Chapter 1: Reborn into the Hunt
Is this it? Is my life going to end so… meaninglessly?
The thought drifted through a mind fogged by pain and exhaustion. The young man's name was Mizuki. For years, a debilitating illness had chained him to a hospital bed, his world shrinking to the four white walls of his room. Now, he could feel the last threads of his vitality fraying. He was approaching the end.
With a surge of will that felt like lifting a mountain, he mustered his final ounce of strength. His head turned, neck muscles screaming in protest, his gaze locking onto the television screen mounted on the opposite wall. He had to see it one last time. He had to see the scene that had captivated his heart for so long.
On the screen, an anime from a bygone era was playing. It was a story of children, chosen and summoned to a world beyond their own, where they met strange and wonderful creatures called Digimon and set off on a grand adventure.
For all the lonely, painful years, this show had been his lifeline.
Some of its plots felt childish now, some of the logic hard to swallow through a modern lens, but it didn't matter. The beautiful, earnest qualities embedded in its core—courage, friendship, hope—shone as brightly as ever.
'If only…'he thought, his breath catching in his throat.'I wish I could be like them… to have a real adventure, to see all those wondrous things for myself…'
Holding that final, desperate wish in his heart, Mizuki's strength gave out. His eyes fluttered and slowly, finally, closed.
Perhaps the universe had heard the prayer of a dying soul. Or perhaps a long-dormant miracle had simply chosen this moment to awaken.
When Mizuki opened his eyes again, the sterile white of the hospital was gone. In its place was a vast, lush, and impossibly green jungle.
He, who had been so certain he would never wake up again, could only stare, stunned into silence by the scene before him.
'Is this a dream?'But it couldn't be. The rich, damp texture of the soil beneath his fingertips, the gentle caress of a warm breeze against his cheek—every sensation was overwhelmingly, undeniably real.'Where… where am I—'
Before he could finish the thought, a tremendous, splintering crash erupted from the trees directly behind him.
A flicker of confusion crossed his face as he slowly turned his head. His vision was immediately filled by a monstrous creature. Its body was a terrifying insectoid shell of blood-red chitin, and its head was adorned with unsettling, eye-like patterns that seemed to stare into his very soul.
Mizuki, having watched Digimon countless times, recognized it in a heartbeat. The shape, the color, the sheer predatory aura…
A Digimon. A Kuwagamon.
'Aieee—Kuwagamon! Why is there a Kuwagamon here?!'his mind screamed.'No! Wait! This is no time to be geeking out!'
Even as his brain struggled to process the impossible reality before him, the primal instinct for survival took over. Mizuki scrambled, pushing his body up from the ground and breaking into a desperate run. Kuwagamon were Champion-level Digimon, and they were rarely, if ever, friendly.
A piercing shriek tore through the air.
Just as Mizuki had feared, the moment the Kuwagamon spotted its prey, it let out a cry of predatory excitement and lunged, its massive form crashing through the undergrowth toward him.
But Mizuki's body, so long wasted away by sickness, was a stranger to him. His legs felt weak and uncoordinated. He hadn't taken more than a few steps before his ankle twisted and he tumbled hard to the ground.
It was a stroke of pure luck. The clumsy fall sent him sprawling just as the Kuwagamon's scythe-like pincers sliced through the air where his head had been a second before. The wind from the attack buffeted his hair.
"Tsk…"
The sharp pain of the fall, the sting of stones scraping his skin, the unsettling, high-pitched screeching from the monster looming over him—every sensation was a jolt to his nerves, a brutal confirmation that this was no fleeting dream.
And yet, unexpectedly, Mizuki felt no fear.
From the depths of a body that had only known suffering for years, a new, powerful emotion surged forth. It was pure, unadulterated joy.
'It's real!'The thought was a thunderclap in his mind.'I'm really in the Digital World! I'm free… I'm finally free of that damned disease!'
In that single, heart-stopping instant, a thousand thoughts flashed through his mind. He had to suppress a wild, manic urge to laugh out loud. Shaking his head, Mizuki forced his attention back to the Kuwagamon towering behind him.
He had been given a new life, a second chance. Now was not the time for celebration.
