Young Detective Prince VS (　　　　　) @detectiveichijouji - Tumblr Blog

10h

Young Detective Prince Special 3 ~ GraceNovamon's Ascension ~

(art: koucholate - artfight atk)

[AO3 v.]

This oneshot idea came from BeatBreak's Kyo Arc when it was announced. As of today, 8/1 (or 8/2 in my timezone), i'm posting this as part of my Odaiba Memorial Day/Digimon Day project.

A curious visit from Noel, Youta and Mizuki at Inifinity Café on August 1st 2017 has piqued Rui and Ukkomon's curiosity. Why is this date so important to them? Asking won't hurt after all!! Then, they tell Rui and Ukkomon how they all met, and how they formed strong bonds. The origins of the Amas ☆ Stellaire's trio has been revealed.

The café Infinity was open and running its business normally… It had passed two years since the closure of Futami twins’ case, everything became peaceful and quiet.

Rui looked at the clock, expecting for someone to come but…

Wakamiya Ryo, or rather, Akiyama Ryo has not come. It had been a while now… Ryo was definitely too troubled by his own actions from two years ago, like pestering Rui with questions nonstop, and had also forced to fight and eliminate them in order to keep his adoptive little brother, Wakamiya Jo, safe.

Bakumon’s egg has hatched with full health and was in the care of Izumi Koushiro, until Himekawa Maki is released from prison. The baby digimon is currently at Zerimon form — but instead of being green like the others… This particular digimon was purple, something similar to Bakumon’s fur on its arms, belly and the tips of the ears, but in a lighter tone instead. Despite the slow hatching proccess, Koushiro and his peers, alongside Kido Joe, had assured the digimon was healthy and did not present signals of corruption anymore. And besides that, digimon in the human world has not enough energy to maintain in higher forms if they had not exactly ‘grown’ naturally. So it was presumed Zerimon was actually staying in that form by choice and not by any health issues.

Koushiro had decided to send him to the virtual space he and the others created, labelled ‘DigiFarm’. Said prototype had existed before in 2005, but it got expanded now thanks to Bellucci family’s financial support and partnership (Menoa had personally asked her parents for this. They had gladly accepted in order to thank Morphomon for everything good she had had done for Menoa). Other specialists in the area were working as well, with professor Mochizuki and professor Shibayama.

…

…The silence felt… awkward. Quite of.

Ukkomon looked at him, clueless about what was inside Rui’s head. Despite them being more communicative and able to undertstand each other better, there’s times Ukkomon couldn’t exactly guess what Rui is thinking or feeling. While this is odd, since the digimon are capable to read their partners pretty well… The distance between the two for almost a decade had turned into the biggest obstacle to be surpassed.

Rui can and will stop talking about his own feelings when he’s overwhelmed. He can snap if you try to force him to open his heart, and isolate himself even more every time you insist. That’s a hassle, right? He wasn’t cooperative at all… Trauma does that to people.

“…Maybe I just got too used to him being around.”

Rui muttered,

“He won’t come anymore, right?” and he looked at the smartwatch on his left wrist he was still using.

“Oh, you mean… Noel and the others?”

Rui gently turned to Ukkomon, then…

“I… I think so. Wakamiya-san and them… They would walk in at this hour and something would happen. If it were Wakamiya-san, he would bother me with questions about the phantom thief. If it were Noel-kun and the others, they would be requesting my help for something.”

“True, true…”

“Since when I was able to… think like that?”

“Like what?”

“… I had issues to… I still have issues to think what others will do or say to me. But I’ve feeling different since then, sometimes I feel I can read what they would do. Not something I am certain about, but… It gives me a little feeling.”

“You mean, you’re trying to take in consideration their feelings before you act?”

“I think so…?”

Suddenly, someone walked in and interrupted their chit-chat. A peculiar young man with a low ponytail that was ridiculously long and moved like a cat tail. behind him, two other human with their digimon partners: Mizuki had been carrying Lunamon in her arms, while Coronamon walked next to Youta with his usual stoic air.

“ Bonjour, mon ami Ohwada-kun. May we have a table for a little reunion?”

“Noel-kun?” Rui blinked, “W-where have you been…?”

“Since there’s no digimon crisis, we had been… traveling around.”

“Oh…!” Ukkomon and Rui exclaimed.

“Even we need a break to enjoy life, don’t you agree?”

“True…”

“Besides that!” Lunamon said with a smug grin, “That’s a special day.”

