Author's Notes: Okay, time to list out Takumi's current team... Besides Jesmon and Mugendramon, we have his starters: SaintGalgomon, HiAndromon, and Rosemon. Then his DLC Digimon are now MetalGarurumon (Black) and BlackWarGreymon. That Tankmon he saved a long ago is now Darkdramon after being a Gigadramon. He still never used it, but it's there. And his Monzaemon that came from Yukidarumon is now SaberLeomon. As for MegaloGrowmon and Knightmon, they haven't evolved yet. This gives him 4 Data, 5 Viruses, and 2 Vaccines. Well... there's a sudden shift in bosses being more aligned to Vaccine and Data now... This is still pretty balanced to me.
Rather than meet the others at the agency, Takumi frowned as he entered K-Café. It wasn't that he was bothered by the change of pace, but the sight of Omegamon crouched in the corner near the counter seemed extremely out of place. Still, he wasn't about to call the Digimon out on it since his mind was elsewhere.
"Sorry I'm late," he nodded to Kyoko before taking the empty seat next to Yuuko. "So what's going on?" he asked with an exhausted sigh.
"Hmm…" Kyoko crossed her arms. "There are five Royal Knights left."
"Um…" Nokia frowned. "There's Examon, Duftmon, Dynasmon, Craniummon…"
"And LordKnightmon," Yuuko coolly finished.
"Yeah…" Takumi absently nodded.
"Eesh…" Nokia crookedly smiled. "Even the names sound tough." She turned back towards her Digimon. "Hey, Omegamon? Is it really true that none of the Royal Knights mentioned will come over to our side?"
"I'm afraid not," Omegamon carefully shook his head. "None would be our allies. We are bound to fight them all."
"I see…" the girl smiled in understanding. "Then it's totally down to us! But other than Examon storming around Odaiba, we don't know where they are."
"It's possible that LordKnightmon might be in Odaiba as well," Yuuko pointed out.
"Eh?" Takumi looked up at that, a bit surprised that she sounded so certain of that.
"Really!?" Nokia was also surprised. "How do you know? Could it be you've awakened to your latent psychic potential, Yuuko-chi!?"
"When I traced Rie-san's computer, I found that it was using an IP address in Odaiba," the raven-haired girl explained. "I can't be certain that it's LordKnightmon's, but…"
"No, it's fairly likely to be LordKnightmon," Kyoko nodded. "The Royal Knights can't ignore Examon in his amok state. They're probably thinking of a way to use him."
"In which case…" Omegamon frowned, "Examon is the Digimon with the highest level of battle power among the Royal Knights. We must halt LordKnightmon's movements, no matter what it takes!"
"Now is when we should seek the help of any Royal Knights we can persuade to be our allies," Kyoko stated.
"That's certainly true," Omegamon agreed. "I will seek their help. Leave them to me!"
"We're totally decided then!" Nokia smirked. "Let's do this Odaiba thing, y'all!"
"Eh, excuse me," Yuuko frowned, "but do we have an actual strategy for this?"
"Hmm… Oh yeah…" Nokia actually took a moment to think about it. "How about…? We go with the Whatever Feels Right at the Moment Strategy?"
"Of course," Omegamon nodded. "It's an Improvise on Individual Initiative Plan! Excellent, Nokia! That's perfect," he praised his tamer.
"What? Seriously?" Nokia's grin widened as she blushed at her partner's words. "Totally seriously?" she giggled. "Don't stop! Tell me more!"
"What a pair of idiots," Yuuko muttered under her breath. "Don't you agree, Takumi?"
"Hm?" Takumi blinked as he hadn't been paying attention. "Well…" he looked between the frowning Yuuko and grinning Nokia. "Whatever works, right?" he shrugged.
Kyoko chuckled at the lively teens. "Go with whatever plan you think will be best. I will back you up from here at the agency. As a noncombatant, I would only hinder you otherwise."
"Mm…" Takumi frowned but nodded in agreement. "Just… leave it to us… I suppose," he told the detective.
"Okay, planning meeting over!" Nokia exclaimed. "Let's get to it."
"W-wait…!" Takumi called out as she was about to stand. "H-hang on…!"
"Yeah?" the red-haired girl blinked at him. "You wanted to say something first?"
The boy nodded and lowered his gaze. "It's… about Arata…" Everybody patiently listened as Takumi recounted what happened in Asakusa.
"No way…" Nokia frowned. "I can't believe that could happen to Arata…"
"Dukemon is after him?" Omegamon frowned. "Dukemon, taking up arms against humans after claiming he wanted to understand them? We must consider the possibility that some rather frightening changes are happening to Arata."
"Crap, crap, crap!" Nokia cried out. "That jerk of a hunk! I'll call him JH for short! Let's beat him silly. Everybody gets one punch. That should fix it. Yeah, that oughta do it," she nodded.
"Nokia…" Takumi frowned at her.
"Oh, and you too, Omegamon!" the girl looked up at her Digimon. "Punch him with all your might!"
"If you wish, I shall attack with all I have," the Royal Knight nodded.
"Nokia!" Takumi snapped at her. Everybody stared at the gentle boy in surprise. "Just what are you saying!? Arata is still our friend! We can't just…! I can't…!" He frowned at the thought of having to fight the older boy, let alone eliminating him. Takumi noticed everyone around him was rather silent as they kept their gaze on him so he looked up at them with wide blue eyes. "S-sorry…" he stammered. "I didn't mean to shout…" He brought a hand up to his forehead. "I'm sorry…"
"Takumi…" Kyoko calmly studied her assistant. "I know you're worried about Sanada Arata, but don't get careless, alright?"
The red-haired boy nodded. "I understand," he responded. "I'm sorry, Kyoko-san."
Yuuko frowned as it had been strange to see him so angry. "We should return to our current task…" she suggested.
Omegamon nodded. "We should begin with our trip to Odaiba. Examon must be kept away from LordKnightmon."
Yuuko stood up from her seat and looked over to the despondent Cyber Sleuth. "Let's go, Takumi." The boy still didn't really respond so she tugged on his arm. "Takumi?"
"Hm?" he blinked a few times. "Oh, right… S-sorry…" He stood up and nodded before following her and Kyoko out.
Nokia was about to join them but turned to face her Digimon. "Say, uh, Omegamon… Next time, let's do this online, okay?"
"Ahh. Understood," Omegamon said, bowing his head. "I had wanted to meet in a café, as Nokia had said, to better understand humans, but… I apologize for asking the impossible."
"No, that's fine," Nokia smiled at him. "That's what makes you totally adorbs!"
"Nokia…" the Digimon looked up at her. "You are truly a very forgiving person."
The girl giggled and blushed at his praise. "I guess so! I'm not just a pretty face!"
"No way…" Takumi stared at the darkened streets with wide blue eyes and shook his head. "This is… Odaiba!?" He frowned at the destruction around them. "It's more like a war zone than anything else…" He paused when his Digivice began to ring.
"It looks like you've arrived in Odaiba," Kyoko noted.
"Yeah…" her assistant nodded. "It's pretty bad though…" He placed a hand over his heart and groaned in discomfort. "I'm not talking about just the atmosphere either. It's a bit difficult for me to breathe here…"
"I've been monitoring the state of the Digital Waves occurring in various areas," the detective stated, "But the values around Odaiba have suddenly increased. As Suedou said, they had technology to control Eaters using Digital Waves. In other words…" Kyoko brought a hand up to her mouth, "Controlling the Eater that's preying on Examon might allow for the control of Examon himself. Allowing them to take control of such a vastly superior Digimon would be a terrible blow on our side. You must prevent this from happening if at all possible," she nodded to the boy.
"Understood," Takumi told her before leading his friends towards the building with a large dragon roosted on top of it.
