Just when Akio and Metal Garurumon took a few steps ahead, a low, rough noise of friction like metal scraping against rock came from behind. Needless to see for themselves; it was Chaosdramon rising up.
Still, they turned about to see if Chaosdramon posed a threat. It wasn't Chaosdramon, but Samuru, who surprised Akio when he turned and discovered that Samuru was right in front of him. The black-haired boy grabbed Akio by the neck with both of his hands and pushed him to the nearest wall. Samuru's brut force was unstoppable; it pained Akio's back skull as he got slammed onto the wall. His throat hurt even harder, and despite the difficulty in breathing, he felt like the air was being forced out of him.
Glancing aside, he saw the fight between Metal and Chaosdramon had resumed, and Metal had lost his advantage.
"You're crazy." It surprised Akio that he could still spill out a few words.
Metal Garurumon tried to reach out for Akio, but his way was blocked by Chaosdramon, and he dared not to aim any of his guns at Samuru in case he shot Akio by mistake. His partner's situation gave him a huge distraction that slowly drove him to losing the fight.
Samuru's choke on Akio's neck was still iron tight, and Akio had already lost the strength to resist; he couldn't speak a word, either. It was still a mystery to him about what Eligia had said or done to Samuru.
Some strange noise came to his ears, and he thought that was just an illusion caused by his lost of oxygen. The noise was like firecracker starting to blast, and it got louder by each second. Even Samuru turned around to see what was going on. So AKio's ears mustn't be playing tricks to him.
Then came a blinding light, and Akio felt a force pushing him, away from Samuru and towards a random direction. He couldn't' stop until he hit a wall and fell on the ground. By then, he was already too numb to feel any pain and too exhausted to move.
Sizing the chance, Metal Garurumon knocked Chaosdramon aside and rushed to protect Akio, his Gatling gun pointing at Chaosdramon and his shoulder-cannon pointing at Samuru.
The light faded, and the one that caused the blast was revealed as HiAndromon. His black armor was what Akio could see at first sight, and it gave him a huge relief.
"Starting to wonder where you've been." said Metal Garurumon.
"It's good to see you." Said Akio as he stood up with some help from Metal Garurumon.
"You too." HiAndromon replied.
Though Samuru still didn't want to give up, he knew all too well that a wounded Chaosdramon couldn't take on two others, so he had to let Akio go.
WarGerymon was there when Akio returned. Judging from the smirk on his face, he'd probably already defeated Axe Kinightmon.
Reiko seemed to be better. She was standing on her feet with William steadying her, and didn't look as pale as before.
Akio hurried to Reiko's side' her arms wrapped around his. A big smile appeared on her face once she saw HiAndromon was safe. The others gathered around as well, weapons readied, incase Eligia had anything up to her sleeve.
"So you guys did win." Said Eligia. "Well, that's excepted."
All of the party glared at her. Akio stepped forward and asked. "What'd you want, to kill us in your own weird way?"
"Kill you? No, I never wanted to kill you." Laughed Eligia. She looked at Samuru, then back at Akio. "He went a bit too far, didn't he?"
Samuru rolled his eyes. Eligia continued.
"Now," she paused, studying Akio's expression. He looked angry, tired, and the look of hoping to get Reiko healed could easily be observed. "Is not the time to cure your girlfriend."
The atmosphere tensed in a second, though no one on Akio's side dared do a thing, considering Reiko's well-being.
"What do you want?" Akio demanded, looking angry.
"I want you, and your digimons." Eligia answered. "Why else would you think I gave you guys a fight while not wanting to kill you?"
Akio went silent for a moment; he couldn't understand what Eligia was after.
Eligia snapped her fingers, and, as if it worked, a portal appeared behind her. "Come with me." Said Eligia, as if anyone else too foolish to realize it.
Akio stepped back and looked at Reiko. Her facial expression was just as tense as Akio's.
She looked into his eyes; the one thing bothering Akio's mind was crystal clear. Her expression softened and she said to Akio softly. "Whatever you choose, I'll be on your side."
Akio smiled, nodding. He then shifted his sight to Metal Garurumon and WarGreymon.
"We're at your command, as always." Said WarGreymon.
Akio turned back to Reiko, hands on her shoulder. He looked into her shining blue eyes and said determinedly. "I'll be back soon; I promise." He then leaned closer, wanting to kiss her. To his surprise, Reiko pulled herself away. "No kissing until you return."
Akio smiled. Reiko was definitely recovering.
"Well then." He turned and walked toward the portal. Metal Garurumon and WarGreymon followed him as they said their goodbyes to the others. Eligia and Axe Knightmon followed them, and the portal was closer after Samuru and Chaosdramon had gone through it.
