"Alright, our first objective is to take down MetalSeadramon!"
With the decision made, action naturally followed immediately—but just as they began, a major problem arose.
MetalSeadramon dwelled in the depths of the Ocean Domain, one of the four territories ruled by the Dark Army. According to Spiral Mountain's program, the entire domain was a vast ocean.
Only a few islands dotted the endless sea, providing minimal land for the amphibious members of the Ocean Legion.
As for MetalSeadramon... it resided directly within the submarine city at the deepest reaches of the Ocean Domain.
...A city said to have been rebuilt atop certain "ancient ruins." MetalSeadramon and its subordinates could freely enter and exit, of course. But for Zero's party to reach that place, they had to first solve a critical issue—how to move freely underwater.
Among Zero's Resistance allies was Whamon, who could transport everyone to the depths. But Whamon could only serve as transport.
Once deep underwater, if combat started… They couldn't exactly hide inside Whamon's mouth the entire fight, could they?
The moment they stepped out from their ride, movement alone became difficult—never mind fighting against the Ocean Legion with their home-field advantage.
Zero's domain was continuously maintained, but even he couldn't instantly overwrite the entire Ocean Domain upon arrival to create walkable land.
In other words, first, they needed a way to operate underwater.
This matter, while difficult, was also simple enough in theory.
This was the Digital World—a place full of mysterious powers. Whether technological modifications or magical mysteries, there were always solutions to be found.
Moreover, there were all kinds of myth-based treasures. The Digital World itself was essentially a data-based reflection of the Real World, materialized.
However, these treasures and high-tech items were scattered everywhere throughout the Digital World. Searching blindly without a goal was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Well, in times like these, let's ask our old friend Gennai~!"
Zero quickly suggested a straightforward solution. After all, as the agent of Homeostasis, Gennai knew plenty of hidden secrets and could likely provide them with the needed information.
"Indeed…" Wizardmon nodded affirmatively. "If it's Gennai-san, he'd surely know something. Then…I'll take everyone there right away."
Gennai's residence was essentially hidden in the Digital World's deep web—without the exact address and proper access code, you could flip the entire Digital World upside down without finding him.
As Homeostasis's agent, it was natural he held management-level privileges. Unfortunately, those privileges came at a cost to his personal strength.
Zero's group was naturally whitelisted; no verification was needed. They could teleport there directly with the address.
Wizardmon drew a circle with his staff. Everyone stood within it, and with a wave, their surroundings abruptly shifted.
In an instant, the group appeared in a tranquil, Japanese-style courtyard. An old man sat beside a pond, quietly gazing at the koi swimming leisurely within it.
Noticing guests arriving, the old man tossed some fish food into the pond, triggering a frenzy of hungry koi. Rising to greet them, he turned and smiled warmly.
"Welcome, everyone, to my humble garden… Is there something you need from me?"
Rina, the Yagami siblings, and Koushiro politely stepped forward and greeted him—respecting elders was a traditional virtue, after all. Zero, however, skipped the pleasantries entirely, cutting straight to the point with a grin.
"Yep, there is something we'd like to ask, about the Dark Masters…"
Having come this far, dealing with other nuisances along the way, the decisive battles against the Dark Masters now drew near. Upon hearing Zero's explanation, Gennai expressed his sincere admiration.
"So, the time for the showdown with the Dark Masters has finally arrived. To think you've already achieved two victories in quick succession... truly impressive. Not much time has passed since you left File Island, and yet your growth fills this old man with admiration."
"Haha, no need for flattery~"
The kids seemed quite pleased by his praise—after all, having their hard work acknowledged always felt nice. Zero, meanwhile, was far more direct.
Gennai seemed quite used to Zero's reactions—or perhaps this straightforwardness itself wasn't unpleasant at all.
"You need a treasure that can grant underwater movement, so you can reach the underwater city in the Ocean Domain... Indeed, the Digital World holds many treasures capable of such feats…"
He paused briefly before continuing, "However, many such treasures are sealed away, and not easily acquired…"
Zero nodded. He himself knew of several already—for instance, the legendary Spirits of the Ten Legendary Warriors, representing the ten elements. The Spirit of Water would indeed possess such power.
But currently, the Spirits of the Ten Legendary Warriors were scattered across the Digital World. They acted as seals to suppress Lucemon's revival, and thus couldn't be easily tampered with.
If released prematurely, the chaos caused might dwarf even the current crisis with the Dark Masters by several magnitudes...
