They moved in the cold of night. With the dead lands, hollow trees, and howling winds, spirits should have been low.
"Oh my god! Chocolate! It's been so long!" Kari teared up as she chewed on the granola bar with the heavenly chips.
"Y-You've really been here a long time?" Arshan asked as he fished through his baseball bag to give sunflower seeds to Tai.
"You have no idea, Arshan," Tai took the seeds and began to eat a few. "Over six generations and the Digital World finally stole someone who had their luggage with them! The only thing the others had on them were their cellphones that turned into Digivices!" Tai snaked his hand around Arshan's shoulders and gripped him tightly in a hug. "Thank you. Thank you for putting snacks in your duffle bag and for not letting go of it."
Unsure of how to react to positive affirmation, a thought crossed Arshan's mind as he saw the siblings react to Earth items. "Umm... D-Do I ask if you... miss..." Arshan shut his mouth.
"Yeah," Tai didn't hesitate. "I don't know how time works between here and Earth, but we've been in the Digital World a long time. There were other ways to get back home but with Ragna Lordmon in charge..."
The mood fell before Tai took a handful of seeds. "I missed these."
"I'm sorry that you two suffered so much," Arshan felt bad bringing up a bad thought.
"Most we can do is make sure you Restorers don't suffer as bad as the others. It kinda worked for some, better than others," Kari realized she was probably not helping so she elbowed Arshan. "Well, at least you're job is to specifically get them out of that!"
"I'm too afraid to ask what tragedies happened to the other generations."
"Yeah, maybe it's best to tell you one at a time. Don't wanna overwhelm you." Tai rubbed the back of his head. "Though, we're going to need to find the rest of your generation since you need a team. Well, Zero and I technically flew solo for a while, buuttt..."
"You two would have died of food poisoning if it was just you and Zero." Kari looked at her brother. "Don't listen to him. A Gabumon made sure he survived before the others found him."
Coro and Arshan couldn't help but laugh at Kari's tone and Tai's facial expression. But it prompted everyone else to laugh as well.
Tai looked ahead. "Well, we're almost to Shadow City."
"Huh? But everything looks the same still!" Coro squinted his eyes and tried to see beyond his light.
Kari walked ahead. "Good, 'cause if you saw it. Eaters and other nasties also would have seen Shadow City." Tai followed her as they pushed a fake boulder, revealing a hatch.
"Newbies first!" The Kamiya siblings wore suspicious smiles after opening and motioning Arshan to the manhole.
Arshan gulped as he walked forward and looked down. "I don't see anything. And where's the LaAAAADDDDEEERRRRR!?" He did not see Tai and Kari shoving him into the hole at the same time Zero and Gatomon, now in her champion form, pushed in Coro.
It turns out the hole was a slide. Arshan only screamed as his body was frictionless against the surprisingly smooth stone. Coro laughed and squealed in delight. But their speed shot them out of a hole and made both land on what looked to be worn-down mattresses.
"That was fun! let's do it again!" Coro shot his hands up while Arshan only groaned as he got back on his feet.
As he did, it wasn't long before Tai and the others followed after the teen. "Sorry, Arshan. Think of it as a Shadow City Welcome." The young adult patted the teen's shoulder before motioning beyond. "So here we are! Welcome!
Arhsan and Coro did not know what to expect when they heard the name, Shadow City. But the name was oddly deceptive as its appearance as the new pair saw an entire underground city. Buildings varying from stone huts, to chunks of skyscrapers, to Victorian mansions were scattered across, streets varied from era, time, and culture, ranging from Chinese streets with New Lanterns and Mining cart roads with London street lights.
It was a mishmash of earth architecture chaotically smashed together but still somehow finding equilibrium.
"Why- Why are there so many different styles?" Arshan asked before following the older four down a path.
"Right, a long time ago, the Digital World used to be more like this: a mash of chaos and pieces of Earth combining into weird things. This is one of the few places left untouched and hidden from all the Eaters and warring lands." As they entered through a denser path, the siblings slowed down and stood next to Arshan's sides. "Also, stick by us at all times. It's easy to get lost." Zero and Gatomon did the same for Coro.
Arshan couldn't help but watch such... varying walks of life and forms flying, levitating, jumping, and even rolling to wherever their destinations were. He lived in more remote areas, so even large human crowds made him feel nervous. The bustling Digimon City felt both exciting and frightening for the flighty teen.
One caught his eye. He was intimidating, for sure, taking inspiration from the Oni in Eastern lore. Dead white hair, red skin, and eyes that locked directly at Arshan. Wait. The brunette blinked before Tai and Kari pushed the teen down to avoid a club being thrown at him.
The bustling crowd stopped as Tai, Kari, and even Coro stepped forward to the Oni.
"You've got a lot of nerve, Fugamon," Tai's voice was sharp as he put an arm out to shield Arshan.
The one singled out as Fugamon scoffed, stood from where he was leaning, and walked forward with another club pointed. "Nerve? I'm nothing but nerves! I haven't relaxed in ages! And guess whose bloomin' fault that is?"
When he stepped forward to Tai, Coro moved as well. But then Tai motioned the rookie to stop with Zero grabbing his shoulder and shaking his head.
"Humans!" Fugamon spoke with utter rancor in his voice before spitting to the ground in front of Tai. But the older Chosen remained stoic. "The Digital World sends you, all of yous, to stop that whompin' mad king! And how many times have you gotten your flat arses whomped instead!? The bastard's still in charge and made the world worse each time! And now here comes the next one! Alright, what have you got this time, huh!? What power will you have that makes our shitty lives already worse!?" The last two sentences were directed and shouted at a scared Arshan.
"Don't mind him, Arshan, he's just blowing hot air." Kari made sure to calm the teen.
"That last one! We finally thought you all had him—that we had him! And then he!"
"Is today important for you?"
The sudden question silenced the area and interrupted Fugamon. Everyone looked back at Arshan as he nervously stepped forward. "From where you were sitting, or nearby from where you were standing. There are two beer glasses, one of them is empty. The other looks like it's been there a while. ... You promised someone a drink... even though they're gone, didn't you?"
Everyone followed what the brunette described. True enough, back in the bar Fugamon walked out of, there was a table with two beer mugs. When Arshan talked about the promise, people realized that Fugamon was honoring a fallen drinking buddy.
"You were angry, yes," Arshan continued to speak. "But it didn't feel pointed? Is that the right word? I felt like you weren't angry at us specifically... more about... what we failed to do? I um. I assume that you lost someone close? I am sorry for your loss."
"Sorry?" Fugamon mouthed in disbelief before his features returned, widened, and more aggressive. "IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO BLOOMIN' SAY?! I LOST MY BROTHER CAUSE OF YOUS! HE'S PROBABLY STILL DYING RIGHT NOW!"
Coro, Tai, and Zero were about to move—until Fugamon dropped to his knees, crying. "... I thought we were finally going to get rid of that king bastard. ... I-I can't live like this anymore..."
As Fugamon started to cry, the surrounding Digimon quietly went on about their day.
Tai, Coro, and Zero relaxed. "Come on, Arshan. We should..."
The teen slipped past both siblings and hugged Fugamon. "You are allowed to feel angry and upset," Arshan held the dangerous-looking Digimon that threatened him. "It's fine. Let it out."
The Fugamon only cried louder, dropping his club and hugging the teen back.
It took a few more minutes for the Champion to cry before he let go. Calming down, he said nothing, tried to look angry, but left quickly.
"That was sweet of you, Arshan," Kari said as she put a hand on the teen's shoulder. "And I have to admit, kinda cool. I didn't know you were like my brother."
"What?" Arshan looked at Tai.
"I think Kari means how I can always figure out a Digimon's strengths and weaknesses and adapt to any fight. But I was already thinking of ways to put Fugamon on the ground unconscious. You... saw right through him." Tai turned to Arshan.
"I..." The teen didn't know how to respond. "Well, I felt hurt besides anger... and I..."
