I don't own Digimon.

A/N: I'm happy to say this chapter came a lot more quickly than the last one! I'm looking forward to writing the next few as we wrap this up and set the stage for the next Spirit Chip. I hope you all feel the same!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 311: The Path of Wisdom

Takara 'Kara' Kamiya

Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World

Though it was always painful to watch a digimon's data disappear, even when that digimon was an enemy, this time Takara felt a particularly strong pang of sorrow in her heart. While there was no denying Encantamon was directly responsible for Dai's near-death experience, the serpent digimon had shown what many of the dark digmon they had fought previously had never before displayed in any sort of tangible form.

Remorse.

She gave up her life for me, even knowing she would lose her own...

Encantamon's final act and subsequent words were significant in a way that held actual meaning, and having witnessed for herself that it was possible for a dark digimon to have a change of heart, Takara found herself feeling hopeful for the future. If the theory was true that digimon who had lost themselves to the darkness could come back as good digimon, then there was an excellent chance they could save DarkAngelicmon.

And one day, maybe more of our foes will come back as friends.

It was a nice thought, even if Spritemon wasn't likely to become one of those digimon.

Not a shred of emotion, even though she just deleted her companion...

"Kara, you okay?" Dai asked quietly, reaching for her hand.

Takara quickly scrubbed at her eyes, and managing a smile, she said, "I'll be fine. I know it's not forever."

"Not the target I was aiming for, but whatever," Spritemon said coldly, her tone dripping with contempt. "That's what happens to traitors who get in my way."

"You do realise you've just depleted our numbers with your lack of reason and sound judgment, I presume?" YukiOnnamon hissed, her pale hands tightening into fists.

"Does it matter? If anything, I did us a favour. Even if she hadn't protected the girl, she probably would have betrayed us eventually."

There was some truth to that statement, but even so YukiOnnamon looked positively furious. The icy digimon's black eyes were smouldering with anger, and keeping a tight reign on her emotions, she said with barely concealed rage, "It is not up to you to pass judgment on those chosen by the Ruler of Darkness to fulfill his requests. As I am the one he has placed in charge of this mission, that duty falls to me. Now, stand down at once. We need to subdue their digimon and reclaim the four Spirit Chips they've managed to obtain."

"The Spirit Chips are your problem, not mine," Spritemon snarled, refusing to back down. "The only thing I want is to kill the girl, and that's what I'm going to do no matter who gets in my way."

"Not if we have anything to say about it," Odontamon interrupted, pointing his golden spear at the pixie digimon. "Have you forgotten so quickly? Your forces have been diminished by half, which means there are a lot more of us than there are of you."

"And if you think we're going to let Kestrelmon fight alone, you're sorely mistaken," JewelBeemon added, coming up behind the dragonfly digimon.

FireDragermon had his pistols pointed at YukiOnnamon, and keeping one eye on Spritemon, the draconian digimon said firmly, "That's the last time we let you get anywhere near Kara."

"Really," Spritemon hissed, rising into the air. "We'll see about that! Fairy Cannon!"

Despite his larger size, FireDragermon was fast, and easily avoiding the blast, he aimed one gauntlet at the pixie and the other at YukiOnnamon and shouted, "Dragon Pistols!"

Both megas just barely managed to dart out of the way in time to avoid the flaming bullets, and thrusting out her arm in a wide sweep, YukiOnnamon called out, "Glacial Storm!"

"Now we're talking!" IceTirimon growled, easily navigating his way through the blizzard.

The fox digimon was in his element, and as he moved gracefully in the air, his agile body weaving between the swirling mass of icy tornados with confidence, Gabrielmon and Angelicmon followed in his wake. IceTirimon was acting as their eyes, and brandishing his glowing weapon, Gabrielmon shouted, "Holy Sceptre!"

The orange blast sparkled in the snowy dust as it met its target, and following up, Angelicmon aimed his Celestial Star attack at YukiOnnamon's head, causing her to double over with an angry shriek. The result left her wide open, and sapphire eyes narrowing in concentration, IceTirimon spread his wings and said simply, "My attack is better. Icicle Storm!"

