Chapter 19: Illusions

Chapter Text

Takeshi kept looking at the content of the book over and over again, but couldn't make sense of it. Rurimon was either smarter than him or simply more familiar with the symbols in it.

"Are you sure?" Prismamon asked his friend. The latter nodded.

"Yes, I think there are no more balls to be found in this world. With the ones I found in the Digital World, I should have them all. Of course, there are still those that the Digimon King and his minions have used up. But the ones I already have should be enough to return to my old form." Prismamon looked a little saddened.

"But... that doesn't mean it's a farewell, does it?" Rurimon patted his friend on the head.

"Oh, come on. You'd be completely lost without me anyway!" While the Digimon were teasing each other, Takeshi crossed his arms. Nishi was close to achieving his goal. If they didn't manage to stop him, it really would be a farewell - perhaps a tragic one.

"Alright. We're meeting Izumi-san today anyway. I suggest we talk to Gennai. He probably knows the most about the book besides you," he proposed. The Digimon agreed and prepared to leave.

Takeshi left the house and felt a little melancholy. He hadn't been able to persuade Nishi to abandon his plan. If he really did manage to destroy his and Prismamon's world, then he would have left his house for the last time. No, he couldn't think like that. Davis-sensei and the others were very competent. They would surely come up with something. They had defeated numerous villains in the past - why should Nishi be any different? Just because he was human?

Shun and Tsubasa were waiting for their friend in front of the building. He had spared them a detailed report of how Nishi had taken apart the Royal Knights one by one. He didn't want to demotivate them. He asked Shun how his brother was doing. Fortunately, he seemed to have only suffered two cracked ribs. His parents were currently with him in the hospital. Takeshi could tell that Shun would have liked to be there too, but he also felt that this meeting was important.

They entered and were immediately let up to the upper floor. They only had to knock briefly before being admitted to Izzy's command center. They saw T.K, Kari, Davis, Ken, Izzy, and another man. T.K introduced him as his older brother Matt.

"Despite his rebellious appearance, you can really rely on him," he had said with a smile, pointing to him. Matt pushed his hat into his face and cleared his throat.

"Nice to meet you. You look like someone you can rely on to a certain extent. Unlike in my time."

Izzy turned to them. "Speaking of Tai. He'll join us shortly. He was still having a conversation with the Public Safety Office. They're also extremely concerned and have even coordinated with the Americans. They've offered to send us Wallace and Michael if we need reinforcements."

Rurimon now slipped out of the backpack and made himself known. "Can I talk to Gennai? I need to ask him something." Izzy nodded. "I've already contacted him. But I waited for you before I brought him in," he explained.

Then he typed on his keyboard and a window opened. The face of the man with the ponytail became visible. "I'm glad to see you again. Unfortunately, I wish the circumstances were different." The DigiKnights could only agree with him.

"Has it been possible for you to warn Homeostasis in the meantime? Nishi wants to try to absorb it," Ken warned. Gennai confirmed it to him.

"Yes, it has already taken security measures. But if Nishi is really as powerful as you report, it won't help much. At least he hasn't yet managed to enter the sphere where Homeostasis exists."

That at least provided some relief. "We assume it's possible to get there via the Sea of Darkness," Kari mentioned. Gennai nodded.

"Yes, the Sea of Darkness is comparable to the area for dead sectors of a computer. Different rules apply there, and in order to control it, Homeostasis has also created access to it. But there is also a regular access point that I can open from here."

Immediately, joy rose within the group. "Great! So we're one step ahead of Nishi," Shun stated. However, when Gennai's expression changed, they realized that something was wrong.

"Well... even though I said that, it's not quite that simple. There is a gate to Homeostasis here, but a key is needed to pass through it."

Izzy understood. "If you're mentioning that specifically, that means it's not in your possession?" he asked. The man with the ponytail nodded.

"Yes, that's correct. The bearer of this key was Hackmon. He received it in case of an emergency so that he could reach it."

Davis slammed his fist on the table. "This is definitely an emergency! He should hand over the key!" he urged. His friends had to calm him down first.

"Unfortunately... Hackmon lost the key during his battle with Alphamon. We suspect it landed somewhere in the DigiWorld." It visibly saddened him that he was discouraging the DigiKnights with this.

