The air feels heavier as I sprint through the narrow streets of Akihabara, my breaths ragged.
Labramon darted off after sensing a Virus Digimon, and keeping up with him has taken everything I've got.
I really shouldn't have skipped my workouts...
Labramon's purple, curly tail disappears into a nearby alley. I follow, only to feel the world shift.
The bustling crowd vanishes, replaced by an eerie silence. Despite it being daytime, it's as if the sun's rays have been banished from this alleyway.
My instincts scream at me to turn back, but I take a hesitant step forward.
"Retriever Bark!"
Labramon's voice echoes, the inaudible sonic waves rippling like water as the space ahead distorts.
The sky above turns a dreamy pink, and a dense fog envelops the world.
"...What just happened?" I whisper, tightening my grip on my empty backpack.
But I don't have the luxury to wait—I must follow Labramon's fading silhouette.
"Huff... huff... Labramon, wait up!"
Each step feels heavier as I push through the chilling fog scraping against my skin.
The fog thins slightly, and my stomach drops at the sight before me.
"Blanc! Ina!"
"Miss Lily...!"
Ina stands trembling, clutching a toy wand in her shaking hands. Her twin tails quiver with every breath.
Blanc lies on her back, her pink klobuk dulled to black. Tendrils, like veins, spread across her body, and her silver eyes—normally full of curiosity—are shut tight, as if trapped in a nightmare. The face on her klobuk is twisted in agony.
"Miss Lily..." Ina sobs as I rush to her side. "I tried to protect Blanc, but..."
My heart tightens as I rest my hand on her small back, feeling the faint warmth of her body.
"Ina, you did great," I murmur, placing my palm gently on her head.
"But Blanc... that virus..." Her voice cracks, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Well, isn't this a touching scene?"
A cold voice cuts through Ina's words. My eyes snap toward the source.
A man cloaked in a midnight tuxedo strides forward, his cape flowing like liquid shadow. Black goggles gleam ominously over his eyes.
Beside him, a jet-black dragon stands motionless, its eyes empty like a lifeless statue.
"Guilmon, bearer of the hazard symbol—a destructive existence," Labramon growls, his gaze fixed on the trefoil marking on Guilmon's chest, which resembles a radioactive sign. "No wonder the darkness could be felt from so far away."
I freeze.
A Guilmon? In the real world?
"Miss Lily..." Ina's voice trembles as she points a shaking hand. "That guy... he's Mask—a Code-Cracker!"
"A Code-Cracker?!"
Before I can process her words, Labramon growls, his fur bristling. "You're one of those—who used us as expendable pawns three years ago!"
Used you? Wait... this person is one of the reasons Labramon hates humans?
A torrent of thoughts whirls through my mind—the encounter at the Deep Web, when Labramon tried to kill me as Dobermon.
"Three years ago?" Mask rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Ah, you must be one of those tools from the Wall Slum."
"So you do remember." Labramon's growl deepens, fury dripping from every word. "Are you ready to face the consequences, Sons of Chaos?!"
"Sons of Chaos? A relic of the past," Mask replies with a chuckle. "Fang's resolve was weak. Freedom of the Network demands sacrifices."
He tips his top hat, bowing as though introducing himself like a magician.
"The Nightmare Soldiers of Chaos will finish what SoC couldn't—reset this broken system to zero!"
Labramon bares his fangs, his gaze flickering to Blanc's darkened form. "So... this kid's condition is your doing too?"
"That?" Mask shrugs dismissively. "Just a convenient method to capture a new tool."
"A tool, huh?" Labramon snarls, stepping closer to Ina. "You there, human, put her down!"
"Huh? This dog... is talking?"
Ina stares at Labramon, her tears momentarily forgotten.
Oh, right—she wouldn't know.
"Are you sure?" I ask cautiously, lifting Blanc from Ina's back.
"Sure?" Labramon places a paw on Blanc's tiny hand. "This is a Vaccine Digimon's specialty."
Glowing emerald particles flow from his paw, forming shapes of '0s' and '1s.'
"Cure Liqueur!"
The binary particles seep into Blanc's frail body, enveloping her in a warm, green aura. The black streaks stop spreading before dissolving into streams of light, color returning to her pink klobuk.
Her pained expression fades, replaced by peace. Her eyelids flutter.
"Blanc..." A relieved whisper escapes me. "Labramon... thank you."
"I didn't do it for you," Labramon mutters, stepping away. "It was for a fellow Digimon tainted by a Code-Cracker."
"Still, thank you," I reply, brushing my thumb over Blanc's pale forehead.
"Blanc... Miss Lily, Blanc is fine!"
Ina's legs finally give out, and she collapses next to Blanc, clutching her hand tightly.
"Not only did you erase the virus, but you also optimized the data." Mask claps slowly, his tone nonchalant. "You must be what they call a Virus Buster."
"This kid is safe," Labramon growls, his sharp purple gaze locking onto Mask. "Now you'll pay for using us—with your life!"
Life? Does Labramon want to kill him?
I brush Blanc's cheek, the image of her corrupted state still vivid in my mind—how close I came to losing her.
Labramon's rage... I don't know what he faced all those years ago. Can I really stop him if he decides to pass judgment?
"Oh? You really think you can defeat my Guilmon?"
As I wrestle with my thoughts, Mask chuckles and adjusts his goggles.
"Guilmon's down." Labramon's claws scrape against the ground. "My Retriever Bark hit its internal data. It can't move."
"Grrr...!"
The growl cuts through the haze like the rumble of an ancient beast awakening.
Guilmon's body jerks unnaturally, yellow flames igniting in its once-empty eyes.
"GRAWRRR!"
The dark dragon roars, shaking the very ground beneath us. Mask's laughter echoes, sharp and unsettling, amidst the chaos.
