Yaoyorozu Residence

Aichi, Japan

Both Izuku and Hackmon are wondering how in the world everything turned out like this; they both blink owlishly while wondering how an emotional moment ends with something so bizarre. All of Izuku's friends who were there also shared the same thoughts, baffled by Gankoomon's decisions.

"Does Izuku need to fight? He just recovered from injuries he got yesterday." Ochako says in concern.

"This won't be a deadly match," Blanc reassures Ochako. "Gankoomon wouldn't want to risk badly injuring Hackmon's new partner, especially after reconciling."

"May I ask why Gankoomon had to resort to fighting just to prove the bonds between Izuku and Hackmon? We could vouch for them that they're great partners." Yaomomo says with a frown.

"Because to Digimons like us, battle is a way to show how others truly feel, especially when it comes to tag-team," Noir explains. "Most living beings, like us and humans, tend to act out of emotions when it comes to fighting, either due to determination, wanting to prove themselves, spite, or many others. He wants to test what they would do if they fight, work together, or do other things."

"Basically, in short, this is a way to show their true colors," Ciel says while crossing her arms.

"Zuku…" Koji mutters while hugging Agumon firmly.

"Awesome, we get to see a Royal Knight fight!" Agumon exclaims.

"Agumon! My friends could get hurt!" Koji exclaims in disbelief.

"Relax, Gankoomon, like all Royal Knights, never go lethal towards non-hostile enemies. It's their role as the protectors of the Digital World." Agumon says to reassure Koji, but it didn't reassure Koji at all. Unknown to most people, Koji's ability to understand and communicate with animals was more than just that. It also allows him to understand when a human growls or snarls due to the animalistic instincts caused by their quirks. He understands when Lycaon unconsciously growls from his instinct, saying how he should get away from Gankoomon, despite he didn't move an inch.

If Gankoomon could trigger the animalistic instinct of humans with an animal quirk by simply being there, then how dangerous could Gankoomon truly be?

"Aww, man. Why can't I join the fight!?" Veemon complains as Izuku kneels beside him, patting his head comfortingly.

"Because you don't have any training and experience. Besides, it's supposed to be Hackmon and I against Gankoomon, so you can't join." Izuku says as Veemon pouts. "How about this, once this is over, we'll train you how to fight properly so one day you can join us?"

"…you won't keep me away from the fight forever, right?" Veemon mutters with a hopeful tone. "I'm your partner as well…"

"I promise I won't," Izuku says as Veemon merely nods before Izuku stands up and looks at Hackmon. They both nod at each other before walking forward.

"Izuku!" Miles calls as Izuku turns around. The young boy tosses something towards Izuku, which Izuku catches. Izuku is confused when he sees 4 disks on his hand before looking at Miles in confusion. "It's your gears, place them on both of your hind-foot and the back of your hands."

Izuku looks utterly confused before complying. Upon placing them like Miles instructed, the disks expand before they start forming a pair of gauntlets and reinforced boots, surprising everyone. Izuku blinks before looking at Miles and giving him a thumbs up, making Miles smile widely.

"Huh…I honestly didn't expect you to join the fight literally," Gankoomon says in surprise. "When I say to face me, I mean Hackmon fight under your guidance."

"I'd rather not let my partner fight alone," Izuku says as he

"Hah…this is gonna be interesting," Gankoomon smirks. Izuku and Hackmon look at each other before nodding. Izuku pulls out his phone, and the screen lights up.

"Hackmon, digivolve!" Upon saying that, a bright light starts to blind everyone. The Digimons in the vicinity were shocked; neither expected Hackmon to be capable of Digivolving.

Izuku and Hackmon, now BaoHuckmon, take the chance to attack Gankoomon as everyone is blindsided by the light of evolution. Izuku goes for a kick on his head while BaoHuckmon tries to stab him with his bladed tail. To their shock, their attacks were blocked effortlessly by Gankoomon, who simply uses his palm to block Izuku's kick and catches the tip of BaoHuckmon's blade.