“Special day…?” Rui and Ukkomon said in unison.

“August 1st,” Coronamon explained calmly, “It was when Youta and Mizuki witnessed a digimon case for the first time.”

“August 1st…” Rui repeated that date… Then gasped, looked at his smartwatch’s calendar and, “It’s… it’s the day Daisuke-kun and the others gather to celebrate their encounter with their digimon…!!”

“So you guys—” Ukkomon glanced at them, speechless. But Noel had to interfere:

“Youta-san and Mizuki-san had no actual part in these events. Not in this reality. But as I remember, they hadn’t in the old reality as well. Only Ryo-san, Ichijouji-kun, Youta-san’s big sister Hino Akari, and Mizuki-san’s older brother in that reality, Hikawa Yuuichi who had became Chosen Children after the events of a digimon incident in the human world, on August 1st 1999 to August 3rd 1999.”

“Oh… So the story was different back then…?”

“… Have I done something different there…?” Rui said, quite vaguely.

Noel shook his head, “Not that I am aware of. But it doesn’t matter… The reality was altered into this new and current one, one where Mizuki-san is has no siblings, and Youta-san’s big sister has no strong bonds with Ryo-san and might not know Ichijouji-kun as well.”

“Ah… I… I see.”

“Anyway, wouldn’t Motomiya invite you to tag along with them?” Youta asked, “We had the feeling you guys got along pretty well.”

“Ah, no… It’s not that…” Rui babbled awkwardly, “Daisuke-kun and the others have plans for today, but not for now. Ukkomon and I had been invited too, but it’s Tuesday and I have work to do.”

“So, what would you like to order!” Ukkomon clasped his fins, smiling happilly at them.

…

“Here’s your orders,” Rui and Ukkomon served the table the trio and their digimon had picked, “Ah, and… Ukkomon and I added a little treat too. No additional fees.”

“You had changed a lot, rookie” Lunamon smiled, “Like, you were all quiet and only heard orders, then you started opening your heart to us more and more, and now can even make snarky remarks!”

“That wasn’t a snarky remark though…” Rui chuckled awkwardly, “But seriously… I’m paying for that little extra from my own pocket.”

“It’s curious that you decided to continue working here…” Coronamon commented, “Haven’t Izumi Koushiro recruited you…?”

“That’s a voluntary job, I am not accepting a payroll for something I am supposed to be doing. The safety of the digimon, the Digital World and our world is my duty too.”

“Hmm…”

“…May I ask, something I had no courage to ask before?” Rui looked away.

“What would it be, Ohwada-kun?” Mizuki raised an eyebrow.

“You see… After I have told about my storry to Daisuke'-kun’s group, they later updated me with theirs. But at that time I did not ask them for that, they just said they wanted me to know them better.”

“And what is your point?” she asked.

“… This is the first time I… I want to know more about others. I want to know more about you guys, and about Michizuki-san, and Wakamiya-san…”

“So, you have developed the trait of ‘curiosity’?” Noel smiled at him.

“… Yeah, I think so…” he blushed a little, avoiding to look any of them in the eye, “This is how you become closer with other people and digimon… right?”

“Well, we surely heard a lot about him” Youta shrugged, “Maybe he and Ukkomon have a right to know.”

“It would be good to relieve those memories…” Lunamon chirped, “Noel, the lights! Pwease!”

“Wait, what do you mean— I am still at working hours—”

But it was too fast and with a snap of fingers, the environment changed magically. If there’s something different between Daisuke’s group telling their adventures and Noel’s group telling theirs…

…is that Noel is a magician-bar-illusionist, and one of the most dramatic type who would not waste the opportunity to show of what he is capable to do.

“—W-what!?” Ukkomon screeched, looking around, “A-are we in a theater!? Huh!?”

“I… I hope no one comes in the meantime…” Rui gulped, “Yuna might be aware of you guys and what I had been doing before, but… She can and will be strict when it comes to managing her café…!!”

“Don’t worry,” Coronamon said with a calm voice, “Noel made the time pass differently here.”

“W-what? How…?”

“The Hideout has been improved since you helped me to evolve further,” Noel explained with a cocky grin, “Arsenemon Noir can do more than Arsenemon could, I can make this place move accordingly to my tastes. The only cons of it is this pocket dimension is connected to your world only, which means we couldn’t access it from any Digital World.”

