In a large hall, a large man with a white beard and hair, one dark blue eye and the other covered by a black patch, wore black armor, a red cape, and a large golden helmet with horns. He sat in one of the chairs around a large table. Beside him sat Thor, Avenger and God of Thunder. In the remaining seats were other figures of divine appearance.
At that moment, a large door opened, and two figures entered. Zeus and his brother Hades walked toward the only empty seats.
Zeus didn't wait a second. As soon as he spotted Thor, his face lit up with a wide, booming smile.
"Thor!" he exclaimed in that deep, jovial voice that seemed to fill the entire room. "Look at you! The son of Thunder himself. Hercules already told me about how you fought in that world."
Thor raised an eyebrow, though he couldn't help but let out a half-smile.
"Thank you, Zeus…" he replied in a more subdued tone. "I see you're still as outrageous as ever."
Zeus let out a laugh and, as he passed by Odin's chair, gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder that made the armor rattle.
"And you, you one-eyed old fox!" he said, looking at Thor's father. "I'm glad to see you're still the same serious man you've always been!"
Odin slowly turned his head. His single dark blue eye gleamed with a mixture of resignation and old familiarity.
"And you're still the same as always, Zeus," he replied in a deep, measured voice. "You talk too much, you laugh too much, and you're always late to important meetings. Some people never change."
Hades, who was walking a couple of steps behind, sighed and ran a hand over his face.
"Please... we haven't even sat down, and you're already starting with the nonsense."
Zeus completely ignored his brother's comment. He plopped down in one of the empty chairs with the ease of someone who felt right at home and rested both elbows on the table, glancing sideways at Odin with a lopsided smile.
"Admit it, Odin. Deep down, you're glad to see me. If only to have someone to argue with."
Odin didn't respond immediately. He simply observed him for a few seconds. Finally, the corner of his mouth curved slightly, almost imperceptibly.
"You argue with yourself most of the time," he finally said. "I'm just here to make sure you don't turn this meeting into a spectacle."
Zeus let out another laugh and leaned back in his seat, clearly satisfied.
"That's it. Same as always."
"Gentlemen!"
Everyone turned towards the one who had spoken: a man with red skin, golden armor, a white skirt, and large red angel wings, who seemed to preside over the table.
"Now that we are all present, we must discuss a very important matter," said the angel.
"Oh, so it was Michael who called this meeting," Hades remarked.
The seraph ignored the comment and continued speaking.
"I think you all know why we're here," said Miguel, snapping his fingers.
A holographic image of Dracula appeared in the center of the table.
"As you know, not long ago the dark lord Dracula was defeated in his world, just after that world was freed from the seal placed after the massacre of the Order of the Phoenix."
Several gods began to murmur among themselves. Some remembered how dangerous it had been; others rejoiced at his defeat.
"You will also know that his world, the Damned City, was destroyed shortly afterward," Miguel continued.
"Well, if I don't know," said Zeus. "My son Hercules was there, helping to evacuate people."
"It was a great battle," Thor added. "We fought alongside many great warriors."
"Yes," said Miguel. "But perhaps most of you are interested in knowing how that world was destroyed."
Another image appeared on the table: Kairi, in her Esper form, destroying the Doomed Future, the physical embodiment of the Heart of the Damned City. The destruction of the world was then shown.
The murmur became much more agitated.
"As you all know, this is the first time a Keyblade user has destroyed the heart of a world. And this is no ordinary case: it involves a Princess of Heart... and the daughter of the Phoenix." Miguel explained.
"If I may speak," Thor said. "The reason she did that was that Dracula, after being defeated, tried to impose his title and power upon her. The only way to prevent that was to destroy that world. Anyone in her position would have tried the same."
There was a tense silence.
"Perhaps so," said a man with a hawk's head and a sun disk above it. "But it's also true that this is the first time anything like this has happened since the end of the Age of Fairytales."
"Very true, Ra," Miguel agreed. "It's an unprecedented case. Not even the Heralds have achieved anything similar since their founding."
"So what do you want us to do? Punish her?" Hades asked.
"That could cause a lot of problems." A blue-skinned, four-armed god intervened. "We mustn't forget that the Princess of Heart is not only the daughter of the Phoenix, but also the daughter of the Lady of the Abyss, Luxuria."
"Yes, but that was before she died during the genocide. Wasn't that right, Vishnu?" Hades replied.
"That doesn't change the fact that she's her mother. I don't think it's advisable to confront a Lord of the Abyss," Vishnu replied.
"So she won't be punished?" Thor asked.
"Punish her? No," Zeus said. "I hate to admit it, but I think the only thing we can do is keep an eye on the girl for now and make sure she doesn't do it again."
"So how do we do it?" Ra asked. "I highly doubt they'll leave her alone."
"Currently, the Princess of Heart travels accompanied by three other people," said Miguel, showing several pictures. "Priere, a Demon Overlord; Nina, the Princess of Windia; and Airy, one of Uroboros's former henchwomen, recently reformed."
"If we send someone to keep an eye on her, they'll have to deal with those three too," Hades remarked, crossing his arms. "And as far as I know, they can all fly, just like the girl in her Esper form."
"So, we need someone capable of watching over the Princess of Hearts and, while they're at it, keeping an eye on her companions, as well as flying to follow them," Zeus summarized. "I don't know about you, but I can't think of a single name."
Odin remained silent for a few seconds, lost in thought.
"I think I have an idea."
Thor looked at his father.
"You're not talking about that, are you?"
Odin looked back at him.
"Yes. One of our Valkyries could take care of this."
Zeus turned towards him.
"You can't be serious. Have you forgotten what happened the last time you woke one of them up?"
"Oh, I remember now!" exclaimed Hades. "Hela and I certainly made a killing back then!"
"Not to mention that Anubis almost lost his mind over that," Ra added.
"The Valkyrie Hrist indeed caused quite a stir after her awakening," Odin acknowledged. "But I'm confident that the one I have in mind will do a better job. And hopefully, we'll avoid another similar incident."
"With luck, you say," Hades commented ironically.
"And which one are you talking about, Odin?" Zeus asked.
Odin held his gaze for a moment before answering.
A bright portal lit up in the middle of a park in the middle of Radiant Garden, and four people appeared through it.
Priere, a demonic girl with very relevant clothing, red hair, and brown eyes.
Nina, a woman with black bird wings wearing elegant purple clothes.
Airy, a human-sized fairy girl wearing a white blouse and black shoes.
And Kairi, originally a normal girl and Princess of Heart, turned into an Esper, half human, half Phoenix, with bird arms and legs, an adult body with large breasts, a pink leotard with men, and long hair of her color.
After overusing her power in the final battle, she became trapped in this form, unable to revert to her original one. Therefore, she must now travel between worlds alongside those with whom she fought until the very end, until she can return to her original form.
“Well, does anyone know where we are?” Airy asked, looking around.
“From what I can see, we’re in Radiant Garden,” Kairi replied.
“Radiant Garden?” Nina said, looking around. “I think you grew up here before you ended up on Destiny Islands, didn’t you?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Kairi said. “Before Xehanort destroyed it and sent me there. But I’m always happy to see how it’s been rebuilt.”
“That’s good. I’ll be happy to see the place where you grew up,” Priere said.
“Yes, but remember why we ended up here,” Airy said. “According to Yen Sid, wherever the Gate to Light sends us, there will be a problem we have to solve.”
“We haven’t forgotten,” Nina said.
“And if so, where do we ask?” Priere asked.
“We could ask at the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee building,” Kairi said.
“Okay,” Nina said. “Then lead the way.”
Kairi nodded and started walking first, but Airy gave a fake cough, making everyone turn around.
“I think we should think about this a little,” Airy said. “We must do everything we can to exhaust the magic that keeps her in this form.”
“So what do you think we should do?” Priere asked.
“Well, we have to start somewhere,” Airy said, flapping her wings. “How about using wings?”
Kairi looked at her enormous red wings. “The wings? Are you sure?”
“Of course. Maybe they’ll barely do anything. At least it's something,” Airy said. “Besides, you need to learn to start using your wings more often. Think about a more vertical movement.”
