He was playing his electric guitar, sitting on the roof of a house in a deserted alley. The walls of the residences of the Downtown were filled with colorful graffiti art. Its population was poor compared to those who lived in the Uppertown but it did not matter. The Downtown folk had enough pride and resilience to shake the world.
Aurora Town was the oldest city in the Digital World. Despite that, most of its structure was made of modern buildings. At least what creatures who could live for hundreds of years considered "modern". The city had been heavily rebuilt after the World War that pitted the Sanctuary and the Academy against each other. Aurora Town had been one of the last places in which the majority of the population had stayed loyal to the Queen. Because of that, the punishment for the defeated was remarkably cruel.
The scars of that period were still present. Those who had supported the Academy were rewarded with the best jobs, houses and living conditions in general. For the following centuries, representatives of the Academy won every election and assured that the status quo in Aurora Town would remain the same. The media propagated the world view that the citizens of the Uppertown approved: that the world was like that and it could not be changed; therefore, the digimon unsatisfied with their conditions had to accept them. In fact, they were encouraged to believe that they should be glad for the lives they had. At least the Bloody Lord was no longer in command.
The period of time during which the Queen had ruled over the Digital World was severely criticized by those in charge through the news outlets. It was said that the Queen was a tyrant who had led the Digital World to its ruin. But that method was not as efficient as its perpetrators wished. For the population who had been freed from Seraphimon and had just learned that they had equal rights and citizenship as the privileged class, it did not matter how vile the anti-Queen propaganda was. They would resist, endure, fight back no matter how many times they were told that their impertinence was pointless.
History proved them right when, for the first time since the Queen's banishment, despite the herculean effort of the Academy and the folk of the Uppertown, a digimon from the Downtown was elected Mayor.
As a way to give a message of hope to his voters and offer a proposition of conciliation to those who opposed the new government, the Mayor decided to bring back an old tradition that had almost been forgotten. The perfect level digimon on the roof was ready to take part in it, just like in the old days.
"Don't you ever get tired of playing rock?"
A female voice came from above. A few seconds later, Ladydevimon landed by his side. She did not sit, being satisfied in admiring him from where she was standing.
"It's been a while, Sis." The other had an amicable tone; he did not stop playing. "What can I say? Rock is in my blood."
She smiled sadly. He noticed it.
"I've heard rumors about Devimon. Are they true?" The artist asked in low voice.
"He was killed by the partner of a chosen child… an Angemon, no less." She replied.
He stopped playing the instrument and looked at his sister, adjusting the sunglasses he was wearing.
"You don't think it's the Bloody Lord, do you?" He inquired in a whisper. The mere act of alluding to Seraphimon made him shake.
"The Tyrant and the chosen children together… now that's a scary thought." The female digimon smirked nervously as she diverted her sight from her brother to the roof of the house across from them.
A flap of wings was suddenly heard. A bat left its shadowy hide spot: a tiny hole in the said house's roof.
"Those flying rats are all over Aurora Town." He commented, darkly. "Since they appeared, there has been an increase in the confrontations between the Downtown and the Uppertown folks… not that they didn't have enough reasons for that before."
"Creating instability from the shadows is his trademark. At least ten cities have fallen into his control that way." Ladydevimon made a bitter comment.
"Tonosamageckomon is working really hard to pacify the city. He's not our enemy. Why would Vam-chan try to take this town?" The other had trouble to understand that.
"If Vamdemon hears you calling him that, he'll get mad." She giggled for a second; then, Ladydevimon frowned and adopted a melancholic tone. "You ask me why he's aiming for this city… I believe he's been moved solely by his ambitions. He hasn't cut ties with us officially but that guy obviously has his own agenda."
"Vam-chan must be crazy if he thinks he can mess with my town." The other had a menacing tone.
"Your town, Etemon?" Ladydevimon sounded amused. "Do you rule it from the dirty alleys?"
"I don't intend to rule anything. I'm an artist, not a politician." Etemon replied, resuming playing the guitar. "But I've been in this town for hundreds of years. I've seen the oppressed endure, fight and conquer. It took so long for the wind to begin to change. That guy has no right to come here and destroy that, even if he's family!"
"You've always been such a sweet kid." Ladydevimon spoke with sadness. "I think I'd better do something about that idiotic brother of ours before he commits an irreparable mistake."
"I was hoping you'd stay for the music festival." Etemon was disappointed.
"Music festival? I thought they had been forbidden after Mother's banishment." She was surprised.
"The new Mayor decided to bring it back as a way to bring the citizens together." Etemon explained. "I'm still deciding on which song I'll choose. It must be special! Something that will touch everybody's hearts!"
His sister's silence made him uneasy. Ladydevimon's lips trembled.
"You remind me of her… back in the old days." She muttered.
"Of course I do. I'm a Mama's boy, after all." Etemon said with a proud grin.
"You sure are." She smiled subtly. "I hope you don't change."
Etemon watched his sister take flight and disappear into the sky.
