[Before. Ancient Troiamon Ark.]
"Wow? This is so helpful!" Arshan pointed his Data Link Digivice at his Duffle Bag and Violin case and with a click of his button, both items were "scanned" by his gold and black device before they vanished. "So, even Coro can be in here?"
"Yes, 5th Generation Digivices can store their Digimon in a hammer space," Yoshi showed an example with Lalamon as she disappeared in an instant, and when Yoshi pointed elsewhere, the rookie appeared again.
Arshan and Coro tried a few times, but Arshan noticed when Coro came out, he was holding one of his bats and baseball gloves.
Stefania walked up to Yoshi as GD also wanted to learn more about human baseball. "Oh! Yoshi, can you tell us more about DNA Charge? I heard from the others you can fight Digimon with it!"
"Oh? That?" Yoshi laughed nervously as she scratched her cheek. "You're not wrong, but… well… what did they tell you about it?"
Stefania explained all they knew was that 5th Generation could make their DNA Charge increase their physicality to do superhuman feats.
"I'm sure you've heard by now about Marcus and his Dad. Those two fought Megas and even overpowered them in some cases thanks to it," Yoshi frowned as she looked up to the cloudy skies. "When Marcus was captured, I and some others tried to do the same. It's true: DNA Charge does boost a human's physical abilities. But because Marcus and his father were so physically tough and trained their whole lives even before being chosen by the Digital World, I only later found out it had drawbacks."
"Drawbacks?" Stefania asked.
[Elsewhere. One of many Blue Flare Bases.]
The clang of crashing metal made the Restorers turn to Rikku, who dropped his blade and fell to his knees. Rika and Ken were discussing their missions until they ran up to Rikku first and checked his hands. His hands were shaking uncontrollably and try as he might to hide it, Rikku was in pain.
[Ancient Troiamon Ark.]
"When you charge your body with the energy meant for Digimon, it does boost your physical abilities. But, after the adrenaline dies down, your body writhes in pain from being forced past its physical limits. It never showed on Marcus and his dad because they've acclimated to pain long before. And to Marcus, he probably just assumed the pain was from the fight before his body adapted quickly. But for first time users like us? After we use DNA Charge on our bodies, the stress of what we pulled off catches up with us. Arshan," Yoshi turned to the teen. "If you had done that Empath Copy thing again and tried to use your Overdrive to charge your own body, I'm more than convinced your body might flat out implode from the inside by overwhelming and sudden hysterical strength you would have used."
Arshan groaned at the thought of him making himself explode.
"That's why you gotta learn the proper way to access your DNA Charge! I can't believe someone like you can be MORE reckless than Marcus!" Yoshi wagged her finger at the brunette.
"So wait," Stefania asked. "We can't do DNA Charge to empower ourselves?"
Yoshi blinked before she put a hand on her chin to think for a second. "I know what I just said, but I might have to teach you that. It's like exercising a muscle. The more you use it, the less it will hurt. It's just if you output and force it before you're ready, it comes with a dangerous risk on your body. So just be reasonable and start slow. Don't just try to unleash a strong amount even in a worst case scenario."
[ Present Time. East.]
"Ouch." Yoshi hissed as she felt her arms ache. She briefly recalled her warning to the 2 Restorers that had their Digivice. "I wonder if this is what Marcus feels when he puts his foot in his mouth?"
"Did you get hurt?" Yuma asked with concern.
"Not really," Yoshi laughed and tried to dismiss it. "More like I pulled a muscle. I've been trapped as an Eater for so long that using DNA Charge on myself brought back some old aches. I just need to practice again."
Although they were safe, they weren't all that well. Yoshi was currently bandaging Yuma's arm.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't know Nanami was nearby. Ugh, she's one of the most annoying enemies because she can use magic even when she's not transformed." Yoshi said.
Yuma thought back to when Yoshi was freed of Nanami's trap. Even for a human without her partner, he never imagined the raw power a fully charged DNA charge could do. "What you did was amazing." Yuma said.
"It would have been more amazing if I was actually able to stop her in time…"
"Yoshi! Don't be like that again! It's thanks to you, we were able to escape!" Lalamon shouted at her partner.
"I should also take the blame. I let my guard down at the moment as well." Koji walked up before he looked around. "Where's Baron?"
Funbeemon and Lalamon looked up from putting bandages on Goofy. "I think he went towards the cliff nearby?"
Koji nodded before he walked ahead. Baron was sitting on the edge of a cliff overlooking a forest with the sun setting. The Warrior of Light knew Baron was… not in a good position to talk to right now. But at the same time…
Baron looked up and was somewhat surprised to see Koji sit near him. He was more confused when Koji fished his pockets and brought out…
"Hey! That's…!" He said before Koji handed Baron the ring of Cho Hakkimon.
"I saw it when I was picking up Goofy and you. I… knew you'd probably want to have it."
Baron looked at the ring and held it close.
"... When I was young, my dad told me my mother died…" Koji found himself saying as he looked up to the sunset. Baron, holding the ring, looked surprised to hear this from Koji, who was usually cool and collected, now opening up about his life. "My stepmother… she was kinder to me than I deserved. I gave her a hard time because I really wanted to meet my mom, which should have been impossible. Then… I got summoned by the Digital World… and met my twin brother."
"What?" Baron looked on with confusion.
"It turns out my father lied to me: my mother never died. She was still alive, and apparently, I had a twin who I was separated from near birth. Koichi, my twin, actually found out about me… and I admit he may have stalked me before he also got picked up by the Digital World."
"Oh my god." Baron couldn't hide his disbelief. "Your father lied about your mom dying?! AND he didn't tell you about your forgotten twin!?"
"Straight from a drama show, am I right?" Koji exhaled deeply. "That sad part was… the day I went to the Digital World… was the same day I wanted to buy flowers for my stepmother, and tell her I was sorry. Before Koichi revealed that to me, I was fighting hard to make sure I'd get back to her one day… but well… even without Ragna Lordmon screwing everything… how could I look at my father the same way after learning about my birth mom and my brother?"
Koji noticed Baron was stunned silent and was able to tenderly hold Baron's shoulder. "I… am sorry about what happened to Ghillidehumon and Cho-Hakkaimon. I can tell that they meant a lot to you even though you had met them so quickly. I don't know how to help, but I do know family is unbelievably complicated. If… you need an ear to bend. I'll listen."
Baron gripped the ring in his hand…before he started to cry. Koji wasn't expecting Baron to hug and sob into his chest. However, Koji let the poor boy cry.
