Chapter 13: Shigure 時雨

Everything had its price. Though it was something you intuitively knew, Mamoru was only now coming to understand its full implications. At first, it seemed like his DigiDestined responsibilities cost him time and energy—things in ample supply for a student. While frustrating, he thought he was getting used to it until the reality at the end of the academic year hit him.

Yasushi was the first to truly suffer the cost of the responsibilities thrust upon them. While he made it to the Centre Test in one piece, he was in a state that no one should be in when taking an exam. Despite Noriko's constant teasing about his presidency of the Todoh High History Club, it was not just an empty title. A bunch of nerds as they were, the butt of many jokes Mamoru heard throughout his time in school, they had made humanities exams look effortless.

Noriko had been consumed with worry when she woke up near midday, much to Mamoru's irritation since it derailed his work yet again. She paced back and forth in his room while Reina was blissfully asleep. It was a great relief for the trio when Yasushi emerged from the examination hall declaring that it had gone well given the circumstances. On the other hand, Mamoru only had an inkling of how Nagato's exam had gone. Kodai only told them that he had managed to sit for all his papers the following day, which relieved their most extreme fears of him being too exhausted to even show up.

Even though Mamoru managed to walk away from their battle at Kyoto Tower without anyone's help, the constant feeling of exhaustion continued throughout the week. It was much worse for Reina, spending the days after leaving his dorm room completely cloistered away, uncontactable in her home. It was fortunate they did not have any more classes until April. But unfortunately, the reason classes had stopped was to give students a study break before the semester's final exams at the start of February.

Perhaps others would have considered Mamoru's performances to be adequate, coming in slightly below average. To him, this was an abject disaster. He had not come to Kyodai just to get by and graduate. His whole life was becoming consumed by Digimon, threatening to derail it. With the semester over and his dorm lease only starting again a week before the next academic year, he had relocated most of his life back home to Uji. Aside from the break from coursework, it felt like very little had changed with his parents being out most of the time.

While the depths of winter had passed, it was still a frigid late February day. Since January, the weather had been mild with the temperature even reaching the high single digits on cloudless days. The sunshine that washed over Mamoru's face as he walked towards Uji-bashi bridge felt soothing in the cold air. The only thing that could be improved was the chattering going on right next to him.

"All I'm saying is that it's not that bad," Asuka said with a shrug.

Mamoru slowly released his breath before turning to her. "Really?" His speech was slow and methodical, annunciating every syllable clearly.

"Hey, you didn't get any Fs, you don't have to repeat anything, and you still did better than like forty-odd percent of people." Asuka rattled off her justification undeterred. "Our grades in first year don't count towards our final degree class anyway. We just needed to pass."

Mamoru gritted his teeth, knowing she was technically right. Though scoring well opened a lot of doors, especially for anyone who wanted to stay in academics.

"That's easy for you to say." He grumbled. "I assume you got your usual placing in the cohort? Just like in high school."

"Well…" Asuka said, dragging the word as she formulated a reply. "I did slip from that."

"Oh?" Mamoru felt a twinge of uncertainty within him. He just assumed she had overachieved as usual. "How did you do actually?" It was a risky question, but he was still sure that there was no way she had done worse than him.

"Staying in first place is hard," Asuka said, brushing her hair back. The doubt in Mamoru's mind was immediately erased. "I slipped to second."

Mamoru resisted the urge to reply with a curse. "So, you're telling me, you went from being at the top of our high school cohort to second place in your course at Kyodai."

"Pretty much," She was entirely unabashed, even giving him a shrug. "Economics was much harder than I thought with all the math involved."

"Well, Tanaka Asuka, What a tragedy. And here I thought my fall from third place to not even in the top hundred was the real disaster."

"You did have your Digimon thing to handle, right?" It was a mumble compared to her earlier words. "I hope Reina did alright."

"Pushing aside the fact that you have sympathy for Reina but not me," Mamoru started, venting a bit of his own irritation. "Didn't she tell you?"

"Today's the first time I'm meeting her since January."