“Ah… I see— Wait a second. You said ‘any’? Does it mean—”

“There isn’t only one Digital World, mon ami. But the one we came from and are aquainted to is not the same bound to your world, the space-time is infinite and has endless posibilities.”

“Does it mean… Hino-san and Hikawa-san come from… another world?”

“ Non, non. They are residents of your human world. There’s actually three main Digital Worlds so far: The one related to Ukkomon, Iliad — ruled by Homeros and the Olympos XII, and Shambala — ruled by Kunlun. The one Ukkomon belongs to and might be aquainted with is ruled by Yggdrasil.”

“Oh! I remember that name!” Ukkomon nodded, “Yep, yep! That’s my boss!” but then his antennae went down as he frowned, “Or was my boss… I think I got fired…”

“Sigh…” Rui shook his head with a crooked smile, then switched his gaze at Noel again, “So, this Digital World you mean is… one of those?”

“Actually it’s a lesser layer world called Witchelny. Its residents can travel to Yggdrasil’s Digital World like humans can cross frontiers and travel to other countries.”

“Ohhh…!!” Rui and Ukkomon were quite interested on that talk.

“It was in Witchelny where I learned magic. But it was way before evolving into Arsenemon. One day I accidentally was sent to the human world and met a human child named Kamishiro Yuuko, and she had a digimon partner, BlackAgumon. It’s thanks to big sis Yuuko that I evolved into yours truly master of trickery and illusion.”

Rui and Ukkomon were just clapping like two kids listening to a storyteller reading them a book.

“But that part can be left for another time,” Noel chuckled once again, “You want to know… How we met?”

The two nodded in silence, smiling.

“Well then… It’s show time. ”

And, with a fancy clap of hands... the lights turned off.

In August 3rd 1999, a mysterious continent appeared across the skies in the human world and was witnessed by several people in different places and different timezones.

Any equipment and flying machine which touched it, or tried to access the mysterious continent had it malfunction, and mysteriously ‘frozen’. Luckily, not many incidents happened, but no one knew how. Sans to the airplane saved by Garudamon, all the others seemed to have been protected by… a mysterious unknown mecha-like knight creature… But none of those eyewitnesses had managed to take a photo or record a video of that creature… As it vanished after saving them. Many of those mysterious knight-like creatures were spotted, but not caught in camera at all. Some thought it was a bad dream and moved on, others were certain it was something supernatural.

Back in Japan, while Yagami Taichi and the other seven Chosen Children formed by his group were ready to return to the ‘digimon’s world’ and try to solve this, a boy wearing formal clothes and looking at the window from the restaurant he was having an important dinner with his family, glanced at the continent in the sky.

“… M-Mom, look!!” the young boy pointed to the supernatural event, “There’s…—”

“Youta, you should go back to the table. You haven’t finished your meal.”

“But…!!”

“No.”

“…………. yes, mom.” With a sad gaze at the continent in the sky, a young Hino Youta whispered something.

Something like…

I wish I was free to go there.

In another area, a young girl was at home with her cousins. They all glanced at the sky for a moment. That place seemed special… Something that fascinated one of the girls:

“… That’s beautiful…!!”

The other two cousins commented on it: “But!! The news said a plane touched it and almost crashed!!”

“…Could it be, the end of the world they were talking about?!”

“But wouldn’t it be in July!? Maybe they were wrong!?”

Then, a young girl with blue hair looked at the two boys and the little girl with a blank stare “… What are you talking about?”

They shut up immediately. She continued to pierce them with her glare.

“It… It was YOU who did this then!!” the young sibling pointed at her, while hiding behind his older sibling, “You said something interesting would happen!!”

“Huh!? Why are you accusing me of that!? Just because I said I sensed something interesting was about to happen, it does not mean I have done it!!”

“Mizuki!!” the oldest cousin called her out, in an annoyed tone, “Why are you always like that!?”

“But I did not— I didn’t start it!! I swear! I— I haven’t—!!”

“Sigh, this is why you have no friends… You keep scaring others with those… ‘visions’ and ‘feelings’…”

“…”

She shut in and went to her room, locked the door and looked up to the sky. As if she was asking, pleading to be taken to that other place, hopefully she would be understood there.

Maybe they could not call her weird at all there…

A time skip. Straight to August 2000. Youta is now 10 years old, and he’s looking around… Something strange has happened again. First in August 1999, then on the internet in March 2000... Something like a Blackout hit the area… A giant bird was spotted. He went to look for his big sister, Akari, who had suddenly left in a rush. The residents of that area were asked to not get outside, but Youta refused to leave Akari alone.