The Digital World was both a blessing and a curse. He only hoped it wouldn't break these newcomers as it broke everyone else…
"AHHHH!?" "WHOA!?" "WHO ARE YOU!?" Out of all of the screaming, Yoshi's voice stood out despite not being as alarmed. In fact, her scream was one of recognition. "Wait a second! You!? But how!?"
Koji's eyes widened before he and Baron looked back at the others.
[South]
Rei didn't know much about her new circumstances, but fishing? She was more practiced at that thanks to her grandfather.
"So, this fishing..." Alph looked at the rod Rei prepared. "Is a form of battle?"
"No," Rei thought about the part when the fish snags the bait. "Not what people think of about fishing. My grandfather and I did this a few times, and I enjoyed it. He was the one who had to help pull against some of the fish."
"Ah? Tug of war?! I see a battle of strength and will! Do not worry, Rei, I will win this fight for us!"
Rei quietly noted Alph's lust for fighting, but he seemed to at least understand this part wasn't worth expending energy on.
"Well, that looks like a lot of fun."
Rei blinked as she and Alph turned away from the group. The voice they heard sounded... static-like. And when they looked in the direction they heard the voice, they saw no one.
"Alph..." Rei started, "Di-Did you hear that?"
"Yeah?" The battle-hungry Alph gulped and was starting to sweat. "C-Can you humans put your voice away like that?"
Rei thought of Ventriloquism, but she can't do that.
"What are you two looking at?" Itsuki and Huckmon walked up to the two.
Alph explained what they heard and pointed to the empty forest.
"What? You mean like a ghost?"
Both Rei and Alph shivered at the mention of a ghost.
"G-Ghosts aren't real." Rei tried to tell herself but said aloud.
"I mean... we are in an alien world where an Immortal Super Knight with future sight exists? And technically, that message of Ancient Wisemon was a ghost?" Itsuki put a hand on his chin.
"He was a Memory! There's a difference!" Rei snapped before she tried to remain calm.
"Maybe I am a ghost. Poor ol' me, kicking the bucket already. Hahaha."
Now, Itsuki and Huckmon looked in the direction Rei and Alph did. They heard the voice that sounded old and static-like.
Itsuki gulped as the idea of meeting a ghost right now wasn't actually the best for them. "... You know, I kinda wish any of the others were here right about now."
[Stefania]
Stefania knew things got bad when the Eater Mutant appeared. It only got worse when it yanked on Tai's harpoon, bringing the Zero Tamer towards him. When it did so, Tai held on for dear life, only to find himself dangingling in the air. The abomination Eater lifted Tai higher, opening one of its maws as the others sang for a feast.
Tai didn't have a choice as he knew if the Eater got him, it would corrupt his bond with Zero. Having both of them under Ragna Lordmon's influence was a situation he would not let happen and risked jumping off to the other side of the river. However, he was so in a hurry that he had a rough landing. Everyone heard a nasty bone-crunching sound as Tai hit the ground.
"Tai!" Both she and Mimi yelled before they both took out their Digivices.
"DNA Charge!" "Digivolve!"
In an instant, both GD and Palmon turned into Veedramon and Togemon, as told by Stefania's Digivice. However, it didn't stop the two girls from trying to make their way towards their downed friend as the champions went to work.
"V-Breath Arrow!" "Needle Spray!" The Champions cried out as they attacked one of the faces of the monster. It shrieked before turning to the two. Its tendrils reclined back before they whipped forward. Togemon and GD dodged and counterattacked as much as they could.
However, with the speed and width of the river, there was no way for the young ladies to get across to Tai.
"I should have made Palmon reach Ultimate, she could fly!" Mimi said.
However, a cry from the others made the two adolescents turn towards the Eater Abomination. One of its tendrils was arcing towards the two.
Stefania's world slowed down to a crawl. She knew that letting that tendril hit them would hurt, but her spirit refused to falter in saving a friend.
But for some reason, her mind went back to when Yoshi talked to both her and Arshan about DNA Charge.
She knew the warning but…
Stefania gripped her fist.
She wouldn't falter. Stefania ran forward and gripped her fist. Her fist unleashed an aura that blazed a bright blue before Stefania unleashed a warcry and punched the incoming tendril with a heavy impact, warding it away.
"Whoa!?" Togemon looked over.
"Aha! Of course! Well done, Stefania!" GD Laughed before he and Togemon attacked the main body.
Stefania looked at her fist. It's true, the power was amazing. But she still felt fine… in fact… now that she was feeling DNA Charge in her hand, she felt like she could move it around…
"Mimi, hold on tight!" Stefania came close and hugged Mimi's waist before her DNA Charge moved to her feet. Feeling the boost in power, Stefania ended up leapt over the wide rapids and landed both of them on the other side.
"Whoooohooo!" Stefania whooped from excitement before she realized what she was there for and followed Mimi towards an injured Tai.
"Tai! Are you alright!?" Mimi asked as she attempted to help her friend.
"Landed on my arm! Gah! Really wish Joe or even Gatomon were here right now."
Stefania remembered what her Digivice said. "ShouCutemon is a healer! We need to get you to…"
A loud scream interrupted Stefania. She and Mimi turned back to see the abomination attack the river?
However, this was the Digital World. The mutant Eater should have done nothing attacking the river, but instead the accumulated water exploded upward and created a tidal wave that washed away GD, Togemon, and Shoucutemon. But it also raced for Mimi, Stefania, and Tai.
The last thing Stefania remembered was the wave of water covering her sight.
[Back with Rei and Itsuki.]
"Well," Huckmon spoke up. "Let's go check this ghost out then!"
"Wait, what!?" Itsuki cried out as his partner started to walk towards where they heard the voice come from.
"If we don't make sure, someone else may get hurt. And as a future hero, we must set an example and make this area safer for future uses! Come, Itsuki the sidekick!" Huckmon made his cape flourish before running ahead.
"I am not your sidekick, and you! Come back here! Ugh, you are the worst bodyguard!" The glasses teen cried out before he chased after the wannabe hero.
Rei wanted nothing to do with the "ghost". However, she looked down to Alph, who seemed to be growling at…himself?
"Grr! I don't want to see a ghost! But I also want to fight! But you can't fight a ghost! But what if it isn't a ghost and it needs to be fought? I am enjoying this inner conflict right now, but I need to sink my fangs into something! I have decided: I will see if it is a ghost and fight it if it is not!" Alph rapidly spoke against himself before affirming and bolting after the two. Rei sighed as she also hated the idea of ghosts. However, she disliked being alone far more.
When the four went further away from the lake, they couldn't help but realize… everything was rather peaceful. Even with the shattered moon, moonlight filtered through the trees and shined on the flowers, making them look like gems in the dark.
"I don't see a ghost." Huckmon looked around.
