The magical vehicle roared through the jagged canyons of Edolas, leaving a massive plume of dust in its wake.
The tires shrieked as Edo-Natsu drifted around a hairpin turn, the rear end of the car sliding precariously close to the edge of a steep cliff.
Earth-Natsu hung his head over the side of the passenger door, his face a sickly shade of green.
"I'm gonna be sick... please, just let me walk."
"Walk?!" Edo-Natsu laughed, his voice wild and full of arrogant adrenaline.
He slammed his foot down on the gas pedal, shifting the heavy gears with a harsh grinding sound. "The Dragion doesn't do walking! We're burning rubber straight to the King's front door! Hold onto your hats, nerds!"
In the back seat, Ace sat with his arms crossed, his posture relaxed despite the chaotic driving.
Gatomon sat on his shoulder, her white fur blowing wildly in the wind as she watched the harsh landscape blur past them.
Wendy clung to the leather seat, her knuckles turning white, while Carla squeezed her eyes shut and prayed for the ride to end.
After another hour of spine-rattling jumps and terrifying drifts, the red dirt of the desert gave way to a dark, mountainous terrain made of jagged obsidian rock.
Edo-Natsu hit the brakes, sliding the vehicle into a narrow ravine hidden from the main road.
The engine sputtered and died, plunging the canyon into a sudden, ringing silence.
Natsu practically fell out of the car, kissing the hard stone ground. "Oh, thank you. I thought I was a goner."
Edo-Natsu opened his door and stepped out. The instant his boots touched the ground, his confident, wild swagger evaporated.
His shoulders hunched, his lip quivered, and tears streamed down his face.
"I'm so sorry!" Edo-Natsu wailed, dropping to his hands and knees. "I drove like a maniac! I endangered all your lives! I'm a terrible person! Please forgive me!"
"It's fine, just stay here and watch the car," Edo-Lucy sighed, stepping out of the passenger side and grabbing her spiked whip.
"We'll go the rest of the way on foot."
They climbed a steep ridge, keeping low to the ground. When they reached the top, the view opened up, revealing the heart of the Edolas Kingdom.
The Royal Capital was a staggering sight. It wasn't just a city; it was an impenetrable fortress built into the side of a massive mountain.
Towering walls of thick steel and dark stone encircled the outer districts, heavily guarded by armed patrols and mechanical turrets.
But what drew their eyes wasn't the fortress itself.
Floating high above the central palace, tethered by thick, glowing chains of magical energy, was a colossal lacrima crystal.
It was massive, easily the size of an island, pulsing with a deep, mesmerizing purple light.
Natsu gripped the red hilt of his Fire Blade, his knuckles turning white. His motion sickness vanished, replaced by a cold, burning anger.
"That's them. Everyone is inside that thing."
"The King is draining their magical energy to sustain this world," Edo-Lucy explained, her voice quiet.
"If we don't shatter that crystal soon, your friends won't just be trapped. They'll be consumed."
"We aren't letting that happen," Ace said. He looked down toward the base of the mountain, tracing a path through the jagged rocks.
"Where is the tunnel entrance?"
Edo-Lucy pointed to a heavily fortified steel gate at the bottom of the ravine, guarded by a garrison of Royal Soldiers.
"Right there. It's an old mining shaft that connects directly to the lower dungeons of the palace. But they stepped up security. I count at least thirty guards, plus a dozen mechanical hounds."
"Thirty guards?" Wendy swallowed hard, looking down at her silver bracers.
"I'll just blast through the front gate!" Natsu growled, drawing his sword.
"No," Ace said, putting a hand on Natsu's shoulder to stop him. "If you make a massive explosion out here, you'll alert the entire capital. We need to clear them out fast and quiet. Gatomon, stand by. I'm bringing out someone new for this."
"Got it, Ace," Gatomon nodded, hopping off his shoulder and slipping into the shadows of the rocks.
Ace stepped forward, his eyes locked on the garrison below.
He pulled his D-Tector from his coat as the screen glowed with a brilliant light.
"Wizardmon!"
A stream of data shot from the device, swirling and taking shape.
A figure materialized wearing a ragged, star-patterned cloak and a wide-brimmed pointed hat. He held a staff topped with a glowing, sun-shaped emblem.
The Digimon's face was hidden behind a dark mask, leaving only his piercing blue eyes visible.
"At your service, Ace," Wizardmon said, his voice smooth and calm.
"We need a distraction," Ace commanded.
He swiped his hand across the scanner of the D-Tector again, channeling his own boundless energy.
"Execute! Spirit Evolution!"
Rings of fractal digital code erupted, wrapping around his body. The data forged sleek, heavily armored plating colored in stark white and deep indigo.
A metallic wolf-like visor snapped over his face, and twin lightsabers materialized on his forearms.
"Lobomon!"
Edo-Lucy stared in awe at the armored warrior of light. "You have more transformation?"
"I have a lot of tricks," Lobomon said, his voice echoing with a slight metallic edge. He looked at Wizardmon.
"Drop the illusions. Now."
Wizardmon spun his staff, slamming the base into the dirt.
"Magical Game!"
A wave of strange, shimmering energy washed over the Royal Garrison below.
Suddenly, dozens of phantom clones of Natsu, Wendy, and Edo-Lucy materialized right in front of the guards, shouting and charging forward.
"Intruders!" the lead guard yelled, aiming his mechanical spear. "Open fire!"
The guards unleashed a barrage of magical blasts, but the attacks passed harmlessly through the illusions, striking the dirt and rocks.
