Chapter 169: Yagami Hikari, Myotismon Who Was Almost Kicked to Death
The girl looked very cute and very young, possessing an innocence that suggested she was likely around elementary or perhaps early middle school age. She stood there in a sleeveless yellow turtleneck and loose pink shorts, a small digital camera hanging from her belt and a silver whistle resting against her chest. Yet, despite finding herself in a completely unfamiliar environment, she didn't show the slightest hint of fear.
Her large, expressive eyes scanned the interior of the establishment with a curiosity that far outweighed any trepidation. She took in the polished mahogany counters, the warm ambient lighting that felt like a hug, and the faint, comforting scent of timber and old books. After looking around the strange yet cozy space, the girl finally saw Ren and Lucifer.
At this moment, Lucifer, who was perched elegantly on a high stool with a glass of crimson wine in hand, looked at the girl with a strange expression. Her eyebrows twitched slightly, a mix of amusement and mild bewilderment crossing her features. It was understandable that more guests from Another World would come—that was the nature of this place, after all—but weren't there simply too many children lately?
First, there had been that boy with the electric mouse, and now this little one. Lucifer swirled her wine, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly as she muttered internally, Is this restaurant turning into a daycare center for dimensional travelers?
The girl wasn't shy. Or perhaps, her lack of hesitation came from a child's intuitive instinct. Ren, wiping a glass behind the counter with his usual calm demeanor, and Lucifer, despite her demonic heritage, were both the kind of people who didn't radiate hostility. They possessed an aura that was usually very "kind" to those who meant no harm.
Sensing this safety, the girl relaxed her shoulders, the whistle around her neck swaying slightly as she spoke up.
"Onii-san, Onee-san, where is this place?"
The girl's unafraid demeanor also surprised Ren and Lucifer.
To be honest, for a little girl who looked like a well-behaved, sheltered child to suddenly arrive in Another World without being scared out of her wits was an anomaly. Most children—or even adults—would be screaming, crying for their mothers, or trembling in a corner. To stand tall and communicate normally like this was already very impressive.
Ren placed the glass down and looked at her warmly. He realized that this child must have been through quite a bit already to possess such steel in her nerves.
Ren said gently with a soft smile, his voice pitched to be soothing, "This is a restaurant in Another World. It may seem strange, but you don't need to be afraid. You are perfectly safe here. You can go back just by pulling the door open, and there is no danger within these walls."
The girl was momentarily stunned. She blinked, processing the information.
She knew Ren said that to reassure her. There was a sincerity in his tone, a lack of deception in his eyes that was rare to find. Instantly, her trust in Ren increased. It was that inexplicable charisma Ren had—the ability to make people feel that as long as he was there, the sky wouldn't fall.
The girl smiled, a bright, genuine expression that lit up the room. "Onii-san is really a very thoughtful person. I'm fine, really! And... actually, I'm very excited to be able to come here! It feels like an adventure!"
Lucifer tilted her head, her silver hair cascading over her shoulder. She looked at the girl, observing the lack of tremors in her hands. She asked in confusion, "You're quite calm for a lost lamb. Aren't you scared at all? Usually, humans your size are much noisier."
The girl shook her head and smiled, clutching the strap of her camera. "Because no matter how you look at it, Onii-san and Onee-san aren't bad people! My instincts tell me you are good! Oh, that's right!"
She straightened her posture and bowed slightly, introducing herself with polite enthusiasm. "My name is Yagami Hikari! Just call me Hikari!"
Ren smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. "Hikari-chan. A name filled with light."
It was quite nice to meet such a young, polite guest. However, as he looked at her, a thought crossed his mind. Hikari is Yagami Hikari... wait, then what was Ash's full name? Surely it wasn't just "Ash" from Pallet Town? The multiverse naming conventions were truly a mystery.
Feeling that he was overthinking things again, Ren pushed the thoughts aside. He leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the counter.
Ren said gently, "So, Hikari-chan, do you plan to eat something here? Or perhaps you just want to rest for a while? We have comfortable chairs and warm milk if you'd like."
Yagami Hikari thought for a moment. Her stomach gave a quiet rumble, reminding her that she hadn't eaten properly since the chaos in Odaiba began.
"Although I'm a bit hungry..." She started, but then her face suddenly paled. The realization of her situation crashed back into her mind. The fog. The pursuit.
She looked at the door urgently. "Big Brother, Big Sister, you should hide quickly! My world is very dangerous right now, and someone... someone terrible might be chasing me!"