Few minutes after that, one of the Gazimon who assisted him entered the alley in a hurry and climbed to the roof where Etemon was sitting.
"ETEMON-SAMA!" He shouted in despair. "QUICKLY! IN THE SQUARE!"
"Calm down, you dramatic fool!" Etemon scolded the other. "You better have a good reason to interrupt my inspiration process."
"They have arrived, Sir!" Gazimon said, trembling in fear. "The chosen children are here!"
Chapter 13: Behind the curtain
One of the teleportation devices beeped, announcing someone's arrival. The beast man materialized there and quickly left the metallic circle, a step above floor level. He was at the lobby of the main Base of the Academy.
The ceiling of the lobby was high and formed a dome decorated with a painting of a starry sky and planets. Columns were visible on the walls, regularly spaced apart. At the other side of the lobby there were five mahogany doors that each led to different corridors.
Nobody knew for sure how big the place was. It was hidden in a pocket dimension and only those who were allowed could go there. The beast man had used a miniaturized computer he had received in the format of a cube to send a signal requesting the teleportation, which was granted after the Control Room located him and made sure of his identity.
It was said that, in that base, there were several kilometers of libraries, laboratories, databanks and unimaginable secrets. There was strict access to every part of the place. Only one person was allowed to go anywhere he wanted. It was he who commanded the Academy and believed to know everything that happened in there.
Leomon was after that person: the Headmaster.
He walked intrepidly towards the large marble counter in the middle of the lobby, where Bastemon typed in her computer. The perfect level digimon who resembled a cat woman with a pair of tails, long braided orange hair and a veil covering the lower part of her face was known for having worked undercover in the Queen's Sanctuary long ago; the night the Sanctuary fell, she was found wandering on File Island with no personal memories under a heavy snowstorm. When Bastemon was brought back to the Base, a couple of days later, it was attested that the cat woman still had her technical knowledge and, therefore, could still work. She was regarded as a heroine, despite nobody but the Headmaster having knowledge of the nature of her mission.
"Good morning, fellow feline!" She greeted with a large smile when Leomon approached the counter.
"I must speak to Gennai." The lion man did not bother to be polite.
"He's in a meeting right now. It seemed a very important-"
"What I have to discuss with Gennai is more important!" Leomon stated.
Bastemon raised an eyebrow in annoyance. She picked up an earplug and tried to contact Gennai.
"Hello, Headmaster. Leomon has returned from File Island and he insists on speaking to you immediately." The cat woman informed. "Yes, I told him that you were busy. What? Do you want me to give him the communicator? Alright."
Bastemon took the earplug off and gave it to Leomon, who put in on his left ear right away.
"Gennai, what have you made me do?!" The lion man nearly shouted.
"My dear Leomon, how did your mission-" The man was saying in an amicable tone.
"You lied to me!" Leomon accused. "You told me those digimon were accomplices of Devimon! You made me kill innocents!"
The adult level digimon thought he had heard the sound of a heavy door being opened and footsteps at the other side of the line. Was Gennai going somewhere?
"Talk to me!" Leomon demanded. "Those digimon… they were just sick, weren't they? That's what the chosen children I met said!"
"Calm down." The voice at the other side asked, sweetly. "I promise you won't be so outraged in a minute."
"How dare you say that?!" Leomon could not stop his fury.
But his anger suddenly began to diminish. The adult level digimon felt dizzy and had to lean on the counter, using both his hands to support his weight.
"What happened in File Island?" The Headmaster questioned.
"I…" Leomon tried to recollect his memories but it was difficult. "The traitors… they were eliminated as you ordered…"
"It has come to my knowledge that the chosen children have defeated Devimon. Have you seen any chosen child?" The Headmaster inquired.
"Chosen child?" Leomon asked, confused. "No… I didn't have the honor…"
"It's alright." The man at the other side of the line had a comforting tone. "Please, return Bastemon's earplug and go to the infirmary to rest. You did a good job."
"Yes. Thank you, Sir."
Leomon took the earplug off and gave it back to Bastemon, who blinked in confusion.
"Don't pick someone else's things without permission!" She scolded him. "When did you get here, anyway?"
"You gave this to me, don't you remember?" Leomon asked.
"Oh!" She seemed embarrassed. "Sorry. My memory hasn't been great ever since…"
"It's okay, there's no need to apologize. I'll head to the infirmary now." Leomon said, leaving.
Meanwhile, the Headmaster was in his office with the only subordinate who knew his secret. He used his anti-gravitational gloves (which were black and thick and had several thin red wires connected to them) to move a heavy bookshelf back to the front of a secret metallic door.
"Aren't you strong enough to move that shelf by yourself?" The subordinate questioned.
"My sweet innocent Wizarmon, don't you know why humans create toys?" The man asked, amused, turning around to face the other while taking off the gloves and exposing the tattoo at the back of his right hand: a red drawing that resembled the popular representation of a heart, but with one half filled and with two concentric circles in it, and the other half partly empty. As red as the tattoo were his small eyes.
