Three years after Ryuu-tachi saved both the Human and Digital Worlds, a new adventure has begun. Samezu Tap, a product of the Digital Monsters Rumble Arena, has entered the Digital World on a mission to liberate it from "The Mikado." Joined by his partner Zubamon, veterans Hachiro Ryuu & Mizumi Keiko, and Digimon crusader Kaesada Kaori, Tap must journey into a world unlike his own and conquer the darkness.
Digisoul, Charge into the next adventure…!
xXx
The third floor of the Taito Station, home of the Digital Monster Battle Terminal, was attracting its natural crowd. Today's matchup consisted of the magical warrior Digimon known as Mistymon and the king of the Jungle Troopers, AlturKabuterimon. Onscreen, the two Digimon were battling in the wilderness.
MISTYMON – PERFECT LEVEL – MAGIC WARRIOR TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE
ALTURKABUTERIMON (BLUE) – PERFECT LEVEL – INSECT TYPE – DATA ATTRIBUTE
"Core Dart!"
A crystal ball surrounded by flames was launched from Mistymon towards AlturKabuterimon.
"Mega Blaster!"
After gathering electricity in its horn, AlturKabuterimon launched a ball of lightning in Mistymon's direction. Both spherical attacks collided, canceling each other out.
"Horn Buster!"
AlturKabuterimon blasted off towards Mistymon and struck him in the chest, knocking him to the ground. The letters "KO!" appeared over Mistymon's body
"…and wait…wait…is it so? It is! AlturKabuterimon and its Tamer, Kanuji Akio, are the winners of the DMRA Championship!" The crowd surrounding the battle terminal erupted into applause as the AlturKabuterimon let out a high-pitched cackle. Its Tamer, Kanuji Akio, looked on as the crowd applauded him.
"Nice battle." The Tamer of Mistymon, Kanmoto Maseo, said as he walked up to Akio. "Your AlturKabuterimon is pretty tough!"
"Your Mistymon wasn't a pushover!" Akio said, shaking Maseo's hand. "You almost had us a few times!"
"Yeah," Maseo said. "Truth is, I wasn't planning on being in the finals. The guy I was supposed to face had to drop out and he's really good."
"Oh, right." Akio said, scratching the back of his head. "I heard about that. Samezu Tap and his Zubamon, right? I saw their battle with that Musyamon the other day."
"I bet if I defeated him, Mistymon's win ratio would have been high enough for him to digivolve to MedievalDukemon." Maseo said. Both he and Akio retrieved their V-Pets from the battle terminal and they continued chatting about their Digimon. Unbeknownst to them all, a brown-haired girl watched from afar. She was wearing a sailor fuku like the ones the girls at Ryuu's school wore.
"Digimon…"
xXx
DIGIMON D-TAMER DEUX
D-3:
(希望) Kibō (Hope)
xXx
SANZOMON – PERFECT LEVEL – MONK TYPE – VACCINE ATTRIBUTE
"Welcome to the Digital World, children." Sanzomon said.
"So you're Sanzomon, huh?" Ryuu said. Sanzomon nodded. Kaori smiled while the others continued to stare at the human-looking Digimon who towered over them.
"Sanzomon is the one I told you about who brought me to the Digital World." Kaori said.
"The crusader for peace?" Tap said, and Kaori nodded.
"That is a BIG Digimon." Zubamon continued to stare.
"Sanzomon, these are the humans I was telling you about." Kaori said, pointing to each of them as she introduced them. "Hachiro Ryuu, Mizumi Keiko, Samezu Tap, and Zubamon."
"Nice to meet all of you." Sanzomon said, her eyes scanning all the humans. Her eyes stopped on Tap. "My eyes are up here."
"Oup, sorry…" Tap said, nervously scratching the back of his head.
"The tales of the Digimon D-Tamers have not been far from my ears." Sanzomon said.
"Hang on," Keiko said, looking at Sanzomon. "If you've heard of us, why haven't we heard of you? And where were you during the war?" The light coating Sanzomon's body finally began to fade.
"I was on the run myself." She said. "Back when the Nightmare Soldiers were wreaking havoc on the Digital World, I was trying to avoid it at all costs. I was a Mikemon at the time. I was sick of all the conflict, all the fighting; I just wanted it to stop."
"What about this Mikado guy? Ryuu said. "What do you know about this Digimon?"
"Unfortunately, not much." Sanzomon said. "All we know is that he has been active for almost a year now. It was around that time that the world's security vanished, so there may be a correlation. Anyways, it started out as a few isolated attacks on landmark areas like the Angelic Castle and the DigitalCITY, but it soon escalated into an all-out conquest. Whoever the Mikado is, he somehow has the ability to command a group of humans to tame the monsters of his own army to conquer the Digital World."
"That's awful!" Tap said.
