Knights of the Digital World

"Ah, Emu, it's you."

Huiyi, lost in thought, was startled by Emu's sudden question. Seeing it was Emu, he relaxed and said somewhat embarrassedly:

“Emu, you were right before. Everyone has truly found their own Fighter's Soul—except for me. Tell me, do I really have any reason to stay? I don't even have a Fighter's Soul, and I can't run as fast as Bogomon and the others. I'm just a burden…”

Emu could tell that these words had been bottled up inside Keiichi for a long time. He hadn't told the other children, probably because he didn't want them to worry. However, these thoughts had been lingering in his mind, and the inability to express them was not a good thing for Keiichi.

Now, the joy of reuniting with his best friend Emu upon her return to the team made Teruichi unable to hold back any longer, and he poured out all the words that had been on his mind for a long time to Emu.

After he finished speaking, Hui felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, and the gloom on his face vanished.

"Don't you think this is better? You don't have to go through such fierce battles, you don't have to endure intense pain. Takuya and the others don't see you as a burden. Why do you still want to become one of the Ten Warriors and fight?"

Emu asked calmly.

"No! I feel this is wrong! My brother and my friends are fighting back, how can I hide behind them? Even Yuuki is fighting desperately! And I can only hide behind them!"

Huiyi recalled his past experiences, his expression showing some pain:

“Every time I see them fall, get injured, I hate my own powerlessness. I want to fight alongside them, not be a bystander!”

Even if...you yourself might be in danger?

Even if I might be in danger!

Hui answered firmly and decisively.

"I see... It seems you've made up your mind. Well then, Huiyi, these two are for you."

Emu took out the Infinity Gacha and pressed it lightly, and two dark Fighter Souls appeared.

"This is?!"

"These are the Dark Warrior Souls left behind by my master, Darkmon. However, they have actually been corrupted by Cherubimon. Their current form is not their true form."

Emu explained:

"I can sense your constitutions. Huiyi, your constitution is dark attribute, which is most suitable for this Dark Warrior Soul. However, you need to pass the test and break free from the corruption of the Warrior Soul by the Cherubimon with your own will, so as to regain the true form of the Dark Warrior."

This process is dangerous, Huiyi. Think about it carefully again. Do you really want to do this?

Chapter Twelve, Huiyi's Test

The commotion between Emu and Huiyi attracted the children's attention, and they heard what Emu said.

Kouji rushed over excitedly, grabbed Kouichi's hand, and said:

"Brother! Don't take the risk!"

Huiyi paused for a moment, then slowly withdrew his hand and said firmly:

"Kouji, I don't want to be a bystander anymore. Let me try. Emu said that my physique is the most compatible with the spirit of the Dark Warrior. I can do it!"

Emu chuckled and nodded. Kouichi was undoubtedly the one most fitting for the spirit of the Dark Warrior. However, this was something he knew from watching the anime, not some random conjecture about a sensory constitution.

This isn't about cultivating immortality.

Kouji could sense the determination in his brother's words. He wanted to persuade him again, but didn't know how to begin, so he could only look at Emu with a pleading expression.

Seeing Kouji's gaze, Emu couldn't continue pretending to be dead and said:

"Actually, there's no need to worry too much. The worst outcome is that Huiyi fails to break free from the corruption of the Cherubimon's Warrior Soul and turns into a Dark Beast. We're all here; we can defeat the Dark Beast, reclaim the Warrior Soul, and help Huiyi recover."

Seraphimon then walked over, looked at the floating Soul of the Dark Warrior, and said:

“Cherubimon is really different from before... He actually did this to the Warrior's Soul! I don't have enough energy right now to break his corruption, but I can help you weaken it a little.”

As he spoke, Seraphimon reached out and released his energy. The power of light hissed and emitted black smoke as soon as it touched the surface of the Dark Warrior's Soul.

The surface of the Dark Warrior's Soul seemed to be covered by something, which slowly melted under the power of Seraphimon, faintly revealing the original appearance of the Warrior's Soul contained within.

After a long while, Seraphimon weakly lowered its hand and said wearily:

"This is all I can do right now."

Seeing this, Kouji's eyes suddenly lit up. He reached out and grabbed Kouichi's arm again, trying to dissuade him from using it. He suggested that they wait until Seraphimon's power was restored and then purify the Dark Warrior's Soul before using it. That would be much safer.

However, Huiyi seemed to have seen through Huiji's thoughts, and before Huiji could speak, he said:

"Kouji, this is my test. I can't leave everything to others. Otherwise, wouldn't I still just be a bystander? Don't worry, I will succeed!"

Takuya walked up to Kouji, patted him on the shoulder, and said to his best friend:

"Kiji, let Kiichi go! This is Kiichi's decision, and all we need to do is respect his decision and support him!"

Kouji glanced back at Takuya and realized that his best friend had unknowingly grown into a steady and reliable person.