This was also the first time the three of them would properly meet as a group. Mamoru had never realised that the person between him and Asuka on the academic rankings at Todoh was Reina. While they were now in different courses, there was still an expectation to perform to a level becoming of their old standings. Given Reina's severe fatigue after Digivolving to ultimate level for the first time, he had avoided asking her about how exams went.

As they reached the intersection west of Uji-Bashi, he received a text from Reina. Asuka peered over his shoulder, scanning the message as well. "Oooh, she bought bread from Nakaji Bakery. I haven't had any since we finished school."

Both he and Asuka lived on the Uji River's southwest side and had no reason to stop by Obaku station anymore. Mamoru wondered what Reina's nostalgic gesture indicated about her mood. The bakery was not on the path between her house and the station. Did this mean she was in a good mood? Or was the retreat to something familiar a sign that she was unhappy with the present?

Another messaged appeared, telling them to get a seat at the family restaurant they were lunching at first. Asuka excitedly started climbing the stairs to the entrance the moment she finished reading. The cream-coloured two-story building was elevated by a few pillars, the space underneath being used as a car park. As the next cheapest option after fast food, it was an establishment they had all frequented in their high school days.

As Mamoru pushed open the doors, the smell of cheese hit him as he registered the sound of sizzling meat. Memories came rushing back of nights spent talking until the restaurant closed and celebratory meals after exams. It was Asuka's presence in particular that made this lunch feel incredibly familiar. His circle of friends was so small he could not recall a time that he had come here without her in the group.

"Brings back memories, huh?" Asuka said as they slid into their booth seats.

"Yeah…"

They sat mostly in silence, waiting for Reina to arrive. Though it was for entirely different reasons. Asuka was eagerly going over the menu, deciding what kind of yoshoku she wanted. Meanwhile, Mamoru racked his mind, thinking of what to say to Reina. Should he just avoid the topic of their exams entirely?

"Hey!" Asuka waved almost frantically to Reina as she walked towards them.

Mamoru immediately realised why she had rushed to enter before him. She had strategically taken the seat further away from the door and placed her bag next to her. Perhaps, they were all too smart for their own good. Coming up with ploys in otherwise mundane and straightforward moments.

"Quick," Asuka said, pushing a menu to the empty space next to Mamoru. "We already decided what we'll get." It was another subtle way to ensure she sat next to him. He forced himself to suppress a groan as Reina sat down without thinking twice.

"I always get the same thing here," Reina replied without looking at the menu.

"Great," Asuka slammed her palm on the call button for a waiter. "Don't order any dessert. We've got all that bread."

Asuka rattled off her order the moment their waitress took out her notepad. Despite frequenting this yoshoku place, she was someone that could not live without eating rice. Mamoru anticipated her order easily, one doria with extra cheese. He, on the other hand, had no such limitations.

"One hamburg—" He and Reina spoke at the same time, ordering the exact same thing.

Asuka narrowed her eyes, a grin now plastered over her face. Mamoru was used to just immediately ordering after her in a group. Worse, he had somehow ordered the same thing as Reina.

"Oh…" Mamoru started, Asuka's expression quickly reverting to something innocuous. "It's okay, I'll order something else."

"It's fine," Reina replied. "I should get something different."

As Mamoru pondered giving in to her request, Reina seized the initiative. "I'll have an Omurice please."

The waitress read back to them their now distinct orders before heading off, leaving Asuka looking even happier than before. As Mamoru gazed out the window to a sky filling up with clouds, the other two launched into a lively conversation.

"Have you met any of your kouhais recently?" This was Asuka's favourite topic. It was easier to pry into the business of her juniors than people in their year.

Reina glanced over to Mamoru as if she was looking for some kind of queue. "I guess it was kind of recent? Those still in high school are busy with exams, though."

"Oh? Like Noriko-chan?" Asuka said, her expression unflinching despite Mamoru's glares. She had used Noriko's first name on purpose to taunt him. Despite their uncanny similarities, the two had never actually spoken before.

