Knights of the Digital World

"Boss, something's not right. You've been saying it for ages."

The speaker was a handsome young man with blond hair. He sat on the sofa and said impatiently.

“Sheng, you need to show some respect to the boss. After all, he's the one who pays the money,” a muscular man with gray hair who looked honest and simple said, sitting down next to him.

"I'm just bored right now. Give me some exciting tasks already," said a girl with long blonde hair, rose-red eyes, and a gothic dress, sitting on another sofa, looking rather uninterested.

These three are Digimon Hunters: Saint, Ivan, and Nanami.

Sitting in the boss's chair is the source of all evil in Part 5, Kurata Akihiro.

“I haven’t heard from the councilor for several days. This feeling… is really off! I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen,” Kurata said, shaking his head.

"Boss, don't think too much. We're not ordinary people now! We have such great power, there's nothing to be afraid of!" Saint clenched his fist and said confidently.

"Aren't all councilors very busy? It's normal that they don't keep in touch, right?" Ivan said bluntly.

"Tch...boring," Nanami complained. She just wanted excitement; what was a politician anyway? He was just an ordinary person, meaningless to a genius like her.

Kurata realized he might be overreacting and stopped delving into it, laughing as he said, "...Maybe I'm just overthinking it...Alright, you guys get ready. In a few days, go and give the DATs a heads-up. Tell them what true power is!"

Chapter Eleven, The Witch Beast

"Yongmeng, the arrest plan has been finalized. It will be implemented today. Are you interested in coming along?"

When Emu woke up in the morning and opened the door, he saw Captain Satsuma standing there with a tired face, smiling and inviting him in.

After these days of effort, Kurata's research institute has been completely located, and Kurata's location has also been determined. The arrest plan can be launched at any time.

However, the power Kurata wields is formidable. Facing Kurata's army of Gizmon and the bio-Digimon transformed from Digimon hunters, it's clear that a small number of human soldiers cannot defeat them.

However, mobilizing a large army could easily lead to a leak of information. Kurata also has his own network of connections, and if he were to obtain relevant information and prepare in advance, or even escape beforehand, things would become very complicated.

Therefore, the higher-ups had no choice but to rely on DATs, selecting suitable fighters from among them to participate in the capture operation. This reduced the number of personnel involved, minimizing the risk of intelligence leaks. Furthermore, the DAT members all had Digimon partners, which was crucial in countering Kurata's forces.

Originally, Captain Satsuma didn't want to trouble Emu. After all, Emu was still young and came from another world. Providing them with so much information had already been a great help, and Captain Satsuma felt a little guilty about having Emu participate in such a dangerous capture operation.

However, Emu's combat strength should not be underestimated. At least at the Ultimate level, he's one of the few in the DATs. This capture operation is crucial, and Captain Satsuma can't afford to miss any opportunity to help. Even the Digital World, through its connection with Mitsubomon, has managed to bring in an Ultimate-level Digimon to assist.

Therefore, Captain Satsuma decided to compromise by informing Emu about the capture operation and letting Emu decide whether to participate. Participation would be ideal, of course. If Emu didn't participate, Captain Satsuma wouldn't press the matter further.

"Emmu, what kind of capture operation is this? It sounds interesting, let's go play!" Parad jumped onto Emmu's back, rubbed his head against Emmu's face, and said excitedly.

This habit of rubbing faces together is a legacy from the Hehe Beast era. Whenever Palad gets excited, he likes to rub his face against someone's.

“No problem, Captain. I’m also very interested in this operation!” Emu patted Parad on the head and said with a smile.

He had been eagerly anticipating the capture operation for a long time. Once Kurata was captured, the Eight-Legged Beast would have time to teach him. At that time, he would receive a Royal Knight-level cartridge. Even if he had to go back immediately, this trip would have been worthwhile.