"A hyper oscillation wave—an ordinary Guilmon would've fallen." A mocking smirk spreads across his face. "But not this one."
"What!" Labramon's growl falters. "That color!"
Color? Now that he mentions it...
This jet-black Guilmon is nothing like the red Level 3 Digimon from the game.
But I've seen it before—it's the same color from the new update. The quest that started all of this mess.
"...Blackening Infection?"
"A secretion—Black Digitron!" Labramon snarls, his tone grim. "That cursed substance claimed Guilmon's mind in exchange for power! You're insane!"
"Mind?" Mask sneers, waving his smartphone lazily before pointing it at Guilmon. "A tool needs no such thing. All it needs is to fulfill its purpose."
"Fire Grenade!"
Guilmon opens its maw, unleashing black-and-purple fireballs like a machine gun.
"Gah... Its power is on a whole different level!" Labramon takes a defensive stance as the dark flames descend like firecrackers.
"Protect Wave!"
Just as the flames are about to engulf us, a radiant barrier erupts from the ground, blocking the scorching inferno like a luminous waterfall.
Wait—that barrier!
I turn, and there she is—Ina supporting her shoulders, Cross Barbée planted firmly in the ground. Her silver eyes gleam like crystals, and I call out instinctively.
"Blanc!"
"Blanc knew big sis would come..." Her gentle voice is steady, her grip tightening on her weapon. "Now, Blanc can protect everyone she holds dear!"
"So what if you've recovered?" Mask sneers, the flames pressing harder against the barrier, their glow reflecting off his goggles. "Guilmon already defeated you once. It makes no difference."
"This time, it's different!"
The pitch-black darkness clings to the barrier like a living thing, slowly melting it away. Yet Blanc's lips curl into an unwavering smile.
"This time, big sis is here!"
"Her?" Mask's gaze flicks to me. "I see now."
His voice grows sharp. "Lady, you seem very familiar with these Digimon. You're a Hacker from AE Corp, aren't you?"
AE Corp... the parent company of Abadin Games, the creators of Digimon Daydream.
Does he think I work for them?
"Eh, Miss Lily is a Hacker? Like an undercover agent?" Ina's sapphire eyes sparkle as she looks up at me.
"I'm not! This is all a big misunderstanding!" I wave my hands defensively, trying to clear things up.
"A single Hacker sent to stop NSoC?" Mask frowns, tilting his top hat. "Either you're bait, or 'Judge' is a fool."
You're wrong—I'm just a corporate slave you'll find anywhere!
"Whatever," Mask snaps his fingers. "None of that matters against Guilmon."
"Blanc won't lose." Leaving Ina's support, Blanc takes a determined step forward. "Not as long as big sis is with Blanc!"
Her small form shields me from the encroaching darkness. My mind drifts back to yesterday—she was the same then, facing Dobermon with her back to me.
["Blanc won't let big sis be alone either!"]
["Yeah, because we're partners—a family."]
I called myself her big sister, her family. We faced the odds together yesterday... so what am I doing now?
I clench my fists and reach out, placing my palms on her small back.
"Big sis..?"
For so long, I thought I was just a powerless cog in the corporate machine. But here—now—I can't fail her.
There's only one answer.
"Mask, I'm not a Hacker or a Code-Cracker!"
"Oh? Then what are you?" Mask's goggled eyes pierce through me.
I gather my courage and meet his gaze.
"I'm a Tamer—and her big sister!"
"Playing house with a tool?!" Mask twirls his top hat mockingly. "Then let's see how long you can survive, Tamer~!"
The heat from the flames licks my skin, explosions echoing in the fog.
I fumble into my pocket and pull out my AE-brand smartphone. A faint warmth radiates from it in the cold.
Right—this is the real world. There's no Digimon Dock. No MindLink.
"Useless!" Mask's voice is as cold as the haze. "What can a human do in a Digimon battle?"
Yeah, I know I'm weak—unlike these monsters. But that doesn't mean I'll give up.
Blanc's pink klobuk flutters as I tighten my grip on her shoulders.
"Blanc, we are—"
"Together!"
[Ring ring ring!]
A sudden vibration jolts from my pocket. The playful ringtone cuts through the chaos.
I scramble for my phone just as a blinding light explodes, forcing my eyes shut. When I open them, I stare in awe.
The sleek black case has turned pristine white. Intricate blue patterns are etched into it, and at the center—a glowing azure 'X.'
This is... just like that time!
My Digimon Dock in the game wasn't always the same. Digital Monster Ver. 3—I'd seen the ads countless times. When I first summoned Blanc, it transformed into its current form.
This 'X'... is it tied to the X-Digimon Labramon mentioned?
I turn the phone on. A new app has appeared on the screen.
[Digimon ReArise]
[Open?]
[Yes] [No]
The barrier flickers and dims, shattering like glass.
There's no time to hesitate.
As soon as I press "Yes," a familiar interface lights up.
This—I know this too well... Can I really use it here?
"Crack!"
Guilmon's claws tear through the barrier. Blanc braces for the blow.
Simultaneously, my fingers swipe through the app. Guilmon's sharp claws bounce harmlessly off Blanc's frame.
"Impossible!" Mask stumbles, his smug composure cracking. "What is that power?"
"This power came from big sis."
Blanc points Cross Barbée at Guilmon, her body shimmering with a translucent aura like an impenetrable wall.
[Defense Plugin S]
A high-tier booster item. This app lets me access everything from my in-game menu.
That means... buffs are allowed.
"Get ready, Blanc." I grip the smartphone—Digivice X—tight in my hand. A confident grin spreads across my face.
"Time to win a PvP!"
AN:
The Digivice X's design is inspired by the smartphone Digivice from Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna.
On another note, Digimon ReArise will truly be missed. (T‿T")