"Yes," Reina nodded. "Yuki and Natsuki-chan as well. They're in first and second year, so it's not life or death. But they are still putting in lots of effort to make up for all the time they spend doing Digimon stuff."

There was a slight twitch in Asuka's face at the mention of Natsuki. Mamoru wondered why their conversation never brought up the guys in their group. Though if Asuka really did get out of hand, he could conveniently slip the fact he was meeting Kodai and Yasushi later in the day.

Asuka sighed, "My kouhais are the same, there's nothing interesting going on. They all got into the schools they wanted."

Mamoru found it astounding yet entirely expected that she could find good news to be boring. Although he was sure she was happy on the inside, it would have helped to show it for once.

"Are any of them coming to Kyodai?" Reina asked.

"At the moment no. Though they could get in through secondary faculty admission like Haruka. I think our school still has no idea she got in eventually." Asuka turned to Mamoru. "What about Nakajima-kun? He was taking the Centre Test that day, right?"

Asking Yasushi about how he had done was a sensitive issue. He was hoping that he would volunteer that information later in the day.

"He didn't do as well as he wanted to," Reina announced.

He attempted to contain his surprise, but the momentary flicker of his expression was picked up by Asuka.

"Oh? Was he aiming for Kyodai?" Asuka was now keeping an eye fixed on Mamoru.

"He was… But he still did well enough to get into Doshisha, which was his second choice."

"Is it because of what you guys were doing at Kyoto Tower that day?"

It was now Reina who was caught off guard.

Asuka noticed and immediately tried to smooth it over. "Mamoru came to borrow a mattress from me that day. I saw you and Kosaka huddled together on the bed. It was on the news that there was an incident at Kyoto Tower. I just guessed it must be you guys."

"We were fighting a wild Digimon there," Reina said, more at ease. It was hard to keep track of who was supposed to know what about their after school responsibilities.

"That's what you guys have been doing this whole time?"

"Yeah?" Reina turned to Mamoru, no longer subtle with her hints. "I assumed that Mamoru would have told you all about it?"

Both of them turned to him, though for very different reasons. "It just never came up. I thought you knew that we were fighting them. It's all over the news."

"Gee, thanks for the sharing," Asuka said with a pout.

"Didn't you two talk about it?" The attempt by Mamoru to reverse the question unto them backfired almost immediately.

"No, why would I talk about fighting." Reina scowled.

Mamoru pinched the bridge of his nose, regretting both his decision and how inconsiderate it sounded.

"It's not just wild Digi-animals fighting each other?"

"No," Mamoru replied, astounded that Asuka knew so little. Her observance was really limited to social gossip much of the time. "Doesn't the news report on this? I'm sure they realised by now that a bunch of students are directing some of the monsters."

"No! Asuka replied forcefully. The waitress who had brought their food was stunned by the student outburst from her.

They meekly apologised, putting a stopper on their conversation as she finished serving them. Mamoru took a few hesitant bites of his hamburg steak, unsure of how to proceed. The girls mirrored his actions, picking away at their food as the atmosphere stagnated.

"Mamoru, this isn't normal," Asuka said, breaking the tension. "Most people have no idea what is going on. I didn't know you were rampaging around Kyoto."

"We're not." He shot back. "We're trying to stop their rampage."

"Sorry," It was the first time in a while Mamoru had heard her apologise. "I didn't mean it that way. So this is what you meant by being busy with your Digimon. I thought it was more like having a very complex pet."

"It was like that at first," Reina offered, "But it's hard to just watch as Digimon enter the world and cause chaos. We had the power to do something, so we did."

"But none of them look anything like your Digimon," Asuka said perplexed.

"They evolve to fight," Mamoru replied, taking out his D-4.

"No one else can handle this huh…"

"Nope," Mamoru said immediately. "I'm sure you've seen videos of what happened in Tokyo a few years ago. The JSDF couldn't do a thing."

"Are you guys, okay?" Mamoru only noticed the shift in Asuka's tone with this question, though it had long been changing gradually.

