The next thing I knew, I was grabbed and shoved into some sort of cube. Dazed as I was, I couldn't register much.

"HANEUL!"

My head hurt so badly. Can't breathe, can't breathe, can't breathe!!

"So my little pawn has finally reached the other end of the board, unaware of the fate that would befall them." Through the watery vision, I managed to make out Pascatmon smiling like an evil Cheshire Cat. "I must say, I'm impressed you managed to checkmate the king, but sadly... the one you should always look out for is the queen. Isn't that right, my bishop?"

"Yes, my queen..." Sistermon Ciel spoke in a robotic voice.

"What the... What the **** did you do to my partner!? And who the **** are you!?" Akira sounded really angry.

"What do you want with Makua!?" Hiro demanded.

"Aww, don't worry your pretty little heads. They're just being sacrificed," they giggled. "As according to the prophecy the Creator declared to stop me!"

"There's another prophecy!?" Ruri gasped.

"Kekekekek~! But of course! It's the thing that catalysed everything!

Before year end, a choice is made.

Angels and demons will fully bow.

Virtue or vice shall completely fade,

With the blood of a sacrifice; a sacred vow."

"That's the prophecy that... YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TOLD THE DAIKIS, WEREN'T YOU?! THE ONE WHO WAS BEHIND THEM ALL THIS TIME! MAKING THEM HURT MY SIBLING!!" Akira snarled.

"WHAT?!" Kiyo gasped.

"Haneul! Haneul, can you hear me?!" I heard Pump banging against the box. "Please!! Please answer!"

"P-Pump..." It was all coming back now.

I always felt like something was off about my memories... But I had always waved it off. The memories of me STABBING the Digimon... Was false.

Robinhoodmon... I hadn't killed him.

I remembered now. We had lost that time... He had escaped. It was our first job, and...

"You... You implanted these memories into me..." I managed. "You lied to everyone... That's how Sistermon Ciel managed to revive all of them. You had... You had been the one to kill them..."

Sistermon Ciel did not reply, but Pascatmon laughed. "Indeed! It was so easy to fool you. All those Digimon, even the ones Dracmon commissioned... They were killed by Ciel. You two were so pathetic at killing. But I knew that it would pay off eventually, and it did! Soon you started initiating your own killings! Hubris was satisfied, and all I had to do was wait for Dracmon to kill Pumpmon so Melancholy could be satisfied! Sp many years of my hard work finally paid off! Finally, I found the perfect vessel for both Codes! Someone who wouldn't fall apart! A magnet for the Codes! I had to get the Daikis to unlock Kurata's old notes to find the prophecy, but once that was done the rest was history! I could focus on building up my strength!"

"P-Perfect vessel?" I stammered, my head pounding even more. "So you're saying that...."

"I found that of all the humans born so far, even more than your pathetic friends, you were the most fitting one! The Codes entered Menoa Bellucci's blood and tore her apart, but you... You were able to resist it because your mind was wired to feel extreme! Mania and depression! The sheer amount of joy I felt when I realised!" They laughed. "What a perfect revenge! And to make it even more sweet! By fate all those descended from the Fruits DigiDestined were all diagnosed! The rest was sooooo easy!"

"You... You manipulated all of us!!" Asagao growled.

"I just needed to nurture the Codes then have the Sacrifice absorb them! Of course, they wouldn't realise it whatsoever! They only felt it when the Codes began to surface! I just need some of your blood... And everything will be complete! The Fruits will lose! The Creator will regret ever saying no to my generous offer!"

"You.... YOU INSANE *******! LET HANEUL GO!!" Uju screamed.

I was starting to lose oxygen. I couldn't help the tears as my mind began pounding like never before.

It hurt so so badly... B-but...

I gripped my fists tightly. No, I couldn't give up now! Just like how Sunny had faced his fears, just like how Frisk had remained DETERMINED.... I could get through this mess. No matter what, I couldn't give up! For all those who care for me, for all those who never gave up on me when I had!

In the battle system, Frisk had managed to go outside the box. Theories online guessed that during their fights in the Underground, Frisk's SOUL came out of their body for the fight. Could I... Do the same?

I decided to try. Focusing my energy, I tried to envision a small heart outside. Pixelated, small, but powerful enough to get me out of here.

And when the darkness tried to come in... I reminded myself of my loved ones. Of Hiro, Ruri, Kiyo, Mei, Blues, Violet, Koutarou, Mika, Aoi, Ryubo, Dad, Lumosmon...

Of Akira, of...

Uju...

