"Yo, Taichi, Hikari, slept well?"
Zero waved his claw casually towards the siblings. Taichi stepped forward in surprise.
"What are you guys up to?"
Nearby, a group of Drimogemon were enthusiastically burrowing through the earth. It was still manual labor, but there's a world of difference between being whipped into work and having an eight-hour shift with weekends off.
Now they didn't have to worry about getting violently shocked by collars if they slacked off even slightly, nor were they treated like dogs to be barked at and ordered around.
Their current leader actually listened seriously to their suggestions, assigning tasks within their capabilities. Naturally, morale soared—and with it, their productivity.
"What are we doing?" Zero laughed, casually waving his claw again. "Building a base, of course. Only once we've got solid ground beneath our feet can we talk about development~"
Taichi seemed to half-understand, nodding vaguely, and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"I was holding you back yesterday… Sorry about that, Zero."
"Why would you think that?" Zero immediately replied with seriousness. "Not everyone is cut out for fighting in the first place. Combat is my job, and so is protecting you from danger. If you get hurt, that's my failure—not yours."
As he said this, Zero's tone immediately relaxed again.
"To put it plainly, Taichi, you have your own job: protect Hikari, and be a good big brother. That's your responsibility. If you stood by doing nothing while Hikari was in danger, that would be your failure."
And at least up until now, Taichi had never once hesitated or retreated when Hikari was in trouble; every single time, he was always the first to act.
"So, I'd say you're doing a great job~"
Taichi scratched his hair a little blankly. "Is that really enough?"
"Yes, just like that—that's enough~"
"But Zero, you told me my Crest represents 'Courage'... Always running and hiding like this—is that really courage?"
Zero had already told Taichi about the Crests and how evolution worked—after all, there wasn't much reason to hide such things.
Taichi's Crest was Courage, and when he expressed emotions aligning with it, the Crest would respond, triggering evolution.
Hearing Taichi's confusion, Zero immediately recalled the doubts Taichi had faced in the original story.
"…Courage and recklessness are different things. As for exactly how they differ—ha~ ha~, you'll figure it out sooner or later, Taichi~"
It wasn't something that could be explained clearly in words; Taichi had to realize it on his own. But he already possessed that quality inherently. With a little guidance, he'd definitely reach his full potential.
"Hmmm…" Taichi considered it deeply for a few seconds, finally nodding seriously. "…I get it now!"
Zero often teased that Taichi's true courage was the courage to keep living—after all, betrayed by love and having friendship snatched away, yet still smiling at life… how could that not count as courage?
But Zero knew those were just jokes. Taichi's true courage certainly wasn't expressed in that way; he was a classic, hot-blooded shōnen protagonist. He just needed a bit more tempering.
Nearby, Hikari clenched her fists, looking up with sparkling eyes.
"Mm, do your best, big brother!"
"OH!!!"
It had to be said—the buff provided by this one phrase was truly extraordinary, instantly igniting Taichi's siscon soul.
Zero watched this scene warmly, immediately thinking of Rina and Hajime…
…I wonder how they're doing right now. Well, luckily, the flow of time between the Digital and Real worlds differed. Spending a year or two here wouldn't waste too much time.
Thinking this, Zero calmed himself and waited patiently for the base to be completed…
...
At the same moment, Myotismon—who'd retreated back to his castle last night after the fierce battle with Zero, hiding from the daylight—had now recovered from his exhaustion.
He was perfectly clear that if Zero hadn't gotten distracted worrying about Taichi at the end, he wouldn't have been able to win.
Which meant, in terms of raw strength, he was now at a disadvantage.
This was naturally unbearable. Myotismon had always believed that on Server Continent right now, besides the Dark Masters themselves, there was no existence that could threaten him.
He'd built up his own army precisely by relying on this overwhelming strength.
Now, suddenly overshadowed by some nobody who came out of nowhere—naturally, he wasn't happy.
"Myotismon-sama…"
Just as Myotismon was contemplating accelerating his plans, a voice sounded in the throne room… and from the darkness emerged a petite figure.