"Curious," The group turned, seeing a bipedal, feathered crow-man in elaborate, ornate armor. The way he stood was uniform but loose in a way that screamed someone in tune with their inner self. "You noticed his feelings first."
Kari, Tai, and their partners put their hands together with a palm covering a fist and bowed. "Sensei Karatenmon."
Arshan and Coro, seeing this, mirrored the move.
The bird-man mirrored the bow. "It is good to see you standing and well, Kari. And better still to see you, Gatomon. Were you lucky enough to have your egg found by Kari?"
The cat Digimon pointed. "While I'd like to say I could return to Kari on my own, I owe my return to the newbies."
"Ah," The crow swordsman stepped forward. "Give me a minute. Satori."
Arshan and Coro felt an odd tingle looking into Karatenmon's eyes. But the moment passed as the feathered Digimon turned to Tai. "They're not part of Ragna Lordmon's men. They have not even seen him."
"Yeah, I kinda figured that when they didn't react to you or that attack, but it's still good to have a confirmation."
Arshan blinked. "Wait, attack?! What attack!?"
Tai rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Arshan. I needed to be cautious. Karatenmon is one of our old friends and a mind reader. Due to past events, we keep our guard up."
Arshan supposed that made sense, but he focused more on something alarming. "Wait, y-you read my mind?" The teen looked at the swordsman.
"Only for your thoughts on Ragna Lordmon. I promise I only can do surface thoughts. Anything more personal and private means you must be open to sharing your mind with me. I have some practice with other humans," He stepped back as Arshan sighed in relief. "Your timing is impeccable as usual, Tai. We have a visitor in the Dojo. And you may want to hear what he says... ah? An AncientWisemon vision already told you?"
"Sensei," Tai chided. "We talked about reading our minds without permission."
"A slip-up, I admit. The glimpses of Arshan's mind made me curious. Now, let us make haste. Henry has made tea."
The group followed Karatenmon, but when they arrived, Arshan and Coro cooed in awe as they entered what looked like a Xaiolin Temple, or the remains of one. Yet, the moss growing over broken statues, the cracked pillars, and even the awkwardly patched-up slide doors still gave the temple a sacred feel. After pushing through the large wooden doors, the group entered a room with a padded floor. In one corner, Arshan noticed two humans and a very adorable-looking Digimon.
"Whoooooaaaa!" The white, rabbit-like Digimon gasped as he saw Kari and Gatomon. "Momentai! Looks who's returned from the dead and healed up!"
"Hey, Terriermon," Kari and Gatomon smiled as they both went down to hug the rookie Digimon.
"Well, well, well," Tai stepped forward towards the two teens at the table. "It's been a while, Koji."
Arshan noticed the two teens on the table. Both were quiet for different reasons. One, who looked Chinese, seemed calm and serene with short, dark blue hair and light brown eyes while wearing a Dojo gi. The other one looked as rugged as Tai, wearing a full-body cloak while wearing a faded dark blue bandanna. But his dark brown eyes never looked relaxed even as the older Chosen greeted him in friendly terms.
"I was in the area," The one called Koji looked over to Kari and Gatomon. "It's good to see you two better, especially you, cat."
"You humans used to say cats have nine lives! That was just my third one!" Gatomon pawed at him.
The calmer one, Henry, if Arshan remembered what Karatenmon said, looked over to him. "And it seems you found a new pair of Digidestined."
"The Digital World is in no hurry to replace the last ones, huh?" Koji off-handedly said.
Arshan felt like he touched a nerve, but Kari smiled. "Don't let Koji fool you, Arshan. He's a big softie despite how he looks and acts."
Tai looked back at Koji. "So, I'm guessing with you here, you're about to tell me about the Titan?"
"We'll share stories," Koji said. "I want to hear yours first. Who's the newbie? And what weird power did the Digital World give them this time?"
Tai picked a seat on the table. "It's a good thing Henry made tea after all. Cause this one is long."
[Later]
Both Koji and Henry looked on with varying levels of shock.
"And with Wizardmon staying behind, we brought Arshan here," Tai finished the story on both sides.
Karatenmon lowered his cup as he hummed. "You want to ask me if I want to become this new Primary Village's guardian?"
"Sensei, what did I say about mind-reading?"
"It was not mind reading, but your tone and language towards me when you began to speak of its revival. I suppose I will visit Wizardmon later." The Ultimate responded.
"The more important thing is that you used an AncientWisemon message! The newbie is excused, but what about you, Tai?! He can't be trusted!" Koji pounded on the table.
"Even if he was Ragna Lordmon, the message core is still the same. Think about it: all of our messages were on how to defeat him. But Arshan's was specifically to avoid or flat-out ignore him. That's different. Even if it was Ragna Lordmon, he knows something about this incoming group of DigiDestined that's different from us. True or not, it's worth pursuing."
Koji narrowed his eyes at Tai and pointed at Arshan. "You're risking the lives of innocent people on a complete coward!?"
"Koji!" Kari shouted before she looked over to the teen in question.
However, instead of being insulted, Arshan had a calm look on his face that looked puzzled for a second. Afterward, people were surprised and confused to see him smile. "Oh. Well, thank you for caring."
"What?" Tai and others only felt confused that Arshan was thanking Koji for the insult.
Arshan spoke softly, but everyone heard him. "I didn't feel any hate towards me or Tai, but you were angry. I think you're a caring person that got angry at the idea of forcing someone, who you don't think is capable, to carry a heavy burden that even you all should have borne. But, it's no one's fault. And I... do want to help in any way I can."
Koji sat there, stunned in silence.
Karatenmon was the first to make a sound. "That is impressive, Sir Arshan. I was about to translate what Master Koji meant, but you saw through him instantly."
Kari blinked. "Yeah, Koji's a bit rough but means well. I'm surprised you got that quickly."
"I felt like... he was upset," Arshan tried to say. "It didn't feel like it was at me."
Henry rubbed his chin. "Arshan, by any chance are you an empath?"
"An empath?" "What's an empath?" Tai asked after Arshan.
Karatenmon folded his arms. "Henry told me about this once. Since I am here, think of an empath as a mind-reader. However, instead of minds, they read emotions."
"You can read emotions?" Kari looked over to Arshan.
Henry spoke up again. "While that comparison isn't wrong, it's not correct either. Empaths are a very nebulous topic since emotions alone are hard to track and study. The sources vary, but there are some common traits, one of them is their ability to somehow pinpoint what others feel as their own. The story of Fugamon, Koji, and even somehow detecting the emotions in Eaters, I believe it's safe to assume Arshan is an empath."
"That's interesting. Well, the Digital World has picked up all the oddballs so far, why not more?" Tai laughed.
But Henry spoke more. "I may be looking into this, but I think that ironically proves Ancientwisemon's message. Look at Tai, Marcus, and Taiki for example. Tai and Zero never lost a one-on-one fight, Marcus is an impossible beast, and Taiki is a talented war general. All of them are great potentials to defeat Ragna Lordmon, but ultimately couldn't get past his immortality. If the Digital World is trying to heal itself, Arshan being an empath is a great choice."
"Tch!" Koji clicked his tongue. "He's still not ready for it."
"None of us were," Tai said again. "All we can do is make sure he has help. Besides, it's not like I'm asking him to go out and leave to save everyone right now."
Koji folded his arms but stayed silent if a bit broody.
"Now, it's your turn," Tai's tone became serious. "What can you tell us about the Warrior of Wood?"
Koji was quick to open up on this topic. "I don't know why he left the Eastern Isles. But I do know, he's patrolling the area. He's looking for something, and hearing your story, I think I know what, or specifically who."
Arshan gulped as all eyes fell on him.
"Has he detected Shadow City?" Kari asked.
"No, the city should be deep underground for him to notice. And he is still around the coastal area in the south of the island."
"But you and I know that's still too close. He's a Mega, one of the Legendary Warriors too. He will be able to sense the lives here even with wards up. He'll turn this city into a giant coffin." Tai narrowed his eyes.