He had not covered the upper part of his face with the hood in front of Wizarmon because there was no point to it. The mage digimon knew his identity. To be in his presence was a rare opportunity for Kanda. It felt good to have his short and spiky light brown hair exposed.
Wizarmon always felt discomfort when he looked at the other's eyes but did not understand the reason. The man had a tranquil atmosphere around him and his half closed red eyes were gentle and caring. However, Wizarmon could not shake the idea that there was something hidden behind them.
"It must be frustrating for you not to be able to read my mind." Kanda commented as he put on normal brown gloves and took a seat behind his desk. Wizarmon was sitting across from him.
"Not as frustrating as it must be for you that you can't use the things in that room on me." Wizarmon replied, defiant.
Kanda smirked.
"You really despise me, don't you?" He asked, softly. "It's good that you're loyal, though."
"I'm not loyal to you and you know that." Wizarmon responded.
"Oh, I know. But I'm thankful anyway. I'll cherish the information you've brought me." Kanda said, looking at the table and caressing the beige envelope Wizarmon had given him. Then, he lifted his eyes and gave the digimon the warmest smile he could muster. "Now, go see your friend. I know how much you miss her."
Wizarmon stood up, heading to the door that led to the corridor. Before opening and crossing it, he said one more thing to Kanda:
"Do you realize that you're not better than Nanomon when you use those things?"
"I'm not trying to be better than Nanomon." The man's voice became serious and deep, which sent chills down Wizarmon's spine.
The mage left the office, closing the door behind him. Kanda picked the envelope and opened it. He had already seen the maps and overall information that it contained. But there was a certain thing he needed to see again.
Among the photos of the location, Wizarmon managed to take one of a figure covered by a long and dirty brown cape. The fabric hid the head of the individual as well but there was one specific detail that captured Kanda's full attention. Over the cape, hanging on the figure's neck, there was a pair of red goggles.
He smiled largely and felt his eyes getting humid. But then a statics noise came from a small TV screen on the table, which he used to watch what was happening in the base. The image flickered and a face he knew too well appeared.
"Hello, Kanda. You seem to be doing well." The robotic voice complimented.
The man felt a whirlpool of rage shake his interior. Despite that, he made sure to sustain a cordial smile.
"Nanomon." He murmured. "After all these centuries, you've decided to surrender?"
"Don't be naive, boy. I'm letting you track my location because I need your help."
Nanomon's words made Kanda inhale rapidly as his pupils dilated and a slight tremor passed through his body. Slowly, the man put down the photo he was still holding, in fear of accidentally tearing it.
"You got some nerve." Kanda laughed. His smile now was not even attempting to show joy.
"I believe you'll be interested in what I have to say. Better yet, I'll show you!" Nanomon's voice was defiant as the small robot lifted his long metallic arms to show a dark sphere he had been holding. In its center, a red light was visible. It took a couple of seconds for the man to fully visualize the object hidden in it.
"My crest!" He exclaimed. "You're the thief!"
"I was one of the digimon who designed that base. Did you really think I wouldn't know how to enter it without letting anyone notice my presence?" Nanomon questioned in a taunting way.
"And you went through all this trouble just to make me chase after you in your hideout to have my crest back?" Kanda asked.
"It's not your crest anymore." Nanomon corrected the other. "Only the true bearer of love can take this crest out of this orb, and sweet little Kanda no longer has any love in him."
Kanda would not let himself be provoked.
"Do you expect me to send the new bearer of love to a trap just to retrieve that thing?" He inquired.
"I know you'll do that." Nanomon affirmed. "You can't stand to lose and you're arrogant enough to believe that you can have that crest back without making any sacrifice."
The man leaned closer to the TV screen. He blinked and exhibited a large grin.
"Look at you." Kanda talked in a calm voice. "A piece of junk who believes he's still great scientist from a distant past. You look down on me in spite of being forced to hide in the shadows-by me. You speak with pride and entitlement despite the fact that I took everything you once had and loved. I am the Headmaster of your precious Academy. I control most of your amnesiac friends and they have no idea that they're my pawns, and if they suspect anything, I can simply mold their minds to my liking as many times as necessary. I have full access to the greatest knowledge sources and command the strongest military force in this world. Don't you confuse me with that human who begged you to let him and his friends go! Who begged you to fulfill your promises! I have enough love in me to set the world ablaze! I have enough power and resources to find and crush every last disgusting worm that has wronged us and I swear on my life that I will do it! I'll let you know that there's nothing sweet in me and that I'm definitely not little!"
Nanomon did not respond. Kanda covered the upper part of his face with the hood and said in a polite tone:
"This was a truly pleasant conversation. I hope we'll meet again in person soon, my dear Nanomon. Have a nice day."
The man turned off the screen. Right after, he took a deep breath and exhaled. It was time to track that call and to think of a brilliant plan.