"Whoa, that thing's totally huge!" Nokia cried out when they made it to the top of the roof. Examon loomed over them and roared as the Eaters on his body tried to consume him. "Isn't… isn't that against the rules?" the girl nervously asked. "If that thing gets loose…"
Yuuko gasped and pointed to the familiar pink Digimon standing alone on the helipad. "LordKnightmon!"
Takumi steeled his nerves and nodded to the girls. "Let's go!" he called out as he took the lead.
"Rie-san!" Yuuko called out to the Digimon.
LordKnightmon turned to face them but chuckled. "I would have thought the Eaters would have gotten you by now, yet still you cling to life," she mocked the girl.
"So that really is your true form then," the teen glared at her.
"That reminds me," LordKnightmon said, "This is the first time I've shown you this form. Allow me to introduce myself then." She pulled a rose out of nowhere and brought it to her face. "I am the lord of the Knightmon, made from a deviant virus type among the Royal Knights! My name is LordKnightmon! I shall snatch the shining rose of victory!" she declared. "This is indeed my true form!"
"You're the one who controls the Eaters?" Yuuko asked. "You got into Kamishiro, aided Suedou with his work to get what you needed, continued your preparations…"
The Digimon chuckled. "You should be thanking me. My help revolutionized that research," she boasted. "Yet to think that controlling Digital Waves would produce this much power… This was a result even I did not expect. I'm shocked that Suedou—no, that any human could come this close to the Digital Justice…"
"You'd use that power to destroy innocent people? Why? How can you do such a thing?" Yuuko demanded to know.
"Innocent?" the Digimon sneered at her. "Preposterous. You shall all reap what you have sown! The EDEN Network created by your father became the path and his children opened it up! And then the nightmare began! The Eaters began eroding away our Digital World!"
"Hm?" Takumi frowned at the Digimon's ominous words as they didn't bode well with him.
"What!?" Nokia gasped.
"I purged the sin of EDEN's creator, Kamishiro Satoru. Other sins remain…" LordKnightmon glared at them.
Yuuko let out a sharp gasp. "Then it was you who killed my father after all!?" The quiet raven-haired girl began trembling in rage. "I'll never forgive you. Never!"
"Hmph… You humans are the ones who cannot be forgiven! How many times must I say it?" LordKnightmon turned towards Examon who let out a roar. "Examon, you won't forgive them either, will you? These howling, noisome, squirming humans! Rejoice!" she cried, facing the children once more. "The sins of humankind will be burned away by Examon the Dragon Emperor! Do you think you can stop that from happening?"
"We won't know until we try," Takumi tensed up for battle.
The pink Royal Knight laughed at him. "It's the beginning of the end! Ashes to ashes, dust to dust!" she stated before suddenly taking off.
Omegamon shook his head as it was best to let her go. "This is bad! We have to stop Examon. If we don't, the human world is done for!"
"It…" Nokia began trembling from fear. "It'll totally work out! Uh, right?"
"We'll definitely make it work!" Takumi called out as he summoned his team. He paused as he sensed more Royal Knights arriving. "Ah! Everyone!"
Magnamon nodded to the red-haired boy. "Now, more than ever, we must all work together!"
"I hear the voice of my true friends!" Dukemon stated.
"The greater our urge to protect this world," Jesmon stood at Takumi's side, "the stronger we become!"
"Rina is also fond of this world," Veevee nodded, "and so I must not let it be destroyed!"
Examon let out a roar and the Cyber Sleuth looked up at the great behemoth. "All right! All together now, everyone!"
Omegamon threw aside his mantle and unleashed his Grey Sword. "With this much power in one place, we can do it!" He took off into the air with Jesmon and Veevee.
Takumi was about to send the rest of his team to aid them but paused as Dukemon and Magnamon approached him. "What is it?" the boy asked.
"Have you not seen the boy?" Dukemon queried the teen. "He should have been headed this way."
"No," the Cyber Sleuth shook his head.
"I see. He was steadily accumulating more power while evading my pursuit," Dukemon frowned. "We'll have to get him next time."
"I still don't think it's right to fight him," Takumi frowned. "Arata…"
"But first things first," Dukemon turned to face Examon. "We fight together! To stop Examon!"
"Let's go full bore!" Magnamon nodded.
The Cyber Sleuth cleared away all thoughts of Arata for now. "Everyone! Charge!"
Mugendramon roared as he planted himself on the ground and began charging his Mugen Cannon. To the mechanical dragon's right, MetalGarurumon (Black) let out a howl as he charged forward with all of the missile ports on his body open. "Blizzard Wolf Claw!"
A Cyborg Digimon with dark blue armor and lance on his right arm roared as he charged up a ball of dark matter. "Dark Roar!"
"Keep it up, Darkdramon, MetalGarurumon (Black)!" Takumi called out to them as he kept a careful eye on Jesmon in the air above him. He couldn't call out orders to the Royal Knight, but he trusted the youngest member to be able to hold his own alongside Veevee and Omegamon.
Dukemon lifted Gram and nodded to Darkdramon before the two of them pierced Examon with their weapons. "Royal Saber!"
"Gigastick Lance!"
Examon didn't seem too bothered by it though as he flapped his great wings to kick up a powerful gale. "Avalon's Gate!" He swung his enormous lance at both Digimon and knocked them aside.
Magnamon took off into the air and began compressing the space around the large Royal Knight. "Shining Gold Solar Storm!" He let the area expand into a bright golden explosion and Examon roared at him.
"Okay, Mugendramon's ready!" Takumi cried. "Mugen Cannon!" The mechanical dragon's eyes lit up as he fired a devastating blast from both his shoulder cannons.
The blow managed to push Examon back until he was on the edge of the roof, but the Dragon Emperor quickly regained his balance and flapped his wings. Despite his heavy size, he was able to lift himself into the air before charging Ambrosius with energy. "Pendragon's Glory!" He released a laser from his lance and the Digimon on the roof quickly shielded Takumi, Yuuko, and Nokia from the blast.
Mugendramon creaked as he struggled to rise but Takumi quickly patted his head to tell him to take it easy. "Thank you, Mugendramon, but that's enough." He frowned up at Examon as the Dragon Emperor landed on the roof again to let out a furious roar. It didn't seem like Examon was going to attack again, so the Cyber Sleuth did a quick check of everybody else's current state. "Is everyone alright!?"
"Agh!" Dukemon landed on the ground. "We won't be able to use ordinary means after all!"
Jesmon tried attacking Examon, but the Dragon Emperor knocked him into the ground with a swipe of its massive claws. The newest member of the Royal Knights struggled to stand. "It's no good… It's not working!"
"Examon's getting away!" Omegamon cried as the great beast was beginning to flap his wings again.
Examon took off into the dark smoke-filled sky without looking back at them and Jesmon tensed up. "Takumi! I'll go after him!" he stated. "Otherwise, my master will be in for a beating!"
"I'll go too!" Veevee nodded. "If we let him escape, Rina will have my head!" the UlforceV-dramon exclaimed. Both Royal Knights nodded to each other before taking off after Examon.
"I leave this to them for now," Omegamon said.
"Yeah," Takumi nodded as both Veevee and Jesmon had the speed and strength to keep up with Examon. He turned back to everyone else and noticed how exhausted they all were. "So what now?"
"I must recuperate," Omegamon told him before approaching his sworn comrade in arms. "Dukemon, are you okay?"
"Yes… I'll pull through…" the knight nodded.
"I see…" a voice darkly chuckled. "I'm glad you're still fresh."
Takumi tensed up as he quickly recognized who it was. "Arata!"
"Watch out, Dukemon!" Magnamon cried out in alarm when he spotted a boy wearing a white hood sneak up on his ally from behind.
"You're too late," Arata smirked.
"It can't—!" Dukemon quickly turned to see Arata's Eater arm pointed at him.