He ran after he heard her voice… it was talking to someone? Something? He couldn’t tell.

it was when… he spotted… the bird and other children with mysterious monsters. Akari was there. The battle he witnessed had other children watching it, none of those ones had a digimon partner or were taking part of the battle. When he was about to call Akari…

…she, the kids with her, and the monsters — alongside with the enemy — leapt through a strange gate.

Suddenly… the blackout was resolved and the power has returned.

In the crowd, Mizuki witnessed it with her own eyes as well. She spotted Youta there and ran in his direction. Both had a feeling… this could’ve been related to the previous incidents regarding those ‘monsters’ …

Youta and Mizuki were friends since elementary school. Actually, he was the only one who didn’t call her a weirdo, or was exploiting her mysterious ‘powers’ for free fortune readings. And Mizuki was the only one who didn’t make Youta angry, or judged him badly for being a ‘failure’ in the eyes of his family.

They covered each other’s back. Gave each other support and encouragement.

On summer vacations from 2004…

A gate opened and sent the two and other two people near them to the Digital World. But… not the same one Yagami Taichi has visited.

It was… Witchelny — The land of Magic.

Youta & Mizuki (now 13yo), and the other peculiar children — Mokami Ryouma (13yo) and Aramaki Kayono (12yo) were recruited by Wisemon and instructed them about their task: Beat Barbamon, the one who had overtaken Witchelny's hopes and dreams and turned it in a land of despair and sorrow.

Youta has been partnered with Coronamon, a stoic and noble digimon. Mizuki has been partnered with Lunamon, a carefree and mischevious one compared to her own species. Mokami has been partnered with Psychemon, a gentle and supportive, loyal friend. And Kayono had been partnered with Pomumon, a scaredy-cat type but still motivated enough to face her own fears.

They became a strong group, surpassing various difficulties in Witchelny… But they weren’t flawless. They were still imperfect living beings — both human and digimon.

And then they faced a real trial.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…

“I sense… something is coming,” and Mizuki would whisper those cryptic words, “Kayono and Mokami are not strong enough… They clearly did not want to be here. They’re different from… us.”

“What do you mean, Mizuki?” he asked, but Lunamon replied with a shrug:

“If you don’t want to fight, then you will get eaten in this world, simple as that.”

“…” Coronamon nodded sagely, “If you don't strengthen your weapons, they won't be powerful enough to defeat the enemy.”

Mizuki continued, “It's... Something about… One of us falling soon.”

“One of us?” they all exclaimed.

It’s true, something was about to happen… As the digimon and humans slept nicely late night days later, a KoDokugumon sneaked into the camp, and went to hit Kayono when…

“Rapid Seed!!”

…Pomumon woke up by sensing the dangerous foe and attacked it immediately, waking Kayono and the others up. They reagruped and tried to battle, but one of the enemies, hidden in the field, hit Pomumon with a strange substance… forcing it to evolve into Hydramon.

Kayono was in shock, her beloved friend, Pomumon… Ready to kill them all…!?

The remaining teammates evolved their partners to Flaremon, Crescemon and RaijiLudomon, hoping that they could do something and save their friend. Someone watched from the distance… They could sense this was another reckless attempt of one of Barbamon’s generals… Regulusmon.

Watching a digimon in pain hurt the mysterious one deep down… Enough for discreetly offering a hand to the Chosen Children.

The group had to fight Pomumon, but Kayono didn’t want to. The others knew they had no other choice, it was exactly what Lunamon said — eat or be eaten.

“Please, don’t!! Pomumon, please… snap out of it!!” Kayono screamed, trying to reach the good-hearted’s digimon and make them regain control over themself.

“If we continue trying to make Pomumon stop by free will we all will get killed!” Youta told her with a serious tone and gaze, “We have to fight! Pomumon wouldn’t want us to let them run amok, Aramaki!!”

RaijiLudomon was protecting the children with a barrier up around them, while Flaremon and Crescemon tried to beat Hydramon as fast as possible… But the enemy was strong… Until it suddenly got weakened.

Why?

…Because someone was fighting Regulusmon behind the curtains. And since Regulusmon was not that smart, a trickister digimon like this particular one was was able to beat Regulusmon… with his own attack.