Kairi considered Airy's words for a moment. And she had a point. She had to do everything possible to release all the residual magic that was keeping her in this form. And if she had to start somewhere…
Kairi began to flap her wings, starting to fly above the ground.
“I admit that it’s going to be a little difficult for me to have to fly all the time. After all, I know this world better on foot,” Kairi commented.
“Well then, we’ll fly close to the ground,” Airy said as she began to fly.
Priere looked at Nina, who shrugged before starting to fly alongside the others.
“Well, whatever.” Priere shrugged and began to fly with her wings, following the girls.
The group began flying through the streets of Radiant Garden, and even Kairi had to admit that flying was faster than running. They quickly reached Merlin's house, where the Committee headquarters was located, and, at Kairi's insistence, they entered on foot.
Inside the building, they encountered Cid, who was working on the house computer. He then went to see the girls.
“Wait. Kairi? Is that you?” Cid asked, looking at Kairi.
“Yes, that’s right,” Kairi said, with her hands behind her back. “Surprised?”
“Absolutely!” Cid exclaimed. “I was told that that Phoenix form of yours changed you quite a bit. But not this lot! I bet anything that Sora will go crazy when he sees you like that.”
Kairi blushed, placing a hand on the back of her neck upon hearing Cid.
“So, what are you doing here?!” Cid asked the girls.
"Well, you see..."
Suddenly, a burst of magical smoke appeared, interrupting Kairi and revealing Merlin when the smoke disappeared.
“Well, do we have visitors?” Merlin asked before looking at the girls and smiling at the sight of them. “Ho ho! It’s you!”
“Greetings, Professor Merlin,” Nina said.
“May I ask the reason for your visit?” Merlin asked.
“I was just asking him that very thing, pal,” said Cid.
“You see, ever since I destroyed the Heart of the Damned City, I’ve been in this state, and as ‘penance,’ we’re traveling between worlds until I can return to my original form,” Kairi explained.
“I figured as much. After all, I don’t recall any Keyblade user ever doing the same thing,” Merlin said.
“And how do you travel between worlds? With the Gummi Ship?” Cid asked.
“No. We are using the Door to Light to travel between worlds,” Kairi said.
“But according to the old man, the portal won’t lead us randomly,” Priere said.
“And usually where there are problems,” Airy said. “So if we do two and two…”
“Wait, are you implying that something is about to happen here?” Cid asked.
“It seems so,” Merlin said. “Do you think this may be related to that incident?”
"Well, if that's the case, things could be worse than we think," Cid remarked thoughtfully.
“What incident are you talking about?” Kairi asked.
“Kairi? Is that you?” a voice asked from behind the girls.
The group turned around, seeing that it was Yuffie, who was staring in surprise at Kairi.
“Yuffie!” Kairi exclaimed.
“Wow!” Yuffie ran over to Kairi’s side, looking her up and down. “Look at you! You’ve grown into a real woman! I wish I could be a woman myself!”
“Well, thank you,” Kairi said, blushing.
“I think everyone is going to react the same way to Kairi’s appearance,” Airy told Priere.
“Yuffie, weren’t you supposed to be with Leon and Aerith at the castle?” Cid asked.
Yuffie turned back to Cid. “That’s right. We’ve tried to contact you from there, but it seems something is blocking the connection.”
“Does it have something to do with Ansem’s computer or something?” Cid asked.
“That’s right. Apparently, Tron is having some issues with some digital Heartless that are causing problems and consequently damaging parts of the system,” Yuffie said.
“Digital Heartless? That’s new.” Airy said, scratching her head.
“Not entirely. We already had a problem like this last year,” Merlin said.
“If we don’t find out what’s going on, maybe the whole system might collapse,” Cid said.
“Maybe we can do something,” Kairi suggested.
“And how? Let me remind you that Eve isn’t with us now, and she was the only one in the group capable of operating machines,” Priere said.
“Yes, that’s true. But if we can do something, we should do it,” Kairi said.
“Besides, I don’t think we can go to another world unless we solve the problems of the current world,” Nina said.
“In that case, head to Ansem’s castle and see if you can find out anything,” Merlin said.
“Okay,” Kairi said.
“Oh, by the way, I would be a little careful about rushing. I think you're going to have several unexpected encounters today,” Merlin said.
“What are you talking about?” Airy asked.
“Did you see anything, Professor?” Nina asked.
“Perhaps. We just need to confirm it,” Merlin said.
Priere and Airy were confused for a moment.
“Merlin can see the future. However, the reliability with which he predicts events is quite variable,” Nina said.
They both shrugged, and all of them left Merlin's house.
Outside the house, the group prepared to move to the castle, but Priere gave a warning gesture, directing her gaze forward, causing everyone to look in that direction.
At that precise moment, a girl with long, wavy, dark blue hair gathered in a high bun descended from the sky. She wore a high-necked purple leotard that accentuated her voluptuous, curvaceous figure. Over it, she wore a dark purple metal corset with a blue gem at its center, gold embellishments, green gems, metal bracelets and shoulder pads, along with long sleeves, a flowing cape from the waist down, and tall purple metal boots with matching stockings and gold details. A metal mask shaped like a falcon covered part of her face, and the most striking feature of this woman was the elegant white wings that rose from her back.
The girls became defensive upon seeing the newcomer, but Nina advanced a little towards her, and to their surprise, the girl knelt before her, further confusing the others.
“That outfit… you must be the Hawk Guard, right?” Nina asked.
“That’s right, princess,” the girl replied.
“Hawk Guard?” Priere asked.
“The special guard of the Windian royal family,” Nina began to explain. “They are dedicated to watching over and protecting the royal family from the shadows and in anonymity, without attracting the attention of those around them.”
“Hmm, secret service? Interesting,” Kairi commented.
Nina turned her gaze back to the girl. “Who are you? And what are you doing here?”
The girl looked up at her. “My name is Azula. Your father, the King, has learned what happened to your sister, Princess Mina, and I have been ordered to bring you back.”
“What happened to her? Oh, yes. That pirate thing.” Kairi said, recalling the incident of how space pirates had kidnapped Nina’s sister, Mina, while she was in her bird form, and how they managed to rescue her.
“I understand,” Nina said, but there were a couple of things she didn’t understand. For starters, how did she even get to this world? And second, there was something about this woman that reminded her of someone, but she couldn’t quite place who. “Unfortunately, I can’t go home yet. For now, I have to travel with Kairi until she can return to her human form.”
“In that case, the king ordered me to travel with you and protect you at all times until you decided to return,” said the masked girl.
Nina thought about it for a moment. “In that case, you can come with us, Azula. I won’t stop you, but know that I can defend myself.”
“Thank you, princess,” Azula said, getting up from the ground.
“Great, so now we accept anyone?” Airy asked.
“Don’t underestimate her, Airy.” Nina turned to Airy. “The Hawk Guard are more capable than you think.”
“Okay, whatever you say,” Airy said.
“So, are we heading to the castle or what?” Kairi asked.
The girls nodded and took flight toward the castle, with Azula following closely behind. It wasn't long before the group arrived at Ansem's castle. However, upon reaching the entrance, they noticed the guards were busy conversing with someone else.
She was a young woman with blue eyes and long silver hair, wearing a blue breastplate with gold trim, two shoulder pads, a white loincloth, and a central emerald under her neck; a tiara that covered almost her entire forehead, with four feathers on each side, while her boots reached her knees, with a pair of white angel wings on her back.
When the girls landed in the castle square, the silver-haired woman turned towards them and walked forward with a firm stride.
“So what now?” Airy asked, looking at Nina.
“That woman doesn’t ring a bell at all,” Nina said, just as Azula stood in front of her in a protective stance.
“No, it’s clear that the woman is an angel or something,” Priere commented, frowning.
The woman stopped in front of them and fixed her gaze on Kairi.
“Are you Kairi?”
Kairi nodded.
“My name is Lenneth. I’ve been sent to watch over you.”
“Watching over Kairi? Why?” Priere asked, crossing her arms.
“The gods are aware of what happened in the Damned City. You destroyed the heart of a world. It’s something that hasn’t been seen for a long time, and they’re worried it might happen again. They’ve sent me to make sure it doesn’t.”
