Owl’s removal from the field boosted their morale and, at the same time, ignited our fighting spirit.

　　Both sides engaged in a death-struggle within the confines of the giant whirlpool. Falcon went to deal with Lana, while the remaining Crane, myself, and our client Pufferfishmon took on the Amphibious Brothers as a trio.

　　Saber against trident, wolf-beast against mermaid—what sparked from their clash was no longer mere fire, but showers of crushed ice. Geki Hyougetsuga clashed head-on with Crystal Billow, and before we knew it, a layer of ice mist shrouded the already cramped center of the whirlpool. Peering through the mist, one could see a Mastemon dodging the massive devouring jaws of a MetalSeadramon. She continuously sent arrows of light from her right arm, only for them to be repeatedly shattered by the opponent’s wave cannons. Not far from them, Pufferfishmon unleashed his Spike Storm, followed by a British Punch hitting the MetalSeadramon’s muzzle, instantly silencing it. Observing his move, I began to follow suit; as the muzzle swung toward me, I leveraged my nimbleness to entangle its mouth with a Thorn Whip. The moment it finished charging, I lunged straight at the barrel with my Rose Rapier.

　　MetalSeadramon let out a shrill cry of pain. The energy storage device inside its muzzle ruptured, causing the pent-up energy to shatter the metallic restraints and violently scatter in all directions. With a final Forbidden Temptation, he was entirely put out of his misery. Thick black smoke billowed from the ruptured muzzle, and the massive body tilted to one side, slowly falling toward the seabed along the whirlpool wall.

　　“Great job, Sakura!”

　　Crane was the first to send me her praise. Not to be boastful, but as the Support, I had given them a stellar opening.

　　With one brother defeated, the other two wouldn’t be doing well either. They both turned their heads, abandoned their previous opponents, and relocked their sights on me, harboring rage and swearing to avenge their brother. Of course, if they wanted to move against me, they’d have to ask my comrades for permission first.

　　Crane flapped the five pairs of wings on her back, caught up at full speed, and used the Dark Despair on her left arm to face the head-on impact of the Ultimate Stream. The energy of the wave cannon came from within the MetalSeadramon’s body; like itself, it was composed of data and could also be deleted as fragmented data by Crane’s left hand. Realizing this, Crane, once certain she could continue to resist, headed toward the muzzle and ended another brother using the exact same “muzzle-blocking” method I had employed.

　　“Only one left,” Crane said, proactively sending me an invitation. “Let’s take it on together, Sakura.”

　　I would never refuse such a request.However, things didn’t go as smoothly as we expected. Due to the successive defeats of its two brothers, the last one was unwilling to fall into the same fate and was exceptionally desperate and powerful. Even with a Thorn Whip threaded through the gap in its cranial blade, it still managed to shake us off its head—proof that its rage had reached an absolute boiling point.

　　Ultimately, left with no other option to protect our lives and our client from this frenzied MetalSeadramon, Crane was forced to unleash her trump card: Chaos Degradation.

　　“Sorry, I didn’t want to do this…”

　　It was rare for Crane to show such a gentle side. Seeing the creature refuse to yield, she finally steeled her heart, unleashing the energies of light and darkness coalescing in her left and right hands. The two merged, gradually producing a dimensional gate that would suck in everything around it and bury it completely.

　　“It’s over.” I stretched and let out a long sigh. I was just about to relax when, a second later, a voice from behind thoroughly chilled me.

　　“It’s far from over!”

　　Looking back at the source of the voice, there seemed to be something behind the water wall. Subsequently, a harpoon suddenly lunged out from behind the wall, its speed so fast the naked eye could barely catch it, directly piercing through the energy center and preventing the dimensional gate from fully manifesting. The resulting violent explosion blasted away the water walls of the giant whirlpool, instantly calming all the chaotic vortices and currents before our eyes.

　　Afterward, the harpoon returned to its owner’s hand. Looking in its direction, we caught sight of the figure hidden behind the water wall. Much like Lana’s AncientMermaimon, a long fish tail trailed behind him, though drastically thicker than Lana’s slender figure. Clad in scaled armor forged from a blue alloy, his sheer presence was extraordinary, exuding overwhelming majesty. One glance was enough to conclude: this was an absolute powerhouse.

