"Why do I have to call you senpai?"

I protest, surprised by Jellymon's sudden declaration.

"It's because you're so careless, charging in without a plan. Someone has to keep an eye on you~!"

She announces as if stating a fact, poking my cheek with her twin-tail-like tentacles.

"I did have a plan!" I insist, refusing to back down.

Jellymon leans in, scrutinizing me with narrowed eyes before pulling back.

"Oh? Then what was your great plan, little protagonist~?"

"Stop calling me little! You're even shorter than me!"

Her translucent gray eyes shimmer as she glares at me, an indignant pout forming.

"You're lucky… really lucky that I'm stuck in this lower form," she grumbles.

"Lower form?"

"...Aah! Maybe coming out was a mistake after all!"

She sighs dramatically, resting a hand on her squishy jellyfish-like hat.

With her small figure and exaggerated sulking, she looks even cuter.

"Pfft..."

"What're you laughing at?!"

"Nothing, nothing~!"

I beam an innocent smile at the pouting Jellymon, but a familiar voice interrupts us.

"Ina, why did you suddenly run off?!"

I turn to see Miss Lily walking toward me, her expression shifting between relief and annoyance.

Uh oh.

"So...?" Her golden eyes narrow.

"Um, you know how these Digimon are trapped in cages. How can I ever ignore them?"

Miss Lily steps forward and I shiver.

"I understand," she sighs, placing a hand on my head and ruffling my hair lightly. "But don't run off alone next time. It's dangerous, you know?"

"Hehe~"

"You don't seem sorry at all..."

I giggle as Miss Lily grumpily looks at me.

She's taller than me in real life, but here in Evelia, we look the same age. She feels more like a caring friend now.

"So, is this Jellymon?" Miss Lily's gaze shifts to the pink humanoid figure floating beside me.

"Yep! Check this out!"

I enthusiastically display the stats from my Vital Bracelet BE.

[Name: Jellymon]
[DP: 3000]
[Level: 3]
[Form: Combat Mode]
[Attribute: Data]

"A Mode Change? Did her [DP] soar up by 2000?" Miss Lily asks, surprised.

"Mhm~!" I nod. "Speaking of which, what about your fight?"

"About that..."

Miss Lily scratches her head awkwardly. Following her gaze, I see Labramon approaching us, and behind him, a mechanical figure trudges forward.

"Wait, Guardromon?!"

I tense up, fingers instinctively moving toward my Vital Bracelet.

"Wait up!"

A shooting star descends from the sky. Blanc's six angelic wings flutter as she hovers, their white feathers glowing against the dark junkyard.

"Guardromon is good now!" she announces cheerfully.

"Good? Did it change sides?" I ask, confused.

"Well... That guy infected Guardromon with a virus, and Labramon cured it." Miss Lily explains.

"Just like with Guilmon? Labramon's amazing!"

"Seems you aren't that bad, human," Labramon replies, his tail twitching proudly.

Guardromon halts in front of us, its massive frame bowing deeply.

"Apology! Being controlled doesn't excuse my actions. I've failed as a Net Interceptor!"

Wow… too formal.

"You've already said that. It wasn't your fault," Miss Lily says. "But you were really tough. Even a boosted Divine Pierce barely fazed you."

I glance up at the towering mechanical soldier. Bulky ones like it tend to be tanks. It reminds me of an egg-shaped pink monster from a certain video game.

"So, can we free these Digimon now?"

I point towards the cages, but a chilling voice shifts our attention.

"That'll be troubling. It'll tarnish my reputation as Code-Cracker Gan."

The Code-Cracker emerges lazily from the shadows, hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Blackened Digimon sell for a fortune these days. NSoC already promised a hefty sum for this batch of products."

"They aren't products! These Digimon are alive!" Miss Lily protests, clutching her Digimon Dock.

"Say whatever you want," he shrugs. "But business is business."

The weak whimpers of the trapped Digimon echo in my mind.
This is...just business to him?

"You're not a businessman!" I shout. "You're just a villain who doesn't understand their pain!"

"So you'll get in my way?" Gan replies calmly. "Then I'll silence you all right here."

"You're bluffing!" Labramon growls, baring his fangs. "Guardromon is free. You're already out of options!"

"Report! There is still one..."

Guardromon interrupts, its mechanical voice sharpening.

As if to prove those words, heavy footsteps echo through the junkyard.
The ground trembles with each step of the dull-gray mechanoid. Wires rustle from its exposed right leg, a haunting reminder of its organic past. Its skull helmet gleams menacingly in the darkness, and its emotionless eyes flicker mechanically as they lock on us.

"The great inventor who managed the Nu Metal Empire..." Guardromon's gaze hardens. "Master Andromon is now a puppet under that Code-Cracker!"

[Name: Andromon]
[Level: 5]
[Attribute: Vaccine]

"You really need to stop jumping to conclusions," I complain, turning to Labramon.

"How was I supposed to know there'd be a high-level Digimon here?" the puppy snaps.

"Duh, villains always have a secret weapon!"