The mechanical hounds barked viciously, snapping their metal jaws at targets that didn't exist.
While the Royal Army wasted their energy on the phantoms, Lobomon moved.
Channeling the Spirit of Light, he became a blur of white and indigo, crossing the ravine in a fraction of a second.
He appeared right in the center of the panicked guards, his twin lightsabers igniting with brilliant, searing energy.
"Licht Siege!"
Lobomon spin in a devastating arc, his blades slicing cleanly through the shafts of the mechanical spears and shattering the armor of the guards.
He moved with flawless precision, striking pressure points and knocking the soldiers unconscious before they could even scream.
Gatomon struck from the shadows above.
"Lightning Paw!"
She bounced off the helmets of the Royal Guards, her rapid strikes neutralizing the soldiers on the perimeter.
Meanwhile, Wizardmon conjured a massive storm cloud above the remaining troops.
"Thunder Cloud!" Wizardmon shouted.
A concentrated bolt of lightning struck the ground, short-circuiting the mechanical hounds and leaving them sparking and motionless.
In less than twenty seconds, the entire garrison lay unconscious on the ground.
The heavy steel doors of the mining tunnel were unguarded.
Lobomon reverted back to Ace in a shower of digital light. He stood amidst the fallen soldiers, his breathing perfectly calm. He brushed a speck of dust from his coat and gestured toward the gate.
"The path is clear. Let's move."
Natsu and Wendy scrambled down the rocks, with Edo-Lucy right behind them.
"You guys are terrifying," Edo-Lucy muttered, staring at the defeated army. "I'm really glad you aren't working for the King."
Ace stepped up to the heavy steel doors, grabbing the rusted iron wheel in the center. With a sharp pull, the ancient gears ground together, and the doors slowly parted, revealing a pitch-black tunnel that smelled of sulfur and damp earth.
Wizardmon stepped to the front, the sun emblem on his staff glowing with a warm, steady light to illuminate the dark cavern.
"Stay close. I sense hostile energy deeper inside."
They entered the tunnel, the heavy steel doors shutting ominously behind them. The air grew colder the further they walked. The ground was slick with moisture, and strange, glowing moss coated the jagged walls.
"I don't like this place," Happy whispered, hovering close to Natsu.
"Keep your guard up," Ace warned, his eyes scanning the shadows. "The Royal Army might have left traps."
Suddenly, a deep, rumbling growl echoed through the cavern.
The ground shook, dislodging loose rocks from the ceiling.
From the darkness ahead, three massive, horrifying creatures slithered into Wizardmon's light. They were giant subterranean tunnel worms, their bodies covered in thick, armored scales.
Their mouths were gaping maws filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth, dripping with acidic saliva.
"Edolas Rock Worms!" Edo-Lucy warned, taking a step back and readying her whip. "Their scales are as hard as iron, and their acid can melt through bone!"
"I got this!" Natsu yelled.
He stepped in front of the group, drawing his Fire Blade. He gripped the red hilt, channeling his physical strength into the weapon.
The lacrima core ignited, and a massive burst of roaring flames erupted from the blade. Natsu swung the heavy sword, launching a wave of intense fire down the tunnel.
The flames engulfed the first worm, scorching its armored scales.
The beast shrieked in pain, thrashing wildly and smashing its heavy body against the cave walls.
"Take that!" Natsu grinned, though he panted slightly from the physical exertion required to power the sword.
But the remaining two worms ignored the flames.
One of them lunged forward with terrifying speed, its massive jaws snapping open to bite Natsu in half.
"Natsu, look out!" Wendy cried.
Wendy stepped firmly forward, bringing her arms up.
She focused her intent on the silver bracers locked around her forearms.
The small dials on the Air Shatter Vambraces spun rapidly, sucking in the surrounding air with a high-pitched whine.
Wendy threw a punch directly at the lunging worm.
BOOM!
A massive, compressed shockwave of sheer kinetic force blasted from her bracer. The invisible wall of air slammed into the worm's face like a solid iron hammer.
The sheer impact shattered the beast's front teeth and threw its massive, multi-ton body backward, sending it crashing into its partner in a tangle of scales and dust.
Wendy stood her ground, her fists raised, breathing heavily but smiling.
"It worked! I'm not useless!"
"Nice hit, Wendy!" Natsu cheered, giving her a thumbs-up.
"Let's finish them off," Ace said. He gestured to Wizardmon.
Wizardmon pointed his staff at the tangled, stunned worms.
"Magic Game!" A flurry of explosive magical energy blasted from his staff, striking the cavern roof directly above the beasts.
Heavy stalactites broke loose, crashing down and pinning the giant worms to the tunnel floor, rendering them immobile.
"Good work, everyone," Ace said, walking past the trapped beasts without a second glance. "Let's keep moving. We're running out of time."
They pressed deeper into the winding tunnels, the incline growing steeper as they ascended toward the foundation of the Royal Palace.
The air began to feel less like a damp cave and more like an artificial structure.
The rough stone walls slowly transitioned into smooth, carved masonry.
Finally, they reached the end of the line.
A thick, reinforced iron door blocked their path, secured by a heavy magical lock.
Edo-Lucy stepped forward, examining the locking mechanism. "This is it. The lower dungeons of the palace. If we go through here, we're officially behind enemy lines."
Natsu gripped his Fire Blade tight, a fierce, determined fire burning in his eyes.
He looked up, knowing his guildmates were trapped in a crystal somewhere above them.
"Open it," Natsu said. "We're bringing our family home."