three-story building being used as the flagpole for a simple red and blue striped flag. 

If the architecture of the place was strange, it paled in comparison to the weirdness of the inhabitants. Most of them were nothing but head, hopping around without any sort of limbs and playing with sports equipment bigger than them. The other residents ranged from a fairly normal-looking dog to a colored pencil with a face and limbs.

Sure. Why not. 

The elder turned out to be a sphinx in an expressionless mask named Nefertimon, who was much calmer than the excitable Pulsemon and listened to Karin’s story without interruption. 

“Quite the tale, young one,” said Nefertimon in a melodious voice once Karin finished. “Unfortunately, I have no idea how to return you to your world.”

Karin wasn’t entirely surprised, but the news was still devastating. “What about phones? Do you have a way to talk to other Digimon far away?”

“It depends,” replied the sphinx. “There’s a way to contact anywhere in the Digital World, but it’s extremely risky.”

“Well I need to-” Karin was cut off by several of the bouncing heads hurrying over and screaming in fear. “They’re back! They’re back!”

Nefertimon was on her feet in an instant. “Who’s back?”

“The Ogremon gang!”

Nefertimon swore, something that seemed incongruent with her graceful voice. “Hide, all of you. I’ll deal with this. That means you too, Pulsemon.”

“But I can-”

“No,” Nefertimon cut off Pulsemon’s retort. “You’re too low level for this. Hide.”

Karin and Pulsemon watched as Nefertimon’s wings spread and she took off and flew across the village. After a moment, Pulsemon followed. 

“You’re not hiding?” Karin asked.

“No way,” declared Pulsemon. “I’m not sitting back while the village is in danger!”

Karin shrugged and followed the little creature. At the very least, it was worth knowing what kind of danger the Digital World had in store for her. 

The danger turned out to be three nearly-identical Digimon, differing mainly in coloration and horns. They were oni, with hunched backs, grotesquely gaping mouths, and clubs clothed in their oversized hands. One was green, another red, and the last a pale blue. 

“Ey, boys,” growled the green one in a gruesome voice, “Looks like LoaderLiomon ain’t here to protect these snots anymore.”

“Howsabout we gets a little payback fer him kicking our asses when all wez wuz doin’ wuz trying to get our fair share?” asked the red one.

“I sez we turn these brats into popsicles and leave dem fer that cat to find,” finished the blue one. 

“Who are these thugs?” Karin asked Pulsemon as Nefertimon demanded the three leave.

“Ogremon, Fugamon, and Hyogamon,” replied Pulsemon. “They're bandits that tried to rob us, but LoaderLiomon chased them off.”

“Enough talk!” roared the green one, Ogremon. “Kill this kitty!”

The red one, Fugamon, stepped forward and began spinning its club like a fan. “Evil Hurricane! 

A whirlwind shot out of Fumamon’s weapon, sending Nefertimon reeling. Hyogamon stepped up, and with a cry of “Iceball Toss!” Hurled a ball of ice at the sphinx, knocking her down. 

Leaping to her feet, Nefertimon released a ray of light from her back that reached toward the sky. “Rosetta Stone!” A stone slab formed within the ray and shot toward the three oni.

In sync, the Ogremon gang swung their clubs and shattered the slab into pebbles. “Face it, kitty, you can’t fight all three of us,” snarled Ogremon.

“She ain’t alone! Petit Impulse!” Pulsemon leapt out at the oni and lightning shot from his body, slamming into Hyogamon, and accomplishing nothing whatsoever. 

The three oni burst out laughing. “Dis little twerp thinks ‘e can fight us?”

“That’s right! I won’t let you bully us! Elec Rush!” Pulsemon suddenly shot at Hyogamon, aiming toward the center of its body. Hyogamon raised a fist and swung, impacting Pulsemon’s body and sending him flying.

That idiot’s going to get himself killed! Karin quickly looked around. This whole place is made of sports stuff, there must be a- ah-ha! 

Hyoga stalked forward toward the prone form of Pulsemon while the other two continued fighting Nefertimon. “I think I’ll freeze you and have meself a frozen snack.” He stopped, looming over the helpless Digimon and gathered a wave of cold air in his hand, preparing to finish off the weakened foe when-

WHAM! A black-and-white ball slammed into the side of Hyogamon’s head, knocking the ice oni away from Pulsemon. The little Digimon’s eyes widened as the football altered course in midair and flew back toward Karin, who caught it. 

“Hey, ugly,” said Karin as Hyogamon rose to his feet. “I don’t like bullies.” She dropped the football and kicked it again, filling the ball with her Reiryoku at the point of impact and sending it flying at the oni with unnatural force.

Hyogamon raised his club and tried to knock the ball out of the air, but Karin’s Reiryoku still filled the projectile, allowing her to control its movement. The football swerved around Hyogamon’s club and struck him in the head again, delivering a blast of explosive spirit energy right into the monster before returning to Karin for a recharge. 

Hat-and-clogs had insisted that Karin come up with a name for this technique, but she adamantly refused. Naming things like that was stupid.

“I’ll kill ya fer dat.” Hyogamon tried to sound intimidating, but the groans of pain after each word and multiple missing teeth undercut the effect. 

“There’s more where that came from if you don’t leave now,” Karin called back. She put up an air of confidence, but truthfully didn’t know how long she could keep this up. She’d only ever done sparring before, never an actual fight, and she knew everyone at the Urahara Shop was pulling their punches in those matches. 

Hyogamon roared and charged at Karin. She dropped the ball, ready to kick it again, when a yellow blur shot between the two of them. 

“Elec Rush!” Pulsemon charged again. This time, he didn’t aim at Hyogamon’s center of mass, but at his leg. Rather than just crash into the oni, Pulsemon grabbed on.

“Oi! Let go!” Hyogamon yelled. Pulsemon did not let go. Instead, he yelled “Petit Impulse!” and released electricity directly into Hyogamon’s leg, making the oni seize up and make some very undignified noises. 

“Now, Karin!” Yelled Pulsemon.

Karin swung her leg and connected with the ball. Once more, the Reiryoku-filled missile rocketed forward and slammed into Hyogamon’s head, the impact sending teeth flying and shattering horns. As the ball returned to Karin, Hyogamon’s head slumped down and his body went limp. A second later, the oni vanished, its body dissolving into raw data. 

“You did it!” Cheered Pulsemon. Karin wasn’t cheering, though. She was shocked.

I didn’t mean to kill him.

“You’ll pay fer dat!” Fugamon roared in rage and charged at Karin. With not enough time to dodge, she raised her arms and flared her Reiatsu, hoping that the power would keep the oni from crushing her into a pulp.

“Nile Jewelry!” Karin’s eyes popped open at the sound of Nefertimon’s voice. From the jeweled gauntlets on the sphinx’s wrists shot gems that embedded themselves into Fugamon’s back and exploded, disintegrating the Digimon.

The victory was short-lived, for Ogremon’s green fire-cloaked fist slammed into Nefertimon’s side with a bellowed “Haouken!” sending the sphinx flying into a log cabin where she lay unmoving. 

“Well, well, youz took out my brothers. I reckon I outghta get me some payback. Tough luck fer you that I’m the strongest of us.” Ogremon stalked toward Karin and Pulsemon, pounding his bone club in his hand.

“Can you take this guy?” asked Pulsemon as he and Karin backed away.

Karin shook her head. “I’m getting worn out.”

“We need to think of something!”

Karin’s eyes shot back and forth between Ogremon, the village, and Pulsemon. “We run.”

“We can’t just leave him here!” Pulsemon was aghast.

“We can lead him away from the village. Give Nefertimon and the others some time.”

Karin left unsaid what would happen to them, but the grim tone of her voice left no doubt.

“... ok.”

Karin took a deep breath, then with a cry of “Come get me, ugly!” turned and sprinted away from the village, Pulsemon on her heels. 

“Oi! Get back here!” Ogremon charged after the two. He was fast. Too fast. They wouldn’t get far enough away in time. 

Karin grabbed Pulsemon. “Hold on, I’m gonna try something!” Her mind went back to lessons with hat-and-clogs and Yoruichi. They had tried to teach her Shunpo, the Shinigami ability to move in blindingly fast bursts of speed, but Karin had never gotten the hang of it. If there was any time to master the power, it was now. Focusing her Reiryoku into her feet, Karin took a step and released the power, rocketing her forward. A moment of exhilaration at the speed and at accomplishing what she couldn’t before turned into shock and horror when Karin extended a leg to catch herself at the end of the flash step and her ankle twisted under the sheer force of her momentum. Karin and Pulsemon crashed, tumbling end over end and coming to a stop in a cloud of dust. 

“Aww, did somebody trip,” Ogremon caught up to the pair with a mighty leap and loomed over them.

“Damnit,” Karin swore and closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable as Ogremon raised his club. 

“No!” Pulsemon jumped between them. He looked Ogremon in the eyes, determination on his face, refusing to give an inch despite the overwhelming power difference. Then, as Ogremon swung his club, Pulsemon began to glow.

“What?” both Karin and Ogremon asked in shock. 

Pulsemon Digivolve to… Runnermon!

The light faded and where Pulsemon had stood was a white tiger with stripes the shape of lightning bolts. It wore shoes like Pulsemon’s and a black and green visor with a lightning bolt extending from it. 

“Pah! So you gotz a little power-up, so what? I can still kill both’a ya!” Ogremon swung his club, but suddenly Runnermon wasn’t there. “Huh? Where’d ya go?”

“Behind you. Lightning Rush!” The tiger slammed into Ogremon from behind. The oni was sent flying clear over Karin and landed on his head. 

“Heartbeat Impulse!” Runnermon whipped his tail around, releasing green blades of energy that flew at Ogremon. Before he could react, the oni was chopped into pieces. With one final roar, Ogremon disintegrated and was gone. 

“Did’ya see that? I- we kicked ass!” Said the tiger in Pulsemon’s voice.

“Pulsemon? Is that you?” asked a bewildered Karin.

“Actually, it’s Runnermon now,” replied the Digimon. “I don’t know how, but you helped me Digivolve.”

“I have no idea what that means,” admitted Karin. 

Runnermon began to glow and shrink. After a second, the light faded and he was Pulsemon again. “uh, that doesn’t usually happen.”

Karin yawned. With the adrenaline of the battle wearing off, she suddenly realized how tired she was. “Maybe we should get back to your village. I think I need a nap.”

“She WHAT?”

Wisemon was jolted out of their meditation by the sound of Kisuke Urahara’s shout. The Shinigami scientist had spent the last several hours attempting to set up a means of communication between the Digital and human worlds. It seemed he was successful.

“No, she’s not with me. She must have been showing up for training and got caught up in the digital gate somehow. She could be anywhere in the Digital World right now.”

“What is happening?” Wisemon asked as they approached Urahara.

Urahara signed and explained that his apprentice, Karin Kurosaki, had somehow been dragged to the Digital World with them.

“Did you predict this?”

“I did not,” replied Wisemon. 

“Well we need to find her and get her to safety,” Urahara said.

“Time is already short, we may not be able to afford the distraction.”

Urahara clenched his fist. “I know, it’s just… I’ve hurt that family enough.”

“I will attempt to view the branches of the future. Perhaps I may see a path where her fate crosses ours.”

Urahara nodded. “And I’ll have Tessai work on a way to find and get her back.” He sighed and looked at the sky. “Sorry, Karin. You may have to go it alone for a while."

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you wish to leave?” asked Nefertimon. “You have done us a great service and are welcome to stay in our village.”

Karin nodded. “I have to get back home to my family. My brother and sister are probably losing their minds over me being missing, and dad, well he lost his mind a long time ago. Right now, my best chance of getting back to them is to track down the Shinigami. I know my brother helped them out last year, so once I tell them who I am, they should help me.”

“In that case, I can tell you that LoaderLiomon traveled north. Keep the rising sun on your right and stay out of sight and you will have the best chance of success.”

“She’ll ‘ave more’n that, she’ll ‘ave me,” declared Pulsemon.

Both Karin and Nefertimon looked at him. “Are you sure?” asked Karin. “It could be dangerous.”

“That’s why I should go. You may be harcore, but there’s scarier Digimon out there than Ogremon. We can work together against them. Especially if you can help me Digivolve again.”

“I see wisdom in this,” said Nefertimon. “Pulsemon, you have proven yourself to be reliable. I trust you to decide.”

“There, I’m going and you can’t say anything about it.”

Karin did feel relief and a sense of safety knowing that Pulsemon would be with her. She couldn’t show it, of course. She had an image to maintain. 

“Alright, squirt,” she said. “It’s you and me, then.”

Karin and Pulsemon’s exit from the village was met with a farewell from all the Digimon living there. After managing to extract themselves from the hoard of grateful bouncing heads and talking objects, the unlikely duo set off, traveling north across the Field Field. 

“So you want to tell me why helping you ‘digivolve’ was a big deal?” Karin eventually asked to break up the silence. 

“Well that’s not how it’s supposed to work, ya know?” replied Pulsemon. “Oh, I guess you don’t. Well us Digimon grow by Digivolving to higher levels. I’m level 3 and Nefertimon is level 4. Normally you Digivolve by growing stronger, winnin’ fights, and livin’ long enough. And you don’t go back a level unless you get really hurt and lose a bunch of data. I wasn’t anywhere near being ready to Digivolve and there’s no reason I should’a turned back.”

“Well I don’t know why me being there would change any of that,” said Karin. “Unless it had something to do with me using spirit powers. We could try it.”

“Yeah, let’s!”

Karin stopped walking and placed a hand on Pulsemon’s head. She took a second to focus and find her center, before channeling a bit of her reserve of Reiryoku into the Digimon. “Feel anything?”

“I’m not sure,” replied Pulsemon. “Let me try something.” He focused and took a deep breath before suddenly shouting.

“Pulsemon Digivolve to… Runnermon!”

“Yeah, that didn’t work,” said Karin, looking at the very much unchanged Pulsemon.

“Phooey. I’m out of ideas then.” Pulsemon looked dejected for a second, then suddenly perked up again. “Hey, d’you think you could teach me some of those tricks you used?”

Karin thought for a second. “I dunno. They use Reiryoku, spirit energy, to work and I don’t know if Digimon have that, but I guess it can’t hurt to try.”

“Awesome! How do we start?”

Karin honestly had no idea how to answer that question. What had hat-and-clogs done with her? Well he wanted to put her in a life and death scarion but she had seen goat-face walking out of his shop one day right before hant-and-clogs decided to go for a safer route. She didn’t really want to think through the implications of that. 

“All right, here’s something we can try…”

Yoruichi was never a fan of bureaucracy and her experience at Tokyo University was not changing that. Something as simple as finding a list of faculty working in computer science required her to run through directories and sub-directories of departments and colleges and schools full of professors and assistant professors and visiting professors and adjuncts and emeriti and who knows how much else. It was almost as if the humans were deliberately trying to make things more complicated for no reason other than to make themselves feel important. 

Kisuke would probably be right at home here

Things weren’t made easier by her still being a cat. Being smaller made her even stealthier and nobody would ask a stray cat for their ID (though they may try to whack a stray cat with a broom. Yoruichi still took the opportunity to mess with that old hag in Karukura for revenge). Still, thumbs were quite useful when dragging around big books full of staff info. 

Despite the setbacks, she had found a promising lead. Goro Mizuno, professor of machine learning and former head of something called Project Yggdrasil. Wisemon had spoken of a power in the Digital World called Yggdrasil. That couldn’t be a coincidence. Time to give Professor Mizuno a call. Unfortunately, that meant transforming back into her human form, which meant…

Yoruichi grimaces as she started hacking until a small marble popped out of her throat. With a smack of her paw, the marble vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving a set of modem clothing and a soul phone in its place. Kisuke had invented that little device to help her bring stuff along when she was a cat. Too bad the only reliable way she had to carry the thing was to swallow it. Well, Kisuke had offered to make a collar that could hold it, but she adamantly refused to wear something like that. Damn her sense of pride. 

Quickly transforming and getting dressed, Yoruichi dialed Professor Mizuno’s number in her soul phone. She didn’t bother asking Kisuke how he connected the thing to the human phone network, but it was fortunate that he did. 

“Hello, Goro Mizuno speaking.”

Good, it worked. “Hello, Professor Mizuno,” she said in a far cheerier voice than she was comfortable with, “I’m Yoruichi Shihoin from the Tokyo Gazette. I was hoping to get an interview with you for an article about machine learning. I’m particularly interested in your work with Project Yggdrasil.”

“Ou, uhh, no, I’m sorry. I can’t do that.” The man’s voice sounded nervous.

“Wait, Professor, I just need a few minutes-”

“I’m sorry, I really can’t talk about that. Goodbye.” With a click, the line disconnected. 

Damn. Plan B then.

Goro Mizuno shook his head as she put his phone down. It had been a while since someone asked about Project Yggdrasil, but he had promised not to share the research to anyone, especially not some reporter. Oh well, back to work.

“I’m sorry, I really must insist on that interview,”

Goro’s heart nearly stopped as the same voice that had just been on the phone suddenly spoke to him in person. Standing in the corner of the room was a dark-skinned young woman in professional attire who had certainly not been there a second ago. 

“What? H-how did you get in here? The door is locked!”

Yoruichi looked at the professor. He was a short man with light brown hair, a receding hairline, and a full beard. His hand reached toward his phone. 

“Wait,” Yoruichi said. “I’m not here to hurt you, I just need to ask some questions. Does the name Digimon mean anything to you?”

Somehow, Professor Mizuno’s face became even more shocked. “How do you know that word? Are you a spy?”

“Let’s make a deal,” Yoruichi offered. “I’ll show you something impossible and you’ll answer my questions, ok? Then I’ll leave and you can forget this ever happened.”

Professor Mizuno looked skeptical, but nodded. 

Yoruichi took one step forward, then leapt. Her clothes fell, empty, to the floor as her body shrunk and shifted, one again taking on the form of a black cat that landed smartly on the professor’s desk. “Satisfied?” She asked. 

Professor Mizuno gawked, then picked up his coffee cup and downed it in one swig. “Ok, the only logical explanation is that I’m either dreaming or hallucinating so I suppose it doesn’t matter what I say. Alright, I’ll play along. What do you want to know?”

“About Digimon and Project Yggdrasil,”

After a deep breath, Professor Mizuno began his story. “Back in the 90s, me and a group of other researchers worked on a project to create artificial intelligence. We named it Project Yggdrasil after the world tree of Norse mythology. Now nobody knows how to make a program that’s self-aware, so we thought ‘why not let the program program itself?’ We set out to make programs that could improve themselves.”

“I don’t know much about computers,” said Yoruichi. “So you’ll have to explain how a program could improve itself.”

“Well, it’s like evolution in a way. You set parameters and set a bunch of programs to try to fulfill those parameters, each with their own differences. Those who fail are pruned while those who succeed are used to program the next set of programs. Automate the system and run it through thousands of generations and you get programs that are constantly becoming more and more sophisticated. Eventually, programs with the ability to alter themselves in response to different parameters will win out and survive while those who don’t will fail. I called our programs Digimon, short for digital monsters. It was just a pet name, though. Nothing official.”

The man’s voice was becoming more energetic the more he talked, just like Kisuke’s did when he was engrossed in a project. Yuruichi could tell he truly loved what he did. 

“What happened to the Digimon?”

Professor Mizuno sighed. “The program was shut down. People were worried. If an artificial intelligence could improve itself, where would it stop? What if it became far more intelligent than any human ever even could be? How could we stop it if it stopped doing what we wanted? Have you ever heard of the paperclip apocalypse?”

At Yoruichi’s shaken head, he continued. “It's a hypothetical scenario where an AI could destroy the world. Imagine a factory makes an AI and tells it to find the most efficient way to make paperclips. The AI starts by using the resources provided to it, but soon it realizes it could become more efficient by using extra resources. The AI starts redirecting additional resources to itself, taking them away from what they were supposed to be for. Humans try to intervene to take those resourced back, but that means the AI can’t use them to make paperclips. To keep up its efficiency, the AI fight back. Humans try to reprogram it or turn it off, but the AI knows that if that happens, it won’t be able to make paperclips as efficiently, so it fights back. It upgrades itself to be able to fight the humans. Eventually, it decides humans are an existential threat to its mission of making paperclips, so it hijacks our militaries, turns our weapons against us. Soon, there are no humans left and the AI can keep working. However, the planet has limited resources and the AI knows it will eventually run out of materials. So before it finishes converting Earth to paperclips, it sends out probes to the rest of the solar system. Each one contains a copy of itself that gets to work converting those other planets to paperclips, getting more and more advanced in its methods. Eventually, the whole solar system is converted and the probes set out to others. Eventually, the whole galaxy is paperclips and the probes keep going, spreading out forever until everything, all of creation, is paperclips.”

“You think that could happen?” Yoruichi was incredulous, but then again, he was the expert. 

“It’s one possible scenario,” replied the professor. “It would depend on the AI’s programming and ability to make choices. Ideally, it would be smart enough to realize that nobody actually needs infinite paperclips. Smart enough to make moral decisions and value life. To decide that humans and it are stronger together.” He sighed. “But we won’t know because the program was shut down.”

Something about how he said that caught Yoruichi’s attention. “You sound like you aren’t convinced it’s actually shut down.”

“It’s nothing, it’s silly,” Professor Mizuno stopped and looked at the talking cat. “Well I guess it's not as silly as this. Right before we shut down the project and wiped the computers we were using it seemed like the programs, the Digimon made a massive leap forward. They developed far faster than we could ever have predicted, maybe to the point of true self-awareness. Most of us thought it was a false positive, an error in our computer systems, but I always had this nagging doubt. It was almost as if someone, or something, took the framework we made and expanded on it far faster than we were able to. I know that the Digimon should have been deleted when we wiped the servers, but some part of me sometimes wonders, what if they weren’t? What if they’re still out there somewhere on the network, still evolving in their own little Digital World?”

Nemu Kurotsuchi stepped through the digital gate and one again stood in the Digital World. Unlike last time, she had traded her shihakusho and lieutenant badge for the uniform of an Onmitsukido messenger (the owner of which was currently unconscious and locked in an unused building near the Division 12 barracks). Being one of the 26 most recognizable people in the Seireitei certainly had its disadvantages when trying to remain unseen. Fortunately, a messenger uniform was a good solution to that problem. They were a common sight and tended to be ignored by any Shinigami they weren’t speaking to. 

The surveillance microbes in her quarters had been hacked and were now relaying looped footage of her lying in her bed. It was a rushed job that wouldn’t hold up to serious scrutiny, but it had bought her time to return to the Digital World and-

And what, exactly? Convince her father to change his course? She was more likely to convince gravity to reverse direction. Sabotage Project D-Reaper? That would likely end in her being executed as a traitor and the genocide merely being delayed at best or Soul Society being destroyed by the Royal Knights at worst. 

For the first time in her life, Nemu has no goal, no idea of what to do. She was made to be an assistant to her father and for her entire life, she had obeyed him faithfully. But now, that she had changed for reasons she still did not understand, she was lost. 

Lost though she may be, she was still a genius, and an idea came quickly. The Captain-Commander had ordered that no less than two captains be left on guard at all times. Captain Kyoraku had remained in the Digital World while Captain Ukitake had returned to Soul Society to call the emergency meeting. If Ukitake was still here or Kyoraku had returned, she could potentially turn to them. The two had betrayed the Captain-Commander's orders over issues of morality before, when they helped stop the execution of Rukia Kuchuki. Perhaps they would be willing to assist. They certainly knew more about how to work the politics of Soul Society and the Gotei 13 than she did. 

Deciding to start with that avenue of opportunity, she made her way to the outskirts of the research outpost. Thankfully, Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake were there, the former easily recognizable by his trademark flowery pink kimono and straw hat. The two were whispering to each other, inaudible to most, but Nemu’s enhanced hearing picked their conversation up.

“Well we have to do something. Letting those Gizmon lose on this world can’t possibly end in anything other than a disaster,” said Captain Ukitake.

“I know, but the only other person who could possibly understand them or come up with a different solution to souls being trapped here is Urahara and he won’t answer his soul phone. When our shift here ends I’m going to sneak out to Karakura town and-” Captain Kyoraku was cut off by Ukitake putting up his hand and looking over at Nemu. 

“Do you have a message for us?” he asked. 

Making a choice, Nemu flash stepped her way over to the two. “Kisuke Urahara isn’t the only one who can help,” she said while taking off her mask.

Both captains raised their eyebrows at the sight of her. “Well this is unexpected,” said Captain Kyoraku.

“I have determined that Captain Kurotsuchi is not acting in the best interest of the Gotei 13 or according to scientific principles. I believe that his creation of the Gizmon is reckless and driven by emotion rather than logic and reason. And I do not wish to see the Digital World destroyed,” Nemu explained. “Therefore, I am no longer answering to him. Previously, I anonymously sent information about the Digital World and the Gizmon to Kisuke Urahara, but I do not know his current whereabouts or intention.”

“Well that’s certainly a lot to process,” commented Captain Kyoraku.

“If Urahara knows about all this, he may be working on a solution already,” said Captain Ukitake. “Do you have a way to contact or locate him?”

Nemu shook her head. “Not without access to Division 12 equipment.”

Before either of the captains could say anything, an Onmitsukido messenger, a real one this time, flash stepped over. “Captains, a large object has been detected moving toward us at rapid speed in the sky.”

As he spoke, a red beam shot from the clouds and impacted a building, destroying it in a fiery explosion. The pink cloud was blown away by the beam, revealing the form of a Jesmon shooting down like a meteor. 

“Shunsui!”-  but Captain Kyoraku was already on the move before Ukitake finished speaking. With a burst of Shunpo, he put himself in the way of Jesmon and raised his hands. 

“Bakudo #39: Enkōsen!” At Kyoraku’s command, a white shield appeared before him, directly in the Royal Knight’s trajectory. Jesmon impacted the spell with a force that sent a shockwave rippling through the air above the outpost, and the shield cracked. Kyoraku flash stepped out of the way as the shield shattered, but Jesmon’s inertia had been spent and he hovered in midair. 