"It makes sense, though." Ryuu said, crossing his arms. Everyone looked at him. "Look at the power we've unlocked through the bonds with our partners. If the enemy had that same power, who knows what horrible destruction they could cause?"
"Three years ago, GranDracmon brought his own team of Tamers to serve under him." Keiko explained. "They used the Dark Digisoul and were pretty hard to beat."
"Sounds like this Mikado guy has done his homework." Zubamon said.
"It's working, too. The amount of destruction the world is experiencing lately is heartbreaking." Sanzomon said. "Many Digimon are losing their homes, even more are losing their lives…"
"Sanzomon…" Kaori said. The Monk Digimon looked into Kaori's eyes and Kaori could tell that, for some reason, she was smiling.
"Daijoubu desu." Sanzomon said. "I believe there will be a day when we will have peace."
"What makes you say that?" Zubamon said.
"Hope." Sanzomon said. "I have hope that we'll reach a brighter tomorrow. Because of that, it makes living this life easier." The D-Tamers were silent as they let Sanzomon's words sink in.
"That's why Sanzomon reached out to me and brought me to this world." Kaori interrupted everyone's thoughts. "With the highest security of the Digital World gone, Sanzomon believes we can be the hope that the Digimon need."
"You're right." Ryuu said, clenching his fist. Keiko looked at him. She knew when Kaori referred to the "highest security," she was talking about the Royal Knights. "I won't let the Mikado have this world infected again."
"Our precious partners and so many other Digimon live in this world." Keiko said, nodding in agreement with Ryuu. "We can't let them suffer."
"Tap and I are going to kick this Digimon's ass!" Zubamon roared, before looking up at his partner. "Right?" Zubamon saw that Tap had a look of uncertainty on his face. Tap quickly realized that and shook it off.
"R-Right!" he said. "We'll definitely win!" Zubamon continued to stare at his Tamer for a little bit before looking away.
"Thank you, children, for your willingness to protect this world." Sanzomon said. "With your help, we will be able to cleanse the world from the Mikado's darkness." All the D-Tamers nodded.
"So where should we go now, Sanzomon?" Kaori said.
"Home." Everyone gasped as Sanzomon's glow began to get brighter and brighter. It suddenly began to cover her entire body; soon, she could not be seen. "D-Tamers, you must rest. There will be plenty of time for liberation when you come back. Return to your world for now." And in a flash, the light that was once Sanzomon had vanished. The D-Tamers were alone.
"So that's Sanzomon, huh." Ryuu said. Kaori nodded.
"She's been a big help with my mission." She said. "She's wise beyond her years."
"Well, you heard her…" Tap said, a large grin on his face. "Let's head back home. We'll need our rest and our families might worry about us." Kaori, Keiko, and Ryuu looked at Tap with confusion. "What?"
"That was the smartest thing I've heard you say today." Keiko laughed. Tap smiled and scratched his head. Zubamon, however, continued looking at his Tamer. Something was off.
xXx
"Mikado-sama…"
Two Digimon V-Pets were lying on a desk in what appeared to be a boy's bedroom; one crimson and the other gold. There were posters of Shonen manga plastered all over the walls, but the sheets on the bed were an average gray color. The door swung open and a teenaged boy walked in. He was wearing a collared white shirt and jeans with a tie hanging loosely around his neck. The teenager walked towards the two V-Pets, which seemed to be glowing from the screens.
"Report."
"The reconnaissance of our forces has informed us the humans from before have met up with the leader of the resistance, Sanzomon." A digitized voice spoke from the crimson V-Pet.
"It was only a matter of time." The boy said. "Kaori is in league with Sanzomon. I knew Wendigomon would fail, despite CresGarurumon's intentions."
"Forgive me, Mikado-sama." Another voice called out from the gold V-Pet, presumably CresGarurumon's. "Wendigomon was a weak fool."
"Who's the more foolish: the fool or the fool who leads him?"
"BlitzGreymon, I take it this means you believe you can atone for your partner's failure." The boy said.
"Of course, Mikado-sama." BlitzGreymon's voice responded again from the crimson V-Pet. "What are your orders?" A smile creeped onto the boy's face.
xXx
"You got that toy from where?"
Tap was standing in the living room of his house with the biggest grin on his face. Sakuttomon was in his arms with a blank expression on his face. Tap was casually (or, at least trying to make it seem like it was casual) laughing while his mother, Samezu Maiya, was staring at her son. She and Tap had basically the exact same face and hair-color and that is where the similarities ended. While Tap is hotblooded and impulsive, his mother Maiya is thoughtful, gentle, and kind. Right now, however, she was confused at why her son was acting very weird.
"I told you…" Tap said, a grin still on his face. "My friends and I were out today at Taito Station and I won this cool Digimon plushie in a random drawing! Isn't it cool?"
"I guess…" Maiya said, examining Sakuttomon. "Those horns look sharp. What kind of plushie is this?"
