"This is…" The kids stared, stunned. They'd come straight from the human world into a room made entirely of steel. Indicator lights blinked everywhere; pale bands of light pulsed through conduits in the walls, filling the place with a sci-fi aura—like the bridge of a starship.
"Tai, there's something I want to…" Izzy hesitated.
Tai smiled. "It's about me, isn't it?"
Izzy nodded. "Back at Centarumon's ruins, you blocked his attack. Same in Tsunomon Village. In Etemon's pyramid, you stopped Etemon. On Infinity Mountain there were those mysterious strikes. Just now, the things harassing VenomMyotismon, and the device that brought us here—Tai, you—"
"There's nothing I can't say. Let's step out; I'll explain on the way." He tapped a few places on the wall. A seam opened, and a door slid aside.
As they passed through, the kids realized Tai's clothes had changed. His usual windproof goggles had become Digi-Goggles etched with strange sigils, a cloak had unfurled down his back, a metal-sheened gauntlet covered his hand, and a black suit wrapped him head to toe.
"Tai, this is—" Izzy finally blurted.
"Just a simple data substitution system," Tai said, leading them toward the exit.
Along the way they saw things they'd never imagined: corridors forged entirely of metal; thin seams between plates tracing skittering points of light.
"Whoa…" They stepped out of the passage and couldn't help crying out.
Behind them towered a skyscraper that seemed to pierce the clouds, its skin solid steel. In the streets, mechanical soldiers marched in neat ranks.
A shadow passed overhead. A Digimon swooped down. Izzy's fingers flew on his keyboard. "Megadramon—an Ultimate-level Digimon." Megadramon settled before them. The kids instinctively took a step back; having something that huge land right in front of you was… a lot.
"Hop on," Tai said, climbing up and pulling Kari after him. The others traded looks, nodded, and followed. A transparent canopy arced over from one side, sealing them in.
On the ground, the Steel Empire was impressive; from the air it was staggering. Endless steel towers stabbed the sky; mechanical Digimon strode along the avenues; flocks of flying machine Digimon crisscrossed the air. The whole city churned with industry. The kids pressed against the canopy, drinking in the blur of motion below.
"So spectacular," Izzy breathed. "Wait—this looks familiar. Right—back then."
"Back when?" Matt asked.
"You mean Gekomon's castle," Sora said, catching on.
"Yeah. I was leading a force to Myotismon's castle and got cut off. Then I saw it was you, so I had the army pull back. I was in a rush, so I didn't come down. By the time I made it there, Myotismon had already gone through the gate. After that, I took Agumon to find you," Tai explained.
"No wonder we started to lose ground and the mechanical Digimon withdrew. And Myotismon's castle was empty—that was you. With all these Digimon, fixing the distortions in the Digital World will be easy," Joe said, excited.
The others buzzed with talk. Even if they couldn't picture the bigger strategy, at least food and beds were covered—and, most importantly to the girls, there would be showers.
Megadramon arrowed toward the tallest building in the city's center—the Central Control Tower. It drew close but didn't slow.
"Stop—! We're going to crash!" Izzy panicked, hunting for any kind of brake.
Kari trusted her brother, but her body acted first—she hugged Tai's arm anyway.
Deep inside the tower, a colossal gear began to turn. A gate yawned open. Megadramon flew in; the gate sealed behind them with not a sliver left.
"Okay—open up. We're here." Tai patted Kari's back and called to the others.
Kari cracked one eye, saw they were intact, and exhaled, patting her chest before hopping down. Gatomon caught her.
When everyone had disembarked, another door on the far side of the bay opened and Megadramon rose and flew out.
A Hagurumon spun over, teeth clacking. "Lord Tai, Datamon has been waiting for you for some time."
"Understood."
Tai led them toward the control center. On the way, Izzy asked, "Tai, did he say 'Lord'?"
"This city is the capital of the Steel Empire," Tai answered, glancing back. "The building we emerged from is the Steel Empire Transfer Center. From there, you can use Transfer Gates to reach any point in our territory. This tower is the Central Control Tower—it governs the empire's operations. We're headed to the Central Control Center, the tower's core. All commands are issued from there. I'm the one in charge of the Steel Empire. Datamon—the one we found in the pyramid—helps me run it. Right now, the Steel Empire controls a quarter of the Digital World."
"Waaah…" The kids chorused their awe.
Izzy shook himself and pressed on. "Then, Tai—do you know how we're supposed to correct the Digital World's distortions?"
Tai wasn't sure how to answer. The plot had already run well off the rails. "Let's check the Central Control Center for data," he said, stepping into a corridor.
He placed his palm on a scanner. The door unlocked and slid open.
Inside… was another world. A vast hall; walls crowded with displays; scores of Hagurumon working at holographic keyboards; command after command streaming out.
Tai walked straight for the largest screen. The kids craned around, still dazed by the spectacle.
Up close, the display's scale hit them. Datamon stood beneath it and looked over. "Lord Tai, Piedmon, Puppetmon, and MetalSeadramon have launched their attack. It appears they've struck a pact and begun a simultaneous offensive." He tapped several keys. The screen switched to a sprawling plain, so dense with dots it looked black. Digimon flashed past overhead. The view zoomed: ranks of Guardromon, Mechanorimon, Tankmon, and MetalPhantomon; opposite them, troops from the Nightmare Soldiers and Jungle Troopers. Attacks carved bright lines through the sky. Rows of Digimon fell—Steel Empire and enemy alike. Within the Steel Empire lines, certain units collected fallen machine Digimon, dismantled them, salvaged usable parts, then reassembled them into fighting shape.
Datamon keyed another switch. The battle shifted to the sea. Countless Gekomon, Ebidramon, and Shellmon surged together as the Deep Savers formation and slammed into Steel Empire forces. The Empire's strength was on land; at sea, its assets were limited. They were barely holding the line.
Tai scanned the running tallies, his face going hard. "How's production?"
"We're at full tilt," Datamon replied. "For now, we can only hold Piedmon and the others. We don't have the capacity for a counterattack."
The kids couldn't read the numbers, but Tai's exchange with Datamon told them enough—it wasn't good.
"Big brother, can I help?" Kari tugged at Tai's coat.
Tai ruffled her hair. "Not yet—but you will. For now, everyone should rest. I'll show you your rooms."
He brought them to a blank stretch of wall and pressed a hidden switch. A panel slid back, revealing an elevator. It sank; the doors opened on a carpeted corridor.
"Pick any room you like," Tai said. "Before you go in, place your hand on the handle and picture your ideal room. It'll appear the way you imagine it. Once you've gone inside, the room is bound to you; no one else can enter without your say-so. There's a computer inside where you can order whatever you want to eat. A Digimon will bring it to you."
The kids cheered. Mimi whooped and dashed in with Palmon. The others weren't much more restrained.
Once they'd all disappeared into their rooms, Tai stepped into another elevator.
In a steel-walled chamber, the black-robed man stood waiting. A door opened. Tai walked in.
They faced one another. Tai spoke first. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to tell you some things," the man said. "Things you should know."
"What things?"
"We—"
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