Meanwhile, the chosen children and their partners were walking around in a square. The grass was high and ivy partially covered the four benches that surrounded a five meters tall statue of a man wearing heavy armor that had five pairs of wings on his back. Its imposing posture contrasted with the things written with paint in every inch of the statue: MURDERER, TYRANT, MASS KILLER, TORTURER, BLOODY LORD.
"Is that Seraphimon?" Takeru muttered, stunned, taking a close look at the piece. He could feel Poyomon trembling in his arms.
"It looks like the statue of the Queen we found under Infinity Mountain." Koushiro told Sora, as they got closer to the monument.
"You were under the mountain?" Mimi asked, surprised, approaching the two kids.
"Well…" Sora seemed to be a little uncomfortable. "That refrigerator we had found on the plateau broke the floor under the snow at the base of the mountain and we fell in the hole. There was a statue similar to this one there, along with a giant golden tree with apples and a lake filled with healing liquid."
"A lake of healing liquid?!" Jyou shouted, taking five large steps to be face to face with Sora. The older boy had an incredulous expression. "Mimi-kun, Gomamon, Palmon and I ran into a Leomon who had a bottle of that thing! He said it was a rare resource; and yet you found a whole lake of it?!"
"Healing liquid?" Takeru turned around to face the others, interested in the conversation topic. "Did you bring any of it along, Sora-san?"
"We didn't have anything that we could use to carry it." Koushiro told Takeru. In reality, he, Sora, Tentomon and Piyomon had forgotten about the healing liquid because of the other things that happened in that underground temple. The boy with red hair exchanged a brief glance with the older girl.
"What about Sora-kun's hat?" Jyou asked; pointing to the blue hat the fifth grader was wearing. "It seems to be made of hard material! You could've used it to carry the liquid!"
Unconsciously, Sora grabbed the blue hat on her head in a protective way.
"Jyou-san, it would be very inconvenient to carry water in a hat, don't you think?" Mimi giggled.
"That's not an excuse!" Jyou felt offended. "I just don't understand how someone could walk away from a lake of magic medicine without bringing some of it along! Had it been me, I'd carry the liquid in my bare hands if necessary!"
"You would've dropped it really soon, though." Sora remarked.
"Why is it that none of you understand?" Jyou sighed in frustration. "If any of us got hurt, we'd have an assurance of survival with that medicine, you know?"
"You're jumping to the conclusion that the wound would be fatal." Palmon commented.
"You need to relax sometimes, Jyou." Gomamon smirked. "Nothing bad is going to happen to any of you under our watch."
Jyou groaned, crossing his arms.
"Huh, excuse me." A voice came from below, close to Jyou's feet. The children and the digimon looked down in that direction and found a green digimon that had a slug like body who was looking at Mimi, a couple of steps away.
"Numemon!" Palmon exclaimed with a disgusted face.
"What kind of digimon is that?" Koushiro wondered.
"That is an unhygienic digimon that doesn't like water." Gomamon explained.
The Numemon ignored them and went closer to Mimi, who was visibly uncomfortable with the approach.
"Excuse me, Miss." Numemon said, shyly. "You're very good-looking."
"… Thank you…?" Mimi said, raising an eyebrow.
"I was thinking…" The tiny digimon seemed to be nervous. "Maybe you and I could go on a date. What do you think?"
"I don't want to do that." Mimi stated bluntly. Numemon's eyes became filled with tears.
"Mimi-chan, you could've phrased that better." Sora told her. "There's no need to be rude."
"What difference would it make to beat around the bush?" Mimi sounded annoyed. "It's better to get it over with quickly, like pulling a band-aid."
"Please, give me a chance!" Numemon protested. "You're the most beautiful digimon I've ever seen in my 147 years of life!"
"147 years?!" Jyou took a step back, in shock. "You're that old and you're hitting on a 10 year-old girl?! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"
"What a creep!" Takeru had a disgusted tone.
"Ten years old?!" Numemon gasped, suddenly seeming deeply ashamed. "Oh no! I-I'm sorry! How was I supposed to know that you're a child?"
"Really? You're going to pull the 'you're as beautiful as a grown up' move? I'm so sick of this." Mimi spoke with disgust.
That commentary made Sora uneasy. The way she said that… it's as if Mimi-chan is used to this kind of thing. Is this not the first time an older guy tries to woo her? How can someone do that to a little girl like her? This is so wrong!
"Hey, hey, don't try to make it look like I'm the one in the wrong here!" Numemon was defensive. "You should be thankful that someone acknowledges how attractive you are!"
"I don't have to be thankful to anyone!" Mimi nearly yelled, angrily. "I know damn well how beautiful I am, I don't need to be told that! Stop acting as if you're doing me a favor!"
"Your bad temper is not lady-like in the slightest, do you know that?" Numemon criticized Mimi. "If you don't start behaving like a proper female digimon, I fear for your future!"
That statement got on Sora's nerves as well, but not to the same degree that it did to Mimi. The younger girl clenched her fists as fury boiled from her insides.
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK!" Mimi stated in loud voice. "AND I'M NOT A DIGIMON! I'M A HUMAN GIRL!"