"I guess?" Mamoru said, turning over to Reina.

She quietly nodded, glancing away soon after. While it was an unpleasant topic, she was unusually reticent. Perhaps it was because they had deleted one of the Frigimon the other day. Though Mamoru could not be sure she even noticed anything else happening as Gatomon fell.

"It must be tough, but it sounds like an important job." Asuka was uncharacteristically soft with her words. "It's like you guys are real heroes."

This statement struck a chord in both Reina and Mamoru. They both shifted their posture, facing Asuka more directly.

"I wouldn't go that far." He said in dryly. "It feels more like we're a cleanup crew."

"I don't know about what happens most of the time, or what is normal for you guys. But what you all did at Kyoto Tower did save people."

"Asuka…" Mamoru was tried to hide that he was moved by what she said. Her constant snide attitude made the change more effective.

"It's why Kodai is so committed," Reina said, though it was difficult to discern who her words were meant for.

"It's still pretty unfair." Mamoru lamented. "It's an important responsibility, but it's because of that we can't just ignore it for a while. And we didn't get to choose if we wanted it."

"Lots of people would love a chance to be a hero." Asuka's tone was returning to her usual playful manner. Apparently, she had reached her quota for heartfelt statements. "Especially guys."

Mamoru resisted the urge to groan. "Everyone wants to be a hero until they see the cost. People can get hurt."

"Well, no one has been hurt yet, thanks to what you're doing. The only thing in real pain is your grades."

He twitched as Asuka brought up his results again.

Reina turned towards him with a look of concern. "You did okay, right, Mamoru?"

"I passed. So I suppose it's okay." Mamoru desperately wanted to change the subject, but he responded with the first thing that came to mind. "How did you do?"

Reina recoiled at his question, making him curse his impulse again. "If I'm honest." She avoided his gaze, drawing circles on the table with her finger. "I scored as usual so its nothing worth talking about."

"Usual?" Asuka said. "Like how you usually did in high school?"

"It's not a big deal," Reina said, waving her hands to emphasise her statement. "This semester we did Kokoro and The Schoolgirl. I've been reading Natsume and Dazai forever so…"

"You are one of the tops in your course right," Mamoru mumbled. "Even though we crashed after the battle at Kyoto Tower."

"You were being tested on something you hadn't read until university, right?" She countered, attempting to justify his performance for him.

"I'm in the bottom half of the cohort." He said bitterly.

"Hey, it's for a good cause, right?" Asuka was trying to be helpful, but it only heightened the sting.

Mamoru finished the last of his food, trying to distil his thoughts. But the only thing that came out was his frustration.

"Kodai's the hero. I'm just here because I happened to have a Digimon."

"Mamoru…" Asuka started before Reina raised her hand, cutting her off.

"We didn't choose to have Digimon partners, but you didn't choose what you like to study either."

"I chose to study and go to Kyodai."

"No Mamoru, that's not what I mean." Reina shook her head with disappointment. "Why do you like your course?"

"I…" He attempted to develop a robust reason, but it felt strange to justify something like this. Mamoru had never come up with any reason beyond a personal desire to learn. It was only the insecure who felt the need to legitimise something personal with a rational explanation.

"You just do," Asuka said, giving him a gentle smile.

"It's just something that happens," Reina continued. "just like being a DigiDestined. It just happens that the two things conflict sometimes. But they are a part of who you are."

What she said felt incisive yet like a platitude. "It's different, being a DigiDestined was something that happened to me. Not something that I discovered about myself."

"It still is you." Asuka shrugged. "School, the people you meet, your Digimon. It's all things that happen to you, but we don't question most of it because it's just normal."

"Mamoru, I'm not saying it's easy. I think I would be angry too if I bombed my exams. Look at Yasushi-kun. He also paid the price of being a DigiDestined like you. Except much worse." Though Reina did not say it, Mamoru was reminded that she was also paying a price in her own way.

"Yasushi is Yasushi," Mamoru replied flatly.

