Chapter 83: The Beast Tamer and the Digimon

“This is the darkest day of my life! It’s all your fault—why couldn’t you just make an ordinary lunchbox?” On the way home from school, Liuki walked angrily, lamenting aloud. Unfortunately, to passersby, this girl muttering to herself must seem as if she has some mental issue.

But in Liuki’s eyes, standing beside her at this very moment was a perverted priest wearing something akin to a stuffed puppet mask.

“Yes, yes, I understand! From now on, I’ll make you lunchboxes like the ones served at luxury hotels. Tell me, Lady Liuki, would you like a sushi lunchbox? Or perhaps seafood? Tempura is also available, though sashimi can only be provided in winter due to temperature concerns…”

“Enough! I said make it ordinary!” Hearing this little monster recite a list of lunchbox varieties, Liuki suddenly realized their way of thinking was worlds apart. She wasn’t some legendary heiress, after all. Yet, if he made these, what would they taste like…?

“You’re drooling!” Just as Liuki was lost in her imagination, Feng Xue’s voice suddenly sounded in her ear. Almost instinctively, the girl wiped the corner of her mouth, only to find nothing there, and her rage erupted in the street. “Little! Monster!”

…

“It’s all your fault! Now I’ll definitely be seen as someone with chuunibyou! No, maybe even as crazy! It’s all because of you!” Liuki seemed trapped in a cycle of repetitive complaints, transforming into a nagging wife, repeating the same phrases over and over, leaving Feng Xue utterly exasperated.

“Oh, Aunt Flo!” Fortunately, Liuki hadn’t lost her senses entirely—at least she remembered her habitual greeting upon returning home.

“Welcome back.” Her grandmother hadn’t gone out to watch performances today (I have no idea what those Japanese masked dances are called, but they’re probably old Tang Dynasty imports that got localized, so let’s just call them plays), but instead sat in the backyard’s Japanese-style garden, listening to the occasional sound of the deer chaser (also known as a shishi-odoshi, the bamboo tube often seen in anime, which fills with water and strikes a stone, making a dull thump), serenely savoring her tea.

Liuki didn’t disturb the old lady’s peaceful mood, but went straight to her room, pulled out her cards, and began simulating battles.

Though she’d realized in the last fight that Digimon battles weren’t mere data comparisons, these simulations still brought her some comfort.

But…

“The little monster in the card and the one before me are completely different concepts!” Liuki, frustrated, slammed the card with the red scarf and red gloves onto the desk, her head drooping in defeat.

After reconstructing yesterday’s battle, she understood that her little monster wasn’t simply mutated. Even with speed enhancements, the normal little monster’s data should be no match for the Stegosaurus, and that Holy Annihilation Arrow skill was unheard of! Only the fully evolved Angel Woman had a similar Holy Bow attack.

Most importantly, how could a little devil-type Digimon possess a move that seemed exclusive to angel-types?

“I told you, the training methods are different! In the Phantom Mist Zone, fully evolved Digimon are everywhere, and those in the mature stage are lower than dogs. If you want to survive without living like a rat, always hiding, you have to grow stronger.” Feng Xue appeared behind Liuki at some point, speaking with a nostalgic tone.

“The Phantom Mist Zone—is that your homeland? What’s it like?” Liuki’s curiosity was piqued, as a Digimon enthusiast, she was eager to learn about the digital world.

“Homeland? Not exactly. Though I lived there for a long time, if you ask me, calling it a hunting ground is more accurate.”

“A hunting ground…” Liuki didn’t seem surprised by the cruel description; she simply repeated it and continued listening to Feng Xue’s recollections.

“After I left the founding village, I was sent to the Phantom Mist Zone. In fact, most Digimon whose adaptation field is the Nightmare Legion are sent there. It’s a region shrouded in fog, populated by ferocious Digimon. Devil-types, little devil-types, and beast-types dominate, along with powerful dragon and fallen angel-types. Mercy is nearly nonexistent; for the weak, encountering the strong means becoming their food.” Feng Xue spoke dispassionately, as if reading from a novel, showing no sign of personal experience.

Liuki listened attentively; she found nothing amiss. “Digimon are born for battle, survival of the fittest”—that concept had long entered her understanding.

“Both being virus-types, dark skills—even finishing moves—are almost negligible in effect when used against each other. The Nightmare Legion specializes in illusions and charm, but those are of little use in internal conflicts. So, to become strong in that region, you must possess the power to defeat or even surpass those of your own level.”

Feng Xue explained without reservation, knowing mutual understanding deepened the bond between Digimon and their Tamers—and that bond was the core of Digimon evolution.

“But devil-types and little devil-types only use dark powers, right?” Liuki couldn’t help but ask.

“That’s true. Even if the little monster wields elemental control—its signature moves summon ice and fire—it’s only superficial. Though it looks like frost or flame, it’s essentially dark power. So, Digimon surviving in the Phantom Mist Zone are masters of martial arts.”

“Martial arts?”

“That’s right, fighting techniques. The essence of the digital world is data, and as it interacts with the real world, some information inevitably flows in. My discipline is Bajiquan!” Feng Xue struck a pose to show off his muscles, but seeing no reaction from Liuki, he continued—

“But martial arts are only effective against opponents of the same stage. When facing those who’ve evolved to a higher stage, you’re inevitably crushed by their power.”

Liuki nodded. Though she’d never seen a true ultimate Digimon, her mastery of Digimon games meant she understood perfectly the vast differences in stats between evolution stages.

“So, ranged physical attacks became the only option.”

“So that’s why you started using a bow?” At last, Liuki understood why the little monster, whose encyclopedia entry listed only ‘magic,’ would take up a weapon. Yet, she still knew nothing of the origin of that skill.

But Feng Xue seemed unwilling to continue the explanation. Liuki wanted to ask further, but at that moment, the Arc Light Device suddenly emitted a glow.

Feng Xue immediately sensed the location of the Digimon descending into the real world, and spoke: “Ready, my partner?”

“Of course!”