Knights of the Digital World

Just as Takato and the others were wondering where the fox-mon had gone, Guilmon let out a roar and lunged at thin air.

The next moment, Renamon appeared in front of Guilmon with a look of surprise on its face. It stepped on Guilmon's face and then stepped back.

Guilmon, kicked by Renamon, unleashed its primal instincts and roared as it charged at Renamon. As it ran, Guilmon spewed small fireballs from its mouth towards Renamon.

Renamon, relying on its speed, dodged Guilmon's fireballs and engaged in a fierce battle with Guilmon.

"Guimon! Come back, Guimon! Stop fighting!"

Takato anxiously called out to Guilmon, his face pale. This was partly due to his worry that Guilmon was being relentlessly attacked by Renamon, driven only by its wild instincts, and partly because the sight of Guilmon being driven by its wildness had stirred up his fear.

At this moment, Guilmon, driven by its wild instincts, did not hear its partner's shouts at all, and was only thinking about fighting Renamon to the death.

However, against the clear-headed, calm, and battle-experienced Renamon, Guilmon's instinctive fighting style was completely useless. It could only take a beating.

This only fueled Guilmon's wildness, causing it to roar and launch an even fiercer attack.

Chapter Nine, Li Jianliang

"Lion cub, stop them."

Emu looked at the anxious expressions on Keito's and the others' faces and called out.

He's not as powerful as Daimon, and in his human form, he can't participate in Digimon battles. Transforming him would be overkill. It's better to hand him over to Lionmon and test his evolved power.

The young lion had already made a move. However, he knew how vulnerable humans were and was worried that the battle might affect the children, so he remained vigilant in front of them.

Now, having received Emu's instructions, Lionmon no longer held back and let out a roar, releasing a faint aura that caused Guilmon and Renamon to pause involuntarily.

Lionmon was, after all, Darkmon in his previous life. Although he lost all his memories and his rich fighting skills due to reincarnation, he still possesses a fighting instinct that surpasses others.

As Guilmon and Renamon paused, Lionmon swiftly rushed between them, kicking Guilmon backward and slamming its head into Renamon's stomach, causing Renamon to stagger backward as well. Lionmon then proudly raised its head and roared:

"That's enough!"

Although Guilmon was driven by its wild instincts, it still recognized Lionmon. Plus, Takato kept calling its name. After being kicked away, Guilmon shook its head, breaking free from its wildness. Its eyes gradually cleared, and it sat blankly on the ground, touching the spot where it had been kicked, saying:

"Lion cub, that kick hurts so much!"

The young lionmon, who had been holding its head back and looking quite majestic, froze upon hearing Guilmon's complaint, then turned back sheepishly and said:

"Ah? I'm sorry, Guilmon, I couldn't control my strength. I'll be gentler next time."

Why is there a next time?

"Well, hypothetically speaking. If there's a next time, I'll kick it a little softer."

"Oh... okay, just remember to be gentle."

While Lionmon and Guilmon were talking, Renamon flashed behind Ruki. Ruki was still clutching her stomach; Lionmon had just been hit quite hard.

"Foxmon, are you alright? Can you win?"

Ruki frowned, a hint of concern flashing in her eyes, which she quickly concealed.

"Ryuki, I'm fine. I have a chance against Guilmon. Against Lionmon, it's about a 50/50 chance. But against both of them, I'm not so sure."

The fox-like beast stated its judgment. After thinking for a moment, it added:

"I'm talking about without the help of a beast tamer. With your help, Ruki, I'm confident I can defeat them!"

Liu Ji hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and said:

"Forget it, they have beast tamers too. Even if they're weaker than me, it's still too much effort for them to work together. There's no need to fight over a moment's pride."

Having made her decision, Ruki was quite decisive, saying to Emu and the others:

"That's all for today. But remember what I said: the fate of Digimon is to fight! Guilmon's performance has made it clear, hasn't it? That's all I have to say. Let's fight again next time we meet! Renamon, goodbye."

