"BanchoLeomon?"
Sleipmon felt that, no matter how he looked at BanchoLeomon, he was hardly a suitable choice for a diplomat's aide. A security guard, perhaps.
He asked, "Are you sure you want BanchoLeomon?"
Mo Si nodded. "Sure, certain, and absolutely positive."
Seeing how determined she was, Sleipmon could only say, "I can take you to see BanchoLeomon, but the rest is up to you. Climb aboard."
With that, he extended his hand, motioning for Mo Si, Etemon, and the other Digimon to climb onto it.
Once everyone was aboard, Sleipmon soared into the air, swift as the wind.
"So fast!"
"Are you the fastest Digimon?"
The Digimon exclaimed one after another.
"No, I wouldn't call myself the fastest." Hearing their amazement, Sleipmon couldn't help smiling. He was indeed fast, but even among the Royal Knights, some of his colleagues were faster.
As they spoke, they reached their destination.
Three figures stood there. The tallest was BanchoLeomon, whom Mo Si had come to find.
He had silver hair, blue bestial eyes, and a green sprout clenched between his teeth. Golden fur covered his body, with a red, cross-shaped mark running across his powerful chest and abdomen. A Holy Ring encircled the long tail behind him.
He wore a long black coat resembling a high school uniform, with the words "Throughout heaven and earth, I alone reign supreme" written on the right sleeve.
He was the very picture of a delinquent youth-or rather, a delinquent lion-man.
"Bancho" was a title for the leader of a gang of delinquents.
He was practically a lion version of Jotaro Kujo!
And yet...
Although Mo Si had come looking for BanchoLeomon, her attention wasn't on him, but on the two people beside him. One was a man, and the other was also a man.
One was Captain Satsuma. The other was... Suguru Daimon!
"Aren't Suguru Daimon and BanchoLeomon supposed to be two souls sharing one body? How are they separate? Could Yggdrasil have..."
Mo Si pondered for a long while before finally realizing she had overlooked something.
In the original story, Suguru Daimon had entered the Digital World ten years earlier as a member of an expedition.
At the time, Kurata, another expedition member, had shot at Digimon because he didn't understand their habits. That had sparked a feud and led to the expedition being attacked by Digimon.
Having mastered digisoul, Suguru Daimon had covered the others' retreat and allowed them to return to the human world. He had stayed behind to wander the Digital World, where a fight with BanchoLeomon had led to friendship, and they had become partners.
The two partners had wandered the Digital World together, searching for a way for the two worlds to coexist peacefully.
Years later, they had finally found Yggdrasil and demonstrated the limitless potential of humans and Digimon before him-[Burst Mode].
That had convinced Yggdrasil that humans and Digimon could create a beautiful future together.
But just as everything was steadily improving, disaster had struck-Kurata had invaded the Digital World with Gizumon and unleashed a massacre.
When Digimon died, they left behind Digi-Eggs. This was a natural law of the Digital World, so their total population did not decrease as a result.
But Digimon killed by Kurata's Gizumon left nothing behind. Those killed could never be reborn!
This had enraged Yggdrasil, who had decided to launch a retaliatory attack on the human world.
Suguru Daimon had dissuaded Yggdrasil, pledging his own life as a guarantee that such a thing would never happen again.
Yet it had happened repeatedly afterward. Even Mercurimon, an Ultimate, had been killed by Kurata.
Once things had reached that point, Suguru Daimon had been required to pay with the life he had pledged.
To protect his partner, BanchoLeomon had publicly carried out the execution himself, while secretly letting Suguru Daimon transfer his soul into his body, allowing them to live on as one.
Yggdrasil had discovered BanchoLeomon's trick, possessed Suguru Daimon's body, and held it hostage while monitoring BanchoLeomon's movements in real time...
The turning point was Mercurimon... My interference kept things from reaching the point where Mercurimon was killed, so Suguru Daimon and BanchoLeomon never merged into one.
Mo Si couldn't help smiling. Without her even realizing it, the impact she had made had already become this significant.
While she was thinking, Sleipmon had already set all the Digimon in his hand down on the ground, reverted to Kudamon, and leaped onto Captain Satsuma's shoulder.
Suguru Daimon smiled at the sight. "Since Kudamon is back, I'll be on my way."
Captain Satsuma whipped his head around to look at Suguru Daimon. "You're not coming back to the human world with us? Your wife and children have been waiting for you for ten years!"
At the mention of his wife and children, guilt immediately crossed Suguru Daimon's face.
Ten years...
He had only set out on an expedition. He had never expected to be gone for ten years!
How many decades did a person have in a lifetime?
How could he not want to return and reunite with his wife and children? He wanted it desperately.
But it still wasn't time.
After weighing it over and over, Suguru Daimon's gaze finally hardened with resolve. "Kurata... I have to deal with him myself! Satsuma, tell Sayuri, Masaru, and Chika I'm sorry."
Captain Satsuma sighed helplessly. "It won't be another ten years this time, will it?"
The corners of Suguru Daimon's mouth rose into a confident smile. "No. This won't take too long."
Just as Suguru Daimon was about to set off with BanchoLeomon in search of Kurata, Mo Si approached him. "Mr. Daimon, I'd like to ask your advice on something. Could we speak in private?"
Suguru Daimon paused in surprise.
Kudamon was utterly baffled. Hadn't she said she wanted to find BanchoLeomon? Why was she approaching Suguru Daimon instead?
He couldn't understand it and could only marvel inwardly. As expected of Angewomon-she was truly unfathomable.
"Follow me." Mo Si walked a hundred meters away.
Suguru Daimon followed her.
"Miss Angewomon, what is it?"
Suguru Daimon spoke first, puzzled.
What could require us to come this far away?
Mo Si raised her right hand and curled her fingers into a fist. White digisoul instantly blazed around it.
"Oh!" Suguru Daimon's face filled with surprise.
Digisoul was a manifestation of a human's spiritual power. Although it could be converted into a Digimon's energy, the two were distinct. A Digimon's energy was not digisoul, and a Digimon could not produce digisoul alone.
Yet this Angewomon could actually produce digisoul. What was going on?
Mo Si said, "What I'd like your advice on is Ultimate Evolution."
Ultimate Evolution?
Suguru Daimon raised an eyebrow. Why ask a human like me about Digimon evolution?
Still, judging by that mass of white digisoul, this Angewomon's circumstances were probably different from those of ordinary Digimon.
After thinking for a long while, Suguru Daimon said, "Before that, punch me. Use that fist wrapped in digisoul."
Mo Si couldn't help laughing. "That's the first time I've heard a request like that. Are you sure?"
"Come on." Suguru Daimon had already taken a stance to receive her attack.
"Then I won't hold back!"
Mo Si stepped forward with her left foot, using it as a pivot as she twisted her waist and drew back her right fist. Her whole body seemed to become a bow, poised to release.
The next instant, she punched!
Thud!
A muffled impact rang out, followed by a series of sharp footsteps.
Suguru Daimon wore expedition boots he had used for ten years. They couldn't produce footsteps that crisp.
Only Mo Si's high heels could.
Despite being the one who had thrown the punch, she was driven several steps backward by the rebounding force.
Suguru Daimon, meanwhile, remained where he stood without retreating a single step. Orange-yellow digisoul blazed around him, making him an impregnable fortress.
"What powerful digisoul!" Mo Si exclaimed.
Looking at Suguru Daimon, wreathed in digisoul, she felt as though she wasn't facing a human, but a powerful Ultimate Digimon wearing human skin.
"I think I understand now." Suguru Daimon withdrew his digisoul, smiling.
It was just one punch. What could you possibly have understood?
Before you continue