"Fool! Ghosts are invisible! They cannot be seen by the naked eye! Be wary! It will attack from anywhere!?" Alph shouted as he turned around for any sign of danger.
"Oh? Ghosts can't be seen? I did not expect that. I always saw them but…" Itsuki and Rei yelped when they heard a voice. But this wasn't the one they heard a while ago, it felt like it came from a youthful being.
The four turned, seeing a cloaked figure, but he was the size of a child.
"Hello there," Rei and Itsuki felt conflicted after the stranger raised his hand. A part of them wanted to trust the stranger, but another part of them noticed despite the youthful voice, he sounded…ancient.
"Ah! A Ghost!" Alph cried out and jumped into Rei's hands.
Huckmon jumped in between the "ghost" and Itsuki. "Not to worry, Itsuki will handle this!"
"Wait what!? I thought you were the Hero!"
"A Hero always arrives late and in the nick of time! So go get beat up, Itsuki, so I can save you and look cool!" "THAT'S NOT HOW BEING A HERO WORKS! OR THAT'S THE WORST PART TO GET FROM IT!" The glasses teen yelled at his Hero wannabe partner.
The figure laughed. "No matter how many humans I meet, they always catch my curiosity. But give me a minute." The child-like figure revealed a coin before he flipped it. As he caught it, he took a second to look at what landed. "Unlucky for all of you. It seems like I won't reveal who I am." He pocketed the coin.
"What?" Itsuki looked at the figure. "Did you just decide on a coin flip?"
"Travel with those others long enough, and you'll find out every Digimon, even in chronic gamblers, keeps a single coin on them. It gives you some measure of protection against Ragna Lordmon's Future Sight."
Itsuki and Rei suppose that made sense, but they realized something the stranger said. Rei held Alph close as she asked. "You… you've been watching us?"
"I have. I won't lie, but I was just in the area for something else. I wasn't expecting you all to come over to where I was searching."
Oh, the two humans relaxed a bit. The "child" sounded sincere.
"What were you searching for?" Alph asked.
"The ghost of the area."
"Oh the…GHOST!?" Rei and Alph panicked as they heard the answer from the stranger.
The small stranger shrugged his shoulders. "Let's just say the rumors of a ghost caught my attention. I decided to check here. Imagine my surprise when I spotted all of you…fishing."
"Wait, there really is a ghost here!?" Itsuki asked.
"I don't know, but I intend to find out. Care to help me?" He paused as he tilted his head. "Actually, are you one of those humans who help?"
"Of course we will! As heroes, it is our sworn duty to do so!" Huckmon spoke up.
"Huckmon!" Itsuki chided before he picked up his partner. "Look, we already promised to help with Shoucutemon. It's too much of a hassle to leave them and go help… uh… what do we call you?"
For a second, there was this odd feeling in the air. But the strange feeling passed as quickly as it came as the stranger spoke.
"Call me… Lucy."
"Lucy? That's a human name, isn't it?" Itsuki asked. It was also a female name, and
"I'm not human. But as I said before, I'm hiding from the Tyrant's gaze. So it's just something to call me for now." Lucy explained. No one but him noticed the Digivice on Rei's arm glitching for a second, as if it was failing to recognize the Digimon in front of them. "And don't worry about helping me. I was simply satisfying my curiosity. Good luck. And oh? You may want to head back. It seems like the Zero Tamer has let something slip through his fingers."
"The Zero what?" Rei repeated in confusion before she and the others heard noise coming back from the camp. It sounded serious, so Huckmon bolted and made the others follow.
Lucy hummed as the four left. "This is an opportune moment to find what about the 7th Generation interests the Tyrant so much?"
The four heard the commotion and saw the problem: Zero, Potamon, and Burgermon were all pulling on a fishing rod Zero was using. From the bending of the rod, and with all three pulling together, it looked like a very big fish got snagged.
"There you guys are! We could use a little help here!" The Agumon shouted.
The four were about to do so until they saw the line snap, making the three Digimon fallback from their pull.
Instead of coming up, the lake settled in an almost eerie manner…
For one second.
Akin to a geyser, something erupted upward, revealing a static-singing Eater Bread Fish mutant.
"Huh! The breadfish look weird today." While Burgermon was upbeat about the situation, Zero noticed the giant tendril reclining back and tackled the two other rookies out of the way before the tendril attempted to turn the three into pancakes.
"That thing's giant!" Itsuki cried out.
"We must help the others!" "Finally a fight!" Huckmon and Alph shouted as they jumped ahead.
Huckmon raced first, his mouth aglow before he screamed and launched a fire attack from his maw. "Baby Flame!" The fire hit and ignited on the skin of one the heads, making all eyes turn to Huckmon.
Alph did the same, "Howling Flame!" and attacked a different zone as the other half turned to him.
Zero saw the attacks do nothing but catch the attention of the Eater, so he yelled at the humans. "Bring out your Digivice! You gotta Digivolve your partners!"
"You mean this odd thing!?" Itsuki fished his pockets, where he revealed a black D-Arc (3rd generation) Digivice with green buttons.
Zero's eyes widened as he saw Itsuki's Digivice. "Take out your cards! Swipe them on the slot!"
"C-Cards!? W-Wait those were important!?" Itsuki fished his pockets for one of the cards he got alongside when he first found his Digivice. There was no grace as he swiped his card without really looking at what it was.
Suddenly, a large club appeared over Huckmon…and landed squarely on his noggin.
"Uh-oh." Itsuki looked at the card he swiped: Giant Goblinmon Club. "Wasn't he supposed to catch that!?"
"You're supposed to yell out Digi-Modify and probably pose while doing it!" Zero yelled before carrying the younger rookies and avoiding another tendril.
"I don't think that pose part is important!" Itsuki yelled before he and Rei avoided a tendril whipping down on them.
"I don't have that," Rei looked at the odd watch she had. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
While she said this, Alph avoided a giant fist, but could not escape one of the tendrils from ensnaring him and bringing him up to one of the maws. Fear for the little guy made Rei's eyes widen. "Alph!" And her emotions made her Digivice activate.
A shine of light wrapped around the Loogamon. "Alph digivolve to… Loogarmon!" The digimon that appeared looked more battle-hardened than Alph usually wanted. Fire flared around Alph's new form, causing the Eater to whip away the champion. When Alph landed, many could take a better look at his new form: one that oozed with barely-contained power and looked designed for combat. Rei and Itsuki's Digivice opened up, revealing that Alph digivolved into a Champion level.
"Howling Burner!" Compared to the fireballs from theri rookie forms, Alph's mouth erupted with a flaming laser. The Eater used its tendrils to block the incoming attack, but those hit directly were burned and signed to a crisp.