"Uh, ya know…!" Tap said. "You gotta make Digimon plushies appealing to boys, so these horns did the trick!" Maiya was silent for a moment but then responded with a shrug.
"Whatever." She said. "Guess what's for dinner?"
"Uh, surprise me!" Tap said, before taking off for the staircase to his room. "I have to go watch today's new episode of SAO!"
"Yakisoba casserole!" Maiya called to her son. "Weird kid."
Upstairs, Tap ran into his room and shut the door. As soon as the coast was clear, Sakuttomon popped out of his arms and landed on Tap's bed.
"Whew!" The small Weapon Digimon sighed. "Do you know how hard it is to not move or talk for that long?!"
"You did a great job, though." Tap said. "Sorry about that, Sephirotmon."
"Sakuttomon."
"That's what I said." Tap said, much to Sakuttomon's chagrin. "Anyways, I had to convince my mom that you were a toy so if she walks in and sees you if I'm not here she's not suspicious or anything."
"Hey Tap, I'm hungry." Sakuttomon said.
"Hmmn…" Tap said, scratching his head in confusion. "I guess this won't be as easy as pressing a button on my V-Pet to feed you, huh?"
"Hopefully you humans eat more food than just meat and vitamins." Sakuttomon said. Tap sat down on the bed next to Sakuttomon and laughed. He pulled out the V-Pet from his pocket.
"Who knew that this thing would produce a real live Digimon?" He said.
"Hey, Tap!" Sakuttomon said. Tap looked down to face his partner Digimon. "About us fighting with Sanzomon…"
"Now that I think about it," Tap said, cutting Sakuttomon off. "Tomorrow is Sunday, so that means we get to sleep in a bit more! That'll be gr-"
"Poyoyon Tackle!"
Tap fell to the ground after getting hit by Sakuttomon.
"What's going on up there?" Tap heard his mother call from downstairs.
"Uh, n-nothing!" Tap shouted back. "I slipped on a sock!" Tap turned to face Sakuttomon, who was glaring at him on the bed. "Hey, what was that for?!"
"Don't change the subject." Sakuttomon said. "I saw it back in the Digital World…you don't want to join the fight against the Mikado."
"Hold on, I never said that."
"You didn't have to, I saw it in your eyes!"
"I…" Tap said, before cutting himself off.
"The Digital World is my home, Tap." Sakuttomon said. "Why do you hesitate in helping us fight for it?!"
xXx
"File 080199 execute…file 040200, execute…analysis."
The monotone hum of machinery rang through the entirety of a dimly lit laboratory; sparks were flying from the many containment chambers and supercomputers that filled the room. One specific containment chamber was larger than the rest and a large figure stood in front of it. The bipedal Digimon was encased in bulky crimson armor, complete with three-pronged cannons on its arms. Its spiky silver hair was shooting out of the back of its tri-horned helmet as its golden eyes were glued to the containment chamber in front of him.
BLITZGREYMON – ULTIMATE LEVEL – CYBORG TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE
"Repurposing power to the central core." BlitzGreymon said, his verbal command activating knobs connected to the side of the chamber. The sparks of electricity shooting out from the chamber began to increase as a bar on one of the main supercomputers filled up to 100 percent. "FanBeemon, we are at critical mass."
"Yokatta!" A sniveling voice said. A golden bee-like Digimon flew into the lab beside BlitzGreymon. "After we run a few diagnostics, we can take it out for a live test."
FANBEEMON – CHILD LEVEL – INSECT TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE
"I think you misunderstand." BlitzGreymon said, turning to face the diminutive Digimon. "You will do well to remember the Mikado's lack of patience in manners such as these. He has sent monetary compensation for his order, yes?"
"Yes…" FanBeemon said, turning his eyes away from the domineering Ultimate Digimon. He originally had misgivings about the Royal Base taking a custom order from the Imperial Family, but "Tiger" insisted on it for some reason. He flew up to the top of the containment chamber they were both gawking at and pressed a rather large button in the center. The door slid open, blowing steam throughout the entire lab. Two glowing red eyes began to emerge from the fading haze. BlitzGreymon gave a nod of approval as FanBeemon flew backwards to give the latest creation some room. "RB Drone No. DN06 – Waspmon, activate."
"Now, we'll see if this Digital Monster is worth the price we paid." BlitzGreymon said. A hovering figure emerged from the containment field. Much like the name suggested, the new Cyborg Digimon resembled a giant wasp: golden armor with brown stripes covering its body complete with propellers on its shoulders, stabilizers on its back, and tri-pronged cannon taking the place of the stinger.
WASPMON – ADULT LEVEL – CYBORG TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE
"As always, a pleasure doing business with the Imperial Family." FanBeemon said with a hint of sarcasm. BlitzGreymon ignored this, his eyes fixed solely on Waspmon.