"Do we lead him away? Terriermon and I could launch long-range attacks and force him to chase us in a different direction, then hide when out of his sight." Henry said.
"Unless you can force him to chase you into the sea, I don't see that working. But I do like the idea," Koji leaned forward.
Arshan kept quiet. The talk unfolding sounded more like a war council now. And the way that all the others looked to speak so naturally about it...unnerved him. They were all around his age, but they spoke like soldiers...
A loud clink from a tea cup hitting its plate made everyone look at Karatenmon.
"I know you four care, but the first plan has not even started yet, has it? Do not abandon it so soon. Teach Arshan and Coro how to Digivolve, and then with their new strength, you will cleanse the raging spirit of wood," He smiled kindly at Arshan, which made the boy realize the Digimon did that because he noticed his discomfort. "If the Digital World thinks the time for fighting has passed, perhaps we too should have a paradigm shift. Lest we fall into bad habits once again."
"Right, sorry about that," Tai eased into his seat as the table settled for a bit. "So, all we have to do is get Arshan to Digivolve Coro. That shouldn't be too hard!"
"Just toss him and his partner out in the wild for a few days. A near-death experience usually does the trick," Arshan's eyes widened after hearing Koji say that so casually.
Tai spoke up. "I won't argue against that tactic-"
"Please do!"
Tai continued to speak after Arshan's outburst. "But I'd rather we find a kind way for them to Digivolve. Just because ol' reliable works, doesn't mean we like it."
Arshan had another realization click together in his mind. "Wait! Are you telling me that everyone has to have a near-death experience to achieve Digivolution!?"
"Sometimes, more than once!" Kari knew Arshan was a sweet kid and didn't deserve it, but teasing him was too much fun.
"Uuuuhhhhrrrggg," Especially if he made funny sounds and weird faces like that.
"What's his Digivice?" Henry asked. "If it's like mine, then all he has to do is slide a card."
Arshan looked confused at that.
"Right, I don't think he knows!" Kari said as she fished for hers. "Each generation of Chosen has a different set of Digivices with different powers and abilities. This is mine, Called a D-3 even though I'm second gen. I didn't name it, and yes, it does get confusing. With it, I can allow my partner to access special forms of Digivolving like Armor and DNA. Tai's can only do DNA and that was after Izzy upgraded it."
"The Digivice 01 can do more than that! Mine can psychically type commands to Zero!" Tai hotly yelled at his sister's dig.
Kari smirked. "We can all do that with shouting."
"You've seen me use it before—you know it's better than that!" Tai yelled at his sister.
Henry ended that sibling banter by bringing out his own, a somewhat bulkier and round Digvice in the color green. "This is called a D-Arc. And these came with cards," He showed Arshan a card that looked professional. "These cards give temporary boosts and different abilities to our partners. This one Digivolves Rookies to Champions."
"Where'd you get these?" Arshan raised his brow as he looked at the card Henry gave him. They looked official—was there a card game in the Digital World?
"Some appeared with our Digivice, the rest came from special circumstances and lots and lots of beat-up Cardmons..." Henry nervously laughed. "Not one of our finer moments, I admit."
"But it doesn't stop there," Kari motioned to Koji. "The 4th generation's Chosen has a super weird Digivice!"
"It's not weird," Koji sighed as he took out a gray Digvice that looked tailor-made to be gripped by a hand. "The D-Tector doubled as a purifier to remove the evil from defeated evil Digimon."
"It also turns him into a Digimon," Kari told Arshan, who nodded and...
He spit his tea at Tai.
"... You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Tai, while dripping, looked over to Kari holding in a laugh.
"That went better than I expected!" Kari giggled but then got interrupted when Arshan shouted.
"You TURN INTO Digimon!?" The newest Digidestined looked incredulously at Koji.
The dark-haired teen shrugged his shoulders. "Better than the 3rd generation: they fuse with theirs."
Arshan turned that incredulous look over to the calm boy. "YOU CAN FUSE WITH THEM!?"
Henry looked flatly at Koji and said one word, "Susanoomon."
"That's a special case. My point stands." Koji countered.
Kari started to laugh harder. "Arshan, Arshan! Stop! I can't! My lungs!"
Karatenmon preferred this to war talk. Morale had been at an all-time low recently, but not even a day of meeting them, and Arshan has brought laughter again to people who desperately needed it. Perhaps the Digital World was right in sending him. Now, if only Arshan himself could see that.
Ah?
Karatenmon looked ahead. "By the by, where are the others?"
"Oh? I thought they went at the back training grounds because Zero wanted to..." After wiping his face with some napkins, Tai trailed off.
The humans and Karatenmon opened the sliding door to an interesting sight: Coro and Zero fighting in boxing gloves. Coro looked untouched and unbothered as he deftly jinked left and right from Zero's strikes. Zero, on the other hand, looked badly bruised with both his eyes black and blue and every part of his front body looking beaten up.
"I got you this time!" Zero punched forward, only for Coro to do a Dempsy Roll and unleash a heavy right hook that knocked Zero out on the padded floor.
"Whoa! You were amazing taking on 5 of my best punches that time after only taking 4 from the last 3 rounds! I wanna get stronger too!" The sincerity in Coro's voice made others realize he wasn't aware of how badly he had beaten the Agumon.
"Look, Zero, I'm all about momentai," Terriermon flipped a scoreboard: 48 for Coro and 0 for Zero. "But you gotta let it go, man. Didn't you used to fight levels higher than you?"
Zero seemed to push himself up by sheer will and determination. So please ignore how he wobbled to stand and put his hands up. "I STILL CAN. And I didn't hear no bell!"
"I've rung it more than a dozen times. You can't hear it over the ringing in your head," Gatomon gave a deadpan glare while holding up a gong.
"One more time!" Either Zero didn't listen to Gatomon or genuinely couldn't hear her. No one knew which option was worse or better.
"Yes, Sensei Zero!" Coro put his hands up. Arshan had this sinking feeling his partner's obliviousness was gonna get the both of them in a lot of trouble.
"Should we umm," Arshan looked to Tai. "Shouldn't we do something?"
"I bet 50 Digicredits on Coro." Kari said.
"100 on Coro," Koji concurred with his senior.
Tai looked aghast that his sister and junior would bet against Zero, practically his other half. "That's it! 200 on Zero! You got this, buddy! Watch out for his swift movements!"
"I DIDN'T MEAN "START BETTING"!" Arshan shouted at his seniors.
Henry only sighed as he patted the newbie's shoulder. Yet a thought occurred to him.
If Arshan was the first of the new generation... where were the others?
[Later]
"Arshan, wake up," The teen groggily did so. As he did, his vision focused when he saw Koji standing over him.
"Umm...Koji?"
"Come with me, you and Coro," The tone in his voice didn't sound like it had room for argument. Arshan was gonna try and find Coro, but saw his partner beside his bed, staring at him.
"Coro? Umm...I thought you were sleeping in the other bed?"
"I decided to watch you sleep, even before senior Koji entered," Arshan didn't like the answer, nor how happy his partner said it. Also, why wasn't he blinking?
"Please get some rest when I do," Arshan half-begged. He cared for Coro, but there was something weird about the Digimon.
"Hurry and be quiet," Koji said again, prompting the teen to get changed and follow him.
The new pair followed him out of Shadow City, back into the dark and dying lands above. Even though he was in Shadow City for a little while, the contrast to how stark, barren, and pale the Digital World is compared to some of the last safe havens was staggering. It was a sober reminder that this world was dying, and even Shadow City still was under threat.
Koji walked the two for a while, eventually reaching a high cliff while it was still very dark.
"... What has Tai told you about how we failed to defeat Ragna Lordmon?"
Arshan blinked, not expecting that to be the first thing his senior asked. "Um. All I know is that he's still alive? I don't want to ask for the details if it's too painful."