　　“I wondered who’d dare act so insolently on my doorstep. Just a flock of little free birds, eh? Oh, and it seems you missed a cockroach.”

　　“You’re the cockroach…”

　　Pufferfishmon managed to utter these words, but his retort sounded so weak and powerless at that moment.

　　The fact that he could speak underwater proved he was an aquatic King, easily on par with the other four Sovereigns. Having saved one of the “Amphibious Brothers” with a single move, his strength was not to be underestimated. Seeing us rattled by the explosion, stripped of our fighting spirit, and dazed by the forceful currents, he deemed us unworthy of further attention. Instead, he turned his spearhead toward Falcon, who was still locked in a duel with Lana. In his eyes, insulting him was one thing, but bullying his woman was a cardinal sin.

　　As it turned out, this was Poseidon, Guild Master of Atlantis—or rather, the King of the Deep Sea Temple, Neptunemon. Instinct screaming in my mind told me that Falcon was about to meet a truly miserable end.

　　At this realization, Crane grabbed my hand and pointed toward Falcon, signaling me to go save him. I caught her drift immediately. Dragging my rapidly recovering body, I swam toward Falcon. As the Queen of Flowers, mere water was enough for me to heal; when conditions were right, it really was just that convenient.

　　By the time I arrived, Falcon had already taken a severe beating. He was being poked in the neck by the aquatic couple from front and back, choking and thrashing violently in the water. His Yellow-Beast Crescent-Blade had been knocked away, lodged deep within a distant bed of sea coral—it took me quite some effort to yank it free.

　　I was just about to go help him when a sudden violent noise came from above, followed by a surging current that almost washed me away again. Fortunately, holding the Yellow-Beast Crescent-Blade, using it to anchor myself to the seabed was the safest bet. Looking up, a Gigant Missile plunged into the sea, detonated mid-water by a Dark Terra Destroyer. The concussive impact forced the aquatic couple to release their prey out of self-preservation.

　　After the explosion, Owl dived back into the seabed, protecting his little brother Falcon and ordering him to retreat to the surface and link up with Dove, while he alone stayed behind to deal with this savage couple.

　　“Who are you calling savage!”

　　Lana was utterly incensed at being called ‘savage.’ Just as she was about to flare up, Poseidon held out a hand to stop her. “Dear, don’t waste your breath getting angry at barbaric intruders. Just focus on killing them.”

　　With those words, both sides immediately started fighting.

　　One against two, Owl was always at a disadvantage. I could never intervene in a clash between powerhouses. Even if I wanted to, the sheer disparity in our strength was too immense—I was merely a spectator. They could move with explosive vigor underwater, but I could not; my power was hindered, making it difficult to fight the crushing pressure and currents. Still, that didn’t mean I would just sit around waiting to die. Harassing the enemy was also a valid form of Support.

　　Flicking out the Thorn Whip from my left hand to ensnare Lana, I surged high-voltage electricity through the vines to paralyze her temporarily. This way, Poseidon wouldn’t be able to put all his attention on Owl, and Owl could seize the chance to use Black Tornado to defeat the opponent in one go.

　　However, I had seemingly neglected one crucial fact: Owl’s opponent was a Guild Master. Dealing with him would never be that simple. To my absolute horror, the fish-headed harpoon in his grasp, the King’s Bite, actually possessed a will of its own. Once hurled by its master, it autonomously altered its trajectory through the water, sought out the thorny vines binding the man’s wife, and severed them with a Terrible Bite from its maw, granting her freedom once more.

　　“Dear, I’ll leave the girl over there to you.”

　　“No problem. Keep your guard up on your end, too; the captain of the ‘Free Birds’ is thoroughly troublesome.”

　　“Haha, I’ll let him see what a Guild Master I am!”

　　Crossing blades with a representative of Britain’s Raiders was an honor. Unfortunately, I am a pacifist at heart and had no desire to tangle with her deeply, especially with our client currently nowhere in sight. To put it bluntly: it felt utterly pointless.

　　She took up her trident and rushed toward me aggressively. I had no choice but to engage. Preemptively releasing a long string of vines, I churned the seawater into a surging whirlpool to intercept her, but she pierced straight through it, entirely unhindered, maintaining her breakneck speed toward me.

　　If anyone thought my strength was only this much, they were greatly mistaken.

