Knights of the Digital World

"You're strange. I've never seen your evolved Digimon. It's neither a Ten Warrior nor an ordinary Digimon. But I can sense that your evolved Digimon possesses great power. Perhaps it's much weaker than the full power of Astralmon or Wolfmon, but it's still quite good. You can also unleash more power than the previous two, maybe two or three tenths? It's just that your ceiling isn't as high as theirs, and the strength you've shown is only slightly higher than theirs. But just as I assessed before, it can barely be considered a strong one."

"I'm not a Digimon. I'm just a random Kamen Rider who wandered in... But you, Darkmon, what exactly is your purpose?!" Emu clutched his chest as he got up, staring directly at Darkmon.

"Want to know my purpose? Your current strength isn't enough. However, I can give you a chance. Come with me, and when you can defeat me, I'll tell you." The Dark Beast, after some deliberation, extended an invitation to Yongmeng.

"Emu won't go with you! We... will definitely defeat you!" Takuya shouted angrily as he stood up with Yuuki's help.

“That’s right! Don’t even think about taking our companions away from us!” Kouji leaned against Kouichi and said firmly.

"That's right! You...you stay away from Emu!" Junpei and Koizumi also mustered up their courage and shouted at the Dark Beast.

"Hmph, do you have any room to refuse?" The dark beast sneered, waved its hand in the distance, and dark energy burst forth. The children who had just stood up were blown away by this energy and crashed heavily to the ground.

This time, the Dark Beast seemed to be teaching the children a lesson, increasing its power significantly, causing them to fall to the ground and be unable to get up.

"Stop! Damn it! Transform for me now!!!" Emu shouted angrily, pressing the Infinity Gacha tape hard, trying to transform again. But the tape didn't respond at all. His body, which had just gone through an intense battle, wouldn't allow him to transform again, and out of the instinct to protect its host, the system fragments also suppressed the tape's response.

"Now, choose!" The dark beast gathered another ball of energy in its hand. "Come with me, and you will all live; or stay behind, and you will all die!"

"I choose... to go with you..." Having seen the situation clearly, Yongmeng made her choice unwillingly.

He realized that this Dark Beast was definitely problematic, even more so than the Dark Beast that Kouichi transformed into in the original story. In the original story, before regaining its memories, the Dark Beast would instinctively react to Kouji's name and behave abnormally. This Dark Beast, however, was frantically pursuing strong individuals, facing all terrifying attacks head-on without any regard for life or death.

He had even held back in previous battles. After all, although the three were defeated, they hadn't even been able to decipher the digital code. In the original work, there was a scene where the six main characters were directly forced to reveal their digital codes by the Royal Knights, except for Kouichi. It was through this that Kouichi discovered the fact that he was merely a soul.

Comparing the abilities of the three characters who have only recently gained their powers to those of Darkmon, Darkmon definitely has the strength to break their Digital Code. Furthermore, if Darkmon were solely loyal to Cherubimon, it could easily wipe out the still-developing main characters here, extinguishing hope for the Digital World. Darkmon didn't do that. This suggests that Darkmon must be hiding many secrets, and its own safety is likely guaranteed.

However, being coerced into leaving her friends like this left Emu feeling incredibly frustrated. Ultimately, it was simply a matter of being outmatched! If she could have defeated the Dark Beast, this situation wouldn't have arisen!

Strength, real strength!

“Very good. Then, let’s go.” Dark Beast nodded in satisfaction, reached out and grabbed Yongmeng’s arm. The black mist that had appeared with him gradually spread out, obscuring the two of them.

"Damn it! Give Emu back!" the children shouted indignantly.

"Takuya! Kouji! Remember to train yourselves more! Stay in your Digimon form often, this will—" Emu, not expecting to leave in such a hurry, shouted loudly.

This is something he just figured out. Logically speaking, the abilities of the ten warriors should be roughly equal. In fact, judging from the TV series, where each of the five types of warrior souls can evolve into KaiserGreymon and MagnaGarurumon respectively, the Flame Warrior and the Light Warrior should also be leading figures among the ten warriors. There's no reason why, after becoming warrior souls, the Flame Warrior and the Light Warrior would be suppressed by warriors like the Dark Warrior and the Steel Warrior.

However, watching the TV series reveals that Cherubimon's warriors are truly formidable, routinely taking on multiple opponents at once. Leaving aside the Earth Warrior, who's a disgrace, relying solely on his Beast Warrior Soul, the Water Warrior's main profession isn't fighting, but rather being an idol, enjoying the praise of other Digimon. Even her Beast Warrior Soul was found with the help of her fans—although her Beast form was so ugly it looked like she'd pressed the F key, causing her top fan to immediately quit and unfollow her—yet this warrior still manages to overpower the Wind Warrior.