"The details matter. But as always, the Digital World is on a deadline. My generation came together before the 3rd Generation launched their final attack on Ragna Lordmon. The others didn't know we were there until things 'settled' after that crisis. We journeyed, grew, and bonded together, finding and learning about the Spirits of the Legendary Warriors. You met one of them: AncientWisemon."
Arshan and Coro's eyes widened.
"Anyway, I'm skipping over a lot of the important parts, but the point of the matter is, in the end, we combined all powers of the 10 Legendary Warriors to create a Digital War God, Susanoomon. Even with that, we failed. Like everyone else."
"E-Even a Digimon GOD couldn't stop him?" Arshan couldn't help but feel horrified at the thought of something being immune to a god's power.
"We did overpower him," Koji corrected with harsh speed as if Arshan accidentally hit a nerve. "The problem was nothing we could do would keep him permanently down. He outlasted Susanoomon's transformation, but the instant before we could unmerge..."
Koji gripped his fist. "He captured and corrupted me, my friends, and the spirits. My twin brother, having some special resistance thanks to something in our journey, pushed me out of the fusion, but that meant I was all alone to witness my friends get turned into the Ancient Titans. Ragna Lordmon split Susanoomon into 10 Titans, each representing a berserk perversion of the Digital World's Elements. My friends got trapped in the Titan of their signature element, but AnceintWisemon was cautious enough that his spirit couldn't be under Ragnamon's control, and his Titan self-destructed seconds after being constructed, giving time for the others to snatch me and retreat. Even up to now, my friends and brother are still wandering around the corners of the Digital World, trapped in the minds of giant forces of destruction."
Arshan and Coro could only gape in horror. That was what happened to one of the generations for failing!? They reached the power of a god, failed, and now were suffering for something they could not control?!
Koji turned to Arshan and walked at him in a way that looked aggressive and forced the newbie to take steps back.
Yet he continued to walk aggressively. "When Tai said that YOU were the key to freeing them. I hated hearing it. You need to understand, Arshan: we've been here for too long. You would not believe what everyone has thrown at Ragna Lordmon, only for him to keep getting back up! Susanoomon wasn't even our best shot!"
"W-What about the ring? Ancientwisemon talked a lot about how it was connected to his immortality!?" Arshan stepped a few more paces back in fear.
"The 3rd generation was the one that found out Ragna Lordmon tampered with the messages. They were too slow and cautious in trying to find the secret to that monster's immortality. He nearly destroyed the Digital World when they ignored him! But after them, no one trusted the words of Ancientwisemon. For all we know, it could have been him speaking to us to lure the Spirits all in one place!" Koji walked forward, making Arshan shrink back again. "That's not the point! You, a coward, weakling... and a genuinely kind and gentle soul... have to fix our mistakes! You're not supposed to! You aren't equipped to! That's not fair! This world forcing us to even fight against that zombie is unfair! Everything about this is unfair!" Koji shouted and ranted, but he bared his soul at how he felt about all of this.
He gasped for air, and the two stopped moving. Koji didn't quite know how this came to be. He had just met the kid, yet he felt comfortable enough to reveal his deepest feelings to him? Maybe that empath thing was right after all.
But that only made this next part an even more bitter pill to swallow. Koji raised his head. "This world is unfair, Arshan. And while I do agree with Tai that you should learn how to Digivolve more kindly," Koji rested his hand on Arshan's chest.
"The Digital World can't wait for that. Coro, catch him."
With that, Koji pushed Arshan off the cliff.
[5 minutes earlier.]
Karatenmon knew he promised never to read minds without permission outside of a fight. But his honed power worked passively at times, especially when certain people were very focused on their thoughts. He'd argue it was very loud of them to think while in the same room, rather than eavesdropping.
That being said, he did not agree with Koji's actions. But bitterly saw the logic as to why he would. Ultimately, he chose not to act.
Yet, for all those calculations, a missed detail made the Ultimate look into Arshan's bedroom...
And fly with every ounce his speed would allow him.
[Present time.]
Koji looked down below him after the rookie screeched Arshan's name and dove after his friend and partner.
The Digital World's landscape never made sense. Even in a desolate and dying land like this, below this cliff was a whirlpool gateway that would send anyone who fell into a random part of this island. It's why Shadow City was cleverly hidden: it wasn't just underground, it was also under a series of physic-defying waterways that connected to random parts of the island.
Koji scoffed as he took out his D-Tector. His Digivice, despite the female Kamiya's teases, had other abilities. Since it used to be his phone, he could use it to communicate with other D-Tectors. Not only that, it had a Radar that his Senior Izzy configured to detect other Digivices. Even if Arshan was on the opposite side of the Island, Koji would find him. He would do it after he was sure the two would learn how to Digivolve.
The newbie didn't even look angry as he fell. Just... sad... Koji mentally cursed himself. Arshan knew why he was doing this. And he didn't hate him for even almost killing him. The kid was too kind for this life. He hated how this world forced him to do such a thing, or how it would break a soul like Arshan's.
Koji shook his head. "This would have been easier if you hated me."
"Koji!" The Spirit Wielder turned to see Karatenmon gasping for air at him. "Where's Arshan!?"
"You read my mind, Karatenmon. You know what I did and you didn't stop me."
"You and I miscalculated! Arshan is still new to the Digital World; he doesn't understand its many intricacies! Especially the important ones!" He shouted, even looking like he forsook his formality at the urgency of the situation.
"I'll track his Digivice; he'll be..."
Koji stopped speaking when Karatenmon lifted a small object to his face.
It was Arshan's Digivice.
The newbie didn't realize how important it was to keep it with him at all times yet. Arshan didn't realize that was the item needed to allow Coro to reach the higher stages...
...
...
...
...
...
Koji realized he may have accidentally killed the last hope of the Digital World for NOTHING.
The weight of the situation finally dawned on the Warrior of Light as he reacted with wisdom and maturity.
"Fuck."
[Arshan and Coro.]
When Arshan saw they were about to hit the water, he quickly covered and caught Coro as he braced himself for impact. Arshan never thought he'd be glad surfing the internet and randomly reading about how to survive a fall into water!
"Arshan!" Huh? Was the teen's senses messed up after they entered into the water?
"Arshan, you can let go! I can't breathe!" What!? Was that Coro!?
The teen opened his eyes, seeing himself and Coro get swept by a current. His pause made Coro push slightly away, lifting his head. Arshan panicked about Coro drowning by—
"Why are you covering your mouth?" Coro asked innocently despite BEING UNDERWATER.
"HOW ARE YOU SPE—" Arshan's knee-jerk reaction caused him to open his mouth. It took a second for his mind to process that he was breathing normally.
While underwater.
Coro answered Arshan's many questions. "Sensei Zero taught me about how we can breathe underwater in the Digital World while we were having our 34th round! He's so amazing that he can keep fighting and teach me new things!"
Arshan had the feeling Zero didn't teach him that while sound of mind. But the Digital World was technically an alien world spawned from the internet. The fact that it made no sense made some sense...somehow.
"But why did Koji do that!? He could have hurt you!" The fire cub shouted.
"Coro..." Arshan held his friend close. "I... I think I understood why he did it. Don't take it too personally."
"Alright. If you say so." Arshan really couldn't read his friend. He dropped the anger with just a few words.
There was a shift in the currents carrying them. The two looked up, and it wasn't long before the two got shot out again.
"Aaahhhh!?" Arshan yelled before he crashed into what was a giant mushroom. At least, he expected a crash. Instead, he and Coro ended up bouncing on the mushroom and into another. And another. And another.
"Whheeeeee!" "Aww come on!?" Coro squealed at the bouncing that Arshan did not appreciate. Eventually, the bouncing lessened until Arshan fell face-first into concrete while Coro landed on his two feet.
"Uhhhhh. That better not be a reoccurring thing," The teen groaned as he got up.
The new area he found himself in was another mix of the Digital World's absurdity. A city mixed with a mushroom farm. Buildings, tall as skyscrapers, reached for the sky with countless shapes and colors of mushrooms growing around, to the side, and below the buildings. Some mushrooms were the size of buildings, and one curiously looked like a building-shaped mushroom.