Arata laughed as the Royal Knight's data was his. Once Dukemon was completely consumed, the teen laughed. "Now you'll see!" He gasped at the sudden surge of power rushing through him. He let out a pained scream as he quickly reigned in the Royal Knight's power.
"Arata!?" Takumi ran towards him but paused when the Digital Waves around Arata heavily distorted, forcing him to stay back. The Cyber Sleuth found the air suffocating but he did all he could to scan away some of the excess data his friend was trying to contain. "Arata!"
"Oof!" Arata frowned as he sensed what Takumi was doing, but it didn't matter since Dukemon's power was even greater than what he previously thought. "So this… is the power of the Royal Knights!" He continued to gasp in pain but smirked at his increasing strength. "Agh… What!? Ahh… Ahh! It… it burns! I'm overflowing… with power!" He laughed at the reinvigorating sensation swirling within him. "This is it! This is the power! This is what I was after. THIS!"
"Arata…!" Deciding to take his chances against the unstable Digital Waves, Takumi let out a cry as he began rushing towards his friend. Even if it was painful for him to get any closer, he had to try. He only made it a few steps before his body refused to go any further. His eyes widened as his legs locked up and he fell flat onto his face. "Arata!" The older boy didn't seem to care though as he quickly disappeared off the rooftop, in search of more things to eat.
"Takumi!" Yuuko quickly knelt at the redhead's side as he was painfully gasping for air.
"What's going on?" Nokia frowned. "What…?" She turned towards Takumi as he managed to get up onto a knee. "Hey! Tell me! What is this!? Why is this happening!?" Takumi didn't dare look up at her as he frowned at the floor. "Hey! Somebody say something!" she continued to cry. "Somebody… please…"
"We let LordKnightmon slip away," Omegamon lowered his head in shame, "And we were unable to restrain Examon. And…" he hesitantly stated, "I lost my sworn friend, Dukemon. The operation was a complete failure."
Takumi glared at his gloved hand and tried to clench it. His body still wasn't responding as he wished though so he let out a frustrated growl. "It's not… over… Not yet…!" He forced himself to stand but let out a gasp as the strain was too much.
"Takumi…" Yuuko quickly supported his weakening half-cyber body. "Let's go back to the agency and regroup for now."
Takumi shook his head as she managed to pull him to his feet. "I'm going after Arata!" he adamantly stated as tried to take a step forward without her. He nearly fell again but thankfully Yuuko refused to let go of him.
"Everyone is exhausted after fighting Examon," she told him.
The Cyber Sleuth paused at that before looking towards Nokia, Magnamon, and Omegamon. Nokia was worriedly frowning to herself while the Digimon seemed as though they could collapse at any moment. Takumi frowned to himself before realizing even Yuuko was heavily breathing as she tried to support him. The boy calmly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he reluctantly nodded. "Let's go home…" he finally decided.
Takumi turned in his seat to get a better view of the agency's television as Kyoko let the news run. "The monster that suddenly appeared in Odaiba…" the newscaster reported, "is currently flying over Tokyo, wreaking extensive havoc throughout the city. The government has issued a state of emergency, called in the armed forces, and urges extreme caution. Citizens are asked to remain calm and to not take any rash actions that might—"
Kyoko turned it off there before bringing her hand up to her mouth. "As I feared, Examon is a grievous threat."
"I'm so sorry," Nokia frowned. "We failed…"
"It's pointless to regret the past," Kyoko shook her head. "There was nothing else you could have done. Besides, all is not yet lost."
"Hm?" Takumi looked towards her.
"After analyzing Examon's movements, I found that after a period of activity, he must then always go into a resting state," the detective smiled. "A massive Digital Wave must be needed to maintain the incredible amount of data Examon has."
"You're saying Examon has terrible fuel efficiency?" Yuuko asked.
"Something like it," the woman nodded. "And while he is in this resting state, the Digital Wave fuels him, externally… via a Digital Line."
"If it's a Digital Line," Nokia knit her eyebrows together, "then it must be under LordKnightmon's control, right?"
The detective nodded as she was correct. "I believe that, by continuing to supply the Digital Waves, she's controlling the partly bugged Examon in much the same way as the Eaters. If that's the case, cutting off the Digital Wave supply ought to weaken Examon… and release him from LordKnightmon's control."
Takumi smirked as he sensed Kyoko already had a counterattack in mind. "It looks like my next mission has been decided," he nodded.
"Way to go, Kyoko-san!" Nokia smiled.
"What a swift and unprecedented recovery," Yuuko agreed. "Truly amazing," she smiled at the impressive woman.
Kyoko chuckled at their praise. "All I can offer in return is some tasty coffee!"
The three teenagers tensed up and Nokia let out a surprised yelp.
"N-no," Yuuko shook her head, "that's not what I meant at all!"
"We don't need any handicaps!" Takumi frowned at the detective. He paused and closed his eyes. "Although… that does sound like a fun challenge…"
Kyoko raised an eyebrow at the strange boy. "Unfortunately, there's no time for that now."
Takumi crossed his arms and smirked. "Of course, there isn't."
"Let's continue the discussion," the detective told them. "I traced back the flows of the Digital Waves… There's a place in Cron where the flows all overlap. I located this 'Interchange'. That is where the Digital Waves flow into the Digital Line. I'm guessing it's a control point."
"And Rie-san… I mean, LordKnightmon would be there!?" Yuuko asked.
"That is a distinct possibility."
"Then I'm going!" Yuuko urgently stated. "Please, let me go!"
"Hmm…" Kyoko brought her hand up to her mouth as she studied the raven-haired girl. "It would be a better plan to wait for Omegamon and the others to recover from their battle with Examon while we gather intelligence in the meantime. But I can see that won't stop you," she finally concluded when she noticed the determined frown on the teen's face. "I shouldn't doubt you. After all, you proved your skills quite well when you acted as Yuugo. Moving forward, you will need great battle skills. But no one is expecting you to work alone. Takumi will accompany you. All right?"
Yuuko looked over to the boy sitting across from her. "S-sure…" she hesitantly nodded.
"Understood, Kyoko-san," Takumi brought his fist to his chest and nodded.
"Excellent," the detective smiled at the pair. "The Interchange is at the back of Cron's fifth level. It's a key location for our enemy and our foe is none other than LordKnightmon. There will undoubtedly be traps you will need to keep on alert for. Exercise all due caution," she warned them.
Yuuko nodded in understanding. "Okay, Takumi," she seriously looked at him. "Let's meet in Cron. I'm counting on you."
"Hm?" Takumi blinked at her as the girl abruptly left without another word. "Yuuko…?"
"Yuuko-chi…" Nokia wore a worried smile. "She's sure gotten into a tiff."
"I don't like this…" Takumi frowned. "Anger is an extremely volatile emotion to give into."
"She's not angry," Kyoko told him. "She's eager. Now that she knows that LordKnightmon killed her father, it's a reasonable reaction from her. Still, in her state, she could easily allow herself to slip up," she said, looking towards her level-headed assistant. "Takumi, keep a close eye on her for now."
"Hmm?" Takumi blinked at the detective before understanding what it was she was asking. After a few seconds, silly smile appeared on his face. "Got it!" he nodded. "I'll follow and investigate her closely by sticking to her like glue! It'll be like I'll expose all her secrets!" When he sensed Nokia and Kyoko staring at him strangely, he let out an easy-going chuckle. "Just kidding."
Kyoko sighed as she flipped her hair. "Hmm… There seems to be a misunderstanding," she smirked at her assistant's strange behavior. "I think you need to relax, first and foremost. Huh, should we maybe try that?"
"Hm?" Takumi continued smiling as the detective stood up and started for the agency kitchen. "Where are you going?" he asked with a grin.
"My special herbal tea, featuring a blend of thirteen herbs, will help you relax," Kyoko told him from the other room. "I made some coffee with that tea in it, then added tofu, bananas, and strawberries…" Takumi and Nokia tensed up, "all of which have stress-reducing properties."