“Oh, is that why?” Airy murmured.
“It’s understandable,” Nina said. “Yen Sid and Fury already warned us that what Kairi did was unheard of, and that many would react to it.”
“Exactly. Punishing her wasn’t a viable option… for reasons we all know.” Lenneth glanced briefly at Kairi. “So it was decided that someone would watch over her temporarily.”
“Not so fast!” Priere exclaimed, taking a step forward. “And how are we supposed to know you’re just going to keep an eye on things? What guarantees do we have that you won’t try to ‘act on it’ the moment you don’t like something?”
Lenneth held Priere's gaze without flinching.
“I was assigned to keep an eye on Kairi. If she tries anything similar again, I’ll intervene. But honestly, what worries me most right now isn’t her…” Her gaze shifted to Priere. “…but your presence, demon.”
“What did you say, little angel?” Priere asked, raising her voice.
“Hey, calm down, both of you.” Airy quickly stepped between them. “I don’t think this is the time to be fighting right here. Besides, we have things to do, don’t we, Kairi?”
Kairi nodded and looked at Lenneth.
“I understand why you have been sent. I will not object. You may accompany us if that is your mission.”
“It is,” Lenneth replied with a slight nod.
Priere let out a snort and looked away as the group entered Ansem's castle.
After moving quickly through the castle corridors, the group arrived at the central computer room, where Leon, Aerith, and Ansem the Wise were located.
“Kairi?” Aerith asked when she saw Kairi. “Is that really you?”
“Well, yes. And yes, I know I’m a grown woman and all that. Cid and Yuffie already told me that,” Kairi said, raising one hand.
“I had heard about your roots, but to be honest, I wasn’t expecting something like this,” Ansem said, looking at Kairi.
“Okay, enough with introductions and reactions; let’s get down to business,” Airy said.
Kairi nodded. “Yuffie said something was happening here, on the computer.”
“Yes, that’s right,” Leon said. “Out of the blue, one of Radiant Garden’s security systems was triggered, causing damage to a part of the city.”
“And Tron reported that some Heartless had tampered with the systems that caused the accident,” Aerith said.
“I see,” Kairi said.
“Excuse me, but who is this Tron guy?” Priere asked.
"That must be me, if that helps." A digital voice echoed throughout the room, causing the girls to jump and look around. All except Kairi.
“He’s Tron. A computer program that operates from Ansem’s computer,” Kairi said, pointing at the computer. “It’s good to hear from you, Tron.”
“I’m glad to see you too, Kairi. Although I had to dig through the computer data to identify your current appearance,” said Tron’s voice.
“Incredible!” Nina exclaimed, approaching the computer. “A life form inside a computer?”
“She reminds me a bit of Eve, don’t you think?” Airy commented to Priere.
“Well, a little bit, yes,” Priere said.
“So, Tron, do you have any idea what exactly happened?” Kairi asked. “I thought the digital Heartless problem was solved when you and Sora removed the MCP.”
“That’s right, Kairi,” Tron said.
“MCP?” Azula asked curiously.
“An ancient program that Xehanort activated years ago, which attempted to invade the real world some time ago,” Kairi said.
“But Sora and Tron managed to put an end to that program’s ambitions,” Aerith said.
“That’s right. I think many of those problems could have been avoided if I had deleted that program when I installed the system,” Ansem said.
“In any case, Tron, do you know where those digital Heartless came from?” Kairi asked.
“That’s right,” Tron said. “But it’s kind of complicated to explain. I even have trouble understanding it.”
“So what do we do now?” Airy asked. “Now we can’t count on Eve to solve the problem.”
“I have an idea, but I must ask that Ansem and users Leon and Aerith step away from the computer,” Tron said.
“Why is that?” Nina asked.
Then a strange noise began, alerting Lenneth, who started looking around. "What's that noise?"
Leon and Aerith looked behind the group and immediately moved away from them. Then they turned around, seeing a system nearby loading up.
“W-wait a minute! Sora already told me about this!” Kairi said, stepping back. “Tron, you’re not thinking about…”
Suddenly, several lightning bolts struck Kairi and the girls, who were paralyzed at that moment, and immediately their bodies began to disappear in pixels before the others.
Kairi opened her eyes, shaking her head as she sat up. When she placed her hand on her head, she saw that both her hand and her body had turned grayish, with blue lines running all over her, including her wings. Looking around, she saw that she was in a place very different from Radiant Garden, now a predominantly blue place with bright lines everywhere.
“Now I understand what Sora felt the first time he came here,” Kairi said, looking around.
“Come on! Don’t mess with me!” Airy’s voice exclaimed near her.
Kairi turned around, seeing how the others were in the same situation as her, with the same appearance and color, looking at each other.
“Does anyone else think these lines make me look fat?” Nina asked, looking at the body she had there, while Azula silently checked her changed body.
“I’ve been put in a lot of places. But this is the first time I’ve ended up inside a computer,” Priere remarked, looking at her wings as she flapped them.
Lenneth clenched and unclenched her fists while looking at herself with a certain confusion on her face.
“That Tron could have warned us before doing that, don’t you think?” Airy asked, watching as the infinity symbol on her wings was highlighted with neon lines.
“I’m sorry, but the situation was very urgent.”
The girls turned around, seeing a man in blue and neon armor, his gray face being the only visible thing about him.
“Are you the Tron guy who brought us in here without permission?” Priere asked, pointing at Tron. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t beat you to a pulp.”
“If you do that, you won’t be able to find the flaw I’ve found and that I need you to see,” Tron said.
“He’s not wrong about that. So calm down,” Lenneth said, making Priere a little annoyed.
“In any case, you’d better take us there,” Kairi said.
“That would be the most logical thing to do. Follow me.” Tron said as he started walking, followed by the girls.
The group moved forward through what was Ansem's computer's internal system, all of them surprised that such a place could exist in a location like this. After walking for a long time through the neon-lit digital corridors, Tron stopped.
“What’s wrong, Tron?” Kairi asked.
“Look over there,” Tron said, pointing to the sky.
They all looked up, and right where Tron pointed was some sort of strange digital portal floating in the air.
“And why is that?” Nina asked.
“The digital Heartless came through that digital rift. I can confirm that,” Tron said.
“And do you know where it leads?” Kairi asked.
“I’m afraid not,” Tron said, turning to face her. “Despite knowing the problem might be on the other end, I can’t abandon my duties at the computer.”
“So you needed help to investigate this place, didn’t you?” Lenneth asked.
“Affirmative. And seeing that you all possess the ability to fly, I knew that you could reach that digital portal to explore it, because as you can see, I cannot reach it,” Tron explained.
Kairi thought for a moment before looking at the portal.
“Wherever that portal leads, the Heartless are on the other side, without a doubt. As long as they keep coming this way, they could harm other important systems,” Kairi said. “We must nip this problem in the bud, whatever its source.”
“So what are we waiting for?” Priere asked. “Let’s get going!”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, demon,” Lenneth said. “We don’t know what we might find there. We must be wary of what may lie on the other side.”
“What’s wrong? Are you scared of an unfamiliar place, little angel?” Priere asked Lenneth mockingly.
“I’m not afraid of anything. And I’m not a little angel, I’m a Valkyrie,” Lenneth replied.
“What difference does it make? We have to solve a problem there, and we won’t be able to do it if we stay here,” Priere said.
“She’s right. We may not know anything about what’s there, but we have to go there anyway,” Nina said.
“That, and if we argue, we won’t be able to do anything,” Airy said.
Kairi looked at Tron, who was confused, watching the girls' argument, and shrugged.
“Okay, let’s just drop it now,” Kairi said. “Let’s go through this portal and be done with this, shall we?”
Priere and Lenneth looked at each other for a moment before turning their gaze towards Kairi.
“For my own good,” Priere said.
“If you’re going, I’ll go with you,” Priere said.
“Okay, that’s fine by me,” Kairi said.
Soon Kairi began to fly with her wings, heading towards the portal, soon followed by the rest of the girls.
"As soon as you cross the portal, use the Gummiphone to stay in touch!" Tron warned Kairi.