"Awaiting orders." Waspmon buzzed.
"FanBeemon, I believe our business has concluded and your presence here is no longer necessary." BlitzGreymon said, still not removing his gaze from Waspmon. After taking some time to roll his eyes, FanBeemon took off into the air and fluttered away from BlitzGreymon towards the door. BlitzGreymon remained silent for a few moments before speaking again, this time to Waspmon. "The Mikado speaks highly of you, Waspmon; especially due to you naturally carrying the X-Antibody."
"Yessir." Waspmon said.
"The Mikado has a few thorns in his side at the moment." BlitzGreymon said. "Bothersome human children and their traitorous Digimon partners have been interfering lately and we need to draw them out of hiding from their precious world."
"How do we do that?" Waspmon said. BlitzGreymon raised his right cannon/arm.
"Slaughter of the innocent."
xXx
The light emanating from the moon perched in the otherwise dark sky pierced through Tap's bedroom window as he lay awake, hands on the center of his bare chest and staring up at the ceiling. Sakuttomon, on the other hand, was perched on a pillow placed on the floor next to Tap's bed. The In-Training Digimon continued snoring the night away as his Tamer finally sat up. Glancing at his alarm clock, he noticed it was only 11時12分. Judging by the utter silence in-between Sakuttomon's snoring, Tap could assume that his mother was sound asleep. Ordinarily he would be too by this time, but the words of his partner still echoed in his mind.
"The Digital World is my home, Tap…why do you hesitate in helping us fight for it?!"
Tap turned to lay on his side in a vain attempt to cure his insomnia. Mere moments later, he turned tin the other direction. He was still awake.
"Our precious partners and so many other Digimon live in this world." Keiko said, nodding in agreement with Ryuu. "We can't let them suffer."
"Psst…Tap…Tap!" Tap looked around, thinking he heard his name. His gaze shot down to where Sakuttomon was; sure enough, he was still knocked out cold.
"If it's not him, then…" Tap said. A tapping was heard from behind him. Tap climbed out of bed and made his way to the window, determined to figure out what was going on without waking Sakuttomon up. He stood on top of his computer chair and peered outside. "What…" Down below, Ryuu was staring right back at him waving his hands. "You've gotta be kidding…"
xXx
"Ryuu, what are you doing here?"
Tap was confused. After going downstairs to greet his goggle-headed friend, he was greeted not only with a wave or a hug, but with two cups of bancha tea. The two were sitting in front of Tap's house and were slurping away at their tea.
"I was just in the neighborhood." Ryuu said after taking a big sip. "You can never go wrong with some bancha tea." Tap just stared at him while he continued to drink his tea. The goggle-head was in a white t-shirt and baggy black shorts with sneakers to match; while his outfit suggested he was ready for bed, the bright and calm expression on his face proved otherwise.
"So you came all the way out here just to share a spot of tea?" Tap said, raising an eyebrow. After finishing his sip, Ryuu shifted his gaze towards him.
"I saw that look on your face earlier today in the Digital World." The expression on Tap's face briefly changed to one of guilt before it was covered with slightly forced laughter.
"Heh heh, that's a result of my mom's cooking." He replied. He looked at Ryuu, trying to gage the expression on his face to see if he bought the lie. Ryuu simply took another sip of tea and looked at Tap.
"Tap, are you afraid?"
"Yeah."
The word left Tap's mouth before he could even think. He was at a loss for words and just sat there, staring at the full cup of tea in his hands.
"Honestly, you and me both." Ryuu said, causing Tap's eyes to dart towards him once more. "Just the thought of Dracomo-well, now Examon, being who-knows-where in that world. I don't even know if he's still alive. They say Digimon never really die, but he is my partner and I want to fight with him. He's with the Royal Knights now but…with all this Mikado stuff, I can't even be sure that he's alright. There hasn't been a day where I haven't thought about him." Ryuu pushed his hair back out of his eyes and looked up into the sky. "Ya know, we were the ultimate team. Nothing could stand in our way. Fear wasn't even a thing…I mean, I still was afraid of some of the battles we had to face; it just always seemed like when the two of us were together, we could accomplish the impossible."
"You must miss him a lot." Tap said, unsure of anything else to say. His mind wandered to Sakuttomon, who was sound asleep upstairs in his room. "I just met my little guy a couple of days ag-" He stopped himself. That wasn't true. "No…much longer than that. It's been a long time since I first got that V-Pet. We've won so many battles, lost so many; we've been through a lot together."
"That's the bond between a Tamer and his Partner." Ryuu smiled, still with his eyes in the clouds. "I believe that bond can overcome anything…even fear." Tap looked at Ryuu.
"Even…fear." He repeated.
"Tap," Ryuu began. "Remember what Kaori said? We can be the hope that the Digimon need…she and Sanzomon believe it; I believe it too. Do you believe it?"
