Knights of the Digital World

Bancho-mon raised two fingers to Emu and said:

"According to Daimon Hideaki's research, there are two things that are needed for a Digital Soul to achieve a breakthrough: one is to have a sufficiently strong body, and the other is to have abundant emotions or a firm belief."

"As I said before, the Digital Soul is the manifestation of will. A person's will is often enhanced when emotions erupt or beliefs are firm. When the Digital Soul lies dormant in the form of will, it is not a problem, but once it manifests and erupts in the form of energy, it is very likely to cause damage to the body. Therefore, without a sufficiently strong body, it is difficult to break through even if the emotions are right."

As Emu listened to Bancho-mon's explanation, he nodded repeatedly, recalling the plot he knew, and realized that it matched up with this information.

The fifth installment is the only one in the Digimon series where the main characters are high school students, and adults and even the elderly have Digimon partners.

In the second part, the boss, Yukio Oikawa, who caused countless incidents, only wished to take a look at the Digital World. However, he was rejected because he was an adult, which drove him crazy and caused him to do many wrong things.

Later, it was Yukio Oikawa who sacrificed himself to repair the Digital World, allowing the children, who had become adults by the end, to still travel between the two worlds.

This shows how unpopular adults are.

However, the fifth installment is different. Its unique setting requires certain physical abilities from the Digital Souls. Therefore, very few of the elementary school students from the previous installments participate in the battles.

The three main characters are all strong and healthy teenagers. The only children with Digimon partners are Yuuto and Chika.

One of them was raised by Digimon, almost like a wild child, with physical abilities far exceeding those of her peers. The other's strength truly lies in her bloodline. After all, her father and brother are both powerful beings who can defeat Ultimate-level Digimon; from a genetic perspective, it's normal for Chika's physical abilities to be stronger than her peers.

Even so, these two were still a step behind the main characters in terms of strength. Take Yuuto, for example; in terms of emotion, by the time Yuuto and Mercurymon were gone, his emotions should have been enough to allow his Digital Soul to break through. But in the end, it was Dai and the others who achieved the breakthrough first, which is hard to say is unrelated to their physical abilities.

Perhaps the screenwriter didn't consider these factors when writing the script, but in the real world, this interpretation is more realistic.

"So, Bancho Mamemon, what should I do now?"

Emu could understand what Bancho Tsubaki was saying, but he didn't know where to start.

"We can put the second condition aside for now. Feelings and beliefs are personal matters. Only after experiencing enough things and meeting enough people will you have your own insights and be moved, thus meeting the requirements. I can't help you with that aspect."

The leader, Beanmon, retracted one finger and continued:

"However, the first condition is different. Your current physical condition is far from meeting the standard for a breakthrough. But that's okay! My forte is training!"

The leader of the Beanmon gave Emu a thumbs up. Although there was no flash of teeth, it inexplicably reminded him of someone...

"I also persevered in training myself to grow from an ordinary Bean Beast to what I am today! Come on, let's work up a sweat! Let's run a hundred laps around the forest first!"

"Huh?!"

…………

Of course, the 100 laps was just a joke. Bancho DouDoumon isn't a taijutsu maniac like Mike Kai, and Emu isn't Rock Lee, the Konoha tough guy. Even if Emu ran to death, he wouldn't be able to finish 100 laps.

Furthermore, there's no digital code setting in the fifth world. Emu can't resurrect infinitely, and he can't push himself too hard—if he were to exhaust himself to death... that would be ridiculous.

However, Bancho-chan still arranged a strict plan for Emu, including running, push-ups, swimming, and all kinds of exercise. Every day, excluding necessary sleep, eating, drinking, and excretion time, Emu was constantly training.

This level of training is too much for even an adult, let alone a kid like Emu who's only eleven or twelve. They'd break down and urinate blood after just one day of it, and they'd die if they trained for more than a few days.

However, Bancho Beanmon had already considered this. As a group that had experienced countless battles, the Beanmen Alliance naturally needed a doctor.

There are several Lotusmon in the Bean Gate Alliance. Although they are Ultimate-level Digimon, they are not skilled in combat, but rather specialize in healing. Their skill "Giant Serpent Healing" can heal several Ultimate-level Digimon at once. Of course, correspondingly, their combat ability is quite worrying. One Etemon could probably easily defeat them all.

Under Bancho-Mamemon's arrangement, a Lotusmon was specifically responsible for treating Emu.