My gaze darts to Miss Lily, whose expression tightens. Sweat beads on her pale forehead.

"Andromon... same level as Megadramon," she murmurs.

"Really?" I exclaim. "This guy is much smaller than that scary dragon."

"Don't underestimate Andromon," Labramon barks, his curly tail stiffening. "He's a Digimon who reached absolute perfection!"

"Big sis, what should Blanc do?" Blanc asks, her grip tightening on her Cross Barbée.

"A Level 5..." Miss Lily's golden eyes sweep over the group. "But with everyone here... Blanc, we'll surely find a way!"

Blanc nods, her six wings unfurling, but before she can move, Jellymon hovers forward.

"That's useless," she says flatly. "Even with your combined strength, you don't have a chance against Andromon."

"How would you know without trying?" I protest.

"Even if that gets you killed?"

Her bluntness stings. But a metallic clank draws attention as Guardromon steps forward, facing Gan.

"Master Andromon disliked fighting... always immersed in his research—to bring joy to Digimon. Forcing him to attack innocents is... Unacceptable!"

"Joy? Machines only exist for human convenience. It should be thankful that I'm giving it a purpose."

"That's wrong!" I shout. "Can't you see? These Digimon have feelings too!"

Gan clicks his tongue. "Girl, if you're feeling so sympathetic with this tool, then be crushed by its hands!"

His fingers swipe across his holographic keyboard.

The cyborg raises his right arm, transforming it into a whirling drill glowing with an ominous blue light.

"A special move?!" Labramon cries out.

"Spiral Sword!"

In a blur, the deadly drill hurls a terrifying blade of energy toward me.

"Ina!" Blanc flies toward me, but she's too far away. She won't make it in time.

My heart clenches as the energy blade approaches with chilling precision, but before it can reach me, a giant figure steps between us.

"Guardromon?!"

The mechanical soldier stands firm, blocking the impending doom with its bulky arms.

"Force exceeding maximum parameters! Utilizing full power!"

Screeching metal fills the air as the blade tears through Guardromon's frame. Its ironclad armor shatters with a deafening crunch.

"No! Guardromon!"

I cry out as the worn robot crashes to the ground, sparks flying.

I rush to its side, kneeling beside its fallen form.

"Guardromon... why?"

Its mechanical voice crackles like a broken radio, barely audible.

"I was a guardian of the firewall... protecting is my duty..."

"But what about you? You're..."

"I have fulfilled my duty... But Master Andromon..." Guardromon's green eyes dim like dying stars. "Please… save… my… kind... creator..."

I freeze as the light in Guardromon's eyes fades completely.

"Ina... Guardromon is..."

Miss Lily's trembling voice reaches me, but I don't look up.

"It's a game, right?" I whisper. "Then...why is Guardromon still here? Why isn't he respawning?!"

Miss Lily hesitates, her hand shaking.

"Leon told us... enemies are copies made from Hudiemon's records. But Guardromon was an NPC—a real Digimon."

"You mean..." My breath catches, struggling to process her words.

"Lily said it too," Labramon mutters, his ears drooping. "We're living beings, just like you."

Blanc whispers quietly, a tremor in her usual cheerfulness. "Guardromon... Guardromon is gone..."

"Gone...?"

The words echo in my mind like a bad dream. But the still, lifeless body of the iron soldier in front of me is too real—there's no retry.
Tears blur my vision. I wish to deny it, but a sudden yawn broke the silence.

"That tin can really thought it could stop Andromon's attack. How foolish."

I slowly stand, ignoring the tears streaming down my face.
Guardromon is dead... and it's all his doing.

"You... You killed Guardromon! I'll never forgive you!"

"Killed? It was a machine," Gan sneers coldly. "Crying for a broken toaster is just dumb."

Broken toaster?

My fist clenches. "Is that how you see Digimon?!"

"Yeah, it's dumb to cry."

Jellymon's voice rings out, startling me.

"We Digimon fight to survive—that's an instinct rooted deep within our core," she says calmly. "Guardromon lost the fight."

"What are you saying?"

I try to refute her, but she hovers forward, her tentacles bristling.

"However... mocking a Digimon's death? It's the same as mocking our very fight to live!"

"Oh really? So what are you going to do about it?" Gan chuckles.

"Don't you get it? I'm saying you're seriously pissing me off!"

Jellymon turns to me, pointing at my Vital Bracelet.

"I noticed something interesting in your device during our synch. If you also want to beat this guy up, I'll give you the chance—to fight alongside me~!"

She snaps her fingers and my Vital Bracelet beeps.

[Activate MindLink?]
[Yes] [No]

Fight alongside her? The choice is obvious.

"I can't ask for more! Jellymon!"

As soon as I press yes, the junkyard dissolves, and I find myself submerged in an endless ocean of deep blue.

The ocean currents swirl around me, pulling me deeper into the abyss. My limbs feel weightless as if I'm floating in a dream.

I can... breathe?

The thought flickers in my mind before I notice something ascending from the depths.

Bubbles?