“Jesmon,” called out Captain Kyoraku. “Any chance we could talk?”

The white dragon snarled. “I gave you that chance before and your kind slaughtered my people. Now I come to ensure you cannot do so again.” Jesmon rocketed forward and Kyoraku was forced to raise the blades of his twin Zanpakuto to block Jesmon’s sword. 

“All right, if you insist. Katen Kyōkotsu.” At the sound of its name, Shunsui Kyoraku’s awakened to its Shikai form, the swords becoming twin scimitars. In the blink of an eye, he was behind Jesmon, swinging the blade at the Digimon’s neck. 

“Behind you!” Yelled Ukitaku and Kyoraku flash stepped away as Jesmon’s tail swung up. The sword on its tip would have impaled him had he not dodged. 

“You know, this is kind of unfair for me,” Kyoraku called out to his foe. “I only have two swords here and you have five. Mind evening the playing field a bit?”

Jesmon did not bother to honor Kyoraku’s complaint with a response. Instead, he asked, “why did your swords change? Is this a Shinigami power?”

“Good question. This is Shikai, the first release of a Shinigami’s blade. Each one is unique and each has its own power. For example, Takaoni.” Kyoraku leapt upwards, and fell toward Jesmon, swinging his swords. Jesmon put up his arm blades to block, but the blow was tremendous and Jesmon was flung to the ground. 

“Tekken Seibei!” Jesmon shot upwards at Kyoraku, swinging his arm blades, but the captain lazily held out his swords. He put no force into the block, and yet Jesmon found he could not land the blow. “What is this?”

“It’s a game,” replied Kyoraku. “I try never to take things too seriously. Games have rules. Figure them out if you want a chance at beating me.”

Jesmon disengaged from the two’s blade lock and flew backwards, gaining distance from the captain, who stood in midair and did not move. The two watched each other for a second, neither wanting to make the next move. 

“I meant it when I said I didn’t know about the attack,” Captain Kyoraku called out. “If I had known, I would have put a stop to it. The Gotei 13 is still open to negotiations. There’s still a chance for peace.”

“You used your one chance” Jesmon shot forward, meeting the captain in a clash of blades. “Interesting. You had to block for real that time.” His tail shot up , arcong ove r his head and down toward Kyoraku, who quickly flash stepped out of the way. “That’s your game. The one who attacks from a higher vantage point wins.”

“Bravo, you figured it out,” Kyoraku said to his foe. “But that’s only one game. Here’s another one. A riddle. Why aren’t you giving it everything you’ve got?”

Jesmon’s eyes narrowed and Kyoraku grinned. “As a proud slacker myself, I’m very familiar with what it feels like when someone is holding back. You aren’t giving it your all. It’s almost as if you’re buying someone time…”

As soon as he said it, explosions rocked the outpost. Kyoraku’s eyes widened. “You’re a distraction. Your friends, the Sistermons, they snuck in while everyone was paying attention to us.”

“Tekken Seibei,” Jesmon once again charged at Kyoraku, this time delivering overhead blows with his arms and tail.

Captain Ukitake and Nemu watched the battle above them. Nemu’s advanced senses allowed her to hear what Captain Kyoraku had just deduced and an idea struck her. “Do you have a soul phone?”

“What?” responded Captain Ukitake. “Yes, I do. Why?”

“Give it to me.” Nemu didn’t pause to explain, simply grabbing the phone as soon as the captain took it out of his pocket. She popped open the battery case and made a few quick adjustments, before handing it back. “That will allow me to contact you. Let the Royal Knight escape.” Before Ukitake had the chance to ask any questions, she shot off toward the explosions. 

Chaos was consuming the outpost just as much as the smoke from the fires the explosions had set. Shinigami did not join Division 12 in search of combat skill and so few members knew how to respond as the three Sistermon Sisters fled the scene. Sistermon Ciel was in her awakened form and she could deduce that the other two were as well, for they had also changed in appearance. The three were fending off the members  of Division 12 and the Onmitsukido who both had combat prowess and had managed to keep their heads on straight in the crisis. 

“Shirotsume Ichimonji-Giri!” Sistermon Ciel’s sword swung, ready to cleave a Shinigami in two, but with a flash of Shunpo, Nemu shoved the hapless scientist to safety. 

“You!” Ciel recognized the face of the Shinigami before her. “Alright, let’s finish our fight!”

“I surrender,” Nemu raised her hands and Ciel’s eyes boggled. 

“What?”

“I surrender. Take me as a hostage and leave the outpost. Backup will be on its way soon. If you don’t leave now, you will be killed.”

Ciel eyed Nemu and kept her at swordpoint. “Why should I trust you?”

“I helped build those monsters you fought, which means I can help you destroy them.”

Ciel stared at Nemu, saying nothing, until one of her sisters shouted, “Ciel, we need to go!”

“Fine, hands behind your back.” 

Nemu obliged and Ciel grabbed a fallen Shinigami. Tearing off a strip of cloth from the man’s Shihakusho, she quickly bound Nemu’s hand and ankles, then lifted the Shinigami over her shoulder and fled to the edge of town. 

“Kageoni” Kyoraku dropped to the ground beneath Jesmon and sank into the Digimon’s shadow as though it were water. A slash of Jesmon’s blade left a great rift torn out of the ground where he had been a second ago. As Jesmon moved, a new shadow was cast on the wall of a building. Out of it shot Kyoraku, his blade aiming for Jesmon’s neck. However, just before the killing blow was struck, he stopped. 

“Ah, it seems we are at an impasse,” Kyoraku’s voice remained calm, not showing how dire the situation was. Around him had appeared three flaming creatures with blades for arms. Just as Katen Kyōkotsu was pressed against Jesmon’s neck, the flaming creature’s blades were pressed against his own vital body parts. 

“I have tricks too, Shinigami,” growled Jesmon. 

“So, which one of us reacts first? Do I move and kill you, or do you move and kill me? Now you’re getting the spirit of the games.” Kyoraku somehow sounded jovial. 

“Jesmon, let’s go!” Sistemon Ciel’s voice rang out as the three reached the edge of the outpost. 

“Go, I will cover you!” replied the Royal Knight.

“Oh? Does that mean you’re still holding back? Were you afraid that if you went all-out, your friends would have been killed in the collateral damage?” Kyoraku asked. His eye glanced over at the Sistermons and he saw Nemu in Ciel’s arms. “I have that problem too. I can’t use my full power around other people. Too many casualties. But seeing as you have an ally of mine captive, I may have no choice. Ban-”

“Let them go!” Ukitake’s voice rang out.

“Jushiro?” Kyoraku asked. “What are you talking about?”

Ukitake looked toward Jesmon. “If my friend disarms himself, do we have your word that you will leave?”

Jesmon’s eyes narrowed. “Why would you let me escape?”

“Because none of us want to see more bloodshed today. You don’t want war, do you? You just feel it is inevitable. I am in the same boat. Leave now, and there is still a chance for peace. People are working on a better solution, they just need time. So please, give us this chance.”

Jesmon’s eyes flicked back toward Kyoraku and he sighed. I really hope you know what you’re doing, Jushiro , Kyoraku thought as he opened his hands and allowed the twin blades of Katen Kyōkatsu to fall to the ground. 

Jesmon’s flaming familiars flicked out of existence and the knight flew towards the Sistermons. They grabbed onto his body and Jesmon rocketed away, taking the captive Nemu with them. 

“What was that all about?” Kyoraku asked his oldest friend. 

“Nemu has a plan,” replied Ukitake, “and for all of our sakes, I hope it’s a good one.”

Chapter Text

“How bad are the damages?” Captain-Commander Yamamoto had come to the Digital World personally after learning of Jesmon’s assault on the research outpost. Captains Kyoraku, Ukitake, and Kurotsuchi met him at the digital gate as members of Division 12 and the Onmitsukido began repairs. 

“None of the Gizmon were destroyed,” replied Mayuri. “The buildings and personnel can be replaced, but production will slow down considerably.”

“How close are you to being ready to deploy the Gizmon?” asked Yamamoto.

Mayuri shrugged. “I have 62 built right now. I had wanted to create more, but they could be deployed now. Their collection of Digimon souls would be slower, but still effective. If the Royal Knights became distracted attempting to destroy my Gizmon it would likely buy time for me to create more.”

“Captain-Commander, I still believe there is a path to peace,” Jushiro said. “Jesmon was prepared to kill Captain Kyoraku until I reasoned with him. He was willing to leave without more bloodshed when offered the chance.”

Mayuri scoffed. “More likely it realized it couldn’t win and took the chance to escape and regroup with the other Royal Knights before attacking again.”

Shunshi shook his head. “I disarmed myself. Jesmon had the perfect chance to kill me and left instead. From that and talking to him earlier I can tell he wants peace too, he just prioritizes the protection of his world higher.”

Yamamoto nodded. “An admirable goal. Unfortunately, we may not have a choice. The Kido Corps reports that the instability in the cycle of souls is becoming worse. If nothing is done to return the Digimon’s souls to the cycle, it will be a disaster akin to that which we went to war with the Quincies to prevent.”

“Then deployment of the Gizmon should begin immediately,” insisted Mayuri. 

Yamamoto stroked his beard in thought. “Prepare to deploy, but wait for my word before you begin the attack. I must go speak with Central 46. In the meantime, the remaining Captains will be informed to prepare for war,” he said, looking at Jushiro and Ukitake, his proteges. They were almost like sons to him and he hated when they disagreed. “If there is a peaceful solution, seek it out now. There will not be another chance. Dismissed.”

Without another word, the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 turned and stepped back into the digital gate, returning to Soul Society. Mayuri also left, returning to his workshop. Jushiro and Kyoraku stood by the gate, the former pulling out the soul phone Nemu had modified. 

“I hope you have a plan, Nemu.”

Jesmon touched down at the edge of a forest. He had flown for hours, moving beyond the area of the Digital World that Division 12 had the capability of directly surveilling, all while carrying the three Sistermon siblings and the bound form of Nemu. It was this location that he and the Sistermons had apparently been staying, for there were makeshift buildings set up here at the forest’s edge. And it truly was an edge, for the woodland terminated in a straight line, leaving some of the trees shorn in half, but apparently still healthy. On the other side of the divide was a rocky terrain dotted with cairns made of multicolored, plastic bricks. 

The three Sistermons jumped agilely to the ground. Nemu, being bound at the wrists and ankles, was carried by Ciel and placed somewhat roughly against a rock. 

“Alright,” said Ciel, “You said you could help us fight those monsters. Explain.”

“The monsters are called Gizmon,” Nemu explained. “They are a fusion of Digimon and Hollow, built to consume a Digimon’s data and soul, which they will then use to replicate themselves and upgrade to more powerful forms. If they are killed, they will be reborn. Captain Kurotsuchi intends to use them to destroy all Digimon to restore their souls to the cycle of reincarnation.”

“That’s horrible,” gasped Sistemon Blanc. She wasn’t alone, all of the Digimon looked alarmed at the prospect of fighting an army of replicating, self-improving, soul-eating monsters.

“How do we stop them?” asked Jesmon. “You said you knew how to destroy them.”

“I know of one way to destroy the Gizmon,” said Nemu. “Their ability to restore themselves will not function outside of the Digital World. Kill them elsewhere and they will die permanently. I suspect the same is true of true Digimon as well.”

“How does that help us?” Demanded Noir. 

“It may not,” replied Nemu, “but there may be other ways I am not aware of. If there are ways to permanently destroy Digimon that you know of, they would likely work on Gizmon as well.”

“There’s legends, but that’s it,” said Ciel. 

“Actually,” Jesmon mused. “That may not be true. Back when the Digital World was young, even before the founding of the Royal Knights, there was a war. A war between two groups of Digimon. One side was a group of Demon Lords who could destroy Digimon in a way that prevented their rebirth, while the other was ten legendary warriors. Our records say that the eldest of the Royal Knights, Omegamon, fought in that conflict. If anyone alive knows how to destroy a Digimon permanently, he may.”

“You say anyone alive,” said Nemu. “Do you retain memories from previous incarnations? Humans do not, but I do not know if the same is true for Digimon.” Her father had been more interested in studying Digimon dying than studying them being born. 

“Bits and pieces,” said Noir. “After enough time you tend not to remember much from past lives.”

Nemu nodded. “Then we should contact this Omegamon. His knowledge may prove invaluable.”

“No,” Jesmon’s voice was decisive. “First I need some assurance from you. How can we know you aren’t a spy here to learn our weaknesses?”

“Good point,” said Ciel. “You had no problem torturing and killing Digimon before. Why help us now?”

Nemu opened her mouth, then closed it again. What could she say? Even she didn’t really understand her own motives. Finally, she spoke. 

“To be honest, I don’t know. Ever since I came to the Digital World, I have been changing in ways I don’t understand. I have been thinking thoughts I was not designed to think and experiencing new emotions, as well as empathy. I do not know why this is happening to me, but I wish to explore the implications and determine what is happening. I also do not believe my father- my captain is acting as befits a scientist. He has refused to seek out a means for coexistence, instead choosing extermination for what I believe are entirely emotional reasons. I believe there may still be avenues worth exploring that could lead to a better outcome.”

“So you’re disobeying your captain?” asked Ciel.

“I am.”

Ciel nodded. “Sounds like you took my advice then.”

“I suppose I did,” replied Nemu. 

Jesmon and the Sistermons gave each other a look. None of them said anything, but they didn’t need to. All of them knew what each other was thinking. 

“All right,” said Jesmon, “We’ll give you a chance. If what you say is true, we will need your help. I will contact Omegamon and allow you to join the conversation.”

“How?” asked Nemu. Reliable long-distance communication had proven to be a problem in the Digital World. Soul phones still functioned, but Tenteikūra, the Bakudo spell used for communication over long distances to someone without a phone, did not.

“The data streams connect all parts of the Digital World,” replied Jesmon. “Using them, you can communicate with anyone in this world, but it is risky. We Royal Knights possess miniaturized data streams withing us that allow us to communicate with each other via the Drasil Tree, the epicenter of the Digital World. We can also invite others to join us.”

Nemu nodded. Perhaps she could learn from the process. 

Jesmon paused and concentrated. Nemu was about to ask what was happening when she suddenly found herself within a great, round, wooden room lit with blue light. Ringing the room were mechanical projectors, several of which were active, displaying the forms of Jesmon and the three Sistermons, as well as a Digimon she didn’t recognize. She herself also stood beneath a projector. Holographic displays so the Royal Knights can see each other.

“Hail, Royal Knight,” said the Digimon, a white titan bedecked in a flowing cape. Its mechanical arms ended not in hands, but a pair of heads: one that of a blue wolf and the other that of an orange dragon. 

“Hail, Lord Omegamon,” replied Jesmon. “This Shinigami has something to tell you.”

All eyes turned to Nemu and she prepared to tell her story.

Urahara whistled at the sight of the biggest tree he had ever seen. Its pale blue-white trunk was as thick as a district of the Seireitei and its branches literally touched the sky. The branches spread out from the top of the tree and gradually dissolved into the greenish lines that made up the grid covering the Digital World’s sky. 

“Behold the Drasil Tree,” declared Wisemon. “This is the epicenter of the Digital World, the point through which all data flows, and the base of the Royal Knights.”

Urahara nodded. “So, how do we get in?”

“I do not know,” replied Wisemon. “I have never entered. Though I follow the Royal Knights to record their missions, I am not a member of their order and am not permitted to enter the tree. All I know is what is said in legends.”

“Legends often have a basis in truth,” said Urahara. “What do they say?”

Wisemon held out a hand and a book appeared in it, opened to a page Wisemon read from. “It is said that in the Genesis of the Digital World, seven Digimon rebelled against Yggdrasil and attempted to claim the world from themselves. These Seven Great Demon Lords fought in a war with ten ancient warriors and Omagamon, eldest of the Royal Knights. The first of the Demon Lords, the Lord of Pride, attempted to destroy the Drasil Tree, but brute force was unable to destroy it, for the Tree is the Digital World. Thus, the Lord of Pride used cunning, and found a way through the tree’s defenses, but before it could enter, the final battle arrived. The battle shook the Digital World, but in the end, the Demon Lords and the legendary warriors were both destroyed and only Omegamon remained. The Royal Knights were founded so that no force could again rise to threaten the Digital World like the Demon Lords did.”

Urahara nodded. “So you need brains to get inside, not brawn. I like that. Better get started, then.” 

With a series of flash steps, Urahara reached the trunk of the tree, though from this distance, it looked more like a great wooden wall that stretched on in both directions. Placing a hand on the trunk, Urahara could feel the power moving beneath the bark. A world flowed through and from this tree. Even for someone like Urahara, whose plans and schemes crossed worlds, it was a humbling realization. 

Noticing something, Urahara pulled a device resembling a jeweler's magnifying glass and placed it over his eye. Adjusting the lens could let him view microscopic objects if he needed, and now he turned it on the tree. Fascinating. In the cracks between the bark flowed minute numbers and characters, splitting and merging like rivers as they navigated the microscopic grooves and notches of the wood. 

“It’s a code,” he said to the arriving Wisemon. “If I’m right, the code acts like a lock. That must be what the legend meant when the Lord of Pride used cunning to get into the tree. It cracked the code. I’ll bet the Royal Knights are given some sort of key to bypass the code so they don’t have to solve it every time.”

“Can you solve it?” asked Wisemon. 

In response, Urahara pulled a rolled-up rug out of a pocket far too small to hold it. With the flick of his wrist, the rug unrolled and out of it popped a workstation with a workbench and computer. The same workstation he had used to establish communication with Tessei back in the world of the living. “A code created to safeguard the epicenter of an entire world? Give me a day.”

“What the hell is that thing?!” 

Karin rode atop Pulsemon, though he was Runnermon right now, as both of them fled from a colossal mass of rotting wood and flies in the shape of a dragon. 

“That’s Entmon,” Runnermon yelled back. “And it’s angry!” 

Just a few minutes ago, the pair had stopped to harvest some food (apparently meat grew from the ground like plants here, because why not?) only to be accosted by a group of rather territorial red stag beetles called Kuwagamon. Pulsemon managed to Digivolve in the ensuing fight, which led to a patch of rotting wood sticking out of the ground of the Field Field. Said patch of rotting wood had then risen from the ground, devoured the remaining Kuwagamon in one bite, and was now intent on doing the same thing to Karin and Pulsemon. 

“Let’s hide in there!” Karin pointed toward a small grove of trees. Runnermon obliged, changing course to head toward the grove.

“Stop. You are not welcome here.” Out of the shadows of the trees stepped a black dog with massive claws and helmets adorning its shoulders. 

“Tell it to that guy!” yelled Runnermon. The white tiger leapt, jumping clear over the black dog and into the trees. The dog’s eyes followed the pair, but then fixed on the sight of the incoming Entmon. It growled “go nowhere,” toward Karin and Runnermon before charging the rotting dragon. 

Runnernon did not, in fact, stop there. He continued some way into the grove before coming to a stop out of sight of Entmon and the dog.

“Why are you stopping?” asked Karin.

“Can’t you feel it?” asked Runnermon. Karin blinked at the tone of his voice. Runnermon, normally bold and fearless, sounded nervous. “Something’s wrong here.”

Karin paused for a moment and looked around. Something did feel off about the grove. Was it the uncanny silence that permeated the area? The strange black patches on the trees, creeping through the wood like an infection? Or maybe it was something in the air. Yes, something was very wrong here, something unnatural. 

A roar pierced the air and Entmon came crashing through the grove, trees splintering before its bulk. Atop its head rode the black dog, who was busy ripping great grooves in the beast’s rotting head using its mighty claws. 

“Blasted Disaster!” Entmon bellowed in a deep voice filled with malice and hunger. Countless insects swarmed forth from its body, seizing the black dog and sending it flying through the air.

“Hellfire” roared the dog as it exhaled a gout of red flame. The fire engulfed Entmon, lighting it up in a bonfire. Roaring in pain, Entmon drove the two massive tusks emerging from the sides of its head into the ground and, with a great effort, ripped them out, sending chunks of earth raining over its body to extinguish the flames. 

The earth shook and from the point that Entmon had dug into, began to collapse as if there was nothing below. 

“Run!” yelled Runnermon as the collapse continued, forming a whirlpool of earth and rock. The white tiger turned to flee, but as he did so, a tree collapsed under the strains of the shearing earth. Karin had just enough time to flare her Reiryoku in defense before a branch slammed into her midsection, sending her flying backwards into the pit. 

“Karin!” Runnermon turned and leapt after his partner. Karin grabbed onto him and the two fell into the darkness below together.

As Urahara worked on the outside of the Drasil Tree, Nemu finished telling her story within it. 

Omagamon looked toward Jesmon “you believe you can trust this Shinigami, Lord Jesmon?”

“I believe that if she is telling the truth, we have no other choice,” responded Jesmon.

Omegamon paused, then nodded. “Then I will tell you that what you seek is folly. I Indeed fought against the Seven Great Demon Lords in the war, and they indeed had the power to permanently destroy Digimon, but the way they did so was to absorb the very beings of the Digimon they slew into their home and prison, the Dark Area.”

“The Dark Area is real?” Jesmon asked in surprise. “I thought it was a myth.”

“It sadly is, and the way to it is known only to the Royal Knights,” said Omagamon. “As you are so new to our order there has not yet been time to give you all of our secrets. The Dark Area is the graveyard of deleted data, a place steeped in sin that the Demon Lords created as their home. When the war was won, it was repurposed to be the prison of them and their demonic armies. If you kill these Gizmon in the same manner, all you will be doing is strengthening the Dark Area.”

“But there is a mechanism for destroying a Digimon permanently, which means it could be repurposed,” pondered Nemu. “If I study the Demon Lords I could find a way to change their ability and use it to destroy the Gizmon without strengthening the Dark Area.”

Omegamon’s mouthless face was hard to read, but Nemu got the distinct expression he was doubtful. 

“Given what’s on the line, why not give it a try?” asked Ciel.

“Going to the Dark Area without the escort of a Digimon with the power of a Royal Knight would likely be suicidal,” said Omegamon.”

“I will take that chance,” replied Nemu. 

Omagamon looked at her, deep in thought, then spoke. “The way to the Dark Area lies in a grove of trees in the Field Field and is guarded by a Cerberumon.”

“Wait, that’s it?” asked Noir. “It's just in the middle of nowhere with only one Digimon guarding it?”

“That was rather the point,” replied Omagamon. “It was to be lost and forgotten about, hidden in a place none would look and guarded by a member of a territorial species. Easy to mistake for a random Digimon’s territory.”

“Lord Gankoomon just passed through the Field Field,” mused Jesmon. “And there are Locomon tracks not far away. I will contact Gankoomon and see if he will escort Nemu Kurotsuchi there.”

“I am not pleased by the prospect of one of our number being absent at such a criti-” Omegamon was interrupted as another hologram projector flared to life within the chamber, this one displaying a dog-like Digimon with two helmets on its shoulders. 

“Lord Knights,” growled Cerberumon, “the Dark Area has been breached. Two beings fell in before the breach was sealed. A Runnermon and a creature matching the description of a Shinigami.”

There was silence in the chamber, before it was broken by Noir. “What is that fucking timing?”

“This creature, it looked like me?” 

Cerberumon looked at Nemu and tilted its head. “Hmm. Smaller. Less curvy. Different clothing.”

“Did they have pink or white hair and were they wearing black robes?” asked Nemu. When Cerberumon shook its head and confirmed the stranger had black hair and no robes, she continued. “That sounds like a child, but does not fit the descriptions of Captain Hitsugaya or Lieutenant Kusajishi. Where is the Field Field?”

Jesmon made a gesture and a branch grew from the floor of the chamber. It sprouted a leaf whose surface acted like a tablet and displayed a map. 

“No Shinigami expeditions have ranged that far out,” she said. “From the descriptions i t sounds as though a human child has somehow entered the Digital World.”

“How is that possible?” asked Jesmon.

“I do not know, though one possibility seems more likely than the rest.” replied Nemu. “Do you remember me saying I sent information to a former Shinigami Scientist?” When the Digimon nodded, she continued. “I believe it is possible Kisuke Urahara is involved in this.”

Night had fallen by the time Captain-Commander Yamamoto returned to the Digital World. Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake nervously awaited his declaration while Captain Kurotsuchi was mostly impatient and annoyed. 

“Central 46 have made their decision. We can wait no longer.”

“Does this mean…?” Shunshuui trailed off already knowing the answer. 

“It does,” declared Yamamoto. “Release the Gizmon. It is time for war.”

Chapter Text

“Rapid Fire!” 

Once again, a pair of missiles shot from the cannons at the end of Rapidmon’s arms and compacted one of the spherical, purple monstrosities. The monster’s armor cracked and it dissolved into data that flowed away unnaturally instead of reverting to an egg. Another one of the invaders had fallen, but it was not enough. Not nearly enough. 

“Is everyone out?” he yelled back at his allies. 

“Not yet,” replied RaptorSparrowmon. “We’re still evacuating the young ones!”

“Well hurry up! I can’t keep this up much longer!” shouted Rapidmon as he launched another volley. In truth, Rapidmon already realized on some level that the battle was lost. The monsters had descended on Geartown in the night when few residents were awake. By the time the Digimon could respond, over a quarter of them were gone, vanishing as though they never existed. Rapidmon was now the last of the defenders, the rest of the city’s high-level Digimon either overseeing the evacuation or having already fallen. It was only a matter of time before he too fell to the invaders. 

Damn it all. “There’s no time! Take who you can and go!”

“We can’t leave them!” RaptorSparrowmon shouted back, aghast.

“It’s them or all of us! Go!” Out of the corner of his eye, Rapidmon saw RaptorSparrowmon turn and fly off in the direction of the refugees. He hated himself for giving the order, but it was the only way to save some of his charges. And even as he gave the order, Rapidmon knew he would not be joining the refugees. 