Hydramon now has lost power from the GRB (Gulus Realm Burst) factor and has trying to restrain their attacks, allowing Flaremon and Crescemon destroy them, by using Lunatic Dance and finishing it with Purifying Howl.

“… YOU… YOU KILLED POMUMON!!” Kayomon was petrified but also deep down she was ANGRY and wanted to fight Youta and Mizuki for that, especially Mokami, who had sealed her inside that barrier instead of—

“We had no other choice!!” Mizuki argued back, we didn’t want to! But… Pomumon—

“Don’t dare to say it was what they wanted!! Pomumon didn’t want to…! They didn’t want to—!!”

Suddenly, Lekismon used a sleeping bubble bomb on her, making Kayono fall asleep and thus calm down.

“… I’m sorry, Kayono…”

The next time they met Wisemon, the mage-like digimon sent Kayono back to the human world, and apologized for what happened.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…

“Gyaa hahahahahahahaha!! You humans cannot do anything against me, I’m powerful despite being an Adult level! One touch of my own nails… And you’re forever deleted, heh.”

The group was ambushed by GulusGammamon when rescuing baby digimon from this army of Troopmon who had taken their village. The group’s digimon was on Adult level stage, plotting how they could beat the troops and GulusGammamon… To not realize someone watching them from the shadows.

Keep me informed — They told another digimon that was invisible and observing the fight.

As Firamon, Lekismon and Gururumon managed to beat the Troopmon horde… GulusGammamon had a terrible nasty trick in mind: He sent one of its powerful attacks in the direction of the babies.

“No!!”

Mokami’s feet moved by themselves, the boy’s instinct to protect others in danger spoke louder than his own good sense. Mokami Ryouma walked and tried to protect the babies with his own body, and already expecting for the worst!!

“Ryouma, NO!!”

…But who got hit by GulusGammamon’s attack was Gururumon instead. A loud, deadly scream echoed and traumatized all of the ones present in the scene. The wolf digimon reverted back to DigiEgg state. GulusGammamon took advantage of it and managed to beat Firamon and Lekismon in the meanwhile.

They felt it would be the end of their journey and mission to beat Barbamon, when…

“G-GUH!!—!!”

… GulusGammamon was cleaved by a sword, one similar to HolyAngemon’s Excalibur, wielded by a mysterious digimon hiding in a cloak.

“Y-you…. Betrayed… u-us…!!”

“Arrevoir.”

The children’s unusual ally looked at them,

“W-who are you…?”

But they got no answer, and the unknown digimon left immediately. With Mokami’s partner out, the group was reduced to two kids…

Mokami Ryouma was left in the village with Psychemon’s egg… Under the care of Jijimon the elder, who assured the other two Mokami would be okay.

Youta and Mizuki would then continue their mission alone, with their mons…

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…

One day, Lunamon spotted someone lying in the river the group was using to gather food and supplies for their journey. The group approached the human being: A girl with rose pink hair, unconscious. Near hear, there was this marmot-look-a-like cyborg… also unconscious.

What was a Chosen Child like them doing there? The group then helped the mysterious girl and digimon, treating their wounds.

“Who might you be?” Coronamon asked them, once girl and digimon had finally awake.

“I’m… I’m sorry for worring you… I didn’t expect to see… Humans here…”

“Huh?”

“I’m Nekoyashiki Momoko… B-but I am not your enemy!!” she said panickily, waving her hands, “P-please…!!”

The group looked at each other. They weren’t told about any other humans in Witchelny. And there was some distrust on Momoko. She and Espimon, that digimon's name, wouldn't be casually lying on the shore of the river, right? Something had happened…

“Can you tell us how did you get those bruises and was… passed out on that river?” Youta asked, quite skeptical about Momoko.

“I was… I was attacked by a digimon! I’m one of the past Chosen Children who landed here before you… Espimon and I had a group, but they were totally beaten and sent back to the human world… But I got stuck here…”

“Hmm…”

“I know it’s strange…!! B-But you’re not the only ones…! H-here, I can prove it to you…!” And Momoko showed them… a D-3 just like the group’s but different color from them — its grip was Bronze-colored. (Youta’s was Gold, Mizuki’s was Silver, Mokami’s was Dark Purple, Kayono’s was Deep Pink)

This probably proved that… she was telling them the truth, right?

