Chapter 161: All Dead

However, the very instant they looked over, they saw the crutch of LadyDevimon—no, the staff of Zamielmon—wait, the staff of SkullSatamon pierce through Etemon’s defense, reducing him to data and absorbing him completely.

Asuramon watched this scene unfold and couldn't help crying out, "Etemon..."

SkullSatamon chuckled and said, "Don't thank me. Etemon, ChoHakkaimon, and Shawujin were all good friends. Since ChoHakkaimon and Shawujin are already dead, it's only right that I send them all together for a reunion free of charge."

"You're courting death!" The moment Asuramon finished speaking, he raised his [Golden Salmon] submachine gun and directly unleashed a continuous barrage of gunfire toward SkullSatamon.

On the other side, Monitamon raised his hand, unleashing a wave of energy toward SkullSatamon using [Demon Lord Wave].

Seeing this, SkullSatamon, not far away, didn't show the slightest change in expression. After letting out a chuckle, he fired a beam of light straight toward the incoming attacks from Monitamon and Asuramon.

"Boom!" The three attacks collided directly in mid-air, emitting a deafening roar. Because all three attacks were continuous, despite the thunderous collision, neither side stopped.

The next moment, both Monitamon and Asuramon felt the pressure lift. They knew either SkullSatamon's attack had been pushed back by them, or SkullSatamon had chosen to halt his attack himself.

If it were the former, they had already won this battle. If it were the latter, they needed to remain vigilant. However, because the smoke had not yet cleared, neither Monitamon nor Asuramon dared to let down their guard.

"Asuramon, you really are impressive. Even Mephismamon doesn't compare to you; after all, you possess such a Burst Mode. However, Burst Mode consumes a tremendous amount of energy. How much energy do you even have left to burn right now?" At that moment, SkullSatamon leaped directly out from the smoke, launching an offensive voice along with a [Nail Bone] attack.

Normally, Asuramon would have been able to dodge this move, but alas, his previous energy consumption had indeed been a bit too heavy. When facing SkullSatamon's attack, his reaction was a fraction of a second too slow. Yet in battle, being a fraction of a second too slow is fatal.

The next moment, Asuramon was directly struck by SkullSatamon's [Nail Bone]. His Digicore data was disrupted, leaving his entire body completely paralyzed and unable to move.

"Don't struggle. Even a Mega-level Digimon cannot resolve this move of mine once hit," SkullSatamon said, stepping right up to Monitamon. He kicked out with one foot, sending Monitamon flying backward.

Actually, when SkullSatamon made his move, Monitamon had already prepared himself to deal with Asuramon. However, even though the previous [Nail Bone] hadn't targeted Monitamon directly, the shockwave still affected him. While it didn't paralyze Monitamon the way it did Asuramon, the reaction time of his arm was slowed down by just a tiny fraction.

As mentioned before, being a fraction of a second too slow is fatal. Therefore, the very next instant, Monitamon was kicked away by SkullSatamon. Still, it was evident that SkullSatamon remained wary of Asuramon; thus, although his kick sent Monitamon flying, he did not inflict any further harm upon him.

It must be noted that Monitamon was currently in Burst Mode combined with the [Demon Lord Possession] form. His combat power was not far behind SkullSatamon's, and his body was protected by Chrome Digizoid armor. Consequently, even a full-power kick from SkullSatamon could not kill him.

The jewel at the tip of SkullSatamon's staff lightly pressed against Asuramon's chest. A faint glimmer flickered within the gem as he spoke, "Asuramon, honestly, I never imagined I could defeat you in a three-on-one fight. I suppose it's simply a matter of fate and timing. Rest assured, I will treat your data well. Next, once I devour your data and manage to break through to the Mega level, your data should allow me to grow even stronger."

"Don't worry, you won't live to see that moment," Asuramon declared. The next instant, a series of data eruptions burst forth from within Asuramon's body.

"Destruction Mode?" Monitamon witnessed this and immediately realized that Asuramon had shifted from Burst Mode into Destruction Mode.

This transition instantly allowed Asuramon to momentarily break through SkullSatamon's data lockdown (similar to a certain Digimon transforming from Dragon Mode into Dragon Warrior Mode, thereby overcoming SkullSatamon's data paralysis), but Monitamon also knew that Asuramon was dying.

Destruction Mode consumes far more digital energy than Burst Mode, but at the same time, it is far more powerful. However, while Burst Mode can be deactivated, Destruction Mode cannot be undone. Once the digital energy is exhausted, the Digimon will perish in destruction—hence the name "Destruction."

Under normal circumstances, a Digimon entering Burst Mode for the first time has a very high probability of spiraling into Destruction Mode instead. But once they survive it the first time, they generally will not enter Destruction Mode again unless they actively wish to die.

In other words, a Digimon that enters Destruction Mode is almost certainly doomed. Only in extremely rare, exceptional circumstances can a Digimon manage to cling to life. Yet those special situations are practically impossible to seek out and can only be imagined as the protagonist's plot armor.

Why was Asuramon struck by SkullSatamon in the first place?

Was it not because he had consumed too much digital energy, leading to delayed reactions?

In other words, Asuramon already had very little digital energy left before entering Destruction Mode. So now that he had entered Destruction Mode, how much longer could he possibly hold out?

Monitamon did not know. However, he could see that Asuramon immediately obliterated SkullSatamon. Afterward, Asuramon cast a complex gaze toward Monitamon and said, "I'll leave the rest to you."

Having spoken those words, Asuramon dissolved into data and vanished completely. Asuramon proved with absolute certainty that he had only lasted for one more second.

"These farces are finally coming to an end." At that moment, a voice echoed through the air. Monitamon turned his gaze toward the source of the sound, and a look of profound astonishment instantly appeared in his eyes. The next instant, an attack hurtled straight toward him.

Monitamon wanted to dodge, but he realized the attack had already arrived. He could not avoid it. At the final moment, Monitamon's vision was filled solely with the shadow of that impending strike. Would Monitamon be able to survive?