After finishing her sentence, Ruki turned and left. The fox spirit nodded to Emu and the others, then vanished in a flash.

Qi Ren and the others looked at each other, then suddenly relaxed.

The sudden outbreak of battle had startled them.

Bo complained, "What's wrong with this woman... She suddenly appeared, ready to fight and kill. She even said that the fate of Digimon is to fight. What does she know about Digimon?!"

Kenta pushed up his glasses and said, "But she's a Digimon Tamer, and a Digimon Queen at that. She seems to know more about Digimon than you do."

Bo's face flushed red, and he stammered, "That's because I didn't participate! Nobody knows more about Digimon than me!"

Takato ignored his two friends' bickering and went to Guilmon's side, hugging him and saying worriedly:

"Gilmon, are you alright? Can you please stop fighting like this? It's terrifying to watch..."

"Why are you afraid? Doesn't Takato like fighting?" Guilmon tilted its head and asked innocently.

"No... I just..."

Qi Ren stammered, unable to explain clearly, and his face turned red with anxiety.

"It's not that Qiren doesn't like fighting, it's just that he doesn't like you fighting with your wild instincts. That's too chaotic and it's easy for you and those around you to get hurt."

At that moment, Emu and Lionmon approached, and Emu answered Guilmon's question.

Seeing Guilmon's bewildered expression, Emu casually rubbed his face a couple of times, satisfied her urge, and continued:

"Your current fighting style relies entirely on your wild instincts. You don't know how to use them flexibly, which is why Takato is very worried about you. Guilmon, you'd better learn to control your wild instincts. Only by mastering your abilities can you grow better. Lionmon can guide you on how to do that."

"Huh? Can I? (?o?)"

The lion cub suddenly heard its own name and looked shocked.

"Of course, I'll be relying on you from now on for Guilmon."

Emu reached back and patted the young lion's head, smiling as he spoke.

Darkmon's lifelong combat experience still left its mark on his Digicore. Even with the loss of his memories, it endowed Lionmon with exceptional combat talent and instinct. Self-control was something he was born with. Teaching Guilmon was a simple matter.

"And you, Takato. You must also fulfill your responsibilities! The beliefs of Digimon and their partners can be shared. You've been afraid, unable to face Guilmon's wildness, and Guilmon himself is unconsciously afraid of wildness, thus being controlled by it. You must overcome your fear and help Guilmon control his wildness!"

Emu then began to instruct Keito.

Having experienced various adventures in two Digital Worlds, he had a clear understanding of the relationship between Digimon and human partners. Coupled with his experience teaching Takuya and others, he taught Takato with a convincing authority, making Takato nod repeatedly in agreement.

Just then, a voice called out from not far away:

"Are you also beast tamers? These are your Digimon? I recognize Lionmon, but what about this red dinosaur-like Digimon?"

When Emu and the others, who were talking, heard the voice, they were all startled, thinking that a passerby had seen Guilmon and his companions. But when they heard the words "Beast Tamer," they relaxed and looked in the direction of the voice, where they saw a boy.

The boy had short blue hair and unusual gray-green eyes. He wore an orange vest over a black undershirt and brown trousers.

A green creature hung from his shoulder. It was small, with a pointed horn on its head, large and long ears, and short limbs, making it look cute and adorable.

Seeing the group looking over, the boy gave them a friendly smile and introduced himself:

"Hello, my name is Li Jianliang, and this is my partner, Big Ear Beast."

Chapter 10, Solo Operation

Li Jianliang is of mixed Chinese and Japanese descent and has several siblings. Perhaps because of his younger sister, although he is the same age as Qiren, he appears much more mature and composed.

As a mixed-race individual, Jianliang isn't actually very outgoing or the type to open up to others. However, he still takes the initiative to approach other children who are also animal trainers.

In the original story, Guilmon secretly followed Takato to school and caused a lot of trouble. Kenjiro took the initiative to approach Takato and pointed out his mistakes without any politeness.

