"You said that... Zhuqiaomon wanted Calumon." Rika said. "Aside from the obvious, what does he want Calumon for?"
"There isn't much to it beyond the obvious. He wants Calumon for Calumon's power to enable Digivolution."
"Yes, but why does he want that power?" Rika elaborated. "An army of high-level Digimon, obviously, but what does he need the army for?"
For a moment, I simply stared at them.
"What I tell you," I began. "Is going to be simultaneously horrifying and concerning. I know that it's pointless to ask, but if any of you do not wish to know about it, knows the time to speak up."
They didn't. I could see the concern in their hearts, a not inconsiderable amount of fear, but all of them were determined to listen.
"Very well." My eyes closed. "Do you recall, Rika, Renamon, what I said when you first asked me about Calumon? How I said that it would be bad if Zhuqiaomon were to attain Calumon; possibly wiping out all life in both the Digital World and the Human World?"
Takato, Henry, and Terriermon blanched. Guilmon looked up, concerned.
"I... do?" Rika said.
"It is not Zhuqiaomon himself that would do that." I stared at them. "You see, the four Sovereigns are acting against an entity known as the D-Reaper."
"D-Reaper?" Takato asked.
"It is... a program, for lack of better description. I spoke, looking upwards at the sky. "It was created for the purpose of deleting everything in the Digital World."
"What? Why?"
"It was because of the time period involved." I said. "You see, the D-Reaper is old. Very old. It's nearly as old as the Digital World itself. In the time period when it was developed, the Digital World wasn't nearly as big as it is now. Humanity did not have a very large or well developed network in that period, so neither was the Digital World capable of supporting as many lifeforms as it currently can. To that end, the D-Reaper existed to delete every lifeform inside once they surpassed a certain number."
I leaned back, sinking into the cushions. "Nowadays, that isn't a problem. The world's networks have been expanded massively, so the Digital World can handle the load. Problem is, the D-Reaper is still around, still programmed to activate and delete everything once the number of lifeforms reaches a certain point. Also rather problematically, the D-Reaper is quite close to awakening."
"So, Zhuqiaomon wants Calumon so he can use his powers to build an army and fight the D-Reaper?" Rika asked.
"Not entirely accurate, but more or less."
"So why haven't you done anything about the D-Reaper?" She said. "Not... to be rude or anything, but you seem to be capable of doing a lot of really strange or weird things."
"Do you think, Rika, that if I had the capability to do so, I would not have instantly attempted to destroy it?" I asked. "I would very much like to destroy it before it can activate and kill countless Digimon, but I run into a minor problem with the fact that I simply can't sense the D-Reaper. I have no idea where it's hiding, and because of that, I cannot stop it."
If the D-Reaper had a Heart or a Soul, I was not able to find it. I knew -vaguely- where the D-Reaper should have been, I couldn't sense any... life there. No Heart, no Soul, no strange energies, no creeping feelings of malevolence, nothing.
It was more than a little concerning.
"I have a question..." Renamon spoke. "The D-Reaper. You said that its purpose was to delete Digimon, but why would that make it a threat to the Human World?"
"Simple." I began. "Though the D-Reaper was programmed to destroy Digimon, the D-Reaper, much like the Digimon it was developed to destroy, has grown beyond the limitations of its programming."
"Hold on." Henry waved. "Digimon grew beyond the limits of their programming?"
Why are these kids so god-damned observant?
"Yes." I nodded. "Tell you what, ask your father about a group called the Monster Makers."
"The who?"
"The Monster Makers." I repeated. "If he doesn't explain, ask him about Shibumi. That will certainly get him talking."
"Again, who?" Rika said.
"The Monster Makers were the group responsible for the creation of the original Digimon program. They're the reason why Digimon exist as they do."
"Wait, what does my dad have to do with them?"
"Another simple question. Also one with a simple answer." I noted. "Your father was one of them."
Henry stared at me.
"Hold on a moment." Rika cut in. "Henry's dad helped make Digimon."
"He was a part of the group, yes."
"Does dad know?" Henry asked himself. "He's seen Terriermon, has he known this entire time..."
"No." I spoke. "Your father is not aware that Digimon are actually real."
"How?" Takato asked. "He helped make them, how doesn't he..?"
"Janyu Wong was a part of the team that developed the original program." I stated. "However, the project was shut down by the university before they had the opportunity to continue to develop it."
"But if the project was shut down, then how did-"
"Shibumi, another member of the Monster Makers, took it upon himself to continue developing by himself. He was, as demonstrated by the presence of Guilmon, Renamon, Terriermon, and Calumon, quite successful."
They sat back.
"Shibumi, incidentally, was also the one who developed the Blue Cards. He is more or less responsible for the fact that you all have partners, and indeed, for the fact that Humans and Digimon can become partners in the first place."
"I'll have to thank him if I ever meet him." Takato said. He scratched Guilmon's ears, smiling when the dinosaur began to purr.
I nodded.
"Right... Another question." Rika said. "How do you know all of this?"
"That, Rika, is for me to know, and for you to never ever find out." I looked at her.
"You said that you were going to answer our questions." Rika pointed out.
"Indeed I did. And, indeed, I have. But there are some things that I do not wish to answer, Rika, and, as such, I will not answer."
She sighed. "Fair enough."
For a while, the eight of us simply sat there.
They, to digest what they had heard.
And I, to think about the future.
There was no doubt. After this evening, things would change.
I just hoped that I hadn't made a mistake.