However, the entire place felt devoid of life. Moss covered most of the shrooms while the buildings, roads, and concrete were cracked, dusty, and empty. There were signs of life here. Once. But from what his seniors implied, this was abandoned and ruined during Ragna Lordmon's reign.
Arshan looked back at where he came from. However, they were bouncing around so much that he had no idea which direction he came from, let alone where that whirlpool was. "Well, I don't think we can stay here. I guess we try to figure out how to Digivolve?"
"Alright! Watch me go! Ha! Digivolve!" Coro struck a pose with dynamic movement.
...
...
...
"Anything?" Arshan asked.
"Nope." Coro answered.
"Hey, you're a Digimon. Don't you know how to Digivolve?"
Coro shrugged his shoulders.
"... This situation bodes poorly." Arshan scratched his head as he looked up to the sky. "It's still pretty dark. I-I guess we can try to find a place to stay for the night."
As the pair made their way, Coro stopped and looked in their 4 o'clock direction.
He was a second too late in detecting someone watching them.
"Coro?" Arshan turned back, wondering why his partner slowed—
But instead of seeing his friend, Arshan came face to face... with another face? And it was close to his! "OHMYGOD! Another human! EEEEEKKKKKKK! Finally!" A female voice shrieked in a pitch that made Arshan's ears ring before what he perceived as an older teen pulled him into a vicious chokehold.
"I'mSoGladIFinallySawAnotherHumanYouHaveNoIdeaHowConfusedIWasWhenIWokeUpAroundAllTheseMushroomsButThenIMetGumdramonAndWeClickedAndBecameFriendsThenAfterWeGotFoundByThisGreenGuyCalledAncientwisemonWhoToldMeUnbelievableStuffLikeHowWe'reInAnAlienWorldWi—" The young adult stopped when she realized her hug(?) might have been suffocating the younger teen. "Oh! I might have gone too far again!"
She took a step back, giving Arshan time to see who had almost killed him for the second time in under 5 minutes.
Her hair was the first thing that Arshan noticed as it was long enough to reach her waist, straight, and a noticeable lime-green. But her hair also had a hair tie with a skull on it. That was followed by her purple eyes, which were bright and full of life in this dark, ruined city, but Arshan noticed her they felt distant and looked a little sad somehow. Her skin was fair except for the mole under her right eye and the noticeable piercing on her lower right lips. Her body was slim, but it made her fingers look long, even though she wore fingerless gloves that were blue with black stripes. Her fingerless gloves showed that she painted her fingernails green, which briefly made Arshan if she painted her toenails. She wore a high school sailor uniform with a lime green collar but wore short jeans held by a black belt, and black boots with shining studs. And another shine caught Arshan's eyes: a necklace of an ocean wave in silver.
Her appearance made Arshan think about his. All he wore were green jogging pants, his running shoes, and a white shirt under a gray hoodie. Normal for everything except if anyone counted his favorite green headband he liked to wear. His clothes were more for comfort because he did recall walking home from baseball practice before waking up in the Digital World. His skin had scars, many of varying sizes and kinds that each told a story. Arshan wouldn't speak about any because none of them were good.
But the young adult gave a flashy salute and smile. "SALUTATIONS! My name is Stefania Bellamore! Who are you?! How'd you get here? Do you know Ancientwisemon?" She spoke fast, making Arshan wince again. "Oops! Sorry, did I do it again?"
There was a small sadness in Stefania's voice that made Arshan want to act. "... My name is Arshan Dillon. I fell through a puddle on my way home before waking up here. And yes, I do know Ancientwisemon. And the lion cub there is my partner, Coro the Coronamon."
The young woman's eyes lit up. "Eeeee! This is meraviglioso! You will be a great new amico!" And then she hugged Arshan again. Despite being slim, her hug was a bit strong for the teen. Arshan wished that he wasn't currently suffering again.
"Oh ho! More members joining in my glorious ascension!" Arshan was thankful that a loud voice made Stefania let go of him. He didn't know what Digimon he was looking at, but after seeing a number of them, Arshan assumed the purple thing was a Rookie. "With Stefania and I, God Dragon the Gumdramon, I will take down the supposed "Invincible" King and bring back light into this decaying Digital World!"
"Whoaaaaa," Coro's eyes shined after hearing the declaration of the dragon-like purple creature with a hammer for a tail. "We have another god on the team!"
The Gumdramon's right lower eyelid twitched after hearing Coro's line. "What do you mean—"another" god?"
"One of our seniors turned into one!" Coro answered without filter while Arshan made motions to stop what he was saying. The oblivious rookie continued on. "Though, even the power of one couldn't stop Ragna Lordmon."
That revelation made the young lady and the Digimon widen their eyes with alarm. "W-Wait. The generations before us used the power of a god, and it still didn't beat him!?" Stefina gasped.
"T-They did overpower him!" Arshan wanted to defend Koji's friends. "But like everyone else, they just didn't have enough time to figure out the secret to his immortality. And Ragna Lordmon won the battle of attrition."
"Hmmm," Gumdramon put a hand on his chin before his smile returned. "I see! A worthy foe indeed! It makes sense that the ultimate obstacle can surpass even a god. That only means I shall truly be the strongest and shiniest god ever once he is defeated!"
Arshan appreciated the confidence, but the effect Ragna Lordmon had on even Digidestined such as Tai and Zero, made him doubt it was as easy as it sounded. Not only that, Arshan recalled the Restorers were specifically asked not to engage Ragna Lordmon. However, Coro fully believed in the new Digimon's words so much, he began to clap.
"Wow! You're amazing, GD!"
The Gumdramon and Stefania looked back at Coro. "GD?" The purple rookie asked.
"Yeah, you said your name was God Dragon, but it doesn't sound as catchy. So I called your initials, GD!"
"GD. G-D. The Legend of GD..." The Gumdramon smiled. "You're right, friend! There's an air of mystique! Of power! Yet catchy! I shall be henceforth known as GD, The God Dragon!"
"Y-You repeated your name twice?" Arshan found himself commenting.
"Exactly! That only means I'm doubly more amazing than before! My growth knows no bounds!" As GD puffed his chest, Coro only seemed to coo more in awe.
Stefania giggled. "GD is a cuter and easier-to-say name too. I like your friend, Arshan. Coro is sooo adorable."
"Well, what are we waiting for?!" GD announced. "Let us make our way to the fiend's castle!"
That reminded Arshan of several things. "Hey, Stefania? What color were Ancientwisemon's eyes to you?"
"Yellow, why?" The green-haired woman asked.
"I should warn you guys also," Arshan began to tell the newcomers about how Ragna Lordmon was the one who killed Ancientwisemon a long time ago and stole his powers. While he spoke about the tampered messages, Coro found himself looking behind the walking group again.
Stefania and GD were not the ones he sensed a while ago.
[Later]
Arshan and Coro had food and some rest back in Shadow City. The same could not be said of both Stefania and GD, who had been wandering around lost for some time. Despite their energy, the two were more lethargic than Coro and Arshan as their stomachs began to growl.
"You didn't have anything with you when you came here? I had my duffle bag with me," Arshan wished he had the foresight to bring anything with him. But besides his travel clothes, he didn't bring anything, even his Digivice. That...was important. Probably. In his defense, Arshan didn't know his senior was about to push him off a cliff and leave him in the wild.
"No, we've been walking for hours with no sign of food or anything," Stefania turned to Arshan. "Didn't you say you went to a safe haven? Where is it again?"
"I-I um don't know? I got lost. It was complicated." Arshan didn't tell the two about how Koji almost killed him and Coro. Coro wanted to speak, but this time, Arshan gave a pleading look to hold off for now.
Stefania noticed the teen's distress and was about to ask until GD looked off. "Hark! Look onward, companions! There is a place of rest over yonder!"
