The transport operation continued, and everyone’s nerves were taut, fearing a single slip-up in any part of the process.

　　“About to exit the Sylvan Garden domain! Group two, get ready!”

　　Mr. Heath circled above the transported object, monitoring the overall situation from multiple angles. For now, everything was running smoothly, with no major issues—a stroke of luck amidst the misfortune.

　　The same was true for the Free Birds. I followed behind, keeping an eye on the suspended Belphemon while also observing the crowds below. Almost everyone had the same reaction—stopping to watch. Many likely didn’t know what it was, much less what we were doing, treating it as some kind of parade. Those with a bit of knowledge quickly pulled their companions away, providing a lecture on exactly how dangerous this thing was.

　　“The Sin of Sloth, Belphemon.”

　　This was a new term I heard. Where these Demon Lord-type Digimon came from, we didn’t know; we only knew they were by no means roles that humans could easily play, and unless by chance, they were never easily encountered.

　　“Strange, isn’t it?” Owl suddenly leaned in and said to me. “One of the Seven Great Demon Lords, Sloth itself, has descended upon Midgard and hasn’t been treated by the system as a BUG. This suggests that beneath that skin, there is likely a person just like us. Whether they are trapped inside waiting for rescue or biding their time to cause havoc once they wake up, no one can say for sure.”

　　If that were true, then this matter was indeed suspicious.

　　“Could it be someone wanting to take revenge on Chairman Flower?”

　　“Who knows.” Owl gave a cold laugh. “It’s normal for someone who refuses to show their real face to be targeted. Then again, whoever wanted to retaliate against her is certainly capable…”

　　No kidding. To be able to quietly drop Belphemon into the Chairman’s private room without leaving a trace—I couldn’t think of any identity other than a network hacker. Stirring up trouble in reality and seeking revenge online—this kind of tactic was all too common in this day and age.

　　With the preamble finished, we quickly cut to the chase:

　　Once the transport team left the territory of the Sylvan Garden, Belphemon suddenly stopped moving. It hung in the air as if caught in a BUG, remaining unmoved no matter how the Birdramon fire-wall pushed from behind.

　　“What’s going on!?”

　　Everyone panicked, fearing it would switch forms at any second.

　　“Everyone stop, back away!” Mr. Heath immediately made deployments. “Transport group, standby on the spot! Maintain distance! Free Birds, clear the area, evacuate everyone nearby, quick!”

　　As the changes were carried out in an orderly fashion, Owl stepped forward on our behalf to inquire about the situation.

　　“Are there any changes?”

　　“None for now,” Mr. Heath replied. “But there likely will be soon. We can’t let our guard down.”

　　“Do you need me to call in the analysis team?”

　　“You know them?” Mr. Heath looked puzzled. “Is that something only the official Raiders has access to… you kid, don’t tell me—”

　　“Yes,” Owl admitted. “Who says the Free Birds aren’t official? As part of The Raiders, we eat from the same bowl and belong to the same department. There’s no distinction between ‘official’ and ‘civilian’.”

　　Mr. Heath could only resign himself. “Fine, bring them in. But make sure they stay safe.”

　　“Don’t worry.”

　　With that, Owl turned his head slightly and gestured to Heath. “They’re here.”

　　“So fast!?”

　　“Just in case something went wrong during transport, I had them on standby nearby.” Owl cracked his neck. “It’s rare they get to be useful. Just stay aside and watch.”

　　The so-called analysis team was a squad composed of Armor-level Digimon, all belonging to the Armor Rebirth club—a subordinate department of The Raiders. Members came from all over the world and were generally experts in data analysis.

　　The team leader, Magnamon, led the way toward Belphemon. He first circled the target, confirming its appearance hadn’t changed, then beckoned the five members behind him: Owlmon, Shadramon, Quetzalmon, Flybeemon, and Peacockmon. The six of them positioned themselves around Belphemon—front, back, left, right, top, and bottom—simultaneously using their Digimentals to perform a comprehensive analysis.

　　The process lasted a long time, and everyone broke into a cold sweat for them.

　　When the analysis concluded, Magnamon approached Owl and Mr. Heath to report some bad news: “The data supply within Belphemon is insufficient. Unless someone sacrifices themselves to provide the nutrients it needs to move, no amount of Birdramon will ever make it budge.”

　　Owl and Mr. Heath looked at each other and said simultaneously, “Then why was it possible before?”

　　“Because the space within the Sylvan Garden domain is saturated with data.” Fearing the two still didn’t understand, Magnamon explained in layman’s terms: “Think of it this way: the trees, the flowers, and the grass there—they are all made of data. Since they are data, the oxygen they release is also data. A portion of the energy from the Birdramon combined with the air provided the conditions for Belphemon to move.”

　　He explained it quite clearly—so clearly that it left the two in front of him confused.

　　Owl asked Heath, “Did you understand?”