"I know it's a bit unfair to compare you two. Different people can tolerate different things to different extents. But you two are the most alike." Asuka was trying her best to help, but nothing she said really resonated with him. How could she understand when she was not a DigiDestined.

Mamoru considered his options for a reply but elected to disengage. The conversation was going nowhere productive and getting increasingly emotionally charged. An irrational part of him wanted to burst forward and let loose his anger. Yet he still had a firm enough grip over himself to see it was all going nowhere.

The rest of their lunch felt laboured with their previous discussion left hanging. Inevitably, the conversation shifted to their former high school. Asuka proudly announced that she was going back for their cultural festival despite it being months away. Mamoru had not set foot in Todoh since their graduation. What was the point?

As much as Asuka tried to coax Mamoru into a better mood with her usual exaggerated behaviour, a dull look remained plastered over his face. Reina quietly handed her an anpan she had bought for her as they left the restaurant. The sky was now completely overcast as Asuka parted ways with them, heading towards the Agata Shrine.

Usually, Mamoru would be going the same way as her since his apartment was near Uji City Hall. Today he followed Reina back towards the trains since he was travelling north to Yasushi's house between Obaku and Kohata station. Kodai suggested that all four of the guys meet, but the plan quickly imploded as the tension between Yasushi and Nagato escalated. Mamoru still had no idea why they were at each other's necks half the time and was reluctant to ask any further questions. After they alighted at Obaku, he was about to cross the street when Reina grabbed his shoulder.

"Here" In her outstretched hand was a bun wrapped in plastic. "It's your favourite curry bun."

Mamoru silently nodded and took her gift, still unsure if he should say anything.

"You weren't thinking of just walking off without saying goodbye, right?" Reina asked.

As he tried to concoct an excuse, mercifully his phone buzzed. It was a message from Yasushi calling things off at the last minute. His father had returned from camp unexpectedly and wanted to discuss something important with him. It was a strange choice of words, but Mamoru decided not to ask.

"I guess I'm free now." He said, showing her his LINE messages.

He felt his phone vibrate again. It was an irate message from Kodai, complaining his train on the Nara Line was almost at Uji. He had travelled across the city only to be told at the last moment their plans were cancelled. It seemed the day had soured for everyone no matter what they did.

"I don't feel like talking to anyone right now," Mamoru said, attempting to preempt any of her offers. "I'm just going to head home."

Reina's smile almost seemed painful. He received the same look from her he had seen at Demachi Masugata when they visited that café. Her eyes looked as if they were wilting.

Mamoru was unable to bear that look. "Sorry," he muttered as he turned away. He gave an obligatory wave goodbye as he returned to the station and sank onto one of the benches.

Mamoru did not know what to feel. On the one hand, they were right that his responsibilities as a DigiDestined would not go away any time soon. It would eventually be over, though it would come at the price of Hagurumon leaving him forever. How cruel this all was. The only reason they received a Digimon partner was to fight. An obligation that consumed the formative years of their lives. Only to disappear when they settled down and became proper adults, leaving them with nothing.

Kodai's next message was expected. The Nara Line was a limited express train that only stopped at certain stations. He had not gotten off at Rokujizo station which made his next stop Obaku. Mamoru declined his offer to meet, wishing that his train would arrive so he could leave the station. Staying there only brought back more memories of his three, mostly carefree, years in school.

His attempt to sink into a daze was interrupted by another barrage of notification. There was a Digimon appearance at Manpukuji temple, a little over a hundred meters from Obaku station. Before Mamoru even had time to curse to himself, a message came in from Reina saying that she could handle it herself. He could feel his gut tighten up as he processed her statement. It was not prudent to go alone to confront a wild Digimon. Despite knowing that, Mamoru still felt an overwhelming amount of reluctance. His breathing turned ragged as he tried to come to a decision.

Mamoru received a follow-up message before he could type his own. Reina was spot on about how he felt: exhausted, frustrated, despondent. She made a point that he could not resist. Now that Digivolving to Angewomon was an option for her, it was unlikely that he would be needed. The Digimon appearances since Kyoto Tower had died down to only a handle of rookie and champion level Digimon. Reina's words had an alluring effect, telling him he had already done enough. She would take this one.

