Chapter 101: The Digital and the Future of Humanity

"Sorry, but pets aren't allowed on the roller coaster."

"Ah?"

Looking at the staff member blocking their way, the Gatomon nestled in Qin Fei's arms wore a look of disappointment.

This was the fourth attraction that had refused to let them in. The haunted house, the pirate ship—all of them had turned them away the moment they spotted the Gatomon in Qin Fei's arms.

"See? If you'd just obediently go back inside the Digivice, none of this would be a problem."

"Huh? No way!"

Loretamon crossed her arms, looking down at Gatomon from above with a reproachful expression. "If it were just me and Qin Fei, we'd have—"

"Lolo, that's enough!"

Qin Fei cut off Loretamon's complaints. Watching his two partners square off against each other once again, he helplessly patted his forehead, then pointed at the Ferris wheel in the distance. "Come on, let's go ride that one."

"Isn't it the same there? No pets allowed?"

Glancing at the big spinning wheel turning endlessly in the distance, Loretamon curled her lips, not holding out much hope.

"I have a way."

Qin Fei smiled mysteriously, then took out his Digivice and absorbed the Gatomon in his arms into it.

"Two tickets, please."

After paying, Qin Fei took Loretamon's slender hand and stepped into the Ferris wheel cabin.

"So this is your plan?"

Watching the Ferris wheel slowly begin to rotate and rise, Loretamon cast a smug glance at the Digivice in Qin Fei's hand, certain that he had finally come around—keeping Gatomon tucked away inside so the two of them could enjoy a proper date.

Yes, "date" was another word Lolo had learned from the internet.

"Gatomon... materialize!"

"BlackGatomon... materialize!"

But Qin Fei had no idea about the secret joy Loretamon was feeling. As soon as the staff could no longer see inside the cabin, he immediately released Gatomon and BlackGatomon.

"...Just as I thought."

Watching two figures suddenly appear in what had been a perfectly spacious cabin with a perfectly good atmosphere, Loretamon looked crestfallen, though her expression showed she wasn't surprised in the least.

"Wow, it's so high up!"

BlackGatomon was more excited than anyone at being let out. He pressed himself against the window, taking in the sweeping view where everything far below looked small.

"The human world is beautiful too. If only the Digital World and the human world could get along, that would be wonderful."

In Gatomon's clear eyes, a trace of yearning surfaced, along with a pensive thought about coexistence with humans.

"..."

"It actually can be. In my memory, there is a world like that..."

Qin Fei spoke suddenly, his voice unusually serious. His tone wasn't that of someone trying to comfort her—it was as if he had truly witnessed such a scene firsthand.

"What? Really?"

Gatomon withdrew her distant gaze and stared at Qin Fei in astonishment.

"Yes. If there's a chance, I'll take you to see it. No—I will definitely show you a world like that."

Gatomon looked at him, and the two stared at each other for a long while. Then she suddenly broke into a delighted smile. "I'll be looking forward to it..."

Qin Fei looked out of the cabin. Amid the bustling high-rise buildings, crowds of people came and went, each striving to live their own life just as they always had—no different from the human world in the first season. Many of them didn't even know that Digimon existed.

But in that original Digital World, in the second season, a few years after the first, through the combined efforts of Daisuke and the others—Taichi's juniors—along with Taichi and his friends, humans and Digimon had truly seemed to coexist in harmony. Almost everyone had a Digimon partner. Taichi had even become a diplomat between the human world and the Digital World, drawing the two worlds ever closer together.

A world like that—he had to take Gatomon to see it someday.

"The night view is even more beautiful. I hear there are fireworks too. If we get the chance another time, I'll bring you to see it... just not today."

Watching the Ferris wheel cabin gradually approach the ground, Qin Fei took out his Digivice.

"Qin Fei, what are fireworks? And why not today?"

Seeing the question in BlackGatomon's eyes, Qin Fei absorbed him and Gatomon back into the Digivice.

"Fireworks are flowers that blossom in the sky. They're beautiful, but they disappear in the blink of an eye. Still, we've got a mission today..."

Qin Fei explained to the Digivice, knowing that both BlackGatomon and Gatomon could hear him.

"Come on, let's find a restaurant and fill our stomachs first. Tonight, there's an important battle ahead."

The Ferris wheel finally came to a stop. Seeing the hand Qin Fei extended toward her, Lolo smiled like a blooming flower and placed her hand in his.

......

"Qin Fei?! What are you doing here too?"

Arriving at the dining area, Tohma, who had been sitting in a chair eating ice cream, looked puzzled—because he had spotted Qin Fei walking over alongside Lolo.

"A friend of Tohma's?"

"Big brother Tohma's friend?"

Noticing Tohma's startled voice, the young mother and daughter beside him also turned to look. Soon they saw a pair of children around the same age as Chika.

"Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Qin Fei, and this is Lolo. We're colleagues of Tohma and your brother, Masaru Daimon."

Qin Fei sat down at the round table next to them with an easy, familiar air.

"Colleagues? You're so young!"

After taking in their introductions, the gentle, graceful woman smiled at them.

"How did you know Masaru is my brother?"

Looking at the boy and girl around her own age, Chika asked curiously. It seemed that people of the same age found it easier to let down their guard.

"Yesterday, your brother begged Tohma in front of everyone to help make sure you had a wonderful birthday. Honestly, Masaru really dotes on you, his little sister."

"Hmph, that idiot of a brother, always making a fuss over nothing."

Despite her sharp words, the joy in Chika's eyes couldn't be hidden at all.

"By the way, would you two like some ice cream..."

Masaru and Chika's mother—Sayuri—suddenly asked. Since they were friends, and children around Chika's age at that, how could she just let them sit there watching while they ate?

"I want some!!!"

Before Qin Fei could instinctively refuse, a hopeful voice rang out from the Digivice in his pocket.

"..."

Hearing a voice coming from Qin Fei that was clearly not his own, everyone knew exactly what it was.

"Wow! Qin Fei, do you have a partner like Agumon and Garurumon?"

Qin Fei was taken aback, but immediately realized that Chika must have meant a Digimon partner.

"Yeah, I do."

Qin Fei nodded and admitted it openly.

"I want to see! I want to see!"

Chika was suddenly full of curiosity, eager to know what Qin Fei's Digimon looked like.

"Chika, don't. Showing a Digimon out in the open is dangerous..."

Both Sayuri and Tohma tried to stop her.

"Oh, I see..."

Chika understood the reasoning, but she couldn't hide her disappointment.

"It's all right. Since today is Chika's birthday, I don't mind letting my partner come out to play with her for a bit. She's not noticeable."

With that, Qin Fei took out the Digivice from his chest.

"Gatomon... materialize!"

After a flash of light from the Digivice, a cute, upright cat-like Digimon appeared before them.

"Wow, what an adorable kitty."

As expected, girls had no resistance to anything cute.

"..."

"Anyway, we're heading to the Ferris wheel later. Would you two like to join us? The more children, the livelier it'll be."

After bringing over three more ice creams, Sayuri extended the invitation to Qin Fei and the others.

"Thank you, but we just got off the Ferris wheel. We appreciate the kind thought."

"Oh, what a shame. Then how about having dinner together tonight? We can also celebrate little Chika's birthday."

Qin Fei nodded. Since they had been invited so earnestly, turning them down again would have been simply impolite.