"So we have to find this key first to get to Homeostasis. We should get started on that right away," T.K stated once again. Izzy crossed his arms.

"Do you have any idea where we could start the search, Gennai-san?" he asked their ally. Fortunately, he actually knew what to do.

"I know the signature of the key. Unfortunately, I lack the capacity to perform scans throughout the Digital World. I don't know what it's like on your side."

Izzy now forced himself to smile. "I can reassure you and the others on that point. My company has the necessary computing power. Please send me the specifications so I can search for the key."

Gennai got to work right away. The others also seemed relieved that it apparently wouldn't be a search for a needle in a haystack. "I've received them. But I need the approval of the Public Safety Office to use the drones in the DigiWorld," the expert said, typing on his computer.

Then he waited a moment and a window opened. Several people in suits sitting around a wide table became visible. Kari recognized her brother in the man on the far left. He looked a little strange, but meetings apparently also belonged to his new tasks now.

Izzy explained the situation and fortunately received approval as quickly as possible. Now he ran a program and after just a few minutes he had achieved a result. "Bingo! I have the coordinates. Now we just have to go get it," he said confidently.

A clearing of the throat followed within the conference. "I'd like to take care of that. We can't leave everything to you - how would we look to the citizens?" Tai said now.

Kari looked surprised. "I'm sure that will be an easy task. We can take care of that too. You're probably expected to do more urgent tasks."

But Tai waved it off. "No, focus entirely on the enemy. After all, it's our job to support you as best we can." The DigiKnights agreed with him that focusing on Nishi had priority at the moment.

"Good, then I'll send you the coordinates. You have the ability to open gates to the DigiWorld yourself." Tai nodded.

"Yes. And... could you maybe give me something else to take with me?" he asked then. Izzy was startled when his friend pointed to a spot behind him. He turned his chair and looked into Matt's face.

The latter furrowed his brow. "Sure, I can go with you," he said immediately. Izzy turned back to the conference. "Good, then I'll open a gate here and send Matt for reinforcement. When you find the key, send it to us right away."

Tai and his superiors agreed and ended the conversation. Davis stepped forward. "Then I'd like to make a suggestion. We split into teams. One goes ahead and looks for Gennai's headquarters. That way they can get started right away when Tai and Matt send the key. The other travels to the Sea of Darkness and tries to destroy the access point so that Nishi can't even get there. If we fail, we still have Team B!"

The others were surprised by this reasonable suggestion. Ken also stepped forward now. "I'm also in favor of that. However, Team A should only consist of me and Davis. For the destruction of the access point, we only need Imperialdramon if necessary. With him, we're faster and don't hold up as much." The others had no objections.

"Then the others form Team B. I've already contacted Sora, Joe, and Mimi. They're ready to join us in the fight," Matt reported. Izzy grumbled. "Is that okay? I know they wanted to hold back more." But Matt shook his head. "They know what's at stake. An exception is a matter of course in this case." Everyone was grateful for the additional help.

"My wife is on her way to Cody. She'll pick him up from the university and then they'll join you directly." Tsubasa raised her hand. "Um... and which team are we on?" she asked hesitantly. The older DigiDestined looked at the three of them. "Are... you sure you want to join in? It could get pretty dangerous," Matt asked. But for Takeshi and the others, the answer was clear. "Every additional help is an advantage, right? We can't just sit around and wait for Nishi to destroy our world!"

No one could object to this argument, of course. "Alright, but you form the back row. Although we hope that Nishi won't be able to advance that far," Izzy decided. Rurimon climbed onto the table and waved to Gennai. "Ah, Rurimon! Good, I wanted to talk to you anyway. Would it be possible for you to send me the little one?" Gennai asked. Matt stepped in front of the monitor. "Sure. Do I get Gabumon back for that? I could use him in the Digital World," he asked. Gennai nodded.

"Of course. But it's best if I send him directly to the Digital World. He'll wait for you there. Tai and Agumon have sent me a message that they'll be coming directly from the agency." Matt nodded. With that, everything necessary was settled. Izzy prepared everything necessary to send Ken and Davis to a point where they could reach the Sea of Darkness. The rest he would send to Gennai, where they would wait for the key. He could send Matt alone, which is why he followed first. He took out his DigiVice, which had been in the form of a smartphone for some time now. He only had to hold it in front of a monitor to be digitized.