Ren was momentarily stunned. He looked at the still-open door, where the boundary between worlds shimmered faintly. He said softly, calm as a millpond, "Don't worry. If a bad person really comes, I'll beat him away for you. No one is allowed to cause trouble in my restaurant."
Yagami Hikari shook her head repeatedly, her small hands waving in panic. "No, no! Big Brother, you don't know! He's not just a bad person! He's... Vam..."
"Ha... annoying light... but it didn't hurt me..."
A voice, cold and dripping with malice, interrupted her.
It was a voice that sounded like dry leaves being crushed in a graveyard. It echoed from the doorway, carrying a chilling wind that made the warm air of the restaurant drop in temperature instantly.
"Hearing a familiar voice... Hikari..."
Just as Yagami Hikari was about to say something more, she froze. That voice. It was the stuff of nightmares.
She turned and saw a creature walking in from the void. A figure resembling a masked aristocrat, dressed in high-collared blue and blood-red finery.
"Myotismon!" Hikari gasped, the name strangling in her throat.
The Myotismon—the Undead King Digimon who had terrorized Tokyo—walked in. His eyes, glowing with a sinister yellow light behind his pale mask, immediately locked onto Yagami Hikari.
"Found you," he hissed.
Yagami Hikari retreated instinctively, backing away until she bumped into the counter, moving towards Ren as if seeking the only shelter available.
Myotismon glanced at Ren and Lucifer with profound disdain. To him, they were nothing but obstacles. Mere humans. Insects to be crushed under the heel of the future ruler of both the Digital and Human worlds.
He was about to speak, to declare his superiority, when he heard Ren speak first.
Ren didn't look impressed. He didn't look scared. He looked... mildly annoyed.
"Is this the person who's chasing you?" Ren asked gently, ignoring the terrifying aura the vampire emanated.
"Yes! Big Brother, run fast! He's an Ultimate level!" Hikari cried out, tears pricking her eyes.
Myotismon's cape flared as dark energy began to gather in his hand. "Run? There is nowhere to run. You guys run... Pfft... Damn humans!!!"
He raised his hand, preparing to unleash his signature Grisly Wing or perhaps Crimson Lightning. "Die—"
Just as Myotismon was about to utter the classic villain line and obliterate the shop, reality shifted.
Ren moved.
He didn't vanish. He simply moved with a speed and fluidity that bypassed the visual processing speed of the Digimon. Ren stepped out from behind the counter, closing the distance in a single stride. He planted his pivot foot and unleashed a front kick.
It wasn't a magical technique. It was pure kinetic energy.
THWACK!
The sound was sickeningly solid.
Myotismon felt a shattering pain erupt throughout his entire body. It felt as if a high-speed bullet train had compressed itself into the size of a human foot and slammed directly into his diaphragm. His eyes bulged behind his mask.
"Guh—?!"
After spitting out a large mouthful of digital data that looked suspiciously like blood, Myotismon was lifted off his feet. He was folded in half, his body forming a perfect 'V' shape mid-air.
He flew backward, a blur of blue and red, rocketing straight back into the open doorway he had just entered.
BOOM!
He vanished into the dimensional void like a golf ball struck by a professional driver.
Ren stretched his ankle, rotating it slightly to work out the stiffness. He reached out, grabbed the door handle, and slowly closed the door.
"My apologies..." he whispered to the empty air.
Click.
After saying that, Ren completely closed the door, sealing the connection to the foggy, dangerous Tokyo.
Silence returned to the restaurant. The bell above the door gave a final, faint tinkle, settling back into stillness.
At this moment, Yagami Hikari was adorably rubbing her eyes with her small fists. She blinked rapidly, once, twice. What had she just seen?
She had seen that terrifying Myotismon—the monster that required the combined efforts of multiple Digimon to even scratch—almost kicked to death by this gentle Big Brother in front of her.
He hadn't used a Digivice. He hadn't evolved. He had just... kicked him. He kicked the King of Undead Digimon out of the Restaurant like one would kick an empty soda can off the sidewalk.
This was a bit too fantastical. Even for a girl who had a dinosaur friend, this was pushing the limits of believability.
At the counter, the tiny red glow on Lucifer's finger—a spell she had been charging, ready to incinerate the intruder—also disappeared.
Lucifer casually propped up her face on her palm, looking bored again. "He didn't look like a good person anyway. Ren, if you hadn't sold it so quickly, I would have dealt with him. I was just about to turn him into a pile of ash."