"Ah! No!" Takumi shook his head as he looked towards the TV. "I'm good! I'm heading to Cron right now!"
Nokia brought a hand up to her mouth as she gagged at the thought of having to brave Kyoko's coffee on her own. "I'm not feeling particularly stressed right now," she nervously stated. "I think I'll pass, okay? So, uh, see you later, Takumi." She quickly started for the exit. "You can do it!" she cheered him on before running away.
"N-no way! I'm out too!" Takumi tried Connect Jumping into the TV but blinked when he noticed Kyoko had unplugged the machine on her way to the kitchen. "Kyoko-san…!" his voice cracked when he realized he was trapped.
"Ah, perfect!" Kyoko smirked as she finally returned with a cup of the brew. "I hope this works!" she giggled. As she watched him choke it down, Kyoko seriously nodded to him. "I'll leave her to you… So don't let her out of your sight," she sternly stated.
The Cyber Sleuth paused at that before a serious frown appeared on his face. "Understood…"
Takumi looked around in confusion when he didn't see Yuuko anywhere in Galacta Park. "Where is she?" He paused and quickly accepted the incoming call on his Digivice. "Yuuko?"
"What were you doing, Takumi?" she frowned at him. "I waited for a while at the meeting place, but when you didn't show I went on to Cron's fifth level," she told him as she lowered her gaze. "Please, come and join me here as soon as you can."
Takumi knit his eyebrows together as the call ended. "Yuuko…" He shook his head and quickly made his way deeper into Cron until he spotted the raven-haired girl staring at a blockade preventing her from actually going in alone. "Yuuko!"
"You're late," she told him without turning around.
"Sorry, but you shouldn't have—"
"The Interchange should be beyond this area, but there's a wall preventing us from going any farther." Yuuko clenched her fists and glared at it. "There's no other way around. If we don't do something quickly, we'll lose our quarry again!"
"Alright," Takumi said as he examined their surroundings. "Calm down and we'll be able to figure this out," he told her.
"You want me to calm down?" Yuuko turned to face him with an expression of mild surprise on her face.
"Yeah, you're a bit too worked up," Takumi nodded.
"I'm worked up? Me?"
"That's right," the Cyber Sleuth continued to nod.
"My father was murdered," she reminded him. "And now I'm about to finally get my revenge," she frowned. "Of course I'm worked up," she glared at him. "What's wrong with that?"
"You won't be able to accomplish anything with such a dangerous mindset," Takumi shook his head. "Why do you think I'm here?"
"You're just worried about me?" she asked. She stared at his gentle smile before glaring at him. "I didn't ask for your concern. Please don't be worried on my account."
"Yuuko…" Takumi seriously stared back at her. "I can't help but worry. That's just a part of who I am."
"You really are a… happy-go-lucky person, aren't you?" she asked him.
"Happy-go-lucky?" the Cyber Sleuth brought his hand up to his chin. "In what way?"
"You're always surrounded by friends and smiling like a fool…" Yuuko enviously muttered. "I'm grateful how you… saved me before. But please don't put on this weird act of pretending like we're friends now. I don't know what went on inside my heart but… as far as I know, you and I are not friends."
"We're not…?" Takumi's blue eyes slightly dulled as her words stung a bit even though he knew they normally wouldn't have. He hid his frown behind his hand before cheerfully laughing at her. "Anyone who could say that to me could probably still be my friend," he stated with a shrug.
"What was that?" Yuuko continued to frown at the idiot.
"You heard me," Takumi grinned. "Good friends trust and support each other, no matter the difficulties. Even if you say things like that to me, I know deep down you don't really mean it. I understand you might still be suffering a little on your own," he slightly frowned, "but that's why I'm always ready to do whatever I can to help. Even if you say otherwise, I still say we're friends, so we're friends."
"What kind of flowery logic is that? Are you expecting to win me over with some sappy words?"
"Maybe," he cheerfully raised his fist to his chest and flashed her his biggest smile. "Is it working?"
"Huh?" Yuuko stared at him as he was an impossible opponent to deal with. "A good friend? You're so… I'm at a loss for words…"
"Well, well!" a man's voice spoke up from behind Takumi, causing the boy to tense up. "If it isn't Acting President Kamishiro! I hope you are doing well."
Yuuko looked past Takumi in surprise and gasped. "Suedou…san!?"
"What are you doing here?" Takumi asked as his grin immediately soured into a scowl. Yuuko noticed how out of place that expression was on the easy-going boy's face as he turned around to face the man. "Are you here to get in our way again?"
"Surely there's no need for such caution," Suedou smiled at Takumi. "We all know each other here, no?"
The Cyber Sleuth tightly clenched his fists. "You…!"
"Oh my, Takumi. Are you upset?" the scientist asked him. "Might it be the situation with Arata-kun that's troubling you?"
"What do you think?" the boy vehemently asked.
Yuuko quickly placed her hand on her friend's shoulder to help him calm down. "I heard about it from Takumi," she coolly told the man. "What did you do to Arata-san?"
"I merely offered him a tiny bit of… assistance," Suedou smiled, "in helping his wishes come true. Consequently, it also made my wishes come true. On the whole, it was very good for our relationship."
"That's no answer," Yuuko firmly stated as she took a step towards the man. "What the heck happened to him?"
"Let's just say I assisted in his evolution," the man nodded. "He wanted power… great power, at that. But even if such was available, there would be a limit as to how much his body could handle. Thus, I recommended assimilation with an Eater."
"So it was you who changed Arata!" Takumi's eyes furiously flashed.
"He accepted my recommendation, assimilated with an Eater, and obtained great abilities because of it," Suedou's smile grew. "The Eaters prey on data to store information. Arata-kun can now absorb data and increase his power. His body is slowly being altered so that he can bear it. It appears he's gained some enhancements due to the sudden increase in his powers, but it's not anything to worry about. So just relax."
"Relax!?" Takumi cried out. "You think I can relax knowing Arata's is letting an Eater share his body!?"
The man ignored the boy's outburst and instead lifted his gaze towards the raven-haired girl frowning at them. "Yuuko-san, the data from your assimilation with the Eater was very helpful," he told her with a grateful smirk.
"Eh…!?" Yuuko brought her hands to her mouth and gasped.
"I'm glad I monitored your status on the sly," the man nodded to himself. "When it happened to you, you were completely overtaken and yet here you are… Have no concerns on that point! Adjustments were made and conditions set to clearly prioritize Arata-kun," the scientist stated.
"But even so…!" Takumi didn't lessen his glare.
"What's this?" the man frowned at the boy. "Why are you so angry? And at what?" He thoughtfully studied Takumi's furious expression. "He has undergone the evolution he wished for! You would deny him his wishes? As the real world does with its limits and impossibilities?"
"Whatever his wish is, he won't be able to fulfill it if he throws himself away so easily!" Takumi stated. "Who do you think you are using and manipulating others as you see fit?"
"Yes, I suppose you view me as someone no better than Kishibe…" Suedou sighed.
"Suedou-san…" Yuuko suspiciously glared at the scientist. "Were you aware of Rie-san's true identity? And did you help her regardless?"
"I noticed that her psyche was something other than human," the man nodded. "But there was no way I had of knowing that she was the Digimon known as LordKnightmon. Moreover, her actions have caused me quite a bit of consternation myself. She is attempting to bring about not only the end of the human race, but of the world itself. This is quite out of line with my wishes," he crossed his arms. "It's simple, reckless violence on her part. My vision is to see the evolution of our world, not its destruction. Therefore, I have a proposal for the two of you. Although our final goals may differ, at present," he knowingly smirked at Takumi, "our objectives should be aligned… Would you therefore consider a partnership?"