I... Wanted to live the rest of my life with them. I wanted to go through life with them. Be there for them when the darkness beckons. Pull them out when it gets too much.

I wanted to be their lifelong companion, emotionally and cognitively.

I held onto that one, small hope. I breathed in-

Wait, there was oxygen?

I opened my eyes. I couldn't believe it...! A green heart was fading off back into me, a crack in the cube slowly making it crumble. I could breathe again!

"Haneul!"

"What?! Impossible! How is that...?!"

"Hope... Helped. Faith... Helped. And the Creator... Maybe he, no, maybe some other higher being, maybe God said no to you because He knew the pride in you. He knew... That you just wanted power, prestige..." I inhaled while Uju helped me up. "I'm no saint, but... I know that whatever you offered to do... Wouldn't have been enough."

Once, I had heard that someone innocent had to die to redeem the sins of others, and I had been so confused. I had asked, "Why? Why did they have to do that? Shouldn't it be better for them to live?"

But as it turned out... As I was realising now, only the blood of the innocent could purify the sins. Like how seven innocent Fallen had to be sacrificed to break the barrier that prevented Monsters from coming out. Like how... Like how Eosmon had sacrificed herself for the better good. To let me continue to live, even though I hadn't deserved it.

A gift, something meant to be embraced and accepted joyfully...

That, I was coming to realise, was grace.

And as I stood there, I closed my eyes.

'Thank you, for everything, God. For all the kindness, the mercy you have given me. Please... Give me the strength to overcome this hurdle.'

Strength was slowly returning to my body. I felt... Lighter.

"No no no no no!! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! HOW?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD BY NOW!" Pascatmon snarled.

"As it turns out, Pascatmon, nothing ever goes our way, but... We're given the strength to overcome it anyway," I said, opening my eyes to look them in the eye. "So you better prepare to be taken down!"

"Ha! You can't do ****! I have both the Fruits AND the Pandorian Artefacts!" They crowed while the box they had taken from us floated, opening from both the top AND the bottom!

"What the...?! So that's why it was so heavy!" I realised. There was a false bottom!

Pascatmon evolved into Phasceatmon with an evil laugh as twenty four artefacts surrounded her. "They were cancelling each other out, but now that I have these, the Fruits are useless! I will finally ascend beyond this pathetic world, no, beyond this multiverse and RULE IT ALL!"

All twenty four of them glowed brightly, making us cover our eyes. It was too bright and I could hear Sistermon Ciel scream in pain.

A haunting sound to my ears as-

Phasceatmon Fruit Evolve to!!

"Pandomaniummon!"

For the love of- ****!!!

This was... So ****Ed up.

It looked like a void had become the ring around the female Digimon dressed in a queen's outfit. The crown on her head was now one of thorns instead of gold. Stars and planets seemed to revolve around her while the Hubris and Melancholy marks were embedded into her eyes as she laughed. "Time to get rid of those pathetic Fruits!"

Her eyes then glowed, her blonde hair turning grey.

"The wreath!" Pandora suddenly gasped, and we looked back to see the bracelet wilting again.

Oh crap!! This was bad! How do we-

"Haneul! Catch!" Blues yelled while throwing something at me. I barely managed to catch the belt, but when I opened my hands, it glowed and became orange with purple rims. "This is...!"

"Use it with this!" Asagao-san tossed a black Digilemma Digivice to me. "The slot should help out!"

There was a slot that looked suspiciously like a star, so I attached the Digivice to it and watched the orange and purple spread to it, then-

Something was humming. I felt the air singing as the ten artefacts I had found floated over and surrounded me.

They each had slots on the belt, so I hurried to wear the belt before I slowly began putting them in. One by one, they clicked into place and revived.

One by one, I heard bells ringing in my ear until my hands grasped the final one to add in.

The bell necklace.

I laced it around my neck instead as I hit it.

Ting tong ting!

And everything was so bright as the three glowed.

"Haneul! New power!!" Pump called out.

"Let's take this madman down! Shatter the hubris and melancholy, and save Sistermon Ciel!" Bakumon agreed.

"No more hesitation! We go forward and keep running!" Bokomon yelled.

"Codes or not! I WILL CONQUER THIS FEAR! EVERYTHING I FEEL... I WON'T LET IT DEFINE ME! THIS IS WHO I AM! AND I! WILL! FIGHT!" I roared.

A breeze began as the bells jingled.

I held my own Digivice. "LET'S GO! PUMP, BOKO, BAKU! WE WILL WIN THIS FIGHT NO MATTER WHAT!"