　　Heath nodded. “Mostly. You?”

　　“Same.”

　　Then Mr. Heath asked Magnamon, “So, in this situation, how can we make it move forward just a bit more without sacrificing our own people?”

　　Owl chimed in, saying, “As you can see, we’re inches away from the fire-wall, with only the Midgard Square in between. You can’t just leave everyone who recently logged in facing a constant threat of death.”

　　Magnamon listened and nodded silently, finding their words reasonable. After some careful thought and deduction, he finally proposed an extremely dangerous but effective method: “Find a way to wake it up, then draw its attention so it keeps chasing you, until you lead it into the Digital World.”

　　“Be serious now,” Mr. Heath’s facial muscles twitched as he said, “How is that any different from suicide? Who would be tired enough of living to play like that?”

　　“It’s not impossible.”

　　Owl’s words nearly made Mr. Heath’s jaw drop. “No way! Are you crazy? If you want to die, you don’t need to do it like this. What’s the deal with taking others with you—scared of being lonely on the road to the underworld?”

　　“Unless you have a better idea?”

　　His counter-question immediately shut Mr. Heath’s mouth.

　　Afterward, Owl told us about this risky plan and asked if we were willing to try it with him. Falcon and Dove naturally had no problem; they had walked with Owl for a long time and had done all sorts of life-and-death tasks for him. The situation primarily came down to me.

　　“Sakura, you decide.”

　　“Ah… me? You’re serious?”

　　“Don’t forget the other role of the Support: helping the team make judgments.”

　　He said it as if it were true. Where was this earlier? Shifting the blame to me at the critical moment—if that wasn’t bullying a newcomer, I didn’t know what was.

　　“Fine, I’ll accompany you all to the bitter end.”

　　I was forced to say these words, a mix of helplessness, regret, and a tiny bit of motivation—completely lacking in momentum. I felt like a lamb led to the slaughter, weak and pitiful, yet forced to mobilize everyone toward the knife.

　　“Aaaarrgh! I can’t take it! Truly, I give in to you!” Mr. Heath was a bit frantic. “Risking my life with gentlemen! Since we’re here, we might as well do something. Tell me, how do you plan to do it?”

　　“It’s simple: just blast it.”

　　With that, Owl swept his hand down. Dove immediately stepped forward, puffed out his chest, aimed at the sleeping Belphemon, and fired two Giant Missiles from his shoulders while activating all his cannons, launching a full-scale assault on Belphemon.

　　“It’s no use, Captain!” Dove shouted back at Owl. “It needs more heat!”

　　“I’ll go!”

　　“Get back here!”

　　Owl quickly stopped Falcon, who was about to rush in to help, and blocked him. He sent a massive Dark Terra Destroyer toward Belphemon. The resulting explosion was so immense that no one present could maintain their balance; those who could fly scattered, and those who couldn’t fell to the ground. Before anyone could readjust, the sleeping Demon Lord had already awakened, brushing aside the smoke from the blast to reveal its other side—Belphemon: Rage Mode.

　　“I think we made it mad,” Falcon said to me casually, drawing the large blade from his shoulder. The next second, he was bumped aside by Owl as Belphemon’s claws came down, the resulting dust storm sweeping over us once again.

　　“—Gold Solar Storm!”

　　A brilliant golden laser cleared the crisis of our blocked vision; it was a gift from Magnamon.

　　“Quick! Drag it out before it reacts!”

　　“Understood!” Falcon was the first to respond. As a fellow golden comrade, his competitiveness was piqued—no matter what, he couldn’t let them look down on him. A Mega had to be more useful than an Armor-level!

　　“Daring to sneak attack me? Let me see how much skill you really have!”

　　As Falcon spoke, he swung his Yellow Beast Crescent Blade in the air. Combined with the two sharp blades protruding from his shoulders, he unleashed his finishing move, Wolf-Beast Whirlwind, delivering eternal pain to the newly awakened Belphemon.

　　The Demon Lord let out a howl of agony. Mr. Heath took the initiative, using Shadow Wing to deliver another shock. Magnamon wasn’t to be outdone either, his whole body releasing the Extreme Jihad. Golden light and crimson flames intertwined, and with the help of my Rose Rapier, we successfully forced the Demon Lord back.

　　“Don’t stop—”

　　Owl’s voice pierced the sky. By the time it reached our ears, Belphemon had already swung its claws, wreathed in hellfire, delivering its Dark Gift. At the critical moment, a unique sound came from behind us:

　　“—Hammer Boomerang!”

　　Turning to look, a Zudomon had appeared out of nowhere. Aiming at Belphemon’s head, he threw his Thor’s Hammer, knocking him to the ground.

　　“Seeing injustice on the road, I draw my blade to help!” He offered an explanation for his arrival and actions.