This Lotus Beast lady was very dedicated, constantly keeping the "Giant Serpent Healing" white aura active to ensure that Emu wouldn't be harmed by excessive training. At the same time, she also provided Emu with enough stamina to keep him training.

Emu had been consistently exercising before, but this kind of high-intensity training was truly agonizing.

Physical injuries are manageable; with the Lotus Beast around, they can be wiped away one by one. But mental exhaustion and the monotony of daily repetition are constantly accumulating.

If it weren't for Bancho-chan constantly urging and encouraging Emu, she probably would have given up the next day.

Even so, Emu felt deeply tired after each day's workout.

However, as time went by, Emu gradually adapted to this intensity of training. Emu also discovered that his willpower was being strengthened in the process.

Clearly, Bancho-Mamemon's arrangement of Emu's training wasn't solely for physical conditioning; otherwise, it wouldn't have employed such an extreme intensity. It also aimed to hone Emu's willpower through this high-intensity training.

Although this amount of willpower training may not seem like much compared to improvements in physical fitness, it adds up and can eventually help Emu.

Chapter 45, Two Months

As Emu gradually adapted to the training, Bancho-chan no longer needed to constantly follow him around, paying attention to his mental state and offering encouragement or supervision.

Emu has discovered that this is a way to hone her willpower, and she is trying to suppress negative thoughts such as fatigue, boredom, and laziness by relying on her own willpower.

This also allows Bancho-chan to guide Parad or train on his own.

Of course, Miss Lotus Beast still has to protect Eternal Dream.

After all, one can overcome mental barriers, but the physical world cannot do that.

Parad's situation is also gradually improving.

At the beginning, because Bancho Mamemon was not around, Parad chose a training method that was less effective than the desired result: imitating Bancho Mamemon in an attempt to train multiple aspects of control, such as strength, positioning, and concentration, all at once.

However, Pallad's own weak foundation was simply not enough to support such training.

For beginners like her, it's best to choose one area first, such as positional control, and focus on training that. Only after mastering that should you move on to other areas.

This is a very common problem-solving method: breaking down a difficult problem into a series of relatively simpler problems and solving them one by one before finally tackling the difficult problem. This approach is more efficient and simpler.

However, Parad got stuck in a rut, focusing solely on training like Bancho Mamemon, and failed to grasp the bigger picture. She trained relentlessly every day, but received no positive feedback, leaving her deeply frustrated.

Fortunately, Emu had already gotten back on track and wasn't overwhelmed by the heavy training. Bancho-chan was able to find some time to guide Parad and point out her mistakes.

Of course, Parad's approach wasn't entirely negative. Although he took a detour, he also gained a lot of experience. As he overcame each challenge, this experience will help him improve rapidly in the final stage of comprehensive control.

In addition, the Beanmon also taught Parad many tips to help her better control her energy.

Furthermore, Bancho-Tottomon strictly controlled the number and amount of DigiSouls that Emu infused, requiring Parad to restore his energy using his own abilities.

This is to train Parad's own abilities. For Digimon, the principle of "use it or lose it" also holds true.

Relying on Emu's help to restore energy will only harm Parad.

Now, relying on itself to regenerate energy and maintain the form of the Witch Beast, Parad is close to evolving on its own.

This is undoubtedly a significant improvement.

This is the true meaning of being a teacher. It's not about teaching a training method and then considering the job done.

…………

While Emu and his companion were training, their partners were also busy.

Beanmon is the most carefree. After initially showing LadyDevimon, Angewomon, and Sanzomon around Beangate Town, he started visiting friends everywhere. He has a gentle and friendly temperament and many old friends in Beangate Town. However, because of Etemon's incident, they haven't seen each other for a long time, so now that they have the opportunity, they naturally want to visit each other more often and reconnect.

LadyDevimon met the requirements for evolution after defeating Etemon and could evolve at any time. However, the battle with Etemon had also seriously injured her. Originally, she planned to rest for a while before evolving in her best condition. But Emu's mention of Mostimon piqued her interest, and she wanted to try to evolve into Mostimon with her sister, so she had been suppressing her own desire.

She mostly wanders around Doumen Town now, occasionally checking on Parad's training and offering advice. After all, she's almost at her final form, which in a fantasy world could be called a "semi-ultimate form." Her opinions are of great help to Parad.

Angewomon, on the other hand, focused on learning the art of observing people from Sanzomon, dragging Sanzomon along to the streets every day to observe and train others. She was eager to help her sister, so she was exceptionally diligent.

