"What is it, Omnimon?" The other Digimon flew over.
"Daemon slipped away." Omnimon sounded frustrated—his moment of carelessness had let the enemy escape.
"Let it go—next time won't be so easy for him," Angewomon comforted.
Omnimon's body shone with golden light, which divided in two and became Agumon and Gabumon. The other Digimon also devolved one after another.
Seeing their partners defeat the enemy, the kids ran over and scooped up their Digimon.
"We finally took down another one," Tai felt some of the weight lift off his chest. "Next is Piedmon. Once we beat Piedmon, I can put the plan into motion."
The Digimon had been fighting for a long time and were clearly worn out.
"Alright, let's head back first," Tai said, glancing around at the crew of hungry Digimon.
Everyone filed into the Transfer Gate, with ranks of mechanical soldiers falling in behind the children. Just as they all passed through, the gate rippled and another pair of Digimon stepped out, then scattered and disappeared into the forest.
When the kids emerged from the Transfer Gate, it wasn't the same small room as last time but a vast chamber—everywhere they looked, mechanical soldiers marched to and fro. Lights flickered along the walls, Transfer Gates opened all around, squads of troopers stepping out in formation, while other gates held steady as columns of soldiers continued through—a bustling, ceaseless flow.
They'd already seen plenty of huge structures in the Steel Empire, but that had only been the facades. You don't know a mountain's height till you climb it; you don't know an ocean's depth till you dive in. Now, up close and in person, they grasped just how enormous this room truly was.
"Okay, we'll walk and look," Tai grinned. "There's a feast waiting—let's move."
At the word "feast," everyone's eyes lit up; they hadn't eaten in hours.
A Locomon slid to a stop before them; its doors opened and everyone boarded in order. The doors shut, and Locomon glided smoothly along its track toward the kids' dining hall. Along the way, they pressed their faces to the windows, taking in the city. The route ran high in the air, threading between countless towers; from here, skyscrapers swept by right at eye level, while flocks of flying Digimon crossed the sky. Looking down from Locomon, they saw the ant-like bustle of mechanical soldiers on the ground.
The children crowded the windows at the novel sight—this was something the human world simply couldn't offer. Slipping through canyons of glass and steel felt like flying, and they reveled in it.
Soon the silhouette of the Central Control Tower loomed ahead. Locomon accelerated toward it; the great doors swung open from afar and the train slid inside.
Locomon stopped, and the kids reluctantly disembarked. Following Tai into their private dining room, they found the tables piled high with mountains of food. Eyes went red with delight—someone shouted first, then scraps went flying, and the food-mountain began vanishing by the second.
"So full…"
"Can't eat another bite…"
The last of the feast had disappeared, leaving only crumbs. Kids and Digimon lay back in their chairs, rubbing their bellies, too stuffed to move. The doors opened and a detachment of mechanical soldiers filed in to clear the remains.
Full at last, the children went off to rest with their partners. Tai had Agumon revert and head back; he watched their receding figures, then turned to leave.
"Wait, Tai." Sora's voice came from behind him.
Tai turned to her. "What is it, Sora? Aren't you going to rest?"
Sora opened her mouth, hesitating.
Tai smiled. "If there's something to say, say it. Waffling isn't like you, Sora."
Sora drew a deep breath, as if steeling herself. "Why won't you tell everyone, Tai? Why shoulder this alone? Aren't we partners? Why should you be the only one to carry it? That isn't fair."
Tai angled his head, avoiding her steady gaze. "There's nothing unfair about it. You have your mission; I have mine. Why make my troubles everyone else's burden? Besides, my task isn't something you can do. It's the path I chose—no need to trouble others. But… thank you, Sora."
Sora stepped closer, emotions rising. "How do you know we can't help if you won't tell us? We're partners. We can't let you carry this alone."
"That's enough, Sora. Please—drop it."
"But, Tai—" she began, but Tai had already turned away.
"It's late," Tai said over his shoulder. "You should rest. See you."
He walked off without looking back, leaving Sora standing there, watching him go.
"What I'm doing isn't something you can understand. You can't help me," Tai murmured as he walked. His black silhouette slipped down the dim corridor, growing fainter until the darkness swallowed it.
Leaving Sora and the others, Tai took an elevator to a secret room. He passed an identity scan on the wall; the door opened. Inside, the room was empty save for a single black-robed figure. Tai approached and stood quietly.
The black-robed figure turned to Tai. "I've been waiting a long time, Tai."
Tai smiled faintly. "It's been busy lately."
"Enough small talk. I'm leaving—this is my last avatar. We're heading for the Dark Ocean to guard against Millenniummon."
"What about the Digital World? Are you abandoning the 'Genesis' plan?"
The figure shook his head. "The Digital World is yours. With you, 'Genesis' is enough. We need to prevent Millenniummon's meddling. You'll execute 'Genesis' alone."
"I thought we agreed to work together. Can I really do it by myself?"
"Believe in yourself. We believe in you. The future of the Digital World is in your hands."
"I'll do it."
"Then I'm gone. Farewell." The black-robed figure vanished.
"Goodbye," Tai whispered, raising a hand. "I'll make it happen. 'Genesis' will succeed. The Digital World will see a tomorrow."
He turned and left. The door shut, and the room was empty once more.
In the Central Control Room, beneath the largest screen, Datamon stared without blinking. His two mechanical arms clattered rapidly across the keys as lines of code streamed by; indicator lights along the mainframe banks winked on and off.
Step—step—footfalls sounded behind him. Datamon paused and turned. "Lord Tai, you're here."
Tai nodded. "Datamon, are those units installed?"
"Mhm. I dispatched ten squads of mechanical soldiers for it. Everything was completed ten minutes ago."
"Good," Tai said with a satisfied nod. "Not a single mistake is acceptable—this is crucial to us. It concerns the Digital World's future." His last words dropped so low only he could hear them.
Datamon tapped a few keys; several feeds popped onto the screen. Each showed a different environment: a desert, a forest, the ocean depths, clusters of high-rises—even a place of pitch blackness. But every scene had the same thing in common: a mysterious metal device, lights winking steadily on its casing.
Seeing them, Tai felt a clean surge of satisfaction—these were vital components of his "Genesis" plan. "Almost there," he murmured. "It's about to begin."
On the last feed, the single remaining gap showed where the final device needed to be placed.
The display showed a Roman-style palace—the residence of the last Dark Master, Piedmon. It was Tai's final, imminent target—and the most critical piece of "Genesis."
Tai thought for a moment, then said, "Have Chaosdramon muster an elite unit. He'll execute the Ark Project. And send Andromon to lead a force of Guardromon to the city where the Steel Factory is—Steel City. Issue orders to hold that city. Mount sensors on him to collect post-'Genesis' data."
"Understood, Lord Tai."
Inside Piedmon's palace—
Peering through his massive telescope at both the Digital World and the human world, Piedmon smiled. "Heh heh… come then, DigiDestined—let me show you my power. Only at the very end will you know who the true winner is."
The countdown to "Genesis" had begun.
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