　　With such a brave warrior coming to help, how could we have any complaints? We all thanked him in our hearts. Once the hammer returned to his hand, he didn’t stop. Holding the hammer with both hands, he swept it across the ground, creating sparks and lightning as he aimed for the chin of the rising Belphemon, swinging the heavy hammer upward.

　　“—Hammer Spark!”

　　The powerful force lifted Belphemon off its feet. Under the combined action of Garudamon’s charge and Owl’s Black Tornado, the awakened “Sloth” Demon Lord completely passed through that fire-wall, breaking free from the Midgard system and arriving in the Digital World.

　　“Let’s finish it in one go!”

　　At Owl’s command, no one held back their ultimate moves, each using their final techniques to strike Belphemon.

　　Falcon and Dove were on the outer perimeter, their Twin Moon Crescent Slash and Burst Shot continuously battering the Demon Lord’s body, keeping it disoriented and unable to focus on other directions. Meanwhile, Shadow Wing and Forbidden Temptation—the double crimson strike—combined with the blinding light from Plasma Shot and Hammer Spark to strike Belphemon’s chest. The resurrected Demon Lord was in agony, flailing its limbs to try and stop us from dealing more pain. Before it could draw the chains from its body to release the black flames of Lampranthus, Owl quickly gathered a Dark Terra Destroyer formed from “negative thoughts” and completely ended it within the raging fires of the explosion.

　　“Whew, finally over.”

　　“Not yet!”

　　Owl’s words alerted everyone, causing us to snap back from our relaxed state to high alert.

　　Peering through the gradually dissipating smoke, that massive figure was still visible. It stood firm, without a hint of wavering, its chains already plunged into the ground, absorbing nutrients from the earth.

　　“It… it’s getting bigger…”

　　Dove’s shocked expression represented most of those present. No one had expected this Demon Lord to be so resilient; so many ultimate moves had been combined, yet they had seemingly achieved nothing.

　　Falcon also joined us to discuss a strategy: “Big brother, what now?”

　　“Find a way not to get hurt first—”

　　Owl finished speaking and knocked Falcon out of the way, taking the Demon Lord’s incoming chain head-on and flying back like a pinball, crashing into the nearby forest. I too had no time to react, watching as the Demon Lord’s chain reached my face. In the crisis, Mr. Heath grabbed the chain with his talons, intending to pull it up, but the chain immediately became like a snake, wrapping around his ankle.

　　“Mr. Heath—”

　　“Don’t worry about me, get out of here!”

　　Next, he was dragged back by the Demon Lord using the chain and used as a flail. After being swung in a large circle in the sky, he was slammed directly onto Zudomon’s body. Before he could catch his breath, he was snatched back again, taking a heavy punch from the Demon Lord and bouncing back onto Zudomon once more.

　　Looking elsewhere, Dove had also been tragically ensnared by the chains. Falcon was busy trying to sever them with his blade to rescue him, but after several attempts, he hadn’t succeeded, unable to stop a curse from escaping his lips: “Damn it! Why is it so hard!?”

　　A flash of light suddenly erupted overhead. Looking up, Magnamon had tragically become Belphemon’s target, with dozens of chains firmly binding him, making it difficult to release his Extreme Jihad to strike back. Black flames raced along the chains toward him, and soon, he disappeared into the explosion once again.

　　The word “total defeat” echoed in my mind for a long time, preventing me from moving my body as I should. I just stood there, staring—like a puppet or a brainless waste, helpless and powerless.

　　“Did we… just lose like this?” I couldn’t help but ask myself.

　　Incinerated flower petals fell onto the back of my hand, bringing a slight sting that reminded me I hadn’t turned into data yet—I was still alive. The roar of explosions overlapped; my legs felt weak as I slumped to the ground, taking a long breath as I prepared to accept fate’s judgment.

　　“It’s not over yet—”

　　A fierce battle cry came from behind, like someone had slapped me awake. Looking back, a black-and-white angel emerged from the fire-wall, descending like a crane, bringing a glimmer of hope to the battlefield. With her swift speed, she fired an arrow of light, Holy Hope, from her right arm, hitting the Demon Lord’s head. Then, using her left hand, she used Dark Despair to forcefully break off one of the horns atop the Demon Lord’s head, turning the tide for us.

　　“Is the Support only at this level!?” she yelled at me fiercely. “Is this the ‘strength’ you boast of? It’s enough to make one’s sides split with laughter!”

　　The provocation worked perfectly, successfully awakening my fighting spirit.

　　“And what of it!?” I shouted back at her, refusing to back down. “You, a Substitute, only show up now? Were you waiting for me, the Support, to handle this alone? You bastard!”

　　The others likely didn’t know what we were doing, but it didn’t matter. Women’s friendships can sometimes be expressed in strange ways; after all, we were both stubborn people who couldn’t stand appearing weak in front of someone we disliked.

　　“Let’s go together, Sakura!”

　　“Hah! Keep your eyes peeled, Crane!”