"NOT ALONE, BUT WE WILL DO IT TOGETHER!"

It was at that exact moment that I felt something shatter in my heart. It was... Amazing. Like the past had finally lost its hold on me.

But that wasn't all. No, the three were glowing brightly.

Pumpmon!

Bokomon!

Bakumon!

Fruits Unite! Armour Jogress Evolve to!!!

"REVELATIOMON!!"

My mouth went agape. If I thought that Genesismon was amazing, this was...

Revelatiomon was heavenly. A bipedal ram with a golden fleece cloak covering it, a long serpentine tail ending with a pumpkin swishing here and there slowly, stood powerfully. I could see a petal necklace around its neck, thorns protruding from the vines used to lace the necklace. While a veil was over its face, the bright light coming out from underneath told me enough about how bright it was, and an avian body with white feathers could be seen underneath the cloak, although it didn't seem to have legs; its body seemed to fade off like Bakumon. It opened up a book similar to Bokomon's as it spoke, "'For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.' Ephesians 6 verse 12, New International Version."

"You!!! How did you?!" Pandomaniummon snarled.

Then it hit me.

"Virtue or vice shall completely fade... So it was me who would make the difference. That's why she tried so hard to break me. She wanted me to lose hope!"

Judging by her angry snarl, I had guessed right.

"Pandomaniummon, I see that your hubris has reached the point of no return," Revelatiomon said while summoning a belt, a breastplate, boots, a shield, a helmet, and a shining sword. "May the Lord be with us as we take you down! Haneul, let us fight together!"

I nodded. "We're not going to let her win this battle!"

This battle could determine the fate of the multiverse, not just ours, but many others.

We wouldn't lose this fight.

"LET'S GO!!" We chorused.

+ SPIRITUAL DIGILEMMA +

"Apoca-geddon!" I yelled once the new attack registered in my mind.

Revelatiomon swung it- no, his glowing sword vertically before going horizontally, the attack soaring towards her as she charged at us.

"Epidemic Mist!" She countered, eyes glowing before a pitch black shield ate up the attack. The mist then continued spreading towards us.

"Ocean of Fire!" I roared as my partner summoned a huge wave of fire that destroyed the mist before another wave struck her and made some of her stars explode, which in turn destroyed neighbouring planets.

She snarled. "Triple Denial Crow!" Three waves washed over us as my body shagged abruptly. Gravity was pulling us down more than before.

"Revelatiomon, Baptised Tsunami!" I quickly answered.

Revelatiomon nodded, summoning a tsunami that hit Pandomaniummon, dispelling the increase in gravity before I added, "Leviathan's Repentant Comeback!"

He jumped up and swung his tail at her powerfully multiple times, moving back only when she tried to kick stars his way.

"I will never understand what the Creator saw in people like Morphomon and you!" She hissed while throwing more his way. "I already had everything he wanted! I worked my *** off to prove myself worthy of the Spirit title! But noooooo, he said I was impure! ME! I DID EVERYTHING HE WANTED! MORPHOMON DIDN'T EVEN TRAIN! SHE JUST PRANCED AROUND AND DID NOTHING!! SO I PROVED HIM WRONG! I INFECTED MORPHOMON WITH THE CODES! MENOA BELLUCCI FELL SO EASILY TO THE CODES! BUT JUST WHEN SHE WAS ABOUT TO FALL... SHE SOMEHOW TRIGGERED AN ARMOUR JOGRESS! THAT ***** DESERVES ALL THE THINGS I SERVED HER! I'M GLAD SHE'S DEAD!!!"

"You were working on the assumption that hard work would make you worthy when grace is a gift!" I said. "In the end your hubris is what made you impure! You wanted everything, and when you didn't get it you threw a tantrum over it!"

"I WILL NOT LET YOU INSULT ME LIKE THIS! ALL MY WORK WAS LOST! YOU DESTROYED IT WITH YOUR STUPID BELIEFS! HOW DID YOU BREAK YEARS OF CONDITIONING?! HOW DID YOU SHATTER ALL OF MY HARD WORK SO CLOSE TO MY VICTORY?!" She screamed. 

"BECAUSE I MAY NOT BE FULLY OVER IT, BUT I AM TAKING SMALL STEPS! TOGETHER WITH MY LOVED ONES, TOGETHER WITH MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY! NOT JUST IN THE GHOST GAME WORLD BUT ALSO IN THE OTHER WORLDS! EVERY MYSTIC DETECTIVE IS A TREASURED FRIEND! THIS LITTLE GAME OF LIFE AND DEATH IS OVER!" I yelled back. "EVEN IF I FAILED, THERE WOULD BE OTHERS TO RISE UP AGAINST YOU! AS LONG AS WE'RE ALL STANDING HERE, THE DARKNESS WON'T CONTROL THE WORLDS! EVEN WITH THE... The sacrifices made along the way..."