It had been a while since he last entered the Digital World. He found himself on a wide beach and heard the sound of the sea. He had forgotten how beautiful it could be here. And this Nishi wanted to simply destroy this place? Matt knew it was up to him to prevent this. A short time later, a new gate opened, and a familiar face appeared. Tai stepped out, his partner beside him. Immediately, the two couldn't resist exchanging a high-five.

"Well? Couldn't stand it in your office job?" With that, he had seen through his friend.

"Well, what can I say? These meetings are ultra-boring. I have hardly anything to contribute. I admit, I miss missions like this." Matt shrugged and left him without an answer.

Soon after, another gate opened, this time smaller. A furry something jumped out and oriented itself. When it saw Matt, it ran towards him.

"Gabumon, there you are! I was afraid I'd have to go without you," he patted his partner on the head. "Oh, come on. Without me, you'd be lost in the Digital World," the Digimon claimed. Agumon also gave a hug. Just like Tai and Matt, he and Gabumon had fought together most often. Not least because they were already a well-rehearsed duo on their Mega level and could even fuse, they understood each other even better.

"So, what exactly do we have to do?" Gabumon asked. Matt took his DigiVice in hand and followed Izzy's instructions. The scan pointed to a northern direction. Matt turned around, but in front of him was only the sea. No, that wasn't quite true. He had to strain his eyes, but he recognized an island in the far distance.

"Over there! I think the key should be on that island." Tai scratched his head.

"And how do we get over there? Izzy thought that out nicely." Immediately, he contacted his friend and explained the situation to him.

"Can't you teleport us directly to the island or something like that?" he asked. But he had to disappoint him.

"Sorry, but there's nothing to be done. There's no point on the island where a gate could be opened. You'll have to manage the rest of the way on your own," he explained and ended the conversation. Tai growled.

"He could have mentioned that before. It's not like we have a boat or something." Matt forced a smile.

"Oh, come on. We had to face challenges like this all the time back when we first came to the Digital World. We managed back then, too," he sounded more optimistic. Tai made a face.

"Then we should have given this mission to Joe. With Ikkakumon, he would have been over there in no time. I don't think Greymon is a good swimmer."

Agumon slapped his hands to his head. "I can't do that, I'll just sink."

Gabumon also didn't look very confident. "As Garurumon, I can definitely manage a few meters, but not such a long distance."

Matt crossed his arms. "Then we'll have no choice but to digitize them to their Mega level and fly over. Although I would have preferred to save energy - it's very likely that we'll have to fight this Nishi."

Tai agreed with him, but it didn't look like they had many other options. He was already reaching for his DigiVice when Agumon raised his head. He trotted a few steps towards the sea.

"Hey, something's coming!" he pointed out.

Indeed, a figure was moving through the waves. It was standing upright and seemed to be simply gliding over them. It took a while before it noticed the group on the beach. Finally, it headed towards them.

As soon as it was close enough, it jumped into the air and landed in a wide arc in the sand. Its landing looked extremely elegant and stylish.

Tai and Matt now examined it closely. It was a Digimon, mostly blue and humanoid. In its right hand, they recognized a surfboard.

Gabumon now walked up to it. "Hey, I know you! You're Surfimon, aren't you? I've heard a lot about you."

This seemed to please the Digimon very much. "Oh, a fan? That's really too much of an honor. If there's someone you should respect... it's the waves. They're the real star," it looked out at the sea.

Tai and Matt exchanged unobtrusive glances. Now Agumon also seemed to understand. "Yes, that's right! Surfimon is known for being able to climb any wave. It surfs through the DigiWorld to find and conquer the biggest one."

The Digimon nodded. "Yes. But without my loyal surfboard, I would be nothing, of course."

Tai sighed. "Well, that's all well and good, but do you happen to have a spare surfboard? We have to get to that island over there. And swimming wouldn't be an option."

Surfimon looked at the island and thought about it. "No problem, I can easily take you over there."

