The sliding door of the convenience store whooshes open. The cool night air of Sengokuhara greets us as soon as we step outside.

Blanc walks beside me, eagerly licking her strawberry ice cream.

"Mmm, Big Sis, it's mega sweet!" A joyful smile spreads across her face.

"It's not ramen..." Labramon mutters through a mouthful of vanilla ice cream.

"Then why'd you buy it when it's already so chilly?"

"Didn't you hear? There's nothing like a cold ice cream after a hot spring bath."

"You humans really are strange..."

"Well, it's the vibe, you know?"

I nibble my mint chocolate ice cream as we walk.

Sengokuhara is quiet now, the distant chirping of crickets weaving a tranquil atmosphere through the empty streets. The dark sky stretches endlessly, illuminated by a blanket of stars like a shimmering wave.

"It's so calm here," I murmur to myself. "It's almost like the night sky in Evelia, but much more peaceful."

Labramon halts, swallowing the rest of his ice cream. His purple ears twitch from the cold.

"Gah! Even if it's a copy, I have to admit those humans did a good job replicating everything," he grumbles.

Well, hasn't he gotten soft lately?

"Blanc, don't eat all at once. Otherwise, your brain will freeze like Labramon's."

"Okay, Big Sis~!"

"My brain is fine!"

I take another bite, letting the cool sweetness melt on my tongue.

It still feels kind of surreal.

Chased by Dobermon in the Dark Web.

Meeting Blanc.

Facing Code-Crackers.

Getting a new job at Abadin Games.

So much happened in just a month.

After everything we went through, a vacation like this really heals the soul.

"It would've been nice if Ina and Jellymon came too..."

But Jellymon was dead set on not letting Ina skip her workout.

"Blanc wanted to join the training too. Blanc has to be stronger."

"I think you're plenty strong already."

I gently rub her head.

Labramon snorts. "You're spoiling her."

Spoiling Blanc?

Mamemon's words echo in my mind.

In that strange forest, Blanc hiding in the bushes, BanchoLeomon handing her an apple with a smile. But back then, there was something else in her silver eyes—fear.

BanchoLeomon's words about protecting the future... but from what?

I once asked Blanc about her life in the Digital World, but she dodged the question.

Well, if she doesn't want to talk about it, I won't push her.

We head back toward the main road, dim streetlights illuminating the path ahead.

I'm about to suggest picking up the pace when Blanc suddenly halts.

"Splat!"

Her ice cream slips from her hand, landing on the ground with a soft splat.

"What happened? Brain freeze?" I ask, placing my palm on her head.

Blanc's silver pupils narrow as she turns toward the forest by the roadside.

"Big Sis... there's something there..."

Something in the forest?

"Maybe it's just some nocturnal animal?"

"No, Blanc knows this presence!" She clutches Cross Barbée tightly. "It's... very dark."

"A dark presence?"

She's never reacted like this before.

But that glint in her silver eyes—sharp and unwavering.

I can tell she isn't mistaken.

I quickly glance at Labramon.

"I don't sense anything," he replies flatly.

"But if a Virus Buster like you can't detect anything..."

Didn't Ina say people had been going missing lately?

Then there's the vampire rumor.

But it was just a dumb urban legend. Something for people to gossip about online... wasn't it?

"Could there really be a vampire here?"

Labramon turns to Blanc.

"She isn't just an X-Digimon—she's also a Holy Digimon. Her ability to sense the power of darkness is sharper than mine."

"Power of darkness? Like the Black Guilmon we faced?"

"If it were a viral infection, I'd sense it."

Labramon's ears twitch, his purple eyes sharpening as he finally looks toward the trees.

"But if a Holy Digimon reacts like this, then we aren't dealing with a simple virus. We're dealing with a true denizen of the underworld—a Digimon from the depths of hell itself."

From the depths of hell...?

I instinctively grip my Digivice X in my pocket, staring at the shadowy forest. The dense woods stand still, a calm breeze whispering between the leaves.

If there really is such a Digimon here, no wonder people have been disappearing.

"Big Sis... should Blanc go and take a look?" Blanc asks, tugging my sleeve with her small hands.

I glance back at the main road. The Ryokan is only a few minutes away.

This is my vacation. A moment of peace.

Whatever's in there... has nothing to do with me.

If we go back now, we can have a delicious dinner, slip into the warm futon, and enjoy a good night's sleep.

That's the logical choice.

But deep down, I already know my answer.

"Yeah, let's check it out," I reply with a helpless smile.

If I ignore this now, what if it gets worse? What if someone else disappears tomorrow?

I'd spend my nights wondering if I could've done something but chose not to.

I sigh, swallowing the rest of my ice cream, and a sharp chill hits my head. "Uhhh... and here I was warning you about brain freeze."

I gently squeeze Blanc's hand.

"So, we're really going, huh?" Labramon sighs, giving me an 'I knew it' look.

"Yeah. But if it's too dangerous, we'll escape immediately and report to the Digipolice."

Blanc raises Cross Barbée. Her voice is steady, her earlier unease is now a distant memory.

"Yes! And Blanc will protect Big Sis!"

"Thanks, Blanc. Now, let's go."

With our minds made up, we step into the forest.

As we move deeper into the woods, the darkness presses in from all directions. A deathly silence blankets the air.

The trees stand like ancient pillars, their dense canopy swallowing the moonlight.

I push through thick bushes and vines.

"Ugh, I should've brought my tracksuit if I knew this would happen..."

"Humans are truly fragile."

"Yeah? Well, I wasn't born in the wilds, you know?"

"Big Sis is trying her best," Blanc says while cutting through bushes with Cross Barbée.