Momoko has joined the group, even if under the suspicion from Youta and Mizuki. Those ones will be hard to gain trust, you may assume out of them… But those two humans and their digimon were friendly enough for the task. Somehow, Youta and Mizuki realized Momoko and Espimon could be used for their own advantage.

So they did it. They would take advantage of them, by using Espimon to locate food and supplies, safer areas to stay at night, to avoid surprise attacks from the enemies. But Momoko seemed a little frustrated when she couldn’t get a single detail of those humans’ plans. It was like they knew it already.

A mysterious human? When Wisemon had never told them about previous groups?

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…

One night, Momoko sneaked into Mizuki’s tent, and picked her digivice from her pocket by using magic. And then did the same at Youta’s tent… She then left the camp, walking into the forest in the dark. By using her green, glowing eyes, she could see in the dark. She took a few hours to return though, where did she go? Why was she taking the digivices with her?

No one knew...

But, as she returned to the camp…

“Gotcha!!”

“!!!?”

…she wouldn’t expect them to have actually ambushed her instead. Crescemon and Flaremon were right there blocking her way… With their human partners, their beloved human partners, blocking the other way.

“You thought you were smart enough, huh, Nekoyashiki Momoko?” Mizuki said with a playful thought and a smirk.

“How did you—”

“We evolved, and our partners filled the tents with trunks to look like we were sleeping and hid in the bushes, you dummy!!” Crescemon rolled her eyes.

“You were spying on us since we found you and Espimon, right?” Youta then said with a serious stare at her.

“Heh… Félicitations Youta-san, Mizuki-san…” then she just turned back to them, slowly clapping her hands, “But you took too long to unmask me. May I guess you were enjoying the spectacle then…?”

“… Spetacle?”

“Allow me introduce myself, Digisauveurs.” She snapped her fingers and changed forms. A humanoid-like digimon with blonde hair, low and long ponytail, BlackTailmon’s ears and wearing a fancy phantom thief attire and mask. Momoko’s real form — Arsenemon.

“I’m the master of trickery and illusion, the Phantom Thief digimon, Arsenemon. I can be anything and anyone, since I am a shapeshifter.”

“W-what?!” the exclaimed.

“Why were you spying on us?” Flaremon said with a firm voice.

“… It doesn’t matter. I have more to do, like an entire family to save.” He then jumped to a tree and attempted to flee.

“We won’t let you escape!!” Mizuki shouted, and Crescemon alongside with Flaremon started a clash with the thief digimon.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…

“Why did you waver…? I’m just a digimon, just attack me! I’ve been using you! Why do you just don’t erase me like any other bad guy you destroyed?!”

The battle has ended, and thus… Arsenemon was beaten but not deleted. He had light bruises, but the truth was none of them wanted to fight at all.

“… Why would Mizuki and I do that?” Youta asked instead.

“H-huh…?!”

“It’s true you had used us… But… Youta and I were using you too.” Mizuki confessed “Just because you went around and tried to get intel from us does not mean we should eliminate you.”

“… I don’t understand…” Arsenemon was speechless.

“What don’t you understand?”

“The previous times I’ve taken another form, a human-like form, approached people and got anything I needed to accomplish a goal… They hated me for being fake. For not being real, for being… a filthy thief.”

Once again, he was claiming other humans had been in that land before. Perhaps… Wisemon omitted that information? But even so…

“… They are pathetic for doing that so.” Youta said nonchalantly.

“You had lost me. I don’t understand your behavior. Betrayal should be not accepted, therefor—”

“And who said you betrayed us?” Mizuki interrupted him.

“…”

“I agree with Mizuki, nobody said that.” Youta said.

“Oh true, you hadn’t…” Arsenemon blinked.

“You didn’t sell us out to the bad guys, or did you?” Flaremon then asked him.

“I’m a gentleman, not a villain’s grunt. So I did give them what I got from you, but I retrieved it back. It was unfairly obtained, so here.”

With a snap of fingers, The kids’ D-3 had appeared in front of them, and fell on their hands.

“Y-you got the digivices back?!” Mizuki gasped

“And yet you dare to say you should be destroyed?!” Youta exclaimed next.

“… If I may request you a favor in return… Is to assist me the next time we meet again.”

“But… How will we know it is you? If you said to be a shapeshifter?” Crescemon babbled.

“You will know… for sure.”

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…

Once Arsenemon left,

“Ah, Mizuki…” Youta looked at her, “We… forgot to tell him he got those mockups we made with scrapped materials…”

Silence…

“I thought he would be smart enough to realize those were fake at first glance…” She sighed.