"Yes! Yes! This is a fight!" Alph cried out as his maw—that also looked like it was fused with a muzzle—flared more while his fur moved akin to burning fire.
Huckmon saw this and looked to Itsuki. "I want to do that too! Help me, Sidekick!"
"I'm not your sidekick!" Itsuki looked back at his cards. He only received 3 random ones. The club card, one that showed twin guns, and one that didn't make sense to him. "Let's try this! Di-Digi-modify! Adrenaline Burst!"
The card's energy transferred into Huckmon. At the same time, the Eater tried to snag the white dino with one of its smaller tendrils. However, when the tendril wrapped around Huckmon, all it was snaring was an after image.
A gleam from above was the only warning before the tendril was slashed akin to a master cutter. Huckmon landed with a slide, his claw gleaming and sharpened.
"Whoa! Way to go…! Huck…mon…?" Itsuki was happy that his friend could pull off a feat, but then he noticed something off: Huckmon's form was trembling… and his eyes turned into slits.
Itsuki looked at his card and his eyes widened when he read the full ability. Adrenaline Burst: this card increases a Digimon's physical capabilities five-fold. The higher the level, the shorter the duration. However, the higher the level, the less likely for the Digimon to resist the berserk state and attack everything it sees be it ally or foe."
"Oh no," Itsuki gasped before his Digivice lit up, signaling that Huckmon was so overwhelmed with power, it was starting to Digivolve by itself.
Much like most gen 3, Huckmon's form violently changed before reforming into a stronger version of its current form. Bao Huckmon, as told from their Digivices, was larger, sleeker, but sharper.
Yet its eyes were somehow sharper than they were before… and they landed squarely on Alph.
"Oooh! Oooooh!" Alph's eyes widened as his body started to flare up, his body leaning in opposition to Bao Huckmon's.. "I will be SATED by this!"
"What!? No! You're supposed to be fighting together! Not against each other!" Rei shouted.
The Eater saw the two focusing on each other and it started to move as if to strike them both. However, one of its eyes gazed beyond the humans and their partners… and it stepped back. Everyone but the two champions saw what almost looked like fear before the Eater Mutant dove back into the lake.
The reason why the Eater did that was simple: it looked into one of Lucy's eyes.
However, the fishers would never get the chance to even turn behind them. Bao Huckmon sped forward— "Fif Cross!" His claws sharpened before he slashed forward at Alph.
"Flare Claws!" Alph screamed as one of his claws ignited with flame and went into a clash with Bao Huckmon's. Fire exploded, but was quickly snuffed by cuts fast enough to create vacuums. Yet it didn't stop the fact that fire still roared with each of Alph's swings. The two were locked in a fierce combat. Alph and Bao Huckmon threw their claws at each other, each clash unleashing a resounding metal clang. Alph dodged each swipe with the speed of a blade. But Alph's raw power allowed him to parry each claw with his own.
"Teen blade!" Bao Huckmon yelled, spinning fast and empowering his tail blade right at what he saw was an opening. But Alph only opened his maw and clamped down on the blade before it could reach his neck. Alph's maw glowed, getting ready to burn his blade with his laser. However, Bao Huckmon was speedy. He kicked the neck of Alph, making him fire his Howling Burner to the sky. However, Alph inwardly smiled at the amazing move as he suddenly inflamed his entire body.
"Flame Blow!" Alph pushed through with his hind legs and tackled into an unsuspecting and berserk Bao Huckmon, sending him sliding some distance away. However, the two didn't even blink before they threw themselves at each other once more.
"You guys gotta stop them!" Zero yelled.
"How!?" Itsuki yelled.
While he and Rei were panicking, a new voice cried out.
"Freeze Wave!" Two light beams shot at the two champions, making Alph and Bao Huckmon turn before they backed off. The beams were interesting as pillars of ice appeared where the attack appeared.
The Digivice of the two shined to show that the white serpentine Digimon that appeared was called Quetzalmon. But what was more interesting was the other young girl far behind the Quetzalmon, peeking behind a large boulder and looking scared but holding a yellow D-Arc.
"I believe I've spent too much time here. I'll settle my curiosity another day." Lucy stepped into the shadows.
"Yeesh! You two are really having a party, huh?!" Despite the holy aura, the Quetzalmon had a very lacksidal tone. "Hey, Isa, are any of these the guys our seniors were looking for?!"
"They never told us a name!" The brunette girl who was a bit on the younger side stammered out. "A-And my name is Isabella! W-Why are we picking a fight with those tough guys!?"
"Relax, we can't just let those guys terrorize the area. I mean, that job's already with that mutant fish we saw." Quetzalmon turned to the two other Digimon, and it was then that Itsuki noticed a distinct crimson and tattered scarf around the neck of this "holy" Digimon. Was it him, or was that scarf glowing?
Sensing a new combatant, Bao Huckmon and Alph rushed forward, creating a new free-for-all between the 3.
[Stefania]
Stefania woke up with a sharp gasp of air as she shot up from where she was.
"Easy, easy," The green-haired lady recognized Tai's voice, especially when he winced and looked towards the right to see their injured leader leaning on a tree trunk. "You got hit in the head when that wave got us. Mimi made sure we were both safe before trying to look for the others. Lucky us, this is one of those weird Digital Waters where you could breathe in it, which also meant that when we got out, we didn't need to dry off which…" Tai shook his head to stop speaking. Best not to think about who would need to remove their clothes to prevent a cold. "How are you feeling?"
Stefania was about to speak until a jolt of pain writhed through her arm and legs. The young lady groaned; the pain was more intense than she expected, but she was slowly acclimating. This must have been the strain Yoshi warned her about.
"Hey, you hurt?" Tai asked again.
"I'm just getting used to using DNA charge. No need to worry!" Stefania laughed it off.
Tai wanted to say otherwise, but he also hissed as he held his arm. Stefania looked worriedly at their leader. "I should be asking you. Your arm looks broken."
The brunette laughed before he gave a soft exhale. "You wanna know a secret? This arm of mine keeps getting broken. I've broken this thing like at least… what? I wanna say every time at least once every new generation? Sometimes, after we lost one of my friends who was a medical student, when a Digimon healed it, I always felt it wasn't the same."
"What? That's horrible!" Stefania exclaimed.
