Unmei Force: Encoded Memory (Arc 2.5)

Chapter 27: Susanoomon and Erika's Past


In the real world, in Tokyo Central Hospital...

Richard returned back to the real world with Keisuke and the others, as they recently came back from their meeting with David, as they found themselves back in Erika's words.

"Well, I guess that we all learnt a new thing today." Richard stated with a simple tone. "Now that's all done, let's go and tell Erika that we're ready to find Arcadiamon and bring Ryuji back."

He then turned around, as he was going to say something to Erika. "Hey Erika, I think you've rested enough. Let's get cracking with those shiny Eater Bits of yours and-"

Before he could finish his sentence, he realised that Erika wasn't on her bed, and she left for quite a while, from how the blanket was folded and her pillow stacked on top of it.

"Huh. Must be having her treatment." Richard said, as he headed out of the ward, as they went for the treatment room, where they found a worried Wormmon watching Erika being treated.

"Erika..." Wormmon said.

"Hey Wormmon, when is Erika's treatment is going to done?" Richard asked the partnered Digimon. "We're ready to bring down Arcadiamon once and for all."

"Hey! Listen! Erika did something stupid while I was not looking!" Wormmon cried to them, as if he knew that the group were going to come to where they were. "She..."

"She did what?" Gus asked. "By the sounds of it, it's something that could endanger her health?"

Before they could continue the conversation, the treatment was completed, as Erika walked out of the room, as she was rubbing her forehead, letting out a quiet groan.

"Erika? Are you okay?" Wormmon asked frantically, as he crawled towards her at full speed.

"Yeah. I'm okay. My body feels so light." Erika responded back.

"Much lighter than before?" Antonio questioned with a bit of suspicion. "That was not the normal treatment, wasn't it?"

"Erika made the doctor give her a really strong prescription. It has a long name. I can't remember what it is, but it makes the symptoms disappear for a while, but there's no way to know when they'll come back!" Wormmon exclaimed with worry.

"So she's a walking unstable time bomb with her symptoms?" Richard asked back, before he clicked his tongue. "And we don't know when it will occur, and what will happen if it does..."

"You insisted I get treatment, Wormmon." Erika replied back. "That's exactly what I've done. You can't complain. I did it to save my brother. I was no use to him before, but this time... I will save him, no matter what!"

"Erika..." Wormmon lifted his head with a expression of belief in his partner.

"I'm quite impressed to see you this determined, Erika." Reimu said. "Don't worry, we'll make sure that you'll be able to help us."

"Thank you, Reimu, all of you." Erika thanked them all. "The Eater Bits have finally found Arcadiamon, didn't they, Wormmon? Tell me where it is."

Wormmon hesitated for a moment, before he bowed his head. "I can't..." He spoke in a strained voice. "If I tell you, you'll go."

"Yeah, that's exactly why I made the bits." Erika answered back. "So that I can ensure that I play a part in saving my brother from Arcadiamon."

"No! Stay in the hospital!" Wormmon cried. "Chitose can't go yet either! Keisuke, Richard and the others, as well as myself will go and get Arcadiamon!"

"But you can't fight or control the bits, Wormmon. How will you be able to help then?" Erika asked back in a more strict tone.

"I can! I'm a hacker! I can make it possible with your memories!" Wormmon desperately shouted to try and persuade Erika.

"Wormmon! You know that you aren't as proficient yet! If you try controlling them yourself, who knows what might happen-" Erika scolded Wormmon.

"Don't be stupid! What if you end up being attacked like in the Eater Network! I don't want you to end up hurt because of all of this!" Wormmon yelled back with a angry tone. "If you hurt yourself, then what am I supposed to do? I won't stop crying if anything happens to you!"

Wormmon then turned away, as his expression turned sad. "I know from seeing your memories. Losing your family is really sad..." Wormmon continued. "So I can't lose you... Or anyone..."

"...Then you understand why I want to save my brother." Erika answered back solemnly. "This is the only thing I can do for him, after having to let him take care of me for so long... So please, Wormmon... tell me."

Wormmon only shook his head, as Erika frowned deeply. "Whatever... I'll just find another way." Erika sighed. "Are you coming, all of you?"

"...We're going with you, Erika. If Wormmon won't tell you what the Eater Bits found..." Sanae said. "We'll help you regardless of the method you choose."

Richard and the group then turned to leave, before Wormmon was unable to stop himself from hiding the location as a secret.

"Fine! It's on the bridge to Odaiba!" Wormmon shouted out, before he then turned to Erika with a frustrated expression. "Erika, you idiot! You're so stupid! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

As Erika watched Wormmon tumble and twist in his own tantrum, Erika merely looked at Wormmon with pity-filled eyes, before Wormmon stopped rolling around.

"...But I love you too." Wormmon muttered. "I love you, but I hate you. And I hate you but I love you. It doesn't make sense and I don't know what it means. This must be a human feeling. I'm coming too. You're just too stubborn for me to let you go without me."

"You're the one being stubborn." Erika responded back.

"No, you're way more stubborn than me? You agree with me, don't you, Keisuke?" Wormmon asked the hacker boy.

"I think you're both stubborn in your own way, but that's not truly bad as it seems." Keisuke stated his opinion.

"Hehehe... I feel like I can do anything now." Erika chuckled. "Let's go! This time we'll definitely get my brother back... and Hudie! And before I forget..."

Erika then walked over to Wormmon, as she cuddled him gently. "Thank you for telling me what you feel about me, Wormmon." Erika spoke in a grateful tone. "What you're feeling is the kind of love that I have yearned, someone that you would still love even if they have done stupid things. Just like my brother..."