Not one, but countless bubbles erupt, drifting past me. Each shimmering like colorful pearls, lighting up the abyss.

Curiously, I reach out to touch one.

The moment my finger brushes the bubble, a scene plays out on its transparent surface.

A small jellyfish hiding behind a rock on the seabed. Its ear-like appendages twitch nervously, its tentacles trembling against the sand.

Jellymon? But she's much smaller.

A shadow slithers into view—a devil with a cruel grin. Clawed tentacles hang from its back, a warning to its foolish victims. Its three crimson eyes glow with malice, its fins moving eerily like broken wings in the water.

The tiny jellyfish shivers, her purple eyes wide with terror as the demon passes.

"Everyone already left..."

The words are faint but laced with despair.

Fear, confusion, anger—all of it surges through me like a wave.

"Those cowards... The moment they saw MarinDevimon, they all just ran away, abandoning their so-called friends..."

The scene fades, the bubble popping in my hand. The words linger in the water like an echo.

"Why am I... the only one left?"

I find myself standing on the quiet, empty ocean floor.

"Pathetic, isn't it?"

Her voice cuts through the silence, as clear as if she were standing beside me.

"Jellymon! That jellyfish... was it you?" I call out.

A pause lingers before she responds.

"Back then, I realized relying on others was useless," her tone is cold, almost detached. "When you're in a pinch, no one comes to save you. No matter how much you scream… you're all alone."

Jellymon, are these the feelings you've kept in your heart?

"That's not true," I argue.

Another pause.

"You said no one will come, but you came, didn't you?" I continue."When Hagurumon attacked, you're the one who saved me. Today, you were my hero!"

I step forward, extending my hand into the azure expanse.

"And together, I know we can save Andromon too. This is a fan's selfish request to her hero—please help me, Jellymon."

A heavy silence follows. Doubt creeps in until—

"SMACK!"

"Oww!"

I rub my head, looking up to find Jellymon floating above me, her hands on her hips.

"It's senpai!" she corrects, her tentacles pinching my cheeks.

"Um... Please, Jellymon-senpai," I mumble through squished lips.

"Good job," she says with a satisfied smirk, releasing me. "Now, let's fulfill the wish of this handful little protagonist."

"Hey, I'm not that handful!"

She giggles, and the abyss around me begins to blur.

'I' open my eyes to the metallic gleam of the Nu Metal Empire. My pointy pink ears twitch as I instinctively rub them with tentacles.

Wait... tentacles?

I glance down and realize—I'm Jellymon? No… we've become one!

"Where did that girl disappear to?" Gan shouts, swiping furiously across his holographic keyboard. "Fine! I'll just finish the rest of you!"

Andromon, the puppet without strings—steps forward at his command.

"Ina is still... Blanc! Labramon!" Miss Lily calls out, gripping her Digimon Dock.

"Holy Light!"

"Retriever Bark!"

Blanc's radiant beam and Labramon's soundwave collide with Andromon, but the cyborg moves through them effortlessly.

"Hahaha! Before Andromon, you might as well be babies!" Gan mocks, laughing.

Jellymon's voice rings out in my head.

"Since we're doing this, I'll have to go beyond this form."

"Beyond the Mode Change?"

Jellymon slowly floats toward Andromon.

"I told you already, it lies in the heart. If you're truly my fan, cheer for me with everything you've got!"

Betrayed... left all alone... I can tell from her memories how hard it must have been for her to trust anyone.

["Someone has to keep an eye on you~!"]

Yet, she said that and decided to protect me.

She even stood up for Guardromon.

"You said bonds are foolish, but then what are you doing?" I whisper internally. "Didn't you realize? You're already—"

"Megaton Punch!"

Andromon lunges, throwing a devastating punch. Time seems to slow as the steel fist closes in.

"Jellymon! You are my number one hero!"

The words burst from my heart, and Jellymon's smirk widens.

"You're really something," she says. "Then let me respond to that heart—with my true form!"

The moment freezes, and a thunderbolt tears through the darkness, a lightning strike in a cloudless sky.

[EVOLUTION!]

Our gloved hand emerges from the lightning, catching Andromon's fist mid-air. Twisting, we hurl the cyborg into a towering pile of junk.

"It'll take more than that to stop him~!"

I—no, she strides forward towards the rising Andromon, her black boots leaving trails of electricity in their wake. Her pink frill sways like a coat. Her black shorts are cinched by a belt emblazoned with a lightning insignia, matched by her electrifying grin.

"Time to go all out! Are you ready, my little protagonist~?"

"You bet! For Guardromon, TeslaJellymon-senpai!"

[Name: TeslaJellymon]
[DP: 6000]
[State: Main Partner (MindLinked)]
[Level: 4]
[Attribute: Data]

AN:

Andromon being an inventor is inspired by Digimon Crusader, where he was depicted as the creator of many machine Digimon, including Mugendramon and... even Millenniummon. However, unlike in Crusader, this Andromon may not have created a wicked god Digimon (probably).

On another note, the word count of this arc's chapters has been higher than usual... Next chapter we'll have the fight against a Lv.5.