"Even Digivolving!? Now, I can see why you possess the Crest of Miracle, boy!" Gankoomon exclaims before pushing Izuku's leg away, sending him tumbling on the ground. Then, he tosses BaoHuckmon towards Izuku as the Adult-Level Digimon slams into Izuku. Both groan in pain as they get up, but Gankoomon didn't give them a chance as he suddenly appears next to them like he had teleported before slamming his fist. If it wasn't for Izuku's heightened reflexes and Observation, he wouldn't be able to dodge it and get BaoHuckmon away from the attack.

To the disbelief of both Izuku and BaoHuckmon, the ground suddenly flipped over like it was a table. Izuku sends BaoHuckmon away before using 25% of OFA to shatter the incoming obstacle into dust. Out of nowhere, Gankoomon grabs Izuku by his face and slams his back into the ground. Izuku gasps for air and coughs out saliva instead of blood, grateful that he could activate Armament at the right time.

"….okay, what was that?" Miles says in utter disbelief, unable to process what he had just seen.

"Did…Gankoomon carved the ground into the shape of a huge tile and flipped it off like a table!?" Toru asks in disbelief.

"In the blink of an eye!?" Denki also joins in, completely baffled by everything.

"You humans have someone with a speaker as a head, but seeing that shocks you?" Ciel asks while raising her eyebrow, making everyone silent. None of them could answer that.

But he is now focusing on escaping from Gankoomon's grip slowly growing tighter. BaoHuckmon immediately rushes towards Gankoomon in an attempt to strike his mentor, but he is also caught and slams into the ground beside Izuku.

"You two need to do better than this," Gankoomon exclaims before tossing both of them to the opposite side. They manage to regain their footing, taking a breather. Izuku takes a deep breath before he coats his gauntlets with Armament, and ice bursts out of his palm, freezing the ground alongside Gankoomon's feet. This surprises Gankoomon as he didn't expect such powers before BaoHuckmon unleashes his most powerful Blazing Flame, creating a powerful explosion, and everything is covered in a cloud of smoke.

BaoHuckmon takes the chance to regroup with Izuku, while Izuku himself charges Fa Jin energy through his heart. Then, Gankoomon walks out of the smoke completely unharmed before charging at them, fist cocking backward. Both Izuku and Gankoomon clash fists, creating shockwaves that almost send everyone flying.

"Hoh, you have quite a power, young Digidestined," Gankoomon says in an impressed tone as Izuku grits his teeth, barely able to stop Gankoomon from moving. BaoHuckmon appears from the back and raises both of his claws in an attempt to slash Gankoomon, but the Royal Knight simply knocks Izuku's fist away before delivering a kick to BaoHuckmon, sending the Digimon flying.

"BaoHuckmon!" Izuku yells before Gankoomon grabs him by his throat and lifts him. Izuku struggles to break free from Gankoomon's grip, even when he's using both his Haki and OFA.

"Izuku!" Everyone shouts in concern.

"I am honestly impressed given how you're able to do the impossible. Fighting with such prowess, and even Digivolving my son." Gankoomon says.

"W-what do you mean by Hackmon Digivolve supposed to be impossible?" Izuku asks as he continues to struggle.

"You should understand that Crest isn't just a mere item; it's acting as a tool to help a Digimon chosen as a partner evolve. It's like a password required to unlock something. If it's gone, it's impossible to unlock such powers." Gankoomon says.

"T-that's a terrible analogy, given how changing the password is a possibility," Izuku says.

"True, but that would mean dissecting Digimon apart just to reprogram their biology to be used with a new password, which is why it was impossible in the first place, or so we thought," Gankoomon says before shaking his head. "Let me ask you this, what do you see Hackmon as?"

"H-he's my partner…" Izuku replies.

"Is that all he is?" Gankoomon asks. "Or is Hackmon simply a tool for you to get more power? A weapon? What is your intention for continuing to partner with Hackmon?"

