Laying plans

The moment the spinning vortex stopped, Sora Takenouchi began vomiting violently. She nearly threw up half a year's worth of food. Fortunately, the vomit instantly broke down into data energy. Otherwise, the stench would have knocked a full fifty points off her image.

With the Black Gear shattered, Big Mouthmon stood motionless for a full three minutes before coming to his senses.

"A Biyomon, a Gomamon, and one strange Digimon. Were you the ones who saved me?" Big Mouthmon was like a refined gentleman, his every movement a pleasure to watch.

"Big Mouthmon, thank goodness-urgh. We have something very important to ask you. We hope-urgh-you can help us-urgh." Sora forced down her discomfort as she spoke to Big Mouthmon.

"You really are frail. Shall I take you to find Yaktimon? I can't help you myself," Big Mouthmon said.

"That's not it. We need your help with something else-urgh." Sora could finally speak fluently now.

"Sora, get some rest first," Biyomon said with concern. "Big Mouthmon, do you know why File Island split apart?"

Big Mouthmon thought for a moment, then said, "Viktormon told me an ancient installation on File Island had malfunctioned. Now it looks like these Black Gears were involved too."

"Viktormon is a Digimon of the Nature Spirits, but their innate abilities let them take part in some of the Metal Empire's engineering projects," Gomamon explained to Sora from the side.

"Big Mouthmon, how many Digimon here are being controlled by Black Gears?"

Big Mouthmon said, "Earlier, Viktormon organized a team to repair the malfunctioning ancient installation. Several of us Champion Digimon gathered according to his plan."

"So you failed?" Gomamon asked.

"That's right. Nobody expected Viktormon to be the first Digimon controlled by a Black Gear. With him working from the inside, we all fell under their control." Big Mouthmon gave a dry chuckle.

"Doesn't that mean it's very dangerous here now?" Biyomon asked nervously.

"Heh, don't worry too much. The only Champion Digimon left here are a Bakemon patrol and me. Everyone else followed the Black Gears' orders and went somewhere."

"Somewhere?" Sora asked.

"I don't know where, either. If my feathers could get wet, I wouldn't have been left here." Big Mouthmon made no attempt to gloss over his weakness.

"Sora, could Bakemon have stolen the Digivice? They wouldn't leave tracks on the ground," Biyomon said.

"But if it was Bakemon, how could they withstand the light the Digivice gives off?" Sora countered. They then told Big Mouthmon about the Digivice.

"Hmm. According to what you've said, the Digivice shines whenever dark power encroaches on it. So what if the one who took it wasn't a dark Digimon?" Big Mouthmon said.

"Not a dark Digimon?" The human and the two Digimon nodded together, then shook their heads.

"For example, a Bubblemon, a Missimon, or a Poyomon. It's perfectly normal for those mischievous little fellows to take something that looks fun."

"Big Mouthmon, where are those mischievous little fellows you're talking about?" Biyomon asked.

"Those In-Training Digimon are in the Village of Beginnings, of course. This place was already far from the village, and now it's even farther away. You didn't think there were In-Training Digimon here, did you?" Big Mouthmon said in a thoroughly punchable tone.

"Ah..." Sora and the two Digimon lowered their heads and sighed together. Then Sora turned back, immediately rallied her spirits, and asked, "Where can we find the Bakemon patrol?"

"The fellows in the Bakemon patrol usually rest in the mass graveyard after their rounds." Seeing the determination in Sora's eyes, Big Mouthmon stopped joking.

The road to the mass graveyard led through a gloomy forest. In other forests, however dark they were, the fresh green on the branches could still inspire confidence. In this forest, however, the leaves were withered yellow with faint silver edges, and the shadows cast by the sunlight filtering through them were a cold gray. Gomamon placed every step in the sunlight, doing his utmost to avoid those dim shadows.

Huddled pitifully in Sora's arms, Biyomon said, "Sora, I'm scared." Sora quickly replied, "Don't be scared, Biyomon. I'll tell you what I know about Bakemon."

"Bakemon are ghost Digimon, Virus-type, and members of the Nightmare Soldiers. They aren't strong in close combat. As long as you get close to them during a fight, you don't have to worry about being attacked." Sora repeated this over and over. Rather than encouraging Biyomon, she seemed to be hypnotizing herself.

"Bakemon have another move called Hell's Hand." Seeing how nervous Sora and the others were, Big Mouthmon had no choice but to interrupt. "If you really think getting close is enough to beat Bakemon, you're dead." Ignoring their shocked looks, he continued explaining, "A Bakemon's cloak represents endless darkness. It's their last line of defense. If they can't defeat an enemy, they'll grab them with Hell's Hand and imprison them inside the cloak. Without a certain level of strength, there's absolutely no escaping."