As giant shards of ice rained down on YukiOnnamon, Spritemon found herself squaring off against Omnimon, Kestrelmon, JewelBeemon, and Odonatamon. The four digimon were quick to put on a lot of pressure right from the start, obviously in an attempt to prevent the pixie digimon from slipping away to make due on her threats, and motioning for Centarumon, MegaKabuterimon, and Garudamon to help FireDragermon's group keep YukiOnnamon occupied, Omnimon called out, "You messed with the wrong group of digimon when you decided to go after our human friends. Transcendent Sword!"

Spritemon cried out as the slice from Omnimon's Grey Sword sent her tumbling backwards, and taking advantage of the pixie's loss of control, Odonatamon used his Gemstone Barrage attack, creating a colourful explosion. JewelBeemon followed up with his Spike Buster attack, and hovering above the battlefield, Kestrelmon shouted, "Prismatic Gale!"

Twirling in the air, the bird digimon sent a cloud of iridescent feathers raining upon Spritemon's head with razor sharp force, and as the battle continued, Takara chanced a quick glance at DarkAngelicmon's supposedly unconscious form. The fallen angel hadn't moved from where he lay motionless on his side, his black hair gleaming in the flashes of light bouncing off the floor, but even so she knew with a certainty she couldn't explain that he was awake. Chances were he was just hoping the battle would finally end, and judging by the way Spritemon was starting to fade fast, there was a possibility the fallen angel wouldn't have to wait much longer.

She won't be able to keep up her relentless attacks forever. Eventually our digimon are going to overpower her...

A quick glance at the group huddled around her indicated Izzy was already working out their escape plan, and watching the battle closely, Matt said, "I'm assuming we're leaving by a different entrance?"

"Yes, there's one to the south," Izzy answered, closing his laptop. "I've mapped the shortest route possible for us to get to the surface. Once we're topside, I'm hoping Dragermon will have enough energy to fly us back to the castle."

"Oh, yeah, for sure. He'll be fine," Dai said confidently, though he himself looked exhausted.

Ryoko, having noticed the goggle-headed leader's discomfort, frowned and said shortly, "Maybe, but you're not. Anything we can do about that, Izzy?"

"The best thing we can do is get out of here as soon as possible, but we have to be quick about it."

"I don't think Dai's got it in him to be fast," Matty interrupted, looking concerned.

Takara felt the same, and shifting slightly so Dai could rest more comfortably in her arms, she said hesitantly, "Until we're able to climb on Dragermon, that's going to be a problem."

And it's not just him. My dad looks pretty tired, too. I don't think either one of them has much energy left to get very far...

"We'll just have to carry Dai," Izzy said simply, turning his attention to Ken. "Would you mind doing the honours? That way Matt can help Tai."

"Of course," the former Emperor agreed, smiling at the goggle-headed leader.

Dai looked a little disgruntled at the thought of being a hindrance to their plans, but the fact that he chose not to argue indicated just how tired he actually was. On her other side, Takara didn't fail to notice the 'don't even think about arguing with me' look Matt sent her father, and giving in to the inevitable, the former leader merely nodded while exchanging amused looks with her mother.

There's nothing like knowing you have people in your life who care about you...

Now that their most pressing problem was solved, there was still the matter of Spritemon and her lust for murder, and weaving between YukiOnnamon's icy blasts, Kestrelmon and Omnimon had the pixie struggling just to stay on her feet. Odonatamon and JewelBeemon were continuing to provide backup while the rest of their digimon made a point of preventing YukiOnnamon from interfering. At this point, Spritemon was clearly burning the last of her reserves, and shaking her head, Kestrelmon said calmly, "Why don't you just give up? In your state, you're not likely to overpower us."

"You'll be lucky if you last much longer," Omnimon agreed.

Stumbling a bit, Spritemon glared hatefully at the two digimon, and breathing heavily, she hissed, "I will never concede defeat to you. You would have to delete me first. Pixie Dust!"

As a cloud of sparkling glitter rained down on the battlefield, Kestrelmon and the others didn't make much effort to avoid it. At this point, Spritemon was so weak her attack was having almost no effect anymore, and letting out a sigh, JewelBeemon said, "You heard her. She refuses to back down even at the cost of her own life. Let's end this and be done with it."

"I agree," Odonatamon said quietly, brandishing his spear. "As much as I do not like this outcome, we are far past the point of negotiations."

"You will do no such thing," YukiOnnamon snarled, attempting to dart around Centarumon to reach the pixie digimon. "It is the Ruler of Darkness who shall condemn her, not the likes of you!"