"A partnership… with you?" Yuuko frowned.
"Absolutely not!" Takumi outright refused, much to Yuuko's surprise.
Suedou frowned at the boy as it was unlike him to rush to such an emotionally-charged decision. "The program she is using to control Digital Waves is a program I originally wrote," he told them. "Accordingly, it would be a trivial matter for me to render it harmless. However, I would be completely helpless should LordKnightmon attack me," he smirked. "So until our objective is met, I'd like to hire you as my bodyguards. What do you say?"
"I still refuse!" Takumi adamantly glared at him.
"Takumi…" Yuuko tried to reason with the angry redhead. "A partnership sounds like a good idea for now. At the very least, he can be reasoned with. At least more than we can reason with Rie-san, who might bring about the end of the world at any moment." Yuuko flinched when Takumi cast his burning blue eyes on her. She had never seen him so angry and amount of rage he seemed to be harboring was rather unsettling. "Takumi…?"
The Cyber Sleuth continued to glare at her until he noticed the slight fear flickering on his friend's worried face. "Ah…!" He quickly brought his hand up to his forehead as he realized he had been extremely close to losing his temper. "I… I'm sorry…" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Once he calmed down, he carefully considered their situation. Although he didn't want to accept the man's proposal, he reluctantly turned to face the scientist and brought his hand back down to his side. "As much as I want to refuse, Yuuko's right… We need you to disable the program and in return, we'll protect you from danger," he stiffly nodded.
"My, my, thank you!" Suedou smiled at the level-headed boy. "I'll be sure to not be in your way. Well, then," he nodded to Yuuko. "Let's get moving." He pulled up a terminal to begin his work and soon, the wall that had been in their way before disappeared. "Shall we proceed?" he smirked as he allowed Takumi to take the lead.
"Takumi…" Yuuko looked over towards the Cyber Sleuth but saw that he was intently frowning to himself with his eyes closed as he continued to sort through his own thoughts. She frowned to herself and decided to check to see if he was okay. "Is something wrong?"
"Hm?" he quickly snapped his eyes open and blinked at her. "Oh… No, don't worry about me," he seriously stated with a nod. "We have a job to do and that always takes precedence." He took another deep breath before focusing on the path ahead of them. "Now then… where's our target?" The Cyber Sleuth carefully examined the area around them before frowning at the dense collection of cables and information clustered near the back of the area.
"That's the Interchange!" Yuuko exclaimed in awe.
"Such incredible density!" Suedou marveled the sheer bulk of data. "For Digital Wave behavior to be visible at such a level!"
"If we make it that far, can we stop the flow?" Yuuko asked him
"Yes," the man nodded. "We just enter the shutoff command directly. Doing that will block the Digital Wave flow and should halt the supply to Examon as well."
"There are traps set up throughout the area," Yuuko noticed.
"An interference field is jamming communication with the outside, too," the scientist pointed out before chuckling to himself. "How very thorough!"
Takumi frown deepened as that meant he wouldn't be able to call Kyoko. He dismissed the thought though as he studied the terrain for traps.
"Then does that mean that LordKnightmon is hiding somewhere in this area after all?" Yuuko asked.
"I do seem to be detecting a large data mass…" Suedou pointed further into the area. "I don't know if it's LordKnightmon, but it is certainly one of the entities known as the Royal Knights."
"We might as well find out who it is for ourselves," Takumi nodded. "Hmm?" He brought a hand up to his mouth when he noticed some locked data nearby. Waving his right hand over it, he quickly scanned its contents. "It looks like the log of a hacker who passed through long ago, left as a message for hackers to come."
Hacker Hint: "Darkness lies ahead." If you think you're a great hacker—then you know not to underestimate what looks like nothing at all. EDEN is just a collection of data. It's easy to forget with the barrage of data sent to the avatar's five senses, but this is not a real world. A place you thought was a path can suddenly become something completely different. Darkness. It's what lies ahead. If you're a skilled enough hacker to be able to decrypt this log, you should be able to figure out what that really means.
"Darkness…?" Takumi stared at the road ahead of them. He didn't take a step as he studied how the road forked and looped together. He could see that there was more than one path to take to get to the destination but the Cyber Sleuth sensed that only one method would be acceptable.
Yuuko frowned as the boy remained as still as a statue. "Is there something wrong?"
The Cyber Sleuth brought a hand up to his mouth before he noticed a discrepancy in the floor's shading. "Hmm?" He cautiously took a step forward but tensed up as the ground suddenly opened up in to a pit.
"Takumi!" Yuuko quickly pulled him back. "Don't be so reckless!" she scolded him. She expected the boy to grin at her and crack a nonsensical joke, but she blinked when her friend continued to seriously stare at the hole in the ground. "Takumi?"
The redhead scanned the floor again as he began to absently nod to himself. "So that's what it means by 'darkness'," he muttered as he noticed how the path he didn't take was a darker hue than the path he did choose. He carefully tested his hypothesis by following the 'dark' path and when he came to fork, he carefully placed his foot on the 'light' path only to see it open up.
Yuuko smirked as it seems he found a way to avoid falling into danger. "I see…" She chuckled at the Cyber Sleuth's sharpness. "You truly are a remarkable detective."
"Not really…" Takumi shook his head as he skirted another trap. "They're just… not very effective," he stated. "Traps shouldn't really be this easy to avoid…"
"I'm certain that these wicked traps could only have been set by LordKnightmon." Yuuko brought her hand up to her mouth. "Probably in order to buy time."
"Maybe…" Takumi knit his eyebrows together as he mentally established his own theory about the traps. For there to have been another hacker going through here before us means these traps have been present for a long time. LordKnightmon is just using the traps to her advantage. If she had set the traps herself, they would be much more dangerous and effective. After all, why stall for time when you can outright eradicate your enemies when they least expect it? He tilted his head to the side. Unless… she has a reason to keep us alive… Given her personality, she's extremely vindictive so there must be something she wants to prove to us before destroying us… "What a terrifying person…" he absently muttered aloud.
"They're underhanded as well as malicious," Yuuko nodded in agreement. "Rie-san's personality seems to be showing through." To her surprise and partial relief, the boy she was following suddenly broke out into laughter. "What are you laughing at?" the girl frowned.
"You aren't that far behind in the personality game either," Takumi chuckled. "I finally got a glimpse of the real you! That's it!" he nodded. "I'll call you Yuuko the Blackhearted!" Yuuko glared at his back but it didn't seem as though Takumi was fazed at all. "What? No comeback?" Takumi teased her as he continued forward. He turned his head back towards her as he flashed her his usual grin.
"You jerk," she muttered before following him again, thinking it was completely unlike him to tease her in such a manner. Still, it was good to see him go back to his usual easy-going self.
"Whatever you say, Yuuko the Blackhearted," the Cyber Sleuth continued to laugh. He stopped though when he spotted another locked log. "Ah…" Takumi quickly unlocked it to see what was written this time.
Hacker Hint: "You have nothing to lose so go for it." If you think you're a great hacker—then you won't hesitate to go anywhere, even places you thought were dangerous. We're hackers, aren't we? An 'off-limits' path or a 'secret' door? Those restrictions don't apply to us. No one can tell a hacker what to do. Even whether to go ahead or turn back, that's something you should decide for yourself. But don't forget… You have nothing to lose.
"The path ends here," Yuuko noticed as the ground ahead of them was lighter than the path they had been travelling.
Nothing to lose…? Takumi stared at the log for a while longer before sternly frowning to himself. "Sometimes to progress, you have to fall into darkness before reemerging into the light."
"What do you mean?"
"We have to enter the trap to proceed," Takumi nodded.
"Eh!?" Yuuko frowned as he carefully triggered the pitfall. "Are you sure?"