First, he had to survive.
With that singular focus, Mizuki pushed himself to his feet, forcing his protesting muscles to obey. He ignored the aches and pains, adapting to this new, healthy body on the fly, and began to run again.
The Kuwagamon, momentarily paused by its missed attack, recovered its bearings. It fixed its gaze on the fleeing human, let out another furious shriek, and resumed the chase.
— — — —
Years of inactivity had taken their toll. Even with a healthy body, Mizuki's stamina was abysmal. He was tiring quickly, a dizzying exhaustion already clouding his mind.
His only advantage was the dense jungle. The towering trees and thick vegetation gave him cover, his smaller size allowing him to weave through gaps the hulking Kuwagamon could only smash through. Without the terrain, he would have been caught in seconds.
The burning in his lungs was a constant fire. The sharp pain from branches whipping across his skin and stones cutting his feet served as a brutal, agonizing stimulant, keeping him alert. Behind him, the constant crashing and screeching was a terrifying drumbeat, a reminder that death was only a few steps behind.
Any ordinary person would have broken down by now, succumbing to the terror and the pain.
But Mizuki was not ordinary. Perhaps it was the iron willpower forged in the crucible of his past life, but his gaze remained sharp, his eyes clear and resolute.
He knew better than anyone that fear was useless. Crying would earn him no pity from the beast at his heels.
To be reborn at all was a miracle, a blessing from fate he had no right to expect. He couldn't afford to ask for more.
The wind whistled past his ears, a frantic song that matched the indomitable, passionate rhythm of his pounding heart.
What he needed to do now was simple. He had to find a way to break this stalemate. He had to win.
As the thought solidified in his mind, his eyes darted across the landscape, and a sly, almost imperceptible smile touched the corner of his mouth.
— — — —
The Kuwagamon's pursuit continued, but now it was laced with an unfamiliar feeling: vexation.
Its prey was just an insignificant little human, a fragile thing that should have been crushed in an instant. Yet it was proving to be unexpectedly elusive. Not only had it repeatedly dodged its attacks, but it was now somehow, impossibly, starting to pull further ahead.
'No,'the creature thought with primal frustration.'Continuing like this will only waste my stamina!'With that, the Kuwagamon prepared to launch itself into the air, intending to use its ultimate technique to obliterate the entire section of the forest and its troublesome prey along with it. But just as it coiled its legs to spring, it noticed the human's movements had suddenly slowed.'Is it tired?' The thought flashed through its simple, predatory mind.
Instantly, it abandoned its plan to take flight. Victory was at hand. It continued its ground assault, lunging forward with a final, triumphant screech.
Watching the distance between them shrink with terrifying speed, the Kuwagamon could practically taste its success.
But just as its enormous pincers were about to snap shut on their target, the world around it seemed to collapse. The giant, ancient trees that surrounded them, already weakened by the chase, suddenly groaned, splintered, and crashed down one after another, burying the Digimon in an avalanche of heavy timber.
Kuwagamon: "?!"
Seeing the monster pinned and immobilized beneath a cage of shattered wood, a flicker of triumphant joy crossed Mizuki's face.
His flight hadn't been random. As he ran, he had been constantly observing his surroundings, mapping the terrain. Once he realized he could use the Kuwagamon's own frantic pursuit against it, he had consciously guided the beast in a wide circle, leading it past the same cluster of massive, ancient trees again and again, letting its own destructive charges weaken their foundations.
And it had worked. The trap had sprung perfectly.
Watching the Kuwagamon struggle, temporarily unable to break free, Mizuki allowed himself a small, ragged sigh of relief.
But just as he turned to leave, the pile of logs exploded outwards. With a formidable, earth-shaking burst of raw power, the Kuwagamon shattered its prison, roaring in absolute fury.
'What?!'
Mizuki hadn't expected it to escape so quickly. His pupils contracted in shock.
He was frozen in place as the gigantic pincer, now glowing with malevolent energy, filled his vision. Time seemed to slow. This was it. At this critical, final moment, a streak of brilliant yellow shot out from the foliage behind him!
Mizuki could only think one thing.
'?!'
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