Eosmon, the DigiDestined, Pinocchimon, the Appli Drivers, Leviathan... all those who were hurt by this lady's insanity and other *******s like Haavik... Amanokawa Hokuto...

"We will fight! We will shine a light and venture into the dark to save those drowning in it! No matter what! We will not give in to your temptations! We will stand strong! So you better prepare! Because this is the revenge of all those souls you hurt!" I roared. 

"I could not have said it better myself!" Revelatiomon spoke. "The will of the Lord may be kind but there are times when peace can only be achieved through violence."

I looked at the wound I had sustained from FunBeemon's death, and gripped my fists as an attack echoed in my head. 

"Pilate's Duality!" I yelled. 

"Of course!" His armour glowed while he spread out his hands, forming another sword before swinging them at the same time.

Pandomaniummon screamed as the attacks hit. "You...! I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL!"

Her eyes burned. She lifted her hands and her crown glowed, vines growing out of it and grabbing all the things surrounding her before she hissed, "Olympian Wrath!"

"Joyful Luck Charm!" I countered as Revelatiomon used his swords to reflect the attacks back to her. 

"Grrr! Envious Blast!" She formed a gun with her vines and shot green energy spheres at rapid speed. 

"Dodge!" Hiro screamed. 

"Life and Death Borderland!" I countered, forming a barrier that made the attacks go through them. 

"What?! What did you do?!" She snarled. 

"Three days the Lord's Son spent in order to defeat death. The borderland between life and death He stood on until He rose again," Revelatiomon smiled. 

"You...! I WILL WIPE THAT SMUG SMILE OFF YOUR MOUTH!" She hissed. "HUBRIS DEVASTATION!" 

Her thorns broke off from the vines and spun at us, striking Revelatiomon as he stumbled. 

"Revelatiomon!" I gasped. 

"Ha! You're going to lose! And when you do, I will force you to swallow every drop of the Codes! You WILL DESTROY every single pathetic loved one of yours! Whether you like it or now, you WILL do it!" She crowed. "Every last one of you are but a small speck of dust in the vast multiverse! Not even that pathetic group of losers from the OD mean a thing in the grand scheme of things! I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO IS WORTHY TO RULE! AND YOU WILL BE THE ONE TO INITIATE ARMAGEDDON!"

Looking at Revelatiomon, I shook my head. "That's not true. Unlocking Revelatiomon proves that I'm no longer your puppet. And I can't speak for Eosmon, but I want to believe that she saved me because she... she believed as well. So! I won't give up! I will keep pushing forward. I will stumble and I will fall, but in the end I trust I won't go back to how I had been! That's a promise!"

To Menoa, to Ko and Sayo, to Hiro, Dad, Ruri, Kiyo, Mei, Blues... 

To... To Tak Uju, my queerplatonic soulmate. 

Revelatiomon smiled, holding out one of his swords to me as it shrunk to my size. 

I took it. Weighed it. And grinned while saying, "Let's end this."

"Indeed."

Time to stop her right in her tracks!

The final attack raced through my head, and we shared a grin before we rushed at Pandomaniummon. 

"BLESSING..."

"... OF THE SPIRIT!!!" We chorused, the swords... missing her as we cut off her thorn crown. 

The vines fell down her head, dissipating away, and she could only let out a banshee screech before a loud explosion sent us all flying. 

When I opened my eyes, I realized something. "We... we're back here?"

We were back on the street, and it was still early morning apparently. I managed to spot Bokomon, Bakumon and Pumpmon on the ground, panting but looking otherwise okay, which made me smile as I limped over. My legs felt like jelly, so that took a while, yet when I got there, they stirred. 

"Ha... Neul... we did it..." Pump smiled. 

I grinned. "We did, Pump... we... did." 

The gravity finally sunk in. 

We had done it. We had defeated Perfectio, ended their schemes and plans once and for all.

I hugged them. Boko and Pump... Were alive. Baku had unlocked all his evos...

It felt like a fever dream, but pinching myself, I realised it was reality, and...

It wasn't... As relieving as I thought it would be, because...

At the end of the day, Pascatmon had been right. I had still killed. And I would shoulder those burdens for the rest of my life.