One second Akio was standing on a concrete floor, and the next moment he was stepping on grasses.
He looked around, finding trees everywhere –trees so tall that they seemed to have covered the already dark sky. He and his two digimons looked around in wonder, trying to find a clue as to where they'd been sent.
"Hello?" Eligia said from behind. "Don't block the way. I don't wanna get stuck in the middle of the portal."
Akio turned about. The portal was still there, right in front of him, its purple light glowing brighter than ever in the middle of the night, almost blinding. Akio took a few steps back, and Eligia popped out of the portal immediately.
"Dude, did no you ever teach you not to block the doorway?"
Akio didn't answer; he returned to his friends' side.
"What? A silent treatment or something?"
"Don't talk like we're friends!" Akio yelled.
"That's not very nice." Said Eligia. She glanced at Samuru, and then set her sight back on Akio. "You two might be a like."
Akio let out a heavy sigh. "Just tell me what to do, so I can finish it quick and save Rei."
"First thing: be nice!"
"Damn it!" Akio murmured.
Samuru walked up front and spoke. "Where're we?"
"Let's save the introduction later." Replied Eligia, already on the walk. "Yeah, the portal didn't send us to the direct destination. Surprised?"
None answered. They simply followed her lead.
"You boys are no fun."
An hour had passed. They'd been climbing up a slope nonstop. Though it was not too steep, it was not a pleasant trip for Akio. Eligia was always ahead. Back in the sewage, she'd been the only one who hadn't been fighting, and it seemed that she had no knowledge of that. Every once in a while, she'd stop from far above and yell in a childish manner to the others to go faster, and then run off on her own.
Another half hour had passed, and they'd reached a peak. Eligia was taking a nap; AxeKnightmon guarding her. Chaosdramon was complaining in his monstrous roar when he arrived; Samuru was doing more or less the same, just not so loud and spoken in human language. Akio and his company were the last to arrive. He felt like collapsing. Fortunately Metal Garurumon had enough strength to carry him. WarGreymon was already back into Akio's digivice, to save his strength in case there's a need for battle and everyone else had fallen.
"Took you long enough." Said Eligia, who snapped out of her nap once Akio arrived.
"You know, thing'd have been easier if you'd sent us to wherever you wanted with that portal." Akio countered, his breath heavy, his body coated with sweat. The temperature was rising around him.
"Where are we?" he asked. "And where are we headed to?"
"We're near a volcano." Eligia responded. "And we will go inside. But first, we'll go down this hill and find an inn to spend the night."
"Then why do we have to walk all this way?" demanded Samuru.
"To get you guys used to these amount of exhaustion." Eligia replied, earning herself some bad-looking faces. "Alright then, to be honest, we didn't transport ourselves straight down town because we didn't want to raise suspicions. People there aren't used to seeing purple light flashing out of nowhere."
They descended the hill and entered the nearest town. Silence filled the air. Darkness was around them; only a few short buildings had their lights on. The party headed toward one of these buildings.
The interior of the building was dimly lighted; the walls looked fragile and the ceiling was like it's going to fall off at any second. Eligia went back to the party once she had finished her business at the counter.
"Don't stare," said she, "it's the best we're gonna get." And then she and Axe Knightmon went upstairs to take their rest. Samuru and Chaosdramon followed. Akio stood like a statue for a long while, but eventually he went up to his room too.
In the ugly room he couched himself at a corner, and did nothing at all.
"You're not going to shower?" Metal Garurumon asked as he approached Akio; he didn't sit down next to him, though. "You smell awful."
Akio simply shook his head.
"Then as least go to bed and get some rest."
Akio still didn't respond; he didn't even moved this time.
"What's wrong with you?" Metal walked away from Akio this time. "You think because Reiko is probably suffering right now that you shouldn't make yourself comfortable too?"
"Kinda." Akio mumbled.
"Just wash away your god damn smell and sleep!" This time it was dotAgumon to speak. "I figured that's what Reiko would say."
"Maybe." Akio replied, still wasn't moving.
"You think she would want you to be like this?" Metal walked towards Akio, grabbed him by the arms, and forced him to the doorway of the bathroom, then thrown him inside.
"Hey!" Akio shouted, and Metal ignored him and went away. Akio stood there, frozen for a second.
"Hi," Eligia's voice came from behind. Akio turned to see her: freshly dressed, hair down; she looked a bit more normal in this straight hairstyle. "I've just finished."
"Yeah, right." Akio murmured, and then hurried Eligia out.
The bathroom was dirty; it didn't bother him much, though. After his quick shower, he went back to his room and headed straight for the bed. Metal was already sleeping, and Akio quickly fell asleep too.