"What's with such a stupid question!?!" Izuku asks in confusion and disbelief. Why is Gankoomon asking a question with an obvious answer?

"I'm asking this because of how fragile bonds can be," Gankoomon exclaims, surprising Izuku. "You should know, bonds rarely become permanent, especially when life goes on. One argument or fight could cause the bond to break. I have seen bonds between Digidestined and Digimons break over time, either due to separation or because they have moved on."

"…." Izuku was silent as he could understand that clearly. He has lost contact with his classmates due to circumstances in his past life and his current life. Bakugou cut him off just because he was quirkless. He understands that more than others.

"I don't want my son to go through that pain again, so I gotta make sure," Gankoomon says. "What is Hackmon to you? Is he truly your partner, a weapon, a way to get more power, or do you simply stay by his side because you want to replace his old partner, all because you desperately want a friend?"

"…" That last part hits him right on the core, anger rises from his chest, red lightning crackles from his body as Izuku grips Gankoomon's wrist with more power than before, and glares at Gankoomon with glowing red eyes that shock Gankoomon.

"How…shallow do you think I am!?!" Izuku roars before black whips burst out of Izuku's wrist and start crashing on Gankoomon, sending the Digimon flying.

"Whoa! What the hell!?!" Denki asks in shock.

"Izuku-san unlocks another aspect of his quirk!?" Yaomomo asks, covering her mouth in surprise.

"How many aspects does he suppose to have!?!" Tooru asks in utter disbelief.

"…humans are strange," Gomamon says as every Digimon nods in agreement. Meanwhile, BaoHuckmon groans before getting up and sees Izuku struggling to control the black whips bursting out of his wrists.

"Izuku!" BaoHuckmon exclaims before trying to get into Izuku.

"S-stay back!!" Izuku shouts at his partner, causing BaoHuckmon to stop. "Y-you'll get hurt!!" Izuku grabs his wrist, using every ounce of his willpower to control the black whip as he unconsciously uses all of his Haki in the process.

"So much raw power, but it lacks so much control." Gankoomon comments as he walks towards Izuku. "I can feel the rage bursting from that attack. Does my question anger you so much?"

"Of course…" Izuku growls. "You're accusing me of wanting to replace Hackmon's partner because I desperately want a friend!"

"And why are you angry with such an accusation? Why are you angry if it's false?" Gankoomon asks.

"Because you've gone too far questioning my friendship with him!" Izuku roars, and his black whips start to get even more out of control. "I value friendships a lot! I never got to experience those as much back in my past, all because of people disliking me for being me!!!" Memories of his past failed attempts to make friends play in his mind, his past life where people casually dismiss him as annoying just for simply trying to socialize with anyone or ignore his existence like he's not there, and then how his old classmates treated him for being quirkless.

"Sure, I was desperate wanting a friend, but what's the point of doing all the things that might ruin a friendship in the near future!?!" Izuku exclaims. "And sure, having a Digimon partner sounds nice. I would be lying if I said I don't want that, but I befriended Hackmon because he looks like he needs someone!! I choose to be his friend because he looks like he needs someone to lean his shoulder to, someone who needs to listen to what he wants to say, someone who will help him! Just like me in the past!!!"

As he continues to speak, the black whips start to retract back to Izuku slowly, no longer wildly moving around.

"I know…I can never replace his old partner, but that's okay…" Izuku says. "Even if the Digivice didn't choose me as his partner, I would stay as his friend...and even if we never get to become friends, I'll help him no matter what…No one deserves to experience such things…"

"Izu…" BaoHuckmon smiles as Izuku smiles back at him. They turn back to Gankoomon with a wide grin as suddenly, Izuku's Digivice starts to glow once more. Izuku pulls it out before looking at BaoHuckmon as they start to grin, not a single word said. Gankoomon widened his eyes as he wasn't expecting them to grow so much in this short battle.

"That light…" Koji mutters. "Is he….?"