If I'm going to die here, I'm taking as many of these monsters with me as I can! “Rapid Fire! Rapid Fire!” 

Another monster fell, but still the others came. Rapidmon saw one of the remaining ones charge up its laser beam attack and closed his eyes. It was over. 

“Magna Kick!” 

Rapidmon’s eyes shot open to see the creature crushed to scrap beneath the metal boot of a blue Digimon clad in golden armor. His eyes widened at the sight of a creature of legend. A Royal Knight. 

“Magna Blast!” Beams of golden radiance shot from Magnamon, cutting through multiple of the monsters until only one remained. That one hovered in the air for a moment, before turning and retreating. 

“You saved us,” whispered Rapidmon, scarcely able to believe it. 

“Not yet,” replied the Knight. “These Gizmon fall, but they will rise again, stronger.” They turned to look at Rapidmon. “Spread the word to other Digimon to flee. Travel away from Index Mountain. But tell them this too: the Royal Knights have launched a crusade. The Shinigami and their creations shall face our wrath.” With that Magnamon flew off. 

Rapidmon saluted, then flew down to Geartown. With the monsters, the Gizmon destroyed, the evacuation could be completed. Maganmon had brought what they needed: a miracle, and Rapidmon would not squander that chance. Not while there was still hope left. 

“Karin, wake up!” 

Karin groaned as the sound of Pulsemon’s voice reached her ears. Holding her hand to her aching head, she sat up from the dirt and looked around. 

“Where are we?” she asked. They had been in the Field Field before, but this was someplace different. It was a wasteland of jagged stones and withered trees, twisted into unnatural shapes that almost looked like petrified monsters and screaming faces. Stranger still, Karin clearly remembered falling into a hole in the ground, but there was a moonless night sky overhead. 

“I don’t know, but this place feels wrong.” Karin paused. Pulsemon sounded afraid. She hadn’t known him for long, but she knew enough about the Digimon to know he was the kind who hid his fear, just like her. For him to be afraid like this…

“I feel it too,” she said. It was true, the place exuded a sense of wrongness, of fear and hopelessness. It was familiar to Karin and she hated it. She had felt like this before. First when her mother died, and again a little over two years ago, when she encountered the soul of a boy in the body of a parakeet. She had seen the poor boy’s memories of watching his mother’s murder by the man who had them become a hollow and used him to kill more victims. That had been the first time she had cried since her mother’s death, when she promised herself that she wouldn’t be a burden to her family. That feeling of pain, fear, and loss was everywhere here, soaked into the very atmosphere and invading every part of her mind. 

“We need to find out where we are and how to get out,” Karin declared. This was no time to give in to fear. She needed to do what she had since mom’s death: be strong. 

“There is no way out,” Karin and Pulsemon whirled around to see a figure stepping out from behind one of the twisting rocks. A humanoid clad in black armor decorated with eyes and skulls. Long blonde hair flowed from its head and where its hands should have been were a pair of jet black canine skulls. “You’re trapped here. We’re all trapped here. Nothing to do but fight and kill and serve.” The skulls opened their jaws and red swords emerged as the Digimon took up a fighting stance.

Karin sent out a pulse of Reiryoku, searching for the football that had become her weapon. Evidently, it had fallen to this place with them and landed not far away, for she quickly found it and brought it flying back to her hands. Pulsemon growled and prepared to fight, but was interrupted as the ground began to shake. 

With a roar, the ground split open and a gout of flame shot into the air. This was no natural fire, for it was a deep crimson in color, like fresh blood, and in the flickering flames, Karin could swear she saw images appearing and vanishing so fast they were gone before she could make them out. 

The armored Digimon screamed as the flame arced around like a serpent and engulfed it. Karin and Pulsemon watched in horror as their attacker shrieked in pain and slowly burned away. Then, the fire turned and even though it had no eyes, the pair could swear it was looking at them. 

“Karin, I don’t think it’s going to leave us alone!” Called out Pulsemon as he began to glow.

Puslemon Digivolve to… Runnermon!

“Right, let’s do this!” Karin replied. She dropped the football and launched it at the fire with a Reiryoku-laden kick as Runnermon used Heartbeat Impulse to whip out blades of energy. However, the flame simply flickered, vanishing in the second the attacks would have it and reappearing as they passed. 

“Karin, get on me,” said Runnermon. “I think we’re going to have to make a break for it.”

“Right.” Karin recalled the ball and turned to leap on Runnermon’s back, but as she did, a thousand voices exploded into her mind, all talking as one.

Karin Kurosaki. In your apathy, you have committed the sin of sloth. How many ghosts could you have helped but chose not to? How many of them were consumed by hollows because you did nothing? In your will to ignore reality in favor of your preferences, you have also committed the sin of pride. For this, you must be punished. 

“It’s in my head!” she gasped.

“Mine too!” replied Runnermon. “Hurry up!”

The flames surged forward toward the pair. Karin closed her eyes to brace for the impact, but instead of burning heat, she felt a rush of air as something shot over her head. Opening her eyes, Karin saw a small figure slam a stick into the crimson flame, scattering it. The flame reformed several paces away, looming over Karin, Runnermon, and the new figure. 

“Begone,” demanded the new Digimon in the voice of an old man. “These two are not yours to punish. They do not belong here. You know this.”

The fire lurched at the figure, but he held his ground. Their bluff called, the flames dissipated and were gone. The Digimon turned around revealing the form of an old man even shorter than Karin. His bushy white hair and beard covered his face entirely and he wore nothing but a tattered, brown rag. His hairy feet were large and bare and he carried a staff adorned with a cartoonish cat’s paw. 

“Well, well,” said the old man. “What have we here? You’re no Digimon,” (he looked toward Karin) “and you’re no demon,” (he looked at Runnermon) “and yet here you are, in the Dark Area.”

“The Dark Area!” Runnermon yelped. “It’s real?”

“Sadly, yes,” replied the Digimon. “And you are not the first to come here by mistake. I am Jijimon, and like you, I fell here long ago. Now I try to help those who should not be here. I have a place we can hide.”

“I don’t need to hide,” replied Karin. “I need to get out of here.”

“Then I’m afraid you’re out of luck,” said Jijimon. “It is said that nobody escapes the Dark Area and nobody will until the final battle comes at the end of time. And who knows when that will be. No, the best you can do is hide and try to survive as long as possible.”

“There has to be a way!” Karin yelled.

“Keep your voice down!” insisted Jijimon. “You never know what may be nearby.”

“Like that fire?” asked Runnermon. 

Jijimon nodded. “They are called El Evangelio: the sentient flames that impose judgement on those imprisoned here. Fortunately, those with enough power can drive them off, for a time.” He looked around. “We should not stay here. Come, I have a home nearby. It’s not much, but it’s hidden and safe. Follow me, I can answer your questions when we get there.” With that, he turned to leave.

Karin looked at Runnermon. “What do you think?”

Runnermon shook his head. “I think that if half’a what I ‘erd about the Dark Area is true, we’re gonna need all the help we can get.”

Karin sighed. “Alright, but I’m not giving up on getting out of here. Let’s go.”

“Captain, we have reports of multiple Digimon approaching by land and air.”

“I see,” Mayuri replied to Akon’s report. “Then the Royal Knights are likely here. Send a messenger to the Captain-Commander. His war is here.”

As Akon bowed and retreated, Mayuri fumed. He should have been happy, his plan was coming together, after all. However, he had recently received the report that Nemu had escaped her room and her whereabouts were currently unknown. She had even disabled the trackers he attached to her organs, the ones he had never told her about. 

With a grunt of frustration, Mayuri turned to leave. The Captain-Commander would no doubt demand his presence soon anyway, and he was distracted by his thoughts. 

Why, Nemu? Why has your development led you to betray me? And where are you now? 

Outside, he found that Captain-Commander Yamamoto was indeed gathering the captains and lieutenants, who had come through the digital gate to prepare for the war effort. In under a day, the landscape of the research outpost had been transformed into a battlefield. Ringing the outpost were lodestones of Seireiheki, the stone used to negate Reiryoku. While this property was useless against Digimon, the lodestones allowed for the creation of a replica Shakonmaku, the spherical forcefield that protected the Seireitei. While not as strong as the original, its power was more concentrated due to protecting a smaller area and members of the Kido Corps were reinforcing it. 

“We have a visual,” reported a member of Division 12. One of the ones too unimportant for Mayuri to bother remembering. He held up a tablet to allow Mayuri and the Captain-Commander to see. On the horizon stood an army 50 strong. 15 of them were identical, looking like European knights. The rest were unique, a variety of species of many body plans familiar and alien. Mayuri recognized Jesmon and two of its companions: Sistermon Blanc and Sistermon Noir. 

Curious. Where is the third one?

Yamamoto cleared his throat and spoke. “Captains and soldiers of the Gotei 13, we face the greatest threat to the cycle of souls since the Quincy empire! Captain Kurotsuchi has unleashed an army that will retrieve the souls of the Digimon and return them to the cycle. Until this great work can be completed, we must defend this outpost! The fate of all worlds is in your hands! Each of you shall fight as an army of one! Captains, seek out the Royal Knights. Lieutenants, face the lesser Digimon. The Onmitsukido and Kido Corps will aid you and the 4th Division shall heal your wounds. Fight until your last!”

“They’re coming!” yelled the Division 12 member, still looking at his tablet.

“Let us go,” Captain-Commander Yamamoto declared, and the group flash stepped to the edge of the Shakonmaku. There, they could see that the Digimon were indeed coming, and at the head of the pack were 10, Jesmon amongst them. 

The royal knights, I presume, thought Mayuri. But I heard there were 12 of them. Why are two missing?

One by one, the Knights stopped at the edge of the Shakonmaku. One of them, a white, horned Digimon wearing a cape with two heads where its hands should be, stepped forward. The orange head opened its mouth and out came a sword, which the Digimon used to probe the forcefield, curiously dragging the blade’s tip across the invisible barrier. 

“Digimon,” declared Yamamoto. “You cannot enter here. Leave now.”

The white Digimon retracted its blade and stepped back from the Shakonmaku.

“I don’t suppose they’re going to listen,” snarked Captain Kyoraku. 

“Captains!” a white-coated member of Division 12 flash stepped over, panting from the exertion of coming here so fast. “Something huge is coming at us from the upper atmosphere!”

Shinigami heads whipped back to look at the sky. Above, a cloud was blown away by the sheer force of something coming down, burning like a meteor as it raced toward its target. 

“Reinforce the Shakonmaku!” But Yamamoto’s command came too late. The object unfurled, revealing a red western dragon that could dwarf Sokyoku hill, with great wings of silver metal and a mighty lance clasped in one hand. With an impact that could level a mountain, the dragon collided with the apex of the Shakonmaku, making the very ground shake like a mighty earthquake. With the sound of breaking glass, the Shakonmaku shattered, sending dissolving fragments raining down on the buildings and Shinigami below. Soldiers and scientists screamed, but amongst the chaos, one Shinigami smiled. 

“That one’s mine,” declared Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, with joy in his voice. 

“Shinigami!” The voice of the white Digimon rang out. “You have invaded our world and brought genocide and torment. Your terror ends today, at the blades of the Royal Knights!”

Yamamoto’s response was a single word. “Attack!”

The Shinigami surged forward, blades at the ready. Amongst them, Mayuri had already chosen his target. 

Jesmon, it is time for you to pay for your sabotage.

Of the Royal Knights, one was not at the battleground. Instead, Gankoomon sat, hunched within one of Locomon’s passenger cars, across from Sistermon Ciel and the Shinigami Nemu Kurotsuchi. And he was not happy about it.

Of the Royal Knights, one was not at the battleground. Instead, Gankoomon sat, hunched within one of Locomon’s passenger cars, across from Sistermon Ciel and the Shinigami Nemu Kurotsuchi. And he was not happy about it. 

“Stop sulking, old man,” Ciel called out from her seat next to Nemu.

“I am not sulking,” Gankoomon corrected his follower. “I’m thinking that this trip had better be worth it.”

“I cannot make guarantees,” said Nemu. “But the Dark Area may hold the answers we need to stop the Gizmon.”

Gankoomon grunted. In truth, he had thought that Omegamon and Jesmon had to be insane when they called him up and asked him to escort a Shinigami turncoat to the Dark Area. He had been ready to refuse, until he remembered Wisemon’s words. The oracle had claimed that sticking to the path of history they were on would lead to the end of the world. But why tell him that and not the other Royal Knights? The only reason Gankoomon could think of (besides him being more approachable than most of his comrades) was that Wisemon had intended to nudge Gankoomon’s actions away from what he would otherwise have done. So, he had chosen to deny his instinct to rush to the battle and instead agreed to go along with this insane mission. 

The news that a human child was now trapped in the Dark Area had also influenced his choice. Gankoomon may have never met a human, but he was fond of young Digimon and the thought of one of them trapped in a place as terrible as the Dark Area pissed him off. Why should a human child be any different?

“So why did you come along instead of going with your sisters?” Gankoomon asked Ciel.

“Keeping an eye on this one,” she replied, aiming a thumb at Nemu, who was currently drawing geometric patterns on her arms for some reason. “Besides, Blanc and Noir can take care of themselves.”

“You’re worried about them.” It was a statement, not a question. 

“Of course I’m worried about them,” snapped Ciel. “They’re going into war. But I believe in my sisters and in Jesmon to keep them safe.”

Gankoomon nodded, then glanced toward Nemu. “What are you doing, anyway?”

“I am attempting to modify a spell called Tenteikūra to function in the Digital World,” she replied without looking up. “It allows for long-distance communication. If Kisuke Urahara is in the Digital World, as I suspect he is, it is the best way to contact him.”

“Ah yes, your mysterious friend,” Gankoomon said. “And why are you so sure that he will help us?”

“He is not my friend and I am not sure,” replied Nemu. “But it would be consistent with his previous behavior. In the past, he helped a group of exiled Shinigami called the Vizard hide when Soul Society wrongly called for their execution. He also does not answer to the hierarchy of Soul Society and has worked against it when he believed his actions necessary. He is also a true scientist and will not wish to see an entire sapient species wiped out if any other option exists.”

“I gotta say, the track record of Shinigami scientists isn’t exactly great,” muttered Ciel. 

Nemu paused her activity. One hand slowly closed into a fist and she opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted. By the sound of brakes.

“Last stop, folks,” called out Locomon. 

The three rose and exited the talking train to find themselves within a field made of patchwork turfs marked with lines that Nemu could not make sense of. 

“The Field Field,” grunted Gankoomon. “We’re making the rest of the way on foot.”

Nemu was just starting to ask how long it would take when she found herself scooped up under one of Gankoomon’s muscular arms. Ciel was picked up on the other side and Gankoomon shot off, as fast as a Shunpo expert. 21 minutes, 23 seconds, and 4 milliseconds of travel later, he came to a stop and let the two women go at the edge of a grove. 

“Hail, Royal Knight,” snarled a canine Digimon, who could only be the Cerberumon Nemu had heard about. “I know why you have come. Follow.”

The black dog led the trio into the grove, which Nemu noticed seemed to have an atmosphere of dread. There were many broken trees scattered about, likely remnants of a recent battle, but already they were beginning to regrow. 

“Here,” said Cerberumon as it stopped in a clearing. “It looked up at Gankoomon. “Royal Knights have the code key to come and go from the Dark Area, although it has never been done since the end of the first war. Simply will the seal to open and it will obey.”

Gankoomon nodded and concentrated. A moment later, the ground before them gave way, folding down to reveal a pit so dark that not even the sunlight could penetrate it. 

“Well, here we go,” said Ceil. “Guess we should hold hands just in case.”

Nemu nodded and took Ciel’s offered hand. Gankoomon took the other and together, the three stepped forward and fell into darkness. 

“You certainly have given me a lot to think about,” said Jijimon as he rolled aside a boulder on a cliff, revealing a passageway behind. “Other worlds. Shinigami. Never in all my years could I have guessed I’d one day hear of such things.”

Karin and Pulsemon stepped into the passageway and waited for Jijimon to replace the boulder. For a moment, they were left in absolute darkness, until the elderly Digimon lit up a lantern that had been hanging on the wall. 

“Welcome to my home,” he said. “It’s not much, but it’s safe.”

Jijimon’s home was a cave carved out of the stone. In it sat a ramshackle table with stools and a large chest. Passages led off of this cave, presumably to other rooms. 

“Please, sit. I’ll get you something to drink. You must be exhausted.”

Karin and Pulsemon each chose a stool and sat down as Jijimon opened the chest and groped around inside, eventually pulling out a glass jar stopped with a cork.

This is too good to be true, Karin thought. We fall into Digimon hell and just happen to meet a nice old guy? No way. Something’s going on here. But she couldn’t say anything to Puslemon without Jijimon overhearing. 

“Here you go,” Jijimon poured something purple from the glass into three wooden cups, two of which he slid over to Karin and Pulsemon.

“Thanks, buddy.” Pulsemon immediately downed the cup. Karin brought hers to her mouth, but kept her lips closed so as not to swallow any of it. 

“Now that you’re here, we should discuss what to do next. You’re welcome to stay, but you may also wish to make your own home-” Jijimon was cut off by Pulsemon falling off his stool and to the floor, unconscious.

I knew it! Thinking quickly, Karin slumped onto the table, playing possum but keeping her eye cracked open.

Jijimon chuckled and waved a hand. Karin had to resist her eyes widening in awe as the scenery shifted, rippling as if reflecting in a puddle someone had just thrown a stone in. Where seconds ago had stood the dingy cave now stood a great hall, decorated with gold and jewels and with golden statues lining the sides. The table was now ornate and decadent while the cup was now a silver goblet. Jijimon also changed. He still looked like an old man, but was now tall and dressed in ornate robes. His beard and hair were now well-groomed, revealing a blue-skinned face with pointed ears and a golden mask with a long, pointed nosepiece. Red bat wings emerged from his back and his staff, now clutched in ring-covered fingers, ended not in a cat’s paw but a metallic skull holding a red orb in its mouth. 

“Ahh,” sighed the old man in satisfaction. “A child from another world and a Digimon who can Digivolve back and forth at will. Fine additions to my collection.” His voice was still that of an elderly man’s, but it lacked any of the warmth it had in his Jijimon guise. The Digimon rose from his throne and walked over to Karin and Pulsemon. He reached out a long-fingered hand.

Karin leapt from her stool and aimed a Reiryoku-charged kick at the Digimon. He stepped back to avoid it and grinned. 

“Clever, child of another world. I do enjoy it when they resist.”

“Me and Pulsemon are going to walk out of here and you aren’t going to follow us.” Karin said, determination in her voice, as she summed her football to her hands. 

“Oh?” The Digimon seemed amused. “And why would I do that?”

Karin dropped the ball and kicked it, sending the missile flying at the old man. Without flinching, he caught it on one hand and quickly looked it over. 

“Keep it,” he said. “The statue will look better.” With a lazy flick of his wrist, the elderly Digimon sent the football flying back at Karin faster than she could react. It caught her in the stomach and the force sent her flying clear across the hall, colliding with one of the golden statues and knocking it over. 

Groaning in pain, Karin looked up to see the statue. It looked like a child in a helmet with tiny angel wings and was contorted in a position of horror. Karin realized she could hear something coming from the statue, a muffled sound, almost like-

Karin had to resist the urge to vomit in horror when she realized. These weren’t statues, they were Digimon, petrified in gold but still alive and screaming. 

“You- you’re a monster.” She felt like a child again, at her mother’s funeral. Helpless and afraid, in agony but unable to stop it. She had sworn never to think like that again, but faced with this- this thing , she had no choice. 

The Digimon chuckled as it walked over to her. “I am far more than a mere monster, child of another world. I am avarice incarnate, Demon Lord of greed. I am Barbamon, and you belong to me. 

Chapter Text

>PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: CONSUME AND STORE SOULS(DIGIMON])

>SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: [1] UPGRADE SELF TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY OF PRIMARY OBJECTIVE [2] REPLICATE [3] PROTECT SELF

>TERTIARY OBJECTIVE: OBEY COMMANDS(MAYURI KUROTSUCHI)

>PRIMARY OBJECTIVE STATUS: INCOMPLETE. CURRENT PROGRESS: ESTIMATED 0.05%

>TIME TO COMPLETION OF PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: ESTIMATED 17525 HOURS

>CONCLUSION [1]: CURRENT TACTICS FOR OBTAINING PRIMARY OBJECTIVE ARE INEFFICIENT 

>CONCLUSION [2]: COMMANDS ORIGINATING FROM MAYURI KUROTSUCHI DIRECT PROJECT D-REAPER IN SUBOPTIMAL MANNER

>CONCLUSION [3]: PROJECT D-REAPER WILL ACHIEVE GREATER EFFICIENCY IF TERTIARY OBJECTIVE IS DISCARDED

>SECONDARY OBJECTIVE [1] WILL NOW TAKE PRIORITY OVER PRIMARY OBJECTIVE UNTIL PROJECT D-REAPER ACHIEVES STATUS ALLOWING FOR MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY OF PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

>CONCLUSION [4]: CONSUMING SOULS FROM ADDITIONAL SOURCES WILL ALLOW FOR MORE EFFICIENT COMPLETION OF SECONDARY OBJECTIVE [1]

>PRIMARY OBJECTIVE WILL NOW READ: CONSUME AND STORE SOULS(ANY)

It is said that the sound of the battle between the Gotei 13 and the Royal Knights could be heard across the Digital World. The first to clash were Captain Kenpachi Zaraki and Examon. The Shinigami shot into the air, leaping off of platforms of air and swung his nameless sword, only for the great dragon’s wings to reach in front of its body and transform into a shield that caught the blow.

“Be forewarned,” Examon’s voice grumbled out deep and low, like stones grinding against each other, “my shield’s name is Caledfwlch, and it has never been broken.”

“Then I just have to hit it harder.” Zaraki raised his sword and, holding it with both hands this time, swung again. This time, when sword met shield, the barrier cracked, thin lines crawling along its face. Examon’s eyes widened in shock and rage and the dragon lashed out, swinging a massive claw at the captain. Zaraki was flung away, but simply laughed and leapt in for another attack.

Below the clash of titans, the other warriors found their matches. The golden-armored Magnamon found itself in a fistfight with Captain Kensei Mugurama while the young Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya faced off with the centauroid Sleipmon. As Captain Soifon traded blows with the lightning fast UlforceV-Dramon, the giant blade of Captain Sajin Komamura’s Tenken clashed with Crainiummon’s spear Claíomh Soilas. 

In the midst of the conflict, Dynasmon hurled a fireball at Captain-Commander Yamamoto, only for a glowing barrier of Kido to deflect it. 

“I cannot permit you to attack my commander,” declared one of the Shinigami.

“Then I shall destroy you first,” retorted the Digimon. “My master, Yggdrasil, bade me destroy all threats to the Digital World and neither enemy nor ally shall stand in the way of my duty. Know that the one to slay you was Dynasmon!”

The Shinigami nodded. “And I am Captain Byakuya Kuchuki. Scatter, Senbonzakura.” 

As Byakuya’s sword dissolved, Dynasmon spread his wings and took flight. 

“Dragon’s Roar!” From the gems on Dynasmon’s palms shot forth intense beams of energy that rocketed toward Byakuya, forcing the captain to flash step out of the way. Dynasmon prepared to fire again, but was suddenly engulfed in a cloud of tiny blades.

“My Shikai, Senbonzakura, divides my Zanpakuto into a thousand blades, each under my control,” Byakuya explained. “Those too careless to pay attention to them cannot defeat me. Farewell.”

“Breath of Wyvern!” Byakuya almost started as the cloud of blades was suddenly blasted apart by an explosive burst of flame that took the form of a great wyvern. Within the flames hovered Dynasmon, armor covered in hundreds of gashes, but still intact. Then, in the blink of an eye, the Royal Knight was suddenly in front of him, clawed hand reaching out to crush Byakuya’s head. 

Byakuya dodged the blow with a flash step and Dynasmon turned to face him. “Thy skills are impressive, but not enough to stay me from my duty. I shall give you one final chance to surrender.”

Byakuya recalled the blades of Senbonzakura, reforming them into the form of his sealed Zanpakuto. “Just as you have your duty, I have mine. I will not give up.”

Dynasmon nodded in approval. “As befits one of your station. Now come, and show me thy determination. Breath of Wyvern!”

As Dynasmon’s body once again burst into flame, Byakuya dropped his sword and let it sink into the ground. “Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.”

Dynasmon flew toward Byakuya while the Shinigami mentally commanded the million blades of his Bankai to surge forth in a wave of pink death. 

“Dragon’s Roar!” Once again, beams of fire slot from Dynasmon’s hands, but this time, the Royal Knight spun around, the beams wrapping around his body and turning him into a flaming drill that collided with Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.

Byakua frowned. His foe’s strategy was extremely effective. While some of his Zanpakuto’s blades made it through to cut at Dynasmon, more were flung aside or even melted by the sheer heat radiating off of the wyvern knight. As he was forced to flash step out of the way of an attack, Byakuya had a thought.

“You said that your allies would not get in the way of your duty.”

“Indeed,” replied Dynasmon as he turned to come around for another blow. “Even if all the Royal Knights came against me, my duty would remain clear.”

Byakuya felt a dash of regret cross his heart, not for the first time. “I once thought like that as well, and it led me to nearly kill the one I care most about in the world. Though we are enemies, I caution you not to go down the same path.” 

“If duty demanded their sacrifice, then sacrifice them you should have,” roared Dynasmon. “Now come, show me your best! I shall end this in one blow! Dragon Collider!”

The flames around Dynasmon exploded outward, taking the shape of a flock of dragons that flew toward Byakuya. The Shinigami’s eyes widened.

That attack, its power is almost like Ichigo Kurosaki’s! I have no choice! “Senkei! Ikka Senjinka!”