That question rang through Tap's head all the way into the next morning as he watched Sakuttomon eat some of his breakfast. So far it had been a quiet Sunday morning with Tap's mother at work; Tap took it upon himself to fry up some eggs for the two of them to eat.
"You got any more of this stuff?!" Sakuttomon said, chomping on the already-almost-gone food on his plate. Tap almost did not register what his Partner said, partially because Sakuttomon was seemingly talking at three hundred words-per-minute so he could focus on chowing down.
"Yeah, you can have the rest of mine." Tap shifted his plate over to where Sakuttomon was eating. The Tamer laughed as his Partner Digimon's eyes lit up at the sight of more food in front of him.
"Nice!" Sakuttomon said.
"You're too much." Tap said. He suddenly felt a pulsing vibration in his back pocket. He reached in and grabbed his phone. Looking at the screen, Tap was surprised to see a number he did not recognize.
"Tap?" Sakuttomon said, proving he had the capability to tear himself away from food. He watched as Tap proceeded to answer his cell phone.
"Hello?"
"Tap, glad I caught you." Kaori's voice came from the phone.
"Kaori?" Tap said, causing Sakuttomon to get worried. "How d-"
"Worry about that later," Kaori said. "I need you to meet us at Taito Station and hurry! We have a Mikado attack in the Digital World!" With that, Kaori hung-up the phone. Sakuttomon stares at his Tamer.
"My world is in danger again, isn't it?" Tap nodded, dropping his phone-holding hand to his side. "What will you do, Tap?" Tap turned to face his partner. "Will you stand up and fight or will you run?"
xXx
Despite the early morning notice on the Mikado's attack from Kaori, Ryuu already found himself in front of Taito Station. Being a Sunday morning, he was not all that surprised that the streets around the station were relatively empty. As a blanket of the Sun's warmth coated his back, Ryuu took the moment to take pause and reflect on what has happened over the past few days. In the years it has been since he last saw Dracomon, he never considered he would ever set foot in the Digital World again. Yet, here he was: about to go on yet another trek into this world that was quite unlike his own. He took out his D-Soul Digivice from his jacket pocket, merely a relic of older times without his Partner.
"You look lost, Ryuu-kun." A soft and eerily familiar female voice interrupted Ryuu's thoughts. He looked up to see a short, brown-haired Brasilie Vani staring back at him. Ryuu was a bit taken back by her sudden appearance. Instead of the usual school uniform he had seen her in lately (not to mention that skirt), she was simply in a striped t-shirt and jeans.
"Vani…"
"What brings you here on a Sunday morning?"
"I could ask you the same question." Ryuu said, refusing to lower his guard. "It's been a while."
"Yeah, it has." Vani said, right before a brief pause. "This isn't awkward at all…"
"Y-Yeah…" Ryuu said, gazing down at the floor. It seemed like forever since the last time he and Vani spoke and didn't think it would happen so soon, considering all that happened. "So…how's the weather?"
"Ryuu…what if we could find our partners again?"
Ryuu looked up and saw the bold, unwavering expression on Vani's face. This wasn't just an idea or mere speculation.
"W-What are you getting at, Vani?"
"Assuming you still have the number, call me later tonight." Vani said as she began to walk away. "Better yet, just come over. Then, everything will become clear."
"Huh…hey, wait!" Ryuu called after Vani, but she began to pick up her speed and run off at a brisk pace. "Brasilie Vani…what are you doing?"
"Ryuu!" Ryuu let out a sigh before turning around. Kaori, Keiko, and Tap were walking up to him. His confused expression quickly changed to a hasty smile as his friends stopped in front of him.
"It's about time you all got here!"
xXx
"Welcome to the Mugen Colosseum." Kaori said while the light from the DigiGate continued fading. Ryuu, Keiko, Tap, and Zubamon were shocked to see the large amphitheater-resembling arena in front of them.
"Wow," Tap said. "This is where the DMRA Tournament was held."
"You're right." Zubamon said. Upon looking down at his partner, Tap took a few startling steps back.
"Hey! You're back to Zubamon now!"
"Yeah, that happens whenever I get back to the Digital World."
"Huh."
"What are we looking at here?" Ryuu said, staring up ahead at the massive arena in front of them.
"I woke up to a distress call from Sanzomon." Kaori said. "She said a rogue Digimon was attacking in the area nearby."
"We need to be on our guard then." Keiko said, looking around. "If only Falcomon was here with us."
"Sistermon, export!" Kaori said, holding both of her Digivices out in front of her. Brief flashes of light shot out of them as Sistermon Blanc and Noir appeared in front of her.
"Nee-chan, it's our time to shine!" Blanc said, throwing a fist in the air.
"Calm down." Noir chuckled.
"You guys don't need to worry." Zubamon said, stepping in front of everyone and making eye contact with all the humans present. "The three of us will protect you." When he made eye contact with Tap, there was a strange moment between the two. After sensing the weird feeling, Tap immediately looked away. Zubamon smiled on.
