"Win? Don't make me laugh!"

Mask stands unfazed, his midnight cape swishing.

"Rock Crusher!"

Black-purple flames trail Guilmon's claws as they slash through the pink fog.

I clutch the Digivice X. "Blanc! Time for a counterattack!"

"As we always have, big sis!"

Blanc spins Cross Barbée, shimmering crosses glinting in her silver eyes.

"Divine Pierce!"

She cries out, lunging forward. Her trident a comet of brilliance, meeting Guilmon's slash head-on. The collision erupts in a burst of light and shadow, the force rattling the windows of nearby buildings.

My thumb brushes across the Digivice X, its warm glow calming my racing heart.

[Special Move Disc—Activate]

The trident blazes crimson, cleaving through the darkness and striking Guilmon with explosive force. The dragon crashes into a nearby building, cracks spiderwebbing across the wall as it slumps for the first time.

"Impossible!" Mask shouts in disbelief. "Guilmon—overpowered by a mere child?"

Surprised? It's the ATK boost from the Special Move Disc—stronger than a critical hit.

"Wow!" Ina exclaims, clutching her toy wand. "Blanc became so strong now that Miss Lily is here!"

Well, that's the power of Daydream's booster items.

...But despite the buff, their prices are just as high...

"A fluke! This isn't enough to defeat Guilmon!" Mask declares, his words dripping with arrogance.

"Fire Grenade!"

The jet-black dragon unleashes a volley of flaming projectiles. The fireballs rain down, their searing heat licking against my face.

In the past, I'd have stood frozen. But now... Blanc and I are together. And I won't give up.

"Let's do this, Blanc!"

I swipe with practiced precision, though my fingers tremble slightly.

"Got it, big sis!"

Blanc's form blurs, disappearing into the haze. The flames of darkness detonate harmlessly against the empty ground.

"It vanished?" Mask adjusts his tilted top hat, his voice crackling. "Teleportation?"

My eyes shift to the Digivice X screen.

[Highspeed Plugin S]

Not teleportation—just a temporary speed boost, making Blanc faster than the eye can follow.

A flash—and the hellfire vanishes. Blanc's rapid strikes leave Guilmon scrambling for balance.

"This... can't be..." Mask falters as Guilmon sinks to its knees.

"Yay! Go, Blanc!" Ina cheers beside me like a fan at a concert, her tears forgotten.

My fist tightens over my heart. I'm not powerless this time—even in this world, I can fight alongside her.

"I get it now..." Mask mutters, fury dripping from his words. "A bug..."

He clicks a button on his goggles.

"A Tamer like you is just a bug in the system."

A holographic keyboard projects from his smartphone.

"This bug could ruin NSoC's plans—time to delete it."

His fingers brush over the keyboard, lines of code reflecting on his lenses.

[Command Activated: Stealth Hide]

The Digital Fog starts to swirl around the fallen Guilmon. Its body turns transparent before fading into the fog.

"It's gone—a speed buff?" I gasp. "Blanc, can you track it?"

A loud thud echoes as Blanc narrowly blocks a blow emerging from the fog.

"Big sis, Guilmon's here!"

But I couldn't see anything.

I glance at Labramon, hoping for a clue.

"I can't sense it either," Labramon growls, his ears twitching. "Even the darkness is concealed."

"Blanc, watch out!"

Ina shouts as Blanc parries another unseen slash.

'Defense Plugin S' is still active—she shouldn't be in immediate danger. But we can't attack either.

"Guilmon's data synced with the fog—it's undetectable." Mask smirks. "Now, finish off this so-called Tamer!"

My heart trembles as a ghostly presence creeps closer, a chilling sensation washing over me.

Invisible in every sense—how are we supposed to fight it?

"Invisible or not," Labramon leaps into the air, "you won't escape my sound waves—Retriever Bark!"

The vibrations ripple through the fog, and Guilmon's form flickers for a moment.

"You think you can hurt big sis?!"

Blanc charges, swinging Cross Barbée from above.

"GRRR!"

Guilmon roars, trapping the trident in its claws. Sparks fly as Blanc struggles to break free.

"No—Cross Barbée!"

She can't use special moves without it. This is the worst-case scenario.

"Blanc won't let you!" With a resolute scream, she presses on.

[Warning!]

[Extracting DigiCore Information]

[Initiator: X-Data]

[Overwrite Completed]

The golden weapon slips from her grip as she playfully dives in.