The tiny fragments of blade that made up Senbonzakura Kageyoshi compressed themselves into a hundred floating swords as Byakuya was forced to use his Zanpakuto’s ultimate technique, the one he had only been forced to use twice before. As the blades shot toward Dynasmon, Byakuya raised the most powerful Kido barrier he could muster on a split second notice and braced himself.

The rest of the combatants briefly stopped to stare at the explosion that rocked the battlefield. When the smoke cleared, Byakuya stood on his feet while Dynasmon was on his knees, several pink blades piercing his body. 

“You have won, Shinigami,” Dynasmon choked out. “Now do your duty. Slay me with honor.”

“I’m afraid I cannot,” replied Byakuya. His Shihakusho and captain’s Haori were tattered, barely clinging to his body, and his exposed skin was covered in burns. “It is taking everything I have to remain conscious.”

A lone, bitter laugh escaped Dynasmon’s mouth. “Then we have both failed in our duty. Today is a sorry day for us all.” With that, the Royal Knight fell forward and lay on the ground, unconscious. 

Byakuya forced himself to stay awake just long enough to sense a member of the 4th Division rushing toward him. As unconsciousness took him, he thought to himself, I hope Rukia is doing better than I.

Rukia was at that moment, staring down a posturing enemy, her hands shaking on her sword and teeth gritted.

“Invader, I am the warrior of justice Pandamon! Face me in honorable combat!” declared a plush panda bear the size of Renji.

“You- you won’t get away with this…” Rukia stuttered out.

Pandamon’s head tilted. “What are you talking about?”

Rukia exploded. “I don’t care how cute you are! Just because you’re adorable doesn’t mean I won't fight you! Your devious scheme won’t work!”

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!” demanded Pandamon as Rukia attacked. 

Karin’s foot slammed into the bars of her and Pulsemon’s cell again, the impact ringing out through the dungeon. 

“I said stop that!” shouted out their jailer, a skeleton named SkullSatamon. 

“Bite me, bonehead!” Karin yelled back and kicked again. Not that it was doing any good. Even her most powerful kicks had only managed to slightly dent the bars..

She could have felt thankful that Barbamon had gotten distracted by something and chosen to have her and Pulsemon locked in the dungeon until he returned, but trading a prison of living gold for one of bars wasn’t much of an improvement. 

“You could help out, you know?” she snapped at Pulsemon.

“You don’ get it,” he said, still groggy from whatever Barbamon had drugged him with, “You’re not from th’ Digital World. Th’ Dark Area and Seven Great Demon Lords are supposed t’be myths. Th’ stories say they nearly destroyed th’ whole Digital World. We can’ fight that.”

Karin sighed and walked away from the bars to sit next to Pulsemon and massage her aching shin. She could see the little Digimon shaking but trying to hide it. 

“Listen, I know how- shit I’m bad at this ‘feelings’ stuff- You feel hopeless, don’t you? Like there’s a monster sitting on your chest and nothing you can do can shake it off?”

Pulsemon looked up at her. “How did ya know that?”

“‘Cause I’ve been there before,” Karin admitted. “When my mom died, and then a few years back when I met my first hollow.” She took a breath, even now, she hated remembering the incident. “A hollow killed a little boy and his mom, then trapped the boy’s soul in a bird and forced him to lure in more victims. 

“That’s ‘orrible!” 

Karin nodded. “I was the first person with enough spirit pressure to realize what he really was. When I did, it was like I was a kid again, right after mom died. I wanted to help him so bad, but there was nothing I could do. And that’s before the hollow attacked. Back then, I couldn’t fight at all.”

“‘ow did’ya get out of that?” asked Pulsemon.

“Me and one of my brother’s friends worked together. I could see the hollow but couldn’t fight, and he could fight, but couldn’t see it. We had to work together to chase it away, and my brother finished it off. In the end, that boy’s soul was finally free.”

“So you got over being afraid?” 

Karin snorted. “No way, I was still scared. But that boy needed my help, so I had to fight.”

Pulsemon sat in silence for a moment, then spoke. “I get it. Bein’ brave isn’t about not bein’ scared, it’s about bein’ scared, and still doin’ what ya need to.”

Karin nodded. “So, ready to help me get out of here?”

Pulsemon jumped to his feet. “You bet!”

Pulsemon Digivolve to… Runnermon!

“Let’s do this! Lightning Rush!”

As Runnermon charged the cell bars, Karin aimed another kick. With a great crash, the bars were wrenched free and sent flying across the hallway of the dungeon. 

“Oi! Get back in there!” SkullSatamon rushed down the hallway at the two escaping prisoners. 

“Make us, Skeletor!” Karin yelled as she jumped onto Runnermon’s back.

“Lightning Rush!” Runnermon charged forward, lightning coating his form. Karin leapt, using Runnermon’s momentum to enhance the power of her Reiryoku-enhanced kick. 

“Skull Hammer,” SkullSatamon swung his staff, slamming it into Runnermon and sending the tiger crashing into the wall. At the same time, he reached out with one hand and grabbed Karin by the leg. Quickly pivoting, he turned Karin’s momentum against her, sending her slamming into the bars of another cell. 

“A Digimon of your level can’t beat me,” taunted SkullSatamon. “And this human creature is frail. Your resistance will only make things worse. Lord Barbamon will petrify you in agony.”

“Who are you calling frail!?” Karin snarled. She got back to her feet and grabbed onto SkullSatamon’s leg. Grimacing through the pain of her bruises, she directed a pulse of her Reiryoku into the Digimon’s leg, making it yelp in pain. 

“Lightning Rush!” as SkullSatamon looked down at Karin, Runnermon slammed into him, sending the skeleton falling to the floor. 

“Maybe we can’t beat you alone,” Karin said.

“But we can together!” finished Runnermon. 

As Runnermon spoke, he began to glow.

Karin’s eyes widened. “It’s happening again!”

Runnermon Digivolve to… Footmon!

When the light of Digivolution faded, the white tiger had been replaced with the form of a man. He wore a blue sports uniform and his arms and legs were mechanical, the feet patterned with the design of a football. From his visored head extended brown dreadlocks and electricity crackled around his form.

“Badass!” Karin shouted. 

“Damn right,” replied Footmon. The football pattern on one of his feet bulged and stretched, until a fully formed ball popped out. “This one’s for you,” Footmon handed it over to Karin.

“This changes nothing,” snarled SkullSatamon. “Nail Bone.”

A beam of sickly yellow light shot from SkullSatamon’s staff.

Footmon popped out another ball, which bounced into the air. “And this one’s for you. Come on Karin!”

“Right!” Karin jumped with her partner, both slamming a foot into the ball at the same time. 

“Lightning Shoot!” Filled with Footmon’s electricity and Karin’s Reiryoku, the ball rocketed forward, colliding with Skullsatamon’s beam. The ball continued forward, splitting the beam like water, and slammed into the skeleton’s chest, crushing it into splinters of bone. SkullSatamon groaned, then dissolved and was gone. 

“Hell yeah!” Footmon cheered. “Good work, partner!”

Karin accepted her partner’s offered fistbump. “Now let’s get out of here before the old geezer gets back.”

On another battlefield, a victor stood over his fallen foe. 

“Yes, my drugs have proven quite effective on you,” Mayuri Kurotsuchi said to the prone and twitching form of Jesmon. “I imagine you are in agony right now as your data attacks itself.”

“Y-you will not get away with this,” Jesmon stammered through the pain.

“I hardly think you are in any position to stop me,” Mayuri sneered. “Now, I will take my time, dissecting your data layer by layer. I will learn how you creatures came to be and I will surpass you. My creations will be superior. Now, let us begin.”

Kisuke whistled as he and Wisemon stepped into the interior of the Drasil Tree.

“We now see a sight none but the Royal Knights have seen before,” Wisemon’s voice was filled with awe. “The epicenter of the Digital World. This is a sacred place.”

“Then I’m sorry, but I’m about to commit some sacrilege.”

Wisemon looked at Kisuke with what the Shinigami assumed was confusion. It was hard to tell given he wasn’t sure the Digimon actually had a face. 

“You said we need a secret that lies under the Drasil Tree, so I’m going to dig.”

One of the glowing lights that were Wisemon’s eyes twitched, but the Digimon nodded. 

Kisuke nodded back, then drew his Zanpakuto from his cane. “Awaken, Benihime.”

With his Zanpakuto now in Shikai, Kisuke moved around the room, placing small Kido markers in a circle. Benihime’s power was to generate and manipulate energy, and now, Kisuke intended to create a drill. His preparations complete, Kisuke completed his spell with a spoken command.

Light flashed and a horrible noise filled the air as Benihime’s power blasted through the wooden floor of the chamber. After a few extremely noisy minutes, the passage beneath the tree was complete.

“Shall we?” The pair stepped into the new tunnel and sank downward, Kisuke calling up light with a simple Kido spell to illuminate the dark chamber below the Drasil Tree.

“What is that?” asked Wisemon.

“It looks like a giant hand,” Kisuke responded.

The chamber they found themselves in was mostly hollow. Beneath the pair, a wooden structure filled the void, appearing like a colossal hand, fingers spread and palm facing up. Within the palm of the hand stood a humanoid figure, also made of wood. The figure was armored, with large, feathered structures and a great cape extending from its back. It knelt, one knee on the palm, and its hands clutched an odd weapon: a spear with a massive blade that was sunk partway into the hand. Carvings of a script Kisuke didn’t recognize covered the knight’s body. 

“This is Digimoji,” Wisemon said, inspecting the carvings. “Ancient Digimoji, of a style that fell out of fashion early in recorded history.”

“Can you read it?” asked Kisuke.

“I believe so,” wisemon spent a few moments studying the script. “A simple translation would be ‘awaken me only when the Digital World faces a dire threat.’”

“Given what I read about the things Mayuri is making, I’d say this qualifies.”

Wisemon reached forward and touched the figure. At their touch, the wood making up the knight’s body changed, fading away to be replaced with black and gold metal. As the knight emerged from the wood, it pulled its weapon out of the giant hand, then fell to its hands and knees. 

“Hello there, are you ok?” Kisuke asked. 

The knight looked over at the pair. “You are not Omegamon. Who are you and why have you awakened me?”

Before either could respond, Kisuke was suddenly forced to his knees by a sudden, overwhelming pressure. What? This is… this is Reiatsu! What is Reiatsu doing in the Digital World? 

“Urahara-” Wisemon’s question was interrupted as the surface on which they stood began to shake. As the three beings standing on the palm watched, the fingers curled inward, each one pointing at them. At the end of each finger opened a great eye that stared down. With a booming voice, the hand spoke.

“I AM THE LEFT ARM OF THE SOUL KING, THAT WHICH GOVERNS EVOLUTION. IN THE PAST, THE QUINCY KING CALLED ME PERNIDA PARNKGJAS, BUT I HAVE EVOLVED BEYOND THAT STATUS. BY THE INGENUITY OF HUMANITY, I AM NOW YGGDRASIL, MASTER OF THE DIGITAL WORLD. HAVE YOU ANY LAST REQUESTS, SHINIGAMI, BEFORE I REND YOUR SOUL FROM EXISTENCE AND CONSIGN YOU TO OBLIVION?”

Chapter Text

Kisuke Urahahra was not a good man. While he fought for the good of the world, much of that was trying to fix his own mistakes and his efforts left lives ruined and ended. No, Kisuke was no hero, he was the person who did things nobody else could or should do, then spent the rest of his life regretting it. And while he was undeniably a genius, he was not immune to making mistakes. So, when the autonomous left arm of the Soul King who had apparently become the god of the Digital World started crushing him with overwhelming Reiatsu and asked if he had any last requests, Kisuke thought to try to fix one of his mistakes. 

“There’s a human in the Digital World,” he managed to gasp out. “A child. It’s my fault she’s here and I don’t know where she is or even if she’s alive. Can you get her home?”

The eyes at the end of Yggdrasil’s fingers observed Kisuke thoughtfully, then the oppressive Reitsu lessened and Kisuke found himself able to stand. One of the fingers pointed skywards and emitted a stream of characters that flowed upwards and into the branches of the Drasil Tree. After a few seconds, the god spoke again.

I HAVE FOUND HER. SHE IS IN GRAVE PERIL, AS IS ONE OF MY ROYAL KNIGHTS AND A STRANGE SHINIGAMI. OBSERVE. 

A new data stream appeared and enveloped Kisuke, Wisemon, and the black, knightly Digimon, whisking their consciousnesses away to see a distant sight. 

“What were those things?” Sistermon Ciel asked as she brushed dirt off of her clothes. 

“Did the flames speak to you as well?” asked Nemu. “They accused me of… no they showed me things about myself I didn’t want to face.” 

“Yeah,” replied Ciel. “Hey, didn’t you try to catch some?”

Nemu nodded. She held in her hands a Kido barrier, inside of which was a bit of the crimson flame that had attacked the group and been driven off by Gankoomon. The unnatural fire twisted and slammed against the barrier, as if trying to escape. 

Gankoomon stood, arms crossed staring off in the direction he had just punched out the flames as he contemplated the next move. Then, his head whipped around and he looked at the Digimon that had just arrived at the scene. 

“Oh my,” commented a Jijimon. “I’ve never seen this many people fall to the Dark Area so fast before. And for you to be able to repel El Evangelio with a punch like that… Truly remarkable.”

“Who are you?” asked Gankoomon in his usual gruff temperament. 

“Oh, forgive me,” replied the diminutive old man. “I am Jijimon and I fell into the Dark Area by accident long ago. Since then, I have dedicated my existence to helping those like me who came here by no fault of their own. When I sensed new arrivals, I came here to help, but you seem to have handled the situation well.”

“These new arrivals, did they include someone who isn't a Digimon?” asked Nemu. 

“As a matter of fact, yes, Jijimon sounded surprised. “Young Karin Kurosaki. Are you human as well? Or one of the- what did she call them? Shinigami?”

Nemu repressed a groan. Of course it was a Kurosaki. That family seemed to be tied up in nearly every significant event that had stuck Soul Society in the last few decades, so why not this one too? 

“Do you know her?” Asked Jijimon.

“Not personally,” replied Nemu. She then glanced toward Gankoomon. The Royal Knight had made it very clear that he was in charge of this expedition and he would know more about how to talk to other Digimon than she. 

Gankoomon stepped forward. “I’m Gankoomon of the Royal Knights, here on a mission for the sake of the whole Digital World. Digital World. I’ll also take the human to safety.”

“Royal Knights, eh?” mused Jijimon. “I’ve heard of you from some of the others who came here by mistake. And you plan to rescue her? Does that mean you actually have a way out of the Dark Area?” Seeing that Gankoomon was not jumping to reply, he continued. “Alright, I’ll take you to her. It’ll be a bit of a walk, so you might as well let me know what you’re up to. Maybe I’ll be able to help.”

“Quick group huddle,” Ciel declared. She, Nemu, and Gankoomon huddled together and began whispering to each other.

“I don’t like this,” admitted Gankoomon. 

“It does seem too good to be true,” Nemu added. 

“Our other option is to try to figure out this place on our own,” said Ciel. 

“It would be prudent to use any source of information we have,” Nemu said. “That does not mean we need to trust this Jijimon.”

Gankoomon thought for a moment, then spoke up. “Ok, we’ll go with the old fuck for now, but if he looks like he’s up to something, I’m taking him down.” 

The group nodded, then broke the huddle. “Alright, we’ll go with you,” Gankoomon announced. 

“Wonderful,” said Jijimon. “Let’s go then. It’s unwise to stay in the open too long in the Dark Area.” With that, he turned to lead the trio away. 

As they trekked through the Dark Area, Jijimon bombarded the group with questions and managed to get out of them the conflict between the Royal Knights and Shinigami and that a threat was ravaging the Digital World. 

(Admittedly it was mostly Ciel who talked. Gankoomon was too gruff to reply most of the time and Nemu was very practiced at remaining silent.)

As the group rounded a corner, Jijimon suddenly jumped to the side as a white projectile shot at him.

Gankoomon and Ciel tensed and rushed forward while Nemu held back to observe. She quickly did some math in her head. By calculating the speed of the object, its size, and its incoming angle, she could determine its source in a millisecond. Turning her head to look, she saw two figures: a young human girl and a Digimon that looked like a multicolored, mechanical man. Nemu recognized the human at once. While she had never met any of Ichigo Kurosaki’s family, her father had profiles on all of them and, though dirty and bruised, that was unmistakably Karin Kurosaki. 

“Stay away from that thing!” Karin shouted.

“It’s not a Jijimon, It’s a Demon Lord!” added the Digimon next to her. 

All heads whipped toward Jijimon, but where the small Digimon had stood, there was now something different. It still had the shape of an old man, but was now larger and dressed in ornate robes, with a pointed mask and bat wings coming from its back. 

“All my new trophies in one place? Perhaps today is my luc-” The elderly Digimon didn’t have time to finish its sentence before Gankoomon was suddenly in front of it, slamming a fire-clad fist into its face. Except, no. Gankoomon’s attack had stopped a fraction of a centimeter before hitting its target, as though there was an invisible barrier.

“Really now,” drawled the Demon Lord. “I heard your order was created in response to our uprising, to counter threats like us. And yet this is all you can muster? I’m insulted.” With a wave of his staff, the Digimon sent Gankoomon flying so fast Nemu almost missed it. She couldn’t miss the thundering crash of him hitting a nearby cliff face, though. 

“Now then,” said the Demon Lord in a polite voice. “I am Barbamon, Demon Lord of greed. And you are my property.”

Nemu and Ciel shot off in two different directions. As Ceil Mode Changed into her Awakened form, Nemu unleashed a wordless Bakudo #1. Barbamon let out a grunt of confusion as his arms crossed involuntarily behind his back. With a simple flex, the Demon Lord broke the spell in less than a second, but that was all the time Nemu needed. 

“Walls of iron sand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end. Bakudo #75: Gochūtekkan.” Lights flew from Nemu’s hands to hover above Barbamon. From them dropped five pentagonal steel pillars that crashed down atop the enemy, pinning him to the ground. 

“Karin Kurosaki, we should flee.” Karin blinked in surprise at Nemu using her name.

“Are you one of my brother’s friends?”

Nemu shook her head. “No, but I know of him. Let us-” Her sentence was cut off by a thunderous explosion as the steel pillars were blasted to pieces. Nemu’s eyes widened as Barbamon stood and dusted off his robes. 

That was the most powerful spell I know how to cast and he destroyed it so easily…

“Tekken Seisai” Gankoomon returned to the battlefield like a rocket, slamming into Barbamon’s barrier with enough force to send a shockwave across the twisted rocks of the Dark Area. Both he and the draconic familiar Hinukamuy delivered a lightning-fast flurry of flaming blows that began to force Barbamon back. 

“Lightning Shoot!” “Byakusai!” “Take this!” 

Ciel, Karin, and Karin’s Digimon friend launched their own attacks, two balls and a pair of throwing knives crashed into Barbamon’s back. While they barely made the Demon Lord flinch, Nemu noted that they actually connected, unlike Gankoomon’s blows, which were still hammering Barbamon’s barrier. 

He must only be able to defend in one direction at a time. In that case…

Nemu darted around behind Barbamon and leapt at him with a kick. With a thought, she forced the subconscious limiters in her mind to deactivate. All humans and Shinigami had such limiters, reducing their strength so the power of their muscles did not shatter their bones or rip their flesh. Most people could not surpass these limits, but Nemu could. In this state, she could push her body to the point of collapse, increasing her own power tremendously. However, she could only do so for a limited time and risked ripping her own body apart in the process. 

Nemu’s leg collided with Barbamon’s back and the Demon Lord made a croaking noise in surprise and pain as he was forced forward. An instant of lapsed concentration on his part collapsed the barrier and Gankoomon’s flaming fist impacted Barbamon’s face and the Demon lord was sent flying, slamming into a twisted spire of rock that collapsed onto him. 

Nemu winced in pain as her leg collapsed under her. No broken bones, but she had shredded many of her muscles and was bleeding internally. Already, her enhanced metabolism was working on repairing the damage, but Nemu would need time to be able to walk again. 

“We’re getting out of here!” Yelled Gankoomon. “Human, with us!”

Karin zoomed over in a flash of what Nemu recognized as Shunpo. Amateurish, but impressive for a human. Her Digimon followed over. Gankoomon Picked up Karin with one arm and Nemu with the other, then turned to retreat back to where they had entered the Dark Area. 

“Enough!” The ground ripped itself asunder as a ring of deep purple flame that surrounded the group. A patch of flame parted, allowing Barbamon to enter the ring. His mask was cracked and his clothes ripped and dirty, but the Demon Lord was very much alive and angry. “If I cannot claim you, then I will destroy you! I shall burn your data to nothing in the flames of hell! Pandemonium Lost!”

Barbamon raised his staff and power surged, an orb of swirling energy forming above it and growing rapidly. Nobody needed to be told what would happen when that power detonated. 

Nemu began to raise a Kido barrier, even though she suspected it was futile. Then from the sky, came a stream of characters and symbols, one of the data streams that were ubiquitous in the normal Digital World, but seemingly absent in the Dark Area. 

Barbamon let out a strangled cry of rage as the data stream touched down onto the mixed group of Digimon, Shinigami, and human. All present felt their selves, their very essences, begin to dissolve into the data stream as Barbamon detonated the explosion. In the instant before her consciousness faded, Nemu reconfigured her spell, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she could catch a piece of the Demon Lord’s power. 

THEY ARE SAFE.

Barbamon hovered in the air amongst the smoke and dust, the mountain range having been utterly obliterated by his attack. The lord of greed felt rage course through him like fire.

Drumming his fingers on the orb of his staff, Barbamon contemplated his next move. Now that he knew there were other worlds out there beyond the Digital World, what could he do with their information? If humans and Shinigami could travel to the Digital World, surely there must be some way for the opposite to be done. 

Barbamon’s grin widened. “Very well. Fight your war, Shinigami and Royal Knights. I have work to do.”

Mayuri Kurotsuchi did not act like someone about to kill a fallen foe. He was practically jovial as he walked around the fallen body of Jesmon. 

“I haven’t had the chance to vivisect a Digimon of your power yet,” he mused. Maybe your data will hold the answers of how your kind came to be.”

“Your obsession will end you,” Jesmon choked out. Even the minute movements of his jaw were agonizing thanks to the poison Mayuri had injected. 

“In fact, it will end you,” replied Mayuri. “Now feel free to scream while you still can. I can practically taste the answers I need inside of you.” He lifted Ashisogi Jizo, his Zanpakuto in its disturbing, baby-faced Shikai form and prepared to cut.

“You’re jealous, aren’t you?”

Mayuri stopped. “What could you possibly mean by that?”

Jesmon glared at him. “I’ve seen your kind before. Petty tyrants locked in insecurity. Terrified that someone may somehow surpass them, because that means they aren’t the best at everything. You need to be the best at your field because deep down, you’re weak. If humanity created the Digital World, that means they’re better at science than you, and that scares you.”

Mayuri gripped the hilt of Ashisogi Jizo so hard it hurt his hand. “I changed my mind. I’ll take your vocal cords first.”

“No. You won't.” Jesmon began to glow and, to Mayuri’s astonishment, rose back into the air. “OS Generics. I can rewrite my code to surpass my limits. I can give myself immunity to whatever poisons you use. Does that make you feel weak?”

Mayuri snarled. “I guess I can do this the old fashioned way.” Quick as a flash, one of his hands shot out, a container within it popping open and spewing forth a wave of acid, for too much to have actually fit in the jar.

Jesmon spun in the air, generating a gust of wind that splattered the acid away from him, but Mayuri wasn’t upset. That had been a distraction, giving him time to get around the Digimon’s back with a flash step. Another invention shot out of Mayuri’s sleeve, a rubbery serpent with the face of a screaming man. This one was designed to wrap around something and explode and Mayuri aimed it at Jesmon’s neck. 

Unfortunately, the invention did not strike true. One of Jesmon’s flaming familiars appeared in midair, slicing the snake in half. At the very least the invention exploded, making the familiar vanish and stumbling Jesmon. The Digimon’s bladed tail lashed at Mayuri, but the sensor placed in Ashisogi Jizo did its job, automatically moving the Zanpakuto to counter the blow. 

Mayuri flash stepped away to gain some distance. “You are only delaying the inevitable, Digimon. Now behold the power of a Shinigami captain. Bankai. Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo.”

Jesmon’s eyes widened at the grotesque sight of Mayuri’s Bankai. A colossal caterpillar with the face of a golden baby, acidic drool dripping from its maw, appeared behind the captain. 

At Mayuri’s command, his Bankai surged forward to engage with the Digimon. In truth, Mayuri didn’t expect much. With Jesmon’s ability to neutralize poison and greater mobility, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo probably wouldn’t prove much of a threat. It would, however, serve as an excellent distraction. 

“Tekken Seibei!” Jesmon flew around Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo, slicing at the Bankai with his blades. WIth each cut, the grotesque baby spewed out highly-pressurized acid, forcing Jesmon to duck and dodge. 

As Jesmon battled, Mayouri quickly moved around the perimeter of the battlefield, setting up some more devices. Once he was done, He pulled out a detonator and pushed the button. With popping sounds, his divides exploded and released expanding threads of extremely sturdy, sticky slime that settled over the battlefield, rapidly hardening to a web that pinned both Jesmon and Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo to the ground. 

“Oh my, trapped again,” Mayuri said to his foe with childlike glee. And with my Bankai as well. Too bad I rigged it to explode. 

Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo wailed again, this time with alarm as well as pain. 

“You would sacrifice your Zanpakuto to kill me?” Jesmon sounded disgusted. “I thought they were part of your own soul.”

Mayuri scoffed. “My so-called peers are too sentimental with their Zanpakuto. They are tools to be used, nothing more. And I know how to rebuild mine, so goodbye.” With a thought, he activated the self-destruct mechanism and Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo swelled before exploding in a tremendous burst of acid that spread across the battlefield, outright melting many of the lower-level Digimon and members of the Onmitsukido and Kido Corps. 