The Cyber Sleuth stood at the edge of the hole and pensively stared at it. He gulped as he could feel the something lying in wait for them. "Not really…" He took a moment to glance around the dead end again. "But there's no other path available…"
"Why are you so hesitant, Takumi?" the scientist asked as he leisurely caught up to his bodyguards. "I didn't think now of all times would be when you'd allow your resolve to waver."
"I'm not hesitating," the boy turned his head back to the man in order to give him an annoyed glare. "I'm just… thinking," he knit his eyebrows together as he cautiously eyed the trap. What kind of trick is this? Is LordKnightmon really trying to convey something to us? If so, what is it? I don't sense any danger but… what's this uneasiness within me? This is something I have to do, so why can't I do it? What have I got to… lose…? His blue eyes widened as he realized what it was that was bothering him. "Ah…"
"Takumi," Yuuko frowned as she approached the edge of the pit too. "We should hurry and proceed."
"I-I know…" he nodded as he continued to stare at the gaping darkness awaiting them.
"Is something wrong?"
"Don't worry about it," Takumi quickly shook his head. "My mind went somewhere else for a while…"
"How curious…" Suedou smirked as he studied the half-cyber teen. "What could you have been thinking about, I wonder?"
Takumi tensed up and glared at the man. "It's nothing important," he huffily stated before reaching a hand up to his goggles. "Anyway, let's go, Yuuko. We're almost at the end."
The raven-haired hacker knit her eyebrows together as her friend was acting strange again, but she focused on her own goal. "Yes," she nodded as she prepared her goggles-style Digivice too. "Prepare yourself, LordKnightmon…"
"Hm? Lord…Knightmon…?" the blue-eyed boy blinked but she already took off without him. "Yuuko!" he quickly went after her as he mentally scolded himself for losing focus. Takumi stumbled through the strange darkness and winced in pain due to the turbulent Digital Waves around him. When he finally landed on solid ground, he quickly looked around before sighing in relief at the sight of his friend. Ah… she's safe… I really almost messed up just now. He winced as his entire body began to ache from being so close to the dense stream of Digital Waves. I'll have to be more mindful of my thoughts and emotions… That's twice I've already almost lost focus! He closed his eyes and sternly frowned to himself as he sensed Suedou joining them. It really doesn't help that he has to follow us…
"Whew!" the scientist sighed as he caught up to them once again. "We finally made it!"
"That's the Interchange?" Yuuko stared at the massive stream of data flowing upward in front of them. She and Takumi started towards their target but paused when a solemn voice began to address them.
"I've been waiting, human children." A large Digimon with purple armor and heavy spear dropped down from the sky to face them. "It is as LordKnightmon predicted," he frowned, "thanks to being among you humans for so long. I am Craniummon. I have sworn fealty to Yggdrasil. You shall not pass."
Yuuko looked around with a large frown on her face. "Where is Rie-san? Where is LordKnightmon!?"
"I need not respond," Craniummon stated as he shook his head. "You are all to perish here."
Suedou approached the large Digimon. "Ah, if I may… There's something I'd like to ask. Do you mind?"
"S-suedou-san…" Yuuko frowned at him.
Takumi crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes on the man. "What now?"
"Suedou…?" Craniummon blinked at the strange scientist. "The human who assisted LordKnightmon? The one who failed to catch on as he betrayed his own kind…" the Digimon shook his head. "How pitiful."
Suedou chuckled at the Digimon's misconceptions. "The facts are a little different than that. Well, we can quibble over trivialities later. What I mean to ask, Craniummon-san, is… Do you share LordKnightmon's desire to see our physical world destroyed?"
"Yggdrasil's will is the destruction of the human world," Craniummon stated. "I do not intend to reap the lives of other organisms."
"I see…" the man nodded. "I see, I see. Well, then, might I request your assistance?" he smiled at the Digimon.
"What!?" Takumi glared at him.
"What… do you mean?" Craniummon asked.
"I would like to prompt humanity's evolution," Suedou nodded. "Evolve our species from our pitiful, wretched existence into a form that can be appreciate the utterly beautiful world that will soon be. Once that occurs, mankind can then live side-by-side with you Digimon, without any issue, I should think." His grin grew as he continued to persuade the Digimon to join him. "What do you think? It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to aid in the evolution of a species. There's no grander chance for an intelligent life form than this. You'd surely like to help, yes?"
"I cannot comprehend this," Craniummon shook his head. "You speak nonsense. I have no answer for you. No matter what you request, to help you would be to help the humans. That would be the same as betraying Yggdrasil's orders! You ask the impossible of me."
"What's this? Blind obedience?" Sudeou sighed and shook his head. "How foolish!"
"How dare you!?" the Royal Knight glared at him. "You would mock my fealty?"
"You have given up all thought and lack your own sense of will. That is beyond deplorable," the scientist stated. "You would halt the gears of a turning world?"
"Curse you… You go too far!" The Royal Knight thumped his spear against the floor. "It is a pride and honor to owe fealty to Yggdrasil! Mocking that is unforgivable! With my Claíomh Solais, I shall crush you and your nonsensical words!"
"My, my, I see I've angered you," Suedou carefully backed away from the Digimon. "I apologize." He returned to the two teenagers and their Digimon. "Well, then," he nodded to them. "I'll leave the rest up to you two."
"Eh!?" Yuuko blinked at him.
Takumi let out a low growl. "Oh, sure," he narrowed his eyes on the scientist. "Let us do the dirty work for you."
"I'm particularly ill-suited to roughhousing," the man smirked at the boy. He quickly ducked behind the teens as Craniummon started towards them. "Oh, dear, is he coming?"
"Just stay out of my way!" Takumi cried out as he sent his team forward to block Craniummon's attack.
"Claíomh Solais!" The Royal Knight roared as he swung his spear at them, but was suddenly stopped by a ferocious yellow lion Digimon with two over-developed fangs.
"SaberLeomon! Use your Infinity Arrow!" The Digimon nodded as he began firing the venomous hairs of his mane at the large knight. "Rosemon! Knightmon! Support him!"
The beautiful queen of flowers snapped her thorny vine at Craniummon. "Thorn Whip!"
"Berserk Sword!" Knightmon charged forward as SaberLeomon jumped back to avoid the Perfect Digimon's frenzy.
"Gaioumon, help him!" Yuuko called out to her Digimon.
"Phosphorous Fire Slash!" Gaioumon's swords glowed in an eerie flame before he sliced at Craniummon.
The Royal Knight flinched from the powerful blows before lifting Claíomh Solais above his head. He quickly began spinning it around, resulting in a high speed sonic wave. "End Waltz!"
Takumi covered his ears as he felt the wave disrupt his body. "Rosemon! Restrain him!" he cried as he tried not to double over.
"Ivy Hug!" Rosemon stabbed a vine into the ground, causing many more to rise up and bind Craniummon. The Royal Knight fought against the restraints but SaberLeomon quickly took advantage of their opponent's opening.
"Nail Crusher!" The great lion roared as he smashed his claws into the Royal Knight.
A bit dizzy from his own End Waltz and SaberLeomon's attack, Craniummon stumbled a bit before lifting his shield up to protect him from further damage. "God Bless!"
"Phophorous Fire Attack!" Gaioumon converged the light on his Kikurin swords to a point before firing the light at him the Royal Knight.
"Infinity Arrow!"
"Forbidden Temptation!" The jewel Rosemon wore lit up as she summoned multiple roses around Craniummon. The flowers released poisonous pollen that began to erode the Royal Knight.
"The Duel!" Knightmon swung a spinning blade of air at their opponent.
Although Craniummon had been completely surrounded at all four directions, he managed to deflect every attack within a span of three seconds. He quickly shook off whatever damage he did receive and lifted his Claíomh Solais again. "End Waltz!"