The method of observing people is not without its costs. Depending on the strength of the target, different amounts of energy are required to see through them.

Angewomon trains her observation skills every day, which is actually a way of honing her energy and moving towards her Ultimate form.

Angewomon had a vague feeling that once she mastered the art of observing people, the day she would meet the requirements for evolution would be the day she achieved it!

Sanzomon is now dragged to the streets by Angewomon every day to train with her. But Sanzomon isn't angry. Her purpose in traveling the Digital World is to witness enough people, events, and things to reach a state of profound enlightenment.

The bustling town of Doumen allowed her to see many people, things, and events she had never seen before. This was greatly beneficial to her cultivation. Even if Angewomon didn't pull her along, she would choose to wander the streets on her own, to comprehend the Buddha within her heart.

Because Sanzomon was taken away by Angewomon, Gokumon was completely unrestrained and spent every day in Bean Town looking for powerful opponents to spar with.

Beangate Town serves as the Beangate Alliance's base for defending against external enemies, and it is home to many powerful individuals. However, it's practically impossible for Gokumon to find them on his own.

Fortunately, Gokumon and MetalMamemon had become friends. MetalMamemon was much more familiar with BeanGate than Gokumon, and knew where to find powerful and combat-loving people. He led Gokumon to these places with ease, avoiding a lot of trouble.

However, Gokumon has a bad habit: he loves to swear. Sometimes, when he gets angry, he'll utter the most vulgar and offensive language. Because of this, Gokumon has been severely injured several times and has been bedridden for days.

With the added restriction of the headband on Sanzang Beast, Wukong Beast is now speaking much more politely.

He wasn't too afraid of getting beaten up, but the problem was that if he got badly beaten up, he would need time to recover, which would mean missing out on so many opportunities to fight!

…………

Time flies like water, and almost two months have passed in these peaceful and regular days.

"Nine hundred and ninety-seven, nine hundred and ninety-eight, nine hundred and ninety-nine... one thousand!"

Yongmeng, shirtless and wearing only shorts, was doing push-ups while counting aloud.

After counting to one thousand, Emu's expression relaxed a little. He supported himself to stand up and walked around to relax.

After a while, Yongmeng felt the soreness and weakness in his body fade away a lot. At this time, he was enveloped by a white halo, his strength began to recover quickly, and the soreness and weakness began to subside.

"Sister Lotus Beast, you've changed."

Yongmeng stretched her arms and legs, her gaze filled with resentment as she looked at the lotus beast sitting to one side.

"No need to say anything, I understand. Love will fade away, that's for sure."

The lotus beast covered its mouth and chuckled softly. Yongmeng had said similar things several times, and she knew how to respond.

Yongmeng remained silent and continued moving around. He needed to run twenty laps around the woods to recover quickly.

After two months of training, Emu's physical condition has improved significantly. Two months ago, Emu needed the healing aura of Lotus Beast to complete his training. Now, he can complete his training independently before receiving treatment from Lotus Beast.

Furthermore, in order to temper Emu's will, Bancho-Mamemon specifically instructed Lotusmon to wait a while before restoring Emu, allowing Emu to resist the pain and fatigue on her own.

It seems to be working well.

Chapter 46, War Is Coming

Just as Yongmeng was getting ready to start running laps, she heard Lotus Beast let out a startled cry.

When Emu trained, he was in human form, and his senses were clearly not as sharp as those of the Lotus Beast. He asked curiously:

"Sister Lotus Beast, what's wrong?"

The lotus beast, with a solemn expression, said:

“I sense a powerful digital spirit approaching us… no, it’s approaching Beangate Town.”

"A powerful Digital Soul? Could it be BanchoLeomon? It's been two months since BanchoMamemon contacted him, he should be here by now."

To be called "powerful" by Lotusmon, it must at least be a Strong Ultimate-level Digimon. After much deliberation, Emu realized that only BanchoLeomon met the criteria. There was no reason for any other Ultimate-level Digimon to be here.

"No, it's not BanchoLeomon. I've felt BanchoLeomon's DigiSoul before; it's a bright and warm feeling. But this DigiSoul... is dark and cold! This absolutely cannot be BanchoLeomon!"

The lotus beast categorically denied it.

In the brief moment of their conversation, a small black dot appeared in the sky. The dot quickly grew larger, revealing a Digimon resembling an old man with a long beard.