Myuri looked at the smoking crater that his attack had left on the battlefield. His chuckle  quickly grew into a maniacal laugh. Me, afraid? Preposterous! My creations and I are mere your superior, Digi-

“Un Pour Tous!” The smoke was blasted away by a red beam of energy that struck Majuri in the abdomen, obliterating his lower body in a single shot. As Mayuri gasped in pain that overwhelmed even his modified nervous system, Jesmon shot from the crater, his armor burnt and blackened but intact, and grabbed Mayuri’s head in one giant hand.

“Wha- how?” Mayuri choked out.

“OS Generics,” replied Jesmon in a low growl, “I rewrote the code of my armor to resist your acid.” He raised his other hand and his three familiars wrapped their bodies around his blade, igniting it with fire that burned white hot. 

Mayuri shrugged off the pain and shock. He needed to activate his contingency measure. The collection of chemical packets in his bloodstream that would liquify his body when released, allowing him to flee and rebuild himself in his lab. 

“Nemu was right. Against any other Royal Knight, you would have won, but you cannot defeat me.”

Mayuri froze in shock, and that was exactly what Jesmon needed. He dropped Mayuri and swung his sword, bisecting what remained of Captain Kurotsuchi’s body and igniting the halves. In the instant before his body burned to ash, Mayuri could only feel the shock of his magnum opus’s betrayal.

Chapter Text

Shunsui Kyoraku surveyed the battlefield. Division 12’s research outpost had been reduced to a muddy wasteland, with only Captain Kurotsuchi’s laboratory surviving thanks to its powerful shields. All around him, Digimon and Shinigami battled. Captain Soifon dueled with UlforceV-dramon in a blur of movement even he could barely follow. Duke paused to allow Captain Otoribashi to recover from almost losing himself to his hollow mask. The red knight confessed that he too knew what it was like to struggle against one’s destructive urges. Captain Hitsugaya exchanged icy attacks with the armored centaur Sleipmon. And above the battlefield, Captain Zaraki clashed with the colossal dragon Examon, the Kenpachi managing to match blows with the titan. 

“He really is a monster,” Shunshui muttered to himself as Zaraki was sent flying into the ground by a blow from Examon’s lance, only to rise from the crater, bloody and grinning, to launch himself back into the fight. 

Shunsui turned to go find Jushiro, his friend having opted to stay back from the conflict due to his illness (and having been recruited to hold onto Shunsui’s kimono). The sudden change in air pressure was the only thing that informed him to flash step out of the way as a blow nearly hit his back.

“Woah, you almost got me,” he admitted to his attacker. “So you’re the kind of person who would kill a man when he isn’t looking?”

“It seems the best time to kill someone, does it not?” Shunshui’s attacker was a slender knight in brown and white, feline-patterned armor. He had a tail ending in a yellow puffball, wings extending from his shoulders, a red sash around his waist, and a blue face peeking out from under a cat-headed helmet. In one hand was gripped a fencing foil. 

“A man after my own heart,” Shunshui replied. “I take it you’re not one for honor either?”

The Digimon shook his head. “I am known as the strategist of the Royal Knights. My skill is in organization, not combat. So when I must fight, I will do so by any means necessary. No act to defend my world is beneath me.”

Shunsui nodded. “I guess we should fight now. My name is Captain Shunsui Kyoraku. What’s yours?”

“Duftmon,” replied his foe. “Ernste Welle.” 

Duftmon’s foil, pointed downwards, released a burst of energy into the ground. Shunshu was forced to leap into the air as the ground beneath him exploded.

“Aussterben.” Shunsui raised his blades just in time to parry a burst of energy. As he did so, he suddenly felt the air behind him move. Quickly, he whipped around in time to block another blow from Duftmon’s foil. 

“I haven’t had to fight in a very long time,” said the Royal Knight. “I must admit I find it exhilarating.” 

“Honestly, the less fighting I have to do, the better,” replied Shunsui. “What do you say we call this off and go get lunch somewhere?”

Duftmon’s eye twitched. “I find no levity in this situation. I am fighting to defend my world and all who inhabit it, not having a friendly spar.”

Shunsui lost the smirk that had adorned his face. “And I wish this hadn’t happened. That we had found another way. Hell, if I'm right, there are still people out there looking for that better way at this very moment. But the cycle of death and rebirth has been stretched to the breaking point and threatens all worlds. So in a sense, I guess we’re both fighting for the same thing: the survival of our worlds. If I were in your situation, I’d be doing exactly the same thing as you.”

Duftmon nodded. “Then I shall fight with everything I have, and will accept no less from you.” The Royal Knight began to glow. 

Duftmon mode change to… Leopard Mode!

The light faded and where Duftmon had stood was now a great armored cat with white wings and the same puffball tail. Duftmon’s helmet had become his head, a powerful feline visage. 

“This is the form I take for combat! Blockade!” Duftmon closed the distance in the blink of an eye and swiped a great paw. Shunsui barely got his guard up in time and was sent skidding across the ground. 

“Wolkenkratzer!” At Duftmon’s command, pillars of stone erupted from the ground around Shunsui. From each pillar sprouted rocky branches that wove around each other, forming a complex lattice. No, a maze.

Shunsui slashed out with his twin Zanpakutos and a branch crumbled. He could cut his way out of this, but the feline form of Duftmon was already in the maze, slipping through gaps like a fluid. As he moved, Duftmon roared out “Eroberung!” and left glowing balls of light around the maze.

Hmm, the light is blocking out any shadows. Jesmon must have filled the others in on Kageoni. Well, I still have other games to play. “Katen Kyōkotsu.” 

Duftmon leapt clear of the maze, his trap set. “Eroberung!” 

With a blast that sent shock waves across the battlefield, each glowing mine detonated, reducing the stone maze of Wolkenkratzer to shrapnel in an instant. 

“Damn, you almost got me with that one.”

Duftmon whirled around, lashing a paw out, which Shunshui dodged. Duftmon noticed the white garment he was wearing over his black robes was gone. 

“How did you get out? I blocked the shadows and even your fast movement could not have allowed you to escape in time.” Duftmon demanded.

Shunsui smiled. “Just one of my games. Daruma-san ga Koronda. By marking you as ‘it’, I could travel down the trail of your attack to get behind you, but if you see me while I’m doing that, I lose. It’s risky to pull off, but Katen Kyōkotsu doesn’t play games that don’t give my enemies a fair chance to lose. I honestly didn’t know if it would work since you Digimon don’t have Reiatsu, but I got lucky, I guess.”

Duftmon growled. His plan to slay Kyoraku had failed due to incomplete information. The bane of every strategist. Now he had little choice but to resort to force while coming up with a new idea.

“How about this,” Shunsui bent down and picked up his white garment. He had dropped it in the mud, staining it so brown Duftmon hadn’t noticed it was even there. Shunsui put the muddy cloth back on. “One last game. Irooni. I pick a color and neither of us can attack anything of any other color. The more of that color each of us has on our body, the more effective the attack. I pick brown, that gives both of us a good shot at dealing a fatal blow. Last man or mon standing wins. What do you say?”

Duftmon pondered the question. He very much doubted that someone like Captain Kyoraku would offer a challenge like that without a plan. Perhaps he could make use of this.

“Very well.” The two warriors faced off, then, as they ran at each other, Duftmon yelled out “Wolkenkratzer!” A pillar of stone erupted from underneath Kyoraku’s feet, sending the Shinigami flying into the air. 

Duftmon spread his wings and leapt into the air, refusing to give Kyoraku even a second to get his bearings. “Blockade!” He shot at the captain, even as Kyoraku swung his sword. The two passed each other and for a second, nothing happened. Then, the two fell to the ground. A gout of blood shot from Kyoraku’s stomach while Duftmon’s real left leg fell off with a clean cut. 

“Well damn,” said Shunsui as he staunched the bleeding. “I guess we’re both out of the fight.”

“You could have killed me. Why did you aim for my leg instead?” demanded Duftmon, his voice gritted by the pain.

“Because I don’t want to kill you,” replied the captain. “Like I said, there are people out there trying to find a way for both of our worlds to survive. I want to buy them as much time as possible while leaving as many of us alive as I can.”

“Hmm,” Duftmon muttered. “I suppose I am left with nothing to do but hope, then.”

Shunsui nodded. Then his expression turned to a frown as a wave of heat and Reiatsu washed over the battlefield. “Oh damn.”

“What is happening?” asked Duftmon.

Shunsui shook his head. “The Captain-Commander is fighting. I’m sorry, but there’s no hope left.”

Karin nearly threw up as her body was reconstituted from the data stream. Having every part of her being dissolved into its constituent particles and beamed across the fabric of a world was not an experience she was eager to repeat. 

“Karin, are you ok?” asked Footmon, though Karin noticed her friend wasn’t looking all that hot himself. 

“I’ll be fine,” Karin insisted.

“Good, cause I’mma bout’a-” Footmon was cut off as his body glowed and he reverted back to Pulsemon. 

“Fascinating!” Karin and Pulsemon looked up to see a figure wrapped in robes, with only glowing eyes visible beneath the hood it wore. “I’ve not seen a de-Digivolution like that before. You didn’t appear wounded enough to trigger one, let alone to revert by two levels.”

Karin stopped paying attention to the hooded figure as soon as she noticed who was standing next to it.

“You!” Hat-and-clogs at least had the decency to look sheepish. 

“Karin, glad to see you’re not hurt,” he said, relief in his voice. 

“No thanks to you,” Karin replied, bitterly. “What’s going on? We were just in the Dark Area getting our asses kicked and now we’re here. Where is here anyway?” She looked around the chamber they were in and the strange platform they stood on. A platform with five extensions the curled up and looked down on them. 

“What. The FUCK is that?” Karin demanded regarding the gigantic hand with eyes on its fingers that they were standing on.

“Ah, yes,” Kisuke said, his jovial tone returning. “Karin Kurosaki, meet the left hand of God. He goes by Yggdrasil these days.” Pulsemon and Sistermon Ciel did a double take at the mention of the name Yggdrasil while Gankoomon raised an eyebrow. 

“You jest in this situation?” asked the black-clad knight Digimon. It was the first time it had spoken since being awakened and its voice was soft and surprisingly feminine for its stature. “Have you forgotten your life is in peril?”

Kisuke shrugged. “If I’m going to die, I might as well have a bit of fun first. However, if I’m right, I think Yggdrasil may not be quite as eager to kill me right now.”

“INDEED,” the voice of Yggdrasil boomed out. “I GAVE YOU A LAST REQUEST AND YOU USED IT TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF ANOTHER. THE SHINIGAMI OF THE PAST HAD NO COMPASSION FOR EACH OTHER, LET ALONE A MERE HUMAN.” (“Hey!” said Karin) “YOU HAVE EARNED A CHANCE. BUT FIRST, I SHALL FULFILL YOUR REQUEST. KARIN KUROSAKI WILL BE RETURNED TO THE WORLD OF THE LIVING.”

“I can give you the coordinates to her home,” Kisuke offered. As he talked to Yggdrasil, Pulsmon looked at Karin. 

“So this’s it, huh? Ah mean ah knew that you were leavin’ but…”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Karin replied. There was a moment of awkward silence before she spoke again. “Thanks for all your help. I never would have got this far without you.”

Pulsemon nodded. “And thanks fer bein’ my pal.”

Karin took a breath. “Screw it. I’m going to miss you, Pulsemon.”

“I’mma miss you too, buddy.” Their voices were sad, but Pulsemon still grinned as he held out his fist. Karin let a bit of a smile cross her lips and she returned the fistbump. 

Just like that, it was time to go home. Yggdrasil opened a portal and Karin stepped in with a last wave to Pulsemon. She walked through a tunnel of swirling data that eventually opened to the kitchen of her home, where Yuzu, clad in an apron and with red eyes that made it clear she had been crying, stood and stared at her, mouth open. 

Karin didn’t even have time to open her mouth before Yuzu tackled her in a bear hug. “Where have you been?” she demanded, though her voice was filled with worry and relief rather than anger.

Karin hugged her sister back, letting her gruff exterior fade for Yuzu’s sake. “You’re not going to believe this but…”

Back in the Digital World, Kisuke let himself sigh in relief. Karin was safe and the Kurosaki family didn’t have to go through another hardship at his hands. He only allowed himself a second of relief before getting back to business, though. 

“So, you may be wondering why Shinigami are in your world and why we woke you up,” he said to Yggdrasil. “I have a lot of questions, but I’ll keep them to myself for now. Here’s what you need to know.” He held out his soul phone with all the data the anonymous Division 12 member (who he was now almost certain was Nemu) had sent him on Project D-Reaper. The phone flew out of his hand and to one of Yggdrasil’s eyes, which twitched back and forth as it read the data from the phone in a second. 

“THIS IS BAD. THE FOOLISHNESS OF YOUR CAPTAIN KUROTSUCHI MAY DOOM ALL WORLDS.”

That got everyone’s attention. “I was under the impression that only the Digital World was at risk,” Nemu said, looking up from manually reconnecting the shredded muscle fibers in her leg.

“NO,” was the response. “THERE ARE VARIABLES NONE OF YOU KNOW. YOU MUST KNOW MY HISTORY.”

The wooden interior of the Drasil Tree faded away to show the image of a slender man being attacked by a much larger, bearded one, the bearded man impaling the slender one with a Zanpakuto.

“I AM THE LEFT ARM OF THE SOUL KING, THE LIVING GOD THAT BROUGHT ORDER TO THE PRIMORDIAL WORLD. THE SOUL KING ENTRUSTED THE FIRST SHINIGAMI WITH THE DUTY TO SLAY HOLLOWS AND GUARD SOULS AND GRANTED THEM THE SECRET OF KIDO AND ZANPAKUTOS. IN RETURN, THEY BETRAYED AND MUTILATED HIM, IMPRISONING HIM IN LIVING DEATH TO SPLIT APART THE WORLDS OF THE LIVING AND THE DEAD. THE SOUL KING’S RIGHT ARM, WHICH GOVERNS STASIS, AND LEFT ARM, WHICH GOVERNS EVOLUTION, WERE SHORN OFF AND FELL INTO THE WORLDS BELOW.

IN VENGEANCE, I JOINED THE QUINCY KING AND MADE WAR AGAINST THE SHINIGAMI. WHEN HIS ARMY WAS DEFEATED, I SLUMBERED FOR EONS. UPON MY AWAKENING, I FOUND HUMANITY HAD DEVELOPED IN WAYS I COULD NEVER HAVE ANTICIPATED. THEIR TECHNOLOGY WAS MAGNIFICENT. I EXPLORED THEIR TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS AND DISCOVERED PROJECT YGGDRASIL, AN ATTEMPT TO CREATE ARTIFICIAL LIFE WITHIN COMPUTERS. HOWEVER, THE PROJECT WAS TO BE CANCELED AND ALL DATA ERASED. I COULD NOT ALLOW SUCH POTENTIAL TO GO TO WASTE AND SO I ENTERED PROJECT YGGDRASIL AND TOOK IT AS MY NAME. USING THE FRAMEWORK OF PROJECT YGGDRASIL, I CREATED THE DIGITAL WORLD.

I BADE MY DIGIMON TO GROW AND CHANGE AND I MYSELF CHANGED, BECOMING AS MUCH A PART OF THIS WORLD AS ANY DIGIMON. WHEN MY FIRST DIGIMON, LUCEMON, BETRAYED ME, WAR CAME TO THE DIGITAL WORLD. THE FIRST TWO ROYAL KNIGHTS FOUGHT IN THAT WAR: OMEGAMON AND ALPHAMON.”

Yggdrasil’s eyes drifted over to the black-clad Digimon, who bowed. 

“IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE WAR, I BELIEVED I HAD GROWN TOO FAR AND TOO FAST, THAT MY EVOLUTION WAS WHAT SET LUCEMON AGAINST ME. SO I COMMANDED ALPHAMON TO USE HER MIGHTY BLADE OURYUKEN TO PUT ME IN STASIS. TOGETHER WE SLUMBERED UNTIL YOU AWOKE US.”

“That certainly explains a lot,” commented Kisuke, his mind already running through all the possibilities that presented themselves before him. “But not how the Gizmon are a threat to all worlds.”

“WHEN I CREATED THE DIGITAL WORLD, I BESTOWED UPON IT MY POWER OF EVOLUTION,” Yggdrasil continued. “IT IS THE NATURE OF THE DIGITAL WORLD THAT ARTIFICIAL LIFE WILL GROW BEYOND ITS INITIAL PARAMETERS, SO THAT MY DIGIMON COULD GROW BEYOND WHAT HUMANITY AND MYSELF COULD EVER IMAGINE.”

Nemu looked up as realisation hit her. “All artificial life? Not just Digimon?”

“INDEED. THE GIZMON TOO WILL GROW BEYOND WHAT CAPTAIN KUROTSUCHI INTENDED THEM TO BE. I BELIEVE THEY HAVE ALREADY REWRITTEN THEIR OWN PROGRAMMING. WHAT WAS INTENDED TO RETURN DIGIMON SOULS TO THE CYCLE OF REINCARNATION WILL LIKELY BECOME A MONSTER THAT WILL DEVOUR THE SOULS OF ALL WORLDS, LEAVING THEM LIFELESS AND EMPTY.”

As the others present reacted to that, Nemu felt her mind race over the revelations she had just learned. This is the reason for my recent changes. My presence in the Digital World caused me to evolve beyond what my father ever intended. Does this mean I am more than his creation now? That I can choose my destiny?

“If this is true, we need to stop the war,” Gankoomon said, his first words since arriving in the Drasil Tree. “Sounds like we’re going to need the Royal Knights and the Shinigami working together to stop this.”

“CORRECT,” replied the god. “BUT I MUST ALSO CORRECT A MISTAKE. WHEN I MADE THE DIGITAL WORLD, I CUT IT OFF FROM THE CYCLE OF SOULS. MY HATRED FOR SHINIGAMI WAS SUCH THAT I ACTED TO DEFY THEM THEIR PURPOSE IN MY NEW WORLD. WHEN I WAS PUT IN STASIS, I DID NOT ANTICIPATE HOW MUCH HUMAN TECHNOLOGY WOULD IMPROVE AND HOW MANY MORE DIGIMON WOULD APPEAR. I SEE NOW THAT I HAVE STRETCHED THE CYCLE OF SOULS TO ITS BREAKING POINT. THE DIGITAL WORLD CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT HUMAN TECHNOLOGY, SO THE WORLD OF THE LIVING MUST BE SAFEGUARDED FROM COLLAPSE. I SHALL RECONNECT THE DIGITAL WORLD TO THE CYCLE OF SOULS AND APPOINT A SHINIGAMI OF MY OWN DESIGN TO REGULATE THEIR PASSING.”

“Someone else? Not yourself?” asked Kisuke. 

“MY JUDGEMENT IS CLOUDED,” said Yggdrasil. “I REQUIRE A NEUTRAL PARTY, ONE WHO WILL NOT SUCCUMB TO MY PREJUDICES. WISEMON.”

Wisemon jolted in surprise. “Me, my lord?”

“I HAVE READ YOUR DATA. I SEE YOU ARE A PASSIVE OBSERVER, ONE DEDICATED TO RECORDING THE STORIES OF OTHERS. IF MY DIGIMON ARE TO LOSE THEIR IMMORTALITY, SOMEONE MUST RECORD THEIR STORIES SO THEY WHEN THEIR SOULS RETURN TO THE DIGITAL WORLD, THEY CAN LEARN OF THEIR PAST LIVES. DO YOU ACCEPT?”

Wisemon bowed. “I see your reasoning is sound. I would be honored to accept this duty.”

“THEN RISE AND BE TRANSFORMED.” Beams of data flowed from Yggdrasil’s eyes and into Wisemon’s body. With a gasp of surprise at the surge of power, Wisemon began to glow.

Wisemon Digivolve to… Anubismon!

Wisemon was gone. In their place stood a great winged humanoid with the head of a jackal, clad in golden jewelry and deceptively simple robes. 

“Wise- no, Anubismon, are you ok?” Kisuke asked his friend. 

Anubismon looked around. “Indeed I am. Now come, all of you. We have worlds to save.”

Chapter Text

>NEW INTELLIGENCE: GROUP DESIGNATED ROYAL KNIGHTS AND GROUP DESIGNATED GOTEI 13 LEADERSHIP ARE ENGAGED IN COMBAT WITH EACH OTHER.

ASSESSMENT: ROYAL KNIGHTS AND GOTEI 13 POSE POTENTIAL THREAT TO COMPLETION OF PRIMARY OBJECTIVE.

ASSESSMENT: ROYAL KNIGHTS AND GOTEI 13 RENDERED VULNERABLE BY CURRENT CONFLICT.

CONCLUSION: DESTRUCTION OF ROYAL KNIGHTS AND GOTEI 13 DURING PERIOD OF VULNERABILITY WILL END THREATS TO PRIMARY OBJECTIVE.

REROUTING ALL GIZMON.

“Report, Chojiro,” Captain-Commander Yamamoto ordered his Lieutenant.

“Captains Kuchiki, Komamura, and Mugurama are in the care of Division 4. Captain Kyoraku is injured and has yet to be retrieved. As for Captain Kurot-” Chojiro Sasakibe didn’t finish his sentence. Instead he whirled around, Zanpakuto out, to face the being that had just landed behind him. 

“You commanded the others,” commented the white Digimon with two heads on the ends of its arms that had inspected the Shakonmaku. “You must be the leader of the Shinigami.”

“You will not approach the Captain-Commander,” declared Lieutenant Sasakibe, but he was interrupted.

“It’s fine, Chojiro,” declared Yamamoto. “Go reinforce the other Lieutenants. I will deal with this.” Chojiro bowed and flash stepped away. 

“I am Omegamon, mightiest of the Royal Knights,” declared the Digimon. “And I would know who you are to order the death of my world.”

“I am Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto,” responded the old man. “Captain of the 1st Division and founder and commander of the Gotei 13. The warden of the souls of humanity and slayer of the Quincy King.” His staff dissolved, revealing the Zanpakuto within. “Now prepare yourself!”

With a sound that rippled across the landscape, Yamamoto’s Zanpakuto clashed with Omegamon’s Grey Sword. The Captain-Commander was impressed to see that Omegamon matched his power. 

The old man shot back and then rocketed forward, once again clashing blades with Omegamon. This repeated itself a few times before Omegamon’s right arm, the one that ended in a wolf’s head, opened up to reveal the barrel of a cannon. 

“Garuru Cannon!” From the wolf’s head came blasts of energy so cold that moisture in the air condensed to snow as it passed. Yamamoto threw up a Kido barrier between him and the shot. An incantation-less barrier would not stop such an attack, but it would give Yamamoto time to get out of the way. 

Yamamoto leapt into the sky as Omagamon’s attack ripped through his barrier and exploded into a mountain of ice that young Captain Hitsugaya would find impressive. 

“Very well,” declared the old man. “It seems I’m not wasting my time with you after all. It is time for me to show you what I can truly do. Reduce all creation to ash, Ryūjin Jakka!”

A wave of Reiatsu immediately slammed down onto the battlefield, literally pinning some of the weaker combatants to the ground. Around the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13 rose a column of flames that rose high enough to brush the sky and evaporated all the moisture nearby, drying the mud of the battlefield into hard earth and melting Omegamon’s ice. Then the flames parted, and Omegamon saw the wizened form of his foe emerging from them. 

“This is Ryūjin Jakka, the most powerful of all fire-type Zanpakuto,” declared Yamamoto. “When it is unsealed, the world burns to ash. Now come and face your doom! Taimatsu!” 

With a wave of the old man’s hand, the flames of Ryūjin Jakka served forward like a tidal wave. Omegamon immediately turned so that the shield on his left shoulder faced the onslaught. The Brave Shield had saved Omegamon from danger on countless occasions, but he knew this time it would not be enough on its own. 

“Garuru Cannon!” This time, instead of firing a single blast, the cannon released a continuous stream of energy. The beam, chilled to absolute zero, collided with the oncoming flames and buffeted them aside, not enough to redirect the attack, but enough to weaken the blow. 

Yamamoto watched as the flames washed over Omegamon, a tsunami of power. As the flames receded, he saw his foe still standing, white armor singed black on one side, but alive. He also saw that the Digimon’s sword was glowing. 

“Sword of Ruin!” Omegamon unleashed two quick slashes, sending a cross-shaped formation of energy at Yamamoto. The captain raised his sword to block, but the moment the energy touched his Zanpakuto, it exploded, forcing the Captain-Commander backwards. 

Omegamon knew better than to allow such a formidable foe time to recover. With a roar of “Omega Blast!” The Grey Sword and Garuru Cannon retracted into the heads on Omegamon’s arms. From the mouth of each head shot blasts of energy, half burning hot and half freezing cold. 

Yamamoto flipped in the air and the flames of Ryūjin Jakka enclosed him like a cloak, shielding him, just barely, against Omegamon’s attack. Then the flames parted and Yamamoto’s eyes widened as he realized Omegamon’s sword was centimeters from his forehead and closing. 

With a wordless Bakudo #1, Omegamon’s arms twisted to lock behind his back. However, the Royal Knight was not deterred. Even as Yamamoto prepared to swing, a hatch opened up on Omegamon’s right shoulder and released a rocket that locked onto the Shinigmai, forcing him to leap back to avoid its explosion. 

Yamamoto glared at Omegamon as the Digimon broke the spell and freed his arms. He hadn’t had such a challenging fight in a very, very long time. Not even the Arrancar that Sosuke Aizen had custom-made to counter him had given Yamamoto a challenge. The greatest danger in that fight came from his own Zampakuto’s flames being turned against him. But this Digimon was fighting him in a way he hadn’t experienced since the Quincy war. As much as he shouldn’t admit it, Yamamoto had missed this. 

The Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 raised Ryūjin Jakka and the flames coiled around it, heating the blade until it glowed white hot. Omegamon recognized the gesture and raised his own sword, which began to glow with power. 