"Digivolving again…" Yaomomo mutters in awe.

"Oh, come on, Mido!" Denki whines. "Don't leave all of us in the dust here, bro!!!"

"Don't be like that, Denki-bro," Eijirou exclaims. "We should've been happy for them."

"T-this is incredible, BaoHuckmon's energy has multiplied immensely!" Miles exclaims as Tentomon looks at the data curiously while hanging on Miles' shoulder.

"…is that reading even normal?" Tentomon asks meekly, looking at the reading on Izuku's power. "And how is it possible to project those numbers!?"

"…cool," Gomamon says in a relaxed tone before laying his head on Tenya's hair.

"…" Tenya simply sighs tiredly, not sure how to deal with Gomamon.

Once again, another bright light blinds everyone in the vicinity, this one's much brighter than before. Gankoomon instinctively moves to block an incoming kick and blade, which are more powerful and sharper, respectively. As the light dissipates, BaoHuckmon has changed his form once again, now a bipedal humanoid dragon with white armor scales, shoulderpieces and kneeguards with spikes on it, a pair of red sharp blade protruding from his wrists, a better and more durable blades for legs, a giant blue gem on his chest, longer, sharper and more flexible bladed tail, and a much bigger cloak.

BaoHuckmon has transcended to a new and more powerful form, his Champion-Level form, SaviourHuckmon.

"Let's show what we're capable of to this old geezer, SaviourHuckmon!" Izuku says with a grin.

"Yeah!" SaviourHuckmon says before they start to go on the offensive. Izuku delivers blow after blow while SaviourHuckmon follows up with slash after slash. Both of them continue to attack without giving Gankoomon any chance to retaliate. They are still unable to properly damage Gankoomon, but they successfully keep Gankoomon on the defensive.

Gankoomon simply grins before summoning Hinokamuy as the manifested spirit slams its fist on them, which thankfully Izuku and SaviourHuckmon dodged in time. Hinokamuy roars before delivering a rapid-fire blast from its mouth to Izuku and SaviourHuckmon. Both of them move away from the attack while also rushing towards Gankoomon.

SaviourHuckmon uses all three of his blades to slice the incoming blasts before attempting to attack Gankoomon, who dodges the attack effortlessly. Izuku attempts to freeze him again, but Gankoomon also dodges the attack effortlessly.

"Not gonna work twice, kids!" Gankoomon exclaims as Hinokamuy roars and slams its fist again, which both Izuku and SaviourHuckmon dodge. Both of them summon fire before blasting Gankoomon together. But, it didn't do much as Gankoomon walks out of the smoke looking unharmed while Hinokamuy reenters Gankoomon's body.

"Okay, how much trick do you have, young Digidestined?" Gankoomon asks with a raised eyebrow before he blocks a kick from SaviourHuckmon without even looking.

"A lot," Izuku says before black energy comes out of his wrist. Gankoomon attempts to dodge the attack, but he is stopped by SaviourHuckmon, who locks his mentor in place.

"Now, Izu!" SaviourHuckmon roars as Gankoomon looks at his student in disbelief.

"Oi, oi, oi! Are you crazy!?! That kid hasn't learn to control that move!" Gankoomon exclaims. "He'll hit you!"

"Have you wondered how he was able to retract that energy alone in the first place!?" SaviourHuckmon points out as Gankoomon widens his eyes. Izuku roars before black tentacles towards Gankoomon, and SaviourHuckmon uses the chance to let go and move away. Gankoomon was taken aback by this before looking at his student in a deadpan manner.

"Well play-!" Gankoomon was cut off by black tentacles slamming into his face as SaviourHuckmon retreated to Izuku's side. Izuku looks slightly strained as he uses all of his willpower to pull the black tentacles back to his body.

"You never told me what's that?" SaviourHuckmon says.

"Blackwhip, another power from you-know-what," Izuku says as SaviourHuckmon nods. "Also, thanks for trusting me with using that power."