Kairi nodded before going through the portal first.
When Kairi reached the other side of the portal, she found herself not in a seemingly computerized place like the inside of Ansem's computer. The place was more like a green meadow under a blue sky with white clouds. As soon as she looked at herself, she saw that her body had returned to normal and was no longer that jumble of blue lines from before. A short while later, the rest of the girls arrived on the other side with her.
“Are we back in the real world?” Airy asked, seeing how it had regained its original colors.
“I highly doubt it,” Azula said, looking up at the sky.
As he indicated, despite the blue sky, sometimes one could see something like visual glitches, fleetingly displaying a kind of green digital network.
“Okay, we’re still in a digital environment,” Priere said.
“But where are we?” Nina asked.
“Let’s do some research,” Kairi said, starting to fly in one direction.
“Wait a minute!” Lenneth exclaimed, flying out after her.
Priere let out a groan before taking flight alongside the others to follow them. Kairi circled the area, surprised that this was the spot from which the Heartless had attacked Ansem's computer, despite its seemingly tranquil appearance. Eventually, Lenneth caught up with her.
“Stop immediately!” Lenneth ordered Kairi, causing Kairi to land on the ground with a sigh.
“Can you tell me what’s going on?” Kairi asked as Lenneth landed in front of her.
“I can’t let you wander too far. It’s my duty to make sure you don’t do anything dangerous like last time,” Lenneth said.
“Look, Lenneth, I have no problem with you, but I can assure you it won’t happen again. That time was an exceptional case,” Kairi explained.
“Even so, I can’t allow you to stray too far from me. Besides, we don’t know what we might find in this unfamiliar place,” Lenneth said.
At that moment, the rest of the group landed near them, but all of them, without exception, including Azula, were staring straight ahead with their mouths and eyes wide open. And as soon as Lenneth and Kairi turned their gaze in that direction, they both ended up with the same expression.
Before them lay a wide valley, bathed in a soft, warm light. A river of crystal-clear water wound through grass of an almost impossible green, and on the banks of that river… there was movement.
Lots of activity.
Tiny creatures of impossible shapes fluttered, ran, or simply existed as if it were the most natural thing in the world. A group of round, yellow beings with large ears bounced against each other near the water, letting out high-pitched giggles. A little further on, something that looked like a plant with legs and an enormous flower on its head bent down to drink from the river. In the air, bird-like creatures with bodies made of glowing data traced lazy circles. And on the opposite bank, a blue being with a horn on its forehead and a perpetually angry expression growled at a digital fish leaping out of the water.
None of the girls spoke for several seconds.
“What… is all this?” Airy whispered, not daring to raise her voice too much.
Nina took a step forward, her wings slightly open from the tension.
“They don’t look like any animal I’ve ever seen before,” Nina said.
“This… makes no sense at all,” Priere said, looking around.
Kairi took a few steps forward, looking at the strange creatures present before them.
“Do you think they’re like that Tron?” Airy asked.
“Are they beings made of data? Probably…” Azula said.
“All of this is… beautiful…” Lenneth said.
“I… I can’t believe this whole place is made entirely… of data,” Kairi remarked, incredulity in her voice.
Kairi was completely absorbed by the unexpected beauty of the place when she remembered to contact Tron. She summoned the Gummiphone in her hand and tried to contact Tron.
“Kairi, have you arrived safe and sound?” Tron asked through the Gummiphone.
“That’s right. And you won’t believe what we’re seeing right now.” Kairi said, turning the Gummiphone around and letting Tron see what they were seeing.
“Amazing!” exclaimed Tron. “Purely digital life forms, yet with their own appearance and personality, and the capacity for free will. Unlike programs like me, whose function depends on their programming, these digital creatures don't seem to be controlled by specific programs or commands. It's as if they were…”
“Real living beings?” Kairi asked.
“Absolutely!” Tron replied. “By the way, have you encountered any Heartless there?”
“Not at the moment,” Kairi said, turning the Gummiphone back to her. “But we’ll keep an eye out in case they appear.”
“Very well. I need to inform Ansem about this finding as soon as possible. We'll be in touch,” Tron said before ending the connection.
Kairi 'put away' the Gumiphone, turning her gaze back to the creatures in front of her.
"Hello!"
Kairi jumped at the greeting and looked at the speaker, who revealed himself to be a medium-sized bird with a pink body, bluish tips on its tail feathers and head, a red beak and claws, a two-toned spiral protruding from its head, and a ring on one of its legs. The strange creature was flying toward her, accompanied by another small creature resembling a pinkish ladybug.
“Are you new here?” asked the pink bird in a feminine voice.
“For God’s sake… And they even talk!” exclaimed Airy, just as surprised as the others.
“Hey, are you human by any chance?” the insect asked, looking at the girls.
“Well, sort of…” Kairi shrugged, unsure what to say.
“That depends on your point of view,” Nina said as she and the others approached.
“Wow, it’s been a while since we’ve had visitors from the real world!” exclaimed the bird.
“Excuse me, but what is this whole place? And who are you?” Priere asked.
“Oh, excuse me. I’m Piyomon, and this is Tentomon.” Piyomon introduced herself. “And this is the Digital World.”
“Digital World?” Lenneth asked.
“Or Digi-World, if you want to shorten it,” Tentomon said.
“Okay, so what exactly are you?” Nina asked. “I’ve never seen anything like you.”
“Well, we’re called Digimon. And as you can probably guess, we’re beings made entirely of data but with our own bodies,” said Piyomon.
“Yes, that’s already clear,” Airy said.
“By the way, who are you?” Tentomon asked.
“Oh, yes. That’s right!” Kairi exclaimed, putting a hand to her head. “I’m Kairi. And these are Nina, Airy, Priere, Azula, and Lenneth.”
“Okay, so how did you get to the Digi-World?” Tentomon asked.
“This…” Kairi tried to find a way to explain how they got there without sounding weird.
“A computer system pulled us inside the computer system, where we found a rift that some Heartless used to attack it. We went through it to find out where they came from, and that's how we got here,” Nina explained.
“Heartless?” Piyomon asked.
“They are creatures that mainly look like shadows with yellow eyes and antennae, but sometimes they take on a different appearance and form, while maintaining those common points,” Nina explained.
“Ah, those things! Are they called Heartless? What a sinister name they have,” Piyomon remarked.
“Have you seen them pass by here?” Kairi asked.
“Yes, they are a bit of a nuisance, especially when they cross the valley, causing trouble. Although, from what you're saying, it's clear they're doing it because they're heading for that portal,” Tentomon said.
“And do you know where they come from?” Kairi asked.
“No, I’m sorry. We only know that they’re doing it from outside the valley,” Piyomon said.
“I see,” Kairi said. A dead end, no idea where the Heartless lair could be.
Suddenly, they began to hear screams nearby. When they looked, they saw a large swarm of flying Heartless, including Red Nightcrawlers, Yellow Operas, Blue Rhapsodies, Gargoyles, Dark Balls, and Wyverns, attacking the area, terrorizing the other Digimon who began to flee.
“Oh, dear! So many have never come before!” exclaimed Piyomon in terror.
“We’ll take care of it,” Kairi said. “You guys hide away.”
The two Digimon nodded and flew away.
“Alright girls, it’s time to fight,” Kairi said, summoning her Keyblade, Phoenix Inheritance, and beginning to fly towards the Heartless.
“Let’s see how you handle the Heartless, Valkyrie,” Priere said, leaping into the air with her baton in hand.
“Those who are my enemies will suffer divine wrath,” Lenneth said, preparing her sword as she flew into battle.
“Don’t underestimate them! They’re more dangerous than they look!” Nina warned Azula before flying away.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I know how to defend myself,” Azula said, following Nina.
“Let’s see how this ends,” Airy said before continuing to fly to the group.
The group soon caught up with the Heartless and began attacking them. The presence of Kairi and the others drew the Heartless's attention, causing them to ignore the Digimon that were attacking.
Kairi was the first to strike the flying Heartless with swift blows of her Keyblade, combining different elemental spells against them, using the opposite or non-absorbable element. At the same time, Airy unleashed her magic in various ways to keep the flying Heartless at bay.