"Now all we have to do is find this Digimon before any harm is done." Keiko said. Mere moments later, an ear-shattering explosion went off from within the Mugen Colosseum.
"What was that?!" Tap said.
"I think we found our doer." Ryuu said. A flood of Digimon began to pour out of the colosseum and ran past the D-Tamers. Among the flock of Digimon was a small, green worm with a black band on its abdomen. It struggled to move quickly enough and tripped over onto the ground.
WORMMON – CHILD LEVEL – LARVA TYPE – FREE ATTRIBUTE
"Hang on, Wormmon!" Keiko said, running to the small Digimon's aid, picking him up in her arms. "Are you okay?"
"Thank you…" Wormmon said. As his eyes met Keiko's, he gasped. "A human?"
"We're not all as nasty as that Mikado guy." As she held Wormmon up in her arms, Ryuu looked in the air and saw a large cybernetic bee Digimon flying towards them.
"Looks like we have company." Ryuu said, pointing up. Everyone else looked up to see Waspmon flying towards them, still firing lasers from his stinger at the fleeing Digimon.
"It's Waspmon!" Wormmon shouted from Keiko's arms. "Waspmon is the one who attacked us at the colosseum!"
"Unforgivable…" Zubamon growled. "Come down here and fight like a mon!"
"Ryuu and Keiko, take Wormmon and go find cover." Kaori said before making eye contact with Tap. "We'll handle this."
"Understood." Ryuu nodded as Keiko began to take off towards a nearby forest area. Ryuu looked at Tap before leaving. "You're the only ones who can use a Digimon's power at the moment, so we'll leave this to you." Ryuu took off to join Keiko as Waspmon confronted Zubamon and the Sistermon in front of him.
"What are you doing here?" Noir said, pointing her guns at the enemy.
"Following orders." Waspmon's laser cannon began to charge up.
"Turbo Stinger!"
"Move!" Zubamon said, pushing Tap out of the way. Kaori and the Sistermon leapt to the side to dodge Waspmon's barrage of lasers.
"Nee-chan!" Blanc said.
"Right." Noir said, and they both jumped into the air.
"Divine Pierce!"
"Bless Fire!"
The yellow beam of energy from the Cross Barbee and the bullets from Anthony hit Waspmon directly, causing its body to be surrounded by smoke.
"Did you get him?" Zubamon said. As the smoke cleared, everyone gasped when Waspmon appeared to look unscathed.
"No way!" Noir said. "That was a direct attack…"
"Your attacks are ineffective." Waspmon said. "Continuing would be pointless."
"You don't know that!" Zubamon said, taking off running towards the enemy. "We're going to stop you here and now!"
"20 Scratch!"
Waspmon took the full-force of Zubamon's attack before swatting him back into the ground.
"Zubamon!" Tap cried out, running towards his Partner Digimon.
"I'm fine…" Zubamon said, picking himself up. Noir and Blanc ran in front of Tap and Zubamon to protect them.
"Nee-chan, let's try it." Blanc said and Noir nodded.
"Understood. Kaori?"
"Took the words right out of my mouth." Kaori said. She held up both of her Digivices into the sky and Digisoul began to flare up around her.
"Digisoul Charge!"
"Sistermon Noir, AWAKEN!"
"Sistermon Blanc, AWAKEN!"
Both Blanc and Noir stood tall in their Awaken forms and glared at Waspmon. They each tightened their grip on their weapons and ran towards their attack target.
"Those forms…" Wormmon said from behind a nearby tree that he, Keiko, and Ryuu were using as cover.
"Alright!" Ryuu said. "Kaori activated her Digisoul!"
"Watch this, Wormmon." Keiko smiled. "This is the power of the bond between humans and Digimon."
"Blanc, defense mode!" Kaori said. "Same thing we did against Wendigomon!"
"Wakatta!" Blanc said, dragging the Cross Barbee on the ground as they continued running. As they made their way towards Waspmon, Noir began releasing a barrage of bullets from the Anthony. The bullets, albeit more powerful, were still bouncing off Waspmon's armor.
"Damn…" Noir said. "Keep going!" Her body began to shine while Blanc's body followed suit and glowed as well. As the Sistermon began to charge their next attack, Waspmon's laser cannon began taking in energy as well.
"Wait a minute…" Kaori said, noticing Waspmon's cannon. "Hit him!"
"Grand Sister Cruz!"
"Ultimate killing technique…" Waspmon said, aiming for the upcoming Sistermon onslaught.
"Bear Buster!"
As the Sistermon cyclone soared towards Waspmon, a massive blast erupted from Waspmon's cannon and completely overwhelmed the Grand Sister Cruz.
"No way!" Ryuu said.
"That attack was so strong…" Keiko said.