Wormmon was touched by Erika's words, as tears began to leak from his eyes, as he let out a long high-pitched cry. Sanae only smiled at how adorable and heart-warming the scene was, while Gus was happy that Erika and Wormmon were getting yet closer together, while Richard nodded for the same reason as well.

The two of them separated, as Erika summoned her personal Eater Bits to her side, as they floated around her.

The entire group then made for the Odaiba bridge, as they had to continue fighting off hordes of wild Digimon on their way. When they arrived at the bridge, they saw that the roads were blockaded by police cars, as police officers were patrolling the area for any signs of suspicious activity.

"Where's... Where's Arcadiamon!?" Erika cried. "It's supposed to be here!"

Before anyone could answer the question, they heard a low-pitched siren-like sound, as they turned to it, where they come face-to-face with their target. Arcadiamon was now a large alien behemoth of a Digimon, as it seemed to look like a skirted-suit of sickly teal knight-like armour with small sharp shoulderpads, and two massive straight horns protruding from its back. From under the armour, purple root-like tentacles wriggled and swayed like thousands of giant worms, and it's head had a Y-visor helmet, where a red glow was seen inside of it, and two curled horns on the side of its head. It was as tall as the bridge on its highest point, as everyone stared up at the gigantic Digimon.

"The hell...!? That thing is just as big as the Time Eater!" Antonio cried. "Hell, it's even bigger than Trillion!"

"So this is Arcadiamon's ultimate form...?" Keisuke asked himself, before he grit his teeth, determined to win. "Even if this is what I must fight, I won't back down."

"Are we really going to fight a Digimon that big!?" Wormmon cried in horror, seeing Arcadiamon's full stature.

"No choice... We can't let it do any more damage to the real world like this..." Richard growled.

"Hey! You there! It's not safe here! Leave at once!" Date cried, as she ran towards the group, before she then stopped, gasping when she saw who the group was. "You... You're Hudie Hackers! And Ryuji's sister! What are you all doing here? This area is restricted!"

Arcadiamon let out a roar that shook the bridge, as it caused the blockade of cars to vibrate, surprising a few of the police officers.

"Inspector! It's too dangerous! We have to get out of here!" A police officer yelled to Date.

"Damn! We're not equipped to handle this kind of situation!" Date cursed under her breath, before the group immediately shot past her. "Hey! All of you! Don't take another step!"

The group immediately come face-to-face with Arcadiamon.

"Everyone... Please... save my brother!" Erika pleaded to everyone.

Everyone immediately summoned their Digimon, as they all beheld the monster before them.

"So this is finally a battle where the David and Goliath parable comes into play..." Kuro said. "Damn... It's quite big for a Digimon."

"Such size and power... But even so, we have to prevail together." Sun added, as he readied his blade.

"Where should I attack? What should I do? This thing is so big that I don't know where to hit? Maybe start with the head?" Bolt asked himself, as he tried to decide his course of action.

"A gigantic demon... Fitting for its identity." Ran spoke in a hostile tone, as she brandished her brush. "I will not allow it to run amok and take more lives."

"Woah, that's a really big one! But as long as I have Sanae supporting me, and everyone else fighting with us! We'll win!" Aya said.

"Well now, that size compensating for something?" Adam joked, as he summoned his twin guns into his hands. "Well, you know what they say. The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

"Everyone, gather your attacks together. We have to make this count." Richard ordered his teammates.

"Right!" Everyone responded back in unison, as their Digimon also acknowledged the order.

The group immediately attacked Arcadiamon, as they targeted various parts of its body. Kuro aimed for the head, Sun and Bolt aimed for its shoulders, Ran and Aya aimed for the lower half of the Digimon, while Adam was aiming for the muscular joint connecting the two armoured halves together. Attacking relentlessly, their attacks seemed to be powerful enough to slowly wear down Arcadiamon, although each of their attacks were repelled or dispelled by a invisible barrier protecting the massive Digimon.

"What the... It's shielded itself!?" Richard cried. "This isn't good! Everyone, stop attacking and maintain defence! Find a way to make it lower its guard somehow!"

The Digimon immediately went into a more defensive stance, as Kuro used his own body to protect the weaker members of the group, as Arcadiamon attacked back with the very same ferocity they did, firing off orbs of dark energy that exploded from impact by the dozen, and a salvo of purple shells that bombarded the group.

"What the hell... How long is it going to keep this up for!?" Antonio cried, as Bolt fired a counter back, only to be negated by the enemy's barrier, which is still up. "It still hasn't been weakened yet!"

Suddenly, Arcadiamon roared, before its body began to glow slowly, as Richard immediately paled when he realised what it was going to do.

"Everyone, brace yourself! It's going to unleash its most powerful move!" Richard screamed to everyone.

The Digimon partners immediately entered a guarded stance, as Arcadiamon's glow soon coalescence into a massive blue cross of energy, that was fired into the centre of the group, as it exploded into a massive blue explosion of digital energy, as binary numbers could be seen in the explosion. The cries of pain from the Digimon partners proved that even defended, the attack was powerful enough to damage them significantly. As the explosion subsided, Aya and Ran were already forced to the ground, as Ran was kneeling, using her brush to support her, and Aya's wings were furled onto her back, as she was too weak to take flight at the moment. The only ones that were still able to fight were Kuro, who was still able to fight properly, Sun and Bolt, who were barely able to keep themselves at the same condition, Keisuke's HerculesKabuterimon, which was actually not as injured as the rest of them, and Adam, who was still clinging on due to his sheer will to fight on.

