The “Dove of Peace,” usually so mild-mannered, will still peck you if you force its hand.

　　Upon switching to his MegaGargomon form, Dove underwent a total metamorphosis. In an instant, he became a violent force of nature, completely unrecognizable from the boy I had just met. Regardless of whether I was ready for combat, he deployed every weapon port on his massive frame and unleashed a relentless barrage of fire in my direction.

　　I missed the gentle version of him from yesterday. He had initially chosen Terriermon as his avatar simply because he thought the little thing was “cute.” Who could possibly connect that person to the war machine currently chasing me with “Burst Shots”? Actually, I’m being generous—now he was locking on to me with his shoulder-mounted “Giant Missiles.” I wasn’t even sure if he was used to aiming; I, someone with almost no combat experience, found it relatively easy to dodge.

　　“Taste this! Ahahaha—another laser blast, bong! Direct hit! Run, run! Super big missiles incoming, ahahahahaha—!”

　　The man was in a state of sheer frenzy, completely deaf to reason. He had utterly forgotten Owl’s instructions, laying waste to the surrounding area of the The ‘Drink’ Bar’s domain. Flowers were crushed, grass was ignited, rocks were shattered, and even the topsoil was upturned. I could already imagine that when this ended, Adam would surely drag him back and force him into a week of hard labor to compensate for the damage.

　　He blasted and bombed, and I fled and dodged. I was driven into a corner, yet I couldn’t seem to put enough distance between us. His frame was too massive, and being machine-driven, he didn’t have to worry about stamina. I, on the other hand, had only two legs—supported by heels, no less. Before I had gone far, my legs were trembling, and without a moment to pause and catch my breath, I wouldn’t have been able to continue.

　　“Giant Missiles” have an incredibly wide blast radius, which meant I had to move faster. But how much faster could I go? Human strength couldn’t compete with a machine—unless I found a way to stop the machine.

　　Observing his rhythm, I noticed a window of time after he fired his missiles where his body automatically reloaded. This was my chance. I locked onto his massive shoulder missile bays, lashed out with my Thorn Whip, and pulled myself up. He didn’t notice me. This gave me the opening I needed. When the hatch opened to fire again, I swung my whip to wrap around his neck as I dropped, while simultaneously lunging with my Rose Rapier, piercing a missile that hadn’t yet launched.

　　The internal explosion caused a chain reaction, setting off the gunpowder reserves throughout his frame. His heavy body slammed into the ground, a plume of black smoke erupting from his mouth as his eyes lost their light. I had won my first match, though I didn’t consider it a true victory—more of a clever trick.

　　“You did well!”

　　Reverting to his human form and lying on his back, Dove gave me a thumbs-up. “Tomorrow, you’ll face Falcon. He’s a master of speed. If you’re not careful, the match will be over before it starts. Be on your guard.”

　　I took his words to heart, but they didn’t help much. Falcon’s speed was beyond anything I had imagined, leaving me no time to react. I deeply regretted not doing more homework the night before; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been so humiliated the next day.

　　A golden whirlwind tore toward me. I couldn’t escape, I couldn’t hide, and there was nowhere to run. My Thorn Whip was little more than a jump rope to him; he didn’t trip, but instead sliced it in two with his Beast-Wolf Great Rotation. Before I could even draw my Rose Rapier, he swung his blade’s hilt and swept me off my feet. He then stepped onto my waist, seemingly admiring the view from above. If it hadn’t been for my cry of pain, he would have won then and there.

　　“Whoops, my bad.”

　　“How could you be so rude to a lady!”

　　“Accident, accident. Didn’t watch my strength… Hey, you can still stand up!”

　　He probably thought that pinning me by the waist would allow him to dominate the match, but I wouldn’t let him have his way. There’s a tactic called “playing hard to get,” and it was perfect for someone like him.

　　I deliberately swayed my hips as I pushed myself up from the ground, luring him to approach from behind. Then, I delivered a sharp backwards kick directly to his face. Let’s see him dodge that.

　　“Oh my, why were you standing behind me? I didn’t see you. So sorry.”

　　He rolled around on the ground, clutching his head. Apparently, his wolf skull wasn’t as hard as he thought.