　　Knowing full well she was an aquatic type, I naturally wouldn’t rely on tactics that held no sway over her element. The churning whirlpool was merely a feint to lure her into my net. Tensing my grip, the trap sprang shut, and she found herself securely bound once more. She had to cooperate, or the high-voltage current wouldn’t let her off easily.

　　By all rights, a prisoner ought to behave and cease causing trouble. However, this woman, Lana, gave me quite an education; her sheer stubbornness was on a whole other level. Leveraging her mermaid physique, she relentlessly dragged me—the one restraining her—through the water, likely aiming to run me ragged so I wouldn’t have the luxury of worrying about the men above. I kept a relatively safe distance from her at all times, preventing her from knocking me out with her fish tail. Gradually, I couldn’t stand her anymore; being underwater and unable to give her verbal threats, I was forced to bare the Yellow-Beast Crescent-Blade at her, after which she suddenly became much, much quieter.

　　Honestly, what took so long!

　　To preempt any sneak attacks the moment I looked away, I used Rosy Cradle to hypnotize her into slumber. With my hands finally free, I coiled her fish tail around her trident and left her to nap peacefully on the seabed. At last, I had a window to go help Owl. He was currently in a brief crisis—I didn’t know if it was because of attribute disadvantage or because he was unfamiliar with the ocean terrain, but he was pinned firmly to a reef by Poseidon with the harpoon in his hand. The fish-headed tip of the spear was savagely gnawing at his arms, chewing pathetically at the connective joints of his Dramon Killers. He had been completely reduced to a punching bag, looking beyond aggrieved.

　　How could I stand by and watch my hero suffer such indignity? A crack of the Thorn Whip lashed across Neptunemon’s fish tail—specifically, his rear end—successfully drawing his ire.

　　Owl couldn’t have been more confused by my death-seeking behavior. Of course, that was my guess; don’t expect to see any expression on a BlackWarGreymon’s face—the same for other types of Digimon.

　　“Little girl, you shouldn’t direct your anger at a King.”

　　“And you shouldn’t humiliate my hero in front of me.”

　　Underwater, words were useless, so I let my actions speak for me; a point-blank Forbidden Temptation made for an excellent argument. Though Poseidon managed to deflect it by spinning his harpoon, the distraction bought me exactly enough time to toss the Yellow-Beast Crescent-Blade to my hero.

　　“Slay him!”

　　My eyes said this to Owl, and I hoped he could understand.

　　He detached the battered Dramon Killers from his arms, caught the Yellow-Beast Crescent-Blade I hurled his way, and instantly regained his fighting spirit. Seeing this, Poseidon’s face looked a bit panicked, but it was quickly restored.

　　“Think I’m afraid of you just because you changed weapons? Take this—”

　　Just as he said, changing weapons didn’t completely hold him off, but at least he could go back and forth with him in the water and not fall into the position of being beaten.

　　The two strong ones continued to fight. Gradually, Guild Master Poseidon lost his patience, anxious to decide the outcome and find his other half. Seizing a split-second window when his harpoon locked against the scimitar, he invoked the Gate of Atlantis, summoning a colossal, high-pressure water column to blast Owl point-blank. Its power was no less than a single Ultimate Stream. Even with Owl bracing the Yellow-Beast Crescent-Blade in defense, the sheer kinetic force launched him an immense distance backward. He smashed heavily into a distant reef before drifting down toward the seabed like a discarded seashell.

　　Rushing to his wife’s side and finding her unconscious, Guild Master Poseidon lost whatever shred of temper he had left. Sparing no time for my frantic, gesticulated explanations, he hurled that godforsaken Vortex Penetrate—the very attack that had previously pierced a dimensional gate—straight at me.

　　It struck with the wrath of lightning; released one second, inches from my face the next. There was absolutely no room to dodge. Just as the spear tip was about to bore through me, a yo-yo suddenly flashed across my vision, parrying the fatal thrust. Immediately after, a familiar voice echoed from behind: “Guild Master Poseidon is certainly ruthless toward our people. One might think you’re actively trying to instigate a war between our guilds.”

　　My savior was none other than the Guild Master of Sylvan Garden, Flower. Her appearance was a complete shock, but with her here, Poseidon wouldn’t dare lift another finger against me—not unless he fancied a two-on-one. Strictly speaking, a three-on-one, seeing as Owl had just regained his footing.