"Quick, restrain her!" FireDragermon ordered, diving out of the sky. "We can't have her interfering! Serpentine Blast!"

A flaming spire of hot metal exploded into the icy digimon, and following up with his Frozen Shockwave attack, IceTirimon was able to knock YukiOnnamon right off her feet. Taking advantage of the situation, MegaKabuterimon shouted, "Electro Shocker!"

The electric blast crackled in the air, and following up with their holy light, Angelicmon and Gabrielmon were able to prevent the icy mega from struggling back to her feet. As the force of their celestial explosions glimmered off YukiOnnamon's pale skin, Gabrielmon said, "This should hold her for a least a little bit. Heavenly Vortex!"

As a glowing portal appeared above YukiOnnamon, instead of sucking her in it simply held her trapped in place, and taking the hint, Odonatamon shouted, "Now's our chance! Corona Beam!"

"Spike Buster!" JewelBeemon called out, adding his own attack to the mix.

Caught up in the colourful explosion, Spritemon ended up on the ground in a tired heap, and wasting no time at all, Omnimon shouted, "Double Shot!"

This is the end...

Spritemon disappeared in a torrent of fire and ice, and holding her bow steady, Kestrelmon said quietly, "I told you Kara was strong, but you wouldn't listen. The end result is a tale of your own making."

Unable to move, Spritemon merely laid there, her dark eyes burning with hatred, and as her data slowly began to drift into the air, the small pixie hissed, "If the Ruler of Darkness ever does succeed, I hope you and your stupid human drown in the darkness he will cast upon both worlds. As you waste away in the madness of your own despair, I will relish every second of your misery until I return."

Spritemon...

"When you do return, I'll be right here waiting to bring you back into the light," Kestrelmon promised, aiming her bow. "Until then, sleep well. You've earned your rest. Opalescent Arrows!"

There was a flash of bright light, and as the bird digimon's shining arrows pierced Spritemon's heart, the little pixie exploded into data. There was a moment of silence as every last speck of her existence disappeared into the air, and struggling to maintain YukiOnnamon's restraint, Gabrielmon called out, "I can't hold the gate for much longer. We need to leave!"

"What about DarkAngelicmon?" Mickey asked quietly, his amber gaze darting nervously in the fallen angel's direction.

At this point, Izzy was already on his feet, and motioning for Ken to take Dai, the computer expert said, "There's nothing we can do right now except leave him here."

"But-"

"He's survived worse," Sam murmured, interrupting the older twin's protest. "I'm sure he'll find his way out of here easily enough."

"Maybe, but YukiOnnamon..."

Sam just shook his head, and grabbing Mickey's arm, the raven-haired Digidestined said shortly, "She won't do anything to him, not unless the Ruler of Darkness allows it."

"Which he won't," Matty insisted, leaping to his feet. "And before you ask me how I know that, don't bother. I just do. Now come on, we need to scram."

Mickey looked like he wanted to keep arguing, but realising he was outnumbered, the older twin allowed Sam to start pulling him towards the exit.

Gazing after them, Takara shook her head in amusement, and releasing her hold on Dai so Ken could carry the goggle-headed leader, she quickly got to her feet and said, "Everyone ready?"

"Definitely," her mother replied, putting an arm around her shoulders.

Together, the two of them quickly headed for the exit with the rest of the group, and following after them, one by one their digimon began to revert back to their rookie forms in order to navigate more easily through the narrow passageways. Gabrielmon was the last one to leave, having maintained his holy restraint on YukiOnnamon for as long as he was able to, and bringing up the rear, the celestial champion reverted back to Halomon before calling out, "I held on as long as I could. Let's get out of here before she decides it might be worth her while to come after us!"

Since the possibility of that happening was still fairly high, they wasted no time in hurrying through the tunnels as quickly as they could. Though she felt terribly weary and her body hurt all over, Takara wasn't all that concerned about herself. There were others who had suffered physically a lot more than she had, which was what worried her more than her own aches and pains. The fact that they had two injured Digidestined to account for was definitely slowing their progress, and a quick glance over her shoulder indicated her father was only just barely managing to keep up thanks to Matt supporting most of his weight. Dai looked like he was about to fall asleep in Ken's arms, and offering some words of encouragement, Izzy called out, "This way! If we keep up the pace, we'll be out of here in no time!"

