Digital Emperor (Naruto X Digimon)

The battle was already looking hopeless. The metallic air was thick with tension, and Metal Etemon's gleaming form stood tall before them, mocking their every move. His laughter echoed across the field, as if he found their futile attempts at resistance amusing. The metallic particles in the air, remnants of his presence, glinted ominously as they swirled around, making the very atmosphere feel like it was closing in on the group.

Rory's voice pierced through Naruto's mind, sharp and commanding. "Naruto, I will hold him back, and you run far from here to activate the escape program. Sacrifice your partners if you have to."

The words hit Naruto like a hammer, and for a moment, he froze. Sacrifice your partners? The very idea of abandoning those he loved, those who stood beside him, was unbearable. His thoughts screamed in protest, his heart rejecting the idea outright.

But Rory's tone was resolute, filled with a sense of finality. "Everything had been perfect. I finally got together with the person I love, and my growth was on the right track. Soon, I would have gotten my revenge and lived a happy life with you. But now it all comes crashing down. I can't let you die, Naruto. Not after everything we've been through."

Naruto's breath caught in his chest. He could hear the underlying pain in her words, the fear and desperation. She was willing to give everything, even her life, to save him. But Naruto was different. He couldn't accept that. Not again.

"I am not running away," he snapped, his voice firm, cutting through the haze of his own emotions. "Rory, you can't win this battle, and I'm not going to allow self-sacrifice here. Nobody dies on my watch. I will never allow it."

His words were charged with a raw intensity, a refusal to back down. His past, filled with the loss of brothers and comrades, haunted him, reminding him of the deepest pain he'd ever known. He had seen too many lives lost, felt too many deaths that weighed on him like chains. He couldn't let that happen again. Not here, not now.

Toad, his voice thick with urgency and fear, tried to bring a sense of pragmatism to the chaos. "Kid, you're being idealistic. Get out of here, and we'll try to hold on until someone interferes. You're an important piece for humanity. Don't act selfish. Think of the bigger picture, and use that big brain of yours." He clenched his fists, willing himself to stay composed. The weight of the moment hung heavily on him, the truth of it gnawing at him. He understood the cruel reality—Naruto was the key, and if he fell, it would be disastrous for everyone.

But Naruto shook his head, his mind set. "No. I'm not leaving anyone behind."

The response was drowned out by a sharp clap clap, and Metal Etemon's voice rang out in mockery. "What a wonderful show. Such camaraderie. I almost teared up. To thank you for the visual feast, how about I send you out of here... together?"

The sinister smile on Metal Etemon's face widened, revealing its twisted pleasure at their plight. Its words were dripping with disdain, its voice full of malice.

"Go now!" Rory's voice cut through the air as she grabbed Naruto by the arm, shoving him away before turning to face the incoming threat. She was resolute, even if she knew the odds were against them. She had made peace with the fact that they were outmatched, but she would fight to the bitter end.

Toad, his face tense with the strain of their dire situation, didn't hesitate. "Shogun, now!" he commanded, and his Digimon leapt into action. The Shogun Gekomon, now powered up and in its humanoid form, unleashed a fierce, high-powered wind attack. The gusts roared across the battlefield, sending the kids flying toward Naruto before focusing entirely on Metal Etemon.

Toad didn't stop there. He activated a special card, one that boosted Shogun's stats significantly. "Requiem of the End!" he called, and the Digimon's body reverberated with the sounds of the musical instruments built into it. With that, it unleashed a cataclysmic sonic wave—a sound attack so potent it seemed as if the very earth would split apart. The blast tore through the air, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, enough to level mountains and shake the ground beneath them.

The attack connected with Metal Etemon, and the shockwave sent ripples through the air, but to Naruto's horror, it barely left a scratch. Metal Etemon stood there, unfazed, as though the attack had been nothing more than a mild annoyance. The energy in the air dissipated, and the dust cleared to reveal the creature completely unharmed.