"That move—" How can she use it without Awakening?

"Tokotoko Dive!"

Her full-body tackle hurls Guilmon into the sky with a deafening boom. It crashes down, the road shattering from the impact.

Blanc lifts Cross Barbée, taking a protective stance. "Big sis... Guilmon seems sad..."

Sad? Speaking of which, Labramon recognized it as Black Digitron.

He's the one who cured Blanc—if this blackening is also a virus, shouldn't his ability work on Guilmon too?

I quickly exchange a glance with the puppy.

"Ugh, fine," Labramon snarls. "I can give it a try, but Guilmon has to be restrained first."

I nod. "You heard him, Blanc." My fingers move to the Digivice X. "Let's save Guilmon!"

"Saving this tool? Don't get ahead of yourself." Mask throws his top hat in rage. "Get up, Guilmon! Bring them despair!"

Guilmon rises from the debris.

"Virus Breath!"

Pitch-black smoke pours from its gaping maw, rushing toward Blanc like a tidal wave.

"Miss Lily, it's that attack—the one that corrupted Blanc!"

Ina tenses beside me, but I assure her with a smile.

"It's okay. Blanc will be fine."

Yeah, we won't lose—we have this.

The smoke surrounds Blanc from every direction, threatening to pull her into the abyss.

I press the Digivice X, and a surge of light explodes from her body. Six wings unfurl from her back, their ethereal feathers glimmering with starlight as she soars into the foggy skies.

"What—" Mask stumbles, his goggles slipping askew. "You can fly?!"

[Digimodify - White Wings]

A special item granting temporary flight and boosting [DP] by 1000.

All those sleepless nights grinding in Angemon's questline were worth it.

"Big sis..." Blanc holds the trident high. "Blanc will clear a path for the dummy mutt."

Labramon's claws dig into the ground. "Stop calling me that, kid."

Blanc hovers over the smoke, her radiant wings stretching wide.

"Blanc... She became an angel..." Ina's awed whisper reaches my ears.

A binary-laced magic circle forms before Blanc. The crosses stitched in her eyes gleam, morphing into dazzling 'X' shapes.

"Holy Light!"

A ray of purification descends from the heavens.

The dark smoke recoils, retreating into the void as if unable to bear the radiance.

The azure X on the Digivice X radiates a soothing glow in my palm.

This light—it's coming from Blanc's heart.

Guilmon cries out in pain, shielding its eyes with its claws, and Labramon bolts toward it.

"A corrupt heart that can't withstand the light—be cleansed by this vaccine program! Cure Liquor!"

The blackened scales dissolve, replaced by familiar red. A warm emerald glow envelops Guilmon as its growls soften into a whimper. Its once-feral eyes blink innocently.

"What have you done to my Guilmon?!" Mask falters, his confidence crumbling to dust. "Guilmon, attack them!"

Guilmon tilts its head in confusion, sitting down.

"Who are you?" It asks playfully.

"Heh, the fact Guilmon doesn't recognize you proves it was never yours." Labramon flashes a triumphant grin.

Aren't you being a little too smug, Labramon?

I glance at the purified Guilmon, now looking around like a curious child.

"Guilmon, it's okay now." Blanc lands before it, beaming a bright smile.

Seeing Guilmon like this, it's hard to imagine the earlier ferocity.

"Guess it's over," I murmur, sighing softly.

"No... This was my moment!" Mask's voice cracks, desperation seeping into his words. "Digimon are just tools—nothing more!"

His hands tremble as he clings to his smartphone.

"I still have Black Digitron! I can use it to evolve Guilmon!"

"Are you crazy?" Labramon stiffens, his eyes wide. "Messing with Guilmon's data using that substance could revive the greatest calamity of all—a Digital Hazard!"

"I'll accept any calamity for NSoC's revolution. Guilmon—evolve!"

Mask pulls off his goggles, his eyes shining with madness.

My heart pounds.

Just the blackened Guilmon was this strong—we aren't ready for its evolution.

"Stop that!" Labramon dashes toward Mask. "Retriever—"

"CLANG!"

"Aaaa!"

As Mask is about to press the command, a giant mechanical claw emerges from the fog, lifting him like a child's toy.

"What?!" Labramon falters.

