18. Because she was my mother, it was truly terrifying.

As soon as Taiichi approached, he noticed a black gear, about a person’s height, stuck in the floor of the ruins’ hall.

“Well, no need to guess—the Centaur Beast must have been overrun too,” Taiichi shrugged, already accustomed to such setbacks.

The walls of the hall were inscribed with patterns resembling those found in the batteries of the mechanical factory. He recalled Andoru Beast mentioning that these were computer programs.

“I can’t understand a thing,” Taiichi murmured, running his hand over the wall, utterly perplexed.

He did know someone who often fiddled with strange data; maybe that person could decipher these programs.

Suddenly inspired, Taiichi settled cross-legged on the ground and pulled out a notebook, carefully sketching the programs from the wall.

“Taiichi, what are you up to?” Zeromaru asked, puzzled.

“I’m copying these programs down. Although I don’t understand them myself, once we return to human society, Neo will definitely appreciate this souvenir,” Taiichi said enthusiastically.

The Neo he referred to was Saiha Neo, the undefeated champion of the Digital Beast Competition (D-1), the strongest tamer who had never lost.

Once, after a competition, Taiichi had privately sparred with Neo, ending in a draw.

Unfortunately, since it was an unofficial match and Taiichi hadn’t yet become such close partners with Zeromaru, if he ever returned to the human world now, he was confident he could say, “I will win!”

Just then, Zeromaru asked, “Who is Neo?”

Taiichi replied softly, “Just a mortal born in an era without us.”

——————————

Zeromaru’s expression darkened; since teaming up with Taiichi, his usually high-raised tail now drooped to the ground.

“Taiichi, do you want to go back to the human world?”

Taiichi was intently focused on the stone tablet, fingers expertly tracing the program to replicate it.

“Well, it’s been many days away; Mom must be furious,” he said.

Thinking of the possible wrath awaiting him at home, Taiichi’s face turned ashen—a warrior who had faced countless fierce battles, yet had once fled from the Snot Beast, now feared that the day he returned might be his last.

Zeromaru had never seen Taiichi like this. “Is your mom really that strong?”

Taiichi first shook his head, then suddenly nodded.

Zeromaru was confused but intrigued, and Taiichi chuckled at his own contradiction:

“I’m afraid of Mom, not because she’s strong or weak, but simply because she’s Mom.”

“I don’t get it.”

Taiichi stretched out his stiff limbs from sitting on the ground and said, “It’s hard to explain. But once you meet her, you’ll probably understand the feeling.”

“When we get home, we need to tidy up the storage room and bring out a bed… my bed’s too small for you.”

“...” Zeromaru looked up blankly, staring at Taiichi’s back for a long moment, then suddenly grew excited, his eyes shining brightly.

“What’s wrong?” Taiichi asked.

“N-n-n-nothing!” Zeromaru shook his head vigorously, beaming. “I feel great right now!”

To prove it, he flexed all his muscles and struck a bodybuilder pose.

For a fleeting moment, a shimmer of light flickered across Zeromaru’s body, but Taiichi had already turned away, and Zeromaru himself didn’t notice.

Soon after, Taiichi finished copying all the programs and double-checked for errors. Then, he and Zeromaru pressed deeper into the ruins.

Passing the antechamber, Taiichi realized the interior was an immense labyrinth. Branching paths appeared not far ahead, all looking exactly the same.

“What do we do? Should we explore every path one by one?” Zeromaru fretted, sure they would get lost.

“We don’t have time for that,” Taiichi shook his head. Since earlier, the sound of black gears flying toward Infinite Mountain had been ringing in his ears, and even the floor beneath them trembled slightly.

This was the sound of black gears buried across the island being gathered by the Devimon.

It was obvious why they had collected so many black gears: to prepare for their final battle against Taiichi.

“Zero, full power ahead!” Taiichi pointed at the wall ahead. “Since we can’t find the Centaur Beast, let’s make some noise and make it come to us!”

“Oil shrimp!” Zeromaru shouted with vigor, stepping closer to the wall. He swung his arm and punched it with great force.

“Boom—!”

An immense tremor shook the entire ruins. Years of accumulated dust fell from the cracks between walls and pillars. Some old bricks even shifted out of place.

——————————

“Thud, thud, thud...”

The sound of galloping hooves echoed from the depths of the ruins.

After a moment, a centaur wearing a helmet dashed out at full speed.

The moment it saw Taiichi and Zeromaru, a tube on its back blasted a high-pressure jet of gas, propelling its body forward at nearly the speed of sound.

Taiichi immediately noticed the black gear lodged in the centaur’s waist.

“Dodge!” Taiichi commanded with the authority of a Pokémon master.

As the centaur charged, Taiichi and Zeromaru jumped to either side.

Surprised that their opponent could dodge even at sonic speed, the centaur was momentarily confused, its red single eye inside the helmet darting between Taiichi and Zeromaru.

“Now!”

Zeromaru understood instantly and seized the opportunity to strike: “V Gale Arrow!”

A concentrated blast of air transformed into a blue vacuum arrow, piercing through the black gear on the centaur’s body.

——————————

After a while, the centaur regained its composure.

“This is humiliating. I am supposed to be the guardian of the Sacred Plan, yet I was corrupted by darkness,” it bowed to Taiichi. “Thank you for saving me, chosen child.”

“No need to dwell on it,” Taiichi shook his head and asked, “Centaur Beast, can you confirm that I am truly the chosen child?”

The centaur was clearly caught off guard by this question and paused for two seconds before Taiichi voiced his doubts—about the absence of the Sacred Plan and the Sacred Angel City he had heard of upon crossing over.

The centaur blinked, realizing the situation might be serious.

He led Taiichi and Zeromaru to the deepest part of the ruins.

There, atop a raised platform, was an engraving depicting a cross-shaped machine.