　　Taking the opportunity, I lashed out with my Thorn Whip, first disarming him of his Yellow Beast Crescent Blade, then binding his body. I expended a small amount of data to unleash a high-voltage current. Even Chromes Digizoid is conductive—it was enough to keep him twitching for a while.

　　“Mr. Vanguard, what’s wrong? Am I so beautiful that you found the experience… electrifying?” I teased, walking over to my defeated opponent. I knelt beside him, lifting his wolf-head chin with one hand. “Listen, if you want my Support in future missions, keep your eyes off certain parts of my body. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you enjoy that numb, tingling sensation a few more times. Understand?”

　　He didn’t respond, which meant he was still thinking about it. Fine then—I’d just increase the voltage.

　　“Wait! I… I understand! I understand!”

　　He forced those words out through gritted teeth. At first, I thought he was choking on something, but then I realized my whip was wrapped so tightly around his neck he could barely breathe.

　　If the first two victories were due to luck, the next two were nearly the death of me.

　　Against Owl, I was powerless. A BlackWarGreymon is a natural-born warrior—balanced in offense and defense, and surprisingly fast. Being a Virus-type, crushing a weak Data-type like me was child’s play.

　　Perhaps Owl realized this himself. Before our match began, he removed the Dramon Killers from his arms and set aside the Brave Shield on his back. It was a gesture of immense sincerity. Displaying the powerful musculature of a dragon-warrior, he challenged me: “Come, Sakura. Let me see the true strength of the ‘Queen of Nature.’”

　　Was he talking about me? I was curious too. Might as well show him, lest he call me a “drag” in the future.

　　“Go easy on me,” I reminded him. “Don’t be too rough with us girls.”

　　“I know. You can rest easy,” he promised again. “I won’t use any lethal moves today. Come at me.”

　　As soon as he finished speaking, my Thorn Whip lashed out. Owl reacted instantly, sidestepping the strike before closing the distance at breakneck speed. Seeing him approach, I adjusted my stance and retreated to a safe distance, darting into a nearby thicket. I moved through the shadows, deliberately brushing against leaves to create distractions before suddenly lunging from his blind spot.

　　My Rose Rapier was less than fifty centimeters from his back. For a split second, I actually thought about pulling back. He was going easy on me, and here I was using a backstab. It felt dishonorable. But before I could retract the blade, he spun around and caught the rapier by the blade. The tip was mere centimeters from his left eye. A hair’s breadth away. If he had been half a second later, he would have been in agony tonight.

　　“A poisoned blade? How insidious,” he remarked calmly. “But your technique is lacking.”

　　He was saying I lacked strength. I could admit that. I wasn’t a warrior; why would I need that kind of power?

　　“The battlefield isn’t just for warriors,” I told him. “It’s for women too.”

　　What I really meant was: Don’t underestimate “Bandai Sakura.” I might seem weak to you, but I’m a handful. You’d better watch out, or you’ll find yourself in the “Rosy Cradle” dreaming of your little lover, being whipped by her. Hypnosis is the best weapon against the strong; even the slightest lapse in concentration can be fatal.

　　“Do you think I can’t smell the fragrance?” He asked slowly, holding his breath. “One or two experiences are enough to get used to such tricks. Stop wasting your effort. Just give up.”

　　My plan had been seen through instantly. I had no choice but to pin my hopes on one last thing: Danger Thorn. I unleashed a barrage of thorns, hoping they would buy me enough time and energy to activate my ultimate move.

　　Unlike the previous days, I had come prepared. I had visited Adam, and through him, learned about my own weaknesses—and the common weakness of all Pixie-type Digimon: we are terrible at close combat.

　　“It’s not that you’re good at long-range either,” Adam had remarked. “Strictly speaking, every individual has their niche. It’s about whether you can find it. But honestly, against us Vaccine-types, you Data-types have a real advantage.”

　　I took his words to heart. My primary goal was to deal with Heron on the final day. As for Owl… from the beginning, I never believed I could beat him alone. Everything I was doing now was just stubborn resistance—a way to temper my will against the strong.

　　As Owl wove through the thorns, closing in on me, I still couldn’t find the opening for my finisher. I cast the thought aside and lunged with my Rose Rapier. As expected, he charged straight at me. I lured him in, retreating just enough to whip my Thorn Whip around him, binding him just as I had Falcon.