"Ungh... That really... hurt...!" Sun groaned.

"It's really hurting our Digimon, and our attacks aren't doing anything! What do we do!?" Wormmon cried in fright.

Erika took a close look at Arcadiamon, as she could see that the barrier was maintained by digital coding, as he immediately summoned up her user interface, as her Eater Bits immediately rose up into the skies, before they glowed with blue energy with trails of digital binary coding, as they were absorbed through the barrier, as they latched onto Arcadiamon's body, before they let out a energy burst that disrupted the barrier around Arcadiamon.

"Yeah! It's barrier is down!" Wormmon cheered, seeing the situation turn for the better.

"That should help you all to win..." Erika said, before she then clutched her head. "...Ungh..."

"Erika?" Wormmon asked, worried that her illness could be returning.

"The rest is up to you! I know you can win!" Erika encouraged them.

"Then it's time to pull out the big guns." Richard said, before he then turned to Gus and Antonio. "You two, I want you to listen to me. Point your Digivices to each other. Trust me, we have to do this before either Sun or Bolt is defeated."

Gus and Antonio, was about to ask why Richard was suddenly asking for them to follow what he was ordering specifically, before they stopped themselves, and immediately pointed their Digivices at each other. When they did so, their screens lit up.

'DNA Digivolution possible. Fused Digimon: EmperorGreyMon, MagnaGarurumon. Product: Susanoomon. Confirm?' Their screens read.

"Richard... What is this?" Gus asked Richard, seeing the message. "Is this...!?"

"Go on, it's time Hudie meets its second Ultra-Level." Richard encouraged them with a smile, before he turned to Kuro. "Kuro! Make sure Arcadiamon doesn't interfere! Use Supreme Cannon to stun it as much as possible!"

"Got that!" Kuro replied back, as he aimed his wolf-gauntlet at Arcadiamon, as he flew around, avoiding Arcadiamon's attacks, while firing off blue beams of power to penetrate through his armour.

"Now! Confirm it! Show them the power of the true lord of the Hybrid Spirits!" Richard cried to Gus and Antonio.

"Richard... Very well, we'll have it done!" Gus cried back.

"I'm pumped to see what this is going to lead to!" Antonio smiled with energy.

They both pressed to confirm the Digivolution, as they raised their Digivices up.

"Sun!/Bolt!" They called together. "DNA DIGIVOLVE!"

(For best immersion, play The Last Element from Digimon Frontier.)

As the Digivolution command was accepted, their screens immediately glowed white, as Gus's Digivice turned orange-red, with the glowing kanji of fire on the screen, and Antonio's Digivice turned pure-white, with the blue-white kanji of light appearing on it. From both of their Digivices, a beam of light shot forth from the top of them, as the two data streamed merged into a clear-coloured ball of energy.

Sun and Bolt immediately Dedigivolved into their Agumon and Gabumon forms, as a ring of the Human Spirits appeared around Sun, while a ring of the Beast Spirits appeared around Bolt. The two Digimon were soon drawn into the ball of light, that then contracted itself slowly, before then exploding a rainbow nova of energy.

Inside of it, a glowing humanoid figure appeared, as various parts from their EmperorGreymon and MagnaGarurumon forms appeared, in the form of gauntlets and armour parts. Eventually, the parts merged together with the new being, as the form soon turned into a entirely new Digimon, with the combined parts of Sun and Bolt's previous forms. It had Bolt's legs with Sun's red cuirasses on each individual leg, and its upper body had Sun's chest armour and gauntlets, as the heads of their prior forms appeared on top of them. It's shoulder-guards were large flaming crown-like guards with a clear pearl on the centre of each of them. It also had twin long golden ribbons down its back. Attached behind its shoulder was a golden sun symbol that glowed with golden energy. Its head was a white mask with red spiked marks on its cheeks, and a azure-blue helmet that is not much different to that of a Japanese Daimyo's, with golden horns on the centre of the forehead, with a blue circle where the two intersect, as the kanji for heaven appeared on it in gold, and a silver visor for its eyes.

The new being opened its blue eyes, as they blazed with indomitable spirit inside of them, having been reborn with such power.

"I am Susanoomon, inheritor of the Ten Legendary Ancient Spirits." The being spoke in a voice that seemed to be a fusion between Sun's and Bolt's voices, as they overlapped each other. "The bringer of light, the one who brings order. I have been called upon to answer the cries of two warriors who have been proven worthy as my successors, and so, I descend onto the world, to purge the chaos that plagues the world!"

"What... What is this?" Keisuke asked Richard.

"Only the strongest of the Oriental God-Man Digimon." Richard smiled. "I never thought that it would succeed. As much as I despise playing god, by creating a artificial being that is akin to Susanoomon, I must borrow his power. My only hope is that he will not be spited by such action. That is, unless... judging by his words, this is THE Susanoomon."

"Sun?" Gus asked, surprised at the transformation, as Antonio asked "Bolt?"

"Sun? Bolt?" Susanoomon turned to Gus and Antonio, as he gave them a welcoming look. "So I see. That is how you have come to summon upon me. Worry not. I am both, yet I am neither. They are utilising the body as I am, and their power is what fuels this vessel of mine. For what you have done, Gus and Antonio, I will fight by your side, as it is the will of our partners to do so. Such noble and pure hearts are rarely seen, and I will do what I must to protect them."