Although the Wood Warrior looks silly and spouts nonsensical phrases, his strength is undeniable. He can easily take on three or four opponents at once, leaving the children utterly helpless. Finally, the five of them teamed up and managed to knock away the Wood Warrior's beast-type warrior spirit, only to have the Dark Beast steal his kill... cough, anyway, the Wood Warrior is incredibly strong.

I won't go into the details of the Dark Warrior's achievements; what stands out is his inhumanity, beating the kids until they were completely speechless.

The remaining Steel Warrior is an old silver coin. He's always messing with the kids' mentality, and in the end, he only managed to be defeated after fighting five opponents alone. Moreover, two of those five are beyond the level required, and their strength is terrifying.

So, what exactly is the difference in strength between the children and these evil warriors?

At first, Emu thought it was normal for different Digimon to have varying strengths. However, upon closer examination, he realized that the Ten Warriors were born from the Warrior's Soul. Therefore, warriors of the same rank should have similar strengths, with En and Hikari from the main group even being slightly stronger. But the reality was the opposite.

So, is it caused by humans transforming into Digimon?

No, look at the Dark Beast in the original TV series. It was also a human transformed, and it was just as ferocious.

Therefore, after ruling out many possibilities, Emu noticed something. The difference in strength between the two sides might be due to the time elapsed since their evolution.

Look at these kids, they don't evolve until it's time to fight. They evolve only to fight, and then they regress. They never try to grasp the power of the fighters in normal times. It's like taking an exam; they never study beforehand, only cram before the test. It's no wonder they can't win.

Afterwards, you're able to defeat your opponent usually after fighting them several times. To use an exam analogy, it's like taking the same test repeatedly; eventually, you'll pass, which is quite normal.

On the other hand, the evil warriors are all Digimon in their original forms. After evolving into the Ten Warriors through contact with the Warrior's Soul, there's no option for them to regress. Therefore, they are constantly familiarizing themselves with their powers, whether actively or passively. This is like someone who studies regularly; regardless of their intelligence, it's always easier to pass an exam than someone who crams at the last minute. The outward manifestation of this is that the evil warriors are all stronger.

Kouichi is a good example. When he was still Darkmon, he wandered around in the same form all the time, practically no longer human. Once he returned to the main cast, he only occasionally showed up as BlackLionmon, and his strength was significantly weaker than when he was Darkmon. It's said that he was twice as strong when he turned evil, and three times weaker when he turned good. But such a huge difference can only be attributed to his lack of familiarity with the power of the fighters, preventing him from fully utilizing it.

Therefore, Emu seized the opportunity to remind the children, hoping they would frequently evolve into Digimon and maintain this state, thus becoming someone who reviewed things every day. This was undoubtedly extremely beneficial for them in mastering the power of the Fighters.

This is the correct way to train the spirit of a fighter!

Chapter Seventeen, The Children's Efforts

The Dark Beast moved swiftly, and as the black mist dissipated, he and Emu vanished. Only Emu's unfinished words lingered in the air.

"Damn it! Damn it!! Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!" Takuya, filled with resentment at his own powerlessness, knelt on the ground, pounding the ground with all his might, and cried out in pain.

"It's all... because we were too weak! Too weak!" Even the usually reserved Kouji murmured with self-reproach. He had heard from Kouichi about Emu saving him, and he still felt grateful to Emu. But now, he could only watch helplessly as Emu was taken away, powerless to do anything about it.

The children remained silent. In their eyes, the Dark Beast was a great villain, and what good could come of being led astray by such a villain?

"Kouji, don't blame yourself. Cheer up! Emu still needs us to bring him back!" Kouichi put his hands on Kouji's shoulders and encouraged him.

"Yes, Takuya-nii! Don't give up! Let's go to the Forest Terminus and find our Fighter's Spirit. If we work together, we can definitely bring Emu-nii back!"

“That’s right, Takuya, Kouji, don’t give up! Emu… he’s my friend! We will definitely bring him back!” Junpei also spoke up.

Although they hadn't spent much time together, Emu had already formed deep bonds with most of the children. The only one she wasn't very familiar with was Izumi Orimoto.

However, Koizumi was also a kind-hearted child. When she stayed, she was mentally prepared and did not care about the dangers she might encounter. Instead, she echoed her words, indicating that it would definitely be possible.

"Everyone... Hello! We can definitely save Emu! No! We absolutely must!" Takuya rallied his spirits. He was a natural leader, passionate and inspiring, a guiding light for others.

"Takuya, I'm really concerned about what Emu said before she left." Kouji also composed himself. He was always calm and rational, but now, recalling the past, he immediately focused on Emu's last words. "He told us to try to maintain our Digimon forms. Did he discover something? This might be very important."

