42. The Fairy Sage of Korin Tower

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Tai and Zeromaru continued walking through the desert.

Following the map provided by the old man Genai, they arrived at a certain spot in the middle of the desert.

Zeromaru looked left and right. It was nothing more than an ordinary stretch of desert. Aside from the unusually large number of cacti, there was no sign of the so-called Piximon or its dwelling.

“Could that old man be making fools of us?” Tai said irritably.

Just then, the ground suddenly began to tremble.

“Oh?” Tai gave a soft grunt and instinctively leapt to the side.

In the next instant, a pair of enormous red pincers burst through the sand, crushing the spot where Tai and Zeromaru had been standing.

At the same time, Tai recognized the creature before them.

“Kuwagamon! You’re on the Saba Continent too? When did you get here?” Tai exclaimed in surprise. The one that had launched the sneak attack was a ten-meter-tall Kuwagamon.

“Something seems off, Tai,” Zeromaru warned. “This Kuwagamon is considerably larger than the ones on the Saba Continent, and much stronger too.”

This Kuwagamon clearly did not recognize Tai at all. The pincers growing from its head waved about arrogantly, displaying its might without restraint.

“I see. Kuwagamon has evolved into an Ultimate...” Tai mused.

Zeromaru groaned. “It’s obviously not the same Kuwagamon!”

The Kuwagamon from the Saba Continent had no intention of wasting time bantering with Tai. Its massive pincers snapped toward him.

This simple, unadorned attack was Kuwagamon’s signature move—Scissor Arms.

It could be said that Kuwagamon’s entire combat power depended on those pincers. That was why, when Zeromaru had once snapped the pincers off the Kuwagamon on File Island with one hand, the incident had been utterly devastating for the latter.

Just as Zeromaru moved in front of Tai, preparing to reenact that classic scene, a small bat-shaped missile suddenly appeared in midair. It struck Kuwagamon, and a violent explosion erupted at once.

When the smoke cleared, Kuwagamon had already been reduced to a pile of data.

“That packs quite a punch,” Tai exclaimed. “That strike was no weaker than Etemon’s Dark Death Ball after its power had been enhanced.”

“Beep. Are you the DigiDestined and his partner Digimon?”

Another small pink ball with wings appeared in midair.

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“I am the Piximon you’ve been looking for.”

Flapping its wings, Piximon looked Zeromaru and Tai up and down. “Hmm, hmm. When Genai told me about you, I didn’t believe him. I couldn’t imagine that anyone could defeat Etemon without even evolving to the Ultimate level.”

“But now that I can sense the fighting spirit surrounding you... No wonder you accomplished such a feat. You’ve already become extremely reliable warriors.”

“What a sweet talker,” Tai said with a laugh, reaching out to rub Piximon’s head.

Piximon did not resist, allowing Tai to fuss over it as he pleased. “Even so, the strength you possess now is still insufficient to completely eradicate the darkness entrenched across the continent.”

Zeromaru declared confidently, “That won’t be a problem. As long as Tai is here, we can never lose.”

Piximon nodded. “Confidence is a good thing, but one can never have too much power on the side of justice.”

“How about it? Would you like to try taking part in my trial? If you pass, you might become much stronger in an instant.” Piximon’s voice took on a bewitching tone.

Tai nodded. “I see. At first glance, you’re a fairy, but in reality, you’re Master Korin disguised as one.”

“I don’t mind. Whether you want me to climb Korin Tower or drink the Ultra Divine Water, bring on whatever grueling challenge you have!”

Zeromaru complained, “Tai, sometimes I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Beep-beep. I don’t understand either.” Piximon swayed from side to side, shaking its head. “In any case, you’re willing to accept the challenge, correct?”

Tai nodded, and Zeromaru naturally had no reason to refuse.

“Bring it on!”

“Excellent! That’s the spirit!”

Piximon flew into the air and drew a circle with its spear, Fairy Tale.

In an instant, a circular portal appeared before Tai and Zeromaru. On the other side of the gateway lay a verdant oasis surrounded by beautiful mountains and clear waters.

“So it’s a barrier,” Tai realized. No wonder Piximon’s special attack—and Piximon itself—had appeared before them without warning. It turned out that he and Zeromaru had already entered Piximon’s barrier long ago.

“Just a trivial little trick,” Piximon said smugly. “Now, come inside.”

After entering the barrier, Tai followed Piximon’s directions. They first passed through a jungle, then arrived before a towering mountain that spiraled upward in a ring.

“My home is at the top.” Piximon pointed toward the dojo on the summit.

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“Your training begins here.” Piximon folded its arms, looking rather pleased with itself.

“From now on, you must climb to the summit on foot. This is your first test.”

“Tch. You call this little distance training? Zero, it seems we’ve really been underestimated!” The corners of Tai’s mouth lifted.

“Let’s show Piximon what we can do!” Zeromaru said with a confident grin.

The two of them simultaneously planted their hands on the ground and assumed a sprinter’s starting stance.

Under Piximon’s expectant gaze, Tai ignited the Courage Digisoul, while Zeromaru entered Overload Mode.

Amid flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, Tai reached the summit of the mountain—which would have taken an ordinary person at least half a day to climb—in less than five minutes.

“Whew.” Once he reached the top, Tai breathed lightly. “I haven’t done any sprints these past two days. I suppose that counts as a warm-up.”

“What about Piximon?” Zeromaru asked. “Don’t tell me it’s still down at the foot of the mountain.”

“Don’t underestimate me.” Piximon suddenly emerged from behind Zeromaru. “I’m a magician who commands high-level programming languages. A little teleportation is hardly beyond my abilities.”

Piximon’s residence was a circular dojo. It led Tai and Zeromaru around to the back, where they found a cave.

“This is where you’ll train.”

Piximon pointed toward the pitch-black cave. “The objective is simple. All you need to do is walk into the cave and come back out. Then the training will be complete. Beep.”

Tai and Zeromaru exchanged a glance, both able to see the confusion in the other’s eyes.

“Well, don’t worry,” Piximon reassured them. “If your abilities are truly as powerful as you claim, I imagine you’ll be back out very soon. Beep.”

Seeing how confidently Piximon spoke, Tai set aside his doubts and entered the cave with Zeromaru.

They had taken only a few steps when the ground suddenly vanished beneath their feet, and their bodies began to plummet uncontrollably.

As they fell, Tai was suddenly overcome by a wave of drowsiness. Under ordinary circumstances, it should have been impossible for anyone to fall asleep in such a situation. Yet the sleepiness ignored Tai’s will entirely, guiding him down into a dream.

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