A strange kind of paralysis came over Mamoru. While there was knot forming in his gut, there was no tension in his limbs at all. He felt his grip weaken on his D-4 as another message came in. Reina told the rest of their group that they both were going to the temple. Yasushi responded with a thumbs up, thanking them for handling it since he was busy with family.

The train finally rolled into the station, forcing Mamoru to stand up despite his discomfort. He trudged towards the door as the carriages grounded to a halt. The sound of heavy footfall and panting shattered the dull afternoon atmosphere of the station. Turning toward the train's front, he saw a familiar figure clad in a leather bomber jacket charging towards the exit.

"How come you're still here?" Kodai said, coming to an abrupt stop in front of him. "You look like shit."

Sweat had broken out all over his face as he waited for the train despite it being winter. Kodai's reminder sent chills all over his exposed skin as he finally registered the dampness.

"I'm fine." He lied. "I was just heading home."

"Reina said you were with her." Kodai kept a wide stance, ready to rush off at any moment.

"She told me she could handle it by herself."

He immediately regretted saying that. A swift strike landed on his cheek, sending Mamoru reeling. The train doors closed shut as he recovered, preventing any of the bewildered onlookers from intervening.

"What is wrong with you." Kodai massaged the back of his left hand. He had held back, refraining from using his right hand or throwing a full-on punch. "If you're okay then why did you let her go alone?"

"I'm not… really." Mamoru found it challenging to explain. Would Kodai even take his concerns seriously? He was not sure he could handle being dismissed now, even if Kodai had a good point.

"Is it about your grades?"

"Why would you say that?"

"It's the only thing you give a damn about more than being a DigiDestined."

Mamoru could not find a reply, hesitating at what Kodai might be getting at.

"Look, I get that you're not satisfied with just passing like me." Kodai for all his brashness still retained enough insight into other people. Though it was not a difficult conclusion to come to given most of their exams happened simultaneously.

"You got to suck it up until we can find a solution." It was optimistic of Kodai to think that this surge of Digimon was ever going to end. "I don't know when, but we have to keep fighting."

As he said that he dragged Mamoru toward the exit forcing him into a run. It was difficult to keep up with him as they dashed down the street toward the temple. Kodai had deliberately slowed down to allow them to run abreast.

"I know it sucks—" he said in between breaths. Mamoru was not convinced he actually understood why it was so painful beyond the obvious, but he did not have the lung capacity to reply.

"but spare a thought—for the others— like Nagato. I know Yasushi—did okay enough—to get into—Doshisha—that's pretty good. Nagato didn't make it anywhere."

Though Kodai's words were choppy, that statement felt like it winded Mamoru even more than running. Nagato had completely failed his exams.

They passed through the temple's outer gate, continuing past a bond as they made their way to the inner courtyard. The black pines that lined the pathways shook as a loud thud came from the northern shrine. Reina's unmistakable scream cut through the air. The knot in his stomach tightened even further, making him want to throw up. He had been disgustingly careless.

Kodai sprinted ahead, materialising Bearmon from his Digivice as he passed through another large doorway. Mamoru lagged behind, catching his breath as he got Hagurumon out of his Digivice. The pebbles in the zen garden had been thrown into disarray. The once neat lines painstakingly made using a rake were unrecognisable. Reina lay on the pathway, sobbing as she held Salamon in her arms.

"What happened?" Kodai had his Digivice held out in a ready position as he moved in front of her.

"It came—out of nowhere." Reina struggled to string together her words between sobs. "It beat Angewomon."

Mamoru's spine shuddered as he heard that. Whatever foe they were about to face defeated an ultimate level Digimon easily.

"What kind of Digimon was it? Where did it go." Kodai's barrage of questions was unrelenting, giving her no time to reply.