"Yeah, well… at least with the Digital World, physical wounds can be healed," Tai sighed deeply as he leaned on the tree. Despite their situation, it was oddly calm, even the rapids felt like it was slowing down in respect for the most experienced of the Digidestined. "I know you think I'm some fearless leader and all, but truth be told, I am probably way out of my league. I promised and won't give up saving the Digital World, but watching other generations…some losing more than a broken arm… hurts more. A small part of me can't help but think… Tai, if only you found a way to defeat Ragna Lordmon first. If only you came up with something to take him down when Zero reached Super Ultimate… so many people's lives wouldn't be suffering right now. We'd all be home living our lives if I had just… I don't know, figured out the secret to his immortality sooner."
"Tai…" The excitable woman's voice was rather somber for once. "No one thinks that."
"I have," The usually calm and collected leader laughed bitterly. "Especially after the 4th generation where even desperate and more desperate measures and miracles failed to defeat Ragna Lordmon. Everyone looked up to me when I was the first one called, but sometimes I wonder if that was a mistake. Did you know a piece of me was actually happy Taiki failed? When we all agreed he would be the new leader, a part of me wondered if the only reason we could never win was because I was in charge most of the time. What kind of person am I to feel relieved when even the ultimate Fusion of the Digital World couldn't stop Ragna Lordmon?" He sighed.
"Honestly," Tai looked up. "I think Mimi and even you are WAAAAYYY out of my league. Even my first love was wise enough to choose my best friend over me."
"Don't say that," Stefania spoke in a low tone. "I… wait… did… did you say… me?"
Tai couldn't help but have a more genuine laugh at Stefania's expression as she caught what he said. "Cat's out of the bag. For some odd reason, both you and Mimi tried to set me up with the other."
"What!?" It took a second for Stefania and Tai to notice that it wasn't only the green-haired young lady who just screamed. A voice behind the tree also screamed at the same time as the Italian Digidestined. The two turned to see Mimi had lost her balance, looking shocked at the two.
While Mimi and Stefania were staring at each other in shock, Tai couldn't help but laugh again. This time, a much more spontaneous and tactless laugh. "I-I'm sorry! You have no idea how great it is to finally convince you two to listen to me. You've both been trying to set me up with the other ever since we came to this area."
Stefania and Mimi only looked at each other with aghast, but Tai's howling laughter made him wince, yet didn't stop his smile. The goofy action made both Stefania and Mimi do the same.
"I genuinely thought you two were dating!" Stefania finally said.
"I thought you were flirting with him!" Mimi found herself laughing.
"You two might be the death of me. I now wish I was watching over Arshan," Tai sighed but glad things felt settled. "Now, Mimi, I know her, so I understand why or have an idea. But Stefania, why were you interested in my love life?"
The question caught Stefania off guard. As she tried to think of an answer, her mind trailed off. Tai and Mimi saw Stefania's expression darken before a scared look appeared on her face.
"Scusa…scusa…" The green-haired young woman tried to say, but her arms were shivering. Mimi came over to the girl and pulled her into a hug that told her everything was going to be alright.
"Hey, hey, it's alright. Sorry for bringing up a bad memory." The brown-haired young lady was kind towards Stefania.
"I… it's not your fault. I just remembered something bad…" Stefania returned the hug. "I guess… well… my last relationship went… very bad… to say the least. I guess seeing you two… look genuinely happy? Maybe I kinda wanted to see what that was like, even from the outside."
"Hey, don't think about whoever that person was," Tai spoke. "I personally think, whether here or back home, you're amazing already, Stefania. Not many people can keep up a positive attitude coming here. And who knows? Maybe you'll find someone. You'll definitely have more luck than me. And if not, you've basically got an entire army at your beck and call to kick that person's butt if they ever make you upset."
"Actually," Stefania turned to Tai. "About that. What did you mean by having a "former" love?"
Tai gave a flat frown. "Do we have to talk about that?"
"Oh my gosh!? It was so dramatic! I wish I had popcorn to tell you about that romantic love triangle!"
"Mimi!?" Tai yelled as Mimi gasped and simply blurted out what she was thinking.
"A love triangle?! Oh my gosh, I wanna hear!" Stefania cooed in awe.
"Can we not!?" Tai ignored the pain in his arm. This was more important to stop.
That's why when they heard the trees shaking, Tai was PARTIALLY glad the strange Eater Breadfish mutant monster had pushed through the trees and found them.
Sure, Tai was injured, and the three of them were without their Digimon, but a part of him was…maybe it was best to focus on brainpower on getting all of them out of here.
The Eater turned to Tai. Who knew what it was thinking, but seeing it reach out towards him, everyone could take a guess as to what was about to happen.
Lucky for him, Stefania got up and ran in between him and the motioning arm.
Stefania… gripped her fist as she pulled her hand and ignited it with her DNA Charge.
Then she let it rip on the giant arm. The impact exploded when it made contact, but unlike the tendril, the arm did not budge from the empowered strike. In an instant, the eyes of the Eater gazed at Stefania and the fingers started to curl.
"Stefania!" Tai and Mimi shouted.
However, time slowed at that moment. Stefania had to admit that she didn't realize she was standing in front of Tai and Mimi. She didn't know why she wanted to listen to the stories of Marcus Damon and his father, both able to channel their souls into weapons. Her earlier escapade showed Yoshi was right, using DNA Charge without training was dangerous.
But she didn't care about the danger. Although she knew them briefly, Stefania enjoyed being with everyone here. They reminded her about another dear friend, one who got her out of a very dark period of her life. Seeing Tai and Mimi in danger, made Stefania imagine her friend also in danger. That is why she knew she had to protect them, as a distant form of thanks to the one who saved her. Now she… would save others!
"Let's!" Instead of retreating, Stefania poured everything into her DNA Charge. "GOOOOOO!" Spurred by her strong will to protect her new friends, her DNA Charge flared, wrapping her entire body.
The burst of aura wrapped around her body, and gave her fist an extraordinary boost in power, enough to punch away the closing arm. This time, the sudden increase pushed away the giant arm-no. The power behind the strike was so strong that it imbalanced the mutant, causing it to fall backward with a symphony of screams and static.
"Wait a second… that aura? Did she unlock the Full Power DNA Charge? The one that lets her access the Ultimate stage?" Tai looked on with alarm.
Stefania smiled…for a brief second before she fell and clutched her right arm and screamed. Her hand looked horribly bruised by the sudden burst of overwhelming power she placed into it.
"Stefania!?" Mimi shouted as she saw the Eater monster rise back up from the strike. It roared as it did, then ran for the three humans.
"Savage Emperor!" A cry resounded in the sky before three purple lasers blindsided the eater, tearing through one of its heads and causing it to fall to the ground.
Mimi looked to see a bird Digimon she had not seen before, her Digivice calling it Crowmon, an Ultimate Level Digimon. But was it her, or was there someone riding on top of…
"Wait!? Keenan!?" Tai shouted from where he was.
