Chapter 163: Dorugoramon

"You are strong, but what a pity, you are far too foolish. You could have easily killed me just now, but you chose to save that good-for-nothing instead." After the Source Beast dissipated, Abyssmon emerged with a complex expression as he watched Apemon collapse to the ground.

Because the Digivice had been damaged by Apemon earlier, the figures of Angewomon and Dorulumon, who were trapped inside it, now appeared in this space. As Apemon's body fell downward, Dorulumon trotted over, caught Apemon on his back, and cast a wary gaze toward Abyssmon.

To be honest, had the aura emanating from Abyssmon not felt as vast and boundless as a deep ocean and utterly terrifying, Dorulumon might have charged straight at Abyssmon with the unconscious Apemon on his back.

"No, it is because my master chose to trust me. No matter what, I will not let my master down. In this battle, you shall surely die." At that moment, a steady and calm voice echoed from within the light of evolution. The next instant, the light of evolution faded away, revealing a figure. It was DoruGreymon.

DoruGreymon, a Beast Dragon type, Data attribute, Ultimate level Digimon, whose signature move is [Metal Roar]. It is a miraculous Digimon born from the [Digi-Core's Fantasy], having evolved after the interface on its forehead and the creative power of the Digi-Core itself were liberated by miraculous strength.

Perhaps because it originally possessed the powerful life-force data of the legendary creature [Dragon] deep within its Digi-Core, the form created by the Digi-Core is the ultimate instrument of [Destruction], serving as the embodiment of the [Ultimate Enemy].

"An Ultimate level, is it..." Abyssmon looked at DoruGreymon, a sneer of disdain curling the corner of his mouth. "Could it be that you do not know Ultimate level Digimon also have tiers of strength? Do you truly believe a run-of-the-mill Ultimate can defeat someone like me?"

"A run-of-the-mill Ultimate?" DoruGreymon sneered. "Are you talking about yourself?"

Neither of the two Ultimate level Digimon held the other in any regard, yet neither made a move immediately. Abyssmon was uncertain of DoruGreymon's true background; no matter how weak this creature might seem, it had successfully evolved by absorbing Source Beast data, so caution, no matter how extreme, was warranted.

As for DoruGreymon, regardless of how negligible Abyssmon's combat power might be, his immediate desire was to attack. However, Apemon was still unconscious and right here in this space. While DoruGreymon was fully capable of fighting, what would happen if he accidentally injured Apemon in the process?

At this moment, Apemon was merely in the Adult stage, having even dropped out of his Burst Mode. Furthermore, while unconscious, his body retained only instinctive, subconscious defenses, and these defenses would hardly be formidable. If DoruGreymon were to unleash too much power, he feared Apemon would suffer severe harm.

Fortunately, though DoruGreymon did not issue any explicit orders, Dorulumon was sensible enough to begin executing a tactical withdrawal with Apemon. However, because he also needed to carry Angewomon along with him, his speed was somewhat limited.

The number of Digimon in this space was very small. Even though Abyssmon's attention was focused primarily on DoruGreymon, that did not mean he failed to notice Dorulumon's movements.

"I see, so that is why you have yet to attack?" Abyssmon's gaze shifted toward Dorulumon, who was quietly making a tactical retreat in the distance, a mocking smile touching his lips. "Then go to your death."

[Death Howling!] The mouth on the lower half of Abyssmon's body suddenly widened, unleashing a destructive shockwave that surged toward Dorulumon.

He did this because he knew that if his attack struck Dorulumon, Dorulumon would die, Apemon on Dorulumon's back would die, and Angewomon on Dorulumon's back would still die. Yet he also knew that DoruGreymon would undoubtedly move to save them. Therefore, by targeting Dorulumon, there was zero possibility that DoruGreymon could avoid his attack.

[Metal Roar!] Sure enough, exactly as Abyssmon had anticipated, the moment the attack was launched toward Dorulumon, DoruGreymon's figure materialized directly between Abyssmon and Dorulumon. Opening his mouth slightly, he released a powerful shockwave of his own, meeting Abyssmon's onslaught head-on.

"Boom!" The two attacks instantly erupted in a violent explosion. The shockwave of the blast sent Abyssmon stumbling backward for several steps before he finally managed to steady himself. In contrast, DoruGreymon did not budge so much as an inch under the impact of the shockwave.

From this alone, the disparity in strength between Abyssmon and DoruGreymon was readily apparent. While they had no way of knowing how strength comparisons worked among other Digimon of the same name and species, at this moment, DoruGreymon was undeniably stronger than Abyssmon.

Almost simultaneously, noticing that Abyssmon had been forced back, DoruGreymon glanced over his shoulder and saw that Dorulumon and the others were now far enough away. Without hesitation, he charged directly at Abyssmon, delivering an uppercut known as [Brave Metal Strike] straight to Abyssmon's jaw, propelling his body upward.

The blow immediately blasted a massive opening through the terrain, sending Abyssmon soaring right out into the external battlefield above. Following closely, DoruGreymon spread the wings on his back and shot out through the very same hole, pursuing Abyssmon.

Out on the external battlefield, the combatants engaged in the chaotic melee were utterly stunned to see Abyssmon blasted out from deep underground. Moreover, a number of unfortunate fighters were crushed to death by Abyssmon's sudden landing.

"Damn it, that creature..." Fear flickered deep within Abyssmon's eyes. The brief exchange of blows moments ago had already made it clear to him that DoruGreymon possessed more than enough power to annihilate him.

Had DoruGreymon not been holding back to avoid harming Apemon with excessive force, Abyssmon suspected he would already have ceased to exist. Yet, regardless of the circumstances, he was still alive. And to be alive meant there was still a possibility of counterattack.

"Damnable fool, I truly wished to avoid this. If I take that path, while my strength will surge dramatically, the digital energy within my body will become impure, making future evolutions exceedingly difficult. But I have no choice left. If I do not grow stronger now, there may not even be a future to speak of. I can only survive the immediate crisis first; as for what comes after, I will deal with it then." Muttering to himself, Abyssmon's eyes gradually hardened with fierce determination.