The sonic wave was louder and at a higher frequency this time, causing Takumi to feel a bit nauseous. Unlike before, he couldn't just shake it off. His body wanted to gag, but he quickly choked back the feeling. "Ngh…" The nausea added on top of his hurting chest finally forced him to get down to a knee.
"Takumi!" Yuuko finally noticed the Cyber Sleuth's discomfort when he collapsed. She frowned as he had been fine up until now, but before she could further work out that line of thought, she started for his side. The girl tensed up though when Craniummon managed to throw all four Digimon off of him. While the three Ultimate Digimon struggled to get up, Knightmon quickly rose to his feet to face the Royal Knight again.
Craniummon laughed at the Perfect-level Digimon. "For you to be able to rise up once again is laudable, but I have the will of my lord on my side. As a Digimon, you wish to go against the master of the Digital World, Yggdrasil, himself? You, a knight who should be loyal to LordKnightmon, the monarch of all Knightmon?"
Knightmon tightened his grip on his sword and looked back towards Takumi. "Kare wa waga wo Baku kara tasuketa," the knight boldly stated in his garbled tongue. "Waga no aruji. Ayatsu wa aruji ja nai!"
"So you have sworn your loyalty to the human who saved you," Craniummon nodded as he raised his spear. "Very well. We shall have a duel amongst knights for our lords. On this Claíomh Solais given to me by Yggdrasil himself, I will defeat you and your human master."
"Knightmon!" Takumi cried out as the Ultimate Digimon knocked his Perfect off his feet. The silver knight struggled to rise and swung his sword up. His Berserk Sword clashed against Craniummon's Claíomh Solais. "Knightmon! You can't outmatch an Ultimate's power!" the boy worriedly exclaimed.
"Zettai ni katsu!" Knightmon declared. "Waga no aruji tame ni!"
"Takumi!" Yuuko frowned as she didn't understand the boy's Digimon at all. She was about to send Gaioumon forward again, but the Cyber Sleuth held out his arm for her to stop.
"A knight's honor is derived from his faith in his master… Likewise, the master's strength is derived from his firm belief in his subjects," Takumi stated. "As your lord, Knightmon, we'll win together!" He forced his body to raise his right arm. "Don't forget that when I saved you as a Clockmon, you gave me an important power!"
Craniummon brought his spear up in preparation to throw it towards the advancing Knightmon. "Claíomh Solais!"
Takumi smirked as he activated one of his hacking programs on his Digimon. "Stealth Hide!"
Craniummon's eyes widened when both the Digimon and the boy suddenly disappeared. He searched the battlefield for them but was startled when Knightmon reappeared in front of him with his blade ready.
"Berserk Sword!" Knightmon reappeared before the Royal Knight and quickly attacked with all of his might.
Craniummon staggered as the Cyber Sleuth's Digimon overwhelmed him. It may have been that the boy had been in danger and the Digimon earnestly wished to protect him, but his attacks just then had been nothing Craniummon ever expected. The Royal Knight watched as Takumi's team hurried to the boy's side and examined him.
"G-good… Good work, everyone," he smiled to his Digimon. "You all did great." He let out a surprised yelp but laughed as Knightmon lifted him up from the ground. "You especially, Knightmon," he chuckled at the Warrior Digimon and patted his armor.
Craniummon lowered his head as he understood the knight's desire to defend his master. "To think… I could lose… And to be beaten… so soundly…" He looked up at Takumi as the boy came towards him. "My heart was rife with confusion and doubt…" he admitted. "I feared that these feelings, mere slivers though they were, could not be misgivings about Yggdrasil, or Duftmon and his companions. But indeed they were. That was my true weakness."
"Craniummon…" Takumi sympathetically frowned at him.
"You should have said something about it earlier," Suedou sighed before giving the Royal Knight a smirk. "That is something to take joy in, Craniummon-san. Possessing weakness and harboring doubts show that you do have your own free will, more clearly than anything else. That is an unmistakable change. I can positively affirm that."
Takumi scowled at the man for saying such unnecessary things. "Craniummon… You were loyal to Yggdrasil to the very end. Even if you did carry your doubts, you only did what you believed was correct," he nodded to the Digimon. "I think… the only mistake you made was letting Duftmon and LordKnightmon decide for you what you should do to serve your lord. I would have preferred it if we hadn't fought… Perhaps then, I could have shown you that your doubt wasn't a weakness, but a reason for you to discover your own way of serving your lord, without relying on Duftmon or LordKnightmon. Isn't that… what Knightmon wanted to convey to you?"
Craniummon stared between Suedou and Takumi as his body began to break down. "Feh… What a hateful, yet strangely delightful existence you humans have," Craniummon stated. "You are beyond my comprehension…"
"Craniummon!" Takumi cried out as the Digimon's data began to scatter. All that was left of Craniummon was his Claíomh Solais and the Cyber Sleuth gently placed his gloved hand on the spear. Soon it too disappeared, leaving no trace that the Royal Knight had been there at all. "Craniummon…"
"Oh my," Suedou frowned. "He disappeared. How sad…" he shook his head, "and how futile."
"Futile?" Takumi turned back to glare at the man.
Yuuko noticed how angry the Cyber Sleuth was and she had to agree with the redhead. "Your words are brazen," she frowned at Suedou. "You planned for it to go this way, didn't you?"
"I won't dispute it," the scientist shrugged it off. "The facts are the facts. Regardless, sad necessities are still sad."
"It wasn't a necessity!" Takumi shouted. "Craniummon didn't have to—" he tried to take a threatening step forward but he winced as his chest felt as though it were being ripped apart. He took in a sharp breath but didn't ease his glare on the man as he collapsed to his hands and knees.
"Oh? Is something the matter, Takumi?" Suedou raised an eyebrow at the teenager and studied the Cyber Sleuth. He looked between the boy and the Interchange before nodding in understanding. "I see… Allow me to get rid of the Digital Waves that seem to be causing you so much pain."
"Eh?" Yuuko's eyes widened as she carefully examined Takumi. "The entire time that wave was present… you were…?" She frowned as she failed to notice such a simple thing. "Takumi…"
"I-I'll… be o-okay…" Takumi knit his eyebrows together as he tried to pull himself together.
Yuuko frowned at him as she sensed that even now, he was trying to pass off that nothing was wrong. "So the reason why you were acting so strangely was because of the Interchange destabilizing your mental data…" She shook her head at him. "You should have said something!" she scolded him.
"Sorry…" the red-haired boy wryly smiled as he noticed it was getting easier for him to breathe. He slowly pushed himself back up to his feet and tried to give his friend a reassuring grin. "But I had a task to focus on more than anything. As a professional Cyber Sleuth, I couldn't allow myself to fail."
"Risking your life for an operation is both stupid and reckless!" she continued to berate him. "How can you possibly think your job is more important than your life?"
"It's not that my job is more important," Takumi shook his head. "My priorities are just… different from yours…" he lowered his gaze and frowned as he sensed Yuuko was still harboring her desires for revenge. "Kyoko-san sent me along to assist you, remember? And that's exactly what I did." Before he could allow himself to sink into his strange melancholy, he cheerfully chuckled to himself. "Things worked out in the end though, didn't it?" He paused as he remembered the results of their previous battle and balled his right hand into a fist. "For the most part, anyway…" he muttered as he resumed glaring at the scientist finishing up his task.
"Well, we've cut off the supply," Suedou stated as the Digital Wave finally dissipated. "Examon should begin to lose power." He made to leave but Yuuko quickly stopped him.
"Suedou-san, were you also involved in my father's death?" she asked. "If so, then I have to…"
"Your father's death was a tragedy," Suedou told the revenge-minded girl. "Your father's vision for EDEN was truly wonderful," he said with a smile on his face. "He was one of the very few men I have ever held real respect for. I still regret that I was unable to halt LordKnightmon's rampage. I also know the pain of losing a family member," he sighed. "This isn't the sort of event you can simply recover from…" the man lamented. "After all… nothing can change the fact that you're left behind in the end…"
Takumi felt a shiver run down his spine at the familiarity of those words. "Left… behind…?" He tensed up as the man's gaze landed on him but the boy remained silent as he glared back at him, determined to not give anything away.