A horrified expression took over Numemon's face as the creature slowly trailed backwards. Some digimon who were passing by heard what the girl had shouted and began to murmur among themselves, alarmed. Soon, a mob had gathered around the children and their partners.
"Human beings? They're human beings?" A scared voice was discernible in the crowd.
"Are they chosen children?! The chosen children have returned?!" Another voice screamed in terror.
"They're going to kill us! It'll be just like that time!" Another one added.
"I-I don't want to die!" Someone cried. "We have to do something! We need to defend ourselves!"
"What's going on here?" Sora muttered, perplexed, looking at the increasing number of monsters of different shapes and sizes surrounding them.
"Are they afraid of us?" Takeru asked.
"But why?" Koushiro wanted to understand.
"Excuse me!" Jyou addressed the gathering digimon in loud voice. "Please, forgive Mimi-kun. She's a little rude sometimes but she's not a bad person. There's no reason to be scared of her."
"THIS ISN'T MY FAULT!" Mimi shouted, defensively. "WHAT SIDE ARE YOU ON, JYOU-SAN?!"
"I'm on your side, Mimi-kun!" Jyou whispered to her. "But your shouting scared these other guys. There must be adult and maybe even digimon of higher levels among them; we'd better make amends."
"Why do I have to make amends? I didn't do anything wrong!" Mimi felt hurt. Jyou-san… he doesn't understand… he's just a boy!
"I don't believe they're scared because of the shouting." Koushiro said. "The digimon seem to be afraid of human beings."
"It was a terrible idea to announce that we're human to a crowd of unknown digimon." Takeru remarked, bitterly. "If they're evil, they're going to attack us all at once!"
"Are you blaming me for this?!" The younger girl got mad at Takeru. "How was I supposed to know that they'd be afraid of humans?!"
"Mimi-san, from now on we should assume that every digimon is potential enemy! We can't take risks anymore!" The younger child stated. There are more digimon like Devimon in the world. We could be attacked at any second. We have to be more vigilant than ever, otherwise… the image of Angemon dying flashed before Takeru's eyes, I can't let something like that happen ever again!
"They're getting angry!" One of the digimon in the crowd said in loud voice.
"THEY'RE GOING TO ATTACK US!" Another one screamed. "WE HAVE TO RUN!"
"I'm not running from those human bastards ever again!" Someone stated. "They'll pay for what was done to our Queen!"
Those words lit a flame inside Takeru. I knew it! They're our enemies after all! They're Devimon's allies!
"Please, calm down, everyone!" Sora pleaded to the crowd, taking a step ahead with her hands up. Piyomon did the same, standing by her right side. The girl continued: "This is a huge misunderstanding! We don't have any intention of harming anyone, I swear! If you let us-"
Sora suddenly stopped talking. She felt a piercing pain in her left arm and looked down. Someone had shot a 20 centimeters long syringe on her; it was still struck on her arm. The older girl removed the object with her right hand but soon lost sensation on her fingers; she let the syringe fall on the ground and break, spilling gray liquid on the grass. Sora's vision became blurred and she felt dizzy. The girl heard Mimi screaming and Piyomon asking frantically what she was feeling. However, the fifth grader was not able to speak anymore. The world was becoming dark and she felt that she was falling. Someone caught her by her back before she could hit the ground. The girl could discern blue hair and assumed that Jyou had done that.
Piyomon leaned to her partner. Sora's skin was becoming paler and she was shaking. The bird digimon felt herself sinking in despair. Who did this?
"Was she poisoned?" Koushiro asked, alarmed, kneeling at Sora's and Jyou's right side.
"We need to get her out of here! Is there any hospital around?!" Jyou had urgency in his voice.
Piyomon turned to the crowd. She glared at the many digimon standing there with fury and advanced against them in large steps, stretching her wings. Her voice came out as menacing and powerful as thunder:
"WHO DID THIS TO SORA?"
Some of the digimon began to run away. Others looked anxiously at one another. An Astamon lifted his shotgun, trembling. He was a survivor of the old times. He remembered what human beings and their partners were capable of.
Palmon's ivy suddenly enveloped Piyomon, stopping her from continuing on that path.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? LET GO OF ME!" The bird digimon protested, trying to free herself. "I'LL KILL THEM! I'LL KILL ALL OF THEM!"
"I know how much you care for Sora but if you let your emotions take control of you now, you won't help her!" The plant digimon told the bird, as she slowly approached Piyomon from behind, holding the other down with her ivy.
"You need to calm down!" Gomamon scolded the bird digimon. He was still close to Jyou, behind Piyomon. "We can't afford to enter a fight here!"
"Are you suggesting that we should run?" Takeru inquired, angrily, walking forward and stopping at the left of Jyou and Sora. He hugged a crying Poyomon tightly against his chest and glared at Gomamon as he inquired:
"Do you want to let the digimon who hurt Sora-san get away?!"
"Do you want to fight every digimon in this square?" Mimi, who was now behind the others, questioned. "Takeru-kun, are you willing to hurt innocents just for the hope of hurting the digimon who harmed Sora-san?"