"Blanc! Noir!" Kaori said in utter disbelief. Her Partners were lying on the ground, both unconscious and knocked out of their Awakened forms.
"One hit knocked them out…?" Tap said as the Sistermon were both called back into Kaori's Digivices.
"Get some rest, you two." She said before looking back up at Waspmon. "The enemy is only an Adult Level; that attack shouldn't have been that powerful."
"Oh no no no no!" Wormmon squirmed in Keiko's arms. "Pretty soon, he's gonna come after all of us!"
"Hey, it'll be okay!" Keiko said. "Calm down, Wormmon."
"Tap, I'm going in." Zubamon said, much to Tap's chagrin.
"Zubamon, you can't!"
"I knew you'd say that…I can do this!"
"But…"
"Tap!" Zubamon roared, startling his Tamer. "Did you see the look on Wormmon's face? What about the faces of all those fleeing Digimon from Mugen Colosseum? They were terrified! It's our job to make sure Digimon across the world never have to tremble in fear…especially against guys like this!"
"Tap," Ryuu began. "Remember what Kaori said? We can be the hope that the Digimon need…she and Sanzomon believe it; I believe it too. Do you believe it?"
Tap's mind went back to the conversation he and Ryuu had last night. The fear was coursing through him. Could they really make a difference? Playing the Digimon game online was one thing but fighting for the lives of the innocent and spreading hope through the world, could they do that? "Zubamon…" Before Tap could continue, he saw his Partner charging towards Waspmon.
"Your assault is pointless." Waspmon said, pointing his cannon at Zubamon. "The Mikado has already foreseen your downfall."
"Turbo Stinger!"
Despite the barrage of lasers tearing through Zubamon's cape and bruising his armor, he pressed on towards Waspmon without wavering one bit.
"That Digimon…" Wormmon said.
"Come on, Tap…" Ryuu said to himself.
"Zubamon…" Tap said to himself while watching his Partner endure Waspmon's onslaught. "You're fighting to give others hope." Tap began to clench his fists together. "I might be scared…I might not know if we can actually make a difference…but I'm sure as hell not going to watch you fight on your own! I'm right here with you…ZUBAMON!" At once, the warm and tingling sensation of the golden Digisoul erupted around Tap's clenched fist. Both Zubamon and Waspmon stopped and shifted their attention to Tap's currently glowing form.
"Does not compute…!" Waspmon said. "Does not compute!"
"Tap!" Zubamon cheered.
"Yes…!" Ryuu said. Unlike during the battle with Kuwagamon X, another light expanded from Tap's pocket. As if it had a mind of its own, Tap's V-Pet flew out of his pocket and began to change shape. It now resembled the same Digivice Ryuu and Kaori had, only this one was gold with grey stripes.
"My V-Pet turned into a Digivice…" Tap said, grabbing it with his other hand. His gaze shifted from the Digivice to Zubamon. "Ready, pal? I'm fighting with you now!"
"You bet!" Zubamon said. Throwing his glowing fist in the air, Tap proceeded to slam it into the top of his Digivice.
"Digisoul, Charge!"
A beam of light shot out from Tap's Digivice and engulfed Zubamon completely before beginning to expand.
EVOLUTION
"Zubamon digivolve to…"
"Zubaeagermon!"
ZUBAEAGERMON – ADULT LEVEL – WEAPON TYPE – VACCINE ATTRIBUTE
"Zubamon…you digivolved!" Tap said, admiring his Partner's new form. Zubaeagermon roared as he glared at Waspmon.
"According to our records, you do not possess digivolution capabilities." Waspmon said. "The Mikado will be displeased."
"Waspmon, what you have done is unforgivable!" Zubaeagermon said. "Let's go!" With that, Zubaeagermon took off running towards Waspmon in a blaze of golden light.
"Whoa!" Ryuu said. "He's fast!" Zubaeagermon began zooming around Waspmon. The enemy bee Digimon tried to track Zubaeagermon's movements, but he was moving too quickly.
"Turbo Stinger!"
Waspmon began spinning around in a cyclone as his cannon began firing lasers rapidly.
"Get back!" Kaori said, running back and grabbing Tap's hand. Dodging the onslaught of lasers, the two run back to the deck of trees where Ryuu, Keiko, and Wormmon are watching. Once they got there, they all watched Zubaeagermon effortlessly dodge all Waspmon's attacks.
"He's so fast." Keiko said.
"How did he digivolve?" Wormmon said. A hand was placed on Wormmon's back and the larva Digimon looked up to see Ryuu smiling down on him.
"That's the power of Tap letting go of his fear and lending his power to his Partner." He said, and Tap looked to face him.
"The Digisoul…" Tap said. "It came once I decided to fight with Zubamon."
"The power comes in response to a need, not a desire." Ryuu said. Tap returned his focus to the battle at hand, and Zubaeagermon finally stopped racing around Waspmon for a moment.