However, Emu also had concerns. If Kurata escaped, the Eight-Legged Beast would obviously prioritize hunting him down, further delaying his own acquisition of the Gadget. Therefore, he decided to participate in the capture operation. That way, even if Kurata did escape, at least he would have tried.

"Haha, Emu, thank you so much!" Captain Satsuma laughed happily.

“Emu, let’s go. Dai and the others will also be involved in this arrest operation. You’ll be in a group with them, and keep an eye on them if necessary. We’ll head to the vicinity of Kurata’s lab now to prepare. Once everyone is in position, we’ll immediately carry out the arrest!” Captain Satsuma turned and led the way.

Emu quickly followed. Parad jumped down as well, its little tail wagging as it followed Emu. Although she didn't know the details of this capture operation, it sounded interesting! She loved interesting things!

…………

"Saint, Ivan, Nanami, I still feel something's not right. Perfect timing, I've figured out the next step in the modification plan. Are you interested in receiving even more powerful energy?" Kurata Akihiro, being the mastermind behind Part 5, possessed keen senses. Although he hadn't received any information, he instinctively felt something was amiss.

After some deliberation, Kurata decided to further modify the three Digimon Hunters, raising their bio-Digimon to Ultimate level.

The renovation plan was actually completed long ago, but some aspects were still unstable and could potentially cause injuries or fatalities. Kurata hadn't originally intended to rush into the next phase of the renovation; his funds weren't sufficient for reckless spending. However, a vague, instinctive sense of crisis made him disregard those concerns.

Ultimately, all he cared about was money, not those three Digimon Hunters. Their deaths were no big deal; with enough money, replacements could always be found. The key now was to improve their own strength. If there was no crisis, that would be ideal. But if there was some unknown crisis, the upgraded Digimon Hunters would be the best henchmen.

Of course, to prevent these Digimon hunters from rebelling, he would also take some covert measures... but he didn't need to explain those to these three. Their fate was merely to be cannon fodder.

Unaware that Kurata had already made clear arrangements for them, the three Digimon hunters agreed after a brief moment of thought. This was also within Kurata's expectations.

Of the three Digimon Hunters, Saint is the kind of person who would do anything for power; if he heard of an even greater power, he would definitely accept it. Ivan, while a bit of a goofball, has his advantages—he's easy to control. Ivan just wants to make money and treats it as a job, so he doesn't think much about his boss's demands and just does what he's told.

As for Nanami, she's touted as a genius. But in Kurata's opinion, all she has is a passable IQ; otherwise, she's never experienced the harsh realities of life. She dares to conduct biochemical experiments just to seek thrills. How dare someone like that call themselves a genius? Anyway, dealing with Nanami will just be about giving her a thrill. That idiot will willingly walk right into the trap.

"Since everyone agrees, let's go and start the modifications as soon as possible. Once they're done, it'll be time to give the Dats a good show. The fame, excitement, and money you've been chasing will all be yours!" Kurata said with a smile, painting a rosy picture for the three of them. This enthusiastic atmosphere helped ensure the smooth progress of the modifications.

Watching the three, seemingly injected with adrenaline, head towards the lab, Kurata pushed up his glasses, his smile turning sinister: "Whoever tries to get against me, I'll give you a... surprise!"

…………

"Emu, do you even know who we're here to capture this time? Captain, you're not even going to explain it to us," Oominato asked, approaching Emu. Toma and Yoshino, who were standing next to him, also looked at Emu curiously.

Emu had a good relationship with the three, and since they were about to take action, he wasn't worried about information leaks, so he told them about their target, Kurata Akihiro.

"Damn it! How could someone do such a thing! I will never forgive him!" Da angrily swung his fist. All three of them were kind people and completely unable to accept Kurata's behavior.

"Big, don't worry, I'll help you. We'll take care of him together!" Thomas patted Big on the shoulder, his fighting spirit unusually high.

"Well... although I don't want to discourage you, you've only evolved to the mature stage at most. If you want to capture Kurata, your strength is far from enough." Looking at the two of them getting along well, Emu interrupted with a somewhat subtle expression.