"LordKnightmon said that the EDEN my father built is what brought ruin to the Digital World," Yuuko stated. "She said that my father and his children were guilty of sin! And that we shall reap what we have sown in the form of humanity's destruction," she tensed up. "Is that really true? You must know the truth of what happened!"
"Oh, that's right…" Takumi brought a hand up to his mouth. "Yamashina-san said you were involved with the beta-test eight years ago. I'm not asking you here, Suedou," the boy seriously stated. "Tell us what happened back then."
"Please desist," Suedou pitifully frowned at Takumi. "It is enough that only Arata-kun should recover his sad memories. Such painful things should remain in the past, right, Takumi?"
"What do you…?" Takumi's eyes widened as an image of a small boy crying flashed into his mind. A sharp headache came with it but he did his best to not reveal to Suedou that anything else was out of the ordinary with his body. The Cyber Sleuth knew he wasn't doing a very good job of hiding it though as the overwhelming need to cry washed over him. He stared at the scientist oddly as the man gently smiled at him. There was something familiar about all of this, but Takumi didn't know what it was. "Suedou…san…" the boy knit his eyebrows together. "Just what exactly are you trying to accomplish?"
"If my vision is ever to be realized…" Suedou sighed, "All humans will be freed from sadness. Myself, you, those you hold dear… And Arata-kun as well, of course," he said while looking at the boy staring at him with such a pitiful expression. "I must drive out grief from this world…" he sympathetically frowned at Takumi as the boy should have been able to understand his goals. "All grief, all causes of grief, and all possibilities for grief, gone for good! Humanity and the world itself will evolve, guided by my own hands!"
"Th-that's crazy…" Yuuko shook her head. "You must be insane. There's no way that's possible!"
"You're right," the scientist agreed. "It's not possible… now. This is also a sad fact. Until we meet again as I'm sure we will," he smirked at the two. With a slight bow, he quickly left.
"The end of grief?" Yuuko frowned. "The evolution of humanity? Those things simply aren't possible. He's nothing but a bratty child!" She paused as she remembered the expression on the crazed man's face. "Yet he didn't seem like he was murmuring pipe dreams… or like he was insane. I… can't understand him."
"You can't?" Takumi asked as he tried to rid himself of the immense sadness that was weighing him down. "That's… a bit surprising actually…"
"Huh?" Yuuko strangely stared at the Cyber Sleuth and noticed his expression had become oddly serious again.
He closed his eyes and sighed. "Well, even if you did understand, it doesn't change the fact that the world he's striving for would be empty and meaningless," he shook his head.
"Takumi…? Just what are you…?" Yuuko worriedly knit her eyebrows together, but Takumi was already starting for the exit without her.
"Even if I don't like suffering, it's the ability to endure and overcome it that makes us human," the boy muttered. "That's what it means to truly evolve…" He sensed a small fragment of doubt growing within him, but quickly dismissed it by thinking back to the person awaiting his return. That's what I learned from you, Kyoko-san... I won't let Suedou prove otherwise.
"I see…" Kyoko nodded at the teens' report. "Nice work. You might have stopped the Digital Wave supply to Examon, but given his sheer data volume, we're not liable to see a big effect right away. For now, we'll have to wait and see."
Yuuko nodded at that. "I must be going then. Goodbye." She started to leave but paused as she passed the frowning Cyber Sleuth. He had been quiet for a while now and it was actually quite worrying. "Oh, and Takumi… I'm sorry for the… nasty things I said earlier," she apologized to him. "I was stuck thinking about Rie-san. I wasn't in the right headspace."
"Hm?" Takumi frowned at her as his mind had been elsewhere.
"You know, when we met… when I said all that…" she lowered her gaze.
"What about it?"
"What? You don't know what I'm talking about?" Yuuko worriedly frowned at him. "Then… never mind…"
"Honestly, if you really want to convey something to others, you should at least be honest with yourself first," Takumi told her as he brought a hand up to his chin. "How am I supposed to understand you when you don't understand yourself?"
"I said never mind! Just forget it!" Yuuko angrily told him.
"Ah…" The redhead closed his eyes. "So you're not sorry after all…" He nodded in understanding. "I see how it is…"
"You're something else, Takumi!" she pouted. "I said to forget it, didn't I?" Yuuko paused for a moment before giving him a smile. "Then I'll make you forget it. Which do you prefer? Hacking or a crowbar?"
"Eh!?" Takumi opened his eyes and blinked at her.
"So you've forgotten, then?" Yuuko cheerfully asked. "All right, then. No problem. I must be going then. Goodbye once more."
"B-bye…" Takumi nervously nodded as she walked past him.
"Hmm…" Kyoko hid her smirk behind her hand as she watched the entire exchange. "It seems as if Kamishiro Yuuko has changed somehow. Did something happen?"
"She became Yuuko the Blackhearted…" her assistant absently stated aloud.
"Oh-ho? You summoned her 'Yuuko the Blackhearted' version? Perhaps it's her doppelganger or something? No," Kyoko shook her head, "if that was the case, she couldn't talk to us. Doppelgangers can't open their mouths. Then my next guess would be bilocation. She created another copy of herself through force of will. But why? And to what end? Hmm…" she nodded to herself. "Fascinating."
"What are you talking about?" Takumi frowned at the detective.
"Or it might also be an expression of her 'persona'," Kyoko mused. "Everyone knows that she grew up wearing several different 'masks'. The daughter of a CEO, the leader of a hacker team, the unhappy girl growing up alone… It wouldn't be much of a stretch for her to use these abilities to serve her in the real world." She turned in her seat as she began pondering this new idea. "Hmm… This has gotten interesting. This is how a mystery case should be, rife with riddles," she chuckled.
"Okay, but… you're talking about a person here," Takumi sighed. "But I guess what you're saying is true. People really are a mystery. I think that's why it's such a difficult puzzle trying to get people to understand one another…" the redhead sadly frowned to himself. "It's difficult to be understanding and understandable… In the end, nobody really knows anyone, including themselves."
"Do you really believe that?" Kyoko asked him.
"No," Takumi wryly smirked as he looked up at the detective. "There's bound to be someone who understands, no matter how slim the odds. Whether it's fate or luck, human or Digimon… I'm certain there's a person like that out there somewhere for everyone," he stated, bringing his fist to his chest. "That's what it means to be 'connected'."
The blonde woman smiled at his strange optimism. "That's exactly the type of answer I expect from you," she chuckled. "You seem to have your own collection of masks as well."
"Is that so?" Takumi frowned to himself. "I can't really tell… It might be because my body's getting worse though… Kyoko-san… Can you…?"
Kyoko sighed but gave him a reassuring smile to assuage his worries. "Well, we have time now so let's run another diagnostic scan. This might take a while so grab a—" she paused as Takumi already began refilling her empty cup of coffee. "Hmm," she smirked before thanking the boy with a nod. "You truly are my assistant."
"But of course," Takumi smiled back before reluctantly pouring out a cup for himself.
Final Notes: So... The only thing about Yuuko I dislike is her crazy obsession with revenge. Revenge usually never works out well for me when it's out of petty or cold-bloodedness. Yuuko really did say some choice things to Takumi, but he really is too forgiving. It brought up something that bothered me about him too since I feel everyone pretty much just takes advantage of his kindness. He's not a pushover per se, but it's like he doesn't care about himself at all. In that way, I think Arata is right in that he's too soft-hearted... Well, Takumi's mentality is starting to decompose anyways... I guess if there's one part of him he wants to hold onto, it's the part of him that wishes to save his friends.