Reina turned away, lifting her finger towards the shrine in front of them. As Mamoru concentrated on the building, its red lacquer exterior seemed slowly faded into a dull grey. Quickly looking around, he confirmed that it was not his vision that was failing. The muted colours crept across the entire shrine in front of them, engulfing it in a grey hue, washing out all its colours.

There was a ripple in the sea of grey as the snout of a large red beast emerged. It was some kind of portal, revealing only the head and front claws of a creature. The Digimon was entirely reptilian, a titanic crimson crocodile that would have been multiple busses long if fully emerged. His Digivice gave him petrifying information as it completed its analysis. Leviamon was a mega level, demon lord Digimon. What hope did they have against a power like this?

"Digivolving is difficult here for some reason," Reina said as she backed away behind the two boys.

"I think I've experienced something like this before," Mamoru said, tapping the Digivolution function on his D-4. Sure enough, Hagurumon failed to evolve to champion level. "This is just like Arashiyama."

"Reina did it somehow." Kodai snapped back. The mega level Digimon was slowly beginning to stir, its eyes sluggishly searching the surroundings.

"I don't know." Her voice quavering. "It took a lot of effort."

Mamoru hated the sound of that, but he had very little to lose with the academic year over. The sound of waves permeated the air, making it difficult to concentrate. They were hardly soothing like the real ocean, having an unnatural quality to them. The sound of water lapping at the shore grated his mind as it leaked through the portal.

Kodai was the first to break through, his D-4 pulsing bright orange as his partner began to Digivolve. "Mamoru! We need Wisemon."

He forced himself to channel the feelings he tapped into when Digivolving. They were clouded as if the energy had been drained from the power he was drawing on. There was no increase in the alacrity of his thoughts or sharpness in his perception. At that moment, everything was muddled, his mind unable to create any battle plans. Despite it feeling awry, his Digivice responded, turning purple as Hagurumon transformed.

"We just need to push it back to wherever it's coming from," Kodai yelled as GrapLeomon sprung into action.

The lion Digimon's kick slammed right into the Leviamon's snout but had little effect. There was a short grunt of pain from the demon lord but nothing more. The gigantic Digimon remained unphased, continuing its lethargic movements. Wisemon followed up GrapLeomon's attack with a blast of lightning only to have it deflect off its scales.

"Be careful," Reina said, tightening her arms around Salamon. "It can't attack with the rest of its body, but it can breathe fire. That's how it defeated Angewomon."

Leviamon's nostrils flaired, releasing a prismatic coloured smoke. As the clouds drifted in to the portal, the colour was sucked out of them before they disappeared entirely. Heat was beginning to radiate from the demon lord, a sure sign that it was preparing to use its attack. They were surrounded by buildings making it impossible to dodge without setting the temple ablaze. Angewomon must have used herself as a shield to prevent any damage.

"We're running out of time," Kodai said, recognising the same danger. "We need to try it."

Kodai dashed forward, placing himself directly in the path of the impending attack. He had no intention of drawing it away. Force was going to be met with force in a reckless display of courage. The back of his D-4 pulsed again, the entire casing turning orange instead of just the lining. Through the glowing light that engulfed GrapLeomon, Mamoru could see the Digimon take on more bestial features. The robotic components disappeared as his fangs grew longer and stood on all fours.

Emerging from his Digivolution, the sabertoothed lion let loose a roar before charging Leviamon. Grappling the snout of the wild Digimon, SaberLeomon was on his hind legs, front claws digging into its scales. Cracks rippled across the pavement from the force exerted by the lion as he attempted to push his foe back.

"Mamoru, I can't do this alone." Kodai had one hand clutched on his head from the strain.

It was already difficult to Digivolve to Wisemon, much less to a stage he had never reached before. But Mamoru saw the desperation in Reina's eyes. She angled her shoulder towards the beast, shielding Salamon while keeping their foe in view. Kodai was unflinching, remaining directly behind his partner as more smoke and fire erupted from Leviamon's nostrils.