　　“You’ve got a lot of nerve saying that!” Poseidon bellowed furiously. “You’re the ones invading my domain! Look around you—a perfectly pristine stretch of the ‘Network Sea’ has been utterly trashed thanks to your little stunt. As far as I see it, you’re deliberately picking a fight!”

　　Guild Master Flower didn’t think so. She put on a delicate appearance, took my arm as if I were her sister, hid behind my body, and said to her old acquaintance Poseidon: “Oh, please. From what I see, they hardly have the time for such things. As for me? Just a routine inspection. Strolling about, making sure no Guild Master has arbitrarily forgotten the parting instructions of Senior Muca to start stirring up sectarian conflict… Oh dear, I didn’t mean you, of course. Don’t mind me.”

　　Her words undoubtedly alerted the opponent.

　　“Despicable as always, Flower. Actually daring to use Senior Muca’s name to browbeat me.”

　　“It’s because you yourself don’t have a good memory and need me to remind you.”

　　I had no earthly idea who this “Muca” was. But whenever the name was dropped, even the fiercest of tempers would involuntarily snap into respectful submission.

　　“Fine, consider this your win!” Poseidon growled, swallowing his indignation. “For the sake of Senior Muca, I’ll let this slide today. But hear me well! If you lot dare step one foot into the ‘Network Sea’ again, I will hunt you down—even if you scatter back to reality!”

　　“Thank you for your understanding, Guild Master Poseidon. We won’t disturb your time as a couple. We’ll take our leave.”

　　Immediately after, Guild Master Flower hastily dragged Owl and me into a spatial tunnel she’d cleaved open for our evacuation. I asked her why she was in such a frantic rush; she admitted she was terrified Poseidon would change his mind.

　　“Don’t believe any promise that guy makes; there’s no telling when he’ll forget.”

　　Looking back, our luck had been astronomical. It was a miracle Guild Master Flower arrived to save the day; otherwise, I shudder to think how catastrophically that situation might have deteriorated.

　　“By the way, Master, why did you come?”

　　“Little Snake told me. She overheard some bar patrons gossiping about the ‘Amphibious Brothers’ patrolling the waters near the Deep Sea Temple. Realizing your request sent you straight there, she desperately hunted me down for help, so here I am.”

　　As it turned out, she was one step late and happened to run into the Guild Master of Atlantis.

　　“Then she…”

　　“Oh, she went straight back to drinking. Her alcohol tolerance is terrifying—she often boasts she could drink The ‘Drink’ Bar into bankruptcy single-handedly. Just don’t let the Boss catch wind of that, or he’ll hike up the prices again.”

　　How to even articulate it? Those two brief sentences offered an overwhelming buffet of material to complain about—I didn’t even know where to start.

　　Our business came to a temporary close. With Guild Master Flower’s support, the request was successfully completed. Pufferfishmon finally saw the person of his heart—a MarineAngemon.

　　“Want to know why our client was so persistent?”

　　I became interested in the question Owl posed: “Tell me.”

　　“Because both of them are like you—their ‘User Identification Medal’ devices were accidentally destroyed, and they can only stay in this world composed of data. This place is their everything.”

　　This place was my everything, too.

　　Pufferfishmon fell in love with someone in the Deep Sea Temple, a MarineAngemon.

　　Once too small and fragile to brave the Digital World together, they were forced to pledge themselves to stronger bodies to survive. Pufferfishmon joined the Mutant Research Lab, while MarineAngemon swore to Atlantis. Before their tearful parting, the two forged a desperate pact: no matter who claimed power first, they would never forget each other. They would cross the divide between guilds, harbor an undying concern for one another, and never let the memory of their love face deletion.

　　A story like that sounds beautifully romantic, but fundamentally, it’s an invisible shackle. It mirrored my own loneliness—there were always days when Owl and the rest of the ‘Free Birds’ would simply log out of Midgard, returning to the comfort of reality to live their lives, leaving me marooned here. Trapped alone in a digital tavern, lending a hand to a bar owner named Adam, endlessly babysitting a guild full of grown adults who frequently behaved like bickering infants.

　　Boring yet fulfilling; perhaps that is what life is.