Archaic vocabulary aside, the rest spotted something that encapsulated the bizarreness of the Digital World. It was a combination of a mushroom, a cottage, and some metal parts sticking out for twin chimneys. But the door was wide open, which showed an empty but stocked room.
"There might be supplies and some rooms we can use in there!" GD went ahead, with Stefania and Arshan following after him. Coro did as well.
At least, the fire rookie did until that feeling of being watched came back, and he slowed down to a stop to get a second look at the house.
Inside the cottage, the room was dimly lit from the glowing mushrooms outside, but the place looked to be in decent enough condition. It had tables, an empty fireplace, rooms that looked like they housed beds, a kitchen, and a loft. Despite being obviously abandoned, it still looked like it was in good shape.
"Maybe there's food left over!? We gotta go check!" Stefania and GD raced to the kitchen. But Arshan stopped in his tracks when he felt empty air beside him. He turned back, seeing Coro outside still staring at the house.
"Coro? What are you doing out there?"
"Hey! Get out or keep that door open! Quick!"
Arshan's mind processed that voice: it did not belong to either GD or Stefania. But instincts made him turn to the voice instead of heeding the warning.
That was a mistake as the doors slammed shut in front of Arshan.
Coro looked down as the doors did. "Arshan!?" He stepped forward, ready to attack the doors. However, something unexpected happened: the ground shook violently, making the house fall through the ground as the fire rookie was about to attack. When Coro regained his balance, he saw a giant hole where the house used to be.
"Arshan!?" Coro yelled again as he leapt into the hole, ready to chase to save his partner and friend.
[Inside the house(?)]
Arshan did not enjoy how even after going into an alien world, his luck still hadn't changed. He wasn't even here a full 24 hours, and this was at least the 4th time his life was put in danger.
... Hey, wait a second. Wasn't Coro supposed to Digivolve by now then? What was he missing!?
Arshan shook his head and focused. The ground shook violently, causing him, GD, Stefania, and the other voice to scream as they all lost balance. Arshan spotted the window, seeing the house drop down to what looked like a giant tunnel before feeling it move fast enough to make the background blur.
"Dang, it!" As Arshan found his footing again, he turned around to the voice that spoke and previously warned him. "Are you deaf!? You did neither what I said!" Then a young man jumped off the second-floor rails and started walking toward him.
He looked younger than Arshan, if by at most two years. White skin, straightened brown hair, grey eyes, and he looked athletic but not recently active. His clothes were also on the simple side: a blue jacket, black jeans, a t-shirt with a shooting star on it that was worn to the point of looking faded, and a mismatched pair of boots. It took the brunette another second to see the Rookie-sized bee flying nearby. Said Rookie looked like a plush bee.
"Geez! I expected more from other humans! Looks like my honored companion, will have to pick up the slack! But not to worry, a Queen such as I will help pave the way!"
"Fanbeemon," The new DigiDestined looked over to his companion.
"What!? You know I'm right, Yuma!"
"Hey! More humans!" Stefania got up after falling. She gasped in excitement before rushing over to the boy called Yuma. "So, who are you?! Did you also meet Ancientwisemon!? Your Partner is adorable! What's your name?"
"Personal space, please." Yuma took a step back from the excitable woman.
"Ah? Hehe, sorry about that," Stefania rubbed the back of her head.
"Watch your tone!" GD leaped up on a table and pointed to the newcomers. "You dare disgrace the great GD's companion!?"
The Fanbeemon flew into the face of GD. "I don't like your tone to the Queen's honored companion, commoner!"
"Commoner!? How dare you mock the God Dragon of the Digital World!"
Arshan sighed as he saw the two humans attempting to pull away their prideful Digimon from glaring at each other. If Coro was here, he'd probably be ecstatic at the sound of a "queen" joining them.
Arshan hoped the lion cub was safe. But the green-eyed teen shook his head as he stepped forward. "Wait, what do you mean? What's with this house?"
Everyone looked to Arshan before Yuma spoke up. "Like you, we were looking for shelter until we found this house. We thought it was abandoned but in good condition, but then, we got locked in. Fanbeemon attempted to break down the doors, but they didn't even look scratched, so we tried to find another way out. But then, we heard you coming, and when we came out... you know the rest."
"Ha!" GD puffed his chest. "You may have failed, but watch as the Great God Dragon frees us from this predicament! Ran-Gum Break!" With a swing of his tail hammer, GD slammed into the door with surprising speed and power, creating a loud and heavy impact.
However, while the door bent from the pressure, it remained closed.
"Huh?! Oh no! You're not gonna stand 'cause I'm just warming up!" GD swung his tail again repeatedly at the door.
"Grr! You know what!? I was also warming up! Watch and be amazed as the future Queen shows you how it's done! Gear Stinger!" The flying Digimon unleashed a stream of pin needles that dug into the door. Yet, like GD's, the attack did not seem to do anything but scratch the surface.
"Ha! Leave this to me!" "No, leave this to me!"
The two rookies glared at each other before both continued to unleash their attacks with more vigor.
"You go, GD! Whooo!" Stefania cheered.
Yuma sighed before turning to the two. "So, while they're doing that, who are you two?" Arshan and Stefania introduced themselves. "I see. Then I am Yuma Yuragi. And that is Funbeemon, she wishes to be the Queen of the Digital World."
Stefania hummed. "By the way, Yuma, why is this house trapping us?"
"I do not know. I imagine some Digimon is trapping us in this house. But we have not spotted a sign of them anywhere. All the other rooms we checked were empty."
"You know," Arshan had a thought. "I met the older generation. And they told me something interesting. When you look at a Digimon, your Digivice will show you an image and some information about the Digimon you're looking at. We can't see it, but maybe the Digivices can. ... I left mine." Arshan frowned after admitting that.
"Digivice?" Yuma fished his pocket before showing Arshan. "You mean this?"
"Hey! I've seen that before! Um. They called it a 4th Generation Digivice: a D-Tector." The green-eyed teen explained when he saw Yuma's item.
"Ooh! Arshan! Arshan! What about mine!? Mine!?" Stefania brought out hers. Yet, the device Stefania showed made Arshan raise his brow.
"Well, it looks like mine? But there are obvious differences. I don't know if it is a 5th Generation." Unlike Arshan's which was gold and black, Stefania's was blue and white. Not to mention, Stefania's looked far more complex and intricate than Arshan's.
"So," Yuma spoke up. "We look around until we find the Digimon trapping us here?"
"Alright, banda, let's search for clues!" Stefania shouted as she pumped her fist up.
Yuma looked over to the two rookies still attacking the door. "I... think we'll leave those two for now. Let's get searching."
[Meanwhile, with Coro.]
Coro kept running down the tunnel ever since he saw the odd tracks. He wasn't expecting a house to run away from him. Then again, he didn't really know much.
While he was running down the tunnels, he heard a sound akin to static. His eyes sharpened as he saw three Eaters turn a corner and spot him.
"Uh oh," The rookie put his fists up as he prepared to fight.
"Go, Bibi! Digi-Modify! Cyclomon's Hyper Heat!"
"Haha! Let's go!"
Coro felt a spike of power coming from his 7 o'clock. He moved out of the way just in time for a condensed fire laser to blast the three Eaters.
"Whoa!" Coro looked up to see the concentrated laser erasing the fading bodies of the Eaters. Yet, a familiar light shined on their bodies, turning the amalgamations into Digignomes.
"You alright? You looked like you were in a hurry." Coro turned to see a human with a different color than Arshan and the others. His was cacao-colored and he had brighter green eyes than Arshan's. His hair was very poofy, looking like a ball of hair that Coro wanted to touch, but he also had faded sides. The teen wore a dark red, short-sleeved button-up shirt with a light gray, long-sleeve undershirt. Black cargo pants and black boots, but Coro saw the odd white bandages wrapped around his left arm.
He held two objects in both his hands: a card, and a D-Arc, 3rd Generation, if he recalled what Arshan and the others said after the spars. But he glanced where the attack came from and saw a flying pink bird, a Biyomon if he recalled.