"What are partners for?" SaviourHuckmon says with a smile.

"Friends, the right words are 'what are friends for?'" Izuku says as SaviourHuckmon smiles wider. Both tensed up as Gankoomon once again appears while looking unharmed, except for the white coat that looks completely ripped apart.

"Oh, come on, nothing works on him! My Haki doesn't affect him at all! What does it take to hurt him?!" Izuku moans,

"I'm more shocked if you're able to hurt him," SaviourHuckmon mutters in disbelief.

"….fair," Izuku says with a sigh before they both take a stance, getting ready to attack. But, to their surprise, Gankoomon raises his hand to stop them.

"I've seen enough, both of you," Gankoomon says as both of them relax. "I admit, you two truly surprised me, and I say you two pass with flying colors!"

Both Izuku and SaviourHuckmon look at him before letting out the biggest sigh they ever made and collapsing to the ground, with SaviourHuckmon devolving back to Hackmon and lying on Izuku.

"Izuku!"/"Izu-kun!"/"Izu!"/Midori-bro!!"/Izu-bro!"/"Izuku-san!"/"Midori!"/"Hackmon!" Everyone exclaims in worry as they all rush towards them and try to see if they're alright. Both Izuku and Hackmon merely laugh their worries off, completely exhausted from everything.

"Gankoomon, was it necessary to do all of that?" Blanc asks as she looks at Hackmon in concern before she smiles as all Digimons are praising him for being cool and awesome, causing Hackmon to blush.

"I have to see it with my own eyes, Blanc," Gankoomon says while crossing his arms, smiling at them. "The human truly surprises me with everything."

"Is it because of the powers he possessed or because it was something else?" Ciel asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," Gankoomon says simply, making Ciel blink before scowling.

"You're not answering my question!" Ciel exclaims in annoyance as Noir and Blanc try to calm her down, while Gankoomon feels happy that Hackmon is finally able to get the chance to experience a true bond with a partner, and maybe even more.

Later

"You're leaving already?"

Hackmon stands in front of Gankoomon and Sistermons with a saddened expression. They both had just made up with each other, and now, they're separated from each other again. After everything that happened, everyone decided to return to process everything, which Izuku didn't blame them, as it was too many things that had happened to them.

"I would love to stay, but being a Royal Knight and leaving the Digital World is a recipe for disaster," Gankoomon says. "Evil Digimons might take the chance to wreak havoc now that a Royal Knight is missing."

"I…suppose…" Hackmon mutters as Gankoomon smiles at the little drake before petting his head.

"I will come back as much as possible, and given how fast time moves in Digital World, I'll miss you too much that I will visit you, and it'll be just a day in this world," Gankoomon says. "Besides, now that you have a duty, you can't exactly leave your partner to come with me."

"I wish you could stay, though." Hackmon sighs. "But, I understand…."

"…" Gankoomon looks at Izuku and Veemon. "Hey, kid. Can you tell me the Earth coordinates to your home? It's for the dimensional gateway we're gonna develop."

"…wait, how did you even get here then?" Izuku asks, blinking confusedly. Hackmon and Veemon also share his confusion.

"Through the largest wormhole that forms all around the Digital World, the one that successfully stabilizes. It was quite far from here, as we're around hundreds of kilometers from the closest human civilization." Gankoomon says as Izuku and Hackmon blanch, wondering just when Gankoomon arrived in this world and how long it took for him to get here. Meanwhile, Veemon looks confused as to why his partner and Aniki made such an expression.

"…I'll just give you the closest coordinate where you could hide the dimensional gateway from the public's eyes," Izuku suggests, not wanting to give his mom a heart attack with a sudden portal appearing in his house. Given Gankoomon, he's a type of person who comes to visit unannounced. Gankoomon merely nods as Izuku uses the GPS to show the exact location and displays the coordinates.

He's not the guy who would remember coordinates at the top of his head. Who would even remember the exact coordinates of their own home!?