　　It was effective.

　　He was electrocuted until his limbs went soft, and though he couldn’t speak, he didn’t give up. He forced himself to stay upright, one hand gripping the whip as he pulled—turning the tables and pulling me toward him.

　　“Let… let go!” I stammered, panicking.

　　“If you don’t release it, I won’t let go.”

　　Owl was determined to hold out. I had no choice but to comply; I couldn’t win against him anyway.

　　The moment the whip slackened, Owl broke free. He then yanked on the whip, pulling me straight into his arms. If this were a cliché drama, my heart would have been racing. But all I felt was a headache. The steel of his chest armor was as hard as Chromes Digizoid. I honestly thought that if he had used any more force, I would have been crushed to death. He’d be left holding a corpse.

　　“If you wanted me dead, you could have just said so.”

　　I rubbed my head, pouting at him. Through the gaps in my fingers, I watched his reaction. He looked lost, staring down at his chest where I had just bumped into him. He then brought his hand to his nose and sniffed, remarking that it was “quite fragrant.”

　　Is there something wrong with these people? Why do they keep doing that? First Heron, now him. Who’s next? I couldn’t even imagine Dove or Falcon doing it. Dove was too kind; saying something like that would feel like a forced compliment and shatter my image of the sweet boy next door. Falcon was likely to use his lecherous nature to try something—he was the one I really had to watch out for. Actually, it wouldn’t be hard; like I said, I’d just shock him every time I caught him.

　　“Heron is inspecting me tomorrow. Any advice or warnings?”

　　“She’s strong.”

　　Brilliant. I knew that already.

　　“And…?”

　　“The arrow from her right arm is ‘Holy Hope.’ The left arm will seize the opponent’s DigiCore to crush and delete it; that move is called ‘Dark Despair.’ As you can tell, ‘Despair’ carries more weight, making her extremely dangerous.”

　　“Is there a way to avoid being grabbed?”

　　“Running faster than her—which is impossible for you. You’ll just have to prevent her from using the move in the first place.”

　　To win with “Hope” while avoiding “Despair” required one thing: attacking from a distance.

　　But when I finally stood before Heron, I realized I wouldn’t even have the chance. Her movement was too fast. She didn’t turn into a whirlwind like Falcon, but I still couldn’t track her movements. If I couldn’t track her, I couldn’t predict her position, which meant I couldn’t lock on for a long-range strike. Even if I forced a shot, she’d just dodge it.

　　“Thinking of tactics while the enemy is in front of you?”

　　She suddenly appeared behind me and delivered a kick to my stomach. I was sent flying, crashing through a small grove of trees and landing in the shallow water of the lake, stars dancing before my eyes.

　　“Get up.”

　　She didn’t give me a moment to breathe. Grabbing my green leafy cape, she threw me into the air and proceeded to pummel me from every direction at a speed the naked eye couldn’t follow. Unlike me, parts of her body were alloyed; her strikes were incredibly painful. Combined with the five pairs of black and white wings on her back, she could strike from any angle—head, chest, waist, stomach, legs. Nowhere was safe.

　　She beat me as if I were a common thief, putting me through a miserable ordeal. For a long time, I was just a punching bag, unable to dodge, let alone strike back. The pain was the first thing to fade, which was a blessing when I hit the ground; even when she used her thighs to nearly snap my waist, I didn’t cry out. I no longer had the strength to.

　　I lay like a piece of trash beneath a tree, using Fascination to release pink gas and drain the life from the surrounding plants to repair my damaged body. Soon, I pushed myself up again, ready for more. This time, I’d hold out longer.

　　“Come on. Is that all? Are your hands tired? Do you need me to come over and massage them for you?”

　　My provocation was met with another round of punishment. This time, however, I noticed her movements were visibly slower than before. I also discovered a fatal flaw—her will was thin. She was easily swayed by psychological stimuli. Her heart wasn’t strong; she lacked conviction. To put it in personal terms, she wasn’t “tough.” She had spent her life being swayed by others, with no agency of her own.