"Thanks for your help! But I gotta get to Arshan! He's gonna spring this super cool and epic escape plan, and I won't be there cheering him on!" Without even waiting, Coro bolted again, following the tracks he saw the house make.
"W-Wait! Ugh. The first sign of life that isn't trying to kill us, and it runs away." The human sighed.
"Did you hear what he said, Marcy?" It was a nickname, but the Biyomon looked at the human. "I've never heard of a Digimon called Arshan. He must be a human like Ancientwisemon said!"
"Good point. Let's follow the little guy, Bibi," The one called Marcy said before they started chasing after Coro.
[Back with Arshan.]
Despite the humans looking around, they still couldn't find anything out of the ordinary inside.
However, the two rookies who had been blasting the surprisingly durable walls started to gasp for air from throwing attack after attack.
"I," GD gasped for air a few times. "Will not give up! This door will be beaten by me! GD!" He backed off and then jumped in the air before spinning his body to the point of generating flames with his tail. "Fire Vortex!"
The blow on the door was enough to catch it on fire.
That was good.
Then it spread throughout the entire WOODEN room faster than anyone was prepared for.
Which was bad.
"You idiot, what did you do!?" Funbeemon cried out as everything started to ignite from the flames.
"I am getting us out of here! You're the one who failed to solve this problem before us!"
The other three humans came out of their respective areas when they heard the sound of flames. Needless to say, the image of the room on fire with Fanbeemon and GD arguing did not paint a great picture.
"Is there water in the kitchen!?" Yuma turned to Stefania, who was closest to the area, having just come out of it.
Before she could answer, the house shook violently. "RaaaggaaaaAAAHHH!?"
The scream didn't come from a location, but rather, it felt like it came from all around them. "Wait a second, THE HOUSE is the Digi—" Arshan couldn't find the words as the doors slammed open.
"Everyone, out!" This time, they listened to Yuma as they all dashed out the opened door, making sure to avoid the flames as much as they could.
But because the house was still moving, the humans and GD had to leap out of something moving fast, forcing them all to land with a roll.
The former captives looked up, watching a house with tank treads running forward as it burned from the inside. Ahead of the house was a hidden spring that the mobile home did not hesitate to launch itself into.
Many became silent as they processed what had happened.
"Aha! See, the Great GD has solved another problem!" The Gumdramon got back up.
"You almost killed us!" Fanbeemon shouted.
"Nonsense! I performed a majestic escape!" GD kept his spirit up. "Don't feel bad that I could do what you couldn't. It's only natural for god to make miracles happen!"
"Why you!"
"Arshan! Arshan!" Everyone looked behind them to see Coro jumping off a small cliff and heading to the group. "Guys! You made it out! Aww, I missed the epic escape! Did you look cool, Arshan?"
"Not to worry, Coro, the Coronamon! There are more wonderful events for you to witness in my apotheosis!" GD beamed.
"Yay." The lion cub looked over to Yuma and Fanbeemon. "Hi! I'm Coro. Who are you two?"
"I am Fanbeemon, future queen of the Digital World! And this is my honored companion, Yuma Yuragi!" The new rookie huffed to make herself look important.
"Wow! Arshan, we've got another royalty on the team!?"
"I'm sorry, another royal!?" As Fanbeemon shouted, Arshan had a case of Deja Vu.
However, that feeling left since, "Wait, Coro, where did you hear that!?" Arshan had no idea they had royalty on their team.
"Sensei Zero taught me during our 36th round! I was amazed to learn about another Digital King that led one of the previous generations!" As fascinating as that fact was, Arshan worried for Zero's skull and brain.
"Hey! Marcy, more humans!" "For now, call me Marcus, Bibi." The group turned to see the new human and Biyomon chasing after Coro.
"Oh, right! Arshan, I met another Digimon and Human pair! They helped me!"
"Well, good to finally see something that's not killing us. I'm Marcus Graves, and this is Bibi," The darker-skinned male introduced himself and his partner. "Which ones are you? The same as me or the older humans?"
"We're new. I'm pretty sure." Arshan got back up, as did Stefania and Yuma. Arshan paused for a second. "You met Ancientwisemon then? Can you tell me his eye color?"
"Yellow. Why?" Marcus raised his brow at Arshan.
"Okay, I'm gonna say this a lot then," The brunette sighed. "Ragna Lordmon was the one who killed him. The older generations told me that he mixed his messages with Ancientwisemon's. Besides a few of them that have different eye colors, there's a good chance you might have been speaking to Ragna Lordmon himself."
"That's..." Yuma put a hand on his chin. "That's disturbing. To think our number one enemy could have already been leading us astray."
Marcus perked up as he looked back at Arshan. "Wait, you said you met the older generation?"
"Coro and I ran into them by chance. But they led me to a hidden city."
"Finally! A place to rest! Let's go there then!" Bibi shouted.
"Err, I don't remember where it is?" Arshan offered out loud, making everyone turn to him. Desperate, the brunette turned to his partner. "Coro, please tell me Zero "taught" you another entrance to Shadow City."
The lion cub put a paw on his chin as he looked up. "I don't think he said that, but! Don't worry! We should be safe as long as we avoid bodies of water!"
Yuma, Arshan, and Stefania felt their brains create an abrupt record scratch sound after Coro spoke.
"Coro, why?" Arshan slowly asked his partner.
Without missing a beat, the fire rookie explained. "At our 17th round, Sensei Zero warned me that Eaters like to hide in places with resources to attack weakened Digimon! So as long as we avoid bodies of clear water, like that lake behind you guys, we should be safe!"
Marcus saw the looks on the other's faces and noticed the tank tracks leading to the lake. "We should probably..."
Whatever he was about to propose got interrupted when something exploded out of the lake.
"TAAAAAIIIIIIIKKKKKKKIIIIIIII!?" Whatever bitter feelings the Chosen had for the house that trapped them, melted away into pity and horror as the house returned.
Returned was not the right word. Coro warned that there were numerous Eaters hidden in the water. When the house rose from the water, more than half of its body was covered by Eaters forming over the mushroom house akin to the body horrors of Earth. Tentacles sprouted and lashed out from every side covered by an eater, forcing the house to head toward the newest generation.
"We need to go!" Marcus yelled.
"No need!" GD hopped forward. "I will take him down!"
"I'll be the one to do it!" Fanbeemon flew slightly ahead of GD.
"Are you two crazy?!" Bibi shouted as the possessed Digimon walked forward to them.
Coro looked back. "But we can't leave him alone! He's suffering! We gotta save him too!"
Arshan sighed as he followed after Coro. "He's a danger to others like this if we leave him alone."
"Very well, we shall end his misery."
"Time for a battle!"
"Looks like we're outvoted on this one, Bibi!"
The other humans stood alongside their partners as they faced the incoming house.
The Digivices all showed an image. "Ballistamon MC. Champion Level: its sturdy walls can house and keep Digimon safe under extreme weather." Stefania read out loud.
"If it's a house, then all we need is to break it down!" GD started, rushing towards the incoming building. The tendrils across one side of the house stirred before whipping toward the incoming rookie. However, a blast of pin needles from Funbeemon knocked and slowed the tendrils enough for GD to fully dodge.
"That's much better!" GD cried out before he spun himself with another Fire Vortex onto one of the legs formed by Eaters. But the leg construct held, and the red cores on the construct glowed before tendrils sprouted outward to take GD.
"Corona Knuckle!" "Digi-Modify: Speed!" "Chirping Ball!"
Both Bibi and Coro's attacks smashed into the legs, covering GD as the abominations attempted to counterattack. Coro sped past the Gumdramon, channeling fire in his fist as he sharpened his eyes at one of the red cores of the leg.
"Corona Knuckle!" With a fierce flash of flame, Coro's attack exploded, causing the leg to weaken and buckle. Both GD and Coro slid out.
"Aim for the red spots! They're the weak points!" Coro shouted before he unleashed more attacks, each one aimed at the red cores.