"What innocents? Didn't you hear what they were saying?!" Takeru spoke with rage, glaring at the fourth grader girl. "If we don't strike first, they will kill us!"
Takeru's behavior disturbed Mimi. What had happened to the sweet kid she had known a few days before? It was as if she was looking at someone completely different. Someone merciless and unreasonable. Mimi wanted to say something back to him but realized that there was no point in continuing with that argument in that moment. That talk would have to wait until Sora was out of danger.
Koushiro glanced at Sora, who had been laid on the grass and whose head was on Jyou's lap. The girl was still awake, but she seemed to be too weak to move or speak. Her mouth was semi open and her eyelids were almost closed.
"How bad is Sora-san's state?" Koushiro asked Jyou, concerned. The older boy touched her forehead and made an anguished expression.
"She's gotten a fever! A high one! We must move her right away! There must be a doctor or a pharmacist… someone who can help her in this city!" Jyou was letting his fear and anxiety out.
"I could evolve and carry you all on my back." Tentomon, who was hovering close to Koushiro, suggested.
"That's a good idea!" Koushiro exclaimed, picking his digivice from his backpack. His partner got ready to evolve.
"Tentomon evolves to…."
But nothing happened.
"What's the matter?" The fourth grader boy asked.
"I-I don't know." Tentomon replied, nervously.
"I doubt Sora can make Piyomon evolve now and Poyomon is too young! You're the only one who can fly, Tentomon!" Palmon had urgency in her voice. She was struggling to keep Piyomon from advancing against the few digimon who had not run away yet.
"This isn't my fault!" Tentomon became defensive, turning to Koushiro. "I'm not receiving any energy from you! Why are you not giving me the power to evolve?"
"What?" Koushiro was shocked to hear that. "W-what do you want me to do exactly?"
"Tentomon had evolved with no problems when we fought Devimon!" Gomamon pointed out. "What changed since then? Why can't Koushiro make him evolve anymore?"
"What changed…" Koushiro thought aloud. Soon, his eyes widened and his face paled when he remembered the conversation he had with Tentomon in the base's bathroom. Is this my fault? Is it because of what I was trying to tell him?
"I'm still tired… yeah, that's it. That's why I can't evolve." The insect digimon concluded. His partner did not believe him. Is Tentomon covering up for me? He knows… he knows that there's something wrong with me, despite trying to deny that. But I must make him evolve! Sora-san needs us!
Suddenly, a small black digimon was thrown close to the children. The ten remaining digimon from the crowd turned to the direction from where the tiny creature had been launched to see who had done that. They shrieked in terror and fled the fastest they could when they saw who was coming. Astamon, before running away, yelled: "The Demon!"
Someone as tall as a human adult walked in the direction of the chosen children, coming from Mimi's right. The figure was holding a katana with the right hand and had the body covered in blue armor. Iron plates protected the chest and back; there were also large iron plates that hung from the waist and protected the legs. The stranger wore gauntlets made of hard material. The shoulders were protected by large rectangular plates of iron. The face was hidden by a black Oni mask. The helmet made of small pieces of metal riveted together had a cross ornament on its front. Under the armor, it was visible thick leather protecting the rest of the body. The figure dressed as a samurai, after getting close enough to the black digimon lying on the grass, stopped a couple of steps away from Mimi and pointed the sword at the creature that resembled a bat.
"I saw this Picodevimon shoot the syringe at the girl." The stranger said. "There's no need to start trouble with the inhabitants of this town. This is your culprit."
"Devimon?" Takeru reacted to part of that name, glaring at the small monster.
"P-please!" Picodevimon cried, standing up and looking at the samurai in terror. "I-I was scared! I thought that the chosen children had come to take our lives!"
"LIAR!" Takeru accused. "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FOOL US! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO SORA-SAN!"
"I've never seen you in this city before, Picodevimon." The samurai said. "Who sent you here? What were your master's orders?"
"I have no master, I swear! I just wanted to come to the music festival!" The little digimon replied.
"I'll count to three. If you don't start saying the truth, I'll cut you in half!" The Demon threatened.
"I already told you-" The small digimon tried to explain.
"One." The samurai began.
"P-please, I didn't mean to-" Picodevimon's panic was increasing.
"Two." The Demon lifted the sword, preparing to attack.
"NO! PLEASE, HAVE MERCY!" The bat digimon cried, desperate.
"THREE!" The stranger yelled, lowering the blade in his direction.
"STOOOOOP!" Mimi screamed. That action broke the concentration of the samurai, who stared at the girl through the eye holes in the Oni mask. Picodevimon took that chance to escape, flying away from the warrior's reach.
Palmon let go of Piyomon and ran to her partner.
"HE'S ESCAPING!" Takeru yelled, pointing at Picodevimon. Unable to do anything, the samurai kicked some dirt and grass in frustration.
The blond boy stared at Mimi, trembling in anger.