"Is that it?" Metal Etemon's voice echoed, dripping with contempt. "I expected something more entertaining. You really don't want to end it like this… I really, really hate boring things."

Rory's giant axe, made from chrome Digizoid, did manage to leave a faint mark on Metal Etemon's metallic surface, but it was far from enough to do any real damage. The creature's smug expression never faltered, and its eyes burned with an almost sadistic joy. It reveled in their helplessness, knowing it had the upper hand.

Toad's breath was shallow, his fists clenched as he fought to suppress the panic rising within him. He had seen this kind of hopelessness before, but this time it felt different. This time, it felt like the end was near, and they were running out of time. Every attack they threw at Metal Etemon seemed to only serve as a reminder of their insignificance.

The battlefield was a chaotic mess of destruction and desperation. Dust and debris filled the air, mixing with the metallic stench of Digimon energy clashing against one another. The sky above flickered ominously as the battle raged on, but Rory had no time to admire the scenery—her focus was entirely on survival.

"Rory, bring your Digimon here. I will go and fight the weaker ones," he suggested, knowing full well that his partner was weaker than Rory's. His voice carried urgency, but not panic—he was calculating their chances, trying to keep the fight manageable.

Rory's eyes flickered toward Naruto. She had barely noticed him intervene, but now she saw that he had sent his cousins to deal with Pumpkinmon, keeping the battlefield from becoming even more chaotic. That was a relief, at least. But it wasn't enough.

"Finish it quickly, or we might not be alive soon," Rory agreed, her tone sharp and determined. She had no illusions about their odds. Metal Etemon was toying with them, but that wouldn't last forever. When it got bored, it would end them in an instant.

She tightened her grip on her Digivice. "Attack, now!"

With her command, Groundramon—her massive earth dragon—roared and launched itself at Metal Etemon like an unstoppable force. Its enormous frame moved with surprising speed, shaking the ground beneath it. Its dark green scales shimmered with a metallic sheen, reinforced with Chrome Digizoid, making it one of the hardest substances in the Digital World.

With sheer brute strength, Groundramon slammed its enormous claws—acting as wings—straight into Metal Etemon's body.

BOOM!

The impact was monstrous. The sheer force sent Metal Etemon hurtling backward, crashing into the earth with such intensity that the ground cracked open into a deep crater, swallowing him within. The terrain itself seemed to buckle under the power, as Groundramon manipulated the earth to trap the Mega-level Digimon in place, keeping it hindered.

Without wasting a second, Phantomon followed up. The ghostly Reaper-like Digimon hovered forward, its scythe raised high as it glowed with eerie energy. A soul-ending attack surged forth, slashing down toward the superior being.

Phantomon was one of the strongest Ultimate-level Digimon, possessing deadly soul-based and death-inflicting abilities. Against a normal opponent, this attack would be devastating—perhaps even fatal.

But Metal Etemon was no ordinary enemy.

The attack struck true, but the effect was null.

The soul attack dissipated as if it had struck an impenetrable void. The shadows around Metal Etemon twisted unnaturally, absorbing the attack like a black hole devouring light. The darkness surrounding the Mega-level Digimon pulsed, reacting to the attack in a sinister way.

A horrifying realization hit Rory.

He isn't just resisting the attack—he's absorbing it!

The shadows surrounding Metal Etemon surged forward, attempting to pull Phantomon inside.

"Get back!" Rory shouted, her heart pounding. She could feel the unnatural force from here—it was like death itself had been inverted.

At the last moment, Phantomon barely escaped the pull, floating back beside its tamer. The ghostly Digimon was rattled, its single eye staring warily at the enemy.

Rory gritted her teeth. If soul-based attacks were useless, then she would have to resort to something even stronger.

"Death is the purpose of all things!" Phantomon uttered the incantation, its entire form glowing with a dark, malevolent aura.