"Sun.. No, Susanoomon." Gus asked Susanoomon. "I plead that you help us defeat Arcadiamon. It has absorbed our friend, and gained insurmountable power by absorbing countless Digimon, while wreaking havoc in both EDEN and the real world."

"There is no need to plead, young tamer." Susanoomon assured Gus with a nod. "It is my duty to give my power to those who would fight for the sake of all others."

Susanoomon then turned to Kuro. "I see that you're a being born from the darkness of the Digital World. Your body radiates with the same dark energy that has created you." He spoke in a calm tone.

"So...? What is your meaning then, Susanoomon?" Kuro asked back in a cold tone. "Are you saying that you share hostility to you?"

"No. I bear no hatred nor disgust to you. I am merely relieved that you are a being of darkness not consumed by the corruption that lies within their soul." Susanoomon answered back in a peaceful manner. "I remember how the purified Spirits of Darkness have felt within myself, compared to when they were corrupted in the hands of Kerpymon."

"That so...?" Kuro responded back, as he went into silence. "Then what are you then? You said that you're Sun and Bolt at the same time, but you're also not, since you're the third consciousness inside this body. Who is really in control of you then?"

"All of us." Susanoomon answered back. "It is because our wills are one, that we are able to control this mighty form of ours. Perhaps... Perhaps I should take a name like your friends have for your companions. The dragon of the sun, the wolf of the moon... Together they forge the eclipse of the gods, so let me name be... Eclipse."

"Very well, Eclipse." Kuro said, before he turned to Arcadiamon, which was about to recover from the damage it received from Erika's surprise attack. "Let's finish this damned thing off, together."

"I am happy to stand alongside you, my ally." Eclipse answered back, as he then reached his hands out, as parts of EmperorGreymon's, and MagnaGarurumon's weapons appeared, as they merged together into a large cannon with the rifle muzzle of MagnaGarurumon's cannon, and the hilt of EmperorGreymon's sword as the handle. "I shall bring an end of the tyranny of this accursed Digimon, who seeks to consume all life. Heaven's Thunder!"

He then fired off a golden blast from the weapon, which shot into the skies, before a large swirling vortex of golden energy appeared above it, as thunderbolts of the same colour rained down on Arcadiamon, as it was hit almost everywhere, as the armour twisted and burned under the force of the attack.

"Don't think that you're getting all the credit for this, Eclipse!" Kuro exclaimed, as he raised his wolf gauntlet up. "Now that this thing no longer has its shields, let's see if it likes a shot to the head with a Supreme Cannon! Richard, patch me up a little!"

"You don't have to repeat twice!" Richard cried back, as he immediately applied a SP Capsule A, which was a azure-blue capsule of energy that restored Kuro's energy. "Go and get them!"

Kuro then fired off a series of blue laser blasts that pierced through Arcadiamon's body, weakening it further, as it tried to retailiate back with its own attacks, only for them to be either dodged or blocked.

As the battle went on, Arcadiamon tried to fire off its special move again and again, only to be interrupted by either Kuro driving his blade through its head, which still didn't kill it, but still severely weakened it and disrupted its attempt to attack, or Susanoomon firing off a burst from his cannon that hit the gathering ball of energy and destroyed it before it could reach critical mass. Eventually, Arcadiamon was too weak to even fight back, as its body was barely hanging together, as the root-like tentacles were severed from the endless barrage of attacks, and its armour was almost completely destroyed, save for the head, where its helmet was cracked enough that the red orb of energy that was its brain could be seen underneath it.

"I guess we've got it on the ropes." Kuro stated with a triumphant tone, as he drew his blade out. "It's time to end this freakshow once and for all."

"Indeed." Eclipse answered back, as his visor lowered down over his eyes, as the eyes and mouths of the cannon lit up with energy, before a massive long blade of light appeared from the mouth of the cannon. As their blades were out, they felt something resonating within them, specifically, their own weapons, the blades. "What... What is this feeling?"

"I feel... like that our power are coming together, Eclipse... I don't know what's going to happen, but we have to unleash this power swelling within us!" Kuro cried.

They then arced their blades back, as their blades shone even more brightly than before.

"DIVINE CROSS!" Kuro and Eclipse declared at the same time, as their slashes crossed over each other, as they formed a massive X-shaped blade wave that glowed with a rainbow energy, as it shot right through Arcadiamon, as it immediately seized up, as a massive cross-scar that was glowing with rainbow energy appeared on its entire body.

It then let out a guttural death cry, as a large light appeared where the final blow was struck, as it grew bigger and brighter, before it then exploded into a massive burst of digital data and white light, which caused everyone to cover their eyes, except Susanoomon, whose eyes were guarded by his visor.

As the light subsided, they saw Ryuji's Coredramon carrying his partner in his arms, flying down and placing Ryuji on the ground, before falling onto his knees.

"Ryuji!" Erika cried, as she immediately ran over to Ryuji, as she and Coredramon, pulled him into a sitting position.

Kuro and Susanoomon immediately dispelled or sheathed their weapons, as they turned back to the group, as they landed down on the bridge where their partners and the rest of the Digimon were. Ran looked at Susanoomon with reverent eyes, as she struggled to look up at him.

"Lord... Susanoomon?" Ran asked back.

"Ah, you must be the one who seeks to become Sakuyamon." Eclipse responded back. "I ask that you take care of your own partner, for she is as precious to you, as I am to you, for she is the one who grants you the power to allow you become yet stronger beyond your limits. Do not forget that."