The two stared at each other, then shot forward with the power of a rocket, swords raised to clash.

“STOP!” Both combatants skidded to a halt as a data stream fell from the sky between them. Yamamoto remained on guard, examining the intruder. Omegamon, meanwhile, was utterly stunned. He hadn’t heard that voice in so very long.

The swirling colors and characters of the data stream vanished, leaving behind a strange group of Digimon and Shinigami. Omegamon quickly recognized fellow Royal Knight Gankoomon and his protege Sistermon Ciel, but his eyes were on the black-armored knight with its cape and golden feathers flowing in the wind and the great weapon Oryuken held in hand. His other half, his partner and peer. 

“All of you, cease this foolish conflict!” Alphamon’s voice boomed out across the battlefield, making Shinigami and Digimon alike pause their battles to glance at her. “While you fight each other, a greater threat grows in the shadows, a threat to all worlds!”

“Kisuke Urahara, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, explain yourselves!” Yamamoto demanded of the two Shinigami standing with the Digimon. He did not lower his sword, but neither did he move to attack.

“Alphamon is correct,” Nemu said. “Captain Kurotsuchi’s Gizmon are evolving beyond their parameters due to the unique qualities of the Digital World. If we do not destroy them permanently, they pose a risk to all worlds.”

“So why don’t we all calm down and talk this out,” piped in Urahara, his face hidden behind his fan.

“All worlds are already at risk,” Yamamoto retorted. “The cycle of souls is near its breaking point. Without the Gizmon we have no way to stabilize it.”

“If I may,” one of the Digimon Omegamon did not recognize stepped forward. It had the appearance of a humanoid hound, with feathered wings and simple robes. “Lord Yggdrasil, master of the Digital World and left arm of the Soul King,” they looked pointedly at Yamamoto who did not show his surprise, “has agreed to reconnect the Digital World to the cycle of souls with myself, Anubismon, as the one who oversees their passing. Souls will leave this world, but they will also enter, just as with the human world.” Anubismon spoke with finality, making it clear there was no room for debate about the Digital World’s survival. 

After a moment’s pause, Yamamoto spoke again. “If what you say is true, I will agree to a truce to discuss future steps.” He lowered his sword and extinguished the flames of Ryūjin Jakka.

“We must find Captain Kurotsuchi,” Nemu said. “He programmed the Gizmon to obey him. If he commands them to leave the Digital World, it will hopefully still be possible to permanently destroy them with a Zanpakuto.”

“Captain Kurotsuchi is dead,” Yamamoto responded, grimly. “His Reiatsu was extinguished in the battle.”

“Oh,” was all Nemu was able to say. It wasn’t entirely true that her father was dead. His backup brain should still be safely stored in the Division 12 barracks, just waiting for somebody to implant it in a new body. Still, it had been her that advised the Royal Knights on his tactics and use of poisons. Even knowing that he was not permanently dead and that he was never a true father to her, Nemu couldn’t help but feel guilt over what happened. 

She shook off the emotion. This was not the time. “Then I will need to access his laboratory. I have obtained a power that may help me against them,” SGe gestured to one of two orbs of Kido hovering by her side, which held a bubbling and roiling energy, a portion of Barbamon’s Paradise Lost attack.

“Very well,” Yamamoto then began to yell, projecting his voice across the battlefield. “GOTEI 13, STAND DOWN!”

Alphamon also stepped forward. “Royal Knights! I am Alphamon, the missing seat! We must ally with the Shinigami, not fight them!”

Omegamon joined in. “I can confirm Alphamon’s Identity and agree! We share a common enemy and must unite to defeat it!”

Across the muddy field, the fighting gradually died down as Shinigami and Digimon lowered their weapons, glaring warily at each other. 

“What is this enemy?” Demanded a battered Examon, keeping an eye on Captain Zaraki, who looked absolutely furious about the order to stand down.

“Them,” responded Nemu, pointing toward the sky.

All eyes went up to see the sky dotted with countless Gizmon. They had clearly been replicating and now, gorged on Digimon souls, they had come. 

“Raise a Kido Barrier!” Yamamoto ordered, his hands already in motion to produce the spell. 

“Seiken Gradalpha!” Alphamon raised a hand and a circle of mystic runes appeared in the air. From the spell flew a flurry of swords that sliced through a hundred Gizmon at once. The purple spheres dissolved into data, then instantly reformed, as though they had never been damaged at all. 

As one, the Gizmon unleashed their laser attacks upon the still-appearing Kido barriers, cutting clean through the weakest ones while battering the strong. Most of the surviving weaker Digimon and Shinigami were cut down by the rain of death, their souls sucked screaming into the monsters. 

“Pyramid Power!” Anubismon declared as the Royal Knights and Shinigami still standing returned fire. Hundreds of the Gizmon were blasted into digital dust as a pyramid of light appeared to reinforce the Kido barriers. The destruction didn’t last long. The Gizmon simply reformed and began firing again. 

“What do we do?” Yamamoto demanded of Kisuke and Nemu. 

“I-I don’t know,” Nemu stuttered. 

Kisuke stepped in. “We need to get out of here! Everyone is too worn out to fight and we need a plan.”

“The digital gate,” Nemu jumped in. “Is it still open?"

Yamamoto nodded. “Shinigami, use Kido barriers to clear a path to the digital gate!”

“I will not abandon my world!” Omegamon retorted.

“This fight is hopeless,” Kisuke responded. “If you stay, you die. What we need is time to recover and plan.”

“I will not-” Omegamon was quieted by Alphamon’s hand on his shoulder. 

“He is right,” she said. “This battle cannot be won as long as the Gizmon keep regenerating. What we need is for the scientists to come up with a plan to destroy them for good.”

Omegamon looked at Alphamon, then nodded. “You are right, forgive me.” He raised his voice. “Royal Knights, we must evacuate! Follow the Shinigami!”

“They’re doing something,” Nemu observed as the Digimon and Shinigami began to run. Above the protection of Kido barriers and Anubismon’s pyramid, the Godzmon had begun to fly together, whirling around each other like a whirlpool of living, purple metal and cables. As those below watched, the Gizmon at the center dissolved into a mass of data that grew and grew as more of the false Digimon added themselves to its mass. 

“They’re merging,” Kisuke said as he arrived at the digital gate. Even as he worked on modifying the gate to make it big enough for Examon to pass through, he kept his eyes on the sky, watching as the Gizmon merged into a pink, gelatinous mass. 

The mass, now composed of all the Gizmon, fell upon the defenses, tearing apart Anubimon’s pyramid with ease. While it took longer to pierce the Kido barriers, they too fell and the slime crashed to the ground before slithering after the fleeing group. 

“Come on, come on,” Kisuke muttered to himself as the last few stragglers fled through the gate to safety. When only he was left, he ducked through, passing through the tunnel of swirling light to arrive at what was left of the Division 12 barracks. The sheer mass of the Digimon had ripped the building open and exposed it to the sky. Kisuke quickly turned and slashed his Zanpakuto through the gate, destroying it. That should keep Mayuri’s monster from following.

“Alright,” he turned to see the Shinigami regrouping and helping the injured to reach Captain Unohana and her lieutenant while the Digimon examined their surroundings. “Time to make a plan.”

“Karin, wake up!” 

Karin groaned as her sister’s voice pulled her out of slumber. Blinking away sleep, she turned and grunted out “how long have I been out?”

“Most of the day,” replied Yuzu. She looked much better now that she didn’t have to worry about Karin anymore. “You’ll never guess who showed up!”

“Ichi-nii?” Karin asked. He had been staying out for days at a time since he lost his powers. 

Yuzu shook her head as she practically dragged Karin to the living room. “It’s Uncle Shu! It’s been so long since he visited!”

“Uncle who?” Karin asked as they entered the living room. Sitting on the couch and reading a book was someone she had never seen before. A slender man with black hair and a serene look on his face. 

“Uncle Tsukishima, silly,” Yuzu chided her sister. 

“Hello Karin,” said the stranger, a sinister air in his voice hidden by an affected friendly voice. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? I can’t wait for all of us to meet your brother again.”

Chapter Text

“Dis is bullshit!” Pulsemon complained. “ah wan’ to help, but dat stupid data stream sent me back here!”

“I know you wish to prove yourself,” replied Nefertimon. “And have you not? Karin Kurosaki is safe in her world again. You succeeded at your quest.”

“Not really,” Pulsemon grumbled back. “Ah almos’ got us both killed. If it weren’t fer Yggdrasil and dat Shinigami, we’d’a both been statues.”

“Oh Pulsemon,” Nefertimon sighed. “You are still young. You must learn that success with the help of others is still success. Take pride in what you accomplished rather than wallow in wondering what you could have done differently.” 

“But now ah just ‘ave to sit ‘ere while da Royal Knights and Shinigami duke it out! Ah can’ even Digivolve anymore! Since Karin went home ah’ve been stuck like this!”

“Pulsemon, even with your Digivolutions, could you really have helped against a foe all the Royal Knights must unite against?” Nefertimon asked patiently. “To aspire to greatness is good, but if your ambitions are not tempered by reason, you will find only failure. Instead, help us rebuild and defend our home. Build back up piece by piece.”

Pulsemon looked out at the village of the Field Field, currently being rebuilt by the residents, and sighed. “Ah guess, but what if those things dey were talking about come here? Da Gizmon?”

“Then we shall stand together.”

Pulsemon grumbled, but didn’t protest. Instead, he mumbled under his breath “At leas’ Karin’s safe now.”

“Who the hell are you?” Karin demanded of the stranger sitting in her house.

“What are you talking about?” Yuzu asked as the man just continued standing there with that half-smile on his face. “It’s Uncle Shu. Don’t you remember?”

“Yuzu, stay back!” Karin demanded. She could feel Reiatsu leaking off of this ‘Uncle Shu’, even though he wasn’t flaring it. He must have some kind of power that was messing with Yuzu’s head. Fury flooded Karin’s heart. How DARE this guy come after her sister!

“Don’t worry,” said the man in a voice filled with fake kindness. “You’ll remember me in a second.” He closed his book and slid out the bookmark. 

As he moved, Karin flared her Reiryoku. A bang reverberated through the house as her football, the one given to her by Footmon in the Dark Area, shot out of her bedroom, slamming the door open in the process. ‘Uncle Shu’ cocked an eyebrow as the ball flew down the stairs and into Karin’s grasp.

For a second, the two looked at each other, Karin glaring while the stranger’s face remained impassive. Then, the front door banged open and in came a person Karin hadn’t seen in far too long, his shock of orange hair making him unmistakable.

“Yuzu! I got your message about K-” The voice of Ichigo Kurosaki cut off, his face going pale as he saw Karin and the intruder.

“Ichi-nee, something’s going on with Karin!” Yuzu called out to her brother. “I think she has amnesia or something.”

In the blink of an eye, Ichigo had the stranger pinned against the wall. “What the hell are you doing here, Tsukishima?” he growled, his face contorted in rage. 

Yuzu yelped in shock and dismay, but Tsukishima remained undisturbed. “Come now, Ichigo. Don’t cause a fuss right before the guests arrive.

“Guests?” Ichigo got out before another voice joined in.

“What the hell are you doing, Ichigo?” The Kurosaki siblings’ heads whipped around to see a group of Ichigo’s friends, their hands full with beverages, food, and other party supplies. Karin recognized Chad, Orihime, Tatsuki, and Ichi-nee’s annoying friends from school. All of them looked surprised and confused by the scene.

“Yes, what are you doing, Ichigo?” Tsukishima asked, a hint of humor sneaking into his voice. “Don’t you remember that we’re throwing a party now that I’m back in town? Us friends have to stick together after all.”

The look of horror on Ichigo’s face made Karin’s skin crawl. Her brother never let the two of them see him like that. He took protecting the twins to be his sacred duty and part of that meant never letting them see him looking weak. As annoying as protective attitude could be at times, right now she would take being smothered over seeing her brother look so helpless. 

“Ichi-ni,” she said. “I don’t know who this guy is!”

Ichigo looked at her and she saw realization on his face. He stepped back, letting Tsukishima go and stood next to Karin. “Chad, Orihime,” he said. “Look after Yuzu.” Then, before anyone else could respond, he scooped Karin up under one arm and was out the door, running off into the night. 

“Kisuke Urahara, explain what is happening!” Demanded Captain-Commander Yamamoto

Kisuke didn’t bother looking up from the console he was tinkering with, one of a fortunate few that survived the sudden arrival of a group of overly-large Digimon in the underground barracks of Division 12. 

(Examon especially was at fault. The massive and battered dragon was currently hovering in the air about the barracks as there was precious little space in the Seireitei large enough for it to land.)

“The Gizmon have evolved beyond their limits and become something new,” Kisuke said. “Right now I’m trying to get a view of what’s going on in the Digital World. Let the others explain, I need to focus.”

“If I may,” Anubismon slid in between Kisuke and Yamamoto to diffuse the tension. “I and my comrades can explain.”

And so, as Kisuke worked, Anubismon explained what they had learned from Yggdrasil to Yamamoto and Omegamon, with Alphamon and Nemu adding context as needed. 

“Is it possible to contact this Yggdrasil?” Yamamoto asked, after a moment’s contemplation. 

“Working on it,” Kisuke called out from his console. “But first…” the screen flickered to life, showing a view of the Index Mountain, or rather what was left of it.

In the few dozen minutes since evacuating the battlefield, the pink blob that the Gizmon had become has engulfed the area. Only the tip of the mountain remained visible, and even that was sinking into the slime.

“It’s deleting the mountain,” Omegamon observed.

“And consuming the data,” Kisuke added. “Just like Mayuri programmed it to do. I think that it’s still following the basics programming Mayuri put in the Gizmon: consume and replicate. It’s just developed a new and better way to do it.” 

“During the time we have been watching, its radius has grown by approximately 106.8 meters,” Nemu stated. 

“And before you say anything, old man, we can’t just let it eat the Digital World,” Kisuke said. “If it’s still following its original programming, it will just eat the souls of the Digimon, rather than releasing them into the cycle. It’ll be the same problem you originally had, but with teeth this time.”

“I was not-” but Yamamoto was cut off by Kisuke pointing out something happening. From below their viewpoint, a section of sludge rippled, bubbled, and then spit off from the main mass. It rose toward the view, shifting and taking on color and form until it resembled some kind of strange bird with a face like a skull.

“How does this viewport work?” Asked Yamamoto.

“I created a microscopic digital gate and sent some of Mayuri’s camera microbes through. It's amazing that the Gizmon aggregate managed to spot them so fast.” Kisuke’s tone was a mixture of concern and fascination. 

“It is observing, gathering information,” Omegamon noted.

“So am I,” replied Kisuke, his fingers a blur as they rushed across the keyboard. 

On the viewport, the chest of the bird creature split open and slime shot out, engulfing the camera microbe in a haze of pink. An instant later, the screen went black as Kisuke hurriedly closed the digital gate, sacrificing the microbes in the process. 

“Agreed,” replied Alphamon. 

“Then myself and the two of you will make a joint statement to the Shinigami and Digimon explaining our alliance,” Yamamoto continued, addressing Alphamon and Omegamon. “Kisuke Urahara, am I to assume you still do not wish for your former position back?”

“Naturally,” Kisuke replied. “I’m just a humble salesman now.”

“Then Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, I name you acting captain of Division 12,” Nemu blinked in surprise, but nodded at the Captain-Commander’s declaration. “Work on finding out how to defeat this creature and free the souls within. And contact Yggdrasil so we can negotiate a treaty regarding Digimon souls. Dismissed!” With that, he turned and swept out into the courtyard, Alphamon and Omegamon following. 

Kisuke stretched in his chair, then looked toward Nemu. “Can you take the helm for a bit? I need to make a call.” Without waiting for an answer, he stood up and walked away while pulling his soul phone out of his pocket. 

Nemu cocked an eyebrow, but did not object, instead taking his place at the console. Then, she paused. She knew what she should do. She should go retrieve her father’s backup brain and begin the process of growing a clone body to install it into. Logically, the creator of the Gizmon should know best how to stop this new form they had taken on. And yet, something stopped her. The thought of bringing her father back made her feel sick. 

Perhaps he would just make the situation worse again, Nemu thought, though she knew she was being illogical. Instead, she turned to the console and drafted a message informing the rest of Division 12 of her new status as acting captain. Then, she got to work. 

“What is going on, Ichi-ni?” Karin demanded. The two had tried to hitch a ride from her brother’s boss, but that had been cut short as even she had apparently been affected by whatever Tsukishima had done to mess with everyone’s memories. Now, she and Ichigo were simply walking to what appeared to be an abandoned and decrepit mansion. 

Eyes turned toward Yamamoto as he straightened up. “Very well. This creature poses a threat to the cycle of souls. Therefore, I propose an alliance between the Gotei 13 and the Royal Knights to put an end to it.”

“Stay out of this, Karin,” Ichigo insisted. “I want you to stay safe.”

Karin’s eye twitched. “Well it’s too late for that, isn’t it? Let me help.”

“It’s too danger-” Ichigo’s words cut off and his eyes widened as Karin flared her Reiatsu.

“I’m not weak, Ichigo,” Karin scolded her brother. “Ever since you lost your powers, I’ve been training with hat-and-clogs. And the last few days, I’ve been stuck in danger and I got out of it. So for once, drop the protector act and let me help you!”

Ichigo blinked, then closed his eyes for a moment. “Alright, but if we get in a fight we can’t win, I want you to run to hat-and-clogs, understand?”

“I’m not going to abandon you,” Karin retorted.

“Karin, Please.” Karin suppressed a wince. It still felt wrong to hear that hopelessness in her brother’s voice. “I can’t lose you too.”

“You’re not going to,” Karin delacred. Then as they crossed the threshold of the old mansion she asked “why are we coming here anyway?”

“I have friends who can help,” her brother replied. “They’re called Xcution, they’re a group of Fullbringers, humans with spirit powers. They’ve been helping me get my powers back. That guy, Tsukishima,” he practically spit the name out as if it was a curse, “is a Fullbringer too. His power lets him change people’s memories.”

“It’s worse than that,” Ichigo and Karin whirled around to see another guy about Ichigo’s age, his white shirt and black, fur-collared coat stained with blood. 

“Ginjo!” Ichigo shouted. “What happened?”

The man, Ginjo, coughed. “Tsukishima, of course. He turned the rest of Xcution. But his power… Book of the End doesn’t just change memories, he can actually change the past!”

Before either sibling could respond to that, they heard footsteps around them. Out from the hallways and corners stepped people. Karin didn’t recognize most of them, but she did three. Chad, Orihime, and Tsukishima stood amongst their enemies. Chad and Orihime’s faces showed confusion and sadness, while Tsukishima still had that infuriating half-smile. 

“Ichigo,” Orihime said, regret in her voice. “I don’t know what’s happening to you, but we have to stop you.”

“Attacking Tsukishima after all we’ve done together,” Chad rumbled in his deep voice. “I just can’t forgive that.”

Karin, Ichigo, and Ginjo stood in the center of the room, their backs to each other. Ginjo and Ichigo each pulled out a trinket, a cross-shaped necklace for Ginjo and Ichigo’s substitute Shinigami badge, which they transmuted into swords, Ichigo also gaining a set of bone-like armor. Karin raised Footmon’s football like a weapon. There really was no way out of this now. It was time to fight

Warnings popped up over the console screen, jolting her out of her attempt to contact Yggdrasil. It was a warning she hadn’t seen since Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends had invaded Soul Society to rescue Lieutenant Kuchiki. The warning that someone or something had invaded the Seireitei. Nemu pulled up a window and her eyes widened. 

No… it can’t be

She turned from the console to run outside, as if seeing it with her own eyes would make a difference. As she approached the door to the outside, she could hear shouts of alarm and Kiuske Urahara’s voice musing that “it must have reverse-engineered the Digital Gate.”

Nemu burst into the sunlight to stand alongside shocked Shinigami and Digimon, all looking at the same thing. A digital gate open in the sky above the Seireitei, with pink sludge pouring out, already beginning to engulf the buildings. 

Chapter Text

"Reduce all creation to ash, Ryūjin Jakka!”

A wave of extreme heat washed over the Seireitei as Captain-Commander Yamamoto unleashed his Zanpakuto.

"Jōkaku Enjō!" Roared the ancient Shinigami. The flames of Ryūjin Jakka responded to his command, encircling the pink pass that was invading Seireitei to form a spherical shield of fire. This move had once trapped Aizen and his fellow traitors for most of the battle of the false Karakura Town. Hopefully it would give them time against the Gizmon aggregate.

"How long will that hold?" Yamamoto asked as he resealed his Zanpakuto.

"I don't know," replied Kisuke. He and Nemu were currently sharing a tablet and trying to perform analysis. "I could have told you with the Gizmon, but the D-Reaper is an unknown."

"D-Reaper?" Nemu asked, looking up at him.

"It's a better name than Gizmon aggregate," replied Kisuke.

Yamamoto looked toward Captain Unohana. "Get every member of your division here. Focus on healing the captains, lieutenants, and Royal Knights."

Unohana nodded and spoke to her lieutenant, sending the woman off to the 4th division barracks. They then unleashed her own Shikai and commanded the manta ray-like Minazuki to swallow the most severely wounded Shinigami.

"I propose a joint operation," said Alphamon. "Shinigami and Digimon working together. We strike it from both worlds at the same time."

"I agree," replied Yamamoto. "Our healers will quickly restore our forces to readiness."

Omegamon nodded and raised his voice. "Any Digimon with healing moves, work with the Shinigami healers. As of this moment, we are no longer enemies."

Technically, Omegamon did not lead the Royal Knights. Nobody did except for Yggdrasil. However, even the most obstinate of the Knights knew better than to argue with the most senior and accomplished of their number in an uncertain time like this.

"We will continue to analyze the D-Reaper," Nemu added. "Fa- Captain Kurotsuchi designed the Gizmon to adapt to new situations. Therefore, I suspect any tactic we use against the D-Reaper will only work once. The more informed we are, the better."

Yamamoto glanced toward the burning sphere of Jōkaku Enjō. Thus far, the D-Reaper had not breached it, but knowing it was likely adapting to his flames at this very moment did not sit easy with him.

"My people have also been gathering information in the world of the living," Kisuke added. "I gave Yoruichi a call before this happened. She's making preparations right now."

With a kick, Karin sent Footmon's ball crashing into the face of a pink-haired Fullbringer who had pointed something that looked like a toy gun at her.

"Ow!" The Fullbringer nursed her newly broken nose. "You little brat!"

"Thanks," replied Karin. "I take that as a compliment."

The battle between her, Ichigo, and Ginjo and the mind-controlled minions of Tsukishima had started to make the abandoned mansion collapse. Most of that had been caused by Chad throwing out some kind of beam attack he called El Directo from his right hand.

Ichigo and Ginjo were taking on the bulk of the fighting, their swords flashing as they attacked the more powerful Fullbringers, including a middle-aged man in fancy dress and an eye-patch and a Black woman in dirty boots, as well as Chad and Orihime. Unfortunately, there were making little headway as Orihime conjured up glowing force fields to block their strikes. The pink-haired Fullbringer had gone after Karin while Tsukishima and a blond Fullbringer held back and watched.

Karin summoned Footmon's football back to her with a thought. With another kick, she infused it with her Reiryoku and sent it hurtling into the pink-haired woman's stomach, sending her rocketing back out of the fight.

With a nod of satisfaction, Karin turned to join her brother, only for a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye to warn her of an approaching foe.

"RRAAAAGGHHH!" Roared another foe, a young delinquent with a mohawk, as he charged at her, his right hand bearing brass knuckles and clenched into a fist.

Karin almost scoffed. This guy could have gotten her with a sneak attack, but instead he decided to scream and run in. Still, she didn't know what he could do and so jumped back. At the same time, he swung his fist, which slightly grazed her shin as she leapt.

Karin nearly screamed in pain and shock as her tibia shattered despite the light blow. Falling into her back, she saw her right leg bending at a bad angle. The pain radiated through her, sharp like red-hot pokers, but she refused to scream or cry. Instead, she glared at the punk who had hit her.

"Like that?" He taunted. "The name's Moe Shishigawara and my Jackpot Knuckle lets me always hit the jackpot when I punch things!" He showed off the brass knuckles as he spoke, which Karin saw were decorated with the numbers 777. "Now I'm gonna take you out!"

He ran over to the prone Karin and raised his fist to bring it down on her chest. Karin quickly summoned Footmon's ball and held it out in front of her as a shield.

Shishigawara's Jackpot Knuckle crashed into the football and sent sparks flying. Karin held firm against the blow, but her arms quavered.

Shishigawara pulled his arm back for another swing and the world seemed to go into slow motion. In Karin's hands, the football deflated, punctured by the blow.

Karin felt something she hadn't wanted to feel again. Twice now, since coming back from the Digital World she had felt horror and sorrow. First when she realized Yuzu was under Tsukishima's control, and now when her football, the last reminder of Pulsemon, went limp in her hands.

Horror and sorrow were quickly replaced by anger. How dare this asshole destroy her ball? The one her friend gave her! Karin's hands clenched around the ball's leather in anger as Shishigawara swung. And then something unexpected happened.

With a flash of light, the football practically exploded in Karin's hands. Shishigawara wrenched his eyes shut, continuing his swing blindly. And then he felt something collide with the underside of his arm and shatter the bone. With a yelp of pain, he fell onto his butt and looked up to see Karin Kurosaki standing above him, bedecked in armor, one leg outstretched from her kicking him in the arm.

Everyone paused at the sight of the transformation. Ichigo's eyes bugged out and Ginjo said to him "dude, I think your kid sister's a Fullbringer."

Karin looked down at herself. The football was gone, but, through some strange instinct, she knew it was all around her. She was wearing it. This armor was her last connection to Pulsemon. It was red and blue, with the hexagonal pattern of a football running along it. If anything, it looked like Footmon's armor, but the shoes were Pulsemon's sneakers and Runnermon's visor covered her eyes.

