"So that means… everyone's still in the Digital World?" Narumi Akira asked Yagami Taichi. "What should we do now?"
"I don't know either…" Taichi said with a bitter smile. "If you didn't also have a Digivice and a Digi-Egg, I'd almost think our earlier adventure was just a dream."
"Yeah." Akira nodded emphatically. "We ran into a powerful enemy, and then they just let us go for no reason at all—honestly, that really does feel like something that only happens in a dream."
"But since it's not a dream…" Taichi looked at Botamon. There was a flicker of struggle in his eyes, then his gaze hardened with resolve. "I guess Botamon and I still have to find a way back."
That emotional turnaround happened fast—no wonder he was one of the Chosen, bearing Courage.
I might not be able to help on the front lines, but keeping an eye on things from behind? That I can do.
「Ai, I've hidden Cernunnosmon inside Taichi's sunglasses. Let it watch the situation. If anything dangerous happens, step in.」
「Understood.」
After Akira sent the message, the unseen Ai immediately compressed and packed Cernunnosmon out of the Dark Digivice, turning it into a tiny chip and—without anyone noticing—sticking it onto Taichi's sunglasses.
「Cernunnosmon is now concealed on his sunglasses.」
With Ai's confirmation, Akira finally relaxed. He turned to Taichi and said, "Sorry, Taichi. My Digimon is still just an egg, so I probably can't help you much."
"It's fine, Akira." Taichi waved it off. "Your partner will hatch soon, for sure." He patted Akira's shoulder, then added in a comforting tone, "While I'm gone, please take care of Hikari for me."
"I will." Akira made the promise solemnly. "As long as I'm here, your sister won't get hurt."
"With you saying that, I can finally relax~" Taichi grinned.
"Out of all of us, you're the one who thinks everything through the most." Taichi let out a long breath. "If it's you, you'll definitely be able to protect Hikari."
After settling things at home, Taichi visibly loosened up—so much so that he completely forgot one crucial question.
"Taichi~" Botamon, nestled in his arms, noticed the problem and asked, "How are we supposed to get back?"
"Uh…"
Taichi's body went rigid. His arm tightened around Botamon until his hand clenched into a fist, and even the corner of his smile twitched out of shape.
Seeing Taichi's painfully obvious awkwardness, Akira nearly lost it too.
I already delivered gear to Taichi's side—so why isn't "Homeostasis" doing anything yet?
Is it because it thinks I didn't give enough, so it can't directly break through the World Tree's setup?
Either Homeostasis was slow to react… or it heard Akira's thoughts.
Just as Akira was about to have Ai open a gate and send Taichi back to the Digital World, a massive void suddenly tore open in the dome of sky above them.
With the void's appearance came a powerful gravitational pull. Botamon was yanked out of Taichi's arms and dragged upward into the air.
"Botamon!"
Taichi grabbed Botamon tight. Under that ever-strengthening pull, the two of them were ripped free of Earth's hold.
"Akira—besides me, the other stuff at home too, I'm counting on you to handle it!" Taichi swept away his earlier embarrassment. "Don't let me come back just to get beaten by my parents, okay?!"
"What did you say? You want me to deal with the teachers and all those parents by myself?" Akira couldn't hold back his complaint. "That's way too much!"
"Hahahaha—"
Maybe imagining his partner having to nervously explain everything to teachers and parents made Taichi laugh even harder. "Anyway, I'm leaving it all to you! I believe you can do it!"
"Sigh… you really are…" Akira's expression was complicated. "Good luck. Don't lose to those people!"
"I'll do my best!"
The Crest of Courage answered Taichi's vow, releasing a warm, evolutionary light that poured over Botamon.
In only a few seconds, Botamon's body swelled and expanded within the radiance, transforming into the form of MetalGreymon.
Akira could clearly see it—on MetalGreymon's body, the brilliance of the strongest dragon warrior was already beginning to manifest.
"I'll be back soon!" Taichi stood atop his partner Digimon's mechanical arm, waving goodbye. "Akira, you hang in there too!"
After the farewell, the black void carried away the Chosen of Courage, vanishing as though it had never existed.
Watching the sky-dome return to normal, Akira recalled what he'd seen and couldn't help admiring it. "That's Taichi for you… he already got Agumon to the threshold of Mega evolution."
"At this pace, even if I do nothing, he'll probably defeat Megaseadramon—and even the Joker King after it evolves—on his own, right?"
"Yagami Taichi is indeed the most promising among this batch of Chosen Children."
An emotionless voice came from Akira's side, delivering the evaluation in a flat, deadpan tone:
"But he isn't fighting alone. So in many situations he ends up standing out too much, making it hard for the others to keep up."
Akira turned his head. Seeing the Champion-level Holy Knight now possessed by that radiance, a subtle ripple of emotion stirred in his chest.
"Homeostasis, you bastard…" Akira said. "Didn't you say you wouldn't interfere in this world anymore?"
"We truly have not interfered in this world. We only wished to speak with you once more—please forgive us if we have offended you."
Homeostasis—inhabiting the Holy Knight—bowed and apologized without hesitation, then continued:
"The World Tree enhanced Apocalymon's power and disrupted the balance we maintained. Therefore, we require your assistance."
Hearing that, Akira smiled.
"What the World Tree did was indeed dirty… but it still hasn't crossed the line by directly attacking the Chosen Children."
"Since it hasn't crossed the line, I should keep my promise." Akira said. "As for you, Homeostasis… at least you didn't possess Hikari this time. I'll give you that much."
"We have already revoked Yagami Hikari's role as a shrine maiden and will no longer form a connection with her." Homeostasis continued. "However, she is one of the Chosen Children, and according to the prior agreement, this was something the World Tree and we had already set in motion before the agreement was formed…"
"So what?" Akira cut it off. "You already abducted a kid like Takeru—now you still wanted to drag Hikari into it too?"
"We apologize. We had no such intention."
"After witnessing the potential hidden within humans, Apocalymon's faction will inevitably invade the human world." Homeostasis admitted fault again, then said, "This is naturally a matter we should resolve. But if they go after the Chosen Children… could we ask you to temporarily act in their stead, and drive them back?"
"Even if you didn't ask, I'd do it." Akira replied bluntly. "Is that all you came to say?"
"No." Homeostasis said. "As allies, we also wish to offer our congratulations—your partner Digimon is about to be born."
"What?"
Akira lowered his head to the Digi-Egg he'd wrested from Homeostasis—and saw that the shell had already cracked.
As the crack spread, the entire egg began to throb and pulse.
Not only the egg from Homeostasis—even the egg from the World Tree surfaced from the Dark Digivice and began to hatch as well.
Damn… I've only had these eggs for a few hours and they're already being born?!
Facing the imminent arrival of new life, Akira ignored the irritating Homeostasis beside him and waited with anticipation for the Digimon to break free of their shells.
Before long, with two tiny sparks of light, both eggs shattered completely—revealing the Digimon inside.
The Digimon sent by the World Tree was a small wolf pup, still not fully grown, with blue fur and red eyes.
The Digimon sent by Homeostasis was a long-tailed little kitten—golden all over, born with stiff, bristly fur.
For the blue wolf pup, Akira's emotions stayed steady. There weren't that many prototype Digimon to begin with—he could guess the answer even with his eyes closed.
But that golden kitten… Akira was not calm about that.
Not because he was some dog-lover who hated cats.
It was because…
When it grew up, it would become… a kitty that was way too easy to get killed off—a big one at that!
.....
patreon.com/RuneA
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it