Gabumon looked up at him. "Really? That would be fantastic!"

Surfimon gave a thumbs up. "Sure! Just get a sturdy tree trunk and I'll pull you over!"

Agumon and Gabumon were immediately fascinated, while Tai and Matt were hesitant. "Why do I have a feeling this won't be a calm trip?" Matt agreed with him, but he didn't want to let the opportunity slip away. "Let's take the risk. That way we'll get there the fastest and with the least effort."

Tai finally let himself be convinced. While Agumon and Gabumon took care of getting a tree trunk, he and Matt expressed their thanks to Surfimon once again.

Soon everything was ready and Surfimon tied a rope around his waist. The DigiKnights fastened the other end around the tree trunk. "Hold on tight!" the Digimon advised them.

The warning was not for nothing. Immediately, Surfimon took off and they raced across the sea. "Are you sure... we can trust him?" Tai asked as Surfimon kept making curves instead of surfing straight north.

"Don't worry, Tai! Surfimon is known for his cool surfing style!" Agumon said in front of him. However, Tai doubted that it had ever had to take passengers like this before. But finally, the ordeal was over and they had reached the shore of the island.

Surfimon untied himself and raised his hand in farewell. "It was a pleasure. The next time you look out to sea, think of me!" Agumon and Gabumon promised him.

Surfimon wanted to leave again, but then it turned around once more. "Oh, by the way, I saw some Fenrismon here earlier. You should watch out for them. They're generally considered to be very aggressive. I just wanted to let you know. So, take care!"

Tai and Matt let themselves fall to the ground. "We should have sent the younger ones," Tai panted. Matt put a hand on his shoulder. "I know what you mean, Grandpa."

Only after stern looks from their partners did they get up again. Tai used his DigiVice to determine the position of the key. "We have to go in this direction," he pointed to the entrance of a gorge.

Matt nodded to him and walked ahead. They couldn't waste any more time - the others were already waiting for them. Tai didn't want to be left behind and followed him, with their partners right behind them.

As soon as they entered the gorge, it became much darker. Tai looked up, but there was little to see of the sun. Why did the key have to be located in such a gloomy place?

"You know what? Still better than participating in presentations," Tai said. Matt smiled.

"Yes, you were always an adventurer. That's why I was surprised that you accepted the job with the government."

His friend grumbled briefly. "I did that because I can achieve the most in this way. I want to advocate for the Digimon, but this cannot be guaranteed in the long term through battles. I want to promote cooperation between our two worlds, and as an official representative, I can do this much better. For that, I'm happy to put up with the politics and bureaucracy."

Matt smiled. "And yet you take every opportunity to get out." However, Tai didn't see anything wrong with that. "Thanks to my position, I can afford to do that. Of course, I still have to ask for permission, unlike a certain unemployed person who can do whatever he wants." A sharp look followed.

"Hey, I'm not unemployed. I... just don't have a permanent job right now. Even though I have to admit that it's quite nice as a freelancer." Tai could understand that well.

"NASA hardly has any other guinea pigs available. They depend on you." Matt didn't really like the derogatory description. "Their research is damn important. Using the Digital World as a tool for dimensional travel can secure our future. Imagine if the experiment succeeds and we can open a gate directly to the moon. What that would enable us to do."

Tai laughed. "What, do you want to be the first DigiDsetine on the moon? One small step for Gabumon, but one giant leap for mankind." Matt hated it when his friend didn't take him seriously.

"Yes, maybe I'll say something like that. Besides, that would only be the beginning. Maybe the Digital World will also enable us to travel to other planets that we will colonize someday. Even... if I probably won't live to see it. But the Digimon are definitely our future."

At least in this respect, Tai completely agreed with him. "What... does Sora think about the fact that you're traveling so much?" Matt paused for a moment.

"Well... for the most part, I can still work from Japan. At some point, I'll probably have to move completely to you. Even though Sora doesn't really want that. Her center of life is still here."

Tai could understand him. He would have been happy to have a friend like Matt in the States. He could have recommended a lot of restaurants to him, and they would have gone out together in the evenings.

"Don't mess things up with Sora like I did back then," he advised him. Matt immediately shook his head.