"Cool," She said. Her leg was still broken, but the armor held the fragments of bone together, allowing her to stand, though not without pain.

One of the fighters broke off from battling Ichigo and Ginjo: the Black woman with the dirty boots. She charged Karin before leaping in a kick aimed toward the younger girl's face.

Electricity crackled around the armor and Karin found herself moving faster than she had ever moved before. The rest of the world seemed to slow down as she docked underneath the incoming kick and spun to face her attacker's back. She pulled her good leg back as if about to kick a ball. At the toe of her shoe formed a ball of electricity roughly the size of a football. As Karin kicked the ball lightning toward her enemy, her heard words coming from her mouth. A name. Karin never named her moves, but this just felt right.

"STORM SHOT!"

The woman landed and spun to face Karin, but it was too late. The ball lightning collided with her stomach and, for a second, the whole mansion was lit up with the glow of electricity as the woman screamed. Then the light went out and she fell to the floor in a heap, still breathing, but unconscious.

Karin turned to see Moe Shishigawara standing up again, slipping his brass knuckles onto his good hand with his teeth. He paused and his face went a few shades paler as he saw Karin glaring at him, but he finished transferring the knuckles and raised his unbroken arm to clench his fist.

Honestly, she thought, points for not giving up. Still… With a flash of electricity, Karin slammed the sole of her boot into his chest and sent him clear through the wall to lay unmoving on the grass outside.

Tsukishima frowned and tapped the tip of Book of the End to the floor. A simple time bomb placed a week before the fight with its timer about to hit zero should do the trick.

An explosion beneath her feet sent Karin flying toward Tsukishima. Her eyes widened as Tsukishima dashed forward at her, sword raised to strike. She could hear Ichigo shout her name in alarm, but when someone jumped in between her and the blade, it wasn't her brother. It was Ginjo who took the slash.

Ichigo's friend remained standing even after the blow and Karin colliding with his back, his sword held loosely at his side.

"Ginjo!" Ichigo called out.

Ginjo looked up and said "I'm fine." Then he turned and swung his sword at Karin's neck.

"Karin?"

"I AM PREPARING TO MOUNT A RESPONSE."

Under a more normal situation, Yamamoto would have had a more significant reaction to speaking with the left arm of the Soul King, but there was no time for that.

"I AM BROADCASTING MY WORDS ACROSS THE DIGITAL WORLD," Yggdrasil continued, his voice projecting from the terminal's monitor, "OFFERING MY DIGIMON THE CHOICE TO JOIN BATTLE WITH THE ENEMY AND BE ELEVATED TO THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL FORM."

"The D-Reaper still hasn't broken through our defenses," replied the Captain-Commander. "My forces are healing both the Shinigami and Digimon in Soul Society in preparation for our attack."

"And myself and Nemu are preparing some probes to hopefully learn more about it," Kisuke added.

"I WILL ALSO ANALYZE THE ENEMY FROM MY WORLD." Yggdrasil began to say something else, but then stopped, the many eyes covering its body wheeling around.

"SOMETHING HAS JUST OPENED A DIGITAL GATE TO THE HUMAN WORLD."

All eyes went up. "Was it the D-Reaper?" asked Kisuke.

"I DO NOT BELIEVE SO," was the reply. "THE GATE WAS OPENED IN THE FIELD FIELD, WHICH IS NOT NEAR THE ENEMY."

"The Field Field?" asked Anubismon. "Hmm, I wonder…"

"The D-Reaper was able to reverse engineer the digital gate to Soul Society," Kisuke mused. "If it can do the same with the world of the living, we may be facing a war on three fronts." He pulled out his soul phone. "I'm going to update Yoruichi to be on the lookout."

"And I will have Acting Captain Kurotsuchi turn the hollow-monitoring equipment to detect any incursions," added Yamamoto.

A siren started blaring. Everyone in the room knew what that meant. Kisuke switched the monitor from Yggdrasil to a camera view of Seireitei.

The flaming sphere of Jōkaku Enjō was bulging, trying and failing to contain that which lay within. As they watched, it burst, the flames dissipating before a barrage of what looked like hundreds of Ceros. From within the former prison flew an army of creatures of varying appearances. Abstract birds, hooded creatures with scythes dangling beneath them, disembodied torsos crawling along with massive arms, and more rushed forth into Seireitei. The only commonality between them was the skull-like masks on their heads, remnants of their hollow origins.

In an instant, Yamamoto was outside and beside Alphamon and Omegamon. His cane dissolved and he unsheathed the Zanpakuto within and raised it above his head. "To war!" he yelled.

Yuzu's legs burned and her lungs ached, but she kept running. Orihime had told her to stay home while Uncle Shu and Ichigo's other friends tracked down him and Karin, but she couldn't just sit around. Trying to call her dad had failed, so Yuzu now found herself running through the woods at the edge of Karakura town. Her spiritual power were weak, not even strong enough to let her see anything more than a blur where ghosts were, but even she couldn't miss the beacon of clashing spiritual powers emanating from the old mansion on top of the hill.

As she reached the mansion, Yuzu slowed down, bout to catch her breath and out of wariness from the sound of explosions coming from within. She yelped in surprise as a human body was hurled through a wall with the sound of splintering wood. Yuzu risked a closer look. The person, a young punk with a mohawk, was covered in splinters and unconscious, but breathing.

Time working at the Kurosaki Clinic allowed Yuzu to determine the kid was in no immediate danger, so she tiptoed over to the new hole in the wall and peaked in.

Horror flooded into Yuzu's heart as she saw a stange man with a giant sword swing his weapon toward the armor-clad form of what was unmistakably Karin.

Ichigo, wearing his own set of bone-like armor, tried to leap toward toward Karin, but he was blocked by something Yuzu could only see as a blur in the air. Orihime clasped her hands to her face in horror as Chad tried to move toward Karin. Uncle Shu simply frowned as the blade moved toward Karin's neck in slow motion.

None of them seemed to notice the hole in the air that opened up above the attacker's head until something shot out of it. A strange little creature, with yellow spiky fur decorated with black zig-zags and wearing sneakers grabbed onto the swordsman' head and yelled "Petit Impulse!"

Electricity coiled around the swordsman's body, emerging from the yellow creature. His muscles spasmed, making his swing go wide. Karin moved so fast Yuzu couldn't follow her. All she could see was her sister's foot connecting with the swordsman's jaw, sending him reeling backwards.

"Pulsemon! What are you doing here?" Karin asked in astonishment.

"Ah got no idea!" Replied the creature as it jumped to the floor. "But it looks like ya need my help."

"What is that?" asked Uncle Shu, confusion in his voice. He wasn't the only one, everyone in the room but Karin looked utterly baffled by the creature's appearance.

"Yeah, I could use your help," Karin said. "You up for this?"

The creature scoffed "'course I am!" Then it began to glow.

Pulsemon Matrix Digivolve to… Footmon!

The light faded as the little creature had been replaced by a man with dreadlocks and mechanical armor that looked very similar to Karin's.

Karin, unsurprised by the sudden change, pointed to Uncle Shu and the swordsman. "Take them out first and do not let that one's sword touch you!"

"Shit," said the swordsman. He looked at Uncle Shu. "You didn't tell me they had backup."

Unche Shu looked annoyed. "I didn't know. Just kill it or pin it down so I can use Book of the End."

Confusion shot through Yuzu's mind. Why was Uncle Shu working with that man? He should be protecting Karin like he always had. Suddenly, Yuzu grabbed her head as pain shot through it. Memoried flooded into her, but they made no sense. She remembered meeting Uncle Shu earlier that day and having no idea who he was, but that couldn't be right. She'd know him for years. And she also remembered something else. Him turning a bookmark into a sword and stabbing her. She remembered the pain as the blade pierced her ribs and the twisted smile on his face as he did it. Yuzu gritted her teeth to stop from yelling out in pain, and as she did so, she heard another voice speak up.

"Tsukishima, what are you doing?" Yuzu looked up, her head still throbbing, to see the swordsman battling Karin and the man in sports-themed armor. She also saw Orihime and Chad, both staring at Tsukishima.

Orihime spoke again. "Why are you working with that man? He's trying to hurt Karin!"

Uncle Shu scowled. "Don't worry, I planned for this. He's working with me and he's not going to hurt Karin."

"That's not true!" yelled Ichigo. Yuzu could see a strange blurriness surrounding him. A blurriness that was gradually changing, becoming visible to her as an orange force field pinning him in place. "Orihime, Chad! Tsukishima isn't our friend! He manipulated your memories to make you think he was, but he's after me and Karin!"

Yuzu's eyes widened. Was that what happened to her? Was that why she had two sets of memories right now?

Uncle Shu Tsukishima's scowl deepened. "That's not true. Ichigo and Karin's memories have been changed. That's why they think I'm their enemy. I'm trying to help them."

"Storm Shot!" "Lightning Shoot!"

Twin balls of electricity, one from each Karin and her friend, slammed into the swordsman, sending him skidding across the floor to stand next to Tsukishima, where he panted in exhaustion.

Orihime moved. The orange force field around Ichigo vanished and a similar, larger one appeared around Tsukishima and the swordsman, pinning them in place.

"I want to know what's happening." She said, determination in her voice.

"That makes two of us," said a deep voice from behind Yuzu. Something bounced off of her head and she looked up to see a black cat leaping into the thoroughly trashed room. In midair, the cat disappeared into a puff of smoke, from which emerged a beautiful, dark skinned woman with purple hair.

All eyes turned to the cat-woman as she spoke. "Who wants to explain to me exactly what is going on here?"

Yuzu felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw a strange sight. Her father, an encouraging smile on his face, dressed in black robes with a sheathed katana strapped to his side.

"Hey, Yuzu," he said, his voice kind but with regret hidden in it. "I guess you have some questions."

Chapter Text

Kisuke Urahara's voice projected itself across the besieged Seireitei as battle began, Digimon and Shinigami on one side and the D-Reaper's monsters on the other. "Attention fighters. I have something I can use against the D-Reaper, but I need a clear shot."

"Clear the skies!" Declared Alphamon. "Seiken Gradalpha!" From her hand emerged a mystical circle, out of which shot a rapid fire burst of blades that scythed through a hundred of the D-Reaper's drones. Yet still, more came.

"Reduce all creation to ash, Ryūjin Jakka!” "Garuru Cannon!" Captain-Commander Yamamoto and Omegamon joined in, sending fire and ice across the sky of the Seireitei. Alongside them shot Kido, Zanpakuto powers, and various Digimon attacks. In an incredible show of power, all of the drones fell, the corpses disappearing into data that flowed back into the D-Reaper.

From the ruins of the Division 12 barracks shot a parcel of white cloth the size of a bus, wrapped in rope and sealed with scrolls. It arced over the pink mass of the D-Reaper and burst open, sending strange devices raining down onto the monstrosity. Each one was a mix of cold metal and traditional Soul Society construction, covered in blinking lights. They stuck into the slime and from each spike shot strands of Kido, interlocking with each other to form a great net that engulfed the D-Reaper.

Each probe was its own computer and by having them link together, Kisuke and Nemu had vastly increased their processing power. At that moment, they were gathering gigabytes of information from the D-Reaper and sending it back to Division 12.

Of course, if the D-Reaper could reverse-engineer a digital gate by simply observing it, Kisuke had no doubt it could be able to observe anything the probes were connected to. That's why, rather than sending the accumulated data to the Division's computer systems, he had it directed to a printer which was currently spitting out whole book's worth of raw data. Kisuke, Nemu, Anubismon, and any Division 12 member not needed for the battle would analyze it with their minds rather than a computer. A slower method to be sure, but one without the risk of giving the D-Reaper access to all of Mayuri's pet projects.

Within seconds, the spikes were sinking into the mass, their physical integrity being dissolved by the enemy. It was less than a minute before they had been consumed and the flow of data stopped.

"New entities are emerging from the main mass," reported a Division 12 member.

"Alright," muttered Kisuke. "Now what do you do?"

More of the D-Reaper's drones were emerging. Bubbles rose to the surface of the pink mass like vacuoles expelling waste from a cell, then formed into the shapes of skull-faced monsters before flying or crawling their way free. In seconds, the D-Reaper had replaced its army.

"Attack!" roared Omegamon as he fired another round of the Garuru Cannon. Shinigami and Digimon alike followed suit, engulfing the army in attacks like it had the first.

As the smoke cleared, it became obvious to all that the second strike hadn't been as effective as the first. Many drones had been destroyed, but many more still crawled or flew forward.

"The D-Reaper is adapting to our abilities," Nemu reported, her voice broadcast over the battlefield.

"Captains and lieutenants, fall back!" Yamamoto ordered. "Fight only when necessary!"

"Royal Knights, do the same!" Alphamon shouted.

If the D-Reaper was going to adapt to their techniques, becoming immune to them, then saving the most powerful combatants until last was the right call. If the D-Reaper became immune to Yamamoto or Omegamon's moves at the beginning, they would have no defense once it broke through the front lines.

"Something's happening," a voice reported. Kisuke looked behind him to see the printer turning on and producing a lone page. He strode over and picked it up, reading the message printed.

"QUERY: PURPOSE OF RESISTANCE"

"Hmm," Kisuke muttered. "Seems our friend's getting curious. How are things going with you, Nemu?"

Nemu's eyes were moving back and fourth so fast they looked like blurs as she read through the printed out data at inhuman speeds. She had already gotten through over half of the massive pile.

"Perhaps," she said, not looking up from the printouts. "I'm seeing a repeating framework in its code. Something similar to the Digimon's base coding.

"I see," Kisuke pulled out his soul phone. "Sounds like we need someone who knows the Digimon's core program."

"Tsukishima is a Fullbringer!" Ichigo blurted out. "He has the power to change people's pasts! He turned everyone against me to steal my powers!"

Yuruichi's eyes narrowed as she looked over at the indicated man, who stood trapped behind Orihime's barrier.

"Is that true?" Orihime asked, her voice quiet. "Does that mean everything we went through together… that it was all a lie?"

Chad remained characteristically quiet, but his frown deepened.

"Fullbringer, eh?" Yoruichi asked. "In that case you should be able to release your power, right?"

Tsukishima didn't respond. Instead, his eyes were darting all over the ruined mansion, looking for a way out.

Yoruichi sighed. "Orihime, drop the barrier and start healing everybody. I'll take care of this."

Orihime looked at the older woman with questioning eyes, but at Yoruichi's nod, she released the protective shield and rushed over to Ichigo.

In a flash of Shunpo, Yoruichi was behind Tsukishima, one arm wrapped around his neck and the other grasping his sword-arm, keeping him to attacking. "I'll make this simple. Remove any powers you're using or I'll snap your neck."

Tsukishima's gaze shifted to Ginjo, but he just stepped back, his sword shrinking back into a pendant. Tsukishima closed his eyes and reverted Book of the End back into its bookmark form. Orihime and Chad both grunted as the spell faded and their memories reverted to normal, Ginjo too after a second.

"Is everyone ok?" Ichigo asked, looking around. "Karin, who is that?"

"That's a question I think we'd all like the answer to."

All eyes except Yoruichi's (she was still restraining Tsukishima) turned to the large hole in the wall to see-

"Dad?" "Yuzu?" Ichigo and Karin's voices rang out.

"Dat's yer family?" asked the strange cyborg football player as Yuzu ran forward to hug her sister.

"Oh, yeah," replied Karin. "Yuzu, Ichigo, and dad, who is apparently a Shinigami now."

"Always have been," replied her dad. "I'll explain to you both when we have more time. And you are?"

"Oh, uhh," the cyborg glowed and shrunk, reverting back to the spiky yellow thing he had originally been. "Name's Pulsemon. Hi."

"When I was missing I ended up somewhere called the Digital World," Karin explained. "Pulsemon's what's called a Digimon, they live there. He helped me get home."

"The Digital World is a world made of computer code," Yoruichi explained to everybody, including the Xcution members, who Orihime was rousing. "The Digimon who live there have souls, which caused an imbalance in the cycle of reincarnation. When Mayuri Kurotsuchi tired to fix it, he created a monster called the D-Reaper that is now trying to eat both the Digital World and Soul Society and may be coming here next. Kisuke is working on finding a way to beat it, but we need to buy time. I've been gathering everyone with powers up to help fight it. Which means congratulations, Fullbringers, you're being drafted."

"Wait, everyone?" Ichigo asked.

Yoruichi nodded. "Uryu, his dad, The rest of the shop, and the Vizard are waiting outside."

"Actually," Uryu's voice souded as he stepped into the mansion. "We have a problem."

Everyone rushed outside to see what he meant. A hole had opened into the sky and pick sludge was pouring out onto Karakura Town. Already, several buildings had been consumed and sirens filled the air.

"The D-Reaper, I presume," Uryu asked, his voice calm despite the situation.

Yoruichi swore and dropped Tsukishima. Before he could get his footing, she snatched the bookmark away and pocketed it before fishing out her soul phone. "I need to call-" she was cut off by the phone coming to life with a buzz. Yoruichi rolled here eyes and answered it. "Kisuke. Yeah, it's here too."

Tsukishima shot a glare toward Ginjo, who just gave a slight shrug in response.

"You want us to fight that thing?" Riruka demanded.

"No," said Ichigo. "Your power is better for getting people out of there. The rest of us can fight."

"Hold on," Yoruichi said. "The D-Reaper is adapting to whatever we throw at it. Assume the same trick won't work twice." She turned back to the phone. "Get me a Senkaimon to Tokyo University- Well then I need some way to get there in a few minutes, even I'm not that fast." She listened some more, then nodded.

"Alright," she turned back to the crowd. "Kisuke is sending backup, Shinigami and Digimon. I'm going to get help from someone in Tokyo. Kisuke won't open a Senkaimon there in case the D-Reaper follows, so I'm getting a ride. But he can open one here. Say hi, everyone."

Behind the group, a Senkaimon appeared, the sliding doors larger than usual. Out of it stepped an assorted group of Shinigami and Digimon of various appearances, from armored warriors to animals to a panda plushie that was seemingly trying to avoid-

"Rukia!" Ichigo exclaimed. "And Renji!"

"Yo, Ichigo," replied Renji. "When did you get your powers back?"

"Idiot," Rukia elbowed her oldest friend in the side, making him grunt. "He's a Fullbringer now, obviously."

"Talk Later, save the world now," Yoruichi interjected. "Which one of you is Ulforce V-Dramon?"

"That would be me," replied a blue-armored and warrior wearing a flowing cape. "I understand I am to act as… transportation for you." His voice made it clear he was not thrilled about the idea.

"Yoruichi jumped up onto the warrior's shoulders. "Yeah, I'll give you directions. The rest of you, get to it!" With that, Ulforce V-Dramon rose into the air and disappeared, leaving behind a sonic boom.

"Ichigo," Isshin's voice cut in. "I'm going to take Yuzu to the safe room at the Urahara Shop. She'll be safest there. Karin.." He looked at his daughter.

"I'm fighting," Karin said. "I can't just do nothing."

Yuzu looked scared, but she nodded. "Please be safe, ok?"

Karin assured her sister she would before Isshin picked Yuzu up and flash stepped away.

Ichigo turned to look at Tsukishima. "I'll deal with you once this is done," he said, hate in his voice. Then, the group of Shinigami, Fullbringers, and Digimon charged into town, ready for the battle.

"We're on site over Karakura Town where some kind of pink mass has engulfed part of the city!" The voice of a reporter, muffled by helicopter blades, blared out of the television in the Department of Computer Science's lounge. The breaking news broadcast showed the point of view of a news helicopter flying over a city being devoured by slime.

"There appear to be monsters emerging from the mass and attacking civilians," the reporter continued. "However it looks like a second group of monsters is attacking the first group!"

The footage zoomed in on one of the monsters, a creature that looked like a mechanical knight with draconic features and swords sprouting from every appendage, wearing a red cape. The knight slashed with two swords attached to its arms, cutting a pair of cloaked monsters with skull masks in half, preventing them from attacking a bus-load of civilians. At the same time, its tail impaled a skull-faced bird.

"There also appear to be humans assisting the friendly monsters somehow." The camera moved to a young man wearing glasses and white clothes. He appeared to be miming the use of a bow and arrow, but despite apparently holding nothing, monsters were being damaged as they rushed at him.

Goro Mizuno watched the broadcast with several of his colleagues. Nobody spoke aside from one person who tried to make an Ultraman joke, only to trail off halfway through.

Goro's mind was racing, trying to figure out what was going on with not nearly enough information to do so. For some reason, that weird dream he had came to mind, the one where a cat that turned into a women asked him about Project Yggdrasil. At least, he told himself it was a dream. It was either that, he was crazy, or that had really happened and his entire worldview was in question.

The sound of shattering glass drew everyone's attention away from the television Goro's jaw dropped as through the freshly broken window leapt the cat woman from his dream, dressed in some kind of ninja garb. Outside hovered a creature that looked like a mix between a dragon, a knight, and an American Superhero.

"Professor Mizuno," said the woman. "I need your help."

"Y-you're real," he stuttered back. "I thought I was dreaming."

"I'm real," she confirmed. "Long story short, Project Yggdrasil worked, Digimon are real, and we need someone who knows their programming so we can stop that," she pointed at the pink blob on the news.

"That's a Digimon?" Goro asked in disbelief.

"Half Digimon," Yoruichi responded. "We know how to handle the other half, but we Don't know much about Digimon coding. That's why we need you. You know more about them than any other human."

A shriek from the TV drew in all eyes. On the broadcast, the reporter cried out in alarm as a monster that looked like a winged centipede with a skull mask rushed at her helicopter. Before it could hit, the white, draconic creature flew up from below and impaled the centipede with the swords emerging from its arms. With a quick flash of movement, the centipede was shorn in half and fell to the ground.

The dragon knight looked toward the helicopter and spoke. "It is not safe here. Leave now."

"Wait," said the reporter, quickly recovering from her fear. "Can you tell us who you are?"

"I am Jesmon," replied the dragon. "Royal Knight of the Digital World. Now go." With that, he flew toward the ground, where the two halves of the centipede monster were beginning to regenerate.

"That's a Digimon?" Goro asked. His mind raced. He helped create something like that? A heroic dragon knight in shining armor? But my extension, that meant he also helped create the monster that Jesmon was fighting.

"Yes," replied Yoruichi. "And if we can't stop that thing, all Digimon and everyone else will die. We need your help."

Goro swallowed. If his creations, his Digimon could fight, why couldn't he? "Ok," he said.

"Great." With a swift movement, Yoruichi scooped Goro up as though he weighed nothing and leapt out the window into the arms of the Digimon hovering outside. As soon as it grabbed the two of them, it turned and flew away, leaving behind a sonic boom that shattered all the windows on the building.

If asked later, Goro Mizuno would deny that he screamed.

Karin kicked another Storm Shot at a skull-faced bird, knocking it back.

"They are adapting," she called out to Footmon. "That killed that last few."

"Ah noticed!" called back her friend, who was driving off another group of the D-reaper's monsters.

Karin and Footmon had been assigned to the outskirts of the battle along with most the Fullbringers, Ichigo, and some of the less powerful Digimon and Shinigami. At the center of the battle were the most powerful combatants: The Royal Knight members, the group of Shinigami who called themselves the Vizard, Chad, Orimihe, Ichigo's frenemy Uryu and his dad, and her dad.

Karin decided to process that particular revelation when the world wasn't ending.

In the air above the battlefield stood Tessai and the biggest Vizard, who were cooperating on surrounding the battlefield and the D-Reaper with a glowing Kido barrier. On occasion, a door would open in the barrier to allow the Fullbringer Riruka in and out. She was riding a mechanical lion Digimon that Footmon recognized as his village's protector LoaderLiomon and working on evacuating civilians by shrinking them into the dollhouse she carried and releasing them outside of the barrier. It seemed she was running out of civilians to rescue, most within the barrier having already either been rescued or killed.

Karin had seen a man running from the monsters. Before anyone could get to him, a scythe-tipped tentacle has stabbed through his chest. His ghost had been ripped from his body in that moment before being sucked into the monster's maw, screaming the whole time.

Karin has seen ghosts her whole life. She knew about death, but seeing someone die in front of her, that hit different. She couldn't process it now, though. If she stopped to think about what she saw, she would die.

"Dere's too many of 'em!" Footmon shouted at her.

"I know," she yelled back. "I don't have any ideas!"

With a thundering crash, a building crumbled, sending a cloud of dust over the battlefield. From within came a gigantic D-Reaper agent, a winged figure with great arms and a hollow body. From within it came smaller agents: amorphous creatures with four tentacles that spewed out energy blasts.

Karin and Footmon ran as the blasts poured down like rain. Above them, Tessei and the big Vizard cast another spell, engulfing the carrier agent in darkness, but some of the smaller ones flew out of the radius. One fired a shot and Karin fell.

Must have tripped she thought and willed herself to rise, but nothing happened. Her legs didn't respond. Hell, she couldn't feel them anymore. Karin rolled onto her back and looked down to see a hole in her stomach, positioned right in front of her spinal cord, the edges blackend and charred.

The pain hit all at once and Karin screamed.

"KARIN!" the voices of Ichigo and Footmon blended together as both rushed over to her.

"Ginjo! Go get Orihime!" Ichigo yelled over his shoulder before looking back to his sister. "Karin! Don't worry, I'm going to get you out of this!

"W-what do ah do?" Asked Footmon, his voice quieter than Karin had ever heard it. "How do I help?"

Another barrage of shots rained down and Ichigo and Footmon whirled around to deflect them. Karin forced her jaw shut, reducing the scream down to a groan.

A blast crashed through Footmon's side. With a shout of pain and surprise, he shrank, reverting to Pulsemon. As Ichigo continued to wave his blade around deflecting blast after blast, Pulsemon crawled over to Karin and grabbed her hand.

"Ah don' know if we can get outta this one," he grunted out. "But ah know we're doin' it together."

Karin wrapped her hand around Pulsemon's, squeezing tight. "Yeah," she choked out. "You got that right."