Ren walked back to the sink to wash his hands. "Aren't you unable to use full magic here without breaking things? So, just be a tsundere little queen obediently~"
"Hah?!" Lucifer bristled. She snorted and said nothing more, though her cheeks were slightly pink. Although Lucifer was very tsundere and proud, she always remembered what Ren said. She knew he was protecting the integrity of the shop—and perhaps, protecting the child from seeing something truly gruesome, like a demon queen's wrath.
Yagami Hikari looked at Lucifer, who was firmly held in check by Ren's words, with shining eyes.
Magic!
Whether boys or girls, when they were young, they would yearn to learn peerless martial arts, powerful magic, or travel around the world. It was the universal dream of childhood.
Yagami Hikari looked at Lucifer in this way now. This Big Sister had just mentioned magic! And she spoke of dealing with Myotismon as if he were a minor nuisance. That was truly amazing! And from Lucifer's demeanor, Hikari intuitively felt that she wasn't lying; she could have casually killed that Myotismon.
She pinched her arm. Ouch. The sharp pain confirmed that she hadn't been dreaming. This beautiful Big Brother and Big Sister in front of her were truly amazing! They were stronger than any Tamer or Digimon she had ever met.
Ren also noticed Yagami Hikari's small movements, her awe-struck expression, and the way she was pinching herself.
He said with a smile, drying his hands on a clean towel, "Don't worry, Hikari-chan. Although the Restaurant welcomes everyone, if they are evildoers who wish to harm our guests, then forget about it. They get the boot. Literally."
Yagami Hikari looked at Ren with shining eyes, practically vibrating with excitement. "Big Brother! You are so amazing! That Myotismon is a very powerful Digimon! He's super strong! But Big Brother, you just kicked him away! Just like Pow!" She mimicked a kicking motion with her small leg.
Ren chuckled. "I subconsciously controlled my strength a bit. Otherwise, I would have kicked him to death by now, and he would have exploded right here. But this is good too, otherwise, the ground would be stained with blood, and Hikari-chan, you might have been scared by the mess."
Yagami Hikari nodded, processing this. He held back?
She let out a long sigh, the tension finally leaving her body. "That's great, it looks like it's safe. Big Brother, can I stay here a little longer? Just until I catch my breath?"
"Of course," Ren nodded. "You can stay until it's daytime in my world, because my Restaurant closes during the day. Of course, if you want to stay for a few days to hide, that's also fine. We have plenty of space."
Yagami Hikari was tempted. A safe haven. No fog. No monsters. Just kind people. But she bit her lip and shook her head.
"No need, Big Brother, thank you. But I still need to find my brother and them. Agumon and the others... they are still fighting that Myotismon! I can't leave them alone. Hmm..."
Suddenly, a loud sound interrupted her brave declaration.
Grrr...
Her stomach growled. Loudly.
"What's wrong? Heh... It looks like someone has answered that question for Hikari-chan~" Lucifer teased, a smirk playing on her lips.
Yagami Hikari scratched her head a bit awkwardly, her face flushing red. She had been chased for a long time through the streets of Tokyo, and her body was already weak. She was too young to endure such physical stress without fuel. Being strong in spirit didn't mean she wasn't afraid or physically exhausted.
With so many things weighing on her, Yagami Hikari's sudden relaxation in this safe space also made her body realize just how hungry she actually was.
Ren said with a smile, walking over to the kitchen area. "Then Hikari-chan, just wait here. Eat something first, then leave when you are ready. Although I didn't kick that Myotismon to death, it's close. He took a serious hit. It shouldn't be a threat anymore for a while. So Hikari-chan, just rest here in peace."
Yagami Hikari nodded, grateful. But then she patted her pockets and said a bit awkwardly, looking down at her shoes, "But... but Big Brother, I don't have... I didn't bring my wallet."
"Children don't eat a lot," Ren dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand. "It just so happens that a previous customer paid enough for him to eat for more than ten years—a very rich man in a metal suit. So today, consider it my treat for Hikari-chan to eat something."
Yagami Hikari was about to say no, her upbringing telling her not to accept charity from strangers.
But Ren cut her off gently. "Don't worry, I know what you want to say. It's not really free. Do you see that Big Sister?" He gestured to Lucifer. "Tell her your experiences. Tell her about your world, your brother, and these 'Digimon'. A wonderful story can also be considered payment here."
He looked at her with kind eyes. "What's more, Hikari-chan, you still need to find your brother and friends, don't you? You can't fight on an empty stomach."
Yagami Hikari looked at Ren, then at Lucifer who was waiting expectantly. She nodded firmly, a smile returning to her face.
"Thank you, Big Brother!"
"Then make the story lively~" Ren encouraged.
"Yes!"
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