"Oh, come on. You didn't do anything wrong. She just chose me because I look better. You couldn't do anything about that." Tai playfully hit him on the upper arm.

"Don't worry, I don't hold it against you. I really only wish you both the best. If anyone can make it through everything, it's you two." Matt didn't respond immediately.

"And what about you? You also deserve to be happy. You... should confess your feelings to her." He said this without looking directly at his friend.

Tai's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? I said that you and Sora belong together!" Matt gave him a nasty look.

"Of course, I wasn't talking about Sora, you idiot." Tai swallowed and avoided his gaze.

"That... is something else. I can't do it." Matt shrugged.

"As you wish. It's your business, I won't interfere. It's your future, remember that. You're responsible for it." His friend was silent and didn't respond to that.

It was only when Agumon and Gabumon overtook them that they realized something was wrong. The darkness of the gorge had concealed the enemies so far, but the instincts of their partners were fortunately unclouded.

From several caves in the rock walls, several opponents now emerged. They were wolves with red and white fur. Chains were attached to their legs.

"Caution! Those must be the Fenrismon that Surfimon warned us about!" Gabumon called out. The DigiDestined nodded to each other. They observed the situation for a while longer until the enemies jumped down from their ledges and marched towards them. Then they realized they had no choice. They raised their DigiVice and their partners got ready.

"Agumon digitizes to... Greymon!" "Gabumon digitizes to... Garurumon!" The enemies had obviously not expected that their prey could simply digitize like that. Confused, they conferred, but didn't seem to be thinking of retreating. Some rushed forward, forcing Tai's and Matt's partners to attack.

Greymon fired his flame, while Garurumon's mouth emitted blue fire. The first enemies were hit and retreated. They already assumed that the situation was under control, but then some Fenrismon also snuck up on them from behind.

"Damn, they want to catch us in a pincer movement!" Matt warned. Tai recognized more enemies on the ledges.

"There are too many of them. If we fight here, we'd only be at a disadvantage." He was right.

"Tai! We should get out of this gorge. We can't fight freely here and are attackable from everywhere!" Greymon said. His partner agreed with him. Garurumon let the two of them climb onto his back, and together they picked up speed.

The Fenrismon pursued them, but Greymon protected their flank. His big flame caused a fire, which kept the enemies at bay. Finally, they managed to get out of the gorge. Matt pointed something out to them.

"Over there! That looks like a collapsed ruin!" His friend agreed with him. They would find shelter there.

As soon as they reached the entrance, Greymon and Garurumon digivolved back in order to fit through the entrance. They sought shelter inside, but it was partly even darker there than in the gorge. They had to use their DigiVices, which gave them light.

"We should be safe in here for now." Agumon agreed with him.

"Still, I don't want to stay here any longer than necessary." His partner was able to give him the all-clear.

"Don't worry, I'm receiving that the key is in the immediate vicinity." This relieved everyone. Finally, they had arrived at a corridor. Tai was the first to step inside, with Matt following was hard to find their way, but they hurried nonetheless.

"Izzy's program says he's up there. We should have this mission completed soon."

But when Matt didn't respond behind him, Tai turned around. He was startled when he couldn't see his friend anywhere. He used his DigiVice to light up the surroundings.

"Agumon, have you seen where Matt and Gabumon went?" he asked his partner.

But he had to disappoint him. He hadn't noticed how the two of them had moved away from them either.

"There must have been a turnoff somewhere that they took."

Tai sighed. He called out to his friend, but there was no answer. They had no choice but to go back. At least, that's what he had planned. But after just a few steps, he bumped into a solid wall.

He cursed and would definitely have a bump from it. Agumon felt the wall and then shrugged.

"What's going on here? We went straight back, didn't we?"

Actually, it was impossible that they had gotten lost now as well. But there was no passage to be seen on the left or right either. They had no choice but to continue on their way forward.

This seemed to lead them somewhere, because they reached a hall. It somehow looked like the throne room of an old castle. Tai looked at his DigiVice, which indicated that the key was located exactly here. But where exactly? Would he have to search everything here carefully?

"Hey, Agumon. The key is here. You're small enough. Can you search all the niches..."