"Ah? Well this is a surprise," A calm voice came from the Crowmon before he lowered himself down to the others. On top of the ultimate, a young boy dressed almost as if he was born from the wild, jumped off and his eyes fell on Tai.
"Tai? You. Here?" He spoke in a broken language. But it didn't stop the concern he showed as he ran up to the injured leader of Xros Heart.
"Man, am I glad to see you and Crowmon alive." Tai smiled in a way the younger boy returned. But then Keenan looked over to the two women.
"Who them? I saw DNA Charge Aura. Blue. Where Thomas?"
"Keenan," Crowmon's voice made everyone look at him as the Ultimate was over Stefania. "I believe this one was the aura we saw."
"Oh no, Stefania! Are you alright!?" Mimi cried out as she ran up to the girl who kept wincing in pain as she held her arm. On the outside, it looked alright but…
"Used DNA Charge. First time?" Keenan started walking to the young woman. "Dangerous. Strong, but hurts body if not trained for it. Seen it before. Been there before."
Stefania managed to give a soft laugh. "Y-Yeah? Really hurts… but my friends are all safe, and you saved us… thanks."
Keenan's eyes widened as he realized that this person used it to protect her friends. That action reminded him of someone he looked up to. "... You kind. Aura like Thomas but eyes like Marcus." Stefania was about to ask who Thomas was before all of them heard the Eater getting back up once more.
Crowmon made a move until he saw Keenan step forward. "I see. This is a good test for it, isn't it?"
"Test?" Tai noticed the word before he and others saw Keenan take out a boomerang the size of his torso. Tai knew and saw Keenan fight with a boomerang before, but the one he was wielding had strange writings and a green jewel etched into one side.
"DNA Charge!" Keenan yelled before a purple aura geysered out of him, but it was an instant as that overwhelming aura, from someone who looked so young, went into the boomerang. He then threw it at the Mutant Eater with the speed of a bullet. When it made contact, a whirlwind of purple aura exploded on the Eater, spinning it around before launching it to the air and making it crash to the ground.
"Sorprendente…!" Stefania gasped as she saw DNA Charge like nothing she had seen before. Could she reach that height?
Keenan caught back his boomerang and placed it beneath and behind his cloak.
"My my, it does pack a punch." Crowmon mused aloud.
"Stefania!" A new voice made everyone turn to see GD, Togemon, and Shoucutemon riding on top of GD's head running through some trees. "We saw the explosive aura! Tell me it was you!"
"Oh mons!" Shoucutemon shouted. "Now look at y'all so hurt! Come here and let me hav a looks at ya!"
Tai told Shoucutemon to get to Stefania first, and after healing her torn muscles, Shoucutemon healed up Tai's broken bones.
"Wow. Gotta love the healing from a Cutemon," Tai rotated his healed arm. "It feels brand new."
A low whine made everyone turn to the Eater Mutant. Keenan had soundly defeated the creature, making it unable to move. Stefania, remembering that it was an Eater, pointed her Digivice on it and activated the Restorer Program. When the light went over the mutant, the form of the mutant broke off back into a dozen or more Digignomes and a pile of flopping Bread Fish.
"Oh! Well look at dis! This be more than enough for me haul!" Shoucutemon put her hands together. "Come and help me up with these, dearies!"
"First we had to carry her, then carry all this fish? Ugghhhh," Togemon whined but still moved towards the pile of fish.
GD and Stefania were talking, seeing a new goal for Stefania could potentially reach after seeing Keenan perform a DNA Charge. GD was proud of her and knew she was the best companion for a Dragon God. This only solidified his belief in her after hearing how she fought against the mutant from Mimi.
Meanwhile, Tai walked up to Keenan. "Thanks for the save, but… why were you here?"
"Asked to search for… someone. Do not know who. Caught attention of leader. Said in this area. Rumors. But something felt off." Keenan answered Tai.
"Leader?" Tai raised his brow. A lot of questions about this felt off, but for some reason, Tai focused on the leader aspect.
"Blue Flare. It survived the Crown Wars too. New Leader after Kiriha captured."
Tai's eyes widened as he heard that. "Who is the new leader?"
"Said to keep identity secret. Tell no one, but me and others." Keenan blinked. "Part of hiding from Tyrant's army."
Tai questioned that. Ragna Lordmon's future sight made it hard to hide secrets. In fact, the more one hid, the more it caught his attention. But something told Tai there was a reason for this tactic and it felt… familiar.
"... Tai," Now it was Keenan's turn to ask a question. "Was… Thomas with you?"
Tai sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, Keenan. He covered our flank to help many retreat after Taiki's defeat. I didn't see him after."
Keenan looked down before Tai spoke again. "On the brightside, we brought back Yoshi and Lalamon." Tai was glad to give good news for once as Keenan and Crowmon looked on with shock but the hopeful kind. "You have to thank her and the other Restorers. But she's back. Unfortunately, she went east."
"She returned… maybe… others too?" Keenan asked.
"With the Restorers? We have a good shot at rescuing everyone lost. But we have to be careful. You know how high the stakes are."
Keenan nodded after hearing Tai speak.
"That reminds me, Tai," Crowmon spoke up next. "Where is Zero?"
"I left him with the others," Tai sighed. "Knowing him, he's probably relaxing and eating fish right about now."
[Itsuki and Rei.]
"I wish I was relaxing and eating fish right about now!" Zero screamed as he made sure to protect both Potamon and Burgermon from the 3 champions fighting.
Rei and Itsuki only watched in panic as their partners kept fighting. Bao Huckmon was still aggressive while Rei could feel an overwhelming rush of adrenaline coming from Alph, who was fighting by pure instinct. Isabella, panicked as she saw Quetzalmon weave in and out, with faster speed than anyone expected from the serpentine Digimon. Alph roared as he attempted to do a flame tackle once more. However, Isabel screamed as she reached for her thigh…making Rei and Itsuki see her open a card carrier and swipe a card.
"Digi Modify: Lovely Attack!"
A heart-shaped bubble appeared from Quetzalmon's eyes and hit the incoming Alph…who also had hearts in his eyes and stopped in awe.
"Nice one, Isa! Toltec Wind!" Taking advantage of his opponent, the snake-like champion unleashed a strong gust of wind at Alph, sending him flying up in the air.
"Oh no! Alph!" Rei's fear for her friend spiked, causing a reaction in her Digivice.
"Loogamon! Slide Digivolve too…! Lavorvomon!" With a sphere of energy, Alph's form transformed into a new creature: one with wings made of burning coal. In fact, his new form resembled a dino with wings of charcoal, glowing with lava as he used them to remain in the air, albeit with some effort.
