Knights of the Digital World

"Children, you did a great job. You successfully defeated the Royal Knights and protected the last data in the Digital World."

Angewomon praised her softly while treating her.

UltimateAngemon also said, "Thanks to you all for preserving this last bit of data, Lucemon was able to prevent the seal from being broken. Afterwards, we will strengthen the seal again and completely overcome this crisis!"

Feeling the warm, comfortable sensation of being bathed in holy light, Emu was somewhat intoxicated. However, upon hearing the words of the two archangels, she still asked:

"What about the data that was taken before? It was all sealed away by the Royal Knights. Getting it back won't be easy."

Both archangels sighed upon thinking of this.

Angewomon said, "I'm afraid we can't get that data back. It's too difficult to enter the Dark Zone and retrieve the data. Not only would we have to face the pressure of the Dark Zone, but we would also have to confront Lucemon and defeat him to retrieve the data. Even if Lucemon is still sealed, it's not realistic to do so."

"Yes, we've been fighting all this time because we don't want Lucemon to be unsealed, right? Now that Lucemon has acquired most of the Digital World data, it can probably exert most of its power in the Dark Area. There's no way we can take it back."

Seraphimon nodded in agreement.

"Right now, we can only rely on time to slowly repair the Digital World. We don't know how long this process will take," Angewomon sighed.

“Ophanimon, please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help. The Digital World is our home too. We’re willing to do our part to help it recover.”

Takuya patted his chest and said, and the other children nodded solemnly.

"Hehe, there's really no need to worry too much. The other Digimon will also come to help. If everyone works together, the Digital World will recover faster. Don't worry, if there's anything I can help with, I won't hesitate to ask."

Angewomon said with a smile.

The children were relieved and began to imagine what the digital world would be like after it was restored, planning where they would go to play.

Just as everyone was enjoying the joy of victory and dreaming of a bright future, the seal in the dark area suddenly trembled violently, and an indescribable aura rose from the dark area:

"The seal... is about to break..."

Chapter Sixty-Five, The Revival of the Light Beast

The unusual activity in the Dark Area was also reflected in the Digital World.

The area around Angewomon's palace, which resembled an isolated island, began to tremble as the seal in the dark area shook.

As the tremors of the seal on the dark area intensified, the shaking in the final area became more and more obvious, like an earthquake!

The children were thrown to the ground by the sudden tremor, and even the two archangels staggered a few steps.

Behind them, part of Angewomon's palace had already begun to collapse in the violent tremors, with rocks flying everywhere. Cracks appeared in the ground and were expanding with the shaking.

"What happened?! How could there be a sudden earthquake?!"

The children, all born in Japan, were no strangers to earthquakes and were not afraid of them. However, encountering such a sudden earthquake in the digital world still surprised them, and they couldn't help but ask loudly.

Angewomon and Seraphimon together created a protective shield to prevent the flying stones from hurting the children.

The two archangels' expressions turned grim. Seraphimon's voice was hoarse as he said, "The seal on the Dark Area seems to be weakening... Lucemon might be about to revive!"

"what?"

The children were utterly shocked. Takuya shouted, "Didn't we protect the last bit of data? Why can Lucemon be resurrected? Didn't everything we did before mean nothing?!"

Angewomon pursed her lips, her face grim, and said in a low voice, "Logically, that's how it should be. We don't know how Lucemon did it."

“I think I know what’s going on.” Yongmeng’s expression also turned grim. “It’s the data from the Royal Knights.”

"The Royal Knights' data? Ah, Emu, is that what you mentioned before—"

Before the other children could react, Takuya and Kouji had already figured it out.

After they painstakingly defeated the two Royal Knights, their data was not scanned but disappeared without a trace.

Emu initially had some doubts about this, but later, overwhelmed by the joy of victory, he forgot about it.

It now appears that Lucemon secretly stole the Royal Knights' data and used it to unlock the seal!

After Emu explained the reason to everyone, the two archangels looked even more grim.

Seraphimon said, "That's highly likely... Lucemon has already collected most of the Digital World data, and after filling in the last part with the Royal Knights' data, it should be enough to break the seal..."

"No, the Royal Knights' data is still a bit less than the Digital World's data, so Lucemon is still struggling and hasn't completely broken the seal. If we strengthen the seal now..."

"Kouichi analyzed. But before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Angewomon."

Angewomon smiled wryly and said, "This seal was created by the Ten Ancient Warriors. We, the three archangels, are merely guardians and have no idea how to strengthen it. We can't even repair it..."

Seraphimon added, "The knowledge related to sealing is probably only known to the Ten Ancient Warriors. Unfortunately, they have already fallen into a deep sleep somewhere..."

"The Ten Warriors of the Ancient Times? Wait, I might have a way!"

Takuya was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then suddenly shouted loudly.

As Takuya shouted, he pulled out his Digimon and explained, "During my previous training, I had a feeling that the Warrior's Soul seems to have its own consciousness. I think the Ten Ancient Warriors might have left something in their Warrior's Souls... I want to try and see if I can awaken the consciousness within them!"

After Takuya finished explaining, he pressed a button hard on the Digimon. The symbol of the Flame Warrior appeared on the screen of the Digimon, and he closed his eyes and began to sense and call upon the possible consciousness.

Everyone else held their breath, silently watching Takuya try to sense and call out, afraid of disturbing him. This was their last hope.

After a while, Takuya suddenly opened his eyes and exclaimed with joy, "Found it! The Fighter's Soul really does have its own consciousness!"