Instead of panicking at Big Mouthmon's almost threatening explanation, Sora calmed down. "Big Mouthmon, how do you think we should deal with Bakemon?"

"Bakemon are actually very weak. Although they're Champion Digimon and you're not, defeating one isn't impossible with your current team," Big Mouthmon said.

"First, close combat is the right approach. But when you get close, you need to destroy the Bakemon's cloak."

"The cloak? Why?" Gomamon asked. He had fought a Bakemon before.

"One advantage Bakemon have is their unpredictability. That's because their cloaks block our perception. If we destroy a Bakemon's cloak, we can tell what they're planning to do next. Also, as Digimon that live in endless darkness, Bakemon lose their confidence when they lose their cloaks."

"I understand." With that more detailed analysis, many things suddenly became clear to Sora.

"Let's revise our plan." Queen Sora was in her spirited prime, with the whole world bowing at her feet.

"First, Big Mouthmon, we need more information. Please tell us everything you know about Bakemon."

Caught off guard by Sora's words, Big Mouthmon asked timidly, "What if Bakemon weren't the ones who took your Digivice?"

"That doesn't matter anymore," Sora said steadily. "Our biggest obstacle now is the Bakemon patrol. There aren't any other Champion Digimon left."

"Sukamon. There must be Sukamon here too," Gomamon cut in from the side. "Great Whirlwind!" The moment Big Mouthmon saw Sora's startled expression, he decided to personally discipline that dishonest child, Gomamon.

With Big Mouthmon's help, they made several traps, mainly using strong winds, flames, and thorns. All of them were designed to destroy the Bakemon's cloaks.

Although the names "strong wind trap" and "blazing fire trap" sounded quite magical, they were entirely physical traps.

The strong wind trap worked by having Big Mouthmon create a balanced whirlwind that was almost perpetually in motion. Such a whirlwind had no effect whatsoever on its surroundings. Of course, maintaining that perpetual motion consumed Big Mouthmon's strength. Once its balance was broken, the balanced whirlwind would become a sheer blast of wind, strong enough to blow a Bakemon's cloak clean off.

The blazing fire trap worked much the same way, with Biyomon in charge. Once triggered, its flames would be powerful enough to burn away a Bakemon's cloak.

There was only one thorn trap, built jointly by Sora and Gomamon, and it was a decidedly straightforward contraption. Once triggered, a mass of branches and leaves would fall from above. Forget merely tearing a Bakemon's cloak-it might even crush one to death.

It was a dark, windy noon, so pitch-black that they couldn't see their hands in front of their faces. That was only natural. Night was paradise for Bakemon. Noon was when Bakemon-or rather, most Digimon of the Dark Area and the Nightmare Soldiers-were weakened. "Weakened" wasn't quite the right word. These Digimon simply disliked the midday sun.

As for where Sora and Gomamon had obtained those branches and leaves, and how they had gotten them up into the trees, that was a rather dark chapter of history. Letting it get out would damage Her Majesty's reputation, so no more would be said about it. In any case, they set their traps and quietly waited for the Bakemon to take the bait.

In practical terms, Sora and the others' traps weren't especially clever-not in their construction, but in their psychological analysis. True masters of traps often placed them along the direction an enemy would instinctively flee, or in the exact opposite direction to form a chain of traps. Others arranged countermeasures around their traps to guard against unforeseen circumstances. Forgive Sora and her companions; they were complete novices.

"Big Mouthmon, did we get something wrong?" At night, the green lights flickering through the forest were particularly mesmerizing, and Biyomon spoke uneasily.

"I think I heard crying," Gomamon said, silently recalling the Buddhist sutras Joe Kido had taught him to suppress his unease.

"Did we... do something wrong?" The green glow in the gloomy forest grew increasingly dazzling, until something falling from high above smashed that dazzling green to pieces. But they had no chance to celebrate. Red, searing flames replaced the green, feeble magic fire and began spreading through the forest.

"Let's... put out the fire." Sora hesitated noticeably as she said it. Even in a place like Japan, fully equipped firefighters wouldn't dare charge into a burning forest like this. But there was no choice. This was a responsibility she had to shoulder.

"Calm down, Sora. This sort of thing is very common in the Digimon World. Besides, the Digimon here are either dark Digimon or Digimon controlled by Black Gears. You have no need to feel guilty about it." Big Mouthmon held Sora in place with a whirlwind and spoke softly.

The instant Big Mouthmon stopped the whirlwind, Gomamon, acting on his instructions, struck Sora on the head with a Wave Claw, and she slumped to the ground.