"W-Wait! He can change forms!?" Isabella cried out before everyone's Digivice look to see the new Digimon: Lavorvomon, a Lava Digimon that usually moves sluggishly because of its body. However…
"Earth Stamp!" With deceptive speed, Alph dove down and slammed into Bao Huckmon. But this was done in a way that he could even hit a surprised Quetzalmon, hitting two Champions with one attack. Even as the two slammed into each other, Alph crawled with deceptive speed, his maw glowing with fire still.
"Great Flame!" Alph spat an impressive ball of lava at the two Champions.
However, Bao Huckmon recovered faster, picking up the downed Quetzalmon by his tail and throwing him head first into the attack. The two collided with an explosion.
"Quetzalmon! No!" Isabella screamed.
"Oh dang nab it! Snap out of it, Huckmon!" Itsuki yelled as he ran towards his partner.
Or at least, he tried to. A hand on his shoulder stopped him from doing it.
"Whoa there, kiddo. How about you let me handle this?"
Itsuki and Rei behind them. They were surprised to see… an old man? Wait… why did he look…see…through…?
"G-G-G-G-" "GHHHHOOOOOSSST!?" Despite Itsuki and Rei stammering, Isabella was the one that looked over and unleashed a horrible shriek that made everyone in the area close their ears, even the three champions fighting.
"Huh? What happened?" Bao Huckmon shook his head. "Why is my body hurting so much?"
"Ears in pain. Strong attack! Can't defy!" Alph, even though he was a volcano creature, still had strong senses that were vulnerable to loud noises.
"Yeesh Isa! Maybe you should be the one doing the fighting!" Quetzalmon whined as he shook his head.
"Well, not how I planned to handle that, but it seems like everyone has calmed down a bit now." The "ghost" in question was a bespectacled old man. However, he just smiled despite the fact his form seemed to glitch as if his form was barely receiving any signal. "How about we go back to fishing proper?"
Itsuki and Rei were shocked at the sudden turn of events, but now that everyone was no longer fighting, there was room for improvement.
"Uhhhh…" THUD!
"Oh come on, Isa! We really need to fix that glitch of yours!"
…As soon as Isabella woke back up.
Zero looked over at the old man, and his eyes widened. "Wait a second, Mr. Yushima!?"
The man confirmed to be one of the Digidestined sent westward only smiled, even though his situation did not match current information about his whereabouts. "Ah? Zero! Perfect. I was looking for Tai. Can you go get him for me? Don't know how long before this form fades."
[Later]
To say everyone was surprised to see a ghost old man teaching youngsters how to fish was an understatement, more so when both Keenan and Tai recognize the "ghost" in question.
"Keenan? Good to see you well, boy." Mr Yushima spoke, but his voice had traces of static behind him.
"Mr. Yushima! …Wh-What happened?" Keenan put a hand to try and touch the senior citizen. However, his hand phased through despite the ghost holding up a fishing rod.
"Well, it's a tricky business. But it involves what Taiki's mission was," Mr. Yushima's form flickered. He put down the fishing rod properly before standing up. "Come on then, I should let you meet my roommate. He's probably done finding the others by now."
"Roommate?" Tai and many were confused at the odd word, more so when Mr. Yushima's ghost walked towards a tree and a door appeared out of nowhere. The old man did not hesitate to open it and walk through it.
"S-Should we trust him?" Itsuki asked. But Keenan was already walking through the door.
"W-Wait, Mr. Keenan!" Isabella cried out, following after her chaperone as her partner, now an Impmon, followed the wild child with Falcomon.
"I…I trust him. He wanted to go fishing with us," Rei also had the same feeling of her grandfather coming from the old man. Rei always trusted her Grandfather. "Besides, if he wanted to harm us, he would have already."
"I was gonna vouch for him." Tai said before walking after the other two. "He looks out for everyone."
It wasn't long before everyone followed after Tai. But they didn't know what to expect when walking into the door.
Even though anything could happen, many were still shocked at what looked to be the inside of a computer? Flying circuit boards the size of dance floors filled the area. The group was also standing on top of one. Below them were more of those flying circuits and in each circuit was a door. Not a single door looked the same, and there were many of them as countless as the circuit boards flying around.
"Hey! There they are! Tai! Stefania! Mimi!"
A familiar but impossible voice made the South Team look over. "Ah!? Marc!? Yuma!?" Stefania cried out as the East and West teams were waving over at them, gathering around a now fully solid Mr. Homer Yushima, his partner Kamemon, and a cloaked stranger.
"Guys!?" Tai yelled before everyone started to get together. He also noticed some new faces. "How are you here!?"
"Mr Yushima found us." Yoshi spoke up. "Or rather, his new friend did."
"And here we were looking for you," Kari looked to the old man.
"You may still need to," The old man laughed calmly. "But I think to explain what's going on, you need to meet my friend here."
The old man motioned to the cloaked figure. Two hands slowly pulled off the hood, revealing… a cracked face helm.
"Hey wait." Tai's eyes widened as did Koji's and Kari's. "You're an Angel Digimon."
"That is correct. My name is Clavis Angemon." At the mention of his name, many Digivices lit up, revealing that the being before them was a Mega Digimon… if he didn't look so beat up.
"Hold on," Marc read the extra fluff. "You're some kind of guardian?"
Clavis Angemon sighed. "Former and disgraced as you can see. I was in charge of the Zenith Gate, a mysterious and powerful gateway that not only connected the Digital World to the Human World, but had the potential to reach even more worlds."
"A gateway to the human world," Yuma recalled what Tai and the others had once told them. "But that means Ragna Lordmon…"
"Indeed, as soon as I heard Ragna Lordmon destroying and sealing all gateways to the Human World, I knew he would eventually find and attempt to do the same to the Zenith Gate. …As you all can see, I stood no chance against him. However, as said before, the Zenith Gate is more than a portal to the worlds beyond. Even I do not know the full extent of its power, and I suspect even Ragna Lordmon could not fathom even with his stolen power of Anceint Wisemon. So, when he was sealing it, using my sword key, the Zenith Gate swallowed and absorbed me into itself before Ragna Lordmon could complete his seal on it. When I woke up, I found myself within this strange… area. I attempted to open these doors. When I did so, I found they opened to random places in the Digital World. However, I could not leave this place. Something, perhaps related to Ragna Lordmon's seal, is preventing me from leaving."
"That's," Mr. Yushima spoke next. "Where I come in. I was with Ryo and Sampson, searching some promising ruins of the former home of the Olympos 12, when I came across one of these doors that looked like they appeared out of nowhere. I was about to call the others, until one of the worst possible scenarios happened: we were found… by a Lord Knight no less."