Later, thanks to his gentle personality, he also became friends with Qiren.

This time, Guilmon didn't go to school. However, the commotion caused by Guilmon's battle with Renamon alerted Li Jianliang and Terriermon. That's why they were here.

The children were initially a little nervous when they saw another animal trainer appear. They were afraid that Li Jianliang, like Makino Ruki, was the kind of animal trainer who advocated fighting and would start a battle right away.

But after seeing Li Jianliang's gentle smile, the children relaxed a lot and introduced themselves one after another.

With Digimon as a shared hobby, the group of friends quickly became friends and started playing together.

In the end, the group played hide-and-seek with the Digimon, and even Emu was dragged into it.

Emu, feeling both amused and exasperated, rediscovered the joys of childhood. Then, everyone unanimously rejected Guilmon and Lionmon's right to be ghosts—their sense of smell was too acute; they couldn't possibly hide.

After playing all morning, it was almost lunchtime, so everyone said their goodbyes.

Before parting, Qi Ren finally couldn't hold back and said to Li Jianliang:

"Li Jun, I met another Digimon trainer before, and she told me that the fate of Digimon is to fight. What about you? What do you think?"

Kenjiro paused, his expression turning serious. After a moment of silence, he said, "I don't believe Digimon should fight each other. In fact, I oppose fighting! Digimon are sentient beings with feelings and thoughts. They shouldn't be tools for battle!"

Li Jianliang said firmly. The big-eared beast perched on his shoulder, patted Jianliang's head with its large ears, and whispered:

"Don't be slow. Ken, if you don't want me to fight, I won't fight."

"Big-eared Beast... I'm sorry, Takato, I lost my composure just now. It's getting late, I have to go now. See you at school next time!"

Li Jianliang shook his head and said goodbye to Qiren. They had already talked before and found that they were all attending Shinjuku Central Elementary School, just in different classes.

Watching Kenryo walk away, Kito's expression grew increasingly confused. As a novice animal trainer, he had encountered three other trainers, each offering him a different perspective, which was contradictory, leaving Kito unsure of who was right and who was wrong.

"Let's go back." Emu looked at Takato standing there dumbfounded, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a slight headache, "It's the middle of the day, and Guilmon is so big, it's hard to hide..."

"Emu, tell me, who's right, Li-kun or Makino? Should Digimon fight?" Takato asked Emu.

"Hmm? What's there to worry about? We're partners with our Digimon, and whether or not our partner wants to fight depends on their own will. If they want to fight, you help them. If they don't want to, you don't force them. Isn't that fine?" Emu said with a smile.

In reality, Takato isn't afraid of fighting; he's only afraid of Guilmon's ferocity when driven by its wild nature. After Guilmon gained control of its wildness, Takato was no longer afraid of fighting and even had the leisure to consider how to swipe his card.

Of course, for Qiren at this moment, he cannot yet clearly distinguish his own thoughts. Once he gradually understands his own heart, he will no longer be confused.

"Alright, stop thinking about it. You need to study hard this afternoon. I promised Auntie I would tutor you." Yongmeng's words immediately snapped Qiren out of his daze, and a look of horror appeared on his face.

"Weren't you just kidding?"

"Are you kidding me? No! Of course not! I'm the oldest person in the world! You better be prepared!"

"Eh—"

…………

For the rest of the weekend, Takato had no time to play with Guilmon and was kept in his room by Emu to check on his studies.

Qi Ren's grades are average, placing him in the upper-middle range of his class. This means that he has actually mastered most of the knowledge, but he just can't apply it flexibly.

Faced with this situation, Yongmeng directly unleashed the Great Celestial Empire's signature technique—the sea of ​​questions strategy!

There's nothing you can't do if you do one set of practice problems. If there is, then do a few more sets!

Yongmeng's intensive study method was highly praised by Qiren's parents. Just watching Qiren diligently writing at his desk made the elderly couple happy.