"Blanc... you really are an angel..."

"If Big Sis is tired, Blanc can carry her like last time," she grins proudly.

Wait, a princess carry? In the middle of the forest?

"Um, thanks, Blanc, but I can still walk."

"Okay!"

Phew, my dignity as an adult is safe.

I glance around as we walk.

It's a little tricky navigating in the dark, but compared to the towering forest back in the Dark Web… this place feels more like a creepy garden.

Well, it's not that bad. At least nothing is chasing me this time.

I encourage myself as I follow Blanc and Labramon.

After a while, Blanc suddenly halts, her silver gaze fixed ahead.

"It's close..." she whispers.

I freeze. Faint metallic clanks reach my ears, followed by low murmurs.

Labramon's white fur bristles, his eyes glowing in the darkness.

"I can sense it now—a Virus Digimon, and it's not an ordinary one," he growls.

As I peel through the dense foliage, several figures come into view.

Humans?

Peeking further, I see a towering metal structure looming over the clearing, cables connected to it like roots planted in the earth. A faint, purple glow flickers at its base. A series of codes snakes through the tower, blinking rhythmically across its sleek surface.

Several blue marmots hover around the tower in sci-fi spacesuits with booster legs. Their mechanical arms carry strange metal parts like worker drones.

"Grr... Espimon—the most common Digimon under Code-Crackers," Labramon growls, his purple ears flattening.

Code-Crackers? Here in Sengokuhara?

I glance at Blanc. She grips Cross Barbée tightly, her silver eyes locked on the structure.

Then my breath catches.

A jet-black demon lands atop the metallic tower, tattered wings draped around it like a worn cape. Its crimson eyes gleam with a cold, commanding malice. A bat-shaped mark on its chest, as if drawn in blood, marks it as an existence born of nightmares.

"Is that...a vampire?" I whisper instinctively.

Labramon's tail stiffens.

"Scent of the underworld—there's no mistaking it. That's the Digimon she sensed."

His voice drops to a snarl.

"Once a servant of God's will, now a messenger of darkness—Devimon!"

Devimon... A messenger of darkness?

I swallow hard.

Just great.

Stumbling into a haunted forest at night? Check!

Uncovering the evil plot of a secret organization? Double-check!

But worst of all—my peaceful vacation? Officially ruined.

Am I some kind of detective novel protagonist cursed to be at the wrong place at the worst time?!

I internally cope with my fate.

Then, Devimon finally moves down from the tower. His form casts an eerie shadow over the polished metal. His claws tap against his long arms impatiently.

"Still not finished?" His chilling voice cuts through the night, filled with irritation.

"Such a complex design doesn't develop overnight, you know?"

One of the Code-Crackers—a young woman wearing a yellow hoodie—answers.

She's riding a Digimon resembling a cyborg bee. Its robotic arms sway in the air, its twin pincers carrying long metallic cables, likely belonging to the tower. The heavy steps of its clawed mechanical feet leave massive footprints in the soft earth.

I glance at my Digivice X to confirm its identity.

[Name: Forgebeemon]

[Level: 4]

[Attribute: Virus]

"The rest of the parts aren't here yet, and there is the problem with the energy source!" she replies.

"Then bring them here!"

Devimon hovers forward, his frame towering over the woman.

"The artificial tower must be completed by the next new moon! My Master is getting impatient!"

"Okay, okay, big guy, but your boss must keep his end of the bargain."

"You dare question my Master?!" Devimon roars, his sharp claws reaching towards the woman's neck.

But the woman doesn't flinch, looking into Devimon's crimson eyes.

A tense silence falls for a moment.

"I get it, I get it! Geez, you're so serious," she replies with a sigh. "Come on, Bee-chan!"

Forgebeemon floats in the air, carrying the woman on its back. "Everyone! Let's move out!"

I stiffen, holding my breath, and within a few minutes—two women and three men turn toward the path leading out of the forest, muttering among themselves, led by the woman in a yellow hoodie.

["Tsk. Why do we have to follow that guy?"]

["Shut up. We do the job, take the money, and leave. Plain and simple."]

["But leader, can that thing really do it? I mean, it's just a machine, right? No way it can actually—"]

["Watch your mouth! NSoC already confirmed it—it's not our job to question our clients."]

NSoC? These Code-Crackers are from Nightmare Soldiers of Chaos?

Mask and Gan's faces come to mind.

However, something doesn't add up.

Both of them viewed Digimon as tools, nothing more.

Then, why are these Code-Crackers taking orders from a Digimon?

And who is the Master he mentioned?

The Code-Crackers disappear down the trail, their voices fading into the distance.

Only Devimon remains.

My eyes shift to Blanc, Devimon's dark silhouette reflecting in her silver eyes as she grips tightly on her Cross Barbée.

After fighting with her for the past month, I can tell—in our current state, we can't handle Devimon, not without MindLink.

I exhale slowly, turning to Blanc and Labramon.

"Alright, we have the info," I whisper. "Let's call the Digipolice and—"

"Now, for my esteemed guest..."

A smooth, yet taunting voice cuts me off.

Devimon's piercing eyes shift directly toward our hiding spot, sending a shiver down my spine.

"How about you come out already~?"

An amused smirk stretches across his face, his fanged teeth glinting under the tower's dim purple glow.

"Your holy data has been sticking out like a sore thumb for a while now."

My blood runs cold.

He knew we were here the whole time?!

AN:

You thought it would be Vamdemon/Myotismon, but it was I, Devimon!

On another note, regarding the review of chapter 19, I'm eagerly awaiting the inevitable post-training Ina spin-off by Mr. Navit in the near future, as I've realized I might not be powerful enough to write of her true might.