Priere attacked using both her brute strength and demonic magic to confront the Heartless, especially using the Dark Balls as flails against the other Heartless before hurling them with force. At the same time, Nina cast non-elemental magic to damage all the elemental Heartless, also focusing on the Gargoyles that were trying to evade those elements.
In the heat of battle, as Kairi destroyed one of the Wyverns, she watched Lenneth face several Heartless with a mastery and elegance she had never witnessed before, like that of a war maiden. Simultaneously, several enemy attacks were blocked by two shields that constantly floated beside her, giving her the opportunity to strike the Heartless with her sword.
"Well, she certainly knows how to fight," Kairi commented, as she dodged the onslaught of a Dark Ball.
Azula, for her part, seemed more than capable of using very powerful elemental magic against the Heartless. It wasn't the most powerful magic like Nina's spells, but she was able to deal with the Heartless without much trouble. Her magic included both the wind tornado and the fire pyramids. In a moment of distraction, Priere was struck by one of the Yellow Operas' beams, but the damage was quickly healed by one of Azula's healing spells, giving her the opportunity to retaliate against the Heartless for electrocuting her.
"Black and white magic? Is she a red mage or something?" Airy asked as she watched Azula fight.
“I already told you that you could trust her,” Nina said, striking the Heartless with Sirocco.
After a brief struggle against the Heartless, the group managed to destroy every last one of the enemies. With the battle over, the girls landed on the ground.
“Seriously, I have to admit it. You’re pretty good at this,” Kairi said to Lenneth.
“Thank you. I must also acknowledge that you know how to fight the enemy. Some better than others,” Lenneth said, looking at the other girls.
“What do you mean by that?” Priere asked.
“I’m just pointing out that you could have avoided that lightning strike if you had been paying attention. But of course, demons are too focused on their own affairs instead of everything else,” Lenneth explained.
“Are you looking for a fight?” Priere asked, standing in front of Lenneth.
“I wouldn’t mind having to purge myself, demon,” Lenneth replied.
“Okay, okay! That’s enough!” Airy exclaimed, stepping between them and separating them. “Let’s not fight amongst ourselves, okay?”
“Is this going to be normal?” Azula asked Nina.
“One can get used to it,” Nina replied. “Although we used to have someone who could keep order in the group.” Nina looked at Airy. “I’m afraid the fairy is going to have to mediate between them at least.”
Kairi sighed, shaking her head as she watched the fight between Priere and Lenneth.
“That was great!” exclaimed Piyomon as he approached them.
“It really was a magnificent fight,” Tentomon said, standing next to Piyomon.
“Thanks. But I think for now the others will be able to return to the place without any problems,” Kairi said.
“I hope so,” Tentomon said.
“What I can’t understand is why those things attacked us in such numbers,” Piyomon said thoughtfully. “They usually pass through here, cause some damage, and then go on their way.”
“Are you saying the Heartless never attacked you directly?” Nina asked.
“Yes, that’s right,” Piyomon replied.
“But that doesn’t make any sense. Why weren’t they attacking Digimon before?” Airy asked.
Kairi crossed her arms thoughtfully. “Perhaps it’s due to their very nature. Remember that Heartless attack people’s hearts. Maybe, being data beings, Digimon aren’t seen as prey by them.”
“If that’s the case, then what is the purpose of this large-scale attack?” Priere asked.
“Something happened. That’s for sure,” Lenneth said. “Maybe we caught his attention. Or maybe it was something else we don’t know about.”
“Well, I think we’re about to find out,” Azula said, pointing ahead.
Looking in that direction, they saw a small creature flying towards them that resembled a bald eagle with red plumage, large yellow legs, light blue eyes, a black band around its forehead, and a feather attached to it.
“Hawkmon?” Tentomon asked as it landed on the ground, exhausted. “What happened to you? You look like you ran a marathon.”
“You have no idea…” Hawkmon said while panting.
“Where have you been?” Piyomon asked.
“I went to find out where the black creatures were coming from. And you know what? I found their lair!” Hawkmon exclaimed as he caught his breath.
“What?!” all the girls asked.
“Did you find out where the Heartless come from?” Nina asked.
“Heartless? Is that what those things are called?” Hawkmon asked.
“Yes or no?!” Priere suddenly asked, startling the Digimon.
“Yes, that’s right. I found them in the temple in the middle of the Black Mountains,” Hawkmon replied.
“The abandoned temple?” Piyomon asked.
“Yes, but when I saw another Digimon with them, it saw me, and I had to run away from those things. I was lucky enough to hide in a cave to lose them before rushing here,” Hawkmon said.
Lenneth looked at the others. “That explains the attack. They were looking for this creature because they had been discovered.”
“And it seems a Digimon is controlling them,” Nina said.
“But that doesn’t make sense. If these things don’t have a heart, they can’t possess the darkness necessary to manipulate them. That’s basic logic,” Airy said.
“Their hearts may function differently, but they still meet the minimum standards,” Nina said. “And since whoever controls them is likely made of data, they probably won’t be at risk of being consumed by the Heartless.”
“Things can’t get any worse,” Kairi said.
“Wait, those things attacked the valley looking for me?” Hawkmon asked.
“It seems so. But these people have wiped them all out,” Tentomon said.
“Are they human? Well, they don’t look like it,” Hawkmon remarked.
“Well, that depends on how you look at it,” Airy said.
“Where are these Black Mountains?” Azula asked.
“Are you planning to go there?” Tentomon asked.
“If the Heartless are coming from there, we must go there to nip the problem in the bud before it gets even worse,” Kairi said.
“The Black Mountains aren’t far from here. But you’ll need a guide. We Digimon know where the temple is, but you don’t, and the Black Mountains are a real labyrinth. I’ll take you there,” Piyomon said.
“No, it’s dangerous. You could be attacked by the Heartless,” Lenneth said.
“She’s right; we don’t know what we might find there,” Kairi said.
“But as I said, you don’t know how to get to the temple, but we do,” said Piyomon.
Kairi sighed as she crossed her arms, while Lenneth shook her head with her eyes rolled upwards.
“Alright, you can come with us and be our guide,” Priere said, crouching down to the Digimon’s level. “But if we run into trouble, you either hide or stay behind us. Is that clear?”
“Understood!” exclaimed Piyomon.
“Well then, go ahead, lead the way,” Airy said.
Piyomon began flapping her arms, taking flight. "Try not to stray too far; the place can be very narrow."
“Don’t worry about it,” Kairi said, flapping her wings to fly.
They all did the same, taking off from the ground and starting to follow the bird Digimon.
“Be careful!” Tentomon exclaimed, waving his arm towards them.
The place, as its name suggested, the Black Mountains, presented a very different environment from the place they had come from. The area was mainly made up of enormous mountains of black rock, forming extensive canyons between them. Some of the peaks of these mountains rose even above the dark clouds that covered the sky.
“I understand why they call this place the Black Mountains,” Nina said as she flew through the rocky passes.
“Yes, and I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve circled this place,” Airy said, flying close to the group.
“I told you this place was a labyrinth,” said Piyomon, who was flying ahead of the group, acting as their guide. “I guarantee you would have gotten lost before you were even halfway through.”
“Well, we appreciate you guiding us,” Kairi said.
Lenneth and Azula said nothing, looking around with a watchful eye as they flew among the black rocks of the mountains.
“Is something wrong?” Kairi asked, noticing how quiet they both were.
“Yes, what happens? If we’re in enemy territory, we should have already encountered some static defense,” Lenneth said.
“True, I was expecting something like this, knowing that their hiding place was found by that Digimon,” Azula said.
“Well, you’re not wrong. We haven’t seen any Heartless around here,” Priere said. “Hey! Are you sure we’re on the right track? Are you certain they’re in this area?”
“If Hawkmon has found them at the temple, they’ll be there. That’s for sure,” Piyomon said.
Kairi flew alongside Piyomon. “It’s not that I want to doubt you, but…”
“Wait!” Lenneth warned, looking up.