Ken Ichijouji from Adventure 02 had already entered the Adventure-era plotline. If Frontier's storyline joined the mix now, things would truly become an unsalvageable mess.
Right now, Zero's primary mission was leveling up in the original "newbie version" storyline of Adventure, in preparation for the later power-creep eras with Royal Knights, Seven Great Demon Lords, Twelve Olympos, and other OP threats everywhere.
In that future, where you couldn't even show your face without being a Mega, and any ordinary Mega without special buffs would be fodder to be casually farmed, the current Zero wouldn't even survive a single round.
So excluding treasures untouchable for now—or at least not until the storyline reached that point—the remaining available treasure was the easiest to obtain in their current circumstances.
"There's an island in the easternmost part of the Ocean Domain. The island's owner possesses precisely such a treasure. However, the island's master is currently imprisoned by MetalSeadramon, and the entire island is under the Ocean Legion's control."
Zero instantly perked up. "Oh? Who's the island's owner?"
Gennai smiled knowingly, not bothering to build suspense as he immediately gave the name…
"The lord of the Gekomon—ShogunGekomon…"
Oh, right. In the original plot, wasn't that the guy who fell into deep depression after losing a singing contest, refused to wake up, and eventually had to be "woken" by Mimi's singing?
"So that's how it is… imprisoned by MetalSeadramon, huh? Then if we rescue him and his minions, it shouldn't be hard to borrow the treasure as payment, right?"
Perfect—this way, they could also free the Digimon under the Dark Masters' control. Truly killing two birds with one stone.
"Indeed. Ah, by the way…" Gennai then glanced towards Koushiro and Wizardmon. "…How's it going? Are you two cooperating well?"
Wizardmon pressed down his hat brim, quickly answering first. "Of course. Koushiro-san is an excellent partner. Thanks to him, my magic has been able to reach even deeper levels."
Koushiro quickly jumped in, "...Wizardmon-san is incredible too. Being around him lets me learn so many unbelievable things. Without Wizardmon-san, I'd never have been able to come into contact with such a magical world."
They exchanged a quick look, the unspoken understanding between two intelligent minds making further explanation unnecessary.
These two brainy partners, combined with the Crest of Knowledge, worked together at far beyond a simple "one plus one" effectiveness. Continuing down this path, it might even be possible for Wizardmon to break through the Mega Barrier one day.
Gennai nodded warmly, feeling quite relieved. Wizardmon was essentially an outsider accidentally brought into this world, with no place to call home. Having lost his memories, he had no path back.
But now that he'd found a partner in Koushiro, Wizardmon finally had a place to belong—a fitting resolution after drifting alone for so long.
"Koushiro-san, actually, I have a gift I'd like to give you… If possible, could you leave your laptop with me for one night?"
Koushiro froze for a moment. His laptop was something he never parted from—packed with custom-coded programs, it was his most precious possession. But after brief hesitation, he readily handed it over.
Gennai took it gently, then turned toward Rina, Taichi, and Hikari with an apologetic smile.
"My apologies—I didn't prepare gifts for you three. The best I can offer is a simple meal."
"Haha, no worries at all! I don't mind that sort of thing. Besides, the gift for Koushiro is probably something super intellectual, right? I'm definitely not smart enough for it~"
Taichi's self-awareness was painfully accurate, prompting a sigh from Hikari beside him.
"Onii-chan, that's really nothing to be proud of. If only you could be at least half as smart as Koushiro-san~"
"?!"
That single sentence landed with more devastating power than even a Mega-level strike. As a siscon, Taichi clearly took critical damage.
"Haha, I totally get it~"
Rina patted Taichi's shoulder reassuringly. "When little sisters grow up, they aren't as clingy anymore. My Kaguya's like that too. Ahh, I really miss when she was still my cute, obedient little Kaguya~"
Zero couldn't help but quietly retort internally. He hadn't met this world's Kaguya Shinomiya yet, but considering Rina's exuberant personality, if the sisters had grown apart, it definitely wasn't Kaguya's fault.
Meanwhile, Taichi's expression turned even more complicated.
"...Rina-san, are you sure you're comforting me?"
Why do I feel even worse now?
Zero sighed inwardly once again. It's okay, Taichi, relax… At least Hikari's brocon tendencies definitely haven't faded with age.
If not for that sibling relationship issue, there'd never have been anything between Takeru and Daisuke…
But… a sister, huh?
For some reason, in that instant, Zero's heart was filled with an inexplicable sense of melancholy…
---
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