　　Such a person was pitiable, yet also hateful. Pitiable because she wanted to escape her current life and become strong, yet lacked the ability to do so. Hateful because she constantly sought to prove herself, even at the cost of hurting others. She rarely gave a direct response to her own beliefs—not because she didn’t want to, but because she didn’t dare to. She refused to acknowledge her own weakness, just as she refused to acknowledge the strength of others. In the end, even if she lost, she wouldn’t understand why.

　　I tried a Gamble. Panting, I told her, “It’s exhausting, isn’t it? Living in your sister’s shadow.”

　　“What did you say?”

　　Her fist stopped inches from my face. I could see the hesitation in her eyes. This was it. You wanted to inspect me? Well, let me give you a lesson.

　　“Don’t play dumb. Adam told me everything.”

　　I faced her with feigned calmness. Inside, I was a wreck; I had no idea how to actually beat the “outer” Heron, so I had to target the “inner” one.

　　“The weak older sister, the strong younger sister. Usually, it’s the other way around. I don’t know why you two were different. The one who was supposed to be protected by her sister ended up being the one who protected her at the critical moment. That kind of trauma is hard to heal. Burdened by your guilt, you can’t face her or her Digimon. That’s why you had so many chances but wouldn’t use ‘Holy Hope’ to finish me. Instead, you kept using LadyDevimon’s close-combat style, trying to make me feel as ‘desperate’ as you are. Well, I have news for you: it won’t work.”

　　Because I am far stronger than you.

　　“You… you… I didn’t… I’m not! You… I…”

　　A few short sentences had thrown her into total disarray. She could only stammer, her lips moving but no coherent words coming out. It was no wonder Owl had made someone of her caliber a Reserve. To put it bluntly, with her current lack of conviction, she wouldn’t be fit for any of the other four positions, no matter how many years she trained, how many masters she sparred with, or how much experience she gained.

　　“Stop being so self-righteous!” she finally managed a complete sentence. “I’m the one inspecting your progress, not the other way around! Know your place!”

　　Oh, I knew my place. I was the master now, and she was about to be defeated in the very thing she took pride in. She would surely be confused; she would surely ask “Why?” And I would be there to answer: Because you are weak, and I am strong. You were destined to lose to me today. Many things in this world happen without a reason. Reality is reality, inside or outside. Don’t think that because you’re in a digital space with a new skin, you can escape anything. Brutal reality will chase you to every corner of the world. Start thinking about where you’ll go next, so I can send you on your way…

　　Hundreds of rose petals flurried down. She hadn’t even realized she had lost yet, still living in her self-created world called “Escape.”

　　She looked on the verge of a breakdown. Fortunately, I was about to end it.

　　I skipped the process and went straight to the conclusion—I unleashed my ultimate move, Forbidden Temptation, and defeated the lost and broken Heron. I sent her Mastemon flying toward the small island in the center of the lake. It was secluded enough; no one would disturb her while she cooled down and reflected.

　　If you gave it even a modicum of thought, you’d know that Data beats Vaccine. She had been fighting me with only half her strength the entire time. As long as I could find the opening for my move, I wouldn’t lose.

　　Back at the The ‘Drink’ Bar, Owl, Falcon, and Dove were waiting.

　　“Owl, I won.”

　　“Beautiful. I knew you could do it.” He gestured for me to sit beside him. “Have a drink. A small celebration. Don’t worry, my treat. Welcome officially as the Support for the Free Birds. After this, it’s time to head to the Nature Court to find your acquaintance.”

　　“So soon?” I was startled. “Is their domain maintenance finished already?”

　　“It had to be,” he explained. “A mission came in. It’s at the Nature Court, and the client is their Guild Master. Whether maintenance is done or not, we have to go. Let’s just hope it isn’t a dangerous job.”

　　Even if it wasn’t a formal “Raid,” it was an opportunity. I could use this mission to see if I could actually coordinate with the team—and maybe earn some extra cash on the side.

　　I always gave him “face.” “You’re the Captain. You call the shots.”

　　“And Heron…?”

　　“She’s reflecting on her mistakes!” I cut him off. “In short, I beat her, and she’s realized her own shortcomings. She’s probably staring at the lake right now, saying goodbye to her old self. Or, she’s still lost in a fog. It’s complicated. We can head out first; it’s best not to disturb her. Let’s give her some private space to clear her head.”

　　I just hoped she wasn’t a sore loser. Otherwise, I was in for a rough time.