The valkyrie's warning stopped the group, who looked up. Directly above them was a strange stone bridge connecting the two sides of the canyon. On the bridge, they saw a tall woman wearing a traditional yellow kitsune-style half-mask that concealed her human-like face. Her long, black hair reached her ankles, tied in two pigtails. She wore a traditional miko outfit consisting of a black hakama, a white kosode, and white ribbons in her hair.
“Who is that?” Airy asked.
“Kuzuhamon?” Piyomon asked. “What is she doing here?”
“Who?” Kairi asked.
“A very high-level Digimon. What’s strange is that this isn’t her territory,” Piyomon said.
Everyone kept their eyes on the figure standing above them.
“I see that the impure one has brought more impure ones,” Kuzuhamon said, confusing the group. “Those who are impure will be purged!” she said, raising her arms.
Immediately after those words, dozens of flying Heartless began appearing around them, surrounding the group. Kairi looked around before turning her gaze back to Kuzuhamon, who had disappeared from the stone bridge.
“I think we already know who controls those things,” Priere said, looking at the Heartless around her.
“Piyomon, behind us!” Nina shouted to the little Digimon, who quickly flew into the middle of the group.
Azula was the quickest to act, using a spell on the group that increased their power. Priere didn't hesitate for a moment and launched herself at the Heartless, striking them fiercely with kicks and her baton.
"Don't just stand there watching!" Priere shouted as he smashed a Gargoyle to pieces with a single blow.
Kairi needed no further invitation. She summoned her Keyblade, and with a powerful flap of her wings, she launched herself toward the swarm, slicing two Red Nightstalkers in mid-air before they could react.
Airy rose slightly and from there began unleashing bursts of light and control spells, slowing down several Wyverns that were trying to charge the group from above. Nina, for her part, wasted no time. She extended both hands and launched a series of non-elemental spells that exploded amidst the swarm, damaging several Heartless at once regardless of their affinity.
With a swift but calm gesture, she cast a power-up spell on Priere and Kairi, followed by a general defensive one. When a Yellow Opera tried to electrocute Airy, Azula reacted instantly with a healing spell that enveloped her in healing light.
Lenneth, on the other hand, fought with an almost unnatural elegance. Her two floating shields blocked attacks from impossible angles as she advanced with her sword, slashing with incredible precision. Every movement seemed calculated, not an ounce of effort wasted.
Priere, who had just trashed a Dark Ball by using it as a projectile against a group of Rhapsodies, couldn't help but glance sideways at the Valkyrie.
"My, that little angel sure knows how to move." She commented mockingly as she crushed another Gargoyle with a blow of her baton enveloped in dark energy.
“Focus on the enemy, demon,” Lenneth replied without even looking at her, deflecting a Red Nocturne’s attack with a shield before running it through with her sword. “Your recklessness nearly got you struck by lightning a moment ago.”
“That was a slip-up!” Priere whirled around and unleashed a wave of demonic magic that swept away several Heartless at once. “Don’t think you’re superior just because you have floating shields!”
"You're at it again!" Airy shouted from above, casting a spell that temporarily froze a Wyvern charging toward them. "Can you argue after we've dealt with these creatures?!"
Kairi, who had just combined an upward slash with a fire spell to take out two Operas, momentarily landed on a floating rock to catch her breath.
“Stop it now!” he ordered firmly. “If you keep this up, they’re going to surround us!”
As if her words were a prophecy, more Heartless began to appear, joining those already there and starting to surround her. And to make matters worse, several Bizarre Archers began to appear on the rocks, preparing their bows to fire at them.
"The sooner I say it, the sooner it happens..." Kairi said, looking around.
While the entire group was busy facing the Heartless, Kairi prepared to fight those that had appeared, but then she noticed a presence in the place.
From one of the mountain crags, a mysterious figure leaped out and began firing her pistols, instantly striking and destroying several Heartless. Kairi was confused by what had happened until she saw who it was as she fell in front of her. Even upside down, Kairi could make out that it was a tall woman with long blonde hair, a blue mask covering her forehead, and red eyes with a third eye between them. She wore a tight black top that revealed the lower part of her large breasts and her stomach, tight black leather pants, a ripped black trench coat, a long, equally ripped black scarf, black gloves, and black boots. She was armed with two pistols.
As she fell, the newcomer spun in mid-air, landing with one foot on a Dark Ball. She immediately leaped off it, the heel of her boot firing downwards and destroying the Heartless.
The figure landed in front of Kairi with an almost insolent elegance. It straightened slowly, revealing its full imposing stature. It was easily two heads taller than anyone in the group, its long black trench coat billowing slightly in the wind from the cannon. The two pistols in its hands were still smoking.
Kairi blinked, still processing what she had just seen.
“But who…?”
The woman didn't give her time to finish. Without a word, she spun around and raised both weapons. With absurd precision, she fired twice. Two Bizarre Archers who had just drawn their bows tumbled off the cliff without even releasing their arrows before vanishing.
Then the show began.
The newcomer leaped with an impossible jump, landing with one foot on a Wyvern's head. The Heartless didn't even have time to react before she used its skull as a springboard, leaping to the next one. And the next. And the next.
It was like walking on a rocky path… only the “rocks” were flying Heartless heads.
Each time her boot touched one, a precise shot destroyed it a second later. Sometimes she didn't even look. She fired over his shoulder, between her legs, or by twisting her body in the air as she changed stances.
“Hey!” Priere shouted from below, smashing a Gargoyle to pieces with a single punch. “Is it just me, or is that woman showing off?”
“And it’s huge…” Airy murmured, casting a spell that froze a Red Nocturne that was trying to approach the newcomer.
The woman landed momentarily on a narrow rock, almost at the same height as the group. Her third eye gleamed faintly beneath the blue mask as she surveyed the battlefield with a bored expression. Then she raised one of her pistols, twirled it once around her finger, and smirked.
At that moment, several Heartless tried to surround her. Beelstarmon didn't even flinch. She took a step forward… and her long black scarf moved on its own.
The fabric expanded, split, and transformed into a pair of black, membranous wings that opened with a sharp sound. With a single flap, it rose several meters above the group, hovering in the air.
From up there, wings outstretched and pistols at the ready, the woman began firing relentlessly. Each bullet found its mark as if tracking its target. The Heartless that tried to climb toward her were struck mid-air and fell to pieces. Those that remained below were eliminated with precise shots through the gaps left by the others.
Kairi, who had returned to the fight, couldn't help but glance sideways as she cut down a Weird Archer.
“That woman… is incredibly strong,” Kairi commented.
Lenneth, blocking an attack with one of her floating shields, nodded slightly.
“She’s not human. That’s clear,” Lenneth said.
“You don’t say? We hadn’t noticed!” Airy exclaimed from above.
Priere, on the other hand, burst into laughter as she threw a Dark Ball at a group of Rhapsodies.
“I like the girl!” Priere exclaimed. “She knows how to put on a show!”
In less than a minute, all the Heartless in the area had been destroyed, leaving no trace of the creatures.
The woman folded her wings until they became a scarf again and approached the group. Despite her imposing height, her expression was no longer so distant. She stopped in front of Kairi and leaned forward slightly, placing her hands on her knees to be closer to her eye level.
“What a mess you’ve made here,” she said with a lopsided smile. “Are you all right?”
Kairi lowered the Keyblade a little, still cautious.
"Who are you?"
“My name is Beelstarmon,” she replied, straightening up again. “And it seems I arrived just in time.”
“Beelsta-what?” Kairi asked, tilting her head.
“Beelstarmon!” Piyomon shouted as she flew towards her. “How wonderful to see you here!”
“What are you doing here, little one?” Beelstarmon asked, looking at the small Digimon. “This place has become very dangerous.”
“That’s exactly what I’d like to ask you,” Priere said as she and the group approached.
The enormous Digimon woman turned her gaze towards them.
“Several areas had been attacked by these creatures in recent days, so I followed their trail to here. That's when I stumbled upon your battle,” Beelstarmon explained.
“So other areas were attacked as well…” Nina murmured. “I thought the Heartless only harassed the valley because of its proximity to the portal.”
“Heartless? Portal?” Beelstarmon asked.
Kairi nodded.
