"You flatter me…"
Wizardmon reached up to press down his hat brim. Immediately, most of his face fell under shadow, indistinct, leaving only his muffled voice audible.
"…You are the hero fighting alongside the chosen saviors of destiny. I'm merely an insignificant splash of water in the great wave of this era."
"Modesty is good," Zero replied casually, finishing his inventory of the warehouse's contents. The total exceeded even his expectations, putting him in an excellent mood. "But being overly modest isn't."
"What do you plan to do next?"
Wizardmon answered without hesitation, voice flat. "I want to help Gatomon leave the Dark Army and return to where she belongs. As her friend, I can't just watch her leap into the flames."
An expected answer, but one detail was intriguing:
If Wizardmon was truly Gennai's assistant, accompanying Gatomon merely to observe and supervise, their initial meeting had probably been staged.
Thinking about it carefully, given Wizardmon's abilities, even if he hadn't become prosperous, at least he wouldn't have appeared so miserable, lonely, and half-dead upon first meeting Gatomon.
Or perhaps, he'd done it intentionally—to test whether Gatomon still had a shred of kindness left.
If even their initial meeting had been deliberately orchestrated, then how genuine was the friendship they claimed afterward?
Yet Zero firmly believed Wizardmon's friendship toward Gatomon was authentic. Maybe at first, he'd approached her solely out of duty, but now Wizardmon truly saw Gatomon as a friend.
In the original story, he willingly gave his life for her. As far as friends went… he'd already done all anyone could ever ask.
Why had he become so deeply attached to Gatomon? Probably because of empathy, Zero thought.
"I'm the same as Gatomon. I, too, once lost all my memories…"
Wizardmon himself wasn't sure he should be sharing these words, yet strangely… they spilled easily from his lips before Zero.
"…I have a feeling I don't belong here, that this world isn't my home. Yet I can't remember anything about my past. I lived like a walking corpse, without purpose, until I met Gennai-san and those who fought alongside him."
With their kindness and guidance, Wizardmon, who'd lost both his past and purpose, who lived just for the sake of living, finally found a meaning for his existence.
In Zero's eyes, Gennai's initial approach to Wizardmon probably had hidden motives. If Wizardmon truly didn't belong in this world, as an agent of the Host Computer, Gennai had good reason to probe him.
But none of that mattered—not one bit. Just as Gatomon, after meeting Myotismon, waited endlessly for a fateful encounter that never came, eventually accepting she'd been abandoned…
When a person loses the meaning of life, when living itself becomes burdensome, what they need isn't some grand philosophical speech—just one simple sentence: "I need you."
Even if most of the time, those who uttered that sentence were trying to sell pyramid schemes…
Even if it was merely a faint spark before them, they'd willingly see it as the sun itself.
When Wizardmon realized Gennai was an agent of the Host Computer, he naturally understood that Gennai had ulterior motives for approaching him in the beginning—but so what?
Just as Wizardmon now felt toward Gatomon, he was certain that their friendship was genuine, far beyond any initial intention.
Because of empathy came mutual understanding and shared hearts… perhaps this was friendship's ideal form.
"So, you wanted to help Gatomon find her true home? And to confirm whether that home was trustworthy, you secretly followed us to observe Hikari?"
With his true intentions exposed, Wizardmon no longer tried to hide.
"Exactly so… and now I'm certain. That is truly the best home for Gatomon. At least, following that human girl named Hikari is a thousand times better than staying with Myotismon."
Though Wizardmon understood clearly, choosing this path meant that Gatomon would face a thorny road ahead—one filled with Myotismon, and possibly even the Dark Masters.
Countless powerful Digimon had already perished on that path. It certainly wasn't an easy road.
Still, following Myotismon only meant eventually being used as disposable cannon fodder. Gatomon had been specially prepared from the DigiEgg stage by the Host Computer. From the moment of her birth, she'd never been destined for an ordinary fate.
"So I say, destiny really is unreasonable. If I ever got the chance, I'd really like to meet that high-and-mighty 'god'… and demand an explanation."
Wizardmon didn't specify what exactly he wanted to ask. Yet Zero thought he could probably guess—it was likely the same question Devimon once pondered.