"I... I understand. I have never doubted or mistrusted my holy maiden, Lord Susanoomon." Ran spoke in a respectful tone. "All I ask is that you forgive me for being so lax that I could not be in my most ideal form when you have come to this realm."

"You are forgiven." Eclipse told Ran, who immediately bowed deeply to apologise. He then turned to the tamer group. "Now then, as much as I am overjoyed to attain my physical form once again, I understand that this vessel is merely temporary, is it not?"

"It is..." Richard answered back. "I'm sorry, but we don't want Sun and Bolt to be permanently locked within one body."

"That is fine." Eclipse answered back with a understanding tone. "True power does not merely just lie on the reliance of those stronger than you. It is also conquering your limits and learning what the true meaning of power and strength is to you. I will remain by your side, and I will come when you call upon me. Whether it is to query about my own identity or to have me assist in the most dire of your times. Until then, I bid you farewell, courageous warriors of both Digimon and tamers."

Eclipse then glowed, before the light split into two, reverting them back into Sun and Bolt, who both seemed to be enlightened by the experience, by the look in their eyes.

"So this is... what a god looks like... and feels like." Sun spoke in a soft tone. "When our minds merged, we have come to understand all there is about the Ancient Spirits... And so much, much more.."

"I feel like that there is so much more I have learnt, and even more that I want to know..." Bolt also stated. "But... I can't let this knowledge get the better of me, or we'll lose sight of what we are."

Gus and Antonio immediately hugged their partners.

"I'm so glad that you're alright, Sun." Gus answered back.

"You too, Bolt." Antonio told his partner, smiling a little at how his partner seemed to have been reborn in a metaphorical sense.

Ryuji then woke up, as he groaned, as everyone turned to him, and surrounded him from all sides.

"Brother!" Erika exclaimed, before she then tackled Ryuji into a hug, as she teared up with a smile. "I miss you. Welcome back..."

"E... Erika..." Ryuji muttered, before he hugged her tightly, as he smiled. "I'm sorry... for everything."

Date then suddenly ran into the scene, as she was completely livid.

"There you all are! I've been looking for you!" Date growled, before she noticed Ryuji. "What? Is that Ryuji?"

"Don't worry, he's not controlled anymore, Date." Richard assured Date. "He's a little injured, but he's OK otherwise."

"A little hurt!?" Date screeched, before she immediately rushed up to Ryuji, as Erika let go of him, as Date immediately slung his arm over her shoulders. "I'll get you to an ambulance, Ryuji."

She then turned to the group, who withdrew their Digimon partners before Date could talk to them again. "This time, do as I say and come with me! Otherwise I won't hesitate to arrest you all for running from a police officer! You can explain everything later!"

She then walked towards the end of the bridge, as everyone followed her, as Erika was limping towards them, as Wormmon was sitting on Keisuke's back.

"We... did it." Erika smiled, before she then fell to the ground, completely unconscious, as the sound caused Richard and Keisuke to turn around.

"Erika!?" Wormmon cried in shock.

"Wait, if she's unconscious, and those Eater Bits were under her control... Then that means..." Keisuke said, before he paled. "No..."

The Eater Bits immediately turned around, as they swarmed Erika, before they clustered all over her, as digital sparks and data leaked from her, before they immediately merged into a large floating tentacled being, that had Erika by the head in its body, as her body dangled under it. Everyone, who heard the commotion turned around, and were surprised by the sight of what they saw.

"What... What the hell is that!?" Sanae screamed at the sight.

The floating Eater being immediately floated away into the skies, as Wormmon immediately hopped off, as he waved his short legs at it. "Hey! Leave her alone!" He cried.

"Erika!" Ryuji shouted.

"Hey, take it easy!" Date warned Ryuji.

"Damnit, the Eater Bits went rogue when Erika lost control with her consciousness!" Richard shouted. "If this continues on... She'll... she'll be assimilated!"

"I can't get through to her... no, no, NO!" Wormmon shrieked, as he tried to get through to Erika's digital self. "What can I do!?"

"Calm down! You're the Vanguard!" Reimu shouted with force to make the Digimon stop squirming and screaming, as Wormmon did so when he heard her. "You should know what to do now!"

"You're right... I'm a member of Hudie after all!" Wormmon said. "First, we need to check up on Erika. By that, I mean her memory server. If we can access it, maybe we can make contact with her even though she's being assimilated."

"Then that's where we're going." Keisuke said, before he turned to Date. "Take care of Ryuji. We have to save Erika!"

"What do you mean. Where are you going!?" Date said.

"To the memory server in EDEN" Richard answered back with a growl. "And don't try to stop us. Her life is more valuable than being arrested by police, and I will knock you aside if I have to get there! So DON'T!"

The group immediately made for Erika's ward, where they logged into EDEN without a moment of delay, heading for the URL to Erika's Memory server.


Inside Erika's Memory Server...

Everyone arrived at the memory server, which were swarmed by Eaters, although they were quite small compared to the ones that are usually encountered.

"Whoa! The whole place is crawling with Eaters!" Wormmon screeched with fright. "It must be because they've assimilated Erika? I can't get through to her here!"

"Then we'll have to dive back into her memories!" Gus said. "And hurry, before the Eaters turn their attention to us!"

Everyone rushed towards the terminal, as they interfaced with it, whisking them into the first layer of Erika's memory-scape, where the space scene was. This time, they could hear Erika's whispers all around them, as many of them were interfaced over each other.

"What the... Is Erika's memories becoming more... active somehow?" Antonio asked.

They continued on, as they teleported down into the memory of the bedroom, as they continued on, where they found no Eaters in their way.

