"A cage?"
Noticing the astonishment clearly present in Kei's voice, BushiAgumon first glanced sideways at the still-writhing tentacle, then explained leisurely, unhurriedly:
"All things beneath heaven are bound to nature. I have merely comprehended the 'Dao of Heaven and Man.'"
He held extraordinary confidence in his own insight, a fierce hunger to challenge the strong…
Every word and gesture from BushiAgumon radiated absolute self-assurance. As long as a sword rested in his grasp, he had faith in cutting through all restraints binding this world.
"How could mere 'data' ever hope to imprison my form?"
Such arrogance… and such ridiculously edgy lines…
Chen Ze, who had promptly halted his rush forward, happened to overhear BushiAgumon's arrival speech. He couldn't help but look at the samurai Digimon with an expression somewhere between surprise and disbelief.
"You… You're also a Digimon?"
Only at this moment did the gradually recovering Kei realize Agumon's presence, finally linking him with Chen Ze from earlier.
"Ahem—this isn't the time to chat!"
Not wishing to reveal too much about himself, Chen Ze—in his Agumon form—didn't elaborate further. He merely turned and pointed his aggression directly at the tentacle looming ahead.
Battle was imminent.
"Kei!"
Meanwhile, having just taken to the air, Piddomon also witnessed the perilous scene unfolding below, making it impossible for him to retain his earlier calm.
Whoosh!
Without hesitation, seizing the opportunity while two tentacles were occupied by Renamon and the two Agumon, Piddomon soared straight upward, swinging his staff to strike fiercely at the sky above the trading center.
Clang!
Piddomon had realized that the massive "breach" overhead served as the "anchor point" through which the Eater was locking onto their position and attempting its intrusion.
If that anchor was destroyed, the Eater would lose its target, forced to re-acquire it again, and the tentacles below would subsequently be erased by the firewall as mere "viruses."
Thus, from this moment onward, the battlefield split into three distinct parts.
One was Renamon effortlessly engaging a tentacle with graceful, calculated evasions…
Another was the two Agumon fiercely clashing against the tentacle, determinedly protecting Kei…
And finally, the flaming angel Digimon blazing furiously across the skies—Piddomon.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
From Kei's viewpoint, the entire battle between these four Digimon and the Eater unfolded clearly before his eyes.
Setting aside Renamon—who seemed perpetually relaxed, clearly not fighting at full strength, evidently another "exceptionally strong" Rookie-level like BushiAgumon—and not mentioning those two unusual Agumon before him…
Even if the blue Agumon was slightly lacking combat experience, BushiAgumon was undoubtedly a genuine battle maniac; handling a single tentacle from the Eater would hardly pose a problem.
What truly stunned Kei, however, was Piddomon—his former partner.
In Kei's past memories, Piddomon was still that same tearful, clingy little Patamon.
Even though Piddomon had left his side a long time ago, that deeply ingrained impression still left Kei worried about whether his former partner could truly survive on his own.
Patamon… You've finally grown up.
He let out a nearly inaudible sigh, gazing intently up at the majestic battle angel soaring overhead, genuinely pleased for him.
[Hmph! Grown up? If he really had, he wouldn't have rashly led the Eater straight here.]
A disdainful voice contradicted Kei's sentiment, low and resonant, echoing again beside his ear.
[Haha, if he heard you say that, he'd definitely pick a fight with you again, just like when you were kids.]
...
Piddomon wasn't like other Digimon. He hadn't grown up within the Digital World.
More accurately speaking, Piddomon had drifted into EDEN's network since he was merely a Digitama. He had grown up entirely within the human digital space.
Yet, he wasn't alone. Alongside him was another Digimon who had drifted into EDEN from the very same Digitama—his "twin brother," Tsukaimon.
Ever since they first hatched, the brothers supported each other, relying on that mutual help to survive their toughest childhood years.
But this mutual reliance only lasted until they were discovered and adopted by Kei.
Perhaps because they were born within EDEN's network—or perhaps simply inheriting the opposite sides of the very same data—
Aside from having hatched from the same Digitama, Piddomon and Tsukaimon shared nothing else in common. In fact, they were nearly total opposites.
Their attributes, species, capabilities, and even personalities stood starkly opposed.
Before evolving, Piddomon was cheerful, emotionally sensitive, yet incredibly gentle at heart.
On the other hand, his brother was a "textbook" Tsukaimon: power-hungry, obsessively mad, and possessing intelligence and abilities far surpassing others of his species.
During their time under Kei's care, as their personalities grew increasingly distinct, the two brothers clashed repeatedly.
Although after each conflict the brothers would reconcile—lured by the "five-star Michelin ice-cream cone" data prepared by Kei—the seeds of their disagreements had long been sown.
As the brothers officially left their childhood stages and evolved into their Rookie forms, their contradictions deepened into irreconcilable opposition.
It was common knowledge that Digivolution involved not only physical and combat strength but also a transformation in intelligence and emotional maturity.
If Digimon in their Baby stages lacked mental maturity, then Rookie-level Digimon possessed minds equivalent to fifteen or sixteen-year-old human adolescents.
Two exceptionally powerful yet radically different "chūnibyō teenagers" clashing at this phase naturally meant fireworks.
If not for Kei's gentle temperament combined with his firm disciplinary methods as their "caretaker," the brothers would likely have gone their separate ways even before reaching their Champion stage.
Despite all that, as their differences intensified day by day, the brothers ultimately chose to part ways.
No one knew precisely how the two had decided it—not even Kei, their caretaker, knew the full details.
All Kei knew was that the outgoing, cheerful Patamon voluntarily chose to leave, claiming he wanted to explore the outside world, only occasionally sending word about his well-being.
But unexpectedly, the obsessive, gloomy Tsukaimon chose to remain by his side, no longer displaying the impulsiveness or violence he'd once had.