It wasn’t sure why Arsenemon had a sudden change of heart, or even… Why he was the one sabotaging his own peers and masters. Even if the Nightmare Soldiers clan had recruited him, Arsenemon had been forced to work for them.

All because of his own family, his village, being taken as hostage. He and Espimon were attempting to save them, but with no success. And Blackmailing them for the release of their family…

“They will have to fight Barbamon soon…” Arsenemon sighed.

“Um, what should we do, boss?” Espimon frowned.

“… We will fight with them, to free this world from those evil doers.”

“But you had been doing it already, ain’t you?” Espimon shrugged, “First deleted Regulusmon with his own attack, and then stole priest HolyAngemon’s Excalibur and used it against GulusGammamon…”

“As I told them, I’m a gentleman and not a villain’s grunt.”

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…

After training Flaremon and Crescemon to evolve further into Apollomon and Dianamon through more trials and fighting the remaining Barbamon’s soldiers, Youta and Mizuki reached their fateful and final battle.

To fulfil this difficult task, they had to beat Barbamon, one of the most powerful Seven Great Demon Lords. The tyrant who seized the throne from King and Queen Chessmon.

“Ghn…!” “Kh…!”

However, their powers weren’t strong enough against Barbamon’s X-Antibody form, gained after absorbing countless digimon with the X-Program in their data. A terrible omen was upon the remaining two Chosen Children and their digimon, especially without A strong defense and support — the roles Mokami and Kayono possibly were supposed to have in that story.

“Don’t give up, you two!!”

They heard, it came from a crowd of digimon invading the castle. All their allies, and Wisemon. It could say Arsenemon and Espimon were there as well.

“You’re the last hope of Witchelny!!” They crowd continued, Mokami was also there, holding Psychemon’s DigiEgg in hands, as their emotional support and friend.

“If you say so…” Dianamon got up from the floor with difficulty.

“…we shall protect our people, and our friends…!” Same was said about Apollomon.

“You insects cannot defeat me. How about if I turn you into—”

Suddenly, a stealth move stole part of the X-antibody power from Barbamon’s body. When they all looked at the figure laughing loudly in room, they saw that one and only shapeshifter digimon.

“—YOU!! HOW DARE YOU!!”

“You should be merciful, Barbamon,” Arsenemon said with a cocky tone, “A noble battle might be played by fair and square!” And he tossed the light to the Chosen Children duo and their digimon.

The digivices received the light, and then… A miracle happened.

“Now it’s up to you, mes amis! Beat Barbamon, save Witchelny!!”

Youta and Mizuki exchanged glares, and then nodded in sync. Then, they pointed their digivices to Apollomon and Dianamon, screaming:

“JOGRESS EVOLUTION!!”

The two digimon turned into two lights — one golden and one silver — and danced in the sky in spiral, forming a double helix with their light trail, and collided with each other, releasing a warm and bright light.

From the bright light a new digimon has appeared. The first and only Galaxy class digimon, GraceNovamon.

“GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

GraceNovamon then concentrated all of their power in the eight blades floating on their back, and released them:

“Calydon… Arcus!!“

“Curse you… Chosen Children—!!!”

With Barbamon beaten and destroyed, peace has once again returned to Witchelny. And then, the three human returned home, with their digimon partners.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…

But, Three years later…

“Um, are you Hino Youta-san and Hikawa Mizuki-san by any chance? I’m Noël Leblanc, ravi de vous revoir. ”

…Youta and Mizuki had met the one peculiar, former enemy they had spared. However, as a shapeshifter, he had another appearance instead of Momoko’s. A young androgynous-like boy with short blonde hair, green eyes… Despite the change, he quite resembled his real form.

“Huh, who are you…?” Mizuki raised an eye brow.

“Maybe you will remember this… ‘If I may request you a favor in return… Is to assist me the next time we meet again’ …do you remember me now?”

“You… You’re…!!” Youta gasped.

“Arsenemon!” The humans and their digimon exclaimed.

“ Ça fait un moment, mes amis. But I have… to ask you a favor.”

“Huh?”

“… Looking through my belongings… I found a journal from my original caretaker, Babamon. She left important information about me… Things I forgot because… They were altered or ceased existing.”

He looked deep inside their eyes,

“I came from an erased reality, and my mission is to find the wicked Digimental and seal it, so no one else could use it. Because if it is used again, this reality will be erased too. In the past, said Digimental was the only way to save the worlds from a fateful destruction.”