"Strange... There are no Eaters around here..." Keisuke said, as they reached the teleportation pad, as it was there in place of the program terminal they last saw.

"This is where we stopped looking, Keisuke..." Richard stated. "I don't think that things would look as peaceful and kind as we just saw before in her memories. Are you sure you're ready to dive in? There will be some memories that she does not want to remember again, and it will be quite heart-breaking to see them."

"I must... We have to save Erika." Keisuke answered back with bravery in his voice.

"If you say so..." Richard said, as they stepped on the teleportation pad, as they shifted to the next layer of memories, as they passed, they saw the cartoony Erika wake up on her bed, as she went through her morning routine in a series of scenes, with her mother who was a opaque shadow with only her smiling mouth visible.

She was brushing Erika's hair, who was rubbing her eyes with a long yawn, and Memetan on her lap, before she then got her shoes on. She then walked with her mother and father, whose head was shadowed over, before she was in a car, looking out of her window, and seeing the city-scape in front of her with a wide smile. Suddenly the image flashed, as the background turned bloody red, as her figure turned into a black silhouette, as cracks appeared on the scenes, before she was seen falling head-down, with various broken and fractured parts of the car floating around her, glass, metal, plastic, rubber was seen surround her. Soon enough, her figure turned into a torn Memetan with stitches all over it, and white cotton leaking from them.

Everyone immediately landed on another set of platforms, as everyone except Richard were shocked by the sudden grim twist of her memories' atmosphere, into a more dark and hopeless one.

"What... What is that? And why do I feel so... horrified?" Elma asked.

"That... is her memory of the car accident. The accident that has left her with the illness that plagues her, and the one that took the lives of her parents." Richard said in a grim tone. "See what I mean? Things turn out to be far less pretty than they look."

Keisuke could only look at the scene with shocked silence, before he then turned around and continued down the path, as the others followed him to another teleportation pad, which they took.

The next memory they saw on their way to the next layer, was the torn Memetan Doll that was Erika, inside a hospital room, as time lapsed, while various shadowed people appeared, some doctors, some visitors. As time passed again and again, the flower pot that used to be filled with fresh flowers wilted away, and the room got darker and darker, until the computer screen of the laptop on the side of her bed glowed brighter and brighter, as the Memetan doll looked at it.

Everyone felt that they have landed on the ground, as Keisuke could only clench his fists, as he fought back the urge to cry about how unfair Erika's life was.

"Tell me, Keisuke..." Richard asked Keisuke in a melancholic tone. "Have you ever felt despair? The kind that makes you resign to the cruel fate dealt to you, the very one that you cannot struggle against no matter what happens or how you try to overturn it? Have you ever felt that you were losing everything while you couldn't even be able to lift a finger to prevent it? That was how Erika felt.. during her time in the hospital. She was suffering without any cure to her misery and pain, and her world was slowly falling apart... But... you forget that there's a world that she can rely on."

Everyone continued on in silence, as they made their way to the next teleportation pad, as they teleported into another layer of memories. As they did, they saw that the screen began to shine with golden light, as the Memetan doll was being shone upon with a light blue-background of pixels and fractals, as the Memetan doll flickered and weaved a few times, before Erika's form was in its place. Soon, it showed a digitised Koromon being converted into a actual one with pink energy and a few twisted motions, as it bounced up and down to somewhere, as Erika followed after it like Alice after the White Rabbit, with each of her steps on the golden ground leaving behind pink ripples, like Koromon. Eventually, she stopped, as she found a Tanemon, which was smiling at her. The scene then transistioned to one where Erika was sitting down with a smile, as the pink polygon trees swayed behind her, and the Koromon and Tanemon were jumping around her lively.

"EDEN is where she can be happy again." Richard answered back. "They say EDEN is where people can 'find happiness in a new life'. To others, it is a mere metaphor or advertising slogan. But to someone who has little left in the real world... It is the one solid truth that she can rely on. She met the Digimon, and she felt like that she was given a new life to savour till the end."

They continued down the passage, as Richard's expression began to turn a little more dark than before.

"But... will such things last?" Richard asked. "EDEN is not too much different to the real world."

"What do you mean?" Keisuke asked back.

Richard didn't answer, as they hopped onto the next teleportation pad, down into another layer in her memory-scape. The bloody-red background appeared, as the fractures could be seen, as it flashed between various tints of the scene and the bloody-red cracked background, as Erika's silhouette was white, and the Digimons' own ones could not be seen. Suddenly, the screen shattered into tinted red glass shards, as a crying Erika was running through the flying field of shards, as the Koromon and Tanemon were struck by an unknown force, leaking white bubbles from their wounds, before they saw the torn Memetan doll come apart with the white cotton flowing out of its separated parts. Soon, Erika was clutching her head, as sharp blue claws was surrounding her, as they clenched and grappled at her, threatening to harm her.

Soon, in front of her, a large white door slowly opened, as a white arm reached out from it, reaching towards Erika, who ran towards it, as the sketched Erika figure reached her hand out to touch the hand, as they clasped their fingers together, as the scene faded to white.

Everyone didn't dare to speak, not even Richard, who was touched by the scene.

Wormmon then hopped down, as he looked around. "This place looks clear." He said, before he noticed a Eater. "Ah! There's a Eater here, too! Take it out! We have to protect this area!"

Soon enough, several Eaters appeared with the one spotted by Wormmon, as they advanced at the group.

"You won't touch a single part of her memories." Richard growled, as he summoned Kuro from his Digivice. "They are her happiness and her hope. You who takes those away... I won't let that happen!"