His gut continued to tighten as he tried to force a further Digivolution from his D-4. Mamoru felt a weight constrict his chest and press down on his shoulders, forcing him to kneel. He wanted to cry in frustration, but he could not summon his voice. Not even tears could well up in his eyes. Without strength to save his friends, what was he good for? He and Wisemon failed to save Gatomon at Kyoto Tower. Today he selfishly abandoned Reina. After all this time, he still had nothing to show for it. Not personal satisfaction from his other goals, just complete failure from trying to do everything.

"What the hell are you waiting for?" Kodai had to shout to overcome the sound of rumbling flames in the belly of the beast.

"I can't…" Mamoru's breathing had become so laboured that he had to look up to clear his airway.

"Like hell you can't."

Mamoru's shout was closer to a screech, his anger boiling over. There were finally tears that obscured his vision. But through the corner of his eye, he could see that his Digivice had responded to him. Holding it out in front of him, he had expected to see a completely purple case. Turning to his partner, Wisemon was encased in a pitch-black shadow identical to the new colour of his D-4.

The shadow melted away, forcing Mamoru to avert his gaze. Wisemon's evolution still retained a humanoid shape and could still fly despite his lack of wings. Each time he attempted to look directly at his partner, he was forced to turn away from the nausea that overwhelmed him. He could only make out the dark purple and sea green colours on his Digimon. What scared him more was the ragged appearance of his partner's ears and collar.

His partner raised his giant arm, veins popping as dark red energy coalesced in his palm. Sparks began to arc from for the dark Digimon striking the space around them. Mamoru instinctively dived toward Reina, attempting to shield her but his legs could not carry him far enough. Falling short, he could see the terror in Reina's eyes at what his partner had become.

"It's a fallen angel." As she said that, the sound of crackling electricity became overwhelming.

The fallen angel shaped the energy into a crackling spear of lightning and prepared to launch his attack. Mamoru could not tell if he would attack the Leviamon or SaberLeomon. Though too weak to shout any commands, he could feel that the bond with his partner had disappeared. Without that connection between them, Mamoru lost any control or influence he had.

"SaberLeomon, Howling Crusher!"

Kodai's partner leapt backwards, crouching now to prepare his attack. The fallen angel let loose his attack, the spear slamming into Leviamon. The demon lord howled in pain, his snout raised into the air from the shock of the impact. SaberLeomon seized the opportunity lunging forward with his right paw, slamming his claws into the exposed underside of their foe.

Leviamon began to sink back through the grey portal, spewing fire into the air as its cries echoed throughout the temple. Kodai turned around to celebrate only to be confronted by Mamoru's partner, still concentrating more energy into his palms.

"Cherubimon?" SaberLeomon jumped in front of Kodai, recognising the danger. "Mamoru, why is he like that?"

"Please, stop," Mamoru pleaded as he stumbled to his feet.

Energy continued to collect in the palms of the black Cherubimon, preparing a barrage of lightning. SaberLeomon starred down his opponent but like his partner was hesitant to attack. Kodai could have probably easily beaten him if things were normal. Despite the unnatural Digivolution, Mamoru knew that Cherubimon was exuding incredibly power. Though its source was troubling.

Lightning lashed out, almost striking Reina. SaberLeomon deflected the wild attacks with his mane keeping Kodai safe. But all the other mega level Digimon could do was remain on guard. There were no more options. No one else was coming, and no one here could defeat the rampaging Cherubimon. Throwing his Digivice to the ground, Mamoru began advancing toward his berserk partner. The nausea was overwhelming, and the electricity was landing dangerously close to him. His partner completely ignored him, continuing to accumulate more energy in a swirling orb above them.

With a final push, his legs gave out as he embraced Cherubimon. His partner's body was soft despite his dark appearance. It was unusual compared to the metal exterior of Hagurumon he was used to. Mamoru expected to be struck down by an electrical attack at any moment. But it never came, his vision fading out.

It was pleasant to be woken up by a beautiful, obsidian haired girl. Or it would have been if her face was not red from crying. The sky had finally given way, unleashing a drizzle. He wished he could tell the raindrops from the tears.