"Do you think we're being followed?" Ryoko asked, his breath coming in short spurts.

It was Celestimon who answered, and fluttering along beside his partner, the little rookie frowned and said hesitantly, "I don't think so, but it's too hard to tell yet."

"Regardless, let's focus on getting out of here," Izzy instructed, breathing heavily as he struggled to keep up. "We'll worry about the rest later."

After that, everyone fell silence in an effort to conserve their energy, and navigating through the waterway with only the dim green light glowing off the walls to guide their way, it seemed like forever before they were finally able to detect a hint of natural sunlight further ahead. Judging by the direction of the light, it appeared as if several hours must have passed, indicating it had to be late in the afternoon. A quick glance at her D-Coder confirmed her suspicions, and holding tightly to her mother's hand, Takara called out, "Is that the exit up ahead?"

"It better be," Matty grumbled, glancing sideways at Izzy. "I don't think I can keep this up much longer."

"You're just fine," Matt scolded, rolling his eyes at his nephew. "It's your Uncle Tai and Dai I'm worried about."

In response, the goggle-headed leader mumbled something unintelligible before falling silent again, and attempting to smile, Tai joked, "We'll survive. On the bright side, at this point I think it's pretty safe to say YukiOnnamon decided not to come after us."

"If she had, she would have caught up to us by now," Izzy agreed, stopping as they approached a large gate that was locked from the outside. Peering through the bars, Takara could see the city streets bustling with digimon, and turning to Centarumon, she said, "I guess this answers my question?"

"Indeed, though there is the issue of the lock preventing us from going any further."

"Can't we just bust it open?" Alopemon asked.

Looking outraged, Tentomon said, "How rude! We can't just go around causing property damage after AncientMermaidmon so graciously allowed us into the city."

"In this case, I think she'll understand," Izzy replied in a soothing voice. "We'll apologise to her and Surfymon when we see them again and make sure the lock gets replaced."

"We'll also need to get in contact with the guard at the original entrance we used," Ken added, taking extra care to hold Dai steady in his arms. "I wouldn't want him to stand there waiting forever for us to reappear."

I'm sure Surfymon will work it all out.

Too tired to voice the thought out loud, Takara held out her Digivice and said, "Do you want to do the honours, Dovemon?"

After reverting back to her rookie form, the little bird digimon had remained by her side throughout their whole journey to reach the surface, and looking eager to help, Dovemon said, "I don't mind at all! Opal Laser!"

There was a flash of light, and a moment later the broken lock clattered to the ground, allowing the door to swing open. Stepping through the gate, Takara paused to smile sheepishly at a group of Divermon who were openly staring at them in obvious shock, and reaching out to give Dai's fingers a squeeze, she said gently, "Are you up for this?"

The goggle-headed leader slowly opened his eyes, and resting his head on Ken's shoulder, he mumbled, "Yeah, I'm good. You ready, Embermon?"

"Definitely," the draconian rookie said firmly, gazing fondly at his partner.

Embermon had remained at Ken's side for the duration of their flight through the underground tunnels, and quickly digivolving into Dragermon right there in the middle of a large plaza, causing the digimon strolling nearby to point excitedly in their direction, the large champion motioned for all of them to climb aboard.

Takara was quick to comply, and settling herself between Ken and her father, she took a moment to enjoy the breeze ruffling her dark hair as they left the astonished group of Divermon behind. Now that they were airborne, they had a spectacular view of the city down below, and as they flew towards the castle, Takara took a moment to study Sam and the twins.

Mickey was sitting between Sam and Matty, and though his head was bowed, she could see his amber eyes glancing discreetly between the two boys stretched out on either side of him. Something about that gaze radiated a sense of both curiosity and uncertainty, and doing her best to remain inconspicuous, she turned her attention to Halomon. The celestial rookie was sitting in Mickey's lap, and caught up in the discussion he was having with Glowmon and Celestimon, Halomon seemed unaware of his partner's strange behaviour. Unlike his brother, Matty merely looked as if he wanted a nap, and keeping his hands clasped tightly around Glowmon, Sam was gazing thoughtfully at the scenery in the distance. Nothing about the whole scene seemed out of the ordinary, but even so Takara could still feel a strange sort of tension in the air.

I think I might have to have some one on one time with all three of them...