He broke off when he turned around and his partner was nowhere to be seen. That was a bad joke, wasn't it? He called out to him, but no one responded.

Tai tried to run back into the passage from which he had come. But again he found only a massive wall in front of him. He knocked against it, but the realization came quickly. Something was definitely wrong here.

He returned to the throne room and illuminated everything as best he could. Then he breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized the back of the little dinosaur.

"Finally! Where have you been?" he asked him.

"Come on, we have to go on," he urged.

But Agumon made no move to follow him. "No, I don't want to," he now pushed his partner's hand away.

Tai was startled. "What's that supposed to mean? We have to find the key. And Matt and Gabumon, of course. Now come on, don't be like that."

But Agumon only swung his claw and left a deep cut in Tai's hand. Painfully, he pulled it back. What was wrong with his partner? He had never done anything like that before. Agumon had never intentionally hurt him.

"Buddy... what's wrong?" he just didn't understand him anymore.

Agumon now growled at him. "What's wrong? I'm fed up with being your partner!"

Tai was shocked. "But... why? Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

Agumon growled. "Did you do something wrong? You left me in the lurch! You just sacrificed me! I was just a weapon for you, you knew exactly that we had to separate if you sent me into battle!"

Confused, Tai took a step back. "Yes, but... we had no choice. It hurt, but... we brought you and the others back."

Agumon laughed. "Lie! You didn't even try, others brought me the program that brought me back from the fragment world. You had no part in it!"

Tai shook his head wildly. "That... that's not true..." he said, even though he knew that his partner was actually right.

He hadn't been involved, he hadn't done anything to help Agumon. "It was such a dark and scary place. And you... just left me there to rot!" Agumon accused him.

Tai put his hands to his head. "It... it was a mistake! I didn't know what to do!" he whined.

Another voice sounded behind him. "You never did, did you?" Tai turned around and recognized two figures. Both were women, but he needed a moment to identify them.

One had orange hair, while the other had short, brown hair. Tai couldn't believe his eyes. "Sora? Kari? You're here? But... how?"

Sora only shrugged. "I'm only here to support Matt. I came right away when I heard that you two were going alone. I knew he would be in trouble if he was with you. You're just not good for anything and hold everyone back."

Shocked, he looked at the young woman. "No... I always try... to protect everyone. Kari... you understand that, don't you?" he asked, turning to his sister.

But she only looked at him skeptically. "Is that a joke? You're the opposite of responsible. You dragged me into the whole thing. I was just a little kid. You didn't care what dangers you put me in!"

Her brother swallowed. "But... you wanted to come with us back then. You were a DigiDsetine like us and didn't want to leave Gatomon in the lurch either."

Kari looked at him with disgust. "Yes, and? Something could have happened to me anyway. But you didn't care, your adventures were always more important to you. You wanted to be the great protector."

Sora agreed with her. "And you're surprised that everyone is moving away from you. Of course, I preferred someone reasonable like Matt. Who wants to be thrown into misfortune? Just look at poor Agumon, you left him in the lurch and still call yourself his partner. How impertinent can you be?"

Tai looked at the dinosaur, which was still in a defensive position. Then a bright light behind it. A figure formed. She floated in the air and had square wings.

Tai panicked. "That's Eosmon! Agumon, quick, you have to digitize!" he ordered him.

But Agumon refused. "No, I don't have to obey you anymore! You're not worthy of being my partner!"

Tai didn't understand the world anymore. But when Eosmon made a move to attack, he rushed forward and pulled Agumon out of the way. But the latter was far from thrilled about it. He fought free and used his Little Flame. This passed only a few centimeters above Tai's head. But it could just as easily have seriously injured him.

"You can't do anything without me! I'm tired of being just your tool."

Sora and Kari also moved closer. "Yes, that's what we all are for him. Just a means to an end. The feelings of others are now completely irrelevant to him."

Tai was becoming increasingly desperate. "No, I... I always wanted to protect you! I... I'll prove it to you!"

He ran straight at Eosmon. With clenched fist, he jumped at the enemy, no matter how hopeless it was. As a human, he had no chance against such an opponent. Although the thought came to him of how Masaru had knocked down VenomMyotismon with a single fist as a mere human, it was still something different. He didn't have a DigiSoul, let alone a partner anymore. He was just a weak human. But he had to do something.