"What has Emu discovered this time? Hmm, it's very likely he did. Let's do as he says then!" Takuya showed no intention of delving deeper.

"..." Kouji rolled his eyes, mentally labeling Takuya an idiot, and then explained, "We can't maintain our Digimon forms for long periods right now. If we're not fighting, I can probably stay in Wolfmon form for about an hour, but that time will be greatly reduced during battles. The more intense the battle, the harder it is to maintain. And once our power is depleted, it takes about two hours to fully recover. I think you're about the same. We're currently the only two fighters in the team, and we can't both maintain our Digimon forms, otherwise we'll be doomed if we encounter danger."

"That seems so. Then, Kouji, what do you suggest?" Takuya threw the question back at him. It wasn't that he was stupid, but he understood his impulsive nature and how he often acted too rashly. He figured it was best to leave things like making plans to someone else.

"The safest method is to evolve in rotation every three hours. This ensures we always have a fighting force to deal with danger. However... it's a waste of time. A more aggressive approach would be to evolve in rotation every two hours. When one person regresses, the other has already recovered, enough to guarantee combat strength. But if something unexpected happens, we might not have any fighting force available," Kouji explained in detail.

“Hmm… Emu is so smart, he must have discovered something we haven’t. There must be benefits to maintaining our Digimon forms that we don’t know about. I want to choose option two. What do you guys think?” Takuya shared his thoughts and asked the other children for their opinions.

"I have no problem. You are the ones fighting to the death. I'm just a little girl hiding in the background. I have no right to criticize you," Izumi Orimoto said first.

"It's okay, let's use option two."

“We’re not stupid either; we’ll hide if we see danger.”

"Yes, yes, Takuya-nii, Kouji-nii, you don't need to worry about us."

The children talked amongst themselves, and all of them chose the radical option two.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't forget! Questionmon and I are Digimon too! We have abilities too!" At this moment, Pokomon jumped out to make its presence known.

The children had a high regard for this Digimon who stood with them to face Darkmon. Hearing this, they all asked, "Bokomon, what are your abilities?"

"Ahem, don't be scared after hearing this! My ability is extremely powerful, the kind that's terrifying!" Bogomon said in a pretentious manner.

"We are the chosen children, we are not afraid." The children looked at each other, not knowing what other abilities Bokomon had besides reciting information, but still cooperated.

"My first ability is called 'The Book of Knowledge.' It allows me to know everything about the Digital World!" Bokomon pulled out the green Book of Knowledge, looking very proud.

"Do you know anything about the Dark Beast?"

"This... I don't know why it's not there."

"What about Emu's transformation into Ex-Aid?"

"He's not a Digimon! How could he know that! Besides these things, I really can know everything in the Digital World! Look, things like Auramon and Wolfmon, their information is in the Book of Knowledge, isn't it? That's a very powerful and terrifying ability!" Bogomon tried to explain.

A soft laugh came from among the children.

What are you laughing at?

"No, no, Bokomon, you misheard. We're professionals, we don't laugh—unless we can't help it. Cough cough, anyway, tell me your second ability." Takuya covered his mouth and said.

"My second ability is even more terrifying! It's called 'Charge and Escape'!"

"??? What's with the sudden sprint???"

"Charge and run away! It's all about escaping for your life! When I use it, I'll be incredibly fast, even Salammon can't catch me! It's really amazing..." Pokomon danced around, eager to demonstrate this terrifying skill to the children.

"Pfft..." Another soft laugh came from among the children.

"I've put up with you for so long! You've been laughing non-stop!" Bogomon angrily threw the Hundred Knowledge Book to the ground and shouted furiously.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha……"

The children finally couldn't help but laugh. Their initial sadness at Emu's capture eased considerably. They were all strong-willed children; they knew Emu's departure was a fact, and while they would keep Emu in their hearts, they wouldn't dwell on their friend's capture all the time. They knew that wouldn't help. The only way was to become stronger and rescue Emu. Now, Bokomon's antics helped them recover from their sadness even faster.

"I'm not kidding! If we get into danger, I can carry you all away! Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm a Digimon after all, I can definitely carry a few of you kids!" Bokomon emphasized, glancing at Junpei, "I can carry all the kids except Junpei!"

"Why are you excluding me! I'm not fat! I'm just... a bit plump!" Junpei blushed, muttering obscure phrases like "plump doesn't mean fat," "Kids aren't fat," and "I'm all muscle." The atmosphere in the group was instantly filled with a cheerful merriment.

"What about the Quizmon?" Takuya asked, suppressing a laugh. Despite Pokomon's seemingly unreliable claims, if they were to encounter real danger, Pokomon's ability to quickly retreat with the children who hadn't yet acquired the Fighter's Soul would undoubtedly reduce a significant amount of pressure on him and Kouji.