Kuro immediately attacked the Eaters, as Keisuke summoned HerculesKabuterimon, who helped to quickly defeat the Eaters. Eventually, the memory-scape was clear of Eaters.

"That Eater must have been trying to assimilate that memory. We stopped it before it could finish." Wormmon stated. "What a relief... More Eaters could be on their way! We need to make contact with Erika as soon as possible!"

He then turned to Erika, whose digital shadow appeared in front of them.

"Erika! Erika, can you hear me?" Wormmon asked Erika.

"Wormmon!?" Erika's voice could be heard from it, surprised.

"Great! You're okay! I'm accessing you through your memory server!" Wormmon exclaimed with relief in his voice.

"I wouldn't say that I'm okay. The Eater that assimilated me is on a rampage. I think it's trying to go to the Digital World." Erika answered back. "What can I do? It's my fault. My mental data has done this to it! It's me...!"

"Don't say that! We can still stop this!" Richard shouted. "We can help! Where is it now?"

"I'm not sure now, but it's probably heading to the junction between EDEN and the Digtial World. Junk Plaza... It's the only way to get to the Mother Eater!" Erika said. "But the Eater has too much data volume! If it tries to get through, then EDEN will be-!"

Suddenly the digital shadow began to flicker, as Erika's voice became more and more garbled, becoming incomprehensible.

"Erika? Erika!?" Wormmon cried. "I can't hear you! Erika!"

Suddenly, the digital shadow disappeared, as Wormmon began to sweat coldly.

"I lost the connection! The Eaters have thrown the Digital Waves into chaos!" Wormmon cried with fear. "Erika said they're on a rampage and that it's her fault. What does she mean?"

Another digital shadow of Erika appeared, as everyone turned to it.

"Is that another of Erika's memories?" Wormmon questioned.

Keisuke was about to move in to interface with it, before Richard stopped him with an arm out.

"Let me. I need to see this for myself." Richard told Keisuke, before he then plunged his hand into the digital shadow, as he was transferred into Erika's memory.


A memory of Erika's...

"So tell me more details. Then maybe I'll believe you, Wormmon." Erika said, as she was sitting in front of the monitor, with Wormmon in a window.

"Okay! Where should I start?" Wormmon cheerfully agreed.

"Hehe... well, what is the beach of links like?" Erika asked back with a chuckle.

"Ah, the beach of links. All sorts of things get washed up from the electromagnetic sea. Strange looking boxes, and sometimes buildings." Wormmon told her. "Near the beach is a forest that stretches to a valley of buildings. In the forest, there's..."

Erika had a unamused expression on her face, as she had her hand under her chin clasped together.

"It looks like you don't believe a word I'm saying! I'm describing it as best as I can!" Wormmon huffed.

"The more you describe it, the more unbelievable it sounds." Erika answered back. "But... If there really is a place like that, I want to go and see it."

"Then let's go! Come to the Digital World with me, I mean. Hudie is a hacker team, right?" Wormmon responded back. "Imagine how awesome it would be if such an amazing hacker team went to the Digital World!"

"Even if I wanted to go, no one knows where it is." Erika refuted.

"We just haven't found the way back yet, but I'm sure we'll find it one day!" Wormmon denied, before he closed his eyes with a happy face. "The Digital World really does exist, after all!"

"...It sure would be great if we could find it." Erika sighed back.

"Yeah! And then I can show you around!" Wormmon cheered. "And if a scary Digimon shows up, you'll protect me, won't you?"

"So that's why you want me to go with you." Erika realised, before she then burst into laughter, as Wormmon was hurt by her laughter, before the scene then faded away, until Erika was alone.

"It would be amazing if I really could do that one day..." Erika said to herself. "Going to an unknown world, seeing things no one's ever seen before, meeting new people... I haven't even fully come to grips with this world yet, but I'd still love to go on an adventure in the Digital World. Now I really want to go there..."

Suddenly the memory shimmered, as it changed into the digital shadow.

"I can't go..." The shadow spoke back in a grief-filled tone. "I can't even mention such things. After everything I've put my brother through. I have no right to talk this way... An adventure in the Digital World... Seeing new things... I shouldn't say things like that. Because I... I..."

The shadow cried with tears flowing down her cheeks. "Because... I don't want to leave Richard and Keisuke, after all they have done for me and Hudie..."


In Erika's memory-scape...

Richard regained consciousness, as he turned to the others, as he sighed.

"I finally understand what she meant... The Eater took upon her dream to go to the Digital World, when her actual thoughts were that she didn't want to go." Richard explained. "I pity the Eater, who didn't have any purpose other than to gather data. So it took Erika's dream as a new-found purpose..."

Everyone nodded in response, before they heard sirens around the entire cyberspace.

"What? Something's not right!" Wormmon cried, as he summoned up his own miniature user interface. "The server, it's being eroded! Nooo!"

"Get out of here!" Erika's voice rang through the server.

"Erika!?" Keisuke cried, before everyone was forced to log-out of the server.


In the real world...

Everyone were back in Erika's ward, as the desktop was back in the Hudie site, with a message on their screens.

'User has been forced to log-out. Unable to access EDEN.' The message read.

"Tch... I guess the Eaters really did it..." Richard cursed. "We won't be able to get into EDEN like this, to save Erika..."

Keisuke turned to Wormmon, who was curled up on the bed, as he was quivering.

"It was Erika. She saved us..." Wormmon whimpered. "What can we do now? This is bad... You heard what she said before we were forced to log-out. EDEN... It's been eroded by the Eaters!"