But... Maybe it was okay, as everyone wrapped me up in a group hug, as I saw Akira and reached out, pulling him in and surprising him before he laughed and just accepted it, as Uju and I met eyes and smiled. I would never get over it, but...

That wasn't set in stone. I could get over stuff if I took it slowly, trusted the process and let God do His work in my life.

It was... Liberating, that I didn't have to work so hard to live up to anyone's standards. That I was loved, even as I am.

It motivated me to work harder, to BE better. To push through no matter the challenge.

I... I felt happy about that.

"Ugh... YOU! YOU STUPID PIECES OF ****!" A voice made us turn to see Phasceatmon stumbling out of the rubble that had been left behind, apparently, eyes burning as she glared at me. "YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! I WON'T LET YOU DESTROY EVERYTHING! SO I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH A LITTLE PRESENT!! STRIFE STARTER!"

A gun then showed up in front of Akira and forced itself onto his palm, pulling it up to aim at my head. Point blank.

"Akira-hyung, NO!!" Jang screamed.

"DO IT! SHOOT THE ****ING ************!!" She screamed.

And it was like... I was back there again. That day in the warehouse. No one was there to protect me. No Eosmon, no one.

So I closed my eyes, expecting the shot.

If I burned in ****, so be it.

....

....

....

But... It never came.

"... No.... I won't... I won't shoot." Akira's words made my eyes shoot wide open as I saw his tears behind his ink black eyes. His hands were shaking, but he wasn't pulling the trigger. "I-I'm done letting others dictate my life. The Daikis, you... I... I just want to be me. Not some ****ing ideal someone made for me."

Akira...

The spell dropped, and the gun disappeared into nothingness as he fell to his knees.

"A... Kira..." Ciel croaked, crawling out of the rubble nearby as she was slowly fading.

"Ciel!!" His eyes widened. "You're..."

"I... I won't... Let you... Do what you please, Phasceatmon... Akira... I need... Your command to... End this," She said while forcing herself up and grabbing the other Digimon. "One move to... Finish her off."

"NO NO NO NO NO!!! LET ME GO!!" She gasped, devolving into Pascatmon as Sistermon Ciel held her tight.

"Ciel, I-"

"PLEASE!! I... I'VE BEEN HER PUPPET FOR TOO LONG! I WAS THE ONE SHE CREATED MELANCHOLY WITH! I HAVE TO END THIS WITH MY TWO HANDS!" She pleaded, tears falling down her cheeks. "She made me do all those races for fun! Making me the guinea pigs of her Codes! I don't want to... I'm a goner either way, Akira. I want to... Do something good before I go..."

His eyes widened as tears pooled. "Ciel... I... I... I understand..."

She smiled, a... Melancholic gaze in her eyes. "You... Were the best partner I could ever ask for, Akira. You're the reason... I could break out of her grasp... I... Hope we can be partners again someday, even if I don't remember it...."

"Ciel!!! I won't... I won't forget you either!! I promise!"

"That's... All I can ask for," She chuckled sadly. "Good... Bye, Daiki Akira. Live life YOUR way... Not as the Daikis wanted you to, but YOUR way."

"I... I promise." He nodded. "Goodbye... Ciel... Byaku... Sai..."

And she smiled, stabbing her two daggers right into herself and Pascatmon.

"YOU! YOU ****ING MENACE! NO NONONONONO!!! THIS CAN'T BE HAP-"

They were gone. Two Digitamas were left in their place.

Akira was sobbing loudly now, and the other Perfectio members were shedding tears as well at the sight of those eggs.

They had known her, so... It made sense.

"Jack Frost... Was a figure known for not only his hubris, but also his melancholy. He was arrogant, but it was only... Because deep down, he was lonely. He had no friends, and... It tore him apart inside out," Bokomon said.

"Do you think..."

"I can't say for Pascatmon for sure. But... Sistermon Ciel will be remembered as the person who vanquished Pascatmon. She will be remembered not as her puppet... But as her destroyer."

Shiramon walked over and picked up both eggs, gently carrying them over to Akira. 'You.. Should care for them."

His eyes widen. "M-Me?"

"She was your partner. I think that fate works in mysterious ways, but... It'll be worth it in the end, waiting for her, I mean," I spoke up.

He looked at both of us, at Shiramon's gentle nod and my smile, before he took them both. "I... Thank you. Thank you, so so much."

As he embraced the eggs, I remembered that day, when Dracmon had killed Pump, and I wiped a tear from my eye.

How things have changed since then, huh?