"Why did you do that?" He inquired, raising his voice. "YOU LET THE DIGIMON WHO ATTACKED SORA-SAN RUN AWAY UNPUNISHED!"
"That digimon was begging for mercy!" Mimi tried to explain. "Didn't you hear what he said? Picodevimon did that because he was scared!"
"Mimi-kun, that's not an excuse!" Jyou reprehended the younger girl. "You can't erase someone's responsibility so easily!"
"Are you saying that I should've let him be killed in cold blood?" Mimi asked.
"The ideal outcome would be to capture him and make him give us the antidote." Koushiro gave his opinion. "His death wouldn't have helped Sora-san."
"But he deserved to die." Takeru muttered, darkly.
"I can still chase after him!" Piyomon stated. "I can drag him back and force him to save Sora!"
"There's no antidote for the poison of Picodevimon." The samurai said.
"But…" Jyou trembled in fear. "W-what can we do to help Sora-kun, then?"
"Is Sora-san going to die?" Takeru asked, terrified, as he pressed Poyomon against his body more fiercely.
"Die?" That idea paralyzed Mimi. She can't… Sora-san can't…
"There has to be something we can do! I'm not going to give up on Sora!" Piyomon roared. Despite her brave words, her small body was shaking.
"Guys…" A faint murmur came from Sora, catching everybody's attention. Piyomon approached her partner and held her hands.
"Sora!" The bird digimon said her name in a concerned tone. "Don't worry about anything! I'm going to save you!"
"Please, don't fight anymore." The fifth grader asked. "I'm sorry for worrying you… but please… you don't need to be afraid… I'm starting to feel better already…"
Koushiro diverted his eyes from the older girl. He thought that her behavior was similar to the one he had seen in her memory, when Sora was willing to play injured for the sake of her team.
Suddenly, a large and thick book with black cover slowly descended from the sky. It stopped one meter from the ground, floating in front of the children.
"Tsc!" The samurai interjected in annoyance. "That damn conman!"
"Conman?" Gomamon asked.
The book opened itself and someone emerged from the pages. The individual was wearing a magenta robe and had the head and the shoulders covered by a white veil. His yellow eyes were the only visible things in his face. He jumped from the book to the ground, landing right in front of Sora.
"Interesting." He said, looking at the girl. His voice was so high-pitched that sounded forced. "A mere human being shouldn't be alive after receiving Picodevimon's attack. Did she drink the liquid from Asclepius fountain recently?"
"Are you talking about an underground lake with healing water?" Koushiro asked. "Yes, we both did. Maybe our partners too."
"How long ago?" The newcomer made another question as he kneeled to take a closer look at Sora.
"Two days ago." Koushiro replied.
"Good, that means that she's still in the window. There's still enough liquid in her to restore her health. Your friend only needs to rest." The other said.
The children and the digimon were visibly happy to hear that. Sora too smiled in relief.
"What brings you here, Wisemon?" The samurai inquired.
"My dear child, good merchants always know where to find what they're looking for." The other replied.
"Were you looking for us?" Jyou asked, surprised.
"I was looking for you specifically, boy." The merchant explained. "I have to go to Raven's Canyon for a research. Unfortunately, I'm not suited for battle, so I thought: the new bearer of the crest of honesty could be my bodyguard in exchange of me helping him to find his crest. What do you think, Kido Jyou?"
The samurai got closer to Wisemon in a jump and pressed the katana against the other's throat.
"How do you know which of the children is the new bearer of the crest of honesty?" The warrior's tone was menacing. "The Headmaster of the Academy is the only one who should know that."
"Scary! Scary!" Wisemon sounded alarmed. "The Demon of Aurora Town is as terrifying as it's said. Unfortunately, I can't reveal my sources. You see… business policy."
The samurai did not take the sword away from the other's neck.
"Come on, kid. You've known me for a while. I've even helped you and your friends a couple of times. Do you really think that I would endanger poor innocent children?"
Wisemon's words made the warrior lower the blade.
Sora sat up with difficulty, still having her hands held by Piyomon. Mimi got closer to her to see if she was alright.
"I did say I was feeling better." The older girl calmed the others down, smiling. "I'm going to be fine, don't worry."
"It's good to hear that." Jyou said, relieved.
"Sora-san…" Mimi had an anguished tone. Sora let go of Piyomon to hold the fourth grader's hands.
"It's okay, Mimi-chan. No need to worry." The fifth grader tried to cheer the other up.
"Jyou, what are you going to do?" Gomamon questioned his partner. "Do you want to go with Wisemon to look for your crest?"
"If Sora-kun doesn't need me, I think we should go." Jyou answered.
"I'd like to bring another kid along too." Wisemon said, standing up and looking at Koushiro.
"Me?" The red-haired boy asked, surprised.
The tall digimon walked to the boy and leaned in his direction. Tentomon reacted to that and put himself between his partner and the stranger.
"Over-protective, aren't you?" The merchant laughed. "There's nothing to fear. I just think that someone knowledgeable like Koushiro would be useful in my research. He's not the bearer of the crest of purity, so there's nothing stopping him from coming, right? Obviously, you can tag along."