Because of Emu's butterfly effect, Kurata's exposure was brought forward significantly. While this prevented many tragedies, it also weakened the main characters' strength. Having not even evolved to their Ultimate form, they could only focus on eliminating Gizmon in this capture operation. The main battleground would be dealing with the three Digimon Hunters. They were likely still at Ultimate level, without any enhancements. However, even so, they wouldn't be able to handle it.

"...Even so, we'll do our best! Right, Rilakkuma!" Yoshino wasn't discouraged by Emu's words; instead, her fighting spirit soared even higher. After that period of confusion, Yoshino's resolve was now firm.

"That's right, Shuno! We must wipe out these despicable bastards!"

"Lalamon is right! Big brother, we can't let them get away this time!"

"er!"

Lalamon, Agumon, and Gaomon all expressed their resolve to their partners. As Digimon, they hated Gizmon even more than they hated the Great One.

"Hmph, don't worry! Emu and I will definitely catch that Kurata guy!" Parad patted his chest, speaking with great confidence.

"???"

Three question marks appeared on Emu's forehead.

"Palad, what are you thinking? You're still in your growth stage, and I won't allow you to participate in the main battlefield," Yongmeng said mercilessly.

"Huh? How could this be? Aren't I Emu's partner? Are you just out there clearing out mobs with Dai and the others too, Emu?" Parad exclaimed in surprise. She had always thought that Captain Satsuma's invitation to Emu was an acknowledgment of her strength, and that Emu wanted Emu to take her to the main battlefield to fight.

“I will go, but you can’t,” Emu said decisively.

Since Parad's birth, Emu had never used a Gacha. Therefore, Parad had no idea about Emu's strength. Hearing Emu's refusal, Parad pouted and said unhappily, "You mean Emu? Why can you go but I can't? I'm a Digimon, I'm stronger than you!"

"Palad, stop fooling around. The main battlefield is at least at the Ultimate level. It's too dangerous for you to go in! You should stay with Dai and the others to clear out the Gizmon. This is also a very important mission!" Emu coaxed Parad for a long time before he finally agreed.

“Hmm…but you’re still in your growth stage, and I’m still a little worried…Come on, Parad, let’s go somewhere further away so you can evolve to maturity first. That way I can feel more at ease. Before the plan starts, you can also familiarize yourself with your new form.” Yongmeng thought for a moment and decided to let Parad evolve. To avoid alerting Kurata, she deliberately took Parad a long way to the outskirts.

"Are you ready, Parad?"

"No problem! Come on, Emu!"

"Digital Soul! Charge!" Emu took out his red Digivice and poured the Digital Soul into it. The fiery red Digital Soul enveloped Parad, as if it were burning—

"Little monster evolves! — Witchmon!"

Chapter Twelve, The Final Offensive Begins

The witch-beast looks like a teenage girl, dressed in a red witch's outfit, with blonde hair and blue eyes; she's quite cute. A black cat ghost wanders around beside her.

"Is this my evolved form? Now I can use cosmetics with Miki-neechan and the others!"

Emu never expected that Parad's first reaction after evolving would be to be able to use cosmetics...

Fortunately, Parad's reaction was much more normal afterward: "Emu, my power has increased a lot! Look!"

Parad felt the surging power within her, then waved her hand, unleashing her new ultimate attack: "Gale! Water Pressure!"

As Parad moved, a sharp wind imbued with the magical power of the witch beast swept through the air, lifting dozens of stones from the ground. Then, thin water jets appeared, rapidly piercing through the stones. The powerful penetrating force shattered the stones into powder.

Emu nodded. Parad's current strength was almost unparalleled at the Champion level. Even at the Ultimate level, it should be able to hold its own. As long as it didn't participate in the main battlefield, clearing out Gizmon shouldn't be a problem.