"No..." Elma stated with despair. "Then that means... Erika... she's... all alone?"

"We have to find Ryuji and Chitose! They might be able to help!" Gus said.

Everyone left the room, where they found Ryuji and Chitose talking to each other, as Wormmon was sprinting on his legs as fast as he could.

"Ryuji... Chitose... Something has happened!" Antonio cried to them.

"Erika... She's trapped in EDEN, and it has been eroded by the Eaters!" Wormmon added.

"What!?" Chitose cried, before he pulled out his phone, as he tried to access EDEN, only to fail. "Damn... I can't log in! I've never seen such a major error in EDEN. I don't get it, what happened!?"

"The rampaging Eater Bits assimilated Erika and changed into something different." Wormmon tried to explain as clearly as he could. "I'll call them the 'Eater Legion' for now. It's been eroding EDEN in a attempt to reach the Digital World, by trying to get through the passage we made to the Mother Eater in Junk Plaza. That's what caused the error... We only managed to get out safely, because Erika forced us to log-out before it could get to us."

"And by the looks of it. There's no sign that the number of EDEN Syndrome patients have increased." Chitose added his opinion. "Maybe she saved all the other users as well. I hate to say this, but she needs to think about herself sometimes!"

He then noticed Ryuji, who was limping towards the hospital's exit. "Ryuji, what are you doing!?" He demanded.

"I've made up my mind. I'm going to save Erika!" Ryuji roared back. "Don't try to stop me! I'm responsible for what's happened to her! Even so, she risked her life to save me! I'm not going to rescue her, but I have to apologise to her myself!"

"And if you get yourself killed in the process!? Just think for a second! You're just as stubborn as your sister!" Chitose said.

"No, Chitose... We have to do this together...' Richard answered back. "Remember that a hacker always repay his debts!"

"This isn't the time for showing off! Ryuji's in no shape to command his partner around to fight!" Chitose replied back, before he let out a cry of frustration. "Argh! Whatever! Have it your way then! You all make me so mad! You all coming!? There's no time to waste!"

Everyone nodded, as Reimu and Sanae helped support Ryuji on their shoulders.

"Since we're all back together, without Erika..." Chitose told everyone. "We'll make our strategy meeting while we move."

"Keisuke, Richard. Since you two have been keeping the team together and well during these times, you two will be in charge." Ryuji told Richard and Keisuke. "We want you to be the leaders for now."

"Roger that. We'll take care of this." Richard responded back with a quick nod. "Let the others fight for you. Don't do anything stupid. I'm using my new authority to enforce that rule on you."

"Fine." Ryuji answered back.

"Wait!" Fei cried, as she seemed to have recovered from her injuries, as her sling was gone, and her bandage was much smaller before on her head. "Where are you all going!?"

"We're going to save Erika. You must have seen us save Ryuji." Keisuke answered back. "Erika has been assimilated by a Eater, and it has been eroding EDEN! We have to find a way to access it."

"So that's why I couldn't log into EDEN." Fei clicked her tongue. "This is indeed a massive problem, if the Eaters there are left unchecked."

"We need to contact Yuuko. She might have a way to help us." Chitose told Fei.

"She's not there." Fei shook her head. "She's out fighting, to save the world, with those kids."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Chitose asked back.

"It's something that they must do on their own." Richard explained, as he was aware of what David and the others are doing at this moment. "They have their duty to save EDEN, as we do. I believe that they are taking out one of the threats, while we take on the other."

"I see..." Ryuji responded back with a slow nod.

"I'll help you all out instead." Fei suggested. "If you're trying to log back into EDEN, and eliminate that Eater causing EDEN's erosion, everything will go back to normal, right?"

"That's what we hope." Ryuji answered back.

"I have no reason to doubt that." Fei said, before she then placed her hand on her chin. "Hm.. Perhaps there's a way to access EDEN, even when the log-in system has been eroded as well. The underground laboratory at the Metropolitan Building in Roppongi... There's a login machine there. It was specially made by Rie Kishibe, built differently from the devices that use normal login authorisation, so that Yuuko could log into EDEN as Yuugo. If there's any hope, that machine is the key to it. But I warn you, it's not a nice place, and bad things has happened to Yuuko when she was in there before the Digital Shift. Be careful of what you face in there."

"Thanks for the heads up." Antonio thanked Fei with a smile.

"Don't get me wrong. This doesn't make up for the trouble your leader has caused for us." Fei replied, as she glared at Ryuji intensely with some animosity. "I'm just worried about what would happen to you all, since you've been helping us all this time. It would be a shame to lose someone who would help Yuugo for so long."

"That's okay with you, leader!? If there is a chance it'll work, we have to try!" Chitose told Keisuke.

"Sure. But how do we get there?" Keisuke asked.

"By the Nakano Underpass. The Defence Force surrounded the building, under the rumours and reports that dire things have been happening inside the building." Fei answered his question quickly. "There will be guards inside the laboratory as well, so try to deal with them before you go logging in."

Everyone nodded, as Fei stepped aside. "Good luck, you're all going to need it." Fei sent them off with some final advice to them.

As they immediately headed for the Nakano Underpass, Richard thought to himself.

'David... Wherever you are... You better not fuck up bringing down the Mother Eater and Suedou... Otherwise things will get more difficult on our side of things!' Richard thought to himself. 'It's up to you to take care of the Eaters, while we save EDEN. To each their own, just like the two heroes who walk different paths, but walk the same scenery...'