And this time, she wouldn't hesitate to help them when they needed her most.

"Look, I think I see Surfymon down below!" Ryoko informed the group, pointing towards the castle entrance.

Sure enough, the aquatic digimon was waiting for them on the perfectly manicured lawn, and nodding his head in approval, Izzy said, "Dragermon's not exactly hard to miss. He probably saw us coming and came to investigate."

Calling out a greeting, Dragermon landed as gently as he could, and as they scrambled off the large champion's back, Surfymon came towards them and said calmly, "I take it your mission was a success then?"

"It was," Centarumon confirmed, bowing at the waist. "Feel free to contact your guard and have him lock up the main entrance again."

"You might want to ask the maintenance workers to replace the lock on the south entrance by the stone plaza, as well," Izzy added, sounding apologetic. "We had to break it in order to escape."

Surfymon raised an armoured eyebrow at that, and looking amused, the aquatic digimon said mildly, "I will see to it immediately. In the meantime, I assume you are here to inform the queen of what happened beneath the city?"

Takara nodded, and taking it upon herself to speak, she stepped forward and said, "Yes, please, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. Follow me."

"He's so proper," Matty whispered to Ryoko as they followed after the aquatic digimon. "Must be tough to keep up with all those formalities all the time."

"You couldn't do it, that's for sure," the golden-haired Digidestined snorted in response, earning himself a small smile from Mickey.

Stepping inside the throne room, Takara spotted AncientMermaidmon lounging in her chair, and straightening up as they approached, the female mega said in her strong voice, "Surfymon informed me earlier that the emerald glow emanating from the waterway has disappeared, but even if it hadn't I can tell by your faces that you have succeeded in your quest. If I may say so, I am truly impressed by your strength and courage. You have saved my city from the Ruler of Darkness and those who insist on following him, and that is a debt I will gladly repay."

Smiling in return, Takara held out her D-Coder to show off their newly acquired Spirit Chip and said softly, "You don't need to do that. We're always happy to help."

"I trust this experience was beneficial for you?" AncientMermaidmon asked, gazing intently at her from the throne.

Takara glanced at the barely conscious boy resting in Ken's arms, and holding the D-Coder tightly against her chest, she said with conviction, "It was. I won't hesitate anymore. I understand now what you meant about facing the darkness head-on to protect someone you love."

"Then you know what you must do."

"Yes, for myself and for DarkAngelicmon."

"Huh?" Matty interrupted, looking confused. "What's this about DarkAngelicmon?"

AncientMermaidmon smiled gently at the younger twin before once again turning to look at her, and tapping her trident against the floor, she said firmly, "Find the truth. Only then can he be saved."

"We will, I promise."

And I mean every word of it. We will free DarkAngelicmon from the darkness, and I will tell Dai the truth about my feelings.

"I trust there's nothing else we need to worry about then?" Surfymon asked, looking to Izzy for an answer. "Besides the broken lock?"

"Dare I even ask?" AncientMermaidmon joked, looking amused.

The computer expert shook his head, and tucking his laptop under his arm, he said dryly, "Let's just say we had to find an alternate route back to the castle. I'm sure Surfymon will fill you in on the details, and we apologise ahead of time for the inconvenience. If you're wondering, there were four servants of the Ruler of Darkness in total, and two of them were defeated. As for the other two..."

"I'm pretty sure they're not in Abacus anymore," Halomon suddenly spoke up, his small arms circling around Mickey's slender neck. "At least, I know for sure DarkAngelicmon isn't here anymore."

"And if he's not here, I doubt YukiOnnamon is either," Celestimon finished, exchanging a nod with his fellow angel.

Takara was surprised by this sudden revelation, but before she could say anything, Mickey gently stroked his partner's ears and murmured, "You can't feel him anymore?"

"Not here," Halomon confirmed. "We can sense his presence back on Cyber. If I had to make a guess, I'd say he's back at the castle."

"I agree. YukiOnnamon's probably gone back with him," Izzy sighed, turning to AncientMermaidmon. "There's no point in her remaining here by herself, but if you see anything else that looks suspicious, you may want to inform Gennai just in case."

"That I will. Gennai and his companions have always been our allies. I am sure he will rectify the situation if any intervention is required."

Wait, so if YukiOnnamon and DarkAngelicmon have left Abacus and gone back to the castle on Cyber, how did they manage to get back to Cyber so quickly?