"Are you concerned for me, Tentomon?" Koushiro asked, timidly. A part of him had become happy with that.
"If I'm going with you, there's nothing to worry about." The insect digimon said, vaguely.
"Wait, what about us?" Mimi asked, worried.
"You'll find your crest of purity in this city, Tachikawa Mimi. I wish you all the luck in that task." Wisemon said in a confident tone. "Besides, I'm sure that Homura can protect you, isn't that right?" He asked, turning to the samurai.
That line surprised the children and their digimon.
"Wait! That's the lady Tamaki-san was talking about?!" Takeru was incredulous.
"There's a woman under that armor?!" Mimi could not believe what she had heard.
"What are you acting all worked up about?" The samurai inquired, removing the Oni mask. Her face had delicate features and the younger girl was astonished at the other's beauty.
Homura removed the gauntlet from her right hand and showed the children a gray tattoo of a cross with four triangles around it, saying: "I'm the former bearer of the crest of honesty. My name is Urobuchi Homura, pleased to meet you."
She talks so formally, Sora thought.
She's the previous owner of my crest? Jyou felt intimidated. Homura-san seems to be so strong. Am I fit to be her successor?
Mimi, on the other hand, was more focused on her own situation. I have the same crest as Tamaki-san… the crest of purity…
"Where is going to be our meeting place, after we find the crests?" Koushiro asked.
"This square is a good one. Whoever finds the crest first could wait for the others here." Takeru suggested.
"After I take you kids to my base, I can check the square regularly." Homura said.
"Then it's settled." Jyou announced. "Wisemon, how do we go to the canyon now?"
"First, you need to enter my book." The digimon told him.
"Eh?" Jyou did not sound convinced.
"We just saw him getting out of the book, Jyou." Gomamon said.
"There must be a pocket dimension inside it, like Tamaki-san's base." Koushiro theorized.
"Do we just… stand on the book and get swallowed by it?" The older boy was visibly uncomfortable with the idea. Nevertheless, he agreed to do it. Wisemon put the book on the ground and Jyou and Gomamon were the first ones to be absorbed by it, followed by Koushiro and Tentomon. After Wisemon entered the object, the book closed itself and disappeared.
"Are they really going to be okay?" Sora asked, concerned. The color was returning to her face and she felt well enough to stand up. Piyomon helped her, looking at her friend with preoccupation.
"Wisemon is an egotistic liar who'll do anything to sell his products but he has helped my group many times. I'd say that's worthy some trust." The woman gave her opinion, putting the mask and the gauntlet on again.
"Chosen children!" A voice came from the distance. Twenty meters in front of them, someone wearing a shiny armor and holding a golden sword as big as his body was approaching them in great speed. Palmon and Piyomon tensed but Homura told them that it was only a guard.
"I am Knightmon." The digimon introduced himself. "The news of your arrival have spread around Aurora Town and the Mayor requests your presence."
"The Mayor?" Mimi asked, nervously.
"You don't need to worry." The samurai told the children and their partners. "Tonosamageckomon won't lay a finger on you."
"Do we need to go?" Takeru was resistant to the idea.
"It would be a good opportunity to explain that we have no ill intentions toward the citizens." Sora said.
"Also, we could learn more about what's going on in this place." Palmon added.
They had come to an agreement and followed Knightmon.
A little far from the square, hidden in an alley, Etemon and Gazimon had observed most of the commotion caused by the children.
"It's fortunate that the chosen children didn't attack anyone." Gazimon sighed in relief.
Etemon had a serious expression. That had been the first time in his life that he had seen a human being showing mercy for a digimon that had attacked a friend. That girl with the wide-brimmed hat… what's up with her?
Away from there, Picodevimon had hidden himself in a desert garbage dump. A group of bats flew to where he was and formed a circle which transmitted a holographic image of his master.
"Vamdemon-sama!" Picodevimon made a reverence. "The chosen children have come to this city, as you anticipated."
"Did you manage to kill or gravely injure any of them?" The shadowed digimon at the other side demanded to know.
"I managed to poison one of them but I was found out. I barely escaped." Picodevimon informed, sweating.
"For your own good, I hope you don't disappoint me." Vamdemon sounded menacing. "Do you know if Etemon will participate in the music festival?"
"Huh?" Picodevimon did not expect that question. "From what I've heard, he intends to."
"Good." The master had a satisfied tone. "Everything is going according to my plans."
"What plans do you have for Etemon-sama, master?" Picodevimon was confused. "Isn't he your ally?"
"My ally?!" Vamdemon roared. "Have you still not understood that I work with no one and under no one?"
"I apologize for my ignorance, Master!" Picodevimon shrieked in terror.
Vandemon smiled maliciously, adding:
"Learn to be more careful with your words. The destiny of every soul that treats me with disrespect is to crumble under my feet."
I believe this chapter marks the true beginning for the second arc. Thank you for the reviews and the patience.