The Royal Knights, thirteen Holy Knight-type Digimon reigning at the apex of the Digital World. Subordinate to Yggdrasil, they maintained the equilibrium of the Digital World's evolutionary chain.
Any who oppose Yggdrasil… kill!
Any who disrupt the Digital World's order… kill!
Any who challenge the Royal Knights' dignity… kill!
Kill! Kill! Kill!
So-called Holy Knights were never Digimon of mercy and gentleness. They walked the path of righteousness through slaughter, using punishment and bloodshed to uphold the supremacy of the throne.
And now, thirteen figures shimmering with different lights sped swiftly under the dome of the Digital World.
"According to intelligence, Yagami Taichi is hiding in the ancient ruins three thousand meters underground at the old site of the Metal Empire. He has approximately seventy thousand Ultimate-level Digimon and one point three million Champion-level Digimon with him. No signs of Mega-levels." The Holy Knight with a leopard-like face, Leopardmon, analyzed softly while looking at the intelligence in his hand.
Leopardmon's body was covered in highly flexible Brown Digizoid, one of the Metal Empire's ultimate masterpieces. He was also one of the few strategists among the thirteen Royal Knights. Even against a force without a single Mega-level, he would prepare thoroughly and go all out.
"Hah? Ultimates and Champions? What use are those, no matter how many you pile up? Megas might be worth playing with, but anything below them shatters at a touch." Next to Leopardmon, a centaur-like Royal Knight armed head-to-toe in Red Digizoid spoke with a disdainful tone.
He was Sleipmon, the Royal Knight with the highest defensive power. The Red Digizoid arming him was also one of the Metal Empire's ultimate masterpieces.
"Necessary decorum should still be observed. I am quite interested in that Yagami Taichi." Craniummon, who had remained silent at the back of the group for a long time, slowly spoke.
His body was covered in a layer of Black Digizoid, appearing almost like a Virus-species, with extremely high destructive power. Needless to say, Black Digizoid was also a product of the Metal Empire. Furthermore, Craniummon had the highest mission success rate among all the Royal Knights. He showed strong interest in the layers of mystery surrounding Taichi.
"Do not prioritize the trivial over the essential! We are here solely to complete Yggdrasil-sama's mission. Remember to follow our Lord's command. All else is secondary." Standing at the very center of the group, Gallantmon, who resembled a true medieval knight, spoke earnestly.
He adhered to the purest chivalric code, offering one hundred percent loyalty to the lord he served. He was covered in 99% pure High-Purity Chrome Digizoid, capable of reflecting most damage.
After Gallantmon finished speaking, the thirteen Royal Knights fell silent, proceeding forward quietly.
After all, Gallantmon's personality was particularly troublesome, and if anyone uttered a few disrespectful words about Yggdrasil, a fight would be inevitable.
If one could observe the Royal Knights from a god's-eye view at this moment, they would discover a startling fact: these beings hailed as the strongest in the Digital World were all equipped with the ultimate masterpieces of the former Metal Empire. It was impossible not to be awestruck by the sheer power the Metal Empire must have wielded at its peak.
Within the Metal Empire ruins in the Digital World, Taichi and Agumon remained unaware of the impending danger, staring at the screen with concern.
Suddenly, Koshiro's virtual avatar popped up before them.
"Taichi! Emergency! Several extremely dangerous auras are rapidly approaching your location!" Koshiro shouted, countless fine beads of sweat covering his forehead.
Behind him, the All-Seeing Eye had turned crimson, flashing with countless data streams, already operating at maximum load, pushing Koshiro's current abilities to near their limit.
When Koshiro first obtained the power of Dominion, he had remotely placed a marker on Taichi. Any dangerous aura appearing within fifty million meters of Taichi would be detected by him immediately. He had thought this range was quite large, equivalent to the radius of a planet.
However, the speed and strength of those thirteen dangerous auras far exceeded his imagination.
"What dangerous auras? How do they know my hiding place?" Taichi's pupils contracted sharply as he asked warily.
"I don't know! But one thing is certain: their speed is incredible! Estimated time of arrival at your location is at most one minute... no, thirty seconds!" Data flickered in Koshiro's eyes as he cried out in alarm.
'To cross a planetary radius and penetrate thousands of meters underground in under thirty seconds... What kind of beings possess such power?!'
"According to data analysis, even if you commit your entire Digital army, plus WarGreymon after Mega evolution, and the Leviamon you secretly produced... the probability of victory against those thirteen auras is only…" Complex data danced in Koshiro's eyes, finally settling on a cold, despairing number, "…Zero."
"There is absolutely no possibility of victory. Even if the planet exploded the next second, you would not have a shred of a chance."
"Those thirteen existences... they even possess planet-level combat power!" Koshiro trembled, forcing the cruel truth from his throat.
Boom!
The next instant, seven seconds faster than his prediction, an incredibly dazzling holy light pierced through thousands of meters of soil and rock, aiming directly at the steel ruins where Taichi was hiding!
Whoosh…
Blinding light poured from the surface, penetrating the dark, damp steel ruins below. Taichi frowned, shielding his eyes with his right hand.
Through his fingers, he vaguely saw thirteen sacred, towering figures.
His pupils contracted violently.
The thirteen figures, some tall and majestic, some sacred and pure, some domineering and sinister, some agile and swift, each contained terrifying energy far surpassing the Mega-level.
If Taichi's guess was correct, these thirteen supreme existences were the Thirteen Royal Knights of the Digital World that Hattori had mentioned!
"Yagami Taichi! We are the Royal Knights! By the order of our Lord, Yggdrasil-sama, we carry out your execution!"
On the surface thousands of meters above, Gallantmon's cloak billowed. His armor, made of Chrome Digizoid, gleamed brightly under the sunlight.
Bathed in the dazzling radiance, the proud Holy Knight pronounced the judgment of god upon the ants in the abyss below.
Death. No appeal.