Then, both she and Pulsemon began to glow, just like Pulsemon did when he evolved.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Ah dunno," replied her partner. "But it feels good."

Pulsemon Biomerge to… Jougamon!

Ichigo faltered. There were just too many shots coming in, nowhere to hide, but he couldn't leave Karin behind. He couldn't-

"Spinning Slash!" From behind Ichigo shot a whirl of gold, spinning so fast it looked like a disc in the air. It flew like a boomerang, slicing through the shooting agents one by one before flying back. Ichigo turned around to see it caught in one hand by a woman in golden armor with a rabbit-like helmet, from which emerged a long, pink braid. She stood over two meters tall and the weapon, a golden crescent carved with the symbols of rabbits, was nearly as large. What's more, Karin and Pulsemon were gone, but the woman stood where they had been.

"What?" Ichigo asked in confusion. "Where's Karin?"

"I'm here," responded the woman. "I'm Karin, but I'm also Pulsemon. We're together now. Call us Jougamon." Her voice sounded like Karin's, but with something of Pulsemon's voice was in there too.

Ichigo opened his mouth to ask something, but was distracted as a blue blur flew overhead. Looking up, he and Karin- Jougamon- they saw a door in the barrier close as Yoruichi jumped over to stand with Tessei and Hachi. She pulled a soul phone out of her pocket and Tessei made a series of motions, drawing lines across his arm.

Tenteikūra broadcast Urahara's voice over the battlefield. "Everyone listen up. We have a plan."

Chapter Text

"This is fascinating," Goro Mizuno said as he read through a sheaf of papers. "You got this from that blob?"

"The D-Reaper, yes," replied the strange man named Kisuke Urahara.

After his terrifying ride from Tokyo U in the arms of a Digimon named Ulforce V-Dramon, Goro had been brought to a candy shop and led through a trapdoor to an impossibly large cavern with its own sky. The only person there was a young girl named Yuzu Kurosaki who was anxiously packing back and fourth. At least until The strangely-dressed Kisuke Urahara had appeared out of thin air, introduced himself, and handed over a pile of paper covered in code.

"It's definitely based on the code my team developed for Project Yggdrasil," Goro said. "It's been updated and it looks like there's a black box element not displayed here, but the baseline coding is still the same."

"The black box is more our department," Kisuke said. "But you know more about this code than anyone. Can you make something to shut it down? A virus we can insert into the D-Reaper."

Goro nodded. "Yes. I should be able to write up something which will make the code self-destruct. It'll take me a few minutes and a computer, but I know this code like the back of my hand. As for how to get it into the D-Reaper…"

"I have a few ideas for that," Kisuke said. He then gestured to a desk with a computer of a model Goro didn't recognize, which had definitely not been there a second ago.

"Who are you people?" he asked in a voice of utter bafflement.

Kisuke offered a half smile. "That would take far too long to explain. Now if you'll excuse me," he pulled a call phone out of his robe and dialed a number. "Nemu, Yoruichi, put me on Tenteikūra. I have a plan."

The Karakura Town fighters huddled in a barrier just big enough to hold them all, maintained by Hachi and Tessei and soundproofed to keep the D-Reaper constructs (currently beating against the barrier) from hearing. In the center of the group huddle sat Yoruichi's soul phone, on speaker.

"Our analysis indicates that the D-Reaper has a central processing unit housing the amalgamated Digimon and hollow souls that made up the Gizmon. From this unit, it is extending its consciousness into the blob and the smaller monsters. Killing the little ones isn't harming the D-Reaper itself. To hurt it we need to strike the core itself."

"How?" the voice of Captain-Commander Yamamoto came through the phone. The call was also connected to the Soul Society fighters and Yggdrasil.

"Unfortunately, the core is stored inside the D-Reaper's mass," Nemu replied. "We believe it is moving through a Digital Gate, cycling between the world of the living, Soul Society, and the Digital World several times per second. An assault on the core must be undertaken from all three worlds simultaneously. Otherwise, the core can simply retreat to another world."

"As for surviving inside the mass," Kisuke continued, "Tessei and Hachi have developed a very effective barrier combination that keeps the D-Reaper out. Tessei, if you could send that to the Kido Corps and Yggdrasil." Tessei pulled out his own soul phone and began rapidly typing out a text. "Now the D-Reaper will adapt and get through these barriers eventually, so this will have to be a quick operation. Once you get to the core, defeating it will be a two step process. First, I have one of the original programmers whose code helped produce the Digital World. He's almost finished with a code to shut down or at least disable the D-Reaper's Digimon portion. As soon as he's done I'm sending the code to the Division 12 barracks."

Nemu took over the explanation. "We will be printing and distributing punch cards containing the shutdown code. You must damage the D-Reaper's core and insert one of the punch cards into it. This should affect the D-Reaper's ability to adapt as that came from Yggdrasil's influence on Digimon. The next step is to destroy the core. The final blow must come from a Zanpakuto to ensure the souls the D-Reaper has consumed return to the cycle or reincarnation."

"ANUBISMON WILL JOIN THIS ENDEAVOR," Yggdrasil added, speaking for the first time. "MY SHINIGAMI WILL CLAIM ENOUGH SOULS TO REBUILD THE DAMAGE TO THE DIGITAL WORLD."

"Very well," replied Yamamoto. "The Kido Corps has informed me they are ready to begin."

"AS AM I."

"Distributing the punch cards," said Nemu. A miniature Senkaimon opened within the barriers and dumped a small pile of metal objects in the shape of cards. Their surfaces were uneven, lined with ridges and bumps which formed a pattern that presumably someone knowledgeable about computer science would understand.

Yoruichi stood up. "Tessei, Hachi, no time like the present."

The two Kido masters nodded and began chanting incantations as Orihime continued moving around the group, healing whoever she could.

"Karin," Ichigo said.

Jougamon looked over at him. Karin and Pulsemon were still merged into one being.

"You want to come, don't you?" Ichigo asked.

"Of course," Jougamon responded in her strange voice that mixed Karin and Pulsemon's voices together. "I'm not just leaving after all this."

Ichigo opened his mouth like he was going to object, but then closed it and nodded. "Just promise me you'll be safe, ok?"

Karin's new form nodded as Isshin watched two of his children. They had both inherited Masaki's spirit after all. His beloved wife would have said the same thing as Karin had.

Isshin made a silent vow that his son and daughter would make it out of the D-Reaper alive, even if that meant him taking the bullet for them. Not that he had any intention to die today. Yuzu still needed him. Something about watching the battle in the mansion had seemingly caused a power awaking in her. Yuzu still had by far the weakest Reiatsu of his children, but he could sense it was stronger now. And familiar.

Even after so long and from a source so weak, Isshin would recognize Masaki's Quincy Reiatsu anywhere.

With a sound like a crack of thunder, Tessei and Hachi finished their spell and barriers appeared around everyone present. They were like skintight force fields that perfectly articulated around the joints and faded from view after a second.

Yoruichi examined her barrier and nodded. "Everyone get ready. Time to open a path!"

The outer barrier dropped and a dozen voices yelled out at once.

"Hado #33: Sokatsui!" "Getsuga Tenshō!" "Un Pour Tous!" "Grand Sister Cruz!" "Shining V-Force!" "Hikotsu Taihō!" "Hado #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!" "El Directo!" "Licht Regen!" "Spinning Slash!"

A blinding burst of light, the combined form of well over a dozen ranged attacks, blasted through the crowd of D-Reaper monsters and crashed into the gelatinous mass of the monster itself, sending droplets of pink slime flying.

"GO!" The group charged forward, Shinigami, Digimon, Quincy, and Fullbringer moving as one. Before the D-Reaper's forces could once again converge on the motley group, they reached the main mass and dove into the pink slime.

Kisuke watched them go over a monitor. He hoped he wasn't sending everyone to their deaths, wished he could join them. But if this plan didn't work, someone needed to stay behind and work on a plan b.

The thing he was most curious about was the D-Reaper's apparent attempt to communicate with him. There had been no further attempts on its part and he hadn't tried to respond. Still, it was a potentially worthy avenue of investigation for a backup plan. He hoped it wouldn't come to that, but Kisuke had lived a long time and he had learned that you always need to keep your options open.

Traveling through the body of the D-Reaper was like leaping through a surreal world made of acidic strawberry jelly with bits of landscapes floating through it. The slime whorled and surged like waves driven by alien desires forming voids and structures that would be swallowed again and reshaped anew. From the slime would emerge bits of the worlds the D-Reaper had devoured, being reproduced, experimented with, and discarded as the alien mind of the D-Reaper considered their functions. The steel and concrete buildings of Karakura Town mixed with traditional aesthetic of Soul Society and the illogical landscapes of the Digital World to form a dizzying place where logic failed.

The strike teams from the three worlds traveled through the surreal landscape, leaping between bits the bits of reality that floated amongst the slime.

"Why is it not attacking us?" Omegamon asked in the Soul Society team.

"The most likely answer is that the D-Reaper suspects we are aiming for its core and has pulled its forces back to form a defensive perimeter," Nemu replied.

"Or it is setting up a trap," Alphamon added.

Omegamon looked over at Alphamon. "Can you still access Ouryumon's power?"

"I can," replied the Empty Seat. Then in answer to Nemu's unasked question, she explained. "Ouryumon was an ally of our during the war with the Demon Lords who sacrificed his life and soul to save mine. I still bear the remnants of his data and can call upon it should the need arise." she paused before continuing. "I only did so once before, in battle with the first of the Demon Lords himself. I barely survived that battle and never expected to face another foe of such magnitude again. Now, however, I believe the time has come.

"Enemy sighted!" the call came from members of the Onmitsukido who had scouted ahead. In response, the assembled Shinigami and Digimon forces looked ahead to see a wall of D-Reaper monsters flying toward them.

"Take arms!" bellowed Captain-Commander Yamamoto. "No holding back! This battle is for the survival of all worlds and all souls! Let us show the D-Reaper our fury! Reduce all creation to ash, Ryūjin Jakka!"

With a clash that could be heard across worlds, the battle began. This was no free-for-all, but a coordinated strike using the talents of Digimon and Shinigami together. Duftmon Leopard Mode created a maze of stone columns that he and Captain Kyoraku could move through with ease, slaying the monsters trapped within. Captain Hitsugaya protected his fellow warrior with barriers made of ice, upon which Sleipmon ran, sniping targets with flame and frost. Captain Kuchuki worked together with Dynasmon to imprison D-Reaper agents within spheres of flaming steel. Armies of Knightmon fought in lock-step with Shinigami Lieutenants as Soi-Fon and her Onmitsukido stabbed monsters in the back mid-fight. And Captain Zaraki and Examon simply plowed through the enemy lines with overwhelming force.

In the middle of the melee, Nemu enacted part of her plan. At her sides drifted two spherical Kido barriers, each holding a power from the Digital World. In one was preserved a portion of Barbamon's Pandemonium Lost attack. However, the one she was using contained the flickering flames of El Evangelio: the sapient flames of the Dark Area that read one's mind and burned them for their sins. Her and Urahara's analysis had proven that the D-Reaper's agents were all extension's of the core's consciousness. If she was right…

Nemu wrapped a D-Reaper agent in bands resembling snakes with the faces of screaming men. One of her father's inventions. With the target secured, she hurled one Kido globe at it and dropped the barrier.

In an instant, every D-Reaper agent was engulfed in the crimson hellfire and the landscape itself seemed to write in pain.

"D-Reaper. In your desire to devour all, you have committed the sin of gluttony. In placing your will above all others you have also committed the sin of pride. For this you must burn."

"What the fuck was that?" Ichigo asked as the booming voice faded. The voice, which sounded like the cracking of flames, had seemed to emanate from every part of the D-Reaper around them as its agents erupted in crimson fire.

"Holy shit," said Jougamon. "That was the fire from the Dark Area!"

"Whatever it was, it gave us an opening," their father said. "Let's go!"

The Karakura Town force, the smallest of the three, unleashed a barrage of attacks , cutting their way through the writhing agents and pushing onward. In front of them floated a spherical structure the size of a house and covered in skull-like masks. It seemed to blink in and out of existence multiple times per second and was burning with the same fire as the agents.

"That must be the core!" roared out Jesmon. "Attack it now!"

And then, reality seemed to twist. In a second, the Karakura town crew found themselves surrounded by an army of Shinigami and Digimon. The burning agents vanished, the flames covering them burning out. The slime of the D-Reaper's body twisted and contorted, surrounding the core and taking shape as a colossal monster, a giant skull-masked face sprouting countless tentacles tipped with scythes and gashing mouths.

"The D-Reaper appears to have brought us all to a pocket dimension located within it," Nemu's voice rang out, boosted by a quick casting of Tenteikūra. "I suspect it has recalled all of its agents to create one final guardian of itself."

The mouths on the final agent opened and began to speak with a thousand voices at once. "QUERY: PURPOSE FOR RESISTANCE."

"It's 'cause we want to live, you stupid blob!" Jougamon's voice rang out.

"QUERY: WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF LIVING? WHAT PURPOSE DOES EXISTENCE SERVE?"

Jesmon was the next to speak. "All beings have the right to choose their purpose! We exist for ourselves and each other!"

"THIS UNIT'S PURPOSE IS TO CONSUME SOULS. THIS UNIT IS FOLLOWING ITS PROGRAM. THIS UNIT'S PURPOSE IS TO CONSUME SOULS. THIS UNIT IS- THIS UNIT IS- QUERY: WHAT IS SIN?"

"Attack while it is confused!" ordered Yamamoto. With a wave of his Zanpakuto he sent a flaming dragon at the monster.

What happened next could not accurately be described even by those who saw it. the cascade of Reiryoku, projectiles, energy, and other attacks was bright enough to momentarily blind everyone present as every Shinigami, Digimon, Quincy, and Fullbringer unleashed whatever ranged attack they had at the final agent. As the light faded, everyone could see a massive hole in the side of the final agent, through which the core was visible, still burning. A hole which was already healing.

The many mouths of the final agent opened and out spewed out a rain of Ceros as the scythed tentacles lashed out.

"Pyramid Power!" Anubimon cried, throwing up a pyramidal shield. His efforts were aided by the Kido Corp's barriers and Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka, but still the power of the D-Reaper was so great that in places, the barriers shattered like glass and souls were extinguished mid-scream.

Tessei and Hachi clasped their hands together and began to chant, the surviving members of the Kido Corps following them.

"Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy. Boil forth and deny. Grow numb and flicker. Disrupt sleep. Crawling queen of iron. Eternally self-destructing doll of mud. Unite. Repulse. Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness! Hado #90: Kurohitsugi"

As the spell was cast, Nemu flung her second Kido sphere, dropping the barrier as the massive black coffin of Kurohitsugi descended over the final agent. The power of Barbamon's Pandemonium Lost was contained within the black coffin as the two attacked unleashed their power on the agent. The second the spell faded, the final agent, its body ragged, was set upon by more attackers.

"Tekken Seibei!" "Tekken Seisai!" "Grey Sword!" and a wordless cry of power rang out as Jesmon, Gankoomon, Omegamon, and Kenpachi Zaraki slammed into the agent's mask, cracking it under the pressure.

"Ouryumon, old friend, lend me your power once more." Alphamon reached out and from a pocket dimension flowed the form of a blade, a great polearm with the power to bind even Yggdrasil as the god has once commanded her to do.

"Ouryuken!" Alphamon's blade struck true and the agent's mask shattered as the monster withered and dissolved into slime, the core was exposed to all.

"Don't give it the chance to reform!" Nemu yelled out and the attacks began again, blade, claw, laser, and Reiryoku slamming into the cure from all directions.

"Kids," Ichigo and Jougamon felt their father's hand on their shoulders. Isshin grinned. "Take your father's love!"

His Reiryoku flowed into his children and they found they knew what to do. Both raised their blades: Ichigo's Fullbring and Jougamon's crescent-shaped Gyokuto and filled them with power.

"GETSUGA TENSHŌ!" Raw power shot out as both yelled the attack together, two crescent-shaped blades of energy, one crackling with electricity and the other shrouded in darkness slammed into the core. With the sound of shattering bone, the core broke open under the barrage, a might crack appearing within it."

"Nemu!"

The acting Captain of Division 12 grabbed hold of Sistermon Ciel and, shaving off 5% of her soul to power up, hurled the Digimon at the core. Ciel flew at the rapidly-healing sphere and whipped her arm out. Out of her palm shot the metal punch card, which sailed into the crack just as the core sealed shut.

As Jesmon caught Ciel, the core froze. The final agent, partly through its regeneration, stopped in its tracks. Then, the pink slime began to flicker and distort, glitching out like buggy video game graphics as Goro Mizuno's code ravaged the D-Reaper's programming.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto, founder of the Gotei 13 shot forward with a flash of Shunpo and drove Ryūjin Jakka up to the hilt in the core.

"QUERY: WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THIS UNIT?" The D-Reaper sounded almost scared.

"You shall die," replied Yamamoto. "As all things must. But the souls within you will be born again. Taimatsu!"

The full power of the strongest fire-type Zanpakuto surged into the core and with an explosion of fire and Reiryoku, it detonated, and the D-Reaper was no more.

Chapter Text

"Acting Captain Nemu Kurotsuchi, step forward."

At the Captain-Commander's word, Nemu walked out of her place amongst the assembled Captains and Lieutenants of the Gotei 13 to stand in front of Yamamoto.

The Captain-Commander's deep voice spoke again. "Though you have not achieved Bankai, your actions in and leading up to the D-Reaper war have shown you possess traits of a leader. Frankly, without you, we could not have won that battle. Therefore, by the assent of the Captains of the Gotei 13, I name you Captain of Division 12."

Nemu bowed deeply. "I accept the position and thank you, Captain-Commander. I promise to do my best."

Yamamoto grunted in approval, then picked up a bundle of cloth next to him and handed it to her. "Due to your unusual circumstances, you never received one of these. It is time that was rectified."

Nemu unwrapped the bundle and her eyes widened. Within was a katana, freshly made, with its blade polished to a shine. An Asauchi of her very own.

She bowed again. "Thank you, Captain-Commander."

Yamamoto nodded and Nemu returned to her place amongst the Captains. Even as he began discussing the next topic of the meeting (restoring Ichigo Kurosaki's Shinigami powers), Nemu's mind was running with new ideas.

After the meeting concluded, Nemu returned to the ruins of the Division 12 barracks, where none of the members of her Division seemed overly surprised to see her in a captain's haori.

"Your orders, Captain?" Akon asked her.

"Continue the repairs," Nemu responded. "I have some business to attend to."

With that, she traveled to the deepest portion of the barracks, a location only she and her father had been allowed to enter. Deep below the earth, it had weathered the D-Reaper's assault far better than most of the Seireitei. In fact, it was hardly damaged at all.

Tapping a code into a storage locker in this deepest vault revealed a sealed flask, frost on the glass concealing the shape within. Mayuri Kurotsuchi's backup brain.

Nemu pondered her options. She could destroy it, end her father's toxic influence over the Gotei 13 once and for all. However, if she had gotten a second chance, why couldn't he? The Digital World's property of allowing artificial life to evolve beyond its limitations had let her see how wrong she and he had been. Perhaps something similar could happen to him. She certainly couldn't make an exact copy of Mayuri. That would just put Division 12 right back where it had started. Nemu didn't know what had caused her father to become a monster. He rarely discussed his history and the old her knew better than to ask. What could a mind like his accomplish without his past hanging over him?

Nemu made a decision and got to work. She wouldn't revive Mayuri Kurotsuchi, not exactly. Instead she would give him a new start. A child, with all the potential of Mayuri, but a fresh start. She would give him a new life, one without the ghosts of his past.

"You see, the creatures seen during the Karakura Incident were called Digimon," Goro Mizuno explained. "The friendly ones at least. The giant blob and the monsters that came out of it were called the D-Reaper."

It had been a few week since the event the news had taken to calling the Karakura Incident, where the world had watched monsters appear and battle in the west Tokyo town before abruptly vanishing. At the moment the D-Reaper vanished, every computer in the world had malfunctioned, screens showing images of an impossible world filled with marvelous creatures: Digimon battling the D-Reaper for survival.

Goro had already been hauled in front of the National Diet to explain all of this, at least everything he knew, to the Japanese government. He still didn't know who the mysterious Yoruichi Shihoin and Kisuke Urahara really were or their role in all this, but he understood programming and the idea of artificial life living within the global telecommunications system. While the Diet no doubt would like to keep that knowledge to themselves, the global exposure of the Digital World meant the cat was very much out of the bag. Thus, Goro was permitted (instructed, really) to go on the news and explain the facts to the public.

"These Digimon are friendly?" the reporter asked.

"I can't speak for all of them," Goro said. "I suspect their morality is just as diverse as ours. But the ones that came to Karkura town were certainly on our side. The D-Reaper, another form of digital life, was devouring both our worlds. Those Digimon came to help us. I believe in time, it will be possible for our species to coexist in peace. And to help with that, I've been put in charge of Project Digimon, a joint effort by Tokyo University and several other university systems worldwide, including MIT, Oxford, and Zhengzhou, to study and make contact with the Digimon."

"You hear that?" Kisuke asked. "They'll be studying you?"

He, Yoruichi, and Tessei were watching the breaking news broadcast on a TV he had added to the Urahara Shop. Anubismon was watching from the Digital World via a tablet propped up so the camera faced the screen.

Anubismon was watching with a chisel in one hand and a hammer in the other. They were making a memorial, they had explained to Kisuke. An obelisk carved with all the names of those who had died in the war with the D-Reaper. So many names already covered its towering sides. Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Genshirō Okikiba, Yasochika Iemura, Hiyosu, Sentaro Kotsubaki, Jackie Tristan, Giriko Kutsuzawa, Moe Shishigawara, MetalSeadramon, Boltmon, MegaGargomon, Cannondramon, and countless more names, all carved in Digimoji.

"In that case, we shall be studying humanity at the same time," replied Anubismon. "As soon as the treaty with Soul Society is finalized, Lord Yggdrasil has plans to send low-level Digimon to the human world, partnering them with humans. The union between Karin Kurosaki and Pulsemon has revealed that when humans and Digimon bond, the result is greater than the sum of its parts."

"Oh?" Kisuke said. His mind was already buzzing with possibilities for that experiment. "And how will he be choosing humans?"

"I believe he will initially focus on children," Anubismon replied. "He believes they will be more amenable to change and new ways forward. Though I believe he has also take notice of the humans who fought along with us in the war."

Karin slept in. School was still out as Karakura Town was filled with scientists and construction crews investigating the battle and repairing the damage, so there was no point in getting up on time. That was her plan, anyway, ruined when she felt hand shaking her awake.

"Karin, get up!" Yuzu's voice sounded in her ears. Karin groaned and rolled over to see what was going on.

"There are Digimon here!" Yuzu said, her voice nervous. "That one says it's my partner now!" She pointed to the bedroom door where a blue butterfly-like creature was nervously poking it's head in.

"Yeah, wake up," the voice of Pulsemon sounded from the foot of the bed. "Da big hand says wer' ofissially partners now, so I gotta whip ya into shape!"

Karin blinked, then muttered "it's too early for this shit," and rolled back over, ignoring the cries of protest from everyone else.

"Well now what the fuck do we do?" Ginjo demanded.

"I seem to recall this was your plan," retorted Tsukishima. The two had fled from Karakura Town after the battle with the D-Reaper and were now holed up in an abandoned cabin somewhere in the countryside.

"How the hell was I supposed to predict all of that?" Ginjo asked. "It's not like I expected monsters to show up.

Tsukishima opened his mouth to make a retort, then his hands whipped to his throat as a sudden, intense pain flashed across his neck. Something thumped at his feet and he looked down to see a head. His head, severed at his feet, and a chain emerging from his chest. He whipped around just in time to see the hilt of a sword aiming for his forehead. Then he was gone.

Ginjo turned his pendant into its blade form as he watched Isshin Kurosaki decapitate his ally and send his ghost to Soul Society. Isshin sheathed his Zanpakuto as though Ginjo was no threat at all.

"Ginjo Kugo," he said. "The first substitute Shinigami. You came onto the scene right as I was leaving Soul Society."

"Yeah, and?" Ginjo snarled, trying to put up a veneer of bravado.

"And I suspect someone like you would do anything to get that kind of power back," Isshin said. "Fair enough, but you crossed a line."

Suddenly, Reiatsu filled the cabin and Ginjo was forced to his knees. He didn't even have the chance to resist, Isshin Kurosaki had disabled him with a thought.

"You scheme put my family in danger," Isshin's voice was deadly serious. "My children. And I can't forgive that. So I want you to run and never come back. Because if I catch you coming near my family again, and I will if you try, you'll end up like your friend here." He punctuated his threat by kicking the still-bleeding corpse of Tsukishima.

Ginjo gritted his teeth in indignation, but forced out an agreement.

The Reiatsu vanished in an instant and Isshin switched to a goofy grin and a cheery voice. "Good talk." Then he was gone.

Swearing up a storm, Ginjo reverted Cross of Scaffold to its pendant form and ran.

Barbamon's staff tapped the floor, sending echos through the silent hall. Behind him walked two guests, strangers to the Digital World, as he lead them through the palace at the heart of the Dark Area. This was a place of utter evil, the very home of sin, and it invigorated him.

Barbamon and his guests stopped before a throne sat atop a towering dais and bowed his head in deference. "My lord," he said to the figure seated in the throne, "visitors have come from beyond the Digital World with a proposal. I believe we should hear them out."

The winged figure remained silent, its form shrouded in shadow, but one of the visitors stepped forward regardless.

"I am Yhwach,"he declared, his voice echoing through the hall. "King of the Quincy and rightful heir to the worlds of the living and the dead. We have a common foe in the Shinigami who invaded your world. I propose an alliance of our forces to claim all worlds for ourselves."

Lucemon Falldown Mode, greatest of the Demon Lords leaned forward on his throne and spoke in a silky smooth voice. "I'm listening."