Since LadyDevimon had already returned to the Digital World, the problems in the Real World could wait. After a brief discussion, the group quickly finalized their next move.
"Alright then—Log In, Jump!"
Thankfully, Piximon had moved the "gate" to the Fairy Lake ahead of time. Had it still been in Myotismon's castle, the Digimon Kaiser would have certainly taken it by now.
Feeling both grateful for Piximon's foresight and the familiar sensation of weightlessness, the group opened their eyes again to find themselves already at Fairy Lake.
"Ahhh~ We're finally back!"
Rina stretched her arms wide, taking a deep breath with nostalgia written clearly on her face. Next to her, Hajime mimicked her exactly.
For them, it really had been a long time since they'd visited the Digital World.
Just then, a sparkling little figure hurried over—Piximon, sensing their presence, accompanied by the five original Drimogemon they'd brought along.
"Oh, you're back, comrade~"
Piximon cheerfully greeted Zero, who immediately responded warmly.
"Yeah. But it seems you're in quite the bind now…"
Piximon's cheerful voice took on a note of resignation. "Actually, things aren't that bad here in the Southern Desert. Apparently, that Digimon Kaiser guy doesn't have much interest in this place."
Thanks to that lack of interest, Fairy Lake remained largely unaffected. Etemon's territory, meanwhile, had become the stronghold for the resistance, and so far, they'd managed to keep hold of it.
Of course, whether the resistance had genuinely held their ground, or if the Digimon Kaiser simply hadn't prioritized Etemon's area yet—that remained up for debate.
At present, the Kaiser's main focus was on reclaiming Myotismon's former territories. After all, those lands were the richest resource areas on Server Continent. Back then, with the Dark Masters not actively ruling, Myotismon had essentially become the uncrowned king, naturally taking the best regions for himself.
Now, all those valuable territories had fallen into the Digimon Kaiser's hands and were filled with Dark Towers.
Zero roughly understood the function of these Dark Towers. As inferior replicas of Spiral Mountain, they held similar powers to suppress Digivolution. With their amplification, the Dark Towers further eroded the Village of Beginnings.
If the Village ceased functioning, the Firewall would lose its power, allowing the terrifying beings behind it to break through and arrive here.
This was likely the alternative invasion route devised by the Dark Masters after their plan to directly invade the human world was thwarted.
If those behind the Firewall were successfully unleashed, destroying the Reality Barrier would become child's play. The Firewall Plan that Zero and his allies had painstakingly built would crumble in an instant.
"That's roughly the current situation..."
Koushiro took out his ever-present laptop, his fingers flying across the keyboard. In moments, a map appeared on-screen, crisscrossed by grids dividing the continent into segments. Nearly two-thirds of the map was already shaded black.
The implications were stark: these darkened regions had already fallen under the Kaiser's control, now completely covered with Dark Towers. It was clear at a glance—more than half of Server Continent was now the Digimon Kaiser's territory.
"His expansion speed is incredible… Then again, he's got Dark Rings. In terms of manpower… he has practically limitless resources."
With countless Digimon forced into service by Dark Rings, the Kaiser had plenty of hands to rapidly build Dark Towers everywhere he conquered.
"We don't have time to destroy them one-by-one, and we certainly can't afford that kind of effort. Our priority should be stopping his territorial expansion first," Zero declared firmly. "Do we know exactly where the Digimon Kaiser is now?"
"We do," Piximon replied. "That guy loves making a spectacle. Every time he moves, he rides on an Airdramon like some grand parade."
Myotismon, in comparison, at least had the sense to avoid drawing attention during the day—even using Devidramon to pull his carriage at night was pushing it. Yet, the Digimon Kaiser took arrogance to a new level.
According to the Digi-Encyclopedia, Airdramon was described as the "Messenger of God." Although only a Champion-level Digimon, its ancient body retained primal traces of the original wyvern species—a true "living fossil."
Setting aside pure strength, simply possessing the original wyvern genes made Airdramon an enigmatic presence.