"Thank you," Gankoomon says with a smile before looking at Hackmon. "Now, I can visit you anytime, son."

"…" Hackmon simply smiles widely before pulling Gankoomon into a hug, which the Royal Knight returns. They let go before both Gankoomon and Sistermons disappeared from view. Both Izuku, Veemo, and Hackmon remain silent, standing in front of the Yaoyorozu Estate's Gate.

"That was one hell of a day," Izuku says as Hackmon nods.

"That was an amazing fight!" Veemon exclaims excitedly. "I know you guys are awesome, but you guys show you guys are much more amazing!! Fighting Gankoomon like that!! Not so many Digimons could last that long!!!"

"It was nothing much, neither of us could land a proper hit, and we ended up too exhausted," Izuku says as Hackmon groans while nodding.

"But, it was still cool!" Veemon exclaims excitedly. "You go bam, woosh, boom!!! And he goes paw, boom!! You gotta teach me how to fight like that!"

Both Izuku and Hackmon laugh at Veemon's childish attempts to imitate how the fight goes and agree with Veemon's requests, which made the little Digimon excited. Izuku simply smiles before Izuku notices Ochako and Biyomon are approaching them.

"Hey, Ocha," Izuku says while waving at her. "You're not going back?"

"I want both of us going back together," Ochako admits as Biyomon cheers internally, happy that she gets to spend more time with Veemon.

"Oh, sure," Izuku smiles before rubbing the back sheepishly. "Oh, right. I want to apologize for making you and everyone else worried about that fight."

"I'm just glad that you're fine," Ochako says in exasperation. "If anything, I would be blaming Gankoomon for even starting the fight."

"…huh," Izuku says, slightly surprised by Ochako's response.

"...are you expecting me to blame you?" Ochako asks with a raised eyebrow.

"I mean, I did agree to join in," Izuku says while rubbing the back of his head even more violently.

"I know you won't let Hackmon fight alone because you cared about him, and that is the reason why I love you, remember?" Ochako says with a smile, and Izuku smiles back.

"Thanks…and sorry if I show any kind of sign of being a bad boyfriend…" Izuku apologizes. "I…am still getting used to having a girlfriend."

"You dork, no need to apologize." Ochako laughs. "I was also inexperienced, so think of it as us learning together how."

"Wait, you never had a boyfriend!?" Izuku exclaims in faux shock. "I honestly thought you did with how kind and gorgeous you look."

"Pfft!! That was so corny!!" Ochako burst into laughter while Izuku merely grinned before joining the laughter. Both of them walk together while holding hands, and their Digimon Partners are either being carried or walk beside them.

Unknown Location

It was an empty dark alleyway with nothing to offer, except for a pile of trash. A rat can be seen crawling down the pile in search of food. Suddenly, the rat's instinct made the tiny creature wary before immediately running away, leaving the pile of food and abandoning the chance of finding some food.

A while later, a huge portal opens, and a figure walks out of the portal. It was quite tall, around 6 feet, with three pairs of sharp and long claws, a thick and long tail, yellow eyes, a dinosaur-like snout, and a pair of ears resembling tiny bat wings. A black hazard symbol is visible on its white underbelly.

"W-where…?" The creature looks around in confusion as it is unfamiliar to it. It attempts to sniff the air before squinting its face in disgust.

"Damn, that smells as bad as Sukamon!" The creature immediately runs away from the alleyway, and it is greeted with the sight of the city as the light reveals its red and black scales. The creature looks around in awe, having never seen such a place before.

"Wow…" The creature mutters as it looks around in amazement. It then turned to another side and was greeted with the sight of Izuku and Ochako paused, looking at it with wide eyes. The creatures also notice the Digimon, especially Hackmon, who's on Izuku's shoulder.

"Guilmon!?!" Hackmon asks in shock.

"Hackmon!" Guilmon says excitedly, waving at him while oblivious to everything.

"…What even is my life…" Izuku bemoans while Ochako chuckles nervously and pats his back.

To Be Continued