She approached lightly, gracefully, like a cat with elegant steps, and stopped before Myotismon's throne.
The castle was gloomy, thick with darkness and Gothic dread—but this figure's presence was distinctly out of place.
After all, who'd expect a Vaccine-type Holy Beast Digimon to appear amidst an almost entirely Virus-type Dark Army?
Yet, here she was—indeed part of Myotismon's forces, even one of his most trusted subordinates.
The cat-like figure gracefully curtsied before Myotismon, speaking with a cheerful voice:
"My lord, the area you sent me to handle has been successfully subdued. Many more Digimon have expressed interest in joining your great cause~"
At a troubling time like this, hearing good news naturally lifted Myotismon's mood, and a smile finally appeared on his lips.
"Well done. As expected of you…"
Receiving his praise, the elegant cat smiled contentedly, narrowing her eyes. Then she asked lightly:
"What shall my next task be?"
Myotismon closed his eyes, contemplating for a few seconds. Then, an idea flashed in his mind—
"Yes, I have a new mission for you. Regarding that group from File Island who recently arrived on Server Continent… I want you to find a way to approach them and infiltrate their ranks."
Myotismon's subordinates were mostly Virus-type and Demon-type Digimon. Sending them out as spies was impossible—no one would trust them…
…But the feline in front of him was, after all, a Vaccine-type Holy Beast Digimon, and should easily win the trust of the enemy.
"Then…" Myotismon's voice darkened, murderous intent clear in his tone, "…find an opportunity to eliminate the two humans in their team. For you, assassinating two mere humans… should be easy, no?"
The graceful cat smiled lightly and cheerfully. "Mm, I understand~ Leave it to me to slip into their group and quietly eliminate those two humans… Myotismon-sama, I'll certainly complete this task for you~"
"Then…" Myotismon swung his cape dramatically, "…I'll await your good news."
Myotismon believed he'd devised a clever plan. Zero had no idea Myotismon would come up with such an absurdly self-destructive strategy.
...
Three days later, Zero's base had already been completed. The Drimogemons' efficiency was truly impressive.
Of course, this "base" of Zero's was, for now, mainly just a communications outpost to contact File Island.
Zero tinkered around, extracting the communication device he'd stored earlier within his DigiCore. Thankfully, with the strength of his current Perfect-level DigiCore, carrying around something like this wasn't troublesome.
After some careful adjustments, Zero cautiously activated the device…
…Immediately, the screen burst into static—snowflakes and black-white lines flickered across it amidst a burst of chaotic noise—before finally stabilizing.
"Can you hear me clearly?"
Zero waved at the screen, and Andromon's voice came through after a brief moment of fiddling.
"Yes, I hear you clearly… What's the situation over there?"
"I've successfully landed on Server Continent and have made contact with local friends."
As he spoke, Zero stepped aside, revealing Piximon, Taichi, and Hikari beside him.
Piximon was expected, but seeing Taichi and Hikari startled Andromon slightly—
…Two more humans again?
Well, surprise aside, Andromon quickly accepted reality. After all, one human had already appeared—what difference did a few more make? Especially as boundaries between the Digital and Real Worlds blurred, mutual crossings were becoming common.
Andromon nodded reassuringly, hearing Zero had connected with local allies.
"Then, we've successfully completed the first step. What comes next?"
Zero explained his plan—primarily recovering Crests and Digi-Alloy.
The strategy itself had no major flaws; Andromon agreed Zero's arrangements were correct. A decisive battle with Myotismon now would only alert the Dark Masters.
"Then, safe travels… Also…"
Here, Andromon shifted the topic, mentioning another matter.
Thanks to the Ultimate-level data template Zero provided, Andromon had managed to restore several dormant functions at the Unmanned Mechanical Factory. Though many projects remained inactive due to lack of raw materials, some had resumed…
…Using this functionality, Andromon had successfully completed one special project.
Rather than explain, Andromon directly revealed the finished product. Opening his palm, a glittering silver gear materialized in his hand…