On the second day after arriving in the Digital World, Tai and the others continued their journey toward Infinity Mountain.
In the jungle, the group walked with light steps.
"Agumon, it's this way, right? Don't get us lost," Tai asked, not entirely convinced.
Agumon, walking at the front of the line, puffed out his chest and thapped it loudly. "Relax, Tai! There's no mistake."
"That's good."
"As long as there's no danger, it's actually quite nice to visit a place like this," Mimi looked at the beautiful scenery around her with a look of novelty, her face full of smiles.
"Mimi, is the place where you live like this too?" Palmon asked curiously.
"No, everyone lives in the city. There are very, very tall buildings!"
"Is it the same for Sora?"
"Pretty much."
"Hehehehe." Joe looked around and suddenly started laughing.
Gomamon didn't understand. "Joe, what are you laughing for?"
Joe pushed his glasses up his nose and explained, "I'm laughing at that Devimon's lack of foresight. This place is overgrown with dead wood and the terrain is treacherous. If he were a bit smarter, he would have sent his subordinates here to intercept us. We would surely be unable to cover both front and back and fall into a trap."
"That's true. Joe-senpai is actually quite observant sometimes," Matt nodded in agreement.
"Oh, it was nothing," Joe rubbed his head bashfully.
"Hahahaha!" The group burst into laughter.
At that moment, a massive fireball streaked toward them from ahead. The sharp-eyed Agumon shouted, "Danger! Get down!"
The fireball hit the ground, exploding into a deep crater. The flying rocks and soil left the group, who had barely dodged in time, in a disheveled state.
"What happened?"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
BlueGreymon dragged his massive frame in front of the group, opened his blood-red maw, and let out a roar.
"A blue Greymon?"
"It's the evil BlueGreymon! He's a subordinate of Devimon!"
"By order of Lord Devimon, I will execute the DigiDestined." BlueGreymon raised a massive foot.
"Don't even think about it!" Facing a powerful enemy's advance, Agumon stepped forward without hesitation.
Agumon Digivolve to Greymon!
The two Greymons, nearly identical in size, grabbed each other's small forearms and began a contest of strength.
"Alright! Greymon, go get him!" Tai stood to the side, cheering Greymon on.
'Let's see how much you've grown.'
'Bring it on!'
The two Greymons exchanged a look, their fighting spirits soaring as they prepared to start a real, no-holds-barred battle.
The surrounding vegetation and soil suffered, obliterated by the shockwaves of their combat.
"Tai, it's dangerous! Let's retreat for now!"
Sora grabbed Tai and hurried back. Matt and the others had already retreated further away.
"Hehehe." Joe, hiding behind a tree trunk, started laughing again.
"Joe-senpai, what are you laughing at now?" Mimi was confused.
"I laugh at Devimon for having little wit, and BlueGreymon for having no strategy. If they had sent subordinates to attack us from behind right now, we definitely wouldn't survive this." Joe habitually pushed up his glasses.
As soon as he finished speaking, a cloud of dust billowed from behind them. Two Monochromon appeared, charging toward them like wild horses. Every tree in their path was smashed to splinters.
"Not good! Run!"
With BlueGreymon blocking the front, they had no choice but to flee to the sides, diving into the woods.
The two Monochromon also split up, each chasing a different group.
Joe, Mimi, and Sora stayed together. Feeling the pressure from behind, they were running with every ounce of strength they had.
"Joe-senpai, you and your big mouth! Stop talking!"
"I hate this, I hate this, I really hate this!"
"Sorry! I didn't think it would actually happen. I underestimated Devimon and his lot."
The three humans and three Digimon fled until they saw a bright light ahead. Gomamon rejoiced: "I smell water!"
Running out of the forest, they indeed saw a vast expanse of water.
"Is it the ocean?"
Without a second thought, they ran toward the shore. The hard soil beneath them turned into soft sand.
The Monochromon chased them onto the beach, but because of its heavy weight, its feet sank into the sand. Lifting its legs became a chore, and its pace slowed down instantly.
"We're saved!"
Running along the shore, they finally managed to lose the Monochromon and stopped to catch their breath.
"Hehehe." Joe laughed a few more times. Just as he was about to speak, two small hands clapped over his mouth.
"No!"
"Joe-senpai, from now on, your right to speak has been revoked! Whatever you have to say, say it later!"
Glancing at the two angry girls, Joe nodded, held up his hand, and made an "OK" sign.
Suddenly, the sand beneath their feet vibrated. The group scrambled back as a giant creature burst out from where they had been standing.
"It's Shellmon! It's also a Digimon belonging to the Hell Legion!" Biyomon cried out.
"No way, not again." Mimi and Sora glared at Joe. The latter pointed to his tightly shut mouth and shrugged with an innocent expression.
Running was no longer an option. The girls didn't have that much stamina left. Their only choice was to fight.
Gomamon, Biyomon, and Palmon stood tall, ready to face Shellmon.
But Shellmon was, after all, a Champion level. It was not something three Rookies could match. A single Aqua Blaster blast sent the three of them flying back.
At the same time, the Monochromon had caught up. Caught between the two Digimon, Joe and the others were in grave danger.
Triggered by their emotional resonance, the Digivices activated their "cheats."
Gomamon Digivolve to Ikkakumon!
Biyomon Digivolve to Birdramon!
Palmon Digivolve to Togemon!
Three against two. They easily sent the enemies packing back to their "boxed lunches."
...
On the other side, Matt was pulling T.K. along as they were chased by the other Monochromon.
In his panic, T.K. didn't see where he was going. He tripped over a protruding rock and fell flat on his face.
Just as he was about to be crushed by the Monochromon's massive foot, the "brother-obsessed" Matt had an outburst of emotion. Under this influence, Gabumon Digivolved into the spotted wolf, Garurumon.
Garurumon moved like the wind. At the critical moment, he rammed into the Monochromon, sending it flying.
Matt quickly helped up his brother, who had nearly lost his life. Looking at the majestic Garurumon, a flash of wonder crossed his eyes. "Gabumon... he Digivolved too."
"Howling Blaster!" Garurumon spat out a stream of brilliant blue flames, successfully driving the Monochromon away.
...
The remaining two, Tai and Izzy, had doubled back out of concern for Greymon. They arrived just in time to see BlueGreymon pinning Greymon to the ground and "rubbing" him into the dirt.
'Is this all? Even with human help, you're only this much.' BlueGreymon smirked, throwing a mocking glance.
'You bastard, aren't you only winning because of Lord HellKnightmon's help?' Greymon shot back a defiant look.
"Greymon, keep going!" Unfortunately, Tai's "cheering skills" weren't as effective as Ash Ketchum's; they had little effect on Greymon.
Fortunately, Joe and the others arrived. Seeing that he had overachieved on his mission, and had given Greymon a good thrashing, BlueGreymon was in high spirits. He decided to retreat, but not before dropping a few parting threats: "Next time, you won't be so lucky! Just wait!"
Tai and the others were exhausted. "Saving the world as an elementary schooler... this is way too hard."