“That’s the name of those creatures. They feed on the darkness inside hearts. The portal is a breach that connects this world to the central system of Radiant Garden. We got here by crossing through it,” Kairi explained.
“I see.” Beelstarmon looked at the group with interest. “I can see that you are mostly human, though that doesn’t entirely explain how you got here.”
"The computer has a program that allows you to digitize someone within the system," Kairi replied.
“Although Tron could have warned us before we went inside,” Airy added, crossing her arms.
Beelstarmon let out a small laugh and then looked at Piyomon.
"And may I ask what you're doing here?"
“I was guiding them to the abandoned temple. Hawkmon discovered that the Heartless came from there, but he was exhausted after fleeing from them,” Piyomon said.
“The old temple?” Beelstarmon said, crossing her arms thoughtfully. “That seems reasonable.”
“We also believe that someone named Kuzuhamon might be behind it all,” Lenneth said.
“Kuzuhamon?” The Digimon looked at the valkyrie, raising an eyebrow. “And what is she supposed to be doing?”
“But she said we were all impure… and sent us to the Heartless without warning,” Nina explained, as Azula nodded.
Beelstarmon was silent for a moment, processing the information. Then he looked at Kairi.
“Are you going there now?”
“Yes.” Kairi nodded. “If you’d like, you can join us.”
“Are you sure about that?” Airy asked.
“Why not? You’ve seen how she single-handedly dispatched half the Heartless while we had to deal with the other half,” Priere said.
“If we’re going to encounter a lot of resistance there, such a powerful ally would be very useful to us,” Lenneth added in a practical tone.
"Okay then! If you ask me like that, I can't refuse!" Beelstarmon let out a cheerful laugh and clasped her hands together enthusiastically.
Airy approached Azula. "Did you expect a personality like that after seeing her wipe out so many Heartless in one fell swoop?" she asked, with Azula shaking her head.
“By the way, what are your names?” Beelstarmon asked.
“Oops, my manners!” Kairi exclaimed, a little embarrassed for a moment. “My name is Kairi, and these are Nina, Airy, Priere, Azula, and Lenneth.”
“Understood.” Beelstarmon nodded with a smile. “You can call me Belko if you like. That’s what my friends call me.”
“Well, that’s better than such a long name,” Priere remarked.
“Then follow me!” exclaimed Piyomon, taking flight. “I highly doubt we have much time!”
The group, now accompanied by Belko, began to follow the small bird Digimon through the Black Mountains pass.
After a swift flight through the narrow passage, the group reached their destination. On the horizon, they spotted what appeared to be an ancient Japanese temple whose entrance seemed to have been constructed to provide access to the interior of the mountain where it stood.
Upon arriving there by passing through the front arch of the entrance, the group descended to ground level, while Belko landed on the ground, turning his wings into a scarf.
“Okay, here we are,” Kairi said.
“And we are not alone,” Belko said, pointing to the temple entrance.
From the darkness of the temple entrance, they saw Kuzuhamon approaching them, the mask over his eyes concealing his intentions.
“I see you have survived. And I expected you to have been purged,” Kuzuhamon said in a cold but firm tone.
“Stop talking nonsense, lady,” Airy said.
“Yes, you’d better explain why you’re using the Heartless,” Belko said, pointing their guns at her.
“It’s very simple. The hearts of all beings are corrupted by darkness. That darkness accumulates, feeds, and eventually devours everything it touches. That’s why I intend to purge it… by using the Heartless,” Kuzuhamon explained.
“Purge it?” Nina repeated incredulously. “Using precisely the creatures that feed on it?”
“The Heartless are the perfect instrument,” Kuzuhamon continued without hesitation. “They devour the darkness until no trace remains. When they finish their work, no corruption will remain. Only purity.”
Kairi took a step forward, frowning.
“That makes no sense. The Heartless don’t purge anything. They only consume and destroy. And besides…” She lifted her chin firmly. “I am a Princess of Heart. My heart is pure light. There is no darkness in me for them to devour.”
Kuzuhamon tilted her head slightly, as if evaluating Kairi's words. Then she let out a low, almost condescending laugh.
“How naive.”
"That?"
“You think darkness is limited to that stain the Heartless can smell and devour.” Kuzuhamon raised her hand. “But darkness takes many forms. Doubt. Fear. Anger. Resentment. Even the desire to protect others can become darkness if it turns into obsession. You, Princess of Hearts… have you never feared losing those you love? Have you never hated those who harmed them? Don’t try to deny that you felt rage when you learned what happened to your mother and who did it.”
Kairi gritted her teeth, but didn't respond immediately. But for a moment she thought about something that didn't make sense in what she had just said.
“That too is darkness,” Kuzuhamon continued. “Subtle. Silent. And it’s in everyone. Even in you. That’s why there are no exceptions. You will all be purged. You… and any other being whose heart harbors even the slightest shadow.”
Priere let out a snort and twirled his baton between his fingers.
"What a beautiful speech. It's a shame it's complete nonsense."
Lenneth stepped forward, her floating shields materializing on either side.
“You’ve lost your mind. Using the Heartless doesn’t purify anything. It only spreads destruction.”
Kuzuhamon said nothing for a moment.
"I wish I could purge you all right now, but I still need to gain more control over the Heartless. They're not entirely under our control yet. But I know someone who will take care of you."
Kairi stared in confusion at what she had said, until she began to hear heavy footsteps. From inside the temple, another creature, different from the one they had seen before, began to advance.
It was enormous. Clearly taller and more robust than Belko. Its body was a vibrant orange, covered in white and yellow armor with red details. Its arms ended in huge, razor-sharp metal claws, and its thick, powerful legs terminated in three-fingered talons that clacked against the stone floor with every step. Partially unfurled, bright yellow mechanical wings rose from its back.
But what stood out most wasn't the armor or the size. It was the torso.
Unlike any other creature they had seen so far, this one had a distinctly feminine figure. A voluminous chest, larger than any of theirs, barely covered by what looked like a metal bikini, and a toned torso that narrowed at the waist before widening again into powerful hips. The white helmet with upward-curving horns revealed bright red hair cascading down the back, and beneath the visor… two blank, empty eyes. Lifeless. Emotionless.
The creature stopped several meters from the group. It didn't growl. It didn't speak. It simply stared at them with that hollow look.
“Wargreymon?” Piyomon asked.
Belko frowned and raised both pistols.
“That’s not a normal WarGreymon. It shouldn’t even be like that.”
“She will be the one to take care of you,” Kuzuhamon said, going into the temple behind the female WarGreymon.
The group remained silent, staring at the enormous Digimon that stood in front of them.
“You hide,” Nina told Piyomon, who quickly went to hide behind one of the arch's pillars.
“Be careful,” Belko said, preparing her pistols as her scarf transformed into wings. “Despite her appearance, Wargreymon is a very powerful opponent.”
“You don’t need to say it,” Priere said, as everyone prepared to fight.
Suddenly, Wargreymon prepared to fight, bending her knees and arms, pointing the claws of her gauntlets at them.
“Here it comes! Watch out!” Lenneth exclaimed.
Wargreymon lunged at them with one arm raised, attacking Belko first, who took flight, avoiding the blow with her claws, which shattered the ground with the impact.
“If we get that, we’re done for,” Airy commented.
Azula began using her enhancement magic on the group. Nina and Airy were the first to use their magic against the enormous Digimon, but Azula used the wings on her back to form a shield that blocked the magic as if it were nothing. The impact didn't even make her flinch.
Wargreymon lowered its wings abruptly and launched itself again, this time toward Kairi. Her enormous golden claws sliced ​​through the air with a menacing hiss. Kairi flapped her wings powerfully to the side, narrowly avoiding the slash that split one of the arch's pillars in two.
"Well, she is fast for her size!" Kairi shouted, spinning in the air and responding with a strike from her flame-engulfed Keyblade.
The blow connected against the Digimon's shoulder, but barely left a superficial mark. Wargreymon didn't even look at the point of impact. Her empty eyes fixed on Kairi, and she attacked again without hesitation.
Belko opened fire from the air. The bullets ricocheted off parts of the armor with a dry metallic sound as she braced herself with her gloves.