Riding an Airdramon as a mount… Did this brat think he was a god now?
Still, this flamboyance had its upside—it made him easy to find. With their target identified, Zero quickly prepared to confront the Kaiser directly.
"Be careful," Piximon warned seriously. "The Dark Towers will suppress your Digivolution. You may not be able to fight at full strength."
"I know. I'll be careful," Zero nodded firmly before turning to the group.
Taichi immediately clenched his fist with determination. "Let's go. We can't let him keep causing chaos!"
After all their recent battles, he had truly grown into his role as leader, and his fighting spirit was now burning brightly.
"Onii-chan, don't be careless. You too, Gatomon..."
Gatomon spun in place, giving a playful smile. "Of course~ I'd never let you worry, my lovely princess~"
After Koushiro quickly consulted with Wizardmon to finalize their route on the map, Hajime remained silent, but everyone knew her evolved form, Kimeramon, was one of their strongest aces—her presence was reassuring enough.
Fully assembled, the team was soon teleported away by Piximon's magic.
Piximon could, in theory, directly teleport everyone straight to the target location, but doing so risked exposing Fairy Lake. With the Pyramid serving as the resistance's main base, Fairy Lake had become their hidden backup—an ultimate trump card. Its concealment was vital, especially since the Gate was here. Losing the Gate would mean even Zero's group would struggle to return home. After all, the Reality Barrier discriminated against no one; it blocked everyone equally.
...
Meanwhile, the Digimon Kaiser was riding high on his recent string of victories.
Far from the helpless, timid boy he once was, he now felt as if there was nothing he couldn't do.
"Magnificent! This world... it's practically made for me!"
"Ken-chan~"
But the sudden voice beside him instantly drained half his enthusiasm.
"I've told you a hundred times, don't call me that! Who gave you permission to sound so intimate?"
He frowned deeply, voice lowered in annoyance. Turning toward the sound, he saw LadyDevimon sauntering closer, deliberately swaying her hips in a provocative manner.
"Don't be so cold~ Aren't we partners?"
"Who said you're my partner? You're just my subordinate—stop acting like you're special!"
"Ooh, scary~ So is my great master planning to punish his insolent servant?"
She shot him a flirtatious wink, instantly silencing him.
Teasing him had become LadyDevimon's recent favorite pastime—tormenting this boy was just too fun.
When she'd worked under Myotismon and Piedmon, she'd never dared behave so recklessly. Those two battle-hardened schemers would've easily turned the tables on her. But the Digimon Kaiser, despite being feared as the ruthless fifth commander of the Dark Army, was ultimately just a boy in her eyes. Teasing him was safe—and utterly delightful.
Once finished playing around, she regained her serious composure.
"We're approaching Etemon's Pyramid base soon... or rather, the 'Resistance Base,' as they're calling it now."
Hearing the words "Resistance Base," the Kaiser snorted dismissively.
"Finally, opponents worth fighting? A conquest without any resistance is just too boring—it's like coloring a map without opposition."
Then, looking down at the troops below, he barked irritably:
"What are you slackers in the back doing? Hurry up and keep pace—don't lag behind!"
A group of Monochromon grunted, hauling carts that carried something tall and slender, concealed under thick cloth. Though the Steel Empire had provided advanced technology, most of the Digital World still relied on primitive methods for moving supplies, much to the Kaiser's irritation as a modern person.
"Have they started laying down railway tracks in our occupied territories yet? How long until the first line is operational?"
LadyDevimon, who had similarly enjoyed modern conveniences in the Real World, replied promptly:
"Probably within half a month. We'll have the first three lines operational by then."
"Half a month still?"
Though objectively quite fast, the Kaiser wasn't satisfied.
"Whatever—make do for now. Eventually, the whole Digital World will be connected by railways. It's inefficient moving everything manually."
"Master..." LadyDevimon suddenly lifted a finger, pointing toward the horizon. "Seems we have company..."
---
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