The air grows heavier as a massive shadow looms over the alley. A serpent-like dragon descends in eerie silence, its orange body glinting like rusted metal in the pink haze. Twin horns jut from its metallic helmet, casting jagged shadows. Its blue hair flutters through the gaps.

The oppressive gaze of its glowing yellow eyes sweeps over the alley, pinning me in place.

"The wickedest Cyborg Dragon..." Labramon quavers—a rare tremor in his voice. "What's it doing here?"

The dragon's tattered wings flap slowly, tearing through the lingering fog.

"Big sis!"

Blanc flies toward me as I shield my eyes from the gust.

"Is this..." Ina's grip tightens on my sleeve, her voice shaking. "An evil final boss?"

Yeah, 'evil' is the only word to describe this existence.

The Digivice X beeps, opening a new window.

I don't need it to tell me—this thing is bad news.

[Name: Megadramon]

[Level: 5]

[Attribute: Virus]

"No—it's you! Song Smith's watchdog!" Mask shudders in its grasp, his face pale.

"Will you take me home?" Guilmon asks innocently, seemingly oblivious to the terrifying presence.

Megadramon's yellow eyes soften as it carefully places Guilmon on its shoulder, ignoring Mask's frantic squirms.

It parts its jaws.

"DG Dimension!"

Its mechanical roar shakes the pink world. The air vibrates with a force that makes my chest feel hollow.

The foggy realm flickers before fading into nothingness, like a blank canvas.

And then—they're gone.

"What... was that?"

I stand under the bright blue sky, muttering in a daze. The sunlight feels warm, snapping me back to reality.

"That move just destroyed the pseudo-virtual space," Labramon says, lying on the ground with a sigh of relief. "We're lucky it wasn't after us."

The alley is empty now, with no trace of the strange fog. The faint honking of vehicles echoes in the distance.

I catch my breath—we're really back.

"Big sis, are you okay?"

"Of course, I'm your big sis, after all."

I smile, rubbing Blanc's head.

But that Megadramon—none of them could sense its arrival.

If it had decided to attack, could we even have survived?

Code-Crackers, Digivice X... If this encounter taught me anything, it's that we need answers.

"Blanc, Labramon, let's head to Abadin Games."

I turn to leave the alley, but a sudden tug halts me.

I look back to find Ina grabbing my hand. Tear marks are still fresh under her eyes as she flashes a determined smile.

"Miss Lily... I think I deserve an explanation, don't I?"

Crap—the cat's out of the bag, or should I say dog?

"Um... It's a long story."

After giving Ina a quick rundown, I lean back on a public bench.

Akihabara is still bustling, yet none of the crowd seems aware of the supernatural events that unfolded today.

Ina sits beside me, lost in thought, her golden hair cascading over the bench.

"So... Miss Lily was pulled into an MMORPG, and now all of it is real? This is..."

She brushes her fingers across the smooth surface of her plastic wand, her gaze distant.

Well, that's a normal reaction.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but you see—"

"Just like a Reverse Isekai!"

"Huh?" I blink. "Aren't you scared?"

"You bet I was! I thought I was done for before Labramon came to the rescue!" She crosses her arms, nodding thoughtfully. "But now—I'm hyped up!"

I stare in confusion as she takes Blanc's hand, her eyes practically sparkling with excitement.

"Blanc, since you're a Digimon, you must have so many amazing abilities, right?"

"Big sis is also amazing," Blanc says, nodding. "Together with big sis, Blanc can do anything."

"Mhm, Miss Lily was really cool today!"

"Ah... hahaha."

I let out an awkward chuckle.

"So, you're going to visit the devs?" Ina hops off the bench. "Count me in!"

"Wait! Don't you have to attend the Collab?"

"The Collab can wait." She twirls her toy wand, flashing a wink. "Solving the heart of this mystery—there's no way I'm gonna miss it."

I freeze as the Digivice X warms in my hand, its glow steady like a heartbeat.

Guess my peaceful life is far gone, huh?

AN:

With Megadramon in play and Ina joining the team, next time we're finally heading to Abadin Games.

Thank you for the review of Chapter 11! To answer your questions: yes, I've read Crossroad Witch, and it's great to see Yulin from a different perspective than what was shown in the novel—although Ryudamon skipping Level 4 was a surprise. As for ReArise, despite being a gacha game, it helped me appreciate many Digimon in a new light, especially through its Spotlight Digimon Quests.