“The armor is tougher than it looks!” Belko warned, twisting in mid-air to avoid a swipe aimed at her. “Don’t rely solely on brute force!”
Priere didn't need to be told twice. He launched himself straight into close combat, enveloping his baton in dark energy.
“Then let’s see how long she can stand up close!” Priere exclaimed with a fierce grin.
The clash was brutal. Priere managed to deflect the first swipe and responded with a spinning kick that landed on Wargreymon's side. The Digimon took a couple of steps back… and nothing more. Expressionless. No visible pain. She simply raised her claws again.
Lenneth intervened at that moment. One of her floating shields positioned itself between Priere and the next attack, absorbing the blow with a metallic clang.
“Don’t expose yourself so much!” the valkyrie ordered, advancing with her sword ready. “Fight alongside us, not as if you were alone.”
“Don’t give me orders, little angel!” Priere spat out, though she did not refuse the help.
“Stop it already!” Kairi exclaimed to both of them.
Meanwhile, Nina and Airy changed their strategy. Instead of casting direct magic, Nina began creating explosions on the ground around Wargreymon, trying to destabilize her, while Airy used control spells to try to slow its movements.
Azula, from a more rearward position, kept the reinforcements active and cast a healing spell on Priere when a claw scratch grazed her arm.
“Keep the pressure on!” Lenneth shouted. “If we give her space, she’ll crush us one by one!”
Wargreymon then raised her arms, forming a huge ball of energy above her.
Belko opened her eyes beneath the mask. “Watch out! That’s…!”
“Terra Force!” Piyomon screamed from her hiding place, terrified.
The sphere of energy grew rapidly before Wargreymon's hands, illuminating the entire front of the temple with an intense reddish light. The heat became almost unbearable.
Kairi landed next to the others, raising her Keyblade. “Forget about her! Focus all your ice attacks on that sphere! We won’t like what happens if that thing gets too big!”
Immediately, everyone who could cast ice magic focused on launching those spells against the sphere. As it was attacked, the orb began to shrink until it was more manageable in size.
At that precise moment, Wargreymon launched the sphere at them. But fortunately, because it had been shrunk, the attack was easier to dodge, and it disappeared into the horizon, eventually impacting one of the mountains in the distance.
The group surveyed the damage caused by the attack, grateful that it hadn't been more powerful.
“We need to change tactics. If this keeps up, she’ll end up catching us all,” Azula said.
Kairi then looked at Wargreymon, who was preparing to attack again.
“Then let’s not focus on the armor. Let’s try to hit her where she’s not covered,” Kairi said.
Belko nodded from the air, folding his wings slightly.
“The torso. Unlike what is common, that part has almost no protection. If we focus our attacks there, as well as on the legs and thighs…”
She didn't finish the sentence. Wargreymon had already launched herself at them again.
This time, however, the group didn't wait to be hit. Nina and Airy combined an ice spell with a containment spell, covering the ground in front of the Digimon with a slippery layer. Wargreymon's enormous claws skidded for a split second, nearly losing their balance, just enough time for Kairi and Priere to seize the opening.
Kairi swooped down, Keyblade at the ready, and struck directly at the exposed side of the Digimon's torso. At the same time, Priere arrived from the opposite flank and unleashed a blow shrouded in dark energy against the Digimon's waist.
For the first time since the battle began, Wargreymon made a sound. A low, almost mechanical growl, as she took several steps back.
“It works!” Airy exclaimed.
“Don’t stop!” Lenneth ordered, advancing with both shields raised. “We must keep her at bay and continue attacking the exposed points!”
Azula wasted no time. She unleashed her strengthening magic on Kairi and Priere, while simultaneously healing the latter's arm once more.
Belko, from above, changed her firing style. Instead of aiming for the armor, she began firing precise bursts toward the shoulder joints and exposed abdomen. Several bullets managed to hit, causing small bursts of sparks and making Wargreymon's right arm move less fluidly.
The Digimon brought her arms together and began to spin at high speed, launching herself at them and forcing them to dodge her swift attacks.
“Does she think she’s a drill now or what?” Priere wondered as she dodged that attack.
Wargreymon continued attacking the group with this technique, making several passes until she stopped, turning her gaze back towards the group.
“We have to do something, or this will never end,” Kairi said, until she had an idea. “Girls! Distract her! I need you to expose her somehow!”
“That’s done!” Priere exclaimed.
Priere immediately launched herself at Wargreymon. The Digimon attempted to attack with one of its claws, but Priere swiftly deflected the attack with a swing of her baton. At that moment, Nina and Airy unleashed their magic on both of Wargreymon's arms, leaving her exposed and with her arms outstretched.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kairi flew towards her, preparing the magic of her Keyblade. Before the Digimon could react, she struck her right in the chest, causing a flash of light that momentarily enveloped the Digimon's body.
Wargreymon barely reacted. She simply fell like lead to the ground, causing a small tremor upon landing, and lay on the ground with her eyes closed.
The group descended to the ground, keeping their distance from the Digimon, waiting for her to get up again, but it seemed to no longer move.
“Do you think she’s dead?” Airy asked.
“I don’t think so. When a Digimon dies, it becomes data, and that’s not the case here,” Belko said, crouching over Wargreymon’s body. “I think she’s unconscious.”
Then Belko turned his gaze to Kairi. "What have you done?"
“To be honest, I don’t know. I pretended to try and release her Heart, but I don’t think it worked as it should have. Maybe because she’s not exactly a normal living being, I don’t know.” Kairi shrugged.
“Well, whatever it is, it won’t bother us anymore,” Priere said.
“But if he wakes up and is still the same, we’ll have problems,” Nina said.
Kairi thought for a moment until she had an idea, picking up her Gummiphone. "Tron? Can you hear me?"
"Oh, of course, Kairi. What's going on?" Tron asked as his image appeared.
"We have a problem here with a Digimon that appears to have been modified. Would it be possible for you to undo those modifications?"
“It’s possible. It depends on what kind of changes we’re talking about and what they’ve done,” Tron said.
“That’s fine,” Kairi said with a smile.
“But Kairi. Do you know how far we are from the portal? Do you really expect Tron to come all the way here?” Airy asked, somewhat doubtfully.
“That’s no problem,” Tron said. “Kairi, could you put the Gummiphone down near the Digimon in question?”
Kairi nodded and placed the Gummiphone on the ground near Wargreymon. Suddenly, a holographic image of Tron appeared above the Gummiphone, surprising everyone.
“Okay… I really wasn’t expecting this,” Airy said.
“But how is that possible?” Nina asked.
“I’m using the Gummiphone as an external terminal,” Tron explained as several screens appeared around him. “As long as I’m nearby, I can interact with whatever’s in front of me.”
“Well, wow, you're quite a box of surprises,” Belko said.
“Thank you. By the way, who are you?” Tron asked, looking at Belko.
“I’m Beelstarmon, but my friends call me Belko.” Belko introduced himself.
“Tron, aren’t we forgetting something?” Lenneth asked.
“Ah, yes, that’s right!” Tron exclaimed, turning his gaze back to the unconscious Wargreymon beside him. He began working silently for a few seconds. His expression grew more serious. “Whoever manipulated this program… did so with great skill.”
“I’m sure of that,” Belko said. “Wargreymon normally has a masculine appearance, not this form.”
“I’m seeing fragments of the original data, but I won’t be able to fully restore it,” Tron said as he worked on the screens.
“What we care about is that she doesn’t turn against us when she awakes up,” Azula said.
Priere crossed his arms. “I wonder who could have done this.”
“If you want, I can tell you,” Tron said, causing everyone to look at her in confusion. “It’s complicated, but I recognize this code.”
“Are you sure? About whom?” Airy asked.
“If I’m not mistaken… it belongs to someone known as Master Brain,” Tron replied.
“Master Brain?!” Kairi, Nina, Priere, and Airy exclaimed upon hearing the name.
In the deepest darkness, amidst pipes and dynamos, a face made of electrical energy slowly illuminated. A frown. Eyes gleaming with a mixture of irritation… and amusement, letting out a macabre laugh.