He jumped at Eosmon and actually managed to knock down the enemy. He now lay on top of the attacker and hit him with his fist again and again.

In the distance, he heard a familiar voice, but he ignored it. Agumon appeared next to him and cheered him on. "Yes, come on! Prove to me that you're good for something even without me!"

Tai decided to fulfill this wish for him. He continued to hit Eosmon as if there was no end. But then another Digimon appeared behind Agumon and attacked him.

Tai recognized that it was a second Agumon. What was going on here? With a Little Flame, it destroyed the first one. "Tai! Don't listen to him!"

Now the DigiDestine was completely confused. But Eosmon began to defend himself. Tai felt a blow to his face and staggered backward. But only briefly, he didn't want to give up that easily. Once again, he threw himself at the enemy and hit him. But this one also held back no longer.

"Tai, damn it! I don't want to hurt you!" Eosmon shouted. But why did the voice sound so familiar? Finally, he understood it. It was Matt's voice. But... why? Could it be that...

Just as he figured it out, another blow hit him, seemingly snapping him out of his trance. Tai landed hard on the ground and looked up. Matt was bent over him, his face showing bruises.

"Matt? Is that really you?" he stammered. His friend breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank God. You're back to your senses." Tai looked around. He was still in the throne room. Kari, Sora, and the fake Agumon had disappeared. A true partner now staggered toward him and asked if he was okay.

But he couldn't really answer the question. "That... that was all not real? But how...?"

A noise reached his ears, and he and Matt turned to it. It seemed to come from the throne, where someone had now appeared. A figure sat on the throne. She wore a green robe and had casually taken a seat on it. In one hand, she held a golden staff that glowed at the tip.

"Matt! I think... this ruin here is not so deserted after all." Gabumon felt the need to say. The others gave him undoubted right.

"You're responsible for these games here, aren't you?" Matt accused her. The figure laughed.

"What do you expect when you just barge into my castle? My name is Lokimon, I am the Lord of Illusions. You walked into my trap quite willingly."

Tai struggled to his feet and confronted him. "You asshole! Is this all just a game to you?"

Lokimon was not impressed. "What? Everything that happened to you are expressions of your mind. I didn't invent anything and therefore have nothing to reproach myself with."

But Tai seemed to see it differently. "You don't know anything about us! And you have no right to play games with us!"

The illusionist only grinned. He lowered his staff, and the DigiDestined recognized why it was glowing. A data ball adorned its tip. Tai, suspecting something, used his DigiVice to find out.

"That... that's it! The key!" he called out in surprise. Matt seemed to have already suspected as much.

"Then let's get it! That's why we're here, after all. Do you feel up to it?" he asked his friend. Tai nodded.

"Yes. After all, I have a score to settle." Lokimon only smiled.

"I could see in your mind how valuable my find is. A key, huh? I already assumed that it was made by someone who has incredible power. If you want it... then come and get it." he said provocatively.

Tai turned to Agumon. "I'm sorry that you have to fight for me again. Especially considering what happened last time."

But his partner only shook his head. "No, I'm happy to fight with you. We're a team, and we always will be!" he was sure of.

Tai nodded in relief and raised his DigiVice. Matt did the same. Then their partners faced the enemy. "Agumon Warp-Digivolution to... WarGreymon!" "Gabumon Warp-Digivolution to... MetalGarurumon!"

But that seemed to be exactly what Lokimon had been waiting for. He dissolved into thin air and reappeared directly above the two of them. With his staff, he let light bolts sink down on them.

But the two Digimon were agile and were able to dodge skillfully. Matt pulled Tai further back so he wouldn't get hit. WarGreymon unleashed a Terra Force on Lokimon. He dodged, and the attack hit the ceiling. This now broke, and a piece hit the illusionist.

MetalGarurumon took advantage of this circumstance and used his missiles against the enemy. Lokimon was just able to use his staff to make them smaller.

