Upon seeing the boy and the girl, Zero nearly burst into tears…
…This was truly an unexpected reunion. He never imagined he'd meet them here of all places.
But no matter what, he still had things he needed to do. While thinking this, Zero immediately stepped forward, slipping around the two children to face the charging Drimogemon head-on.
"Out of the way—leave this one to me!"
As he spoke, the Light of Evolution erupted outward… in an instant, Zero had evolved into GeoGreymon!
The cavern was deep beneath the ocean, its structure unstable. If he accidentally blasted a hole, causing seawater to flood in, he wouldn't have enough lives to survive.
An Ultimate-level's destructive power was actually a liability here. Besides, against a Drimogemon, Champion-level strength was more than sufficient.
Moreover, even in Champion form, Zero's DigiCore strength and fighting skills allowed him to reach a combat capability comparable to an Ultimate-level Digimon.
Drimogemon's vision suddenly darkened as a massive body appeared directly before it.
"?!"
Before it could even react, Zero slammed it away with a powerful Mega Shot!
The sheer force of the collision was enough to shatter bones and crush iron, let alone flesh and blood. Drimogemon screamed miserably, tumbling away like a rolling gourd, unable to rise.
Zero stomped forward, towering over it, and opened his jaws to reveal razor-sharp fangs glinting coldly.
"…I have some questions for you. If you don't want to die, start talking."
The overwhelming difference in strength, combined with the threat to its life, caused Drimogemon to shiver all over, hurriedly shrinking into itself, clearly surrendering.
"You're a member of the Dark Masters' army?"
"…Yes."
Zero immediately relaxed. The Undersea Cavern hid the Tags stolen by the Dark Masters, and Drimogemon had been dispatched to guard them.
…Honestly speaking, with guards like this, it was basically handing the Tags over. Probably, they assumed the location itself was secure enough, or perhaps the Dark Masters were stretched thin in manpower.
After all, the Four Holy Beasts had been sealed, but the Holy Beast army loyal to them was still putting up resistance.
There was also the Angel-type Digimon army, some fallen and corrupted like Devimon, but many others remained faithful, resisting fiercely.
Presumably, the Dark Masters' main forces were preoccupied building Spiral Mountain and battling the Holy Beasts and Angels. File Island, a backwater far from the center of events, wasn't worth their serious attention.
If they'd posted a stronger guardian here, it would've drawn unwanted attention. Placing a powerful Digimon here would practically scream, "Something important's hidden here!"
…But ultimately, all their calculations had failed to account for Zero—someone who'd read the script in advance. The Dark Masters' cunning had been turned against them, allowing Zero to reap the benefits.
Drimogemon, specializing in digging tunnels, were typically employed as laborers by various factions. Constantly shuffled from one faction to another, they generally lacked loyalty or integrity.
Under threat of death, it surrendered without hesitation…
After subduing Drimogemon, Zero reverted to his Agumon form and turned his attention to the human boy and girl.
Although the boy realized Zero had saved them, having suddenly found himself in an unfamiliar world and encountering a strange creature, he naturally maintained caution.
Rather, his guard was practically exploding. After all, he wasn't alone. With an important family member by his side, ensuring the safety of the girl behind him was his top priority.
So, when Zero approached, the boy instinctively shielded his sister behind him.
Of course, judging by Zero's earlier strength, this gesture was entirely meaningless. If Zero had any ill intentions, they'd already be gone.
Still, at least the boy showed determination—no matter what, he would protect his sister. Unfortunately, his sister didn't seem to think that way.
As soon as she saw Zero approaching, the girl's face lit up joyfully. Ignoring the boy's protective gesture, she stepped forward excitedly.
"Koromon, it's been a long time!"
At the girl's action, the boy nearly skipped two heartbeats.
"Hikari, don't just go up to—"
His words cut off as he stared blankly, dumbfounded. His sister was acting as if she and Zero were longtime friends—pulling paws, patting heads, quickly turning into a playful reunion.
"Haha, wanting to protect your little sister is commendable. You're really a good big brother… Taichi~"
Zero turned his gaze and called the boy's name directly, startling him further.
"You know me?"
Hikari immediately puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction. "Big brother, what are you talking about? It's Koromon—don't you remember at all?"
"…I don't remember a thing! When have we ever met?!"
The boy was completely confused. Searching his memory, he found nothing remotely related. Yet this strange creature before him knew his name and seemed incredibly familiar with his sister—and his sister acted like they'd known each other forever.
So… was he the one completely out of the loop?!
Seeing the boy's confusion, Zero had to suppress his urge to laugh, though it wasn't surprising Taichi didn't remember.
…Years ago, a Digi-Egg had fallen into the Real World. Under the care of a certain brother and sister, it hatched, evolving at astonishing speed.
Eventually, that Digimon battled another invading Digimon. After its victory, it returned to the Digital World.
This was the famous "Hikarigaoka Incident," a cornerstone in the history of both worlds. It was this event that made the host computer of the Digital World realize human emotions could catalyze Digimon evolution.
…This was the true origin of everything, the very foundation of the "Chosen Children" project.
Now, years had passed, and that brother and sister had grown older. Unbeknownst to them, their actions years ago had changed the destiny of two worlds forever, and now a certain mission was descending upon them once more.
And as for this pair of siblings…
At this moment, let's proudly announce their names…
…Yagami Taichi, Yagami Hikari!