The moment the words left its mouth, the very life in the surroundings ceased to exist. The trees withered. The ground beneath them blackened. The air itself seemed to lose its essence.

It was an attack that didn't just kill—it erased existence itself.

And yet…

Metal Etemon simply laughed.

"Hah! That's cute," he chuckled as the death energy washed over him harmlessly. "But no, you're wrong, little ghost."

With a single motion, he lashed out with an earth-shattering kick.

Phantomon had no time to react.

The moment the attack landed, the ghostly Digimon was flung across the battlefield like a ragdoll, its scythe slipping from its grip as its body crashed into the ground far away.

Rory felt her heart drop.

One hit.

One hit, and Phantomon was nearly dead.

It wasn't supposed to be possible. Ghost-type Digimon had natural intangibility. Attacking them with physical force was next to impossible. And yet, Metal Etemon had done it effortlessly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"No, it isn't." Metal Etemon casually dusted himself off, his voice still carrying that infuriating amusement. "My purpose isn't death, fool. My purpose is entertainment—and immortality."

His golden body shimmered, radiating invulnerability.

"There is no place for death. Not for me."

Rory felt a wave of helplessness wash over her.

They had thrown everything at this thing. Physical force. Soul attacks. Death magic.

Nothing worked.

And worse, Metal Etemon was only playing with them.

Her grip on her Digivice tightened, her knuckles turning white. Desperation clawed at her mind, but she refused to give in. Not yet.

Even as the battle seemed lost, she couldn't afford to stop fighting.

Because if she did—if she hesitated for even a second—

Then death would come for them.

Naruto had not been standing idly by while Rory and Toad fought for their lives. Instead, he had been working on something desperate—something insane. He had been reaching out to Apemon, trying to establish a connection, a synchronization that would allow them to overcome this impossible battle.

Apemon, a massive beast of a Digimon, was wary at first. The absence of his master meant that taking orders from someone else was unthinkable, but the reality of their situation overruled any hesitation. They were about to die, and if Naruto had a plan, Apemon was willing to gamble on it.

"I am ready for anything since we are already about to die," Apemon growled, his deep voice filled with reluctant acceptance.

Naruto placed a steady hand on the ape's fur-covered arm, his golden eyes brimming with determination. "Thank you for trusting me. Just relax, and we will definitely get through this. Focus on me, and you will also benefit greatly from this experience."

Apemon huffed but did as he was told, allowing Naruto to work his magic.

This was it. Their last chance.

Naruto took a deep breath, centering himself. With a surge of chakra, he activated his Transformation Jutsu—but this was no ordinary transformation. This was total synchronization.

His chakra intertwined with Apemon's digital energy, fusing together in an unnatural blend of human and Digimon power. The transformation was unlike anything ever seen before. Naruto didn't just change his appearance—he became Apemon, fusing his own abilities with the beast's overwhelming physical might.

Naruto didn't just change his appearance—he transformed Apemon's body into his own.

It was a fusion of flesh and data, a merging of their energies into something that had never been done before.

Apemon's large, hulking frame shrank, reshaping into Naruto's human form—but stronger, faster, and far more resilient. His body now held the raw power of a Digimon while retaining all of his own abilities.

Golden fur vanished, replaced by his usual clothing, but his physique had changed. His muscles were denser, his reflexes sharper, and his chakra reserves had grown massively.

More importantly—he could use jutsu.

With his enhanced reserves, Naruto activated Sage Mode.

Natural energy flooded his transformed body, his pupils shifting into the familiar toad-like shape. His perception expanded to near-godlike levels—he could feel everything. The trembling of his allies, the subtle shifts in Metal Etemon's expression, the arrogance behind the Mega Digimon's amused grin.

Naruto's hands moved instinctively, forming the Rasenshuriken technique.

Twin orbs of spiraling chakra—now amplified by Sage Mode—formed in his palms. The sheer density of the energy distorted the air, and the ground beneath him cracked under the sheer force of it.