"You have to focus on his staff! Do you hear me?" Matt now called out from below. MetalGarurumon understood and opened the openings of his missiles again. Lokimon prepared to ward them off again, but that didn't seem to be what he was aiming for at all. It was a feint, because MetalGarurumon now opened his mouth and attacked with his icy breath.

Immediately, the enemy was covered with a dense frost. He wanted to use his staff, but his fingers no longer functioned as he wanted. WarGreymon took advantage of this opportunity to knock the staff out of his hand. It landed on the ground, and Tai dashed to it.

He secured the staff and thus also the key. Just in time, because Lokimon had freed himself from the frost. To their surprise, however, he did not attack again.

Lokimon casually floated to the ground and reached out his hand. The staff flew out of Tai's hand - telekinesis also seemed to be part of the illusionist's repertoire. They expected the enemy to use it against them again, but nothing of the sort happened. Lokimon calmly returned to his throne and sat down.

"What's this? Are you giving up?" MetalGarurumon hissed at him. To their surprise, Lokimon even agreed.

"Yes, in the long run, you would be superior to me. Not to mention your will to fight. I, on the other hand, find fighting tedious. Ruling is more my thing. Actually, I had planned to seize the DigiWorld for myself. You've probably already heard that Takutoumon has fallen. A new challenger could use the chaos for himself and rise to become the new king." he revealed.

Matt clenched his fists. "You think we'd let that happen?" Lokimon seemed to have expected such a reaction.

"Probably not. However, as I mentioned before, I was able to take a look into your mind. That's how I found out how important this key is. This human, who also created Takutoumon... really intends to bring this world to ruin, doesn't he?"

The DigiDestined confirmed it to him. Nishi wanted to destroy both this world and the real world. Lokimon sighed at this. He extended his staff, and the key at its tip flew towards them.

"Here, I'll leave it to you. I would have kept it, but if the Digital World is destroyed, there's nothing left to rule. You can use it much better than I can." he admitted.

Tai didn't let himself be asked twice and held his DigiVice to the key. It was absorbed by the device. "I know you're an opportunist, but thank you," Matt said.

WarGreymon stepped in front of the Digimon. "If you're aware of the danger posed by Nishi, then join us. We could use every additional ally."

But Lokimon immediately declined. "I'll pass. As I said, I find fighting rather boring. I'll leave that to the experts. But I wish you good luck, because I doubt that you'll survive the battle despite your strength."

Tai and Matt hoped fervently that he was wrong about that. WarGreymon looked at him disdainfully once more.

"Then we won't part as enemies today. But I won't forget how much you tormented Tai. If you get in our way again or become a problem for the Digital World, we'll take action." he warned him.

But Lokimon only reacted with a yawn.

"As you wish. If the Digital World continues to exist, I'll take your warning to heart. But now it's time for my nap." he said and disappeared completely again.

But that was fine with the DigiDestined. Tai contacted Izzy and granted him access to his DigiVice. "Perfect. It's best if I send you directly to Gennai's sphere. The others are already waiting there."

Matt moved closer to the device. "Can you do that so easily? I thought there was no gate on this island."

But Izzy was able to reassure them. "With the key you've granted me access to, that seems to be anything but a problem. The possibilities this program offers are incredible. No wonder it was only entrusted to Hackmon."

As promised, a gate opened in the throne room. Matt placed a hand on Tai's shoulder once more. "Sure everything's okay? We're not granted a break, the next battle is already waiting for us."

Tai put on a smile.

"Yes, everything's fine. After all, I have Agumon." he said, looking at his partner. The latter nodded in support.

Then they were ready to go through the gate and join the others. It wasn't over yet.

Nishi had arrived where he intended to be. He walked through a field of wildflowers and explored the area. The last time he was in this area, there were ruins of Black Towers everywhere, as he remembered. Now there was no sign of them. Nishi attributed it to the reboot, which had changed a lot.

But that didn't change the fact that he was in the right place. The data he had received through the absorption of Yggdrasil was clear. He stretched his hand out in front of him, and the atmosphere began to change. The colors changed and took on a gloomy gray. Behind them, the sounds of waves could be heard. Nishi had found the access to the Sea of Darkness. However, this was only supposed to be an intermediate stop. He was very close to his goal and would not let anything stop him anymore.