Sam must have been having similar thoughts, judging by the frown on his handsome face, and absently stroking Glowmon's head, the raven-haired Digidestined said hesitantly, "That doesn't make any sense. How did they manage to escape from here so quickly?"

"I don't have an answer yet, but Gennai may have a theory," Izzy replied, looking intrigued at the very idea of having another mystery to solve. "I'll ask him about it later tonight once I've had a chance to brief him on what happened here today."

"All of you must be weary from your efforts to protect our city," AncientMermaidmon noted, holding out her arms. "Not only that, but some of you have sustained injuries that require attention. Your leader, in particular, judging from his current condition. It is time for you to return to the human world and rest. Your journey is not over yet. You will need to regain your strength before you are ready to tackle your next mission. Know this, though. You are welcome here anytime, and on your next visit perhaps I will tell you more about the Age of Light and the Dawn of Darkness."

"Really?" Izzy asked, his dark eyes immediately lighting up with obvious excitement.

"Indeed. I'm looking forward to it. It's been a long time since I've indulged in a nice chat with visitors, and in return you can tell me all about your world. I must admit, my knowledge of the human world is somewhat lacking."

"I'd be honoured to."

That's Izzy for you. Always ready to exchange information.

"Come, I will take you to Whamon and see you off," Surfymon said pleasantly, acknowledging the queen's words with a simple nod. "You need not trouble yourselves with the specifics of what happened. Gennai will give us an account of your story once you've spoken with him."

"Oh good, cause I am so not in the mood to get into it right now," Matty groaned, earning himself a raised eyebrow from Tai.

There was a series of goodbyes, and glancing back once more at the queen just before leaving the room, Takara said with sincerity, "Thank you...for everything."

"You are a formidable force, Takara Kamiya," AncientMermaidmon responded, waving her off with a smile. "Your wisdom will guide you down the right path, and in doing so, you will find the answers you need to help your friends."

It's almost like she knows. Just like before...

It was a comforting thought, and holding her head high, Takara left the room with a sense of purpose. Racing to catch up to the others, she spotted Ryoko watching her, and putting an arm around his shoulders, she said confidently, "Don't worry, I'm never going to doubt myself again."

"Glad to hear it," the golden-haired Digidestined replied, his frowned immediately softening into a smile.

Leaving the castle grounds, they found themselves once again navigating the city streets, and recognising that they were about to leave, several digimon began to call out their goodbyes and well wishes. Takara responded with waves and smiles of her own, and following the others to the holding area, she caught sight of Whamon, who eagerly swam over to meet them.

"Boy, are we glad to see you," Agumon called out, giving the large whale a cheerful wave.

"Not as happy as I am to see all of you," Whamon replied, stirring up the water with his large tail. "No need to say anything. I can tell you're all exhausted. I'll get the story from Gennai later. I take it you're all ready to head back to Cyber?"

"Definitely," Gabumon agreed, nodding his head for emphasis.

Whamon quickly opened his mouth to let them hop inside, and once they were all settled, they turned their attention to Surfymon. Gazing intently at them from the edge of the water, the aquatic digimon saluted them and said, "Safe travels, Digidestined. We will meet again, hopefully under better circumstances."

"Definitely," Dai managed to croak out, his eyelids struggling to remain open. "Sorry we never had a chance to get to know each other better. You seem like a really cool digimon."

Surfymon stared at the goggle-headed leader for a moment, and stepping back, he said lightly, "The feeling is mutual, Daichi Motomiya. We shall meet again, and once we do, I look forward to seeing the strength of your courage."

You won't be disappointed, Surfymon. Trust me.

The thought made her smile, and settling herself next to Dai within the confines of Whamon's jaw, Takara gently rested her cheek against the goggle-headed leader's dark hair. Though she could barely see the other bodies sprawled around her, the light shining from Glowmon's body created a sense of warmth and security. Though she should have been nervous, instead she felt very calm and relaxed.

Her mission wasn't over yet, and knowing what she needed to do, she found herself locking eyes with Izzy. For a moment they stared calmly at each other in the darkness, and then recognising what she was asking him to do, he nodded ever so slightly before returning his gaze to the laptop resting precariously in his lap.

She was the heir to the Crest of Love, and it was time for her to show Dai just exactly that that meant.