Monzaemon

Under the ferocious bombardment of the Perfect-level Monzaemon, Palmon and Mimi could only scurry for cover like frightened mice.

"It's an honor to meet you!"

All sorts of polite phrases kept spilling from Monzaemon's mouth, but the red lasers from his eyes showed no sign of stopping.

"Something seems to have changed about Monzaemon." Seeing how vicious he was, Palmon had already realized something was wrong, but knowing that did nothing to help her handle their current predicament.

"I liked him better before he changed." Mimi had no idea what Monzaemon had been like before, but surely anything was better than this?

"Miss, over here! Over here!" Just as the two were fleeing blindly, a Sukamon popped out of the bushes nearby. From his tone, he seemed to be the same one Mimi had rejected at the start.

"Huh? Sukamon?"

Looking at the fellow who had suddenly appeared, Mimi still hesitated. The memory of being chased by Sukamon was all too fresh.

"Quick, hide!" Seeing Monzaemon pursuing them, Palmon threw caution to the wind, grabbed Mimi, and jumped into Sukamon's hiding place.

After all, however disgusting Sukamon might be, Palmon could at least handle one on her own. That vicious brute behind them, however, could genuinely kill her and Mimi if they let their guard down for even a moment.

Thud, thud, thud!

"Let's play together again!"

Unable to find Mimi or Palmon, Monzaemon looked around as he wandered farther and farther away.

"He's gone..."

Watching Monzaemon's receding figure, Mimi finally breathed a sigh of relief. This outing had turned into the most dangerous experience she'd had since coming to this world.

"What exactly happened?" Palmon turned to the Sukamon who had saved them just in time. He was a local, so surely he knew something about Monzaemon's change?

"Miss, go on a date with me in Toy Town." Ignoring Palmon's question, Sukamon went right back to inviting Mimi out. Old habits died hard.

"No! Palmon, let's go." Mimi turned her head away and refused without hesitation, then called for Palmon to leave this dangerous place with her.

"Uh..."

Mimi's blunt rejection dealt Sukamon a heavy blow.

"This young lady really doesn't mince words..."

Watching Mimi and Palmon leave, Sukamon didn't pester them any further this time. Whether that was because he lacked the courage to face Palmon alone or because he had finally given up was unclear.

After walking for a while, Mimi and Palmon caught sight of Toy Town in the distance.

"It's so pretty! Is that Toy Town?"

"It looks like an amusement park!"

Taking in the decorations ahead, the two unconsciously quickened their pace.

They had completely forgotten that this was the home of the very Monzaemon who had just attacked them.

"Those two really make it impossible not to worry..." Zhou Zhu, who had been following far behind them, couldn't help feeling speechless at the sight.

Is this how kids' minds work? Palmon clearly said earlier that Monzaemon was the mayor of Toy Town. Aren't you two walking straight into the lion's den?

Forget it. I'd better stay out of this. I'm just a Candlemon. I can barely defend myself, so how am I supposed to meddle in anyone else's business? Besides, going by the original plot, they won't be in much danger anyway.

"Why isn't anyone here?" Looking at the empty Toy Town, Mimi felt a wave of unease.

"Huh? Who's coming?" Just then, Palmon heard something nearby.

Tai came into view, chasing several toy cars around with a miserable look on his face, shouting words he clearly didn't mean.

"So much fun! So much fun! Toy Town is so much fun! I'm so happy!"

The scene couldn't have been stranger.

"That doesn't look fun at all..." Seeing Tai like that, Mimi couldn't detect the slightest hint that he was enjoying himself.

"So exciting! This is so exciting!"

Just then, Sora came running over too. She was in exactly the same state as Tai, with a little doll chasing after her...

"What part of that is exciting...?" Palmon couldn't help commenting, utterly speechless.

"I'm so happy! So happy! There's nowhere happier than this!"

Before the two could recover, Izzy came running from the other side with an entire army of toys in tow.

"He doesn't look happy at all..."

Mimi was equally speechless. Did our friends take some shady money from Toy Town? If it's this much of a struggle, they shouldn't force themselves...

"Yeah!"

Palmon wholeheartedly agreed.

"I'm so glad! So glad!" Before the two could process what they had already seen, Matt came running over with a little train, looking like a complete idiot and muttering, "So glad! So glad!"

"Pfft! Hahahahaha!"

Zhou Zhu couldn't take it anymore. It was simply too funny. Hiding out of sight, he wished he could grab a camera and capture this scene, then circulate it once Matt formed his band.

"This is wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Amazing! Amazing!" Joe was no different from the others.

"Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!"

Poor T.K. looked as though the toys had already broken him...

"Everyone looks like they can't feel anything anymore. What's going on?" Looking at everything before her, even someone as oblivious as Mimi had realized something was wrong.

"Exactly. Isn't Agumon supposed to be with them?" Palmon voiced her own confusion.

As the two stood there at a loss, a noise from a nearby house caught their attention.

A box inside the room was rattling repeatedly, as though something inside was frantically slamming against it.

"What's this?"

The two exchanged a look and walked over.

"Who's in there? Is that you, Agumon?"

Mimi tilted her head to listen to the sounds inside the box.

"Is it Gomamon, Gabumon, Patamon, Tentomon, Biyomon?" Palmon joined Mimi, rattling off their friends' names as though reciting a menu.

"It's us! We're all in here!"

Agumon heard Mimi and Palmon outside the box and hurriedly answered.

"What happened?"

Seeing that all their friends had been captured in one fell swoop, Mimi realized the situation was bad.

"Monzaemon did this!"

In answer to Mimi's question, Agumon recounted everything: how Sukamon had chased them, how they had then encountered Monzaemon, and how his heart attack had captured them.

"When we woke up, we were in here."

Biyomon chimed in, explaining that she and Sora had gone through much the same thing as Agumon and the others.