"Me? I can 'pretend to be asleep.' The kind of 'pretend to be dead'!" The Question-and-Answer Beast squinted its eyes, gave a thumbs up, and looked quite impressive.

"Idiot! This is useless! Nobody's that blind!" Bogomon angrily pulled down Questionmon's pants and flicked him hard.

"Ouch!" The Question-and-Answer Beast clutched its crotch and rolled on the ground.

“I’ll answer for him! Quizmon has a move called ‘Dash Escape,’ which is a terrifying escape technique that rivals my speed! Of course, it’s still a tiny bit slower than me.” Bokomon gestured with its paw, indicating the difference between the two, looking like a lonely master.

"Really? Then we don't need to worry too much! With Pokomon and Questionmon around, at least we can escape. So using Plan Two isn't too radical... Kouji, what do you think?" Takuya, having received an answer, ignored Pokomon and Questionmon's antics, nodded with satisfaction, and then asked Kouji for his opinion.

“I have no other questions. We’ve rested enough now, let’s go,” said Hui Er.

"Alright! I'll go first! Soul—Evolve! Vulcan!" Takuya was decisive and evolved into Vulcan.

"Everyone, let's go!" the Fire God Beast called out, and the children responded enthusiastically.

Compared to the TV series, today's children have an even stronger conviction. In the TV series, they simply lent a helping hand to the Digital World, driven by their inner kindness and curiosity about the beautiful and magical world. Later, the battles they fought on their journey and the tragedies they witnessed evoked deep empathy in them, igniting their hatred for Cherubimon and solidifying their resolve to fight.

Now, with their companions gone because of Cherubimon (Darkmon claims to be one of Cherubimon's fighters), they no longer need the tragedies they witness on their journey as a backdrop to solidify their resolve to defeat Cherubimon and rescue Emu. What they see and hear on their subsequent journey further strengthens their resolve. The intense battles also increase their fighting power.

This time, the Ten Warriors... will be even stronger!

Chapter 18, Traveling with the Dark Beast

Emu felt darkness engulf him, and the words he was about to say died in his throat. He knew he was separated from his friends.

After an unknown amount of time, the black mist dissipated, and the Dark Beast led Yongmeng to a desolate mountain area. There were no plants here, only barren ground. Dozens of crisscrossing ravines and scattered large pits marked the ground, making it look extremely chaotic.

"This is where I'm staying temporarily." The Dark Beast's demeanor had changed drastically from before; he appeared calmer, less neurotic, and spoke with more logic. "There are a few fairly strong guys around here. You'll come with me. I want you to test their strength. If even you can't beat them, there's no point in me intervening."

"Why me?" Emu asked, voicing a question that had been nagging at him. In terms of strength, he was roughly on par with Wolfmon and Valkyriemon. Using the Salapimon Gacha, he might have a slight edge. But in terms of potential, even at level 3, Ex-Aid couldn't match the Ten Warriors. Only by obtaining a more powerful Gacha and leveling up could he catch up with the main characters. And in terms of importance, the Ten Warriors were the saviors of the Digital World, the obstacle to Cherubimon, while he was just an insignificant nobody. Why would Darkmon choose him?

This doesn't mean Emu wanted Takuya and Kouji to be captured; he simply wanted to gain a deeper understanding of Dark Beast through its answers. After all, it was a Dark Beast with problems, and learning more about it, even if not turning it to a defection, would be beneficial to find some weaknesses.

"I'm very curious about you, Kamen Rider. A new Digimon that has never appeared in the Digital World before. You haven't evolved, yet you can switch forms and enhance your abilities... You used Salubimon's abilities before, right? You also have many Salubimon features in your appearance. Can you use the abilities of other Digimon? Are there any requirements for that?" As Darkmon spoke, he began to ponder.

Darkmon quickly recovered and continued, "I know the limits of the Ten Warriors' abilities. Even if those brats train to their limits, they won't surprise me. Perhaps when they obtain the Beast Warrior's Soul and train to a decent level, they can give me some fun. But by then, I'll also... Anyway, I'm very curious about your abilities. If you can continuously borrow the abilities of other Digimon, then your potential won't just be what it seems, but limitless!"

"However, I don't trust your ability to develop your potential, you brats. You're too weak. You clearly possess abilities among the strongest in the Digital World, yet you can't unleash them. I can't just watch you waste your time. As for those brats who inherited the warrior's spirit, 'they' will guide them. As for you, I'll personally teach you!"

"Hate me, fear me, antagonize me! Then grow up and defeat me! Then I will tell you everything you want to know! Hahahahahaha!" The dark beast's neuroticism seemed to have flared up again, and it laughed maniacally.