"Target acquired." Waspmon said.
"Not quite!" Zubaeagermon said, jumping up in the sky once more.
"Road T(w)o Decade!"
Zubaeagermon thrust his sword-resembling horn right into Waspmon's chest, piercing through the bee Digimon's armor.
"What a hit!" Wormmon said. As Zubaeagermon leapt back to the ground, sparks began to fly from the rather-large gap in Waspmon's armor.
"That's my partner!" Tap said.
"Y-Youuu w-w-won't win…" Waspmon said. His laser cannon began to take in energy once more.
"He's charging his cannon again!" Kaori said. "That's the attack that took out Blanc and Noir's combination!"
"TERMINATION." Waspmon said.
"Bear Buster!"
As the large chrome-colored beam erupted from Waspmon's cannon, Zubaeagermon ran towards the attack and jumped into the sky. His body began to spin in a cyclone as he blasted off towards Waspmon's attack.
" Vingtième!"
As Zubaeagermon continued spinning, its tail blade began to block the impact of Waspmon's Bear Buster.
"He blocked the attack!" Keiko said. Zubaeagermon's spinning body kept charging closer and closer towards Waspmon until making direct contact with him, resulting in a massive explosion. Everyone covered their faces until the smoke cleared and the dust settled. Tap was the first to look at the aftermath of the battle: the only thing left from Waspmon's body was his severed head, which tumbled onto the floor before it burst into data. He then shifted his gaze to Zubaeagermon's golden silhouette as he degenerated back into Zubamon.
"Zubamon!" Tap said, running to his Partner. "Yo, that was awesome!"
"Thanks for fighting alongside me with your Digisoul, Tap!" Zubamon said, throwing his arm out. "You set aside your fear for the greater good." Smiling, Tap grabbed Zubamon's arm.
"I guess we are the hope of this world after all." He said, shaking Zubamon's arm.
"Wow!" Wormmon said, excitedly leaping out of Keiko's arms and crawling over to Tap and Zubamon. "You guys were awesome!" Ryuu, Kaori, and Keiko watched on as Tap, Zubamon, and Wormmon celebrated.
"Looks like Sanzomon was right." Kaori began. "I guess I have to admit: he does have his moments."
"Well done, guys." Ryuu said, throwing a thumbs-up towards the celebrating Tap and Zubamon. "Looks like the Digital World is in good hands."
xXx
"Waspmon has been defeated, Mikado-sama."
Both BlitzGreymon and CresGarurumon were bowing down in the same dimly lit laboratory that FanBeemon used to create Waspmon. The Mikado stood in front of them but with his back turned to them. Neither BlitzGreymon nor CresGarurumon lifted their heads to find their master's gaze. There was no telling how he would react to yet another failure.
"It was inevitable." Both Digimon gasp at the Mikado's response.
"M-Mikado-sama…" BlitzGreymon said.
"Though your actions were noble to our cause, BlitzGreymon, I anticipated the D-Tamers would thwart this particular plan." The Mikado said, slightly turning to face them. BlitzGreymon slightly raised his head in confusion.
"I-I don't understand…"
"I don't either, Mikado-sama." CresGarurumon said. "What was the point then?" The Mikado fully turned to face both of his subordinates.
"We needed to test their strength further." He said. "Let them feel as though they are taking a step towards victory, so we can crush their resolve later."
"Understood." Both BlitzGreymon and CresGarurumon nodded.
"Retire for now and we shall provide a counterattack in due course." The Mikado said. "I have to get back to revisit the Digimental Project."
xXx
"I was starting to wonder whether you'd show up at all."
"For a while, so did I."
"All things considered…I'm glad you did."
"I think we should just get down to it…Vani."
Sunset was on the horizon and Ryuu was standing face-to-face with Vani in front of her house. The awkward tension from before was back in full-swing as the two gazed upon each other.
"You miss him, don't you?" Vani said. "Dracomon, I mean."
"Probably just as much as you miss Salamon." Ryuu said. "I have to know: what did you mean by seeing our partners again?"
"After school tomorrow, the three of us are going to the Digital World to get them back." Vani said. Ryuu scratched his head in confusion.
"How in the world are we supposed to do that?" He said. "Hang on…three? Did you ask Keiko too?"
"…not exactly." A masculine voice said.
"You're here." Vani said, looking past Ryuu. Ryuu turned around and his eyes quickly narrowed. In front of him was a silver and spiky-haired boy clad in a black turtleneck sweater and blue jeans.
"Long time no see, Hachiro Ryuu." The boy said. Ryuu was dumbfounded and glared at the boy. He knew exactly who this newcomer was.
"Osamu Riku…"
xXx
TO BE CONTINUED…
DIGIMON D-TAMER DEUX
D-4
(絆) Kizuna (Bonds)