"A Lord Knight!?" Tai and the older Generations were horrified to hear the name of that title. But the 7th Generation were extremely confused.
"I do not like the sound of that," Marc said.
"To make an extremely long story short," Kari spoke up. "Among all the old groups of Digimon that ruled the Digital World, two were considered the strongest: The Royal Knights and The Demon Lords. In the 5th Generation, in a desperate push to finally defeat Ragna Lordmon, we made an alliance between the two and us, the Digidestined. If all of us attacked Ragna Lordmon, there was no way he would survive us…"
"It failed," Yuma didn't have much tact, but he wasn't usually one to beat around the bush. "That much is obvious."
"It failed," Koji spoke up. "Because Ragna Lordmon had recruited 4 Digimon, all of them rivaling Susanoomon's God Status in the Digital World. 2 of them fought the Royal Knights and won. The other 2 defeated the Demon Lords, and those guys were no slouches. When those four defeated the two strongest groups of the Digital World, Ragna Lordmon gave them a new name.."
"The Lord Knights." Yoshi repeated. "By right of victory, Ranga Lordmon took the names of the two groups and gave it to his Elite Guard."
"W-Who," Rei gulped as she heard Ragna Lordmon's already daunting power over the Digital World tighten even further. "Who are they?"
"The first one is called Chronomon DM. Revered as the "strongest" Digimon in existence, and considered a dark god of destruction. If not for Ragna Lordmon's immortality, maybe it would be Chronomon DM calling the shots." Koji said.
The idea that someone overpowered Ragna Lordmon himself frightened every newcomer in the room. The Tyrant was already considered the pinnacle of Digimon Strength, and there was someone stronger working for him!?
"The next one is kin to Ragna Lordmon," Kari said, making everyone surprised to hear Ragna Lordmon had family. "His name is Armamon. He is also a Legendary Weapon Digimon. He wields and uses a Galactic Blade with almost the same skill as Ragna Lordmon. But unlike the tyrant, he's far more destructive."
Everyone who freed Ancient Troiamon remembered how the Tyrant casually defeated a Mega Digimon who represented one of the planet's very elements. To think there was someone out there with an equal amount of power, but less restrained with it? They could not help but feel a cold shiver down to their toes.
"The 3rd one, and we don't know much about him, is Chaosmon," Tai folded his arms. "I fought this guy. But everything about him felt wrong. It's like he wasn't obeying even the Digital World's rules."
"And last, but in no way least," Yoshi sighed and rubbed her head. "Is Snatchmon. Don't let it fool you if you ever meet him: he's a champion-level Digimon. But under no circumstances will you underestimate him. He's an artificial Digimon designed to be the strongest and he is equipped with Anti-Digimon attacks that can rip apart Megas as if they were cardboard."
The idea of a Champion Level Digimon being considered as Ragna Lordmon's elite was absurd, until Yoshi described why he was so fearsome. However, everyone noticed the tired look on her face when thinking about Snatchmon, as if there was something personal about their connection.
Mr. Yushima sighed. "We were found by Chaosmon. Fighting broke out quickly, and the area I was in was unstable. The only way out was through the mysterious door. Kamemon and I ran in, but the door shattered after we did so. I don't know how Ryo and Sampson are doing."
"... I hope that doesn't mean it may be too late to save them." Marc looked to Kari.
"I believe in those two. They're tougher than they look even without their partners anymore. We still need to find them." Kari genuinely believed in those words despite their obvious odds.
"And if you can, help me too please?" Mr. Yushima pointed to himself. "See, with that door breaking, I got trapped here. Apparently, you can only leave through the door you entered. So even though you're all together now, none of you can go through the door the others went in to. I met and learned this from Clavis over here."
Clavis Angemon bowed his head. "Mr. Yushima, after we met, helped me learn that his place is a…fragment of the Zenith Gate. It's own failsafe against being fully sealed as it connects to the doorways of the Digital World. I am still its key, but unlike before, I have no idea how this new power works. I and Mr. Yushima cannot leave as of now, but I have learned to "Project" him in certain areas and allow him to interact with objects for a period of time."
"So that's why you looked like a ghost!" Itsuki said as he thought back to what people had been saying about him.
"I was looking for other Digivice Signals. Specifically 5th Generation. I was hoping to find and tell whoever I could about this. Lucky me, I found Yoshi first, who made it easier to find and track Kari and you, Tai." Mr. Yushima said.
"Huh," Tai looked around. "Then, can you find Henry and Arshan?"
The battered angel let out a small smile before he looked ahead. "I've traced Henry Wong's signal. I am opening the closest door to him."
"I can't wait to see Arshan again!" Stefania said as both Marcus and Yuma had to admit, it would be good to see the skittish teen once again. The other Restorers wanted to meet the famed one in their generation that reached Mega already.
Clavis Angemon pointed to a red door that started to glow for a second before…
Bang!
Everyone watched Henry run through the doors, huffing for air and looking desperately while Terriermon was on top of his head and looking around.
"Arshan!? Arshan!?" Henry yelled.
"Whoa! Whoa!" Tai walked up to Henry, making him and Terriermon look on with surprise to see everyone despite being in different areas of the Digital World. Tai explained with the help of Mr. Yushima and Clavis Angemon, but then, he, and everyone, noticed something.
Or rather, a lack of a certain pair.
"Henry?" Kari asked. "Why were you screaming Arshan's name? Where is he and Coro?"
The usually calm teen sighed deeply. Before he could say anything, Terriermon blurted it out.
"We lost them both."
…
"YOU WHAT!? WHERE ARE THEY!?"
[Arshan and Coro.]
Arshan wondered how his life came to this moment. Or rather, he would if he could hear his own thoughts over the ominous chanting that surrounded him.
Arshan exhaled. "I can't believe we joined a cult."
[Author Notes.]
Finally! We get to see my boy, Arshan again after so long! (Am I biased? Yes. And he technically appeared a few times and had mentions, but still.)
I know I usually show off previews of the new characters, but I am saving the last ones for one grand (mis)adventure involving my boys! To make up for them not appearing right now.
Also, this may have more mistakes than usual. I'll fix it later.
Anyway, thank you all so much for reading and supporting this fic! I am having a lot of fun doing this story and trying my best with it! Please support it with a review and I can't wait to finally show off what Arshan's been doing!
Oh, right! Since Arshan is going to be in one grand misadventure, it technically is the end of the Cardinal Arc, with everyone else meeting up in the Zenith Zone and having a new "hangout" and safe zone. (Also an excuse for characters to finally interact with each other despite their distance.)
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for reading!