But Devimon never got the chance to ask. He'd died halfway. Zero found the thought ominous—was this some kind of flag being raised?
"…Gods, devils, who knows what those lofty beings are thinking. Whatever it is, it's certainly beyond the comprehension of mere mortals, right?"
To understand them, one would have to stand on their level first. But how easy could that be?
Right now, Zero's greatest goal was merely evolving into an Ultimate-level Digimon, collecting a few powerful alternate forms through plot progression, securing his own safety and the safety of those he cared about, and eventually living peacefully with Rina and Hajime.
Reaching the level of a god—he'd never considered it before.
But this brief conversation with Wizardmon, recalling the fallen angel Devimon, stirred unexpected curiosity in him.
…What exactly were those high-and-mighty gods thinking?
In their eyes, what did this world and all the creatures living in it look like?
Yet this thought lasted only an instant. Mortals needn't bother about gods. Overthinking such matters only increased anxiety.
Nevertheless, just that fleeting moment planted a seed of curiosity within him. Whether it would take root and sprout was something beyond the scope of the current plotline.
In any case, Wizardmon had traveled alongside Zero's group, ostensibly as Gatomon's companion, secretly aiding her. But his true identity was Gennai's assistant, tasked with guiding Gatomon back to the Chosen Children.
His actual purpose was observing Gatomon's human partner to ensure that following her would bring genuine happiness.
This was truly layer upon layer of schemes. If Zero hadn't already read the original plot, he might've struggled to follow these intellectual types.
During the recent battle underground with Datamon, Wizardmon had reached his conclusion:
Taichi possessed the natural blood of an adventurer and exceptional leadership skills. His performance in critical moments absolutely deserved the name "Courage."
Hikari, on the other hand, was an extremely gentle girl. Throughout this journey, she'd witnessed countless cruel scenes. Zero hadn't hidden anything from her, fully exposing the harsh reality of the Digital World.
Even after clearly seeing the world's darkness, she still chose gentleness—this sentiment awakened her Crest.
Although her resolve wasn't yet comparable to the bravery Taichi had displayed—his actions had nearly pushed Zero directly into Ultimate-level…
Still, even Hikari's nascent resolve was enough for Wizardmon to confirm: she was an incredibly kind-hearted child.
Throughout this journey, Gatomon had subconsciously been influenced by Hikari's gentleness—perhaps Gatomon herself hadn't even realized it.
But after this last battle, Gatomon should finally have noticed her true feelings. Whether the proud little cat would honestly admit them was another question entirely.
Zero looked up, locking eyes with Wizardmon. They exchanged a knowing glance.
"I bet you're thinking exactly what I'm thinking, brother~"
"Indeed. When the time comes… I'll have to trouble you for help~"
Zero reached out his claw, solemnly shaking hands with Wizardmon, as if they'd secretly reached some sort of understanding between men.
"Well then, I shall take my leave…"
Wizardmon stepped backward twice and vanished into thin air…
...
When Gatomon woke again, it was already noon the next day.
Opening her eyes, she found herself still lying in Hikari's arms. That gentle warmth made her reluctant to move.
"Oh, finally awake~?" Taichi and Zero called out together, waking Hikari, who'd fallen asleep holding Gatomon. Hikari rubbed her eyes, gently waking.
"Gatomon, are you feeling better now?" she asked excitedly, hugging tighter.
Normally, Gatomon disliked such intimate contact. But this time, she closed her eyes contentedly for a moment before suddenly snapping awake, hurriedly escaping Hikari's embrace.
"I'm fine… I'm totally fine."
Hikari, noticing her empty arms, dropped them with a gentle smile. "That's good then~"
Gatomon stared quietly at Hikari's smile for several seconds before suddenly speaking.
"Hikari… and everyone. There's something I need to tell you. Something important!"
She seemed determined, but halfway through speaking, she hesitated repeatedly, unable to finish.
"Well, it's… it's just…"
After several failed attempts, she finally lowered her eyes sadly.
"Sorry… Never mind. I didn't mean to trouble you…"
Sensing Gatomon's complicated feelings, Zero quickly changed the subject to save her embarrassment:
"Anyway, now that Etemon is defeated and we have the Crests, only one final obstacle remains before we return to the Real World…"
…Myotismon!