"Well done, Parad. You're stronger than EarthGreymon, Gaogamon, and Sunflowermon now. Remember to keep an eye on them during the battle," Emu instructed.

"Huh? Emu, I'm already this strong, can't I team up with you? Take me with you! I'm super strong now!"

The evolved power made Parad feel invincible, and she no longer wanted to keep the promise she had made to Emu. In Parad's view, as Emu's partner, she should fight alongside him; how could she abandon her?

“No! Parad, you have to listen to me. The main battlefield is very dangerous. I'm not strong enough, and I don't have the energy to protect you. What if something unexpected happens? Besides, Dai and the others also need to be taken care of. You know Dai is a reckless brute. Once the war starts, Toma and Shuna won't have the energy to pay attention to Dai. You're the only one I can ask for help.” Emu shook his head again and refused.

“Okay… since you’ve said so.” Parad pouted, but since Emu had already put it that way, she couldn’t argue and had no choice but to agree.

"Alright, let's go. It's almost time to start." Yongmeng patted Parad's head. The evolved Parad was already almost as tall as him.

…………

"Boss, I feel something's strange... Is there anything wrong with your modifications this time?" Saint was sitting in a glass column filled with medicinal liquid. Although he could breathe, he felt a strange sense of crisis and asked uneasily.

"Hehe... No problem, don't worry, don't worry," Kurata said dismissively.

"...No, boss, I feel really strange. Maybe we should just call off this modification? Boss? Let me out!" Although Saint craved power and fame, he didn't want to sacrifice himself. His first modification had given him the intuition of a Perfect-level Digimon. He could sense that this modification... was very dangerous! He might die! And even if he didn't, he might not be himself anymore.

"I told you, it's fine! Don't worry, don't worry!" Kurata ignored Sei's request and injected the red potion into the glass column. His smile was so ferocious, and his laughter so eerie.

"No! Let me out!" Saint was terrified, roaring and pounding on the glass pillar. But he couldn't muster any of his usual strength now.

As the red potion gradually replaced the original liquid in the glass column, Saint felt a burning sensation on the parts of his body that had come into contact with the potion. Streams of energy surged into his body through his skin's pores. This process was accompanied by indescribable pain. At the same time, a strange roar echoed in his mind.

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!"

Saint screamed in agony, his face contorted in excruciating pain. His body involuntarily arched slightly, like a shrimp, desperately trying to resist the agony.

Kurata examined it carefully for a while, nodded in satisfaction, and turned to leave: "It didn't collapse in the first five minutes, so it seems there's no problem. Hehehe, there are still two left, I hope they can succeed as well."

As Kurata left, only Sei's screams echoed in the dark and silent laboratory.

…………

"Is this Parad? He's changed so much!" Ominato stood next to Parad, looking at him curiously.

"Da! That's very rude of you! Parad is a girl, stay away from her!" Shuna pushed Da, very unhappy with his rude behavior.

“Hey, don’t you think Agumon’s changes after evolving are even greater?” Thomas said from the side.

"Haha, that's true. But how strong is Parad, looking like this? Why don't you stay in the back with Shuna later? Toma and I will protect you." He laughed loudly.

"Hmph, don't underestimate me! Neither EarthGreymon nor Gaogamon are as strong as me! I'll protect you all later!" Parad waved her broom, speaking confidently. Behind her, the black cat ghost waved its tiny paws, cheering Parad on.

"Then I'll have to leave it to you, Parad!" Shuna patted Parad's head affectionately. The three female members of their dats had always treated Parad like a little sister, and now that Parad had evolved, she was even more like a little sister.

"Then Parad, let's have a match! Let's see who has a better record later!" Da was inspired by Parad and challenged him to a duel.

"Toma, you come too!" Da didn't forget to drag his good buddy along.

“Bring it on, who’s afraid of who! Big brother, if you lose, you can use your salary this month to buy me cosmetics!” Palad accepted the fight without hesitation.