“So… You want to find that that ‘wicked Digimental’ then?” Lunamon blinked.

“ Oui. It’s for our own future. To use that Digimental you must pay a serious price, and we don't want it to fall into the wrong hands.”

“Right, so… What should we do?” Youta asked nonchalantly, “Mizuki, maybe we should return the favor.”

“Indeed, besides, this means we can prevent more evildoers for spreading around.”

The blonde boy smiled softly, “ Merci beaucoup, Youta-san, Mizuki-san.”

…And with this, the three formed strong bonds of friendship and partnership. They had their clases with Motomiya Daisuke’s group at first, but in the end they all saved the world from another Digimon Crisis.

Another clap of hands and the lights went on again… But this time they all were back to the café!?

“W-wow…” Rui and Ukkomon were quite impressed with what they just heard (or more acurately, watched on the big screen from the Hideout)

“It might be similar to how Ichijouji-kun and his friends were on opposite sides at first,” Noel chuckled, “Well… Now you know. We don’t have enough opportunities to talk about this alas…”

"I think... I understand now why people tell their stories to each other," Rui said, nodding sagely… "So you can learn more about them and try to help, relate to, or understand them..."

“Learning about each other is what makes life beautiful and full of colors, don’t you think?” Ukkomon commented, “Thank you for answering our question!” and he did a polite bow, just like Rui.

“… Have you guys told that to Daisuke-kun and the others too?”

“Well, we did, briefly…” Coronamon replied, “But unfortunately it didn’t went well.”

“They assumed things out of us” Lunamon shrugged, “But maybe it was because we all were BAD at communicating back then, hehe…”

“… I would like to share this story once again,” Noel mused, “Maybe they could understand us a little better…”

“Hmmm… I could ask them…” Rui said, picking his phone from the pocket.

“But knowing Motomiya-kun he wouldn’t mind,” Noel chuckled, “I would like to see how they would react to this.”

“Hm??”

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…

Since Daisuke and the others decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea to hang out with Noel, Youta and Mizuki, and hearing that the hideout had a theater inside has caught everyone’s attention.

So at night, the same movie played again… to their own amusement.

“… I think I get why Hikawa-san does not like fights,” Hikari commented, “Is it because of fighting Pomumon and witnessing Psychemon reverted into a DigiEgg… Right?”

“… Yeah,” Mizuki frowned, “Since then, I decided to only use Lekismon’s non-lethal techniques… And try to find another solution for any clashes…”

“And Coronamon had another form before!?” Daisuke babbled, “H-How is that possible!?”

“We don’t know,” Youta shrugged disappointedly, “After that day, Mizuki and I couldn’t evolve them into those forms, and the next time we finally did it… Iutismon became the actual default form for him instead.”

“It may be because this is the form you need most,” Takeru said, glancing at him, “Gennai-san once said… That Taichi-san’s Agumon evolving into SkullGreymon wasn’t a ‘wrong’ evolution, but rather not the one he needed at the moment.”

“I think… I get it,” he mused, “I suppose Iustimon’s main specialty of turning every battle fair and square might have been my deepest wish since we witnessed the atrocities Barbamon caused to everyone.”

“Now I wonder if V-mon and the others can have different evolution forms, and I mean not like Digimental Evolution” Daisuke pondered, “It would’ve been cool if all our digimon could evolve into multiple forms!”

“Oh, I’d like to!!” V-mon nodded excitedly, “Maybe we could get stronger and do more for everyone, right!?”

“Maybe I’d evolve into a cool fine man, dagya!” Armadimon grinned, “One with swordship abilities!”

The digimon were having fun imagining how stronger and cool the could get…

But Rui was a little, lost in thoughts…

“Hey buddy, whatcha doin’?” Daisuke sat next to him.

“It’s nothing, just… thinking… I’m glad we met five years ago.”

“Hm? Yeah, me too… I made another best bud thanks to Ukkomon, heheh!”

“Huh, me??” Ukkomon blinked.

“B-Best buddy…!?” Rui blushed.

“You guys are going to miss the fireworks!!”

“A-ah!! Comin’!!” Daisuke gently grabbed Rui by his arm and dragged him.

Maybe… after all that sadness and sorrow they witnessed in their lives has turned into a ray of hope, New beginnings, new doors opening to them all.