"Dang, that's a lot of firepower," Marcus noted out loud while Coro unleashed hard-hitting and accurate blasts while ducking and weaving from the tendrils.
However, the stress of both attacks made the house kneel forward, making all four Digimon back off. At that moment, the two "chimneys" of Ballistamon MC tilted forward and aimed at the four Digimon.
"RunnNNNN! I-I can't conntrooollll!" They heard the distorted voice scream as energy gathered from the holes.
"Move!" Marcus yelled as everyone scattered. The moment they did, two blasts of concentrated static exploded in the area. The impact of the attack caused the caverns to shake, making one of the stalactites above weaken and fall right on top of a fallen Funbeemon.
"No!" Yuma yelled as he ran forward. His drive to save his friend caused his Digivice to shine. A ring of data appeared around his right hand, and by instinct, he slid it against the edge of his D-Tector. "Execute! ... SPIRIT EVOLUTION!"
The stalactite fell, making Funbeemon close her eyes. However, even though the bee expected to get crushed, she felt nothing. When she opened her eyes, a figure stood before her, cutting the rock in half and causing it to miss her.
The being looked like a ronin, a samurai battle-tested and as vicious as he appeared. But as the Digimon turned back, Funbeemon recognized the eyes staring back at her. "Are you alright?"
"Y-Yuma?"
Everyone else, aside from Coro and Arshan, looked on with shock.
"D-Did he TURN into a Digimon!?" "Whaaaatttt!? Can I do that too!?" "Holy crap, Kari was right. The 4th gen DO turn into Digimon." Both Marcus and Stefania turned to Arshan before their Digivices showed them new information.
"Mushamon. Champion Level. An armored warrior Digimon. Has the appearance of an ochimusha. Its Special Move is a lunge with Shiratori-maru, the demon sword in its right hand: Kirisute Gomen." Marcus read aloud.
Yuma looked at himself before he heard the possessed Ballistamon MC aiming his weapons at him. "There is such pain in your eyes. Let me end your suffering." Yuma sped off, avoiding more of those static blasts. With a single leap, Yuma held his sword high above the immobile house.
The cannons aimed for the Champion in the air. However, a concentrated Corona Knuckle blasted into the right chimney while a combination of Gear Sting and Magical Fire shot into the hole of the chimney on the left. Both attacks caused the chimneys to explode from the inside, canceling the attacks.
"Get him, Yuma!" Stefania cheered as the other two yelled their support.
The Mushamon's sword blazed with energy. "Shiratori-maru!" He unleashed a war cry as he unleashed the slash right down the middle of the house.
However, as the house got cut in half, the Eaters latched out of the Digimon, flying around the area.
All three Digivices in the area showed a new prompt: "Activate Restoration Program? Y/N?"
Yuma, Marcus, and Stefania clicked yes and felt the need to point out their Digivices. Three lights shined on the swarming Eaters, which writhed in pain as their bodies reformed back into Digignomes.
"Aww, they're cute now!" Stefania gushed as the Digignomes floated around, regaining their old form.
"Taaaiiiikkkiiii..." Everyone looked back at the house. Now that it was freed, everyone could see that the Eaters were true to their name. Pieces of the house were eaten away that even Yuma cutting it in half looked like the least of damage done to it. On one side, only one light shined, revealing eyes the others had never seen before.
Arshan found himself stepping forward. "... Who are you?"
"B-Ballistamon... I-I," The house spoke in a robotic voice that slowly grew weaker. "I had to save them... They ordered me to keep others safe. I had to... My orders."
"Wait, is that why he captured us?" Yuma said as he walked next to Arshan. "He was trying to protect us? A very violent way of doing it." As soon as he said this, Yuma saw everyone turn to him. "What?"
"... I'm only now seeing the rust on the metal parts," Marcus stepped forward. "If he's a machine, I wouldn't be surprised if he's long past working condition. Perhaps even his mind... was rusted..." Everyone else took a second look at some of the metal parts. Indeed, the rust looked old and decaying.
"Protect... protect..." The house slowed down. Arshan sighed as he went forward to touch the remains of the Digimon.
"Thank you for trying to help us. And, I'm sorry we burned you from the inside. You should go to rest now." Arshan showed kindness to the house that attempted to kidnap them.
The house's eye seemed to look over to Arshan. "...Rest... but the battle...we haven't defeated..."
"Hey, it's not your fault," Stefania stepped forward and spoke kindly. "We'll beat up Ragna Lordmon for you!"
"..."
"If he is the reason this world is so broken and desolate, then I swear I will run him through with my blade!" Yuma shouted.
"Yeah! Don't worry! A god like me will purge that monster from this world forever!" GD boasted along.
"And as future Queen of the Digital World, I'll lead everyone to usurp that false king!" Funbeemon flew higher, earning some ire from GD.
"Queen?... Ha... ha..." The voice of the Ballistamon softened as if recalling a fond memory. "...I hope... you do better... than... usssssss..." The light of the eye faded, prompting the rest of the body to turn into dust.
The flying Digignomes were quiet as the Digimon faded away. With a small look at the Restorers, they all dove into the lake, their light fading away.
Silence filled the area before Yuma turned back to his human form.
"I heard of Ragna Lordmon's rule. But to think, even good Digimon could be driven to such extremes..."
"He has to be defeated," Stefania held her Digivice. "It's wrong to see such a beautiful world tainted by his rule!"
"... We still don't know how to get past his immortality," Marcus spoke up. "If we don't, we'll end up just like the rest. We need to find out what the others missed."
Arshan was quiet as everyone saw Ballistamon fade away. However, a thought occurred to him: while everyone was focused on Ragna Lordmon's immortality, why was the Invincible King perpetuating war in the Digital World without conquest?
"Arshan!" "Arshan!" "Coro! Arshan!"
The sound made everyone turn around to see what looked like a giant, armored red dino-dragon monster landing in front of them with almost no one noticing.
"Uhhh?" Yuma looked at his Digivice. "What does Mega Level mean? And who is Blitz Greymon?"
"Arshan!" Next to the head of the red Digimon, Arshan recognized the man shouting at him. "There you are!"
"Tai!? Kari!? Koji!? Henry!?" Arshan said the names of the older Generation as he saw them around the shoulders of what he assumed was Zero.
Zero knelt and offered his cannon hands as a platform. "Get on, quick! That stunt you and those others pulled attracted us! And if it attracted us, it attracted—"
The mega was interrupted when everyone heard an inhuman screeching in the vast, vast distance. Small tremors reached them, indicating something gigantic was heading their way. But each tremor subtly grew, meaning that even far away, the thing pursuing them was beyond even Zero's current size.
Tai clicked his tongue and shouted. "Get on, now! We need to go before he senses us!"
The eight scrambled aboard Zero's cannon arm. As soon as they were fastened and safe, Zero bolted off from where they were, reaching speeds the newbies were not expecting.
As they got out of the tunnels, Arshan was able to peek behind Zero. Before they flew up into the clouds to hide, he swore he could see a figure... crashing through the giant skyscrapers as if they were made of cardboard.
Arshan knew everyone else promised to take down and defeat Ragna Lordmon. But seeing a fraction of the power the Invincible King wielded made him fear for his new friends.
Did they just make an impossible promise?
[Author Notes]
And done! Here is the Second Chapter of Failsafe! Wow. I'm still amazed at all the support this fic got. I'm finalizing the choices, but I technically got more than I needed. I'm so sorry I couldn't include everyone, but like—at least for the first part of the story, it's gotta be set.
Anyway, I thought I'd introduce the 3 first OCs!
Stefania Bellamore and God Dragon (GD) The Gumdramon - By Bluestar076.
Yuma Yuragi and Fanbeemon- By Gadget The Critic.
And last, but certainly not least, Marcus Graves and Bibi The Biyomon- By AdaviantheBear!
I loved these first 3 characters and we'll see more of them in the very first arc!
Thanks again for all your support! It will be a while before the others start to show up, but I do hope you'll enjoy the story that's about to unfold!