After being persuaded by Takuya, Kouji reluctantly withdrew his hand.

Takuya placed a hand on Kouji's shoulder, his gaze fixed on Kouichi, and said:

"Huiyi, you have to succeed. Otherwise, if you hurt us, I won't let you off the hook."

The other three children also gathered around, offering encouragement in their own ways:

"Go, Huiyi-gege!"

"Huiyi, I believe in you!"

"Huiyi, I'll perform a magic trick for you after you succeed! It'll be really cool!"

Feeling the concern of his companions, Huiyi was also somewhat moved. The slight fear of potential danger dissipated amidst their concern, and the darkness in his heart seemed to be driven away as well.

Huiyi nodded vigorously, said nothing more, took out his Digivice, pressed the button on the Dark Warrior Soul, and absorbed it into the Digivice:

"Soul - Evolution!"

…………

so dark!

It’s so cold!

So quiet!

These thoughts kept popping into Huiyi's mind.

After undergoing a soul evolution using the Soul of the Dark Warrior, he suddenly lost consciousness. When he woke up, he found himself in this strange place.

It was pitch black all around, without a single ray of light. The temperature was also low; Huiyi felt as if he had been thrown into an icebox. Moreover, there was absolutely no sound; it was eerily quiet, a quietness that was frightening.

"Where...am I?"

Huiyi felt as if he were floating in the air, but he couldn't see his surroundings, which made him uncertain. He muttered to himself.

"This is your heart!"

Suddenly, a voice answered Huiyi's question from the darkness.

Huiyi looked in the direction of the voice. Strangely enough, even though there was no light, Huiyi could clearly see the appearance of the person who spoke.

It was a creature with only a human outline, its entire body covered in a muddy liquid that looked disgusting.

"Who are you?!"

Huiyi watched the newcomer warily, frantically moving his hands and feet, assuming a defensive stance.

"Who am I? I am you! I am the real you!"

The mud man laughed loudly and said:

"Didn't I tell you? This is your inner world, and I am the real you! I know everything about you!"

"Remember! The hardships your mother endured working alone... The resentment that you, as twin brothers, had to bear more suffering... The bitterness that others lacked, the spirit of a fighter... Remember these things! This darkness is what truly defines you!"

The mud man's words carried a magical power, stirring up all of Huiyi's bad memories. The negative emotions in his heart continued to grow with his words, threatening to completely overwhelm Huiyi's heart.

Huiyi clutched his head in pain, staggered back two steps, and groaned:

"No...that's not it...I'm not..."

"No! You are! Don't forget, your best friend Emu Hojo also said that you are the most suitable for the Soul of the Dark Warrior! You are darkness! You are evil! You were born to stand on the opposite side! Do you understand?!"

The mud-covered man pressed on relentlessly, attacking Huiyi's heart with words.

Huiyi's expression grew increasingly pained, and the mud from the Mudman gradually began to flow across his body. Meanwhile, the mud on the Mudman seemed to be decreasing, and its outline became clearer, more closely resembling the shape of the Dark Beast.

The mud man's tone softened slightly as he said, "You don't need to be in pain. If you can't accept your fate, then just leave everything to me. Pain, frustration, regret... leave all those emotions to me. Come on, leave them to me..."

"It's yours..."

Huiyi's expression relaxed a little, but the mud on his body increased even more, covering his torso and extending towards his limbs and head.

The mud-man's appearance became clearer, and its torso was fully revealed, showing the dark beast's armor.

A hint of a smile seemed to appear on the mud-covered man's blurred face, and his voice grew even softer and gentler:

"Yes, that's it... Leave it to me, just leave it to me..."

"Give it to you... No way!!!"

Huiyi suddenly raised his head and shouted firmly. The mud on his body paused and slowly retracted, gradually covering the parts of the mud-man that had been exposed.

"What?! How could you possibly be awake?!"

The mud-man took a step back in shock and asked unwillingly.

“I…so many people are waiting for me to return. My brother, my friends, my mother…how could I possibly entrust everything to you?!”

Huiyi said firmly:

"You say this is my inner self? I absolutely do not believe it! Darkness does not mean evil! Where there is light, there is darkness. Darkness is just a kind of energy! Otherwise, there would never be a Dark Warrior among the Ten Warriors who save the world!"

Therefore, even if I am the most suitable person to be a warrior of darkness, my heart is definitely not so cold! Perhaps I have experienced many bad things, but I have a mother who loves me, brothers who care about me, and comrades who worry about me. My heart is never cold!

At Huiyi's shout, the mudman transformed into specks of data and drifted away. The surrounding environment also underwent a tremendous change; darkness remained, but the icy silence was gone, replaced by a feeling of warmth, depth, and mystery.

Huiyi could sense that this was the true power of a Dark Warrior!

…………

"Soul - Evolution!"

"Black Lion Beast!!!"

Chapter Thirteen, The Journey

Huiyi has always been a person with a strong will and a kind heart.