As he spoke, the screen of the Digivice lit up, projecting a small image of Vulcan.

Vulcanmon nodded to the two archangels and greeted them, "Angewomon, Seraphimon, it's been a long time."

"That voice?! Are you AncientGreymon?" the two archangels exclaimed in surprise.

“I am now Vulcanmon,” Vulcanmon said. “We actually left our consciousness in every warrior’s soul. However, our power is too weak. Apart from helping our successors familiarize themselves with their abilities at the very beginning, it is difficult for us to communicate proactively. We have to wait for our successors to realize it themselves and call on us.”

"Does our warrior spirit have its own consciousness?" The other children raised their Digimon devices, somewhat stunned.

"Of course. It's just that you didn't realize their existence, nor did you actively call upon them. Takuya, I'm very satisfied with that. Heh heh heh, as expected of my successor."

"Vulcan Beast praised."

"Eh? Hehe, it's alright." Takuya scratched his face shyly.

"We can talk about these things later. Fire God Beast, can you tell us how to repair the seal?"

Emu realized the topic had gone a bit off track and quickly spoke up.

If it were possible to seal Lucemon directly, who would want to fight to the death? Emu had originally forgotten that he could summon the warrior's spirit beforehand for help. Now that Takuya has done it himself, there's no need to waste time.

The Fire God Beast's expression also turned serious. It said, "The seal was created by the primal power of the Ten Warriors. Strengthening the seal is also simple; just use the power of the Ten Warriors in conjunction."

"Huh? But we only have six fighters here right now," Takuya said, looking troubled.

"Can't we use the power of Super Soul Evolution? That's the combined power of the Ten Warriors, isn't it?" Kouji asked.

"No. I know what you mean by Super Soul Evolution, which is based on the power of fire and light respectively, and the power is actually unbalanced. If you want to strengthen the seal, the power must be consistent. Even if you find new fighters now, it will be useless without the tacit understanding between them."

The Fire God Beast shook its head and explained.

"Damn it, does that mean we can only watch?!"

Takuya angrily slammed his fist on the ground, resentfully.

Vulcan sighed and said, "There's nothing we can do. Lucemon had planned this all along. The Sinister Warriors were actually his doing, to break up the Ten Warriors' power. But, Takuya, don't give up. Believe in the power of the Ten Warriors..."

Before Vulcan could finish speaking, the earth shook violently again. Takuya staggered, his Dinosaur flew out of his hand, and Vulcan's image disappeared.

Meanwhile, in the dark area, Lucemon is launching a final assault on the seal!

After absorbing almost the entire Digital World, Lucemon's power has been largely restored. While the Royal Knights' data didn't completely break the seal, it weakened it to its limit.

After Lucemon unleashed its full power, the seal's power was continuously eroded. Finally, after a violent tremor, the seal shattered completely!

Lucemon has been revived!

Chapter Sixty-Six, Facing the Beast of Light

"The moment has finally arrived."

As the vibrations subsided, a clear, childlike voice echoed throughout the Digital World. Lucemon emerged from the Dark Area and stood high in the Digital World, arms outstretched.

"Lucidmon... has really come back to life..."

UltimateAngemon and Ophanimon looked up at the familiar figure and said weakly.

"Lucemon?! That boy is Lucemon?!"

Takuya retrieved his Digimon and said in surprise. The children were also surprised.

The legends of Lucemon mostly describe his immense power and brutality, without much description of his appearance.

In the children's imaginations, Lucemon should be a tall and fierce Digimon. Unexpectedly, it has the appearance of a young and handsome boy.

Lucemon paid no attention to the children's comments and continued to share his feelings about escaping:

"I am the emperor of the Digital World, and this world is under my control. All Digimon were born for me and will die for me. Just like the Royal Knights. They failed to obtain the final data for me, but they sacrificed their life data to allow me to unseal it. Therefore, I will not hold them accountable for their dereliction of duty."

"Are you kidding me?!" Takuya was enraged by Lucemon's arrogant words. "The Digital World didn't exist for you! The Royal Knights' data wasn't meant to help you unseal it!"

"The world of the past has decayed. They've forgotten who their true emperor was. I'm not satisfied. Now, I will create a new Digital World. My... Digital World!"

The Light Beast seemed not to hear Takuya's shouts, ignoring them completely, and paced back and forth in the sky, slowly explaining its thoughts.

"Oh, right, before that, I need to take away this last bit of data. Only by completely shattering it can a completely new digital world be built."

Lucemon suddenly stopped, looked down at the remaining land of the Digital World, and smiled.

The Light Beast's appearance made his smile very attractive and endearing. However, the cold indifference in his eyes was chilling.

What are you talking about?!

"You're just a spoiled child!"

"Presumptuously claiming to be an emperor!"

The children all voiced their criticism. The children couldn't accept the Light Beast's willful and self-centered remarks.

"It's so noisy. You're all just kids."

The Light Beast's smile vanished, replaced by obvious displeasure.

He then turned his gaze to the two archangels, and a chilling smile reappeared on his face:

"Oh dear, aren't these my beloved Seraphimon and Angewomon? You've had a wonderful time these past years, haven't you? But do you remember your betrayal? Do you remember your creator, who has been tormented in the dark seal ever since!"

"Lucemon! You did create us, but we absolutely cannot condone your atrocities. We have never regretted our choice. We have always fought for the Digital World and have never betrayed it!"

"Ultimate Seraphimon shouted, trying to straighten his body and suppress his trembling," he said sharply.

This is a natural fear of one's own creator, a suppression of one's level of life.